To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the budget for her Department's office in Tirana, Albania; how many staff are in post and at what grades; who is the budget holder in Tirana and what is his authorised level of expenditure; what is the role of the Crown Agents; and if she will make a statement. [84125]

Monthly running costs for the DFID Tirana office are £75,000 (inclusive of staffing, rent and utilities). There are currently 10 British recruited and one locally recruited members of staff: the head of office, specialists in camp planning and development, logistics, health, NGO liaison, and an administrator. The head of office holds an initial budget of £1 million for projects with delegated authority of up to £100,000. The Crown Agents are providing, under contract to DFID, the emergency logistics team who are managing the office. Crown Agents may also be used for procurement and other services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 4 May 1999, Official Report, columns 340–41, if the letter from the Dutch Government of 16 July 1997 on the Amsterdam treaty negotiations was referred to during Council discussions on the Home Secretary's proposal to join elements of the Schengen system. [83963]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place (a) the Register of MEPs' interests and (b) the guidelines for MEPs registering interests in the Library. [83942]

The register of MEPs' interests is held by the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg where it is available for inspection by the public.The guidelines for MEPs registering interests are contained in Annex 1 of the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure, copies of which are available from the European Parliament or on the Internet (www.europarl.eu.int).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the pre-conflict Kosovan ethnic mix in (a) percentage and (b) numerical terms; and what measures he is planning to guarantee the security of non-Albanians in post-conflict Kosovo. [83926]

Definitive statistics for Kosovo's pre-March 1999 ethnic make-up do not exist. On the available information, we estimate that Albanians represented between 70 per cent. and 90 per cent. of Kosovo's pre-March 1999 population (approximately 1.6 million). The remainder of the population consisted of Serbs and Montenegrins (perhaps 150,000), Muslims (up to 100,000), and Turks, Romanies and a group known as 'Egyptians' (probably less than 50,000).Our aim is a post-conflict administration of Kosovo that safeguards the security of all its people, irrespective of ethnic origin. That can be achieved only by means of a strong international military presence with a NATO core.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) progress has been made and (b) issues remain unresolved in the negotiations concerning a protocol to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Conventions. [84210]

Since 1995 an Ad Hoc Group of States Parties has been meeting in Geneva to consider measures to strengthen the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. The United Kingdom is responsible for the key sessions on compliance measures and is playing a leading role in the negotiations. The Ad Hoc Group has made considerable progress and is now working on the text of a draft Protocol to the Convention. 1999 has already seen a significant intensification of this work with a total of 16 weeks available for the negotiations, the largest ever number. Much detailed work remains to be done, primarily on the technical aspects of the Protocol, but the UK, together with its EU partners, believes that an effective package of measures can be agreed during 2000. As an indication of the priority the UK attaches to its early and successful completion, we have offered to host the signing ceremony of the Protocol in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if a country may be admitted to the European Union without becoming a signatory to the European Union code of conduct on arms sales. [84257]

In practice we would expect all EU member states to adhere in full to the Code of Conduct, including through participation in the information exchange and consultation mechanism established in the operative provisions of the Code.The Associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Associated country Cyprus, and Iceland and Norway have already aligned themselves with the criteria and the principles contained in the EU Code on Arms Exports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applicants in 1998 were turned away from the Islamabad High Commission by the pre-sift process before their formal application had been considered. [84327]

I refer my hon Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 26 April 1999, Official Report, columns 32–33.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contact there has been with the Government of Sudan about the bombing by the USA of the factory in Khartoum; and if he will make a statement. [84227]

We have been in regular contact with the Government of Sudan since the withdrawal of staff from Khartoum last August. Discussions have covered a whole range of issues, including Al Shifa. We are hopeful of a return to normal relations with the Sudan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to support the action of the USA in bombing the factory in Khartoum, Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [84226]

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave his support to the US action last August as action against international terrorists. As Her Majesty's Government have said on many occasions since, the US told us at the time of the strike on Al Shifa that they had compelling evidence that the plant was being used for the production of chemical weapons materials.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer of 31 March 1999, Official Report, column 709, on Special Advisers, if he will give the total travel cost of each occasion when a Special Adviser travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997 and the place visited. [82434]

For the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999, Special Advisers in this Department accompanied me or my predecessor overseas in an official capacity on six occasions to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Italy. The cost of this travel was £19,091. In addition, the UK anti-drugs co-ordinator and his deputy have travelled overseas in an official capacity on eight occasions to the USA, Canada, Austria, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The cost of this travel was £18,178. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent guidance has been given to colleges of further education concerning the attendance of members of the governing body; and if he will make a statement. [R] [84385]

Further Education Corporations are required by their instrument of government to hold meetings at least once in each term. They may remove any governor from office who fails to attend meetings over a period of six months without their permission. The Further Education Funding Council will be issuing comprehensive new guidance for governors later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps the Government are taking to improve the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing the level of long-term unemployment among the over 25-year-olds in Coventry. [83972]

