To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which British companies involved in the Ilisu Dam project are involved in the trial concerning bribery and corruption in Lesotho; and if he will make a statement. [127079]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: As has already been reported in the press, Balfour Beatty, one of the companies involved in a bribery trial in Lesotho, is bidding for work on the proposed Ilisu Dam project in Turkey.It would be inappropriate to comment on specific allegations against British firms, which are a matter for the appropriate courts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what formal procedures are in place in the event of companies in receipt of ECGD support (a) being charged with corruption and (b) having allegations of corruption made against them. [127082]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: ECGD's audit services would normally investigate any case, in either category, where there are grounds for believing that the Exchequer's interest might be prejudiced as a result of alleged corrupt practices.ECGD will shortly be introducing new procedures to the OECD Bribery Convention aimed at further deterring corrupt practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken concerning recent allegations of bribery and corruption on the part of British companies in Lesotho. [127080]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The Government share international concern at all allegations of corruption. It would, however, be inappropriate to comment on specific allegations against UK firms which are a matter, in this instance, for the Lesotho courts. The Government will, if asked, co-operate fully in any way that it can.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the directors of UK companies banned from World bank contracts who are directors of companies in receipt of ECGD support; and if he will list the relevant companies. [127085]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The World bank last updated their list of ineligible firms on 29 February 2000. ECGD has no record of having provided support to any of the firms on that list.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what staff he has in post to check for corruption relating to ECGD- backed projects. [127083]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: ECGD policy makes it clear that all staff have a part to play in minimising the risks of corruption and malpractice by remaining alert to such possibilities and by developing and maintaining effective controls to reduce these risks. Additionally there is an Internal Audit Department of seven who have responsibility for investigating any suspected cases of corruption relating to ECGD backed projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if guidelines to prevent corruption will be included in the forthcoming recommendations for the ECGD's Mission and Status. [127084]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The review of ECGD's Mission and Status is ongoing and I cannot comment on the outcome of the review until it is complete. It is looking at what ECGD's future role should be and, as I stressed when I announced the review last July, will consider carefully how ECGD can better help the Government to meet their wider objectives. I expect Ministers to determine necessary changes to ECGD's Mission in the next month or so. A report of the review will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what payments were made to post offices in each of the last five years for undertaking Benefits Agency business in (a) Scotland, (b) Dumfries and Galloway and (c) Galloway and Upper Nithsdale parliamentary constituency. [124713]

I understand from the Post Office that details of payments made to post offices in respect of business undertaken for the Benefits Agency are contractual matters and as such commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the recent performance of British Trade International; and what are its (a) performance criteria and (b) annual budget. [126751]

British Trade International's services for trade development and promotion are now delivered under the single brand name of Trade Partners UK. As I announced last month, British Trade International is also the umbrella body for the Invest in Britain Bureau which will work alongside Trade Partners UK.Trade Partners UK was launched nationally on 31 May 2000, and replaces the various promotional brands that have been used in the past. The services available to firms will be easier to access and more effective. A new electronic gateway provides internet access to all basic information on international markets and business sectors, and an electronic inquiry service. Trade Partners UK will continue to work in partnership with other Government Departments, devolved administrations and regional bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what will be the cost of establishing Trade Partners UK. [126753]

It cost £250,000 to develop the Trade Partners UK brand. Further costs of promoting and developing customer awareness of the new brand and the services we offer are being met by redirecting marketing effort that would in any case have been spent on promoting our services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of launch aid has been provided by his Department for the Airbus A3XX; to how many sets of components the launch aid applies; and how many jobs he estimates will be created as a result of the launch aid. [127158]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 13 March 2000, Official Report, column 9W, that the Government would provide £530 million of launch investment to BAE Systems to help them develop the wings for the A3XX. We estimate this project will create 22,000 new jobs (8,000 in BAE Systems and supply companies, and 14,000 new induced employment) and safeguard a further 62,000 jobs (20,000 on current Airbus programmes and 42,000 in induced employment).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will use section 23 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 to give ministers of religion the same employment rights as other employees. [126879]

The Government are committed to carrying out full public consultation before exercising the power in section 23, which allows the Secretary of State to confer existing employment rights on categories of individuals who currently fall outside their coverage. The issue of rights for ministers of religion is one of those on which we intend to seek views in the consultation document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many commercial staff and at what grades his Department employs in (a) Kazakhstan, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) Turkmenistan, (d) Tajikistan and (e) Kyrgystan. [R] [126433]

I have been asked to reply.Commercial staff overseas are employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of the unified FCO/DTI British Trade International operation. Staff in British Trade International's UK operation are primarily employed by the Department of Trade and Industry. We have no representation in Tajikistan or Kyrgystan. Details of commercial staffing in the other countries are

