To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of computer (a) fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips and (b) theft his Department has recorded in the last five years. [106211]

Between April 1994 and March 1999, two cases of computer fraud were reported in the Scottish Office; neither case involved computer chips. There were also 26 cases of theft of computer equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the past five years computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (b) outside his Department. [106235]

Between April 1994 and March 1999, there were no reported illegal accesses to Scottish Office computer systems from either inside or outside the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the items in the National Asset Register sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies since 22 February 1999, stating in each case the amount of money realised; if he will estimate the total amount raised from such sales to date; and if he will make a statement. [104487]

Details regarding asset sales from items listed with National Asset Register of November 1997 and sold up to November 1997 were set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale), on 22 February 1999, Official Report, columns 74–76W.

National Asset Register: Sales up to 31 December 1999
Part of DETR	Type of asset sold	Amount realised (£)
DETR(C)	Motor vehicles	67,911
	Land	512,000
The Highways Agency	500 surplus properties and properties retained for construction	45,880,627
	Various items of plants and equipment	87,878
DVLA	Sale of van	100

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the fees his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies collect; how much has been raised or it is anticipated will be raised from each of these fees from 1989–90 to 2004–05; and which of these fees count as negative expenditure. [106002]

The list of fees with income of £1 million or more collected by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for 1997–98 and 1998–99 is as follows:

Fees from the following schemes can be used to part offset relevant expenditure:

• Sale of Cherished Registration Marks
• Assignment, Retention and Transfer of Registration Marks
• Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing
• Public Service Vehicle Operator Licensing

All the other fees listed can be used to offset relevant expenditure.In some cases retained receipts will count as negative expenditure in national accounts aggregates, but in other cases they may score as tax revenues.Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DETR fees with income of £1 million or more per annum collected in 1997–98 and 1998–99
£000
Fee	1997–98	1998–99
Development Plan Inquiries	4,182	3,451
QEII Conference Centre	7,114	8,066
Driver Licensing	34,048	39,519
Vehicle Registration	0	67,655
Sale of Cherished Registration Marks	36,246	47,089
Assignment, Retention and Transfer of Registration Marks	30,474	33,277
Other Vehicle Fee Services	3,011	3,519
Marine Surveys	3,842	3,678
Vehicle Type Approval Service	3,463	2,893
Management System Certification	1,322	1,494
Theory Tests	18,769	18,858
Car Tests	37,858	40,365
Vocational Tests	3,711	4,595
Motorcycle Tests	3,110	3,741
Approved Driving Instructors/Compulsory Basic Training	5,005	4,555
Heavy Goods Vehicle Testing	22,035	23,201
Public Service Vehicle Testing	3,194	3,940
MOT Standard Control and Document Issue	9,984	12,408
Single Vehicle Approval Testing	0	1,646
Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing	23,560	23,637
Public Service Vehicle Operator Licensing	5,012	5,287
Water Resources Management	85,192	91,552
Integrated Pollution Control	14,785	16,850
Radioactive Substances	4,093	5,924
Waste Regulations	29,574	32,352
Charges for Discharges	42,732	47,752
Navigation Services to Boaters	3,554	3,925
Licensing Nuclear Installations	17,247	17,074
Safety Related Research in the Nuclear
Industry	1,983	1,570
Electrical Equipment Certification Service	2,421	2,537
Priced Publications	5,078	5,092
Approval of Non-Agricultural Pesticides	1,672	1,821

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reinstate improvements to the A40 in London in the roads programme. [106315]

In September 1998 we announced a three stage strategy involving local improvements at Western Circus, Gypsy Corner and the replacement of the narrow railway bridges and widening between Gypsy Corner and Western Circus to bring the road up to a consistent dual three lane standard. The work at Western Circus has been completed at Gypsy Corner is planned for later this year. Design work has started on the third stage and it is anticipated that this would start in about 2002. A decision on the start date for this project will be for Transport for London. There are no plans to reinstate the major schemes at Gypsy Corner and Western Circus which were cancelled in 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what nugatory costs were incurred in relation to the cancelled improvement of the A40 in London. [106314]

The majority of the £27 million costs incurred for the cancelled schemes have been in acquiring land and properties over a long period and much of this will be recovered from its resale. Outline planning permission is being sought from the local authorities for its development following which the sale will take place. All other purchased properties which were not demolished have been or are about to be sold.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if land and buildings purchased for the purpose of improving the A40 in London will be retained. [106316]

