To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the operation of the Chemical Weapons Act 1996. [127693]

In accordance with the Act, I have today laid a copy of the report on its implementation during 1999 before both Houses.

Company/market	Date of loan	Loan value (million)	Lender	Borrower
Stirling International Civil Engineering Ltd.
Lesotho	18 November 1991	£49.3	Hill Samuel Bank1	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Lesotho	14 December 1994	£9.7	Hill Samuel Bank1	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Kier International Ltd.
Lesotho	18 November 1991	£49.3	Hill Samuel Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Lesotho	14 December 1994	£9.7	Hill Samuel Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Romania	14 March 2000	euro 88.3	Deutsche Bank	Ministry of Public Works and Territorial Planning
Egypt	12 November 1981	£32.0	HSBC	Ministry of Development
Kvaerner Roving Ltd.2
Lesotho	17 February 1994	£4.7	West Merchant Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
India	2 November 1989	£31.8	West Merchant Bank	National Hydroelectric Power Corporation
India	11 October 1996	£20.4	Barclays Bank	Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation
Hong Kong	4 August 1990	£10.4	J. Henry Schroder & Co.	Castle Peak Power Co. Ltd.
Balfour Beatty Ltd.
Lesotho	18 November 1991	£49.3	Hill Samuel Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Lesotho	15 December 1995	£1.8	Hill Samuel Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Lesotho	14 December 1994	£9.7	Hill Samuel Bank	Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
China	18 March 1996	£8.2	West Merchant Bank Ltd.	Bank of China
Netherlands Antilles	10 January 1991	$18.0	Barclays Bank	Resort of the World NV
Malaysia	12 July 1991	£305.0	J. Henry Schroder & Co.	Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Thailand	17 August 1994	£15.0	Australia and New Zealand Banking Group	Provincial Electricity Authority
Turkey	30 July 1987	$18.1	Deutsche Bank AG	Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction
1 ABN AMRO Bank later took over the loan
2 Now known as GE Energy (UK) Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department is taking to encourage inward investment into the Greater London area. [127139]

The DTI's Invest in Britain Bureau (IBB) provides grant in aid funding to the London First Centre (LFC) to promote London overseas as a location for inward investment. LFC received grant in aid of £1.015 million in 1999–2000, increased to £1,065 million in 2000–01.LFC efforts are focused world-wide but investment is particularly encouraged, geographically from North America, and sectorally on functions such as European Headquarters, pan-European call centres and high value-added manufacturing. LFC is keen to emphasise

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the loans underwritten by Her Majesty's Government to companies implicated in the current criminal trial concerning bribery and corruption in Lesotho. [127078]

[holding answer 20 June 20001: Charges have been laid against various consortiums involved in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Kier International, Stirling International, Balfour Beatty, and Kvaerner Boving are UK members of consortiums involved in the project. All deny having been involved in any malpractice.From records readily available the following loans have been underwritten by Her Majesty's Government through, ECGD, to these companies:London's position as the centre of European e-commerce and a leading destination for projects in knowledge driven sectors.For the 12-month period ending 31 March 2000, LFC completed 115 projects resulting in 5,440 jobs created and 1,035 safeguarded.From 3 July 2000, responsibility for inward investment in London will pass to the Mayor and the London Development Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the terms of reference are for the review of maternity pay and parental leave. [127694]

The review will consider the steps needed to make sure that parents have choices to help them balance the needs of their work and their children so that they may contribute fully to the competitiveness and productivity of the modern economy.The review will seek:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to enable shareholders to vote on directors' salaries. [125853]

The Department of Trade and Industry published a consultation paper on directors' remuneration last year which put forward a number of proposals for improving disclosure of directors' remuneration and the board's accountability to shareholders. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will make an announcement shortly on the Government's response to the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the use made by the United Kingdom aerospace industry of outsourcing to non-EU based companies and locations of items previously manufactured in the United Kingdom. [126833]

I have not made any specific assessment of changes in the sourcing of aerospace items. However my Department is working closely with the Society of British Aerospace Companies on competitiveness improvement programmes for the aerospace industry. DTI funding for this work is helping to improve productivity and other aspects of competitiveness of UK suppliers which should ensure that the outsourcing of aerospace items is kept to a minimum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the status of the Joint Directorate. [126752]

The Joint Directorate was renamed in 1994 as the Joint Export Promotion Directorate, which was run and staffed jointly by the DTI and the FCO. It was also charged with providing a general policy framework for the export promotion work of those two Departments, which was branded as the Overseas Trade Services.My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced on 12 March 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the DTI Hotline for reporting rogue directors is still operating; how many rogue directors have been reported on it since it was established; and what action has been taken and in how many cases as a result of reports received. [126047]

