To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in each year since May 1997. [125689]

[holding answer 12 June 2000]: The Department's financial year starts 1 April and the advertising spend from April to March for each financial year from 1994 is as follows:

Year	£
1994–95	8,988,000
1995–96	9,293,000
1996–97	7,219,000
1997–98	6,500,000
1998–99	6,000,000
1999–2000	12,000,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to promote the use of liquid petroleum gas in cars. [128276]

The Government have introduced a number of measures to promote the wider use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in recognition of the fuel's environmental benefits. The Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme, which is funded by my Department, provides grants towards the additional cost of vehicles fuelled by LPG. Funding for this programme was increased to £10 million following the last Budget. LPG and other road gas fuels also benefit from a relatively low rate of fuel duty compared to petrol and diesel. From 1 March 2001, Vehicle Excise Duty for new cars will be graduated on the basis of CO₂ emissions. Under the new scheme, LPG cars will benefit both from a modest discount and from generally having lower CO₂ emissions than equivalent petrol cars. The Government are currently consulting on further tax discounts under the new company car tax regime, which comes into effect from 6 April 2002, for gas and electric cars.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made in recovering the regeneration grant awarded to the Walton Group in respect of Exchange Flags Liverpool; and if he will make a statement. [128635]

Under section 175 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, the Secretary of State appointed the Urban Regeneration Agency ("English Partnerships") to act as his agent in respect of the agreement to pay a City Grant to the Walton Group for the refurbishment of the Exchange Flags building, Liverpool. In that capacity English Partnerships carried out a review of the project and are pressing for repayment of the grant.Inquiries are in progress, and therefore it would be inappropriate for me to make any further statement at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to introduce common arrangements for monitoring homelessness throughout the UK; [128896](2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current arrangements for monitoring homelessness in England. [128895]

Local housing authorities in England make quarterly and annual returns to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions of data concerning their activities under the homelessness legislation. They also provide annually an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in their area on any one night in June. The extent of the rough sleeping problem in England is monitored through single-night street counts, co-ordinated by local authorities and carried out in partnership with the local voluntary sector and volunteers. We are satisfied that these arrangements provide an effective means of monitoring homelessness in England. The Government currently have no plans to introduce common arrangements for monitoring homelessness throughout the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the arrangements for reviewing homelessness decisions made by local authorities under sections 202 and 203 of the Housing Act 1996; and if he will make a statement; [128905](2) how many reviews were undertaken by authorities of decisions taken under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996 in

We will consider the effectiveness of the current arrangements for local housing authorities' review of homelessness decisions when we take forward the proposals for reform of the homelessness legislation set out in the Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all". Information about the number of reviews undertaken by local authorities is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to seek amendments to the provisions of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 relating to intentional homelessness; and if he will make a statement. [128904]

The Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all", sets out the Governments proposals for introducing more choice for existing and prospective tenants of social housing and for strengthening the protection available to homeless people. The Paper suggests that it may be possible to modify the rules of intentional homelessness if these proposals were adopted. The Government will consider responses to the Green Paper before deciding whether to take this forward, and would wish to discuss any proposals with representatives of local government, Shelter and others before introducing amending legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what proportion of the potential growth areas and long-term potential growth areas in the draft regional planning guidance for the south-east are at risk or likely to be at risk in the future from potential flooding; [129072](2) what area of land in the south-east planning area

Information about areas at risk from fluvial and other tidal or coastal flooding is based on best estimates and information about recorded events. It is provided in the form of maps held by the Environment Agency regional offices and supplied to local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in his Department have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code; [129161](2) if he will list the occasions since May 1997 on which Ministers in his Department have sought the advice of the permanent secretary under the circumstances envisaged in Paragraphs 118, 121 or 123 of the Ministerial Code. [129181]

Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make improved timekeeping and extended boarding times on the Euston to Liverpool Lime Street line a condition for renewal of the West Coast main line franchise. [129601]

The present franchise for the West Coast main line is not due to be replaced until 9 March 2012. When replacing franchises, the Franchising Director will be seeking to improve services to passengers and improvements in performance. Boarding times at stations are an operational matter for Train Operating Companies and it is not envisaged that they will be the subject of specific franchise requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about making the level of on-board service a condition of franchise renewal for the West Coast main line. [129600]

