To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of leavers aged 16 to 18 years entered higher education following completion of A-levels from (a) sixth forms in independent schools, (b) sixth forms in maintained schools, (c) sixth form colleges and (d) other further education colleges in the last year for which figures are available. [120920]

The available information, for entry to full-time higher education, is given in the table. Equivalent data for part-time admissions are not available.

Prior educational establishments of students aged 16–18 with A-level1 qualifications accepted for entry in 1999 through UCAS to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses
Previous establishment	Number of acceptances	Percentage of total
Sixth Form Centre	1,780	1.5
Independent School	19,906	16.6
Sixth From College	18,763	15.6
Maintained Schools	67,819	56.5
Other2	10,777	9.0
Not known	924	0.8
Total	119,969	100.0
1A-level being the highest qualification on entry
2Includes Other FE/HE establishments

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the timetable is for the mapping of current provision of services to be undertaken by the Connexions Service as referred to in paragraph 7.20 of "Connexions: the best start in life for every young person". [122453]

As part of their proposals, each pilot area has been asked to submit a timetable for completing their mapping exercise. We expect all pilots to complete an initial exercise by September 2000. In submitting proposals for the wider introduction of the Connexions Service from April 2001 we expect further mapping will have started before the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if personal advisers will be provided for pupils in independent schools through the Connexions Service. [122702]

The Connexions Service will provide access to high quality guidance and support to all 13–19 year olds, giving particular priority to those young people who are most at risk of encountering obstacles to a successful transition to adulthood.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior Civil Service, in his Department for 1999–2000; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [121649]

The headline pay settlement was 2.5 per cent. on the pay bill and, together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance-related increases averaging 3.9 per cent. The increases were not staged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications for information he received under the Open Government: Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the last parliamentary session; and how many were granted. [121853]

The Home Office holds responsibility for the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and monitoring its operation and effectiveness, and will respond to this question on behalf of Government as a whole. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Secretary of State for the Home Department today. Official Report, columns 216–17W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken to assess the structural integrity of university buildings constructed in the 1960s. [122696]

Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. Each university is responsible for the maintenance and repair of its own estate. No survey has been carried out to look specifically at 1960s buildings, but in 1997 the Higher Education Funding Council for England commissioned a survey to review the condition of the whole higher education estate. As a result of the survey, the Higher Education Funding Council for England introduced a "poor estates" initiative, setting aside £200 million for higher education estates funding up to 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teaching posts are (a) vacant and (b) filled by supply, temporary and agency teachers in (i) state primary schools and (ii) state secondary schools in (1) Barnet Local Education Authority and (2) Greater London areas; and what proportions of the total the figures represent. [122735]

The following table shows the number of vacant teaching posts and the number of posts covered by teachers in occasional service in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector in Barnet local education authority and Greater London at January 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects the Further Education Funding Council to publish its tariff value of courses for 2000–01. [122734]

The tariff document for 2000–01 is due to be published on 22 May 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the terms of reference for the review of the funding and research council. [122138]

I have been asked to reply.Overall responsibility for funding university infrastructure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is with the devolved Administrations. For England, the responsibility is with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.In addition, my Department, together with the Wellcome Trust and the HEFCE, is responsible for the £750 million Joint Infrastructure Fund initiative, which provides for research infrastructure and equipment in UK universities. My Department is also responsible, together with the Higher Education Funding Councils and the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, for the Joint Research Equipment Initiative for university research equipment.Competition for funds from the JIF has been very strong. There have been many high quality applications and we have been able to fund only the most outstanding. Under the terms of the JIF scheme there can be no re-submission of unsuccessful applications.JIF was set up as a one-off fund to boost university infrastructure. The Government are giving careful consideration to the need for a follow-on programme. This includes exploration of options other than allocation based on competition through bidding.The 1997 Dearing Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education drew attention to the need to invest in university research infrastructure in order to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of scientific research. Dearing's recommendations were based on the 1996 "Survey of Research Equipment in UK Universities" undertaken by the Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Unit at the University of Manchester (PREST). Dearing also drew on Segal Quince and Wicksteed's 1997 "Review of Dual Support: The Funding Gap" study of overall research funding in universities.I understand that the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom expects to publish shortly an updated study by PREST, part funded by CVCP and HEFCE, of the present state of research equipment provision and needs in UK universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if disciplinary proceedings will be instituted against officers present at the location of the attack on 27 April 1997 in Portadown town centre on Robert Hamill and Gregory Girvan. [119709]

The Independent Commission for Police Complaints are actively considering whether disciplinary proceedings will be instigated in this particular case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many witness statements have been taken by the Royal Ulster Constabulary inquiry team investigating the murder of Robert Hamill. [119710]

There have been 301 witness statements taken to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the universities awarded funding for research infrastructure as part of the Joint Infrastructure Fund Competition, indicating how much funding each will receive. [121665]

The Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) has made 109 awards worth just under £600 million to 39 universities. The final two rounds of awards will be announced in November 2000 and March 2001.The successful universities are listed. The value of Round 2 and Round 3 awards are subject to negotiation with successful applicants and will be announced later this year. Round 1 figures are shown in the table.

£ million
Universities awarded funding1	Value of Round 1 awards
Aberdeen	—
Bangor (University of Wales)	2.8
Bath	—
Birkbeck College	—
Birmingham	11.1
Bristol	2.0
Cambridge	30.4
Cardiff	—
Dundee	—
Durham	—
East Anglia	—
Edinburgh	6.3
Glasgow	2.1
Imperial College	11.3
King's College, London	—
Lancaster	0.6
Leeds	2.4
Leicester	—
Liverpool	6.1
LSE	6.6
Manchester	1.8
Newcastle	4.4
Nottingham	5.0
Oxford	17.9
Queen Mary and Westfield College	24.8
Queen's, Belfast	0.4
Reading	—
Sheffield	—
Southampton	3.8
Strathclyde	1.2
SUERC (Glasgow)	3.9
Surrey	4.7
Sussex	—
Ulster	—
UMIST	—
University College, London	—
Wales College of Medicine	—
Warwick	1.0
York	—
Total (Round 1 only)	150.4
1JIF Rounds 1–3

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which organisations are responsible for funding infrastructure requirements in universities; [122139](2) what models are being considered for the replacement of the Joint Infrastructure Fund. [122137]

Overall responsibility for funding university infrastructure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is with the devolved administrations. For England, the responsibility is with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.In addition, my Department, together with the Wellcome Trust and the HEFCE, is responsible for the £750 million Joint Infrastructure Fund initiative, which provides for research infrastructure and equipment in UK universities. My Department is also responsible, together with the Higher Education Funding Councils and the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, for the Joint Research Equipment Initiative for university research equipment.Competition for funds from the JIF has been very strong. There have been many high quality applications and we have been able to fund only the most outstanding. Under the terms of the JIF scheme there can be no re-submission of unsuccessful applications.JIF was set up as a one-off fund to boost university infrastructure. The Government are giving careful consideration to the need for a follow on programme. This includes exploration of options other than allocation based on competition through bidding.The 1997 Dearing Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education drew attention to the need to invest in university research infrastructure in order to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of scientific research. Dearing's recommendations were based on the 1996 "Survey of Research Equipment in UK Universities" undertaken by the Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Unit at the University of Manchester (PREST). Dearing also drew on Segal Quince and Wicksteed's 1997 "Review of Dual Support: The Funding Gap" study of overall research funding in universities.I understand that the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom expects to publish shortly an updated study by PREST, part funded by CVCP and HEFCE, of the present state of research equipment provision and needs in UK universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what his policy is on funding proposals which have not been successful in gaining an allocation from the Joint Infrastructure Fund; [122165](2) what provision will be made for financing research infrastructure once the funds from the Joint Infrastructure Fund have been allocated; [122164](3) what analysis has been made of the volume of investment required in research infrastructure in universities to bring infrastructure in particular subject areas up to the standards of major international competitors. [122166]

[holding answer 15 May 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to her written question 122138, Official Report, column 193W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to act on the recently published consultation document on reform of insolvency legislation. [121661]

The consultation document, "Bankruptcy: A Fresh Start"—which is the formulation of outline suggestions for possible changes to the law—marks the end of the first stage of the review. The consultation period ends on 30 June. A lot of detailed work will be needed before decisions are made about whether and, if so, how bankruptcy law should be changed. This will be informed by responses to the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what categories of reports are funded under the call for proposals for indirect research and technological development actions in the framework of the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration in the field of improving the human research potential and the socioeconomic knowledge base, referred to in European Community Document (2000/c 74/08); and if he will make a statement. [121493]

European Community Document 2000/c 74/08 refers to a call for proposals under the Strategic Analysis of Specific Policy Issues (STRATA) activity of the programme, Improving the Human Research Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base (IHP). The call identifier is IHP-STRATA-00-1.Under the call the Commission has invited proposals to produce reports on a number of specific issues relating to science and technology policies, these include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the Government's research priorities and the research priorities of (a) the United States and (b) Germany. [122133]

This Government's overall priorities for science and technology were set out following the Comprehensive Spending Review in "Forward Look 1999 (Cm 4363)". They are:

Maintaining the excellence of UK Science—ensuring UK science is and remains world class;

Promoting business exploitation—supporting the development and exploitation of new and existing technologies, particularly through encouraging partnerships and the flow of people between universities and business; and

Ensuring effective use of science and technology by Government Departments—in support of their policy, regulatory. and procurement responsibilities.

Science budget funding of HEIs' capital
Capital element of research grants to HEIs	1994–95	1995–6	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
BBSRC	8.800	8.100	7.720	6.280	7.470	10.000	11.000
EPSRC	33.296	32.307	33.564	35.585	39.336	33.764	49.627
ESRC	0.100	0.100	0.300	0.600	0.600	0.700	0.800
MRC	11.300	9.950	11.631	11.700	10.182	8.276	7.800
NERC	3.340	6.818	3.087	3.897	3.263	3.805	5.908
PPARC	3.472	6.751	4.363	5.238	5.213	6.039	6.175

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been provided by each of the research councils and the four funding councils for spending by the universities on equipment to support scientific research programmes by subject area in each year since 1994. [122135]

Data in respect of the Research Councils and the Higher and Further Education Funding Council (England) are as set out.Details of awards so far made from the Joint Infrastructure Fund were provided in my answer to my hon. Friend's written question 121665 answered today,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles operated by his Department were manufactured (i) in the UK, (ii) in the EU and (iii) elsewhere. [122253]

[holding answer 17 May 2000]: Other than hire cars and vehicles supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, for which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office responded on 17 May 2000, Official Report, column 141W, my Department operates 19 cars, manufactured as follows:

• UK: 13
• UK or EU: 2¹
• EU: 2
• Elsewhere: 1

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department plans to bring forward proposals for developing the future business potential of the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement. [121310]

Completion of the installation of the Horizon system, a modern automated IT platform, throughout the Post Office network in 2001 will provide the potential to develop a range of new business opportunities. In addition to automated network banking on an agency basis, Horizon would provide an important part of the infrastructure for a universal bank offering basic banking services accessible at post offices. We also see opportunities for post offices to develop a key role in e-commerce services and scope for a further development of their role as one-stop shops for many Government services and transactions. We are also looking at the role post offices may be able to play in fulfilling our objective of making the Internet accessible to all by 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to support the development of a post office universal bank; and if he will make a statement. [121308]

The Government strongly support co-operation between the banks and the Post Office to develop a universal bank offering basic banking services to all. The Horizon project to equip the post office network with a modern on-line IT platform, towards which the Government are contributing nearly £500 million, has the potential to provide an important part of the infrastructure for such a bank. A universal bank accessible through post offices would complement the agency network banking service which the Post Office already provides under arrangements with Girobank/Alliance and Leicester, LloydsTSB, Co-operative and Barclays Banks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to bring forward detailed proposals relating to subsidies for post offices; and if he will make a statement. [121309]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Competitiveness, on 11 May 2000, Official Report, column 439W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the key buildings for which his Department (a) submitted and (b) did not submit green transport plans by March. [122561]

In line with the target set in the Integrated Transport White Paper for the introduction of green transport plans for key government buildings we have completed plans for the Department's three key buildings—Atholl House, St. Mary's House and Westfield House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to facilitate a meeting between representatives of petrol retailers and petrol wholesalers to discuss a code of practice. [122361]

I said during the petrol retailing debate in January that I was happy to broker a meeting if the concerned parties wished to meet and were prepared to compromise where necessary. Such a meeting has not yet been requested, but I intend to take the initiative and invite relevant parties to meet. However, it is sensible to receive advice from the Director General of Fair Trading on the future of the 1966 undertakings first. I expect to receive this soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the climate change levy on the competitive position of the United Kingdom's horticultural industry. [120805]

I have been asked to reply.It is not possible to say with precision what the effect of the climate change levy will be on the competitive position of the United Kingdom's horticultural industry. This will depend, among other things, on the extent to which individual sectors and firms within the industry are exposed to international competition, the future energy use of the industry and the extent to which the industry takes up the various incentives offered under the levy to improve energy efficiency.The Government have sought to design the climate change levy in a way that maximises its environmental effectiveness while protecting the competitiveness of UK firms. With respect to the horticultural industry the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in Budget 2000 that the Government intend to introduce a package of measures to help protect its competitiveness. Subject to State Aids clearance from the European Commission this will include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the (a) role of the 1 Field Laboratory Unit that operated a biological warfare agent detection facility during the 1990–91 Gulf conflict and (b) work of that unit in detecting biological warfare agents. [123219]

The 1997 "Gulf Veterans Illnesses: A New Beginning" policy statement set out a number of commitments to help address the health concerns of Gulf Veterans. One of these commitments was to review specific incidents of suggested biological warfare exposures and the activities of 1 Field Laboratory Unit. As part of this commitment I am today publishing a paper entitled, "A Review of the Activities of the 1 Field Laboratory Unit and Suggested Biological Warfare Agency Detections During Operation Granby".As a result of our review of the available information we assess that UK troops were not subject to attack by or exposed to biological warfare agents during the Gulf conflict. There were alarms on some detectors, many of which were recognised to be false by the system operators at the time. On one occasion, a biological substance was detected and samples returned to the UK for testing. The tests concluded that this was not caused by a biological warfare agent. Our review re-examined this incident and concludes that the evidence suggests that the detection was caused by natural biological material.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Aviation Repair Agency for 2000–01. [123220]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the DARA for financial year 2000–01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1999 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Army Base Repair Organisation for 2000–01. [123221]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the ABRO for financial year 2000–01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1993 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if members of the Reserve Forces who served in the Gulf are entitled to attributable pensions benefits. [123222]

Attributable benefits for Reserve Service were introduced in 1980, and the regulations are contained in the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions (Non-Effective Benefits and Family Pension) Order 1999, the Army Pay Warrant 1977, and the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Air Force. It has been the practice since 1980 to award attributable benefits only where members of the Reserve Forces are medically discharged from the Reserves at an end of a period of active duty. During periods of recalled service for operations, individuals in the regular reserve forces could claim benefits only if they were medically discharged at the point of demobilisation. We have now taken legal advice, which suggests that Army reservists are, under current regulations, eligible to claim attributable benefits if they are medically discharged from the reserve at any time. Our legal advisers have also identified some anomalies in the regulations for the other Services.We therefore propose for the future that all members of the volunteer reserves and regular reserves should be eligible for attributable benefits if they are medically discharged from the reserve forces at any time for reasons attributable to reserve service. The existing anomalies in the regulations, under which reservists are treated differently depending on which Service they come from, will be removed. We shall re-examine claims from Gulf Reservists under the interpretation of the regulations we now believe to be correct. We shall also consider any new claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the RAND Corporation report entitled, "A Review of the Scientific Literature as it Pertains to Gulf War Illnesses, volume II: Pyridostigmine Bromide". [123223]

The RAND report, which is a comprehensive compilation of published literature on pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and its relationship to Gulf Veterans' Illnesses (GVI), has now been carefully reviewed and a written assessment of the report has been produced. I am placing a copy of this assessment in the Library of the House.The RAND report does not present any new work on pyridostigmine bromide. It concentrates on several hypotheses of how PB might be the cause of GVI and to a lesser extent discusses the effectiveness of PB. Although a number of theories have been identified they have not, in our view, been critically evaluated and there is no differentiation between the credibility and the value of the various pieces of research. The report gives no guidance as to which of the various hypotheses is worthy of further investigation or for the prioritisation of further research. The approach and methodology adopted for this review do not advance the debate on whether PB is possibly linked to illness in Gulf veterans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Naval Bases and Supply Agency for 2000–01. [123225]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the NBSA for financial year 2000–01. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in December 1996 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Communications Services Agency for 2000–01. [123224]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the DCSA for financial year 2000–01. The targets build on the progress made by the Agency since it formed in April 1998 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the foreign representations that he received in respect of the DERA part sell-off and privatisation; and if he will make a statement. [122379]

Throughout the DERA PPP process there has been substantial and widespread discussion with officials from each of our international collaborative partners. These have involved a considerable number of British officials, with meetings taking place in the UK and overseas often in the margins of bilateral and multilateral meetings. In addition, we have received written responses as part of last year's consultation process from a number of foreign companies. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 85W, regarding details of the companies and our international collaborative partners.Representations have focused on the need to ensure that PPP does not affect our ability to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is DERA's policy to support the (a) Business Innovation Centre at Rosyth Europarc and (b) application for European funding. [122399]

The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) is strongly committed, through the Defence Diversification Agency (DDA), to encouraging the widest possible exploitation of defence technology in the civil sector, in line with Government policy. The DDA is implementing this policy by establishing a national network of technology diversification managers, all rooted in DERA but located in regionally based business communities, one of which is the Rosyth Europarc, to provide a technology brokering service. It is also DERA's policy to support the Europarc Business Innovation Centre's application for European funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts entered into with private sector companies for the provision of goods or services since May 1997 where penalty clauses were triggered for non-performance; and if he will make a statement. [122017]

Provision of such a list would require consideration of some 6,000 contracts and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what functional modifications will be made to the Mauser 27mm cannon to be installed in the first 55 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to be delivered to the Royal Air Force. [121755]

The 27mm Mauser Cannon fitted to Eurofighter will undergo a number of internal modifications affecting the ammunition feed arrangements and muzzle blast suppressor. No additional modifications are required if the gun is carried but not used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 2000, Official Report, column 566W, when he expects the Defence Diversification Council to be established; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay. [122233]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will set up the Defence Diversification Council; and if he will make a statement. [122128]

We are currently examining the implications of the DERA Public/Private Partnership proposals for the work that is now being undertaken by the Defence Diversification Agency. Once that examination has been completed, we shall announce our proposals for the future of the Agency, including the arrangements for the establishment of the Defence Diversification Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the original estimated cost of the Hawk Trainer Replacement Airframe Programme; what is the cost expected to be on completion; what is the end date for this contract; and if he will make a statement. [122374]

Early estimates suggested that the cost of the programme would be of the order of £160 million. A contract for the work was awarded to BAE SYSTEMS in December 1998. Details of the contract are commercially sensitive, but the value was of the order of £120 million (VAT inclusive). The programme commenced in July 1999. The first aircraft was returned to service, ahead of schedule, in April of this year. The programme is due to be completed by January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the number of servicemen who served during the Suez Canal Zone occupation from 1951 to 1954 who are still alive. [122333]

[holding answer 16 May 2000]: This information is not held centrally. The work that would be required to determine whether in fact it would be possible to provide this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amounts of beryllium and depleted uranium are left on site at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Llanishen Cardiff; and when he expects the site will be free from contamination. [122391]

[holding answer 16 May 2000]: Although traces of beryllium and depleted uranium have been found in specific locations they are of a very low level and, being contained on the site, pose no threat to health or the environment. Precise levels of contamination are currently being collated in preparation for a contract to be let for the remediation phase of site decommissioning, and will be made public shortly. The site is expected to be free from contamination by autumn of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to equip the Royal Navy with the Tactical Tomahawk missile; if this will be carried by (a) Royal Navy submarines and (b) the future Type 45 destroyer; and if he will make a statement. [122111]

[holding answer 17 May 2000]: No decision has yet been taken on whether the Royal Navy should procure tactical Tomahawk (TACTOM) missiles. However, a contract has been placed, through the United States Department of Defense, to undertake a joint US/UK feasibility study to evaluate the design options for torpedo tube launch of the TACTOM missile. This enabling work will allow UK options for TACTOM procurement, if required in the future, to remain open. There are currently no plans for the type 45 destroyer to have a land attack capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to place an order for the additional primary casualty receiving ship referred to on page 25 of the Strategic Defence Review. [122112]

[holding answer 17 May 2000]: A range of procurement options are being considered to meet the requirement. Initial work suggests that we should be in a position to place a contract during 2002, and the programme to achieve this date is being developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make an announcement on the preferred supplier for the BVRAAM. [122145]

I announced on 16 May the Government's intention to procure the METEOR missile, offered by a consortium led by Matra BAe Dynamics, as the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile for the Eurofighter aircraft. Our decision will give the RAF the most advanced air-to-air missile in the world, and will ensure that Eurofighter can combat all projected air-to-air threats well into its service life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many copies of the document entitled "Respecting the Environment Conservation on the Defence Estate and the Role of the MOD Conservation Office" were printed; how many were distributed; where they were distributed; and what the total cost was. [122708]

40,000 copies of the MOD booklet, "Respecting the Environment" were printed. The cost of designing and printing the document was £11,548.33 which equates to 29 pence a copy. Over 30,000 copies have been or are being distributed via the Defence Tourer exhibition and the Army Presentation Team and directly to schools, colleges, libraries and interested members of the public. This process continues. Distribution costs are not separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1999–2000; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [121652]

For staff covered by the main departmental pay system, the headline settlement added 2.7 per cent. to the paybill. Together with funds released by staff turnover, staff in post received performance-related increases averaging 4.5 per cent. A further 0.2 per cent. represented restructuring costs associated with the move to a more efficient and flexible structure and was focused on the Department's lowest paid staff. The increase was not staged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make an announcement on the preferred supplier for the short-term and long-term heavy lift aircraft. [122144]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make a decision on his Department's participation in the A400M airbus project; and if he will make a statement. [122396]

I announced on 16 May the Government's intention to procure 25 A400M aircraft, to be developed and produced by Airbus Military, to meet the strategic airlift needs of our Armed Forces in the medium to long term. In the interim we will meet our short term needs through lease of four C-17 aircraft from The Boeing Company. This investment in our strategic airlift capability delivers the major enhancements promised in the Strategic Defence Review and will ensure that our Armed Forces are properly equipped with the best equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the (a) manufacture in the United Kingdom of, (b) use by United Kingdom armed forces of and (c) export of cluster bombs; [110169](2) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which British armed forces use cluster bombs. [110170]

Cluster bombs held by the Royal Air Force are manufactured in the UK by Hunting Engineering Ltd. Cluster bombs are an effective weapon both against armoured targets and area targets, such as a group of soft-skinned military vehicles. UK armed forces will always use the most appropriate weapons against a given target, acting within their Rules of Engagement, taking into account weapon effectiveness and the need to minimise collateral damage. Applications for the export of cluster bombs are considered on a case-by-case basis against criteria announced by the Foreign Secretary on 28 July 1997 and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Sales.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his response to the recommendation in the Bowman report on the Crown Office List that there should be a comprehensive review of the present structure, jurisdiction, procedures, remedies and routes of appeal of tribunals. [123129]

The Lord Chancellor has welcomed Sir Jeffery Bowman's recommendation. It has been 43 years since the last thorough review of tribunals. The number of tribunals has grown greatly since then. There has also been a fundamental change in the nature of, and pressures on, their work. The Lord Chancellor has therefore decided that there should be a wide ranging, independent review of tribunals.Its terms of reference will be:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the key buildings for which the Lord Chancellor's Department (a) submitted and (b) did not submit green transport plans by March. [122622]

In line with the target set in the Integrated Transport White Paper, green transport plans for three Headquarters buildings were completed by March 1999. Draft plans for a further 55 key buildings have been prepared and these will be introduced by July 2000.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much the Lord Chancellor's Department has spent since 1997 on (a) marriage support funding and (b) marriage counselling services; and how many people have been helped in each year. [122600]

Spending by the Lord Chancellor's Department on marriage and relationship support and research for the financial years since 1997 is as follows: 1997–98: £3.4 million; 1998–99: £3.0 million; 1999–2000: £3.2 million. In line with Sir Graham Hart's recommendations in his report to the Lord Chancellor on Marriage Support Funding (published in November 1999), the allocation is being increased as follows: 2000–01: £4 million; 2001–02: £4.5 million; 2002–03: £5 million.This spending is currently provided to the central bodies of the main marriage and relationship support and research organisations towards expenses incurred in the development of training and support to local services, including the selection, training and supervision of counsellors, administrative costs and research. The Government do not directly fund the provision of counselling services. It is therefore not possible to calculate precisely how many people are helped in each year.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor' s Department how many applications for information he received under the Open Government: Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the last parliamentary session; and how many were granted. [121855]

I refer my right hon. Friend to the written answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on behalf of the Government as a whole, Official Report, columns 216–17W.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior Civil Service, in his Department for 1999–2000; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [121645]

This reply covers non-industrial civil servants working in the Headquarters of the Lord Chancellor's Department and Associated Offices, the Court Service, and the Public Trust Office.The average increase received by non-industrial civil servants who achieved a satisfactory or better performance was 4 per cent. The main increases were not staged, but they were paid with effect from 1 October 1999 rather than the normal settlement date of 1 August.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on Mr. Mike Tyson's application for entry clearance. [123031]

I have today informed Mr. Tyson that he will be granted entry clearance for a single visit of three weeks' duration strictly for the purpose of a boxing match in Scotland on 24 June 2000.The decision to grant entry clearance has been taken in accordance with Rule 320(18) of the United Kingdom Immigration Rules which requires that admission will not normally be given to those with criminal convictions for relatively serious offences unless it can be justified for strong compassionate reasons, but also bearing in mind the residual discretion which I have under the Rule.In reaching my decision, I took note of the fact that Mr. Tyson has relevant convictions for the purposes of the application of this Rule. I also noted that there are recent allegations of an assault on an employee of a nightclub in Las Vegas, but we understand this is still under investigation. And I took into account the views expressed by the public about Mr. Tyson visiting the United Kingdom.I did not consider that there were strong compassionate reasons which would justify admission in Mr. Tyson's case for the purpose of the Rule. However, I concluded that there were other exceptional circumstances which justified his entry to the country for the purpose of participating in the boxing match. My decision took account of the following factors:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the review of paragraph 320 (18) of the Immigration Rules. [123030]

I have today published a consultation document which details the consideration given to this matter and the changes proposed. A copy of the paper has been placed in the Library. Comments on the document are invited by 20 June 2000 and should be addressed to:

• Susan Wale,
• European Directorate,
• Room 1212 Apollo House,
• 36 Wellesley Road,
• Croydon,
• CR9 3RR.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the results achieved by the Prison Service on each of its Key Performance Indicators in 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [123128]

KPI	Target	Actual
Category A escapes	0	0
Escapes from prisons and prison escorts, expressed as a proportion of average population	0.05%	0.059%
Escapes from contracted escorts, expressed as a ratio per prisoners handled	Less than 1:20,000	1:22,251
Assault rate (percentage of average population)	9%	9.9%
Rate of positive random mandatory drug tests (MDT)	18.5%	14.4%
Percentage of the population held two to a cell designed for one (Doubling)	18%	18.5%
Average purposeful activity hours	24 hours	23.2 hours
Total Accredited Offending Behaviour Programme completions (OBPs)	3,600	4,478
Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTPs)	700	586
Cost per Uncrowded prisoner place	£26,208	£25,567
Cost per prisoner	£27,392	£25,567
Average working days lost to staff sickness	12.5	13.3
Percentage of public correspondence replied with 20 working days	95%	93.6%

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has compiled a list of postcodes to be avoided in the dispersal of asylum seekers' programmes. [120632]

Asylum seekers who are supported by the National Asylum Support Service will be dispersed to cluster areas around the country. Our intention is to ensure that the cluster areas are suitable for asylum seekers taking into account, inter alia, the views of local authorities. In some cases, local authorities may advise that particular areas may not be suitable for asylum seekers and they may identify such areas by post-code. That information would be taken into consideration in determining whether to accept any accommodation for asylum seekers if offered in that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of asylum seekers placed to date in bed and breakfast accommodation in Bournemouth; whom local authorities are required to notify before placing asylum seekers in such accommodation in other authority areas; and if he will make a statement. [122477]

The information requested is not held centrally. There is no requirement under the voluntary interim scheme for one local authority to notify another before placing asylum seekers in accommodation in another local authority area. However, we have encouraged local authorities doing this to liaise with those authorities into whose areas asylum seekers are being sent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that the Asylum Support Agency maintains the closest possible contact with local authorities in connection with the asylum seekers dispersal policy; and if he will make a statement. [122748]

We remain in consultation with the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of London Government (ALG). We consult local authority consortiums about proposed accommodation providers operating in their area, giving as much information as possible about the likely locations of the accommodation that the private sector providers are likely to offer.

The Prison Service Key Performance Indicators (KPI) results for 1999–2000 are given in the table. Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.We notify the relevant health and education authorities that an asylum seeker (and family if applicable) have been dispersed to their area. On a weekly basis, we notify the relevant local authority consortiums.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each region in England the contracts that have been entered into between the Asylum Support Agency and providers of accommodation. [122751]

As of 15 May, the Home Office had awarded contracts to the following accommodation providers:

• Ade1phi Hotels Limited, Hove, East Sussex
• Angel Group Limit, London E1
• Capital Accommodation (London) Limited, London N8
• Clearsprings (Management) Limited, Rayleigh, Essex
• Glasgow City Council (on behalf of the Scottish Regional Consortium of local authorities)
• The Landmark Liverpool Limited, London W3
• Roselodge Limited, Wembley, Middlesex
• Shallan (UK) Limited, London NW3
• South Yorkshire Housing Association Limited and Yorkshire Community Housing Association (a joint venture), Sheffield
• YMCA Glasgow.

