To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK-based companies with potential to benefit from contracts if the Airbus Military Company's A400M proposals are accepted by his Department; and if he will estimate how many jobs the project would create in the United Kingdom. [104420]

BAE Systems, as one of the Airbus partners, would expect to play a significant role in the A400M programme if the Government were to select this aircraft as a solution to the RAF's Future Transport Aircraft (FTA) requirement. Beyond that, there is potentially large scope for UK aerospace suppliers to participate in the A400M programme. However, it would not be possible for me to list specific companies at this stage as the selection of suppliers would be properly a matter for the commercial judgment of Airbus Military (as Prime Contractor) during the aircraft development programme.We are taking account of employment forecasts for competing options for the FTA requirement. As the Minister for Competitiveness advised the hon. Gentleman,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which UK-based companies will be contributing towards development of the Raytheon ASTOR system. [104408]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long he expects the new Raytheon ASTOR system to be in service with the RAF. [104400]

We expect the new Raytheon ASTOR system to be in service about 30 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects (a) the final delivery of the Raytheon ASTOR system to be made to the RAF and (b) the system to be in service. [104401]

I expect delivery of the final Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) air platform to be delivered in 2007, and the system's In-Service Date to be 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals are currently being considered by his Department to help to sustain and develop the viability of rural and urban sub post offices. [105906]

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given him on 20 January 2000, Official Report, columns 519–20W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for Competitiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the Hagglunds BV206 vehicles being delivered to the Royal Marines. [106151]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of installing the UKIVSC 501 satellite system on the Hagglunds BV206 vehicles being delivered to the Royal Marines. [106153]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of equipping the SEPECAT Jaguar reconnaissance aircraft with the Vicon 18 Series 601 GP (1) electro-optic pods; and how many aircraft will be fitted with the pods. [106155]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what were the reasons which underlay his decision not to limit the equipment and systems for the Type 45 to the three former common new generation frigates partner contractors; and if he will make a statement; [107040](2) who will have control of the equipment selection for the new Type 45 warship; and if he will make a statement; [107041](3) what were the reasons involving the Horizon Programme which underlay the decision not to use a single prime contractor; and if he will make a statement. [107043]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military assistance he has given to the Sri Lankan Government during the last two years. [108014]

During the period 1 January 1998 to 31 January 2000 personnel from my Department have provided the following military assistance to the Sri Lankan Government:

Assistance to the Sri Lankan Army in the setting up of a Command and Staff College and on syllabus development and training.

Advice to the Sri Lankan Joint Operations Bureau on the concept and organisation of Joint Forces and Joint Service formations.

Training and advice to the Sri Lankan Army Medical Corps on battlefield life saving measures.

Advice to the Sri Lankan military on explosives ordnance disposal.

Advice and engineering training on the C130 transport aircraft for 15 ground engineers and technicians from the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Additionally, nine Sri Lankan military personnel have attended MOD-run professional courses in the UK. Courses attended are: The Royal Navy Young Officers Course, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Commissioning Course, The All Arms Drill Instructors Course, The RAF's Basic Instructional Techniques Course and The Royal College of Defence Studies Course.MOD funded the explosives ordnance disposal advice and part funded Sri Lankan attendance on the 1999 RCDS course. All other military assistance was funded either by the Sri Lankans or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by arm or corps (a) the intervals between emergency operational tours as at 1 July 1999 and (b) the proportionate manpower cuts taken by each arm or corps in the latest reorganisation of the Territorial Army. [107412]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: The average theoretical operational tour interval as at 1 July 1999 for those Arms and Corps for which figures are readily available are set out in the table. These figures reflect the high level of operational commitments that was being experienced at the time: this level of commitment has reduced significantly since then with the reductions in force levels in the Balkans. Figures for the other arms/corps are not routinely calculated.

Arm/Corps	Tour interval (months)
Royal Armoured Corps	12
Royal Artillery	18
Royal Engineers	7
Royal Signals	6
Infantry	15

The following table shows the proportionate TA manpower reduction for the same arms/corps:

Arm/Corps	Manpower reduction (Percentage)
Royal Armoured Corps	49
Royal Artillery	25
Royal Engineers	51
Royal Signals	1—
Infantry	55
1 No reduction

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the future strategic transport aircraft and tactical transport aircraft for the RAF. [104402]

We hope to be in a position to make a decision on our Short Term Strategic Airlift programmes early this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies spent in total on extra bonuses above usual payments for staff working over the new year period; what were the (a) maximum and (b) minimum bonuses paid; how many people received the (i) maximum and (ii) minimum bonuses paid; and if he will make a statement. [104484]

In addition to the normal bank holiday rates of double time, MOD civilian staff below the Senior Civil Service were entitled to claim an additional plain time rate for hours worked in a limited period either side of midnight on 31 December 1999, and also receive a lump sum payment of £100. It is too early to know how many staff will claim such payments or what the total cost will be but the numbers involved will only be a very small proportion of the Department's employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rights of access currently exist for walkers on his Department's land. [105498]

There is a presumption of access to MOD land wherever this is consistent with military activities, the health and safety of the public, environmental and conservation considerations, and the interests of our tenants. There have been leaflets and publications available for some years, most notably the booklet "Walks on MOD Lands", giving information about access opportunities on the Defence Estate. A copy of this booklet will be placed in the Library of the House. My Department is working to improve both public access and the provision of information. The booklet is currently under review and a revision will be published later in the year. Work is also being undertaken to develop an access website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the trials of the C-130J transport aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [106156]