The Secretary of State has not received any representations about making the level of on-board service a condition of franchise renewal for the West Coast Main Line. The present franchise for the West Coast Main Line is not due to be replaced until 9 March 2012. This franchise, in common with all the other passenger rail franchises, does not contain any provisions stipulating which on-board services must be provided. It is not envisaged that there will be any such provisions in any of the replacement franchises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will ensure that, where a new franchise is awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority, the performance standards in the new franchise agreement are applied during the unexpired period of the old franchise agreement; [129687](2) what powers the Strategic Rail Authority has to ensure a smooth and rapid transfer when it awards a new franchise to a company different from the one currently providing the service and the existing company decides to continue until its contract expires. [129705]

This would be a matter for negotiation between the Franchising Director and the existing and potential franchisees. In the event of failure to agree transfer arrangements in advance of expiry of the existing franchise, the existing franchisee would be obliged to continue to honour its contractual commitments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes he plans to make to the location of intermediate and high level nuclear waste by the United Kingdom Government in the returns to the International Atomic Energy Agency for 2000; and what requests for environmental sampling have been received by the Government from the Agency since 15 May 1997. [129135]

I am not aware of any requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency for returns about the location of intermediate and high-level nuclear waste, or on environmental sampling.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the further exemption order for the fleet of new trains to be introduced into service by Anglia Railways Ltd. and ScotRail Railways Ltd. in respect of provisions of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998. [130052]

We have received further applications from Anglia Railways Ltd. relating to their Class 170/2 trains and ScotRail Railways Ltd. relating to their Class 170/4 trains. These seek to revoke the original Orders and replace them with new Orders. These have been discussed with our statutory advisers the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.Exemption Orders relating to the exemption of the Class 170/2 and 170/4 trains have been laid in Parliament today. Copies are available from the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department will commission research into possible links between abandoned vehicles, vandalism and other crime; and if he will make a statement. [128490]

I have been asked to reply.While we have no current plans for research into links between abandoned vehicles, vandalism and other forms of crime, we will consider this area when we next review the forward work programme. We are mindful that abandoned vehicles can be an indicator of problems affecting a neighbourhood, and the local Crime and Disorder Partnerships do take into account action to address such issues when devising the local strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on the release of additional council house sales receipts; and if he will make a statement. [129501]

I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 571W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money his Department has spent in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available on (a) Lords Lieutenant and (b) their deputies in Wales. [129680]

My Department holds information on Lords Lieutenant's expenditure for the financial years 1996–97 onwards. The total expenditure for each of these years is as follows:

£
	Expenditure
1996–97	20,277.19
1997–98	21,120.85
1998–99	18,500.45
1999–2000	119,566.55
2000–01	24,539.00
1This figure includes payments made by the Welsh Office to 30 June and by the Wales Office from 1 July.
2To date.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement concerning his review of adoption of children from care. [130095]

I have today published a study from the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU), which forms the first part of my review of adoption. Copies of the study have been placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries. I asked the PIU to provide an initial assessment of the main problem areas, identify options and make recommendations to the Government on the use of adoption for children in the care of local authorities. The report contains a range of options for promoting greater use of adoption, and for making it faster and more straightforward. To ensure that there is the fullest possible debate on this issue, the report is published for consultation. In the light of views expressed in consultation we will then publish a White Paper before the end of the year setting out the Government's new approach to adoption, and including proposals for new legislation, to be introduced next year.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in the Cabinet Office have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code; [129149](2) how many times he has been consulted by Ministers under the procedures outlined in paragraph 109 of the Ministerial Code; on what occasions any such consultations took place; and if he will make a statement; [129182](3) what discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on Paragraph 109 of the Ministerial Code

Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption 2, Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Prime Minister how many weekly prime ministerial internet broadcasts he has given; on which dates each was available on the No. 10 website; how many hits each broadcast experienced during the week following its posting on the website; and for what reason he has discontinued his weekly internet broadcasts. [129223]

[holding answer 5 July 2000]: There have been 14 broadcasts, all of which are still available on the website. They are:

• 30 June 2000—Economic Policy
• 19 May 2000—Sierra Leone
• 2 May 2000—Strategic Direction of Government
• 21 April 2000—Northern Ireland
• 14 April 2000—Russia
• 7 April 2000—New Deal for over-50s
• 31 March 2000—Health
• 24 March 2000—The Budget
• 17 March—Streamlining Public Services
• 10 March—Drugs
• 3 March—Mozambique
• 25 February—Health
• 18 February—Drugs
• 11 February—Education.

