To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress he has made in implementing his policies relating to the activities of company directors. [90010]

We have embarked on a fundamental review of company law, and two reviews of insolvency law are also being undertaken. However, we need to balance giving company directors maximum freedom to perform their duties with providing the public and business with protection against the activities of rogue directors. Over 2,500 unfit directors have been disqualified by the courts in the last two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current progress of clean coal technology for generating electricity. [90012]

On 22 April, I announced the launch of Energy Paper 67 on Cleaner Coal Technologies. At the time, I stated that my Department was allocating £12 million over the next three years towards a new research and development programme on cleaner coal technology, expecting that this money will generate some £60 million of collaborative industry and university projects over the period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence he has assessed of the relationship between the location of out-of-town supermarkets and competition between their owners. [90022]

The Competition Commission is currently investigating the supply of groceries in the UK. It is due to deliver its report on 7 April 2000. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on matters which may form part of the Commission's inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has further to promote manufacturing exports. [90023]

I hope that all exporters, including manufacturers, will benefit from British Trade International. A wide range of support is available to manufacturing exporters. I am continuing to meet manufacturing companies throughout the UK in order to ensure that we are fully in touch with their needs and concerns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has received on the application of the additionality principle in regard to Objective 1 funding; and if he will make a statement. [90024]

The Department has received one written representation on the application of additionality for the coming Objective 1 programmes; the issue has also been raised on several occasions with officials.The UK complies with the rules on additionality and will continue to do so. For Objective 1, additionality will be calculated for all Objective 1 regions taken together, as required under Article 11 of the new Structural Funds regulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make an announcement on the new map of assisted area status. [90025]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review the arrangements for the allocation of regional selective assistance. [90041]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his proposals for the new assisted areas. [91661]

I am today submitting to the European Commission the UK Government's proposals for Assisted Areas under Article 87(3)a and 87(3)c of the EC Treaty.A document explaining our protocols will be placed in the Library of the House and a copy will be sent to each hon. Member to inform him or her of our proposals. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland will write to the devolved Administrations setting out the proposals for Wales and Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in respect of good projects in difficult markets. [90026]

Since announcing the "Good Projects in Difficult Markets" scheme in August last year, ECGD has been asked to consider supporting around 40 projects in 18 countries with a potential UK export value in excess of £2 billion. Negotiations on a number of these projects are progressing well.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the market in raw milk. [90027]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the prospects for the dairy industry. [90045]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about competition in the dairy industry. [90015]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry published on 6 July the former MMC's report on the supply in Great Britain of raw cows milk. I refer Members to the Secretary of State's speech given during the Dairy Industry debate on 7 July 1999, Official Report, column 1090–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the effect on small businesses of the working time regulations. [90028]

A Regulatory Impact Assessment on the costs and benefits resulting from the implementation of the Working Time Regulations, which considers small business, was made prior to implementation.We are presently consulting on amendments which are designed to clarify the regulations and help business without removing the protection that the Directive provides to workers.Copies of both the Regulatory Impact Assessment and the consultation documents are held in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to ensure that employers are complying with the national minimum wage.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Plaskitt) today, column 557.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implementation of the national minimum wage for care home employees. [90030]

I have made no such assessment. The Government has asked the Low Pay Commission to monitor and evaluate the introduction and impact of the national minimum wage and to report by December. The Commission's terms of reference specifically require it to consider the impact on low-paying sectors and I understand that it has recently written to interested parties, including representatives of employers and employees in the care sector, inviting them to submit written evidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to assist a wider range of people to establish businesses. [90031]

The Government is assisting a wider range of people to establish businesses by promoting a stable macro-economic climate with price stability, low interest rates and flexibility on the supply side. The Secretary of State has also announced that we will establish the Small Business Service to improve support services for small businesses. A consultation document on the Small Business Service was published on 1 July.We envisage a key element of the Small Business Service to be to offer help to a wide range of people, including those wishing to become self-employed, and to encourage enterprise in socially and economically disadvantaged communities. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has recently appointed Lord Trotman to consider, over the summer, what more the Government can do to help encourage the foundation and growth of small firms. The review will look at the measures taken so far to support small and medium-sized enterprises, covering both tax and public spending programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the benefits of schemes to support wind energy. [90032]

Wind energy is one of the more promising renewable energy sources for electricity generation world-wide. The supporting analysis accompanying my renewables consultation paper includes a status report on wind energy and how the technology has been developing in the UK, highlighting the achievements of wind energy projects under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and the supporting Research and Development Programme.At 31 March 1999, there were 59 wind projects comprising 138 Mega Watts (Declared Net Capacity) operational in the UK. The cost of wind-generated electricity under successive NFFO orders has reduced significantly, with the average price having fallen from 7.98 p/KWh under NFFO-1 to 2.88 p/KWh under NFFO-5, substantially increasing both competitiveness and growth of renewables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to bring forward his legislative proposals for electronic commerce. [90033]

The Government is ready to introduce the Electronic Communications Bill into Parliament. However, the Government is currently seeking agreement to the use of the carryover procedure for this Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what ways the proposed Small Business Service will help to reduce compliance costs for small businesses. [90034]

