To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress has been made in respect of repairs to churches under the EC Directive adopted by the Council of Ministers on 22 October 1999 authorising member states to apply a reduced rate of VAT on a temporary basis for certain labour-intensive services. [119828]

Originally there was a suggestion that the directive might be applied to allow a lower rate of VAT on repairs to all historic and listed buildings including churches. Unfortunately the list adopted did not extend to these and the Churches will continue to press for this to be reviewed at the earliest opportunity.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans he has to seek to ensure that VAT costs are reduced for repairs to existing church buildings and to ensure that VAT is charged exclusively on the construction of new church buildings. [119846]

The Churches continue to press the case for VAT relief on repairs to church buildings. The hon. Lady will know that I raised this at a recent meeting with my hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts in the context of the current review of policies relating to the historic environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to provide a statutory framework for the UK biodiversity action plans. [120210]

The Biodiversity Action Plan is part of the Government's response to the Convention on Biological Diversity which, as an international treaty, does not require national legislation to give effect to it. Article VI of the Convention specifically requires the preparation of a national strategy. However, the Government are reviewing the need for a statutory basis for the Plan process in the light of representations they have received.They would in any case wish to avoid breaking down the current highly successful delivery partnerships of statutory, business and voluntary sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many foreign Fifth Freedom carriers operate from the UK to the US; and if he will make a statement. [120085]

Four non-UK carriers currently operate scheduled passenger services from the UK to the US using fifth freedom rights. These are Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, Olympic and Kuwait Airways. An additional four non-UK carriers operate scheduled cargo services from the UK to the US using fifth freedom rights. These are Air France, Cargolux and Lufthansa through Prestwick and El Al through London.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what payments regime applies in respect of airlines using the National Air Traffic Services; what changes to such payments are proposed in advance of the Transport Bill being enacted; and if he will make a statement. [120325]

The Civil Aviation (Route Charges for Navigation Services) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1537 and 2999) made under section 73 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 require the operator, and on notice the owner, of any aircraft in the Flight Information Regions of Eurocontrol Member States to pay Eurocontrol a charge for air traffic services.These are collected by Eurocontrol and a sum in respect of the services provided by the service provider in each Contracting State is paid by Eurocontrol to the Contracting State. Under article 20 of the Multilateral Agreement, National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) has been nominated by the UK as being entitled to receive the United Kingdom's share of the route charges.By directions made by the Civil Aviation Authority under Article 79 of the Air Navigation Order (No.2) 1995 it is the responsibility of the owners or operators of specified aerodromes to procure appropriate services for the control of air traffic in their vicinity. Usually the owner or operator of the aerodrome would include the costs incurred in acquiring these services in his charges to the owners or operators of aircraft using the airport. In some cases, however, contracts have been negotiated by NATS that specify that they will charge the aircraft owners and operators direct.The duty on the owners and operators to pay the charges is set out in the Civil Aviation (Navigation Service Charges) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/599).No changes to the current charging arrangements are proposed in advance of the Transport Bill being enacted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many people are employed by National Air Traffic Services; and what the basis is of the share allocation under the public private partnership; [120603](2) if employees of National Air Traffic Services will be able to sell their shares in the NATS public private partnership without restriction. [120619]

NATS employs 5,372 people as at 31 March 1999. The final form of the employee share scheme, including the allocation to NATS' staff, and any restrictions on sale will be worked up in due course following consultation with NATS' employee representatives and, when selected, the Strategic Partner.However, the Government are keen to ensure that the share scheme is designed to ensure that NATS' employees hold a long-term equity stake in their company and that all employees are entitled to participate on an equal basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much hazardous waste was imported into the United Kingdom during 1999 for use as fuel in cement kilns; and what were the countries of origin of that waste. [120341]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: The estimated quantity of hazardous waste imported into the United Kingdom in 1999 for use as fuel in cement and lime kilns, broken down by country of origin, is as follows:

	Tonnes
Guernsey	13
Ireland	6,720
Jersey	18

Accurate information about imports solely for cement kilns, rather than for cement and lime kilns, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Final figures for 1999 will not be available until the summer since, under European law, the kilns have 180 days following receipt of the waste to provide the UK enforcement authorities with a certificate of recovery confirming the actual quantity of waste used as a fuel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the members of the UK CITES delegation to COP XI in Nairobi with a financial interest in the trade and supply of endangered species; and if he will make a statement. [120132]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: No member of the UK Delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species' 11^th Conference of the Parties in Nairobi has a financial interest in the trade and supply of endangered species. One member of the Delegation is seconded from the Cayman Islands Government Civil Service to the Cayman Turtle Farm, a Crown Corporation wholly owned by the Cayman Islands Government, as the Farm's Research Officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to deal with the potential public health risks from the transformation of the simian herpes B virus from macaques held in zoos and safari parks; and if he will make a statement. [120133]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: The Government are aware of the potential health risks of simian herpes B virus. Under health and safety legislation, as well as ensuring the health and safety of employees, employers also have to ensure that others, eg members of the public, are not exposed to risks arising from the work. Local authorities are responsible for health and safety in zoos and safari parks. The Health and Safety Executive has alerted local authority enforcement officers to the potential health risks and has given guidance on action to take should any subsequent cases arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what response he has made to the recommendation of the Cowboy Builders Working Group for a mandatory requirement for builders securing a Government-backed quality mark to provide financial protection for customers. [120551]

I announced on 6 December 1999 that the Government accepted the key recommendations of the final report produced by the Cowboy Builders Working Group, including the requirement that all quality marked builders must provide an approved third-party warranty to protect the consumer in the event that he/she experiences difficulties with the completion of the job or standard of workmanship.Pilots of the quality mark scheme are being run in Birmingham and Somerset. The Birmingham pilot was opened to applications from builders last month, and will open to the public in June or July. The Somerset pilot will be opened to builders later this month and to the public in September or October. The aim of the pilots is to test and develop the arrangements before we take a decision on a national scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the value of capital receipts released to Worcester City Council for each financial year since May 1997. [120595]

The table shows the capital allocations made to Worcester City Council under the Capital Receipts Initiative (CRI). Allocations were made in the form of Supplementary Credit Approvals.

