To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the precepting councils in England and Wales in order of the average council tax payable in that area; [105180](2) if he will list the police authorities of England and Wales in order of the average council tax payable in that area. [105182]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: The information requested on Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.The table shows the notional average Council Tax per dwelling for each of the major precepting authorities in England. The more common measure for comparison is the Band D Council Tax from which all bills are derived and on the basis of which all taxpayers in the same band within an authority pay the same amount. This is also given. It has a closer relation to how Council Tax bills are derived and hence what taxpayers will be paying.

Council Tax by English precepting authorities in 1999–2000
Precepting authority1	Average Council Tax per dwelling2(£)	Band D Council tax (£)
County Councils
Buckinghamshire	645	601
Surrey	640	585
Cheshire	617	697
Bedfordshire	615	694
Dorset	596	652
Hampshire	575	610
Oxfordshire	574	601
Hertfordshire	574	581
Nottinghamshire	567	749
Warwickshire	561	642
Wiltshire	560	594
Lancashire	558	731
West Sussex	549	586
East Sussex	543	622
Essex	540	599
Northumberland	538	716
Kent	537	602
Derbyshire	526	689
Leicestershire	526	629
Devon	525	616
North Yorkshire	519	589
Shropshire	516	609
Somerset	504	594
Cambridgeshire	502	570
Gloucestershire	498	577
Cumbria	495	662
Worcestershire	489	561
Suffolk	476	585
Norfolk	471	612
Staffordshire	466	577

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to make a decision on the mixed oxide fuel plant in advance of the publication of the Green Paper on the management of radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement. [105573]

[holding answer 19 January 2000]: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are in the process of considering all relevant issues concerning the Sellafield Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Plant. Decisions will be announced as soon as they have been made. The timing of these decisions is unrelated to the publication of the Consultation Document on the management of radioactive waste. We aim to publish the Consultation Document in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on the labelling of imported genetically modified grain. [105580]

[holding answer 20 January 2000]: The Government's policy is that genetically modified grain imported into the UK should be clearly labelled. All such products currently imported into the UK must be labelled.European Directive 90/220/EEC governs the release and marketing of GMOs. The Common Position reached in December 1999 on an amendment to the Directive strengthens the requirement to label clearly all products containing genetically modified organisms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what peer review by academics the methods devised by the consultants employed by his Department to compile the proposed new index of multiple deprivation will be subjected before it is used as the basis for distributing regeneration resources. [106284]

The 1999 Review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. In addition to the review being overseen by an inter-department steering committee, the University of Oxford have consulted an advisory panel (with over 40 members) throughout the review. The advisory panel has consisted of a large number of peer academics both in and outside of the University of Oxford, as well as local authority officials, research professionals and others.The University of Oxford have also facilitated extensive consultation throughout the 1999 Review. Respondents to the consultation have included other Government Departments, local authorities, research organisations, academics and other organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much of the money allocated annually to London boroughs through SRB and European grants will be lost if the new proposed index of multiple deprivation is used as the basis for allocating regeneration resources; and if he will make a statement. [106283]

The 2000 Spending Review, currently underway, will determine funding levels from 2001–02 to 2003–04 for all domestic regeneration programmes. It will take into account the new Index of Local Deprivation as well as other factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what criteria the new indicators of deprivation were used as the basis for the proposed index of multiple deprivation; and if he will make a statement. [106282]

The 1999 Review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. A consultation on the domains and indicators for inclusion in the 1999 index took place from 2 July 1999 and 16 August 1999. Over 125 responses were received and were carefully considered and reported on in a further paper 'Methodology for an Index of Multiple Deprivation' released by the University for consultation on 2 December 1999. This paper outlined the final list of domains and indicators for inclusion in the 1999 index.Domains for inclusion in the 1999 Index;

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the data underlying the new proposed index of multiple deprivation. [106285]

The 1999 review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. The University has carried out a consultation exercise on the methodology of the 1999 Index. The consultation closed on Monday 17 January having run for a period of six weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the local authorities which have decided they wish to have a directly elected mayor. [106320]

The Local Government Bill, which if enacted would allow local authorities to have a directly elected mayor, is currently before the Other Place. Information about councils' current intentions should the Bill be enacted is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those councils which have decided they do not wish to introduce an executive structure as set out in the Local Government Bill. [106319]

The Local Government Bill, which if enacted would require local authorities to draw up proposals for an executive structure, is currently before the Other Place. Information about councils' current intentions is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the public consultation exercises on policy matters carried out by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; who was consulted and by what means; how responses were analysed; how and in what form the results were transmitted to those responsible for the consultation; how the results of the consultation were published; and what analysis has been carried out of the extent and nature of policy changes resulting from the consultation. [106301]

This information is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the level of public awareness on Merseyside of the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [106421]

It is the role of the Government office for the North West to promote environment issues in the Merseyside region. The Government office are currently actively working with others to raise awareness in the North West about biodiversity issues. The Government office is a member of the North West Biodiversity Forum whose aims are to support, encourage and positively influence the conservation of biological diversity in the North West. Other members of the Forum include Lancashire County Council, the Environment Agency, English Nature, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Joint Countryside Advisory Service, County Wildlife Trusts and North West Water.The Government office is currently promoting the production of a biodiversity booklet via the Forum to raise awareness among decision makers about biodiversity in the region to highlight, particularly, those species and habitats deemed to be under threat from development.It is not a policy of the Government to carry out research into public awareness of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 anywhere in the United Kingdom, although they aim to make as much information available as possible through the Department's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of aircraft using UK airports use depleted uranium as ballast; and what assessment he has made of the potential risk to health in the event of a crash. [106307]

Data are not collected in the form requested. However, it is known that early Boeing 747s, of which about 550 were constructed up until 1981, used depleted uranium counterbalance weights in their control surfaces.A risk to health could arise only in the unlikely event that a crash, followed by a sufficiently severe and long lasting fire, were to cause aerosolisation and dispersal of the material. It has been established from the condition of the recovered counterweights and the evidence of fire damage following the recent Korean B747 aircraft crash that there has been no airborne dispersal of uranium from the crash site. Sixteen of the 20 counterweights used in the aircraft have so far been recovered.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the outcome of his Department's review of the operation of the Commercial Leases Code of Practice. [106860]

