To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the cost to date of implementing the provisions of the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997. [88811]

It is not possible to give the exact total cost to date as the expenditure incurred by the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning is shared with the Irish Government. To date, the British Government have contributed £1,099,439, which represents approximately 50 per cent. of the total cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Holiday Visitors and (b) Business Visitors to Northern Ireland from (i) Great Britain, (ii) the Republic of Ireland and (iii) the rest of the world there were in the last year for which figures are available. [89130]

During 1998, 277,000 Holiday Visitors came to Northern Ireland, 81,000 from Great Britain, 90,000 from the Republic of Ireland and 106,000 from the rest of the world.434,000 Business Visitors came in 1998—an estimated 302,000 from Great Britain, 80,000 from the Republic of Ireland and 52,000 from the rest of the world.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what are the increases to the Special Adviser pay bands for 1999–2000; and how many Advisers are in each pay band, by Department. [88645]

The minima and maxima of the Special Adviser pay bands have each been increased by 2.8 per cent. with effect from 1 April 1999, the same increase as for the Senior Civil Service pay bands. The three pay bands are now:

Pay band	Scale
Band A	£26,728 to £46,260
Band B	£41,120 to £61,680
Band C	£55,512 to £78,186

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will make a statement on the extent of use of paper containing acid for (i)the Official Report, (ii) House of Commons printed papers and (iii) other House of Commons documents of record; and what assessment he has made of the estimated durability and life expectancy of paper copies of (i), (ii) and (iii). [89112]

The contract for the printing of the House's core documents (including the Official Report, Vote Bundle, Bills and Select Committee Reports) specifies the use of acid free paper of archival quality. The paper used has an alkali reserve of a minimum of 2 per cent., and an archival life in excess of 100 years.

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what estimate he has made of the durability and life expectancy of paper copies of the (a)Official Report and (b) other documents of record held by the Library. [89111]

For information on the current standards for paper used for the Official Report and other House documents of record held by the Library, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by the Chairman of the Administration Committee, column 284.The durability of older documents varies according to age, the type of paper used, the frequency of use and the storage conditions. The Library regularly monitors the condition of these documents and has a programme of conservation. It is aware of a particular problem with acidic paper used from about 1850 to 1950. Older Parliamentary Papers were moved in 1992 to controlled storage conditions in Broad Sanctuary, where there are also reserve volumes of the

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the total cash payment in 1999 to date to UNHCR from her Department. [89620]

The total cash payments made by the Department for International Development (DFID) to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) between 1 January and 30 June 1999 amount to £14.66 million. Of this total, we have contributed £7 million to UNHCR's General and Special Programmes, £3 million to a DFID/UNHCR scheme to support NGO Refugee projects, and £4.66 million to specific country programmes and regional appeals.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what grant support her Department has given to (a) the Foundation for International Community Assistance and (b) the Small Enterprise Foundation in South Africa. [89416]

The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing assistance to the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) in three African countries. The details are as follows:

1. FINCA International in Tanzania: £850,000 between 1999 and 2002

2. FINCA Uganda: £98,000 between 1998 and 1999 (this project is likely to be scaled up if phase 1 is successful)

3. FINCA Malawi: £721,000 between 1998 and 2001

DFID has not received any proposals for support to FINCA in South Africa. My Department has had discussions with the South African Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) about potential proposals.DFID has also offered to finance a study to help the Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA; the development arm of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers) establish a rural banking facility, for micro credit as well as savings. The MDA has held discussions with a number of potential partners in this venture, including FINCA and SEF.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support child care provision in Romania. [89044]

[holding answer 1 July 1999]: We are presently exploring with the Department for Child Protection of the Government of Romania how best we can assist them, taking account of other donor support in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance her Department has provided to improve child care provision in central and eastern Europe. [89045]

[holding answer 1 July 1999]: We financed a Child Care project in Romania between 1995 and 1998. This provided advice on the framing of child care legislation, support for the development of model Centres for Family Support and Child Protection, and assistance at county council (judet) level with the development of sustainable and accountable services to vulnerable children and families. The total cost was about £339,000. The project was managed by the European Children's Trust.In Bulgaria, we co-financed with the EU (Phare) a project to advise on child care legislation and good practices. We provided £90,000 in 1998 for a three month study visit to the UK by child care practitioners. We have just started a £300,000 project to advise the Ministries of Education, Health and Labour and Social Policy on alternatives to institutional child care. This is being managed by Save The Children Fund.We are also financing projects in south-eastern Europe to address the problems of refugee children in the region as a result of the Kosovo crisis. For example we have contributed £300,000 to Save The Children Fund for regional programmes, which include non-formal education through local groups and volunteer teachers; £160,000 to Children's Aid Direct for the distribution of school materials and equipment for Kosovo refugees and host communities in Macedonia; and an unearmarked sum of £2.25 million to UNICEF for their activities in the region. UNICF are aiming to improve access to health care and primary education. They have been effective in developing and advocating child friendly spaces in camps and other locations. These spaces provide basic services for children and mothers such as baby care, pre-school, primary school, recreational activities, counselling and basic health and nutrition education.Through the newly established Humanitarian Assistance Field Office in Pristina, we will continue to identify further areas of support in accordance with the needs of the returning refugees and the displaced people of Kosovo.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1999, Official Report, column 289, regarding discussions with European institutions about VAT on financial services, what his policy is on the application of VAT to financial services; and what position HM Customs and Excise has taken in the consultations with the European Commission on the feasibility of applying VAT to financial services; [86962](2) pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1999,