£
Year	Allocations
1997–98	213,000
1998–99	678,000
1999–2000	685,000

There has been no separate allocation of resources under the CRI since 1999–2000, following the introduction of the single housing capital pot from 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was refunded to (a) Worcester City Council and (b) Worcestershire County Council under the Bellwin scheme of flood relief, for each financial year since May 1997. [120596]

A "Bellwin" scheme of emergency financial assistance may be activated to help a local authority with uninsurable clear-up costs following a disaster or emergency that involves destruction of, or danger to, life or property. Grant is normally paid at a rate of 85 per cent. of an authority's qualifying expenditure above a threshold. The threshold is the provision that a prudent authority might reasonably be expected to make for contingencies and emergencies (approximately 0.2 per cent. of its revenue budget).In the financial years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, Worcestershire County Council did not incur qualifying expenditure above its threshold. Grant was paid to Worcestershire City Council as follows:

£
1997–98	0
1998–99	7,164
1999–2000	6,874

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many extra (a) houses and (b) flats he estimates have been built in the last 30 years in order to meet additional demand created by divorce. [120671]

The specific data requested are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the annual budget of the Rail Regulator in the current year; and what plans he has to increase it. [120607]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: The Rail Regulator's final budget for 1999–2000 was £13.1 million, of which £9.3 million was recovered from licence fees. For 2000–01, the Rail Regulator is currently consulting on a proposed budget of £13.2 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many inspectors there were (a) in the Field Operations Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive and (b) in each of the bands 1-4 in each of the last five years. [120389]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: The number of inspectors in the Field Operations Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years is as follows:

	Number
April 1996	892
April 1997	813
April 1998	815
April 1999	837
April 2000	828

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent research his Department has commissioned on the effectiveness of unannounced preventive inspectors by the HSE in preventing accidents at work. [120387]

[holding answer 2 May 2000]: HSE has recently initiated a research project entitled "Proving Inspection Works". The aim of the project is to develop a methodology by which HSE can progressively evaluate the impact inspectors achieve in their various regulatory encounters with duty holders in order to maximise their effects.It is hoped that "Proving Inspection Works" will demonstrate the value of unannounced preventive inspections, but it may be optimistic to say that a direct link can be proved between such an inspection and a reduction in accidents at a particular workplace. The project is looking to measure the promotion of positive risk management behaviours as well as reducing specific hazards and risks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish planning guidance notes for local authorities to maintain and introduce traffic-free and pedestrian-only areas for town and city centres. [120385]

The Government published a revised public consultation draft of Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 on Transport in October last year which encourages local authorities to give greater priority to walking using measures such as pedestrianisation schemes in town and local centres where vehicle access is restricted or prohibited. We intend to publish the final version of PPG13 later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people classified as homeless there were in (a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1999; and how many came from (i) intact families, and (ii) broken families. [120676]

Data on homelessness activity reported by local authorities in England include the number of households accepted as homeless and in priority need under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, and subsequent legislation. 57,850 such households were accepted in 1980 and 104,770 in 1999. These figures are not comparable because of legislative changes since 1977.Local authority homelessness responsibilities under earlier legislation were significantly more limited, and data for 1970 are not available.Information is also reported about the main reasons for loss of the household's last settled home, including "Breakdown of relationship with partner". In 1980 this accounted for around 20 per cent. of all cases, and 24 per cent. in 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect on farmers of planning restrictions on mobile telephone masts. [120577]

Government policy on the development of telecommunication masts is to encourage and facilitate the roll-out of a modern national telecommunications system while protecting the environment. This is reflected in the current framework of law and guidance on planning for such development.As we said in the Action Plan on Farming launched recently by the Prime Minister, we recognise the benefits of mobile phones for rural communities and will consider ways of fulfilling the roll-out of mobile phone networks in rural areas while keeping environmental intrusion to a minimum and taking account of the recommendations of the forthcoming report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the increase in the Redundant Building Grant Programme will be dedicated to farm-based enterprise. [120575]

We have made clear to RDAs our intention that the whole of the £4 million increase should be targeted at farm enterprises, and to that end have removed for farmers the area-based limitation and widened the employment test.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the extension of rate relief to farm-based horse enterprises will be funded; and what effect such an extension of rate relief will have on central Government funding. [120573]

Farm premises used for the breeding and rearing of horses already receive a rate concession. The Prime Minister announced on 30 March 2000 that the Government would consult on proposals to extend rate relief to other horse enterprises linked to farm premises. We are currently considering the options along with other preparatory work for the Rural White Paper and will consult on these proposals later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many RUC detectives are engaged (a) full-time and (b) part-time on the Omagh Bomb. [114936]

The number of officers actively engaged in this investigation has varied at different times to meet the needs of inquiries. All appropriate resources have been made available throughout the investigation. I am advised that there are currently 20 detective officers working full-time on the inquiry team, all on a full-time basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Northern Ireland social fund discretionary budget will be for 2000–01. [120910]

I am pleased to announce that the social fund gross discretionary budget for 2000–01 will be £45.95 million. £10.06 million will be allocated to grants; £35.79 million to loans and £0.1 million will be held as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase of £3.13 million over the initial gross budget set at April 1999.The Community Care Grant (CCG) budget has been increased by £0.2 million to £10.06 million. This will provide more help to CCG applicants, in particular families with children and the disabled.The loans budget has been increased to £35.79 million, an increase of £2.93 million on the initial 1999–2000 loans budget. To improve the fairness of the scheme budgets will be allocated in a way that will, over time, achieve greater consistency of outcome for applicants wherever they live.Details of the individual District budget allocations, together with a note explaining the basis on which they have been made, have been placed in the Library today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, when he publishes his Implementation Plan for the Patten proposals, he will list those items on which the Chief Constable has already started out. [120648]

The Implementation Plan will show the items where the Chief Constable has the lead responsibility for taking work forward and any progress which has already been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, when he publishes his Implementation Plan for the Patten proposals he will indicate those proposals which have human rights and equality implications that have been referred to the Human Rights and Equality Commissions and their replies in each case. [120649]

The Implementation Plan will set out for each recommendation which has been accepted, the programme of work required and who has the lead responsibility for taking the work forward. It will be for those with the lead responsibility to consult and work with the Human Rights and Equality Commissions, as appropriate, in taking the work forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if on the date he publishes the proposed legislation to implement the Patten report and the implementation plan he will name the Oversight Commissioner and the Commissioner's assistants. [120644]

The search for a suitable candidate for appointment as Oversight Commissioner is in hand. The Government will make an announcement in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will promote a competition between the schools and colleges of Northern Ireland to design a politically neutral new badge and insignia for the Police Services of Northern Ireland. [120650]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to introduce a proportional representation system of voting for parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [119564]

I have been asked to reply.We have made it clear that any change to the voting system used for elections to the House of Commons would first require the endorsement of the people of the United Kingdom in a referendum.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 3 May. [119396]

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 3 May. [120345]

This morning I met Nelson Mandela as well as having meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I will have further such meetings later today.