The Small Business Service will have a clear task to help reduce the burden of regulation on small firms wherever possible. It will work closely with the Regulatory Impact Unit to ensure that the impact of proposed regulations on small business is properly understood and considered at all levels of Government. It will work to ensure that small businesses have access to clear and straightforward information and guidance on regulatory requirements. It will also aim to identify practical ways in which it can help smaller business to cope with regulation.The Government's proposals are set out in detail in the consultation document on the Small Business Service published on 30 June, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the cost to business of the proposals for new energy taxes. [90036]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the impact of the climate change levy on business. [90037]

I welcome the representations from so many quarters of industry and business that something must be done to tackle climate change and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.The new climate change levy is intended to encourage energy efficiency in business and to contribute towards our commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions.Any assessment of the impact of the levy will depend on the final rates of tax which are set by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. HM Customs and Excise has previously published a consultation document on the design of the levy, which included some rates, but for illustrative purposes only.The Government has promised that there will be significantly lower rates of levy for those energy intensive sectors, covered by the EU Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, which are prepared to enter negotiated agreements with the Government to deliver energy efficiency improvements and/or emissions reduction targets. Discussions with a number of energy intensive sectors are under way to develop outline negotiated agreements for their sectors.The Government is determined to work closely with business on the detailed design and implementation of the climate change levy, and will take final decisions in the light of the responses to the Customs and Excise consultation as well as representations received from business and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the responsibilities of Oftel. [90038]

The Government's review of utility regulation has examined telecoms regulation and the responsibilities of Oftel. The proposals for new legislation on utility regulation, which will be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity, include giving Oftel a new primary duty to protect the interests of consumers and extending Oftel's duties to address the interests of low income users and the chronically sick. In addition, the Government is committed to a wider ranging reform of telecoms regulation and we expect to publish initial proposals later in the year. We are also working closely with Oftel on the 1999 Review of EC telecoms legislation, which will lead to a new telecoms regulatory framework in the EC early in the next century.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's estimate of the cost of the (a) social chapter's parental leave directive, (b) works councils directive and (c) part-time workers directive to British business. [90040]

On the question of the estimated costs of the Directives on Parental Leave and Part Time Workers, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 17 June 1999, Official Report, column 204.The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the European Works Councils Directive was published as part of the consultation exercise on the implementation on 1 July. It estimated the recurring compliance costs to business to be £14.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's work on consumer protection. [90042]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will be making a statement shortly on the Government's consumer White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on metrication in the United Kingdom retail food industry. [90043]

The sale of retail food in metric units of measurement began in 1973. About 90 per cent. of retail food is now sold in metric weights or measures.Under legislation made in 1994, foods sold loose by weight must be priced and weighed in grams and kilograms after 31 December 1999. Retailers will be able to display the weight and price in imperial units alongside their metric equivalents. Consumers will be able to describe in imperial weights the quantity they wish to buy. The retailer will simply provide the equivalent metric quantity.I intend soon to report more fully to Parliament on metrication in the UK, including the Government's plans to provide small retailers and their customers with information and advice about the changeover for loose goods.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on licensing agreements in the petrol service station industry. [90044]

My Department has received a number of representations about licensing agreements in the petrol service station industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide grants to support the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources by households without mains electricity; and if he will make a statement. [89852]

The Government's consultation paper "New and Renewable Energy—Prospects for the 21^st" Century" invited views on the balance of measures and precise form of support for renewables in their next stage of development. I am currently considering responses to the consultation exercise and I will publish a summary of these shortly. I will take these responses into account in drawing up policy proposals for further support measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of irradiated spent research reactor fuel from the Spanish reactors (a) Jen-I, (b) Argos and (c) Arbi, have been imported for reprocessing at Dounreay since 1992; what safeguards agreements cover this spent fuel; what quantities have been reprocessed to date; what contractual commitments exist to return the (i) radioactive wastes, (ii) uranium and (iii) plutonium arising to Spain; and what quantities of reprocessing arisings have been returned to Spain to date. [91169]

This is an operational matter for the UKAEA. I have asked the Chairman of the UKAEA for this information and his reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who has responsibility within the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils for environmental performance; and if they are subject to performance-related pay. [91009]

Overall responsibility is held by the Deputy Chief Executive, Dr. Gordon Walker. A senior member of staff, Dr. Richard Wade, has been appointed to carry forward and implement environment policy. The particular issue of radioactive emissions is dealt with by another senior officer, Dr. Tim Broome.All CCLRC staff are subject to performance related pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Government will implement the proposal in the Competitiveness White Paper to support the growth of smaller businesses in areas with particular needs. [91662]

I am today announcing the introduction of Enterprise Grant Areas in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the contribution of motorsport engineering to UK manufacturing competitiveness. [90008]

The reputation of British motorsport engineering is world class. The demanding engineering and materials solutions required at the leading edge of this sport bring opportunities for technology transfer and other more mainstream industrial sectors, such as aerospace and vehicle production, have benefited from this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the operation of company law in the matter of (a) frequency of registering accounts and (b) penalties for late registration of accounts in relation to (i) trading and (ii) non-trading companies. [91300]

The periods allowed for delivering accounts to the Registrar of Companies will be reviewed as part of the fundamental review of company law, which the Department launched in March 1998. It is due to present its final report in the Spring of 2001. Separately, Companies House is reviewing whether the current penalty bands which apply to the late filing of accounts are having the maximum effect in encouraging compliance. The penalties apply equally to trading and non-trading companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support his Department has given the car industry since May 1997. [90013]