My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning hopes to make an announcement in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to place in the Library a copy of notes taken at meetings between Ministers of his Department and officials from non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department after each such meeting. [106693]

Ministers meet NDPB chairmen and others to discuss a range of strategic issues, including confidential matters. Implementing this proposal would constrain the full and frank discussion that makes such meetings useful. It will therefore not be policy to place in the Library a copy of notes taken at such meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the meetings he or his ministerial colleagues have had in the last 12 months with the local government network, listing who was present at such meetings and the topics discussed. [106818]

Over the last 12 months, Ministers have met many involved with local government. A wide range of topics have been discussed, including the Government's modernisation agenda and other issues which cross departmental boundaries. Such meetings will continue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by how much the financial settlement for district councils would change if the calculations based on enhanced population figures were removed from the provisional standing spending assessments for 2000–01; and if he will rank these figures in descending order. [106411]

The provisional standard spending assessments for 2000–01 were updated on 16 December 1999. These have been compared with figures obtained by removing (i) section (a) from the formula in paragraph 4.41 of "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2000–01" and (ii) sections (a) (i) and (b) (i) in paragraph 4.47. The differences have been ranked in descending order and the information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the Health and Safety Audit of operations at the SARP (UK) Ltd. plant at Killamarsh, Derbyshire, and the reports of the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency into incidents of the escape of acid vapour at the plant on 14 and 30 May 1998; and if he will make a statement. [106458]

The investigations into the two incidents involving chemical releases at SARP UK were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive as a joint exercise with the Environment Agency. SARP UK was prosecuted in relation to those incidents and the penalties and costs awarded against the company were £120,000 and £150,000 respectively—a measure of how seriously the Court viewed these offences. In addition a detailed inspection of activities on the site was subsequently carried out resulting in a large number of recommendations for improvement of health and safety. The report of the investigation and of the findings of the inspection are being made public in a report published by the HSE so that the lessons can be understood by other companies. The report will be available from 3 February at the HSE Information Centres in London, Bootle and Sheffield. It will also be available at the Environment Agency Library in Bristol. I am placing copies in the Library of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Swindon (Ms Drown), of 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 245W, on genetically modified organisms, if he will estimate the proportion of genetically modified organisms which will come within the scope of the Advanced Informed Agreement. [106963]

The scope of the Advanced Informed Agreement (AIA) procedure within the Biosafety Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the issues currently under negotiation in Montreal. Therefore it is not possible to estimate the proportion of living modified organisms (LMOs) that will come within its scope. The position of the United Kingdom and its European Union partners is that an effective and workable AIA procedure is necessary for the Protocol to contribute to biosafety, and that LMOs for food, feed or processing (commodities) should be included within the scope of the Protocol. At the negotiations, informal contact groups have been set up to look specifically at issues of transboundary movements of commodity LMOs and the scope of the Protocol.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from other heads of Government concerning the proposed extradition of General Pinochet. [106020]

[holding answer 20 January 2000]: The President of Chile has made representations to me on a number of occasions over the last 15 months.

To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to appoint a Minister for Young People. [106452]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Spen (Mr. Wood) on 6 December 1999, Official Report, column 353W.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to his oral statement on 19 January 2000, Official Report, column 841, if he will list the limits which will apply to each political party in relation to their spending on a referendum on the single European currency; [106790](2) what is his policy on equalisation of spending limits on money raised by political parties on either side of the argument in future referenda. [106791]

We do not think it is practicable to regulate spending by political parties in such a way as to ensure that exactly equal amounts are spent by those on either side of a referendum argument. We do, however, think it is desirable to place a limit on what each party individually can spend.Accordingly, schedule 13 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill provides that in any referendum held throughout the United Kingdom the expenditure limits for a registered political party should be based on the percentage of the vote secured by the party at the previous general election, namely:

£ million
Percentage of vote	Permitted limit
More than 30	5
20–30	4
10–20	3
5–10	2
Less than 5	0.5

To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many defence manufacturers have made representations to (a) him, (b) his advisers and (c) officials about arms sales to Zimbabwe over the last 17 months; and if he will list the individuals and companies concerned, indicating the dates on which representations were made; [106937](2) how many representatives of arms manufacturers have made representations to

Neither I nor my Office has received any representations from defence manufacturers or their representatives about the sale of arms to Zimbabwe.

To ask the Prime Minister under what circumstances interception by the United States of communications initiated by UK citizens is permitted from UK territory. [106654]

It is long-standing policy not to comment on such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Future Carrier-borne Aircraft programme; and if he will make a statement. [106311]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 December 1999, Official Report, column 453W, sub-para 14 to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the public consultation exercises on policy matters carried out by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; who was consulted and by what means; how responses were analysed; how and in what form the results were transmitted to those responsible for the consultation; how the results of the consultation were published; and what analysis has been carried out of the extent and nature of policy changes resulting from the consultation. [106303]

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Our largest public consultation exercise on policy matters in the last five years was that conducted to inform the strategic defence review which was launched on 28 May 1997. The then Secretary of State invited everyone who wished to contribute to the review to put forward their ideas and over 570 submissions were received. Each submission was analysed to record the subjects of concern, and circulated to the appropriate Working Groups for consideration. 486 authors consented to having their submissions made public. These were placed in the Libraries of the House and provided on microfiche to 12 public libraries across the United Kingdom.In addition, in July and November 1997, the then Secretary of State and the Foreign Secretary jointly hosted three seminars to contribute to the strategic defence review to which a wide range of academics, journalists, Opposition Members and members of non-Governmental organisations were invited. Summaries of each seminar were placed in the Libraries of the House and published on the Ministry of Defence website.The assessment of the submissions and the seminars formed part of the strategic defence review, the recommendations of which were published as the Strategic Defence Review White Paper (Cm3999) and the Strategic Defence Review Supporting Essays. Both documents were also published on the Ministry of Defence website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Army Technical Support Agency. [107038]