Building on the New Deal for people aged 25 and over, which was introduced in June 1998 and gave those who had been unemployed for at least two years new subsidised employment and training opportunities, we introduced pilot schemes in 28 areas of Great Britain in November 1998. These have been designed to allow local partnerships more flexibility to try innovative ways of helping this age group back into work. One of these pilots is operating in Coventry, and is using a collaborative approach to delivering services through a range of partner organisations including the local city council. We are supporting their initiatives in helping long-term unemployed people find work, and will be evaluating this and the other pilots to see what works best and how help can be delivered most effectively in future for the benefit of unemployed adults in Coventry and elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the report on the Ofsted inspection of Islington Local Education Authority is to be published. [84731]

The report is to be published by Ofsted tomorrow morning. Copies of the report and the Secretary of State's response will be placed in the Library tomorrow morning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for the week ended Saturday 1 May (1) the number of violent incidents involving paramilitary groups which took place in Northern Ireland, indicating how many involved (a) Loyalist and (b) Republican groups; [83893](2) the number of

The number of security incidents during the period 25 April-1 May 1999 are as follows:

• Shooting incidents: 3
• Bombing incidents: 3

The number of casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks during the period are as follows:

	Loyalist	Republican
Assaults	Nil	1
Shootings	1	Nil
Total	1	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice her Department gives to applicants to the International Fund for Ireland on how to accommodate the McBride principles in their applications. [83355]

As my hon. Friend may know, the International Fund for Ireland is administered by an independent Board jointly appointed by the two Governments and all matters pertaining to the handling of applications are a matter for the Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance the Government are giving towards the Luton north bypass. [83142]

The Luton Northern Bypass is a major long-term local authority scheme. Bedfordshire County Council and Luton Borough Council are currently working on a joint 5-year local transport plan submission for the area.In the Trunk Road Review, the A5 Dunstable Bypass and the Ml Junction 6A-10 Widening were included in the London to South Midlands Multi-Modal Study— which is in Tranche 2 of the study programme starting in 2000–01. The study will address a range of issues including motorway congestion, development pressures, the contribution made by a shift to other modes of transport and access to major urban areas such as Luton and Dunstable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total amount of capital housing receipts that have been released to Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council for each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [83924]

The following capital allocations have been made to Shrewsbury and Atcham under the Capital Receipts Initiative. Allocations are made in the form of Supplementary Credit Approvals.

Year	£
1997–98	219,000
1998–99	757,000
1999–2000	685,000

These are available for spending on housing and housing related regeneration projects which meet local priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures are available to a local authority to take action against individuals who wrongly claim the single person's household council tax discount; and what monitoring he undertakes to ensure that local authorities check the validity of those claiming such a discount. [84034]

Billing authorities are under a duty in relation to each financial year to take "reasonable steps" to ascertain whether any discount applies to a dwelling before calculating the bill. It is for individual authorities to decide what action to take in the light of local circumstances but it usually takes the form of a written request for information from each household. Authorities also have powers to request information from certain public bodies such as the electoral registration officer. if a person receiving a discount fails to notify the authority that he is no longer (or never was) eligible for it he may be subject to a penalty 0f £50. It is for the local authority's auditor to satisfy itself that the local authority has the necessary procedures in place to fulfil its statutory duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many investigations have been held in the past year into aircraft arriving at UK airports with a fuel level lower than that required; how many have been in respect of aircraft landing at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted; if he will investigate recent reports concerning an aircraft from Malaysia Airlines with nearly empty fuel tanks; and if he will make a statement. [84033]

In the past year, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has completed an investigation into a report by NATS of an air traffic control occurrence involving an aircraft landing at Gatwick low on fuel following its diversion from Manston. The AAIB report will be published in June.The AAIB is also currently investigating a further air traffic control occurrence report that an aircraft arrived at Stansted from Glasgow with fuel at the minimum level set out in the relevant company fuel policy, following a diversion from Gatwick; their report will be published in due course.The recent allegations concerning an aircraft of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was not the subject of a formal occurrence report, but came from a confidential source. We have drawn the allegations to the Malaysian aeronautical authorities who are investigating the reported incidents. DETR and Civil Aviation Authority officials have also discussed the allegations in detail with representatives of the airline. MAS has co-operated fully in reviewing their fuel policy and examining why, on a very few occasions, low fuel levels may have been recorded at the completion of a flight. MAS has offered to provide weekly reports of fuel levels for all its aircraft on arrival in the UK and this has been incorporated into their conditions for operating into this country.In light of these recent allegations, the Civil Aviation Authority is to carry out an increased number of inspections of long haul aircraft arriving in the UK in the coming weeks, as part of a programme of checks on foreign aircraft at UK airports.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reports he has received in the period since 1 January 1997 of aircraft arriving at (a) Luton and (b) Stansted with empty fuel tanks; and if he will make a statement. [84376]

There have been no reports received in the period since 1 January 1997 of aircraft arriving at Luton or Stansted with empty fuel tanks.There has been one report of an aircraft arriving at Stansted from Glasgow on 12 September 1998 with fuel at the minimum level set out in the relevant company fuel policy, following a diversion from Gatwick. This incident is subject to an investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch; their report has not yet been published.One report has been received of a light aircraft landing at Luton low on fuel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the (a) average length of time between diagnosis and receipt of compensation and (b) the average value of compensation paid for former employees of British Rail who are diagnosed as having (i) mesothelioma, (ii) asbestosis and (iii) primary carcinoma of the lung, related to exposure to asbestos in (1) the North West and (2) England. [84221]

