To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department undertakes of the content of local authority newspapers; and if he will make a statement. [118782]

My Department does not monitor the content of local authority newspapers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy that newspapers published by local authorities should be subject to the complaints procedure of the Press Complaints Commission; and if he will make a statement. [118781]

The Press Complaints Commission is part of a self-regulatory regime for the newspaper industry. All local authority publicity, including newspapers published by local authorities, is subject to the statutory regulatory regime provided by the Local Government Act 1986 and the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity issued by the Secretary of State thereunder.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy not to grant permission for the siting of telecommunication masts in residential areas until the Independent Expert Group on mobile phones has reported; and if he will make a statement. [119185]

The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, set up at the instigation of the Government and chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is currently considering the possible health effects of the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research. The Group is expected to finalise its report shortly. The Government will consider the Group's recommendations and issue a response.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue planning policy guidelines to planning authorities indicating how they should handle planning applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding but in which the necessary flood alleviation works have not been undertaken. [119474]

My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning announced on 13 April 2000, Official Report, columns 249-50W, the publication of a consultation draft of a new Planning Policy Guidance Note 25, "Development and flood risk". This sets out all the considerations to which planning authorities should have regard when handling applications for development in flood risk areas. Copies are available in the Library.We will consider the responses to this consultation with a view to issuing the new PPG in its final form later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers planning authorities have to (a) defer and (b) reject planning applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding pending the completion of flood alleviation works. [119473]

Local planning authorities have powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to impose conditions on a grant of planning permission requiring the carrying out of necessary flood alleviation works as part of a development where such works would form part of the development. Where the necessary flood alleviation works would be required elsewhere than the development site, local planning authorities may impose a condition requiring that the development should not proceed until those works have been carried out, whether by the developer or by any other body. In addition, a developer and local planning authority may enter into an agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to ensure that the necessary works are carried out as part of the development.Flooding issues are important considerations in the determination of applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding. Local planning authorities have powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to refuse applications where that risk outweighs other material considerations in the absence of flood alleviation works. Where such works are planned, local planning authorities may refuse an application for development on the grounds of prematurity pending the completion of such works.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what mechanism and to what value his Department compensates for loss of council tax income to local authorities resulting from the 50 per cent. discount on second homes. [119181]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 15 February 2000, Official Report, column 469W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the services which (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies responsible to his Department (i) provide on-line and (ii) expect to be deliverable on-line by 2002. [119443]

So that the Cabinet Office can publish the spring 2000 report monitoring progress towards delivery of all Government services electronically by 2005 we are currently collecting data which will include our progress on delivering 25 per cent. of Government services electronically by 2002. I do not want to pre-empt that report but I can say that we currently provide a range of services electronically that include:

Service	Currently on-line	On-line by 2002
(a) DETR(C)
Local Government Grant Settlement	Yes	—
Dissemination of Hourly Air Pollution	Yes	—
Port Traffic Statistics Collection	Yes	—
Supply of International Haulage Permits	—	Yes
Electronic Procurement Programme	—	Yes
Applications to Import/Export Wildlife	—	Yes
Bird Registration	—	Yes
Touring Caravan Exemption Certificates	—	Yes
HGV/PSV Operator Licensing	—	Yes
Local Bus Registration Yes	—	Yes
(b) Executive Agencies
Highways Agency—Consultation	Yes	—
Highways Agency—Information Line	Yes	—
Highways Agency—Website	Yes	—
DVLA: Registration of a First Vehicle	Yes	—
DVLA: Duplicate Driver Licences	Yes	—
DVLA: Exchange of Driver Licences	—	Yes
DVLA: Duplication Vehicle Registration Documents	—	Yes
DVLA: Re-Licensing Vehicles Subject to Vehicle Test	—	Yes
VI: Submission of Vehicle Model Details	—	Yes
VI: Issue of HGV/PSV Certificates	—	Yes
HSE: Health and Safety Notifications	—	Yes
MCA: Ship Registration	—	Yes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans his Department has for merging the New Deal for Communities into the Government's regeneration scheme; [119027](2) what plans he has to fund the Single Regeneration Budget beyond Round 7. [119029]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: The level of funding for regeneration programmes beyond March 2002 and the respective future role for each programme, including the Single Regeneration Budget and New Deal for Communities, is being considered in the current Spending Review. The outcome of the Review and the Government's new expenditure plans for the period to March 2004 should be announced in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money from the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme, "Gateways to Community Success", (a) has been and (b) is due to be, provided to fund skills development and training in the Dartford area. [118843]