The strategic defence review (SDR) announced that the Army Equipment Support Organisation was being re-structured and that ATSA would be absorbed into the new organisation. Director General Equipment Support (Land) DG ES (Land) is being formed on 1 April 2000 as part of the Defence Logistics Organisation, incorporating the staff and functions of ATSA. ATSA is therefore to be disestablished formally as an agency with effect from 1 April 2000. The agency's final set of accounts will be laid before the House in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he or his officials have held with the German Government about the deployment of additional troops from (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain to British garrisons in Germany. [105647]

[holding answer 19 January 2000]: There have been no such discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) the Foreign Secretary about the remit of the visit of the Chief of the Defence Staff to Pakistan; [106171](2) what issues he asked the Chief of the Defence Staff to discuss during his visit to Pakistan. [106172]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and I agreed that the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Charles Guthrie, should visit Pakistan to deliver tough messages to General Musharraf, as one military man to another, on the imperative for a transition to democracy and regional security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the outcome of his review of Access Funds and Hardship Loans. [105977]

I have today announced a package of extra measures for 2000–01 and 2001–02 to widen access to higher education and tackle student hardship in England and Wales. The full year cost of the package has been estimated at £68 million. This honours the commitment I gave to Parliament on 13 July 1998 to monitor the new student support arrangements introduced after the Dearing Report. It also builds on the findings of the Review of Access Funds and Hardship Loans carried out last autumn.The system of student support is working well: full-time entrants to higher education have increased by nearly 5,000 this year and more money is now going into universities and colleges. The system is fair and equitable to students, families, and the taxpayer. But our Review highlighted the specific financial concerns of older students, notably the costs of child care, especially for lone parents, school meals, and travel. The Review also found that mature students, in particular, need guarantees of financial support if they are to undertake and complete courses of higher education. These new measures target extra help at full-time mature students, disadvantaged young people and parents on low incomes with children in higher education.In 2000–01, £17 million will be set aside for non-repayable Access Funds Bursaries for mature students of up to £1,000 per student, according to need, available at the start of the academic year. Further support, depending on circumstances, will also be available from a Hardship Fund of £57 million, for students who run into financial difficulties during the course. Hardship Loans will remain available to mature students but they will no longer have to take out a Hardship Loan before receiving support from the Hardship Fund. We will additionally provide an income-assessed grant to meet the cost of school meals for students with dependant children aged 4 to 16. We have also decided to ease substantially the income assessment for mature students who will now be able to have £7,500 of their income disregarded without losing entitlement to student support, instead of a minimum of £820.In 2001–02, three further measures will be introduced to widen access and tackle hardship. We will raise the parental contribution threshold from £17,370 (at 1999–2000 rates) to £20,000, which will mean around 50,000 more families on modest incomes will no longer have to contribute towards their children's higher education. I shall also review the other contribution thresholds. Up to £10 million will be available for non-repayable Bursaries through Access Funds of up to £1,000 for young students from disadvantaged backgrounds, building on schemes already developing at a number of universities. Both these measures will help students from families on low incomes with no history of entry to higher education. We will provide further help for mature students by introducing a means-tested child care grant, based on the actual costs of child care of up to £100 a week per child, for those with dependant children, which will be fully disregarded by the Department of Social Security for benefits purposes.Where necessary, we will make amendments to the Education (Student Support) Regulations 1999 and the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1999 to give effect to these changes for 2000–01. Amendments to Regulations to give effect to the changes for 2001–02 will also be made in due course. Changes to the guidance on the use of the Access and Hardship Funds will be given to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and individual Higher Education Institutions, shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the persons appointed as schools adjudicators, indicating in each case whether they have served as members of local education authorities and to which political group in the authority they belonged. [105642]

The list of adjudicators appointed is as follows:

• Sir Peter Newsam
• Dr. Alan Billings
• June Brown
• John Clark
• Andrew Collier CBE
• Peter Downes OBE
• John Evans
• Gordon Hainsworth
• Ann Holt
• Louise Kidd
• Robert Lanwarne
• Peter Neafsey
• Professor David Newton
• Dr. Hilary Nicolle
• Anthony Webster
• Robin Squire (resigned).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the names of the adjudicators he has appointed under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and their political affiliation. [106565]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The list of adjudicators appointed is as follows:

• Sir Peter Newsam
• Dr. Alan Billings
• June Brown
• John Clark
• Andrew Collier CBE
• Peter Downes OBE
• John Evans
• Gordon Hainsworth
• Ann Holt
• Louise Kidd
• Robert Lanwarne
• Peter Neafsey
• Professor David Newton
• Dr. Hilary Nicolle
• Anthony Webster
• Robin Squire (resigned).

We hold no information about the present political affiliation of adjudicators. As a matter of public record, Peter Downes declared at the time of his application that he had undertaken significant political activity in the last five years as a member of the Liberal Democrats and an elected member of Huntingdonshire District Council. No other adjudicator at present in post declared an engagement in significant political activities during the previous five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has had from uniformed youth organisations following his announcement about proposals for summer activity camps for 16-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [106469]

We have received expressions of interest in summer activities from two uniformed youth organisations: the Scout Association and the Boys' Brigade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the percentage of special needs statements issued within 18 weeks by each London local education authority in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [106756]

The Audit Commission publishes information on the percentage of draft statements of special educational needs produced by local education authorities within 18 weeks. Data for 1998–99 will not be available until the end of March and will be placed on the Audit Commission's internet website. The 1997–98 percentages for the London authorities given below do not include statements for which allowable exceptions from the relevant time limits, as set out in Part 3 of my Department's "Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs", have been made. In 1998 officials in my Department provided good-practice guidance to those LEAs whose performance was weakest. When the data for 1998–99 are available my officials will consider the need for further action to help LEAs improve their performance in this area.