The broadcasts can be accessed in a number of different ways—either as a streamed file, a downloadable MP3 version or as a transcript. The streamed versions of the broadcasts have been requested nearly 37,000 times, an average of 254 requests per day, since the first one was posted on the site on 11 February. Downloads of the MP3 version and hits on the transcript page will be in addition to this figure, but the site statistics do not show how often these have been accessed. The site as a whole received over 37 million hits in the three months since it was re-launched on 11 February.I will continue to regularly record broadcasts for the website. The latest broadcast, on economic policy, was published on the website on 30 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to increase the accountability to Parliament of Lord Levy. [129707]

I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 5 July 2000, Official Report, column 218W.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16 May 1998. [129738]

I was hosting the G8 Summit in Birmingham.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on outstanding pension commitments to former Rhodesian civil servants agreed at the time Zimbabwe became independent. [129136]

At Independence, the pension rights of both retired and serving public servants were preserved under the Zimbabwe Constitution, determined during the Lancaster House negotiations. The Government of Zimbabwe are responsible for the payment of pensions to former Rhodesian civil servants. That constitution guarantees the continued payment of pensions to former Zimbabwe public servants, wherever they reside. Occasionally, there have been delays in pension payments being made as a result of shortages in foreign exchange, but, these apart, the Government of Zimbabwe have consistently honoured their obligations. There is no provision in the Constitution to protect the value of externally paid pensions against the effects of fluctuating exchange rates.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with European commissioners about the EU's delivery of aid to developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [129515]

I have frequent exchanges with Commissioners Nielson and Patten about EC aid to developing countries. It is in sore need of reform. We are working for full implementation of our detailed strategy (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) which requires the European Commission and other EU member states radically to improve the poverty focus and effectiveness of EC development assistance. There is a growing commitment to reform. The reduced number of Commissioners responsible for development, the improvements incorporated in the renegotiation of the Lomé convention and the recently published strategy for development are significant advances, but implementation of the promised reform remains to be achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts regarding the provision of EU development aid to countries in conflict. [128712]

The general issue of the role of development assistance in countries in conflict has been discussed frequently, most recently at the informal meeting of European Community Development Ministers in Lisbon in January, which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State attended. Further discussion was also held during part of a seminar held in Paris, jointly hosted by the French and Portuguese Development Ministers, on 30 June. The position in a number of specific countries, notably Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia and Eritrea, was discussed at the meeting of the Development Council on 18 May.All development programmes, including the European Community's, need to develop more effective methods for targeting development assistance to countries in conflict. The UK and other member states have urged the Commission to undertake work in this area. Provisions on the issue of peace-building and conflict prevention and resolution were included in the new EU-ACP Cotonou Agreement. The Commission are currently developing guidelines to help officials design programmes that address potential sources of conflict.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she will publish the Fifth Annual Civil Service Fast Stream Recruitment report. [129927]

The annual Civil Service Fast Stream Report was placed in the Libraries of the House earlier today. It covers the year from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000, and reports the results of Fast Stream competitions completed during that period and action undertaken for future competitions.The report shows that there has been progress in broadening the diversity of Fast Stream recruits. In particular, for the first time the Civil Service has reached parity in the numbers of successful men and women applicants to open Fast Stream schemes. The standard of entry to the Fast Stream Development Programme has remained consistently high. In line with the experience of other major employers, the Civil Service did not fill all its Fast Stream vacancies in 1999, with specialist areas a particular source of concern.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 28 June 2000, Official Report, column 564W, how many requests her Department has received from hon. Members for statistics compiled at constituency level since 1 May 1997; if she will state in each case (a) the name and party allegiance of the hon. Member, (b) the date the request was received, (c) the date the information was provided and (d) the subject matter; and what has been the total cost since 1 May 1997 of meeting such requests. [129723]