[holding answer 17 June 1999]: The European Commission has been studying the feasibility of applying VAT to financial services, including insurance, since 1993. No proposal has been made. The Government's position is clear: they will not accept any measures which damage British business, jobs and competitiveness. Customs' position in discussions with Commission officials have been consistent with this policy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the total annual revenue that would be collected if VAT were charged at (a) 17.5 per cent. and (b) 5 per cent. on the making of arrangements for, or the underwriting of, any security or secondary security; [89595](2) if he will estimate the total annual revenue that would be collected if VAT were charged at

It is not possible to provide the requested estimates due to insufficient data being available on these specific financial activities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total annual revenue that would be collected if VAT were charged at (a) 17.5 per cent. and (b) 5 per cent. on the making of any arrangements for (i) the issue, transfer or receipt of, or any dealing with, money, any security for money or any note or order for the payment of money, (ii) the making of any advance or the granting of any credit, (iii) the provision of the facility of instalment credit finance in a hire-purchase, conditional sale or credit sale agreement for which facility a separate charge is made and disclosed to the recipient of the supply of goods and (iv) the provision of administrative arrangements and documentation and the transfer of the title to the goods in connection with the provision of the facility of instalment credit finance in a hire-purchase, conditional sale or credit sale agreement for which facility a separate charge is made and disclosed to the recipient of the supply of goods if the total consideration therefore is specified in the agreement and does not exceed £10. [89596]

Insufficient data are available to provide the estimates sought, as I explained to the right hon. Gentleman in my written answer of 30 June 1999, Official Report, columns 226–27.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the commitments he has made with respect to the withholding tax will apply to all forms of savings in addition to eurobonds. [89567]

We have made it very clear that the draft Directive on savings in its current form is unacceptable because of its likely impact on our financial markets. The Conclusions of the ECOFIN Council meeting on 1 December 1997 record that the United Kingdom considers the Directive should not apply to eurobonds and other similar instruments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many cars are available for the use of (a) his Department's Ministers, (b) his Department's officials and (c) executives and officials of his Department's non-Governmental bodies and agencies. [88087]

As at July 1998, my Department owned or leased the following number of motor vehicles:

	No. of vehicles
(a) Ministers	18
(b) DETR (Central)	27
(c) Agencies	564
(d) Government Offices for the Regions	80
Total	679
1 Leased from GCDA

Information is not available centrally in respect of vehicles owned or leased by the Departments non-departmental public bodies and other associate bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many cars are owned or leased for use by members and employees of the Environment Agency. [88090]

237 cars are owned by the Environment Agency and 2,500 cars are leased.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what budget (a) his Department, (b) the regional offices and (c) the Regional Development Agencies have for preparations for the euro; [88095](2) what action is being taken by

Following the publication of the Government's Outline Changeover Plan, my Department is considering what preparations may be necessary for the introduction of the euro as far as its own areas of responsibility are concerned. Beyond this, my Department and the Government Offices for the Regions have no specific budget for euro preparations, neither do the Regional Development Agencies.Government advice for business on the implications of the introduction of the euro in the eurozone countries is co-ordinated by HM Treasury. Government support includes the setting up of 12 regional euro fora, in which the Government Offices for the Regions were involved and in which the Regional Development Agencies have been invited to participate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the latest agenda of the Environment Council of 24–25 June prior to the meeting. [88169]

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 June 1999, to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith), Official Report, columns 405–06, which lists the proposals due for discussion at the Environment Council in Luxembourg on 24–25 June. Apart from the proposals listed in my earlier answer, the following items were also on the agenda:

Report on the Protocol on biosafety:

Procedure

Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the internal market and the environment:

Presentation

Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament: "Preparing for implementation of the Kyoto Protocol":

Presentation

Other business:

(a) Conference on organic farming (Vienna 27 and 28 May 1999) Commission Statement

(b) Best environmental protection practices in other policies (Seminar in Bonn 25 May 1999): Briefing by the German Delegation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he was first informed that the engineering works on the Circle line might necessitate the suspension of the Circle line service. [88429]

The Circle line service is not suspended. London Underground (LU) continues to operate services at all Circle line stations. Where possible, they are running extra trains on other lines to minimise passenger disruption.LU first informed officials in my Department in November 1997 that engineering works might necessitate the closure of the Circle line between High Street Kensington and Gloucester Road stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the closure dates for (a) the Circle line and (b) the Northern line. [88603]

Engineering works between High Street Kensington and Gloucester Road, which are preventing a normal Circle line service from operating, began on 12 June 1999 and will continue to 16 August 1999. The Northern line City branch will be closed between Moorgate and Kennington from 3 July 1999 to 5 September 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans have been made to provide alternative public transport for people who normally use the Northern and Circle lines. [88493]

