To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time students, normally domiciled in the Northern Ireland Western Education and Library Board area, enrolled in higher education courses for the current academic year. [65309]

This information is not available in the form requested. However, 2,534 full-time students domiciled in the area of the Western Education and Library Board applied for financial support to attend higher education courses in the current academic year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students are enrolled at Clifton Special Care School, Bangor; if a nurse is available in the school; and if she will make a statement. [65960]

98 pupils are currently enrolled at Clifton Special School. At present there is no nurse available in Clifton School, but the Eastern Health and Social Services Board and Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust are working with the South Eastern Education and Library Board to arrange provision of the required level of nursing support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the number of retired teachers who subsequently returned to teach for limited periods in primary schools for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement about opportunities for recently trained teachers. [65959]

673 retired teachers were re-employed in primary schools on a temporary basis during the 1997–98 school year.

Board/NHS trusts	Linkage complete	Linkage planned by 31 March 1999
Argyll and Clyde Health Board	Yes
Argyll and Bute NHS Trust	Yes
Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust	Yes
Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust	Yes
Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust	Yes
Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	Yes

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how she intends to fund the costs incurred by the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in caring for the dangerous wild animals that were taken into their care on behalf of public agencies, from Seskinore, Co. Tyrone, on 8 November 1997. [67440]

Costs incurred by the USPCA in caring for these animals until ownership formally passed to the Society on 26 October 1998 amount to £54,329. It is proposed to share these costs on an equal three way basis across the budgets for the Police Authority for Northern Ireland and the Departments of Agriculture and Environment for Northern Ireland. Parliament's approval to meet these costs in the current year will be sought in a Supplementary estimate for Department of the Environment Vote 4 (Environment and other Services). Pending that approval, payment will be made from repayable advances from the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which NHS trusts and health boards are currently connected to the NHSnet; when he expects every NHS trust and health board to have a link to the NHSnet; what future resources will be required to (a) complete and (b) support this service; and what resources have been allocated to this project (i) this year and (ii) in each of the next three financial years. [65762]

All Health Boards and NHS Trusts will be linked to NHSnet by 31 March 1999. The current position of Health Boards and NHS Trusts is set out in the table. Resources allocated to this project in this year are £6 million. The ongoing costs of supporting these links will be met by the Health Boards and Trusts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if full use of the NHSnet requires (a) GP practices and (b) NHS trusts connected to the NHSnet to have compatible software and hardware; and which companies have supplied the hardware and software for the project. [65763]

NHSnet provides a UK-wide secure private telecommunications network for NHS Organisations across the UK under contracts with BT, BT Syntegra and Cable and Wireless. Connection to NHSnet is achieved by connecting to a Service Access Point on the NHSnet. NHS organisations can either connect directly to an NHSnet Service Access Point or indirectly if they are already linked to a network, e.g. a private Health Board wide network, with a gateway connection to NHSnet. All networks (whether single GP Practices or Board level private networks) connecting to NHSnet must conform to the NHSnet Code of Connection which maintains the security and integrity of NHSnet.Full use of NHSnet requires each GP Practice and NHS Trust (or the local network to which they belong) to meet published standards for NHSnet which comply with the Internet suite protocols (IP). GP Practices and NHS Trusts must therefore have systems which are compatible with NHSnet (but not necessarily the same as each other). A variety of suppliers will have supplied parts of the overall network; details of these are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects all GP practices in Scotland to have a link to the NHSnet; what resources have been allocated to this project (a) this year and (b) in each of the next three financial years; what resources will be required to (i) complete and (ii) support this service; and what is the estimated cost saving over the next five years. [65760]

97 per cent. of GP practices are already connected and the remaining practices which asked to participate will be linked by March 1999. The total cost of this project was £7 million of which £0.415 million was spent in 1998–99. Resources required for ongoing support of the installed systems and NHSnet connections will be met through the usual arrangements between Health Boards and GPs for reimbursement of expenses.It is difficult at this stage to estimate the cost saving when the system is fully utilised. The main objective is to improve patient care through ensuring that clinicians have access to the information they need to care for patients wherever they are in the NHSiS. The benefits expected when the full infrastructure is put into place also include savings in costs and reductions in the bureaucracy of sending an estimated 10 million paper forms around the system each year, saving in staff time, and improved convenience for patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of GP practices are currently connected to the NHSnet. [65761]

My most recent information is that 1,040 GP Practices are now connected to the NHSnet. This represents 97 per cent. of all practices in Scotland. Of the remaining 34 practices, 4 practices did not ask to participate and the remainder will be linked by March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many child psychiatrists are currently employed in the NHS in Scotland. [65879]

The number of consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists employed in the NHS in Scotland at 30 September 1998 was as follows:

• Whole time equivalent: 41.3
• Headcount: 48

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the availability of psychiatric services for young people, with particular reference to rural areas. [65878]