To ask the Prime Minister what the Government have done to implement the findings of the Performance and Innovation Unit in respect of (a) the rural economy, (b) e-commerce, (c) management of cross-cutting policies and (d) analysis and modelling in central Government. [119952]

[holding answer 20 April 2000]: The Government take the implementation of the conclusions of Performance and Innovation Unit reports very seriously. Where appropriate, project reports contain implementation plans, including lead responsibilities and timetables for action.

To ask the Prime Minister what subjects are currently being examined by the Performance and Innovation Unit. [119954]

[holding answer 20 April 2000]: The Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) is currently undertaking the following projects: the Post Office network; Trade and Social, Health and Environmental Objectives on the Global Stage; the Pursuit and Seizure of Criminal Assets; Strategic Options for the Electronic Delivery of Government Services; and Effective Leadership in Delivering Public Services. The PIU is also providing support to the review of adoption. The completed project on Active Ageing was published on 27 April.

To ask the Prime Minister what work is currently being done by the Social Exclusion Unit. [119957]

[holding answer 20 April 2000]: In December 1999 I announce the findings of the review of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) and I set out the following priorities for their work programme: to complete the current programme work to develop the national strategy for neighbourhood renewal, including oversight of the 18 policy action teams; to be closely involved in establishing the arrangements for implementation of the strategy after it is announced in the summer of 2000, and to work closely with HM Treasury and other Government Departments to ensure that the 2000 Spending Review reflects the priority the Government give to tackling poverty and social exclusion.At the same time I asked the Minister for the Cabinet Office to chair the Ministerial Network on Social Exclusion, which was given a new remit to chase progress across Government on implementation of past SEU reports, as well as acting as an informal sounding board for the unit's future work programme.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the Royal British Legion's request for a special gratuity for former Far East prisoners of war or their widows. [120072]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence on 2 May 2000, Official Report, column 7W.

To ask the Prime Minister what exemptions have been made to the sanctions against Serbia for humanitarian reasons, with particular reference to equipment needed for (a) de-mining and (b) dealing with depleted uranium. [119349]

The EC regulations providing for the flight ban (now suspended), the oil embargo and the imposition of financial sanctions in Serbia all provide for humanitarian exemptions.Although the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1160 (1998) imposed an arms embargo on the FRY, UNSCR 1244 (1999) provides that prohibitions imposed by UNSCR 1160 shall not apply to the sale or supply of arms and related material for use by the international civil and security presence in Kosovo. The UK has approved a number of applications for the export of demining equipment to the FRY where such activity is taking place under the auspices of the international civil and security presence.The export to Serbia of equipment for dealing with depleted uranium would not be covered by sanctions. However, an export licence would have to be obtained from the Department of Trade and Industry if the equipment in question was covered by the UK's strategic export controls on dual-use goods which apply to all destinations.

To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the total staff costs for No. 10 Downing street in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000. [112076]

[holding answer 28 February 2000]: The staff costs for No. 10 Downing street were £3.4 million in 1996–97; £4.1 million in 1997–98; and £4.9 million in 1998–99. The provisional figure for 1999–2000 is £5.9 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role BNFL will play in maintaining the UK's Trident programme at AWE. [116244]

BNFL and other members of the AWE ML consortium will be seconding a small number of middle and senior managers to AWE in the short-term, parent company nominees will reduce to only a handful of board members early in the new contract. On the exact responsibilities to be carried out by the nominees from BNFL, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Rendel) on 15 April 2000, Official Report, column 487W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the indicated airspeed of RAF Chinook ZD576 during the last 40 seconds of flight as it approached the Mull of Kintyre on 2 June 1994. [120101]

The Board of Inquiry considered data extracted from the aircraft's systems, the Air Accident Investigation Board technical report, the flight path simulations from Boeing Helicopters and a separate investigation from Defence Research Agency Bedford, together with witness evidence. The Board concluded that it was most likely that while coasting in at the Mull of Kintyre the aircraft was established in a steady climb, with an airspeed of about 150 knots, until approximately four seconds before impact.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purposes his Department requires a birth certificate to be furnished by (a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment and contracts and (d) other persons. [120322]

The Ministry of Defence usually requests a birth certificate from prospective employees, both Service and civilian, and individuals undertaking work for the Department, to establish proof of identity. Other official documents, however, such as a full 10-year passport, may be furnished as proof of identity and, normally, are acceptable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to salaries paid by his Department of an increase in the national minimum wage to all age groups to (a) £4, (b) £4.20 and (c) £4.50 an hour. [120234]

The estimated annual cost of increasing basic pay by the amounts requested is (a) £0.6 million, (b) £1.8 million and (c) £4.5 million respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of RAF aircraft maintenance and spares for the last year for which figures are available. [120277]

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the front line combat aircraft operated by the RAF; what is the complement of trained pilots required to operate each type; and how many trained pilots are available to fly each type. [120409]

The information is shown in the following table:

Number of trained pilots at 27 April 2000
Aircraft type	Pilot establishment	Pilot strength
Tornado GR1/4	133	123
Tornado F3	111	103
Jaguar	57	59
Harrier	63	62
Sea Harrier	34	28

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the internet e-mail facility for the Veterans' Advice Unit will become available; and if he will make a statement. [120837]

