To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of gene patenting. [74830]

[holding answer 5 March 1999]: The Patents Act 1977 lays down the requirements which must be met to obtain patents for inventions in all fields of technology. Patents may be obtained for inventions which are new, not obvious and have industrial applicability. However, the Act excludes certain matter from patent rights. This includes plant and animal varieties and discoveries where there is no accompanying technical step, such as the mere discovery that a gene exists in nature. Any patent can be challenged before the courts, on the grounds that it does not meet the requirements laid down by the Patents Act. In July 1998, an EC Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions was adopted. This Directive clarifies and harmonises the patent legislation as it applies to biotechnological inventions in all Member States. However, the Directive will not change what is and what is not currently patentable in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by title the unpublished reports into aspects of genetic modification which are held by his Department. [75099]

[holding answer 8 March 1999]: It is not the practice of Governments to release details of information relating to internal policy analysis, as is made clear in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ensure that, as a condition for any grant, BMW will sell cars in the UK at prices equal to or below the prices charged for the same cars elsewhere in the European Union. [76758]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The offer of support for Longbridge is based upon being satisfied that the project will meet a number of key criteria, including the improvement of skills levels, improvements in productivity and the securing of substantial investment by BMW. It would be inappropriate, however, to place individual competitive restraints on Rover/BMW as a condition of any aid package.A recent report by the European Commission on car prices in the European Union showed that price differences had significantly decreased since the previous report but that the UK continued to be the most expensive market for many models. We shall be encouraging the Commission, as part of the evaluation on the cars block exemption, to identify the reasons for these price differences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on costs to industry of Post Office proposals for the packaging of veterinary, medical and other samples; [77224](2) what clarification his Department has received from the Post Office of packaging requirements for pathological specimens; and if he will make a statement. [77225]

[holding answer 17 March 1999]: This is an operational matter for the Post Office, which is proposing to introduce changes in transport and packaging requirements for diagnostic specimens and infectious substances in order to ensure compliance with national and international requirements on the safe transport of these substances. Discussions are continuing between officials of the Post Office, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure both that the requirements for the safe transport of infectious and diagnostic substances are met and that costs to industry are minimised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department is preparing a White Paper on renewables; and if he will make a statement. [77901]

I plan to publish a consultation document on my review of renewable energy shortly, which will analyse the status and prospects for renewables, and present options for developing renewables further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reports he has received from British Nuclear Fuels in respect of its current collaboration with Pangea Resources to establish a repository for high level nuclear waste in Australia. [77979]

BNFL's involvement in the Pangea project is a matter for the company's management. They have kept my Department in touch with developments from time to time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills), before the Committee on 16 February. [77847]

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: Neither Ministers, special advisers nor civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of my appearance. However, it has been a common but not universal practice over a long period for Committees to agree to give officials an indication of the broad areas they intend to cover at the hearing to ensure that the evidence session is as effective and productive as possible. I was informed of the likely broad areas of questioning in advance of the European Scrutiny Committee hearing on Tuesday 16 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help his Department is providing to the United Kingdom textile industry to assist it to compete. [77470]

[holding answer 18 March 1999]: The DTI is currently funding around twenty projects to encourage the growth and competitiveness of the UK textiles and clothing industry. These projects cover research into product innovation and development, design, education and training, benchmarking and the development of supply chain partnerships. In addition, 770 textiles, clothing and footwear companies benefited from trade fair support last year. My Department is also supporting the recently formed industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group, which aims to develop a strategy for the long term sustainable development of the industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many meetings there have been of the clothing and textile industry actions group; on what dates; who was in attendance; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement; [77897](2) what issues are being considered by the Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group. [77899]

The Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group (TCSG) is an industry-led body resulting from a joint management/union initiative. It is looking at long-term competitiveness issues affecting the UK textiles and clothing industry. In response to a request to the Chairman of the TCSG, James McAdam CBE (BATC), I am able to say that the TCSG meets on a monthly basis and, over the coming months, intends to look at a number of issues including: international productivity comparisons, supply chain relations, human resources (training, recruitment and skills), product development, investment, technological development, and design and marketing. As well as James McAdam, the membership of the TCSG includes Peter Aubusson (Courtaulds Textiles), Peter Booth (TGWU), Des Farrell (GMB), Paul Gates (KFAT), Professor Dick Horrocks (Bolton Institute), David Sutcliffe OBE DL (Benson Turner) and John Wilson (BATC). My Department is represented on the group by Brian Hopson, the Director of Consumer Goods and Business Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of (a) businesses and (b) British oil companies operating in the North Sea which have adequately dealt with the millennium bug to date. [77694]

