To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by constituency the railway stations and railway lines in Shropshire which have been (a) closed and (b) opened (i) between 1979 to 1997 and (ii) since May 1997. [118540]

This information is not held in the form requested. However, I am aware that Telford Central station was opened in 1985, and that New Hadley station was closed in the same year. A freight only line from Shrewsbury Sutton Bridge to Abbey Foregate was closed in the late 1980s. The Rail Regulator has not given consent to closure of any passenger services or stations in Shropshire since the provisions of the Railway Act in 1993 came into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of households that will be taken out of fuel poverty by Government schemes in each of the next 15 years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such schemes in each of the next 15 years. [118414]

A key programme is the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, which with a budget of £260 million over the next two years, is currently expected to take 460,000 households out of fuel poverty. The impact of other policies on the number of fuel poor households is less clear.We estimate the number of households in fuel poverty is currently about 4.5 million, and that at current rates of the HEES programme the great majority should be removed from fuel poverty within a decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of porous asphalt have been laid on motorways in each year since 1995. [118535]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason road maintenance work was permitted along the Victoria Embankment on the morning of 6 April; what assessment was made of its impact on (a) road congestion and (b) access for emergency services; what assessment was made of the option of carrying out the work at night; and if he will make a statement. [118650]

Westminster City Council is the highway authority for Victoria Embankment. I understand that, on the morning of 6 April, contractors working for Westminster City Council took down a lamp column at the junction of Northumberland Avenue and Victoria Embankment. This was required in connection with Hungerford Bridge works, but had become urgent because the lamp column appeared to be unsafe. The works involved a lorry parked across the junction and the erection of traffic cones in Northumberland Avenue and on the eastbound carriageway of Victoria Embankment.Works of this type in the carriageway are not usually subjected to formal analysis of their effects on congestion or emergency access unless complete closure of the road is required.Westminster City Council have advised me that it is their policy to carry out works during the working day to avoid the environmental problems caused by working at night and weekends although planned work is avoided at peak hours on traffic sensitive routes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the deadweight tonnage of (a) UK-owned ships and (b) non-UK-owned ships, strategically and commercially managed in the United Kingdom. [119202]

At the end of December 1999, 1,026 trading ships were managed from the United Kingdom. Of these ships, 4.5 million deadweight tonnes were UK-owned and 29.5 million deadweight tonnes non-UK-owned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many concessionary television licences for persons living in warden-assisted homes have been (a) granted and (b) withdrawn in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [118366]

[holding answer 10 April 2000]: The following information is provided by the BBC, which has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system:

Year	Number of accommodation for residential care concessionary licences issued1,2
1992–93	635,703
1993–94	655,165
1994–95	677,104
1995–96	641,136
1996–97	650,013
1997–98	651,822
1998–99	645,876
1999–2000	654,191
1 Qualifying accommodation includes residential and nursing homes, sheltered housing schemes and almshouses.
2 Records of concessionary television licences issued moved from a wholly manual system to a computerised system in 1996. This change highlighted the inaccuracy of the earlier system and is thought to account for much of the fall between 1994–95 and 1995–96.

A full ten-year record of the number of concessionary licences issued would require manual extraction of information from paper records in the initial years. No records are kept of the number of concessionary licences withdrawn, nor can such information be extracted from existing data, as it is not possible to distinguish between withdrawal of the concession and other reasons for non-renewal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Regional Review Group established to consider the issue of therapy input to special schools; and when he expects to receive a report. [118661]

The Regional Review Group has drawn up an inter-agency agreement for the provision of health and social services to children in schools with special educational needs. It is currently undertaking a number of more detailed reviews of various types of health and social services provision to children with special educational needs, including therapy provision. I understand that the Group will be considering a draft report on this in early May and will also discuss the timing of its referral to the relevant Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Ford Motor Company told him that it was to buy Land Rover from BMW before the official announcement. [118698]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has many contacts with companies including the Ford Motor Company. Issues discussed are often commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will place a copy of the handwritten contemporaneous note taken by officials of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann in the Library; [118730](2) if the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann which was placed in the Library is the only record that was made of that meeting; [118727](3) what briefing he received about the details of each of the 27 contacts between his Department and BMW that took place between 1 December 1999 and 31 March 2000; and if he will make available any briefing he received on those contacts; [118723](4) when the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann, which was placed in the Library, was prepared; [118709](5) to whom the note of his meeting with Professor Samann on 10 March was circulated; [118728](6) if he will make public telegrams from

