To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 12 May 1999, Official Report, columns 170–71, if, in exceptional circumstances, by permission or on request by the interviewees (a) the Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres, (b) the Chairman of the Independent Commission on Police Complaints, (c) the Police Ombudsman and (d) representatives of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture may have access to an audio recording of an interview conducted in a holding centre. [86136]

[holding answer 9 June 1999]: The circumstances in which the persons mentioned can have access to audio recordings of police interviews with terrorist suspects in the holding centres are as follows:

(a) There are currently no arrangements in place for the Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres to gain access to the audio recordings of police interviews with terrorist suspects.

(b) Under the Royal Ulster Constabulary (Complaints, etc.) Regulations 1988, the Independent Commission on Police Complaints is to be supplied with such information and documents as it may reasonably require relating to a complaint or matter referred to it, for the purpose of enabling it to fulfil its functions. This could include listening to audio recordings of police interviews with terrorist suspects if considered relevant to such a complaint or matter.

(c) Provision for a new Police Ombudsman has been made in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. Once appointed and operational, he or she will take over the functions of the Chairman of the ICPC, and in turn will have access to material (including audio recordings) considered relevant to a particular complaint or matter made or referred to him or her, as the case may be.

(d) The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, established by virtue of Article 1 of the European Convention of that name, may have access to information which is necessary for the Committee to carry out its task. This would appear to include access to audio recordings if necessary for that purpose. In seeking such access, the Committee is required to have regard to applicable rules of national law and professional ethics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the amount by which petrol prices would have to rise in order to reduce UK road traffic levels by one per cent. per year, cumulatively for each of the next 15 years. [89364]

The Government's fuel duty policy is primarily intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from road transport, as part of our strategy to tackle climate change. It is, however, also one element of the package of measures we are implementing, following last year's Integrated Transport White Paper, to tackle traffic growth. We will publish our first report under the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998, on the issue of whether to set a national traffic reduction target, by the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what responsibilities the Environment Agency has in respect of the dock system at Seaforth and its immediate environs. [90171]

The Environment Agency has powers and duties to prevent pollution of controlled waters including the River Mersey and adjoining dock area.Under Section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991, it is an offence to cause or knowingly permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter or any solid waste matter to enter controlled waters. It is similarly an offence to cause or knowingly permit the discharge of any trade effluent or sewage effluent into controlled waters except in accordance with a relevant consent. The Environment Agency is the enforcing authority.The Agency has issued Discharge Consent (no. 6992575) for the discharge of treated sewage effluent from a septic tank at Berth S6 of the Container Terminal. The Agency has a duty to inspect the premises and take samples of the discharge on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the consent.A Waste Management Licence (no. 192–03) is held by the Sheppard Group Ltd, for the storage and treatment of scrap metal at Seaforth Area B. Agency officers are required to inspect licensed sites to ensure that licence conditions are complied with and that the authorised activities are carried out in ways that protect the environment and human health.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what help is available from his Department to improve public transport in rural areas. [90376]

The aim of our integrated transport strategy is to increase transport choice for all—including those who live in rural areas. In addition to the extra £700 million of funding to assist local authorities with the implementation of their local transport plans, we have made available a further £170 million over three years to improve public transport in rural areas.The bulk of this £170 million is being used to provide additional bus services in rural areas. We are allocating £32.5 million each year to English local authorities in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant for the support of new rural bus services, as well as making £15 million available for this year's Rural Bus Challenge competition and £15 million for next year's Challenge. We have also set aside £4.2 million a year for the Rural Transport Partnership fund, to assist community-based transport initiatives.Lancashire was allocated £751,438 in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant for 1998–99, and the same amount for 1999–2000. In addition, the authority was allocated a total of £481,606 for its two successful bids under the 1998 Rural Bus Challenge competition, involving the creation of a new bus and rail interchange facility at Clitheroe and the establishment of a high quality bus corridor to include low floor accessible vehicles, improved shelters, and better provision of information for passengers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the past three years the proportion of waste (a) glass, (b) paper, (c) metal, (d) cloth and (e) biodegradable material that has been recycled in each London borough; what is his estimate for the current year; and what are the boroughs' predictions for 2000–01. [90351]

[holding answer 12 July 1999]: This information will take some time to put together. I will write to my hon. Friend with the details and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many applications were received for (a) driving tests in each of the last 10 years and (b) driving theory tests in each year since their introduction. [90593]

[holding answer 12 July 1999]: The number of applications for all categories of practical tests for the financial years 1989–90 to 1998–99, and for the theory tests for the years 1996–97 to 1998–99 are as follows:

	Number of applications for
Year	Practical tests	Theory tests
1989–90	2,056,271	—
1990–91	2,076,211	—
1991–92	1,942,421	—
1992–93	1,756,152	—
1993–94	1,731,115	—
1994–95	1,720,373	—
1995–96	1,871,351	—
1996–97	1,608,438	1,231,186
1997–98	1,380,491	1,237,709
1998–99	1,460,832	1,220,514

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the likely impact on domestic and business water users from 2000 to 2005 of the periodic review of water prices to set prices for that period. [91163]

Under the Water Industry Act 1991, the regulation of water and sewerage undertakers' price limits is for the Director General of Water Services. In setting price limits, the Director General is also under a duty to ensure that the interests of customers are protected, and he will therefore have regard to the impact of the periodic review on customers.We believe that reductions in average water and sewerage bills can be secured. The Director General expects to announce draft price limits for each undertaker later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has given to the Director General of Ofwat concerning the periodic review of water prices to set prices for the period from April 2000 to 2005. [91162]