DTI financial support is provided through Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). RSA grants totalling £71,742,000 have been made by the Department to the car industry since May 1997. This figure covers support given to both vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons the right hon. Member for Fylde was not advised directly on 13 July of his Department's future proposals for BNFL's financial arrangements. [91710]

I understand that BNFL wrote to MPs with a constituency interest in the company about the announcement on 13 July. I have also written offering them further briefing about the announcement if they would find that helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in 1999–2000. [91772]

For 1999–2000, the following key performance targets have been set for the Agency:

90–100 per cent. of key Government users of the Agency surveyed rating its overall service as satisfactory or better, with 50–55 per cent. rating it as very satisfactory.

95–100 per cent. of registered non-Government users of the Agency surveyed rating its overall service as satisfactory or better, with 55–60 per cent. rating it as very satisfactory.

To produce no fewer than 60 statistical publications and 16 ad hoc research publications during 1999–2000.

95–100 per cent. of NISRA readers rating key publications as satisfactory or better, 40–45 per cent. rating them as very satisfactory.

To process 98 per cent. of postal and personal applications for General Register Office certificates within eight and three working days respectively.

To carry out and evaluate a Census Rehearsal.

To achieve a minimum of 3 per cent. efficiency saving.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since June 1997. [90536]

In terms of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), since 1985 detailed monitoring of the workforce has been undertaken in terms of gender, religion and disability. The NICS is currently collecting, for the first time, data on disability to align with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The outcomes of monitoring have been reported in the published reports of the Service's Equal Opportunity Unit, the first of which was published in 1986. The most recent report, the Sixth Report, was published in 1997 and it is intended to publish a Seventh Report later this year. Copies of the Reports are available in the Library of the House.Since 1991, Home Civil Servants (HCS) working in the Northern Ireland Office, London, have required monitoring for ethnic origin. HCS staff have also been monitored in terms of gender and disability; and for staff working in Northern Ireland, community background.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each of the London education authorities the number of pupils who were excluded from school on 11 June. [90172]

Information on exclusions is collected only on an annual basis. The latest available information in the form requested is for the academic year 1997–98 and is shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what considerations have been given to including Koranic teaching in schools under religious education sections in the National Curriculum. [90306]

Religious education is required to be included, alongside the National Curriculum, as part of the basic curriculum. It has equal standing in relation to the National Curriculum subjects within a school's curriculum.It is for the Local Education Authority to convene an agreed syllabus conference for the purpose of preparing an agreed syllabus for religious education. The local education authority shall appoint constituent bodies consisting of persons representing such Christian denominations and other religions and denominations of such religions as, in the opinion of the authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area. The role of a conference is to produce and recommend an agreed syllabus for religious education which meets fully the requirements of the 1988 Act and is educationally sound. Its recommendation must be unanimously agreed by the committees constituting the conference.The Department issued Circular 1/94

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many inquiries he has received about petitions for ballots on the future status of grammar schools. [91202]

A number of inquiries have been made about petitions but no central log has been made of these. The ballot administration company has received formal requests to calculate the number of signatures required for any petitions submitted by 31 July in order to trigger a ballot for the following areas: Barnet, Birmingham, Kingston-upon-Thames, and Ripon. To date, no petitions have been sent to the ballot company for checking and no ballots have taken place or are scheduled to take place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of pupils found to be in possession of controlled drugs on school premises in the last year for which figures are available. [91132]

These figures are not centrally available. However, we have asked local education authorities to provide us with information on the number of drug related exclusions of more than five school days in the current school year. This information should be available early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average class size of state schools within the Greater London area. [90773]

Provisional figures show that the average class size for classes taught by one teacher in maintained primary and secondary schools in Greater London as at January 1999 are 27.3 and 21.8 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of 17 to 18-year-olds in Leicestershire are in (a) schools, (b) further education and (c) work. [91207]

In 1996–97, the proportion of young people aged 16 or 17 at the start of the academic year, in full or part-time education in schools and further education in Leicestershire, were 34 per cent. and 44 per cent. respectively.The proportion of young people aged 16 or 17 at the start of the academic year, in employment, in the winter of 1998, in Leicestershire was 68 per cent.Many young people combine work with education so there are significant overlaps between these groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the performance of private sector companies delivering the New Deal. [91205]

It is still early days, but progress in the 10 New Deal for Young People Private Sector-led Units of Delivery appears to be generally satisfactory. They are subject to the same evaluation and continuous improvement strategy as other units. As part of this, ES and its partners are working together to improve performance in the delivery of the New Deal. Private Sector-led Units of Delivery are no exception, and ES will shortly be undertaking a series of comprehensive contract review meetings with these partners. It is too early to make reliable assessments of performance for the New Deal 25+ Pilots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by (a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91020]

[holding answer 13 July 1999]: Information on business travel is not collected in the form requested. As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target for all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions to have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.We have completed plans covering our five headquarters buildings. The Employment Service have also completed a plan covering their headquarters and main buildings. We are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the targets set out in the White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single occupancy car use by employees for commuting and business travel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he has issued to local authorities about charging parents for school transport to the nearest denominational school to their home. [91291]