I am not aware of any such representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the votes and subheads for the funds which cover his Department's financial contribution to BBC World Service monitoring; and if he will make a statement on their purpose. [106863]

BBC Monitoring provides a valued information service to Government. Rapid reporting of open source information from around the world is an important aspect of the work of the MOD and other parts of Government. The MOD contribution is 40 per cent. of BBC's Monitoring funding, and is included within the expenditure shown within Class VI, Vote 1, Part II, Section J of the MOD's Supply Estimates 1999–2000, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence above what level a saving from an individual efficiency measure must be reported to his Department by budget-holders. [107414]

The normal delegations of financial authority to budget holders set reporting levels for expenditure not savings. There is no specific financial level of savings for which current individual efficiency measures must be reported to MOD HQ. Individual measures are reported if the budget holder considers them significant, in line with their delegated authority.With the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting in the MOD, Top Level Budget holders will in the future be required to report individual efficiency measures reducing expenditure by more than £0.5 million in any year compared to the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the decision no longer to employ full-time civilian adventure training instructors for the Army in Germany following the 1998 Review of Adventure Training was scored as an efficiency savings measure for budget purposes. [107410]

The arrangements for Adventurous Training in Germany have recently been restructured. The training has been more closely focused on military requirements and the number of individuals trained reduced. The facilities are now paid for entirely from public funds, rather than from a mix of public and non-public funds as previously. No efficiency savings have been scored as a result of these changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the lessons learned which will be built into the Smart Procurement Initiative from the outcome of the Horizon Programme; and if he will make a statement. [107042]

I am pleased to say that the principal "lessons learned" from the outcome of the Horizon programme covering procurement strategy, risk reduction, communication with industry at an early stage of the project, and affordability have already been built into the Smart Procurement Initiative, thus ensuring that they will be applied in all future circumstances. Other lessons included work share arrangements. The involvement of trans-national companies and OCCAR are likely to be helpful in dealing with work share issues. These types of issues will be taken into account as Smart Procurement Implementation progresses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Governments and private companies were involved in the sale of land mines formerly held by UK armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [107272]

[holding answer 28 January 2000]: All UK operational stocks of anti-personnel mines (APMs) as defined under the Ottawa Convention were destroyed by 19 October 1999 as the Convention required. None of these stocks were sold, either to Governments, or to private companies. Details of historical holdings of APMs by UK armed forces would not be available without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the RAF in the current financial year to date; and how much he plans to expend in the remainder of the financial year. [107599]

The information cannot be provided in the requested format. Information is available for RAF Strike Command, RAF Personnel and Training Command and RAF Logistics Command and shows the spend reported up to 31 December 1999 is £2,868 million. The planned expenditure for the current financial year is approximately £4,160 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [106232]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: There is no evidence of a successful incursion, from an external source, to any Departmental computer system during the past five years. There were two cases during 1999 of corruption of Websites holding Unclassified MOD information. Measures have been taken to secure both these sites. There are widespread and frequent probes of MOD firewalls connected to the Internet, which do not result in successful penetrations of MOD systems. There have, however, been 25 recorded instances during the past five years of internal incursions by MOD staff, none of which had any operational impact. Appropriate disciplinary measures were taken, as required, in each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [106213]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: There have been no cases in the past five years in which MOD computers have been used to directly expedite a fraud against the MOD. There have been 18 cases where MOD computers have been used in support of fraudulent activities. There have been 594 reported cases of computer theft within the MOD over the past five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings will result from switching to the Lloyd's Register Naval Ship Rules; and if he will make a statement. [108036]

It is expected that Lloyd's Register's Naval Ship Rules will, by capitalising on the Rules for the design, construction and maintenance of commercial shipping, lead to savings in this area of at least £1 million per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to improve the anticipated shortfall of personnel in the Army by 2005; what implications these will have on readiness; and if he will make a statement. [108035]

The Army is currently forecasting a return to a state of full manning by around April 2005. The current manning deficit is being tackled by a series of recruiting and retention-positive measures. These include significant improvements which have been made to the operational welfare package, a reduction in force deployments to both Bosnia and Kosovo, and the Learning Forces initiative. Welcome progress has also been made by the Services Families Task Force, which is addressing a variety of issues relating to military service that are of concern to Service personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the army training camp at Bramley, Basingstoke. [108067]

The Army has a continuing requirement for Bramley Training Area and there are no current plans for major development to the facility, or disposal of the site.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 78W, on Nancekuke, what the scrap metal was composed of, in what quantity it was found and on what dates and what was the obsolete plant. [107634]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: Documentary evidence states that the scrap metal consisted of decontaminated chemical plant, service pipework, cubicle fronts and structural steelwork. The actual quantities are unknown. It is considered that the majority of materials would have been dumped between the closure decision in 1976 and the vacation of the site by the Chemical Defence Establishment in 1978. I am not aware of any documentary evidence as to the nature of the `obsolete plant' referred to in the question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 70W, on Nancekuke, if he will place in the Library a map indicating the exact locations of the mineshafts; and if all mineshafts were examined in 1991 by the National Rivers Authority. [107635]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: A copy of a map indicating the locations of the relevant mineshafts will be placed in the Library of the House. Water sampling was conducted by the National Rivers Authority between 1990 and 1992, and there is no evidence of mineshafts having been examined.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 December 1999, Official Report, column 454W, on departmental research contacts, if he will place a copy of the standard research contract in use by his Department in the Library. [107099]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: The Department does not use a standard research contract. Terms and conditions of contracts for research differ according to the work required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average period which elapses between the commission of an offence and the date of the subsequent trial in standing civilian courts. [107870]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the helicopter Chinook MK2 was subjected to a full vehicle electro-magnetic interference test using the radio environmental generator by Boscombe Down as part of its CIA release trials in January 1994. [108052]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of maintenance man-hours per driving hour for (a) Warrior variants, (b) Challenger 1, (c) Challenger 2, (d) Saxon variants, (e) AVF 430 variants, (f) Sabre, (g) Striker, (h) Scimitar, (i) Spartan, (j) Sultan, (k) Samaritan and (l) Samson in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [107548]