Nearly all the land purchased for the cancelled scheme is to be sold. Some will be retained to enable the narrow bridges to be replaced.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of traffic jams on the A40 in West London upon (a) quality of life of adjoining residents, (b) pollution levels, (c) additional fuel consumption and (d) the cost to businesses and individuals. [106317]

The three stage improvement programme announced in September 1998 addresses all these concerns. The completion of the first stage at Western Circus has already brought benefits of improved traffic flows, particularly eastbound into London. It has also provided safer and pleasant conditions for local residents with improved pedestrian facilities and by the closure of some local roads onto the A40 to prevent rat-running.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the year on year increase in traffic holdups on the A40 in West London. [106318]

The Highways Agency, on behalf of the Secretary of State, monitors traffic flows on all trunk roads throughout the network, including the A40 in West London.Westbound queues on the A40 in Acton have not changed significantly in the last decade, while eastbound queues have reduced significantly as a result of the improvements recently completed at Western Circus. The improvements planned at Gypsy Corner this year and the bridge replacements in 2002 will further improve traffic flow at this location.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned to determine the radioactivity levels and isotopic composition of PM10s or dust particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns. [105582]

[holding answer 20 January 2000]: Radioactivity in the air is monitored for the DETR by contractors managed by the Environment Agency. As part of this programme, there is a network of high volume air samplers around the UK in which the particles in the air, including PM10s, are drawn onto the air filter papers and the long-lived radioactivity associated with those particles is measured. The Environment Agency publishes the results of this "fall-out" monitoring programme annually in "Radioactivity in the Environment".It is known that the main radioactive species attached to PM10s in the air are short-lived decay products of the naturally occurring radioactive gas radon, which are addressed in the Government's radon programme.Since 1987 some 400,000 measurements have been carried out in homes most likely to have elevated levels of radon and its decay products.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to support the inclusion of trade issues on the agenda of the Earth Summit 3 Conference in 2002; and if he will make a statement. [106866]

The Earth Summit 3 Conference will be further considered at the meeting of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in April, including the agenda.We will continue to use all appropriate opportunities that arise through bilateral contacts and our involvement in multilateral fora to pursue our dialogue with other countries, especially developing countries, on the relationship between trade and the environment. This issue will also be discussed at this year's meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development.In addition, the United Kingdom will continue to press within the World Trade Organisation for the launch of a comprehensive Round of trade negotiations at the earliest possible opportunity, because we believe that a comprehensive Round offers the best means of delivering trade liberalisation in a manner consistent with the pursuit of global sustainable development and, in particular, delivering benefits for developing countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many and what type of enforcement notices were issued following failure to comply with (a) the Health and Safety Consultation of Employees Regulations 1996 and (b) the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977 in each year since the regulations were in force. [106780]

The numbers of requirements on enforcement notices under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996, and their type, issued by HSE inspectors for the years the regulations have been in force are given in the following table:

Requirements on notices issued by HSE under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996
	Type of notice
Year	Improvement	Immediate prohibition
1996–97	1	—
1997–98	3	—
1998–991	1	2
1 Provisional

According to available information, one improvement notice was issued by HSE inspectors under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 in 1984.Information on enforcement notices issued by local authority inspectors, who also enforce these regulations, is not available on a regulation-by-regulation basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of liquid petroleum gas-powered road vehicles in the UK and (b) the rate of growth in the market for liquid petroleum gas-powered road vehicles in the UK in the last year. [107002]

The DETR holds detailed information on the vehicle stock in Great Britain, which it receives from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. It is not possible to identify precisely those vehicles that run on LPG. However, the record shows vehicles that run on either gas, or petrol and gas combinations and these are shown in the table.

