To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the National Savings Agency by March 2000. [104622]

Following a prior options review in 1995, National Savings became a next steps agency in 1996. The Government announced then that the next five-yearly review would take place by March 2000.I have asked my officials to set this review in motion. It will be conducted in accordance with the latest guidance from the Cabinet Office's Modernising Public Services Group.The terms of reference of the review are: to review the performance of National Savings since it became an agency in 1996, and to advise Treasury Ministers on the options for the future status of National Savings, with a view to securing the best outcome for the public sector and for the wider economy.In considering these options, the review will take into account the views of affected stakeholders and assess the implications for:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the bilateral concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. [104452]

I am pleased to announce that the First Secretary and I have agreed the text of the concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. Copies of the concordat have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and the text will be available on the DSS website in both English and Welsh.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from Salisbury District Council about the future of sub-post offices. [104118]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the criteria for granting Objective 2 status. [103288]

Following the submission of our proposed Objective 2 areas to the European Commission in October, we received a few representations from MPs and local authorities requesting further details on the criteria used. In addition, the Isle of Wight has brought judicial review proceedings challenging the Objective 2 proposals submitted to the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation with industry will be undertaken in the appointment of (a) the members, (b) the Chairman and (c) the Chief Executive of the Postal Services Commission. [104181]

The Chairman and ordinary members of the Postal Services Commission are being appointed in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For the Chief Executive post civil service procedures are being used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from (a) trade unions and (b) former workers in the nuclear power industry about health and safety risks in relation to outsourcing. [104147]

There have been none.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many production incidents were reported at Magnox and advanced gas-cooled reactors in 1999; how many reactors had to be shut down; and for what length of time. [104137]

There are 35 reactors operating at 16 nuclear power stations across Great Britain. During 1999, production was interrupted by unplanned shutdowns (either automatic or by power station operators) on 78 occasions. All except 15 of these were for 10 days or less. The remainder ranged from 10 to 259 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff have been shed by the nuclear power industry since its privatisation; and what reports he has received from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in respect of (a) Magnox and (b) advanced gas-cooled reactors visited in 1999 concerning the (i) number of redundancies and (ii) adequacy of training of employed contractors. [104136]

Since the privatisation of British Energy in 1996, it has shed just over 1,000 jobs. The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate have not published any reports on either redundancies or the adequacy of training of employed contractors. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive will shortly be publishing its safety management audit of British Energy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken in response to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate's findings on the impact of staff redundancies on the safety of the nuclear power industry; and if he will make a statement. [104146]

I have not received any report from the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on the impact of staff redundancies on safety in the nuclear power industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the gross funding allocated by the Government for the SMART budget for (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–00. [103221]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]: The budgets for the SMART programme excluding the winding down of Regional Enterprise Grants and the transfer of residual commitments from the Department of Environment to DTI were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what tonnage of imported steam coal was landed at Hunterston Port in Ayrshire, Scotland in the years (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98 and (c) 1998–99; and in which countries it originated, giving the tonnages for each country. [102605]

[holding answer 13 December 1999]: Information on imports of coal by port and country of origin are available only for trade from outside the EC. Similar information on intra-EC trade is not collected.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what plans he has to review the application of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in respect of the Joint Cabinet Consultative Committee; [104112](2) pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999,

I have no such plans.

To ask the Prime Minister how many breaches of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information have been identified in respect of the Joint Cabinet Consultative Committee since its inception. [104115]

None. The code would be breached only by a refusal to disclose information which should properly be made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the Single Regeneration Budget in tackling disadvantage in the West Midlands. [103266]

There has not been a central Government evaluation of the impact of the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) in the West Midlands. However, the national evaluation of the first two rounds of the SRB includes case studies on two West Midlands SRB partnerships—the West Midlands Industrial Club and Regenerating Wolverhampton.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to afford greater protection to sites of importance for nature conservation; and if he will make a statement. [103267]

In line with proposals in the Government's Framework for Action on Sites of Special Scientific Interest, officials have set up a Local Sites Review Group, comprising a wide range of interested bodies. This will consider the issues associated with the identification, protection and management of local sites and report its conclusions early this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has in respect of the upgrading of the east coast main line from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. [103268]

There are no plans at present. However, we have asked the Franchising Director to replace passenger franchises that expire within the next three to four years in order to generate new investment and service improvements. Discussions for a new Great North Eastern Railways franchise, including future infrastructure and service requirements for the entire East Coast Main Line, will be starting soon with Seacontainers the current operator and Virgin Rail Group in conjunction with Stagecoach.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on what measures he proposes to take to upgrade the east coast main line service between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. [103284]