I am pleased to announce that the Veterans' Advice Unit is, from today, linked to the internet and may be contacted on-line by e-mail at the following address: veteransadvice@veterans.mod.uk.The Veterans' Advice Unit has been operating successfully as a telephone helpline for 18 months and this important enhancement to the service will open the Unit up to a wider audience. In addition to the millions of ex-Servicemen and women resident in the UK, veterans living abroad, often in different time zones, will now be able to contact the Unit at their convenience and at minimal cost, using the e-mail facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to alter the current discharge regulations for new recruits joining the Naval Service. [120838]

With effect from 1 June 2000, all new recruits, other than re-engagements, will have a statutory right to apply to leave the Naval Service during a six month period from date of entry, subject to having completed four weeks' effective service. Recruits will be entitled to be discharged no later than 14 days from the date of submitting notice in writing to their Commanding Officer. Currently, recruits have a period of three to six months, depending on their age at entry, during which they may exercise their right to leave the Service.Additionally, discharge fees applicable to Royal Navy Ratings and Royal Marine Other Ranks aged 17½ years or over on entry, who take up their right to leave within the six month period, are to be discontinued from 1 June 2000.The two changes in Terms of Service will harmonise the Naval Service's discharge regulations for new recruits and mean that all new recruits, irrespective of their age on entry, will have an equal right to leave the Service in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000, Official Report, columns 708-09W, what was the (a) purpose, (b) nature and (c) outcome of the experiment involving 13 military volunteers at HMS Phoenix. [117078]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties earmarked for naval officers have been built by his Department (a) in total and (b) in the Portsmouth area in each of the last four years; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [118652]

The Defence Housing Executive (DHE) is the MOD agency responsible for managing Service housing in England, Wales and Scotland and, as a Tri-Service organisation, it does not build properties specifically for any one Service.53 officers' quarters were built in Putney between 1995 and 1997 at a cost of £4.6 million, a small majority of which are occupied by Naval officers. At Taranto Hill, Ilchester, 34 officers' quarters are in course of construction as part of a larger project, at an approximate cost of £2.7 million. The majority of occupants will be Naval officers based at RNAS Yeovilton.Four Private Finance Initiative contracts have been placed by DHE covering requirements for new officers' accommodation for Lossiemouth, Shawbury, Glasgow (at Paisley) and Yeovilton, of which only those at Yeovilton will be mainly occupied by Naval officers. These PFI houses will not be owned by DHE and the cost will be paid through a monthly payment by DHE to the owners for the properties required. Payment will be dependent on the quality of service provided.Two further PFI contracts are planned, one to cover accommodation requirements at Waddington and one to cover requirements at Bristol, Bath, Shrivenham and Portsmouth, of which the 70 houses for Portsmouth will be mainly occupied by Naval officers' families. Because of land ownership issues, some 15 of the 70 may be built with MOD capital and be MOD owned. Firm costs are not yet available and are likely to be commercially sensitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many naval officers in the greater Portsmouth area are living in privately rented accommodation and awaiting

Charter costs 1996–97 to 1999–2000
Ser.	FY	Number of ships	Annual cost (£000)	Task/Destinations1
1	1996–97	249	18,040	(a) Operations (11)—Split
				(b) Exercises (29)—USA, Spain, Norway, Germany, Turkey
				(c) Resupply (13)—Antwerp and Zeebrugge (for BAOR, Germany), Gibraltar, Cyprus, Kenya, Falkland Islands (inter-island)
				(d) Training (3)—Marchwood
2	1997–98	266	13,491	(a) Operations (10)—Split
				(b) Exercises (32)—Germany, Spain, Turkey, Norway, Sardinia
				(c) Resupply (39)—Antwerp and Zeebrugge (for BAOR, Germany), Gibraltar, Cyprus, Canada, Falkland Islands (inter-island)
				(d) Training (7)—March wood
3	1998–99	346	16,107	(a) Operations (16)—Split, Thessaloniki
				(b) Exercises (18)—Germany, Norway, Spain, Poland, Turkey
				(c) Resupply (32)—Antwerp and Zeebrugge (for BAOR, Germany), Gibraltar, Cyprus, Canada, Falkland Islands (inter-island)
				(d) Training (4)—Marchwood
4	1999–2000	359	21,552	(a) Operations (43)—Thessaloniki, Split, Corsica
				(b) Exercises (19)—Germany, Norway, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, USA, Scotland
				(c) Resupply (22)—Antwerp and Zeebrugge (for BAOR, Germany), Canada, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Kenya, Falkland Islands (inter-island)
1 Figures indicate number of tasks carried out
2 Number includes 1 × Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) RoRo on bare boat charter
3 Number includes 2 × JRRF RoRos on bare boat charter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the UK retains the capacity for warship construction; [119335](2) if he will instruct the UK Defence Procurement Agency to ensure that UK suppliers are not disadvantaged in relation to foreign competition in respect of contracts for warship construction; and if he will make a statement. [119405]

106 naval officers and their families are presently accommodated in non-Service family quarters in the greater Portsmouth area. Forty-two have been resident over six months. New applicants are allocated Service accommodation as it becomes available so that mid tour moves should not be necessary.There are no naval officers being provided with single rented accommodation in the greater Portsmouth area at the present time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on charter costs for ferries to transport military assets in each of the last five years; on how many occasions and to what locations equipment was moved; and if he will make a statement. [119165]

The information requested is not available on a consistent basis prior to Financial Year (FY) 1996–97. The following table shows the number of ships, excluding tankers, chartered from FY 1996–97 to FY 1999–2000 to transport military assets.