The Department has issued no specific guidance on charges for transport to denominational schools as this is for Local Education Authorities to consider in the light of local circumstances. General guidance on the duties and powers of Local Education Authorities with regard to school transport is contained in a letter from the Department to Chief Education Officers dated 21 January 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Disability Council will report on its activities during the 1998–99 financial year. [91823]

I am pleased to announce that the Secretary of State has today laid the National Disability Council's fourth annual report before Parliament. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions and in what circumstances English Heritage has exercised its powers to take control of an ancient monument. [98400]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: English Heritage does not have powers to take control of an ancient monument in the sense of a compulsory acquisition. Its management of historic sites and properties arises under the direction of myself, or through acquisition or Guardianship arrangements entered into by agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out the responsibilities of English Heritage in relation to local government archaeological services. [89404]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: English Heritage has policy responsibility for advising Local Authorities on the adequacy of their archaeological services; more specifically it assists with the funding of archaeological posts in local authorities connected with data gathering and the maintenance of Sites and Monuments Records (a contribution of £164,752 in 1999–2000). It also funds survey work, totalling £387,876 in 1999/2000; provides archaeological planning advice to the Greater London Boroughs; provides eight scientific advisers to assist local authorities' archaeological curators (with a ninth post due to be filled shortly); and funds an administrative support post for the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were employed in local government archaeological services (a) in 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [89403]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: A 'RESCUE' (The British Archaeological Trust) survey in 1990 indicated that 1,021 people were employed in local government archaeological services in that year; I understand that a forthcoming report by the Institute of Field Archaeologists and the Council for British Archaeology will show that, at September 1998, 795 people were employed. The reduction partly reflects the increase in the provision of private sector archaeological services following the publication in 1990 of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16—Archaeology and Planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Employment regarding the development of NVQs in archaeology. [98414]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: None, but the relevance of NVQs to archaeology is one of the issues being considered by English Heritage and archaeological bodies within English Heritage's Training Liaison Forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment the Sports Council has made of the opportunities available to girls and young women to take part in previously mostly male team sports; and what plans it has to expand those opportunities. [91054]

Sport England works with a range of organisations, including the Women's Sports Foundation, to promote and encourage opportunities for girls and young women in sport at all levels.Sport England regularly commissions research into sporting participation patterns and trends and will be carrying out its Young People and Sport survey later this year, which will focus specifically on the participation rates of girls in sport.Projects developed with Lottery funding are monitored to assess the participation levels of previously under-represented groups. Gender-specific targets have been set in the document developed by Sport England entitled "England, the Sporting Nation" and targets for increasing the participation rates for women in sport are being developed in line with the new Funding Agreement with this Department.As part of its aim to raise the participation rates of girls in sport, Sport England has undertaken a pilot initiative, `Girl Sport', and hopes to begin introducing the initiative nationwide later this year.Any governing body which receives funding from Sport England must provide development proposals for women's sport as a condition of that funding. Also, all organisations applying for funding from the National Lottery Sports Fund are required to include ways of encouraging the participation of women and girls. This is now helping to increase participation levels, particularly in those sports that have traditionally been male-dominated.Sport England has also organised gender equity training for governing bodies, including senior executives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures he plans to introduce to improve safety and facilities at cricket and rugby grounds. [91210]

The Government are determined that spectators of all sports should be able to enjoy the action in safety and comfort. In April I announced new roles for both Sport England and the Football Licensing Authority in our drive to modernise sports grounds across the country. Sport England is to fund a £10m improvement scheme over the next four years to help top rugby league and rugby union teams, and the major cricket counties to improve safety at their grounds. In addition, the Football Licensing Authority will be reconstituted as the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and will have an advisory role on safety issues associated with all sports which use outdoor sports stadia, including cricket. I am sure my hon. Friend will agree that these are welcome development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since June 1997. [90824]

Since June 1997 my Department has commissioned two internal staff surveys, one on ethnicity and one on disability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will publish the report of the Social Exclusion Unit's Neighbourhood Renewal Policy Action Team 10 on arts and sport; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [91860]

The Government warmly welcome the report of Policy Action Team 10, set up by the Social Exclusion Unit to look at the contribution arts and sport can make to neighbourhood renewal. The Team was led by my Department and its report shows how participation in the arts and sport can develop individuals' talents and self-confidence, encourage collective effort and contribute to improvements in health and educational achievement and reductions in crime and unemployment. The report will be published tomorrow morning and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with representatives of the small cinema industry about the viability of independent cinemas; and if he will make a statement. [91431]

My Department has received no recent representations on this issue from representatives of the small cinema industry. The Government are keen to encourage the growth of a diverse, successful British film industry in which a wide range of film-makers, distributors and exhibitors can flourish. This will be one of the key aims of the new Film Council, to be established by 1 April 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the findings of Lord Attenborough's inquiry into the structure and remit of the Film Council. [91433]

Following an extensive, open consultation exercise, which showed that there was strong support for the proposed Film Council, I asked Lord Attenborough for his personal views and advice on the proposals, given his unrivalled breadth of experience of the British film industry over many years. It was never intended that Lord Attenborough would produce a report for publication. However, I took his advice into account before making a final announcement on the establishment of the new body, at the Cannes Festival in May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the applications for the franchises to operate National Lottery-funded film companies. [91434]