I understand from the British Railways Board that information is not available in a form which can be analysed in the manner requested without disproportionate cost. Since 1991, the Board has settled approximately 500 such claims. Diagnosis may occur before or after a claim is made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to reach a decision on the petition for a town council for Weston-super-Mare submitted by North Somerset Council. [84176]

[holding answer 14 May 1999]: We are currently considering a number of petitions and district reviews for new parish arrangements, including the petition for a town council for Weston-super-Mare. Our intention is to take decisions on a timescale to allow elections for any new parishes to be held in May 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many domestic-rated properties there are currently in England. [84368]

The latest available information on the number of domestic-rated properties relate to 24 March 1999. There were in total 21.018 million dwellings for England on the Valuation Office Agency's lists at 24 March 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to remove from students liability for council tax; and if he will make a statement. [84394]

Although no individuals are exempt from council tax, certain types of dwelling are exempt and this includes dwellings occupied entirely by students. Where students share accommodation with non-students, the students are disregarded for the purposes of calculating the household's bill. It is our intention to amend the liability rules to exclude such students from being jointly and severally liable for the bill as soon as Parliamentary time and other priorities allow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the populations of the areas covered by each of the regional development agencies; and what are their budgets per head. [84532]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the total budget is for each regional development agency for 1999–2000 and subsequent years (a) in cash terms and (b) on a per capita basis; and if he will break it down in each case by major funding source. [84420]

Allocations to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) for 1999–2000 were set out in the reply which my right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning, gave to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens, North (Mr. Watts) on 21 April 1999, Official Report, columns 545–46. We will shortly be giving RDAs provisional allocations for the following two years to help them in the preparation of their corporate plans. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as this information is available.

RDA	Population (latest figures as at June 1997)	1999–2000 Budget(cash) £ million	Per capita £
North East	2,594,364	121.198	46.7
North West	6,884,632	176.104	25.6
Yorkshire and the Humber	5,036,980	136.633	27.1
West Midlands	5,320,784	114.111	21.4
East Midlands	4,156,346	59.184	14.2
East of England	5,334,204	31.397	5.9
South West	4,875,973	60.138	12.3
South East	7,958,788	73.410	9.2
Total	42,162,071	772.175	18.3

The allocations are divided among different programmes as follows:

Programme	NE	NW	Y&H	WM	EM	E	SW	SE	Total
Land and Property	11.659	17.295	11.164	22.751	7.371	4.896	19.926	23.212	118.274
Derelict Land Grant	1.943	1.624	7.23	0.754	1.033	0.081	0.179	0.029	12.873
Single Regeneration Budget	91.58	137.48	102.18	75.93	36.78	14.59	21.68	37.49	517.71
Rural Development	2.605	1.169	3.075	1.716	3.081	2.825	6.023	1.639	22.133
Skills Development Fund	1.725	4.762	3.283	3.718	2.53	3.052	3.038	4.665	26.773
Competitiveness Fund	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	2
Inward Investment	1.665	1.393	1.415	1.314	0.984	0.9	1.554	0.9	10.125
Administration	9.771	12.131	8.036	7.678	7.155	4.803	7.488	5.225	62.287
	121.198	176.104	136.633	114.111	59.184	31.397	60.138	73.41	772.175

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Railtrack on their plans to take over part of London Underground. [83983]

None. Officials have met Railtrack to discuss its proposals to integrate London Underground's sub-surface lines (Circle, District, Metropolitan, East London and Hammersmith and City) with the main line network, but there have been no discussions at Ministerial level.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what efforts the Government are making to ensure adequate labelling of fuel-efficient cars. [83987]

New models of cars on sale are required to have a label affixed showing both fuel consumption information for that model, measured according to relevant official tests, and indicating the availability for inspection of the results of official tests of fuel consumption on all other new models of cars in the

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what regulations are in place to prevent (a) debris and (b) ice falling from aircraft; [84378]

The Government and Civil Aviation Authority take seriously all occurrences of ice and debris falling from aircraft. The primary way to tackle the problem is to ensure that regulations on the safe manufacture and operation of aircraft are adhered to. There are many such regulations: for example, before aircraft can be entered on national registers they must meet the appropriate standards for design and construction of aircraft, including resistance to leakage of on-board water or toilet systems which is the main cause of the build up of ice on the exterior of aircraft.The CAA is responsible for the safety regulation of aircraft registered in the UK and applies airworthiness requirements rigorously. They, together with the aviation industry have taken a number of specific, practical steps to reduce the occurrence of ice and debris falling. These steps include:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the current timetable for the opening of (a) the transport links to the Millennium Experience and (b) the exhibition itself. [83443]

The current timetable for the opening of the transport links to the Millennium Experience is as follows:

Link	Opening date
Jubilee Line Extension	The final phase (Stratford to Green Park) opens late Autumn 1999
Millennium Transit Bus Services (Charlton Station to Dome, and Greenwich Station to Dome)	Services commencen December 1999
Millennium Express river service (Waterloo to Dome)	Service commences 1 January 2000
Greenwich Shuttle river service (Historic Greenwich to Dome)	Services commences 1 January 2000
Cycle/pedestrian links through Greenwich Peninsula	Facilities implemented by end December 1999
NMEC controlled park and ride sites	Sites become operational 1 January 2000

