To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to public funds of British military activities relating to Iraq since the end of Operation Desert Fox. [75672]

[holding answer 9 March 1999]: Operation Desert Fox ended on 19 December 1998. Expenditure on subsequent British military activity relating to Iraq in January and February 1999 is approximately £10 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the approximate weight of ordnance fired against targets in Iraq between Wednesday 17 March and Saturday 20 March. [78716]

I am withholding the information requested under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information relating to Defence, Security and International Relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name the Ministers in his Department who are regular users of electronic Red Boxes. [76171]

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 651–52.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency; what was the figure at its inception; on what date the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency published its report for 1997–98; and what was the cost of production of the report. [76896]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Defence Vetting Agency; and how many were at its establishment. [76636]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Vetting Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current forecast (a) in-service date for and (b) cost of (i) the Brimstone and (ii) the Storm Shadow programmes; and what was the forecast in each case at the time that the contract was placed. [77262]

The in-service dates for the Brimstone and Storm Shadow programmes remain the same as those forecast at the time the contracts were placed, namely October and December 2001 respectively.The forecast programme cost for Brimstone was £783 million compared with a current estimate of £793 million. The forecast programme cost for Storm Shadow was £858 million compared with a current estimate of £878 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the work for the (a) Brimstone and (b) Storm Shadow programmes is being placed with UK registered companies; and what was the forecast proportion when the contract was placed. [77263]

At the time the Brimstone contract was negotiated, the proportion of work by value, expected to be placed with UK registered companies was some 63 per cent. There has been no significant change in this percentage since placement of the contract.When the Storm Shadow contract was placed, it was envisaged that in excess of 70 per cent. of work would be placed with UK registered companies. Matra BAe Dynamics have to date placed 85 per cent. of work by value; of which 80 per cent. has been placed in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 1999, Official Report, columns 34–35, on in-service dates for aircraft, what are the reasons for the different definitions of in-service. [77265]

The current practice is to define in-service dates as the date by which an equipment, or a specified number of equipments, will contribute to the operational capability of the Service concerned. The in-service date quoted for the Hercules C130J conforms with this practice. The in-service dates for Eurofighter, Merlin HM Mk 1 and Merlin HC Mk3 were defined some years ago when the practice was to take account of a range of operational, production and international factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his future plans for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [77903]

My noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement is expecting initial advice from a team studying the Public Private Partnership options for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at the end of this month. Following a period of discussion and consultation, Ministers would hope to make a decision and an announcement about the future of DERA later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the turnover of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency is civil. [77059]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the titles of the study groups established by his Department to examine the globalisation of technology transfer; what are the terms of reference of each; and when they are due to report. [77904]

I am not aware that any working groups have been established specifically to study the globalisation of technology transfer. The UK continues to benefit from a wide-ranging programme of international collaboration in defence research, principally with our NATO Allies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions there have been between his Department and the American Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and if he will make a statement. [77902]

The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, DERA, as the UK MOD's main source of defence scientific and technical expertise, has regular exchanges with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on a range of research matters. These discussions form a part of the UK's wider collaborative relationship with the US.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999, Official Report, column 209, on auxiliary oilers, if he will estimate the extent of the anticipated slippage. [77993]

The Prime contractor, Marconi Naval Systems, is currently reviewing the Auxiliary Oiler programme. It would not be appropriate for MOD to speculate in advance of the company completing their review and reporting to the MOD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of the recent overhaul of HMS Illustrious. [78227]

HMS Illustrious is currently on sea trials following maintenance work at Portsmouth. As is normally the case, the sea trials will be followed by a period of defect rectification work. The total project cost will not be known until this work is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what negotiations he is currently holding about replacements for Nimrod aircraft; and when he expects to make an announcement as to their effect on RAF bases in the United Kingdom. [78250]