These providers—although not contractually limited to the areas in which they are operating at present—are currently supplying accommodation in the following cluster areas:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners imprisoned for burglary and released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme had been convicted of a prior offence of burglary; and if he will make a statement. [122094]

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by requesting information from individual establishments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of recruitment and retention of probation officers. [122309]

During 1999, there have been significant increases of four per cent. in the number of probation officers in post and of seven per cent. in the number of other probation service staff in post (whole-time equivalent in both cases). The increase in probation officers is due largely to more than doubling the number of trainee probation officers in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what evidence is used by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in judging whether a claimant's own conduct caused or contributed to the incident; [122327](2) what percentage of claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority are rejected on the grounds that the injured person's own conduct caused or contributed to the incident. [122326]

The Authority advises that in the three years ending 31 March 2000, the proportion of cases refused under paragraph 13(d) of the compensation scheme, on grounds of conduct, as a percentage of total cases settled was around 5.4 per cent.The Authority further advises that in most cases, it determines whether an applicant's conduct caused or contributed to the incident in which the applicant was injured by considering the report on the incident provided to the Authority by the police and any other relevant information the applicant may have supplied. The Authority may also consider police witness statements and interview transcripts where available. Where the incident has resulted in court proceedings, the Authority may also obtain and consider information about these proceedings and their outcome.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the review led by his Department into the law on sexual offences will be completed and a report published. [122586]

The sex offences review has completed its work and reported to Ministers. I hope that its proposals will be published for consultation shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on establishing the National Family and Parenting Institute; what is its estimated annual budget; and if he will make a statement on the planned impact of the Institute. [122532]

[holding answer 17 May 2000]: I understand that the National Family and Parenting Institute, which is an independent charity, launched in November 1999, had the assistance of a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of £120,000. They have not published their budget for 2000–01, but they are receiving over £2 million over the next three years from central government.Working in partnership with other professional and voluntary family support organisations, the Institute aims to be a centre of expertise, ensuring readily accessible and reliable support for families and parents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is being made available to Kosovan refugees returning from the United Kingdom to their home country; and if he will make a statement. [122727]

The current voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom began on 26 July 1999 and will end on 25 June 2000. For humanitarian and economic reasons it was decided to give a relocation grant of 720 Deutschmarks per person (approximately £250), payable on arrival in Kosovo, to all those who chose to go back under the return programme. That grant was increased to 1,300 Deutschmarks per person (approximately £400) with effect from the flight on 5 May. Arrangements have also been made to transport larger possessions overland to Kosovo. This will enable Kosovans to take back, for example, household goods and building materials, which they have bought or been given, and which they cannot take on an aeroplane.In order to benefit from the grant and the overland transport of goods, Kosovans must register for return by 10 June and leave the United Kingdom on one of the organised voluntary return flights by 25 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is available to Kosovan refugees who have applied for asylum after the expiry of their 12 months' sanctuary in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [122730]

Under the new support arrangements that we began phasing in on 3 April all new destitute asylum seekers who claim asylum in Scotland or Northern Ireland and additionally, since 17 April, all new asylum applicants in Kent will be supported by the National Asylum Support Service.In all other cases, support will fall to local authorities who may provide essential living needs under the provisions of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow Kosovan refugees receiving medical treatment from the NHS to remain in the United Kingdom pending completion of treatment in cases where treatment is not available in Kosovo. [122728]

Every request by a Kosovan to remain here longer on medical grounds will be considered carefully on its individual merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on ordering the return home of Kosovan refugees; how many Kosovan refugees have been required to return home against their will in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [122731]

Kosovan Albanians who were evacuated to the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) between 25 April and 25 June 1999 were granted 12 months' leave to enter. As agreed with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the outset of the evacuation process, protection was afforded on a temporary basis only. It was made clear at the time and subsequently that the leave of the evacuated Kosovans would not be extended and that they would be expected to return to Kosovo as soon as it was safe to do so.The UNHCR judge that it is now safe for the majority of Kosovan Albanians to return to Kosovo and this has been exemplified by the one million Kosovans who have voluntarily chosen to return since July 1999.The Government have given every assistance to Kosovan Albanians who wish to return to Kosovo permanently by funding two voluntary assisted return programmes and giving each returning person a relocation grant. The current programme and grant will run until 25 June. If, at the end of the 12-month period, people do not choose to return voluntarily and there are no protection or other humanitarian reasons to prevent them from doing so, I regret that consideration will be given to enforcing their return. It is the Government's hope that the generosity of this country in affording protection to the Kosovan Albanians in their hour of need will not be overlooked in this way and that such action does not have to be taken.There have been no enforced removals to Kosovo in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees from Kosovo have returned home from the United Kingdom in each of the last 12 months. [122733]

The current voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom began on 26 July 1999 and will end on 25 June. The programme is open both to those Kosovans who arrived in the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) and to independent arrivals. As of 10 May, 1,280 Kosovans who arrived in the United Kingdom under the HEP and 370 independent arrivals had returned permanently to Kosovo under the voluntary programme. The table shows the number of Kosovans returning permanently by month since the programme started.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1999–2000; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [121648]

The headline pay settlement in the core Home Office was 2 per cent. on the pay bill and, together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance related increases averaging 4.0 per cent. The increases were not staged. In our agencies, staff received average performance related increases as follows:

	Percentage
Forensic Science Service	3.67
Prison Service	4
United Kingdom Passport Agency	4.1