The Hotline continues to operate and, in the period from inception to 31 May 2000, it has received 2,067 inquiries either to its telephone answering machine, through correspondence or by the online submission of information via the Insolvency Service website. As a result, a total of 656 completed questionnaires/letters have been returned to the Insolvency Service concerning the activities of bankrupts and disqualified directors.The Prosecution Section of the Insolvency Service considers all completed questionnaires, obtains additional information from Official Receivers and Insolvency Practitioners and, where appropriate, submits reports alleging specific offences to Department of Trade and Industry lawyers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the type of projects which (a) New DERA and (b) Retained DERA will undertake following the division of the organisation. [126937]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) on 17 April 2000, Official Report, columns 366–67W, which outlined our proposals for the DERA public private partnership. These are described in more detail in the consultation document, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House and on the internet at www.mod.uk/commercial/ppp/dera/.Under our current proposals, we envisage that New DERA would continue to provide similar service to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other customers, working on a wide range of scientific and technical projects, providing advice, problem-solving, consulting, engineering and research services. It would, however, have much greater freedom to exploit its technology into broader markets, which in turn will have knock-on benefits for its core military business.RDERA will focus on activities that must be carried out in government plus it will support MOD in its Department of State functions. It will ensure that MOD has an impartial source of advice and systems research capability, providing high level assessment, integration and management of the research programme and international research collaboration. This will include, for example, continued development of MOD's protection measures against chemical and biological weapons and the maintenance and employment of operational analysis models used to underpin policy, operational concept and procurement decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he will take to ensure that at both Retained DERA and New DERA there is no diminution in (a) the scientific qualifications of staff and (b) the ability to provide impartial advice, once DERA is divided. [126931]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to his earlier question on the DERA PPP project, in which I have outlined our proposals for the future of DERA.

(a) Under our preferred option, Core Competence, RDERA will focus on those activities that must be carried out by Government and to do so, we will need to retain those staff with the necessary expertise and qualifications to meet this role. The existing excellent system for recruiting, training and developing staff will be combined with a healthy interchange with industry, including NewDERA, and academia to give staff the opportunity for full and rewarding careers. Similarly, NewDERA will move into the private sector with the appropriate staff to maintain and, hopefully, develop its capabilities. NewDERA will have the freedom to attract and reward the best qualified staff to take it forward as a leading research and technology organisation.

(b) NewDERA will remain a significant supplier of science and technology to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the foreseeable future. Consequently we will be putting into place measures to ensure that it continues to be an organisation with which MOD customers are happy to do business. NewDERA itself will be keen to satisfy the needs of MOD, which will continue to be its most important single customer. The provision of high quality, impartial and high integrity advice and services will be at the heart of its business for all customers, including MOD. The proposed constraints described in the consultation document, which include features such as a special share, approval of Directors and contractual constraints, have been designed to provide a balance between allowing NewDERA the freedoms it needs to grow in the private sector and ensuring that access is preserved to those capabilities needed for the effective operation of our armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the expected relationship between Retained DERA and New DERA. [126933]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to his earlier question on the DERA PPP project, in which I have outlined our proposals for the future of DERA.Under our preferred option, Core Competence, we expect that once bedded down, the relationship between New DERA and RDERA will be the same as the relationship between any private sector company and their main customer.Contractual frameworks will naturally need to be established to govern relationships between RDERA and New DERA to reflect the changes brought about by the PPP. But this is no different from relationships that currently exist between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other private sector organisations. MOD through RDERA would take the lead on all Government to Government collaborations and where necessary, and with the agreement of the other Government or Governments involved, RDERA would sub-contract elements of the programme to New DERA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the consequences for the development of future generations of military aero engines of the closure of DERA Ryestock's aero engine testing facilities. [127090]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: On completion of the current engine programme for the Eurofighter project in 2002, there will be insufficient future work to justify the retention of the altitude test facilities at DERA Pyestock. There is no Ministry of Defence strategic requirement to retain the facilities. We are satisfied that there will be scope for engine suppliers to make appropriate alternative arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations his Department has had with the United States Government on the proposed reorganisation of DERA; what the most recent response of the US Government has been; and if he will make a statement. [127091]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Following the announcement in 1998 of a public-private partnership (PPP) for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), consultation has been an important and regular feature of the process. We have consulted with a wide range of key stakeholders, including international collaborative partners. Last year's consultation exercise on a potential PPP solution produced valuable responses, which have informed the most recent phase of work. The current consultation exercise, which I announced on 17 April 2000, Official Report, columns 366–67W gave all stakeholders the opportunity to submit their views on our revised proposals for the DERA public-private partnership.Consultation with the USA has concentrated on discussions between MOD officials and Ministers with counterparts in the US Administration, the DoD and other US authorities. As would be expected with such a complex and important process, senior officials have held numerous detailed discussions with their US counterparts. Although it is not practicable for us to keep records of all discussions that take place at senior official level, we can confirm that the Principal Finance Officer, the Chief Scientific Adviser, the Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Technology, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Equipment Capability and the Chief of Defence Procurement have all been in consultation with their US colleagues.Since the consultation was extended, as announced on 26 October 1999,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK firms represented at DSA 2000 in Malaysia; what recent meetings Ministers or officials have had with such firms in respect of licensed production; and what products on display at DSA 2000 are (a) manufactured and (b) designed by UK firms. [126765]