"Gateways to Community Success" was approved last year under the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme. The scheme aims to develop the capacity of organisations to equip local residents with personal and vocational skills relevant to the needs of the local labour market. Total SRB funding of £4.3 million will be made available to the scheme over a seven year period from 1999 to 2006. In the first year, £200,000 (mainly for set-up costs) was provided by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), which is now responsible for Government SRB fundings.Most of the specific projects supported under this scheme will benefit residents across the whole of the Thames Gateway area in North Kent. It is difficult therefore to break down how much funding will be targeted specifically at Dartford. However, one project under this scheme (Making Connections) is aimed at residents in and around the Temple Hill area of Dartford. Within the overall scheme, this specific project will receive total SRB funding of £809,000. In the first year, £30,000 (again mainly for set-up costs) was provided by SEEDA.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors determine the budget allocation formula for regional development agencies. [119028]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: The allocation methods vary for the RDAs eight main programmes and for their administration. Many factors are taken into account. These include: levels of deprivation; existing legal commitments; opportunities; value for money; Structural Fund responsibilities; regional population totals; and likely receipt income. There are also some allocations for common costs and account is taken of the RDAs' corporate plans and of other relevant information supplied.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library the opinion on which he based his decision that he was unable to make a statement, under the provisions of section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998, that the provisions of the Local Government Bill [Lords] are human rights compliant. [119160]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: The Government do not normally publish their legal advice. However, I can clarify that there are doubts as to whether section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 is compatible with Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and with Article 14 (freedom from discrimination) when read with Article 8 (respect for private and family life) and Article 10.The Bill on introduction to the Lords was, in our opinion, compatible with the ECHR. However, clause 91 of the Local Government Bill amends, and thereby reaffirms, the provisions of section 2A. By extension, this amendment casts doubt on whether the Bill is now compatible with the ECHR. On this basis, the Secretary of State made a statement under section 19(1)(b) of the Human Rights Act 1998.The Government have already said that they intend to remove clause 91 of the Bill and, in its place, provide for the repeal of section 2A of the 1986 Act. In our view, the Bill will then be compatible with the ECHR.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when a rail franchise passes to the successful company in the event of an existing train operating company failing to secure the renewal of its franchise; and what extra monitoring of service standards will be put in place during the transitional period. [119483]

The shadow Strategic Rail Authority will agree a date with interested parties. Normal monitoring standards that are contained within the terms of the franchise agreements will apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much his Department spent directly or indirectly on asylum seekers in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997, (d) 1998 and (e) 1999; and what estimate has been made of expenditure in the year 2000. [119484]

The Home Office will be responding to this Question on behalf of Government as a whole, using information that we have provided to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide funding for local councils to pay a mileage rate on cycle use by their employees. [119337]

The Government do not provide funding specifically for this purpose. It is for individual local authorities to decide whether to pay cycling mileage allowances to their employees, and to meet the cost from their general budgets. We would certainly encourage all councils and other employers to promote the use of cycles; mileage allowances are one way of doing this. The Government have already increased the taxable allowance on business travel by bicycle to 12p per mile.If cycles are used on official journeys by employees instead of their cars, councils stand to make a considerable saving on mileage payments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his Department's energy efficiency performance target, expressed as a percentage change in comparison with 1990–91, for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [118991]

The Department's target is to reduce energy consumption by 8 per cent. from a base year of 1994–95 to 1999–2000 and 1 per cent. per annum thereafter. This later base year reflects the fact that the Department was not created until 1993.My Department is investigating further measures to reduce energy but opportunities are limited as we already occupy energy efficient buildings which are air conditioned and have intensive IT usage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the percentage change compared with 1990–91 in his Department's energy efficiency in each year since 1990–91; and if he will make a statement. [118990]

The percentage change compared with the base year of 1994–95 is as follows:

Year	Percentage change
1995–96	0
1996–97	3
1997–98	7
1998–99	-7

These are provisional data as recording errors mean that the consumption figures have been recalculated back to the base year. The latest data have still to be confirmed by DETR.My Department is investigating further measures to reduce energy but opportunities are limited as we already occupy energy efficient buildings which are air conditioned and have intensive IT usage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds museums in the north-west of England will receive from the amounts which his Department has allocated to cut museum entry fees; and which museums will receive the money. [119101]

In 1999–2000 to enable free admission for children at the two museums funded by my Department in the north-west which are affected, the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (NMGM) received £719,000 and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester (MSIM) £188,000. In 2000–01, to enable free admission for children and people over 60, NMGM has been allocated £188,000. The allocation of funds to cut museum entry fees at the museums and galleries funded by my Department in 2001–02 is still under consideration and no detailed figures are available yet. An announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what monitoring the Independent Television Commission carries out of programmes on SIMA TV; if SIMA TV broadcasts the statements of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation of Iran and the National Council of Resistances of Iran; when SIMA TV was last fined by the ITC; and if he will make a statement about the future licensing of SIMA TV. [118942]