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of (a) organic foods, (b) bottled drinking water, (c) parsnips and (d) yoghurt consumed in the UK are imported. [126323]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: It is estimated that about (a) 70 per cent. of organic foods, (b) 35 per cent. of mineral water, and (d) 15 per cent. of yoghurt consumed in the UK are imported. Statistics on imports of parsnips are not separately available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to minimise skip lorry movements of animal products for final disposal between farms. [125167]

[holding answer 8 June 2000]: None. The transport and disposal of animal by-products are already controlled by the Animal By-Products Order 1999. The Order is enforced by local authorities.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the impact on British confectionery manufacturing of the European Commission's decision to suspend the payment of refunds payable on the export of non-Annex 1 products. [124769]

[holding answer 14 June 2000]: From 8 May this year the European Commission temporarily suspended the issue of further refund certificates, required for refund payments on the export of non-Annex 1 products. Special provision has been made for small traders to ensure that they are unaffected by the suspension. This suspension reflects the Commission's concern about the value of claims made so far in the current year compared to budgetary limits.For the British confectionery manufacturing industry this could result in a shortfall in the current budget year of some £4.7 million from the previous year's export refund receipt of £18.5 million, if certificates remain suspended until the end of the budget year in October. The UK confectionery industry exports products worth some £300 million per year to non-EU destinations, and it is these exports that will be affected by suspension.Discussions with the Commission are continuing at official and at ministerial level to secure a solution that will minimise the impact for all exporting industries affected by the suspension.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to promote the consumption of fresh milk in schools. [125790]

The Government have already taken action via the Intervention Board to draw the attention of schools and local education authorities to the existence of the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme and to simplify its operations. The Intervention Board has also recently issued a questionnaire to all claimant organisations in England and Wales seeking further suggestions for improvements to the administration of the scheme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to assist the promotion of the sale of fresh milk. [125791]

In response to calls from representatives of dairy farmers the Government widened the remit of the Milk Development Council (MDC) to allow it to engage in the generic promotion of milk. The MDC's first marketing campaign for fresh milk, funded jointly by producers and processors, commenced on 19 June.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the basis and source of data of the Intervention Board calculations of milk production; and what representations he has received as to their accuracy. [125775]

The monthly, wholesale, butterfat-adjusted, milk production figures calculated by the Intervention Board are based on monthly returns submitted to the Intervention Board by all approved milk purchasers, as required by regulation 28(2) of the Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations 1997, as amended.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what (a) advice and (b) financial assistance is available to farmers to help them diversify their work; and if he will make a statement. [125949]

We will launch a new Rural Enterprise Scheme which will include grant aid for farm diversification once we receive approval from the European Commission for the England Rural Development Plan.Under the Action Plan for Farming we will also produce a new booklet on farm diversification and intend to provide free advice on planning to successful applicants to the Rural Enterprise Scheme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to persuade his European Union partners to give a high priority during negotiations to revise WTO rules ensuring that the EU can maintain and improve its standards of farm animal welfare; and if he will make a statement. [126514]

The conclusions of the EU Agriculture Council on 27 September 1999 and the General Affairs Council on 25 October 1999 committed the EU to taking forward the issue of farm animal welfare in the WTO negotiations. The UK has been a strong support of this commitment, which was reinforced by the Prime Minister in his Action Plan for Farming, published on 30 March 2000, and we will be seeking to take it forward in the negotiations on agriculture which have now started.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the outcome was of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 16 June; and if he will make a statement. [127182]

The Fisheries Council met in Luxembourg on 16 June. I led the UK delegation, accompanied by John Home Robertson, Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs in the Scottish Executive.The Commission presented its mid-term review of the Multi Annual Guidance Programme (MAGP) IV, which will now go for further study. I made clear that I could not accept the cuts in the UK fleet suggested by the Commission. In particular, effort control must be retained. However, the need to bring capacity into better balance with available stocks remained, and I welcome the Commission's plans for a public consultation this autumn on successor arrangements to MAGP IV. Stricter MAGP limits should be applied in member states offering construction grants for new vessels.The Council adopted a report on the integration of environmental concerns into the Common Fisheries Policy for submission to the European Council and agreed on new arrangements for the collection of biological and economic data on the industry. I, together with German and Belgian colleagues, succeeded in insisting that these should not be unnecessarily burdensome. We raised the issue of unregulated international fishing for haddock off Rockall and with support from a number of member states pressed the Commission to seek early action through the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.I welcomed a statement from Commissioner Fischler on the need for member states to take action to reduce cetacean bycatches in EU waters. I also welcomed the Commission's report on the pilot stage of Regional Workshops, which helpfully bring together fishermen, scientists and administrators to consider improvements in the management of particular fisheries.Commissioner Fischler reported on the latest state of play on negotiations on a new EU-Morocco Agreement. The Council had an initial discussion on responsibility for the enforcement of Regional Fisheries Organisation responsibilities. A revised Total Allowable Catch for anchovies was agreed.

