To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the administration cost of recovering (a) budgetary loans and (b) crisis loans for each year from 1996–97 to 2001–02 shown as (i) total expenditure and (ii) percentage of total expenditure on those benefits. [125288]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many television advertisements have been commissioned by his Department since 1 May 1997; and, of these, how many were provided with closed caption subtitling. [126896]

There have been 20 television commercials commissioned by the Department since 1 May 1997. All were provided with closed caption subtitling (teletext).

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the difference in cost to the Exchequer if the state pension had been linked to earnings since 1 May 1997. [127618]

The information requested is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money was paid by his Department to the Financial Services Authority for its work on stakeholder pension decision trees. [127416]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered for reasons of (a) disproportionate cost, (b) information not available, not held centrally or not held in the form requested and (c) commercial or other confidentiality. [127442]

None.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what were the annual running costs of the Agenda computer system for each year from 1 May 1997 to date. [126505]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what has been the cost so far of the Government's new Agenda computer system. [127420]

The annual IT running costs of the Agenda computer system, excluding manpower costs, since it became operational in February 1998 are as follows:

£
Financial Year	Cost1
1997–98	9,166
1998–99	57,736
1999–2000	87,836
2000–01	87,836
1 Excluding VAT

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to her Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered (a) citing disproportionate cost, (b) stating that the information is not available, not held centrally or not held in the form requested and (c) citing commercial confidentiality or other confidentiality. [127441]

I refer to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member on 22 June 2000, Official Report, columns 267–68W.No other written questions tabled between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 did not receive a substantive reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many digital hearing aids are currently available on the NHS. [126750]

There are currently no digital hearing aids available via the National Health Service Logistics Authority or any contract arranged by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.However, all NHS trusts throughout England are free to prescribe the most clinically appropriate product that best meets an individual patient's circumstances and need. Therefore, trusts are free to purchase any digital product that is available from hearing aid suppliers. There are no centrally held figures for the number of digital hearing aids purchased through this route.In order to evaluate the benefits of digital hearing aids we have recently announced a two-year project involving twenty NHS trusts to evaluate the costs and benefits of digital hearing aids and associated service delivery changes. £4 million is available for the project in 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were registered in Shrewsbury and Atcham in (a) May 1997 and (b) for the last available date; and if he will make a statement. [126592]

The number of General Dental Service principals on Shropshire Health Authority's list for the Shrewsbury and Atcham Local Authority District was (a) 35 on 31 March 1997 and (b) 45 on 31 March 2000. There were no assistants or vocational dental practitioners working in the Shrewsbury and Atcham Local Authority District at these points in time.Our strategy for National Health Service dentistry was originally proposed in 1998. The current intention is to publish it this summer, in conjunction with the National Plan for the new NHS. It will contain proposals for improving both the availability and quality of NHS dentistry, including the introduction of clinical governance to dentistry and strengthened professional self-regulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason patients registered with an NHS dentist are struck off the list by the health authority if they do not visit their dentist for 15 months; for what reason this period was reduced; and if he will make a statement. [127013]

Patients who are registered with a National Health Service dentist are not struck off a list by the health authority. Dentists are paid a monthly sum for 15 months for each registered patient. If a patient does not visit their dentist within 15 months of their last attendance to renew their registration, their registration automatically lapses. Also, dentists may themselves terminate a registration arrangement at any time after giving due notice. Dentists are free to re-register their patients who have lapsed. It is up to dentists to decide whether they wish to accept any patient onto their list.From 1 September 1996, the registration period for both adults and children was harmonised at 15 months to provide a period of continuing dental care following each course of treatment. This streamlined administrative procedures and reduced bureaucracy for dentists. It was also intended to improve value for money by focusing payments on those patients receiving active care.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much milk was consumed in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126953]

1999 is the latest year for which United Kingdom milk production and consumption figures are available. The figures are as follows:

United Kingdom milk production, supply and utilisation: 1999 (provisional)
	Million litres
Gross production of milk	14,594
Imports of raw milk1	111
Exports of raw milk1	465
Total supply	14,241
Utilisation by dairies for drinking milk2	6,854
Utilisation by dairies for manufacturing dairy products3	6,988
Dairy wastage and stock change	56
Other uses4	343
Total domestic use	14,241
1 Milk imported or exported as packaged drinking milk is excluded.
2 Closely represents consumption of drinking milk in the UK as little drinking milk is imported or exported.
3A proportion of dairy products manufactured will be exported and not consumed in the UK.
4Includes farmhouse consumption, milk fed to stock and on farm waste. Excludes suckled milk.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effects of subsidies in the past 30 years on agricultural innovation, competitiveness and diversity; and if he will make a statement. [126321]