	1998	1999	Increase (%)
Gas	2,598	2,766	6.0
Petrol/gas	8,589	12,617	47.0
Total	11,187	15,383	38.0

These data are for the end of June each year and are for Great Britain only. Similar information on Northern Ireland vehicles is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to (a) make it easier to relocate footpaths, (b) impose a time limit on definitive map claims and (c) permit green lanes to become bridleways. [107528]

The Government's proposals for changes to rights of way legislation were set out in the consultation paper "Improving Rights of Way in England and Wales". The paper includes proposals on the relocation of footpaths, a time limit on definitive map claims and the reclassification of Roads Used as Public Paths.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what rail facilities grants are available to (a) rail operators and (b) commercial and industrial concerns who wish to gain better access to the rail network. [107347]

Two grants are available through my Department.Freight Facilities Grant is available to any company facing higher costs as a result of choosing to move freight by rail rather than road. These grants assist with the capital costs often associated with rail movements (eg rail infrastructure and specialised loading/unloading equipment).Additionally, Track Access Grants may be paid to rail operators to help defray Railtrack charges for access to the rail network in respect of traffic which would otherwise move by road.Funding may also be provided from a number of other sources and agencies including Government Departments, Regional Development Agencies and the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the public/private partnership schemes currently running in the Greater London area. [107119]

There are a total of 97 PFI public/private partnerships currently in progress in London. They are:

Project list
Project title	Status
Brent and Harrow Health Authority—IT	OJEC issued
Brentwood—St. Martin's School	Shortlist
British Museum	Preferred partner
British Transport Police (London) HQ	Signed
Channel Tunnel Rail Link	Signed
Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust—IT	Signed
Chelsea Barracks	Shortlist
Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust	Signed
Court Services—New Court Centres	OJEC issued
Croydon Tramlink	Signed
Dartford Bridge	Signed
Dartford and Gravesham Hospital	Signed
Docklands Exhibition Centre	Signed
Docklands Light Railway	Signed
Greenford High School	Preferred partner
Greenwich Health Care NHS Trust—Queen	Signed
Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust—HM Prison	OJEC issued
Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust—Renal Unit	OJEC issued
Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust—Power Station	Shortlist
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust— Pathology	OJEC issued
Hammersmith and West London College of Further

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total cost of preparation of best value performance plans by local authorities. [107178]

The costs of preparing best value performance plans depend on a wide variety of local factors, including authorities' current management assignments. Any such costs are expected to be offset by efficiency improvements, and will be monitored by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will produce a planning guidance note to establish what constitutes (a) brownfield and (b) greenfield sites in respect of a land disposal involving a combination of buildings and used ground and playing fields and undeveloped ground. [107154]

Our draft revision of the planning policy guidance on housing (PPG3), published in March 1999, contains a definition for the purposes of development. The final version of PPG3 will be published shortly. Guidance on the disposal of open space with recreational value is set out in PPG 17 on Sport and Recreation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review current legislation on development on playing fields. [107171]

None. 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 if he will ensure that playing fields and green spaces in urban areas are not designated as brownfield sites for the purpose of housing and other development proposals. [107170]

Planning Policy Guidance note 17 "Sport and Recreation" emphasises the special significance of playing fields and that they should normally be protected. Forthcoming Planning Policy Guidance note 3 "Housing" will emphasise that local planning authorities should have clear policies for the protection of open spaces and playing fields.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the shadow Strategic Rail Authority to discuss with the Association of Train Operating Companies the coverage of the National Routing Guide. [107596]

The Association of Train Operating Companies are currently undertaking a thorough review of National Routing Guide. The shadow Strategic Rail Authority is a statutory consultee in this process and will ensure that passenger benefits are protected and extended where appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many responses he received on his consultation for the new edition of the Highway Code. [107657]

260 responses were received to the consultation on the new edition of the Highway Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many cases of computer (a) fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips and (b) theft his Department has recorded in the last five years. [106216]

Over the past five years there have not been any recorded cases of fraudulent use of computer chips, but the forty-seven reported incidents of theft include eight occasions when memory chips or like components were taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions in each of the past five years computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed (a) within and (b) outside his Department. [106229]

In the past five years there have been two known instances of illegal access to computer systems in my Department and its predecessors. Both occurred in 1995, one from within and the other from outside.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the research into call centres by the Health and Safety Executive will be completed; and if the findings will be published. [107763]

The Health and Safety Executive has asked the Health and Safety Laboratory to investigate the health risks associated with call centre working practices and to report by the end of 2000. The findings will inform published best practice guidance and decisions by the Health and Safety Executive on whether further action should be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the research being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive into working practices at call centres will (a) monitor the compliance of centres with the 1989 Noise at Work Regulations and (b) assess the level of hearing loss and tinnitus among call handlers. [107762]