The information requested is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Driver hours are not used as currency for measuring equipment usage. Usage is controlled through activity set by annual track mileage allocations for each vehicle type. Maintenance in the Land environment is different from that in, for example, the Air environment where they use largely scheduled maintenance based on flying hours. Maintenance of Army tanks and vehicles is achieved through a mix of planned maintenance (servicing based on time and mileage) and reactive repair maintenance. The latter regime is the larger element.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the implementation of his proposal to legalise Sunday dancing. [107613]

On 17 January, we laid before Parliament a draft Deregulation Order to remove the ban on commercial dancing on Sundays. The draft Order is now subject to the usual process of scrutiny by the Parliamentary Deregulation Committees, and approval by both Houses. That process is likely to take until the summer. If approved, the ban on Sunday dancing would be lifted three months later, to allow time for applications to trade on Sundays to be heard.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 with respect to circus animals; and if he will make a statement. [107731]

We have made no formal assessment of the effectiveness of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 with regard to circus animals. In 1998, there were 1,107 prosecutions made under the Act, but these figures do not show details of the animals involved or the profession of the defendants. The figures do, however, confirm that the Act—which covers all domestic and captive animals—is frequently used, and we have been given no reason to doubt its general effectiveness.Circus animals, when being trained and performing, have additional protection against cruelty under the provisions of the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to tackle anti-Irish discrimination. [107588]

I should make it clear that Irish people already receive the protection that current legislation provides. The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it unlawful for anyone to discriminate against another on ethnic grounds. Successful complaints in relation to discrimination against the Irish have been brought by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) resulting in compensation payments and agreements by organisations to change their practices. A Bill currently before Parliament will amend the 1976 Act by extending it to the functions of public authorities not currently covered by the Act. The Bill will also put a statutory duty on public authorities to promote racial equality.It is also an offence to incite ethnic hatred against the Irish community by virtue of part III of the Public Order Act 1986. Racist violence and harassment towards members of the Irish community falls under the new racially aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.The Government are also addressing the specific issues of discrimination and disadvantage faced by some sections of the Irish community. These were highlighted in the CRE's Report, "Discrimination and the Irish Community in Britain" which has been the subject of a number of discussions which I and my colleagues across Whitehall have been having with the Irish Ambassador and representatives from Irish organisations.One of the major issues was a recommendation that there should be a separate Irish category in the ethnic origin question in the next Census in 2001. The Draft Census Order for England and Wales was laid before Parliament on Monday 10 January. It includes an ethnicity question with a category for "Irish" cultural background in the "White" section.We will continue to look carefully at other concerns to ensure that the Irish community has full access to the rights and opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those prisons in which the WRVS deliver services, and the nature of the services. [107580]

The invaluable support which the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) offers to the Prison Service covers a large part of the prison estate with around a hundred prisons benefiting from the work of WRVS volunteers. The services provided by the WRVS include the provision of supervision for children's visits to parents in prisons; the running of prison visitors' centres and their tea bars; and the development of toy libraries for visiting children. In view of the differing needs of prisons, the development of partnerships with the WRVS is undertaken by individual establishments. Detailed information about the use of volunteers in prisons is not available centrally, however, a survey of all prisons is being undertaken with a view to establishing more specific information about their use of volunteers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use a computerised booking system for visits to prisoners. [107581]

The use of a computerised booking system will be looked at during the course of a review of visits policy. Its feasibility will also be examined as part of the Prison Service public/private sector partnership project, Quantam, which aims to deliver improved services through the effective use of information technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the permitted methods for families to send money to prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [107579]

Families can send money to prisoners by cheque, postal order or cash. Under Prison Rule 43(3), prisoners' money must be held in an account under the control of the governor. Postal orders and cheques therefore, should be made payable to the governor of the prison and the sender of the money must always be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were prosecuted for offences in connection with child pornography on the internet in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [107574]

Offences involving child pornography on the internet would be prosecuted under either section 1 and section 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 as amended or section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 as amended.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations lay behind his decision to include in the membership of the inquiry into the economic impact of fox hunting individuals with a record of support for fox hunting. [107618]

I refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 1 February 2000, Official Report, columns 504–06W. The members of the inquiry team were recommended on the basis of their knowledge and expertise. They have been appointed to provide a view on the issues before the Committee. These extend beyond the economic impact of hunting with dogs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were tagged in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available; and what number and percentage broke the terms of their tagging order. [107617]