Under the Water Industry Act 1991 the regulation of water and sewerage undertakers' price limits is for the Director General of Water Services. The Government have given guidance to the Director General on the environmental and water quality improvements to be delivered by 2005. This guidance was published under the title "Raising the Quality" in September 1998, and was supported by more detailed announcements of company programmes on 1 March 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the current situation is in respect of providing a Channel Tunnel rail interchange at Stratford, East London, to serve East Anglia. [90708]

A new international and domestic station at Stratford remains integral to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project, with construction planned as part of Section 2. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 provides powers for an open box over which the station is to be built. An Order providing powers for the station itself has been sought by London and Continental Railways (LCR) under the Transport and Works Act 1992. Following a public inquiry, the Secretary of State announced on 8 September 1998 that he was minded to approve the Order with modifications. But before reaching a final decision he required further information from LCR and other parties on pedestrian access, which is presently awaited.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions whom he plans to consult before approving draft Regional Development Agency strategies. [91050]

The Regional Development Agencies are currently drafting their regional strategies which will be issued for public consultation over the summer. They intend to submit their strategies to Ministers in late October. There is no formal approval process but we aim to respond to the strategies by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the actual and planned Government expenditure on the home energy efficiency scheme in each of the years from 1990–91 to 2001–02. [91475]

The total expenditure on the Government's Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) in each year from the start of the scheme in 1991 is as follows.

£million
Year	Expenditure
1990–911	1.5
1991–92	26.1
1992–93	33.6
1993–94	41.5
1994–95	83
1995–96	107.2
1996–97	76.1
1997–98	76.1
1998–99	76.2
1999–20002	76.1
2000–013 allocated new HEES	125.0
2001–023 allocated new HEES	175.0
1 Expenditure in 1990–91 was for 3 months only.
2 Estimated
3 The Government have allocated a total of £300 million over 2000–01 and 2001–02 to tackling fuel poverty through energy efficiency improvements. Since this is a devolved function, the most appropriate method of dividing the moneys between the proposed New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) in England and the separate programmes in Scotland and Wales will be considered shortly, taking account of the extent of fuel poverty in each.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish the report commissioned by his Department on voluntary and community transport. [91548]

The report is being published today and copies of both the summary and full report will be placed in the Library of the House.The report contains a wide range of detailed information about the valuable role of voluntary and community transport operators and I very much welcome it as a focus for debate by all those involved in the funding and operation of this important area of transport.We will be circulating the report to all stakeholders in this area and inviting comment from them on its findings and recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to improve the arrangements for control of outdoor advertisements. [91549]

I have today issued a consultation paper with proposals to update, clarify and improve the arrangements for controlling outdoor advertisements. Comments are invited no later than Thursday 14 October 1999.The amendments which are proposed as part of the Government's drive to modernise the planning system also seek to make the current system more responsive to the rapidly changing nature of outdoor advertising. They would benefit business without spoiling the appearance of our towns and cities.Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish proposals for improving the rights of way system in England and Wales. [91759]

I shall be publishing a consultation paper tomorrow setting out the Government's proposals for improving the rights of way system as part of legislation to provide a statutory right of access to open countryside for people on foot. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the Equal Opportunities Commission's proposals for changes to the sex equality legislation. [91643]

We have today placed in the Library copies of the Government's response on some of the issues addressed by the EOC in their proposals for changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal Pay Acts. In reaching our conclusions, the Government have taken into account the Better Regulation Task Force's report on anti-discrimination legislation and the Commission for Racial Equality's proposals for changes to the Race Relations Act 1976, on which we are also responding today.In considering the EOC' s proposals, our guiding principle has been to identify measures that will have the greatest practical impact on the lives of men and women. We will therefore: consult on changes in the way equal pay cases are dealt with to make them clearer and simpler; update the law to take account of developments in Europe on equal treatment; bring the functions of all public authorities within the scope of the Sex Discrimination Act; explore both legislative and non-legislative options to ensure public bodies promote equal opportunities between women and men; encourage the EOC to work with equality bodies and others to help employers and service providers meet their obligations under the current law by producing clear and accessible guidance and examples of good practice; and bring the EOC' s powers in line with the Disability Rights Commission. At this stage we do not consider that undertaking a major legislative overhaul, in the way the EOC suggests, will of itself achieve the practical changes that are needed.The Government are taking concrete steps to tackle key issues that affect women and men's lives. For example, the National Childcare Strategy created over 65,000 new child care places last year, enabling men and women to choose to work or study. The National Minimum Wage is benefiting women in particular, as they make up the highest proportion of those on low pay. Measures under the Employment Relations Bill on maternity and parental leave will help people to balance their working and home lives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to review the EMAG arrangements for those local authorities which have taken on significant responsibility for the education of the children of refugees from Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [90788]

We are grateful for the positive way Local Authorities have responded in providing for the needs of evacuees from Kosovo and for securing school places for the children concerned. A meeting has been arranged on 20 July between the Local Government Association, the Home Office and other interested parties to discuss the costs incurred by Local Authorities.The Department's Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant is able to provide specialist support for refugee education. However, all allocations of the Grant for 1999–2000 were announced on 4 March, and we have no present plans to review these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of statutory instruments introduced by his Department into Parliament in (a) 1998, (b) 1992, (c) 1985 and (d) 1973 had the European Union as their legislative source. [89162]

The total number of all Statutory Instruments (SIs) registered as General Instruments in 1998, 1992, 1985 and 1973 are shown in the following table.