Government policy, which is followed by the Defence Procurement Agency, is for warships to be built in the UK. UK warship builders are not, therefore, disadvantaged in relation to foreign competition.The shipbuilding programme that has emerged from the Strategic Defence Review represents a considerable commitment and provides UK Shipbuilding Industry with a firm basis to invest, and modernise.Taken together, the policy for warship building and the future requirements for warships should ensure that the UK retains the capacity for warship construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on (a) advertising and (b) acknowledging company sponsorship on the websites of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies; which companies (i) have placed advertisements and (ii) are acknowledged as sponsors on those websites; how much revenue has been received for each financial year since 1997 from such advertisements and sponsorship; and if that revenue has been retained within the budget of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies. [119543]

[holding answer 19 April 2000]: My Department's policies on advertising and sponsorship of its Departmental websites come under the existing conventions on Government publishing and advertising as set out in the Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service, which can be found at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/central/1999/workgis/index.htm. The Department's websites are subject to the policy guidelines issued by the Cabinet Office on the use, management and design of Government websites. These guidelines are available at http://www.iagchampions.gov.uk/guidelines/websites. They permit the use of advertisements and sponsorship on Government websites.No advertisements and no sponsorship acknowledgements which generate revenue appear on the Department's principal websites, nor have there been any in the past. To the best of my knowledge this applies also to the websites maintained by individual Defence Agencies, units and non-departmental public bodies.Where a company has sponsored a major Service event and a related web page exists on one of the Department's websites, that page has on occasion included the company's logo which in some cases links to the company's own website. This has been the case with some events announced on the Royal Navy and British Army websites, but no revenue has been generated by the appearance of logos. The websites for the Red Arrows and Blue Eagles aerobatic teams have been provided at no cost by commercial web designers Deltaweb, who provide a link to their own site. Some other sites, designed under contract, include acknowledgements and links to their designers' own websites.The Ministry of Defence's main website includes a search facility provided free of charge by the International Relations and Security Network and Eurospider Information Technology AG, under the auspices of NATO's Partnership for Peace initiative. The Met. Office website similarly uses free search facilities provided by Excite.com. Links are provided to their websites. No revenue has been generated in the process.The British Defence Staff (Washington) has a specific responsibility to promote UK defence exports to the United States. In pursuit of this objective, the BDS (W) website promotes specific items of defence equipment and its manufacturers. In addition the site search facility is presently advertiser-supported but provided free of charge by freefind.com.Of the Department's non-departmental public bodies, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum currently includes links to BAE Systems to recognise sponsorship of museum exhibits. However, no revenue has been generated by the appearance of the relevant logos and links on the website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who issues licences to enter his Department's land on Salisbury Plain. [119928]

Licences to enter Salisbury Plain Training Area are issued by Defence Estates once approval has been given by the Commandant Army Training Estate Salisbury Plain. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which the then Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) gave to her on 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 280W, on the licensing procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many licences to enter his Department's land have been issued in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999 and (e) 2000 to date; [119926](2) how many licences to enter his Department's land have been

The information on the number of licences issued to enter Ministry of Defence land and also how many of these have been revoked or curtailed is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Once licences are issued, however, licence holders are required to operate within the terms of their licence. Responsibility for ensuring that this occurs rests both with Defence Estates (an agency of the Ministry of Defence) and the establishment where the activity occurs.Action on the contravention of any licence is dependent both on the activity involved and in what way the agreement has been contravened. For example, if damage has occurred the licence holder can be asked to pay for any repairs that may be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions since May 1997 when alternative studies have been initiated for procurement programmes once a preferred supplier has been selected, indicating the cost of those studies in each case. [118971]

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: Information of this sort is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2000 to the hon. Member for Angus, (Mr. Welsh), Official Report, column 303W, on tritium, for what reason disclosure of tritium production details would be contrary to national defence and security interests. [120065]

The Government are committed to being as open as possible about Britain's nuclear forces. However, disclosure of tritium production details could provide the means to assess nuclear weapon design data, offering an unwelcome insight into our nuclear capabilities. In addition, when answering questions on defence nuclear issues, we must observe our obligations under the terms of Article 1 of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is on these grounds that I am withholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many staff were employed at the Defence and Clothing Research Establishment at Colchester; when the decision was taken to transfer all the operations to Bicester; and how many staff it is estimated will be transferring to the new site; [120592](2) when the Defence and Clothing Research Establishment at Colchester was due to transfer to Bicester; what is the current anticipated date when the transfer will be completed; what is the cause of the delay; and if he will make a statement. [120593]

When DCTA was formed in November 1994, the intention from the outset was that the different elements would collocate to Caversfield. This would generate efficiencies by rationalising technical facilities at the Agency's Didcot and Colchester sites and by reducing the number of staff required to run one site as compared to three. However, it was not until July 1996 that a firm date of November 1998 was decided for the transfer of the Colchester Science & Technology Department (S&TD) element. At that time, the establishment of S&TD comprised a total of 147 staff was expected to increase by 1998 to 156. The current estimate of the number of staff from Colchester intending to transfer to the Caversfield site is 84, although all staff at Colchester still have the offer of a job at Caversfield, should they decide to move.The original date for the transfer has been affected by a number of studies into the future of DCTA. However, none of these studies raised any point which significantly altered the original plan and the then Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson), confirmed the collocation on 1 April 1999.The Collocation is now expected to be completed by February 2001, which represents a total delay of some two years and three months over the original date. The causes are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost to public funds of Lord Levy's visit to Morocco, broken down by (a) expenses and (b) other costs. [118791]

[holding answer 12 April 2000]: I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 February 2000, Official Report, column 852W. This was also the case in relation to the Morocco visit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whom the Prime Minister's special envoy met on his recent trip to Morocco. [118794]

[holding answer 12 April 2000]: Lord Levy met a range of senior figures, including King Mohammed VI, to whom he delivered a personal message from the Prime Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason no fines have been imposed under Article 228(2) of the Amsterdam Treaty; and what representations he has made calling for such fines be imposed. [119811]

Article 228(2) applies if a member state fails to respond to a Court judgment. The vast majority of cases is settled well before this stage. Over the last three years, the Annual Report on monitoring the application of Community law records that the Commission has referred 14 cases to the European Court of Justice for a second time, recommending fines in each case. The fact that no penalties have yet been imposed by the Court does not indicate that the system is not working. On the contrary, it shows that member states have responded to the possibility of a fine by rapidly coming into line with EC law, either before the case is referred to the ECJ for a second time or shortly afterwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications have been received by the (a) scientific and (b) Atomic Energy Counsellors in the British Embassy in Washington DC since May 1997, from the (i) United States Department of Energy and (ii) other US nuclear authorities, in respect of the agreements affecting plutonium exported from the United Kingdom to the United States and the use to which that material has been put. [120252]

