To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend the MoT test to include checks on (a) the safety and security of children's restraints and children's seats when fitted in motor vehicles and (b) the suitability of such devices for their purported purpose; and if he will make a statement. [98514]

It would not be practical to require such checks during MoT tests on items which are not permanent fittings in vehicles. There is a wide range of child restraints available which are suitable for children of different sizes and ages and which meet prescribed standards of design and performance. Parents can be confident about safety provided they use a restraint marked as complying with the relevant standards and also follow the manufacturer's fitting instructions. It is for parents to determine the suitability of child restraint systems for the size and age of their children.The Department's leaflet "Seat Belts and Child Restraints" already advises on restraint systems and reminds that fitting instructions must always be followed. The content of the leaflet is kept under review and we are always willing to add to the advice where it is appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what area of land was developed on (a) greenfield sites and (b) Brownfield sites, in the City of Worcester, in the years 1979 to 1998. [99394]

The information is not currently available. The Department's Land Use Change Statistics provide estimates of the proportion of development that took place on land that was previously developed, but at present results are available only for counties, not for local authority districts or cities. This source is currently under review, and will be developed to provide more detailed, timely information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is the Government's definition of fuel poverty; [99110](2) if he will set a target year by which fuel poverty in the UK will be eliminated. [99114]

[holding answer 22 November 1999]: As announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Energy on 11 November 1999, an inter-ministerial group is being set up, jointly chaired by her and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to examine the way ahead on fuel poverty.The commonly applied definition of a fuel poor household is one that needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of income to achieve a satisfactory heating regime. The inter-ministerial group will consider this definition in light of the comments received on the recent consultation, as set out in the answer given on 19 October 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sources of public finance are available to assist in the scheme to re-open the Droitwich Junction and Droitwich Barge canals. [99463]

There are a number of sources of public finance available to assist canal restoration projects. These include the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Environmental Action Fund, the Single Regeneration Budget, and the New Opportunities Fund as well as local authorities, regional development agencies and landfill tax rebate. To qualify for a grant from any of these sources the Droitwich canal project would of course have to meet with the requirements and aims of the grant provider.Detailed information on the sources of funding for canal restoration projects is contained in the DETR-sponsored Technical Restoration Handbook, published by the Inland Waterways Association (IWA). Copies of the Handbook can be obtained from the IWA (Tel: 01923 711114).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding he has made available for community-based projects (a) to tackle drug abuse and (b) to promote safer communities since May 1997. [99529]

The Department operates two major community-based regeneration programmes, the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) and the New Deal for Communities (NDC).The SRB's multiple objectives, designed to tackle poverty and social exclusion, include a specific objective of tackling crime and drug abuse and improving community safety. It is not possible to identify funding made available specifically for projects tackling drug abuse or promoting safer communities. However, since May 1997, 213 out of 284 successful bids under rounds 4 and 5 gave crime prevention or community safety as key objectives. Anti-drug proposals would be covered by these objectives. Details of the successful bids were placed in the Library of the House.The first round of the NDC was launched in September 1998 and the second round on 10 November 1999. Anti-drug measures feature in all of the plans of the first round partnerships and are likely to feature in second round plans too. However, it is not possible to identify how much NDC funding will be used specifically for anti-drug and community safety activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish for (a) Merseyside, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Cornwall, the amount of Objective 1 finance which he expects each area will get by way of commitment in the year 2000–01 from the European Union; how much of these committed project costs he expects to be spent during that year; how much will carry over to subsequent financial years; and how much match funding will be made available to each of these areas for the financial year 2000–01. [99546]

The Single Programming Documents for the Objective 1 areas for the period 2000–06 have not yet been agreed but the proposals are:

million euro
Area	EC funding 2000–01	Match funding
Merseyside	405.5	597.7
South Yorkshire	356.6	432.9
Cornwall	151.0	245.0

It is too early to say how much of these allocations will actually be committed and spent during these years. All depends on when the European Commission approve the single programming documents, how quickly projects get under way and when applicants submit their grant claims. The responsibility for identifying match funding from the many sources available in the public and private sectors is a matter for project applicants in these areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the definition of a cluster used in planning regulations relating to supermarkets. [99745]

The changes in policy in respect of planning for the development of clusters of knowledge-based industry, foreshadowed in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's pre-Budget Report, do not apply to supermarkets. The Government's policy in respect of planning for supermarkets is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 6, "Town Centres and Retail Developments", which seeks to focus new retail and leisure development in town centres. The Government have no plans to review PPG6.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the special advisers to Ministers in his Department; and by whom each of the advisers is paid. [100072]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has appointed five special advisers (two of whom are part-time): Paul Hackett, Joan Hammell, Joe Irvin, Adrian Long and David Wilson, all of whom are paid by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the draft guidelines on the Groundwater Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [100073]

The Groundwater Regulations 1998 came into effect on 1 April this year. Guidance on the Regulations was available at that time from the Environment Agency, and further guidance has been drawn up in the light of experience during the first months of practical implementation. A draft of this further guidance, which explains the operation and application of the Regulations, is now being sent out for public consultation to a wide range of consultees. Comments are invited by 29 February 2000. Copies of the draft guidance have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what transport projects he proposes to fund with the receipts from the proposed public/private partnership for National Air Traffic Services. [100189]