I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy has been adopted with regard to the sale of self-reloading rifles no longer required by the British Army. [126461]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: Our policy is that small arms (other than automatic weapons which are routinely destroyed) which are declared surplus by the Ministry of Defence area available only to Governments, including acceptable military, paramilitary and police organisations (either directly or through duly licensed entities authorised to procure weapons on their behalf), to meet their legitimate defence and security requirements. All such transfers are assessed on a case by case basis against the UK national export licence assessment criteria and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports.In practice, few inquiries are received for the purchase of surplus small arms and the reality is that most are destroyed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the further dispersal of MOD civil servants outside London to other parts of the United Kingdom. [126678]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: The following planned moves will result in civil service staff being relocated from London to other parts of the United Kingdom:

As part of the Head Office redevelopment the number of staff in London will reduce, fulfilling one of the aims of the Strategic Defence Review. Staff will move to a number of locations including York, Bath and Bristol;

As part of the integration of the former Army Technical Support Agency (ATSA) functions into the Equipment Support (Land) organisation in the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), many of the 216 civilian posts at ATSA Woolwich will move to Andover in late 2002;

48 civilian posts at the former Print and Distribution Function Woolwich are due to transfer to the Defence and Storage Distribution Agency (DSDA) at Llangennech.

Other moves may be planned but the details are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what reports he has received concerning the well-being of Major Andrew Harrison, serving in Sierra Leone, following his involvement with the RUF; what assessment he has made of threats to Major Harrison and the Ghurkha detachment being held hostage by the RUF; and if he will make a statement; [127310](2) what recent discussions he has had with the

I receive regular briefings on the situation regarding Major Harrison from civilian and military officials, who are in daily contact with him. I spoke to him myself by telephone on Monday 19 June. He is well and in good spirits, and is well protected by the Indian Gurkha forces at Kailahun. Although, because of the presence of RUF forces, the UN forces there are restricted in their freedom of movement outside the UN compound, they are not hostages and there is currently no direct threat to them or to Major Harrison. Although this is primarily a matter for the UN, we are liaising closely with them in Sierra Leone and New York in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully. I have not had any contact with the RUF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops, and from which regiments, were affected by the failure to supply sufficient quantities of mefloquine in West Africa. [126054]

[holding answer 15 June 2000]: The number of personnel who deployed to West Africa on Operation Palliser without supplies of anti-malarial tablets, and the reasons for this, are currently being investigated by my Department. Supplies of the tablets were readily available and there are no known problems with the supply chain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost to its budget in each of the last five years in relation to non-procurement fraud; and if he will make a statement. [126686]

The reported estimated annual costs of non-procurement fraud for the financial years 1995–96 to 1999–2000 inclusive are as follows:

	£
1995–96	217,000
1996–97	234,000
1997–98	98,000
1998–99	570,000
1999–2000	99,000

No abatement is made for subsequent recoveries. These figures relate to a combination of suspected and proven frauds with estimated values refined from time to time as investigations, sometimes lasting a year or more, reach a conclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason commercial or other confidentiality. [127340]

I will write to the right hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the medium-range Trigat programme. [125782]

The MR TRIGAT Industrialisation and Production (I&P) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by Germany, France and the UK, but has not come into force because Belgium and the Netherlands have yet to sign. This has delayed the placing of the MR TRIGAT Industrialisation and Production contract by over 12 months. The situation has been further complicated by a request from Germany to reduce the number of equipments envisaged when that country signed the MOU. These uncertainties cast significant doubt on whether (and when) a contract based on the existing MOU will be possible.Our priority must be to deliver a cost effective anti-tank guided weapon capability with the minimum delay. To this end, we continue to liaise with the participating nations to resolve the current uncertainty and to agree a way forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of United Kingdom arms exports to Saudi Arabia in each of the past five years. [126251]

I refer my hon. Friend to the 1997 and 1998 Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, which contain details of the value of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Library of the House. The 1999 Annual Report is due to be published shortly. Comparable information for other year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the General Permitted Development Order made under the Town and Country Planning Act 1995. [126284]

In February, my Department launched a research project which includes a review of the changes of use granted permission by the General Permitted Development Order 1995. In May, we announced in response to the report by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones that the Government was minded to introduce a requirement for an application for full planning permission for all new telecommunications masts. However, we would need to consult widely on the principle and precise scope of any new arrangements, including the extent to which the existing permitted development rights in the Order might need to be amended. My Department also issued jointly with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 19 June a consultation paper which proposes that a planning application should in future be made for certain works within conservation areas that currently benefit from permitted development rights. Implementation of the proposal would require amendment of the Order.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to publish an environmental appraisal alongside the Government's Ten Year Transport Plan. [126852]