Applications for Lottery-funded franchises were made to the Arts Council of England and contained information of a commercially sensitive nature. The Arts Council of England has therefore decided not to publish the applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts with regard to increasing the proportion of EU assistance which is invested in low-income countries. [91301]

I have recently agreed with my Irish, Swedish and Dutch counterparts a joint message to the European Commission asking it to bring forward proposals for increasing the proportion of EC official development assistance to low-income countries each year from 2000–06, with the aim of the proportion reaching 70 per cent. by 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out her priorities for the forthcoming World Trade Organisation Round with regard to improving market access to developing countries. [91302]

The Government's objectives for the proposed Millennium Round of negotiations are set out in the Minister of Trade's answer to the question put by the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Stunell) of 21 January 1999, Official Report, column 548–49. The priority for the forthcoming World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle is to launch a comprehensive set of negotiations which will, among other things, enable developing countries to make solid and substantial gains. A key part of this is the opportunity that broad-based negotiations will offer developing countries to significantly improve their access to markets.Agriculture and textiles are particularly important areas for developing countries. The 1994 agreement on Agriculture in the WTO contains a commitment to continue the reform process started in the Uruguay round by further reducing support and promotion for trade in agriculture. The UK actively supports further progress in this area. We will also be vigilant in ensuring the EU's full implementation of the agreement to abolish quotas on textiles and clothing, and will seek an acceleration of this. In the forthcoming Millennium Round of trade negotiations, the UK and the EU are advocating a comprehensive tariff negotiation aiming at reducing tariffs, removing all tariff peaks and at harmonising the tariff structures of all WTO members across all non-agricultural products.The Government also strongly supports the EU's proposal that WTO members should agree at Seattle to provide duty free access for essentially all products from the Least Developed countries no later than the end of the round.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the impact which the debt relief measures proposed at the Cologne summit will have on individual countries. [91304]

The debt relief measures agreed at Cologne were based on aggregate figures. It is too early to assess with precision the impact of the Cologne proposals for each of the HIPC countries. The impact in each case will depend on the economic circumstance of the country at the time, the precise manner in which the debt relief is delivered and, for some countries, up-to-date information on their total indebtedness. For the many countries still to be assessed for HIPC relief, the estimate of their total indebtedness is uncertain, and the nature of their debt is not fully known. We are pressing the World Bank and IMF to provide information, including on various options for delivering debt relief, and the timeframe over which the costs of these would fall. We are also pressing the World Bank and the IMF to speed up the process by which countries are assessed for debt relief, so that three-quarters of countries will have reached their Decision Point by the end of the year 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she had with (a) her European counterparts and (b) the European Commission on the proposal that unspent European Development Funds should be invested in debt relief. [91305]

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and I wrote to Commissioners Pinheiro and Mann in April urging them to consider ways in which the EC could contribute more to debt relief, including by using uncommitted European Development Funds for this purpose. I raised this issue again at the Development Council on 21 May and the Chancellor discussed it with his counterparts at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on 12 July. The Commission has told us that they will bring forward specific proposals, in response to our request, later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the long-term needs of families in Albania which have provided accommodation for Kosovo refugees. [91303]

We recognise and applaud the generosity of the Albanian people in hosting about 440,000 refugees. Throughout the crisis, the Department for International Development (DFID) has supported NGOs to run a range of activities with long-term benefits for the host communities in Albania, such as improvements to water, sanitation, health and education facilities. A DFID scoping mission visited Albania in May to assess the needs of host communities and refugees. As many refugees have now returned to Kosovo, we are discussing the future of these programmes with the responsible humanitarian assistance agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since June 1997. [90533]

Statistics on employment by gender and ethnic origin have, from this year, been published in our Annual Report. These series were maintained but not published in earlier years. We have within the last year undertaken a survey of staff who are suffering from disabilities, and statistics will be included in the next Annual Report. No new data series on age has been commissioned pending the acquisition of a personnel management database system.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is the level of the lowest salary currently set by recommendation of the Senior Salaries Review Board. [91517]

£17,560, which the Senior Salaries Review Board recommended for Junior Ministers in the Scottish Parliament, in addition to their salary as Members of the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government Car Service cars if run as privately owned private/light goods vehicles would qualify for the lower rate of vehicle excise duty. [91524]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he intends to publish results from the third wave of research using the People's Panel; and if he will make a statement. [91864]

The third wave of results from the People's Panel looks at: what levels of services people expect from public agencies, and where they would like to obtain them from; where people live and the housing they live in; helping children learn to read; and gas safety. The results also include other research carried out using the Panel, notably on attitudes to biosciences which was first published on 21 May. I have today placed in the Libraries of the House copies of the results from this third wave of research.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what targets he has set for the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate for 1999–2000. [91865]

I have set PACE the following targets for 1999–2000:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what performance targets he has approved for the Central Office of Information for 1999–2000. [91866]

I have approved the following key performance targets for Central Office of Information for 1999–2000:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what performance targets he has approved for the Civil Service College for 1999–2000. [91862]

I have approved the following key performance targets for the Civil Service College:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from which budget the Paveway III bombs, supplied to Saudi Arabia, were paid for; and to which other countries the JP 233 Runway Denial Systems have been exported. [90435]