The Millennium Experience exhibition opens to the public on 1 January 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many farms are involved in whole farm trials of genetically modified crops; and what is the total acreage given over to trials of such crops. [84279]

At present 7 farms are involved in the farm-scale trials of genetically modified crops. Three are growing Spring oil seed rape with a total area of about 26 hectares and four forage maize with a total area of about 21 hectares.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what distance between a field of genetically modified crops and a field of non-genetically modified crops he has been advised will be necessary to ensure that cross-contamination does not occur. [84534]

The distance depends on the crop. There is no possibility of cross-contamination by pollen unless the genetically modified (GM) crop produces pollen and the non-GM crop is both sexually compatible and flowering at the same time. It is not possible to guarantee that no cross-pollination will occur, even with very large separation distances although the amount of cross-pollination decreases rapidly with distance. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has advised that the information from decades of experience with producing seeds to specific purity levels can be used to estimate the level of cross-pollination which is likely to occur between crops in adjacent fields at specific distances. This information is crop specific.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the licensing rules for learner motor cyclists. [84716]

My Department has today issued a Consultation Paper that proposes to replace the two year provisional motorcycle licence with arrangements that encourage all learner riders to be properly trained and tested within two years. These new arrangements would apply fairly to all learner riders, and should be simpler to understand and administer. Copies of the Paper have been placed in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to invite councils to apply for beacon status under the Beacon Council Scheme. [84732]

We intend to publish tomorrow a brochure—The Beacon Council Scheme: How to Apply—which will invite councils to apply for beacon council status for the 1999–2000 programme. Copies of the brochure will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is his estimate of the gross cost to the Exchequer on an annual steady-state basis of paying parental leave at (a) full earnings replacement value, (b) 90 percent. of earnings replacement value, (c) 50 percent. of earnings replacement value and (d) 30 per cent. of earnings replacement value assuming the take-up of fathers is 50 per cent. and the take-up of mothers is 90 per cent.; [83806](2) what is his estimate of the gross cost to the Exchequer on an annual steady-state basis of paying parental leave at the rate of

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish an analysis of the views received by his Department in response to "A new contract for welfare: Partnership in Pensions" (Cm 4179). [84730]

I have arranged for the analysis of the main comments we received to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates Special Advisers from his Department travelled abroad on official business since 2 May 1997; which countries were visited on each occasion; and what were the names of the Special Advisers who travelled abroad on each occasion. [82252]

Since 2 May 1997 Special Advisers in my Department travelled overseas on official business on the following occasions:

Date
1997
25–28 May	Japan
10–11 September	Washington DC
13 October	Brussels
12–13 November	Brussels
15–22 November	India and Australia
1998
11–18 January	China and Hong Kong
3–4 February	Paris
11 March	Strasbourg
6–7 May	Brussels
18–20 May	Geneva
22–24 June	Singapore
10–16 October	USA

All travel complied with the requirements of the `Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code'.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average period between the issuing of a consultation document by his Department and the deadline for responses since 2 May 1997;[83022](2) which consultation documents issued by his Department since 2 May 1997 have received

This information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many consultation documents his Department has issued since 2 May 1997. [83023]

My Department has issued 116 consultation documents since 2 May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Energy Council held in Brussels on 11 May; and if he will make a statement. [84067]

The Council considered several matters of interest to the United Kingdom.On renewables, our strategy was singled out for praise. I called on the Commission to maintain momentum in the promotion of renewable energy by coming forward with a directive giving a framework for fair access of renewables to the internal electricity market. It should minimise distortions, ensure transparency, provide flexibility to distinguish between different kinds of renewables and promote cost-effectiveness and price competitiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current number of (a) Crown post offices and (b) sub-post offices; and what these numbers were one year and five years previously. [84056]

[holding answer 13 May 1999]: I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of Crown offices and sub-post offices are as follows:

	Crown offices	Sub-post offices
End March 1994	800	18,982
End March 1995	699	18,908
End March 1996	653	18,761
End March 1997	606	18,645
End March 1998	601	18,407
End March 1999	600	18,175

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the jungle training exercise in Brunei carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72791]

This exercise was a sub-element of exercise Ocean Wave, which took place in the Gulf, Far East and Asian Pacific regions between 13 January and 28 August 1997 as stated on 26 February 1999, Official Report, column 471. The cost of the jungle training exercise was £572,000, excluding the cost of spares and ammunition consumed during the exercise, and also excluding transport costs, as the unit were already deployed in the area as part of exercise Ocean Wave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for reviewing the legality of the actions of the Ministry of Defence Police. [83249]

The Ministry of Defence Police derive their constabulary powers from the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. The MOD Police are therefore answerable to the law through the courts. In common with other UK police forces, MOD Police are subject to comprehensive disciplinary procedures; these are overseen by the independent Police Complaints Authority where complaints by members of the public are involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the agenda for the WEU Council of 10 May. [83815]

The Agenda for the WEU Council of the 10 May was as follows:

• Adoption of Agenda
• Europe's security and defence in the light of the entry into force of the Amsterdam treaty and of the Washington summit.
• Approval of the draft decision sheet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the (a) nature and (b) number of sorties undertaken to date by the Yugoslav Air Force over Kosovo. [83964]

Figures are not readily available for sorties by the Yugoslav Air Force over Kosovo. However, it is assessed that approximately 180 sorties have been flown in Serbia and Montenegro during the first 49 days of the NATO bombing campaign, an average of four per day. The majority of these flights are believed to be communications and logistic support helicopter flights, whilst just under half comprise fighter and fighter bomber sorties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the findings of research commissioned by his Department from universities and research institutes are required to be reviewed by his Department before publication is allowed. [84209]

MOD's prior consent to publish the findings of research commissioned directly from universities and research institutes is needed only when, exceptionally, MOD notifies the research author that national security interests may be involved.Where research is carried out by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, DERA, the Agency would seek the agreement of the customer, MOD or other party, before any publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former (a) Chatham and (b) other dockyard workers have received compensation due to possible radiation exposure through the no fault scheme. [84072]

No former Chatham or other dockyard workers have so far been awarded compensation for alleged exposure to radiation through the Compensation Scheme for Radiation Linked Diseases. Sixty cases (of which forty-two relate to former dockyard workers) are at various stages of investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what month of what year HMS Dreadnought was last in commission and at sea. [84301]

Our records indicate that HMS Dreadnought was last in commission and at sea in September 1981.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to the (a) course and (b) location of Skynet satellites since 1 December; and if he will make a statement. [84312]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department expects to be able to make available to the House of Commons Defence Committee the list of measures scored as efficiency savings under the efficiency programmes of (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000, (c) 2000–01 and (d) 2001–02. [83583]

My Department is replying shortly to the request of the House of Commons Defence Committee for further information on efficiency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to reply to the letter of 15 January from the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton concerning John Heathcoat and Co. Ltd., and the RAF Coverall contract. [84381]

I have written to the hon. Member today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the deployment of UK forces in the Balkans since 18 April. [83984]

As at the end of April, £37 million of additional expenditure has fallen to my Department as a direct consequence of the UK's military response to the Kosovo crisis. This figure does not include the costs of replenishing stocks of expended ordnance or the costs of the UK's ongoing contribution to SFOR in Bosnia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place to fund locums when general medical practitioners who are officers in the TA are required to serve. [84124]

The Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/309) set out a scheme for providing financial assistance to reservists and employers who suffer financial loss as a result of the call-out or recall of individuals for permanent service in the armed forces. A claim for

Incidents at Buckley Hall and Wolds prisons 1996–97 to 1998–99
Category	Prison	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Assaults on staff	Buckley Hall	14	20	12
	Wolds	16	8	23
Assault prisoner/prisoner	Buckley Hall	13	18	11
	Wolds	18	l0	19
Self harm	Buckley Hall	5	7	6
	Wolds	23	46	69
Class A Drugs finds	Buckley Hall	13	13	13
	Wolds	20	18	10
Other drugs finds	Buckley Hall	36	38	28
	Wolds	115	90	88
Items smuggled into prison	Buckley Hall	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Wolds	28	20	29
Delayed request replies	Buckley Hall	106	162	87
	Wolds	5	3	1
Failure to use agreed reporting procedures	Buckley Hall	n/a	n/a	n/a
	Wolds	4	10	17

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia who have entered the United Kingdom en route to North America are being held for the offences of (a) possession of a false instrument contrary to section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 and (b) attempting to obtain services by deception contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981. [83800]

The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained through examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. In any event, it would be impossible to ascertain precisely how many of those convicted were citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia because the nationality of those holding falsified travel documents is essentially in doubt.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for (i) HMP Wolds and (ii) HMP Buckley Hall the number of incidents that have occurred during each of the last three financial years of the respective contracts in respect of (a) assaults on staff, (b) assaults by prisoners on other prisoners, (c) self harm, (d) class A drug finds, (e) other drug finds, (f) items smuggled into the prison, (g) delayed request replies, (h) failure to use agreed reporting procedures, (i) failure to achieve 95 per cent. occupancy of employment places, (j) key/lock compromises, (k) attempted escapes, (l) temporary release failures and (m) recapture and surrender. [83919]

The information requested is given in the table. The information requested about Buckley Hall on items smuggled into prison, failure to use agreed reporting procedures and failure to achieve 95 per cent. occupancy of employment places is not available because there is no contractual obligation for such information to be collected. The figures requested regarding recapture and surrender are not available because prisoners may surrender to another prison.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 28 April 1999, Official Report, column 162, on private prisons, what measures are being taken by the Prison Service to improve performance against the contract at (a) HMP Lowdham Grange and (b) HMP Parc. [83914]

The performance of both prisons has steadily improved since they opened and their present performance is regarded as satisfactory. The performance of the prisons is subject to contract management by the contractor and by the Prison Service through monitoring by the appointed controller of each prison, the area manager and the contracts and competition group of Prison Service headquarters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department has taken against international crime organisations which have been involved in the smuggling of women immigrants into the United Kingdom to work in the sex industry. [83913]