[holding answer 22 March 1999]: The offshore oil industry together with the other key UK utilities and services are providing regular public reports on their state of Y2K compliance through the Action 2000-National Infrastructure Forum arrangements, and also via the Action 2000 and UKOOA Internet sites.DTI, acting through UKOOA, the trade body which represents UK offshore oil operators, has asked companies to provide assessments of their state of Y2K preparedness. All these assessments are either being carried out by peer group reviewers or by entirely independent organisations. In addition WS Atkins have been appointed by DTI to provide an independent validation of the results of these assessments. WS Atkins aim to report their findings to DTI in early April, so they can be included in the presentation which the DTI will make to the National Infrastructure Forum meeting on 21 April.An analysis of the first completed assessments already shows the majority of the companies to be in the "blue" category (the assessment has not identified any risks of material disruption). The activities which remain in the "amber" category (the assessment indicates that there is some risk of material disruption, but that there is an agreed containment plan to rectify shortcomings) relate to outstanding work on external dependencies, staffing and contingency plans which are scheduled for completion by end October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures taken to deal with the millennium bug in Britain's (a) nuclear and (b) conventional power stations. [77691]

[holding answer 22 March 1999]: The Office of Electricity Regulation announced the findings of an independent assessment of the whole electricity industry on 17 March. The results show that the sector is on course to beat the millennium bug.74 per cent. of generation plant is judged to already have Action 2000 "blue" status, meaning that the assessment has not identified any risks of material disruption. Most remaining compliance work is expected to be completed by the end of June, with a few systems programmed for later completion, by September. The assessors were satisfied that sufficient resources were available for this work to be completed in time for the millennium.The Nuclear Industries Inspectorate, the UK body responsible for regulating the safe operation of Nuclear Generating Stations, has carried out a full assessment of nuclear plant and is satisfied that this plant will function safely over the century date change period.My Department is closely monitoring the preparations being made in the electricity sector for the millennium.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the following documents relating to the Government Codes and Cypher School's work in the Second World War will be released to the Public Record Office: the history or histories of (a) Hut 8 or German naval machine systems by C. H. O. S. Alexander, (b) the organisation and evolution of British naval sigint, by F. L. Birch, (c) the organisation and uses of naval special sigint, (d) the handling of naval special intelligence, (e) German naval signals intelligence, by Miss M. E. Storey, (f) Hut 6 and (g) 15K cryptography (Abwehr machine cyphers); and if he will make a statement. [75133]

GCHQ maintains a document review unit which handles the release to the Public Record Office of potentially sensitive material, including the work of the Government Codes and Cypher School. GCHQ has been able to identify all the documents referred to except: "The organisation and uses of naval special sigint", "15K cryptography (Abwehr machine cyphers)" and "The German Navy's use of Special Intelligence by McMahon". The other documents referred to by the right hon. Member have been considered for release in the past but contained information the disclosure of which at the time would have been damaging to national security, and have, for that reason, not been released.A version of the "History of hut 8 by A. A. Mahon" has been released in the United States.Documents are reviewed in the light of the degree of public interest in their release, and of advice from the PRO. I have asked that the documents in question be reviewed before the end of the year. I will write to the right hon. Member when the review is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he gave prior approval to the article by the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) published in Le Monde on 3 March. [75478]

[holding answer 8 March 1999]: The views expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) in the article are his own.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) telegram 277 regarding Sierra Leone, (b) his Department's daily bulletins regarding the scope of the arms embargo in Sierra Leone and (c) the text of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference communiqué were first brought to his attention. [75808]

[holding answer 9 March 1999]: Telegram 277 contains guidance for media inquiries on UN Resolution 1132. This and FCO Daily Bulletins are not operational papers and would not have been drawn to my attention at the time they issued. I would not have seen these papers until some time after the arrival of the letter from S. J. Berwin and Co. dated 24 April 1998. In October 1997, I attended the CHOGM which produced the Communiqué in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 579, on Government communications headquarters, when he expects the final cost of the compensation packages to be established. [76301]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: I refer to my earlier answers to the hon. Member on 1 February 1999, Official Report, column 493 [66489] and 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 579 [69380].

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy in respect of extending the franchise to the people of Gibraltar for elections to the European Parliament, of the determination of the European Court of Human Rights of 18 February; and if he will make a statement. [77188]

[holding answer 17 March 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Romsey (Mr. Colvin) on 17 March 1999, Official Report, column 681 [76637] and 18 March 1999, Official Report, columns 760–61 [76638].