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: The documents released to the Trade and Industry Committee were made available at the specific request of the Select Committee and I refer to the evidence that I gave to the Select Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) who requested his meeting with Professor Samann on 10 March; [118729](2) if the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann, which was placed in the Library, is a full record of the meeting. [118717]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer to my evidence given to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make available the internal correspondence between Ministers concerning BMW, Longbridge and Rover since 23 June 1999. [118721]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: These documents contain information that is commercially sensitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he first notified the Prime Minister of the deteriorating situation at Rover; [118725](2) when he asked his Department to notify the Prime Minister's staff of the deteriorating situation at Rover. [118726]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: My Department has been in close contact with No. 10 on this issue throughout.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when BMW first indicated to him that it was reconsidering the ownership of Rover, Longbridge. [118751]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: When I spoke to Professor Milberg on 15 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the standard practice of his Office in respect of making notes of his official telephone conversations. [118724]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: Telephone calls are monitored and notes are made if the call contained issues of substance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he took following his meeting on 10 March at which Professor Samann stated that there was a risk of 8,000 job losses. [118719]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer to my evidence to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contact (a) he and (b) his officials had with Commissioner Monti between 23 June and 11 December 1999 concerning Rover's application for regional selective assistance. [118710]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: I had a number of discussions with Commissioner Monti in this period covering a range of issues including the application for aid in support of the R30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) for what reason he telephoned Professor Milberg on 11 December 1999; [118711](2) for what reason no record of his conversation with Professor Milberg on 11 December 1999 was prepared; [118715](3) what Professor Milberg said concerning the future of Rover during his telephone conversation on 11 December 1999. [118716]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: I telephoned Professor Milberg at his home on the afternoon of Saturday 11 December. I made the call from my own home. In my evidence to the Select Committee on 15 February, I gave details of the conversation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions took place between Professor Milberg and the BMW board in January following his conversation of 22 December 1999 with Professor Milberg; [118713](2) what steps he took to establish if discussions had taken place between Professor Milberg and his board in January following his conversation of 22 December 1999. [118712]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: My Department monitored the situation to see if a meeting of the BMW Supervisory Board had been called. No such meeting was called in either January or February. After our telephone conversation on 22 December 1999 the first meeting of the BMW Supervisory Board was on 16 March 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the nature of his contacts with BMW between 22 December 1999 and 10 February 2000; [118708](2) what contact with BMW took place between 22 December 1999 and 10 February 2000 involving

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: My officials were in regular contact in relation to the 88(2) investigation into the aid for the R30 project during this period. They would have informed me if it had been advisable for me to contact BMW directly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when Professor Milberg asked him to issue the statement which was distributed to the Press on the afternoon of 30 March; [118761]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to my supplementary evidence to the Select Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the first three tranches of regional selective assistance for BMW/Rover were due to be paid under the agreement with BMW announced in June 1999. [118269]

I refer to the evidence I gave to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the report of the Panel on Monitoring the Economy following the meeting of the panel at the end of January. [118697]

Members of the Panel contribute their views frankly and in confidence to help the Government with their work. Publication of a report prepared on the same basis would be a breach of faith.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the embargoed press release on the supply of new motor cars complied with paragraph 9.1 of his Department's Guidance on how monopoly reports are published. [119213]

No embargoed press releases were issued to the media concerning the Competition Commission report on New Cars (Cm 4660).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight in Istanbul on 5 April; if he will publish the report of these investigations as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement. [119046]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have any jurisdiction to investigate these crimes. The investigation into the deaths of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight is a matter for the Turkish authorities. We have, however, made it very clear to the Turkish authorities the importance we attach to bringing the killers to justice. The Chief of Police in Istanbul called on the British Consul-General on 8 April to update him on the investigation. He has undertaken to continue to update our consular staff on a regular basis. Consular staff in London will keep the families informed of developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2000, Official Report, column 64W, whether the evidence in the case of Hilda Murrell currently with West Mercia Police has been referred to the DNA Centre in Birmingham for the purpose of matching tissue; and if he will make a statement. [119045]

I understand from the West Mercia Constabulary that a number of forensic exhibits from the Hilda Murrell case are currently with the Forensic Science Service (FSS) laboratory in Birmingham for review to identify any which might give a positive result with the new DNA techniques (Second Generation Multiplex plus and Low Copy Number systems), which have only recently become available. Discussions involving the FSS Major Crime Specialist Adviser on the strategic way ahead for this review are in progress. No DNA sequences were recovered from an earlier forensic review carried out in 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current unit cost per week of keeping a detainee at Oakington; what will be the weekly unit cost per detainee when Oakington is operating at full capacity; and if he will make a statement. [119142]