Monitoring is regularly undertaken by the ITC on the broadcasts of all its licence holders. For broadcasters, like SIMA, who have breached the ITC's Programme Codes, this monitoring would be more intense.Broadcasting statements by groups such as Mojahedin Khalq Organisation or the National Council of Resistances of Iran are not in themselves a problem, provided they carry no incitement to crime, and that they form part of a wider range of views. SIMA was fined £20,000 in November 1999 for not adhering to these points. SIMA may retain its licence as long as it complies with the ITC's Programmes and other Codes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take action to ensure that there is public access to artificial turf pitches for football in each parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement. [118956]

There are 577 sites in England providing full size, synthetic turf pitches for community or club use. A further 12 sites have, in principle, been awarded funding from the Lottery Sports Fund. Sport England will shortly be carrying out a detailed analysis of the provision of synthetic turf pitches. Any gaps in existing provision will be assessed on the basis of the size of the population served, rather than by parliamentary constituency. The adequacy of the provision of pitches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is assessed in the same way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he is taking to (a) encourage increased public participation in canoeing and (b) assist Britain's elite canoeists to prepare for the Olympic Games. [118957]

The Sports Councils, through which public funding for sport is channelled, are providing a total of £5.5 million to encourage participation in canoeing and to assist elite canoeists. Sport England has made 31 awards worth £4,071,474 from the Lottery Sports Fund to canoeing projects. It is also providing £220,000 in 2000–01 towards the English development programme of the British Canoe Union (BCU). This will help fund: a network of development officers whose key objective is to generate greater youth participation in the sport; the development of a network of Access Officers whose role will be to open up additional waterways for canoeing; and the delivery of the BCU' s equity programme for England which targets the recruitment of more disabled and women participants into the sport. For the period April 2000—March 2001 the BCU will receive from UK Sport World Class Performance Programme Lottery funding of £1,221,471, which includes support for British Canoeists preparing fro the Olympic Games.I will be meeting my hon. Friend the Minister for Water and Coastal Policy soon to discuss how to improve provision for water-based recreation, including canoeing. In addition, my officials will be discussing these issues with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Countryside Agency, the Environment Agency and British Waterways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2000, Official Report, column 155W, on the UK Sports Institute, when he will make a decision on the venue for the London Institute of Sport Network Centre. [119041]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: It is hoped that the decision will be taken by the end of June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his policy towards the proposed bid by Gateshead to stage the 2006 European Athletics Championships. [119043]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: The responsibility for preparing and lodging a bid for a major event rests with the appropriate national governing body, in this case UK Athletics. UK Sport is meeting UK Athletics on 18 May to reassess the athletics major event strategy in light of the International Amateur Athletics Federation's decision to award the UK the 2003 World Indoor Championships and the 2005 World Championships. The Gateshead bid is one of the items to be discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he plans to submit a new map for regional selective assistance to the European Commission; [118087](2) what changes he plans to make to the regional selective assistance map. [118089]

[holding answer 7 April 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) on 10 April 2000, Official Report, columns 38–39W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings have been held between United States Government officials and his Department in (a) the USA and (b) the UK in the last 12 months, indicating the dates and locations of the meetings and the subjects discussed. [118625]

[holding answer 11 April 2000]: There have been a large number of meetings between United States Government officials and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry over the last 12 months. These meetings have been at many levels and have covered a great range of subjects including multilateral and bilateral trade issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the DTI's provision of Competitiveness Development Fund resources to the North-west. [119026]

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: For the financial year 2000–01 the DTI is making available £440,000 of funding under the Competitiveness Development Fund (CDF) to the North West Development Agency. This represents an increase in funding of over 75 per cent. compared to the previous financial year.In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 27 March 2000 details of further measures to encourage innovation and enterprise by businesses, including a new £50 million fund for promoting the development of clusters and business incubation in the English regions. The £50 million will go to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England over this and next financial year (2000–01 and 2001–02). £15 million is to be made available in this financial year split equally between the eight current RDAs and the London Development Agency when it is established. This, together with CDF funds, will provide a combined allocation of over £2 million of funding for each RDA in 2000–01 for work on competitiveness and enterprise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates of (a) explanatory memoranda presented to Parliament by the Government and (b) agreements in the Council of Ministers concerning the Community Framework for state aid to the motor vehicle industry, OJ No. C279, 1997; and what application has been made within the specification of the Framework to the Commission by Her Majesty's Government in respect of the Longbridge plant. [118922]

Neither an explanatory memorandum or Council agreement exist for the motor vehicles framework. Frameworks are produced by the Commission without reference to the Council, as they (the Commission) have sole competence on the state aid rules and their interpretation.Conforming to the requirements of the Community Framework for state aid to the motor vehicle industry, HMG formally notified the £152 million Longbridge package to the European Commission 20 August 1999. The clearance process by the Commission was still on-going at the time of BMW's decision to divest itself of elements of the Rover Group (including Longbridge).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs the New Deal has created; and at what cost. [117328]