To ask the President of the Council if she will make it the Government's policy that in each instance where the majority of the House is in favour of legislation and where the Government are neutral on the issue in question, it will put forward appropriate legislation, provide time for debate and permit a free vote on specific issues. [126084]

Governments are elected on the basis of their Manifestos, which will always contain a number of commitments requiring legislation. It is right that Manifesto commitments should have priority. Other legislative needs are identified by Government and examined on a case-by-case basis. Although parliamentary time is limited, there have always been occasions when the Government has found time for matters on which it is itself neutral.

To ask the President of the Council if the Appointments Commission will make it its policy to give unsuccessful applicants for membership of the House of Lords reasons why their applications failed. [126832]

This is a matter for the Appointments Commission.

To ask the President of the Council who provides the secretariat supporting the Appointments Commission; and how many persons are employed in it. [126835]

The Appointments Commission is supported by a Secretariat who are either members of, or on loan to, the Cabinet Office. The Commission has yet to determine its final requirement for staff.The same staffing arrangement applies to other independent bodies such as the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

To ask the President of the Council if applicants for membership of the House of Lords are to receive a specification from the Appointments Commission setting out the qualities and abilities expected in successful applicants. [126836]

I understand that it is the Commission's intention to be exceedingly open in its procedures. The issue of a person specification would be consistent with that approach.

To ask the President of the Council if she will list the scheduled dates of meetings of the Appointments Commission in 2000. [126834]

This is a matter for the Commission.I understand, however, that the schedule of meetings has not yet been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost is over the whole life of the contract for the lease of the four Boeing C17 aircraft; and if it includes maintenance for the aircraft. [125437]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the visits outside the UK made by his Department's Permanent Secretary on official business since 1 January 1999, indicating the date and purpose of the visit in each case. [127135]

The MOD's Permanent Secretary has made the following visits outside the UK on official business since 1 January 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his proposals for refurbishing the MOD building in Whitehall, including the total cost of the refurbishment. [126677]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Mr. Pollard) on 17 May 2000, Official Report, columns 162–63W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has evaluated of health problems among service men deployed in Kosovo attributable to contact with depleted uranium. [125934]

I have not received any reports evaluating or suggesting health problems among service personnel deployed in Kosovo attributable to contact with depleted uranium.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision was taken to send Chinooks to Senegal in order to assist the deployment of troops; when the Chinooks left the United Kingdom; when they arrived in Senegal; and if he will make a statement. [126998]

The decision to deploy Chinooks to Dakar in Senegal, which was designated as the Forward Mounting Base for the evacuation operation, was taken on Saturday 6 May. The Chinooks left the UK that day and flew to Dakar over the course of that weekend, arriving in the early morning of 8 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to monitor cleanliness of hospital wards and operating theatres. [126918]

Our health programmes in developing countries work to improve the overall quality of health care provided, particularly for the poorest. Good hygiene practice and sterile operating conditions are important indicators of quality in service delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to support the Qinghai component of the China Western Poverty Reduction Project. [126919]

The report by the Independent Inspection Panel into the China Western Poverty Reduction Project, and World Bank management's response to it, will be discussed at a World Bank Board meeting in early July 2000. We will be looking very carefully at the conclusions of the Inspection Panel Report, and management's response to it, in preparing our position for that board meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the extent of repairs required to the Flaxmill in Shrewsbury. [125943]

I understand the building has been empty since 1987 and has a status of Grade A awarded by English Heritage. The repairs have been estimated to cost some £12.2 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will amend the road traffic regulations to enable Class 3 vehicles to use bus lanes; and if he will make a statement. [126187]

I have no plans to amend regulations to permit Class 3 vehicles to access bus lanes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Rail Regulator about the delays in boarding Liverpool trains at Euston Station. [126421]

The Franchising Director, not the Rail Regulator, is responsible for monitoring delays in the boarding of trains. The Secretary of State has had no discussions with the Franchising Director about delays in boarding Liverpool trains at Euston station.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the timekeeping of West Coast Main Line trains between Liverpool and Euston. [126422]

The Secretary of State has not received any representations about the timekeeping of West Coast Main Line trains between Liverpool and Euston. All trains on the West Coast Main Line have been subject to some delays due to the West Coast Main Line upgrade, but consequential amendments have been to the timetable and timekeeping has remained constant. The Franchising Director's publication 'On Track' (copies of which are available in the House Libraries) shows that 80.6 per cent. of West Coast Main Line trains arrived at their destination within 10 minutes of the advertised time in the year to 31 March 2000. This was an improvement on the 72.8 per cent. achieved in the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Rail Regulator on the timekeeping of West Coast Main Line services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston. [126420]

The Franchising Director not the Rail Regulator is responsible for monitoring the timekeeping of trains. The Secretary of State has had no discussions with the Franchising Director about the timekeeping of West Coast Main Line services between Liverpool and Euston.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about delays in boarding Liverpool trains at Euston station. [126511]

The Secretary of State has received no representations relating specifically to delays in boarding trains to Liverpool at Euston station. Development work in connection with the West Coast Main Line upgrade has resulted in a number of platforms at Euston being closed between May and September of this year. The consequential shortage of platforms has meant that upon arrival trains unload passengers and are then cleaned and stored out of the immediate station area, returning to the departure platform shortly before departure time. This has resulted in reduced intervals between trains being available for loading and departure times but this is common to all services from Euston.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions took place at the Rail Summit about the timekeeping of West Coast Main Line services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston. [126782]

Timekeeping of West Coast Main Line services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston was not discussed at the Rail Summit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it a condition when re-awarding the franchise for the West Coast Main Line that the level of on-board services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston Station is improved. [126781]

The present franchise for the West Coast Main Line is not due to be replaced until 9 March 2012. The franchise, in common with all the other passenger rail franchises, does not contain any provisions stipulating what on-board services must be provided. It is not envisaged that there will be any such provisions in any of the replacement franchises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring system is in place to ensure that the precautions required by law when parties of school pupils or organised parties of adults visit water treatment or sewage works are taken. [126282]

Employers in the water supply and sewage treatment industry have general duties placed upon them by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, visitors are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require employers to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks arising from their undertaking to the health and safety of persons not in their employment. This includes members of the public.Risks to health, including biological risks, are also covered by the more specific requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999. They require the employer to carry out a risk assessment and where necessary to implement suitable measures to reduce the risk. This duty would extend to groups visiting the site.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of whether washing screens in the screen houses of sewage works with untreated effluent produces a local atmosphere containing biological agents of a hazardous nature. [126269]

HSE has undertaken at least one local intervention to monitor levels of aerosols in a screen house and at visits to water treatment companies over the years has looked into the biological risks arising from the process and the way they are controlled.There are potentially hazardous micro-organisms in all sewage and a range of reasonably practicable precautions should be taken to control the risk.HSE made a number of recommendations including improved washing facilities, disposable overalls, respiratory protective equipment and improved ventilation. Although they had initially recommended the use of clean mains water or its equivalent for screen washing, they accepted that this was not reasonably practicable given the very large volumes used and the fact that a new secondary treatment works is being built and that biologically treated effluent will be available for screen washing from September 2000, with the plant being fully commissioned by the end of 2000.At a national level HSE works with the water industry's national trade body, Water UK, to help identify and resolve health and safety problems in the industry. Work has been carried out at national level on the microbiological risks from sewage, including those encountered at sewage treatment works. HSE produced guidance for employers and workers in 1995.Screens are usually washed with water which has been through the treatment process ("final effluent") which, while not of drinking-water quality, has fairly low levels of micro-organisms. However, where the treatment facilities are limited, as at Seafield, the water used will have higher levels of micro-organisms. The main risk is from ingestion/swallowing and from splashes on the skin and in the eyes. Aerosols containing micro-organisms are likely to be produced in screen houses from the general flow of sewage and also from the washing down of the screens. These aerosols can pose a risk to health from inhalation, depending on droplet size and the type and amount of micro-organisms present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of his Department's buildings display notices prohibiting the chaining of cycles to railings. [126410]

Only the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, displays such signs. This reflects the high security needs of the centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish maps showing tranquil areas in respect of light and noise pollution. [126413]

In respect of noise, Birmingham City Council has recently produced an innovative noise map of the City with support from this Department. This has been published as a DETR report ("A report on the production of noise maps of the City of Birmingham"—ISBN 1–85112359–8). Copies are available in the House Library and on the DETR website (www.environment.detr.gov.uk/noisemaps/birmingham/report/index.htm).The question of extending this technique throughout the country both in urban areas and relatively quiet areas in the open country is actively being considered by the Government and in European fora. My hon. Friend may wish to be aware that the Council for the Protection of Rural England together with the Countryside Commission has published a "Tranquillity Map", identifying areas of England which are far enough away from visual or noise intrusion to be considered unspoilt by urban influences.There are no plans at this time to introduce mapping for light pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton) of 24 May 2000, Official Report, column 539W, on dioxin, if he will make a statement about the operation of his Department's Hazardous Air Pollutants Programme in East Sussex. [126258]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: The Hazardous Air Pollutants Programme has no measuring station in East Sussex.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton) of 24 May 2000, Official Report, column 539W, on dioxin, what assessment his Department has made of the geographical comprehensiveness of his Department's Hazardous Air Pollutants Programme; and if he will make a statement. [126257]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: The Hazardous Air Pollutants Programme has made measurements of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Stevenage, Hazelrigg in Lancashire, High Muffles in the North Yorkshire Moors and Stoke Ferry in East Anglia in various years since 1991. It is making further measurements of PAH at Ashington, Bolsover, Glasgow, Holyhead, Kinlochleven, Lisburn, Newport (Gwent), Port Talbot and Scunthorpe. The first list of sites gives a good indication of levels of hazardous air pollutants across the UK as a whole, while the second list represents sites where levels might be expected to be higher than average.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton) of 24 May 2000, Official Report, column 539W, on dioxin, what steps he has taken to publicise the website displaying the results of programmes which monitor dioxin levels; how many hits that website has received for each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what is the web address. [126259]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: The Department's website that contains the results of all the Department's air quality measuring programmes is widely publicised in a variety of media. The number of hits on the pages containing the dioxin measurements were 2,445 in the period 1 June 1999 to 31 May 2000, representing approximately 1,150 users. The website address is http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/airq/aqinfo.htm, then click on National Air Quality Information Archive and then Monitoring Networks. The dioxin data are collected in the Toxic Organic Micropollutants section.The Food Standards Agency data are on the website http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk. This site has experienced 612 hits since 3 April 2000 on the pages giving information about dioxins in food.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which local authorities operate registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation; how many properties are on the list; and what proportion are estimated to be high risk. [127007]

The latest information my Department has on such schemes, based on local authority returns made in July 1999, indicated that 81 authorities, as listed, had schemes, and had registered approximately 10,000 houses in multiple occupation in the private rented sector. A number of these schemes, notably in London boroughs, are ward-based, although the majority are authority-wide:

Darlington, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stockton-on-Tees, North Tyneside, Barnsley, Calderdale, East Riding of Yorkshire, Harrogate, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Rotherham, Scarborough, York, Derby, Kettering, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, South Kesteven, Basildon, Cambridge, Colchester, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Luton, Mid Bedfordshire, North Norfolk, Peterborough, South Norfolk, St. Albans, Tendring, Watford, Waveney, Barking and Dagenham, Bromley, Brent, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hillingdon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lewisham, Newham, Islington, Hounslow, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Chiltern, Dover, Gravesham, Canterbury, Guildford, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Southampton, Thanet, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Mid Devon, North Somerset, Torbay, West Devon, Weymouth and Portland, Birmingham, Coventry, Redditch, Wyre Forest, Blackpool, Bury, Carlisle, Chester, Lancaster, Preston, Warrington, West Lancashire, Wirral.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the results of the schemes that are exploring alternative mechanisms of funding speed cameras. [126966]

The camera funding pilots that started in April this year in eight police force areas in England, Wales and Scotland will run for two years to assess the effectiveness of new funding arrangements. It is too soon after the start for any results to be available yet, and we expect some preliminary results after the first year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the Refuse Disposal Act 1978 with regard to the seven day notice period applicable to vehicles abandoned on the public highway before they can be removed by local authorities. [126568]

The existing regulations are intended to provide owners with safeguards against a local authority prematurely assuming a vehicle is abandoned and having it towed away for scrap. They also ensure that local authorities do not have to go to the unnecessary expense of removing and storing vehicles that may not, in the event, have been abandoned.We believe that the current legislation provides a good balance between the powers of local authorities to deal with abandoned vehicles and the rights of vehicle owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to maintain an official record of the number of motor vehicles abandoned every year in England and Wales. [126566]

There are no plans at present to maintain an official record of such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce legislation to amend the Data Protection Act 1998 to allow details of last registered owners of abandoned motor vehicles to be passed to local authorities on request. [126565]

The Data Protection Act exempts certain data from its non-disclosure provisions. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency already has powers to release vehicle keeper details to local authorities to help them deal with abandoned vehicles. The Agency provides the information on request. It is also developing electronic links with authorities to speed up the process.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the (a) legal and (b) financial framework for dealing with abandoned motor vehicles. [126567]

We will review the existing arrangements as we develop proposals for implementing the proposed European End-of-Life Vehicles Directive in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the overseas trips on official business he has made since 1 January; and how many days he has spent overseas since 1 January. [126546]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: Since 1 January 2000 I have made the following overseas visits on official business:

Sunday 12 to Friday 17 March:

Brazil and United States. Meetings with President Cardoso and other Brazilian Ministers. Trade Promotion. Meetings with Carnival and Cunard shipping companies and discussions on aviation with US Secretary of Transportation.