Within the context of their mental health strategies, all Health Boards in Scotland are determining and putting in place the appropriate levels of in-patient and community-based provision they require to meet assessed needs for child and adolescent psychiatric care.The growth of community-based psychiatric services should help promote better access for young people in rural areas. But, inevitably, in-patient facilities will tend to be close to population centres. Health Boards covering rural areas should take account of this in developing their plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will state the terms of reference of the Quigley Committee on higher education; and when he expects it to report; [65476](2) if he will make a statement on the interim findings of the Quigley Committee on student applications. [65475]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on 1 December 1998, Official Report, column 138.The Quigley Committee has not made any statement of interim findings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those areas for which (a) the New Deal Gateway and (b) one or more New Deal options are delivered entirely by private sector providers; and if he will list monthly expenditure and client outcomes for each of these private sector providers up to the latest date for which the figures are available. [63275]

[holding answer 14 December 1998]: There are no areas where the New Deal Gateway is delivered entirely by private sector providers although in ten Units of Delivery the New Deal is private sector led. These are: Leicester, Colchester, West Lancashire, Exeter and East Devon, South Humber, North Tyneside, Forth Valley, Hackney and City, Solihull and Bridgend. Client outcomes for these are shown in the table. These figures are GSS from January to October 1998 and provisional Management Information for November 1998.

	Unsubsidised placings	Number joining the Employment Option
Leicester	413	27
Colchester	376	19
West Lancashire	84	12
Exeter and Devon	234	32
South Humber	539	4
North Tyneside	130	42
Forth Valley	226	66
Hackney and City	460	35
Solihull	93	19
Bridgend	317	151

Whilst I am unable, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to provide details of payments to individual contractors, we will be reporting later this year on the overall financial performance of all Units of Delivery, including these ten private sector led areas as part of our continuous improvement agenda. This will include as a core performance measure the unit cost of placing a New Deal client into a job in each of the Units of Delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have entered the New Deal Gateway in the Unit of Delivery covering Havant Borough Council area since its inception; and how many took up each New Deal option. [66367]

The latest Government Statistical Service figures for the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Unit of Delivery, which covers Havant, show that to the end of October 1998 (a) 1,229 young people had entered the Gateway and 217 had secured unsubsidised employment (b) 307 had joined one of the four options: 49 on the Employment option; 35 on the Voluntary Sector option; 10 on the Environment Task Force; and 213 on the Full-Time Education and Training option. 506 young people were still at the initial stage of New Deal support through Gateway, 32 had left New Deal to claim other benefits, 33 had gone to other known destinations and 134 had gone to unknown destinations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have entered the New Deal Gateway in the Unit of Delivery covering the New Forest District Council area since its inception; and how many took up each New Deal option. [66368]

The latest Government Statistical Service figures for the Southampton and South West Hampshire Unit of Delivery, which covers the New Forest, show that to the end of October 1998 (a) 820 young people had entered the Gateway and 162 had secured unsubsidised employment (b) 178 had joined one of the four options: 37 on the Employment option; 25 on the Voluntary Sector option; 18 on the Environment Task Force; and 98 on the Full-Time Education and Training option. 316 young people were still at the initial stage of New Deal support through Gateway, 27 had left New Deal to claim other benefits, 32 had gone to other known destinations and 105 had gone to unknown destinations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young unemployed people aged 18 to 25 years in Doncaster, Central have to date gained new skills from their participation in the New Deal programme. [66562]

Statistics from the New Deal are not available for individual constituencies.The latest Government Statistical figures to the end of October 1998, including the provisional Management Information to the end of November 1998, show that for the Wakefield and Doncaster Unit of Delivery, which covers the Doncaster Central area, 3,015 young people aged between 18–24 have already entered the New Deal Gateway. 961 young people have joined one of the four options and each participant on a New Deal option will work towards an NVQ or equivalent qualification which will assist them in gaining a new skill and increasing their prospects for sustainable employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received on the subject of outdoor education; what changes he proposes to make in the provision and funding of such education; and if he will make a statement. [66485]

Under the new maintained school funding system which takes effect from April 1999, local education authorities will be able to retain funding centrally to support outdoor education centres, as they have been able to do under present arrangements for Local Management of Schools. This reflects representations from Local Education Authorities and others following the publication last year of the consultation paper "Fair Funding".The Government is also committed to increasing the range of opportunities that young people have to take part in learning activities outside school hours. To this end, we are making £180 million of Lottery money available across the UK through the New Opportunities Fund to support such activities. The draft application guidance produced by the New Opportunities Fund includes adventurous outdoor activities among those which may be eligible for funding. The New Opportunities Fund will be formally inviting applications later in the Spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what conclusions he has drawn from his Department's internal investigations of the relationship between socio-economic factors and school performance; and if he will place a copy of results of these investigations in the Library. [66602]