The Ten Year Plan will contain an assessment of the Plan's impact on key environmental indicators.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many agencies of his Department use interactive voice response systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [127113]

None of the Department's nine executive agencies currently offers telephone services that recognise and react to the spoken word.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the purpose and functions of his Department's additional accounting officer; and when this post was created. [127128]

The Department's additional accounting officer has direct responsibility for Class III Vote 4, Local government, England, and the White Paper account relating to the Pooling of Non-Domestic Rates and Redistribution to Local Authorities in England. This appointment was made following departmental restructuring on 1 April 1998. The Permanent Secretary, as principal Accounting Officer, continues to have personal responsibility for the overall organisation, management and staffing of the department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered on grounds (a) of disproportionate cost, (b) that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) of commercial or other confidentiality. [127098]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: I assume the right hon. Member is referring to parliamentary questions where Ministers indicate in their response that they will write to hon. Members to provide the information requested. If so, there have been 25 such cases, out of a total of 2,865 parliamentary questions answered by my Department in the period in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions he has deposited papers in the Library in response to parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000. [127337]

For the period in question, my Department has deposited papers in the Library in response to parliamentary questions on 240 occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what actions were taken by (a) his Department and (b) NATS between 9 June and 17 June in order to ensure that the breakdown on 9 June was not repeated. [127239]

Following the computer problem at West Drayton on 9 June, the Department urgently requested: information from National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) on the nature and cause of the problem; and reassurance that immediate steps were being taken to rectify the fault to ensure that it would not happen again. When a further computer problem occurred on 17 June NATS contacted the Department with detailed information on this incident and the remedial action being taken.NATS has advised that the causes of the failures were two unrelated application software design faults triggered in established and hitherto correctly functioning systems. The incident on 9 June was traced to an application code which failed to correctly process an unusual flight plan dealing with a flight to Hamburg which required complex co-ordination with an adjacent air traffic control centre (Copenhagen). Immediate action was taken to issue an operational procedure to all units affected not to file flight plans which could cause this problem.The failure on 17 June resulted from a latent design fault in the flight strip printing system. The failure was cleared by reverting to a previous version of the software and as an additional precautionary measure a system message has been input which actively prevents the system from exercising the faulty code sequence.As a permanent solution NATS is producing design fixes for both faults. These are currently undergoing test and assurance processes with NATS' operational engineering staff as a matter of high priority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when his Department's latest Air Traffic Forecasts will be published. [127814]

The air traffic forecasts referred to are published by my Department every three years and reflect the intention to monitor air traffic developments and to keep assumptions and methodologies under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on the level of regeneration funding for London boroughs of the new index of local deprivation. [127161]

Decisions about the level of funding of domestic regeneration programmes is subject to the outcome of the spending review, which is expected to be announced next month. The index of local deprivation is still being finalised and is expected to be published later in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when work is to start on the Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [127787]

The Highways Agency is currently making progress with arrangements for the compulsory purchase of land. Work to clear the site will be undertaken in the autumn and will continue into next year in preparation for construction to start in the spring. A copy of an edited

Number of fatal and non-fatal casualties and fires1 in dwellings2, 1994–98, UK
	1994	1995	1996	1997	19983
Number of fatal casualties in dwellings	488	559	564	562	506
Number of non-fatal casualties in dwellings	12,916	13,108	14,189	14,896	14,970
Number of fires in all dwellings involving casualties	9,008	9,237	10,033	10,454	10,463
Number of fires in multi occupancy dwellings4 involving casualties	3,861	3,997	4,551	4,716	4,724
Percentage	43	43	45	45	45
1 Including late call and heat and smoke damage incidents (not recorded prior to 1994).
2 Dwelling locations include caravans, houseboats and other non-building structures used as permanent dwellings.
3 The 1998 casualty information is provisional and will be revised for later publication after death certificate information has been finalised.
4 Multi occupancy dwellings are those in which the building has been subdivided into separate domestic living areas whether or not part of the building is used for a non-domestic purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of the Burns Inquiry into hunting with dogs. [126901]

I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the final cost is known.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) current strength and (b) number of officers actually available for duty in the Metropolitan Police Service. [127313]

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the strength of the force at the end of May was 25,484. This figure includes officers on secondment to The National Criminal Intelligence Service, the National Crime Squad and central services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on planned UK participation in the Eurodac system. [127196]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 7 October 1999 that the United Kingdom was opting in the draft Regulation to establish Eurodac. The United Kingdom continues to play a full part in the discussion on this text, on which the European Parliament is now to be re-consulted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) died and (b) were injured in domestic fires in each of the last five years, and, of these, what proportion of the fires occurred in houses in multiple occupation. [127008]

The information is given in the table.When these are excluded the strength of the Metropolitan Police is 24,966. The number of officers available for duty at the end of May was 24,966.These figures are not comparable with those for previous years because of changes to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District. Responsibility and resources for those parts of Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey previously policed by the Metropolitan Police were transferred to the relevant county forces with effect from 1 April 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) additional prisons and (b) additional prison places there were and what was their cost in each of the last five years; how many planned (i) additional prisons and (ii) additional prison places there are and what is their cost in the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [125322]

[holding answer 9 June 2000]: The information requested is set out in the table.