The research aims to identify and measure associated psychological and physical health risks (including from noise) and explore factors which may ameliorate them. The responsibility for monitoring compliance with the Noise at Work Regulations 1989 in call centres rests with local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's policy on neighbourhood councils. [107381]

The Government welcome initiatives to involve citizens in the local decisions that will affect their daily lives. It has on numerous occasions made clear its support for parish councils and area committees.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those discussions that his Department had with the National Association of Local Councils over the last year. [107382]

Ministers and officials from this Department have had, on a range of occasions, discussions with the National Association of Local Councils over the last year at which a number of topics were discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made in considering permitting repeater signs to be allowed so as to reinforce the 30 mph speed limit; and if he will make a statement. [107760]

We are currently conducting a review of speed policy in which the issue of speed limit signing generally is being considered. The review is expected to report its findings shortly.

To ask the Prime Minister how many people have been recruited to the Civil Service since 1 May 1997; and how many have left the Civil Service since that date. [105975]

Information on entrants and leavers to the Civil Service are available on a financial year basis. This shows that in the period 1 April 1997 to 1 April 1999 55,950 people joined the non-industrial Civil Service and 66,512 people left it.

To ask the Prime Minister what tape recordings are (a) routinely and (b) exceptionally made in 10 Downing Street. [107481]

Tape recordings of press briefings and Prime Ministerial interviews are made as and when appropriate.

To ask the Prime Minister if the European Commission document, "Reforming the Commission", will come before the Council of Ministers for discussion on approval; and what steps he will take to ensure it is implemented. [107492]

We expect there to be discussion of the proposals for Commission reform at the General Affairs Council on 14 February. We also expect the Council to outline its support and make clear the importance it attaches to the process of reforming the Commission.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. [107435]

I established the Social Exclusion Unit in December 1997. Since then it has produced reports and action plans on school exclusion and truancy, rough sleeping, poor neighbourhoods, teenage pregnancy and 16–18-year-olds not in education, employment or training.The Unit was set up on a time-limited basis and its success was reviewed in the summer of 1999. I announced the results of this review in December 1999.It was clear from both the quality of the Unit's work and its impact so far that there is a continuing role for it to play. I have therefore decided that it will continue in existence, and be reviewed again at the end of 2002.I will announce a new work programme for the Unit in the summer, once its current project to develop a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal is completed.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken since May 1997 to combat age discrimination; and if he will make a statement. [107145]

[holding answer 28 January 2000]: The Government undertook a year long consultation on age discrimination in employment. The results were set out in the report "Action on Age" which was published in August 1998. One of the conclusions of the consultation was that a non-statutory Code of Practice could provide a useful tool for tackling age discrimination in employment.A draft Code of Practice was developed with the help and advice of key partners including the CBI, TUC, Age Concern, IPD, and the Institute of Management. Consultation on the Code took place from November 1998 and the final version was launched in June 1999. The Code covers all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, training, development, redundancy and retirement, and provides detailed guidance and case studies to help employers to tackle age discrimination in their organisations. Over 40,000 copies have been distributed since its launch. It is being backed by a publicity campaign to promote good practice and practical help for employers wanting to adopt the principles set out in the Code. The effectiveness of the Code is being evaluated through a large scale research project which looks in detail at employer policies and practices in recruitment and employment and the impact this has on age diversity in their workforce. The results of the evaluation will be published in 2001.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an updated list of Ministerial Committees of the Cabinet and their membership. [107624]

I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 504W.

To ask the Prime Minister how many letters on (a) Government policy and (b) constituency matters Government Departments have received since 1 May 1997 from those Members of the House who have refused to take the oath of allegiance. [107630]

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Prime Minister how many letters he received from members of the public in 1999; and how many of these were replied to by (a) his office and (b) him personally. [107631]

During 1999 my office received 465,432 letters and cards from members of the public—an increase of 84 per cent. over the previous year. The response to any correspondence is considered on an individual basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with European Commissioner Poul Nielson concerning the effect that enlargement will have on the European Union aid budget. [106434]