[holding answer 20 January 1999]: Historically, there has been a strong statistical relationship between socio-economic factors and school performance. This does not mean, however, that poverty can be used to excuse poor results.The Autumn Package of performance data, which was distributed in November last year, contains detailed information on national results and the performance of schools within similar bands of Free School Meals. The Package shows what is possible: many schools in the highest Free School Meals band can be seen to perform better than some of the schools in the lowest band.The Government are committed to raising standards in all schools. For example, we are ensuring that successful schools better share good practice. The beacon school initiative and the new Standards Site on the Internet encourage and enable schools to learn about "what works", regardless of the socio-economic context in which individual schools are located.We have placed a copy of the Autumn Package in the Library. It is also available via the Internet. The address is: http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/library/publications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans he has to introduce quality assurance procedures within Section 11-funded adult education; [66608](2) what guidance he has issued to local education authorities relating to the means by which existing Section 11-funded adult education will be protected following the introduction of ethnic minority achievement grants; [66610](3) if he will ensure that, within the new administrative arrangements for ethnic minority achievement grants, the level of existing funding of adult education within each participating local education authority is ring-fenced before the retained and devolved proportions of the authority's allocations are set. [66609]

The Department's letter of 12 November 1998 to Chief Education Officers set out details of the new Standards Fund Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. Subject to the receipt of good action plans, local education authorities will receive broadly the same allocations for the support of ethnic minority education in 1999–2000 as the Home Office provided under section 11 in 1998–99, including that element for adult education.The Department's letter also set out the arrangements whereby up to 15 per cent. of allocations, or £150,000 whichever was the greater, might be held back to provide central services including adult education. This should be satisfactory for the vast majority of Authorities. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will consider carefully, and on their merits, any cases which an Authority might make reflecting historically heavy investment in adult education.LEAs are required to ensure that all Standards Fund grants are spent for the purpose for which they are paid and to monitor the quality of provision. In addition, the Department monitors and evaluates all Standards Fund expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the letter of 27 August (EM CC/614/2044) to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what interim results he has received in respect of the non-statutory code of practice on unfair discrimination on grounds of age in the teaching profession. [65404]

The draft Code of Practice we have been developing with key external partners was published for wider consultation, including amongst those with responsibilities for the employment of teachers, in November 1998. We were very pleased with the wide interest the Code prompted, with over 9,000 copies being distributed. The consultation ended on 8 January 1999 and we are currently analysing the responses. The analysis will be published in due course and the final version of the Code will be launched in the Spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 12 January 1999, Official Report, column 152, he will state (a) the assumptions about the growth of the minimum income guarantee relative to prices and earnings and (b) the number and proportion of state second pensioners who will be receiving the pensioners' minimum income guarantee in the years up to 2050. [66469]

Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is as follows.It is assumed that, from the announced rates for April 1999, the Minimum Income Guarantee is uprated in line with the growth in average earnings (assumed to be 1.5 per cent. per year more than the growth in prices).Estimates are not available of the number of pensioners who would be receiving payments of state second pension in future years. Overall, estimates taken from the PENSIM model suggest that under the new insurance contract for pensions approximately 1 in 4 pensioner units (2.5 million) would receive income from the Minimum Income Guarantee in 2050, and a lower proportion in years after 2050.Projections forward to the year 2050 are subject to a high degree of uncertainty, given the number of assumptions in making them. Some of those who will be pensioners in 2050 have yet to begin work, and most are today in their 20s and 30s.Estimates made by extrapolating projections from the PENSIM model can give only a broad indication of the likely order of magnitude of figures so far into the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the savings in income support or minimum pensioner income guarantee payments each year after 1 April 1999 till 1 April 2007 arising from the introduction of pensions splitting. [66462]

The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is as follows.Legislation to enable pensions to be shared at the time of divorce will be included in the forthcoming Welfare Reform Bill.The financial implications of pension sharing are uncertain, and will depend on the number of spouses who obtain a pension share and the percentage of pension which is transferred. Current estimates are based on the assumption that there could be from 35,000 to 65,000 cases per year, with a central assumption of 50,000. All estimates made are also dependent on a large number of other assumptions and should be considered illustrative.It is expected that any impact on the minimum income guarantee will initially be small, as income support entitlement will not be altered until a pension share comes into payment. As most divorces take place before the age of 40, it is likely that, in most cases, there will be a significant time lapse between a pension share being made and income being received from the pension. Broad estimates of the impact 20 years after implementation suggest that, using the central assumption of 50,000 pension shares per year, pension sharing on divorce could lead to a saving on all income related benefits of around £10 million (within a range of £0—£30 million using alternative assumptions).