The expected proceeds from the proposed partial sale of National Air Traffic Services have been reflected in the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review Settlement, resulting in a 25 per cent. increase in underlying transport spending. This will allow a start to be made on integrated transport policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 1 September regarding a constituent. [100076]

We have no record of receiving my hon. Friend's letter dated 1 September. If he would like to forward us a further copy it will be dealt with promptly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will extend the period in which heads of agreement must be signed by smaller trade associations in respect of discount from climate change levy rates. [100462]

My right hon. Friend does not propose to do so. These sectors have been asked to sign heads of agreement before the Budget in March 2000. They have been able to start preparations since the levy was announced in March 1999 and there has been a series of meetings with officials since then. The sectors may also take advantage of assistance from the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme in preparing their proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedure will determine whether energy saving measures are cost effective for the purpose of qualifying for 80 per cent. discount from climate change levy rates. [100461]

Negotiations with sectors are proceeding on the basis that sectors will be expected to commit to installing all cost-effective energy efficiency measures over the period of the agreements. Cost-effectiveness will be measured using industry's own criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to respond to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Local Government (Organisation and Standards) Bill; and if he will make a statement. [100565]

We intend shortly to put before the House a full response to the Committee's Report.The Government welcome the Committee's scrutiny of the draft Bill, and have considered very carefully all their conclusions and recommendations.Yesterday we introduced in another place the Local Government Bill which contains with certain amendments the provisions of the draft bill. As stated in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill, the objectives of those provisions are to achieve greater efficiency, transparency and accountability of local authorities.In their Report the Committee welcomed those objectives. The Committee concluded that the extent to which any eventual legislation would fulfil those objectives would largely depend on how far the Government were prepared to accept their findings.Our response will demonstrate that we are committed to adopt an approach which will ensure that those objectives are fulfilled to the greatest possible extent. We will bring forward as early as possible in the passage of the Bill such amendments as are necessary to give full effect to our response.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the Government Response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee's report on GMOs and the Environment; Co-ordination of Government Policy. [100569]

I have today written to the Chairman of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee enclosing a copy of the Government's Response to the Committee's report on GMOs and the Environment: Coordination of Government policy, which was published today. A copy of the Response has been laid before the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with which initiatives and at what cost Her Majesty's Government are helping Russia in relation to tuberculosis. [100082]

Since 1994 the Department for International Development (DFID) has been providing advice to the TB service in Tomsk oblast, comparing treatment methods recommended by the World Health Organisation with traditional Russian methods. As a result the Federal Ministry of Health has agreed to use Tomsk as a pilot site for TB treatment reform. We are discussing expanding this work to two further oblasts, Kemerovo and Samara, with the relevant regional authorities. In addition we are considering providing support for two further TB projects to be carried out under the auspices of the World bank and the World Health Organisation respectively.The total cost of these interventions is likely to be around £2.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will state the current estimated value of fixed and moveable assets held by (a) her Department and (b) the Commonwealth Development Corporation in (i) Scotland, (ii) the United Kingdom, (iii) overseas and (iv) in total. [99662]

The current estimated value of fixed and moveable assets is as follows:

£
	(a) DFID	(b) CDC
(i) Scotland	6,570,000	0
(ii) UK	10,015,000	23,800,000
(iii) Overseas	3,507,000	4,900,000
(iv) Total	20,092,000	28,700,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the current value of land and property (a) in Scotland, (b) in England and (c) in total owned or under the responsibility of (i) the Royal Fine Art Commission,(ii) the Royal Commission on Historic Manuscripts, (iii) the Historic Royal Palaces Agency and (iv) the Royal Parks Agency (including property held in right of the Crown under the Crown Lands Act 1851). [99828]

Information on the value of the assets of these four bodies can be found in their latest annual reports, all of which are placed in the Libraries of the House. The offices of the former Royal Fine Art Commission and of the Royal Commission on Historic Manuscripts are leased in the name of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and my Department has no interest in their freehold value. The land and property managed by Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Parks Agency are held in right of the Crown. They are therefore inalienable, and a valuation of them has not been undertaken. None of these bodies owns or has responsibility for any property in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the areas of Scotland which may face difficulties receiving digital television transmissions (a) before 2006 and (b) before 2010. [99655]

The digital terrestrial transmission plan for the UK presently comprises 81 transmitter sites. Transmissions from the fourteen digital terrestrial transmitter sites located in Scotland, together with transmissions from Caldbeck in the north of England, will deliver digital terrestrial television services to about 90–95 per cent. of the Scottish population. Maps showing the predicted coverage from each of these transmitter sites have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses on CD-ROM.The BBC and ITC, together with the transmission providers Crown Castle and NTL, are now considering the further development of digital television coverage, in consultation with the digital broadcasters and Government. The aim is to ensure that at least 99.4 per cent. of the UK population can receive digital television signals, through a variety of delivery mechanisms. Analogue switch-over will not take place until this and other tests are met, for which the Government has set a target timetable of 2006–10. The ITC and BBC's transmission plans are not yet sufficiently advanced to determine if there will be any areas in Scotland where the reception of digital television might remain difficult at 2006 or 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to require the extension of coverage of Channel 5 in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. 99656]

Responsibility for the transmission of Channel 5 services rests with Channel 5 under the terms of its licence, regulated by the Independent Television Commission and subject to constraints on the available spectrum. Channel 5 has enhanced its coverage across the UK by offering analogue services free-to-air on satellite and also on cable where it is available. Channel 5 services are also carried free-to-air on all digital platforms.The provision of digital terrestrial television now has higher priority than the potential extension of analogue terrestrial Channel 5 coverage. The Government have no plans to require Channel 5 to extend analogue terrestrial services to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland or other areas of the UK. However in due course digital television coverage will be universally available across the UK, at least matching the existing analogue coverage of 99.4 per cent. of the UK population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the value of the Government Art Collection. [99829]

It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the value of the Government Art Collection, which has no current market valuation. The current monetary value of a work of art can be accurately assessed only at the time of its purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the Collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be a justifiable expenditure of public funds to have the whole Collection valued professionally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the 1998–99 annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art will be published. [100600]

The Reviewing Committee's Annual Report for 1998–99 has been published today and copies have been laid before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment he has made of the implications of seating capacity options at the new National Stadium for the likely success of a future bid to host the Olympic Games in the United Kingdom; [98650](2) if he will make a statement on what seating capacity options for the new National Stadium have been considered by his Department; [98652](3) who was responsible for authorising the original design brief for the new National Stadium; [98647](4) what recent representations he has received from

[holding answer 22 November 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 19 November copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation process will apply in relation to any proposals for new BBC children's television channels. [98645]

[holding answer 22 November 1999]: The BBC published for consultation on its proposals for new and enhanced public services, including a new digital television channel for children, on 15 September. Subject to the outcome of the review of the future funding of the BBC, I understand the Corporation will be seeking my approval to launch a new children's channel in due course. I am considering whether changes should be made to the current arrangements for considering proposed new BBC services in the light of the recommendations made by the Davies Panel. I expect to announce final decisions on this in January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the financial health of Britain's orchestras. [99902]

The Department and the Arts Council have recognised for some time that the financial position of many of England's regional orchestras was precarious. For this reason we agreed with the Arts Council that a review of orchestras was necessary. The Arts Council announced the outcome of this review on 13 October. They are to be congratulated for identifying a pragmatic way ahead and I am sure that the orchestras will now seize this opportunity to secure their long-term future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of proposed taxes on the London art market. [99520]

I have been asked to reply.An independent assessment of the potential impact of artists' resale right (droit de suite) carried out earlier this year concluded: that by 2005, sales of works eligible for the right could fall by as much as 78 per cent. (from –280 million to –61 million) resulting in a loss of earnings by British auctioneers and dealers of –57 million per annum; and that sales of all works (eligible and

Table A: DSS annually managed expenditure
£ million
	Projections
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Retirement Pensions	37,514	38,280	40,214
Christmas bonus	120	121	122
Widow's benefits	976	946	1,124
Jobseeker's Allowance (Contribution-based)	522	543	560
Incapacity Benefit	7,028	6,942	7,080
Statutory Sick Pay	28	29	29
Maternity Allowance	39	46	56
Statutory Maternity Pay	562	587	618
Guardian's Allowance and Child Special Allowance	2	2	2
Non-Contributory Retirement Pension	27	26	26
Non-Contributory Christmas Bonus	16	16	17
War Pensions	1,230	1,161	1,122
Attendance Allowance	2,821	2,894	3,067
Invalid Care Allowance	805	827	879
Severe Disablement Allowance	1,017	1,028	1,041
Disability Living Allowance	5,611	5,845	6,294
Disability Working Allowance	44	—	—
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit	744	767	810
Industrial Death Benefit	51	50	49

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to Table B12 on page 156 of the pre-Budget Report, if he will provide a breakdown of the revisions to forecast social security spending in each of the financial years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02 by (i) category of benefit and (ii) the factors leading to the revised figures. [99399]

Estimates of Departmental Annually Managed Expenditure for Great Britain made at the time of the March 1999 Budget are in Table 1 of the Social Security Departmental Report 1999 (Cm 4214).Table A sets out the revised projections of expenditure for each DSS benefit from 1999–2000 to 2001–02, in respect of Great Britain. These estimates are comparable with figures in Table B 12 of the pre-Budget Report which are provided on a United Kingdom basis. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for details of social security expenditure for Northern Ireland.Table B sets out revised departmental projections of additional expenditure on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, met from local authorities' General Funds, or included within their Housing Revenue Accounts.The sum of the total expenditure in Table A and the additional Local Authority expenditure in Table B is comparable with the grant total of social security spending on benefits in Table 8 of the Social Security Departmental Report 1999.Paragraph B43 of the pre-Budget Report sets out the main factors affecting estimates of social security Annually Managed Expenditure since the March 1999 Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to ensure that student loans taken up by mature students undertaking university degree courses are not considered as income for the purposes of determining their eligibility for social benefits, including housing benefits, for themselves and for any dependent children. [99596]

Full time students are not eligible to claim income-related benefits—their primary source of financial support comes from the education system. However, certain students in vulnerable groups, for example: lone parents or disabled students, are eligible.When deciding a claim for an income-related benefit most income is taken into account. Income is only disregarded if there are strong grounds for doing so. There are existing disregards from student loan income, such as amounts intended for travel or for books and equipment. To ignore the rest of the student loan income (which is intended for everyday living expenses) available to mature students would be unfair to other claimants of similar means and circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement of 19 November 1999, Official Report, column 314, which is the earliest year in which a person earning £6,000 a year could receive more than £50 a week exclusively through the state second pension. [100191]

An employee earning £6,000 per year throughout their working life could retire with £50 per week from the State Second Pension in 2047. This would be in addition to a full basic State Retirement Pension.

Notes:

1. State Second Pension is assumed to start in 2002.

2. Earnings and pension figures are in 1999 earnings terms.

3. The calculation is based on a person earning £6,000 per year (in today's earnings terms) for a full working life. A full working life is 49 years, beginning at age 16 and ending at age 65.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 28 September regarding a constituent, ref. 17161. [100074]

A reply was issued to my hon. Friend on 25 November 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many cases termed as priority by Motability are outstanding due to lack of funding; what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that future cases are not subjected to delay; and if he will ensure that the outstanding priority cases are progressed as a matter of urgency; [99654](2) if he will make a statement on the outcome of his meeting with the governors of Motability on 27 October 1999. [99653]

I held a meeting on 27 October 1999 with one of Motability's Governors, the Vice Chairman and other officers of Motability, to discuss proposals for the future funding of the Mobility Equipment Fund (MEF). The meeting was helpful and constructive. I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.24 MEF renewal cases have been deferred due to insufficient funding. These should be cleared by February 2000. A further 15 other priority cases should be cleared as soon as possible after February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security under what circumstances the Independent Tribunal Service is required to hold a re-hearing of an appeal case; and if he will review the law with regard to such cases. [99547]

The law relating to the re-hearing of an appeal was reviewed recently and is set out in the Social Security Act 1998. The Act sets out three circumstances when a tribunal's decision can be set aside and referred to a new tribunal for a re-hearing.We have carried forward provisions for the Independent Tribunal Service/The Appeals Service to set aside decisions on certain grounds. This is where a relevant document was not received by all parties on time or where a party to the proceedings was not present at the hearing.We have also retained the provisions for set aside by the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners. A Commissioner can set aside a tribunal's decision where it is erroneous in law and refer the appeal back to the Independent Tribunal Service/The Appeals Service for a new decision.The Act introduces new provisions for tribunal decisions on Social Security Benefits to be set aside where the original decision is erroneous in law. This allows a tribunal to correct its own decision where it is clearly wrong or where both the appellant and the Secretary of State consider that the decision is erroneous in law. This new provision does not remove the right of appeal to a Commissioner but it dispenses with the need for an appeal to go to the Commissioners in some circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the Independent Tribunal Service to provide the hon. Member for Aylesbury with the clarification of the case of Mr. David Reader (references D04 048 1999 00512 and D04 048 1999 00981) which was promised by the Regional Chairman of the Independent Tribunal Service in his letter of 13 August. [98758]

[holding answer 22 November 1999]: This is a matter for the President of the Appeals Service, His Honour Judge Harris. However, I understand Robert Martin, the Regional Chairman, replied to the hon. Member on 19 November with further information about the case of Mr. Reader.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of people with non-child care responsibilities (a) who are entitled to and (b) who claim Home Responsibilities Protection. [98511]

The entitlement conditions for Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) for non-child carers are very similar to those for Invalid Care Allowance (ICA). The majority of people who fulfil those conditions will claim ICA which attracts automatic National Insurance credits and hence, they do not require HRP. No reliable information is available on the numbers of non-child carers without ICA who are either entitled to or claim HRP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the Child Support Agency's policy is in respect of the enforcement of maintenance orders against former partners now residing overseas, with particular reference to the case of Mrs. J. Basu of Formby. [98603]

The Child Support Agency does not have jurisdiction to enforce maintenance orders made against former partners now residing overseas. This is a matter for the Lord Chancellor's Department, who are currently pursuing Mrs. Basu's case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons he has delayed the implementation of the new pay structure for the armed forces until April 2000; and what will be the consequent saving to his budget. [99922]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Crausby) on 19 November 1999, Official Report, column 14W, in which I stated that the new pay structure for the Armed Forces was to be delayed by one year to April 2001 because the process of implementing this major project has proved more complex than had been originally anticipated. This delay will ensure that there is no risk to the pay of our Service men and women. There will be no consequent saving to the Defence budget.The transition to the new pay structure is expected to involve additional costs. The pay rates for the new system will be recommended by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, and these will not be known until early 2001. Therefore I am withholding details of our planning assumptions under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the current value of fighting equipment in the (a) Army and (b) RAF; [99650](2) if he will estimate the current value of

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the current value of investments held by the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF. [99652]

This information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Members and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current value of contracts for uniforms held with companies in (a) Scotland, (b) the UK and (c) in total. [99661]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on (a) legal fees, (b) special security measures and (c) other expenses in supporting former members of the Parachute Regiment in connection with the Saville Inquiry. [98588]

As at the end of September the Ministry of Defence has spent £2,843,519 on legal fees in total in connection with the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. It is not possible to identify separately the legal costs incurred in supporting former members of the Parachute Regiment, since soldiers from many other regiments are involved.Special security measures were not provided by the Department but by the Home Office; the costs are withheld for security reasons under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The only other expenses which can be identified as having been incurred in supporting former members of the Parachute Regiment are travel and subsistence costs which are reimbursed following meetings with their MOD-appointed lawyers. These currently amount to £6,256.17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the entitlement to attributable forces family pension. [98748]

Entitlement to attributable forces family pensions is being considered as part of a review of the Armed Forces Pensions currently underway. This review of pensions should not be confused with the joint MOD and DSS review of arrangements to compensate members of the Armed Forces and their dependants for illness, injury and death attributable to service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the NATO bombing of (a) the oil refinery and bridges at Novi Sad and (b) the chemical complex at Pancevo. [100086]

The refinery at Novi Sad and the chemical complex at Pancevo were damaged during NATO airstrikes, resulting in immediate cessation of production at Novi Sad and severe functional damage at Pancevo. Production has now resumed and repairs are continuing.The effect of the destruction of the bridges at Novi Sad (and the other bridges crossing the Danube) was to dislocate lines of communication in Serbia. The capacity to reinforce and sustain Serbian Forces was reduced. Road and railway traffic was interrupted, and the remains of the bridges blocked the Danube at Novi Sad. The closure of the Danube to river traffic impacted on imports, but also affected the through traffic to and from neighbouring countries and Black Sea ports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests he received in the summer of 1999 from the UN for NATO assistance to investigate the use of depleted uranium in Kosovo; and what reply was sent. [100087]

I have received no such requests from the UN. NATO has received numerous inquiries from a number of sources, including the United Nations, about the use of depleted uranium in Kosovo. NATO has repeatedly confirmed that some of its aircraft used DU munitions in anti-tank engagements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 10 August, on behalf of his constituent Mr. Hall preliminarily acknowledged on 30 August. [99923]

The investigations being carried out by the RAF in this case have reached a point where the complainant and Corporal Hall have been provided with a report and conclusions. They have some time to comment on that report, following which the investigation will be brought to a close and decisions will be taken. At that point I will write to the right hon. Member again.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by age and number the claimants who have received a settlement in relation to (a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema for each month since April; and if he will make a statement. [99209]

The monthly breakdown of payments made to ex-miners and their widows in respect of claims for compensation for VWF and respiratory disease since April 1999 is as follows:

Payments made to respiratory claimants		Payments made to VWF claimants
Age	Number	Age	Number
April
49 and below	4	49 and below	30
50–59	65	50–59	59
60–69	153	60–69	74
70–79	192	70–79	23
80–89	39	80–89	13
90 and above	3	90 and above	0
May
49 and below	5	49 and below	43
50–59	41	50–59	86
60–69	143	60–69	123
70–79	202	70–79	46
80–89	34	80–89	3
90 and above	2	90 and above	0
June
49 and below	9	49 and below	51
50–59	45	50–59	69
60–69	109	60–69	108
70–79	159	70–79	46
80–89	34	80–89	0
90 and above	1	90 and above	0
July
49 and below	9	49 and below	141
50–59	42	50–59	125
60–69	134	60–69	140
70–79	172	70–79	50
80–89	30	80–89	2
90 and above	2	90 and above	0
August
49 and below	4	40 and below	123
50–59	33	50–59	115
60–69	81	60–69	170
70–79	119	70–79	60
80–89	21	80–89	3
90 and above	0	90 and above	0
September
49 and below	9	40 and below	122
50–59	28	50–59	152
60–69	128	60–69	211
70–79	241	70–79	91
80–89	58	80–89	5
90 and above	2	90 and above	0
October
49 and below	7	49 and below	180
50–59	49	50–59	222
60–69	147	60–69	241
70–79	273	70–79	130
80–89	51	80–89	10
90 and above	3	90 and above	0
November as 22.11.99
49 and below	4	49 and below	176
50–59	32	50–59	169
60–69	143	60–69	247
70–79	276	70–79	150
80–89	40	80–89	5
90 and above	1	90 and above	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many SIEL and open individual export licence applications have been made in 1999; and how many of them have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected. [99298]

Between 1 January and 12 November 1999, 10,109 applications for an individual licence to export goods controlled for strategic reasons were received; 9,775 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL); and 334 applications for an Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL).Between 1 January and 12 November 1999, a decision was taken on 6,851 SIEL applications and 143 OIEL applications, some of which will have been received before 1 January 1999; 6,802 SIELs were issued between these dates and 49 applications for such a licence were refused; 143 OIELs were issued between these dates and no applications for such a licence were refused in full.A comparison of the numbers of licences issued or refused in any two periods, even when they are of the same duration, is hardly a reliable indicator of the practical effect of a change in Government policy—or indeed a change in Government—between the periods concerned. In the first place, companies are unlikely to apply for licences that they can judge for themselves are likely to be refused when assessed against the published criteria. More generally, the number and nature of the applications received in total or in relation to particular destinations can vary widely from one period to the next, and there can be many reasons for such variation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will put forward legislation relating to the sale of fireworks in order to ensure that fireworks cannot be bought directly or indirectly by young children; and if he will make a statement. [99392]

The Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 prohibit the supply of most fireworks to persons under the age of 18 years. The exceptions to this prohibition are caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns which, under the Explosives Act 1875, can be sold to persons over the age of 16 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish the Government's response to the Science and Technology Committee's first report of Session 1998–99, HC 286, on the Scientific Advisory System: Genetically Modified Foods. [100566]

I have today written to the Chairman of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee enclosing a copy of the Government's Response to the Committee's report on the Scientific Advisory System: Genetically Modified Foods, which was published earlier today. A copy of Responses has been laid in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives he proposes to take at the World Trade Organisation Conference at Seattle to ensure that WTO policies have specific objectives which include (a) the reduction of Third World poverty, (b) ensuring equitable market access for the products of Third World countries on the basis of a level playing field and (c) helping consumers to distinguish between products on ethical, environmental and health grounds. [99422]

[holding answer 23 November 1999]: At Seattle, I will be vigorously supporting EU efforts aimed at ensuring that a new comprehensive round of negotiations has a clear development agenda meeting the needs and priorities of developing countries and which maximises the WTO's contribution to the eradication of poverty. On market access in respect of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), I shall be arguing strongly that other industrialised countries should join the EU in undertaking to provide duty-free access for essentially all LDC exports no later than the end of the round. I fully support the development of labelling schemes which enable consumers to make choices consistent with the pursuit of sustainable development. The EU will be pressing for clarification of the relationship between WTO rules and eco-labelling schemes to be included in the round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what moratorium was implemented with regard to spending on through-floor lifts in the North and West Trust area in the current financial year; and when it is likely to be lifted. [98473]

Spending on through-floor lifts was suspended by North and West Belfast HSS Trust during July and August 1999 due to budgetary constraints. The provision of through-floor lifts resumed in September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many female members of the (a) RUC and (b) RUCR were perceived to be (i) Protestant and (ii) Roman Catholic in 1996 to 1998; what proportion these were of the total number of female members; and what ranks they held. [98456]

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the report by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on the human health implications of organophosphates will be published. [100714]

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) is today publishing its report on organophosphates (OPs).The Government welcome this thorough and timely report. We have always made it clear that we take very seriously the concerns expressed about the safety of organophospate compounds. In response to those concerns, we pledged that we would subject the scientific evidence to the most rigorous and transparent scrutiny. This was why we asked the Committee on Toxicity (COT) to undertake this in-depth review.As announced when the review was set up, the Veterinary Products Committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and the Committee on Safety of Medicines have been asked to give their advice on the implications of the COT report to Ministers. We will publish this advice and our response to it as soon as possible.Copies of the COT report are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Solicitor-General what his estimate is of the value of land and property held (i) in Scotland and (ii) in total by (a) the Crown Prosecution Service, (b) the Serious Fraud Office and (c) the Treasury Solicitor's Department. [99734]

The Law Officers' Departments, comprising the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Treasury Solicitor's Department, and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers do not have property interests in Scotland.CPS has an interest in 105 properties. Of these, 91 are leasehold interests, 10 are Crown freeholds held by other Departments and four are Crown freeholds held by the CPS.The total value of the four freeholds held by the CPS was calculated to be £3.6 million in 1998, by property consultants employed for this purpose. Calculations for the value of CPS leasehold interests could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The Treasury Solicitor's Department holds property in England and Wales with a value of £9.3 million at 31 March 1999.The SFO has one leasehold property whose value currently is nil, in that the terms of the lease, entered into in 1988, exceed current market rental values. This lease expires on 24 December 2012, and the annual rental is £1.5 million.The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has one leasehold property, the value of which is currently estimated at £100,000.

To ask the Solicitor-General what was the cost to the public purse, through Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office and central funds, of the Roger Levitt case; and what was the amount paid to the counsel for the prosecution and the counsel for the defence. [99329]

The estimated prosecution costs associated with the trial were £993,815. including £449,649.32 (including VAT) paid to counsel for the prosecution. In addition, the estimated prosecution costs of investigation amounted to £819,552. The defence costs from legal aid were £2,649,495 and defence costs from central funds were £10,699. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly with a more detailed breakdown of the defence costs.

To ask the Solicitor-General if he will ask the Bar Council to publish the findings and the reasons for the findings of the disciplinary hearing held by the Bar Council into the handling of the Roger Levitt case. [99330]

I am informed by the Bar Council that no charges of professional misconduct arising from the handling of the Roger Levitt case have been upheld. The Bar Council's disciplinary regulations do not provide for publication of any charge against a barrister, or the finding, where the charge has not been proved, unless the barrister charged so requests. It would be inappropriate for me to ask the Bar Council to depart from the regulations which apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will extend the period of consultation on the national required standards for residential and nursing homes; [98752](2) what representations he has received regarding the length of the consultation period on the national required standards for residential care. [98751]

[holding answer 22 November 1999]: To date the Department has received letters from fewer than 20 people and organisations about the formal consultation period, all suggesting that the period should be extended.The high demand for copies of the consultation document, "Fit for the Future?" led to stocks being exhausted as well as to a backlog of requests. As a result, we decided to order additional copies of "Fit for the Future?" which are now available. A letter will be sent with these copies giving recipients until 21 January to comment on the consultation document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will write to the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon on the cost effectiveness of the new meningitis C vaccine. [100079]

I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will be making his decision on the proposals of West Surrey Health Authority relating to (a) Ashford Hospital's (i) accident and emergency department and (ii) intensive care unit and (b) service cuts. [100091]

We fully recognise the concerns of the local community on such an important issue.Following formal consultation the decision was referred to Ministers on 16 November 1999. We will carefully consider all options before reaching a final decision on the future arrangements for health services in North West Surrey and outer West London.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Anglo-French Summit of 25 November. [100564]

The twenty-second UK/French Summit took place in London on 25 November. Discussions were wide-ranging and took place in a positive and friendly atmosphere. We had worthwhile exchanges on a range of EU, economic and foreign policy issues, and I discussed the lifting of the French ban on British beef with both President Chirac and Prime Minister Jospin.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his estimate is of the value of land and property held by (a) the Public Record Office and (b) HM Land Registry in (i) Scotland and (ii) in total and the total value of assets held by each of these bodies. [99733]

The value of the interest in land and property held by the Public Record Office in Scotland is nil. The value of the interest in land and property held by the PRO in England and Wales at 31 March 1999 was £83,073,000. The value of the total assets held by the PRO at 31 March 1999 was £87,520,000.The value of the interest in land and property held by Her Majesty's Land Registry in Scotland is nil. The value of the interest in land and property held by HMLR in England and Wales at 31 March 1999 was £105,788,000. The value of the total assets held by HMLR at 31 March 1999 was £196,965,000.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his estimate is of the value of land and property in (a) Scotland and (b) in total held by each of the executive agencies for which he is responsible and the total value of assets held by each of these bodies. [99732]

The value of the interest in land and property held by the Court Service in Scotland is nil. The value of the interest in land and property held by the Court Service in England and Wales at 31 March 1999 was £1,119,192,000. The value of the total assets held by the Court Service at 31 March 1999 was £1,158,472,000.The value of interest in land and property held by the Public Trust Office in Scotland is nil. The value of the interest in land and property held by the Public Trust Office in England and Wales at 31 March 1999 was £7,710,000. The value of the total assets held by the Public Trust Office at 31 March 1999 was £9,405,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Director General of the Prison Service will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 20 April concerning a constituent and Chelmsford Prison. [99420]

[holding answer 23 November 1999]: In the Director General's absence from the office, the Deputy Director General responded to the hon. Member on 19 November apologising for the excessive delay in replying.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug-related murders and manslaughters there have been on Merseyside in each year since 1995. [99434]

[holding answer 23 November 1999]: Information, corroborated by the Merseyside police, shows that there was one homicide involving drugs on Merseyside in 1995, three in 1996, three in 1997 and one in 1998.Homicides involving drugs are so coded if the narrative of events supplied by the police to the Home Office mentions that (i) the suspect was reported to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the offence or (ii) the homicide was motivated by the need to obtain drugs, or money to buy drugs or is drug related in some other way, such as rivalry between dealers, etc.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for a formal consultation of the education and youth services about combating drug abuse. [99519]

The education and youth services are the responsibility of the Department for Education and Employment. My Department works closely with that Department in helping to ensure that the education and youth services are properly engaged in our efforts to combat drug abuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the representations received in response to the Government's consultation document on managing dangerous people with a severe personality disorder. [99308]

[holding answer 23 November 1999]: Following completion of the consultation period, a report summarising responses to the document will be prepared and placed in the Library. Individual responses, unless they contain personal information or the respondent has indicated that its contents are confidential, will also be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total prison population in England and Wales as of 1 November, and the corresponding figure on (a) 1 November 1998, (b) 1 November 1997, (c) 1 November 1996 and (d) 1 November 1995. [99584]

The information requested is available for the last day of the month and is given for the appropriate month ends in the table.Information on the prison population at the end of each month up to 1998 is published in successive volumes of "Prison Statistics England and Wales", copies of which are in the Library. Extracts from the 1998 edition of this publication and monthly statistics for 1999 are also available on the internet site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/areas/prisrf.htm.

Population in prisons in England and Wales on 31 October 1995–99
On 31 October	Number
1999	65,900
1998	65,580
1997	63,226
1996	57,764
1995	52,027

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) men and (b) women serving a life prison sentence for murder as of 1 November. [99583]

The latest available provisional information is for 31 October 1999. On that date, there were 3,270 males and 130 females in Prison Service Establishments in England and Wales serving a life sentence for murder.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were in prison in England and Wales for the non-payment of fines on 1 November. [98454]

The available information is for 31 October 1999 when there were 70 male and four female fine defaulters in prison in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for privatisation of prisons in Britain. [98672]

There are no plans to privatise prisons in England and Wales.There are currently eight prisons whose management is contracted out to the private sector with three more due to open by 2001. Following the competition for the management of Buckley Hall and Doncaster prisons, I announced on 22 October that there would be further competitions as contracts fall for renewal. The next contracts to expire are for Blakenhurst and Wolds prisons. The management of Manchester prison will be competed for prior to the expiry of the Prison Service service level agreement on 15 October 2001. As was the case with Buckley Hall and Doncaster, the Prison Service will have the opportunity to make an in-house bid in these competitions. I also announced that continually failing prisons in the public sector would be market tested; proposals for this are being developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median length of wait for (i) a criminal injuries compensation scheme review, (ii) a Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel oral appeal hearing and (iii) a Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel paper appeal result in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the figures for each of the previous two years; [98496](2) how many cases of criminal injuries compensation

The information is not immediately available from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and Appeals Panel in the form requested. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of officers employed at each grade at HMP Ashfield; and if he will list how many at each grade have previous experience of working in the Prison Service. [98477]

The table gives details of staff at Ashfield who work with prisoners. All prison custody officers receive seven weeks training which is approved by the Prison Service and monitored by the controller at Ashfield. They must also hold current prison custody officer certification from the Prison Service.

Staff at HMP/YOI AShfield who work with prisoners
Grade	Total number of staff	Staff with previous experience in the Prison Service	Staff who have previously worked in other contractually managed prisons
Director	1	1	0
Assistant Directors	4	2	2
Heads of Operations	6	2	3
Unit managers	12	3	3
Prisoner Custody Officers	144	0	3

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board have been under consideration for (a) less than six months, (b) six months to a year, (c) one to two years and (d) more than two years. [99219]

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and Authority advise that the number of cases under consideration at 31 October 1999 was as follows:

1990 Scheme

(a) 74

(b) 50

(c) 53

(d) 649

In addition, 7,944 cases awaiting an appeal were registered over two years ago.

1996 Scheme

From date of registration awaiting a first decision:

(a) 30,767

(b) 11,571

(c)+(d) 2,116

From date of Review request awaiting a Review decision:

(a) 6,555

(b) 1,768

(c)+(d) 595

From date of Appeal request awaiting an Appeal decision:

(a) 3,359

(b) 2,451

(c)+(d) 953.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total compensation paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last seven years. [99223]

The amount of compensation paid under the Scheme in each of the last seven years was as follows:

£
	Compensation paid
year	1990 Scheme	1996 Scheme
1992–93	152,217,991	—
1993–94	165,136,267	—
1994–95	175,370,224	—
1995–96	179,036,888	—
1996–97	190,128,683	19,179,817
1997–98	118,839,529	82,675,619
1998–99	180,560,529	1113,781,330
1Provisional

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of claims dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last seven years; and how many of these resulted in compensation being awarded. [99220]

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is responsible for determining applications made before 31 March 1996 under the superseded common law damages based scheme (the '1990 Scheme'). Applications made on or after 1 April 1996 are determined by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority under the current tariff-based scheme (the '1996 Scheme'). The number of applications resolved and awards made in the last seven years is as follows:

	Applications resolved			Awards made
Year	1990 Scheme	1996 Scheme	1990 Scheme	1996 Scheme
1992–93	58,688	—	36,638	—
1993–94	65,293	—	40,635	—
1994–95	164,549	—	237,365	—
1995–96	76,225	—	44,036	—
1996–97	65,653	13,566	38,510	8,432
1997–98	21,730	57,814	13,552	31,528
1998–99	10,634	74,859	6,076	40,164
1Includes 7,680 cases originally considered under the aborted 1994 Tariff Scheme
2Includes 2,795 awards originally made under the aborted 1994 Tariff Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the projected total compensation to be paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [99222]

Table 6 in the Home Office Annual Report 1999 showed that forecast expenditure on compensation in the years 1999–2000, 2000-01 and 20001–02 was £227 million, £202 million and £196 million respectively. Those figures are currently being reviewed in the context of the current spending review (Spending Review 2000).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time waited by successful applicants for criminal injuries compensation in each of the last seven years. [99221]

There are no meaningful average times applicable to criminal injuries compensation claims. Applications range from the very straightforward ones in which a decision may be issued within a few weeks through to exceptionally complicated cases in which it may take a number of years for the injury to be fully assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which measures have been adopted, or are under consideration, in respect of Title IV of the Treaty of the European Community; and which measures he has announced that he does not intend to adopt in future, together with reasons in respect of each measure. [99407]

No measures have so far been adopted under Title IV of the Treaty of the European Community.The following proposals have been brought forward under Title IV:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends introducing mandatory drug testing of staff employed from outside agencies as part of the Prison Service drug strategy; and if he will make a statement. [99799]

Contracts with outside agencies include provision for the testing of drug workers for drugs. However, for the time being, testing will apply only to drug workers employed in the high security prisons. There are no plans as yet to extend testing to drug workers across the rest of the prison estate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the Prison Service CARAT drug strategy; and if he will make a statement. [99798]

Counselling Assessment Referral in Advice Through Care Services (CARATs) contracts have been let and the roll-out of services began on 1 October. Although some services are now available in most establishments, we do not expect them to be fully operational until the end of January when the agencies involved have completed their staff recruitment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount of money that has been allocated from each source and in total to the Prison Service's drug strategy for the next three years; what is the Prison Service's projected budget for drug rehabilitation and treatment work; and if he will make a statement. [99801]

The total money that has been allocated to the Prison Service drug strategy for the three years beginning 1 April 1999 is £101,405,000. The detailed allocations are given in the tables.

Table 1: Total drugs strategy budget
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Comprehensive spending review funds	22,572,000	26,291,000	26,949,000
Existing budget	8,531,000	8,531,000	8,531,000
Total	31,103,000	34,822,000	35,480,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prohibitions there will be on persons employed by drug agencies as part of the Prison Service's drug strategy based on previous convictions; and if he will make a statement. [99800]

Most establishments will not normally admit a drugs worker who has a conviction for importing or supplying drugs; any offence in the last five years (excluding most motoring offences unless they involved death or injury); a sexual offence, for example, rape, indecent assault; any offence involving children; or has been released from a custodial sentence in the last five years.High security prisons and core local establishments holding category A prisoners will not normally admit a drug worker who has received any custodial sentence or has a conviction for any offence within the past five years; any serious offence within the past five years; any serious offence involving drugs, e.g. importation, possession with intent to supply, cultivation; any serious sexual or violent offence or any offence involving children.There will inevitably be individual cases where an exception would be appropriate. Workers with previous convictions or who are ex-addicts can make telling contributions to treatment programmes and we would not want to lose their proven skills except when unavoidable. Governors may disregard any offence which they consider to be irrelevant and unlikely to present any threat to security or control.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department contributed to the cost of policing each of the national political party conferences in autumn 1999; what were the total additional costs to the police forces responsible for policing the conferences; and if he will make a statement. [99789]