LEA	Percentage
Inner London:
Camden	49
Greenwich	6
Hackney	56
Hammersmith and Fulham	98
Islington	88
Kensington and Chelsea	85
Lambeth	52
Lewisham	92
Southwark	92
Tower Hamlets	43
Wandsworth	99
Westminster	82
(no figure is available for the City of London)
Outer London:
Barking and Dagenham	12
Barnet	50
Bexley	97
Brent	90
Bromley	98
Croydon	78
Ealing	20
Enfield	30
Haringey	20
Harrow	33
Havering	94
Hillingdon	22
Hounslow	79
Kingston-upon-Thames	100
Merton	98
Newham	65
Redbridge	47
Richmond-upon-Thames	30
Sutton	29
Waltham Forest	32

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent guidance his Department has issued on educational provision for children looked after by local authorities. [106753]

In June last year, my Department and the Department of Health jointly consulted on draft guidance on the education of children looked after by local authorities. Some 205 consultees replied by the mid-October deadline, and officials have since discussed some of the key issues arising from the consultation with partners in local government and the voluntary sector. Officials are now revising the guidance, and I expect the final guidance to issue before the end of March.We believe that this guidance, backed up by support for local authorities during the implementation period, should enable them to fulfil better their role as corporate parents and raise the level of educational attainment of this group of young people. Higher educational attainment should in turn improve their general life chances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations his Department has had with the Department for International Development to promote awareness of ethical trading among school children. [106127]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: My officials, and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, are currently working with the Department for International Development to develop a guidance document for schools on the opportunities and benefits of bringing a global perspective into different subjects and the wider life of school. This will draw attention to the many opportunities that the revised National Curriculum offers for raising children's awareness of a range of issues including ethical trading. It will also let teachers know where they can find advice, support and high quality resources which will support teaching and learning about these issues.The programmes of study for Geography and Citizenship in the National Curriculum provide ample opportunities for pupils to learn about ethical trading since they include specific provision for teaching about the world as a global community, global interdependence and sustainable development. The emphasis is on explanatory discussion of contemporary issues and ethical trading would fall into that category.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment the School Travel Advisory Group has made of the contribution that the use of school buses can make to reducing traffic congestion. [106163]

The School Travel Advisory Group (STAG), which presented its report to Ministers on 13 January, has made a number of recommendations in relation to school travel. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. In particular, STAG has commissioned research into best practice on increasing bus use for journeys to school, to report in June 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the public consultation exercises on policy matters carried out by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; who was consulted and by what means; how responses were analysed; how and in what form the results were transmitted to those responsible for the consultation; how the results of the consultation were published; and what analysis has been carried out of the extent and nature of policy changes resulting from the consultation. [106302]

Full information in the form requested is not available. Details of the public exercises listed on our consultations calendar for 1999 are as follows. I will write to my hon. Friend giving as full a reply as possible by the end of February. My Department has now set up a central Consultation Unit to advise on best practice in public policy consultations.

• Access Funds: Proposed Changes to Guidance
• Admission Arrangements for September 2001
• Adult Basic Skills Standards
• Adventure Activities Licensing Scheme
• Allocation Method for the Careers Service Budget
• Annual Capital Round 2000–2001
• Arrangements for Revised Criteria and Re-Recognition of National Training Organisations
• Assessment Orders—Key State 1–3
• Asset Management Plans
• Asset Management Plans—Section 4
• Asset Management Plans—Sufficiency
• Asset Management Plans—Options Appraisals
• Bringing Young People Back to School
• Budget Statements and Guidance
• Capacity Assessment Methods
• Categories of Fees
• Considering School Organisation Proposals—Changes in Arrangements
• Control of Premises
• Development of Value Added Measures for Performance Tables
• Devolution of Surplus Places—Draft Regulations
• DfEE/Employment Service Annual Performance Agreement
• Disability Rights Task Force Recommendations on Schools—Implementation
• Education (Adjudicators Procedure) Regulations 1999
• Education (GM and GM Special Schools) Capital Grants Regulations 1999
• Education (Non-Maintained Special School—England) Regulations 1999
• Education (Schedule 32 of the School Standards Framework) Regulations 1999
• Education (School Government England) Regulations 1999
• Education (Student Fees) (Exceptions) Regulations 1999 and accompanying guidance
• Education Act 1996: Local decision making on school organisations
• Education of Children Looked After by Local Authorities—Draft Guidance
• Education National Curriculum Attainment Targets and Programme of Study in England 1999
• Employment Zones
• Equal Opportunities (Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Act)—Green Paper
• European Social Fund 2000–2006 Objective 3 Community Support Framework
• Exclusions Panels—LEA Guidance
• Extending the Widening Participation Factor for 1999–2000
• Financing of Maintained Schools—Regulations
• Foundation Body Regulations under s21 of the School Standards and Framework Act
• General Teaching Council for England, The—A Register of Teachers
• General Teaching Council Regulations 1999—Draft Composition
• Hardship Loans and Access Funds to Determine Optimum Use of Funding to Increase Access for HE Students and to Support Students Facing Financial Hardships
• Harmonised Framework for Inspection, Quality Assurance and Performance Indicators Across Schools, FE and Private Training Providers