	Number of new prisons provided in each of the last five years	Number of additional uncrowded prison places provided in each of the last five years1	Cost of additional places in each of the last five years (£ million)2,3
1996–97	0	1,857	186
1997–98	4	4,635	211
1998–99	0	1,697	238
1999–2000	2	2,071	205
2000–014	1	840	244
1 The number of new places includes those at new prisons and places provided at existing prisons by building houseblocks and Ready To Use units. It is the total of new places and does not take into account places taken out of use, for example by the closure of Aldington.
2 The total cost of new places includes new prisons provided under the Private Finance Initiative.
3 This is an estimate of the total capital and current cost as the Prison Service does not record separately the running costs of added accommodation at existing prisons.
4 The new prison in 2000–01 is called Rye Hill and will open in January 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the report to Creditors prepared by the liquidator of Global Cultural Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. [127355]

Disclosure of the Report of the Creditors is a matter for the liquidators of Global Cultural Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. and so it is not my decision to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the planned capacity is of each of the proposed detention centres at Thurleigh, Harmondsworth and Aldington; what criteria will be used to allocate (a) asylum seekers and (b) other immigrants to these centres; and if he will make a statement. [127354]

It is proposed that there will be 900 places for immigration detainees at the detention centre at Thurleigh, 550 at Harmondsworth and about 300 at Aldington. People are detained under powers set out in the Immigration Act 1971. Although many have claimed asylum at some time they will be detained because of their status as inadmissible passengers, illegal entrants or people subject to deportation. The primary criterion is whether the person is unlikely to comply with conditions of temporary admission or their removal directions. No particular criteria will attach to these three new centres. The allocation of immigration detainees into a particular centre is primarily dependent on the availability of space and the location of the place of initial detention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used to select the asylum seekers to be detained at Lindholme; what his target is for the average length of time for which an asylum seeker will remain at Lindholme; and if he will make a statement. [127356]

Lindholme will be used as part of the detention estate, housing, principally, those immigration detainees apprehended in the North of England. The criteria for the use of Lindholme will be the same as for other centres. It will be for illegal entrants, inadmissible passengers and those subject to deportation who are detained under powers in the Immigration Act 1971. Many of these people have claimed asylum at some stage. Detention is used where it is believed a person is unlikely to comply with conditions of temporary admission or their removal directions.There is no target for the average length of time for which a detainee will remain at Lindholme. Detention must be proportionate and for the minimum period necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations attended his consultative meetings about the EC Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. [127352]

In addition to the organisations that were listed in the reply I gave the hon. Gentleman on 8 June 2000, Official Report, columns 377–78W, the Government had consultative meetings with the following representatives of organisations:

1. Sushi Sharma (Brent Council, Community Safety Team)

2. Sofi Taylor (Greater Glasgow NHS Primary Care Trust)

3. Bob Purkiss (Transport and General Workers Union)

4. Pauline Granstan (Communication Workers Union)

5. Jacinta J. Barker (Black and Minority Ethnic Community Safety Forum)

6. Wali Tasar Uddin MBE (Commonwealth Society of Edinburgh)

7. Selma Rahman (Fife Racial Equality Council)

8. Sherry Peck (North Herts. Minority Ethnic Forum)

9. Priscilla Marongwe (Edinburgh and Lothians Racial Equality Council)

10. Farkhanda Chaudhry (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation)

11. Jimshid Ahmadi (North Shields Peoples Centre)

12. Anne Gaspard (United Kingdom Office of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia—EUMC)

13. Diya Muqit (Citizenship Foundation)

14. Khalil Kazi (United Kingdom Migrants Forum)

15. Claude Hendrickson (Youth Enquiry Service)

16. David Hey (Salfia Association, Dewsbury)

17. Ray Sefia (The Ceed Charity)

18. Mohinder Chatrik (Indian Workers' Association, Huddersfield)

19. John Creaby MBE (Tyne and Wear Racial Equality Council)

20. N. Khan Moghal (Manchester Council for Community Relations)

21. Bisi Akinwumi (Voluntary Organisation Internet Service)

22. Geremy Phillips (Manchester Trades Union Council)

23. Robert Cater (Race Equality First)

24. Patrick Yu (Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities)

25. Paul Winstone (Leicester City Council)

26. Paul Auber (Chapelton Young Peoples 10–2 Club)

27. Lee Jasper (The 1990 Trust)

28. Harriette Campbell (African Caribbean Women's Association.)

29. Judith Woodward (National Assembly Against Racism)

30. Royana Meechan (Tribesnetribes)

31. Kazim Khan (Tze UK Incorporating the Race and Drugs Project)

32. Liaquat Ali (Council of British Pakistanis—Scotland)

33. Sheila Rogers (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland Racial Equality Directorate)

34. Dr. Jack Demaine (Loughborough University)

35. Kristin Couper (Universite de Pans 8)

36. Philip Mathew (Haringey Racial Equality Council)

37. Fred Ellis (Haringey Racial Equality Council)

38. Prof. Chris Mullard (Focus Consultancy)

39. Kalpana Desai (Kirlees Asian/Black Women's Association)

40. Mr. P. J. Smith (Labour Party)

41. Laure Tsobgny (Millennium Experience)

42. Mr. Akhtar Shah (Scottish Council for Minorities Rights)

43. Corall Jenkins (Unison)

44. Michelynn Lafleche (Runnymede Trust)

45. Baroness Sarah Ludford (European Parliament—EP Rep. to European and United Nations Conferences Against Racism)

46. Val Carpenter (National Coalition Building Institute)

47. Rajinder Sohpal (Reading Council for Racial Equality)

48. Jayne Done (Oldham Local Education Authority)

49. Alan Corbett (Milton Keynes Council)

50. Tara Mukherjee (European Multicultural Foundation)

51. Stephen Pittam (The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust)

52. Michael Head (European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance)

53. Julia Kaufmann (BBC Children in Need Appeal)

54. Jabeer Butt (Race Equality Unit)

55. Leandra Box (Race Equality Unit)

56. Dr. James Uhomoibhi (Multi Cultural Resource Centre, Northern Ireland)

57. Rita Patel (Belgrave Baheno Women's Organisation)

58. Karen Chouhan (Belgrave Baheno Women's Organisation)

59. Sue Errington (Devon and Exeter Racial Equality Council)

60. Mr. Lloyd Blake (African and Caribbean Peoples Movement)

61. Mr. Abdulaziz Toki (Asian Support Group European Union Migrants Forum)

62. N. Khan Moghal (Manchester Council for Community Relations)

63. Aisling Bryne (Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre)

64. Sheila Rogers (Equality Commission for N. Ireland Racial Equality Directorate)

65. Dr. Tony Langlois (Community Relations Council for Northern Ireland)

66. Gerry Gable (Anti-racist and Violent Crime Task Force)

67. Suzette Bronkhorst (I Care—Internet Centre, Anti-racism in Europe)

68. Samir Sharma (Central Scotland Racial Equality Council)

69. Mukami McCrum (Central Scotland Racial Equality Council)

70. Mrs. Bilquis Ahmed (Azeemia Foundation)

71. Margaret Donaghy (Traveller Movement N. Ireland)

72. Dave Hey (Salfia Association, Dewsbury)

73. Mr. Ahmad Fawzi (United Nations Information Centre)

74. Namasiku Liandu (University of Abertay, Dundee)

75. Victor Momodu

76. Elizabeth Kayembe (Abantu—for Development)

77. Gay Moon (Justice)

78. Noel James (Law Society)

79. Asad Rehman

80. Julia Hausermann (Rights Humanity)

81. Mrs. Couper (University de Paris 8)

82. Sanjiv Verdi (Unison).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments have been received by his Department in respect of civil penalties imposed on road hauliers under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; and if he will make a statement. [127353]

As at midday on 20 June, a total of £24,000 had been received in respect of civil penalties imposed under the provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. In addition, a total of £137,829.70 had been received by way of payment as security in order to secure the release of vehicles impounded under the provisions of the Act, and a further £5,933.10 had been received in respect of detention of those vehicles and related expenses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Charity Commission about the proposed registration of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers Charitable Trust Ltd. as a charity; and if he will make a statement. [126472]

None. The Charity Commission is answerable to the High Court for its legal decisions and its interpretation of charity law. Registration is not a matter for the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A prisoners were released on the home detention curfew scheme up to 31 May; what offences each committed and what was the (a) sentence received, (b) sentence served and (c) time spent on the scheme in each case; if any breached the conditions of the curfew, had their licence revoked or re-offended while on the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [126907]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: As of 31 May 2000, no category A prisoners were placed on the home detention curfew scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons 24 September was chosen as the cut-off for the winter allowance for 2000–01. [126045]

To ensure people receive their winter fuel payments in good time to contribute to winter fuel bills, the qualifying week must precede the onset of winter. The week of 18 to 24 September will be used as the qualifying week for the coming winter to ensure that the correct payments can be made before Christmas, in good time to contribute to winter fuel bills. The process for identifying eligible people and determining the amount payable takes around 10 weeks. This allows for completion of the enormous task whereby around 11.5 million people who are now eligible for winter fuel payments are either identified from our records, or through a claims process.If there were an entitlement provision for those people who had reached age 60 after the qualifying week, greater complexity would be brought to the scheme. The administration process of establishing the eligibility of all those who claimed, by checking age and household circumstances, would take a great deal of time and would add significant expense.The current approach ensures all those eligible, particularly the oldest, get a significant and well timed payment. Clearly, there will be people who just miss out, but this would happen even if both a qualifying week and mop-up period were used, since the mop-up period would need to end at some point. We believe it has struck the right balance between providing help to the great majority of older people and ensuring that the payments can be made in time for the coldest weather.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's estimate of the annual costs of increasing the earnings disregard for Housing Benefit claimants by (a) £5 per week for a single person aged under 65 years and (b) by £10 for a household with children. [126435]

The information is in the table.