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: Agricultural innovation, competitiveness and diversity have undoubtedly been affected by the levels of subsidy, support and protection offered by the Common Agricultural Policy. The Government are therefore continuing to press for production-related subsidies to be reduced and to seek reforms which will bring about a more market-orientated Common Agricultural Policy, as well as promoting the Rural Development Regulation as a more effective way of promoting competitive agriculture.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to help dairy farmers in East Sussex. [126296]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Following the Prime Minister's Action Plan for Farming, dairy farmers in East Sussex will share in the £22.1 million in agrimonetary compensation being paid to UK dairy farmers in the autumn. Dairy hygiene inspection charges, worth almost £1 million for English dairy farmers, were abolished in the spring. Last autumn's deferral of cattle passport charges was worth some £12 million to dairy farmers.The Government also facilitated the generic milk promotion campaign. The abolition of the OTMS weight limit also is a significant benefit to dairy farmers.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount of money paid under the Common Agricultural Policy to farmers in the UK in the last financial year; and what percentage of this money was paid to organic farmers. [127018]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Forecast UK and EU expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies for 1999–2000 was £3,172 million. Most but not all of this sum will be transferred to the farming industry. The farming industry also benefits from higher food prices as a result of the CAP, which are paid for by consumers.£11.35 million was spent under the Organic Aid Scheme in 1999–2000. However, organic farmers may also benefit from other aid under the CAP, including the following direct aid premium schemes:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations have been made to his Department on the compliance costs associated with the implementation of Best Value by local authorities; and what account he will take of such representations in deciding funding allocations for local authorities; [126757](2) what annual incremental costs he estimates will be incurred over the next five years by local authorities

A minority of local authorities, mostly smaller District councils, have made direct representations about the estimated costs of implementing best value. In any particular case, the actual costs will depend on the existing performance of an authority and the arrangements that are already in place to secure year-on-year improvements. Such costs are being considered as part of the current Spending Review, as are the potential benefits arising from the fundamental reviews of performance which best value requires.For 2000–01, the Government provided an additional £40 million to cover the costs of audit and inspection, £24.25 million of which was provided through Revenue Support Grant (RSG) and £15.75 million in grant to the Audit Commission. In setting their fees for 2000–01, the Audit Commission were asked by the Government to use grant to equalise the impact on different classes of authority, taking into account average predicted levels of RSG, and the Commission consulted on this basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the average start-up costs for a local authority of implementing Best Value. [126758]

The start-up costs of best value will depend on local circumstances, including current levels of performance, as well as on authorities' own judgments about the management arrangements needed to support it. The Government will commission a programme of independent research later this year designed to measure the full impact of the new policy, including the subsequent savings on service provision and the improvements to service quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what recent representations he has received with regard to fare increases on West Coast mainline services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston Station; [127204](2) what discussions he had with the Rail Regulator with regard to fare increases on West Coast mainline services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston Station. [127202]

The Franchising Director, not the Rail Regulator, is responsible for fares regulation. The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Franchising Director about fare increases on West Coast Main Line services between Liverpool Lime Street and Euston station, nor has he received any representations about fare increases on these services. On InterCity routes the Franchising Director regulates the Saver fare which between Liverpool and London has fallen from £48.30 in September 1999 to £45 from May 2000. All other fares between these two points are unregulated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the total cost to his Department of the setting up of the Regional Development Agencies. [127432]

The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) spent £5.138 million in the four months before they were established on 1 April 1999. Some additional set-up costs may have arisen, but these are not separately identified in RDA's administration budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with (a) Lockheed Martin and (b) the New Zealand air traffic control system, Airways Corporation, on the future of air-traffic control; and if he will make a statement. [127213]

The Department has held discussions with a number of companies in connection with the NATS PPP on the future of air traffic control. In accordance with our agreements with those companies, their identities cannot be revealed. Furthermore, in order to maintain a competitive and level playing field, the Department does not intend to release the identities of bidding companies and consortia in future stages of the PPP process.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much his Department has spent on the school travel resource packs launched in May; and what budget is allocated for this publication. [127593]

The Department spent £13,500 researching the content of the resource pack and has so far spent £46,500 on production and distribution. The budget allocated for the publication (excluding research) is £110,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the level of funding necessary to meet the requirements of the 10-year transport plan. [127594]

The Ten Year Plan, including the levels of funding, will be published after the Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000; and how many have not received substantive answers, citing disproportionate cost as the reason. [127433]

For the period in question, there have been 36 occasions where my Department has cited disproportionate cost as the reason for not providing substantive answers out of a total of 2,865 parliamentary questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the reasons which caused him to overturn the CAA's Decision 4/99 of 23 December 1999 in favour of British Airways. [127366]

The Secretary of State's reasons were set out in full in my Department's Decision Letter issued on 5 April this year, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the occasions, since 1 May 1997, on which he has upheld an appeal by British Airways against a CAA route licence decision, setting out, in each case, the route involved and the original CAA decision. [127365]