Year	Number of SIs
1998	1,565
1992	1,692
1985	1,204
1973	1,260

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of participants in the New Deal programme have left it to become self-employed. [89430]

People who move off New Deal to start self-employment are recorded as having found work, and separate statistics are not collected. However, 2,635 young people have started on the Basic Awareness Session of the Self-Employment Route of the New Deal Employment Option; and 740 have started on the Test Trading stage. It is too early to provide meaningful figures of those who have subsequently moved from this stage into independent self-employment, but these will be available from later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the implications of his paper, "Learning to Succeed", Cm 4392, for community organisations that currently use the money they generate from training contracts via TECs to cross-subsidise community-based activities; and what steps he will take to ensure the use of community activities to increase access to education and training for Asian women and Asian Elders. [90357]

"Learning to Succeed" makes clear that adult and community learning is a vital part of the Government's aim to create access to high quality, relevant learning opportunities for everyone. The new Learning and Skills Council will provide an opportunity to integrate adult and community learning provision more effectively with other learning opportunities. To this end, the Government propose to give the Council a national duty to arrange adequate and sufficient adult and community learning provision and to give to local authorities the changed duty to contribute to arrangements for provision at local level. The Council will develop a new funding system that caters for the needs of all post–16 learners, including those in adult and community education. Local Learning Councils will arrange provision in the light of plans drawn up by local Learning Partnerships. These new coherent arrangements should make it easier for individuals from all groups in the community to access a wide range of learning opportunities. We shall consult further on the detailed arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action his Department has taken to encourage people from ethnic communities to enter the teaching profession; and if he will make a statement. [90357]

The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) published a new Corporate Plan for 1999–2002 on 6 July. This makes promoting the recruitment of teachers the Agency's top priority. The Plan includes an aim to increase the recruitment of members of ethnic minorities to initial teacher training (ITT) from the present 6 per cent. to 9 per cent.The Agency has also persuaded the vast majority of providers to introduce an additional voluntary target for recruitment from the ethnic minorities. The average voluntary target for all primary and secondary ITT providers is 7 per cent. The TTA also allocates additional places to ITT providers if they achieve exceptional recruitment of ethnic minority trainees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures the Government are taking to encourage the expansion of pre-school education. [90368]

We already fund three terms of free nursery education places for all four year olds whose parents want it. Over the next three years, we are making available £390 million to fund free early education places for three year olds. By April 2002, the participation rate of three year olds will be very nearly doubled to 66 per cent. In 1999–2000, about £40 million of this additional funding will be allocated to the 57 Local Education Authorities with the highest levels of social need, creating around 48,000 places. From April 2000, Funding will be distributed across all Local Education Authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money has been spent on (a) producing and (b) promoting the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment. [90705]

The initial consultation on the draft Code cost around £22,000. This includes the cost of designing, printing and distributing 21,000 copies of the consultation document and carrying out the consultation exercise.Costs for the final version of the Code amount to £100,000. This includes the costs for printing and distribution of 35,000 initial packs of the Code and guidance, the production of publicity fliers and posters for display in Jobcentres, libraries and Citizens Advice Bureaux: and initial advertising in human resource journals. Beyond this, an additional £70,000 has already been committed to support initiatives by partners to take the Code forward with employers.

Table A: Expenditure in each year and the amount of government support
£000
	1997–971	1997–981	1998–99	1999–2000
LEA's Education Capital	n/a	21,000	31,313	n/a
Programme, supported by the following government initiatives:
Annual Capital Guidelines4	n/a	196	335	552
Supplementary Credit Approvals5	n/a	89	95	607
New Deal for Schools6	n/a	900	1,159	2,681
Class Sizes	n/a	n/a	141	848
Removal of Outside Toilets	n/a	n/a	156	0
Energy Management	n/a	n/a	80	0
Security in Schools7	n/a	67	84	87
National Grid for Learning7	n/a	n/a	250	500
Grant to Voluntary Aided Schools (inc. Voluntary Aided Challenge Fund)8	16	379	800	613
Grant to Grant-maintained Schools	265	241	49	30
1 1996–97 and 1997–98: Annual Capital Guidelines, Supplementary Credit Approval, and VA grant: For 1996–97, Stoke was part of Staffordshire; it is not possible to disaggregate what credit approvals and grants would have benefited Stoke schools. New Deal for Schools, Reduction in Class Sizes, National Grid for Learning, and Security in Schools: None of these initiatives were running in 1996–97; nor, in 1997–98, were the initiatives for Class Sizes and the National Grid for Learning operational.
2 LEA's Education Capital Programme: Please note, the total education programme is less than the sum total of the amounts allocated under government initiatives. This is because LEAs are not obliged to use credit approvals for the purposes for which they were allocated (see notes 3 and 4); also some of the grants are used for revenue purposes (see note 7).
3 Education Capital Programme 1998–99: Please note, this figure is provisional only, based on estimates by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
4 Annual Capital Guidelines: This is used in the calculation of the LEA's Basic Credit Approval (BCA), where the LEA's capital receipts are taken into account. Just because a project has been taken account of in calculating the ACG, it does not mean that the LEA has to use its BCA for that purpose.
5 Supplementary Credit Approval (SCA): Unlike BCA, receipts are not taken into account when calculating the level of SCA. However, unless the SCA specifically says otherwise, the LEA is not obliged to use the SCA for the purpose for which it was allocated.
6 New Deal for Schools: Some of the grant figures for VA schools would have changed slightly in order to reflect the actual costs of the project.
7 National Grid for Learning and Security in Schools: While the majority of the expenditure supported by the grant will be capital in nature, some will be revenue, and it is not possible to isolate the two elements.
8 VA Grant: Capital grant is paid in respect of Governors' liability at a rate of 85 per cent. Actual amount of grant paid may change depending on the costs of project on tender.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what capital investment in schools in Stoke-on-Trent has taken place in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000 to date; and what the planned levels are for the next two years. [90785]