In the period from 28 January 1999 to 26 January 2000, a total of 19,164 persons were subject to a curfew with electronic monitoring. Of these, 16,242 were released from prison on Home Detention Curfew under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The remaining 2,922 were monitored under a range of other provisions.As of 26 January, of the 16,242 offenders placed on the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme, 766 have had their licences revoked by the Secretary of State and a further 41 have been referred to the courts either by the Probation Service or the police for breach action (807 in total, amounting to 5 per cent. of all offenders placed on HDC).Of the 766 offenders whose licences have been revoked, in 517 cases the offender had been in breach of the curfew conditions, in 226 cases it was no longer possible to monitor the offender's whereabouts electronically, in seven cases the offender was deemed to present a risk of serious harm and in 16 cases the licence was revoked under section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 following a breach of the non-curfew conditions of the licence.Of the 2,922 persons monitored under the other provisions, a total of 353 (12 per cent.) have had their curfew order or curfew condition revoked by the courts. Information on the reason for the revocation is not centrally available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what offences were committed by prisoners released under the Home Detention Curfew scheme who re-offended while on the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [108098]

As of 31 January 2000, the Prison Service had received notification of 174 curfewees who had been charged with an offence committed while subject to the Home Detention Curfew scheme. A breakdown of the offences committed by these curfewees is shown in the table.This breakdown has been prepared from information supplied by police forces and drawn from the police national computer. Further analysis of re-offending by those subject to home detention curfew is currently underway as part of a long term evaluation of the scheme, including the procedures for notification of further charges to the Prison Service by the police.Overall, the Home Detention Curfew scheme has been a success, with 95 per cent. of curfewees completing their period of curfew licence. However, we are not complacent about any re-offending on curfew and the scheme is strictly enforced. Where a prisoner does commit a further offence while subject to curfew, he or she is in breach of their licence conditions, and may be recalled to prison, in addition to the possibility of additional sentence for the new offence.

Offences curfewees charged with while on home detention curfew
Offence type	Number
Burglary, theft and shoplifting (including Taking without consent and taking and driving away)	62
Assault	31
Driving and traffic offences	15
Breach of the peace (including drunk and disorderly)	14
Drug offences	13
Handling stolen goods/deception	10
Criminal damage	10
Threatening behaviour	8
Breach of a court injunction or restraining order	3
Possession of an offensive weapon	3
Harassment	1
Going equipped	1
False imprisonment	1
Arson	1
Indecent exposure	1
Total	174

Note:Where a curfewee was charged with more than one offence, they appear in the table next to the most serious offence. The table excludes cases where, following initial notification, the Prison Service was informed that charges had been withdrawn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were successfully brought against drivers who caused road traffic accidents while at work in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [107658]

The information requested is not available as the circumstances of the offence and the employment status of the offender are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide funds for the provision of accommodation at Chelmsford Prison to enable a full search of visitors suspected of possessing drugs. [107726]

Visitors to Chelmsford prison are subject to a "pat-down" search and must pass through an X-ray portal. A passive drug detection dog is deployed. Visitors may not take property into the visits area and lockers are provided for bags and other possessions. Any items to be handed in to prisoners are X-rayed.There are no plans to provide facilities for strip-searching of visitors at Chelmsford. Capital funding for the Prison Service is limited and other projects linked to

Decisions1made under the backlog clearance exercise on applications2lodged in the United Kingdom, up to the end of December 1995 January to December 1999
Number of principal applicants
	Decisions on applications made between July 1993 and 31 December 1995				Decisions on applications made prior to July 1993
	Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum	Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain	Refused asylum and ELR after full consideration	Refused on non-compliance grounds3	Granted exceptional leave with immediate settlement	Refused on non-compliance grounds under backlog criteria3
January	—	—	—	—	420	—
February	—	5	—	—	525	—
March	20	360	*	*	535	5
April	145	285	5	—	575	—
May	435	225	—	20	490	—
June	175	275	—	60	755	—
July	45	445	*	80	790	—
August	45	635	5	225	700	30
September	35	365	*	190	510	215
October	45	540	—	100	205	140
November	35	680	*	75	*	—
December	45	840	*	65	30	—
1 Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with '*' = 1 or 2
2 Excluding dependants
3 Paragraph 340 of Immigration Rules. For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has, in the light of the judgment in the case of R. v. Secretary of State for the Home Department ex-Parte Ali, to review his policy of refusing to accept recommendations by immigration appellate authority adjudicators when an appeal is dismissed. [107433]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers and refugees are residing in the Eastbourne area. [107600]

This information is not available. Central Government do not keep records of the number of asylum seekers residing in a particular location.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time taken to determine asylum applications from asylum seekers who submitted their applications in 1991. [107294]

It is estimated that the average length of time taken to reach an initial decision on an asylum application lodged in 1991 was 25 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions have been made to date as a result of the measures announced in the White Paper, "Fairer Faster and Firmer", on asylum applications made (a) between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 and (b) before 1 July 1993; and how many of these resulted in (i) a grant of asylum, (ii) exceptional leave to remain and (iii) refusal. [107109]

The requested information is given in the table.