The information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward the stamp duty relief for transfers of local authority housing stock, which was announced in the Budget, to include all such transfers made since the announcement. [130094]

I am pleased to say that measures will be brought forward in Report Stage of the Finance Bill to ensure that transfers of housing from local authorities to registered social landlords taking place after 21 March will benefit from the new exemption. This will apply whether or not the social landlords concerned are constituted as charities.Transfers under the large-scale voluntary transfer programme offer benefits for tenants and the programme reflects the Government's commitment to generate private finance to repair and improve the condition of social housing. Bringing forward the extension of the Stamp Duty relief to the earliest possible date following the Budget announcement will help local authorities making transfers between 22 March and Royal Assent to the Finance Bill.Local authorities who have made relevant transfers upon which Stamp Duty has been paid will be able to make claims to the Stamp Office for repayments as soon as Finance Act 2000 becomes law.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the receipts from the third generation mobile spectrum auction which have already been received are to be treated under resource accounting rules as capital receipts; [128068](2) if the future receipts from the third generation mobile spectrum auction are to be treated as capital receipts; [128069](3) if the future receipts from the third generation mobile spectrum auction are to be treated under resource accounting rules as an accrual at the time the obligation was secured. [128070]

[holding answer 28 June 2000]: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has provisionally decided to classify the receipts from the auction of licences for the third generation mobile spectrum as current receipts (rents) in the UK national accounts, and to accrue the receipts over the period of the licences, according to the treatment it sees as best fitting the principles of the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95). ONS are consulting Eurostat about the classification. The treatment of the proceeds under resource accounting will require an accruals, rather than a cash, basis of accounting for the receipts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his European partners with regard to revenue loss as a result of differential road fuel duty rates between member states; and if he will make a statement. [128181]

[holding answer 5 July 2000]: EU member states are free to set excise duty levels in accordance with an agreed structure and current UK policy on the taxation of road fuel is fully in accordance with the provisions of the relevant EC Directives.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which foreign target group in the UK is to receive material as part of the Euro 2002 Information Campaign of the European Central Bank. [128136]

We understand from the European Central Bank that there are no plans at present to distribute Euro 2002 information campaign material within the UK.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in his Department have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code; [129152](2) how many times Ministers in his Department have sought the advice of the Permanent Secretary under the circumstances envisaged in Paragraphs 118, 121 and 123 of the Ministerial Code; and on which occasions such advice was sought. [129173]

Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption II of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information".

:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a tax allowance on petrol for disabled drivers who are dependent on their cars. [128873]

The Chancellor keeps all tax issues under review as part of the Budget process. Drivers who receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance can already get help leasing or buying a car from the Motability scheme. They also qualify for the Blue Badge scheme (formerly Orange Badge scheme) of parking concessions and are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance his Department gives to help develop small and medium-sized business organisations in the Greater London area. [127866]

The nine Business Links in London receive financial support from the DTI's Business Link core services budget to deliver a range of help to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Greater London area.From next April, one New Business Link operation covering the whole of London will take over as the primary source of help to SMEs. My Department will be providing substantial funding for the new business support arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 2000, Official Report, column 236W, on Lesotho, if he will list the payments by Her Majesty's Government in respect of loans underwritten through the ECGD to the companies listed. [128569]

No claims payments have been made direct to the companies concerned as they are not the beneficiaries of the ECGD cover. ECGD's guarantee is given to the lending bank for any defaults arising under any loan agreement.Only one of the loans listed has so far given rise to claims payments, namely the loan made by HSBC to finance the Cairo Waste Water project in Egypt. On a closer examination of records, it is regretted that the value

of this loan was incorrectly shown as £32.0 million in the answer provided to my hon Friend's earlier question on 22 June 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will allow Post Office Counters to contract with parcel companies in the private sector. [129672]

This is a commercial matter for the Post Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the acquisitions made by Royal Mail in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [129674]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for his Department and its agencies the approved list of manufacturers of (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement on his Department's leasing and purchasing policy. [128981]