• Individualised Student Record: Consultation on Proposed Changes to 2000–01 Specification
• Induction of Newly Qualified Teachers—Draft Regulations
• Information for Parents About Home Education
• Investors in People
• Learning Information Networks
• Learning to Succeed School Sixth Form Funding
• Learning to Succeed: A New Framework for Post 16 Learning—White Paper
• LEAs—Electronic Version of the Standard Fund Grant Application Form
• LEAs—Good Practice in Relation to Resolving Disputes with Parents—Draft Guidance
• LEA Responsibility Towards Pupils Being Educated at Home by Their Parents
• Local Assisted Places Scheme
• Local Information, Advice and Guidance for Adults in England—Towards a National Framework
• Local and National Arrangements for Lifelong Learning, Skills and Workforce Development
• Local Publication of 1999 Primary School (Key Stage 2) Performance Tables
• Mandatory Awards Regulations (Education Act 1962)
• Nanny Agencies—Draft Code of Practice
• National Curriculum in England
• National Curriculum—Legal Language in Orders
• National Curriculum—Draft Proposals for New Orders
• National Professional Qualification for Head Teachers
• Networking Lifelong Learning: An Information and Learning Technology Development Strategy for Further Education
• New Arrangements Governing the Basis on Which Governing Bodies and LEAs Meet Specified Costs of Building Work at Voluntary Aided Schools
• New Opportunities Fund: Community Access to Lifelong Learning
• New Opportunities Fund: Funding for Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities
• New Schools (England)—Draft Regulations
• Nursery Education: Desirable Outcomes for Children's Learning on Entering Compulsory Education
• Nutritional Standards—Draft Regulations
• Organisation of School Places—Guidance
• Parent Governor Representation on Local Education Committees
• Policy Action Teams for Jobs
• Post 16 Structures for Learning and Workforce Development—Requests for Oral Evidence
• Pupil Restraint in Special Education Needs Settings—Draft Guidance
• Qualifying for Success: Changes to the Post 16 Curriculum: A Guide for Parents
• Registration and Monitoring Arrangements for Independent Schools
• Report of Research by National Children's Bureau on Good Practice in Special Educational Needs Parent Partnership and Research Brief
• School Admission Appeals Code of Practice
• School Governance (Terms of Reference) Regulations 1999—Draft Guidance
• School Lunches for Primary School Pupils
• School Lunches for Secondary School Pupils
• School Lunches for Under Fives
• School Meals Staff Regulations—The Next Steps
• School Organisation Committees and Draft Education (School Organisation Committees) Regulations 1999
• School Organisation Plans
• School Organisation Proposals (Transition to New Framework) Regulations 1999
• School Reorganisation—Transitional Regulations 1998
• School Target Setting in 1999 and Beyond
• Schools Admission Appeals Code of Practice
• School Capital Strategy
• Schools Capital: Discussion on the Possible Shape of Allocation Arrangements for 2000–2001
• Schools Causing Concerns
• Secondary Schools and Colleges Performance Tables
• Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
• Special Educational Needs Tribunal Regulations
• Sex Equality Green Paper
• Social Exclusion Unit Report Bridging the Gap—Youth Support Service
• Social Inclusion—Pupil Support
• Special Schools—Draft Circular
• Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Teaching and Further Education Act 1998—Implications for Colleges in the Further Education Sector
• Staff Individualised Record: Proposed Changes to the 1999–2000 Specification
• Standards Fund
• Strategic Planning 2000 and Beyond
• Student Loans Repayment Regulations 1999
• Student Support Regulations 1999/2000
• Suitability and Sufficiency Assessment
• Supported Employment Programme, The—Employment Service
• Tackling Truancy Together (Strategy Document)
• Teachers and Headteacher Appraisal Regulations 1999—Draft
• Teachers Meeting the Challenge of Change
• Teachers Pension Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions Arrangements
• Teachers Pensions Regulations—Compensation for Redundancy and Early Retirement
• Teachers Research Scholarship Programme—Round 1 and 2
• Teachers: Taking Forward the Challenge of Change
• Test Dates for 2002
• Transitional Grants 1999–2000
• Welsh Language Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to raise awareness in schools of the problems facing sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia sufferers. [106197]

Schools will have their own health policies reflecting the needs of their pupils. Clearly where pupils suffer from particular conditions schools should include these in their policy where it is appropriate, taking advice from the local medical service and specialist organisations as necessary.We have made available to schools advice and information on sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia via the Government's Wired for Health website which has links to the Sickle Cell Society and UK Thalassaemia Society. The Wired for Health site is part of the Healthy Schools Programme, run jointly by the Department for Education and Employment and Department of Health (www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will require teachers in receipt of salaries in excess of point 9 on the Standard Pay Scale to submit themselves for assessment for threshold payments as a requirement of maintaining their existing salary levels. [106154]

We have no plans to compel teachers to apply for the threshold—teachers will be able to choose to apply on a voluntary basis. We said in the Technical Consultation Document on teachers' pay reform that no serving teacher would lose out on existing salary entitlements as a result of our proposals. We have proposed to the School Teachers' Review Body that teachers who are successful at the threshold should receive a salary increase of up to £2,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers are in the salary bands (a) less than £10,000, (b) £10,000 to £12,500, (c) £12,500 to £15,000, (d) £15,000 to £17,500, (e) £17,500 to £20,000, (f) £20,000 to £22,500, (g) £22,500 to £25,000, (h) £25,000 to £30,000, (i) £30,000 to £35,000, (j) £35,000 to £40,000, (k) £40,000 to £45,000, (l) £45,000 to £50,000, (m) £50,000 to £55,000, (n) £55,000 to £60,000 and (o) more than £60,000. [106048]

The table shows full and part-time teachers in the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector in England and Wales for whom data have been provided to the Teachers' Pension Scheme, by salary bands at 31 March 1998¹.

Salary bands	Full-time	Part-time2
£l2,500–14,999	15,100	1,000
£15,000–17,499	40,600	2,500
£17,500–19,999	24,100	2,700
£20,000–22,499	68,300	30,800
£22,500–24,999	95,100	11,300
£25,000–29,999	85,100	2,400
£30,000–34,999	25,300	100
£35,000–39,999	5,400	3—
£40,000–44,999	2,000	0
£45,000–49,999	1,000	0
£50,000–54,999	600	0
£55,000–59,999	200	0
£60,000 and over	3—	0
Total	362,700	50,800
1 All figures are rounded to the nearest 100
2 Salaries for part-time teachers are shown as the full-time equivalent
3 = less than 50 teachers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals are being considered by his Department to help sustain and develop the viability of rural and urban sub-post offices. [105852]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 387W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to improve the services available to help people with disabilities to obtain employment and retain jobs; and if he will make a statement. [104582]

Better employment services for people with disabilities are an important element of our commitment to comprehensive civil rights and an intrinsic part of our Welfare to Work policy. That is why we have devoted an additional £30 million for the Employment Service's specialist disability programmes over the three years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02, with more resources for Access to Work, Supported Employment and the Job Introduction Scheme. Significant improvements to services to support disabled people have been a feature of all New Deals. Through New Deal for Disabled People we are testing new ways of helping people on incapacity benefits to return to work. We are considering how the main lessons from the pilots should be built into the next stage of this New Deal. We hope to make an announcement in the near future.

To ask the President of the Council to ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when he expects a review to take place of the provision of child care facilities in the Palace of Westminster. [104972]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 December 1999, Official Report, column 122W. We have no plans for any further review.

To ask the President of the Council if it is her policy that hon. Members should be able (a) to have written questions answered and (b) to table and have published early-day motions during parliamentary adjournments; and if she will make a statement. [104980]

The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons is currently examining whether written questions might be tabled and answered during adjournments of the House. No proposal has been put to the Committee for the publication of early-day motions.