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will extend Direction 25 of the Social Fund to include 16 to 18-year-olds who are on a youth training placement. [66156]

It is not appropriate to extend Direction 25 to include 16–18 year olds on youth training placements. Payments from the Discretionary Social Fund are made from a cash limited budget and available resources must be targeted on those most in need of help. Eligibility for Social Fund Community Care Grants is therefore restricted by Direction 25 to those entitled to Income Support or income based Jobseeker's Allowance.Provision already exists to allow vulnerable 16–17 year olds to receive Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and, in turn, access to Community Care Grants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the responses his Department has received following the consultation process for the paper, "A New Contract for Welfare: Support for Disabled People". [66828]

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Ms Blears) on 19 January 1999, Official Report, column 402.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the use of space and the state of the equipment in COB2 building at the Portsmouth Naval Base. [66178]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Naval Bases and Supply Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the displacement of the Vanguard class of submarines. [66172]

The displacement of Vanguard class submarines, when submerged, is about 16,000 tons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the anticipated hull life of the Trafalgar class of submarines. [66667]

The initial design life of Trafalgar class submarine hulls was 25 years, although there is sufficient margin to extend the life of the submarines as necessary, subject to monitoring to ensure the continuing safety of the submarines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the expected average time between major refits for Project Horizon ships. [66665]

The maintenance philosophy for CNGF is based on a continuous process of repair and update. It is expected that the length of upkeep periods will be reduced, scheduled maintenance will be minimised, and the docking period will be extended to five years. There will be no major refits, but there will be four docking periods, of six months each, at five year intervals during the planned 25 year life of the ship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules or guidance his Department has to govern the (a) formal and (b) informal interaction between his civil servants and commercial lobbyists. [66204]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 4, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received requesting the use of its uranium stocks for cancer research, with particular reference to the detection and treatment of cancer; what response his Department gave; and what factors underlay this response. [66487]

[holding answer 19 January 1999]: The Department of Trade and Industry asked my Department last year if we could provide highly enriched uranium, HEU, from defence stocks for use by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to produce medical radioisotopes.UK defence requirements for HEU were considered in detail in the Strategic Defence Review, which concluded that any material not required for nuclear weapons purposes would be needed for the nuclear propulsion programme. Therefore, as we stated in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) White Paper, the MOD holds no surplus stocks of HEU. We were, as a result unable to accede to the Department of Trade and Industry's request. We were, however, able to provide advice on a possible alternative source of HEU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he intends to publish a revised code of conduct on ethics and discipline for the Royal Air Force; [66746](2) when he intends to publish a revised code of conduct on ethics and discipline for the Army; [66747](3) when he intends to publish a revised code of conduct on ethics and discipline for the Royal Navy. [66748]

As I explained in my previous answer on 14 January 1999, Official Report, column 269, each of the Services has its own procedure for providing information and guidance on matters relating to conduct and discipline within its individual Service environment. The Army and the Royal Air Force are currently revising and updating their current codes of conduct. When this work is complete, I will write the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.There are no immediate plans to publish a revised code of conduct for the Royal Navy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many outstanding legal cases are pending against his Department on grounds of (a) equal opportunities, (b) racial discrimination, (c) homosexuality and lesbianism, (d) post-traumatic stress syndrome and (e) physical injury. [66743]

The available information requested relating to the number of outstanding compensation cases being pursued against my Department, whether in litigation or not, by employees, former employees and members of the public as at 20 January 1999 is set out:

	Number
(a) Sex discrimination, sexual harassment and equal pay claims submitted by Service and former Service personnel to Employment Tribunals	138
(b) Racial discrimination and harassment claims submitted by Service and former Service personnel to Employment Tribunals	116
(c) Homosexuality and lesbianism cases submitted by Service and former Service personnel to Employment Tribunals	172
(d) Post-traumatic stress disorder	155
(e) Physical injury	23,716
1 These figures exclude claims from MOD civilian and former civilian staff as the information is not held centrally.
2 This figure excludes personal injury claims from members of the public being handled by MOD claims officers overseas as the information is not held centrally. Medical negligence claims and third party personal injury claims relating to road traffic accidents have also been excluded. Claims in respect of disease (e.g. asbestosis, mesothelioma) have been included but claims relating to psychiatric illness have been excluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the interval between major refits for HMS Invincible. [66666]

HMS Invincible has undergone one refit. It took place some six years after she entered service with the Royal Navy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions RAF Manston, Kent, has been used by private freight aircraft in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998; what cargo they carried; and if he will make a statement. [66629]

[holding answer 20 January 1999]: My Department does not record the information requested. Kent International Airport (KIA), a private company, operates from an enclave of leased land within the airfield site of RAF Manston and is responsible for all flight planning, acceptance of aircraft movements, handling and refuelling, loading and unloading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to establish the post of Chief of Defence Personnel. [66744]

I have no current plans to establish a post of Chief of Defence Personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the net effect of the review of the Territorial Army on the number of (a) TA centres and (b) TA units in North Wales. [65017]

Prior to the Strategic Defence Review there were seven Territorial Army Centres and five Territorial Army company-sized units in North Wales, plus a battalion Headquarters. As a result of the re-structuring there will be five Territorial Army Centres and four Territorial Army company-sized Units, plus a battalion Headquarters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the strength of the TA prior to the Strategic Defence Review will remain after implementation of the Strategic Defence Review in (a) the North West of England and (b) North Wales. [65023]