The cost of the Paveway III bombs gifted to Saudi Arabia will be met from the defence budget. JP233 has been exported only to Saudi Arabia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the arrangements for the movement of nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom following the RAF's relinquishing of its nuclear capability. [91863]

On 1 April 1999 the Chief of Defence Logistics (CDL) assumed overall responsibility for the movement of nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom. The responsibility for the day-to-day movement of nuclear weapons is being moved, in phases, from RAF personnel to the Ministry of Defence Police with support from AWE civilians and the Royal Marines. An Implementation Team has been established to manage the transfer, which will be completed by 31 March 2002. The process will occur gradually in recognition of the importance and complexity of the task and the MOD will continue to maintain the highest levels of safety and security during convoy operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the mandate and activities of the EU Working Group on European Armament Policy. [90434]

I have been asked to reply.The Ad Hoc EU Working Party on a European Armaments Policy (POLARM) was established by COREPER in July 1995 to consider a report produced by governmental experts and see if work should be taken forward within the EU. Since December 1997, POLARM has considered a draft common position on framing a European armaments policy on which there has been no agreement to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the current espionage threat level from Russia. [89609]

[holding answer 2 July 1999]: In accordance with her Majesty's Government's longstanding policy, I cannot comment on intelligence matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of UN personnel earmarked for the UN civilian administration in Kosovo; how many UN personnel have been recruited for the UN civilian administration in Kosovo; and how many UN personnel earmarked for the UN civilian administration in Kosovo have already been deployed. [90128]

The United Nations is planning to deploy 3,200 international police personnel to Kosovo and has received pledges for 2,400 officers. The UN is not yet in a position to provide detailed information on its overall staffing requirements for the Interim Civil Administration or on the number of personnel so far recruited. It is still in the process of identifying and recruiting qualified personnel from within the UN itself, from other international organisations and from member states. As of 5 July, the UN had 257 staff on the ground in Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 June 1999, Official Report, column 168, on Panel 2000, if he will list the progress which has been made in respect of each of the recommendations listed. [90499]

I shall write to the hon. Member with details of the progress which has been made on each of the Panel 2000 recommendations listed in my answer of 30 June 1999, Official Report, column 168.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Ministers in his Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved and the names of the Irish ministers and officials at each meeting. [90411]

There has been one formal bilateral meeting of a Foreign Office Minister with an Irish Minister since 1 January 1999. The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), met Ms Sile de Valera, Irish Minister for Arts, Culture, the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) and the Islands, in the FCO on 17 June. Irish officials in attendance were Mr. Tadgh O'hEalaithe, Secretary General of the Department of Arts; Mr. Geoffrey Keating, First Secretary, Irish Embassy; and Ms Sheila Clifford, Ms de Valera's personal assistant.I have regularly met the Irish Foreign Minister, David Andrews, at EU Councils, including the monthly meetings of the General Affairs Council, and have often held exchanges with him in the margins.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Department for International Development's reduction of the number of technical co-operation training places available in the UK on his Department's operations in developing countries. [90633]

[holding answer 12 July 1999]: The Department for International Development have advised us that the Pre-service and In-service Training budget for Technical Co-operation has increased between 1996–97 and 1998–99 and is expected to rise further in 1999–2000. The number of technical co-operation training places under the Associate Professional Officer Scheme is also expected to increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made on the proposals for constitutional reform in Montenegro; and if he will make a statement. [91243]

We have not made representations on constitutional reform in Montenegro. We have underlined our support for democracy in Montenegro. Our goal is to see democratic principles and values flourish throughout the FRY.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what security guarantees have been provided by NATO to states in the Balkan region and their neighbours since the end of the Kosovo conflict; and if he will make a statement. [91228]

No new security undertakings have been made by NATO to states in the Balkan region, nor to their neighbours, since the end of the Kosovo conflict. The Secretary General of NATO reiterated in his letter of 29 June to the Foreign Minister of Macedonia, Mr. Dimitrov that

"the security of [Macedonia] remains of a direct and material concern to the Alliance".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made recently on the issue of land seizures in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [91246]

I have discussed la d reform in Zimbabwe when I met President Mugabe on 5 July. The Government supports the principle of land reform, provided that the process is transparent, fair and sustainable; and welcomes the Zimbabwe government's adoption of the Inception Phase for land resettlement agreed with donors, stakeholders and beneficiaries at a conference in September 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what contact he has had with the leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia since the end of the conflict in Kosovo; [91233](2) what contacts the United Kingdom Government have had with the leaders of Serbian opposition parties since the end of the conflict in Kosovo. [91234]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I both met the leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic, in London on 22 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the postponement of local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina. [91229]

Ambassador Robert Barry, Chairman of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation's Provisional Election Commission for Bosnia and Herzegovina (PEC) announced on 24 June that, given the political situation in Bosnia, the PEC had decided to postpone forthcoming municipal elections in Bosnia until 8 April 2000. The PEC made the decision following consultations with representatives of the Bosnian political parties and other elected officials, the Peace Implementation Council established in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement and the OSCE.The PEC has emphasised that the decision will not affect voter registration within Bosnia and Herzegovina or out-of-country which is continuing according to schedule.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what nonproliferation assessments have been conducted by his Department over the past 12 months; and if he will place copies in the Library. [91247]

Before any decision is taken on non-proliferation policy, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office assesses and takes into account all relevant factors. Such assessments are covered by Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Internal discussion and advice). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also contributes to assessments made elsewhere in the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if arrangements are to be made by his Department for a delegation of hon. Members, apart from the Foreign Affairs Committee, to visit Kosovo. [91424]

There are currently no arrangements in hand by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for Parliamentary delegations to visit Kosovo.