Although engineering works are disrupting services, all Circle line stations remain open. London Underground are operating additional services on the Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, along part of the route where Circle line services usually run, and a normal District line service along most of the rest of the Circle line. Additional buses are also running on routes 16, 23 and 52. Underground tickets and passes are valid on these buses.While the Northern line City branch is closed between Moorgate and Kennington, a rail replacement bus service will operate and there will be also be an enhanced service on the 133 bus which runs along the route. In addition, there will be a 15 per cent. increase in services on the Northern line Charing Cross branch. Alternative routes will be advertised and extra station staff will help to keep passengers informed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of London Underground's planned investment in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 2001–02. [88492]

London Underground's planned investment for these years is currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many trains were (a) cancelled and (b) more than 10 minutes late on the Underground in the last available month. [88489]

Between 2 May and 29 May, 1,258 trains were cancelled or withdrawn from service and 239 trains were delayed for more than 10 minutes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of and how many tube travellers used (a) the Circle line and (b) the Northern line in each of the last six months for which figures are available. [88488]

As all stations served by Circle line trains and many served by Northern line trains are also served by other lines, London Underground (LU) are not able to provide detailed line specific information in the format requested.However, LU estimate that 220,000 passengers use the Circle line and 540,000 use the Northern line on a typical weekday—6.2 per cent. and 15.5 per cent. of total network traffic respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which tube lines other than the Circle and Northern lines London Underground proposes to close during the next 12 months. [88487]

London Underground (LU) proposes to close the Victoria line between Brixton and Victoria stations from 23 October until 7 November 1999. The Bakerloo line will be closed between Queens Park and Harrow and Wealdstone stations between 23 and 31 October 1999 while Railtrack, who own this section of the track, carry out engineering work. And LU are planning to close the District line between High Street Kensington and Earl's Court stations in June 2000 for approximately 10 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he was first informed that London Underground might have to close (a) the Circle and (b) the Northern line; and what meetings he held about these potential closures. [88486]

London Underground (LU) first informed my Department in November 1997 and September 1998 respectively that engineering works might necessitate the closure of the Circle line between High street Kensington and Gloucester Road stations and the Northern Line City Branch between Moorgate and Kennington stations.I met the managing director of London Underground to discuss these closures on 23 June 1999. Issues such as these closures are also discussed by my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London when she meets each month with the managing directors of London Underground and London Buses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to encourage increased provision of commuter car parking at tube stations. [88490]

London Underground is working to provide more commuter car parking at Underground stations and expect to increase the number of parking spaces by more than 10 per cent. before the end of 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the European Communities working groups which met over the last 12 months with a representative from his Department in attendance; if he will list the number of times each met; if he will indicate the nature of the Government's representation; and if he will make a statement. [88479]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 18 June 1999, Official Report, column 255, given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the subsidy (a) per kilometre and (b) per passenger given to the rail industry within each European Union country in the last year for which figures are available. [88634]

[holding answer 29 June 1999]: The Department does not have the requested information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many man hours have been lost on work on the Jubilee Line Extension on average per month since 1 January owing to interruptions from unnecessary use of the fire alarm system. [89398]

Approximately 700 hours on average.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 28 June 1999, Official Report, column 22, on Lord Donaldson's report on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, if the report will be made available to the public. [89395]

In accordance with his terms of reference, Lord Donaldson will be giving his advice to the Deputy Prime Minister and will do so shortly. The decision on whether to publish his advice will be taken after it has been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce legislation establishing a strategic rail authority. [90055]

We are making good progress in relation to the proposals for a Strategic Rail Authority and in making railway regulation more effective and accountable. The shadow Strategic Rail Authority has been operational from 1 April, and the new Rail Regulator takes up his appointment next week. We hope to introduce a Railways Bill shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment. [88127]

[holding answer 24 June 1999]: The strength of the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, including all attached Arms, as at 1 May 1999 is shown in the table. The figures are for UK Trained Personnel only, and exclude locally employed personnel, Royal Irish (Home Service) personnel, those reservists mobilised for duties associated with Bosnia and full time reserve personnel.

3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment	Strength
Royal Armoured Corps1	1
Royal Engineers1	1
Infantry2	3
Parachute Regiment	430
Royal Logistic Corps	20
Royal Army Medical Corps	3
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	22
Adjutant General's Corps (Staff and Personnel Support)	23
Army Physical Training Corps	1
Total	504
1 Officers and Soldiers on attachment to the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment
2 The figures for Infantry personnel include all those whose cap badge is of another Infantry Regiment

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the Learning Forces initiative; and what is the forecast expenditure for each of the next five years. [88701]

As part of the Strategic Defence Review, the Learning Forces initiative substantially increased provision to assist service personnel with their personal development. This reflects our determination that the armed forces benefit fully from the Government's commitment to lifelong learning. Additional provision in the current financial year is some £10 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have (a) left and (b) joined the (i) Army, (ii) Navy and (iii) RAF in the last two years for which figures are available. [88704]

The table show the information requested.