The information is shown in the following tables. Table A shows the capital investment the Government have made in schools in Stoke-on-Trent in the four years up to 1999–2000. Table B shows the level of investment the Government intend to make for the following two financial years, provided resources allow; this represents only commitments arising from existing projects; we cannot indicate what investment we will make to Stoke in respect of new projects. In 1996–97, Stoke was still part of Staffordshire; it is not possible to determine how much of the grant and credit approval allocated to Staffordshire LEA actually benefited schools in Stoke.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which Minister attended the 1999 ILO general conference; and on what days. [91139]

I attended and addressed the 87th Session of the International Labour Conference on 8 June 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91059]

Between 1 May 1997 and 14 April 1999, 2,026 parliamentary questions have been tabled to the Department for written answer on a named day; 75 per cent. received a substantive reply on that day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he has issued to local education authorities on the provision of home tuition for children suffering post-traumatic stress as a result of bullying at school; and if he will make a statement. [90758]

We issued on 8 July to all local education authorities Circular 11/99, "Social Inclusion: the LEA role in Pupil Support". This offers advice, among other things, on arranging education for children out of school for any reason, including post-traumatic stress as a result of bullying.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children have been excluded from schools as a result of possession or supply of controlled drugs on school premises in each of the last five years. [91134]

This information is not currently collected centrally. However, the Department will begin collecting this information in the autumn, for the current school year, 1998–99, as part of the Government's 10–year UK Anti-Drugs Strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance has been given by his Department to headteachers regarding the exclusion of pupils found (a) in possession of and (b) supplying controlled drugs while on school premises. [91131]

Circular 10/99, "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support", which was issued on 8 July this year, addresses these issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria will be used by his Department in assessing the performance of private sector companies delivering the New Deal. [91206]

There are three main criteria on which I will base my assessment of the performance of private sector companies leading New Deal. Day to day performance is regularly reviewed against the individual delivery contracts; comparative performance between Units of Delivery is measured by the published core performance measures and the evaluation of New Deal will assess the effectiveness of different contracting strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects Kosovar Albanians who came to the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme to return to Kosovo. [91007]

Kosovar Albanians who came to the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) were granted leave to enter in line with close family members already settled in the United Kingdom or granted exceptional leave to enter for 12 months to provide them with temporary shelter as requested by the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, in his announcement about the change of policy to the HEP and the consideration of asylum applications from citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) on 15 June, stated that no Kosovar Albanian would have their stay curtailed nor would they be required to leave the United Kingdom until it was safe to do so.It is our intention to facilitate the return of any Kosovar Albanians who wish to return to Kosovo as soon as possible. In co-operation with voluntary organisations in the refugee sector, the British Red Cross, UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration, we will be providing a voluntary return programme. We expect the first flight to take place in the week commencing 19 July. For those without passports, the necessary travel documentation will be provided for those on the return programme. The programme will be available to those FRY citizens from Kosovo who arrived on the HEP as well as those who arrived in the United Kingdom independently.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a system of sanctions and rewards based on performance for public sector prisons, as considered by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in his 1999 report on HMP Wormwood Scrubs; and if he will make a statement. [90582]

The Prison Service already operates a system of performance-related pay for senior staff, which includes the governors of public sector prisons. In addition, the Prison Service has started to trial service delivery agreements which set clear targets for public sector prisons to deliver, both in terms of quantity and quality. These targets will translate into staff performance plans. A specific project has been established to explore further options to reward good, and sanction substandard, performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the extra capacity which will be added to existing prisons in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement; [90584](2) what is his estimate of the number of new prisons which will be built in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [90596]

The Prison Service is building four additional prisons over the next three financial years. In 1999–2000, two new prisons are due to open. Forest Bank, near Salford, will provide 800 places and Ashfield, near Bristol, will provide 400 places. In 2000–01, a new prison will open at Onley, Rugby, which will provide 600 places. In 2001–02, a new prison at Marchington, Staffordshire, will open providing 800 places. Subject to legal agreements, the Prison Service also has outline planning permission for two further new prisons at Peterborough and Ashford (Staines) and an application for a new prison at Maghull in Merseyside is awaiting determination by the local planning authority. No decision has yet been taken on the start dates.The Prison Service is also providing an additional 1,100 new places at existing prisons in 1999–2000. No decision has been taken to build extra capacity at existing prisons beyond this period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change procedures in his Department which relate to responding to details of serious problems in Prison Service establishments, with particular reference to those which are made in reports by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons; and if he will make a statement. [90583]

Responses to the reports and recommendations of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons are managed through a specific protocol which was introduced in November 1997. This requires a full response and action plan to be drawn up within 30 days of the publication of the report and updated at nine and 15 months afterwards. The original and updated action plan is sent to Ministers and to the Chief Inspector.The protocol was not applied retrospectively. It is currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action has been taken by Prison Service managers in response to the finding in Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons 1999 report on HMP Wormwood Scrubs that cell call alarms had been muted on A Wing in the prison; and if he will make a statement. [90588]

A governor's order was issued immediately after Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons' inspection which required managers to make regular checks on the system. The checks include both random and regular visual checks of alarm panels in wing offices. Staff have also been briefed directly by the governor and reminded of their personal responsibilities to respond to cell alarms. Notices to prisoners have been published and displayed on wing notice boards reminding prisoners that cell call systems are for emergency use only.The broken mute switch referred to in the Chief Inspector's report has been repaired and the cell call system is now in full working order on A Wing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those Prison Service establishments which are currently under special managerial attention; how long they are expected to remain under special managerial attention; and if he will make a statement. [90585]

The following Prison Service establishments are currently listed as requiring closer managerial attention:

• Brockhill
• Bullwood Hall
• Chelmsford
• Feltham
• Glen Parva
• Holloway
• Parc
• Wellingborough
• Wormwood Scrubs.