75 per cent. of TA strength will remain in the North West after the implementation of the findings of the Strategic Defence Review. 72 per cent. will remain in North Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission a re-assessment of the work of Dr Sue Rabbitt Roff, at the centre for medical education at Dundee University, on the causation of cancers in British atomic test veterans. [66431]

No. My Department has made clear on a number of occasions its reservations about the work of Ms Rabbitt Roff and the conclusions reached. Nevertheless, consideration is being given to researching further the incidence of multiple myeloma among our nuclear test veterans and we have asked Ms Rabbitt Roff for access to her data. Any such research will be carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board but the results, which would be subject to external peer review, would be unlikely to be available until the latter half of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations his Department had with North West and Isle of Man TAVRA on the move of HQ 101 Battalion REME from Chorley to Queensferry. [65012]

North West and Isle of Man TAVRA were consulted on the move of Headquarters 101 Battalion REME from Chorley to Queensferry during the consultation process which took place at Headquarters Land Command in October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December 1998, Official Report, column 54, concerning the cost of transferring 101 REME Battalion HQ, if he will define significant financial costs. [65016]

These are costs of an order likely to influence the decision to relocate the unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the total amount of sponsorship which he forecasts will be available for the Dome. [65228]

The New Millennium Experience Company's target is to raise £150 million of sponsorship support. The Company announced, last November, confirmed sponsorship of £120 millio—or 80 per cent. of that total. The NMEC are in detailed negotiations for a further £15 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will ensure that there is sufficient help and advice from the millennium festival on funding applications for regional and local events and activities to the Millennium Festival fund. [65229]

The Millennium Festival is a partnership initiative between the Lottery Distribution bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the New Millennium Experience Company. It aims to give as many people as possible financial and other support for events and activities within their communities during 2000. Promotional and administrative support for the Festival is provided by NMEC's twelve country-wide offices. Staff in those offices are available to advise anyone who is interested in the Millennium Festival and I have today placed contact details in the Libraries of the House.The funding round for larger awards—over £5,000—which opened on 5 May 1998 has now closed. Decisions on the Awards will be announced in February 1999. The funding round for smaller community schemes—seeking between £250 and £5,000—will open in the spring of 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people who will travel to the Millennium Dome by ferry. [65230]

The New Millennium Experience Company estimates that about 1 million out of the estimated 12 million visitors to the Dome will arrive by boat from central London and by the shuttle service from historic Greenwich.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the maximum number of visitors which the millennium site could handle on any one day. [65232]

Actual daily numbers will depend on the New Millennium Experience Company's policy regarding the number of tickets on sale for each day, on visitor safety and comfort, and on necessary approvals from the relevant authorities. The present estimate is for a maximum of 35,000 on those occasions when the Millennium Experience opens during daytime; on those occasions where the Millennium Experience is open during the daytime and the evening, the number of visitors is estimated at 55,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his most recent estimate of the number of daily visitors to the dome and the proportion of the visitors who will arrive by underground train service. [65234]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 21 January 1999, Official Report, column 532. The number of visitors estimated to arrive at the Dome site by underground train is about 55 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the total public and national lottery expenditure on the millennium celebrations will be spent on the dome at Greenwich. [65233]

The Millennium Commission has awarded a grant of £449 million (gross) to the Millennium Experience project, which incorporates the Dome at Greenwich and a linked comprehensive programme of events and activities around the country. This represents 20 per cent. of the Millennium Commission's total funds. The remaining 80 per cent. has been distributed to a wide range of projects around the UK. The New Millennium Experience Company has received, and will receive, no public funds from the Exchequer for the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on sponsorship of the Millennium Experience. [65231]

As shareholder of the New Millennium Experience Company, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), the former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, received many representations from members of the public and from Members of this House about all aspects of the Millennium Experience project, including sponsorship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been paid out to date for each of the Millennium Landmark projects. [66672]

This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I shall write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what rules or guidance his Department has to govern the (a) formal and (b) informal interaction between his civil servants and commercial lobbyists. [66208]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 4, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what account is given of value for money in the accreditation of crowns on a quality rating system for hotels. [66896]

Rating assessments under both the English Tourist Board's current crown scheme and the new harmonised accommodation rating scheme are made on the range of facilities and level of services appropriate to each type of accommodation and not specifically on their value for money. Under the new harmonised scheme for serviced accommodation in England, hotels are given a rating of 1 to 5 stars covering the whole visitor experience (e.g. quality, level of services and range of facilities) and guest accommodation is rated entirely on quality, using 1 to 5 diamonds. The ETB, the AA and the RAC are currently carrying out inspections against the new harmonised scheme, which will be launched to customers later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the annual revenue of the tourism industry in the North West for the last five years. [66898]

Estimated figures for annual expenditure in the North West Tourist Board region from 1993 to 1997 by tourists from the UK staying at least one night and by tourists from overseas are shown in the table. Figures for spending by UK residents on tourism day visits to the North West Tourist Board region are available only for 1996 and show an estimated £2,800 million for that year (Source: the UK Day Visits Survey).

