To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the Ministers responsible for regulatory reform; and if she will make a statement. [117920]

The Ministers for Regulatory Reform in the key regulatory Departments are:

HM Treasury—Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo MP)

Department of Trade and Industry—Minister of State (Patricia Hewitt MP)

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions—Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Whitty)

Department of Health—Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Hunt)

Home Office—Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Mike O'Brien MP)

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food—Minister of State (the right hon. Joyce Quin MP)

Department for Education and Employment—Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Margaret Hodge MP).

Ministers for Regulatory Reform in other regulatory Departments are:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on (a) the upkeep and (b) the purchase of works of art in her Department for each financial year since 1992. [117469]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts, Official Report, columns 392-93W.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) who will have access to the full Knowledge Network Computer system; [117033](2) what information held on the Knowledge Network Computer system will not be placed on the internet; [117034](3) if information relating to opposition parties will be held on the Knowledge Network Computer System. [117097]

Access to the full Knowledge Network will be restricted to Ministers and civil servants (including Special Advisers).On the question of availability of information from the Knowledge Network, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 23 March 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 2000, Official Report, column 42W, if it is the Government's policy to (a) support or (b) oppose the exemptions from EU employment law which are being sought by UEFA in its negotiations with the European Commission. [117625]

No specific proposals have yet emerged from the EC. The Government expect that all member states would have the opportunity to discuss any possible changes to EU employment law. Consultation with national sporting bodies and other interested parties would be an important element of this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what response he has made to the Audit Commission's report, "Fully Equipped", on the provision of disability equipment and services. [117367]

I welcome the contribution to improving services for disabled people of the Audit Commission's report "Fully Equipped", which was addressed to the Department of Health.The hon. Gentleman may wish to refer to the response given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. McCabe) on 29 March 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117421]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitley (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies he has made of the relative attractiveness and cost of study at United Kingdom higher education institutions compared with those in (a) developed anglophone countries and (b) other members of the European Union, for overseas students (i) in receipt of and (ii) without bursaries from public funds. [117363]

The Government commissioned the British Council last year, as part of the initiative to bring more international students to the UK, to research the relative attractiveness and the actual and perceived costs of studying in the UK compared with other developed anglophone countries. No distinction was made between students with or without bursaries. The summary of this research, the Brand Report, is available on the EducationUK website at www.educationuk.org. We have made no similar studies on other European Union member countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the current responsibilities of his Department towards supporting the language and educational development of children under two years of age with a recognised hearing loss. [117364]

It is for local education authorities to make educational provision for children of statutory school age, and those over the age of two with a statement of special educational needs, including those with a hearing-impairment. Where appropriate, local education authorities may also make special educational provision for children under two years of age.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many teachers enrolled on mandatory courses leading to a qualification as a teacher of the deaf in each of the last five years; [117365](2) how many teachers undertook a mandatory course to train as a teacher of the deaf on a self-funding basis in each of the past five years. [117366]

The Department does not collect this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of extending free school meals to (a) all

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: The Department does not collect information on the cost of providing free school meals. We estimate that the annual cost in England of extending free school meals to children in full-time education (a) whose families are in receipt of working families tax credit would be over £400 million; (b) whose families are in receipt of working families tax credit with less than half the average family income would be slightly lower than £400 million; and (c) from families where a parent is in receipt of disabled person's tax credit could be in the region of £0.5 million.We have no current plans to extend eligibility for free school meals (which would require primary legislation), but we are working closely with Group on ways of increasing take-up by entitled pupils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will use the number of pupils eligible for free school meals as a criterion for determining in which group a school is placed for the purpose of evaluating SATs results. [117229]

My officials already use eligibility for free school meals as a criterion in the presentation of the Autumn Package of pupil performance information to schools.The Autumn Package, in conjunction with the Performance and Assessment (PANDA) Report for schools produced by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), allows schools to compare their Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 SAT results with other schools with similar eligibility for free school meals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for (a) England and (b) each local education authority in Hampshire the number of additional free early years education places that would be required to meet the Government's target of free places being available for 66 per cent. of three-year-olds by 2002. [115965]

[holding answer 23 March 2000]: We shall have created 190,000 new free early years education places for three-year-olds by March 2002, at a cost of £390 million over three years. This will meet the national target of providing 66 per cent. of all three-year-olds in England with a free place.The following table shows the estimated number of new places required in the local education authorities in the county of Hampshire to take the number of free places available in their areas to the level of the national target.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy in relation to information derived from interception of communications of United Kingdom citizens where that has been undertaken by foreign powers, and where Her Majesty's Government's policy would not have allowed such an interception to have been initiated by any of the security and intelligence agencies. [116902]

[holding answer 30 March 2000]: The Interception of Communications Acts make clear that the interception of communications on a public telecommunications network in the United Kingdom may not lawfully be carried out without a warrant signed by a Secretary of State. These arrangements will be enhanced by the provisions in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill, now in Standing Committee.It would be unacceptable for our Security and Intelligence Agencies to ask foreign agencies to undertake on their behalf interception which our agencies could not lawfully carry out themselves. They do not do this.