To ask the Attorney-General how much expenditure his Department (a) has incurred to date and (b) forecasts that it will incur in the future, on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [91168]

Following the publication of the Government's Outline National Changeover Plan, my Departments are considering what preparations may be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the new measures he announced in his oral statement of 21 May 1999, Official Report, columns 1371–73, on biotechnology will enable some commercial planting of genetically modified crops to take place with Government approval. [86128]

[holding answer 8 June 1999]: The new measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office in his statement of 21 May were the SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) Code of Practice and Guidelines. General planting of GM crops can take place only with Government approval. At present, no genetically modified (GM) crops have all the necessary approvals for general cultivation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answers of 22 March 1999, Official Report, columns 41–42, and 16 June 1999, Official Report, columns 135–36, on Parliamentary Scrutiny of Draft Directive 90/220 concerning powers of the Council of Ministers and Commission of the European Community to determine rules for the deliberate release into the environment of genetically-modified organisms; when the relevant draft was debated in the House; and how the directive differed from the draft then considered. [88688]

The position of the Government with regard to the original Commission proposal for the amendment of Directive 90/220 has been laid out in Explanatory Memorandum 6378/98, submitted to the House of Commons on 23 March 1998. I wrote to the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee on 27 November with further details of the Government's priorities in the negotiations, and the Explanatory Memorandum was debated in the House of Commons European Standing Committee A on 24 March 1999.The Government submitted a further Explanatory Memorandum (7138/99) on 30 April following the publication of the Commission's amended proposal taking account of the European Parliament's Opinion. The Committee responded in its Nineteenth Report, acknowledging that the main issues had been thoroughly

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make his Department responsible for monitoring the response to, and actions following, the safety recommendations made by its Air Accident Investigation Branch; and if he will make a statement. [90416]

The Air Accident Investigation Branch and the CAA' s Safety Regulation Group are independent of each other. Legislation requires investigation of aviation accidents and serious incidents to be carried out by an organisation independent of the regulator. It is the responsibility of the Safety Regulation Group to maintain and enhance standards of aviation safety, taking into account among other things recommendations made by the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list his Department's capital investment programme for the years 1996 to 2002 under the headings (a) railways, (b) national motorway and trunk road network and (b) local transport. [90963]

[holding answer 12 July 1999]: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Departmental Investment Strategy, published in

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 1999, Official Report, column 334, on genetically modified oilseed rape, when an application to release genetically modified crops on East Lodge Farm, Stanton, Gloucestershire was made; and when the applicant was notified of the outcome. [89747]

[holding answer 5 July 1999]: Three consents have been issued in respect of East Lodge Farm, all in respect of genetically modified (GM) winter oilseed rape. Although the farm itself is inside the Gloucestershire boundary, the applications and consents refer to East Lodge Farm as being in Stanton, near Broadway, Worcestershire. The details of the consents are as follows:April 1999, set out the major elements of public sector investment anticipated as a result of the resources allocated to the Department following the comprehensive spending review. The following table illustrates capital investment generated through and related to the DETR programmes and policies for railways, national motorway and trunk roads, and local transport. investment prior to 1998–99 is given as an average figure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much Government money has been invested in initiatives to improve rural public transport in (a) Bath and North East Somerset and (b) South Gloucestershire, since May 1997. [91159]

In his March 1998 Budget, the Chancellor made available an additional £50 million a year to assist public transport in rural areas. The bulk of these extra resources is being used to provide additional bus services. We allocated £139,970 to Bath and North East Somerset and £191,415 to South Gloucestershire in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant for 1998–99. We have allocated the same amounts to both authorities for 1999–2000. In addition, both authorities submitted successful bids under the 1998 Rural Bus Challenge competition. Bath and North East Somerset were allocated £34,600 for a project to improve lighting at bus stops in rural areas, while South Gloucestershire were allocated £612,000 for a project to develop three community transport co-ordination centres.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of the addition of bull bars to motor vehicles. [90728]

[holding answer 13 July 1999]: Following a consultation exercise on the possibility of taking action on the bull bar issue, we are now in the process of identifying how best to take matters forward. As a part of this process we have asked the Transport Research Laboratory to do some test work comparing a range of bull bars and base vehicles.We are also awaiting the opportunity to examine the detail of a European Commission proposal for a pedestrian protection Directive, which we understand will be put forward later this year. As well as making car fronts safer, such a Directive could provide a Europe-wide mechanism for preventing aggressive bull bars being fitted to vehicles to make them more pedestrian friendly. Increasing the pedestrian friendliness of cars has the potential to reduce significantly the numbers of vulnerable road users who are killed and injured each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what initiatives his Department has introduced to reduce car tax evasion on Merseyside; and if he will make a statement on their progress. [91211]