The current direct unit cost per week of an available place at the Oakington Reception Centre comes to about £1,880. This will reduce to about £527 per week when Oakington is operating at full capacity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the two studies concerning defence fissile material production and a national capability for arms control verification referred to in Supporting Essay Five of the Strategic Defence Review; and if he will make a statement. [119575]

The decision to produce by this spring an initial report of defence fissile material production since the commencement of the UK's nuclear programme in the 1940s was both ambitious and challenging. There remains much work to be done. However, I am pleased to announce that our reports on the production of plutonium for the Defence programme and arms control verification have now been completed within the timescale set out in the Strategic Defence Review. Copies of the reports, and their associated summary capping papers, will be placed in the Library of the House and published on the MOD website. I also intend to have the summary capping papers circulated at the forthcoming Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York, and at the Conference of Disarmament in Geneva, as a contribution to wider consideration of these complex issues. Their publication demonstrates our continuing determination to work constructively towards our goal of the global elimination of nuclear weapons, and our commitment to openness in government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the France-UK joint co-operation on the Joint Airborne Navigation and Attack electro-optical targeting system; and if he make a statement. [117849]

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) if he will make a statement on the review of the decision of the Army not to dismiss the soldiers associated with the death of Mr. Peter McBride in 1992; [118882](2) what, in ruling whether a soldier should be dismissed from the Army after having served a custodial sentence, is the definition of exceptional circumstances which would justify the dismissal being waived; and if he will make a statement; [118881](3) if it is the practice that soldiers convicted of serious charges relating to murder and who

The decision of the Army Board to retain Guardsmen Fisher and Wright was recently subjected to judicial review. The Judgment of Mr. Justice Ken quashed the earlier decision of the Army Board. The Army Board is now obliged to consider afresh the case of the two Guardsmen. This will be a completely fresh consideration and the Board members who made the previous decision will not be involved this time. In considering the case the Board will, of course, take the fullest account of all the circumstances including the content of the Judgment.Queen's Regulations (9.404) state that a soldier is to be discharged if he has been sentenced by a civil court (or by court-martial) to imprisonment or to detention or to any other form of custodial sentence.Queen's Regulations (9.404) also state that if in the opinion of the Commanding Officer there are exceptional reasons that make the retention of the solider desirable, the case is submitted with valid and explicit reasons through the Chain of Command for a decision. There are no specific exceptional reasons laid down: Commanding Officers make their recommendations solely on the circumstances of each individual case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the United Kingdom will help to prepare NATO forces for asymmetric warfare; and if he will make a statement. [117847]

NATO's updated Strategic Concept, launched at the Washington Summit in April 1999, recognises, at paragraph 24, that

Alliance security interests can be affected by other risks of a wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and organised crime, and by the disruption of the flow of vital resources.

NATO's defence planning processes are designed to adapt Alliance forces to address these changing risks. In addition, much of the follow-on work from last year's Summit, including the Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI), NATO's Force Structure Review (FSR), and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Initiative (WMDI), will help provide the capabilities that national forces assigned to NATO require if the Alliance is to meet a wide range of threats. The UK is making an important contribution to each of these initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many lawyers are employed by his Department; and how many were employed in 1995. [117815]

On 31 March 1995, the Ministry of Defence employed 99 Service lawyers and had 15 lawyers on loan from the Treasury Solicitor's Department. Two of the latter were employed abroad. On 31 March 2000, the corresponding numbers were 159 Service lawyers and 23 Treasury Solicitor's Department lawyers on loan, with three of the latter employed abroad. Throughout this period, my Department also used the services of other branches of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Crown Solicitor in Northern Ireland, the Department's solicitors in Scotland, and lawyers from private firms when their expertise could not be obtained elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the use of (a) airfield runway denial weapons incorporating anti-personnel devices and (b) anti-tank land mines incorporating anti-personnel devices, with special reference to the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines. [118759]