The Department does not purchase vehicles. The primary purpose of the Department's policy on leased vehicles is to achieve value for money on official travel. There is no restriction on the make of (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles that can be obtained through the Department's leasing arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the EU to approve a regional aid map for the United Kingdom. [129218]

In the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the policy since 1989 on writing annually to those of his Department's staff who are paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions, reminding them of the rules governing the payment of reduced rates, as recommended in the Inland Revenue guidance note on reduced rate National Insurance contributions for married women. [129479]

The Department has not previously issued annual reminders to staff paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions but this policy is currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland was appointed; what the term of his appointment is; how many official visits he made outside Northern Ireland in each year since his appointment; what expenses were reimbursed to him for (a) entertainment, (b) subsistence, (c) travel and (d) car mileage or the use of a vehicle; and what vehicle allowance was paid to him in each year since his appointment. [128360]

The current Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland was appointed on 1 July 1995 on a 4-year contract. This contract was renewed on 1 July 1999 for a further 4 years.The first table shows the number of official journeys made each year by the Secretary and Chief executive outside Northern Ireland since his appointment in July 1995 until 30 June 2000. The second table details expenses reimbursed to the Secretary over each financial year.

Year	Journeys
1995	8
1996	14
1997	9
1998	11
1999	14
2000	4

£
Financial year	Travel	Mileage	Subsistence	Hospitality
1995–96	0	0	0	0
1996–97	1—	1—	1—	1—
1997–98	549	622	158	41
1998–99	492	1,192	169	79
1999–2000	0	578	79	357
2000–30 June 2000	0	0	0	0
1Total £669

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland is authorised to use fuel charge cards issued for the use of the (a) RUC and (b) Police Authority. [128362]

Use of fuel charge cards issued to the Royal Ulster Constabulary is at the discretion of the RUC's Chief Engineer and the Head of Transport. The Police Authority is not in possession of fuel charge cards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the terms of employment of the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland provide for (a) use of official vehicles (i) on and (ii) off duty, or (b) reimbursement for mileage or the use of a vehicle and (c) a vehicle allowance. [128361]

The Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland has access to official vehicles when on duty. The Secretary and Chief Executive is entitled to claim mileage allowance for the use of a private vehicle on official business in accordance with the Northern Ireland Civil Service Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many firearms certificates have been withdrawn in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years and the current year; and how many (a) shotguns, (b) .22 rifles, (c) fullbore rifles and (d) handguns were affected by the withdrawal of certificates. [128613]

The Chief Constable has advised that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Readily available information is set out in the table.

Revocations of and refusals to renew firearm certificates under the Firearms (NI) Order 1981
year	Revocations	Refusals to renew	Partial refusals1	Total
1999	133	57	10	200
20002	74	37	7	188
1When only one, or more than one, of a number of firearms on a firearm certificate has been refused to be renewed.
2January to June

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been arrested and charged with drugs offences in Northern Ireland since 1 January; and what is his estimate of the street value of each type of illegal substance seized. [128614]

The table shows the number of persons arrested and charged with drugs offences during the period 1 January to 31 May 2000, together with the type of drugs seized and the estimated street value.

Street values of drugs seized (January to May 2000)
Drug	Form	(£)
Class A
Cocaine	Powder	5,600
	Wraps	—
'Crack' Cocaine	Powder	4,900
Ecstasy	Tablets	5,448,988
	Powder	22,176
	Capsules	—
LSD	Tablets	1,280
Opiates (inc. Heroin)	Powder	2,800
	Tablets	240
	Ampoules	—
	Wraps	—
Class B
Cannabis	Resin	1,407,560
	Herbal	24,489
	Plants	35,400
	Joints	126
	Oil	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each week in each RUC sub division in Northern Ireland since 1 January the number of armed robberies which have taken place and his estimate of the total sums of money and the value of goods stolen. [128615]

The table shows the number of armed robberies recorded in Northern Ireland each month during the period 1 January to 28 June 2000 together with the estimated value of goods or money stolen. This information could be further broken down into weekly statistics only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the circumstances of the road traffic accident involving an RUC vehicle driven by the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland; what arrangements were made for the repair of the vehicle; and if he will make a statement. [129215]