To ask the President of the Council what assessment she has made of the benefits resulting from the preventive measures in respect of the millennium bug. [104981]

The huge effort the UK's public and private sectors invested in tackling the Millennium Bug will yield real benefits. There are also many useful lessons to be learned. We are currently undertaking a cross-governmental review to ensure these lessons and benefits are captured. I will submit a report to Parliament on this issue later in the year.

To ask the President of the Council what progress has been made in reforming the House of Lords; and when that reform is expected to be completed. [104982]

The House of Lords Act 1999 has removed the right of anyone to be a member of the House of Lords solely by virtue of a hereditary peerage. The Royal Commission under Lord Wakeham published its recommendations for further reform last week. The Government are now considering those recommendations and encouraging others to do the same. It is too early to estimate when the whole process might be completed.

To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on progress in modernising the House since May 1997. [104983]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Clark), Official Report columns 143–44.

To ask the President of the Council what progress there has been in the modernising of the House since May 1997. [104977]

Since the Modernisation Committee began its work, the House has had greater opportunities for scrutiny of the Government through the provision of extra time for debate in Westminster Hall; Thursday sittings have been introduced on an experimental basis to help Members balance constituency and Parliamentary duties; legislation has increasingly been published in draft and given Select Committee scrutiny; and better explanatory material has been provided with Bills.

To ask the President of the Council what proposals she intends to put forward for electronic voting in the House. [104984]

The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons examined this matter in Session 1997–98. It is for the Committee to decide whether or not to come forward with proposals for change in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the impact of conservation projects funded or partly funded by her Department on indigenous local peoples living within the area of the projects. [105289]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: In my reply to the hon. Member of 12 January 2000, Official Report, column 183W, I mentioned the major global evaluation study commissioned by DFID of British bilateral and joint-funded project support for environmental improvement and protection, and made specific reference to projects in Kenya and Tanzania.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's contribution to the formulation of the negotiating position adopted by the United Kingdom and the EU at the Biosafety Protocol talks taking place in Montreal. [106961]

My Department has played an active role in developing the position adopted by the UK and the EU throughout the negotiations of the Biosafety Protocol to ensure that it takes account of developing country concerns. One of the main benefits of the Protocol for developing countries would be to provide channels for financial and technical assistance to help them build capacity for the safe use and development of genetically modified organisms.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals she has put forward to the Treasury, the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to deal with the problem of anonymous numbered bank accounts held by drug dealers in (a) Great Cayman, (b) the Virgin Islands, (c) the Bahamas, (d) Bermuda, (e) Luxembourg, (f) Switzerland, (g) Belize and (h) the City of London. [106581]

The Government actively support international initiatives to improve anti-money laundering standards worldwide, including measures to prevent the laundering of the proceeds of drug trafficking. In particular, we support and contribute to the work of the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering, the leading international body responsible for setting and enforcing effective international standards. The prohibition of anonymous accounts is an important element of these standards.UK financial institutions are required by the Money Laundering Regulations 1993 to establish the identity of their customers and, under the Financial Services and Markets Bill, the Government are significantly enhancing the UK's efforts to enforce anti-money laundering standards.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps she is taking to transfer responsibility for the appointment of magistrates in the County Palatine to the Lord Chancellor. [104957]

As my hon. Friend knows, I am consulting widely within the Duchy on a proposal that these responsibilities should transfer to the Lord Chancellor. The final decision, as with all such machinery of government matters, will be for the Prime Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for a public information campaign to advise consumers about the choices available in the digital television market. [106353]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Government's objectives are to encourage the take-up of digital services by ensuring that consumers have clear and objective information about the benefits of digital television, the choice between free-to-air and pay services, the availability of various packages and platforms and the equipment needed to receive digital services. The Government also want to reassure consumers about the timetable and process for digital switch-over. With these objectives in mind, I had an initial meeting with leading figures in the broadcasting industry last November to discuss a prospective public information campaign. My officials are currently taking this process forward with the aim of launching an industry-wide campaign in the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if all seats in the stadium at Wembley as proposed by Wembley Stadium Ltd. under the athletics mode accommodating 80,000 people meet the C60 minimum sightlines specification of the Green Guide and the Football Stadiums Advisory Design Council. [104330]

[holding answer 10 January 2000]: Based on the ideal focal point at ground level on the outside edge of the running track, the independent report submitted by DLA Ellerbe Beckett confirms that the proposals put forward by Wembley National Stadium Ltd. to provide 80,000 seats in athletics mode, would reduce the C value of the first eight rows of seating in the lower bowl, and some seats at the end of the stadium, to below C60.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice and assistance his Department offers to farmers who wish to diversify into the tourism business. [104920]

At a national level, as well as working closely with those with an interest in farm diversification, in particular, MAFF and the Countryside Agency, Tomorrow's Tourism highlights the need to maintain the economic viability of rural businesses through diversification such as farm tourism. Regional Tourist Boards, funded in part by the English Tourism Council (ETC), have primary responsibility for encouraging farm tourism by giving advice, support and guidance to new and existing tourism businesses, as well as those wishing to enter the sector. The Department's officials working in the Government Offices for the Regions also provide advice and support where appropriate. The ETC is currently considering a number of bids for funding from Regional Tourist Boards, including proposals to promote farm tourism more effectively. We will ensure this work is closely co-ordinated with the existing new proposals for farm diversification announced by right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the end of 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much per head of population was spent on the promotion of tourism in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) the UK in the last year for which figures are available. [105051]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: In 1999–2000, the National Tourist Boards are receiving grant-in-aid as follows:

Board	Grant-in-aid (£ million)	Population (million)	Grant-in-aid per head of population (£)
ETB (now ETC)	11.8	49.59	0.24
STB	19.3	5.11	3.78
WTB	15.4	2.94	5.24
BTA	36.0	57.64	0.62

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the items in the National Assets Register sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies since 16 February 1999, stating in each case the amount