In accordance with our obligations under the Ottawa Convention and the Landmines Act 1998, the Government's policy is not to use any weapon incorporating anti-personnel mines as defined in the Ottawa Convention. This obligation extends to airfield runway denial weapons and anti-tank land mines, and the UK does not retain stocks of any such weapons which contravene the Ottawa Convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates during the next 12 months the Social Services Inspectorate, Northern Region, expects to receive reports from Lancashire County Council about progress on the implementation of its Action Plan to improve the operations of its social services. [118918]

It is expected that reports will be received at least quarterly and discussions are taking place between Social Services Inspectorate and Northern Social Care Region and Lancashire Social Services about precise dates. I anticipate the first report will be received early in June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the action plan he has received from Lancashire County Council about its proposals to respond to the findings of the Social Services Inspectorate's report on its running of the county's social services. [118919]

It is not for the Department to publish the action plan. It is the responsibility of Lancashire County Council and the right hon. Member may wish to make his request to the Director of Social Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) medical and (b) other organisations have been consulted about the commissioning of specialised services in the NHS. [119115]

Widespread consultation took place prior to the introduction of the new commissioning arrangements for specialised services in April 1999, with views being sought from the medical bodies, the Patients Forum, community health councils, voluntary sector organisations and local authorities. Subsequently consultation takes place through the Regional Specialised Commissioning Groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about the funding of specialised services in the NHS. [119114]

With regard to representations received on the subject of funding of specialised services, in the last three months my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has dealt with 21 letters, of which 18 letters were from Members of Parliament, and has met representatives from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the allocation of additional resources to each primary health care group as a result of the recent budget announcements by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. [119197]

On 28 March my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced details of extra allocations to health authorities for 2000–01. This additional £660 million has brought health authority average increases to 8.9 per cent. in cash terms (6.2 per cent. in real terms).

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the clinical trials are to begin on cannabis in medicinal form; and if he will make a statement. [118533]

The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has approved an application to conduct a clinical trial with a cannabis-based medicine. The timing of the trial is a matter for the applicant. The purpose of the trial that has been approved is to demonstrate safety and efficacy in a limited number of subjects, and to establish the necessary dosage regimen and delivery mechanisms to provide the most effective relief to sufferers of multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders. Evidence from clinical trials of safety, quality and efficacy of a medicine is part of the information that is assessed by the MCA in coming to a decision about whether a product should be licensed for marketing in the United Kingdom. If a marketing authorisation were to be issued by the MCA, we would seek to modify the current Misuse of Drugs Act controls on the use of cannabis.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of money raised through the Windfall Tax which has been raised from companies in Wales; and how much of the money raised from the Windfall Tax has been spent in Wales. [118057]

The liability of individual companies under the Windfall Tax is a confidential matter between them and the tax authorities.Information on the allocation of the Windfall Tax receipts between the different programmes, as currently estimated, is set out in Table 4.1 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, 2000. Many Windfall Tax funded programmes are demand-led, with expenditure allocated by participant and not by country, region or any other geographical area. For this reason it is not possible to provide a reliable and robust estimate of the amount which has been spent in Wales, so to the extent that relevant programmes are demand led it will tend to reflect the proportion of clients participating.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were (a) the September forecast inflation figure and (b) the September actual inflation figure in each of the past five years. [118749]

The following table sets out the RPI inflation rate in September in each of the previous five years and the forecast of RPI inflation for that month in the previous Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the schools which have received the document entitled, "Beyond a Phase: A Practical Guide to Challenging Homophobia in Schools", from Avon Health Authority. [117717]

[holding answer 5 April 2000]: Under the 1994 Act, this is a matter for individual governing bodies. However, the new sex and relationship guidance on which consultation is taking place makes clear to schools the use of appropriate materials in the classroom. It says:

Materials used in schools must be in accordance with the PSHE framework and the law. Inappropriate images should not be used nor should explicit material not directly related to explanation. Governors and headteachers should discuss with parents and take on board concerns raised both on materials which are offered to schools and sensitive material to be used in the classroom.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will be issuing guidance to Health authorities on any material they produce for use in schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact the Government's social exclusion policies are having on school attendance in Dartford. [118822]

Our Social Inclusion: Pupil Support grant is providing nearly £500 million over three years to support Local Education Authorities and schools to introduce measures for tackling truancy and school exclusion. For 2000–01, Kent Local Education Authority, which has responsibility for schools in Dartford, will receive just over £3 million out of the grant to support projects.During 1998–99 attendance levels in Kent Local Education Authority have risen both at primary and secondary school level by 0.4 per cent. and 0.1 per cent. respectively.Separate figures for schools in Dartford can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many requests for meetings with deputations of hon. Members and groups from their constituencies his Department has received in each year since 1997, on issues relating to school admissions policy and organisation; how many have (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department (i) seen and (ii) refused to see; and if he will make a statement. [118925]