The only occasion on which the Secretary of State has upheld an appeal by British Airways against a CAA route licensing decision since 1 May 1997 was in respect of CAA Decision 4/99 of 23 December 1999 on the appointment of scarce bilateral capacity between the UK and South Africa. The CAA originally decided in favour of Virgin Atlantic Airways, but the Secretary of State overturned its decision on appeal and directed it to award the available capacity to British Airways.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 10 May on behalf of his constituent Mr. Page. [127367]

I have now responded to the right hon. Member's letter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the post of Director General of Water Services. [127959]

Sir Ian Byatt steps down on 31 July 2000, after 11 years of distinguished service as Director General of Water Services, the head of Ofwat.Following an open competition, and after consultation with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales, I am pleased to announce I intend to appoint Philip Fletcher as the new Director General with effect from 1 August 2000.Mr. Fletcher is currently the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of each of the options outlined in the consultation document on the structure of the Post Office Users National Council. [127614]

Peter Carr, the new Chair of the Post Office Users National Council, has been asked to consider what structure will best allow the Consumer Council for Postal Services being established under the Postal Services Bill to champion the interests of consumers. The consultation document was issued to help him formulate his recommendations, which I expect to receive shortly. It would not be appropriate to comment until these have been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers on the grounds that the information is (a) not held centrally, (b) not held in the form requested or (c) not available. [127096]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: We have answered 1,707 written parliamentary questions between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000. The information requested is as follows: (a) six, (b) 12 and (c) 23.In some of these answers we were in fact able to provide part of the information requested, while citing the above reasons for not providing all of the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Low Pay Commission has been given its new terms of reference; and if any new members have been appointed. [127856]

The Government sent new terms of reference to the Low Pay Commission on 15 May and asked it to report by July 2001. I am also pleased to announce the appointment of two new members of the Commission: David Coats and Ian Hay are replacing Bill Callaghan and Laurie Dewar. David Coats is Head of the Economic and Social Affairs Department at the TUC and Ian Hay is the Chief Executive of the Scottish Association of Master Bakers.Under its new terms of reference, the Commission is asked to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cars are used by ministers and officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies; and how many of those cars are Rovers. [125690]

[holding answer 12 June 2000]: In line with the policy of successive Administrations, contracts for Ministers' cars are entered into with the Government Car and Dispatch Agency. 26 cars are used by Ministers and officials in my Department. Two are presently Rovers, including my own car.I am currently reviewing this whole area, including the option of giving preference to UK-built cars when this is consistent with securing value for money and meeting our legal obligations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the regional organisation of the proposed Gas and Electricity Consumers Council. [127855]

Following extensive consultation and discussion, I can announce the future organisation of the Gas and Electricity Consumers Council. It will have a head office based in London. It will have offices in Glasgow serving Scotland, in Cardiff serving Wales, and further offices in Manchester, Birmingham, London, Newcastle and Bournemouth serving England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the costs to his Department of switching from the pound to the euro. [126400]

Should the UK decide to join the euro, the cost of a changeover would depend on the detailed approach taken to a changeover.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to offer (a) assistance for managing peacekeeping operations in Indonesia and (b) funds for emergency relief assistance to the Moluccas. [126281]

We fully support President Wahid in his efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Maluku and other regions. As part of the international effort through the United Nations Development Programme, we have already funded two conferences on reconciliation in Maluku and a BBC seminar on objective conflict reporting for journalists there. We stand ready to help with further conflict prevention projects.The Department for International Development is helping the United Nations Development Programme to promote reconciliation in Maluku and other areas of conflict in Indonesia. It has also seconded a specialist to work with UNDP to establish mechanisms to manage the UN humanitarian response and that of the international community, within a framework agreed by the Indonesian Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent research published in The Lancet on the number of babies and young children dying in Iraq following the Gulf conflict and the initiation of the United Nations sanctions; and if he will make a statement. [126277]

We remain extremely concerned by reports of high rates of infant and child mortality in central and southern Iraq. But we welcome the fact that in northern Iraq—where Saddam Hussein's writ does not run—child mortality rates are now lower than they were before the Gulf War. The UK has always advocated and supported initiatives aimed at better targeting the humanitarian efforts to help the most vulnerable. We led the way over the last year in introducing significant changes to the UN humanitarian programme in Iraq, through the adoption of Security Council resolution 1284 and 1302. Those changes mean that there will be an estimated $10 billion this year alone for the programme. As the UN Secretary-General has concluded, this will put the Government of Iraq in a position to reduce malnutrition levels and to improve the health status of the Iraqi people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in the last two years appearance bail guarantees have been given by the British Embassy to the Saudi authorities in respect of Britons detained in that country. [126250]