All establishments are kept under review and no dates have been set for their removal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the Prison Service's current projections for changes in the prison population in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [90597]

The Research Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office provided revised projections of the prison population in England and Wales in May, and a summary of the projection is included in the April 1999 'Prison Population Brief which is available on the Internet at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htmProjections are provided according to various alternative scenarios. The middle variant projection assumes that Crown Court custody rates increase at 0.6 per cent. for males and 1.1 per cent. for females, and that sentence lengths increase by 0.2 months per year in the first two years (but by no more thereafter). A higher variant assumes that from 2001, in addition to the custody rate increases assumed in the middle variant, sentence lengths continue to increase after the first two years at 1.5 per cent. per annum for males and 2 per cent. per annum for females. The results are as given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Prison Service takes to monitor prisoners who are transferred from private to public prisons, with particular reference to the honouring of risk assessments conducted in private prisons. [90988]

Risk assessments on prisoners are prepared at prisons for a variety of purposes, including categorisation, sentence planning, release on temporary licence and home detention curfew. Contracted out prisons are subject to the same rules, procedures, guidance and policy for risk assessments as public sector prisons. Assessment processes at contracted out and public sector prisons are monitored during standards audits. Where prisoners transfer, the assessment will be the responsibility of the prison with final accountability for the decision in question, but in doing so, it would normally be expected to take into account any previous assessment undertaken by other prisons. Prisoners dissatisfied with decisions at contracted out or public sector prisons can make use of the request and complaints procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 28 June 1999, Official Report, column 28, on Wormwood Scrubs, on what date he asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons to re-inspect HMP Wormwood Scrubs within six months of the publication of the 1999 report on the prison. [90710]

The Chief Inspector indicated in the preface to his report his intention to return to Wormwood Scrubs in six months' time. The formal request made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary for him to do so was effective from the date of his statement to the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he and other Ministers in his Department have met representatives of the Prison Service to discuss the report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on HMP Wormwood Scrubs published in 1997; and if he will make a statement. [90581]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and the Minister with responsibility for prisons, my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Williams—and, until July 1998, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin)—hold regular meetings with the Director General of the Prison Service in addition to quarterly performance meetings to discuss the Prison Service's quarterly performance

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of the prison population with hepatitis C; and what (a) preventive measures are taken against and (b) treatment is available for hepatitis C in the Prison Service. [90425]

A voluntary, anonymous survey of HIV and hepatitis and risk behaviour was conducted in 1997–98 by the Public Health Laboratory Service at eight prisons. The survey found prevalence of hepatitis C to be 7.4 per cent. of the prison population overall.The Prison Service has a strategy for preventing the spread of communicable diseases which covers training, education, prevention, risk reduction and harm minimisation. A pilot project on the provision of disinfecting tablets to reduce the risk of spreading hepatitis C through prisoners sharing injecting equipment has recently been completed. The Prison Service hopes to be able to extend this initiative across the remainder of the prison estate during the coming year. Advice and guidance is sent to prison governors and doctors on an ad hoc basis and covers the management of blood-borne viruses including hepatitis C. Every prison is expected to have a communicable diseases management team to deal strategically with the management, medical and social challenges involved.The treatment available for prisoners with hepatitis C follows that provided to members of the general public by the NHS with decisions about initiating further investigations and treatment taken only by specialists.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct a further study of the use by convicted criminals of small claims court procedures to take actions against the Prison Service. [91075]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has asked the Prison Service to conduct an assessment of the extent of litigation of all types by serving prisoners and to report to him by the end of July. We will decide whether any further study is necessary in the light of the results of this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine whether an applicant for citizenship is a political extremist. [90982]

There are no such criteria. "Political extremism" is not a matter which is included in the guidance to staff on the good character requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Government's response to the Commission for Racial Equality's Third Review of the Race Relations Act 1976. [91696]

I have today placed in the Library, a copy of the Government's response to the Commission for Racial Equality's Third Review of the Race Relations Act 1976. In deciding their response, the Government have

Panel members
Mrs. Hilary Eldridge	Director, Lucy Faithfull Foundation
Dr. Dawn Fisher	Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist, Llanarth Court Psychiatric Hospital
Professor Don Grubin	Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Dr. Moira Hamlin	Clinical Psychologist formerly with University of Bristol Health Trust
Dr. Norman Hoffman	Senior Adviser, Abt Associates Inc, Cambridge Massachusetts
Dr. Doug Lipton	Senior Research Fellow, National Development and Research Institutes Inc., New York
Professor Mike Maguire	Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Cardiff University
Dr. Jancie Marques	Chief of Programme Development & Evaluation, California Department of Mental Health
Dr. William Murphy	Professor of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee
Dr. Frank Porporino	Senior Partner, T3 Associates, Ottawa, Canada
Professor Peter Raynor	Professor of Applied Social Studies, University of Wales, Swansea
Mr. Simon Shepherd	Clinical Psychologist and Chief Executive, European Association for the treatment of Addiction

The Panel will also include nominated representatives of the Home Office, the Prison Service, the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation.The Panel will, under the Chairmanship of Sir Duncan Nichol, start work later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the latest Annual Report and Annual Plan of the Metropolitan Police Committee; and if he will make a statement. [91698]

The Annual Report of the Metropolitan Police Committee for 1998–99, and the Annual Plan of the Committee for 1999–2000, are being published today.The Report gives information about the advice and other work which the Committee have undertaken for the past financial year. The Plan sets out the work which the Committee aims to undertake on tasks which we have agreed that it will undertake, again to support me in my role as Police Authority in the current financial year. A major task is to help prepare for the Metropolitan Police Authority, planned for July next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the appointment of a joint prisons-probation panel to accredit the design and delivery of work with offenders designed to reduce re-offending. [91697]