I have had several discussions with Commissioner Nielson about the EC aid budget, but not about EU enlargement.In July 1999, EU Foreign ministers agreed that the Commission should table proposals for the overall division of the EC external assistance budget, to allow Council discussion of development priorities as a whole and an opportunity to focus more EC resources on the poorest countries. I have pressed Commissioner Nielson on this and on other EC development issues and will continue to do so. The disproportionate amount of EC aid going to richer countries, and the inertia of the EC in rectifying this, are unacceptable.When the EU is enlarged to include new member states during the period 2000–06, the European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, will jointly adjust the multi-year budget ceilings to take account of expenditure requirements arising from the enlargement. Such adjustments are not expected to affect the aid budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of computer (a) fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips, and (b) theft her Department has recorded in the last five years. [106212]

(a) We are not aware of any recorded cases of computer fraud in DFID over the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions in each of the past five years computer systems in her Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (b) outside her Department. [106234]

There is no evidence of any illegal access to DFID computer systems over the past five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department (a) promised and (b) provided to Pristina Hospital, Kosovo. [106437]

At the beginning of July 1999, a joint DFID/NHS assessment team visited Pristina University Hospital to identify key facilities that required immediate restoration, including infrastructure repair, provision of essential equipment, management support and training for health care professionals. We have agreed to carry out this programme of work and progress is well under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of computer (a) fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips and (b) theft his Department has recorded in the last five years. [106222]

From 1995 to 30 June 1999, the Welsh Office had no known cases of computer fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips, but there was one incident of computer theft in 1996 when a portable computer was stolen.From 1 July 1999 to date the Wales Office has had no known cases of computer fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips, and no recorded cases of computer theft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in each of the past five years computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (b) outside his Department. [106226]

There have been no known instances of computer hackers illegally accessing the Department's computer system from either within or outside the Department, in any of the past five years. This relates to the Welsh Office from 1995 to 30 June 1999, and to the Wales Office from 1 July 1999 to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he was first informed of defects in the small arms carried by British troops on active service in Kosovo. [104406]

The SA80, carried by British troops on active service in Kosovo, is generally an effective weapon system and is currently planned to remain in service for the foreseeable future. We are, however, investigating potential improvements to the SA80 at present and I expect to receive recommendations in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make funding available to British Forces Broadcasting Services to enable the temporary radio station for the Colchester Garrison to be made a permanent service. [107166]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him in his reply on 21 July 1999, Official Report, column 533W. The trial will conclude later this year and the way ahead will then be assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he had made of the contribution air cadet organisations make to the public's perception of the RAF. [107405]

The Air Cadets are an integral part of communities nation-wide and make an important contribution to the public perception of the RAF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the operation of Pristina airfield in Kosovo will be handed over to an ally; and to whom. [107087]

[holding answer 27 January 2000]: British forces are scheduled to pass on their lead nation responsibilities for Pristina airfield in June 2000. It is currently expected that these responsibilities will be assumed by one or more of our NATO allies, although a final decision has not yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the relationship between the Royal Air Force and the Air Training Corps. [107406]

The RAF commits significant resources to the Air Training Corps, in recognition of its importance as a highly successful national youth organisation, as a significant contributor to the public's perception of the RAF, and a source of high quality recruits to the Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 January 2000, Official Report, column 823, for what reason the (a) health and (b) other records of everyone employed at Nancekuke have not been kept. [106748]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: In my statement, I explained that we are not aware of any comprehensive database from which to obtain the sum total of people employed at Nancekuke over the period in question. It is, however, the case that at least some individual personal files relating to former employees at Nancekuke have been kept and are held at the Defence Storage and Distribution Centre (Llangennech). We are not aware of the whereabouts of any separate medical records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid for the use of the Earl's Court facilities in each of the last five years. [106500]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The MOD has not incurred any expenditure for the use of the Earl's Court facilities over the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what priority service personnel are given for treatment within the National Health Service. [107446]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the value of the PFI contract at the Defence Helicopter Flying School; and what is the length of the contract. [100284]

The value of the Defence Helicopter Flying School PFI contract is in the region of £500 million at current prices. I am withholding the exact value of the contract under Exemption 11 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The contract period is 15 years from 1 April 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which sections of the Employment Relations Act 1999 have been implemented and on what date; and what is the timetable for the implementation of the remaining sections. [107477]

The table shows which sections of the Employment Relations Act 1999 have been brought into force and on what date.