To ask the Prime Minister what considerations underlie his policy on paternity leave; and if he will make a statement. [117292]

The Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999 give both employed parents of a child born or placed for adoption after 15 December 1999 a minimum entitlement of 13 weeks unpaid parental leave during the first five years of parenthood. These regulations implement the Parental Leave Directive and reflect the Government's wish to help the parents of young children strike a better balance between their work and family commitments. The Government encourage employers to improve on these minimum requirements where this accords with the needs of employees and is compatible with the efficient running of the business.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to publish the agenda of the Council of Ministers and make a statement to the House in advance of Council summit meetings. [116722]

We give the House each month a forecast of EU business in the months ahead, including details of the agenda of Council of Ministers meetings when available. We will maintain established procedures for briefing Parliament before and after European Councils.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the comments concerning the future of BNFL posted on the Speakers' Corner section of the Downing street interactive website. [116998]

The comments have been noted.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter of 13 March from the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells regarding the Deputy Prime Minister. [117789]

My office has passed the hon. Member's letter to the office of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister for reply. My right hon. Friend has asked for advice from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and will reply to the hon. Member when he has received that advice.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the personnel who attended the European Council in Lisbon on 23 to 24 March, indicating their functions in each case. [117115]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: The composition of the United Kingdom Delegation was as follows:

• Myself
• The Chancellor of the Exchequer
• The Secretary of State for Foreign arid Commonwealth Affairs
• The Minister for Europe (Mr. Vaz).

In addition to HM Ambassador to Lisbon and the UK Permanent Representative to the European Union, the delegation comprised five No. 10 officials and one Special Adviser, six Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, five HM Treasury officials and a single official from each of the Cabinet Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security. An official from the Northern Ireland Office also travelled with the delegation for my bilateral meeting in the margins of the Council with the Taioseach. A further British official attended the European Council in his capacity as President of the Economic Policy Committee.Staff from the British Embassy. in Lisbon and UKREP Brussels provided further support to the Delegation. I, and my colleagues, were supported by the usual number of administrative, security and secure telecommunications staff associated with a visit abroad by the Prime Minister or a senior Cabinet Minister. This is in line with the practice adopted by previous Administrations.

To ask the Prime Minister using what mode of travel, and when, (a) he, (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (c) the Foreign Secretary returned to the UK from the European Council in Lisbon on 24 and 25 March. [117141]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: I returned to the UK by air on Friday 24 March 2000. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer returned to the UK by air on Thursday 23 March. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs accompanied his French counterpart on a French aircraft for a meeting in Paris on Friday 24 March and returned to London by air that evening.All travel was undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the expenditure incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on (a) the setting up and (b) the operation of websites, indicating the cases in which the expenditure has been above that budgeted; and if he will list for each website (i) the topics that have been covered, (ii) the current average number of hits per month and (iii) the estimated expenditure on each website for each of the next three years. [116202]

The Department's new website www.culture.gov.uk was launched on 28 February.It is designed to meet customer requirements—allowing new and regular visitors to discover more about the cultural assets of this country and the role of the Department within Government. It is a portal site which guides the browser through an array of governmental, public body and other cultural and sporting sites. The Department's news releases, publications, consultation papers and extensive contact information are all available on the site.The site cost £80,000 to redevelop. This included costs for:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to provide support for regional cultural distinctions. [116162]

It is the policy of my Department to encourage greater devolution of responsibility and support to the regions. I therefore fully support, for example, the policy of the Arts Council for England to bring decisions on funding closer to those most affected by them by devolving many responsibilities to the regional arts boards. Furthermore, the Regional Cultural Consortiums have been given the task of producing regional cultural strategies which will set out how they can best support and promote each region's distinct cultural identity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117420]

1 refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office, listing the Ministers for Regulatory Reform in the key regulatory departments.My Department is working with a wide range of other Government Departments to identify ways of easing regulatory burdens on industries and bodies which DCMS sponsors. My Department is also actively examining many of the regulations for which it is responsible. In particular, the independent Television Commission is currently conducting an audit of all its regulatory requirements with the aim of regulating with a lighter touch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on (a) the upkeep and (b) the purchase of works of art in his Department for each financial year since 1992. [117476]

The Government Art Collection (GAC), part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, acquires and displays works of art by British artists in major Government buildings in the UK and around the world. In so doing it plays a significant role in promoting British art and culture across diverse and international environments.The cost of purchases, transport/installation and the conservation and framing of works of art in the Collection

are met from the GAC's Annual Programme Vote. Within this overall figure, the amounts spent on each of these elements varies from year to year:

£
Year	Upkeep (Conservation and Framing)	Purchase
1992–93	148,204	137,843
1993–94	141,022	122,542
1994–95	142,200	127,155
1995–96	158,177	82,471
996–97	123,285	122,826
1997–98	104,100	137,000
1998–99	108,300	126,600
1999–2000	87,350	184,672

The GAC operates across Government, lending its works of art for display in a variety of Departments. Within any given year the number and disposition of its works of art within any given Department varies according to circumstances. It is therefore not possible to break down the figures for upkeep and purchase of works of art in the Collection in relation to the individual Departments in which they are displayed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the quantity and value of unused drugs returned to pharmacists for disposal for each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [116365]

Information on the quantity and value of unused medicines is not collected centrally. It is important both that patients take the medicines they need, and that they are not prescribed more medicines than they need, since this wastes money which could otherwise be used to benefit other patients. We have put in place a number of initiatives to reduce the quantity of unused medicines, such as making regular review of patients' medication by general practitioners a condition for payment of the Sustained Quality Allowance and funding pilot schemes where pharmacists manage repeat prescriptions, including checking that patients are taking the medicines that they have been prescribed and actually need further supplies. We will consider extending this initiative if the results of the pilots show that this reduces waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was collected from prescription charges in the last year for which figures are available. [116876]

In 1998–99 prescription charge revenue in England, including fees from the sale of pre-payment certificates, was £341 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the income received from prescription charges by constituency in the last year for which figures are available. [116878]

Information about charge revenue is not collected in England in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of changing prescription charges by 10 pence. [116877]

These costs are not identified separately within the administrative costs of the Department and National Health Service bodies in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the preparation of the pharmacy strategy; and if he will make a statement. [116696]

We are considering how pharmacists can best contribute to our agenda for the modernisation of primary care, in the light of the National Priorities Guidance for the National Health Service we published last December and the key challenges set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement on NHS modernisation on 22 March 2000, Official Report, columns 982–83W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost in the last year for which figures are available to the National Health Service of the prescribing of drugs to combat depression. [116977]

The net ingredient of prescription items dispensed in the community for antidepressant drugs in England in 1998 was £279 million. Information on antidepressant drugs dispensed in hospitals is not available.The data are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. The data cover all prescriptions dispensed in England and exclude prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England.The net ingredient cost (NIC) is the basic cost of a drug and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.Antidepressant drugs are contained in the British National Formulary section 4.3—antidepressant drugs.The data do not include dispensing in hospital or private prescriptions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) clinical negligence cases and (b) clinical negligence cases related to radiotherapy treatment, have been settled out of court in the past two years by each health authority; what has been the cost to health authorities of settling (i) clinical negligence cases and (ii) clinical negligence cases related to radiotherapy treatment, out of court over the past two years; and if he will make a statement. [117269]

Historically, data on numbers of claims have not been collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the cost to the NHS of providing a nationwide meningitis vaccination programme and (b) the total number of people for whom such a programme would be clinically appropriate; and if he will make a statement. [116681]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Meningococcal infection can affect anyone of any age. However, the greatest number of cases and deaths occur in the under 18s and hence the prioritisation within this age band. By the end of the year the new meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine will have been offered to all under 18s. The cost of the programme will include vaccine purchase, distribution and local implementation through schools and primary care. We will not know the full costs until the programme is completed later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many beds are currently available at the National ME Centre; [117515](2) how many people are currently waiting for a bed at the National ME Centre; and for what periods of time they have been waiting. [117516]

The information requested is not collected centrally. The National Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Centre and Centre for Fatigue syndromes is not a National Health Service organisation but a registered charity which is based at the Disablement Services Centre at Harold Wood Hospital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the Defence Agency status of Military Survey and the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre. [117834]

On 10 May 1999 I announced that the Military Survey and Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC) Defence Agencies were to be merged into a single combined Agency, Official Report, columns 19-20W. The Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency (DGIA) will be launched today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if reservists will continue to be called out to support military operations in the Balkans and the region of Iraq. [117835]

A new call-out order has been made under section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 which allows the call out of members of the reserve forces to continue so that they may support operations in Yugoslavia and in the region of Iraq. The call-out order has effect until 31 March 2001. Since NATO operations commenced in the former Yugoslavia, the reserve forces have historically provided some 10 per cent. of the total UK manpower in theatre. As in previous years, only volunteers for these duties will be called out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117413]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will provide the information promised in his answer to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford of 27 July 1999, Official Report, column 205W, concerning the number of former Chatham Dockyard workers who have received compensation under the no-fault scheme. [117664]

I have written to my hon. Friend today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans has he to send British forces to Israel for joint training exercises. [117562]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: There are no such plans at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings have been held with Israeli Government officials and his Department in the United Kingdom in the last year. [117563]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: During the past year there have been numerous meetings between MOD and Israeli officials in the UK and a wide range of issues were discussed. Similar meetings and contacts will continue this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact which a US decision to outfit its AGM-154C Joint Stand-off Weapon with BAe Systems' Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge would have on the UK defence industry; and if he will make a statement. [116937]