It is not our policy to refuse to accept recommendations made by adjudicators in dismissed or withdrawn appeals. We will act on such recommendations where the written determination discloses clear exceptional compassionate circumstances which have not previously been considered and which would merit an exercise of discretion outside the Immigration Rules. We have no plans to review this policy following the judgment in the case of R. v. Secretary of State for the Home Department ex-Parte Ali.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if it is his intention to allow prosecution and defence to make oral representations in open court during an appeal against magistrates decision on mode of trial under his proposal to restrict the right to elect trial by jury; [108102](2) what estimate he has made of the cost of an appeal to the Crown Court against magistrates decision as to mode of trial, under his proposals to restrict the right to trial by jury; [108100](3) further to his answer of 27 January 2000,

The Government believe that most of these appeals could be determined very quickly on the basis of the papers by a single judge. However, they intend to give the judge the power to permit oral representations to be made to him by both the prosecution and defence if he considers it necessary in the interests of justice to do so. It is estimated that a paper based appeal to the Crown Court would cost £90 and an oral appeal would cost an additional £182. It is assumed that 3,900 or 25 per cent. of defendants would appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how his Department will monitor the (a) number, (b) cost and (c) effectiveness of the anti-social behaviour orders. [107352]

We are in the process of setting up arrangements for the courts to monitor the number of anti-social behaviour orders granted in their area and to provide us with a quarterly return. We are committed to reviewing the effectiveness of the provision once it has been in force for two years. I will ensure that this research also looks into cost issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the Schengen Agreement. [107503]

The Schengen acquis has now been incorporated into European Union structures in accordance with the Schengen Protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam. The acquis continues to operate as between signatory states. The United Kingdom submitted a formal application to participate in parts of the Schengen acquis on 20 May 1999, which is still under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the enforcement of the Government's policy on seizure and pursuit of criminal assets. [106589]

This Government are determined to ensure that criminals do not keep their ill-gotten gains. The third report of the Home Office Working Group on Confiscation—published in November 1989—proposed a range of measures to tighten up the enforcement of criminal confiscation orders. Since the Working Group reported, the Government have been considering more widely whether some confiscation and forfeiture functions, including the enforcement of confiscation orders, might be operated more effectively by a national confiscation agency. In the autumn, the Prime Minister asked my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office (Mr. McCartney), to act as sponsor Minister for a project in the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit to consider the role that following the money trail and seizing criminal assets can play in the fight against crime and how to maximise the effective use of these tools. The Performance and Innovation Unit is expected to report in the spring and a White Paper proposing comprehensive action against financial crime to issue shortly thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 1999, Official Report, column 140W, on Kosovar refugees, if he will update the figures provided in his answer; how many of the 4,346 Kosovar refugees admitted to the United Kingdom under the UNHCR Humanitarian Evacuation Programme have left the United Kingdom voluntarily; and what action he intends to take in respect of those who have not yet left the United Kingdom to return to Kosovo. [108120]

The information provided in my reply on 14 December 1999, Official Report, column 140W, on nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is the latest available.As at 31 January, 1,570 Kosovans had returned. Of those 182 had left under the 'explore and prepare programme'.All the evacuees were given 12 months' Exceptional Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom and will not have their stay curtailed. We have made clear that there will not be a general extension of leave for those granted Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) under the Kosovan concession and Kosovans are expected to make arrangements to leave once their current leave to remain expires.The voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom began on 26 July 1999 and is open to Kosovans who arrived under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme and independent arrivals. Returnees are provided with the necessary travel documentation to enable them to travel under the arrangements put in place by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The Government are also running an Explore and Prepare scheme to enable heads of households and community leaders with ELR to return to Kosovo to make advance preparations for the permanent return of their families. We expect a large return this spring and are working to ensure that it comes about.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the negligent discharge of a police firearm on 20 January 1998 in the course of Operation Runacre, stating when it was first officially reported and by whom; and what subsequent investigation was carried out into it. [106712]

I understand from the Metropolitan Police that an allegation concerning a negligent discharge of a firearm was first made anonymously. This was investigated by the Metropolitan Police's Complaints Investigation Bureau a few days after the incident, and the investigation concluded that no discharge had occurred. Since then, additional allegations have been made and the incident is being reinvestigated by the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many undercover police operations investigating the use or supply of illegal drugs took place in prison establishments in each of the past two years; if the prison authorities were notified in advance and if (a) use and (b) supply was detected. [107929]

There are occasions when, at the request of the police, or other investigatory authority, approval is granted for an undercover operation to be conducted within a prison. There were eight such operations in 1998 and 16 in 1999. All these operations took place with approval from Prison Service headquarters and the prior knowledge of the local prison authorities. Two of the above operations related to the supply of drugs within the prisons concerned but the majority related to the large scale supply of illegal drugs outside prison. The outcome of these operations is not known to the prison authorities.There will also have been a number of operations conducted locally to each prison involving co-operation between the local police and the prison in relation to the supplying of illegal drugs into that prison. Information concerning these operations is not collated centrally but it is known that in the 12 months ending 31 December 1999, 823 visitors to prison were arrested attempting to bring drugs into prisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to issue further guidance regarding the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [107865]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 1 February 2000, Official Report, column 512W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the inquiries have been completed into the effectiveness of immigration controls and the entry of foreign nationals into the UK who have been investigated for war crimes; and if he will make a statement. [108083]

Those convicted or suspected of war crimes may be prevented from entering the United Kingdom in accordance with the powers in Rule 320 of the Immigration Rules. We are considering the scope for obtaining better information on those who may be war criminals so that those powers can be used to best effect. This review is not yet completed.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many applications have been made to him in each of the last three years for his fiat; in respect of what proceedings such applications were made; and in how many and in what percentage of such cases in each category he (a) granted and (b) withheld his consent. [107831]

The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Statistics are not maintained. It is estimated that the information is contained in many different files, catalogued in a number of different series. For example, in criminal cases, consents to prosecution cover a wide range of criminal offences. There are also fiats which relate to civil proceedings. The work involved in providing an accurate answer would breach the established limits for the amount of work that should be undertaken in answering parliamentary questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to ensure a common approach between the USA, the UK and the rest of the European Union to patents arising from the human genome project. [106603]

