:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have been ordered since May 1997; and on what dates. [134927]

On 19 June 2000, the Minister for Defence Procurement announced the placing of an order with Vosper Thornycroft (UK) Ltd. for two new Multi-Role Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Vessels together with 25 years contractor support. The ships, to be named HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise, will be built under sub-contract at Appledore Shipbuilders in Devon, and are due to enter service in 2002 and 2003.During the debate on Defence Procurement on 26 October, I announced that we intended to order four alternative landing ship logistic (ALSLs), subject to negotiation of satisfactory terms and conditions.I also announced that, subject to final negotiations, we intend to sign a 25-year private finance initiative contract with AWSR Shipping Ltd. to provide for the strategic sealift capability. This will involve the construction of six new roll on roll off (RORO) vessels; two at Harland and Wolff in Northern Ireland and four in a German shipyard.It is also intended that, subject to satisfactory arrangements being agreed, the order for the first new type 45 Destroyers will be placed later this year. It is planned that the first and third ships will be assembled by BAE Systems Marine and the second by Vosper Thornycroft (UK) Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of the TRACER programme as a bilateral programme with the United States of America. [135834]

[holding answer 31 October 2000): Bilateral collaboration is continuing on the UK's Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement (TRACER) and the US Future Scout and Cavalry System (FSCS).The current phase of the programme is of 42 months duration and finishes in July 2002. The programme is proceeding to schedule and both Governments are pleased with progress to date.In parallel, the UK is conducting studies to examine the use of unmanned air vehicles to complement ground-based reconnaissance. The outcome of these studies will be used to inform the UK decision on the optimum mix of platforms, technology and sensors and the role that TRACER will play in the Army's future battlefield information gathering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the non-war graves where maintenance to an appropriate standard is impossible for (a) climatic and (b) political reasons. [134307]

The standard of maintenance of those service graves designated non-world war graves varies according to the prevailing weather and local climatic conditions in the countries in which the graves are located. I am able to confirm however, that in general there are no non-world war graves that are impossible to maintain to the appropriate standard for climatic reasons, though they may not appear the same as those located in a typical war grave cemetery in, for example, north-west Europe. Local conditions are taken into account when selecting the material used for headstones or markers and the design of the cemetery.The changing worldwide political situation does mean that at times cemeteries containing war graves and non-world war graves are difficult or impossible to maintain. Currently, activity is restricted or impossible in Algeria, Ambon (Indonesia), Iraq and Mogadishu (Somalia). It can be difficult to maintain cemeteries in Northern Cyprus, parts of the Middle East, particularly Libya and China, and even Northern Ireland for political and security reasons. Restoration work on non-world war graves maintained on our behalf by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) is resuming.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the responsibilities of the Army Casualty Cell. [134305]

The Army Casualty Cell is responsible for the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from 1 October what will be the annual budget of the Army Casualty Cell at Upavon in respect of non-war graves in (a) the UK and (b) overseas. [134304]

The Army Casualty Cell assumed responsibility for overseas non-war graves from 1 October 2000, but will not take over the financial responsibility until April 2001. £180,000 has been allocated for this task. The maintenance of non-war graves in the UK is the responsibility of Land Command and is funded as part of their overall budget for property management. It follows that the Army Casualty Cell has no annual budget for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current annual budgets for (a) the Royal Navy and (b) the Royal Air Force in respect of their non-war graves in the UK. [134306]

Both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force meet the costs of funerals, burial plots, headstones, marker stones and related costs for personnel who die while in service. In financial year 2000–01 the Royal Air Force allocation is £70,000. The Royal Navy allocation is not separately identified. The costs of subsequently maintaining non-war graves are met from local works service budgets and are not separately identified by either service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in each of the past five years what has been the annual contribution from British Government sources to the South African Heritage Committee in respect of Boer War graves. [134297]

Ordinarily, the British Government make an annual donation of £10,000 to the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) towards the maintenance of Boer War graves. In 1999, however, it was decided that an additional donation of £5,000 should be paid for three years, ending in 2001. This temporary increase in the contribution was established in order to support the SAHRA's initiative to employ a single contractor to maintain all British graves throughout South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the specification is of fuel tankers used by (a) the Army and (b) the other armed services; how this differs from the specification of commercial fuel tankers in use in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [136061]

The armed forces currently use three sizes of bulk fuel tanker (12,000 litre, 22,500 litre and 32,000 litre). The 32,000 litre fuel tanker is commercially based and has a similar specification to modern commercial fuel tankers. It employs commercial standard safety systems, is fully compliant with "Accord European relatif au transport des Marchandises Dangerous par Route (ADR) Directive" requirements and approved for use under the petroleum industry's Safe Loading Pass Scheme (SLPS). The 22,500 litre and 12,000 litre fuel tankers are older; they are not fully compliant with ADR regulations as they were constructed to specifications reflecting Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CDG) regulations in force at the time of manufacture.In general terms, the specification of military tankers is enhanced to optimise them for military use. Military tankers differ from commercial tankers in the numbers of filling and discharge points; they are fitted with an integral pump to permit cross-loading and kerbside refueling of convoys and tend to be tougher in construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are qualified to drive commercial fuel tankers of the type in use in the UK; how many were qualified to do so on 1 January; how many are undergoing training which would enable them to drive such commercial fuel tankers; and if he will make a statement. [136060]