£ million
	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
Domestic tourism	860	995	1,060	1,020	1,000
Tourism from overseas	287	371	331	381	455
Total (rounded)	1,147	1,366	1,391	1,401	1,455

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the value of the North West Tourist Board. [65988]

[holding answer 18 January 1999]: My Department has made no specific assessment of the North West Tourist Board, which, like the other regional tourist boards, is an independent commercial organisation. However, I fully recognise the important work that the Board does to promote, develop and raise the profile of tourism in its region. I am pleased to say that I am opening the Great Days Out Fair in Bolton on 20 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will extend the terms of reference of the Football Task Force to allow it to investigate the administration of professional football. [65061]

I expect the governing bodies to address issues relating to the administration of professional football and I urge them to take an early opportunity to review current structures and procedures. The Football Task Force has provided valuable advice in a number of reports and I will give careful consideration to any arrangements that may follow the conclusion of its original remit.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the ability of transport companies to obtain insurance cover to operate services on 1 January 2000; and if he will make a statement. [65217]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the changes made to the responsibilities of the Paymaster General since publication of the list of Ministerial Responsibilities in October 1998. [64490]

The Paymaster General, my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, South (Dawn Primarolo) has a portfolio with responsibilities which include the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, tax and the Finance Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish his White Paper on the United Kingdom overseas territories; and if he will make a statement. [66625]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to publish the White Paper on British Overseas Territories. [66697]

We expect that the White Paper will be published soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when a representative of the British Embassy in Yemen first met with a member of the Yemeni Government to discuss the five detained British citizens; [66686](2) what representations were made to the Yemeni Government between the kidnapping of the hostages on 28 December and their death on 29 December; and what response was received from the Yemeni Government. [66688]

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement given to the House by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 11 January 1999, Official Report, columns 21–34.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) he and (b) a Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister first spoke to a member of the Yemeni Government to discuss the situation in Yemen. [66687]

(a) My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary first discussed events in Yemen by phone with the Yemeni Prime Minister, Dr. Iriyani, on 9 January. (b) The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), called on the Yemeni Ambassador on 1 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Yemen's application to join the Commonwealth. [66689]

At their meeting in Edinburgh in October 1997, Commonwealth Heads of Government decided to keep Yemen's application to join the Commonwealth under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department's ministers have to visit Yemen. [66690]

We have no current plans to visit Yemen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to send a fisheries protection vessel to Gibraltar to reinforce the protection of British waters from unlawful incursions by Spanish fishing boats. [66246]

[holding answer 19 January 1999]: This situation remains under review. The deployment of a fisheries protection vessel, to aid in calming the situation in British waters around Gibraltar, remains one of a number of options we are considering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when the British Embassy in Moscow learnt of the Interfax report of 6 December 1998 that a rescue attempt was to be made to release the hostages in Chechnya, employed by Granger Telecom; [66958](2) when his Department in London learned of the BBC World Service report from the Caversham Monitoring Service that Interfax had reported that a rescue attempt was to be made to release the hostages in Chechnya employed by Granger Telecom. [66959]

On 7 December 1998, HM Embassy Moscow saw the Interfax news agency dispatch reporting Chechen assertions that the men were being held outside Chechnya and that Russian law-enforcement agencies might try to rescue the hostages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the advice he has placed in the Library in respect of people travelling to Chechnya was issued to individual visa applicants employed by Granger Telecom or was issued to the company that employed them. [66960]

The FCO travel advice for Russia, now in the Library, was shown to Granger Telecom management at a meeting with FCO officials on 21 August 1998. Granger Telecom have confirmed to FCO officials that, as a result of that meeting and the advice given, Granger management re-consulted their staff about their willingness to work in Chechnya. The FCO was not made aware of individual visa applications to the Russian Embassy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the advice given to travellers visiting Chechnya is the same as that given to people intending to work there. [66961]

Since 7 December 1994, we have advised British nationals not to travel to Chechnya. The travel advice is the same for visiting travellers and for British people intending to work there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests he has received from the Government of Iran for compensation for a stray missile which landed in or near the Iranian city of Khorramshahr [65400]

We have received a request for compensation from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in respect of a stray missile that landed in or near the town of Khorramshahr.No missiles were fired by UK forces in the course of Operation Desert Fox. Questions relating to the circumstances of individual missile attacks and any subsequent claims for compensation are therefore a question for the US authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reports were submitted by European Communities working groups during the United Kingdom presidency; and if he will list them. [66374]

During the UK Presidency approximately 6,700 documents with official document numbers were submitted by working groups. As agreed during our Presidency, from 1 January 1999, details of all documents will be listed on the Council's website, at http://ue.eu.int.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many working groups have been established at European Community level; what is the average number of meetings held each year; if he will list the 20 groups which met most frequently over 1998; and if he will indicate the level of United Kingdom participation at each of them. [66364]