The public and charitable funders of the international human genome project have agreed that they will release the gene sequence information they generate as quickly as possible; and they will not patent that information. The Government strongly support this approach as it allows maximum exploitation by public and private sector researchers of the data generated. Nonetheless, translating fundamental genome sequence information into new gene-based diagnostics and therapeutics will, in many circumstances, involve sufficient innovation to justify intellectual property protection.The EU Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions, which will come into force later this year, harmonises national patent laws within Europe. There are certain global norms, upon which the EU system is based, which are followed by other national authorities, including those of the United States. It is a matter solely for the national authorities to interpret these criteria in relation to applications for patents, including those concerning the human genome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Standard Individual Export Licences have been issued to (a) Sri Lanka and (b) Colombia covering ratings (i) ML1, (ii) ML2, (iii) ML3, (iv) ML11 and (v) 1C350 since 31 December 1997. [107518]

Details of all SIELs and OIELs issued between 1 January and 31 December 1998 were set out in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; copies are in the Library of the House.As regards export licences granted between 1 January 1999 and 24 January 2000, the Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Twenty-six Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Sri Lanka of goods with the ratings ML1, ML2, ML3, ML11 and 1C350; two such licences were issued for the export of such goods to Colombia.

Standard Individual Export Licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 24 January 2000 covering exports to Sri Lanka or Columbia
Rating	Number of SIELs issued to Sri Lanka covering goods with this rating	Number of SIELs issued to Colombia covering goods with this rating
ML1	5	1
ML2	5	0
ML3	6	0
ML11	5	1
1C350	5	0

This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish draft guidance under Clauses 9 and 13 of the Utilities Bill. [107665]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: I intend to publish a preliminary draft of the social and environmental guidance for the energy sector provided for under Clauses 9 and 13 of the Utilities Bill shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the inquiry he has commissioned into TransTec will cover the decision by Ford UK to execute their penalty clauses. [107875]

The conduct of the inspection is a matter for the independent inspectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has made to ensure that the current inquiry into TransTec does not prevent its sale as a going concern. [108048]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: Any sale of TransTec is a matter for the administrative receivers. The inspection should not affect any commercial arrangements being made by them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has made to minimise the impact on creditors, suppliers and employees of the current inquiry into TransTec. [108049]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: There is no reason why the inspection, as such, should have any impact on creditors, suppliers and employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Post Office management on the research and development needed for the production of a smart card. [108051]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: My right hon. Friend and I maintain an ongoing dialogue with the Post Office Board on the development of the Horizon project including the use of smart card technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department last had discussions with Post Office management on the subject of automated credit transfer of the benefits business. [108050]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: My right hon. Friend and I have frequent discussion with Post Office management about a wide range of issues including the Horizon project to automate the post office network and the planned migration of payment of benefits from order books and girocheques to an automated credit transfer system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues about Government plans to meet their obligations in the United Kingdom's European Union Objective 1 regions. [106590]

My right hon. Friend and I have frequent contacts with ministerial colleagues on various aspects of the European structural funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 8 December 1999, Official Report, column 572W, on departmental research contracts, if he will (a) state total expenditure on research let by his Department since May 1997 and (b) list the titles of all research contracts let by his Department during 1999 and costing £20,000 or more, stating what is the value of each contract, and in each case whether the contract included (i) departmental veto over publication of the research results, (ii) departmental control over the date of publication of the research and (ii) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments; and if he will place a copy of the standard research contract currently in use by his Department in the Library. [107094]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: The 1999 Forward Look of Government-Funded Science, Engineering and Technology shows total extramural expenditure on research and development by the Department of Trade and Industry for the last two financial years as follows:

	£ million
1997–98	276.9
1998–99	1259.2
1 Estimated outturn

In respect of

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what amount, expressed in terms of megawatts, the generators of electricity would have to be reduced in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the equivalent required by the climate change levy. [107919]

The climate change levy is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 2MtC a year, before including the effect of negotiated agreements. If a 2MtC saving were to be brought about through reductions in electricity generation, this could be achieved either through a reduction of 21 terawatt hours in gas fired generation or 9 terawatt hours in coal fired generation. This would be broadly equivalent to the loss of all output from 3000MW of gas fired plant otherwise operating at a load factor of 80 per cent., or 2000MW of coal fired plant operating at just over 50 per cent. load factor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will ensure that authorisation of a parent or guardian is needed before children under the age of 16 years enter into financial agreements with mobile phone companies; [107567](2) if he will introduce legislation to provide for a parent's or guardian's authorisation before children under the age of 16 years enter into a contract with mobile phone companies. [107652]

The Government do not believe that specific regulation is desirable to prevent those under sixteen years of age from entering into a contract for a mobile phone. It is very unlikely that a consumer credit agreement entered into by person under the age of eighteen, for the purposes of a mobile phone contract, would be enforceable against that person. This is no doubt the reason why operators require a person to be over 18 before they can sign up a mobile contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department is taking to promote trade between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. [107589]

The services of British Trade International are available to exporters to the Republic of Ireland as they are to exporters to other Western European countries. Activities include the Export Explorer scheme to encourage first-time exporters to visit the Republic, an export promoter to inform companies of the opportunities in the market and encourage them to trade with the Republic and sectoral activities such as the provision of information stands at trade fairs in Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to raise public awareness of the role of the Internet Watch Foundation to investigate alleged pornographic materials; and if he will make a statement. [107573]