Although no decision has yet been made by the US authorities, the selection of BROACH as the preferred warhead for its Navy's Joint Stand-Off Weapon would be an important success for the UK defence industry. If successful, there would be new jobs created in both the UK and the US.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which overseas countries the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency has offices; and what are their functions. [117080]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had in the last year with his Israeli counterpart on ballistic missile defence; and if he will make a statement. [117559]

[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Neither the Secretary of State nor officials have held discussions with the Israelis on ballistic missile defence within the last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the area is of office space in the Craigiehall building to be occupied by Command HQ civilian and service personnel; and if the trade unions have been given this information; [116054](2) if he will make a statement on the risk assessment relating to the Craigiehall building to be used for Army 2 Division Headquarters under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992; [116045](3) how many personnel and what volume of office equipment can be safely accommodated in the Craigiehall building; [116052](4) how many

Following the move of the Headquarters 2 Division from York to Edinburgh, a total of up to some 262 staff posts are planned to be accommodated within Annandale Block, which is the Headquarters 2 Division HQ Building, Craigiehall. Of this total, some 204 are civilian and 58 military. Some 35 of the total number work for organisations other than Headquarters 2 Division. All these staff can be safely accommodated within the building.The gross floor office space of the building, excluding corridors, is approximately 4,000 sq m, some 3,475 sq m of which will be utilised by Headquarters 2 Division staff. It is not possible to provide a meaningful figure of the maximum number of personnel and amount of office equipment that could be safely accommodated within the building, as the occupation of each room would be dependent on individual circumstances. Planning for reorganisation of accommodation within the building has been undertaken with due regard to The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations and the Approved Code of Practice 1992, Regulation 10 (Room Dimension and Space).The presence of asbestos as an insulator behind convected heating panels and in ceiling tiles of the building was identified in December 1997. Although it was judged to be safely inert, it was nevertheless recorded as a potential hazard and brought to the attention of all staff. In line with the requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, Regulation 3 (Risk Assessment), a reassessment was carried out on Annandale Block in early 1999, and the judgment was that it remains safely inert.In addition, a Legionellosis Risk Assessment relating to the building was carried out in February this year. The assessment made a number of minor recommendations to comply with statutory obligations, and implementation of these recommendations is now in hand.Currently, alterations relating to the reconfiguration of the reprographic room in Annandale Block are being carried out at an estimated cost of £3,400. Safe systems of work have been applied and all necessary precautions have been taken in accordance with the control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) 1992. No further work is currently planned for the building.An intrusive structural survey has been carried out in March this year by Posford Duvivier Scotland Ltd., Edinburgh on behalf of the Estate Adviser Scotland and this confirmed that the structural integrity of the building and, in particular, the steelwork remained sound. The survey made a number of recommendations about the positioning of heavy objects such as filing cabinets on the upper floors with which the Headquarters is complying.The health and safety of personnel accommodated within the building, and indeed throughout the HQ 2 Division, Craigiehall remains a high priority. This will remain the case.No formal representations have been made concerning accommodation at Craigiehall. Prior to the move of the Headquarters 2 Division from York to Edinburgh, a formal consultation document associated with the restructuring, which included cost data, was given to the national and local trade unions in October 1998. Local trade unions have been kept informed of office moves within the headquarters of HQ Scotland, Craigiehall, including internal moves within Annandale Block, on an informal basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence of agreeing to the use of facilities in the United Kingdom as part of the proposed national missile defence system. [116748]

We have not received a request from the US regarding the use of facilities in the UK as part of the proposed US National Missile Defence system, nor would we expect any until after a US decision on whether or not to proceed with deployment of such a system. We would consider such a request carefully, taking account of any implications for UK defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates on which he has met representatives of the US Administration in connection with United States plans for their national missile defence system. [116862]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has discussed the issue with representatives of the US Administration on a number of occasions, including during recent talks with US Defense Secretary Cohen and others in Washington between 24 and 27 January 2000, and with US Deputy Defense Secretary Harare in London on 21 March 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what requests he has had from the US Government for the use of facilities in the United Kingdom as part of their proposed national missile defence system; [116747](2) if the US Government have requested the upgrading of facilities at

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 30 March 2000, Official Report, column 209W.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117425]

I am the Minister responsible for regulatory reform in the Lord Chancellor's Department. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Public Record Office held discussions with Oxford University with regard to the opening of the papers of Walter Monckton at the Bodleian Library on 1 March. [117072]

The Public Record Office held no discussions with Oxford University with regard to the opening of these papers. One inquiry has been received from Oxford University about the extent to which papers relating to the abdication of Edward VIII held by the PRO were open to the public.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the procedure for appointing members of an appeals tribunal for the hearing of applications on the granting of an incapacity benefit. [117095]