In 1998, 262 working groups met in Brussels, and a total of 2,138 meetings were held. The level of UK participation at each working group varied according to the subject discussed. According to the Council Secretariat, the twenty working groups which met most frequently were:

Enlargement, Orient and Central Asia, Central Europe, Mashrak/Maghreb, Development, Oceania, Latin America, Balkans, CFSP Counsellors, Friends of the Presidency, Budgetary, Structural Actions, Financial Questions, Jurist Linguists, Environment, Social Questions, Telecoms, Research, Agriculture, Vetinary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the age of the target audience for the European Commission booklet, "The Raspberry Ice Cream War"; what was the aim of the booklet; how many copies have been distributed in the EU; and if he will make a statement. [66393]

The European Commission booklet "The Raspberry Ice-Cream War" was written for young people. The aim of the booklet was to explain the advantages of European co-operation in the form of an adventure story. Information on how many copies have been distributed in the EU is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Kingdom of the resolution at the Franco-German meeting at Potsdam to establish a binational working group on national sovereignty. [66344]

We are not aware of any such resolution at the Franco-German Summit in Potsdam. The joint declaration issued at the end made no reference to it.

To ask the Attorney-General what are the salary bands for the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London and for each of the CPS areas. [66573]

The salary bands for the 42 Chief Crown Prosecutor posts are linked to the likely job dimension. Relevant factors include anticipated caseload, budget responsibility and numbers of staff. The table sets out in relation to each of the 42 Areas the relevant pay band, together with the estimated bracket for caseload, budget and staff numbers.

Chief Crown Prosecutors: Job dimensions
Area	Salary range	Likely job dimensions
Band 5
London	£54,230–90,400	Budget: £50m+
		Staff numbers: 800+
		Total caseload: 200,000+
Band 4
Greater Manchester	£49,130–80,400	Budget: £10–15m
West Midlands		Staff numbers: 200–300
West Yorkshire		Total caseload: 65,000–100,000
Band 3
Merseyside	£44,560–71,470	Budget: £6–10m
Lancashire		Staff numbers: 140–200
Northumbria		Total caseload: 40,000–65,000
South Wales
Hampshire
Band 2
Thames Valley	£40,430–63,490	Budget: £2.5–7m
South Yorkshire		Staff numbers: 65–140
Devon & Cornwall		Total caseload: 20,000–50,000
Kent
Nottinghamshire
Avon & Somerset
Essex
Cheshire

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the Chief Crown Prosecutors for London and the 42 police areas who are currently in post; and if he will list those areas where appointments have not yet been made. [66574]

An open competition is at present in progress to select a Chief Crown Prosecutor for each of the proposed 42 CPS areas. Following advertisement in the national and legal press in the week commencing 16 November 1998, a selection board is at present interviewing those candidates selected for interview. Appointments will be offered to the successful candidates at the conclusion of this process and they will be invited to take up their posts in April 1999.

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee if he will list the (a) average annual expenditure on overseas telephone calls per hon. Member and (b) greatest amount spent by an hon. Member in each of the last three years for which information is available; and what the annual administrative cost is of collecting payment for these calls. [66567]

The average annual expenditure for hon. Members for overseas calls for 1998 was £29.31. The greatest amount spent by an hon. Member in the preceding three years is £127.31 (1996), £403.51 (1997) and £1,289.90 (1998). The annual administrative cost of collecting payment for these calls is estimated to be £13,000 (excluding any administrative costs incurred by the Member).

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the advantages and disadvantages of involving hon. Members from the Liberal Democrat Party in the development of Government policy on matters relating to access to the countryside. [66404]

[holding answer 18 January 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 January 1999, Official Report, columns 483–84.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 13 January to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what was the outcome of discussions with (a) EU partners and (b) Security Council colleagues about making more effective arrangements for alleviating the suffering of the Iraqi people. [66491]

[holding answer 19 January 1999]: Discussions are still continuing with EU partners on all aspects of Iraq policy, including ways to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people, on which we have made a number of proposals to the Presidency. The General Affairs Council will consider these matters further on 25 January. Following discussions in the Security Council on 14 January, the President of the Council reported that members had discussed the need to improve the humanitarian programme and looked forward to a full report from the UN Secretary General on how this might be achieved.However, it is important that these issues are put into context. Saddam Hussein has proven time and again that he is not prepared to provide adequately for his people's welfare. He has refused shipments of humanitarian aid, prevaricated over distribution plans for the "oil for food" programme, smuggled oil illegally out of Iraq for his own benefit and tried to sell wheat and barley to other countries at low prices, while complaining that his people are starving. The UN Special Rapporteur holds Baghdad responsible for the precarious food and health situation in Iraq. We are determined to do what we can to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people in the face of such neglect by their leader.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy that Government agencies which choose not to pay costs ordered by a court at the end of a case must report the detailed circumstances and the reasons for any refusal to his office. [66872]