I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if pensioners in receipt of state pension paid via automated credit transfer will be protected from (a) bank charges and (b) withdrawal charges if they choose to draw their pensions in cash from a post office from 2003. [119419]

I have been asked to reply.I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Benn), and the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) on 7 March 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods of cash payment benefits he is considering following the introduction of automated credit transfer in post offices and against what criteria they will be evaluated. [119204]

I have been asked to reply.We have made it clear that people will still be able to collect their cash from post offices if they wish to do so, both before and after the move to ACT in 2003.We are currently working with the banks and the Post Office on the detailed arrangements. The Post Office already offers banking services on an agency basis for a number of banks. The new Horizon technology currently being installed will give the Post Office the opportunity to offer banking services on an agency basis for a wider range of banks and building societies; and the Post Office have already said that they intend to install 3,000 cash machines.We are also inviting banks to work with the Post Office to offer a basic banking service to people currently without bank accounts.However, we recognise that there will be some people who will be unable to pay by ACT. For these, we are considering what alternative simple electronic money transmission system, which could also be accessed at post offices, may be commercially available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been spent by Thames Gateway NHS Trust on consultants' and lawyers' fees in respect of the PFI contract for the hospital for the Isle of Sheppey. [105196]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: Since 1996–97 the amount spent by Thames Gateway National Health Service Trust on advisers costs for the proposed private finance initiative scheme for a new community hospital for Sheppey are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he plans to start consultation on a draft order to establish a health professions council; [118313](2) when he expects new professions to be able to register with the health professions council; [118314](3) what plans he has to repeal the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960; and if he will make a statement; [118315](4) what plans he has to implement a regulatory framework to enable further professions to obtain state registration; and if he will make a statement. [118312]

We are currently considering the proposals for consultation on legislation to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. We hope to be able to publish these shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on introducing a statutory registration scheme for operating department practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [118854]

Health authority	2000–01 allocation including additional £660 million (£000)	2000–01 recurrent weighted capitation target (£000)	Distance from target (£000)	Distance from target (Percentage)
Avon	641,970	649,321	-7,351	-1.13
Barking and Havering	281,533	278,960	2,573	0.92
Barnet	228,234	227,788	447	0.20
Barnsley	171,018	176,397	-5,379	-3.05
Bedfordshire	344,490	358,470	-13,980	-3.90
Berkshire	484,623	500,470	-15,847	-3.17
Bexley and Greenwich	318,047	299,950	18,097	6.03
Birmingham	749,780	745,390	4,390	0.59
Bradford	343,313	347,166	-3,853	-1.11
Brent and Harrow	341,633	334,582	7,051	2.11
Bromley	201,306	201,092	214	0.11
Buckinghamshire	407,599	419,598	-11,999	-2.86
Bury and Rochdale	275,877	276,925	-1,049	-0.38
Calderdale and Kirklees	402,907	403,578	-671	-0.17
Cambridgeshire	442,411	453,098	-10,687	-2.36
Camden and Islington	356,225	349,524	6,701	1.92
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	344,828	339,322	5,506	1.62
County Durham	452,736	461,460	-8,724	-1.89
Coventry	221,753	227,926	-6,172	-2.71
Croydon	223,107	225,624	-2,517	-1.12
Doncaster	216,207	216,634	-427	-0.20
Dorset	487,298	478,263	9,035	1.89
Dudley	200,507	203,550	-3,044	-1.50
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	524,548	524,681	-133	-0.03
East and North Hertfordshire	318,662	322,721	-4,059	-1.26
East Kent	431,841	420,809	11,031	2.62
East Lancashire	384,249	387,072	-2,822	-0.73
East London and the City	545,950	566,894	-20,945	-3.69

Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 provides power to regulate new health professions. This is one of the subjects for consultation on proposals to create a new Health Professions Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trainee biomedical scientists there are in the NHS. [118588]

Trainee biomedical scientists are graduates. The length of their vocational training varies depending on the entry route and the ability of the individual. Accurate figures for the number of trainee biomedical scientists employed by the National Health Service are not available as the information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each health authority in England and Wales, (a) its total allocation for 2000–01, including its share of the expenditure announced on 28 March, (b) its total allocation if the allocations for 2000–01 had been made on the basis of full weighted capitation and (c) the amount by which its total allocation differs from weighted capitation. [118932]

[holding answer 13 April 2000]: On 28 March my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health 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). The information is given in the table.Information on allocations for Welsh health authorities is available from the National Assembly for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authorities levy a charge for day centres. [119482]