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will (a) list the funding from the EU affected by the UK's abatement and (b) state the amount of required matched funding and the adjustments which had been made as a result of the abatement, for the last year for which figures are available. [78335]

The UK abatement is one year in arrears and is, broadly, two thirds of the difference between what the UK contributes to the EU budget and what is received. It is deducted from the resources side of the budget, so reduces contributions rather than receipts. There is no requirement for matched funding linked to the abatement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will name the Ministers in her Department who are regular users of electronic Red Boxes. [76182]

None at present. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 651–52.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will update her answer of 3 November 1998, Official Report, column 488, on prisoners to indicate how many prisoners applied to the Prison Sentence Review Commission for an accelerated release date by 31 December 1998; in how many cases the Commission made a determination; and for unsuccessful applications, what reasons were given. [78158]

[holding answer 22 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Sentence Review Commissioners. I have asked them to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions members of the People's Panel have been used as a source of membership of focus groups; and if he will provide details of each occasion. [78339]

Members of the People's Panel have been used as a source of membership for focus groups on two occasions earlier this year. Details are as follows:

The Women's Unit commissioned 24 focus groups as part of a wider programme of consultation with women—Listening to Women. The focus groups explored a broad range of priorities women felt important to their lives, and probed in-depth their opinion on specific topics, such as women's incomes. The Women's Unit has particular interest in teenage girls and this research included 6 focus groups with this age-group in order to inform the Unit's policy area with the views of girls themselves.

The Department for Education and Employment commissioned six focus groups to investigate parents' attitudes towards value added information in school performance tables. The research will be used to inform the development of value added measures for publication in the performance tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the amount paid in National Insurance, excluding contributions to SERPS, as a percentage of national income for each income decile of the working population for (a) 1997–98 (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2007–08 and (d) each 10 years to 2047–48; what impact he estimates the changes will have on the re-distributive nature of national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement. [74176]

Information is not available in the form requested because Class 1 National Insurance contributions are not separable into elements for SERPS or for the other benefits paid out of the National Insurance Fund. The information that is available is in the table and relates to gross Class 1 contributions as a percentage of all employed earnings by earnings decile. This takes account of the changes to the structure of Class 1 contributions announced in the Chancellor's 1998 and 1999 Budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many residents in Hammersmith and Fulham are in receipt of disability living allowance; and of those how many have had their benefits (a) reduced and (b) removed by the Benefit Integrity Project. [77841]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those respondents to the welfare reform Green Paper, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", who (a) requested the abolition of means testing and (b) called for means testing to be extended to all benefits. [77540]

The Welfare Reform Green Paper, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare" (CM 3805), set out the framework for welfare reform, based on eight principles, together with a range of success measures. Views were invited on the contents of the Green Paper, specifically on those principles and success measures. The information gathered from the responses was categorised to reflect this. As views were not specifically sought on means testing and it did not feature in the guiding principles or success measures, a list of those who commented on it is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.A list of those organisations and academics who responded to the exercise, excluding those who requested confidentiality, has been placed in the Library. Copies of these responses are available on request from the Department. We have also placed in the Library a summary of responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of benefit fraud in Scotland in each year since 1992 in (a) cash terms and (b) 1998–99 prices. [77769]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish his strategy for combating fraud in social security. [78576]

I am publishing today "A New Contract for Welfare—Safeguarding Social Security", which sets out the Government's strategy for reducing fraud and error in the Social Security system.When we came into office far too much money was being lost through fraud and error. Targets were set to find fraud but not to stop it happening, and safeguarding Social Security was too often an afterthought rather than an integral part of processing claims.We are determined to focus on a single goal—reducing the amount of fraud and error. We will achieve this by getting payments right in the first place, keeping them right throughout the claim and putting mistakes right when we find them. We will make sure that we have a suitable range of sanctions, including prosecutions, to make those who steal Social Security realise that crime does not pay.We have already made a good start and have set clear goals against which our success can be judged. By tightening the gateways to benefit and requiring more supporting evidence before benefit is paid we expect to save £1 billion in Income Support alone over this Parliament. We are providing an extra £100 million to local authorities so that they can make tougher checks on Housing Benefit. We are making greater use of new technology to share information between the agencies and councils paying benefits to improve service and to avoid duplication. We are helping local authorities to prosecute more cases of Housing Benefit fraud and have launched an independent review of how best to tackle the threats to Social Security from organised fraud.We shall keep checking that our plans are working and we will review local performance to trace how well we are doing in each area. We have set a challenging target to reduce by 30 per cent., losses from fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance, by 31 March 2007, with at least a 10 per cent. reduction by 31 March 2002. This will take sustained effort by all staff delivering Social Security. We know that they will rise to the challenge.Our strategy builds on the work set out in the Green Paper published last July "Beating Fraud Is Everyone's Business: securing the future" (Cm 4012). The responses we had to the Green Paper were largely supportive and I am placing a summary of these in the Library today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of expenditure on housing benefit in Scotland in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99, for (i) public sector tenants, (ii) housing association tenants and (iii) other private sector tenants. [78213]