Government agencies are bound by Orders of the Court in the same way as any other litigant and have the same remedies available to them. Where they are aggrieved by an Order or are advised that the Order was incorrectly made, their remedy is to appeal against the Order or to apply to the Court to have the Order set aside. Otherwise, they must obey the Order.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in improving protection for consumers buying package holidays. [65195]

Overall, the Package Travel Regulations 1992 are serving consumers well. Around 30 million holiday and travel packages are sold in this country each year, and produce relatively few problems. However, I am keeping the effectiveness of the Regulations under review and will not hesitate to act if necessary.The Foreign Package Holidays (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) Order which came into force on 16 November 1998 will help consumers to shop around to get the best deals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is proposing to provide rights for employees to take parental leave. [65202]

We expect to introduce a Bill shortly which will create the framework for a package of measures implementing our family-friendly employment proposals. All of these measures will help employees to balance work and family life and bring about a culture in the workplace which will support employees wanting to take parental leave. The measures in the Bill will be supported by regulations setting out the detailed provisions.The package will introduce three months parental leave, enabling fathers, as well as mothers, to play an active role in raising their children and helping to encourage a workplace culture where it is acceptable for them to do so. And the Bill will recognise for the first time, the need for adoptive parents and their children to spend vital time together adjusting to their new circumstances.Parental leave builds on the maternity leave rights. Women, and their families, will benefit from the extension of basic maternity leave to 18 weeks, and from the reduction in the qualifying period for the longer period of maternity absence.The new right to time off to deal with family emergencies will allow people to take short-term time off to deal with emergencies without jeopardising their job security. It will apply to all employees and is a significant step which recognises that caring responsibilities may affect people at all stages of their working life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on trade with Libya. [65203]

Until we see actual progress in our political relations with Libya, my Department's position remains unchanged. We neither encourage nor discourage trade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to safeguard jobs in the engineering industry; and if he will make a statement. [65204]

The slowdown in the world economy will lead to slower growth in the United Kingdom.We believe that the best way of safeguarding jobs in the long term in the engineering industry is to create a stable and strong monetary and fiscal regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policies for making the Post Office internationally competitive. [65205]

The elements of the Post Office reform package—a combination of market disciplines and commercial freedoms—aimed at transforming the performance of the Post Office and its ability to carry out business both nationally and internationally—are set out in the Statement made by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 7 December 1998, Official Report, columns 21–24.The first fruit of our new policy has been Government approval for the Post Office's first major foreign strategic acquisition. The acquisition of German Parcel will significantly enhance the international parcels capability of the Post Office. [65220]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the future of the Post Office. [65220]

The statement of this House on the future of the Post Office on 7 December 1998 by my right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry followed representations from and consultations with interested parties. These included the Post Office, Post Office Unions, the Post Office Users National Council, the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, representatives of business users and potential and existing competitors.We also took full account of the Trade and Industry Select Committee's 1998 Report on the Post Office (HC 380).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on literature advising companies on the single European currency issued by his Department. [65206]

The Government have produced a number of publications and specialist information relating to the introduction of the single European currency. The Euro Preparations Unit in HM Treasury has published a series of factsheets to help small and medium businesses prepare for the euro. To supplement this work, DTI has produced leaflets aimed specifically at exporters. My noble Friend, the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe wrote to 1.6 million small and medium companies last year to alert them to the need to prepare for the euro and to the information available from the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his work in protecting the consumers of goods and services in the UK. [65207]

We are taking forward a large number of measures aimed at improving the lot of consumers including work on clearer sale of goods rights, giving consumer bodies the right to seek injunctions against the use of unfair contract terms, increased transparency in pricing information by extending unit pricing, giving consumers clear rights when buying by mail order and other distance selling methods and strengthening consumer protection on doorstep selling.At the same time we are working on a broader consumer strategy aimed at giving consumers a fair deal. It will concentrate on three key areas: ensuring that consumers know their rights and have the information they need to make informed choices and demand their rights; taking rogue traders out of the market; and taking measures to give consumers confidence when shopping on the internet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to maintain and increase exports to South America. [65208]

My Department offers a full range of services to British companies seeking business in South America, including support for trade missions and trade fairs. Opportunities in the markets are extensively promoted throughout the United Kingdom, supported by Ministers, other Government Departments, Export Promoters seconded from the private sector and various private sector multiplier organisations. This is underpinned by visits to the region by various Government Ministers and by visits to this country by both Heads of Government and Ministers from Latin America.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the involvement of women in science. [65209]

Women are significantly under-represented in the physical sciences and engineering. Unless we can improve this situation, our industrial and research base will continue to be deprived of access to some of the best potential talent. We are encouraging young women to continue with science through A-levels into higher education, and are seeking to ensure that women can have satisfactory science and engineering-based careers, by encouraging family-friendly practices in both the public and private sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in his discussions with the Social Security Department in relation to S226 personal pensions being available to trustees in bankruptcy. [65210]