[holding answer 24 March I999]: The in-service date, ISD, for the RAF's new maritime patrol aircraft, Nimrod MRA4, which is currently under development by BAe, is April 2003. Resource and technical difficulties with the programme at BAe have led the company to advise that they do not expect to achieve the ISD before early 2005. Negotiations are underway on revisions to the Nimrod MRA4 contract, which will include recovery of liquidated damages for late delivery. The current Nimrod MR2 aircraft will continue to provide the UK's maritime patrol capability until the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft are delivered to RAF Kinloss. The delay is not, therefore, expected to have a significant effect on the current operations of RAF Kinloss.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the planned basis of the Defence Bills Agency's future operations; and what key targets have been set for 1999–2000. [79037]

On 14 December 1998, Official Report, columns 330–31, I announced the decision to extend Agency status for the Defence Bills Agency for a further five years from 1 April 1999. Following this decision, a new Framework Document has been agreed for the Agency and I am today placing a copy of this in the Library of the House. In parallel, a new Service Level Agreement has been agreed between the Ministry of Defence and the Agency which sets out demanding objectives for the period up to 31 March 2004. The key targets derived from the Service Level Agreement for the year 1999–2000 are as set out:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received with regard to the opening of new stations on the West London line at (a) Chelsea Harbour and (b) Stamford Bridge. [77792]

Since 2 May 1997, we have received four representations supporting a station at Chelsea Harbour and one representation regarding a station at Stamford Bridge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the major works at Fiveways Corner, Mill Hill, (a) to commence and (b) to be completed. [77864]

Work on the Fiveways Corner Improvement scheme is expected to start before the end of April and we expect it will take about 18 weeks to complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the cost per mile of the Jubilee Line extension; when he expects it to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [77826]

The Extension to the existing Jubilee Line is 16kms/10 miles long and London Transport's estimate of final cost is £3.2 billion.London Transport plan to open the Extension in three phases (firstly Stratford to North Greenwich in late spring, then on to Waterloo in late summer and finally to Green Park where it will connect with the existing Jubilee Line in late autumn). Commissioning work is already in hand and trains are currently being tested on the line between Stratford and North Greenwich. The Government are confident that London Transport and Bechtel will deliver the Jubilee Line Extension in time for the Millennium.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what discussions have been held between his Department and local authority licensing departments on the licensing of vehicles for private hire where the construction of the vehicle allows for the potential carriage of more than eight passengers; [77673](2) how many prosecutions of operators of licensed private hire vehicles for operating vehicles with the potential to carry more than eight passengers where those vehicles have previously been licensed by a local authority taxi licensing department have been undertaken in the last year. [77678]

The law defines private hire vehicles as vehicles constructed or adapted to carry fewer than nine passengers. Consequently, it is not possible for a local licensing authority to license as a private hire vehicle any vehicle which can carry more than eight passengers. I am not aware of any particular case where a licensing authority has licensed as a private hire vehicle a vehicle with a passenger-carrying capacity in excess of eight and I am, thus, not aware of any prosecutions arising from such a situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the total number of cars in the United Kingdom have engine capacity below 1100 cc. [78009]

At the most recent statistical analysis of the vehicle records held by DVLA and DVLNI in September 1998, some 8% of vehicles registered in the Private and Light Goods class had an engine capacity not exceeding 1100 cc.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the performance indicators set for the Government Office for London, in dealing with planning inspectors' reports; and if he will make a statement. [78333]

The target for dealing with Inspectors' reports on called in applications is 80 per cent. within 13 per cent. weeks and 100 per cent. within 20 weeks. For appeals, targets are 80 per cent. within 8 weeks and 100 per cent. within 13 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average time taken by the Government Office for London in processing planning inspectors' reports for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [78331]

The details are in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce measures to improve access to the countryside for horseriders and cyclists. [78221]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 18 March 1999, Official Report, column 726.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes to announce the remaining members of the new Countryside Commission. [78354]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett), on 19 March 1999, Official Report, columns 888–89.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of cars currently registered in the United Kingdom are estimated to be below 1100cc. [78408]

At the most recent statistical analysis of the vehicle records held by DVLA and DVLNI in September 1998, some 8% of vehicles registered in the Private and Light Goods class had an engine capacity not exceeding 1100 cc.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many genetically modified animals, including fish, have escaped into the environment in the United Kingdom since 1990. [78593]

None, to our knowledge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out detailed future spending plans for his Department. [79071]