The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and Immigration Service are committed to the development and dissemination of the intelligence needed to maximise disruption of these criminal enterprises and to secure arrest in as many cases as possible. During the past 12 months, a number of successful operations have been jointly undertaken targeting the racketeers which have resulted in the arrest and conviction of those involved. In addition, profiling and increased awareness have led to the interception of several groups at ports of arrival and to tighter controls over the issue of visas at British missions abroad. Trafficking in human beings is high on the agenda of the European Union; the G8; and the United Nations. My Department is represented on all the relevant working groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women are electronically tagged by the police in England and Wales. [83909]

The electronic monitoring of offenders is performed by private sector contractors working to Home Office guidelines. On 5 May, 2,139 men and 219 women were being electronically monitored under a number of schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female sentenced prisoners were over the age of 70 years on 30 April. [83911]

Provisional information for 30 April 1999 shows that there were 120 sentenced males and 3 sentenced females aged over 70 years in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many whole-time equivalent staff were committed to the processing of asylum applications at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on 1 April (a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996, (d) 1997, (e) 1998 and (f) 1999. [83620]

[holding answer 10 May 1999]:The Home Office Annual Report 1997 gives the following numbers for asylum determination staff in AA-SEO grades, excluding travel documents, appeals support management and policy staff in the years up to April 1997:

	Number
Calendar year
1994 outturn	412
1995 outturn	426
Financial year
1996–97 estimated outturn	514

More recent comparisons are very difficult because of the re-organisation of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) since December 1998. Asylum applications were previously handled in a dedicated Asylum Directorate; they are not dealt with in integrated teams which also deal with a variety of other immigration casework.Figures for 1997–98 have not yet been published, but the figures relating to the former Asylum Directorate show 451 staff in the AA to SEO grades. The new Integrated Casework Directorate currently has 236 members of staff who are trained to deal with asylum applications; they are supported by a further 239 staff members, who also provide support on other immigration casework.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of (a) callers, (b) calls and (c) calls answered per day to the telephone caller unit in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in (i) March and (ii) April. [83951]

Figures for calls made during normal working hours in March and April were as follows:

	Number
March
(a) Average number of callers per day	5,000
(b) Average number of calls per day	42,627
(c) Average number of calls answered per day	1,637
April
(a) Average number of callers per day	4,380
(b) Average number of calls per day	30,151
(c) Average number of calls answered per day	1,883

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the unit cost of caseworking in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in (a) each of the last six months for which figures are available and (b) May 1997. [83950]

The direct cost of a standard unit of caseworking is routinely monitored under the terms of the contract with Siemens Business Services. Those costs, which exclude some overheads, were:

Month	Unit cost (£)
May 1997	45.16
October 1998	33.19
November 1998	40.44
December 1998	78.00
January 1999	71.57
February 1999	62.58
March 1999	50.57

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of providing each £1 worth of support for asylum applicants (a) in receipt of income support following an application for asylum at a port of entry and (b) in receipt of support from a local authority following an in-country asylum application. [83961]

The information is not available in the form requested.However, with regard to Income Support, the available information is given in the table:

Income Support processing costs 1998–991
Costs	£
Unit cost of processing asylum seeker income support claim	17.90
Annual cost of maintaining an average income support Claim	3.66
Total2	21.56

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide an index and catalogue for the evidence placed in the House of Lords Library which was provided to the inquiry into the Hillsborough Disaster. [83925]

Any cataloguing of the material it holds is a matter for the Library itself. My reply to the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 20 April 1999, Official Report, column 486 listed the categories of evidence placed in the Library. The South Yorkshire Police included an index, which listed the officer's name and the individual reference number for each statement, with the police statements themselves.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of passports being (a) mislaid and (b) lost have been received in each month since November 1998. [84032]

Complaints received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are not recorded centrally on the basis of subject matter. Information kept centrally is in respect of the number of compensation claims dealt with as a result of maladministration, the majority of which will have arisen as a result of lost documents. This is a lagging indicator as there is often a considerable gap between an incident and the claim for compensation arising from it. The figures for each month since November 1998 are set out:

	Number
November	7
December	10
January	12
February	5
March	5
April	1

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales provide education facilities for teaching reading and writing to inmates; and if he will make a statement. [84397]

All prisons are required to deliver the Prison Service core curriculum which includes basic educational skills (reading, writing and numbers), English for speakers of other languages, life and social skills and information technology skills.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish his proposals to deal with the problem of prostitutes' cards in public telephone boxes. [84647]

Our consultation paper, "New Measures to Control Prostitutes' Cards in Phone Boxes" will be published on Tuesday 18 May. This is a local problem which needs a local approach. The consultation paper will look at options for changing the law to enable those who put cards in telephone boxes to be dealt with more effectively on a local basis. Copies of the consultation paper will also be placed in the Library on Tuesday.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what efforts are being made by his Department to encourage a speedy conclusion to the pay dispute between the Fire Brigades Union and the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire Brigades; and to what extent a deal will have to take account of the Best Value regime. [84383]

The current dispute between the local authority employers and the Fire Brigades Union is not over pay. It is over modest proposals by the employers for changes to firefighters' conditions of service. These negotiations are not directly a matter for the Government but are for resolution between the employers and the union in the National Joint Council for Local Authorities Fire Brigades.The Audit Commission in its report in 1995, "In the Line of Fire", endorsed the need for changes in firefighters' conditions of service to remove provisions which were inflexible, outdated and unjustified. The Government fully support proposals for change which while protecting the legitimate interests of firefighters will, at the same time, deliver Best Value and lead to more modern and efficient public services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to consolidate current fire safety legislation. [84384]

We intend to bring forward general legislation to consolidate and rationalise fire safety law along the lines proposed in our consultation document "Fire Safety Legislation for the Future", when parliamentary time permits.