None of these awards were staged.In the Fire Service College, pay negotiations have not been concluded and the information is therefore not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for information he received under the Open Government: Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the last parliamentary session; and how many were granted. [121854]

The annual Monitoring Report on the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information contains information regarding the operation of the Code during the calendar year, including statistics on the number of requests received under the Code. These statistics are broken down by Department. (Government Departments all submit returns for inclusion in the report.) The statistics relate to the calendar year: it is not possible to break these down into parliamentary sessions.The 1998 Monitoring Report was published in July 1999 and contains statistics for that calendar year. The total number of requests received in 1998 was 23,754, of which a total of 22,009 were granted. The breakdown of these requests into individual departments is contained in Appendix 1. Copies of the 1998 report are in the Library. I hope to be able to publish the 1999 Monitoring Report on the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to ensure the protection of (a) private and (b) public property during demonstrations involving anarchist groups in (i) London and (ii) elsewhere. [122614]

Protection of property during demonstrations is an operational matter for the police service and for the owners or agencies responsible for the property.I understand that during the recent demonstrations in London, discussions were held between the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Parks Agency and English Heritage about the best ways to protect property of public importance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Ministers outside his Department on the issue of hunting with dogs. [122698]

Information relating to internal discussion and consultation is not disclosed under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward a Bill, one of whose aims would be to ban hunting wild mammals with hounds. [122749]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in the reply he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) on 11 November 1999, Official Report, columns 787–88W, how the Government wished to proceed on the issue of hunting with dogs. The Government will offer reasonable time, if necessary, and drafting assistance for this issue to be considered by the House of Commons through a Private Member's Bill on a free vote.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has set the Burns inquiry a deadline for reporting; and if he will make a statement. [122750]

In announcing the inquiry into hunting in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) on 11 November 1999, Official Report, columns 787–88W, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary stated that the inquiry will be asked to report by late spring this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the police cells at Chorley will be brought up to Health and Safety Executive approved standard. [122172]

A £300,000 refurbishment of Chorley police station is in progress, and I understand that the police station will meet all applicable health and safety standards when it is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested in Chorley have been detained in police cells in (a) South Ribble and (b) Skelmersdale, in the last year for which figures are available; and of those detained, how many were arrested in Chorley. [122170]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times in the last two years Greater Manchester police have assisted in operations in Chorley. [122173]

Officers from Greater Manchester and Lancashire collaborate on routine operations on a day-to-day basis in Chorley and this has proved very successful. There has been only one pre-planned organised collaboration in the area, Operation Coalition, involving both forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which police station the back-up custody suite to Leyland is located. [122171]

There are two back-up custody facilities for Leyland: Chorley is the first and Bamber Bridge the second.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much was spent in each year since 1997 on the Family Support Grant; [122597](2) how much has been spent in each year on the Fathers Fund. [122598]

The Family Support Grant is a new programme of funding for voluntary organisations which first became available in 1999. There is no separate Fathers Fund, but each year a theme is selected to focus on particular areas of work. In 1999, the theme was work with boys, young men and fathers. Grants first paid out in the year April 1999–2000 are available for up to three years and for 2000–2001, for up to two years. Expenditure has been as follows:

1999–2000

• £1 million in total, of which £474,724 was on work with fathers;

2000–01

• £3 million in total, including £663,645 on work with fathers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the overall cost of the Lancet inquiry into alleged corruption in the Cleveland police force and breakdown the costs under their main headings; and if he will make a statement. [122701]

The cost of the Lancet inquiry to the end of April this year was £2.622 million. This can be broken down as follows:

	£ million
Cleveland officers (including salaries, overtime and travel/subsistence)	1.271
Officers from Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and West Yorkshire (including salaries, overtime and travel/subsistence)	1.169
Other costs (accommodation and office expenditure)	0.182

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many inmates of young offenders institutions (a) committed and (b) attempted suicide in each year since 1977; [122747](2) how many cases of self-harm by inmates of young offenders institutions took place in each year since 1977. [122726]

The information requested is given in the tables from the earliest year that records are available. Information about attempted suicides is not recorded separately, but is incorporated into figures on self-harm incidents.

Incidents of self-harm at HMP young offenders institutions 1990–91 to 1999–2000
Financial year	Incidents of self-harm
1990–91	312
1991–92	341
1992–93	469
1993–94	474
1994–95	717
1995–96	1,143
1996–97	793
1997–98	879
1998–99	944
1999–20001	n/a
1 Not yet available

Self-inflicted deaths at HMP young offenders institutions 1988–2000
Calendar year	Number of deaths
1988	1
1989	2
1990	2
1991	4
1992	4
1993	1
1994	1
1995	2
1996	6
1997	5

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) rape and (b) assault within young offenders institutions were reported to the authorities in each year since 1997. [122725]

The figures for the numbers of assaults of a sexual nature and other assaults in young offender institutions reported to Prison Service headquarters since April 1997 are set out in the table. Separate figures for rape and buggery are not available. Such assaults are included within the figures for assaults of a sexual nature, which also include lesser sexual offences.

Assaults in young offender institutions (YOIs)
Year	Assaults of a sexual nature	Other assaults
1997–98	17	1,016
1998–99	19	1,501
1999–2000	17	2,757