Estimated costs of increasing the earnings disregard for Housing Benefit claimants
£ million
	Cost in 2000–01
Increase the Housing Benefit earnings disregard by £5 per week for a single person aged under 65 years	15
Increase the Housing Benefit earnings disregard by £10 per week for a family with children	70

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the annual cost of disregarding child maintenance from housing benefit calculations (a) for all claimants and (b) for claimants also receiving working families tax credit. [126434]

We estimate that the cost of fully disregarding maintenance payments in Housing Benefit would be about £20 million a year. This includes an estimate for the cost for cases who would become newly entitled as a result of the full disregard.The cost of fully disregarding maintenance payments in Housing Benefit (HB) for claimants who receive working families tax credit is also about £20 million a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 15 June 2000, Official Report, column 713W, on housing benefit, what average time is taken to process the housing benefit claims dealt with by Chelmsford Borough Council that are not dealt with within the 14 day guidelines. [127205]

The information requested is not currently available. However, under the Best Value regime introduced from April 2000, local authorities are required to submit data on the average length of time taken to determine new claims. The first figures are expected to be available to the Department by autumn this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out for each of the last three years before its abolition (a) the total amount spent on the single payments scheme and (b) the amount spent on each major category of item for which such grants were available. [125285]

Expenditure on the single payment scheme for the last three years before its abolition is given in the Annual Report on the Social Fund 1988–89.Statistical samples of single payments, by item, are given in the Supplementary Benefit Annual Statistical Enquiries, 1986 and 1987.The publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how he seeks to ensure easy access by all potential claimants to accurate benefit information; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the complaints handling system in each division within his Department; and if he will make a statement. [125443]

We are modernising the way DSS services are delivered and restructuring the Department to provide a comprehensive, dedicated service focused on the needs of our key client groups: pensioners, working age people and children. Our programme includes initiatives to provide better information and effective systems for complaints and redress, if things go wrong.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the characteristics of households with incomes below the level of Income Support. [127005]

Research has been, and continues to be, commissioned by the Department to examine the characteristics of the poorest groups and, where appropriate, to explore the reasons for non-take-up of benefits.A substantial programme of research was undertaken to examine the characteristics of the poorest pensioners and to explore their barriers to claiming Income Support. Ongoing surveys of low-income families with children also provide detailed information about Britain's poorest families. In addition, research was completed in 1999 that examined the circumstances of the lowest income households identified from the Department's Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This followed evidence that households reporting the lowest incomes in household surveys do not necessarily have the lowest living standards.All findings from research undertaken by the Department are published and placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the level of social security expenditure as a percentage of GDP is (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) on average in the other EU member states. [126978]

Comparative data across European Union member states are published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities. It produces comparisons of expenditure on social protection using a broader definition than Social Security alone. The definition includes spending on health, social services, active labour market policies and public sector occupational pensions. The most recent figures are for 1997 and show that UK spending on social protection represented 26.8 per cent. of Gross Domestic Product, compared with an EU average of 28.2 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make it a criminal offence to give false information to the Child Support Agency. [126654]

Under proposals in the current Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill, we will introduce new criminal offences for providing false information in relation to child support and failing to provide information when required to do so. Any person who deliberately misleads the Child Support Agency or withholds information will be liable to a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average income from state benefits for (a) pensioners, (b) pensioners over 75, (c) single parents and (d) the disabled (i) in cash and real terms and (ii) as a percentage of average earnings for (1) 1979, (2) 1984, (3) 1989, (4) 1994 and (5) for each year from 1994. [126682]

Information on components of pensioners' incomes is published in the annual statistical publication, The Pensioners' Incomes Series, copies of which are in the Library. The latest available figures are for 1997–78.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many nationals of each of the successor republics to the former Yugoslavia who are residing in the United Kingdom are claiming social security benefits in this country. [127350]

The information is not available as details of a claimant's nationality are not routinely recorded. Benefit entitlement is dependent upon a person's immigration status rather than nationality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last discussed issues relating to Caledonian MacBrayne with the European Commission; and if he will make a statement. [125723]

My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scotland Office, recently met with representatives of the European Commission to discuss a wide range of issues affecting transport in remote and peripheral regions in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe including ferry services. Responsibility for issues affecting the operation of Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services is devolved and therefore rests with the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason that the information is (a) not held centrally, (b) not held in the form requested and (c) not available. [127333]