	1 April 1997 to 1 March 1998	1 April 1998 to 1 March 1999
(a) Outflow of UK Regular Forces
Naval Service	5,271	5,531
Army	14,378	17,015
Royal Air Force	4,609	4,898
Total	24,258	27,444
(b) Intake to UK Regular Forces from civilian life
Naval Service	4,600	4,767
Army	15,379	16,963
Royal Air Force	3,526	4,246
Total	23,505	25,976

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many orthopaedic surgeons are currently serving at the Royal Hospital, Haslar; and of these, how many have given notice of their intention to leave the Armed Forces. [88338]

[holding answer 25 June 1999]: Of the six Service orthopaedic surgeons currently serving at the Royal Hospital, Haslar, five have applied to leave the Armed Forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent in each year since 1989 on recruitment for (a) the Army, (b) the RAF, (c) the Royal Navy and (d) Ministry of Defence civilian posts; and what is the planned expenditure for the next five years. [88705]

Figures for the Armed Forces are available only from 1990–91. The cost of recruitment, including the recruiting organisations, in each of the Services, since 1990–91 is as shown. Total Army recruitment costs for the year 1990–91 are not available as they cannot be identified separately.

£ million
Year	Naval Service	Army	RAF
1990–91	23.48	n/a	26.33
1991–92	26.83	42.20	27.98
1992–93	19.00	42.60	27.45
1993–94	21.10	48.61	27.60
1994–95	19.50	45.91	27.87
1995–96	21.88	56.20	26.88
1996–97	21.57	49.80	25.88
1997–98	25.04	59.55	29.73
1998–99	28.07	49.96	30.47

Expenditure on recruitment to the Services is expected to continue at broadly comparable amounts over the next five years.The table shows the Departmental civilian recruitment expenditure for advertising only, plus all elements of fast stream recruitment, together with forecast expenditure for the next five years. Actual costs prior to 1997–98 are not fully available.

£ million
Year	Expenditure
1997–98	4.56
1998–99	4.80

Expenditure on civilian recruitment is expected to continue at broadly comparable amounts over the next five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries occurred during (i) territorial, (ii) regular units and (iii) special forces training in the Brecon Beacons and Epynt Range between 1974 and 1999. [88937]

I regret that the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I can confirm, however, that there were 141 deaths and 14,441 injuries in the UK resulting from training and exercises during the last 20 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings have been held by the Service Families Task Force Ministerial Working Group. [89026]

[holding answer 29 June 1999]: There has been one meeting of the Ministerial Group thus far. I wrote to my colleagues on the Ministerial Group on 1 June 1999 reviewing progress to date and giving notice of the next meeting, which I will be chairing shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings of the Families Forum have taken place; and on how many occasions the Forum is scheduled to meet in the next year. [89025]

[holding answer 29 June 1999]: I chair the Families Forum which is attended by the Chairs of the three Service Families Associations. The first meeting of the Families Forum took place on the 22 April 1999. This was the day after the Charter of Royal Navy and Royal Marines Families Association was signed. It is anticipated that the Forum will meet about twice a year and the next meeting is planned for the autumn.In between meetings of the Families Forum, the Chairs of the Service Families Associations have regular contact with my officials. They were last briefed on the progress of the Task Force on 16 June 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the Service Families Task Force; and what is the planned expenditure for each of the next five years. [88702]

The Service Families Task Force was created to address those problems, caused by the mobility of Service families, outside the direct control of the MOD. These are largely concerned with access to education, health and employment services which can be resolved only through joint action with other Government Departments.There have been no new or additional costs to the Departmental budget caused by the creation of the Service Families Task Force. No additional expenditure is planned. The provision of support to the Task Force has fallen within the normal work of the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the policy of the Government in respect of (a) the recruitment of soldiers aged under 18 years and (b) their use in situations of conflict. [89127]

The minimum age of entry to the regular UK Armed Forces is 16 years. All young people under the age of 18 who volunteer to enlist must first obtain the written consent of their parents or guardians and great care is taken to ensure that young people understand precisely the nature of the commitment they are making. In respect of deployment, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 October 1998, Official Report, column 1161, in which I stated that in future only service personnel over the age of 17 years would be deployed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the RAF and (c) the Army were under 18 years of age on 23 June; and what percentage of force numbers this represents. [89039]

[holding answer 30 June 1999]: At 1 June, the latest date for which information is available centrally on all three services:

992 Naval Service personnel (Royal Navy and Royal Marines) were under 18 years of age, 2.3 per cent of the total strength.

4,991 Army personnel were under 18 years of age, 4.5 per cent. of the total strength.

