To ask the Solicitor-General if he will issue guidance to the Crown Prosecution Service on improving communications with the victims of stalking; and if he will make a statement. [104040]

The Victim's Charter commits the police to keep all victims informed of developments in the case regardless of the nature of the offence. Currently, the CPS provides to the police information about prosecution decisions for them to forward to victims, or their families, as appropriate.The CPS has a specific role in stalking cases to assist victims when the court has made a restraining order under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and when subsequently there is a need to seek a variation of the order. The victim is informed of any application to vary the restraining order and asked to express views and, if necessary, to attend. Again, however, the guiding principle is that the CPS communicates with the victim through the police.The Home Office will shortly be issuing national 'good practice' guidelines to the police and other agencies resulting from the final evaluation of the "One Stop Shop" initiative, which was established to see how the Victim's Charter commitment to keep victims informed might best be met.Following recommendations in Sir Iain Glidewell's report into the CPS and Sir William Macpherson's report into the death of Stephen Lawrence, the CPS is committed to adopting a more proactive role in communicating with victims. The Service is currently piloting arrangements for taking on responsibility to communicate direct with victims rather than via the police. The pilots will be evaluated before an implementation plan is devised.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the latest Information Bulletin on the activities of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union covering the period May to October. [104032]

I have done so today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking regarding reports in connection with the 1999 Defence Systems Equipment Exhibition that an official at the Pakistan High Commission in London offered to sell anti-personnel mines destined for Sudan. [104296]

The allegation that an official at the Pakistan High Commission offered to sell anti-personnel mines has been referred to HM Customs and Excise as the appropriate law enforcement agency and I have protested strongly to the Pakistani High Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on what occasions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials have discussed the case of Konrad Kalejs with the Australian authorities; and what was the nature of the discussions and information received; [104389](2) on what occasions

Neither the Secretary of State nor FCO Ministers have had contact with their American, Australian, Canadian, or Latvian counterparts on the issue of Konrad Kalejs.At the request of the Home Office, British officials in Riga and Canberra discussed Kalejs with host Governments. British officials passed a request for information from the American Embassy in London to the Home Office. Officials in Ottawa and Washington have been in contact with their host Governments.The purpose of discussions with the Australian and Latvian authorities was to make them aware of developments in the Kalejs case, and to inform them of our readiness to pass on all relevant information, held by HMG.The purpose of discussions with the Americans and Canadians was to ask that all relevant information they had on Kalejs be passed to authorities in Australia and Latvia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the running costs of the British embassies in (a) Paris and (b) Washington. [104087]

The running costs for Paris include all Locally Engaged (LE) staff costs of subordinate Posts throughout France. Similarly Washington costs include LE staff throughout the USA. The total staff levels are 248 for Paris, of which 44 are UK based, and 535 for Washington, of which 55 are UK based. It is therefore not possible to draw proper comparisons between the running costs of the two Embassies. However, the ratio of 5:4 UK based staff between Washington and Paris is not considered unreasonable.It is important to look at these figures in context: the FCO employs fewer staff and costs less to run than Birmingham City Council. The cost of running the FCO in London and at its 221 posts overseas amounts to less than one-third of one per cent. (0.3 per cent.) of all Government expenditure, and less than 0.15 per cent. of UK GDP. The total FCO budget costs each man, woman and child in Britain only 5p a day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the annual running costs were of UK embassies in (a) the European Union and (b) the USA, in the last year for which figures are available. [104130]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 December 1999, Official Report, column 109W, specifically the answers to parts (a) and (b).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of British forces in providing information to the International Tribunal on War Crimes in Kosovo. [102342]

I have been asked to reply.The British Government are strong supporters of the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in Kosovo (ICTY), as in other parts of the Former Yugoslavia. As part of KFOR, British forces have assisted the work of ICTY investigators, notably by providing a secure environment in which they can work. British service personnel were also involved, earlier this year, in debriefing Kosovar refugees, in Macedonia and elsewhere, and the information gained has been passed to the Tribunal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to (a) limit and (b) reduce planning approvals for new homes in West Sussex. [104308]

The decision whether to grant planning permission for proposed new housing developments is, in the first instance, a matter for the local planning authority concerned. Applications shall be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In formulating their development plans local authorities must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State. We expect to publish new national planning policy guidance on housing (PPG3), and final proposals for the new regional planning guidance for the South East (RPG9), soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of the Bills published since the Queen's Speech were accompanied by a statement of their implications for the environment. [104271]

It is the Government's policy that environmental aspects should be considered fully alongside the economic and social considerations during the development or review of a policy. My Department stands ready to advise on appraisal and monitoring systems. But it is for individual Departments to set up their own systems to ensure that their policies take account of the environment and that, where necessary, environmental appraisals are carried out. The overall policy and its operation is monitored by the Green Ministers' Committee, which reports annually in July.Since the Queen's Speech, the DETR has published two Bills, the Transport Bill and the Local Government Bill. The Transport Bill and a Regulatory, Environmental and Equal Treatment Appraisal were published on 1 December 1999.The Local Government Bill provides a new discretionary power for local authorities to take steps which, in their view, promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of those who live, work in or visit their local area, in order to improve the quality of life locally. The remainder of the Bill addresses the way in which local authorities are organised and elected and carry out their business. In this case, no specific environmental impact statement has been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much the medical section of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency pays to private opticians to conduct sight tests and field tests. [104080]

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has only just started to use private opticians. DVLA currently pays optometrists £35 to undertake each visual field test, which, on current volumes of tests, will amount to an annual total of £280,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will encourage local authorities to publish the composition of their workforces in terms of standard age groups, ethnic origin and gender in their annual reports. [104015]

Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1999, authorities will be required to report annually their performance against specified national performance indicators. Details were published on 23 December in "Best Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2000–2001". They include indicators on the representation of minority ethnic staff in the workforce and the proportion of women in senior management posts. There is no indicator in respect of the age breakdown of the workforce, but the indicators will be reviewed annually and updated in the light of consultation with the range of authority and customer interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many employees of his Department took early retirement packages, and at what total cost, in the financial year 1996–97. [104098]

In the financial year 1996–97, 462 employees of the Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport took early retirement. In addition, some 228 employees took early severance. It would not be possible to separate retirement and severance costs without disproportionate cost and effort, but the total costs of early retirements and severance in the year concerned was £23,322,610. This includes ongoing costs of departures from previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the requirements for match public funds from his Department for the EU Objective 1 regions of (a) Cornwall and Scilly, (b) Merseyside and (c) South Yorkshire for each of the seven years of the programme. [104301](2) what level of match public funds from his Department are available to EU Objective 1 regions for each of the next seven calendar years. [104305]

My Department will provide significant financial support for all three Objective 1 programmes through a number of funding mechanisms. These include the Single Regeneration Budget and New Deal for Communities, as well as mainstream funding made available to local authorities. Local partnerships can prioritise the use of these resources to fund projects jointly with the Structural Funds, thereby boosting their impact.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to appoint a representative to the Strategic Rail Authority from (a) the National Assembly for Wales, (b) the Northern Ireland Assembly, (c) the Scottish Parliament and (d) the United Kingdom Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [104144]

There are no plans to appoint such representatives to the Strategic Rail Authority. The Secretary of State has, however, consulted the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive about Welsh and Scottish representation on the SRA. It is not intended that the responsibilities of the SRA will extend to Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received over the Government's plans to tackle homelessness. [102936]

My Department has received a large number of representations in recent months from both interested organisations and members of the public, on a wide range of homelessness issues, and in particular on our recently published plans to tackle rough sleeping.From its establishment in April 1999, the Rough Sleepers Unit consulted extensively with key partners as part of the development of its strategy, "Coming in from the Cold", which was published on 15 December 1999. Organisations that made representations during this process included other Government departments, local government, other statutory bodies including the Police and the National Health Service, key national and local voluntary organisations, the business community, faith leaders and rough sleepers themselves, as well as members of the general public.Also, my Department has set up an official-level sounding board, which includes representatives from the Local Government Association, the Association of London Government, Shelter, the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation and other organisations with an interest in social housing, to discuss proposals for changes to policy on homelessness and the allocation of social housing. Our proposals are still at an early stage, but we intend to consult on them widely in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he plans to initiate public consultations when the Dog Identification Working Group publishes its report. [104307]

The report of the Dog Identification Group is expected by the summer of this year. We will consider what the appropriate arrangements for consultation are to be nearer that time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the figure of £350 million for the partial sale of NATS was calculated; and what plans he has to write off the outstanding debts owed by NATS. [104097]

The estimate of £350 million in proceeds from the strategic partner in NATS is net of any debt restructuring and was calculated by our advisers in order to give Parliament a broad estimate of the possible proceeds from the proposed sale. The precise amount of the proceeds will be the subject of commercial negotiations with the strategic partner.NATS loans from the NLF must be extinguished when the PPP is put in place so as to avoid any hidden subsidy to the PPP. This may be achieved by repayment, or by writing them off and replacing them with new commercial debt. Final decisions will be taken in consultation with the selected strategic partner when establishing an optimum capital structure for the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures exist for objections to be made, and appeals to be heard, in respect of proposals by the Local Government Boundary Commission concerning ward boundary reviews. [104228]

Representations, both for and against proposals, can be made at any time to the Local Government Commission (LGC) during the review process and to the Secretary of State after the publication of the Final Report and until an Order is made. It is vital for the integrity of democratic local government that the process of making local authority electoral arrangements should be, and be seen to be, fully independent. Therefore, it is the Government's policy that, unless there is compelling evidence available to it that the recommendations of the LGC may be flawed, it will accept them. However all representations received are fully considered before arriving at a final decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of waste collected for recycling was exported in the last year for which figures are available, broken down into (a) glass, (b) paper, (c) plastics and (d) metals. [100941]

[holding answer 6 December 1999]: The table shows the percentage of waste collected for recycling in the United Kingdom that was exported in 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will expand the new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme to include energy efficiency improvements to the fabric of buildings constructed with solid walls. [101426]

Households eligible for the New Homes Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) who live in properties with solid walls will receive loft insulation and draught proofing under the scheme, to improve the energy efficiency of the building fabric.With regard to the solid wall insulation, as I detailed in the answer I gave on Tuesday 19 October 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received as to the ability of Councillor Keith May to speak on behalf of his electorate in relation to former Land Settlement Association property; and if he will make a statement. [102716]

I have received three representations about this matter—the request for a dispensation under section 97 of the Local Government Act 1972 from Councillor Keith May, a letter from the Head of Members' Services at Bedford Borough Council and a letter from the right hon. and learned Member himself. I replied to the right hon. and learned Member on 22 December 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to increase the productivity and reduce the running costs of his Department. [103842]

Delivering efficient and modern public services is a key part of the Government's agenda for improving productivity. Greater efficiency is being sought therefore within the public sector to ensure that the most effective results are obtained from available resources. The Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA), set out in "Public Services for the Future", Cm 4181, includes a range of measures for taking this forward, both within the Department itself and in other public sector bodies.Those measures which will help raise the Department's own productivity are listed at pages 29–31 of Cm 4181 and include:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many meetings his officials have attended with Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food officials on the joint review of flood and coastal defence funding. [103861]

My officials have attended one meeting with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The consultation document was agreed in correspondence and joint consideration is being given to the responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the joint review of flood and coastal defence funding. [103862]

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and my Department have received 54 representations from a range of bodies concerned with flood and coastal defence. Copies of the responses have been placed in MAFF's library at 3, Whitehall Place, West Block, London SW1A 2HH and are available for inspection.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure the joint review of flood and coastal defence funding meets his Department's objectives on the water environment; and if he will make a statement. [103860]

The funding review is taking place in the context of Government policy on flood and coastal defence. The Environment Agency is making a full contribution to the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will reply to the letter of 18 October sent by Nigel Petrie on behalf of Edison Mission Energy to Mr. L. Jaero of his Department; and if he will make a statement on how this issue has been handled by his Department. [103737]

The letter concerned the rateable value to be prescribed for pumped-storage energy schemes as part of the current revaluation of non-domestic rates. There are no pumped-storage schemes in England. The values of the plants at Dinorwig and Ffestiniog, which were the subject of Edison Mission Energy's letter, will be prescribed by the National Assembly for Wales.The letter followed a series of meetings between electricity producers and officials from the Department, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Valuation Office Agency.The Department copied the Company's letter to the Valuation Office Agency, who advise both the Department and the National Assembly for Wales on rating matters. However, officials mistakenly thought that Edison Mission Energy was aware of the constitutional position and that they had written separately to the National Assembly. The letter was not, therefore, forwarded to the Assembly and no reply was sent to the Company.I regret this misunderstanding, which came to light when the Company wrote again to the Department on 17 December. The Department replied on 20 December and copied both the letters of 17 December and 18 October to officials in the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from environmental groups concerning the proposed Countryside Bill. [103932]

Since the announcement of the Bill in the Queen's speech on 17 November, I have received a number of representations from groups and individuals, many of which have environmental interests. Our proposals have been broadly welcomed. Particular attention is being paid to the scope of our proposals for rights of access and the implications for occupiers of land, the detail of the rights of way proposals and the scope of our proposals for wildlife and for sites of special scientific interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to tackle the problems caused by drugs in local communities. [103382]

Action by the Home Office is being taken forward as part of the Government's 10-year national anti-drugs strategy "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain", published in April 1998.The Home Office is contributing to the strategy on several fronts. The Department's Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS), which succeeded the Drug Prevention Initiative on 1 April 1999, is actively promoting effective community-based drugs prevention and supporting the delivery of Aim 1 (helping young people resist drug misuse), and Aim 2 (protecting communities from drug-related anti-social and criminal behaviour) of the national strategy.DPAS is the first Government drugs prevention organisation to cover the whole of England. It works closely with Drug Action Teams—the bodies charged with local delivery of the national strategy—to encourage and support the development of effective local prevention initiatives. DPAS also provides advice and support to community-based partnerships on how to address drug related problems within communities. In addition, it acts as a pressure point on other relevant initiatives and programmes such as community safety, crime reduction and community regeneration, to ensure that drug issues are included on those agendas.The Home Office crime reduction strategy places a strong emphasis on breaking the link between drugs and crime. Many acquisitive crimes are connected to drug misuse. The crime reduction strategy has a particular focus on domestic burglary and vehicle crime. For example, funding is being made available to protect over two million homes in 500 high burglary areas over the next two years. Moreover, the Government introduced new legislation this month which provides for mandatory sentences of at least three years for third-time burglars. Targeted policing initiatives are also being adopted to tackle crimes like drug dealing in communities.Other measures designed to break the link between drugs and crime include the piloting of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; the provision of £20 million to pump prime the establishment of arrest referral schemes across England and Wales to lead drug misusing offenders into treatment; and proposals to extend drug testing across the criminal justice system.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to reclassify gamma hydroxy butyrate as a drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; [103379](2) what steps he has taken to limit the availability of gamma hydroxy butyrate. [103375]

With regard to the question of the classification of gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Benn) on 8 December 1999, Official Report, column 532W.That reply mentioned the work of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) to counter the illicit manufacture and sale of GHB, and it might be helpful to elaborate on this. In addition to investigating offences under the Medicines Act, the MCA has taken action on a number of fronts in recent months to reduce the supply of GHB. The Agency has issued an advertising alert to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and circulated briefing to all heads of police forces and all trading standards and environmental health offices. MCA officers have also targeted a number of sex shops and similar premises to educate owners on the law relating to the advertising and sale of GHB, and followed this up with regular compliance checks.The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) also has a key role to play. The NCIS Drugs Section works with the chemical industry, the Home Office and police forces to gather intelligence on the illicit manufacture of drugs. In the last year this intelligence led to the discovery of eight illicit drug laboratories producing amphetamine, ecstasy and GHB.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the use of gamma hydroxy butyrate as a date rape drug. [103376]

There is currently little evidence of gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) being used to facilitate rape. Forensic Science Service analysis since March of last year of samples taken from 100 victims of sexual assault and rape where the use of drugs is suspected has identified GHB in four cases.While the analysis has provided no direct linkage between GHB and the sexual offence, rape is clearly an extremely serious offence and it is important for the Government to have a clear understanding of the extent of the drug rape problem. With this in mind, the Home Office sponsored a Metropolitan police research initiative into drug assisted rape, which is due to be concluded in April 2000. Ministers will consider the findings and recommendations of this study.Separately, a Home Office led review was set up at the beginning of 1999 to review the law on sex offences in England and Wales. As part of its considerations, the review is considering the law relating to consent, and circumstances where consent is not present. It is also considering whether the current offence of administering drugs to obtain or facilitate intercourse (section 4 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956) is still appropriate. The review expects to report its recommendations to Ministers in the spring, and we plan to publish a consultation paper shortly after this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the factors that determined the police grant (a) net expenditure and (b) percentage increase in real terms for Staffordshire in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (iii) 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [103621]

Police grant allocations to individual authorities for the years in question were determined under a needs-based funding formula and were approved by the House of Commons. For 1997–98 and 1998–99 police authority expenditure levels were subject to capping limits on budget increases. For 1999–2000, no capping limits were set. The budget increase for that year was determined by Staffordshire Police Authority.Net expenditure levels are determined by deducting income from gross expenditure. The percentage changes in real terms for the Staffordshire Police Authority for each of the years in question will reflect the application of Her Majesty's Treasury's Gross Domestic Product deflators.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average length of time taken by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to process travel document applications; [103596](2) what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to process travel document applications. [103597]

New applications have, since September, been dealt with under a fast track procedure and the majority are being resolved within four weeks of receipt. But there are around 7,000 applications made between January and August 1999 still outstanding. Work on these applications is progressing steadily but it will be some months before they are all cleared, due to a threefold increase in the number of new applications. The number of staff in the section has increased threefold in recent months, and output has increased fivefold.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Youth Justice Board will assume responsibility for the procurement and provision of secure remand places for juveniles. [103868]

The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales will assume responsibility for commissioning and purchasing places in secure accommodation for remanded and sentenced children and young people in April 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost to local authorities in the last year for which figures are available of (a) providing secure remand places for juveniles and for the escort of juveniles for court appearances and (b) the reimbursement paid under Section 21 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. [103869]

Children and young people remanded to local authority secure accommodation are the responsibility of the local authority designated by the court. Information on the costs to local authorities of providing secure remand places and escorts for court appearances is not collected centrally.The secure remand provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 were implemented on 1 June 1999. On the basis of the claims so far submitted, the Home Office has paid local authorities nearly £500,000 for the additional costs incurred by them in such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his proposals for testing offenders and suspected offenders for drug use will include tests for (a) cannabis, (b) amphetamine, (c) ecstasy, (d) cocaine, (e) LSD and (f) heroin. [103744]

The detail of the proposal to extend drug testing across the criminal justice system is currently being formulated. One option under consideration is to concentrate testing on those who are misusing heroin and/or cocaine, at least initially, as these are the drugs which research shows are most closely linked to crime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women under the age of 18 years were serving a prison sentence in England and Wales on 1 November. [103728]

The latest available provisional information is for 31 October 1999. On that date there were 1,689 sentenced males and 81 sentenced females aged 15–17 years in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.Information on the population of persons aged 15–17 years in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales is published in "Prison statistics England and Wales", a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what occasions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials have discussed the case of Konrad Kalejs with the United States authorities; and what was the nature of the discussions and information received; [104383](2) on what occasions

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was asked by one of my officials on 30 December to inform the Australian and Latvian Governments promptly through our respective Missions of the fact that Konrad Kalejs was present here, that the Metropolitan police were making inquiries into his alleged involvement in war crimes in Latvia and that he might leave the United Kingdom at an early date. Action was taken on 4 January to update the information which had been given to the Latvian authorities.My officials were also in direct contact with the Australian High Commission in London on several occasions in the week commencing 3 January in order to ascertain the status of inquiries by the Australian authorities about Mr. Kalejs and to alert them to his intended departure to Australia on 6 January.An official also discussed developments with a member of staff at the Embassy of the United States on 6 January following a request for information on the case by the Embassy to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.There was no Home Office contact with the Canadian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the police have questioned Konrad Kalejs about alleged war crimes. [104380]

The conduct of this and any other criminal investigation lies within the operational responsibility of the relevant Chief Officer of Police, in this case the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. The Commissioner has told me that in the event it was not deemed appropriate to question Mr. Kalejs, since the view was taken that, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, all this could not have been carried out in the circumstances of the case without arresting him.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he is minded to deport Konrad Kalejs from the United Kingdom. [104388]

I was minded to deport Konrad Kalejs on the ground that his presence in the United Kingdom was not conducive to the public good. I reached that decision because I was satisfied that reasonable grounds existed to believe that Kalejs was complicit in war crimes committed in Latvia between 1941 and 1944. In coming to that decision I took account of all the evidence available to me, including that which had emerged from investigations carried out by the Australian, American and Canadian authorities, as well as the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit, in the early 1990s.My decision that reasonable grounds existed to believe that Kalejs was complicit in war crimes was reached where necessary on the balance of probabilities. I was aware that for the police to mount a successful prosecution in the courts they would have been required to produce evidence to a different and far higher standard of proof. The Metropolitan Police have now confirmed that they have concluded that on the evidence available there were no grounds on which to charge Kalejs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police investigation into the allegations against Konrad Kalejs was completed. [104381]

I understand from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that the Organised Crime Unit concluded its assessment of the information available relating to the allegations against Konrad Kalejs on 4 January. I was told on 31 December that on the available evidence, the Metropolitan Police Service believed that there were at that time no grounds for making an arrest of Mr. Kalejs, and in the light of this information Mr. Kalejs was served with a notice that I was minded to deport him. The commencement of this deportation process would not in any way have compromised any arrest or charge of Mr. Kalejs before his departure from the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new (a) claims have been made and (b) evidence has come to light in the case of Konrad Kalejs since he served notice that he was minded to deport Mr. Kalejs. [104386]

I am not aware of any new claims which have been made relating to the alleged responsibility of Konrad Kalejs for war crimes since, on 2 January, I served notice that I was minded to deport him, and I am advised by the Metropolitan Police that no new evidence has been revealed to them since then.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received about Konrad Kalejs's intended destination on leaving the United Kingdom. [104387]

Konrad Kalejs departed the United Kingdom from Heathrow Airport at 1100 hours on 6 January, on a flight bound for Melbourne via Singapore.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how (1) many appeals against asylum decisions were refused in (a) 1998 and (b) 1999; and what proportion this was of the total number of appeals in each year; [104042](2) how many asylum seekers whose appeals were refused in

In 1998 a total of 25,300 asylum appeals were determined by Adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority. Of this total 21,100 appeals (84 per cent.) were dismissed. Information for 1999 is not yet available.The requested information on the number of asylum seekers whose appeals were refused and deported is available only at disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case records.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the Passport Agency document, "Blueprint for the Future". [103960]

Yes. The Passport Agency's document "Blueprint for the Future" has been produced to inform its staff of its plans for the future as set out in the Agency's Corporate and Business Plans 1999–2002, and its separate Action Plan. Copies of these Plans were placed in the Library on 6 December, and copies of the Passport Agency's "Blueprint for the Future" have now been placed there as well.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide guidance to police forces about allowing officers facing disciplinary hearings the assistance, if requested, of a representative of the Black Police Association. [103919]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 December 1999, Official Report, columns 533–34W. The choice of representative at a discipline hearing is a matter for the officer concerned. It would be inappropriate for me to issue guidance suggesting who he or she should be.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many occasions were recorded in each prison of the (a) illegal use and (b) supply of drugs in the past year. [R][103913]

The table gives provisional figures for the number of occasions in each establishment that all attempts of (a) the illegal use of and (b) the supply of drugs were recorded for the period January to November 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison staff or officials, indicating the grades, have been charged with or convicted of allowing the supply of illegal drugs in prison in the last year. [R] [103914]

Three prison staff have been charged with or convicted of allowing the supply of illegal drugs in prison during 1999. The grades of these staff are one industrial, one instructional officer and one prison officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each of the buildings under his Department's control how many rooms are set aside for (a) ethnic minority religious use, (b) pregnant and nursing mothers and (c) smokers. [102340]

Records for the Home Office estate are not held centrally. My six central London headquarters buildings have between them one room for ethnic minority religious use, two rooms for mother and baby facilities and 11 rooms for smokers. Each building also has first aid facilities. These serve a total population of about 3,900 staff, including the United Kingdom Passport Agency, Police Information Technology Organisation and Her Majesty's Prison Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what provision there is for the psychiatric assessment of persons convicted of stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; [104038](2) if he will issue guidance to police forces on improving communications with the victims of stalking; and if he will make a statement; [104039](3) if he will make a statement on the notification to

Anyone convicted of an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is entitled to seek psychiatric help voluntarily, but the Act itself makes no provision for the court to compel anyone to seek such an assessment.I have commissioned research into the effectiveness of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and will respond to any recommendations for changing the Act once I have seen the report. I have no plans to make a statement on this subject before that time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the specific planned location of the new detention centre for those held under the Immigration Act 1999; and what progress has been made towards its opening. [104083]

All immigration detainees are held under the Immigration Act 1971 as amended. If my hon. Friend is referring to the powers in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to make regulations enabling a person granted temporary admission to be required to reside at accommodation provided by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary there are no immediate plans to make such regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters to him dated 23 August, 7 October and 11 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mohammed Abdullah and Mrs. Nargis Begum. [104068]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 5 January 2000. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters to him dated 4 August, 16 September and 19 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. Doski. [104069]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 5 January 2000. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Aylesbury of 26 November 1999, Official Report, columns 241–42W, concerning drug treatment and testing orders, when he will write to the hon. member for Aylesbury about drug treatment and testing orders. [104135]

I wrote to the hon. Member on 17 December 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1999, Official Report, column 8W, concerning training in respect of the European Convention on Human Rights, for what reason his answer did not deal with training given to the Prison Service. [104149]

Information about training given by the Prison Service in respect of the European Convention on Human Rights was omitted from my answer of 13 December owing to an administrative error. I apologise to my hon. Friend for this oversight.The information he required is that the Prison Service intends to provide all personnel working in prison establishments and at headquarters with information about the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporates the Convention into United Kingdom law. Training will be provided as necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary's report on the recent inspection of the Metropolitan police service, which he directed as a result of recommendation four of the Macpherson Inquiry. [104164]

I have today published the Inspection Report and copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to amend the law relating to the registration of births of children conceived after the father's death; and if he will make a statement. [100620]

I have been asked to reply.The question as to whether a man can be named on a birth certificate as the father of a child conceived after the man's death is governed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Among other things the Act provides that where

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on potential conflicts of interest involving the Chairman of the English Table Tennis Association. [104170]

I am fully aware of the concerns which have been expressed in respect of the operation of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) and the role of its Chairman. These issues have been investigated by Sport England and the National Audit Office. As a result, the ETTA has taken a number of steps, including changes to its rules, committee structure and constitution, in order to prevent the risk of conflicts of interest arising and of members gaining unfair commercial advantage. In particular, it has set up a trade committee, upon which the Chairman does not sit, to deal with any business in which the chairman might have a commercial interest. The ETTA is also on the "watch list" of Sport England's Management Audit Department and is therefore subject to regular review and monitoring. This has indicated that all of the required operational procedures are being fully implemented by the ETTA. Sport England is also satisfied, having investigated a number of specific complaints, that there has been no misuse of public funds in respect of the ETTA. However, in view of the concerns which have been expressed in the past about the ETTA, the Chairman of Sport England has, at my request, agreed to carry out a further review of the progress being made towards the original recommendations made to the ETTA by the National Audit Office and Sport England. I have asked my officials to discuss the review with Sport England's Management Audit Department and report back to me as soon as it has been undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the finding of the Press Council on the English Table Tennis Association has been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement. [104036]

I am aware that a complaint was made to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), the successor body to the Press Council, on behalf of Alan Ransome, Chairman of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) in relation to an article by John Goodbody in The Times on 14 December 1998. I have read the PCC's subsequent adjudication and they concluded that Mr. Ransome's complaints did not amount to a breach of the Code of Practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the contracts between Sport England and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. relating to the development of the national stadium. [102420]

[holding answer 13 December 1999]: The Lottery Funding Agreement is the only contract between Sport England and Wembley National Stadium Ltd., and the Football Association is also party to that contract. Publication of the contract is primarily for the parties to the contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings he (a) has had and (b) plans with members of the UK Athletics Technical Team who worked with Wembley National Stadium Ltd. on the design of the new National Stadium at Wembley. [103587]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: My right hon. Friend and I have met representatives of UK Athletics to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the National Stadium project. Neither of us, however, has met or plans to meet the UK Athletics Technical Team.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the value of the Government grant for the development of Wembley Stadium. [103754]

No direct Government funding has been provided for the development of Wembley Stadium. Sport England has made available a Lottery award of up to £120 million for the national stadium project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department paid DLA Ellerbe Beckett for producing their report on the new Wembley Stadium. [103588]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The report was commissioned by UK Sport from DLA Ellerbe Beckett at our request at a cost of £35,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and Sport England in relation to the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium. [102419]

[holding answer 13 December 1999]: No. Much of the material contained in the correspondence was given on the understanding that it represented confidential communications between the Department and Sport England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the revised timetable for a decision on the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium. [102144]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced his decision on the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium on 22 December. A copy of that announcement has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which of his Department's Ministers and officials attended the meeting of the National Stadium Monitoring Committee on 20 May. [103591]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the then Minister for Sport, and three officials from my Department attended the National Stadium Monitoring Committee meeting on 20 May 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the dates and locations of the meetings of the National Stadium Monitoring Committee at which Ministers or officials of his Department were present. [103590]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: There have been three meetings of the National Stadium monitoring committee: on 17 February 1999 and 15 July 1999 at the DCMS offices; and on 20 May 1999 at the House of Commons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many days interested parties were given to study the DLA Ellerbe Beckett report on the future of Wembley Stadium before he made his statement to the House of 1 December. [103592]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: We received the DLA: Ellerbe Beckett report on Monday 29 November and following consideration of its contents made it available on 1 December to interested parties shortly before the statement made in the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he is taking to increase the productivity and reduce the running costs of his Department. [103845]

The Comprehensive Spending Review last year resulted in a number of structural changes within the public bodies sponsored by DCMS, which will result in increased efficiency. At the same time, the Department took on a new, strategic role in its sectors, and a much higher profile in the regions, with dedicated staff in all Government regional offices. This was against the background of a running cost allocation which was flat over the three years of the financial settlement. Among specific initiatives designed to increase efficiency and effectiveness, we are rationalising our estate so that a greater proportion of staff are in one building; co-locating divisions to increase the capacity for sharing support services; and undertaking a number of reviews of our services as part of the Modernising Government agenda. We have established the Quality, Efficiency and Standards Team (Quest) in order to identify and spread good practice in administration across the Department's NDPBs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the remit of the Resorts Task Force; who will serve on it; and how they will be appointed. [104277]

The English Tourism Council (ETC) is establishing a Resorts Task Force to tackle the problems facing resorts. It will include people with experience in tourism and, in particular, resorts, local government, planning, investment, design and economic development. Peter Moore, ETC board member and Managing Director of Center Parcs is chairing the Task Force and is currently assembling the team.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he has made a ruling on whether an official whose name has been given to him has contravened the Civil Service rules relating to subsequent employment. [104037]

No; my Department is in correspondence with the former official concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the total workforce in his Department is of ethnic minority origin; and what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of people from the ethnic minorities in his Department. [102738]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out in her reply of 16 December, Official Report, column 264W, the corporate action that the Civil Service is taking to encourage the employment of people from ethnic minorities. My Department currently does only a limited amount of direct recruitment, but makes use of welcoming statements to encourage applications from under-represented groups. As part of the Department's commitment to provide a workplace free from discrimination, all staff receive equal opportunities awareness training and are encouraged to treat others with courtesy and respect. On 1 April 1999, 8 per cent. of the department's workforce declared themselves as being from an ethnic minority background. We will now be working closely with the Cabinet Office to widen the pool of potential recruits and increase interchange opportunities in order to increase the representation of ethnic minorities in DCMS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what further response he plans to make to the report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, "Staging Professional Sporting Events", HC (1998-99) 124; [103589](2) what action he has taken to implement the recommendations of the report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, "Staging International Sporting Events", HC (1998–99) 124. [103593]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The Government welcomed the extensive report of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee into Staging International Sporting Events, and our response of 8 September stressed our full commitment to bringing major international sporting events to this country and to ensuring they are staged successfully. A key response to the recommendations directed at the Government was the appointment of the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), to a coordinating role across different Departments for the Government's interests in the successful delivery of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and associated activities. Also in hand are assessments of the impact of major events on participation in sport; assessment of the economic impact of major events; and improving the quality and contribution of British postholders in international governing bodies. Through UK Sport's major events strategy, we are continuing to work with all stakeholders to make Government support for events more effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he took before July in response to the report of the Scottish Office Central Research Unit in 1992 on sexual history and sexual character evidence in Scottish sexual offence trials. [103740]

The crimes of clandestine injury to women and incest were added in section 28 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1995 to the categories of sexual offences in respect of which evidence of sexual character or sexual history would be inadmissible without the consent of the court. These were two crimes which the research report suggested should be within the scope of the legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister about additional training for (a) the police and (b) the Prison Service in Scotland since the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into United Kingdom domestic legislation.[103611]

Training of the police and Prison Service in Scotland is devolved and I have not discussed this issue with the First Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the availability of Inspector Hughes's report to the Cullen Inquiry into the Dunblane tragedy. [104011]

Sergeant Hughes's report was made available to the Cullen Inquiry as a production. The report contains sensitive information about children (not the children of Dunblane) who attended a summer camp run by Thomas Hamilton in 1991 and alleged offences against them. For these reasons it was considered appropriate that the production should remain closed for 100 years with the Crown Office dealing with any requests for special access meantime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the application from Axgro Foods of West Butterwick, near Gainsborough for regional selective assistance which was referred to him by the DTI, reference RSA/99/0116, for relocating their factory to Misterton Bassetlaw was rejected; for what reason the firm was informed at 4 p.m. on 20 December that they had to submit evidence by 22 December; and if he will make a statement. [104175]

Axgro Foods Limited applied for a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant on 25 November 1999. All RSA applications are considered against published criteria, which include conditions that grant can be made available only to projects that contribute positive benefits to both the regional and national economy. The European Community restricts assistance to some industries in which there is over-capacity. These restrictions apply to some fishery and agricultural products.On 20 December the Government Office for the East Midlands, responsible for the appraisal of this case, contacted the company to advise that the application may be subject to EC restrictions. It asked the company to provide additional supporting information, which was received on 22 December.An indicative offer of RSA was made to Axgro Foods Limited on 23 December, which is subject to a full appraisal and clarification on the issue of possible EC restrictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance his Department provides for firms involved in food production who wish to relocate to constituencies which have assisted area status. [104174]

Regional Selective Assistance is my Department's main instrument for offering direct financial assistance to companies investing in the Assisted Areas. It covers most manufacturing and some service industries, but some sectors including agricultural food production are subject to EU restrictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's role in negotiations on the Internet caching aspects of the draft EU Directive on Copyright in the Information Society. [104081]

My Department's role is to consider the views of all interested parties on the mandatory exception to reproduction rights proposed in the draft Directive which is relevant to some kinds of caching, and to seek solutions in the negotiations on the Directive which are as fair as possible to all concerned. We wish to ensure both that the activities of service providers such as caching are not impeded, and also that owners of copyright and related rights are properly protected in the on-line environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide details of licences granted to Sidem Ltd. for the export of small arms to Turkey since 2 May 1997. [104157]

The export of small arms is controlled under entries ML1 and PL5018 in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended, commonly known as the Military List. The entry in the legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated, and no standard or open individual licences covering goods with the relevant ratings are recorded as having been issued to this company between 2 May 1997 and 3 January 2000 for the export to consignees or end-users in Turkey.This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department is required to grant permission before a foreign company can export weapons manufactured under a licensed production agreement with a British company; and if he will list the actions taken (a) by his Department and (b) in conjunction with British Aerospace, to ensure that foreign companies manufacturing Heckler and Koch weapons using British Aerospace technology under licensed production agreements adhere to export control requirements within their licence agreements. [104295]

As I stated in answer to my hon. Friend on 22 March 1999, Official Report, column 117W, companies wishing to license overseas production of their products do not require DTI approval, nor are they required to notify DTI of arrangements entered into. The control of exports from another country of goods manufactured in that country under such an arrangement is a matter for the competent authorities of the Government concerned.Furthermore, as stated previously, the issue of controls on licensed production overseas was raised in a number of the responses to the White Paper on Strategic Export Controls, and is therefore being considered in the review of the White Paper proposals in light of the results of the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the banking industry on advertising charges for the use of cash machines. [104285]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has corresponded with the British Bankers Association about charges for cash machines. My officials have also met representatives of Barclays Bank, the Nationwide Building Society and the British Bankers Association to discuss this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to ensure clearing bank cash machines pre-notify customers of charges. [104284]

My Department is currently discussing the issue of charges for bank cash machines with the banking industry, HM Treasury and Don Cruickshank's team.Our approach to this issue was set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 13 December 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many clearing banks pre-notify charges for cash machine withdrawals. [104286]

I understand that banks generally inform their customers about such charges by letter or when cash cards are issued.While some banks' cash machines give a general on-screen warning to the effect that a particular card issuer may levy a charge, I am not aware of any bank which indicates on-screen how much any charge will be.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who represented Her Majesty's Government at the meeting of the General Council of the WTO held in Geneva on Friday 17 December. [104105]

The Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Mission in Geneva attended the meeting of the WTO General Council. However, it is the European Commission that represents and speaks on behalf of the European Union and its member states at meetings of the WTO General Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the minutes of the meeting of the General Council of the WTO held in Geneva on Friday 17 December will be published. [104106]

The minutes will be circulated to WTO members in January. They will be made available to the public by the WTO secretariat eight months after circulation in accordance with a WTO General Council decision dated 26 July 1996. We are pressing in the WTO, through the European Union, for an elimination of the delay between initial circulation and derestriction as part of our broader WTO transparency aims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of match public funds from (a) his Department and (b) the Department for Education and Employment are available to EU Objective 1 regions for each of the next seven calendar years. [104306]