There is no Atomic Energy Counsellor at the Embassy in Washington. Since May 1997 the Science, Technology, Environment and Energy Counsellor has received routine communications from the United States Government on the movement of nuclear material exported from the United Kingdom to the United States, and the use to which that material has been put. These have formed part of the normal process of consultation between our two Governments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) with reference to the operation of the interim appointment system in Islamabad for applicants seeking entry clearance (a) by what criteria an application is judged to be straightforward, (b) by whom this decision is made, (c) how an applicant is informed that the application is regarded as straightforward, (d) what types of visa application can be considered under this system and (e) if an existing applicant awaiting interview can take advantage of the scheme; [120487](2) how many applications for entry clearance have been considered under the interim appointment system in Islamabad; and of these, how many were

There is no interim appointment system in operation at Islamabad. There is, however, a fast-track scheme for spouses in the settlement queue, whereby they can present themselves for interview on any Tuesday. Applicants who meet the relevant criteria of the Immigration Rules without the need for any additional inquiry are granted entry clearance. Those who do not are invited to return for further interview on the date of their original appointment.No statistics are kept for those granted entry clearance, or deferred to their original appointment, during this process. All of those who attend have their applications considered by an Entry Clearance Officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what oil revenues are available to Iraq for purchasing (a) food and (b) medical supplies under UN sanctions; and if he will make a statement. [120363]

Under the UN "oil for food" programme, Iraq can export unlimited amounts of oil to fund the purchase of food, medical supplies and other humanitarian relief. With Iraq now among the world's largest oil producers again, and given that its oil reserves are second only to those of Saudi Arabia, more than $10 billion a year should be available for the humanitarian programme. It is, however, for Iraq to decide how much of that money will be spent on essential food and medicines for the Iraqi people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what goods on the UK Military List have recently been approved for export to Iraq. [120839]

Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence to export de-mining equipment to Iraq for use by UN personnel in a humanitarian de-mining programme. The export of the equipment was approved by the UN Sanctions Committee under the Oil for Food programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom will ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. [120355]

The UK requires legislation before we can ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. This legislation will be published in draft form in the current Parliamentary session and introduced as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent progress being made to establish an International Criminal Court. [120354]

To date the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court has been signed by 96 States and ratified by eight. The Court will be established once 60 States ratify. A Preparatory Commission is making good progress and is expected to complete the drafting of two important subsidiary documents to the Statute during its next session in June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in reducing the backlog of correspondence in the Visa Correspondence Unit. [120911]

I am pleased to inform the House that the Visa Correspondence Unit's backlog of correspondence with Members has been reduced so that there are now only 45 letters from Members which have not been answered within the 15 working day target, compared to 851 on 27 January. Forty-five is, of course, still too many and we will continue to work to improve our performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when residents of Gosport will receive their winter fuel payments. [119840]

The administration of benefits is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency to answer. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the guidelines are in respect of comments by the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency on decisions by Benefits Agency decision makers on claims for Disability Living Allowance. [120088]

The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, who will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Government will announce a financial settlement for vaccine damaged children. [120727]

The results of our review of the Vaccine Damage Payments scheme are in preparation but have not yet been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received Sure Start Maternity Grant in 1999–2000; and how many are expected to receive it in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02. [119948]

[holding answer 20 April 2000]: Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG) was introduced from 27 March 2000 to replace the £100 Maternity Payment, and is payable for children expected, born or adopted on or after 11 June. Maternity payments will continue for children expected, born or adopted before 11 June. Since both Maternity payments and SSMG payments will be made during 2000–01, figures for the two benefits are in the following table for the relevant years.

Number of people receiving Sure Start Maternity Grant and Maternity Payment
	Sure Start Maternity Grant	Maternity Payment
1999–2000	1—	171,827
2000–01	2165,000	230,000
2001–02	2192,000	0
1 Not yet available
2 Projected figure

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department first announced plans to halve child poverty in 10 years and eradicate child poverty in 20 years; and when these targets are due to be met. [120238]

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced our aim to end child poverty in 20 years in the Beveridge Lecture on 18 March 1999. Following this, we published "Opportunity for all" (Cm 4445, September 1999) placing tackling poverty and social exclusion at the heart of this Government's agenda. Reinforcing our commitment to ending child poverty, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced our ambition to halve child poverty "by the end of the next decade" in his 1999 Pre-Budget Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to address the problem of child labour in the developing world. [119360]

Our Government played a key role in brokering the agreement on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1999. We have contributed $1 million per annum for the last two years to support ILO programmes to eliminate child labour and are working with the ILO on projects to eliminate child labour in India and Tanzania, and to restrict trafficking in children in South-East Asia.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the role of her Department in appointing year-out students on development projects overseas. [119362]

The Department for International Development does not appoint year-out students on development projects overseas. Developing countries require access to know how to build local capacity. Our volunteer schemes such as Voluntary Service Overseas and British Executive Services Overseas provide volunteers with skills in areas needed by developing countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations she has received from Christian Aid about third-world debt. [119363]

On 4 April, the Chancellor and I met a number of faith leaders and directors of voluntary organisations, including Christian Aid, at one of our regular seminars on debt and poverty reduction. I continue to receive many letters on debt, including from Christian Aid supporters.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the amount of debt relief granted to the world's poorest countries is increased. [119377]

We were instrumental in securing the revision of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which provides faster, wider and deeper debt relief for the poorest countries. The new framework will deliver $50 billion in debt relief. In addition, the Government have announced that they will provide 100 per cent. bilateral relief on all remaining export credit debt for qualifying HIPC countries. Some other countries, including the rest of the G7, have agreed additional debt relief beyond the HIPC framework.At the Spring Meetings of the World bank and IMF last month, the international community agreed to set up a joint World bank/IMF Committee to oversee the implementation of the enhanced HIPC framework, and to provide regular progress reports to the two Executive Boards. I welcome this measure.The financing for the revised Initiative has yet to be identified in full. The UK has made the largest commitment to date to the HIPC Trust Fund—over $350 million, including our share of the European Community contribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the total amount of emergency assistance that her Department has committed to Ethiopia in response to the current famine. [119364]