438 RAF personnel were under 18 years of age, 0.8 per cent. of the total strength.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will answer the question of 15 June tabled by the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on the public/private partnership proposals for DERA (ref. 87372). [89599]

I answered the hon. Member's question on 30 June 1999, Official Report, columns 158–59.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 26 May 1999, Official Report, columns 200–01, what export licences his Department has issued since September 1998 for explosives which have RDX as a component part; and how many applications are pending. [87954]

By the term in my earlier answer "RDX in its its raw form", the intended meaning was "RDX or explosives containing RDX, not incorporated into other products such as ammunition or missiles." All of the licences and pending applications listed in my answer of 26 May 1999, Official Report, columns 200–01, covered explosive mixtures containing RDX as a component at a range of concentrations.However, I regret that there were two errors in my answer of 26 May. Three (rather than two) of the Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) issued between 1 September 1998 and 6 May 1999, and covering goods with a rating of ML8 covered RDX in its raw form; the additional licence covered exports to the United States. Six (rather than seven) of the applications for such licences pending a decision as at 6 May covered RDX in its raw form; that one mentioned as covering an export to Japan did not in fact cover RDX.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 26 May 1999, Official Report, columns 200–01, if the destinations of the four pending licences for export of goods rated ML8 to the USA are private companies. [87953]

The US Government is the stated end user on three of the applications concerned. Licences have now been issued in respect of two of these applications; the third is still pending.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assurances his Department seeks to ensure that explosives exported from the United Kingdom are not used in the production of anti-personnel landmines. [87956]

Licences to export arms or other goods controlled for strategic reasons are issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, acting through the Export Control Organisation of the Department of Trade and Industry. All relevant individual licence applications are circulated by the DTI to other Government departments with an interest, as determined by these departments in line with their policy responsibilities. These include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development.If, when an application is being considered, the Export Control Organisation of my department is advised that additional information is required, for example specific supplementary end-use assurances, the applicant is informed and the decision on their application is taken in light of the information subsequently received.All applications for licences to export goods entered in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 are assessed against the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary for State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 28 July 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will calculate the comparative costs of (a) electricity and (b) gas in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) the United States of America and (iii) the EU (1) before and (2) after the Climate Change Levy is introduced; and if he will make a statement. [88105]

The latest year for which international prices are available is 1997. Average industrial electricity and gas prices are as shown in the table. The final Climate Change Levy will not be set until the Finance Bill 2000, and the Chancellor has made it clear that significant discounts will be made available to energy intensive users who agree measures for improving energy efficiency.

Pence per kWh
	Electricity 1997	Gas 1997
United Kingdom	3.95	0.52
United States	2.67	0.71
European Union1,2	3.97	0.88
1 A simple arithmetic average of prices in the EU countries.
2 EU figures include taxes where not refunded; US electricity prices exclude taxes but gas prices include taxes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been received from European structural funds over the past five years by (a) each of the regions of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [89188]

European structural funds allocations for the years 1994–98 are given in the table. They are for objectives 1, 2, and 5b in the United Kingdom. Allocations for the Community Initiatives and for the objectives 3, 4 and 5a are given separately because they are national programmes.

United Kingdom structural funds
	Million euro
Allocations 1994–98: Objective 1, 2 and 5B–1998 prices
England: of which
East Midlands	207
Eastern Region	53
London	143
North East	594
North West1	1,491
South East	27
South West	247
West Midlands	651
Yorkshire and The Humber	580
England (total)	3,993
Wales	494
Scotland	1,096
Northern Ireland	1,049
Total UK	6,632
National programmes: UK allocations—1994–99
Objective 3	3,202
Objective 4	248
Objective 5a	212
Community Initiatives	1,513
Total National Programmes	5,175
1 Includes Northern Uplands 5b SPD, which also covers areas of North East and Yorkshire and The Humber

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to introduce operating aid to assist the viability of commercial and industrial concerns in Assisted Areas; and if he will make a statement. [89183]

I have no such plans. The Government will, however, continue to offer selective financial assistance to firms investing in the Assisted Areas and creating or safeguarding jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the Government's proposals for new regional selective assistance maps and regulations; and if he will take steps to expedite this matter. [89257]

The Government will announce their proposals for new Assisted Areas as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote trade with Bulgaria. [89302]

My Department is actively involved in a number of initiatives to promote Bulgaria. Earlier this month the London Chamber of Commerce, supported by my Department, took 19 companies to Bulgaria. This was the largest ever trade mission to the market. Companies from the British Nuclear Industries Forum visited Bulgaria last week and my Department is also supporting the Department for the Environment's July mission of water sector companies. We will also be supporting the British stand at the annual Plovdiv Fair in September. Over the last year, we have assisted in strengthening bilateral trade and commercial relations by hosting visits to the UK by the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and the Bulgarian Minister for Trade and Tourism. I had a bilateral meeting in March with the Bulgarian Minister for Trade and Tourism, which was then followed by a well attended business seminar at which we both spoke.Under the Export Promoter initiative, my Department currently employs a private sector secondee to assist with our efforts to promote trade and investment with Bulgaria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in the UK have ceased trading since May 1997 [89315]

[holding answer 1 July 1999]: Companies House maintain statistics on the number of companies in liquidation and/or dissolution in England, Wales and Scotland. During the period from 5 May 1997 to 27 June 1999, 105,540 companies were reported as dissolved by means of the voluntary procedures contained in Section 652A of the Companies Act 1985 and 1989. 118,227 were dissolved other than by Section 652A and 38,554 were dissolved following liquidation, making a total of 262,321. As of 27 June 1999, 69,479 companies were in course of liquidation. (The corresponding figure for 4 May 1997 was 76,763.)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department plans to attend the Telecom '99 Conference to be held in Geneva from October 10 to 17. [89419]