This information is not available in the form requested. Each year the Department receives many requests for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Ministers to meet delegations of hon. Members about many different issues. No comprehensive record of such requests by subject/category is maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to support individual children who wish to attend specialist dance schools where provision is not available locally. [119200]

The Music and Ballet Scheme provides over 700 Government-aided places for school-age pupils at three independent specialist ballet schools and four independent specialist music schools in England. The great majority of those places are boarding places to enable exceptionally talented children from any part of the country to benefit from the best possible training on offer alongside a broad and balanced general education. We have recently reviewed the Scheme and intend to continue it with some improvements.In addition, the Dance and Drama Awards provide for 820 talented students aged over 16 to join high quality vocational dance and drama training courses at nearly 30 specialist schools and colleges each year. Funding is available to support students who have to live away from home.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cost of raising the SSA per pupil to at least the level of (a) the 50 LEA, (b) the 60 LEA and (c) the 70 LEA from the bottom in the year 2000–01. [119404]

The estimated costs would be: (a) £282 million; (b) £346 million; and (c) £437 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the amount of surplus reserves held by each LEA. [119194]

The following table shows, for each local education authority in England, the level of reserves held at 31 March 1999, the latest information available centrally. Reserves are held for the purposes of the authority as a whole and are not specific to education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the amounts paid to each local authority in the last financial year under (a) the weekly benefit savings scheme and (b) other schemes, in reward to local authorities for action on housing benefit fraud. [118391]

The last full financial year for which we have returns for the weekly benefit savings scheme and the challenge fund scheme, which ran for three years and encouraged councils to bid for funding for innovative anti-fraud initiatives, is 1998–99. I have placed a copy of these returns in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the value was of the age allowance for pensioners in each year from its introduction in 1971, to the present day in relation to (a) the index of retail prices and (b) the index of average earnings. [119183]

The information is in the table.

Value of the age addition if it had been uprated in line with RPI and average earnings index at each uprating
£.p.
	Rate payable if uprated in line with
	RPI	Average earnings
September 1971	0.25	0.25
October 1972	0.25	0.30
October 1973	0.25	0.35
July 1974	0.30	0.40
April 1975	0.35	0.45
November 1975	0.40	0.50
November 1976	0.45	0.55
November 1977	0.50	0.65
November 1978	0.55	0.70

Value of the age addition if it had been uprated in line with RPI and average earnings index at each uprating
£.p.
	Rate payable if uprated in line with
	RPI	Average earnings
November 1979	0.65	0.85
November 1980	0.75	1.00
November 1981	0.85	1.10
November 1982	0.90	1.20
November 1983	0.95	1.30
November 1984	1.00	1.35
November 1985	1.05	1.45
July 1986	1.05	1.50
April 1987	1.05	1.60
April 1988	1.10	1.70
April 1989	1.15	1.85
April 1990	1.25	2.05
April 1991	1.40	2.25
April 1992	1.45	2.40
April 1993	1.50	2.50
April 1994	1.55	2.55
April 1995	1.60	2.65
April 1996	1.65	2.70
April 1997	1.70	2.80
April 1998	1.75	2.90
April 1999	1.80	3.05
April 2000	1.80	3.20

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many sufferers of fybromyalgia were awarded disability living allowance in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to date. [118848]

Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

People awarded Disability Living Allowance whose main disabling condition is back pain
Year	Number
19971	11,900
19981	8,800
19992	6,600
1 Figures relate to 12 months ending November
1 Figures relate to 9 months ending August

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what change his Department has made since May 1997 in the provision it makes for those suffering from asbestos-related diseases. [119004]

No changes have been made to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme with regard to asbestos-related diseases specifically since May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what administrative obstacles exist to basing the annual uprating of benefits on the retail prices index for the previous December. [117590]

Using the RPI for the previous December, which would not be published until mid-January, would seriously disrupt the uprating process. Current arrangement, which base the uprating on September's RPI, published in mid-October, allow for the preparation of the uprating schedule and for the uprating review itself to be completed by the end of November. At the end of November a computer scan is run to identify and uprate pension cases. The scan is required at this time to ensure that order books (which cover 20 weeks) containing foils that pass the uprating date are issued with the correct amounts. Processes for uprating other Social Security benefits are similar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons interrupted spells as a hospital in-patient are linked for the purpose of assessing reductions in the rates of benefit which are payable. [118912]