Vacancies are advertised in the national press and professional journals. Appointment is on the basis of interview and of consultation with the relevant professional community. The Lord Chancellor appoints the candidates who best demonstrate that they meet the appropriate published criteria.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the cost of legal aid for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in each of the last three years. [117048]

An estimate is not possible as the Legal Services Commission does not separately identify applications made for legal aid by asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. However, the amount paid out for Legal Advice and Assistance in respect of all Immigration and Nationality matters, over the last three years, was as follows:

	£ million
1998–99	48.8
1997–98	35.2
1996–97	26.1

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117417]

I am the Minister with responsibility for regulatory reform within the Scotland Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the financial difficulties caused to public utility ETM customers when extra emergency credit is given to them without advanced notification; and what is being done to safeguard their interests in the future. [114627]

[holding answer 23 March 2000]: At the end of 1999 the Office of Gas and Electricity Management (Ofgem) asked energy suppliers to increase temporarily the amount of emergency credit (where this was available) to people using electronic token prepayment meters, so as to ensure that vulnerable customers would be protected from loss of gas or electricity supplies over the long Christmas/Millennium holiday period. For example, the amount of emergency credit available on Centrica (British Gas) after prepaid supplies had been used up was increased from £2 to £10. Ofgem decided that it would be unwise to publicise this measure—which would in some cases effectively increase consumers' level of debt because they would consume extra energy which would need to be repaid—and so the advance publicity before the holiday period merely encouraged customers to ensure that they had sufficient prepaid credit to get through the holiday, and advised them of the availability of charging points over the period.In the event, a relatively small number of customers used a significant amount of emergency credit, such that some of the money they spent after the holiday to recharge payment cards was taken up in repaying this emergency credit rather than providing new supply. This may have come as a surprise to some customers—although the information displays on the meters would have warned them of the increased emergency credit level; and they were not obliged to use it.The need to ensure continuing energy supplies to vulnerable consumers over the long Christmas 1999/ Millennium holiday period was very much a "one-off" problem, and the extension of emergency credit was designed to resolve any potential difficulties arising from it. The level of emergency credit has now reverted to the pre-holiday norm. Ofgem will ensure that if such a measure should be needed again, there will be a more proactive campaign of informing customers of the change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in his review of the law and practice relating to insolvency. [116705]

A consultation document setting out proposals to reform the law relating to personal insolvency will be published shortly. A report on the work of the joint DTI/Treasury Review of Company Rescue Mechanisms will be submitted to Ministers in April and there will be a further consultation on the subject as soon as possible after that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with ice cream manufacturers, other than Birds Eye Walls, concerning the decision of his Department not to implement the Competition Commission's recommendations against direct distribution; and for what reasons he rejected this recommendation. [116829]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 28 January that it was a drastic step to prevent a company from distributing its own products and he was not convinced that the Commission's remedy was necessary. He has not had discussions with any ice cream manufacturers concerning this decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the recommendations of the Competition Commission in relation to the Birds Eye Walls ice cream inquiry, which he (a) has rejected and (b) will only partially implement, indicating the reason in each case. [116755]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has accepted undertakings from Birds Eye Walls in line with the interim measures recommended by the Competition Commission. No other final decisions have been taken with regard to the remedies recommended by the Competition Commission.My right hon. Friend will announce his decisions as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 2000, Official Report, column 720W, what information he has sought from the European Commission in respect of the prospective publication date of the report of the Commission's Euratom Safety team visit to Dounreay in March 1999. [116972]

The report of the Commission's verification visit in March last year to Caithness (Dounreay) is a matter for the Scottish Executive which has the lead for envionmental matters in Scotland. I understand from the Scottish Executive that finalisation of this report might be expected within the next three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Constabulary has conducted investigations into alleged criminal malpractice in each year since 1990. [116999]

The UKAEA Constabulary is responsible for the policing of the nuclear licensed sites operated by BNFL, UKAEA and Urenco, including the protection on site and in transport of nuclear material. They therefore are responsible for investigating all the normal range of criminal offences on those sites, e.g. theft (the vast majority) and car crime. The figures are published in the UKAEA Constabulary's Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The total figures for 1999–2000 (to date), which are not yet published, are 206 offences of which some 155 are theft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to assess the merits of the report, Fundamental Deficiencies in the Quality Control of Mixed-Oxide Fuel, released by Green Peace International on 27 March. [116987]

I have not received a copy of the report. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has independently investigated and reported on the MOX fuel quality assurance data falsification issue on 18 February. A copy of this detailed report is available in the Library of the House. The Government consider that BNFL should respond to HSE's recommendations constructively, fully and by the 18 April deadline set by HSE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet a delegation from the Socialist Environment Resources Association to discuss the future of British Nuclear Fuels. [117000]