Provision	Description	Brought into force	S.I. Number
s.2	Detriment related to trade union membership	25 October 1999	1999/2830
s.3	Blacklists	25 October 1999	1999/2830

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the economic (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of a public support scheme for solar electricity such as that which operates in Germany. [107480]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 27 January 2000, Official Report, column 290W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which solar photovoltaic applications can be connected to the national grid via a regular socket; what statutory powers apply to such connections; and what assessment he has made of their potential contribution to meeting the Government's target of achieving 10 per cent. of electricity supply from renewable sources by 2010. [107479]

Under the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 (SI 1057 and amendments), "no person may operate a generating plan in parallel with a Regional Electricity Company's (REC's) [Public Electricity Supplier's (PES' s)] system without the written agreement of the REC [PES]". This includes small PV generators connected to a socket outlet.Technical requirements for connection of embedded generators are covered by Engineering Recommendation G59—"Recommendations for the Connection of Embedded Generating Plant to the Regional Electricity Companies' Distribution Systems"—published by the Electricity Association. Following discussions between the electrical supply and photovoltaic industries, we understand that the Electricity Association are shortly to publish a draft Engineering Recommendation G77—"UK Technical Guidelines for Inverter Connected Single-Phase Photovoltaic (PV) Generators up to 5kVA". In both documents it is implied that a fixed connection should be made from the embedded generator to an appropriate connection point at, or leading to, the distribution system.With respect to the second part of the question, I refer my hon. Friend to a recent assessment by my Department. This has been reported in "New & Renewable Energy: Prospects in the UK for the 21

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he proposes to address the criticism of United Kingdom management made in his report, the United Kingdom Competitiveness Indicators 1999; and if he will make a statement. [106521]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Secretary of State for Education and Employment have decided to establish the Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership, under the Chairmanship of Sir Anthony Cleaver, with the overall aim of enabling UK managers to attain and sustain world class performance. It will achieve this by identifying the main issues for management and leadership and the key stakeholders who need to take action. It will address, in particular, the needs of small firms. The Council will review the quality of management education and training, advise on action to be taken, and report annually to Government and stakeholders on progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many non-fossil fuel obligation electricity generators projects failed to receive planning permissions between 1 May 1997 and 31 December 1999. [107379]

[holding answer 28 January 2000]: On the best available information, out of 129 determinations, 19 Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) projects have been refused planning permission between 1 May 1997 and 30 November 1999, the latest date to which we have planning information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of extending launch aid to aerospace equipment manufacturers. [107565]

Launch investment is a risk-sharing Government investment in specific civil aerospace projects in the UK, enabled by the provisions of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. It has been used to support the design and development of airframes (or parts of airframes, such as wings), helicopters and aeroengines. The investment is not a grant and is repayable to the Government at a real rate of return, usually via levies on sales of the product developed. Large aerospace projects typically have high costs, pose a high level of risk, and generate a return only in the long-term. This has created a market deficiency in the availability of development funds for such projects. Launch investment remedies this, and also recognises the international mobility of aerospace projects, and the significant financial incentives that are available in other countries.Any UK aerospace company can apply for launch investment, and each application is considered on its merits against a range of established criteria and also, by the Treasury, against public expenditure constraints. An applicant must demonstrate that the project is technically and commercially viable; that Government investment is essential for the project to proceed in the UK on the scale and in the timescale specified in the application; and that Government will recoup the investment at a real rate of return. Finally, the Government must be persuaded that support for the project will lead to major strategic advantages to the UK economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of the report produced by ADD Consultants on the appraisal of options for the site of the proposed new synchrotron radiation facility. [107396]

The cost of the report produced by ADD Consultants, Investment Appraisal for Options for the Site of the Proposed New Synchrotron Facility, delivered to Office of Science and Technology in June 1999, was £7,203 including VAT.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the objectives of the Asteroid Task Force are; and when it plans to (a) make its first report and (b) complete its work. [107482]

The objectives of the Near Earth Objects Task Force are to:

1. confirm the nature of the hazard and the potential level of risk;

2. identify the current UK contribution to the international efforts;

3. advise HMG on what further action to take in the light of 1 and 2 and on the communication issues to the public.