[holding answer 13 July 1999]: The main responsibility for enforcement action against unlicensed vehicles rests with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. The police and traffic wardens in the Merseyside area provide the Agency with reports on unlicensed vehicles seen on the public road. Last year, the Agency took successful enforcement action against some 25,000 evaders in the Merseyside area, bringing in over £2.9 million in fines and penalties. In addition, the Agency and the police conduct campaigns periodically against road tax evaders. These take the form of extensive localised publicity to encourage motorists to relicense their vehicles, or risk being caught in subsequent police checks. The last such campaign in Merseyside was run in March of this year, and resulted in around £0.3 million recovered in additional revenue.The Agency also operates a permanent wheelclamping operation in Merseyside as part of a national scheme. The scheme has proved to be very successful in encouraging motorists to relicense their vehicles. Since its introduction in Merseyside in November 1997, almost 2,000 vehicles have been clamped. Some 50 per cent. of these have been left unclaimed and disposed of. The initial publicity of the scheme led to the recover of £0.5 million in additional revenue.Further initiatives aimed at reducing the level of vehicle excise duty evasion include measures to improve the quality of the vehicle register and to make it more difficult for motorists to drop out of the licensing system. Planning is being done for the introduction of camera systems in Merseyside and the rest of the country to detect and deter evasion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's letter of 24 June (ref. FA00059) to Mr. G. S. Wright in respect of payment for a survey for seaworthiness made on 8 March, if he will refund the overpayment outstanding together with interest; and if he will make a statement on the factors underlying the delay in repayment. [90728]

[holding answer 14 July 1999]: The Survey was carried out on 6, 7 and 20 April 1999 and was completed on 18 May 1999 on the production of Mr. Wright's Radio Certificate.The refund was then issued on 29 June 1999 and cashed on 7 July. I can confirm that the delay was due to an administrative error whereby the survey cheque was posted to an incorrect account. Should a claim for interest be made in writing it will be calculated as per current legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance on computerised vehicle routeing and scheduling software he intends to produce. [91445]

We intend to publish a guide on Computerised Vehicle Routeing and Scheduling (CVRS) later this summer. It is being produced by the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme and will inform transport managers of the benefits of CVRS. The guide will summarise the general capabilities of CVRS systems and show how they can be used to avoid wasted mileage and reduce fuel consumption. It will also present some short case studies in order to demonstrate the savings that can be achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what he expects to be the salary of London Assembly members when they first meet. [91493]

We have invited the Senior Salaries Review Body to make recommendations about the initial levels of salary of the Mayor of London and members of the London Assembly. the Review Body is due to report by December this year, and we will announce our decision when we have had an opportunity to consider its recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many meetings Ministers have had with (a) officials and (b) others regarding the draft Aeroplane Noise (Amendment) Regulations 1999. [91052]

[holding answer 14 July 1999]: None. The draft Aeroplane Noise (Amendment) Regulations are simply an administrative measure. They align UK legislation with the latest EU amendment by deleting 11 aeroplanes which no longer qualify for exemption.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of household waste from Greater London is (a) recycled, (b) incinerated and (c) taken to landfill sites. [91499]

The table gives the proportion of municipal waste collected in Greater London in 1997–98, which was recycled, incinerated or sent to landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what functions of Training and Enterprise Councils will be taken over by the Regional Development Agencies when TECs are abolished. [91502]

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will not be taking over any of the functions currently performed by TECs. From April 2001, the Learning and Skills Council for England will assume responsibility from TECs for funding Modern Apprenticeships, National Traineeships and other government-funded training for young people and workforce development. RDAs will work closely with the Learning and Skills Councils at local and national levels. The Learning and Skills Council will be responsible for setting a national post-16 Learning and Skills Strategy which will draw on and support the RDAs' regional strategies and skills action plans. RDAs will be represented on the boards of the national and local Learning and Skills Councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Regional Development Agencies will determine the boundaries of local Learning and Skills Councils; and whom they must consult beforehand. [91503]

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will advise Government, by 30 September, on the boundaries for the local Learning and Skills Councils and the local outlets of the Small Business Service after consulting their public and private sector partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Civil Service code of conduct applies to employees of Regional Development Agencies. [91514]

No. Regional Development Agencies are required to have in place a code of guidance for staff based on the "Model Code for Staff of Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies", produced by the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will make an announcement about successful bids under round five of the Single Regeneration Budget. [91554]

I have announced today details of the successful bids under Round 5 of the Single Regeneration Budget. Brief descriptions of the successful bids in their region have been sent to hon. Members in English constituencies. Full copies of the bid documents for successful bids by region will be held for inspection at the relevant Regional Development Agency and the Government Office for London.SRB Round 5 operated under bidding guidance issued in September 1998. Subject to finalising the details of the successful bids, the availability of resources, and the satisfactory agreement and implementation of partnerships' Delivery Plans, we intend to make available over £1 billion of funding for 163 successful bids, which include proposals to address key priorities such as social exclusion, education, employment and training, community safety and prevention of drug misuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many Single Regeneration Budget funded projects are underway in each of the Government office regions of England. [91510]

There are 517 SRB schemes currently operating in England. Information on the number of projects involved in each scheme is not held centrally. The following is the number of schemes by Government office region: