To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the role of the United Nations in Kosovo. [121067]

[holding answer 5 May 2000]: The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has the unenviable task of reconstructing a devastated province and reconciling a polarised population. To this end UNMIK's operations have divided up under four pillars, covering civil administration, humanitarian relief, democratic institution-building and reconstruction.We fully support UNMIK's efforts to carry out its mandate and have provided UK personnel to assist in local government, 60 civilian police officers with a further 90 promised and £119 million in humanitarian relief and reconstruction aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Sierra Leone. [121299]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 8 May 2000, Official Report, columns 518-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation by British nuclear test veterans have been (a) made and (b) settled to date. [121304]

My Department has recorded 144 claims for compensation from British nuclear test veterans. As there is no evidence of excess illness or mortality among British nuclear test veterans as a group which could be linked to their participation in the nuclear tests, no compensation claims from them have been settled. In any event, prior to May 1987, Service personnel were prevented from pursuing claims for compensation from the Ministry of Defence by section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act 1947. The repeal of section 10 by the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 was not made retrospective and claims arising from injury or illness caused before the repeal are barred by law.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from hon. Members regarding an inquest on the 23 alleged victims of Dr Shipman; and if he is minded to direct the Stockport coroner to hold such an inquest. [121461]

No representations have been made to me on this matter other than from my hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Mr. Pendry). Having regard to all the issues, including the difficult position for the relatives if the deaths were not investigated in public, I have agreed that inquests should take place and directions have been sent to the coroner accordingly. The directions give the coroner authority to hold inquests. However, the detailed handling arrangements are matters for the coroner to determine.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from (a) other Government Departments, (b) the Fire Service, (c) the Ambulance Service and (d) the Police concerning the Radio Replacement Scheme. [121336]

I have received various representations from police forces, the Association of Police Authorities, individual Police Authorities and other interested organisations in England and Wales about the Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP). The project represents an important part of our commitment to ensure that the police have access to the modern facilities they need to play their key part in tackling crime and disorder and improving community safety. Concern has been expressed about the cost of the project. I recognise those concerns. Over the three year period starting from the 1999–2000 financial year, the police service will receive an additional £1.24 billion in central Government funding. The annual charges for the PSRC Service will be reduced by the £50 million that I obtained from the Capital Modernisation Fund, specifically for the PSRCP. Consideration of the financial pressures on forces will also be taken into account in the overall level of resources to be provided to the police service in future years as part of the year 2000 Spending Review.I have received, also, various representations from the fire services about future radio communications and control room requirements, including views on cost and on participation in the PSRC Service. All fire authorities in England and Wales are now required to undertake Best Value reviews of their communications requirements in 2000–01. I am making available to fire authorities this week the results of a consultancy study to assist consideration of their future control room needs. This strongly confirms the benefits of a joined-up approach in exploring technology to create new possibilities for improving cost-effectiveness and service delivery. This will be followed by guidance on take up of the PSRC Service.The PSRC Service represents a positive approach to options to radio replacement programs within the Ambulance Services. The NHS Executive is reviewing this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the conduct of the Metropolitan police in relation to protesters during the Chinese Head of State's visit in 1999. [121298]

The policing arrangements for the State Visit of the President of China were fully reviewed by the Metropolitan police after the visit, and a copy of the review placed in the Library.Since that time, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has accepted, in the context of court proceedings, that the removal of some flags and banners from protesters was unlawful.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of Europol in co-operation with the Russian Federation authorities combating organised crime in the context of the EU Action Plan. [120851]

In its meeting on 27 March 2000, the Justice and Home Affairs Council approved the European Union Action Plan on common action for the Russian Federation on combating organised crime. In that meeting, the Council also adopted a Decision authorising the Director General of Europol to enter into negotiations on agreements with certain third states, including the Russian Federation, and non-European Union related bodies. The Government welcome this Council Decision which, in the context of the Action Plan, enables Europol to play a full part in supporting co-operation between the member states and the Russian Federation in combating the common threat from organised crime to mutual advantage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government policy on acceding to elements of Schengen in lieu of a third state agreement, as set out in the Council Decision of 27 March, 2000/C106/01; what elements of

Direct Costs
£ million
Benefit	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
Home Office	—	—	—	—	537
Department of Social Security:
Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance	205	195	150	150	1—
Housing Benefit	205	195	145	125	—
Council Tax Benefit	10	10	10	10	—
Department of Health:
Adults/Families	—	10	68	170	—
Children	—	3	2	20	52
Total (to nearest £ million)	420	413	375	475	590
1 Home Office figures for 1999–2000 include the following amounts paid to the Department of Social Security for the cost of asylum support:
Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance—£170 million
Housing Benefit—£135 million
Council Tax Benefit—£10 million

The United Kingdom Government have applied to participate in the law enforcement and judicial co-operation aspects of the Schengen acquis, including the Schengen Information System (SIS), in order to enhance co-operation at European Union level in the fight against organised and international crime.The purpose of the Council Decision referred to is a limited one: it authorises the Director of Europol to enter into negotiations on agreements with third States and non-European Union related bodies. The United Kingdom is, of course, already a full member of Europol.The Decision does not cover the broader police and judicial co-operation arrangements provided for in the Schengen Convention, nor the opportunity to participate in the SIS.Europol and the SIS were established for entirely different purposes: the Europol Convention specifically excludes exchanges of information between the two databases. The Government's application to participate in parts of the Schengen acquis is complementary to its existing participation in Europol.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost to the probation services in England and Wales consequent upon the closure of magistrates courts from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999. [121030]

The information on which such estimates could be based is not held locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent (i) directly and (ii) 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. [119485]

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: The following amounts have been directly spent on supporting asylum seekers. Expenditure is recorded by financial year and it is not possible to give figures for calendar years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2000, Official Report, column 588W, on employment tax credits, what is the higher rate for couples. [120799]

[holding answer 4 May 2000]: The rate for couples in the illustrative model of the employment tax credit for people without children is £49.50 a week. This is the same as the employment tax credit for people with children that is implied by the introduction of the integrated child credit, based on April 2001 rates of Working Families Tax Credit and Children's Tax Credit. Details of this illustrative model are set out in the table on page 14 of the Treasury paper "Tackling Poverty and Making Work Pay—Tax Credits for the 21^st Century".

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals are under negotiation in the EU for (a) Europe-wide taxes and (b) European limits and controls on national taxes. [120809]

[holding answer 5 May 2000]: EC proposals for legislation are considered by the European Scrutiny Committee and Explanatory Memoranda concerning existing proposals on taxation are in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of United Kingdom exports and imports counted as being within the EU, consists of entrepot trade through Rotterdam and Amsterdam (a) to and (b) from non-EU countries. [120810]

[holding answer 5 May 2000]: HM Customs and Excise are the Department responsible for collecting trade statistics on the movement of goods with other countries including EC member states.Goods from non-EC destinations that transit other EC member states before clearing customs procedures for import in UK are recorded as non-EC movements for trade statistics purposes. Likewise, goods from non-EC destinations that transit other EC member states after clearing customs procedures for export in UK are recorded as non-EC movements.Some trade reported as moving within the EC may have previously originated from, or be ultimately destined for, non-EC countries. However, under the Intrastat system these movements are not readily identifiable.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Inland Revenue takes to ensure that bribes paid by UK companies overseas are not treated as tax-deductible expenses. [121032]

Section 577A, Income and Corporation Taxes Act (ICTA) 1988 denies tax relief for any payment the making of which constitutes the commission of a criminal offence.This effectively denies relief, inter alia, for any bribe which is contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Acts. There is also a general provision (section 577 ICTA) which denies tax relief for any form of business entertainment, hospitality or gift—so some payments which might be in a grey area might in any event be denied relief without the need to show that they were in any way corrupt payments.As far as enforcement is concerned, the Inland Revenue examines a proportion of tax returns every year, to ensure that taxpayers pay the correct amount of tax. Most of the returns that are examined in detail are selected after a risk assessment, which identifies those cases where errors are most likely, and where the amount at stake is greatest. Tax inspectors are trained to discover evasion, avoidance and technical errors, by establishing the full facts and applying the correct interpretation of tax law. As part of this process they will, where appropriate, make inquiries about claims for expenditure, to ensure that they are allowed under tax law.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to distribute money from the Children's Fund in Wales; and what mechanisms will be used to distribute the fund. [119579]

The Children's Fund will be used to support voluntary sector projects providing local solutions to the problem of child poverty. These are devolved matters. Work on mechanisms for distributing money is currently focusing on England, but involves dialogue with the devolved administrations.The question of resources for the Children's Fund, including any consequentials for the devolved administrations, is being considered as part of the current Spending Review. In the event of spending consequentials it would be for the Welsh Assembly to decide whether and how to establish a Children's Fund for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to the new helpline for smokers between 10 December 1999 and 11 February 2000. [113837]

70,480 calls were answered by the frontscreen service in the specified period. This includes hang-ups, hoaxes and trials, but does not include short-calls lost in the British Telecom system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total expenditure on advertising the new helpline for smokers in the current year. [113838]

The total sum of advertising spend on the new tobacco education campaign for the period 10 December 1999–31 March 2000 inclusive was £5,485,000. The breakdown is as follows:

£
Ambient media	141,000
Billboards	1,242,000
TV	3,190,000
Press	397,000
Radio	515,000

The aim of the new campaign is to increase the intention to give up, provide support and encouragement for those who want to give up by communicating that many smokers want to give up and that they are not alone; that giving up is an ongoing and difficult process and that individual support is available in local areas and through the helpline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of calls to the new helpline for smokers were answered by an automated system (IVR) during the period 10 December 1999 and 11 February 2000. [113839]

During the specified period 40 per cent. of calls were answered by the IVR system and 60 per cent. were answered by live operators.During the exceptional Millennium period (27 December 1999 to 3 January 2000) 58 per cent. of calls went to IVR and the rest to live operators.If these exceptionally high figures for the Millennium period are taken out of the totals the proportion of IVR to live would be 26 per cent. IVR to 74 per cent. live for 10 December 1999 to 11 February 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure was on advertising the new helpline for smokers, between 10 December 1999 and the end of March 2000; and what the expenditure on the Quitline was for the equivalent period in the previous year. [115395]

The total sum of advertising spend on the new tobacco education campaign for the period 10 December 1999 and up until the end of March 2000 is £5,485,000. The breakdown is as follows:

£
Ambient media1	141,000
Billboards	1,242,000
TV	3,190,000
Press	397,000
Radio	515,000
1 The term Ambient media is defined as non-traditional, outdoor media.

The total advertising spend for 1998–99 was £2,720,000, most of the campaign activity being concentrated in the December 1998 to February 1999 period.The aim of the new campaign is to increase the intention to give up, provide support and encouragement for those who want to give up by communicating that many smokers want to give up and that they are not alone; that giving up is an on-going and difficult process and that individual support is available in local areas and through the helpline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of calls to the new helpline for smokers were answered by an automated system (IVR) during the period 10 December 1999 to 11 March 2000 inclusive; and what was the proportion for calls to Quitline for the equivalent period in the previous year. [115394]

35 per cent. of calls were answered by the IVR system in the specified period. The proportion of calls reaching the automated Quitline service in the equivalent period in 1998–99 was 26 per cent.If the exceptionally high figures for the Millennium period (27 December 1999 to 3 January 2000) are taken out of the totals the proportion of calls answered by IVR was 22 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to the new helpline for smokers, between 10 December 1999 and 11 March 2000 inclusive; and how many calls were made to the Quitline, in the same period for the previous year. [115396]

The 1999–2000 campaign was designed to motivate smokers towards a range of cessation options such as 'going it alone', seeking advice from a general practitioner or pharmacist or visiting a local cessation service, as well as telephoning the helpline or visiting the new campaign website.Calls to the helplines funded by the Department were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report of the independent inquiry into clinical trials in North Staffordshire, prepared last year by a panel chaired by Professor R. K. Griffiths, will be published. [120306]

The review of the research framework in North Staffordshire was published on 8 May 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make Etanercept available on the NHS for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. [120655]

Etanercept will be available on the National Health Service as soon as the manufacturer launches the product in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will have completed the licensing process for the use of Remicade in rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will be referring this to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. [120831]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: Remicade has been authorised for the treatment of Crohn's disease. The authorisation was obtained through the European Centralised Procedure which is co-ordinated by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. If the marketing authorisation holder applies for a new clinical indication for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products at the European Medicines Evaluation Agency will review the available data and transmit its scientific opinion to the European Commission. European marketing authorisations are published in the form of a commission Decision in the official Journal of the European Communities. Presently, remicade does not form part of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's (NICE) work programme for this year. However, NICE's work programme is continually being re-assessed and a number of possible additional topics for appraisal by NICE during the year 2000–01 are currently being considered. An announcement will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received of the commercial interests of the members of the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products. [121107]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: The Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products is a European committee for which I have no responsibility. I cannot, therefore, answer this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make inquiries concerning the commercial interests of all members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines; and if he will publish the results of those inquiries. [121106]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: The commercial interests of all members of the Medicines Act Advisory Bodies, of which the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) is one, are published annually in the "Medicines Act 1968 Advisory Bodies—Annual Reports", copies of which are available in the Library. The 1999 report is due to be published in July this year. The latest record of CSM interests in the pharmaceutical industry—correct at 5 May 2000—has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the use of ozone-friendly refrigerants in air conditioning in NHS premises; in and what guidance is given on this in respect of purchasing new equipment. [120417]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: It is the Department's policy to achieve best environmental practice and it is committed to the efficient use of energy and resources. This includes taking action to reduce/minimise pollution, or the risk of pollution, including ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information about his decision to pay subsidies to the coal industry was given to the BBC by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department before Monday 17 April. [121050]

The Department maintains regular contact with the BBC on a range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the reasons for the recent redeployment from his Department's energy policy division of (a) Mr. Mike Atkinson, (b) Mr. Michael Orig, (c) Mr. Alan Wright and (d) Mr. Jonathan Green. [121047]

As is normal practice these moves were decided under the authority of the Permanent Secretary, as part of the Department's career management processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many prosecutions there have been to date for the non-payment by a company to their workforce of the national minimum wage. [121123]

[holding answer 5 May 2000]: There have been no criminal prosecutions under section 31 of the National Minimum Wage Act 1999 since it came into force 13 months ago.This is because the Act also contains a number of provisions empowering enforcement officers to take civil action against non-paying employers and the enforcement body will always use these in the first instance. However, there will be criminal prosecutions where the enforcement body considers them necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many test centres have been established for claimants for compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema; where they are; and when he expects all planned test centres to be in operation. [120400]

Spirometry testing has been conducted at 36 centres at Barnsley, Blackpool, Bolsover, Bristol, Cannock, Cardiff, Chesterfield, Coventry, Deal, Durham, Drongon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hessle, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leicester, Lochore, Mansfield, Mexborough, Mountain Ash, Newcastle, Newport, Nottingham, Oxford, Pontefract, Plymouth, Salford, Sheffield, South Rislip, Stoke, Swansea, Whitehaven, Wigan, Wirral and Wrexham. In addition to the 46,000 or so spirometry assessments carried at these centres, the Department has also assessed over 3,000 claimants in their homes.The centres in Barnsley, Bristol, Cannock, Chesterfield, Coventry, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Huddersfield, Leeds, Lochore, Mansfield, Mexborough, Mountain Ash, Newcastle, Newport, Nottingham, Pontefract, Sheffield, Stoke, Swansea, Wigan and Wrexham have now been fully adapted for the more detailed medical requirements of the main Medical Assessment Process (MAP). There are also new cantres in Ayr, Enfield and Manchester. In addition the spirometry centre in Deal will be adapted shortly. The need for further centres will be kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in respect of (a) deep-mined and (b) open-cast coal the tonnages of coal produced in the latest year for which figures are available for each member state of the European Union, together with the amounts of subsidy provided; and if he will list the relevant articles of European Union treaties and relevant regulations or directives relating to limits on non-commercial support for the mining or marketing of coal. [120645]

I have no information on the division between deep-mined coal and opencast coal produced in other member states. Total hard coal production in the EU in 1999 was as follows:

Germany 44 million tonnes, UK 36 million tonnes (21 million deep-mined and 15 million opencast), Spain 17 million tonnes and France 4.5 million tonnes.

The last year for which figures are available for the amount of subsidy provided is 1997. In that year Germany produced 51 million tonnes with authorised operating aid of ECU 4,919.1 million. The UK produced 47 million tonnes (30.3 million deep-mined and 16.7 million open cast) with no operating aid. Spain produced 17.5 million tonnes with authorised operating aid of ECU 704.5 million. France produced 5 million tonnes of hard coal in 1997, but we have no information on the amount of operating aid paid.Issues relating to the production of coal are covered by the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, which is also known as the Treaty of Paris. State aid is prohibited in general terms by Article 4 of that Treaty but Decision 3632/93/ECSC, which is made under Article 95, permits such aid in the limited circumstances detailed in the Decision which include prior Commission approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide an analysis of how the figure for state aid for the coal industry was derived. [120111]

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in his statement to the House on 17 April 2000, Official Report, columns 697-99, the Government are exploring with the European Commission how state aid might be offered to help the coal industry through this period of transition. We will also be consulting with interested parties on the precise structure of the state aid scheme to be put to the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the occasions on which he has discussed with the European Commission the potential for state aid to the coal industry. [120114]

I have discussed the potential for state aid to the coal industry with Commissioner de Palacio. Officials in London and Brussels have discussed the issue with the Commission services. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has discussed the matter with Commissioner Monti.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which interested parties he will be consulting regarding the proposed state aid to the coal industry; and by when the consultation process will be completed. [120112]

My officials will discuss the proposed state aid to the coal industry with major coal producers and coal production trade associations, as well as coal users and traders. This informal consultation process will take place during May this year. Any interested parties should contact David Fielder on 020 7215 5593 or write to the Coal Directorate at Room UG23, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. We will, of course, also be consulting the European Commission prior to submitting a formal notification of aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the European Commission to reach a decision on the legality of the proposed state aid to the coal industry. [120113]

The Government will be discussing a proposed state aid scheme for the coal industry with the European Commission and the coal industry over coming weeks. The Commission has three months from the date on which we submit a formal notification of aid in which to reach a decision. As was said to the House on 17 April 2000, Official Report, columns 697-99, we hope to be making the first payments under the scheme during this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he plans to adopt the Better Regulation Task Force recommendation of a minimum of three months consultation before regulations are laid before Parliament. [121338]

We are presently considering the Task Force's recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish guidance on the part-time work directive. [121331]

Guidance on the part-time work directive has already been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to widen the scope of the part-time work directive. [121330]

Our proposals were laid before Parliament on 3 May and we have no plans to widen their scope.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to consult on fixed-term contracts. [121332]

The fixed-term work directive was agreed on 28 June 1999 and is due to be implemented in the UK by 10 July 2001. The Government plan to consult on their proposals in order to meet this deadline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the business qualifications and experience required for the post of Chairman of the Small Business Council; [121334](2) if he will set out the job specification for the Chairman of the Small Business Council. [121335]