Rules about the payment of benefits in NHS hospitals have been part of the Social Security system for over 50 years. Where the NHS provides free maintenance and care in hospital, benefits for the same purpose are not paid in full indefinitely.The rule which links together interrupted spells as a hospital in-patient is based on the premise that people whose stay in hospital follows this pattern will, in general, have some home savings during the period that they are being maintained and cared for free of charge in hospital. They are therefore treated in the same way as people whose stay in hospital is continuous. For periods when the person is at home, full benefit is restored.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the value was of the £10 Christmas bonus in each year from its introduction in 1972, to the present day in relation to (a) the index of retail prices and (b) the index of average earnings. [119047]

The information is in the table.

Value of the Christmas bonus if it had been paid and uprated each year since 1972 in line with RPI and average earnings index at each uprating
£.p.
Year	Rate payable if uprated in line with RPI	Rate payable if uprated in line with average earnings
October 1972	10.00	10.00
October 1973	11.00	11.25
July 1974	12.90	13.00
April 1975	14.60	15.10
November 1975	16.55	17.30
November 1976	19.05	19.45
November 1977	21.55	22.25
November 1978	23.30	24.80
November 1979	27.35	29.65
November 1980	31.55	35.15
November 1981	35.35	39.20
November 1982	37.60	42.50
November 1983	39.00	46.20
November 1984	41.00	48.50
November 1985	43.85	52.70
July 1986	44.35	55.05
April 1987	45.30	58.15
April 1988	47.20	62.70
April 1989	50.00	68.20
April 1990	53.80	74.80
April 1991	59.65	81.90
April 1992	62.10	88.10
April 1993	64.35	92.35
April 1994	65.50	94.65
April 1995	66.95	97.85
April 1996	69.55	100.60
April 1997	71.00	104.85
April 1998	73.55	109.15
April 1999	75.90	114.50
April 2000	76.75	119.65

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many personal advisers work for the personal adviser section of the New Deal for Lone Parents; and what the average case load is in each (a) constituency, (b) local authority area and (c) county. [118610]

The information is not available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Personal advisers are not allocated to specific constituencies, local authorities or counties. Such information as is available is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases children or young people who are moderately or profoundly deaf have been refused Disability Living Allowance and later granted the benefit on appeal to the Independent Tribunal Service in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the total such decisions represent. [118564]

Information about the disabilities of people who make unsuccessful claims for Disability Living Allowance is not available. Some information on children and young people with deafness who are awarded benefit on appeal is obtained from sampling, but the numbers are too small to provide reliable estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 2000, Official Report, column 269W, what is the reason for the difference between the cited average saving of £13,000 per year per local authority from the non-redirection of benefit post, and the figures given by his Department in the supplementary memorandum submitted to the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1998–99, HC643-i, Appendix 2. [118322]

The figures quoted in the supplementary memorandum to the Committee for Public Accounts was based on a pilot of the Royal Mail "do not redirect" scheme which was carried out over a four week period in 1997 in two local authorities. Benefit savings directly attributable to "do not redirect" for around £200,000 were recorded during the pilot. However, our latest estimate which is based on a telephone survey of a much larger sample of local authorities and involving a number of assumptions is that the average local authority will achieve savings of around £13,000 per year by operating this initiative.The difference in savings can be attributed to a number of factors including:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the local authorities that are not using the Royal Mail 'do not redirect' service to counter housing benefit fraud. [118392]

The Royal Mail have advised that as at 3 April, the 272 local authorities listed had implemented in full the Royal Mail 'do not redirect' service. Of the remaining 137 authorities, a number are preparing to implement the service and some are operating their own local arrangements. It would be inaccurate therefore to describe such authorities as not operation 'do not redirect'.