The British Embassy in Riyadh has given no appearance guarantees on behalf of Britons detained in Saudi Arabia during the past two years. A locally engaged member of staff gave his personal guarantee on one occasion on 8 December 1999 to enable a British Citizen to be released from prison. This was a personal act on the part of the individual and not an official act by the Embassy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the United Kingdom's financial contribution to the UN was in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this was spent on preventative diplomacy. [126249]

The United Kingdom's total financial contribution (ie comprising total assessed contributions and total voluntary contributions) to the United Nations organisations and peacekeeping for the calendar years 1994 to 1998 has been:

£
1994	304,969,947
1995	328,855,981
1996	304,577,521
1997	309,260,413
1998	330,058,906

A breakdown of these totals appears in the Departmental Reports of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1995 to 2000, copies of which are in the Library of the House.Due to difficulties in extracting from the overall budget figures which may be attributed to preventive diplomacy, the United Nations Secretariat has been unable to estimate the proportion of UK contributions that has been spent in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Egyptian authorities about the rights under Egyptian law of the Coptic Christian minority. [126492]

The Egyptian Constitution provides for equal public rights and duties without discrimination because of religion or creed and guarantees the freedom of belief.We regularly discuss inter-faith issues with the Egyptian authorities; indeed this was one of the focuses of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's discussions when he visited Cairo in January this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Governments of India and Pakistan on Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [126849]

We regularly raise the issue of Kashmir with the Governments of India and Pakistan. Both Governments are well aware of our concerns over human rights and external support for terrorism in Kashmir. We have also made clear our view that progress on the issue will only be made through dialogue. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State discussed Kashmir with the Indian Government during his visit to India in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) powers and (b) resources made available to the Chairman of the Board of the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development under the Lomé Agreement; and what assessment he has made of the relationship between that appointment and the funding of the Revolutionary United Front. [126889]

The Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development was created to help the Government of Sierra Leone exercise full control of the exploitation of gold, diamonds and other resources for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone.Under the Lomé Peace Agreement, the Chairmanship of the Commission was offered to the leader of the Revolutionary United Front, Foday Sankoh. The Board of the Commission was to comprise two representatives of the Government of Sierra Leone, two from the Revolutionary United Front party, three representatives from civil society, and two representatives from other political parties appointed by Parliament.Under its bilateral aid programme, the Department for International Development provided the Commission with three Land Rover vehicles, a computer, some office equipment, a satellite telephone and some items of furniture.We have seen no evidence that any funds which may have been provided to the Commission were used by the Revolutionary United Front party, or that Sankoh's position as Chair of the Commission gave him access to new sources of funding for the Revolutionary United Front.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training of Revolutionary United Front officials took place as a result of Article III of the Lomé Peace Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [126885]

Article III of the Lomé Peace Agreement provides for the transformation of the Revolutionary United Front into a political party, and for training for the RUF in party organisation and functions, in order for it to enter the democratic process in Sierra Leone. No training of officials of the Revolutionary United Front has yet taken place. The holding of free and fair democratic elections remains an essential part of Sierra Leone's efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made (a) to and (b) via the Commonwealth Secretariat regarding the release of prisoners and award of amnesty during the period of negotiations of the Lomé Peace Agreement on Sierra Leone. [126891]

We remained in regular touch with the Commonwealth Secretariat throughout the Lomé peace negotiations.The Commonwealth is one of several international moral guarantors of the Lomé Peace Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on new appointments to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Management Board. [127854]

The Board of Management is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary and oversees the administration of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and all its resources at home and overseas. It has in the past been composed of Senior FCO officials together with the Chief Executive of British Trade International. They will now be joined by two non-executive members, Mr. Alan Gormly, Chairman of BPB Industries, and Ms Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Director of Corporate Affairs of Tesco plc. I am sure that the Board will benefit greatly from their experience of private sector management practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current status of the programme to make modifications to the SA80; when he plans to award a contract; if the modifications will be carried out in the United Kingdom; what is the value of contracts to modify the SA80; how many SA80 rifles have been modified to date to correct identified faults; and when the planned modification work to the SA80 will be complete. [126425]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current status is of the upgrade programme for the SA80 and the LSW. [127324]

The SA80 is an effective weapon system, we plan to retain in service until 2020. There has, however, been concern expressed over its reliability in certain circumstances. We therefore commissioned Heckler and Koch (H&K), a subsidiary of Royal Ordnance, to assess its reliability and to design potential modifications. H&K identified a number of design problems that affected the weapon's performance, especially in extremes of climate. Their proposed modifications were subjected to extensive trails in Alaska and Kuwait. The final report from H&K demonstrated that significant improvements in the reliability of the SA80 could be achieved to make this weapon system among the best in the world.Having considered all options, including the procurement of a new weapon system, we have concluded that the modification of the SA80 represents the most cost effective solution to the provision of reliable weapons in all climatic conditions. The Secretary of State has, therefore, approved, subject to satisfactory contractual negotiations, the award of a contract to H&K to modify some 200,000 SA80 weapons, including both the Individual Weapon and the Light Support Weapon. The overall cost of the modification programme is estimated at around £80 million, taking account of the cost of trials and support. The contract will provide for numbers to be varied, up or down, as our assessment of the overall final requirement for modified weapons evolves over the next few years.We will apply the principles of Smart Procurement to achieve the earliest possible in-service date. The first modified weapons will be produced next January, with a total of 22,000 weapons to be delivered by the end of next year. The modified weapons will be subject to a rigorous testing and acceptance programme in the hands of troops to ensure that the production weapons are both effective and reliable.The Ministry of Defence is exploring with the company the scope to maximise the number of UK jobs involved in the modification programme. Early indications are that work on the stripping and refurbishment of weapons prior to modification will be done in the UK. The modifications