The Government are continuing to support the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), and both Alex Allan, the e-envoy, and I attended its recent re-launch.Following a recommendation in a recent report, "Review of the Internet Watch Foundation", the IWF is currently pressing Internet Service Providers to put links to the IWF on their sites, in order to make it more visible and accessible to their users. The Government are also working at a European level to promote the work that the IWF has done as a model for the rest of the world.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Internet Watch Foundation in implementing the recommendations of the Department of Trade and Industry/Home Office report entitled Review of the Internet Watch Foundation. [107572]

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has made good progress towards implementing the report's recommendations. Its organisational structure has been revised, as the new chair, Roger Darlington, announced at the IWF re-launch on 25 January. As part of the extended remit announced at the relaunch, the IWF has undertaken a review of the resources required for the hotlines, and extended its work to cover racism on the internet. It is also continuing to participate in developing content filtering and labelling schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the final destination of coal being imparted from Mozambique; who is the purchaser; and what estimate he has made of the effect of the imports on employment among mine workers. [107594]

Information is not collected on the final destination of coal imported into the United Kingdom. Figures for 1999 as a whole are not yet available, but in the first three quarters of 1999 it is estimated that 19,000 tonnes of coal were imported into the United Kingdom from Mozambique—around 0.1 per cent. of total coal imported during the same period. No estimates have been made of the effects of the imports of coal from Mozambique on employment among mine workers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2000, Official Report, column 521W, what has been the average proportion of compensation paid to successful claims on coal miners' compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which relates to general damages for pain suffering and loss of amenity. [107175]

Of the 1,047 claims settled to date the vast majority have been on the basis of a claimant electing to accept an expedited payment following screening spirometry rather than proceeding through a full medical assessment. Such payments are not broken down separately into general and special damages. Nine claims have been settled to date where general and special damages have been separately assessed. The average proportion of compensation paid that relate to general damages, in these cases, is 53 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which other EU member states provide (a) paid and (b) unpaid parental leave; and if he will make a statement about paid parental leave. [108111]

From the information that we hold, it appears that some form of payment is provided in Italy, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and Luxembourg during parental leave, subject to each member state's qualifying conditions.There does not appear to be any universal provision for payment in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland or the Netherlands.We have introduced unpaid parental leave in line with the agreement concluded by the social partners and our commitment in the "Fairness at Work" White Paper. Our task now is to monitor the take-up, impact and effectiveness of the new right, which will help to inform future thinking on parental leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. [106295]

This Government are keen to hear what people have to say about their new proposals and policies. My Department has a broad range of responsibilities and interacts directly with the business community and many other interest groups. We consult widely on many issues, using a range of different mechanisms depending on the subject matter and interest groups involved. I regard this as an important aspect of the modernising government initiative. Comprehensive and detailed information in the form requested is, however, not held centrally and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what information his Department collects on the number of pupils attending each maintained school in England and Wales; if this information is held centrally; and if it is made available to the public. [107025]

For England, the most comprehensive source of information about the number of pupils in maintained schools is that derived from returns made by schools to the Department in January. The annual school Performance Tables (Secondary and Primary) publish, for each school in the tables, the total number of pupils of all ages on the school register in January. This information has been checked with the individual schools as part of the Performances Tables checking exercise.Matters relating to the collection and release of pupil data in maintained schools in Wales is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the aggregate schools budget for Durham Local Education Authority in (a) 1998–99 and (b) each of the previous four years. [108010]

The Aggregate Schools Budgets (ASB) for Durham Local Education Authority in 1998–99 and the previous four years are as shown in the table. Figures up to 1996–97 are not comparable with those for later years because of local government re-organisation.

	£ million
1998–99	144.4
1997–98	138.4
1996–97	159.6
1995–96	154.2
1994–95	152.3

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many bids for standards fund grants have been received for 2000–01, broken down by category of grant and by local education authority; [108070](2) how many bids for standards fund grants were received in 1999–2000, broken down by category of grant and by local education authority; and how many allocations of grant were taken up in each category. [108071]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: The information requested is currently being collected and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers took early retirement in each of the last five years. [108011]

Teachers retiring early from the maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special sector in England and Wales under the premature or ill-health retirement arrangements in each of the last five years were as follows:

Financial year	Premature1	Ill-health2
1994–95	7,660	5,290
1995–96	9,080	5,190
1996–97	10,730	5,400
1997–98	12,600	3,640
1998–993	2,520	2,500
1 Since September 1997 the additional cost of premature retirement has been borne by the employer rather than the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
2 Changes in the statutory regulations governing ill-health retirements came into force in April 1997. To qualify for ill-health retirement benefits since April 1997 a teacher must be regarded as permanently unfit to teach.
3 1998–99 data are provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will be publishing details about the proposed youth support service. [108603]

I am pleased to announce that we will publish tomorrow a policy document which sets out the Connexions strategy designed to raise educational achievement for all teenagers and how we envisage the new youth support service will operate. This service, outlined in the White Paper, "Learning to Succeed", will be called the "Connexions Service". Copies of the document will be available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office at 9 a.m. on 3 February. Copies will also be placed in the Library.We will be publishing a more detailed Connexions Service Prospectus and Specification in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Lottery funded school sport co-ordinators will be in post. [107163]

I have been asked to reply.The aim is that the first tranche of school sport co-ordinators should be in post during the autumn term 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding provision he has made to local authorities for the urgent replacement of lighting columns which are in a critical condition within the United Kingdom in the last twelve months. [107370]