Information on the number of local authorities levying a charge for day centres in England is not collected centrally. However information on the recoupment of fees and charges by each local authority is available at the Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/pss—stat.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received on the introduction of charges by social services departments for the use of day centres. [119481]

During the six-month period to April 2000 the Department received an average of two representations per month on the introduction of charges by social services departments for the use of day centres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has reached a decision on the future of Glenthorne Youth Treatment Centre; and if he will make a statement. [119424]

In my reply to my hon. Friend on 15 December 1999, Official Report, column 223W, I announced that I would be consulting on the future of Glenthorne Youth Treatment Centre, including its possible closure.That consultation has now been completed and I have considered the representations made to me by the staff of the Centre and their representatives, by Members of Parliament; by local authorities; and by others, especially those representing young people accommodated in the Centre. The Centre has made a valuable and important contribution to the treatment and care of some of the most difficult and disturbed young people in the past, and these representations have paid fitting tribute to that contribution.When the Youth Treatment Centres were first developed over 20 years ago, there were no comparable facilities for accommodating and treating such difficult and disturbed young people. Things have moved on considerably since then. Local councils have developed their own secure accommodation and have become skilled and experienced at dealing with young people requiring secure care, including young people like those accommodated in Glenthorne. In recent years, the Department of Health has undertaken a major expansion of local authority secure accommodation by providing an additional 170 places for young people. Providers in the voluntary and private sectors have also established their worth. In these circumstances, I have concluded that it is no longer appropriate for the Department to run such a child care facility and that we should therefore withdraw from providing such a service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Royal Irish Regiment whose claims for the Accumulated Service Medal were reviewed because of insufficient evidence were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in claiming the medal. [119345]

I have been asked to reply.A total of 273 such cases have been considered by the Army Medal Board to date. Of these, 226 have been successful, 30 proved to have no entitlement and were rejected, and 17 have been returned to the Regimental Headquarters of the Royal Irish Regiment for further investigation. An additional 624 applications have still to be prepared for Army Medal Board consideration.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the value of the farm aid package announced on 30 March, and if he will publish a breakdown of the components of the farm aid package, listing for each component (a) its value, (b) its funding source, (c) eligible recipients, (d) conditions of eligibility, (e) time of availability, (f) budgetary year, (g) whether it has previously been announced by (i) the Government and (ii) the European Commission and (h) if it has been approved by the European Commission and, if not, when he expects such approval to be given. [117970]

Action plan for farming (13 April 2000)
Measure	Value (£ million)	Funding source	Eligible recipients and conditions of eligibility	Time of availability	Previously announced	EC approval
Introduce a scheme to encourage the restructuring of the pig industry in order to improve its long term viability	126	UK	To be announced	To be announced	No	An aid notification has been submitted to the EC
Pay to dairy farmers all the agrimonetary aid that EU rules permit this year only	122	UK (£ 11 million) and EU3	Aid will be allocated in proportion to milk quota held on 31 March 2000	To be announced	No	An aid notification will be submitted to the EC this month
Pay agrimonetary compensation to beef farmers of £22 million this year only. Payments will be made in connection with Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Extensification Payments for the 2000 scheme year	1,222	EU3	Payments will be made in connection with Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium and Extensification Payments for the 2000 scheme year	The majority will be payable in November, and the remainder in the second quarter of 2001	No	An aid notification will be submitted to the EU this month
Agrimonetary compensation to sheep farmers of £22 million this year in respect of 1999 scheme year claims	122	EU3	Paid to Sheep Annual Premium claimants in respect of the 1999 scheme year	Payments will be made with the first advances of Sheep Annual Premium in Jul y/August	No	An aid notification will be submitted to the EC this month
Increase support for hill farmers beyond the level specified in the Rural Development Plans submitted to the Commission	160	UK	The majority of the moneys will be added to the budgets for the LFA compensatory allowances, which will be modified to assist restructuring so as to strengthen the industry and to make it better able to deliver the social and environmental benefits provided by extensive sheep and beef grazing. The remainder will finance a consultancy programme to improve hill farmers' access to business skills	LFA support payments are made in the early months of each year.	No	The scheme has been submitted to the EC for approval under the Rural Development Regulation; the changes will need to be discussed with the EC
Seek from the Commission an increase in the maximum weight per animal on which compensation is payable under the Over Thirty Months Scheme	420	UK	Payable in respect of cattle slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months Scheme	To be determined	No	The Over Thirty Months Scheme for cattle is an EU scheme and thus changes to its rules require the EC to make a proposal to be adopted by the Beef Management Committee on which all member states are represented. A formal request to that effect has been made to the EC