I refer to the DTI news release of 7 March in which my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Small Business and E-Commerce announced the appointment of William Sargent as the first Chair of the Small Business Council and made clear that his experience makes him well suited for the post.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications he received about the BNFL Safety Action Plan between 18 February and 18 April from British Nuclear Fuels. [120042]

I did not receive communications from BNFL on their proposed responses to the HSE reports between 18 February and 18 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what appointments of non-executive directors to the Board of British Nuclear Fuels Limited have not been made under the terms of the Code and Guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments; and if he will make a statement. [115995]

[holding answer 27 March 2000]: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him on 20 March 2000, Official Report, column 412W. I am advised that there is one matter concerning the change of status from executive to non-executive director of one director, currently on a short-term appointment, about which my officials are in contact with the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments. Unrelated to that matter, however, the company has announced that the director concerned will be leaving the Board at the end of August upon expiry of the term of his appointment.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the costs of administering the magistrates courts in England and Wales in each year from 1995 to 1999. [R] [121024]

The gross revenue costs of administering the magistrates courts are as follows:

Year	£ million
1995–96	330
1996–97	330
1997–98	325
1998–99	328
1999–2000	1333
1 Projected

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to assess the effectiveness of provision of long-term development aid channelled through non-governmental organisations to countries in conflict. [120764]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those who responded to the consultation exercise, "Ingredients for Success". [119464]

[holding answer 20 April 2000]: We received and took into account 181 representations in response to "Ingredients for Success". About a quarter of the responses came from nutritionists, about a fifth from local education authorities, and about a further fifth from representative and professional bodies. The remainder came from caterers, school staff, food manufacturers and suppliers, and others (charities and individuals). I will write to the hon. Member with a summary of responses, together with a list of those who responded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the hon. Member for West Derbyshire can expect to receive a reply to the letter he sent on 21 February about Meadows Primary School. [120679]

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 27 March 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the provision of specialist staff through Ethnic Minority and Travellers Educational Achievement Grant funding. [121253]

The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Grant (EMTAG) is designed to raise standards for those ethnic minority and traveller pupils at risk of under-achieving and to meet the particular needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language.We are making available more money than ever before as part of our drive to raise the academic achievements of those ethnic minority groups at risk of under-achieving. For 2000–01, £162.5 million will be available to local education authorities and schools to improve the attainment of ethnic minority, traveller and refugee pupils—an increase of 7 per cent. on the amount available for these purposes in 1999–2000.A key element of the grant programme is that the funding should largely go direct to schools, so that head teachers can use it where it is most needed—to employ more teachers and teaching assistants and to work with their local communities. Specialist teachers, bilingual assistants and other classroom assistants supported through the grant have a vital role to play in raising standards for ethnic minority pupils. We expect that, depending on local needs, a large proportion of the grant will be spent on teachers and classroom assistants. As a requirement of the grant, local education authorities are required to provide information about their plans for spending the grant and details of actual expenditure. We will also monitor the numbers of specialist staff employed by EMTAG through an independent evaluation of the grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers have received computers as a result of his Computers for Teachers initiative. [121252]

The deadline for teachers' purchase of computers under this scheme was 30 April 2000. To date, some 15,000 applications for subsidy have been received following purchase of computers by teachers. These are being processed, and more are expected. A final figure will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2000, Official Report, column 92W, what was the pupil: teacher ratio in (a) former grant-maintained primary schools and (b) former grant-maintained secondary schools in each of the last five years. [121270]

The available information on pupil teacher ratios in maintained primary and secondary schools is shown in the following table.The Department is currently collecting information on pupil:teacher ratios in all schools for January 2000. Provisional national estimates for maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools were published in Statistical First Release "Pupil: Teacher ratios in maintained schools in England (14/2000)" on 12 April 2000, a copy of which is available from the Library. Final data will be published in a statistical volume in September.

Pupil:teacher ratios in maintained primary and secondary schools:1995–99—Position as at January
England
Year	Number of schools	Full-time equivalent Pupil2	Full-time equivalent qualified Teacher3	Pupils Teachers ratio4
All maintained primary schools1
1999	18,234	4,300,563	182,646	23.5
1998	18,312	4,300,388	181,394	23.7
1997	18,392	4,271,131	182,442	23.4
1996	18,480	4,232,514	182,626	23.2
1995	18,551	4,159,021	181,910	22.9
All maintained secondary schools1
1999	3,560	3,121,901	183,578	17.0
1998	3,567	3,072,822	181,853	16.9
1997	3,569	3,041,584	181,692	16.7
1996	3,594	3,010,416	180,868	16.6
1995	3,614	2,992,857	181,445	16.5
Grant-maintained primary schools
1999	511	142,478	6,056	23.5
1998	508	139,619	5,947	23.5
1997	483	131,712	5,656	23.3
1996	448	120,319	5,214	23.1
1995	410	107,803	4,731	22.8
Grant maintained secondary schools
1999	668	641,774	38,514	16.7
1998	667	625,781	38,030	16.5
1997	652	602,936	36,838	16.4
1996	642	579,924	35,493	16.3
1997	622	553,007	34,154	16.2
1 Includes local education authority (LEA) maintained and grant-maintained schools.
2 Includes all full-time pupils and full-time equivalent of part time pupils (each part-time pupil is treated as 0.5 full-time equivalents).
3 Includes all full-time qualified teachers and full-time equivalent of part time qualified teachers (the directed hours of part-time teachers are converted to full-time equivalent teacher numbers by dividing by 32.5)
4 The Pupil: Teacher ratio relates the full-time equivalent number of pupils to the full-time equivalent number of qualified teachers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what reliability data are available for the end of Key Stage 2 tests; and for what reason they are not published. [121091]