No official report has been received of any RUC vehicle being used by the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Police Authority being involved in a road traffic accident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 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. [127677]

[holding answer 26 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. If so, there have been 44 such cases out of a total of 1,044 parliamentary questions answered by my Department in the period in question. In 13 of these cases, I undertook to write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Millennium Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money is currently held in the National Lottery distribution fund which is not committed to projects. [128348]

As at March 2000, just under £200 million of the money held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund was not committed to specific projects. Nearly three-quarters of uncommitted funds are for the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), but NOF anticipate that all its funds will be committed during the course of this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many households have been sent an application form concerning the availability, to people aged 75 and over, of free television licences; and at what total cost to the public purse; [128817](2) what has been the cost to the public purse of

[holding answer 3 July 2000]: The BBC is responsible for administering this scheme and has advised that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and by diverting resources which would otherwise be devoted to the successful implementation of the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administrative cost is, including postage, of informing people aged over 75 years about their entitlement to concessionary television licences; and if he will make a statement. [129035]

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households have been sent letters regarding the concessionary TV licence scheme for people aged over 75 years; how much the total cost was of printing and posting the letters; and how many replies have been received. [128531]

[holding answer 4 July 2000]: The BBC is responsible for administering this scheme and has advised that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and by diverting resources which would otherwise be devoted to the successful implementation of the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support and assistance he will give to local cricket clubs in promoting junior cricket. [128832]

Junior cricket is eligible for funding from Sportsmatch, the Government's sports sponsorship incentive scheme. Since its inception in 1992, Sportsmatch has made 336 awards worth a total of over £2.08 million to grass roots and junior cricket applications in England, attracting a similar amount in commercial sponsorship.Funding is also available to cricket through the Lottery Sports fund which has made 523 awards to cricket projects, worth a total of over £60 million, towards total project costs of over £106 million. One of the priorities of the Lottery Sports Fund is that projects should attempt to target young people.Cricket is a sport selected by Sport England for a five year sports development programme aimed at young people. The programme is England-wide, delivered at local level and involves local clubs, local authorities, education services, schools and the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) all working in partnership.The England and Wales Cricket Board spends approximately 11 per cent. of the £26 million per annum it receives from broadcasting revenue for the development of cricket.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support and assistance he gives to local tennis clubs in order to promote junior tennis. [128834]

Junior tennis is eligible for funding from Sportsmatch, the Government's sports sponsorship incentive scheme. Since its inception in 1992 Sportsmatch has made 194 awards worth a total of over £1.15 million to grass roots and junior tennis applications in England, attracting a similar amount in commercial sponsorship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Edward VII convalescent home at Osborne will accept further patients after 31 October. [129233]

No. The King Edward VII convalescent home is due to close on 31 October 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are taken to publicise the widening of eligibility for admission to Edward VII convalescent home at Osborne to include non-commissioned ranks of the armed services under the Osborne Estate Order 1998. [129234]

No steps are currently being taken to publicise the widening of eligibility for admission because the convalescent home is due to close on 31 October 2000. Following the granting of the Osborne Estate Order 1998, the Civil Service Benevolent Fund, who have been managing the convalescent home on behalf of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, advertised the widening of eligibility to use the facilities at the home in a variety of publications. Additionally, they brought it to the attention of the Chief Welfare Officers of the armed forces and a number of Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the convalescents at Edward VII convalescent home at Osborne were from (a) commissioned and (b) other ranks of the armed services in (i) 1998 and (ii) 1999. [129235]

The information for the years requested is as follows:

	1998	1999
Commissioned Officers	82	76
Other Ranks	0	15

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure per head of population in each health authority area in London for each year from 1996–97 to 2000–01. [127010]

Expenditure per weighted head of population for 1996–97 to 1998–99 is shown for each health authority area in London in the table.These figures are not comparable between years or between health authorities as a result of changes in accounting practice and other technical accounting differences.Expenditure by health authority area for later years is not available.