We have responded quickly and appropriately to emerging emergency needs in Ethiopia. Since June 1999 we have committed some £9.3 million in food and non-food relief. The food aid element is over 30,000 metric tonnes. In addition, we contribute about 17 per cent. of the cost of EC food aid; estimated to be some 432,000 metric tonnes this year. We are ready to commit more funds if new needs emerge.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about the aid she is providing to Ethiopia. [119370]

We have responded quickly and appropriately to emerging emergency needs in Ethiopia. Since June 1999 we have committed £9.3 million in food and non-food relief. The food aid element is over 30,000 metric tonnes. In addition, we contribute about 17 per cent. of the cost of EC food aid: estimated to be some 432,000 metric tonnes this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on linking aid to India with good governance; and if she will make a statement. [119365]

Our "Country Strategy for India", published in 1999, stresses the crucial importance of good governance to India's development. One of the five strategic objectives for our programme in India is to promote accountable government delivering pro-poor reform and growth and effective services.A key element of the Strategy is the focusing of our effort and funding on the governments of selected Indian states which have high concentrations of poor people. The criteria for choice of states include:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about development aid to east Africa. [119366]

British bilateral development assistance to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda totalled about £130 million in 1999–2000. Assistance to Tanzania and Uganda is set to increase substantially over the next three years in support of Government-led efforts to strengthen economic management and reduce poverty, which are being pursued further through the preparation of Poverty Reductions Strategy Papers (PRSP). In Kenya, the Government are seeking to negotiate a new economic reform programme with the IMF, in preparation for which it is preparing an interim PRSP. We are ready, if Kenya reaches agreement on a credible poverty reduction programme with the international financial institutions, substantially to increase development assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about aid to the Horn of Africa. [119368]

Planned expenditure in countries in the Horn of Africa is shown at Annex 1, Table 5 of the DFID Departmental Report 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's target for expenditure on overseas development as a proportion of gross domestic product. [119367]

DFID assistance to developing countries in the last financial year is estimated at £2.212 billion, an increase of 8.5 per cent. in real terms over the expenditure of £1.987 billion in 1998–99. This increase reflects the first year of the Comprehensive Spending Round settlement in 1998, as part of which an extra £1.6 billion was allocated for development spending. Under this, DFID' s budget will increase by £365 million in the current financial year and by a further £307 million in 2001–02.I should also inform the House that we have today submitted to the OECD our provisional figures for official development assistance for the 1999 calendar year. We estimate that net ODA for the calendar year will be £2.03 billion. This results from the different time-frame of our financial year and the Development Assistance Committee's use of the calendar year and is largely the consequence of the timing of the deposit of promissory notes in respect of IDA and the African. Development Fund, lower than predicted spending by the EC, and the timing of bringing to book expenditure on Kosovo. This will produce an anomalous calendar year ODA/GNP ratio of 0.23 per cent. We expect that ODA in 2000 will be 0.29 per cent. of GNP, rising in 2001 to 0.30 per cent. of GNP.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of British development aid to Zimbabwe. [119371]

The effectiveness of development assistance to Zimbabwe is kept under regular review. Projects are professionally appraised, monitored and evaluated to assess their impact on poverty. We also review the impact of the wider political and economic environment on progress. Our present assessment is that our portfolio so far has been broadly effective, but that new government-led projects would not be less effective until current governance and economic management issues are resolved. New projects are therefore channelled largely through civil society organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's aid to Zimbabwe. [119372]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's programme in Zimbabwe. [119374]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of the aid programme to the Government of Zimbabwe. [119358]

We are continuing to monitor events in Zimbabwe very closely, and are keeping programme activities under review to ensure that they can still be effective. We are particularly concerned about the failure of the police to uphold court orders against farm invaders; to provide protection under the law; and to act impartially in policing demonstrations. I have therefore suspended DFID support to an Aid and Trade Provision project supplying Land Rovers to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid in the form of water pumps she has sent to Iraq via the United Nations. [119373]

In the centre and south of Iraq we have committed £5.3 million to Care International for water and sanitation projects and £3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross whose programme includes rehabilitating water and sanitation services. In northern Iraq we have supported a number of water and sanitation projects over recent years through NGOs. We are not providing water pumps to UN agencies. These are being imported into Iraq through the oil-for-food programme, and where practicable, our programmes make use of them.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to help end the system of bonded labour in south Asia. [119375]

The Government are working for the elimination of bonded labour in several ways. We played a key role in discussions to draw up the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998) and the Convention for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999) which both outlaw bonded labour and provide international standards and monitoring mechanisms. The UK has provided $2 million over the last two financial years to ILO' s International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). Many child labourers in south Asia work under bonded conditions.At country and regional level we are working with the ILO, national Governments, trades unions and other civil society organisations to promote labour rights and tackle the poverty which usually underlies abuses. One of the causes of bondage is indebtedness to landowners. We are supporting micro-credit schemes which aim to provide alternative sources of affordable finance to poor people.In the UK we are supporting the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), a consortium of business, trades unions and non-governmental organisations which encourages companies, many of whom have suppliers in south Asia, to adopt codes of conduct including labour standards throughout their supply chain.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to help developing countries combat malaria. [119376]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that malaria kills one million people a year, mainly in Africa. We are strongly supporting the WHO-led Roll Back Malaria (RBM) initiative to achieve the goal of reducing the malaria burden by half by 2010. The RBM initiative provides the vehicle for concerted action by partners, especially in Africa, to deliver more widely the benefits of currently available methods of malaria control to the poorest. Overall UK developmental programme spending on malaria control activities has increased tenfold in the last five years. We are also supporting public-private partnerships to develop the new generation of affordable drugs required for malaria control in developing countries, both by direct funding to WHO through such initiatives as the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the Lapdap product development programme and the Malarone donation programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what help her Department is giving in the clearing of land mines in Kosovo. [119378]

We have provided over £7 million during the 1999–2000 financial year for the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance in Kosovo. So far we have committed a further £6.6 million during 2000–01. The great majority of this funding is going to four mine clearance organisations. We have also supported the UN Mine Action Co-ordination Centre through contributions in cash and in kind.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what famine relief operations are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) UK aid agencies in Ethiopia and Eritrea. [119379]