The following independent experts have been appointed to the Panel:Copies of the Report and Plan are being placed in the Library. The Chairman of the Committee is writing with copies to a wide range of interested people and organisations, including all Members with London constituencies, all Members of the European Parliament whose constituencies include London areas, all London Boroughs, all Police Community Consultative Groups and all Lay Visitor Panels.I am grateful to Sir John Quinton, the Chairman of the Committee and all his colleagues for their advice and other assistance to me, and look forward in particular to working with them on the transition to the new arrangements for the governance of London's policing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the action he is taking to tackle drug-related crime. [91699]

I made an announcement earlier today and copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) of 5 July 1999, Official Report, column 332, what decision he has reached on whether there is a need to suspend, under the powers granted by section 13 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the certificate of designation held by Harlan UK Ltd. [91709]

Based on advice received from the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate, I am satisfied that there are no grounds under section 13 of the Act to suspend the certificate of designation.While the investigation into the allegations made against this establishment continues, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the respects in which the proposals within the draft Freedom of Information Bill represent an increased restriction on access to information. [90719]

[holding answer 13 July 1999]: There are no proposals in the draft Bill which represent an increased restriction on access to information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on objective 2 status for Deeside. [89670]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: New objective 2 areas will not be known for some time. The Government must first submit proposals to the European Commission for their approval. The Government have recently consulted widely on what our priorities should be. The National Assembly for Wales is fully involved in discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on assisted area status and its effects on Deeside. [89671]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: We have today announced our proposals for new assisted areas to operate from 1 January 2000. The proposals have been submitted to the European Commission, which must now agree the final areas. I am confident that our proposal represents a good deal for Wales, with 71.5 per cent. population coverage, and a good deal for Deeside, as can be seen from the proposals which I have today copied to all Welsh MPs and MEPs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of university and higher education entrants from each county in Wales in (a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [89940]

The number of entrants to higher education courses at Higher Education Institution in Wales from each county in Wales for the academic year 1998–99, is provided in the following table. Data for 1999–2000 are not yet available.

To ask the Attorney-General if he and the CPS will meet the hon. Member for Worthing, West in connection with the fatal attack in Brighton on Mr. Jay Abatan. [90748]

Criminal proceedings are currently being brought against two defendants following the incident which resulted in the death of Mr. Jay Abatan. So long as these matters remain sub judice it would not be proper for me, the Chief Crown Prosecutor, or his staff, to discuss the case with either the hon. Member, or his constituent who is a vital witness in the case. I understand that the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Sussex will be pleased to meet the hon. Member or his constituent when the case has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress being made by United Kingdom offshore oil and gas producers and oil companies to deal with the millennium bug. [91663]

DTI continues to fulfil the role of "responsible body" reporting to the Action 2000 National Infrastructure Forum on the preparations being made by the oil industry and UK's offshore oil and gas producers to avoid any disruption due to the Year 2000 threat to computer systems.At the National Infrastructure Forum meeting in January 1999, the industry attracted an overall "amber" assessment against the standard colour code adopted by Action 2000. I am pleased to report that WS Atkins Consultants Ltd. have confirmed that the industry continues to make substantial progress both onshore and offshore.In detail WS Atkins found that over 80 per cent. of the industry now merit a blue assessment (no identified risks of material disruption), and that the remainder are on track to attain that rating once work scheduled during the normal summer shutdown period has been completed, and that residual contingency planning and external dependency issues had been finalised.The DTI has arranged for WS Atkins to carry out a further review at the end of September, to monitor progress on those outstanding issues and carry out a further programme of independent check visits to confirm that the scheduled work has been completed successfully. DTI will report on this work at the National Infrastructure Forum meeting in October 1999, and will continue to monitor the industry's progress throughout the millennium period.A summary of their report has been placed in the Libraries of the House, and copies have been made available on the DTI internet site.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out the progress that has been made in implementing Article 8 of the EC Revised Voice Telephony Directive. [90789]

Article 8 of the Revised Voice Telephony Directive (RVTD) requires member states to take specific measures where appropriate to ensure equal access to, and affordability of, fixed public telephone services, including directory services for disabled users and users with special social needs. Regulations implementing Article 8 were made in 1998 (The Telecommunications (Open Network Provision) (Voice Telephony) Regulations 1998).Following a consultation exercise in 1998, Oftel has proposed further specific measures to improve access to telecommunications for the disabled. The Government are planning to consult on the detail of these proposals later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the arrangements are for remunerating the members of Industrial Development Advisory Boards for expenses that arise in the exercise of their duties. [90659]

Members of the Industrial Development Advisory Board and the Regional Industrial Development Boards are entitled to claim travel and subsistence expenses incurred in attending Board meetings or on visits on behalf of the Board. Expenses are reimbursed at the rates applicable to senior civil servants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the policy of his Department is on decisions taken by members of the Industrial Development Advisory Boards which do not reflect the priorities of his Department. [90665]

The Regional Industrial Development Boards are kept informed of the Departments priorities, eg as most recently set out in the Competitiveness White Paper (Cmnd. 4176). My colleagues and I consider carefully the advice of the Regional Industrial Development Boards before reaching our decisions on regional selective assistance applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures his Department follows to ensure that conflicts of interest cannot arise in the case of the (a) members of the Industrial Development Advisory Boards and (b) those who advise them. [90666]

In the case of members of the Industrial Development Advisory Board and the Regional Industrial Development Boards, guidance from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments is followed to ensure that any potential conflict of interest is recognised.Officials who advise Board members are bound by the Civil Service Code which states that civil servants should not misuse their official position or information acquired in the course of their official duties to further their private interests or those of others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will amend the membership criteria of the Industrial Development Advisory Boards to include representatives of elected bodies, trade union organisations and sub-regional development organisations. [90657]

The Industrial Development Advisory Board is appointed under Section 10 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. By virtue of Section 10(3) of the Act, the Board is to include

"persons who appear to the Secretary of State to have wide experience of, and to have shown capacity in, industry, banking, accounting and finance".