I have today published my Department's Annual Report for 1999 (Cm 4204), and copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The Report sets out the Department's achievements over the last year and its detailed plans for delivering a fairer society, a cleaner environment and a more efficient economy. We have already published targets covering all areas of the Department's work in our "Public Service Agreement". Now we are setting out detailed spending plans showing how we will meet those targets and deliver our objectives. These include an additional £4.1 billion investment by the Department over the next three years, as well as an extra £8.3 billion for local authorities. The Report also includes a summary of our Departmental Investment Strategy, to be published shortly, which will set out how the Department ensures that capital investment delivers its objectives, whilst achieving value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the remaining parts of his Department's study of Business Aviation in the South East will be published. [79203]

The report on Part 2 of the study of Business Aviation in the South East which we commissioned last year, "The Economic Impact of Business Aviation", has been published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Part 1 was published in July last year. As policy decisions arising from the study of airports issues in the South East of England and the East of England, announced by the Government on 11 March, may impact on Business Aviation, work on the final part of the study, "Future Capacity for Business Aviation", will not be finalised until the South East airports study has reported. At that time, we shall consider the implications for the work which has been done so far on future capacity for Business Aviation, and whether further work is needed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for (a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round. [78150]

The following tables show the breakdown for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and overall figures for Wilton Park. The figures for box 4 and 5 have been combined as they are very small. At present, 80 per cent. of the 1998 Appraisal Performance Markings have been received.Neither Wilton Park, nor the Department as a whole, uses the Cabinet Office's "four fifths rule" to assess potential adverse impact.

To ask the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the jailing of political dissidents in Cuba. [78123]

The Government are very concerned about the jailing of political dissidents in Cuba, and in particular with the sentencing of the four members of the "International Dissidence Working Group" in Havana 1 on 15 March. This group exercised the freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and were held without charge since July 1997. We do not accept that citizens who do so should be criminalised by state authorities.Together with EU partners and bilaterally (including when Isabel Allende, Cuban Vice Foreign Minister met my noble Friend Baroness Symons on 25 February), we have made representations to Cuban authorities expressing serious concern and deep regret about the sentences. The EU Presidency issued a public statement on 17 March which said it was deeply disappointed that its repeated appeals for the unconditional release of the "Four" have been ignored, and that neither diplomats nor international media representatives were allowed to attend the trial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on tourism in the Falklands of the proposed reduction in Tristar flights to the Falklands. [78388]

The reduction in the frequency of RAF Tristar Airbridge flights to the Falkland Islands was one of a range of efficiency proposals identified by the Strategic Defence Review. It represents a rationalisation of the use of the Tristar aircraft following technical improvements that allow them to carry more passengers. We foresee no significant effect on tourism in the Falklands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department is taking in relation to the case of Ms Sandra Gregory, convicted on a drugs charge in Thailand. [78225]

Following her conviction for drug offences in Thailand in 1993, Ms Gregory transferred to a British prison in 1997 under the terms of the UK/Thailand Prison Transfer Agreement. The Agreement does not allow sentences to be reviewed once a prisoner is repatriated, but does allow the prisoner to benefit from our parole system. Ms Gregory will be eligible for parole in 2003.Ms Gregory has asked the Government to support her Royal Pardon Petition. We have declined to do so because our policy is to support Petitions only when a prisoner is terminally ill or when a relative is terminally ill and dependent relatives may be left with no-one to care for them. These circumstances are not present in Ms Gregory's case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his statement of 17 March 1999, Official Report, columns 1125–27, if he will list the British overseas territories that comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [78000]

[holding answer 22 March 1999]: The European Convention on Human Rights has been extended to Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St. Helena and the Turks and Caicos Islands.The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has been extended to Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Group, St. Helena and Dependencies and the Turks and Caicos Islands.Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands risk being in breach of the ECHR and/or the ICCPR insofar as they have retained legislation which criminalises homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, furthermore, risk being in breach of the ECHR and the ICCPR if they administer judicial corporal punishment, which is still on their statute books. We are not aware of any legislation in the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, St. Helena and Dependencies or the Pitcairn Islands which might place these territories in breach of either the ECHR or the ICCPR. We are taking steps to ensure that all of the Overseas Territories are in full compliance with the UK's international human rights obligations. Further details can be found in Chapter Four of the White Paper on Britain and the Overseas Territories, which is available in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries he advises tourists to avoid because of the threat of the Millennium bug; and if he will make a statement on his public awareness campaign. [78430]