There are no plans at present. However, we have asked the Franchising Director to replace passenger franchises that expire within the next three to four years in order to generate new investment and service improvements. Discussions for a new Great North Eastern Railways franchise, including future infrastructure and service requirements for the entire East Coast Main Line, will be starting soon with the current operator and any other interested parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on waste disposal, with particular reference to East Sussex. [103269]

The Government's policy for sustainable waste management, including waste disposal, is set out in the draft national waste strategy, "A Way With Waste". The final version will be published shortly and we expect local authorities throughout England to have regard to its goals in developing strategies for managing waste in their areas. I understand plans are being developed in East Sussex to meet the goals set out in "A Way With Waste", and I welcome this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on how he intends to reduce the number of rough sleepers on the streets. [103271]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to ensure that people do not have to sleep rough on the streets. [103275]

On 15 December, we published the Government's strategy for reducing the numbers of rough sleepers in England by at least two thirds by 2002. Copies of the document "Coming in from the Cold" are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the latest estimated date for the finalisation of the Government's plans for London Underground. [103272]

London Underground has made good progress in developing the public private partnership: bids for the deep-tube lines are due back in March; expressions of interest for the sub-surface lines are due later this month; (and those for the property partnership are due in February). We have consistently made clear that we will not be bound by specific dates for the completion of the PPP.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what support he is providing to encourage local people to take an active part in regeneration programmes. [103273]

We are working with the relevant national, regional and local bodies to encourage local people to take an active part in the regeneration of their local communities. We are providing funding support, in particular for capacity building and community involvement, through our domestic regeneration programmes and European Structural Funds in eligible areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he has taken to regenerate former coalfield areas. [103274]

On 1 December 1998 at the second Coalfields Conference in Peterlee, County Durham, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a 10 year programme to regenerate coalfield communities with an investment package of £354 million over three years. A fuller breakdown of this investment and further steps to be taken are set out in "Making the Difference—A new Start for England's Coalfield Communities: The Government's Response to the Coalfields Task Force Report".The Deputy Prime Minister published a further report at the third Coalfields Conference in Wigan on 18 October 1999, in less than a year since Peterlee, setting out progress on delivery of the recommendations of the Coalfields Task Force. Copies of both these documents have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the Single Regeneration Budget in combating disadvantage. [103276]

Analysis from the interim national evaluation of the first two rounds of the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) has shown that the initiative is delivering a good mix of economic, social, community and environmental benefits in deprived areas. Taking into account the severity of the problems in SRB partnership areas, these benefits are being delivered cost effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from the Eastern Regional Development Agency. [103277]

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has submitted its strategy for the East of England, "Moving Forward" and its Corporate Plan. It has also commented on draft Planning Policy Guidance 11 and on Round 6 of the Single Regeneration Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his proposals to improve the Planning Inspectorate's service to the public. [103278]

The Planning Inspectorate strives continuously to improve its service to the public. They have dramatically improved handling times for deciding planning appeals and are well on the way to achieving the Public Service Agreement targets which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in March 1999. Improvements to the procedure for processing planning appeals will be implemented during 2000–01. A consultation paper on proposals to improve the processing of enforcement appeals was published last month. The Inspectorate are converting all of their guidance leaflets into Plain English and have been awarded seven crystal marks by the Plain English Campaign. The Inspectorate will continue to invest in new IT systems and will be relaunching their website shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage local planning authorities to build new homes in existing town centres. [103279]

We are revising our planning policy guidance on housing (PPG3) to encourage more housing to be provided in town centres and the conversion and reuse of buildings not currently in housing use, and the re-use of premises above shops. We have commissioned research to identify the impediments to mixed-use and housing developments in town centres, the results of which will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he next plans to meet the Health and Safety Executive to discuss train overcrowding. [103280]

I have no plans to discuss train overcrowding with the Health and Safety Executive, who regard this issue as primarily one of passenger comfort and not safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on improving innovation and quality in the construction industry. [103281]

We are working closely with clients and the supply side to improve the performance of the construction industry by stimulating innovation and process improvement along the lines recommended in Sir John Egan's report "Rethinking Construction".Demonstration projects to a value of around £3 billion have been put forward covering almost every aspect of construction by local authorities, housing associations, central Government Departments and agencies and by many private sector clients and suppliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of (a) proposals from the airlines for the corporate restructuring of the NATS and (b) the prospect of achieving consensus on such proposals across the wider air transport industry. [103282]

The Government have not received any formal proposals from the airlines about the restructuring of NATS. The NATS PPP will be put in place following a competitive tender process and, should they choose to bid, any proposal from the airlines will be considered as part of that process. The responses to our consultation on the NATS PPP show that there is broad support for the Government' s proposals from the aviation industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on climate change. [103283]

Climate change remains high on the Government's agenda and we are pressing ahead with the development of an ambitious UK climate change programme, a draft of which will be published shortly for consultation. We have already introduced many new and innovative policies that will reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on measures taken to provide the travelling public with a one-stop national passenger information system. [103285]

The national public transport information system is being developed by partnerships of transport operators and local authorities.Government have provided Supplementary Credit Approvals to local authorities of £1 million in 1998–99 and £3.3 million in 1999–2000 to assist with the capital requirements of the project.The service is expected to be introduced progressively throughout Great Britain during 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on taking account of competition issues within the planning system. [103286]

The planning system is expected to be positive in promoting competition while ensuring the protection of the environment and amenity. It is required to treat all applications for planning consent even-handedly and to determine them on their planning merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his Department's policy to discourage the development of playing fields currently being used for sport. [103287]

Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Sport and Recreation already emphasises the special significance of playing fields and that they should normally be protected. The Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields)(England) Direction 1998 requires referral to the Secretary of State of planning applications for development of local authority-owned playing fields or those currently, or in the previous five years, in educational use, where Sport England has objected but the local planning authority is minded to grant permission. The Secretary of State then has the opportunity to call in the application for his own determination.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase the powers of school crossing patrols. [103289]

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions announced on 18 November 1998 that School Crossing Patrols would be given increased powers so that they can help any child or adult across the road and that the time restrictions on when they can operate will be removed.The proposal to extend the powers of school crossing patrols was included in our White Paper, "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". It is a clear commitment. We will implement this proposal when a suitable legislative opportunity arises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the current rate of inflation for the basket of goods and services purchased by local authorities. [103259]

Employee costs account for more than half of local authorities' costs, and this year's pay settlements affecting local authorities are in the region of 2 to 3.6 per cent. Local authorities will continue to benefit from the low inflation and stable economy being delivered by the good economic management this Government provides as well as the predictability that the three year settlement has provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received from industry and business concerning the effects of the climate change levy [103270]

We receive many representations from business on the climate change levy and have been taking these into consideration in our development of detailed proposals. We have also issued a number of consultation papers, the latest—which invites comments on the Government's proposals for a £150 million business energy efficiency programme and tax relief scheme for investment in energy saving technologies—was published on 9 December 1999. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to issue an exemption order for the fleet of trams to be introduced into service in Croydon in respect of the provisions of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998. [104620]

As my predecessor explained in her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 167W, we are expecting to receive a number of exemption applications from train and tram operating companies whose designs for new rail vehicles were well advanced prior to the 1998 Regulations coming into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the results of the 1999 Rural Bus Challenge competition. [104623]

I am pleased to announce today approval of the 58 projects listed below which were submitted as bids by local authorities in this competition. This follows careful consideration of a total of 124 bids submitted by authorities. Funding for the successful bids will total £16.78 million. A Special Grant Report under Section 88b of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 will be put forward for Parliamentary approval as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what evidence he has obtained as to whether councils which have provided, free, subsidised or cost price garden composters have ensured the equipment has been used for 12 months or longer. [104294]

None. This is a matter for individual councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of used fluorescent lights from Government buildings are recycled. [104293]

The percentage is small. Only some 25,000 fluorescent tubes have been recycled under the Government-wide call off contract which the Disposal Sales Agency awarded to Biffa Waste Services Limited in June 1998. The potential market was estimated at 800,000 tubes a year. But contracts of this nature take time to bed down. The extra cost of recycling is deterring some premises managers from using the contract. Others are bound by existing contracts and must wait until they expire. The time intervals for replacing tubes can also vary between two and several years depending on circumstances. There are also logistical considerations such as storage space. Efforts continue to encourage managers to use the contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce commonhold legislation. [104264]

As was announced in the gracious speech given on 17 November 1999, Official Report, columns 4–7, the Government will be publishing a draft joint Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill for consultation during this session. The Commonhold aspects of the draft Bill are the responsibility of my right hon. noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to include the pedestrian footpath network in London within the scope of his report on improving rights of way in England and Wales. [104261]

Our consultation paper, "Improving Rights of Way in England and Wales", was sent to all the local authorities in London and a number of London organisations. We are considering their responses carefully, together with almost 2000 others, in preparing new legislation on rights of way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has given to local authorities about improving the quality of life of their tenants through estate management. [104052]

This Department has been represented on several of the policy action teams (PATs) set up in response to the Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bringing Britain together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal", including PAT 5 on Housing Management and PAT 8 on Anti-social Behaviour. PAT 5 found that good housing management is crucial in ensuring that tenants in social housing enjoy a high quality of life. The work of both teams will feed into the Social Exclusion Unit's overall strategy on neighbourhood renewal, to be published later this year.The quality of life for tenants can be greatly improved by involving tenants more effectively and more thoroughly in the management of their homes, including tenant management if that is what the tenants themselves want. From April this year all councils will be introducing tenant participation compacts. This Department published guidance for local authorities in June last year to help them develop, implement and review their local compacts.We are also broadening our programme of grants paid under section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 to promote and develop greater participation. Guidance on the full range of grants available for this purpose will be published in the spring.Under Best Value, local authorities will need to review their housing services, including those relating to estate management, with a view to securing improvements, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. This Department will shortly be publishing guidance for local housing authorities on the application of Best Value to housing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what administrative measures are available to enforce tenancy agreements between local authorities and their tenants. [104053]

Tenancy agreements set out both the rights, and responsibilities, of tenants. Local authorities should ensure that their agreements are clear and unambiguous, so that there can be no doubt about the standards expected and the circumstances in which the authority will take action if there are problems. In the event of a breach of a tenancy agreement, local authorities may wish to begin possession proceedings using the grounds set out in Part I of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1985 (as amended by the Housing Act 1996).Local authorities may, alternatively, wish to seek an injunction against the tenant concerned to prevent further breaches of the tenancy agreement. The 1996 Act enables the courts to attach a power of arrest to such an injunction if there is violence, or a threat of violence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what criteria were applied in determining how many and which environment schemes would be deleted from proposals put to him by the Environment Agency and South West Water; under what statutory authority that decision was made; whether the criteria relating to pollution of the water environment are the same in every region; and if he will make a statement. [104161]

Proposals for investment by water companies in schemes to protect and improve the environment in England were put to the Secretary of State by the Environment Agency as part of the Periodic Review of water company price limits. This is a non-statutory process, led by Ofwat, which sets the price framework by reference, among other factors, to foreseen investment needs over the forthcoming pricing period, in this case 2000–05.The Director General of Ofwat requested guidance from Ministers about the level of investment which companies should be required to make to achieve environmental objectives within this period. We were advised in that task by the Environment Agency, which put forward a list of specific proposals for consideration. A large proportion of these arose from the need to meet statutory water quality standards, many of them arising from European legislation. All these schemes were included in the programme as a matter of course. On other parts of the programme, principally schemes to improve river water quality and those to improve intermittent sewage discharges, it was possible for the Government to exercise a degree of discretion over the timing or the nature of the objectives.In "Raising the Quality", which was published in September 1998, we indicated a general aim to eliminate at least half the existing shortfall in compliance with river quality objectives by 2005 and to accelerate the rate of improvement for intermittent discharges, so that at least two thirds of remaining unsatisfactory discharges would be improved by 2005. Within these national objectives, however, the Government made clear it would take a view on the pace of investment for particular companies taking account of the need to avoid unacceptable impacts on water prices in different parts of the country, and to reflect local environmental priorities.In the south west, where customers were already experiencing water bills considerably higher than for any other water company, and which already had the highest rate of compliance with river quality objectives in England, we decided to undertake a lower proportion of investment to meet river quality objectives and improve intermittent discharges than elsewhere. These decisions were based on assessments of the costs and benefits of the investment schemes concerned. However, the south west will still benefit from a substantial environmental programme, which includes further improvements to protect bathing waters and shellfish waters, key priorities for the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions over a 10 year period that would be achieved by replacing two 1,200 MW coal-fired power stations with two gas-fired power stations of the same capacity. [104274]

My Department estimates that replacing two 1,200 MW coal fired power stations by two gas fired power stations of the same capacity would save about 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a ten year period, assuming the power stations would operate on base load.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that large donations to political parties are declared. [104183]

Part IV of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill will give effect to our manifesto commitment to require the disclosure of large donations made to political parties. The registered treasurer of a political party will be required to report to the Electoral Commission, on a quarterly basis, the source and amount of donations of £5,000 or more accepted by the central organisation and of £1,000 or more accepted by a constituency association or other sub-unit of the party's organisation.In the immediate run up to a general election, reports must be submitted on a weekly basis. All donations so reported would be included on a register of recordable donations, which will be open to public inspection.In addition, Part IX of the Bill amends the Companies Act 1985 so as to strengthen the requirements on companies to disclose, in the directors' report, donations to political parties which, in aggregate, exceed £200 in a financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to letters to the Asylum Directorate from Powell and Co., dated 17 May, 17 June, 8 July, 17 September and 19 October, concerning a constituent (Home Office reference D282723) of the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead; and if he will make a statement. [99771]

[pursuant to her reply, 25 November 1999, c. 179W]: I now understand that, owing to a regrettable oversight, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate did not send a reply to the letter of 17 May from Powell and Co. There is no trace of any further letters from the solicitors. On 30 November, a final reply was sent to Powell and Co., and I wrote to my hon. Friend on 22 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made toward the improvement of car parks under the secured car parks scheme. [104266]

As at 31 December 1999, 544 car parks in England and Wales had achieved awards under the secured car parks scheme. Car parks with award status have shown substantial reductions in crime, with a sample showing average reductions of 70 per cent.Additional Government funding of £150 million over three years for closed circuit television has been made available. Improving car park security was a priority for the first round and 31 bids with a car park element (and a capital value of £3 million) were approved under fast-track procedures. In addition, an award of £1.95 million has been made to London Underground to upgrade 58 car parks to award status.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women prisoners (i) have escaped from custody during their sentence in each of the last five years and (ii) have not been recaptured. [104048]

The information requested is set out in the tables. The numbers of escapes exclude recaptures within 15 minutes where no further offence has been committed. Figures are for financial years and the escape figures for 1999–2000 show the position to the end of December 1999. The recapture data are as accurate as possible, but some escapers may be recaptured or be arrested for other offences and re-enter the system without a link to the previous incident being made or reported.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support he has offered to local authorities accepting asylum seekers. [104258]

The Government have made special grants available to local authorities to help meet unavoidable additional costs incurred in accommodating and supporting asylum seekers under the Children Act 1989 and the National Assistance Act 1948 who are not otherwise entitled to social benefit. On a weekly basis, these grants are currently up to £150 for a single adult and £220 for a family. The responsibility for the payment of these grants—except those for unaccompanied asylum seeking children—passed to the Home Office in April 1999. Home Office officials have also provided direct support over the past year to the Local Government Association (LGA) and local authorities to devise and operate arrangements to disperse asylum seekers away from those areas under most pressure.With effect from 1 April 2000, the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 provides for destitute asylum seekers and their dependants to be supported and accommodated by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). Through regional consortia, local authorities will still have a key role to play in co-ordinating the provision of accommodation and support services to destitute asylum seekers in their area. To help achieve what is known as the enabling role, Regional Consortia will be eligible to receive up to £40,000 this year and up to £100,000 annually thereafter in grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking in respect of unscrupulous puppy farmers. [104393]

Commercial dog breeding establishments have to be licensed by local authorities under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, as amended by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. It is an offence to be in breach of any of the licence conditions aimed at ensuring satisfactory welfare standards for the dogs involved. There are inspection powers for suspected unlicensed premises under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1991.The Home Office has recently issued guidance to local authorities about administration and enforcement of this legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the policy of the Metropolitan Police henceforth to allow officers facing a discipline hearing the assistance, if requested, of a representative of the Black Police Association in addition to the Police Federation. [103917]

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner informs me that it is Metropolitan Police policy to comply with the Police Regulations, and Home Office guidance, on disciplinary hearings.The Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985, which cover incidents occurring before 1 April 1999, provide that a member of a police force may assist the legal representative at the hearing. The Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999, for incidents after 1 April 1999, provide that in addition to having his or her case conducted by a legal representative, the officer may be accompanied at the hearing by a member of a police force or a friend. The role of the friend is to assist the officer in defending the case.If the officer asks to have more than one friend present at a misconduct hearing, the presiding officer will base any decision on representations from the officer concerned. If the request is agreed, the second friend will be acting as an observer and not a second advocate to question witnesses on behalf of the officer concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from what date all members of the Metropolitan Police discipline tribunals involving accusations of racism will have had anti-racism training. [103918]

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner informs me that all of his officers who are eligible to sit on police discipline tribunals as assessors under the Police Act 1996 have received training in the relevant Home Office guidance and regulations, including dealing with racially discriminatory behaviour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with members and officials of the United States Department of Defense to discuss the public private partnership proposals for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency; on what date; at which locations; which UK Ministers attended each of these meetings; which members of the United States Government attended these meetings; and for which section of the United States Department of Defense the officials who attended each meeting were working. [103182]

Since 24 August 1999, the Minister for Defence Procurement, Baroness Symons, has met with the following US representatives to discuss the DERA public private partnership proposals:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when and where British officials and military personnel met US Government officials to discuss the future of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency; and if he will list the names and job descriptions of the British participants. [103407]

[holding answer 21 December 1999]: Throughout the DERA PPP process there has been substantial and widespread discussion with US Government officials, by a considerable number of British officials and military officers, at meetings in the UK, the US and in other countries during, or in the margins of, multilateral meetings.A full list of all meetings which may have included discussions on the future of DERA between US Government officials and British participants is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However the key meetings held specifically to discuss DERA PPP are summarised as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on health problems suffered by former workers at the Nancekuke base in Cornwall. [103940]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 11 November 1999, Official Report, columns 707–08W, concerning the survey conducted by the Registrar General which showed that, up to 1969, the mortality of persons who had been employed at Nancekuke was rather less than the average for England and Wales as a whole. This report was published in full in the answer given to the former hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Pardoe) on 2 November 1970, Official Report, columns 294–95W. I also refer my hon. Friend to my previous answer concerning the review of sickness and absenteeism among persons employed at Nancekuke which did not yield any valid conclusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's decision to allow early release of a document concerning health risks to workers at the Nancekuke base in Cornwall during the 1950s and 1960s. [103939]

The document to which my hon. Friend refers was a report of sickness and absenteeism among persons employed at Nancekuke from 1952 to 1969. The review was conducted by the Registrar General and mentioned briefly in an answer to a question from the former hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Pardoe) on 2 November 1970, Official Report, columns 294–95W. The study, which was not classified, was among a number of papers at the Public Record Office which were authorised for early release by the Office for National Statistics in response to a request from a reporter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from former workers at the Nancekuke base in Cornwall regarding health risks caused by their contact with poisonous substances during the 1950s and 1960s. [103938]

One claim for compensation has been received by my Department from a former worker at Nancekuke who was accidentally exposed to Sarin GB. I am not aware of any other representations to my Department. I am, however, aware of the two other claims made through the then Department of Health and Social Security in the early 1970s.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the report released by the Office for National Statistics concerning health risks to workers at the Nancekuke base in Cornwall during the 1950s and 1960s. [103941]

The report referred to was based on a review of sickness and absenteeism among persons employed at Nancekuke from 1952 to 1969. While the results could be taken to imply greater absence among industrial staff for some illnesses than might have been expected from the national figures available, the data were considered insufficiently robust to be used as firm evidence of increased ill-health among staff and the results were not published formally. Recent re-examination of the results supports the original conclusions concerning the inadequacy of the data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects to let the contract for the Type 45 Destroyer; and what the timescale is for the various elements; [103922](2) when he expects to let the contract for the second Type 45 Destroyer; to whom it will be let; and what the timescale is for the various elements of the contract. [103923]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what actions his Department took to prevent Pakistan Ordnance Factories from exhibiting brochures at the Defence Systems Equipment International '99 Exhibition at Chertsey; [104158]

The Pakistan Ordnance Factories stand at Defence Systems Equipment International '99 (DSEi99) Exhibition was reviewed by MOD officials and, at that time, no literature promoting Anti-Personnel Mines was found. No specific action was therefore required or taken to prevent the company from exhibiting brochures at DSEi99.Attendance of companies at the show was a matter for the organisers, DSEi Ltd., who assured HMG that they would require that all exhibitions and promotional material would comply with UK legislation, including the Landmines Act 1998, and Government policy. HM Customs and Excise are currently investigating an allegation that Pakistan Ordnance Factories referred to anti-personnel landmines in their promotional material.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in the last six months on the mid-life of the Spearfish MoD O warshot heavyweight torpedoes; and what response he has made to suppliers concerning the performance of the torpedoes. [104110]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specification was set out in the invitation to tender for the Joint Rapid Reaction Force Roll-On-Roll-Off vessel PFI contract regarding the (a) use by bidders of UK seafarers, (b) commitment to recruitment by bidders of seafarers from traditional UK maritime communities, (c) use by bidders of non-UK seafarers, (d) commitment of bidders to the training initiatives recently announced by the Government, (e) training opportunities for officers and ratings to be provided on the vessels and (f) management of the health, safety and employment welfare of crews. [104088]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce the award of the PFI contract for the Joint Rapid Reaction Force Roll-On Roll-Off vessels. [104090]

Our current intention is to place a contract in summer 2000 for Roll-on Roll-off vessels to support the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans have been made to meet the needs of the armed forces in the event of any delay in (a) the awarding of the PFI contract for the Joint Rapid Reaction Force Roll-On Roll-Off vessels and (b) the delivery of the vessels. [104091]

The project is on track to achieve the placing of the contract in summer 2000. We have always planned to provide an interim service from October 2000, through charter arrangements, until the new service was available. In the event of a delay to the delivery of the vessels, these arrangements could be extended to cover the gap.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current annual level of defence expenditure of each member state of the European Union. [100834]

I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers attached to RUC

[holding answer 15 December 1999]: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional training (a) the police and (b) the Prison Service in Northern Ireland have been given since the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into United Kingdom domestic legislation. [103612]

[holding answer 10 January 2000]: A committee chaired by a senior detective has been established within the RUC to examine all aspects of human rights, including training. There has already been close liaison with developments at National Police Training level and contact with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Planning is at an advanced stage for every officer and member of civilian staff to receive training prior to the full implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998.With regard to the Northern Ireland Prison Service, its strategy is to promote human rights awareness through training and development policies and strategies. The preservation of an individual's human rights throughout their time in prison custody is a running theme in much of the current training programme. Specifically in relation to the Human Rights Act, Prison Service senior managers and members of staff have already attended a range of training courses and seminars on human rights issues. Steps are also being taken to identify the wider extent of individual training requirements and to deliver appropriate training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the official engagements carried out by Ministers in support of the England World Cup 2006 bid, indicating the cost to his Department of the support given. [103863]

The Government have offered their full support to the Football Association's bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2006, and various Ministers have hosted a number of receptions on behalf of the bid team. All the receptions hosted by Ministers from his Department were at the expense of the FA bid team.My predecessor also undertook a number of overseas visits relating to the bid where his expenses were paid for by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. These are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the immigration policy operated by the Gibraltar Government in relation to same sex couples; and if he will make a statement. [104107]

Under the 1969 Gibraltar Constitution, the Government of Gibraltar pursue an immigration policy separate from that of the UK, subject to the constraints of EC law.It is not the policy of the Gibraltar Government to exempt non-EU partners of residents, same sex or otherwise, from the criteria and considerations applicable to applications for residence visas for non-EU nationals generally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the annual running costs of UK embassies in (a) the European Union and (b) the USA relate to (1) diplomacy, (2) business, (3) visas and (4) other activities, in the last year for which figures are available. [104086]

In 1997–98 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's running costs were split between (1) diplomacy, (2) commercial work, (3) visas and (4) other activities in the following way:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of human rights concerns in Zimbabwe; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to address these. [104573]

Respect for human rights in Zimbabwe has improved since the low point of the Matabeleland atrocities in the 1980s. Zimbabwe has an active civil society and independent press (albeit harassed at times). However, there have been some serious lapses in the last two years which have coincided with the decline in the economic situation. The arrest and torture of the two Standard journalists in January shocked Zimbabweans as well as the international community.Freedom of assembly is enshrined in the Constitution. The Government have previously used emergency powers to ban strike action, although a Parliamentary Legal Committee subsequently declared the ban to be unconstitutional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to control the export of television broadcast equipment to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement. [104574]

As of 5 January 2000, we have introduced an amendment to the Export of Goods (Control) Order to control the export to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) of television cameras, transmitters, codecs and transposers, satellite earth stations and up-and-down link equipment and transmission link and relay equipment. All applications to export these goods will be considered on a case-by-case basis.We have introduced the control because of our concerns that companies based in the UK may consider supplying this equipment to the state-run television company in the FRY. This company is a propaganda tool of the Milosevic regime and has been consistently used by the regime to defend and promote its repressive policies, most recently and noticeably during the Kosovo crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the results of the 1999 Assessment of the Wassenaar Arrangement and the role played by the UK. [104575]

The 1999 Assessment of the operation of the Wassenaar Arrangement was concluded at the Arrangement's annual Plenary in Vienna on 1–3 December. The agreed public statement on the Plenary is available on the Arrangement's website (www wassenaar.org).We welcome the decision by Participating States to expand the scope of their reporting on their transfers of certain types of conventional arms. As a result, arms pillar reporting requirements in the Wassenaar Arrangement will now for the first time extend beyond those in the UN Registrar of Conventional Arms. We also welcome the Plenary's decisions to structure the information exchange on the basis of global and regional views—as a result of a proposal by the UK—and to mandate the introduction of a secure electronic information system. These steps will greatly increase the value and accessibility of information exchanged by Participating States.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff were seconded from the private sector to her Department in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to the latest date for which figures are available, stating in each case the companies from which staff have been seconded. [103604]

The numbers of private sector secondees to the Cabinet Office over the last three years follow.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what arrangements she has made to ensure (a) the continued input of expertise and (b) the effective monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations of the review of major Government IT projects after the expiry of Anne Steward's secondment to the Government. [104243]

The recommendations to improve the delivery of major Government IT projects being developed by the Cabinet Office review team will include a clear statement of which parts of Government will be responsible for their implementation and monitoring.The study team is consulting widely to draw on the range of expertise available within the Government, and in the private sector and public sector overseas, as its work progresses. It is also considering mechanisms to ensure that expertise is available to public sector projects in the future.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate her Department has made of the impact on the ability of Government Departments to assess bids for the outsourcing of their operations of having previously outsourced all or part of their IT operations. [104244]

All Departments are required to conduct detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of any outsourcing arrangement, including its impact on all aspects of their operation.The team set up in the Department's Central IT Unit to review major Government IT projects is examining issues relating to the outsourcing of IT functions. The team will make recommendations to ensure that Government IT projects, including outsourcing deals, perform better in the future when it concludes its work in May 2000.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) if she will issue guidance to Government Departments on monitoring the rate of retention of staff of companies to which work has been outsourced by them in the 12 months following the date of the outsourcing; [104245](2) what estimate her Department has made of the impact on the Departments' ability to employ former staff employed by an outside organisation under outsourcing arrangements if that organisation fails to renew its contract with the Department; [104247](3) what employment protection applies to former staff of Government Departments who are employed by outside organisations as a result of outsourcing arrangements when the organisation concerned fails to have its contract renewed with the Department; [104246](4) what guidance she issues to Government Departments concerning the terms and conditions of employment of staff who as a result of outsourcing are employed by sub-contractors of the organisation to which the relevant operation has been outsourced. [104248]

I published, on Friday 7 January 2000, a "Statement of Practice for Staff Transfers in the Public Sector". This follows a public consultation undertaken last year which received widespread support.The Statement of Practice sets out the Government's policy for ensuring fair and consistent treatment of employees' rights where the public sector is the employer or client in a contracting-out or subsequent retendering situation. The guidance does not require Departments to monitor the rate of retention following a transfer. The approach adopted in the "Statement of Practice", which has the support of unions, public and private sector employers and contractors, is to utilise the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)—TUPE—Regulations which give individual employment protection rights to employees affected by the relevant transfer.Contracting-out and subsequent retendering will all be conducted on the basis that staff will transfer and TUPE should apply, unless there are genuinely exceptional reasons not to do so. Under TUPE, an employee's contract is carried across from the transferring employer along with his or her accrued period of service. Terms and conditions of employment cannot be made less beneficial as part of this process and employees cannot normally be lawfully dismissed where the reason is the transfer. Under this approach, staff of Government Departments should transfer to a contractor with TUPE protections and, where a contract is not renewed (by either the contractor or contracting authority), former staff of Government should transfer with TUPE protections to the new contractor. Similar considerations would also apply to sub-contracting.Copies of "Statement of Practice for Staff Transfers in the Public Sector" are in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans Her Majesty's Government have to propose legislation to prevent the setting up of commercial establishments purporting to select the sex of a baby by embryology. [99751]

Any treatment involving the use of human embryos outside the body is governed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The Act provides that such treatment cannot take place without a licence issued by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).In January 1993 the HFEA issued a public consultation document on the issues raised by sex selection and the ways of achieving it using assisted conception techniques. Following the consultation, the HFEA decided that licensed infertility clinics could carry out sex selection for medical reasons only in cases where a woman risked having a child with a life-threatening, sex-linked disease. Sex selection for social reasons is not permitted.