Some central Government funding is available to local authorities for new street lighting schemes under the Private Finance Initiative. Where local authorities apply for this funding, proposals should be appraised in line with the Department's "New Approach to Appraisal" to ensure that the benefits and costs (including environmental and safety benefits) are presented in a consistent way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department has provided on how to assess the condition of concrete lighting columns. [107371]

Highways Agency Standard TD23, Inspection and Maintenance of Lighting Columns, details procedures for all types of lighting columns, including concrete. It is used as part of routine maintenance procedures on motorways and trunk roads. The Standard is included in "The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges" and is available for use by local authorities on local roads.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which local authorities have undertaken programmes to test systematically the integrity of lighting columns since 1997. [107372]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the condition of the street lighting network within the United Kingdom. [107369]

There is no comprehensive central data collected on the condition of the street lighting network. Routine inspections conducted on motorway and trunk road lighting provide a continuous assessment of the condition of the lighting equipment on those roads. Local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of street lighting on local roads.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent independent research the Government have commissioned into (a) the extent of homophobic bullying in schools and (b) the attitudes of teachers to section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. [107271]

The most recent research into homophobic bullying in schools and teachers' attitudes towards section 28 of which we are aware was published in November 1997 by the University of London's Institute of Education. The Government itself did not commission this, or any other recent research on these issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reports his Department has recently received about infestations by ghost ants; and if he will make a statement. [107164]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of extending the right of appeal to opponents of planning applications following granting of planning permission by local authorities. [107564]

It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to act in the general public interest when determining planning applications. They must determine applications in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Such considerations can include views expressed by local residents and other third parties. The scope for third parties to participate fully in the development control process has been increased in recent years, through statutory requirements to consult on the preparation of the development plan and to publicise all planning applications. Local authorities' handling of

	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Number of recommendations rejected	8	6	7	10	8
(Total number of recommendations)	(179)	(154)	(153)	(125)	(80)
Proportion of total recommendations	4%	4%	5%	8%	10%
Subject of legal challenge	0	0	0	1	1

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times he has made decisions which were at variance with determinations made by the appropriate local planning authority following an appeal hearing, in each of the last five years. [107593]

In each of the last five years the number of decisions made by the Secretary of State, following a planning appeal which he has recovered, at variance with determinations made by the local planning authority is as follows:

	Number
1995	21
1996	20
1997	16
1998	26
1999	12

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the draft proposal by Cuba on hawksbill turtles for discussion at the forthcoming conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. [107609]

This proposal, together with others for consideration at the forthcoming CITES Conference, was discussed at a recent informal meeting of EU experts.It seems unlikely that the Commission will recommend member states to support Cuba's main proposal. While EU experts were in general agreement that Cuba's precautionary measures, as observed by the fact-finding mission in September 1999, appear to be in order, the status of the species in Caribbean waters remains unclear.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times he has rejected the recommendations of planning appeals inspectors; what proportion of the total number of such recommendations this represents; and how many such decisions were subsequently the subject of legal challenge, in each of the last five years. [107592]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action his Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) support services to the Irish community in Britain. [107586]

The Department's policies and programmes are aimed at promoting social cohesion and at providing opportunity for all. It is however principally for local authorities, housing associations, and local regeneration partnerships to identify the needs of particular communities within their areas, including the Irish community, and to develop and support services to meet these needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the safety studies on the A66 will be completed. [107576]

The Highways Agency is currently in the process of letting a contract to carry out the study. Work is expected to start during April 2000, and is expected to take about nine months. It is therefore expected that the study will be completed around the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many proposed developments on playing fields have been referred to him for approval following the introduction of new legislation to protect playing fields; and how many he has objected to. [107725]

Since the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields) (England) Direction 1998 came into effect on 23 December 1998, 17 planning applications have been referred to the Secretary of State, one of which was called-in for his determination and six of which are currently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures (a) he has introduced and (b) plans to introduce to prevent oil spills from tankers at sea affecting the United Kingdom's coast. [107923]

My Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will shortly be publishing a revised National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations. The plan provides a framework for the UK's response to marine pollution from ships and offshore installations. The MCA implements the plan when marine pollution incidents involving ships and offshore installations occur in UK waters. The plan remains under constant review in the light of the experience gained from incidents and exercises.The MCA also inspects at least one quarter of ships calling at UK ports to ensure that they comply with international safety rules and standards and operates surveillance aircraft to patrol UK waters.In addition, my Department will shortly begin a consultative process that could lead to the setting up of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas (MEHRAs) to help protect sensitive marine and coastal environments at particular risk from pollution from shipping.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance his Department is giving to the French authorities in dealing with the Erika oil spill. [107925]

My Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has assisted the French authorities in a number of areas of counter pollution response.The MCA co-ordinated the provision of an oil recovery vessel, the British Shield. It provided specialist oil recovery equipment for the vessel from its stockpile and an operator to operate and maintain the equipment on site. I understand that this equipment has made a valuable contribution to the oil recovery operation.Staff from the MCA have visited the affected sector of the French coastline to provide advice on beach clean-up techniques, the nature and fate of the heavy fuel oil involved, and waste disposal. It has co-ordinated the provision of advice on, and assistance with, wildlife cleaning and rehabilitation.The MCA will continue to assist the French authorities as efforts to clean up oil spilt by the Erika continue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the Erika oil spill on United Kingdom biodiversity, with particular reference to breeding birds. [107924]