Telecom '99 is an international trade fair which serves primarily as an opportunity for industry to meet and do business. There are no plans for a DTI Minister to attend this year's event. Officials from the Department will be present to provide support for UK industry members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers the trading standards officers have to regulate the provision of services; and if he will make a statement. [89661]

Trading standards officers have powers to regulate the provision of services in a variety of sectors and transactions under existing consumer protection legislation. These cover services provided through retail outlets i.e. price marking legislation, legislation with respect to package travel etc. They are also responsible for monitoring the provision of services and transactions which may take place outside the retail environment—i.e. the Trade Descriptions Act, the provision of consumer credit, doorstep selling, time share schemes etc.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 10 May 1999 to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie), Official Report, column 34, on what dates special advisers from his Department visited the United States of America; which of his special advisers took part in this visit; and if he will list the meetings which these special advisers held with members and officials of the US Government during this visit, specifying the dates and locations of each meeting and the names of the US ministers and officials at each meeting. [88438]

From 21 to 25 January 1998, special adviser Mr. John Newbigin visited the USA. He held no meetings with US Ministers or officials, but did meet with my right hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Chryston (Mr. Clarke) and Steve Norris in Los Angeles. He also had meetings with John Calley, CEO of Sony Tristar, Bill Mechanic, CEO of 20th Century Fox, and senior executives at Paramount to discuss the emerging proposals from the Film Policy Review, in particular the idea of the All Industry Fund.He also had meetings with Jack Valenti and most of the senior staff of the Motion Picture Association, also to discuss the Film Policy Review, and a meeting with Jeff Berg, the CEO of ICM who made his offer to help "sell" the film policy review to the US studios.He had a presentation by Polygram of their activities in and plans for the US distribution market.He had meetings with Paul Dimond, the UK Consul-General and with John Houlton to discuss the setting up of the LA Film Office. He attended a dinner at the Consulate to meet senior executives drawn from various sections of the US film industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if governing bodies of sports currently with a unified Great Britain governing body will need to split into English, Scottish and Welsh bodies in order to have guaranteed eligibility for funding for the World Class Start and World Class Potential programmes from the English, Scottish and Welsh sports councils. [89141]

The World Class Potential and World Class Start development programmes have been formulated by Sport England to support young athletes in England. Other home countries have developed their own Lottery Sports Funded talent development programmes. British or UK governing bodies will not need to separate into English, Welsh, or Scottish bodies in order to secure such development funding. They will need to identify the home country of each nominated athlete in order to direct a funding request to the relevant Sports Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what are the criteria set by the Government and the United Kingdom Sports Council for sports bodies to be included in the World Class Potential Programme; and on what basis basketball and hang-gliding are excluded. [89140]

Both basketball and hang-gliding are eligible to apply for Lottery Sports funding from the World Class Potential Programme. However, as World Class Potential funds are limited it may not be possible to meet the demands from all eligible sports, and priority will be given on the basis of criteria established by Sport England as the statutory distributor of Lottery Funds for Sport.I understand that Sport England's criteria include: the status of the primary competition; the likely degree of sporting success to be achieved within 10 years; and the significance to the public of both a particular sport and any likely competitive success.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if the new financial directions for the allocation of Lottery funding will permit commercial organisations to obtain funds from the Lottery in order to fund non-commercial sporting activities; [89144](2) if, under the terms of the new financial directions for the allocation of Lottery funding, professional sporting bodies will be able to obtain funds for the non-professional side of their game. [89143]

Commercial organisations and professional sporting bodies are eligible to receive Lottery funds provided the projects for which Lottery funding is sought are intended to promote the public good, and are not intended primarily for private gain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on funding for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society. [89589]

I am aware of the RLPO' s current financial difficulties, and understand that the Arts Council, North West Arts Board and the relevant local authorities are working hard to secure the orchestra's long-term future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the percentage of gross box office rentals currently received by film distributors. [89411]

My Department does not compile information of this type. However, a recent report prepared by London Economics for my Department estimated that film rentals as a percentage of gross box office ranged between 27 per cent. and 35 per cent. Some popular films may achieve rentals above this range.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions have taken place with independent British film distributors regarding the establishment and remit of the Film Council. [89412]

Representatives of the independent British film distributors were included in the consultation exercise on my Department's spending review, which covered the establishment and remit of the Film Council. The report of that spending review, and the earlier Film Policy Review, made clear that one of the main objectives of the Film Council will be to assist the development of sustainable industry structures in the area of distribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to ensure that films supported by the National Lottery are released through British-owned distributors. [89407]

Future policy on the distribution of Lottery-supported films will be set out in the strategic plan on which the new Lottery distributor, the Film Council, will consult my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The Film Council will consider a variety of issues in determining that policy, including the needs of the UK distribution sector; the importance of maximising public access to Lottery-supported films; and the importance of maximising the commercial benefits from the distribution of such films.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to replace the MEDIA II programme to provide support for independent film distributors. [89410]

It is for the European Commission to pub forward proposals for possible changes to the MEDIA II programme for member states to consider. Independent film distributors are eligible to receive support from the current MEDIA II programme to assist the trans-national distribution of European films.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the current status of his proposals for Stonehenge. [89434]