To ask the Prime Minister what evidence he has received, other than from the accounts of Kosovar refugees, of the scale of rape by Serbs of ethnic Albanians. [83176]

[holding answer 4 May 1999]:By the very nature of the situation in Kosovo, accounts by refugees remain the main source of information about human rights abuses including rape in Kosovo. Certain aid agencies are able to undertake medical checks, when requested by refugees, to corroborate their claims, though many women are understandably reluctant to submit themselves to these. But the consistency of the hundreds of reports by refugees leaving Kosovo in different camps in Macedonia and Albania makes their evidence compelling and credible. We are making every effort to corroborate all reports of atrocities in Kosovo.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Moss) on 28 April 1999, Official Report, column 341, what assessment he has made of the Pre-school Learning Alliance's estimate of the number of closures of pre-school play groups and nursery schools; and what estimate he has made of the change in the total number of pre-schools over the past 12 months. [83234]

[holding answer 4 May 1999]: Earlier this year, 150 Early Years Development local plans were approved to guarantee a free nursery place for all four-year-olds whose parents want one and for the first time will deliver good quality childcare places across the country. The Government have made available an additional £390 million over three years to provide an additional 190,000 places for three-year-olds, almost doubling the participation rate of those taking a free place to 66 per cent. by April 2002. In addition, we intend to provide 430,000 additional childcare places in the UK by 2003, at a cost of £470 million.We are aware of the Pre-School Alliance's (PLA) claims about the number of registered playgroups. They do not fully accord with official figures from annual surveys but DfEE officials will be discussing the figures with the PLA to ensure their concerns are properly understood. The Under-Secretary with responsibility for employment and equal opportunities, my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) has made available a further £500,000, in addition to the £500,000 announced in May 1998, to support specifically pre-schools at risk of closing and to help sustain good quality pre-schools and playgroups. She also announced an independent review of our early education and child-care policies.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to require the publication of the (i) salary and (ii) terms and conditions of employment of (a) the President and (b) the Executive Board Members of the European Central Bank. [83559]

As the President of the ECB made clear at a hearing of the European Parliament on 15 July 1998, the system is such that the salary of a member of the Executive Board of the ECB is about 10 per cent. higher than the highest Director-General's salary at the European Commission. The salary of the Vice-President is 20 per cent. higher and his salary as President is 40 per cent. higher than the salary of an Executive Director.

To ask the Prime Minister what instructions have been issued to (a) Foreign Office and (b) Ministry of Defence personnel concerning implementation of UNSCR 1160 in respect of enforcing an arms blockade on the KLA; what steps he has taken to ensure that they are compatible with the changes made, pursuant to the Legg report on Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [83401]

The United Nations Security Council resolution 1160, which was adopted in March 1998, was circulated within the FCO, the MOD and to relevant posts overseas. Officials involved in work on Kosovo are aware of the scope of the arms embargo against the FRY, including the fact that it covers the sale or supply of arms to the KLA.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of graphite weapons to attack the electrical system in Yugoslavia, on (a) hospitals without auxiliary generators, (b) the nuclear installation at Vinca and (c) chemical factories. [83780]

[holding answer 10 May 1999]: The UK armed forces do not hold such munitions. NATO has repeatedly made clear that the greatest of care is taken to minimise the risk of civilian casualties and damage to buildings that are not used in support of Milosevic's military machine. The need to avoid dangerous emissions from nuclear and chemical plants is taken fully into account in making decisions about targets.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with CBD Porton Down the basis on which the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons lists EMPTA as a compound which also has commercial uses. [82946]

EMPTA is covered by Schedule 2 to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons oversees, not because it has commercial uses, but on the grounds that it belongs to a large family of chemicals that are of potential use as precursors in the production of Schedule 1 chemicals—those posing the highest risk—such as the nerve agent, VX.I can also confirm that the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Potion Down is currently not aware of legitimate commercial uses for EMPTA.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure (a) 9.9.99 and (b) 29.2.00 computer compliance. [84100]

Government Departments and agencies and key parts of the national infrastructure have comprehensive plans in place for addressing the millennium date change and a range of other dates which could give rise to particular problems such as 9.9.99 and 29.2.00. Action 2000, which the Government set up, has also been advising businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises, of the importance and methods of checking that systems will continue to operate on these dates and of setting in place contingency plans.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress made at the meeting with Mr. Romano Prodi on 14 April, with reference to reform of the EU. [84095]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 May 1999, Official Report, columns 477.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on activities by the RAF over Iraq since the end of March. [84173]