I refer to my reply of 12 March 1999, Official Report, column 398 to the hon. Member and also to my reply of 18 March 1999, Official Report, column 761 to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore). Our travel advice notices will aim to provide practical information to allow travellers to make their own informed decisions. We will continue to monitor other countries' preparedness and will issue new advice accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government intend to update the Summary of Government Commitments regarding the application of strategic export controls. [79182]

We will shortly be placing a copy of the updated Summary in the Libraries of the House.During the course of research for the Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls a number of technical errors were discovered in the Summary, which forms an Appendix to the Annual Report. These errors, which pre-date 1 May 1997 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government intend to publish the Annual report on Strategic Export Controls. [79184]

The Government have published the Annual Report today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Vote Office. The Report will also be available on the FCO website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government of Iran's role in combating the trade in narcotics. [79185]

We are aware of the efforts that Iran makes to counter the narcotics trade, an effort which deserves to be more widely recognised. Most of the heroin sold in Britain originates in Afghanistan. Iran is a key country on the heroin route from Afghanistan to Europe and is in the front line in the war against this trade. It has made good efforts in recent years to stem the traffic. Close to 3,000 deaths among frontier guards in the past 20 years is a regrettable reflection of the commitment that Iran has made to try to combat this menace.In that connection, I should like to announce that the Government are donating £300,000 to the United Nations Drug Control Programme to provide Iranian frontier personnel with 1,020 bullet proof vests. This donation will enhance the capacity of Iran's frontier personnel to combat the drug traffickers and to reduce the sad toll of casualties which they have borne.No supplier has yet been nominated for these goods. If they are sourced from the UK, an export licence would need to be granted. If such a licence were granted, this would represent an exception to our arms embargo on Iran and would be announced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the decision will be made on the application for entry clearance by Abdul Rahin, husband of Shaheen Akbar, interviewed at Islamabad on 16 December. [78721]

We have asked our High Commission in Islamabad for details of this case. My noble Friend Baroness Symons will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and list the major European Union events for the next six months. [79183]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current ECGD liabilities in respect of exports to Indonesia. [77033]

ECGD's exposure on Indonesia is £1,603 million, of which £41 million is in respect of unrecovered claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in support of retaining assisted area status for Dover and other areas of Kent. [77052]

Under the public consultation for the assisted areas review, a joint submission was received from Kent County Council, seven District Councils and Medway Unitary Authority arguing for assisted area status for Dover and six other areas of East and North East Kent.Hon. Members representing Kent constituencies, including my hon. Friend, local Councillors and a number of local companies, have also made representations in support of the case for these areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to assist the competitiveness of manufacturing industry. [77053]

Manufacturing is a vital part of the economy. Its competitiveness is assisted by my policies for promoting best practice, encouraging the development of efficient supply chains, promoting the application of new technology, and developing beneficial regional partnerships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to reduce the amount of management time expended by small business on dealing with Government regulations. [77054]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear that one of the key tasks of my Department's new Small Business Service will be to help small businesses get to grips with regulation, providing them with practical assistance to cut the burdens of compliance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the Chancellor's Budget statement on the steel and engineering industries. [77055]

By locking in the economic stability that our policies have already achieved, such as low inflation, and through our programme of targeted tax cuts, such as the reduction in Corporation tax to the lowest rate of any major industrialised country anywhere in the world, sectors such as steel and engineering should benefit and have a stable climate in which to compete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into supermarket retailing of fresh meat. [77056]

The Office of Fair Trading is carrying out an inquiry into the profitability of the major supermarkets in the grocery sector. I understand that the Office of Fair Trading hopes to be in a position to announce its conclusions in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business leaders on the measures announced in the Budget to encourage research and development. [77057]