Our proposals for improving the setting and presentation of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site continue to make excellent progress, thanks to co-operation across Government and the support of English Heritage, the National Trust and other interested parties. On 23 April, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State formally launched both the Master Plan for the site and the marketing process for development of the proposed new visitor centre. On 25 June, my noble Friend, the Minister for Roads announced the preferred route for the A303 improvement scheme, which will remove traffic from the vicinity of the monument.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the Millennium Commission grants paid to date to the Landmark projects; and if he will make a statement. [89399]

This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member in his capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of his reply in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the conclusions of the panel conducting the review of the future funding of the BBC will be published before Summer Adjournment; and if he will make a statement. [89597]

The Panel has been asked to report by 30 July. My Department will publish the report as soon as we receive it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on hill livestock compensation allowances; [89665](2) what is his assessment of the prospects for the export of Welsh beef; and if he will make a statement. [89666]

These are matters for the National Assembly for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he is taking to improve (a) rail services and (b) bus services in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [89669]

Rail and bus services regulations in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.The National Assembly for Wales is pursuing the development of bus and rail services in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what extra moneys he has given to each of the local education authorities of Wales since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [89667](2) what amounts of money each of the university colleges received in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [89668]

I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county the number of cattle herds with confirmed bovine tuberculosis breakdowns during 1998; how many were ongoing from 1997; and how many were on holdings with no previous breakdowns for 10 years. [87687]

There were 740 new confirmed TB incidents in cattle herds in GB during 1998. The table shows this figure on a county basis. In the time available it has not been possible to identify either those herds in which no previous outbreak of TB has been recorded for 10 years, or how many were ongoing from 1997, but I will write to the hon. Member with the information when it is available.

County	New Confirmed 1997	TB incidents 1998
Avon	10	25
Bedfordshire	0	0
Berkshire	0	0
Buckinghamshire	0	0
Cambridgeshire	0	0
Cheshire	0	2
Cleveland	0	0
Cornwall	74	139
Cumbria	0	1
Derbyshire	1	6
Devon	82	99
Dorset	12	8
Durham	0	0
East Sussex	4	1
Essex	1	0
Gloucestershire	85	132
Greater London	0	0
Greater Manchester	0	0
Hampshire	0	0
Hereford and Worcester	86	116
Hertfordshire	0	1
Humberside	0	0
Isle of Wight	0	0
Isle of Scilly	0	0
Kent	0	0
Lancashire	0	3
Leicestershire	0	1
Lincolnshire	0	1
Merseyside	0	0
Norfolk	0	0
North Yorkshire	0	0
Northamptonshire	0	0
Northumberland	0	2
Nottinghamshire	0	1
Oxfordshire	0	4
Shropshire	7	5
Somerset	27	27
South Yorkshire	0	0
Staffordshire	24	30
Suffolk	0	1
Surrey	0	0
Tyne and Wear	0	0
Warwickshire	0	1
West Midlands	0	1
West Sussex	0	0
West Yorkshire	0	1
Wiltshire	30	34
England total	443	642
Clwyd	0	0
Dyfed	24	53
Gwent	33	25
Gwynedd	0	1
Mid Glamorgen	2	1
Powys	1	9
South Glamorgan	0	1
West Glamorgan	2	4
Wales total	62	94

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for benefit under the industrial injuries scheme were refused on the grounds that polyostropathy is not a prescribed condition, in the last three years for which records are available. [88938]

The information is not available. Information is collected only about those diseases prescribed under the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list premises owned or rented by his Department and its agencies in Scotland, indicating the purpose of each building. [89078]

Early last year all of the Department's buildings throughout the UK, both freehold and leasehold, were transferred to the private sector under two separate Private Finance Initiative deals. We now no longer own or rent any of the buildings. Instead, we purchase serviced accommodation from our two private sector partners, Trillium and the Newcastle Estate Partnership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints the Benefits Agency has received in the past year from people who were not paid their pensions, having reached pensionable age; what discussions he has had with the Benefits Agency about the prompt payment of benefits; and if he will make a statement. [89660]

The data requested are not available. In the 10 months up to 31 March 1999, the Benefits Agency target of processing 65 per cent. of its claims within 20 days was met in all but one of the months. Since April, the target has been 95 per cent. processed in 60 days and for April and May the percentages achieved were 94.9 and 94.7 respectively.Over the last year, more than 10 million people who were receiving their pensions a year ago have continued to receive them without interruption. Ministers have both met with and received written progress reports from Benefits Agency officials on the potential impact on pension and other benefit claims of the delayed implementation of NIRS2. The Benefits Agency has started to review cases that have been affected by the delays in implementing NIRS2 as planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference for the Law Commission's review of the law on double jeopardy. [90048]

Following the recommendation in the Report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, I have today formally asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of the law on double jeopardy. The terms of reference for this review are:

"To consider the law of England and Wales relating to double jeopardy (after acquittal), taking into account:

recommendation 38 of the Macpherson Report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry that consideration should be given to permit prosecution after acquittal where fresh and viable evidence is presented;

the powers of the prosecution to re-instate criminal proceedings;

and also the United Kingdom's international obligations;

and to make recommendations."