Royal Navy/Royal Marines
Rank	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	19960	1997	1998	1999	2000	Total
Commander	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Lieutenant (RM)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Midshipman	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Warrant Officer (RM)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Charge Chief Petty Officer	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Chief Petty Officer	4	4	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	14
Colour Sergeant (RM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Petty Officer	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Sergeant (RM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Leading Rate	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5
Corporal (RM)	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
Ableseaman	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	6
Marine 1 (RM)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Ordinary Rate	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2
Total	4	8	5	6	1	6	1	5	2	0	4	0	43
Rate per 1,000 Strength	0.06	0.13	0.10	0.10	0.02	0.11	0.02	0.11	0.04	0.00	0.09	—	—
Average Strength (thousands)	64.2	62.7	62.3	61.5	58.4	54.4	50.2	47.2	44.8	44.2	43.5	—	—

Army
Rank	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	Total
Lieutenant Colonel	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Major	0	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4
Captain	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2
Lieutenant	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
2nd Lieutenant	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
Warrant Officer 1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Warrant Officer 2	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	2	0	0	7
Staff Sergeant	1	1	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	7
Sergeant	3	1	4	0	1	0	2	2	3	0	0	1	17
Corporal	1	5	4	4	1	3	0	3	1	2	0	0	24
Lance Corporal	6	1	2	2	1	4	4	4	1	1	1	0	27
Private	10	10	7	13	10	12	7	6	8	3	3	0	89
Junior	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	22	20	22	19	18	19	16	17	15	9	5	1	183
Rate per 1,000 Strength	0.14	0.13	0.14	0.13	0.13	0.15	0.14	0.15	0.13	0.08	0.04	—	—
Average Strength (thousands)	161.8	159.1	155.3	150.9	138.6	125.7	114.8	113.5	113.0	113.4	112.9	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual suicide rate is of active service members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in each year since 1989, stating in each case (i) the number of suicides and (ii) the number of attempted suicides recorded classified by rank; what measures have been taken to improve the armed forces' approach to preventing suicide; and if he will make a statement. [126902]

Since 1 January 1989 there have been 285 recorded suicides in the Armed Forces. A breakdown of this number by Service and rank is given in the tables¹. Information on the number of attempted suicides is not recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money he has paid in compensation to service personnel in each of the last five years; how many personnel received payments; and if he will make a statement. [127175]

The amount and number of common law compensation paid to Service personnel or their dependants for injuries sustained or death during service in each of the past five financial years is as follows:

Year	£ million	Cases settled
1995–96	12.1	235
1996–97	14.5	348
1997–98	25.3	369
1998–99	26.7	412
1999–2000	31.0	490

In addition to the increase year on year in the number of claims settled, the general level of payments has increased in accordance with case law above the rate of inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to open up his Department's land for recreational use by the general public. [127230]

There is already a presumption in favour of public access to the Defence Estate, subject to operational safety, security and conservation considerations. The recently published Defence Estate Strategy, "In Trust and on Trust", which was launched by the Secretary of State for Defence on 7 June, both reiterates this presumption and our commitment to future public access. Furthermore, it includes an assurance that the byelaws in force under the Military Lands Act 1892 and 1900 will be kept under review to ensure that access opportunities are not restricted unnecessarily. A copy of the strategy was placed in the Library of the House. The Ministry of Defence has also published a booklet entitled "Walks on MOD Land". This has recently been revised, and I anticipate that an expanded edition will be issued around the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000; and how many have not received substantive answers, citing disproportionate cost as the reason. [127440]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the correspondence between the Millennium Commission and his Department relating to the latest grant of additional funds to the Millennium Dome. [124386]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: I wrote to the hon. Member on 7 June in my capacity as Chairman of the Millennium Commission on this issue. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the television licence (a) schemes and (b) fees that are available to retired people. [125984]

Under the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary licence scheme, pensioners and disabled people living in residential homes and in qualifying sheltered accommodation are entitled to a £5 television licence. In order to qualify for the concessionary scheme, sheltered accommodation must.