The information is not yet available. The information will be available after the publication of the Departmental Report on 30 March 1999. I will write to the hon. and learned Member when the information is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of the training undertaken by staff conducting Benefit Integrity Project interviews. [77890]

The training of Benefits Agency Staff is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend regulation 81 of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996; and if he will make a statement. [78244]

We currently have no plans to amend regulation 81 of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was provided in the standard spending assessment in each year between 1989–90 and 1998–99 for enforcement of the law in relation to food control. [77523]

The information requested is not available.Standard spending assessments cover the whole range of local authority services. Specific amounts are not identified for enforcement in relation to the law on food control. The level of resources for enforcement of food control legislation is a matter for individual local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the preparedness of local authorities and emergency services in Gloucestershire for dealing with the millennium bug; and if he will make a statement. [77484]

It is each authority's responsibility, for which they are accountable to their local people, to ensure they are adequately prepared for the Millennium Bug and have proper plans in place for the emergency services. Independent assessment of the state of preparedness is being carried out by auditors and the Audit Commission, which, in June, will be naming any council which is not making sufficient progress. We have also appointed teams in the Government Offices to help councils to prepare for the Millennium Bug, and to report on the state of preparedness of the local government sector to Action 2000's National Infrastructure Forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to hold trials of the use of shredded tyres in new road surfaces. [77424]

There are no proposals for trials of surfacings incorporating shredded tyres within new road surfaces on the Department's trunk roads. New road surfaces are being developed with shredded tyres forming part of their composition. The Highways Agency is working closely with surfacing manufacturers and local authority associations to develop further the scope for using recycled tyres in road surfaces and in other highways applications. The materials will be subjected to trials when capable of meeting the required levels of performance for safety and durability.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what use is made of recycled material from car tyres in road surfaces; and if he will make a statement. [77825]

Recycled material from car tyres is not currently used in road surfaces specified for the Department's trunk roads. New road surfaces are being developed with shredded tyres forming part of their composition. The Highways Agency is working closely with surfacing manufacturers and local authority associations to develop further the scope for using recycled tyres in road surfaces and in other highways applications. The materials will be subjected to trials when capable of meeting the required levels of performance for safety and durability.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ratify the Convention on Environmental Rights signed at the Aarhus Conference in Denmark on 25 June 1998. [77656]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made following the signing of the Aarhus Convention on environmental rights in June 1998; and whether Britain will have ratified the Convention in time to be involved in the first meeting of signatories in Moldova in April. [78014]

We intend to ratify the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) as soon as we have the necessary measures in place to implement its provisions. In particular, that requires new legislation on access to environmental information. We are considering including measures in the forthcoming Freedom of Information Bill to implement the access to information provisions of the Convention.The United Kingdom will play a full part in the first meeting of signatories to the Convention in Moldova in April, which will discuss a work programme on follow-up to the Convention. The United Kingdom has offered to host a workshop as part of that work programme.The Convention will come into force when sixteen countries have ratified it. That is not expected to be until 2000 at the earliest. The Convention Secretariat is not aware that any country has yet ratified.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plan to consult on the proposal contained in the consultation paper, "Residential Leasehold Reform in England and Wales", to give to leaseholders of houses a similar right of first refusal to that of qualifying tenants in blocks of flats. [77650]

We must first consider all the responses to the existing consultation paper, which are still being received. We expect to proceed with further consultation later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment. Transport and the Regions what form the consultation about the technical details of the Government's proposal to create a new right for a majority of the leaseholders in a block of flats to take over the management of the block will take; and when that consultation will take place. [77651]

We will issue a consultation paper on the new right to manage once we have decided on the main issues of principle in the light of the responses to our existing paper. I would expect that to be later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has carried out on the numbers of former local authority tenants who have acquired leasehold flats under the right to buy legislation and are now unable to resell their homes on the open market; and if he will publish the results of that research. [77649]

My Department carried out two research studies which were published by HMSO in 1995 as Housing Research Reports, "The Resale of Former Council Homes" and "Leaseholders and Service Charges in Former Local Authority Flats". Copies of both reports and summaries are in the Library of the House.The Department has been carrying out further research into leaseholders of social landlords since 1996 as part of the Survey of English Housing. The Survey involves an annual sample of around 1 in 1,000 households and has collected data only on 256 leasehold properties which had been purchased from a local authority by a sitting tenant; and of these, only 18 had put their home on the market at some time since purchase. We shall publish results once we have statistically significant information.