[holding answer 6 April 2000]: The Action Plan for Farming discussed at the Farming Summit on 30 March outlined a programme of measures to help provide a proper, structured plan for the future. The aid measures amounting to over £200 million are listed. Many of the other measures within the Action Plan will also have considerable benefit to the farming industry, though it is not as yet possible to quantify these.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the food consumed in the UK is organically produced; and what estimate he has made of the amount that will be so produced in 2006. [118573]

Precise information is not available. We estimate the share of organic food in the overall UK market as in the order of 5 per cent.We have made no estimate for future years.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of money paid under the Common Agricultural Policy to organic farmers in the EU; and what percentage this represents of the total CAP spend. [118577]

The information requested is not available in the format required.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets other EU member states have set for organic farming. [118574]

The information available is not complete but we understand that Austria, Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden have set targets for the conversion of agricultural land to organic farming. In addition several of the German Bundesländer have set such targets. These targets range from 3 per cent. to 10 per cent. of agricultural land.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money his Department has spent on research into (a) organic farming, (b) biotechnology and genetic modification and (c) all areas of agriculture, in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [118568]

MAFF spending in these areas over the last five years, is shown in the tables. The figures for 1999–2000 are provisional.

(a) Organic farming
Year	£ million
1995–96	0.931
1996–97	1.116
1997–98	0.908
1998–99	1.481
1999–2000	(2.027)

The organic farming sector also benefits from much of the other research the Ministry undertakes: for example, its planned spend of over £8 million in 1999–2000 on biological control techniques, plant health, animal welfare and wildlife conservation on farms.

(b) Biotechnology and genetic modification
Year	£ million
1995–96	20.09
199–97	22.94
1997–98	25.22
1998–99	28.91
1999–2000	(ca. 26)

(c) All areas of agriculture including organic farming, biotechnology and genetic modification
Year	£ million
1995–96	88.94
1996–97	87.14
1997–98	89.74
1998–99	90.58
1999–2000	(90.78)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will classify West Dorset as an area qualifying for hill farming compensation. [118623]

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: To qualify for hill livestock compensatory allowances, West Dorset would have to be designated as a Less Favoured Area (LFA).LFAs in the UK were first designated under Council Directive 75/276/EEC, and last amended by Commission Decision 91/25/EEC. For any additional area to be designated as LFA it would need to meet the general criteria set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/99 (Articles 17-21) and the specific criteria set out in Council Directive 75/268/EEC (Articles 3 (4) and 5) as adopted by Council Directive 84/169/EEC.Proposals for any extension of the LFA area in England would need to be submitted to the European Commission for approval as part of the England Rural Development Plan. No such proposals have been included.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the approvals for products containing Lindane which have been suspended, withdrawn or revoked from market authorisation in the last five years, indicating the crops for which use of the products had been approved, including off-label approvals. [118804]

[holding answer 12 April 2000]: Those products containing Lindane which have been suspended withdrawn or revoked from the market since 1 November 1995, and the crops for which they held approval, are:

Product name	MAFF No.	Crops
Atlas Steward	03062	Apple
		Barley (spring)
		Barley (winter)
		Beetroot
		Blackberry
		Broad bean
		Broccoli (seed crop)
		Brussels sprout (seed crop)
		Cabbage (seed crop)
		Calabrese (seed crop)
		Cauliflower (seed crop)
		Grassland
		Kale (seed crop)
		Lettuce (protected)
		Loganberry
		Maize (spring)
		Maize (winter)
		Mustard (seed crop)
		Oilseed rape
		Ornamental (including bulb and corm)
		Ornamental shrub
		Ornamental tree
		Pea
		Pear
		Raspberry
		Spinach
		Strawberry
		Sugar beet
		Swede (seed crop)
		Tomato (protected)
		Turnip (seed crop)
		Wheat (spring)
		Wheat (winter)
CDA Castaway Plus	04758	Turf
Gamma-Col	00964	Apple
		Blackberry
		Brassica
		Cereal
		Christmas tree
		Chrysanthemum
		Cucumber
		Elm
		Grass
		Loganberry
		Maize
		Oilseed rape
		Ornamental
		Pear
		Plum
		Raspberry
		Strawberry
		Sugar beet
		Vegetable
Gamma-Col Turf	05450	Turf
Gamma-Col Turf	06826	Turf
Gamma-Col Turf	07868	Turf
Gammalex	00965	Oilseed rape (seed)
Gammalex	06396	Oilseed rape