If I receive a request from the Socialist Environment and Resources Association for a meeting I will give it due consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) e-mails, (b) letters and (c) other responses he has received on the issue of car pricing from members of the (i) public, (ii) consumer groups and (iii) industry since September 1999. [117713]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a large number of representations on the issue of car pricing, primarily from members of the public, but also from car manufacturers, car dealers and consumer groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to issue a statement informing retailers of the legal requirements regarding the sale of goods in imperial and metric measures; and if he will make a statement. [117660]

Under legislation made in 1994, goods sold loose by weight—mainly fresh foods—have been required to be priced and weighed in grams and kilograms from I January 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he plans to take in the light of the recent consultations on the statutory audit requirements for smaller companies and other simplifications of small company accounting requirements. [117867]

The consultation on the statutory audit showed wide support for a significant increase in the threshold below which companies were not required to have a full statutory audit of their accounts.I intend to raise the audit exemption threshold to the maximum level allowed under EU law—£4.8 million turnover. This will be achieved in two stages.I shall lay an Order before both Houses as soon as possible which would raise the threshold to £1 million this year. This will bring the benefits to the majority of small companies as soon as possible. It has the potential of relieving up to 150,000 small companies from the burden of the statutory audit. We estimate the potential savings as up to £180 million a year.I intend at a later date to lay a further Order to raise the threshold to £4.8 million, in the light of the conclusions of the independent Company Law Review on small companies. The Review group is considering whether, for companies in the range of £ 1 million to £4.8 million turnover, the audit should be replaced by a lighter, less costly form of assurance. I shall take their final recommendations into account before proposing what, if any, statutory requirement should replace the full audit for companies in that size range.In addition, I have decided to simplify and reform the law on dormant companies, following a separate consultation. These proposals will relieve the regulatory burdens placed upon dormant companies. The key changes are to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has spent to promote British trade and investment in Sri Lanka annually since 1997. [117645]

British Trade International (since 1999—previously the Department of Trade and Industry) has given financial support to British companies going on trade missions to Sri Lanka, as follows:

	Number of:
Year	Missions	Companies participating	Expenditure (£)
1997	5	109	70,200
1998	2	42	27,600
1999	4	84	54,000

Other expenditure to encourage trade and investment in Sri Lanka is part of our regional programme for the markets of Southern Asia. The following indicates expenditure on promoting Sri Lanka as part of that programme:

£
year	Expenditure on Southern Asia	Of which expenditure on Sri Lanka
1997–98	214,916	29,660
1998–99	177,086	50,413
1999–2000	160,639	39,017

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will review the stricter consents policy on the construction of gas-fired power stations. [117227]

As the Government made clear in their October 1998 Energy Sources White Paper, the stricter consents policy is a temporary measure to protect diversity and security of supply while distortions in the electricity market are removed. The Director General of Electricity Supply is keeping my Department informed of progress in addressing the competition issues and the Government expect that the policy will be relaxed as soon as they conclude, on the basis of that advice, that the reform programme is under way and the distortions removed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to meet the work force of the Barmac oil fabrication yards in the north of Scotland. [101437]

[holding answer 6 December 19991: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to do so at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117419]

During suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, I am responsible for regulatory reform.

To ask the President of the Council how many applicants were identified as being suitable for appointment as Chairman of the Appointments Commission; when the appointment will be made; and if she will make a statement. [116125]

A short list of applicants to be interviewed for the position of Chairman of the independent and non-statutory Appointments Commission has now been drawn up.The plan is still that the appointment should be made around Easter although the priority will be to get the best person for the job.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Minister of State for Europe's letter of 21 March on the threat to employment in Grimsby, if he will list the industries and firms in which the threatened workers are employed, and how many such jobs will be lost. [116832]

Britain in Europe's research was based on a national estimate of British jobs dependent on servicing EU export markets. The figures were broken down by constituency based on share of national employment within that constituency and its industrial breakdown. This methodology makes it impossible to predict precisely which jobs would be lost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the cost of his circulating hon. Members with material from Britain in Europe about the effect of withdrawal from the EU on jobs. [116728]

It is standard parliamentary practice for Members of Parliament to circulate information in the House. There was no cost to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he took to assess the reliability of the study by Professor lain Begg on jobs dependent on United Kingdom membership of the European Union, details of which he circulated to hon. Members. [116976]

The European Institute of South Bank University is a highly respected academic institution. Professor Begg is a respected and well-known economist who has published widely on European economic issues. His methodology is described in the report, which is publicly available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations his Department has had over the implications of the American proposals for a national missile defence system with the Governments of (a) Denmark, (b) Canada, (c) other EU member states, (d) Russia, (e) China and (f) other countries. [116727]

We have discussed issues relating to the United States' proposals for National Missile Defence with a range of countries, including all those individually mentioned, in the course of regular consultations on security-related issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications for Britain of agreeing to the use of facilities in the United Kingdom as part of the US national missile defence system. [116726]