Four questions did not receive substantive replies because the information was not held centrally. Three questions could not be answered fully because some of the information requested was not held centrally.No question did not receive a substantive reply because the information was not held in the form requested.The information to answer one question was not available and some information requested was not available in respect of three questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships have been awarded to (a) Kazakhstan, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) Turkmenistan, (d) Tadjikistan and (e) Kyrgyzstan. [R] [126430]

In 1999–2000 there were 11 Chevening Scholars from Kazakhstan, 13 from Uzbekistan, five from Kyrgyzstan, two from Turkmenistan, and one from Tadjikistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the criteria are on which the number of Chevening scholarships are made available to different countries. [126431]

Chevening Scholarships funding is allocated to different countries each year in line with FCO Objectives. As the cost of academic courses varies, it is not possible to make a precise correlation between the funding available and the number of scholarships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many female graduates were recruited by his Department, and, of these, how many are still employed by his Department, in each of the last 20 years. [126429]

The table shows the number of women recorded as having been recruited to the FCO through the fast stream competition where candidates are required to have a degree. The table also shows how many of these are still with the FCO for each of the last 20 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ministerial visits were made by United Kingdom Ministers to (a) Kazakhstan, (b) Uzbekistan, (c) Turkmenistan, (d) Tadjikistan and (e) Kyrgyzstan in each of the last three years. [R] [126428]

The following Ministers have visited the countries of Central Asia in the last three years:

Foreign Office Minister of State, Doug Henderson MP, visited Turkmenistan in May 1998;

Doug Henderson's successor, Joyce Quin MP, visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in October 1998; and

the Minister for Construction (DETR), Nick Raynsford MP, visited Kazakhstan this month.

More ministerial visits to the region are planned for the coming months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made on the protection of civilians in South Lebanon following the Israeli withdrawal. [126438]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have publicly called on all parties to exercise restraint. We have also, privately, raised our concerns with Lebanese, Syrian and Israeli leaders during recent visits to their countries. We continue to work hard with the UN to maximise calm and stability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the United Nations or its associated bodies have made of the role of Liberia in respect of the conflict in Sierra Leone; and what action is proposed as a result. [126771]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: The United Nations has made no formal assessment of Liberia's role in respect of the conflict in Sierra Leone. However, there is increasing international concern over reports of close links between RUF rebels in Sierra Leone and supporters in Liberia, and Liberia's alleged involvement in the illicit trade in Sierra Leone diamonds.We will be taking forward our discussions with international partners on these issues over the coming period. Meanwhile, we welcome the EU's decision on 13 May to delay signature of the National Indicative Programme for Liberia in the light of concerns about Liberia's current activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to identify the location and value of assets held by the Burmese Government which have been frozen by the EU. [127160]

The Bank of England's Sanctions Emergency Unit, on behalf of HM Treasury, has issued a Notice to all financial institutions in the UK instructing them to freeze all funds belonging to those individuals subject to EC Regulation 1081/2000. UK financial institutions are required to report all such funds to the Bank of England.The Burma (Freezing of Funds) Regulations 2000 makes breaches of the EC Regulation a criminal offence and provides penalties for such breaches.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to introduce investment sanctions against Burma. [127159]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 20 June 2000, Official Report, column 156W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the incidence, control and reduction of MRSA in hospitals in the Netherlands. [126325]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: We are aware of the very strict protocols used for the management of MRSA in the Netherlands. Practice there and in other European Union countries is taken into account when formulating central policy. We have recently set national standards for the control of hospital acquired infections, including MRSA. These will be delivered locally and will be independently inspected and reviewed by the Audit Commission and the Commission for Health Improvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the budget for hospital and community health services of (a) health authorities and (b) primary care groups and primary care trusts was spent on administrative costs in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126916]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: In 1998–99 £420 million was spent on the cost of managing health authorities, 1.15 per cent. of the £36,612 million total National Health Service expenditure (net).Primary care groups were not established until April 1999; therefore no figures on their management costs are yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the financial savings made by NHS trusts in (a) domestic services and (b) cleaning contracts in the last year for which figures are available. [126920]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the voluntary sector organisations involved in (a) primary care groups and (b) healthy living centres. [126881]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: The names of all voluntary sector organisations currently working with primary care groups (PCGs) are not collected centrally. PCGs should work alongside voluntary organisations in identifying local priorities and developing the Health Improvement Programme (HImP).The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) who are running a programme to support the development of a network of healthy living centres (HLCs) collect information about partners involved in bids as part of the application process. I have placed in the Library a list of those voluntary organisations involved at the bidding stage in the seven NOF funded HLCs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will estimate the cost of granting all those on Incapacity Benefit in the UK free prescriptions; [127240](2) if he will estimate the costs of giving free prescriptions to all those on Incapacity Benefit in Norwich, North. [127241]

In England, it is estimated that the cost of extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all recipients of Incapacity Benefit would be around £120 million per year. Information is not available on a constituency basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog at NHS facilities in each health authority in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [127164]

The table provides the details requested.