The Government recognise the important role which research and development (R&D) plays in a modern knowledge-driven economy. This was the theme of the consultation document published jointly by HM Treasury and DTI on Budget Day 1998 entitled "Innovating for the Future: investing in R&D".The findings from this review have already influenced both the planning for future Budgets and the Government's Competitiveness White Paper "Our Competitive Future—Building the Knowledge Driven Economy" published last December and its follow-up Implementation Plan (published by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 10 March).The Budget announcements on 9 March included details of the Government's intention to introduce a research and development tax credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the 2000 Budget. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 10 March the publication of the Inland Revenue's technical paper to consult further with business on the detail of this measure. This represents a key output from the

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the impact of the new rate of corporation tax for small businesses. [77058]

Around 270,000 small and growing companies, that is two-thirds of all tax-paying companies, will benefit from the new 10 per cent. starting rate of corporation tax for small business, leaving them with more of their profits for retention, reinvestment and growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to discuss the liberalisation of trade with his international partners. [77060]

The Secretary of State often meets his overseas counterparts individually and takes every opportunity to discuss with them specific issues relating to international trade and the importance of further liberalising world trade in general. He next expects to meet the majority of his international partners as a group at the World Trade Organisation's Ministerial conference in Seattle from November 30 to December 3 this year. The agenda for that meeting is not yet fixed but is expected to include the launch of a new Round of multilateral trade liberalisation negotiations.Liberalisation of trade is a matter covered by the Common Commercial Policy of the EU. The Secretary of State will next discuss this with EU partners in Berlin on 9–10 May 1999 at an Informal Meeting of Trade Ministers. Other opportunities to meet groups of trade ministers include the annual Ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development and the biannual Asia-Europe meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the net change in (a) regulatory costs and (b) tax costs to business since 1 May 1997. [77061]

Any assessment of the net change in regulatory costs is, on its own, misleading because it ignores the benefits of regulation which are much more difficult to quantify. What matters is that we minimise costs and maximise benefits when obliged to regulate. Our regulatory impact assessment procedures are designed to achieve this.Details of the impact of particular tax measures introduced since 1 May 1997 are set out in the relevant edition of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will reassess the annual cost to business of full implementation of the (a) minimum wage and (b) working time regulations following recent business experience. [77885]

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: I will always be prepared to reassess our estimate of costs in the light of experience.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Office of Fair Trading to report on its inquiry into supermarket profitability; and if he will make a statement. [77063]

I understand that the Office of Fair Trading hopes to be in a position to announce its conclusions in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has received on arrangements made by employers to avoid providing the full benefit of minimum wage to their employees. [77064]

Not only do most employers support the principle of the national minimum wage, but many firms have already adjusted their pay structures to take account of its introduction. The Inland Revenue will enforce the minimum wage by responding to complaints and targeting inspections on those sectors where underpayments are likely to occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the Bank of England's assessment of the inflationary implications of the minimum wage. [77066]

I have received a number of representations on the possible effect of the introduction of the national minimum wage, including its impact on inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the Business Links services; and if he will make a statement. [77067]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a statement to the House last week which detailed our plans to create a new Small Business Service about which we will be consulting widely. As part of that consultation, I will be inviting views from Business Link Partnerships, small firms and their representative organisation, and other interested bodies, on how best we can deliver coherent, high-quality support programmes to smaller firms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with (a) British Aerospace and (b) the Society of British Aerospace Companies concerning the consolidation of the European aerospace industry; and if he will make a statement. [77068]

I met British Aerospace to discuss the consolidation of the European aerospace industry in advance of the meeting of Industry Ministers of the six European nations most closely involved in discussions on this issue, held in Madrid on 21 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the coal industry. [77069]

The United Kingdom coal industry neither seeks nor receives special treatment. The Government are concerned to ensure that UK coal producers are able to compete on a level playing field with other sources of energy and with imported coal.The measures the Government are taking to remove distortions in the UK electricity market will ensure a level playing field for all fuels. It is for UK coal producers to respond to the challenge of an open and competitive coal market.I published last week a report by International Mining Consultants Ltd. (IMCL) commissioned by my Department on the prospects for deep mined coal production in the UK over the next twenty years. The report shows that there are sufficient reserves to sustain a competitive deep mine industry of significant size well into the new century.