Friday 7 to Tuesday 11 April:

Japan. Attend G8 Environment Ministers Conference. Meetings with Prime Minister Mori and other Japanese Ministers and with Honorary Chairman of Toyota.

Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 April:

United States. Meetings with Vice President Gore and other members of US Administration. Discussions with Senators on climate change. Attend United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.

Sunday 4 June:

France. Represent UK Government at 60th Anniversary Dunkirk.

Sunday 11 to Thursday 15 June:

Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Meeting with President Obasanjo and other Nigerian Ministers. Trade promotion. Meeting with President Kabbah and visit to UK troops in Sierra Leone.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times (a) he, (b) the Minister for the Environment, (c) the Minister for Local Government and the Regions and (d) the Minister for Housing and Planning have come to their office in the last month (i) all or part of the way by official car and (ii) by other means. [126796]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: Ministers travel by car and by public transport on a regular basis on official visits and on journeys to their offices.Ministers are required under the Ministerial Code always to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of below tolerable standard houses in England and Scotland; and on what criteria this is based. [126544]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: The tolerable standard is a measure of minimum standard housing in Scotland and is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. It does not apply in England. Therefore there is no comparable information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue his Policy Appraisal and the Environmental Policy Guidance, "Sustainable Development: What it is and What You Can Do", to newly-appointed Ministers and civil servants involved in policy development. [126851]

My Department's document, "Policy Appraisal and the Environment: Policy Guidance", has been made widely available to other Departments since it was published in 1998. It is also now included on the Cabinet Office's website as part of the "Policy Makers Checklist" and all Departments will be adding that checklist to their own intranet sites. A number, including mine, already have. Electronic availability of this guidance is more efficient than the distribution of large numbers of paper copies.The guide "Sustainable Development: What it is and What You Can Do" is one of four guidance notes issued by the Green Ministers Committee. Again my Department has a stock of paper copies which other Departments can draw from while the guide is also available to them through our website or by addition to their intranets.Green Ministers regularly consider the procedures by which sustainable development and the environment are integrated into policy-making and act as the focal point for those procedures among their ministerial colleagues in their own Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further plans he has concerning the development of the targets and policies contained in the sustainable development frameworks produced in each English region; and if he will make a statement. [126850]

The first regional sustainable development framework was launched in the West Midlands in February and the second is due to be launched in the North-West in July; both are promising documents. We expect all the regions to have completed their frameworks by the end of 2000. Frameworks are not Government documents nor are they statutory and they will set their own targets. For frameworks to have a real impact it is vital that their production, including setting priorities and establishing systems for monitoring progress, involves all stakeholders and has support across the region. That is why we have said they should be agreed by the regional chambers. Once published we expect regional decision-makers to "buy in" to the visions set out in frameworks and to act in ways that are consistent with them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he plans to take following the decision in R v. Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs, ex parte O'Byrne. [126801]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out the cash and percentage increase in the St Helens Metropolitan Council (a) revenue support grant, (b) HRA subsidy, (c) capital grants and (d) partnership grants for (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (iii) 1999–2000. [126638]

The following tables set out the cash and percentage changes in the amounts of grants made by my Department to St. Helens Metropolitan Council in each of the last three financial years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with US authorities regarding fifth freedoms and cabotage rights in US airspace for UK commercial carriers. [126302]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: UK/US air services talks took place between 13–15 June in London. These talks, which covered a wide range of issues, including traffic rights, will continue in Washington on 5 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce measures to restrict rent officers raising annual rents above those applied for by landlords. [126670]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Rent officers are required to set fair rents based on market rents less any element resulting from scarcity in accordance with the Rent Act 1977 and case law. We do not intend to require rent officers to take into account the rent applied for by the landlord. However, the House of Lords has granted the Government provisional leave to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal to quash the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order which we introduced in February 1999 to cap excessive increases in fair rents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent epidemiological research the Government have undertaken near incinerators; and what research they intend to undertake in the future. [126333]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) has carried out two Government-funded studies on cancer incidence around the older generation of more polluting incinerators ("Elliott P et al (1996). Cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators in Great Britain. British Journal of Cancer, volume 73, pp 702–710", and "Elliott P et al (2000). Cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators in Great Britain. Part 2: Histopathological and Case-Notes Review of Primary Liver Cancer Cases. British Journal of Cancer, volume 82, pp 1103–6.") These found a small excess of primary liver cancer in people living near to incinerators between 1974 and 1987. The Government have sought advice on these studies from the Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC).The COC has advised that it is not possible to conclude that this small increase in primary liver cancer is due to emissions of pollutants from incinerators, as it is not possible to rule out completely that it may be related to socio-economic factors. It has also advised that any potential risk of cancer due to living near municipal incinerators (for periods in excess of 10 years) was exceedingly low and probably not measurable by the most modern epidemiological techniques. The COC has recommended that, at the present time, there is no need for any further epidemiological investigations of this subject. The COC's statement can be found on the Department of Health's website at www.doh.gov.uk/munipwst.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the Government's estimate is of the cost per year of continuous emissions monitoring at incinerators. [126805]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: It is not possible to estimate with precision the cost of continuous emissions monitoring for incinerators, as this will be site-specific, varying according to the nature and circumstances of the plant, and with the manufacturer and supplier of equipment used. The Environment Agency has estimated, however, that the installed cost for continuous monitoring equipment to meet the requirements of the forthcoming waste incineration Directive would be £50–60k per plant. Annual operating costs, including calibration, are estimated to be in the range £12–18k per plant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment the Government have made of continuous emissions monitoring at incinerators in Belgium. [126806]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The Government have made no assessment of continuous monitoring at incinerators in Belgium.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Green), of 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 543W, on consultees, for what reason (a) Friends of the Earth and (b) Greenpeace were not consulted over the EU waste incineration Directive. [127000]