(a) Details of the emergency interventions we have funded in Ethiopia between June 1999 and April 2000 are outlined in the DFID Background Briefing on Ethiopia, April 2000, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. In addition, we are also providing £1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to cover food and transport costs and some £1.3 million to Farm Africa for work in Konso. Britain also contributes about 17 per cent. of the cost of EC food aid for Ethiopia; estimated to be some 432,000 metric tonnes this year. In Eritrea this year, we have provided £200,000 to Oxfam for emergency water/sanitation interventions for people displaced by the conflict. In addition, we also provide 17 per cent. of the cost of EC interventions in Eritrea.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from non-governmental organisations working in Burma and Thailand about her Department's policies towards those countries. [119350]

We have not had any representations from non-governmental organisations working in Burma and Thailand about our policies, but we have consulted non-governmental organisations about the situation in Burma in preparing a Country Strategy Paper that we shall publish shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the change in status of the Commonwealth Development Corporation. [119369]

On 8 December 1999 Commonwealth Development Corporation was transformed from a statutory corporation into a public limited company registered under the name of CDC Group plc. It now operates within the framework designed for the Public/Private Partnership. This entrenches an investment policy focusing on investment in poorer countries. For the time being CDC remains wholly Government-owned.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on UK development aid to the Palestinian Authority. [119361]

Our bilateral development assistance for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is focused on co-operation with the Palestinian Authority to build a nation through support for the peace process (eg improving Palestinian administrative systems and analytical resources); institution and capacity building (eg improving health and education services); and empowering civil society (eg through non-government organisations working on gender and law issues). We currently spend some £8 million a year on the programme. In addition we contribute a similar sum to the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in support of its core activities and to assist in improving service delivery. Our share of European Community and other multilateral programmes for the Palestinians takes our average annual contribution to over £25 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's budget was spent in the world's poorest countries in the last financial year. [119359]

Our Government have committed themselves to increase the focus of our aid spending on the poorest people and the poorest countries. The proportion of our country programmes spent in Low Income Countries in the last financial year rose to 71 per cent. from 63.2 per cent. the previous year. We are on course to reach a proportion of around 80 per cent. this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what circumstances an item on the military list can be exported without the requirement of an end-use certificate. [120236]

All applications for Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) for the permanent export of goods subject to strategic export control must be supported by appropriate end-user documentation. Where the intended consignee is a Government body, and the application is not for a licence to export chemicals listed in Schedule 2 or 3 to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to a state which has not ratified the CWC, a copy of the official Government purchase order or a copy of the relevant part of the Government contract covering the order is normally sufficient. An end-user undertaking is not usually required for Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications for the temporary export of goods subject to strategic export control.An Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) is specific to an individual exporter and covers multiple shipments of specified goods to specified destinations and/or, in some cases, specified consignees. The exporter must obtain from each consignee an appropriate written undertaking for each export before the export takes place, or not later than one month after the date of exportation. Where the exporter intends to make more than one exportation to the same consignee in any period of one year, an annual written undertaking may be obtained in fulfilment of this requirement.As with SIELs, where goods are being consigned direct to a Government body, we will normally accept a copy of the Government purchase contract order, or the relevant extracts from the contract.An Open General Export Licence (OGEL) allows the export from the UK of goods specified in the goods coverage of the OGEL to specified destinations. In such circumstances, end-user undertakings are not required. Copies of OGELs are routinely placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what purposes his Department requires a birth certificate to be furnished by (a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment and contracts and (d) other persons. [120312]

In the DTI and some of its agencies a birth certificate is one of a variety of documents which applicants for jobs may choose to offer as proof of identity and of age, for pension purposes, prior to or at recruitment. In the event of the death of a departmental employee in service, his or her children's full birth certificates are required in order to verify dates of birth for dependants' benefits under the relevant pensions arrangements. Contractors are responsible for establishing proof of the identity of their employees. Birth certificates are not required routinely for any other departmental purposes, although they can be offered by claimants under the Empty Property Compensation Scheme to help establish the validity of such claims in particular lines of inheritance, and they may, in very limited circumstances, be demanded under a number of statutory powers of investigation, for example under Section 434 of the Companies Act 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to conduct an investigation into quality control data problems associated with MOX fuel supplied by British Nuclear Fuels to Swiss and German utilities. [119674]

No. The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate reported on the data falsification issues in the MOX demonstration facility (MDF) in its report published on 18 February. HSE's priority now is to assess BNFL's responses to its reports, published on 18 April, and to monitor the implementation of BNFL's action plans.I understand that HSE has briefed the Swiss and German nuclear regulators on the findings of their report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to investigate further allegations made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries about BNFL's ability to manufacture MOX fuel pellets to meet the required specification; and if he will make a statement. [119680]

I am not aware of the allegations made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries apart from those relating to the falsification of data on secondary pellet diameter checks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if MOX fuel pellets which should have failed the secondary checks at the Sellafield MOX Demonstration Facility were erroneously approved. [119679]

The falsification of data occurred at a secondary manual stage of checking, the fuel pellets already having been subject to 100 per cent. automated checking.The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate reported on the data falsification issues in the MOX Demonstration Facility (MDF) in its report published on 18 February. The report confirmed that some pellet diameter data had been falsified; four of the affected fuel assemblies are in Japan; and the fuel would be safe in use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received a copy of an English translation of a report by the TUEV agency produced for the Ministry of Environment of the Government of Lower Saxony on MOX production and quality control standards at Sellafield. [119673]

I have not received a copy of the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list each of the (a) oral and (b) written parliamentary answers Ministers in his Department have provided since May 1997 which were based on (i) information and (ii) a draft provided by British Nuclear Fuels; [120046](2) how many letters have been sent by Ministers in his Department to

Internal advice and the source of such advice is not made public in line with exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will appoint to the board of British Nuclear Fuels a suitably qualified representative from a non-governmental organisation. [120282]

The BNFL Chairman, Hugh Collum, is looking to refresh and strengthen his board so that the company can tackle the challenges ahead. That will include recruiting people of a high calibre with a proven track record to contribute, and be committed, to the success of the business.