It is unclear what reliability data are referred to in this question.Test reliability relates to how a test question is answered by children or pupils and how consistently it is interpreted in the way anticipated. This aspect of the test question performance is dealt with by means of pre-testing the questions—a process which occurs twice during the life-cycle of a test question. The Government are satisfied that the quality control procedures for the test development and the marking process is thorough and rigorous. This was reflected in the findings of the Rose Review, an independent cross-party panel set up last year to consider the test development and assessment arrangements at Key Stage 2. The data are not published as they form part of the overall process of judging how well a question performs—which takes into account other, judgmental factors.Reliability in marking relates to the construction of the mark scheme and how markers interpret the answers to questions. Absolute reliability is achieved when any marker, trained in the use of a markscheme, marks a question and gives it the same mark as any other marker who may mark the same question. Marker training is intended to ensure that marker reliability is as high as possible. Data are collected from markers and analysed each year in relation to the degree of variation from absolute reliability which occurs. The data are used to manage the marking process and remove any markers which may not be performing satisfactorily. As the data relates to individual teachers, they remain confidential.The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority publish the findings from their annual evaluation of the test administration procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many end of Key Stage 2 English test papers were returned for a review of marking in each of the past four years. [121089]

Data are available only for the past three years:

• 1999: 4,974
• 1998: 4,095
• 1997: 1,881

Bearing in mind the cohort sizes of approximately 600,000 pupils, these figures represent a very small percentage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many end of Key Stage 2 English test papers were returned for a review of marking last year; and what proportion of these resulted in a change of National Curriculum level. [121088]

In 1999, 4,974 end of Key Stage 2 English papers were returned for a review of marking. This figure represents approximately 0.8 per cent. of the total number of English papers taken nationally.45 per cent. of these reviews resulted in a change of National Curriculum level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure that his Department avoids operating policies which result in age discrimination. [121087]

We are committed to eliminating age discrimination from the Department's policies and practices in line with the "Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment", published in June 1999. We are conducting a full review of all our personnel procedures to ensure they are consistent with the standards set out in the code.In addition, in line with our commitments to equality of opportunity, the Department already recruits and promotes people on the basis of their competence to do the job without reference to their age through full fair and open competitions; encourages all staff to take advantage of learning and development opportunities; and has given its staff greater flexibility to choose when they retire between the ages of 60 and 65.As part of the Department's commitment to continuous improvement, we are currently carrying out a review of the way we ensure that equal opportunities issues, including age, are taken into account in the development of all our policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to abolish the agricultural, horticultural and nautical studies GCSE courses offered by the NEAB. [121086]

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is currently working with the awarding bodies to develop advice on the list of approved GCSE titles to be offered from 2001. QCA is seeking the views of interested organisations before submitting final recommendations. No decisions have been reached at this stage. There is a wide range of vocationally-related qualifications in agriculture and horticulture already available, including GNVQs in land and environment. We shall ensure that there continues to be an appropriate range of qualifications in all three areas in the future for young people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the staying-on rate for post-16 years education in respect of pupils from schools (a) with and (b) without sixth forms in each of the last five years. [120917]

The Department does not collect administrative data on 16-year-olds in education by the type of school attended the previous year. However, estimates of the proportion of 16-year-olds in full-time education in the Spring following Year 11, with a breakdown by school type, are available from the Youth Cohort Study. Estimates for the latest years are given in the following table.

Proportion of 16-year-olds in full-time education1 in maintained schools at Year 11, England
Percentage
	1994	1996	1998
School without sixth form	64	65	62
School with sixth form	73	73	71
1 The figures do not include those studying part-time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will publish the latest updated timetable for the transition plan for changes in delivery of post-16 years education. [120829]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: We have been working with partner organisations to update the National Transition Plan. The next version will reflect important announcements we made at the end of March on handling the staffing implications of "Learning to Succeed" and the second Funding Consultation Documents which are being issued this week. We intend to publish the next version of the Transition Plan within the next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the 10 local education authorities with (a) the highest and (b) the lowest rate of pupils staying on for post-16 years education. [120918]

We are committed to a step change in participation and attainment rates for 16 and 17-year-olds. The Learning and Skills Bill sets out reforms in post-16 education and training which we believe will make a significant impact. We have announced details of the new Connexions Service which will provide advice, guidance, information and support service for all 13 to 19-year-olds, whatever their needs and circumstances. Five Connexions Service pilots were announced on 3 February 2000 evaluating various aspects of the new service.The information requested on participation in education by LEA is contained in the following table. There are no data available on participation in Government Supported Training by LEA but there is evidence that higher rates of training by TEC areas compensate for low levels of full-time education.