London-expenditure by weighted head of population
£
Health authority	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Barking and Havering	565.45	562.37	647.90
Barnet	600.88	643.58	658.78
Bexley and Greenwich	579.39	622.77	671.51
Brent and Harrow	608.69	641.56	703.11
Bromley	524.58	580.83	751.02
Camden and Islington	673.66	647.73	791.10
Croydon	542.71	575.61	646.81
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	615.88	626.99	678.25
East London and the City	614.61	611.16	658.96
Enfield and Haringey	561.91	584.89	626.57
Hillingdon	585.23	594.37	648.70
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster	697.38	670.40	752.56
Kingston and Richmond	644.27	677.07	748.79
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	593.35	611.17	650.40
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	612.03	635.97	691.65
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	584.88	621.48	684.47
London	603.11	620.28	684.53

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 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 or other confidentiality. [128020]

Two written questions remain substantively unanswered for the period specified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the mortality rate for patients suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome admitted to National Health Service hospitals for treatment in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; [122625](2) what proportion of patients suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and being treated in National Health Service hospitals were admitted to intensive care units in

The table shows a mortality rate for patients with a primary diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in National Health Service hospitals in England for the financial years 1996–97 to 1998–99. Data for 1999–2000 are not yet available. Information on admissions to intensive care units is not available.In terms of data adequacy the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts in England. Every effort is made to minimise inaccuracies.

Mortality rate derived from number of people diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome; NHS hospitals England 1996–97 to 1998–99
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Primary diagnoses	1,489	1,650	1,875
Deaths	29	36	35
Proportion of deaths/diagnoses (per cent.)	1.9	2.2	1.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to encourage clinical governance subcommittees of National Health Service trusts to raise awareness of Guillain-Barre Syndrome; [122626](2) what plans he has to encourage clinical governance groups within primary care groups to raise awareness of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, particularly among general practitioners. [122627]

Clinical governance sub-committees have been put in place to co-ordinate National Health Service organisations' clinical governance activity. They are accountable for ensuring that clinical services across the whole organisation are effectively managed and that the quality of all clinical services improves. There are no plans at this stage to encourage committees to focus on any particular condition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the frequency with which eye tests should be taken. [128726]

This is a matter of clinical judgment for optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners. In order to ensure probity, we have proposed that a requirement be introduced for a practitioner to give a reason when claiming for a National Health Service sight test at an interval of less than two years since the previous test. Officials will be meeting with representatives of the professions to discuss this proposal on 12 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to implement the Clinical Standards Advisory Group's report on epilepsy. [128807]

Departmental officials have recently met with representatives from the Joint Epilepsy Council (JEC) to discuss the findings of the Clinical Standards Advisory Group report and take stock of recent service developments and medical research. As a result of this meeting, officials will be working with the JEC to establish the best way forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new hospitals were opened in each year since 1979. [129036]

[holding answer 4 July 2000]: Eighty-seven major hospital developments (over £25 million at current prices) have taken place and become operational since 1980. Details are set out in the table. The low figure for 1999 is a consequence of the small number of major hospital developments which started during 1996 and 1997. This was due to all major developments having to test for private funding during this time.Since 1 May 1997, 38 major hospital developments worth over £3.1 billion have been given the go ahead. The introduction of the private finance initiative into the National Health Service capital building programme will result in a dramatic increase in the number of major hospital developments in future years. The first of these developments, the new hospital at Carlisle, was officially opened on 16 June 2000.Information collection began in 1980 and we therefore do not hold information for 1979.

Year	Number of major hospital developments completed
1980	0
1981	0
1982	0
1983	3
1984	4
1985	4
1986	6

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when biomedical scientists will form part of the NHS Pay Review Body; and if he will make a statement. [129237]

Our proposals for modernising National Health Service pay, which were published in February 1999 in "Agenda for Change", include bringing some groups of highly qualified staff within the scope of the Nursing Pay Review Body (NRPB), without changing its fundamentally professional character.Initial discussions with NHS trade unions on pay modernisation resulted in a Joint Framework of Principles and Agreed Statement on the Way Forward, which was published on 8 October 1999. This sets out the following starting point for more detailed discussions with trade unions on the qualifying criteria for groups to come within the scope of the NRPB:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost was of the report his Department commissioned the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York to prepare, into the safety and efficacy of fluoride in drinking water; if the work being undertaken is (a) new research or (b) a review of existing research; and if animal testing forms a part of this research; [129659](2) when he expects