(a) form part of a group of at least four dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary (though up to 25 per cent. of units in a scheme can be properties purchased under the 'right to buy' legislation);

(b) be specially provided for occupation by disabled people or retired people aged 60 years or over.

(c) be provided or managed by a local authority, a housing association or a development corporation; and

(d) have a person (e.g. a warden) whose function is to care for the needs of the residents and who either lives on site or works there for at least 30 hours a week.

Approximately 650,000 people qualify for the £5 concessionary licence. From November this year, people aged 75 or over will be entitled to a free television licence. Approximately 3.5 million households will benefit from this concession.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will be eligible for the concessionary free television licence. [127611]

Everyone aged 75 or over will be eligible for a free television licence from 1 November this year, but television licences cover households rather than individuals. Approximately 3.5 million households will benefit from the concession.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if it is his policy to prohibit the introduction of commercial advertisements on BBC1 and BBC2. [126301]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: Under the Charter and Agreement the BBC is unable to introduce commercial advertisements on any of its public services without my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's approval. We would not permit commercial advertisements on licence fee-funded services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what steps he is taking to encourage national training schemes for television and film scriptwriters; [127107](2) if he will make a statement on the future funding of the Television Arts Performance Showcase. [127108]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: I am aware of the work of the Television Arts Performance Showcase and the significant contribution to television and film by writers who have participated in the scheme. It is at present largely for the industry to determine which training schemes to support and we have asked the Audio- Visual Industries Training Group, which we established to consider how to meet broadcasting industry skills needs to include scriptwriting in its considerations. The Group is due to report towards the end of the year. The new Film Council has identified training for scriptwriters as a priority area for funds which will be available from the autumn to support training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning proposals to preserve for posterity a number of the little ships which took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940; and if he will make a statement. [127305]

[holding answer 22 June 2000]: My Department has received a number of letters about the Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration Trust's application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for support of a project involving the restoration of four vessels and the acquisition of a fifth for use as a visitor centre. The application was rejected last October, but the HLF has since then been in discussion with the Trust to offer advice on how best to submit a further application. I understand that the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum are prepared to offer professional support to the Trust with a view to ensuring a viable future for these historic vessels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning proposals to erect a Battle of Britain memorial on the Thames Embankment; and if he will make a statement. [127304]

[holding answer 22 June 2000]: My Department has received correspondence about the proposal to erect a memorial on the Thames Embankment by the Battle of Britain Historical Society, though matters have yet to reach a stage where we are officially involved. Westminster City Council has identified a potential site for a monument but as yet no application for planning permission has been received from the Society. Large outdoor monuments to the Battle of Britain already exist in Folkestone and Croydon, and the Imperial War Museum last week opened a major permanent exhibition at Duxford which will educate and inform future generations and act as a continuing commemoration of The Few.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many agencies of his Department use interactive voice response systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [127549]

The only agency of my Department is the Royal Parks Agency, who do not use any interactive voice response systems for public telephone lines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many departmental telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by interactive voice response systems. [127550]

My Department does not use any interactive voice response systems for public telephone lines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000; and how many of them have not received substantive answers, with disproportionate cost cited as the reason. [127335]

[holding answer 22 June 2000]: 1,044 written parliamentary questions were tabled to my Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000.Seven questions were answered in which disproportionate cost was cited as the reason for not providing all the information requested.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the (a) ethnic background and (b) gender of (i) lay magistrates, (ii) stipendiary magistrates and (iii) recorders in (1) numerical and (2) percentage terms. [127144]

The following tables set out the ethnic background and gender of (i) lay magistrates (ii) stipendiary magistrates and (iii) recorders. The trends are changing, however. For example, the table shows that 4.5 per cent. of lay magistrates are of ethnic minority origin. In 1997 and 1998, however, 6.5 per cent. of new appointments were of ethnic minority origin and in 1999 7.6 per cent. of new appointments were of ethnic minority origin.The information on lay magistrates is held on a relatively new database. The information on ethnic origin was taken from a survey conducted in 1997 and, since then, from declarations made by new appointees. The information held in the database has not yet been validated. It is expected that this will take place in the autumn.

Post	Total	Of ethnic minority origin	Percentage
Lay magistrates	25,917	1,157	4.5
Stipendiary magistrates	96	2	2.1
Acting stipendiary magistrates	146	4	2.7
Recorders	1,352	35	2.6

Post	Total	Male	Female
Lay magistrates	25,917	13,218 (51.0%)	12,699 (49.0%)
Stipendiary magistrates	96	82 (85.4%)	14 (14.6%)
Acting stipendiary magistrates	146	121 (82.9%)	25 (17.1%)
Recorders	1,352	1,188 (87.9%)	164 (12.1%)

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates have been recommended for removal from sitting on the bench by a local advisory committee and how many have been removed in each of the last three years. [127146]