Friends of the Earth were included among those to whom copies of the draft Directive and copies of our consultant's cost-benefit analyses were sent for comment. Comments on the proposal were also invited from the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection. Greenpeace were not known to have such an active interest in incineration and related issues (for example, Greenpeace did not respond to the consultation on our waste strategy consultation document A Way With Waste, nor to the earlier consultation on Less Waste More Value).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the implications of the Government's waste strategy on the need for additional waste incinerators. [126812]

The Government's waste strategy is principally directed at reducing waste and, where waste is produced, at increasing recycling and composting in order to maximise the value recovered from waste and to meet the requirements of the landfill Directive.The need for additional incinerators will depend on the success of the strategy in achieving waste reduction, and increasing recycling and composting.Modelling of possible mixes of waste management options is included in the Regulatory Impact Assessment in the Waste Strategy 2000 (Part Two). The mix of facilities will be a matter for local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has concerning the location of future incinerators. [126813]

The location of facilities is a matter for local authorities. Suitable sites for new incineration plant will be determined by local planning authorities, in line with the decisions of regional planning bodies. Planning policy guidance on waste management in England is set out in "Planning Policy Guidance Note 10: Planning and waste management".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 14 June 2000, Official Report, column 635W, for what reasons the section of the Jubilee line between Charing Cross and Green Park was not retained as a separate branch. [126999]

LUL consider that while it is sensible to retain the Green Park—Charing Cross spur for occasional special purposes (e.g. reversing empty trains), it would not be feasible to use it for passenger services. Up to 24 trains per hour serve the Jubilee Line. Dividing these to serve both the extension to Stratford and the spur to Charing Cross would result in an unacceptably sparse service for both routes, significantly reducing the attractiveness of operations on the extended line while providing only a limited service to Charing Cross. In addition, running services in this way would be more complex operationally and could have an adverse impact on reliability.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of the driving licensing regime for insulin users. [126582]

The following progress has been made:

(i) The Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes has been asked to reconsider their view on what constitutes "very exceptional cases". They have also been asked to compile relevant research data.

(ii) Inquiries have been made with other EU member states about arrangements for the licensing of insulin treated diabetics.

(iii) Preliminary inquiries have been made with the European Commission about the interpretation of Directive 91/439/EEC. Follow up arrangements are in hand.

(iv) Work has begun on developing the specification for two research projects to be initiated in this financial year. Tendering is expected to take place in early Autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish a draft of the UK strategy for radioactive discharges. [127623]

A draft of the strategy is being published for consultation today and copies are being placed in the Library.The strategy demonstrates how the UK is going to achieve substantial and progressive reductions in radioactive discharges in the period to 2020, in order to fulfil the obligation entered into at the 1998 meeting of the OSPAR Commission.Comments on the draft are invited. After taking accounts of the comments we receive, the Government intend to publish a final version of the strategy towards the end of the year. The Government will shortly publish a draft of guidance they intend to issue to the Environment Agency on the setting of radioactive discharge authorisations. The intention is that the guidance, when it is formally issued with the final version of the strategy, will ensure that discharge authorisations are consistent with the strategy.The Government are determined to continue the downward pressure of radioactive discharges. This draft strategy marks a further step towards meeting our OSPAR commitments. We owe it to the future generations to get it right.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the aerospace industry in Wales. [126280]

I acknowledge the significant contribution that a strong aerospace industry has made to the economic life of Wales in recent years, particularly the British Aerospace Systems Airbus facility at Broughton. I hope the Government's announcement of £530 million for the A3XX project will consolidate and enhance this position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning requirements in Deeside for land for industrial development; and if he will make a statement. [126520]