We have received no request to this effect, nor would we expect any until after a US decision on whether or not to proceed with deployment of such a system. If the US were to ask for our assistance we would examine any such request carefully, taking account of the implications for the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had, and when, with representatives of the US Government about American plans for a national missile defence system. [116724]

We have discussed, and continue to discuss many aspects of National Missile Defence with the United States across a range of Government Departments, on many occasions. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the issue with Mrs. Albright when he visited Washington in February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications for (a) arms control and (b) the forthcoming conference on review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty of the proposed US national missile defence system. [116725]

The US made clear that the President will not decide on NMD deployment before the summer at the earliest, and that there is a range of complex issues, including the need to preserve strategic stability, that they need to consider beforehand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings Ministers in his Department have held with members and officials of the United States Government to discuss the proposed US plan to deploy a national missile defence system since 1 January 1999; when each meeting took place; where each meeting took place; which Ministers were involved at each meeting; which members and officials of the United States Government attended each meeting; and from which United States Government Department they were drawn. [117061]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-west (Dr. Starkey) today, Official Report, column 408W, in response to her question, ref. 116724.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117423]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was to diplomatic posts in Brazil of the recent visit by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions. [117768]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister led a delegation of 13 business men representing a wide range of industry and sectors campaigning to increase the UK's market share in Brazil.The cost to our Diplomatic Posts in Brazil was £10,746. This figure includes accommodation costs, official reception, and the travel costs of the Ambassador and Embassy staff supporting the Deputy Prime Minister and the accompanying business delegation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what modes of transport were used by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions during his recent visit to Brazil. [117770]

Commercial flights were used to travel to and from Brazil and between Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Sao Paulo; and cars, people-carriers and coaches were used by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and accompanying business delegation in the cities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role was played by diplomatic posts in Brazil in the recent visit by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions. [117769]

The diplomatic posts in Brazil made the programme arrangements, and provided advice and administrative support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 24 March 2000, Official Report, column 1293 on Iraq, how many Iraqis visited the UK in (a) 1989 and (b) 1999. [116884]

I have been asked to reply.Total admissions of Iraqi visitors to the United Kingdom were 11,700 in 1989 and 2,900 (provisional) in 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of parish and town councils. [116163]

Our policy on parish and town councils was set out in the White Paper "Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People". Parish councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy in this country and they will continue to play a key role in many of our towns and villages.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to fund new tramway and light railway systems. [116164]

We believe that light rail can have an important role to play in delivering integrated transport in major conurbations. Decisions on whether to provide Central Government support for light rail systems are taken on a case-by-case basis on the merits of the particular scheme. Where systems cannot be funded entirely from local sources or by the private sector, promoters must demonstrate that their scheme provides good value for money, forms an essential part of a local transport plan, and that the objectives of that plan cannot be met in better ways.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he proposes to take to enable local authorities to mitigate the impact of second home ownership on the social, economic and environmental conditions of their areas. [116165]

We are considering a number of proposals for tackling the problems raised by second homes in preparation for the forthcoming Rural White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on variations of regional demand for housing. [116167]

The latest, 1996-based, household projections projected a net increase of 3.8 million households (19 per cent.) in England over the 25-year period from 1996 to 2021. The projected percentage increases by Government Office Region ranged from 8 per cent. for the North East up to 26 per cent. for the South East.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to increase the funding for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. [116168]

Funding for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) has already been increased. The Countryside Agency has an additional £2.5 million in the current financial year for their management and conservation, rising by a further £1 million in 2000–01, which will bring the Agency's budget for AONBs to almost £6 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans to improve quality standards in the construction industry. [116169]

I am pleased to announce that this week the first pilot of the quality mark scheme—in Birmingham—is being opened to builders who want to join. A list of approved builders will be available to consumers in the city later in the summer. The pilots in Birmingham and, later, Somerset are a key stage in testing and developing the scheme. Once we have extracted the lessons from them we will review the quality mark and then roll it out across the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what encouragement he is giving for brownfield development in the north-west. [116170]

The North West Regional Assembly is looking at the scope for channelling future growth onto brownfield land in its review of Regional Planning Guidance. As part of this exercise, local planning authorities in the region have been asked to look at the potential of their built-up areas to accommodate additional households.Additionally, land reclamation is an essential task for the North West Development Agency, which expects to spend £11.5 million through its Land Reclamation Programme in 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding exemption certificates for the wearing of seatbelts for drivers with disabilities. [116171]

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions does receive inquiries from members of the public and refers them to their general practitioners who are responsible for issuing Certificates of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing. However, a disabled person in a wheelchair who is wearing a disabled person's belt is exempt from the requirement to wear adult belts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of the Regional Development Agencies in England in regenerating the business base in areas with low GDP. [116172]