RAF patrols of the no fly zones remain a vital humanitarian mission in support of UN Security Council Resolution 688 which condemned Saddam Hussein's repression of the Kurds in the North and Sh'ia Muslims in the South. Since the end of March, our aircraft have been shot at or otherwise threatened some 100 times. We have, therefore, been forced to take appropriate defensive measures against Iraqi facilities that pose a threat to coalition forces.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 10 May 1999, Official Report, column 68–69, if his reference to the safe return of refugees refers to their place of origin within Kosovo. [84526]

It is our clear intention that all the refugees should return to and live in Kosovo in conditions of security, guaranteed by an international military force. We want all those who wish to go back to their former homes to be able to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the dates of his visits to the United States of America to meet President Clinton since 1 May 1997. [84344]

I have visited the United States on four occasions since 1 May 1997:

• 20–23 June 1997: G7 meeting in Denver and UN General Assembly Session in New York
• 4–7 February 1998: Bilateral (Washington)
• 21 September 1998: UN General Assembly meeting (New York)
• 21–25 April 1999: NATO (Washington) + Bilateral (Chicago).

On each of these visits I met President Clinton.

To ask the Prime Minister how many times President Clinton has visited Britain to meet him since 1 May 1997; and on what dates. [84313]

President Clinton has visited the UK three times since 1 May 1997:

• 29 May 1997: Bilateral (London)
• 15–18 May 1998: Birmingham G8 Summit and London EU/US Summit
• 3 September 1998 Belfast and Omagh

On each occasion I met President Clinton.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote and safeguard NHS dentistry in North East Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [80048]

East Lancashire Health Authority is responsible for monitoring the oral health and general dental services (GDS) in their area. Health authorities concerned about GDS provision in their area have been able to ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health to use his powers under Section 56 of the National Health Service Act 1977, to approve the funding of proposals submitted under the Investing in Dentistry initiative (IID), which began in September 1997, and ended this April. To date, my right hon. Friend has approved three East Lancashire Health Authority IID bids in Burnley, Nelson and Accrington, which should provide 6,400 patients from the area with the opportunity of registering with an NHS dentist.East Lancashire Health Authority could also, if appropriate, seek the approval of my right hon. Friend, under Section 56, to employ a salaried dentist(s), or consider submitting an expression of interest under the personal dental services (PDS) scheme, which we announced on 1 January 1998. PDS is designed to help improve access to NHS dentistry, by encouraging health authorities to work with dentists to develop a variety of new arrangements to improve access to NHS dentistry. The strategy for NHS dentistry, which will be published in due course, will look at further ways of improving access to NHS dentistry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS organisations which the NHS Director of Planning has assessed as failing to prepare properly for millennium computer compliance. [82820]

The National Health Service Executive receives regular progress reports from over 500 NHS organisations and publishes all the returns on the Internet (www.imc.exec.nhs.uk/2000). The returns for the period ended 31 March 1999 will be published later this month.The NHS Executive has announced that, in line with the common approach being adopted by members of the National Infrastructure Forum of Action 2000, it will list organisations and their state of readiness for Year 2000 based on the returns for the period ended 31 May 1999 at the forthcoming meeting on 13 July 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data he has collated on disabled persons who are not dying receiving terminal care. [83376]

Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose disease no longer responds to curative treatment, focusing on the quality of life and integrating the physical, psychological, spiritual and social aspects of care. Terminal care is an important part of palliative care and usually refers to the care of patients during their last few days, weeks or months, from a point at which it becomes clear that the patient is in a state of progressive decline.Pain therapy in palliative/terminal care must be tailored for each patient. Most patients with advanced disease will require pharmacological therapy. Strong opioids, such as diamorphine and morphine, are prescribed for severe pain and must be administered regularly to control pain and prevent pain recurring.Medical treatment given to a patient, disabled or otherwise, with the primary purpose of inducing death is illegal. Anyone alleged to have undertaken such action would be open to a charge of murder or manslaughter.Information on such cases is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits of introducing statutory registration of dental nurses. [83397]

In May 1998 the General Dental Council published a consultation document in which they suggested that, if statutory registration was introduced, dental nurses could extend the support they provide to dentists, provided the nurses had satisfactorily completed a period of approved, structured training. We await the outcome of these consultations with interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to place all National Health Service scientific and technical staff, together with support grades, within a pay review body; and if he will make a statement. [83727]

On 15 February 1999, the Health Departments published proposals for modernising the National Health Service Pay System in "Agenda for Change". This included the possibility of moving some highly qualified health professionals into the remit of the Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine Review Body.Discussions have recently opened between representatives of NHS trade unions and management representatives from NHS employers and the four Health Departments on the basis of our proposals for modernising the NHS pay system. We will develop the proposed changes in a spirit of partnership.It is too early to comment on proposals for specific staff groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 4 May 1999, Official Report, columns 357–58, when doctors will be able to prescribe and dispense Buprenorphine to patients using the FP10 prescribing form. [83786]

General practitioners are able to prescribe buprenorphine using the FP10 prescription form, against which pharmacists are able to dispense the drug.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of hospital consultancy posts; and if he will make a statement. [83785]

It is for National Health Service trusts, who are accountable for the quality of services they provide, to determine how many consultants they need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways information on drugs dispensed in hospitals and their cost is published. [83895]