I expect to receive the report of the Task Force this summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the estimated annual running cost of the Asteroid Task Force. [107485]

No on-going annual cost for the Near Earth Objects Task Force is envisaged. We expect to receive the Task Force's report this summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the average tonnage of coal delivered to eligible ex-miners for the last full year for which figures are available. [107531]

The average tonnage of fuel delivered to all beneficiaries under the terms of the National Concessionary Fuel Agreement and BACM Agreement during the year 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 was four tonnes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2000, Official Report, column 524W, what is the expected life of electricity cabling. [107111]

Electricity cables do not have a single age at which they cease to be functional; instead there is a range of ages. As could be seen in my previous answer, it is not uncommon for cables to be installed and functioning for well in excess of 50 years. From information collected at the time of the last review of distribution companies, the "age" at which cables are replaced ranges from about 45 years to over 100 years.As with all assets, cables are replaced on condition and not just because they reach a certain age.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the percentage of (a) registered disabled people, (b) women, (c) people from ethnic minorities and (d) people from (i) independent schools, (ii) grammar schools and (iii) other schools that worked for the Post Office in each of the years (i) 1970, (ii) 1979, (iii) 1989 and (iv) 1999. [107011]

[holding answer 27 January 2000]: The Post Office have supplied the following data on employees in 1999 derived from information voluntarily supplied on application forms:

	Percentage
Registered disabled	1.5
Women	20
Ethnic minorities	8.6

These percentages relate only to Post Office employees and do not include sub-postmasters. Historic data for earlier years is not readily available and details of educational establishments attended are not held.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many representatives of arms 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; [106939](2) if he will list the

No such representations have been made to any Minister or special adviser in this Department, or relevant officials in the Export Credit Guarantees Department, the Export Control Organisation or the Engineering Industries Directorate of my Department, or the relevant export promotion directorate of British Trade International.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the sale of spare parts for Hawk jets to Zimbabwe will be covered by a loan from the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [108059]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Environmental Impact Assessment on the Ilisu Hydro-Electric project in Turkey will be (a) completed and (b) published. [107014]

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is expected to be completed in March/April and made publicly available shortly thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the compliance of the Ilisu Dam project with guidelines of the World Bank for (a) ECGD and (b) developmental support. [107019]

We are only considering ECGD support for the Ilisu Dam; as this is not a development project, such support, if agreed, will not be conditional on compliance with World Bank guidelines, although we are looking for international guidelines to be reflected in the approach to the project. The statement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of 21 December outlined four main concerns, which we require to see addressed before a decision is made on ECGD support. These are:

• resettlement
• water quality
• downstream water flow
• preservation of the archaeological heritage of Hasankeyf

We have published two reports commissioned to assist with the decision making process and await the outcome of further work including a full Environmental Impact Assessment Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the compliance of the Ilisu Dam project with the criteria of the UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of Transboundary Waterways. [107020]

The assessment of such compliance is a matter which will need to be addressed. The statement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of 21 December, raised as one of our concerns the issue of assuring the maintenance of downstream flows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the report of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate investigation into the operating practices of the Sellafield MOX Demonstration Facility. [106710]

I understand that HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate is preparing a report which it will publish in mid February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any financial limit is to be placed upon the level of compensation for loss of office which he can determine should be paid to the Chairman and other members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority under Schedule 4, paragraph 4(3) of the Utilities Bill; and if he will make a statement. [107664]

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Schedule 1, not Schedule 4, of the Utilities Bill.There is no statutory limit to the level of compensation that may be determined by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, the level of compensation will depend on the circumstances of the case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the categories of misbehaviour on the part of the Chairman of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority which could give grounds for removal from office under Schedule 1, paragraph 3(2)(b) of the Utilities Bill include refusal to follow his advice; and if he will make a statement. [107666]

No. There is no change from the equivalent Electricity Act 1989 and Gas Act 1985 provisions in this respect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any financial limit is to be placed on the level of remuneration and allowances which he can determine should be paid to the Chairman and members of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority under Schedule 1, paragraph 4, of the Utilities Bill; and if he will make a statement. [107663]

There will be no statutory limit. Remuneration and allowances will be determined having regard to the need to recruit and retain individuals with the necessary qualities and experience.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have benefited from the national minimum wage since its introduction in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [107251]

I have been asked to reply.The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.