The Chairman and members of the Regional Industrial Development Boards (RIDBs) are selected for their regional knowledge of industry and commerce. I have made it clear that the RIDBs should take account of the strategic economic focus which is being provided by the new Regional Development Agencies in giving their advice on regional selective assistance cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance he has given the Industrial Development Advisory Boards on responding to approaches from hon. Members prior to the consideration of applications for regional selective assistance. [90667]

Hon. Members should approach my colleagues and me on issues which they consider relevant to an application for regional selective assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the members of the North West Industrial Development Board and the dates of their appointment; [90660](2) when he next intends to announce an appointment to the North West Industrial Development Board. [90651]

The members of the North West Industrial Development Board and the dates of their appointment are as follows:

Members	Date of appointment
Mr. Raymond Armstrong	1 January 1999
Mrs. Lorraine Clinton	1 May 1998
Mrs. Christine Coates	1 January 1993
Mr. John Dixon	1 August 1997
Mr. John Hancock	29 March 1995

NWIDB Attendance: May 1998—June 1999

May

June

July

August

September

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

Board Members

G. Elliott

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

J. Dixon

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

P. Hynd

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

D. McCall

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

A. Pilkington

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

A. Strachan

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

R. Armstrong

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

L. Clinton

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

C. Coates

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

A. Ruia

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

J. Hancock

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

K. Pathak

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Officials

D. Rae

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

D. Higham

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

P Styche

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

D. Harrison

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

C. Rushby

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

J. Lappin

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

A. Davis

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

J. Long

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

D. Cooke

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

M. McCrae

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

P. Money

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

L. Fallows

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

C. Aspey

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

P. Dobson

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

H. Nicholson

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

I. Wright

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

M Henesey

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

S. McKeow

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

F. Duffy

No

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

O. Davies

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what guidance he gives to members of the North West Industrial Development Board on the exercise of their responsibilities on behalf of the Secretary of State; [90662](2) what guidelines he has given to members of the North West Industrial Development Board on the policy of his Department towards the allocation of regional selective assistance to areas of high unemployment in the North West of England. [90664]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the persons who have attended each of the last 12 meetings of the North West Industrial Development Board when applications for regional selective assistance have been under discussion. [90661]

The attendees of the last 12 meetings of the North West Industrial Development Board are listed on the table. Please note that meetings were not held in October or November 1998.

Members of the North West Industrial Development Board, the other Regional Industrial Development Boards and the Industrial Development Advisory Board give advice to Ministers from a commercial perspective on higher value RSA cases, within the RSA Scheme criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in each of the last five years decisions taken by the North West Industrial Development Board have been subject to amendment by the Secretary of State under the Industrial Development Act 1982. [90663]

There has been one such occasion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by name of recipient all allocations of regional selective assistance in the last five years to organisations in the North West of England, the value of the assistance and the date of the allocation, in development and intermediate areas separately. [90668]

As the list requested runs to some 900 companies, I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what circumstances pressures from competitors on UK commercial undertakings can be taken into account by the members of industrial development advisory committees or those advising them when considering applications for regional selective assistance. [90652]

Applicants are only eligible for regional selective assistance if they are making new investments. As well as the viability of the project, competition and job displacement are factors taken into account when considering applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statistics are collected by his Department in respect of rejections of applications for regional selective assistance which lead to the cancellation of the proposed investment projects and a consequential loss of potential jobs. [90653]

The Department keeps a record of all regional selective assistance applications. It is not part of the scheme procedures, however, to continue contacts with unsuccessful applicants, and subsequent developments are not, therefore, routinely recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs or potential jobs lost as a result of refusals of applications for regional selective assistance which have led to the cancellation of the proposed investment in each of the last three years. [90654]

No estimate has been made. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the figure would be small. Within available funds, the Department gives a sympathetic hearing to any eligible application and the main reasons for rejection are either on grounds that a project will proceed in any event without grant or that a project is not viable and would not, therefore, provide sustainable jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the cost of regional selective assistance per job created in the North West of England in the last five years. [90655]

The average cost per job resulting from Regional Selective Assistance offers accepted in the North West over the last five years is £4,019.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last five years members of the North West Industrial Development Advisory Committee or those who advise them have had to stand aside from the consideration of regional selective assistance applications for reasons of either personal or professional conflict of interest. [90656]

There have been nine occasions of such instances as quoted by my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 in relation to the allocation of regional selective assistance. [90658]

I have no plans to review the workings of the Industrial Development Act 1982 for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long ex-miners will have to wait for payments once they have been assessed as eligible under the compensation scheme. [91161]

Details of the time-scales for claimants passing through the various stages of the assessment process for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease have still to be finalised. However, the intention is that individuals will receive an offer of compensation within 28 days of their detailed medical assessment having been completed and their eligibility for compensation established. Payment will then be made within 14 days of written confirmation that the offer has been accepted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claimants he estimates will use the ex-miner compensation lung-test centre facility in Bristol; and when he expects testing of those people to be concluded. [91160]

To date a total of 108 claimants have been assessed at the Bristol spirometry centre and a further 19 claimants, who have yet to respond to a letter of invitation, remain to be tested. In addition, 12 claimants in the Bristol area have provided doctors' letters which mean they will receive domiciliary visits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Ministers and Officials will be accompanying the outward mission to Turkey in September; and at what cost. [91177]

British Trade International is supporting two outward missions to Turkey in September:

• Business Link Bedfordshire: 13–17 September
• Defence Manufacturers Association: 28 September–1 October.