• Aberdeen
• Aberdeenshire
• Adur
• Allerdale
• Alnwick
• Amber Valley
• Angus
• Ashfield
• Ashford
• Aylesbury Vale
• Babergh
• Barnet
• Barnsley
• Basildon
• Basingstoke and Deane
• Bassetlaw
• Bath and North East Somerset
• Berwick Upon Tweed
• Bexley
• Birmingham
• Blaby
• Blackburn with Darwen
• Blackpool
• Blyth Valley
• Bolton
• Boston
• Bournemouth
• Bracknell Forest
• Bradford
• Braintree
• Brent
• Brentwood
• Bridgend
• Bridgnorth
• Brighton and Hove
• Bristol
• Bromsgrove
• Broxtowe
• Caerphilly
• Calderdale
• Cambridge
• Camden
• Cannock Chase
• Canterbury
• Cardiff
• Carmarthenshire
• Castle Morpeth
• Cheltenham
• Cherwell
• Chester
• Chesterfield
• Chichester
• Chiltern
• Chorley
• Christchurch
• City of London
• Clackmannanshire
• Western Isles
• Congleton
• Conwy
• Corby
• Cotswold
• Craven
• Crawley
• Crewe and Nantwich
• Croydon
• Dacorum
• Daventry
• Denbighshire
• Derby
• Derbyshire Dales
• Doncaster
• Dover
• Dundee
• Durham
• East Cambridgeshire
• East Hampshire
• East Lindsey
• East Lothian
• East Northamptonshire
• East Renfrewshire
• East Riding of Yorkshire
• Eastbourne
• Edinburgh
• Epping Forest
• Fareham
• Fenland
• Fife
• Forest Heath
• Forest of Dean
• Fylde
• Gedling
• Glasgow
• Gloucester
• Gosport
• Greenwich
• Guildford
• Hackney
• Halton
• Hambleton
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Haringey
• Harlow
• Harrogate
• Harrow
• Hart
• Hartlepool
• Hastings
• Havant
• Herefordshire
• Hertsmere
• High Peak
• Hillingdon
• Horsham
• Hounslow
• Ipswich
• Islington
• Kennet
• Kerrier
• Kingston upon Hull
• Kirklees
• Lancaster
• Lewes
• Lewisham
• Lichfield
• Lincoln
• Liverpool
• Luton
• Macclesfield
• Maldon
• Manchester
• Melton
• Mendip
• Merton
• Mid Bedfordshire
• Mid Suffolk
• Mid Sussex
• Middlesbrough
• Midlothian
• Monmouth
• Neath Port Talbot
• New Forest
• Newark and Sherwood
• Newcastle Under Lyme
• Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Newham
• North Ayrshire
• North Cornwall
• North Devon
• North Dorset
• North East Derbyshire
• North Kesteven
• North Lanarkshire
• North Lincolnshire
• North Wiltshire
• Northampton
• Nuneaton and Bedworth
• Oldham
• Orkney Islands
• Oswestry
• Oxford
• Pembrokeshire
• Poole
• Portsmouth
• Preston
• Purbeck
• Reading
• Redcar and Cleveland
• Redditch
• Reigate and Banstead
• Renfrewshire
• Restormel
• Rhondda Cynon Taff
• Ribble Valley
• Richmond Upon Thames
• Richmondshire
• Rochdale
• Rochford
• Rossendale
• Rother
• Rotherham
• Runnymede
• Rushcliffe
• Rushmoor
• Rutland
• Ryedale
• Salisbury
• Scarborough
• Scottish Borders
• Sedgefield
• Sedgemoor
• Selby
• Sevenoaks
• Shepway
• Shetland Islands
• Shrewsbury and Atcham
• Slough
• Solihull
• South Buckinghamshire
• South Cambridgeshire
• South Hams
• South Holland
• South Lanarkshire
• South Norfolk
• South Oxfordshire
• South Ribble
• South Somerset
• South Staffs
• South Tyneside
• Southampton
• Southend on Sea
• Spelthorne
• St. Albans
• St. Helens
• Stafford
• Staffordshire
• Stevenage
• Stirling
• Stockport
• Stoke on Trent
• Stratford Upon Avon
• Stroud
• Sunderland
• Surrey Heath
• Swansea
• Tameside
• Tamworth
• Tandridge
• Taunton Deane
• Teesdale
• Telford and Wrekin
• Tendring
• Test Valley
• Tewkesbury
• Thanet
• Three Rivers
• Thurrock
• Tonbridge and Mailing
• Torbay
• Torridge
• Trafford
• Tynedale
• Uttlesford
• Vale of Glamorgan
• Vale of the White Horse
• Vale Royal
• Wakefield
• Waltham Forest
• Warrington
• Warwick
• Waveney
• Waverley
• Wealden
• Wear Valley
• Welwyn Hatfield
• West Berkshire
• West Lancashire
• West Lothian
• West Oxfordshire
• West Wiltshire
• Wigan
• Winchester
• Windsor and Maidenhead
• Wirral
• Woking
• Wokingham
• Worthing
• Wrexham
• Wychavon
• Wyre
• Wyre Forest
• York.