The FCO receipts from sale of assets from 16 February 1999 to date
	Country	Number of sales	Proceeds (£)
Property/description:
Staff accommodation	Botswana, Gaborone	1	155,000
Staff accommodation	Chile, Santiago	1	103,000
Staff accommodation	Denmark, Copenhagen	2	190,000
Residence	France, Lille	1	289,000
Staff accommodation	France, Paris	1	134,000
Office	Germany, Bonn	1	6,388,000
Staff accommodation	Germany, Bonn	1	364,000
Residence	Ireland, Dublin	1	19,900,000
Staff accommodation	Ireland, Dublin	1	297,000
Staff accommodation	Israel, Tel Aviv	1	159,000
Staff accommodation	Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur	1	31,000
Staff accommodation	New Zealand, Wellington	1	206,000
Staff accommodation	Spain, Madrid	1	262,000
Staff accommodation	Swaziland, Mbabane	1	23,000
Staff accommodation	Sweden, Stockholm	2	126,000
Staff accommodation	Switzerland, Geneva	2	194,000
Office	UK, London	1	8,500,000
Wireless Station	UK, Gawcott	1	355,000
Wireless Station	UK, Poundon	1	477,000
Residence	USA, Cleveland	1	353,000
			28,506,000
Vehicles:
Heavy commercial		3	576,000
Light commercial		17
Motor cars		121
Total Proceeds			29,182,000
1 A further £10.0 million will be received from this sale in March 2000. and a further £3.6 million will be received in 2001–02

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make representations to the Government of Iran concerning their support for groups opposed to the Middle East peace process; [106541](2) if he will make representations to the Foreign Minister of Iran concerning Iran's supervision of training for Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. [106542]

Iranian opposition to the Middle East peace process and support for groups that oppose the peace process featured prominently in the discussions between my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and his Iranian counterpart during the latter's visit from 10–12 January. The Iranian authorities are fully aware of the importance that we and our EU partners attach to the Middle East peace process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the comments in Amnesty International's 1999 Annual report on violations of basic human rights in Iran. [106543]

We welcome Amnesty International's latest report covering the human rights situation in Iran in 1998. Given Iran's continued failure to invite the United Nations

Since 16 February 1999 the FCO has sold 23 estate assets and 141 vehicles. Details are as listed. Total proceeds to date from completed sales amount to £29 million. Property sales are expected to realise a further £12 million in 1999–2000. Figures for this financial year are estimates.Commission for Human Rights Special Representative, Maurice Copithorne, to visit, Amnesty's reports represent an important source of information on human rights issues in Iran.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the sources of funds for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. [106540]

Any assessment by HMG of the sources of funds could only come from intelligence and would, therefore, be exempted from disclosure under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of his Department's staff were (a) registered disabled, (b) women, (c) from ethnic minorities and (d) from (i) independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) other schools in (1) 1970, (2) 1979, (3) 1989 and (4) 1999. [106761]

As at 1 April 1999, the percentages were:

	Percentage
(a) Registered disabled	2
(b) Women	37
(c) From ethnic minority backgrounds	4

It is not possible to provide the information for the earlier years. To provide information on types of schools staff attended would involve disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's contribution to formulation of the United Kingdom and EU negotiating position being adopted at the Biosafety Protocol talks taking place in Montreal. [106959]

The FCO has worked closely with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and other Government Departments in preparing, with EU partners, for the resumption of negotiations on the Protocol. Two FCO officials are attending the talks in Montreal this week in the team led by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment. Along with our EU partners, we are firmly committed to achieving a Biosafety Protocol that secures worldwide protection from any adverse effects on the environment or human health from the transboundary movement of living or genetically modified organisms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to change Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit review procedures; and if he will make a statement. [107149]

From April 2001, we propose to modernise the review procedures in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit by bringing them into line with the arrangements for decision-making and appeals in child support and Social Security introduced under the Social Security Act 1998. Those arrangements have now been successfully implemented in other Social Security benefits. The Appeals Service has made—and is continuing to make—improvements to the level of service provided to appellants. We are proposing to extend that service to people who wish to appeal against local authority decisions on their Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims.The changes will mean that, as now, people will be able to ask their local authority to look again at any disputed decision, but if the differences cannot be resolved they will have a right of appeal to a tribunal administered by the Appeals Service. People claiming Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit will also be expected to provide prompt evidence and information in support of their claims, in the same way as for other Social Security benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what benefit arrangements exist for retired people awaiting assessment of retirement pension; [105909](2) if he will make a statement on the timescale for the assessment and payment of pension on retirement. [105936]

Prospective pensioners are invited to claim Retirement Pension four months prior to attaining minimum State pension age. This period allows time for the customer to make a claim and the Benefit's Agency to obtain the information needed to put the correct Retirement Pension entitlement into payment.There are times, particularly at the beginning of a new tax year, when the contribution information needed to confirm Retirement Pension entitlement is not available. In this circumstance, the Benefit Agency makes an award based on the contribution information available and makes arrangements for payments to be made at an interim rate until a full assessment can be made. When the contribution information is available a revised award is made. The customer will receive revised notification of their entitlement and payment of any arrears due.The Benefits Agency aims to clear 95 per cent. of Retirement Pension claims in 60 days. This is measured from the date of receipt of a claim form to the date an award is recorded on the Pensions Strategy Computer System.If my hon. Friend has any particular problems regarding pension assessments, I will be happy to look into them if she provides details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of bringing benefit levels for people under 25 years in line with benefit levels for people aged over 25 years in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland. [106576]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.We are unable to estimate with any accuracy the cost of bringing Housing Benefit levels for the under-25s up to the 25 years and over levels. There is insufficient quantitative information on how this group responded to the change introduced in 1996, and without this information we cannot estimate the behavioural effects of reversing the change.