Some 300 service personnel are qualified to drive commercial fuel tankers—the figure is the same for 1 January—of which 180 could be made available for this purpose. Around 900 additional drivers are currently being trained to drive commercial tankers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes will be made in courts martial as a result of the incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights. [135060]

Changes have already been made so that courts martial procedures are compatible with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair trial. These were included in the Armed Forces Act 1996, which introduced reforms to reinforce the independence of the courts martial system. The changes came into effect on 1 April 1997.No further changes to the legislation on the conduct of courts martial are planned as a result of the incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress made at EU level on the Eurolift project for the establishment of an EU air transport command. [135661]

There is no Eurolift project for the establishment of an EU air transport command. The European Air Group, which comprises seven European nations—Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and UK—is, however, conducting a study into options for improving interoperability and co-ordination of military airlift between member nations. The study is not expected to be completed before the end of this year, so it would be premature to judge the outcome at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence of those troops being trained for duties in the event of another fuel crisis, how many have been trained to assist the police in relation to public order offences. [136067]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how many (a) civilians and (b) RAF personnel the two Lynx deep-servicing lines at RAF Benson are undermanned; and if he will make a statement. [134299]

There are no Lynx deep servicing lines at RAF Benson.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outcome of the Army Training Estates Review; and if he will make a statement. [134302]

There are currently two similarly named reviews being carried out within the Ministry of Defence.First, Land Command is conducting an Army Training Estate Site Utility Review. This aims to identify Land Command training areas, camps and ranges which are no longer required in order that they can be closed or sold, thereby saving maintenance costs and where possible generating revenue. The review team will make their recommendations by the end of this calendar year. Secondly, the Army Training and Recruiting Agency is conducting a review into the strategic development of the Agency over the next few years and this may have an impact on its estate. Work is still at a very early stage and no decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the locations where the Russian plutonium stockpiles covered by the UK's programme of help with disposal of such material have been disposed of.[134352]

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 Defence if he will make a statement on the locations where the Russian chemical weapons covered by the UK's programme of help with disposal of such weapons have been disposed of. [134351]

In July, as part of Spending Review 2000, up to £12 million was allocated to the Ministry of Defence for high priority chemical demilitarisation and co-operative biological non proliferation projects in Russia. This funding will be available over a three-year period starting in April 2001. A study of possible options for UK assistance is currently under way. No decisions on specific projects have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to recommend the award of the Atlantic Star to Russian convoy veterans for their service in the Arctic Ocean during World War II; and if he will make a statement. [135881]

I have been asked to reply.The Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS), part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency issues all campaign stars in respect of Merchant Seamen. The qualifications for the Atlantic Star require that the 1939–45 Star must first have been earned by six months' service at sea and then must be followed by a further six months' service at sea before 8 May 1945, with at least one voyage in the qualifying area ie across the Atlantic, South Atlantic or service in convoys to North Russia. This award is available to all British seafarers who fulfil the criteria.Merchant Shipping Notice M.279, which sets out the criteria for campaign stars for Merchant Seamen, was published in 1946 and is still in use to assess awards. It remains official policy to award the Atlantic Star to Russian convoy veterans who are British seafarers provided they make a request and fulfil the necessary criteria.Evidence of service is taken either from the discharge book of the veteran, or, if this is not available, from the discharge summaries and ships log books which are held at RSS Cardiff.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the effectiveness of hammers carried on trains for use in emergencies to break window glass; and if he will make a statement. [134340]

This and other matters relating to the evacuation of trains in an emergency are under review by the Health and Safety Commission. The Railways (Safety Case) Regulations 2000, which were laid before the House on 2 October following proposals from the Commission, will require train operators to revise their safety cases to include, among other things, details of the train evacuation equipment and arrangements which they have in place or propose. These revised safety cases will have to be submitted to the Health and Safety Executive for formal acceptance.The Commission expects shortly to receive a report from a railway industry working group which is considering these issues. The Commission and Executive will take any further action which may be appropriate in the light of the industry's proposals and any relevant recommendations which may arise from Lord Cullen's public inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements are made to test the effectiveness of safety equipment carried on passenger trains. [134339]

There are many different types of safety equipment carried on passenger trains. Arrangements for testing the effectiveness of the safety equipment are laid out in the maintenance regime for each train type. The train owner, operator or maintenance contractor is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate arrangements are undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with Railtrack on the subject of cracked or faulty railway lines; what assurances he has secured from Railtrack; and if he will make a statement.[135932]

There are regular meetings between Ministers and Railtrack at which a variety of issues have been discussed, including the issue of broken rails.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what investigations are being undertaken on the safety of the railway track in (a) north-east Scotland and (b) elsewhere in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [135934]