Product name	MAFF No.	Crops
Gammasan 30	00969	Barley (seed)
		Oat (seed)
		Wheat (seed)
Gammasan 30	06671	Barley (spring)
		Barley (winter)
		Oats (spring)
		Oats (winter)
		Wheat (spring)
		Wheat (winter)
Hydraguard	03278	Brussels sprout
		Cabbage
		Kale
		Oilseed rape
		Swede
		Turnip
Hydraguard	08877	Brussels sprout
		Cabbage
		Kale
		Oilseed rape
		Swede
		Turnip
Hysede FL	02863	Brassica seed (including broccoli, brussels sprout, cabbage, oilseed rape, swede)
		Broccoli
		Brussels sprout
		Cabbage
		Oilseed rape
		Swede
		Turnip
Kotol FS	06968	Barley
		Barley (seed)
		Oats
		Oats (seed)
		Rye (seed)
		Wheat
		Wheat (seed)
Lindane 20	01553	Apple
		Artichoke (Jerusalem, globe)
		Aubergine
		Bean (broad, navy, runner, soya, dwarf, French)
		Beetroot
		Brassica (named)
		Broccoli
		Brussels sprout
		Bulb
		Cabbage
		Chinese cabbage
		Cauliflower
		Collard
		Fennel
		Forestry
		Kale
		Kohlrabi
		Oilseed rape
		Ornamental
		Pea (mange-tout)
		Pear
		Pepper
		Plum
		Pot plant
		Raspberry
		Sugar beet
		Tomato
Lindex-Plus FS Seed Treatment	03934	Chinese cabbage
		Oilseed rape (seed)
Lindex-Plus FS Seed Treatment	08212	Oilseed rape (seed)
Murfume Grainstore Smoke	05575	Food storage practice (fumigation of empty bins, chutes, conveyors, ducts and buildings used for storage of raw grain pulses and oilseeds)

Product name	MAFF No.	Crops
Murfume Lindane Smoke	05576	Glasshouse crop (edible + ornamental)
		Food storage practice (grain store, silo)
		Mushroom
New Kotol	05081	Barley (seed)
		Oats (seed)
		Rye (seed)
		Wheat (seed)
New Kotol	06212	Barley (seed
		Oats (seed)
		Rye (seed)
		Wheat (seed)
Sentry	06209	Sugar beet
Unicrop Leather Jacket Pellets	02272	Barley (spring)
		Barley (winter)
		Grassland
		Oats
		Rye
		Sugar beet
		Triticale
		Wheat (spring)
		Wheat (winter)
Vitavax RS	02310	Oilseed rape (seed)
Vitavax RS	06029	Oilseed rape
		Oilseed rape (seed)
Vitavax RS	08040	Flax
		Linseed
		Oilseed rape
Wireworm FS Seed Treatment	05640	Barley
		Oats
		Wheat
Wireworm Liquid Seed Treatment	05641	Barley
		Oats
		Wheat

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason, in the 1998 survey of the working party on pesticides residues, aldicarburas was not among the pesticides actively sought in retail samples of speciality potatoes. [118803]

[holding answer 12 April 2000]: This was the first time speciality potatoes had been analysed as part of the Government's annual residues monitoring programme. The potatoes were therefore tested against a standard multiple residue screen to give an indication of the residues present. Aldicarb is not part of this general screen. However, processed potato products were also surveyed in 1998, and aldicarb was included in this analytical suite. The results of this survey are due to be published later this year. A special survey on the variability of aldicarb residues in potatoes (including new potatoes) was published in August last year, the results of which are available on the Pesticide Safety Directorate's (PSD's) internet website (http://maffweb/aboutmaf/agency/psd/psdhome.htm), or direct from PSD. The full document is also available to all Members in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria were used in the 1998 survey of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues to select the countries of origin from which samples of imported speciality potatoes would be tested. [118807]

[holding answer 12 April 2000]: The surveys of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues (WPPR) are not, except in certain circumstances, directed towards produce of particular countries. The samples of speciality potatoes purchased as part of the 1998 survey were representative of what was available on the UK market at the time of purchase.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what progress has been made with the launch of a joint IMF and World bank fund to focus on alleviating the debts of the heavily indebted poor countries by the end of 2000; [119049](2) what progress has been made with proposals to speed up the HIPC II debt cancellation programme. [119336]

So far, five countries have qualified for relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. This is disappointing because the target was for 11 countries to have qualified by the Spring Meetings of the World bank and the IMF. The Government remain strongly committed to the G7 target of three-quarters of eligible countries getting to Decision Point by the end of 2000. We are pressing the bank and Fund to speed up the process.Discussions are also continuing to agree the financing arrangements for the multilateral development banks' participation in the Initiative. Further contributions to the HIPC Trust Fund will be required. UK has made the largest commitment to date—over $350 million. This includes our share of European Community contributions to the Trust Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 2 February 2000, Official Report, column 619W, on primary education, how much each heavily indebted poor country received from the UK's bilateral aid budget for the provision of primary education for each of the last three years. [118350]

The following table indicates UK bilateral development assistance expenditure on primary education in heavily indebted poor countries over the last three financial years for which data are available. These data refer only to projects and programmes aimed solely at primary education. There is also expenditure on this area included in wider projects and programmes, or funded through NGOs, which cannot be separately identified.