No information is kept on the number of recommendations for removal received from Advisory Committees. In each of the last three years the numbers of magistrates removed from the bench were as follows:

Year	Number
1997	13
1998	11
1999	15

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what information he collates on the number of magistrates referred to local advisory committees for failing to attain required competencies. [127145]

Since the Magistrates New Training Initiative came into force in 1998 there have been no such referrals.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many warrants of possession were issued in respect of residential properties in (a) Great Britain and (b) each county court, in each year since 1990 to date. [127206]

The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the courts in England and Wales. The number of warrants of possession issued on residential properties in each year since 1990 is as follows:

Year	Number of warrants issued
1990	106,980
1991	133,101
1992	124,209
1993	124,271
1994	115,577
1995	117,301
1996	111,473
1997	115,646
1998	129,961
1999	136,718

A table, setting out, for each county court, the number of warrants of possession issued on residential properties in each year since 1990, will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the topics which have been considered by the Performance and Innovation Unit since its inception. [126501]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The PIU has published the following project reports:

Encryption and Law Enforcement (May 1999);

e-commerce@its.best.uk (September 1999);

Rural Economies (December 1999);

Wiring it up: Whitehall's Management of Cross-cutting Policies and Services (January 2000);

Adding it up: Improving Analysis and Modelling in Central Government (January 2000);

Reaching Out: The role of Central Government at Regional and Local Level (February 2000);

Winning the Generation Game: Improving Opportunities for People aged 50–65 in Work and Community Activity (April 2000);

Recovering the Proceeds of Crime (June 2000).

The Unit has also considered the key long-term Strategic Challenges that government will have to face. A Paper on "The Future And How To Think About It" has been published on the PIU website.The following projects have been announced, but have not yet published their reports:

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2000, Official Report, column 50W, if he will list in respect of council tax liabilities for each residence (a) which Ministers have council tax paid for them from Government funds and (b) which Ministers declare these properties to be their (i) main and (ii) secondary residence. [126467]

[holding answer 20 June 2000]: The Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Education and Employment have the council tax on their official residences paid for by their Departments, as their primary residences are elsewhere.The Minister for the Cabinet Office and myself declare our official residences as our main residences.

To ask the Prime Minister how many times he met President Clinton outside the UK and the United States of America between 1 May 1997 and 1 July 1998; and what were the (a) dates, (b) locations and (c) purpose of each meeting. [127129]

On 26–27 May 1997 I attended the NATO/Russia summit in Paris at which President Clinton was also present, although no formal meeting took place.

To ask the Prime Minister for what reason he has not yet responded to the Neill Committee's Sixth report into Standards in Public Life. [127093]

[holding answer 21 June 2000]: The Government response to the report has not been delayed. The report deals with serious issues across a wide range of subjects, some with constitutional implications. The Government intend to respond to Parliament by the summer recess.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the role of his Official Spokesman in relation to party political activities. [127428]

Alastair Campbell is the Government's Chief Press Secretary. He does this on my behalf and on the Government's behalf. He is bound by the Model Contract for Special Advisers and his role is entirely in accordance with that contract.

To ask the Prime Minister if he plans changes to the (a) contract and (b) salary of his Chief Press Spokesman. [127429]

No.

To ask the Prime Minister what changes have been made to the duties and responsibilities of his Chief Press Secretary. [127421]

None.

To ask the Prime Minister to whom the Strategic Communications Unit is answerable. [127423]

The Strategic Communications Unit is managed by the Chief Press Secretary and is answerable to me.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if the Strategic Communications Unit has the power to veto announcements from Government Departments; [127424](2) if he will make a statement on the work of the Strategic Communications Unit; and what plans he has to review its work. [127422]

The background to the decision to establish the Strategic Communications Unit was set out in my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett), on 14 January 1998, Official Report, columns 233–34W. Since its inception, the Strategic Communications Unit has provided general advice to me and is responsible for the co-ordination of announcements across government. It has also worked on specific projects such as preparing the Government's Annual Reports and is responsible for the No.10 website.

To ask the Prime Minister what safeguards have been put in place to ensure that the Strategic Communications Unit is not engaged in party political activities. [127427]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his hon. Friend the Member for Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 15 June 2000, Official Report, column 701W.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will have another meeting with the Royal British Legion over compensation for former prisoners of war held by the Japanese; [127626]

(2) if the final decision to pay compensation to former prisoners of war held by the Japanese will be made by him; [127629]

(3) which Departments are involved in considering whether compensation should be paid to former prisoners of war held by the Japanese; [127628]

(4) when he will make a decision concerning compensation to former prisoners of war who were held by the Japanese. [127627]

No further meetings with the Royal British Legion are anticipated at this stage, as a decision is expected shortly. The final decision will be taken in consultation with colleagues in the Departments listed in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 568W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between the 19 October 1999 and the 20 April 2000 which requested information, pursuant to his previous answers. [127443]