Participation in full-time education of 16-year-olds by LEA, England, 1997–98
LEA	Rate
10 Highest
Rutland	94
Kingston upon Thames	93
Sutton	93
Redbridge	88
Bath and NE Somerset	87
Bournemouth	87
Hertfordshire	85
Bromley	84
Barnet	83
Hounslow	83
10 Lowest
Derby	56
Sheffield	56
Sandwell	54
Barnsley	52
City of Kingston upon Hull	52
South Tyneside	52
Sunderland	52
Knowsley	51
Salford	49
Stoke on Trent	49

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what proportion of candidates aged 18 years or under achieved three or more grade As at A-level in (a) sixth forms in independent schools, (b) sixth forms in maintained schools, (c) sixth form colleges and (d) other further education colleges in the most recent year for which figures are available; [120913]

The proportion of candidates aged 18 years or under that achieved three or more grade As at A-level in England in 1998–99 was:

(a) 17 per cent. in sixth forms in independent schools

(b) 6 per cent. in sixth forms in maintained schools

(c) 5 per cent. in sixth form colleges

(d) 2 per cent. in other further education colleges.

The total average points score for candidates aged 18 or under attempting at least one GCE A-level in England in 1998–99 was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will meet representatives of the Lancashire Cricket Board to discuss the regulations relating to the employment of overseas professionals in league cricket. [121266]

Due to diary commitments, I am unable to meet representatives from the Board. I have arranged for representatives from the Department's Overseas Labour Service to contact the Board to discuss their concerns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received on the employment of overseas professionals in league cricket; and if he will make a statement. [121265]

I have received a number of letters from Members of Parliament whose constituencies are in Lancashire. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for work permit matters and I have given detailed replies explaining the current criteria for the employment of overseas cricketers which were agreed after consultation with the cricketing governing bodies who are responsible for the development of the game in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what regulations have been introduced in the past five years which change the existing arrangements whereby overseas professionals can be employed in league cricket; and if he will make a statement. [121264]

In 1993 criteria were introduced which required an overseas cricketer to have played in at least one first class match, as defined by the International Cricket Council (ICC), to qualify for issue of a work permit to play in league cricket.This requirement remained until August 1998 when, after consultations with the English and Wales Cricket Board, the Scottish Cricket Union, and representatives of the League Cricket Conference, the criteria were changed. In order to qualify for a permit a player must have played in a minimum of one test match for his country, or at least three one-day internationals, or at least five first class matches, as defined by the ICC. It was also decided that discretion would be exercised when considering applications for former test match players who did not meet this criteria.Work permit arrangements for cricket players are reviewed annually between the Department's Overseas Labour Service and the relevant cricket governing bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made with plans for gifted children to sit maths GCSE early under the Maths 2000 project. [121251]

The National Primary Trust is developing Advanced Maths Centres to enable gifted pupils to take GCSE Mathematics in Year 6, following an out of school hours learning programme. The Trust is currently negotiating with 23 Excellence in Cities partnerships with a view to establishing 10 to 15 centres. Each would cater initially for up to 40 pupils from schools within Excellence in Cities areas. This initial cohort would take GCSE examinations in Summer 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional resources, following the recent Budget, he has allocated to local education authorities to support peripatetic teachers of the deaf and blind who support children in mainstream classes. [121329]

All schools will be free to use the £290 million extra funding announced in the budget as they see fit. It will therefore be open to them to allocate some of the extra funding to employ peripatetic teachers of the deaf and blind, where they have children who would benefit from such support. Funding is also available under Standards Fund grant 18 to support the training and development of teachers of deaf and blind pupils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of (a) preparation, publication and printing and (b) postage and distribution of "News Update" from his Department; how many copies have been printed; and to whom they have been distributed, in each year since it commenced publication. [121327]

"News Update" is produced five times a year. Production costs on average £1,300 per issue, including printing. The print run is 3,500 per issue. Since the first issue in November 1998, the total production costs have been £11,700."News Update" is distributed to MPs, opposition front-bench spokespersons in the House of Lords, Local Education Authority Chairs and Chief Executives, Trade Union General Secretaries, TEC Chief Executives and internally to senior staff at the DfEE and the Employment Service. Much of the distribution is through the DfEE's internal mail network without quantifiable cost. External postage amounts to about £80 per issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what institutions are currently designated under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and which of these have (a) been designated and (b) have had their designation withdrawn during the last three years. [120830]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: There are currently 32 designated colleges under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Of these, 19 are designated under subsection 28(2)(a) as former voluntary aided schools and the remaining 13 colleges were designated under subsections 28(2)(b) and 28(2)(c) and are generally referred to as "specialist designated".There have been no new designations since the establishment of the FE sector on 1 April 1993. Three designated colleges have merged since then with other colleges: St. Phillip's Roman Catholic Sixth Form College (now part of South Birmingham College) on 31 August 1995; National Sea Training College (now part of North West Kent College of Technology) on 25 October 1996; and De La Salle College (now part of Pendleton College) on 7 February 1997.The full list of designated colleges is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many extra full-time places in higher education have been created in each of the last five years. [120834]