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average cost of (a) a litmus test and (b) laboratory analysis of urine taken for drug-testing purposes in prisons; [89473](2) what plans he has to expand the use of litmus tests in mandatory drug testing in prisons. [89472]

Recent contacts with companies marketing non-instrumented drug test devices (litmus tests) capable of testing for a group of drug types suggests that an average price of £6 per device would apply. The precise cost to the Prison Service for laboratory screening a similar group of drug types is commercial in confidence, although I can advise that it is comparable to that figure. However, if the result from a test is disputed, a more sophisticated and considerably more expensive confirmation test has to be carried out by a laboratory in order to meet the required standard of proof. The Prison Service uses laboratory screening because it produces the most reliable and consistent results and so minimises the number of confirmation tests required. For this reason the Prison Service does not authorise the use of non-instrumented drug test devices in mandatory drug testing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances, under the provisions of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill [Lords], the complainant in a rape trial could be denied screening from the defendant. [89664]

Under clause 17(4) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill, all complaints in sexual offence trials will benefit from a presumption that they are eligible for help with giving evidence. As the clause is currently drafted, a complainant would be considered ineligible for help if the court was satisfied that the quality of his or her evidence was not likely to be diminished by fear or distress. However, I am considering whether the presumption in clause 17 could be strengthened.Once a witness is deemed eligible, the court will go on to consider which (if any) of the special measures in the Bill, including screens, would be likely to improve the quality of his or her evidence. If it decides that a measure would improve the witness's evidence, it must award it. In reaching that decision, it will have to consider all the circumstances of the case. Those circumstances include the witness's views, and whether the measure might tend to inhibit the evidence being tested.So a court could decide that a rape complainant should not be screened from the defendant for one of the following reasons: the witness was ineligible for special measures; the witness did not want to be screened; another measure (perhaps live link, or clearing the court) would be more likely to maximise the quality of the witness's evidence; screens might inhibit the ability of the defence to cross-examine the witness; or, for some other reason, in all the circumstances of the case, the quality of the witness's evidence would not be maximised by being screened from the defendant. Having said that, I would not expect courts to commonly refuse screens for rape complainants who want them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been lodged by Kosovars since 1 January; how many have been processed; and what were the outcomes. [89623]

The available information is that in the period between January and May 1999 3,455 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were made by nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, excluding dependants. 2,835 initial decisions were made, of which 2,165 were granted asylum and 165 were refused. 505 decisions were made under the pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum backlog with the large majority being granted asylum and a small number exception leave to remain.I regret that it is not possible to separately identify Kosovars within the available statistics for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kosovar refugees received in the United Kingdom have (a) been returned to Kosovo and (b) requested a return passage to Kosovo. [89619]

None of the refugees who have arrived under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Humanitarian Evacuation Programme have yet been returned to Kosovo. We have asked the International Organisation for Migration to begin taking registrations from those who want to return; so far there have been over 100 inquiries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kosovar refugees have been received in the United Kingdom; if he will list the centres receiving Kosovar refugees; and how many Kosovar refugees have left the accommodation where they were originally housed on entering the United Kingdom. [89616]

4,346 evacuees have been airlifted to the United Kingdom under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Humanitarian Evacuation Programme from Macedonia. Most have been housed in reception centres in the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland. Reception centres have been established in Ashton-under-Lyme, Barnsley, Blackburn, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Cheadle, Clitheroe, Derby, Doncaster, Glasgow, Grimsby, Halifax, Harrogate, Hornsea, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Northwich, North Berwick, Oldham, Renfrew, Ripon, Rotherham, Runcorn, Sheffield, Southport, Stockport, Trafford, Ulverston, Wakefield and York.424 refugees arriving under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme are not currently resident in reception centres.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of police-operated Closed Circuit Television cameras with forthcoming changes in European human rights legislation. [89352]

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) schemes funded by the Home Office are governed by codes of practice and data protection legislation to ensure that the systems are operated fairly and lawfully, and with due regard to individual rights to privacy, as provided in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Human Rights Act 1998 will give further effect in United Kingdom law to the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Convention. It will not create any substantive new rights. A properly regulated and controlled CCTV system should therefore fully comply with the requirements of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom the Video Appeals Committee is responsible; who appoints its members; and if he will make a statement. [89662]

Section 4(3) of the Video Recordings Act 1984 requires the Secretary of State to be satisfied that adequate arrangements exist for appeals against classification decisions which submitting companies consider to be too strict. The Video Appeals Committee is the independent, appellate body set up for this purpose. Its members are selected by the British Board of Film Classification but it is independent of the Board and the Home Secretary. Although the Committee has no statutory authority, it has been the Board's practice to accept its decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which authorities have received contributions of over 50 per cent. towards ethnic minority support under section 11 since 1995. [89438]

Information is not readily available in the form requested. From 1 April 1995 until (except where shown) 31 March 1999, one or more projects run by the authorities shown in the table had a maximum section 11 grant allocation that was more than 50 per cent. of the minimum level of expenditure that needed to be incurred in order to attract that allocation. But, in many cases, actual expenditure exceeded the minimum level of expenditure, thus reducing the proportion of the total cost that was met by section 11 grant.