Scheme	Contract start and end date	Contract price (£)
Centrica	1 December 1998 to 30 September 1999	142,000
Disability Matters	1 February 1999 to 31 January 2000	559,066
Status Employment	1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999	132,306
WECIL	1 December 1998 to 31 January 2000	190,970
Manchester TEC	1 November 1998 to 31 March 2000	192,905
Thurso	1 September 1998 to 31 March 2000	30,500
Grimsby	1 December 1998 to 31 March 2000	112,000
RNIB	I December 1998 to 31 March 2000	308,351
Leonard Cheshire	1 August 1998 to 30 June 2000	256,900
Libra Health	1 October 1998 to 31 May 2000	306,270
Edinburgh University	1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000	145,980
Shaw Trust	1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000	239,406
Scout Enterprises	19 July 1999 to 18 July 2000	182,370
Dundee City Council	1 August 1999 to 31 July 2000	119,500
NSF	1 August 1999 to 31 July 2000	169,374
RNID	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	212,070
Rehab UK	I September 1999 to 31 August 2000	299,900
Mental Health Matters	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	212,633
Mencap	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	204,919
St. Loye's	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	231,930
Bradford	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	164,000
Wigan and Leigh	1 September 1999 to 31 August 2000	132,749
Prince's Trust	1 December 1999 to 31 January 2000	162,661
Solotec	1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000	144,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many innovative schemes established as part of the New Deal for the Disabled there are in (a) each constituency, (b) each local authority and (c) each county. [118598]

Scheme	Area
Thurso	North Scotland (Highland)
WECIL	Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset Leonard Cheshire Foundation-National
Centrica	North West England
Status Employment	Croydon/South London
Disability Matters	Hampshire
Manchester TEC	Manchester
Libra Health	East and West Midlands
Grimsby College	Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire
RNIB	Avon/Wiltshire, West Midlands and Wales
Edinburgh University	Lothians and Fife (within daily travelling distance)
Support Shop Ltd.	Thames Valley
R.N.I.D.	Bristol, Derby, Doncaster, Cardiff, North Wales, Glasgow, Manchester and London
Rehab U.K.	London, Birmingham and Glasgow
Mencap	Gateshead, Leeds and Scotland
Dundee City Council	Dundee, Perth and Arbroath

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much each of the innovation schemes established as part of the New Deal for the Disabled (a) has cost to date, (b) is currently costing on a monthly basis and (c) is expected to cost in each of the next and Maidenhead 12 months. [118606]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.We are unable to provide information on a monthly basis for each scheme, as this information is commercially confidential. However, the overall amount spent up to February is £2,825,058.17.

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows; 24 innovative schemes are part of the New Deal for Disabled People, covering the following areas:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the number of innovative schemes run as part of the New Deal for the Disabled. [118597]

Since July 1997, we have announced funding for 24 Innovative Schemes.Over the coming months we will develop proposals, in partnership with the Department of Education and Employment, for extending the New Deal for Disabled People. We intend to consult widely as we do so and to announce plans in the summer.

Capital limits for Social Security benefits
£
Benefit	Lower capital limit	Upper capital limit
Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit	3,000	16,000
Council Tax Benefit (RC/NH1)	10,000	16,000
Income Support (for all groups including pensioners and disabled people)	3,000	8,000
Income Support (RC/NH) (for all groups including pensioners and disabled people)	10,000	16,000
Jobseekers Allowance	3,000	8,000
Jobseekers Allowance (RC/NH)	10,000	16,000
1 RC/NH-In residential care or nursing home.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason the April state pension increase is determined by reference to the preceding September's RPI; and if he will list the RPI rates for (a) September and (b) April in each year since September 1994. [118768]

September's RPI has been used as a base for uprating since April 1987. Using the September index, which is published in the middle of October, allows time for the preparation of the uprating schedule and the review process before operational implementation begins at the end of November with a computer sweep of the Retirement Pension caseload. The operational timetable is designed so that those renewal order books which cover pre and post April periods can be issued with the correct rates of benefit. Order books, which generally cover a period of 20 weeks, start to be issued with the new rates of benefit in mid-December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when he intends to up-rate the capital limits for the disabled; [118612](2) for how many years the capital limits of pensioners and the disabled have been the same; and when they were last different; [118614](3) what are the current capital limits for