No Ministers or Officials from my Department will accompany either mission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of spent fuel have been imported from Spain, and on what dates; what safeguards arrangements cover the fuel; and what commitments there are to return the radioactive waste arising from reprocessing the fuel to Spain. [91171]

The timing and quantities of spent fuel imported to Sellafield for specific customers are a commercial and operational matter for BNFL and their customers. All civil nuclear material in the United Kingdom is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. Since 1976 all new contracts for the reprocessing of overseas spent fuel have contained options for the return of wastes. BNFL's overseas reprocessing contracts prior to 1976, including those with Spanish utilities, do not contain return of wastes options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have been recruited to the Post Office in the past 12 months from outside Northern Ireland; and what was their perceived religion. [91000]

I am informed that the hon. Member refers to recruitment to the Post Office within Northern Ireland. I understand from the Post Office that in the last 12 months it has not recruited anyone to fill a position in Northern Ireland who has recorded an address outside Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of manufacturing jobs in the Northern Region in May of each year since 1979. [91006]

Information on a consistent basis is available from June 1982 and is shown in the table. Estimates for May are not available as the data are collected quarterly. The estimates refer to the former North standard statistical region, which comprised the counties and former counties of Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Cumbria.

Year (June)	Employee jobs in manufacturing, not seasonally adjusted
1982	300,033
1983	272,535
1984	259,224
1985	260,229
1986	254,788
1987	254,120
1988	259,208
1989	258,890
1990	252,979
1991	239,463
1992	230,377
1993	218,251
1994	225,630
1995	227,592
1996	239,870
1997	236,213
1998	225,270

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the value of public investment in the biotechnology industry in (a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of total investment in the industry. [87768]

This information is not available from official statistics.DTI and Research Council expenditure on support for technology transfer and innovation in the biotechnology industry is estimated at:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the (a) nature and (b) consequences of the Spanish Gibraltar-related reservation on the designation of competent authorities for the Takeovers Directive; and what representations he has (i) received and (ii) made on the issue. [90396]

At the Internal Market Council on 21 June Spain maintained a general reserve on the proposed Takeovers Directive in respect of the designation of authorities for supervising bids in accordance with the Directive. Her Majesty's Government are considering currently whether any change to the relevant clause could be made which would safeguard Gibraltar's rights, while meeting Spanish concerns over the Directive. I have received no representations on this issue. Her Majesty's Government are liaising closely with the Government of Gibraltar and our European partners to find a solution which is acceptable to all parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what policies are being followed by her Department to prevent debt-relieved countries becoming indebted again. [89760]

The revision to the HIPC Initiative, which we hope will be finalised at the annual meeting of the World Bank and the IMF in September, will provide more debt relief to countries following sound pro-poor policies. This will increase the likelihood of countries achieving a permanent exit from their debt problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution her Department is making to the Government Review of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. [89764]

We are working closely with the Treasury to influence the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Review being carried out by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In the first phase, we submitted a joint paper on the need for faster, deeper and wider debt relief, and I am pleased that there is now an international consensus that more debt relief is required for countries committed to eradicating poverty. The second phase of the Review is currently under way and is examining how the link between debt relief and poverty reduction can be strengthened. We have recently submitted a further joint DFID and Treasury paper to the Review team, setting out our ideas and proposals. Decisions on this will be taken at the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in September. Both papers are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will report progress in tackling and reducing the debt of the heavily indebted poorer countries, following the Cologne summit. [89766]

The Cologne Debt Initiative represents a major step forward in the effort to remove the debt burden of the poorest countries. We welcome the commitment to a major improvement in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative so that it delivers faster, wider and deeper debt relief to countries committed to eradicating poverty. If agreed at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, the HIPC initiative will provide twice as much debt relief, twice as quickly. It is also important that there was a call to cancel outstanding aid debts. These amount to —20 billion owed to the G7 countries alone. The UK has already cancelled the aid debts of the poorest countries, and we are pressing others to follow our lead. The UK has also made the largest pledge to the Millennium Trust Fund—a total of —171 million. It is important that everyone plays their part in funding the enhanced debt relief, and we are calling on the European Commission to make a substantial contribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with NGOs on the progress of the heavily indebted poor countries initiative. [89773]

I regularly meet representatives from the NGOs to discuss key development issues including debt. At a meeting last month with the Directors of those NGOs which form the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG), we discussed the G7 initiative on debt launched at the Cologne Summit. We also considered the second phase of the HIPC Review, which is examining how the link between debt relief and poverty reduction can be strengthened.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid her Department is providing for Serbia. [89761]

We provide humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed, but it is essential to verify need and proper use. Applying these principles in Serbia is difficult in view of limited independent access. We shall consider requests for assistance through international humanitarian organisations. ECHO have allocated a total of 26.5 million euros for humanitarian assistance to Serbia, of which the UK share will be some £2.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about development assistance being given by her Department and the European Union to aid the return of Nigeria to democracy. [89762]

Britain and the EU provided significant support to the transition process which led to President Obasanjo's inauguration in May and the return of Nigeria to democracy.The challenge for the new Nigerian government is to redirect their resources towards growth and development aimed at removing inequalities and eliminating poverty. International assistance will be needed. Britain and the EU are ready to help Nigerian government efforts to bear down on corruption and adopt reforms that benefit the poor.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what help the Government are providing to tackle the spread of AIDS in developing countries. [89763]