I have regular discussions with the First Secretary about a range of topics including the availability of land for industrial development.Through its strategic sites programme, the Welsh Development Agency seeks to identify and bring forward sites for development across the whole of Wales. The Agency has reviewed the need for additional land in North Wales, jointly with the North Wales Economic Forum, and concluded that new strategic sites are required to allow for future industrial development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what statistics about the New Deal he collects on the participation of, and outcomes for, (a) ethnic minorities, (b) men, (c) women and (d) the disabled by (i) unit of delivery and (ii) parliamentary constituency. [126811]

Information is collected separately for men and women, people with disabilities and those from ethnic minority groups, on their participation through the New Deal and outcomes from the programme. However, some of the outcome information is limited by what participants are prepared to tell us.Unit of Delivery tables are placed monthly in the House of Commons Library and give key information by the client's characteristics. Parliamentary constituency tables are placed in the House of Commons Library quarterly. These are intended as summary documents and information is not shown separately by the client's characteristics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority, for the latest date for which figures are available, the total value of the estimates that schools have made of the sums needed for the repair of school buildings. [126847]

The Department does not have these data. However, local education authorities are currently preparing Asset Management Plans covering all the maintained schools in their areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps his Department is taking to increase access to ICT in deprived communities. [126114]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: We are taking forward a range of measures so that everyone can benefit from the advantages of new technologies. We are providing £252 million to fund the ICT Learning Centres initiative which will give people living in disadvantaged communities in England the opportunity to access the internet and ICT facilities. There will be around 700 Learning Centres which are targeted within the 2,000 most deprived local authority wards and rural areas with significant transport and deprivation problems. They will support disadvantaged client groups with low or no ICT skills.We are also introducing a £10 million pilot project which will "wire-up" deprived communities around England. The project will provide a window into the future, assessing how home access to the internet and e-mail can transform lives in the most disadvantaged communities.In addition, the Government are making £15 million available for a pilot scheme—"Computers Within Reach"—to enable those who cannot afford new computers to acquire reconditioned computers for use in the home for the purpose of improving their employment prospects, for lifelong learning, or for their children's homework.The recently published report of Policy Action Team 15 looked specifically at issues relating to the role of ICT in community renewal. We will continue to work with partners and the private sector to address the issue of closing the digital divide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people suffering from dyslexia are currently receiving (a) full-time and (b) part-time support worker time under the Access to Work Scheme. [126579]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils were excluded from schools in Coventry in the years 1995 to 2000; and what alternatives to exclusion his Department is developing. [126113]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The available information on exclusions in maintained schools in Coventry local education authority area is shown in the table.Exclusions data were collected in the January 2000 Annual Schools Census for the 1998–99 academic year and were published in the Department's Statistical First Release SFR20/2000 "Permanent Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals, England 1998–99 (provisional)" on 10 May 2000.We are providing more than £500 million over three years, backed up by new guidance on 'Social Inclusion: Pupil Support', to help tackle behaviour problems in classrooms. This includes increasing the number of on-site Learning Support Units to more than 1,000 within two years to help schools better manage disruptive pupils. The 'Social Inclusion: Pupil Support' (Circular 10–99) also recommended multi-agency Pastoral Support Programmes (PSPs) for pupils at serious risk of permanent exclusion. The Department has provided funding for PSPs.We announced at the NASUWT Conference (27 April) that there would be a new £2 million innovation fund with the voluntary sector and employers to provide innovative programmes for excluded pupils and those at risk of exclusion. In addition, there would be a new £9 million pupil allowance scheme for secondary schools in Excellence in Cities areas which accept difficult pupils outside the normal admissions round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications were received for courses of postgraduate initial teacher training commencing in September; and how many had been received at the same stage last year, broken down into those applying for secondary teaching in (a) maths, (b) foreign languages, (c) science and (d) technology. [126317]

Latest available figures for applications for postgraduate initial teacher training courses in England and Wales for secondary teaching in maths, modern foreign languages, science and technology, together with comparative figures for the previous year are given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average primary school class size in East Sussex was for each year since 1979. [126640]

The requested information is shown in the table.In East Sussex, the number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher was 1,240 compared with 6,439 a year earlier, which represented an 80 per cent. reduction in the number of such pupils. The Government are well on target to deliver their pledge to limit the size of infant classes to 30 pupils. During the same time period, the average size of classes in maintained primary schools for the unitary authorities of East Sussex and Brighton also fell. This was the first year for some time that average primary class sizes in either the new or old authorities of East Sussex had fallen, after class sizes had shown a steady increase since 1987.East Sussex local education authority area has been allocated £4 million of funding so far to support their efforts in reducing infant class sizes. This funding comprises some £1.1 million of capital funding and £2.8 million of revenue funding.