[holding answer 8 May 2000]: The available information is given in the table. Plans which distinguish between full and part-time places are available only from the academic year 1999–2000.

Publicly funded higher education places in England1
FTEs in thousands
Financial year	Planned places	Extra funded places (or reduction)
1994–95	941	—
1995–96	961	20
1996–97	1,003	243
1997–98	1,001	(2)
1998–99	1,023	22
1999–2000	1,035	12
1 Includes full and part-time, undergraduate and postgraduate students on the basis of full-time equivalents (FTEs). Places shown are those funded through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) or the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), and exclude those in further education colleges funded by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC).
2 1996 plans included an additional 28,000 mainstreamed continuing education places, which had previously not been funded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of (a) free school meals and (b) clothing grants and other subsidies for children attending maintained schools in (i) 1970, (ii) 1980 and (iii) 1999; and if he will estimate how many children in receipt of such benefits came from broken homes. [119771]

The Department does not collect this information. However, using data on school meals take-up, we estimate that the cost of providing free school meals in England in the 1999–2000 financial year was over £300 million. The Department did not collect statistics on the take-up of free school meals before 1989, so we cannot estimate their cost in 1970 and 1980. Under education legislation, local education authorities and schools must offer free school meals to those pupils whose parents receive income support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. We do not collect data on the numbers of eligible pupils from broken homes.Local education authorities have discretionary powers to offer clothing grants and other miscellaneous subsidies to children in cases of hardship. It is for each authority to set its own eligibility criteria for grant, in the light of local needs and circumstances. The Department does not collect data on these grants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the recent research by David Jesson of the Centre for Performance Evaluation and Resource Management at the University of York; and if he will make a statement. [119922]

An analysis by the Department's Analytical Services has shown that, broadly speaking on average points scores, the most able 25 per cent. of pupils achieved the same result in selective and non-selective schools.David Jesson's research is a further contribution to this debate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) primary and (b) secondary special schools have closed since 1995 in each local education authority. [119539]

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: The table sets out the number of maintained special schools which have closed in each local education authority area since 1995. It does not include those authorities where no such closures have taken place. It includes closures which have been approved but which have not yet taken place. But the closure of some special schools is usually followed by the opening of others, or by the establishing of special units within mainstream schools.While there are some special schools which cater for pupils wholly of primary school age, or wholly of secondary school age, there are many others which cover both phases, so it is not possible to split the figures between primary and secondary.

Table of local authorities showing number of special schools approved for closure or closed since 1995
Local education authority	Number
Avon	1
Barking	3
Barnet	1
Barnsley	3
Bedfordshire	1
Birmingham	5
Blackburn	2
Bolton	2
Bradford	1
Bristol	2
Bromley	1
Bury	1
Cambridgeshire	2
Camden	4
Cheshire	1
Derbyshire	4
Durham	8
Essex	5
Gateshead	4
Gloucestershire	4
Hackney	1
Hampshire	2
Haringey	1
Harrow	2
Hertfordshire	4
Islington	1
Kingston upon Hull	2
Kirklees	1
Knowsley	2
Lambeth	4
Lancashire	3
Leeds	3
Lewisham	1
Liverpool	11
Manchester	2
Merton	1
Newcastle upon Tyne	10

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money has been provided to each local education authority, on a ring-fenced basis, for the provision of nursery places for four-year-olds, since May 1997; and what criteria are used by his Department for the expenditure of that money. [119490]

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: The following table shows the estimated amount of specific grant this Government have provided to each Local Education Authority, since May 1997, for four-year-old early education places, amounting to £631.2 million.The criteria for the provision of this funding is set out in the "Requirements of Nursery Education Grant" which is issued to all Local Education Authorities annually. I have placed a copy of this in the Library.In addition to this specific grant funding, the table also shows the level of funding provided, since April 1997, for the Under Fives Education Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) sub block, which has increased from £1,089 million in 1997–98 to £1,342 million in 2000–01, an increase of £253 million.

£
LEA Number/name	Specific grant funding for 4 year old places May 1997-March 2000	Under Fives SSA sub block From 1997–98 to 2000–01
201 City of London	44,239	525,635
202 Camden	2,447,710	26,199,350
203 Greenwich	2,773,478	34,439,251
204 Hackney	2,980,044	42,099,645