The main aim of the Regional Development Agencies is to improve the competitiveness of the English Regions within a framework of sustainable development. Their Regional Strategies and Action Plans take a co-ordinated approach and contain high level objectives to increase GDP relative to other EU regions as well as, where appropriate, to other English regions. The RDAs' own spending programmes contribute to regenerating the business base; these include the single regeneration budget, physical regeneration, rural development, inward investment, skills development and competitiveness development.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of local rail strategies on traffic congestion in cities. [116173]

Local authorities should take account of the contribution rail can make to an integrated transport strategy. This is one of the criteria by which we judge the quality of local transport plans (LTPs). We took the impact of LTPs into account when preparing "Tackling Congestion and Pollution", but did not separately assess the effects of local rail strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on investment in council housing. [116175]

Our policies for housing are set out in the Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choice—A Decent Home for All", which is being published today. Improving the quality of council housing is central to meeting our overarching housing objective of offering everyone the opportunity of a decent home and so promote social cohesion, well being and self-dependence. The Government are providing authorities with nearly £4.5 billion of extra resources for housing investment over the lifetime of this Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's review of the local government standard spending assessment system. [116176]

Central and local Government officials have been discussing a wide range of options for improving the method of revenue grant distribution. Their joint report of the issues raised in the review has now been discussed at the Central Local Partnership and published on the internet. Copies of the report are also available in the House Library.Decisions about the merits of the various options for reform will be made when we have responses to a consultation paper that we expect to publish in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extra congestion which will be created by greenfield development in areas without developed transport links in the next 10 years. [116177]

In drawing up their regional transport strategies and local transport plans, local authorities will wish to take full account of the distribution of housing development. Planning Policy Guidance note 3, "Housing", provides that local planning authorities should seek to exploit opportunities to locate larger housing developments around major nodes along good quality public transport corridors.Authorities should also seek to ensure that all housing developments are accessible by a range of non-car modes, and draft PPG13, "Transport", proposes that all major development proposals should be supported by a transport assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received from Stockport metropolitan borough council concerning its standard spending assessment. [116178]

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council wrote to the Department on 10 and 17 December with comments on the local government finance settlement 2000–01 during consultation on our proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to support the development of the knowledge-based economy in the English regions. [116179]

In the Budget, the Government announced a total of £210 million of new funding to encourage innovation, enterprise and the use of IT by businesses. This includes £50 million new funding over the next two financial years for the Regional Development Agencies to support their plans for developing clusters and business incubation. This is in addition to the £4 million RDAs will receive in 2000–01 from the Competitiveness Development Fund to spend on priorities they identify for increasing competitiveness in their regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he will take to encourage more commuters to travel into London by bus. [116157]

The Government are firmly committed to improving the quality and reliability of bus services in London to make them a more attractive form of transport for commuter journeys.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on anti-social behaviour in properties owned by private landlords. [116140]

We fully recognise the devastating effect anti-social behaviour can have on people's lives and on whole communities. It needs to be tackled across all housing tenures.The Housing Green Paper, which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is publishing today, sets out our strategy for promoting a healthier private rented sector.My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published the report of Policy Action Team 8 on 30 March 2000, setting out recommendations on tackling anti-social behaviour as part of our National Strategy for Neighbourhood renewal. This is being taken forward by the Home Office, working closely with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the number of new houses that can be accommodated on brownfield sites in Surrey. [116154]

I have made no estimate. I have asked the South East planning authorities—SERPLAN—to consider the distribution of additional housing within the region, taking full account of national planning policies which make development of brownfields the first priority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what actions the Government are planning to take to protect the pension rights of employees who are transferred out of local government as a result of the termination of an agency agreement, with particular reference to employees currently being transferred to Severn Trent plc; if the Government will ensure that employees are offered a bulk transfer of past service rights from the Local Government Pension Scheme to the new employer's pension scheme; and if it will amend the LGPS Regulations urgently to permit an agreement enabling staff to remain in the LGPS. [117601]

The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1997 allow bulk transfers of pension rights to be negotiated between local authority employers and private sector employers following any transfer of an undertaking. Within these provisions, the onus to ensure fairness and the protection of employees' pension rights rests with the appropriate employers involved in any transfer.The extent to which employees in local authorities work on the delivery of privatised water company services through agency agreements, and the availability of alternative broadly comparable pension arrangements to those employed under them, is being established with the co-operation of the Local Government Pension Committee of the Employers' Organisation. In the light of that survey, I will consider carefully the need for any amendments to the Scheme Regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117412]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the expenditure incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on (a) the setting up and (b) the operation of web sites, indicating the cases in which the expenditure has been above that budgeted; and if he will list for each website (i) the topics that have been covered, (ii) the current average number of hits per month and (iii) the estimated expenditure on each website for each of the next three years. [116200]

The following information covers the main DETR site, agency sites and major NDPB sites.