Costs for Great Britain
£ million
Age group	New entitlement	Existing case load	Total
16–17	25	45	70
18–24	10	180	190
Total	35	225	260

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the review of the minimum funding requirement for the minimum pension guarantee to reach a conclusion. [106736]

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many additional pensioners would qualify for the minimum pension guarantee if the saving limits were lowered by (a) £1,000, (b) £2,000, (c) £3,000, (d) £4,000 and (e) £5,000. [106707]

No additional pensioners would benefit, if the savings limits in the Minimum Income Guarantee were reduced by the amounts proposed; in fact some pensioners would lose benefit entitlement completely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the population are pensioners in (a) each county in the United Kingdom and (b) each constituency in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [104759]

[holding answer 20 January 2000]: The information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will respond to the Third Report of the Social Security Select Committee 1996–97, Uprating of State Retirement Pensions Payable to People Resident Abroad. [106422]

The previous Government responded to the Third Report of the Social Security Select Committee 1996–97, Uprating of State Retirement Pensions Payable to People Resident Abroad on 19 March 1997, recorded in the Official Report, 19 March 1997, column 680W. There is no requirement for the present Government to respond.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to improve financial and respite support for carers of sickle cell and thalassaemia sufferers. [106198]

We have introduced the Carers Special Grant, amounting to £140 million over three years for English local authorities. The Grant must be spent on improving short term breaks for carers and on consulting them on the type of services they would value.In addition, the National Carers strategy committed the Government to keeping financial support for carers under review, which we are doing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the tariff incomes schedule of attributed income from savings of pensioners; and if he will estimate how many additional pensioners would qualify for the minimum pensions guarantee if it were lowered to a national yield of 6 per cent. [106657]

An estimated 10,000 pensioners would become newly entitled to the Minimum Income Guarantee if a 6 per cent. rate of return is applied to savings over £3,000. Overall, 70,000 pensioners would gain from the change.However, it should be noted that around 50,000 pensioners with savings at the lower end of the tariff scale would lose benefit, with a small number losing entitlement completely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of abolishing the single room rent restriction for under 25s in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland. [106575]

We are unable to estimate with any accuracy the cost of abolishing the Single Room Rent restriction. There is insufficient quantitative information on how this group responded to the change, and without this information we cannot estimate the behavioural effects of reversing the change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the additional annual cost of the minimum income guarantee if annual increases are in line with earnings rather than prices in (a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2020 and (d) 2050; and what would be the further cost in each of those years of paying the basic state pension at the same rate as the minimum income guarantee. [105474]

Estimates for the cost of the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for the years shown are not available. This is because it is extremely difficult to obtain accurate projections of the future level and distribution of income and assets.The cost of paying the basic State pension, including linked benefits, at the same rate as the MIG is shown in the table. The net cost takes into account savings made in means-tested benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the formal and informal consultation exercises conducted by (i) his Department and (ii) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions which are (a) current and (b) recently completed and which are relevant to the matters covered by the Care Standards Bill [Lords]. [104177]

The matters covered by the Care Standards Bill (Lords) have been subject to extensive consultation over a long period. Many of the measures were set out in the White Paper "Modernising Social Services" (Cm 4169—copies of which are available in the Library), which followed various consultation exercises. The matters relating to private and voluntary healthcare were subject to consultation following the publication of "Regulating Private and Voluntary Healthcare: A Consultation Document", copies of which are available in the Library.Since the Bill's publication, I and my Ministerial colleagues, and officials in the Department have held a number of discussions about the provisions of the Bill with representatives of provider interests, service user groups and professional interests. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has held no consultations specific to the Care Standards Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current annual cost to the National Health Service of methadone; and what is the latest estimate of the number of patients in each health authority area being prescribed methadone. [105257]

The net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community for methadone hydrochloride in England in 1998 was £10.8 million. Information on methadone dispensed in hospitals or drug treatment clinics and the number of patients receiving prescribed methadone in each health authority is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to require health authorities which make Section 64 grants to charities to include a term in their contracts requiring them to be notified of changes in the charities' objects. [104821]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: Health authorities have wide discretion over the terms and conditions they apply in the use by recipient voluntary organisations of Section 64 grants. This is appropriate given the wide variety of circumstances that may arise. In all their financial transactions, health authorities are required to exercise the standards of financial management and control specified in their standing orders and standing financial instructions—which follow the normal conventions for public bodies—and are audited on their performance. Making a specific requirement to be notified of changes in the objects of the organisation would not necessarily provide an additional safeguard, since changes may not necessarily have any bearing on the purpose for which the grant was made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to regulate the independent foster care home sector in respect of (a) quality of care provided and (b) charges to local authorities; [105911](2) what discussions he has had with the independent foster care home sector with regard to quality of care and cost to local authorities; [105912](3) what assessment he has made of the levels of charges made for the provision of foster care by

We announced in the White Paper "Modernising Social Services" that independent fostering agencies will, in future, be regulated. The intention is that they will have to register with and be inspected by the new National Care Standards Commission. The changes are being introduced in the Care Standards Bill. As an interim measure, we are planning to introduce a voluntary accreditation scheme for independent fostering agencies.If a local authority decides to place a child with a foster carer operating in the independent sector, it is a matter for that authority to satisfy itself that they are getting quality and value for money from the agency. This requirement is set out at Standard 24 of the recently launched National Standards for Foster Care, which seeks to underpin the provision of high quality foster care for children and young people throughout the United Kingdom.We are aware that local authorities tend to pay considerably higher weekly rates for foster care when that care is through independent foster agencies, rather than directly through local authority foster carers. At least to some extent, this results from the extra functions provided by agencies and the particular needs of the individual children. We have no control over the rates paid by local authorities to independent fostering agencies or to their own carers. This is, however, an issue that we are looking at in the context of the Quality Protects programme, and in particular in relation to our plans to improve the number and quality of placement options for looked after children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount of charges collected in 1999 under the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999. [106192]

The Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 came into force on 5 April 1999. In the initial three months no payments were made to trusts. In the second quarter £2,671,409 was collected and paid to National Health Service trusts in England, Scotland and Wales. In the third quarter this figure rose to £13,823,013, making the total paid to NHS trusts by the end of December 1999 £16,494,422.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the allocations he proposes to make to each health authority in 2000–01 in respect of additional funding for generic drugs. [106665]

£90 million has been made available to help meet the additional costs of generic drugs in 1999–2000. The table shows the additional allocations made to health authorities on 11 January 2000.

Health authority	£000
Bradford	1,009
Calderdale and Kirklees	1,143
County Durham	1,418
East Riding	1,062
Gateshead and South Tyneside	905
Leeds	1,491
Newcastle and North Tyneside	1,167
North Cumbria	606
North Yorkshire	1,432
Northumberland	666
Sunderland	647
Tees	1,167
Wakefield	743
Northern and Yorkshire Region total	13,457
Barnsley	503
Doncaster	693
Leicestershire	1,425
Lincolnshire	1,151
North Derbyshire	737
North Nottinghamshire	788
Nottingham	1,066