Six, of which three were from the right hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils on assisted places at independent schools have obtained places at (a) Oxford University, (b) Cambridge University, (c) universities which are members of the Russell Group and (d) other universities, in each year for the last five years; and, in each case, what proportion this number represented of all pupils obtaining places at those institutions. [125303]

[holding answer 9 June 2000]: The information requested on pupils on assisted places is not centrally available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of candidates obtaining places at (a) Oxford University, (b) Cambridge University and (c) universities which are members of the Russell Group came from (i) grant-maintained and former grant-maintained schools and (ii) grammar schools in each of the last five years. [125304]

[holding answer 9 June 2000]: The available information is given in the following table, based on students gaining places on full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses through UCAS. Because of a change in classification of school types in UCAS statistics in 1998, comparative figures for Grant-Maintained schools and grammar schools are not available for earlier years.

UCAS UK-domiciled acceptances to higher education institutions by previous education establishment Accepted applicants
Percentage
	Year of entry
Institution/school type1	1998	1999
Oxford
Grant Maintained	14.2	14.7
Grammar schools	5.5	5.8
Others	80.3	79.5
Total known	100.0	100.0
(Numbers incl. not known)	3,044	2,964
Cambridge
Grant Maintained	14.8	15.1
Grammar schools	6.9	7.6
Others	78.2	77.3
Total known	100.0	100.0
(Numbers incl. not known)	2,982	2,985
Russell Group2 (excluding Oxford and Cambridge)
Grant Maintained	12.7	13.1
Grammar schools	5.2	5.1
Others	82.0	81.8
Total known	100.0	100.0
(Numbers incl. not known)	49,974	52,618
All institutions
Grant Maintained	9.8	10.2
Grammar schools	4.7	4.7
Others	85.5	85.1
Total known	100.0	100.0
(Numbers incl. not known)	298,220	303,065
1 Classification of school type as designated at the conclusion of the acceptance cycle.
2 Russell Group institutions comprise the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, King's College, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton and Warwick together with Imperial College, London School of Economics and University College London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what safeguards will be put in place in respect of the new Connexions Service to ensure that personal advisers, learning mentors and Connexions advisers will provide impartial advice and guidance to learners to the standard and level of competence of careers service organisations. [125866]

The Connexions Service will offer at least the same level of impartial careers information, advice and guidance for 13 to 19 year olds as is currently provided by careers services. Local managers from the Connexions Service will agree with schools how personal advisers operating on their premises will be deployed and managed. This agreement will show how careers advice and guidance will be delivered in the institution, and ensure that students know which individuals can offer advice which is impartial. However, in order to remove the significant barriers to learning that many young people face, the range of information, advice and guidance provided by the Connexions Service will be extended to cover matters relating to, for example, housing and health.Learning Mentors and personal advisers will work side by side in schools in order to provide coherent advice, support and guidance to pupils.Learning Mentors will work closely with the pastoral and other staff of the school with the individual achievement of the pupil as the common focus. They also provide one stop access to specialist support services where necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what safeguards will be in place to ensure that personal advisers in schools with sixth forms, appointed and managed by headteachers, will deliver impartial, independent careers advice to pupils. [125867]

The provision of impartial careers information, advice and guidance will be a core function of the Connexions Service. Connexions Service Personal Advisers will bring essential knowledge of the range of post-16 and career opportunities to school pupils, their parents and teachers. Local managers from the Connexions Service will agree with schools how personal advisers operating on their premises will be deployed and managed. This agreement will show how careers advice and guidance will be delivered in the institution, and ensure that students know which individuals can offer advice which is impartial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which universities have received support from the (a) Higher Education Reach Out to Business and Community Fund, (b) the University Challenge Fund and (c) Science Enterprise Challenge Initiative; what is the value of each award; and for what period of time each award has been allocated. [126585]

The following tables provide details of support universities and colleges have received from the (a) Higher Education Reach Out to Business and Community Fund, (b) the University Challenge Fund and (c) Science Enterprise Challenge Initiative.

(a) Higher Education Reach Out to Business and the Community Fund
Institution	Total funding allocation(£000)	Time period of award
Anglia Polytechnic University	550	2000 to 2003
Aston University	1,100	2000 to 2003
University of Bath	1,100	2000 to 2003
Bath Spa University College	275	2000 to 2003
Birkbeck College	466	2000 to 2003
University of Birmingham	1,100	2000 to 2003
Bolton Institute of HE	550	2000 to 2003
Bournemouth University	550	2000 to 2003
University of Bradford	550	2000 to 2003
University of Brighton	550	2000 to 2003
University of Bristol	1,100	2000 to 2003
Brunel University	1,100	2000 to 2003
University of Cambridge	1,100	2000 to 2003
Canterbury Christ Church University College	275	2000 to 2003
University of Central England	550	2000 to 2003