£ actuals
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Ethiopia	114,930	10,283	405,152
Ghana	0	42,373	4,833,831
Kenya	1,154,093	2,004,629	2,721,644
Malawi	2,571,480	2,420,122	3,924,906

£ actuals
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Mozambique	0	136.018	77,679
Tanzania	46,168	41,382	70,095
Uganda	0	0	11,000,000
Zambia	6,688	10,429	32,505
Total	3,893,359	4,665,236	13,065,812
1 Initial expenditure against DFID's commitment of £67 million to Uganda's Education Strategic Investment Programme (1998–2003), one of the prime objectives of which is to achieve universal primary education by 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are (a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105308]

[holding answer 19 January 2000]: A list of those properties which are wholly, or have been mainly, unoccupied that are held by my Department and agencies has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claims under the special payments category of the Jobseeker's Allowance were made in 1999; and how many of these were refused on the grounds of inadequate contribution payments. [108450]

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many lawyers are employed by his Department; and how many were employed in 1995. [117814]

The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) does not directly employ lawyers but obtains them from Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSD). The lawyers are employed by TSD and allocated to DfEE. The figures given represent the number of lawyers allocated as at 31 March for the years in question.As at 31 March 2000, 24 lawyers were allocated by TSD to DfEE.DfEE came into existence following Machinery of Government changes in July 1995. The figures given for 1995 are for the number of lawyers allocated by TSD to its two predecessor Departments: the Employment Department Group (EDG) and Department for Education (DfE).As at 31 March 1995, 13 lawyers were allocated to the former EDG and 10 to the former DfE, making a total of 23.Meaningful comparisons between the numbers for 1995 and 2000 will be difficult to establish as DfEE's responsibilities do not precisely equate with those of its predecessor Departments.For example, the Health and Safety Executive and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service were both part of EDG in March 1995 but transferred to the Department of Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry respectively as part of the Machinery of Government changes later that year.

Pilot area	Communities covered	Numbers of personal advisers per pilot area	Caseload	Average caseload per PA per pilot area
Lanarkshire: Clyde Valley and Coatbridge	Hamilton, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Bellshill	11.6	284	24.5
Eastern Valleys	Aberdare, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale,Merthyr Tydfil	10.7	408	38.1
Sandwell	Smethwick, West Bromwich	7	224	32
Bolton	Bolton	7.6	285	37.5
Central Sussex	Brighton, Hove	9.3	184	19.8
Bristol East and Bath	Bristol East and Bath	8	262	32.8
Newham	Plaistow, Stratford, Canning Town	9	243	27
South Tyneside	Gateshead, South Shields	12	661	55.1
Mercia East	Boston, King's Lynn, Skegness	8	281	35.1
South Devon	Plymouth, Saltash, Torbay, Tavistock, Totnes,Kingsbridge	10	349	34.9
Bedfordshire	Bedford, Luton	8	117	14.6
North Yorkshire	Harrogate, Scarborough, York, Northallerton	10	343	34.3

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much the personal adviser section of the New Deal for the Disabled has cost in each month since the start of the scheme. [118608]

The information requested is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to introduce police checks on employees in education working with vulnerable adults. [118739]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has announced his intention to implement part V of the Police Act 1997. As a result, criminal records information will become more readily available to employers recruiting people to work with children or vulnerable adults. Details of how this is to work in education are being developed currently and announcements will be made at a later date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will make an announcement about the national implementation of the personal adviser service part of his New Deal for the Disabled. [118599]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 12 April 2000, Official Report, column 186W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many personal advisers work for the personal adviser section of the New Deal for the Disabled; and what the average care load is in each (a) constituency, (b) local authority area and (c) county. [118609]

The information is not available in the precise form requested. Personal advisers are not allocated to specific constituencies, local authorities or counties. The table sets out the coverage and average caseload per personal adviser (as at 25 February) for each pilot area.

	£000
September 1998	31
October	45
November	80
December	103
January 1999	90

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the total cost to date of publications on, and advertising of, New Deal programmes for the unemployed. [118512]

[holding answer 10 April 2000]: A sum of £1,849,405 has been spent on publications and a sum of £9,697,576 has been spent on advertising New Deal. These figures exclude the cost of VAT but include amounts incurred for New Deal for Young People, New Deal 25 plus, New Deal 50 plus, New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People and New Deal for Disabled People.The sums do not include expenditure on the promotion of New Deal for Lone Parents, as the Department of Social Security takes the lead on this programme.

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 (a) further and (b) adult education; how many have (i) he and (ii) other Ministers in his Department (1) seen and (2) refused to see; and if he will make a statement. [118924]

This information is not centrally available and could be collected only at a disproportionate cost.