HSE's Principal Inspector of Railways in Scotland met with the Senior Railtrack Management on 25 October 2000. Railtrack Scotland has carried out visual examinations on sites with track already identified as needing replacement, and are in the process of establishing a programme for other sites. Railtrack is taking whatever action is necessary to identify all track defects and where they cannot be remedied speedily, the necessary mitigation measures (i.e. speed restrictions, increased inspection, traffic limitations) will be implemented to maintain the safety of passengers. HSE is also meeting with senior management at Railtrack HQ on national initiatives being taken to maintain the infrastructure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he was first advised by the shadow Strategic Rail Authority of the extent of the problems with broken rails; and if he will make a statement. [135933]

In its first interim report into the Hatfield derailment on 20 October, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) informed Ministers that Railtrack were concerned about a specific form of rolling contact fatigue—sometimes referred to as gauge corner cracking—and that as a result had imposed emergency speed restrictions across the railway system. However, Ministers have been aware of the general issue of broken rails for a considerable amount of time, including the concerns raised by the HSE and the Rail Regulator.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many broken rails were discovered on the railway network in Scotland in (a) 1990 and (b) in each year from 1995 to date; and if he will make a statement.[135935]

The Health and Safety Executive does not hold records on broken rails dating back to 1990. Figures for broken rails based on geographical areas supplied to HSE's Railway Inspectorate by railway operators commenced from 1 April 1996. The number of broken rails for Scotland for the period of 1 April 1996 to 31 March 2000 are shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were killed on the roads in the week beginning Sunday 10 September and in the same week of September 1999. [135094]

No information is yet available regarding 2000 accident data. The figures for the days September 10–16 for 1998 and 1999 are as shown:

• 1998–67
• 1999–62

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were killed on the roads in each of the last three years for which figures are available in the area of the Essex Police Authority. [135101]

The number of people killed on the roads in the area of the Essex Police authority in each of the last three years for which figures are available are as follows:

• 1997–89
• 1998–76
• 1999–106.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were killed on the road in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [135099]

The number of people killed on the roads in each of the last three years for which figures are available are as follows:

• 1997–3,599
• 1998–3,421
• 1999–3,423.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list (a) the three most senior members of staff employed by registered social landlords that have taken over former local authority housing stock and (b) their previous employers; [134732](2) if he will list

A list of the chairs and two most senior members of staff of registered social landlords (RSLs) which have taken over former local authority housing stock has been placed in the Libraries of the House.Information on the previous employers of senior staff in these RSLs, the third most senior member of staff, and the current occupation and relevant interests of the chairs of these RSLs is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress on reviewing the definition of very exceptional cases in the context of the application of the second EC Directive on the driving licence relating to the renewal of licences for drivers suffering from diabetes mellitus and requiring insulin treatment; and what account is being taken of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in this review. [134572]

At their meeting on 4 October, the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes agreed that the term "exceptional case" should be redefined to mean applicants for Cl entitlement (vehicles of between 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes) with good diabetic control and no significant complications. The panel will meet again on 8 November to finalise the new definition, after which public consultation will begin with a view to having the legislative changes in place by spring 2001.There is no question of conflict with the Disability Discrimination Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much public money has been paid to (a) the railway operating companies and (b) Railtrack in each year since privatisation; and what annual payments are to be made in future years. [135432]

Since privatisation, Support for Passenger Rail Services (SPRS) has been paid by the Franchising Director to passenger train operating companies (TOCs). Also, certain TOCs receive income from Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) for rail passenger services in major conurbations. In addition, freight operating companies (FOCs) receive freight grant payments from my Department.The table provides details, for each year since the TOCs and FOCs were created, of SPRS and PTE payments to the TOCs, and freight grant payments to the FOCs. The figures for 2000–01 are estimated outturns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the principal elements in the costs of a typical road haulage business in (a) 1970, (b) 1980, (c) 1990 and (d) the latest date for which figures are available, indicating in each year the percentage of turnover accounted for by those costs. [135408]

The Government do not routinely collect information on the operating costs of road hauliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he plans to take with regard to planning officers who take employment with (a) developers and (b) applicants with whom they have dealt. [135663]

The Government have no powers to intervene in these issues. Local authorities are independent employers and the terms and conditions of their staff, including future employment, are determined in their contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to help tenants in social housing whose homes have been designated Band F, G or H and who are thereby ineligible for Council Tax Benefit. [135828]

People on low incomes (whether social tenants or otherwise) who occupy dwellings in Bands F, G and H are eligible to claim Council Tax Benefit. Those who received Council Tax Benefit on or before 31 March 1998 and continue to meet the continuity requirements are entitled to have up to 100 per cent. of their council tax liability met through benefit regardless of the valuation band of their home. New claimants after that date who live in dwellings in Bands F, G and H can receive benefit up to the maximum amount payable for Band E dwellings. We have no plans to alter this arrangement, which was introduced to ensure that taxpayers do not fully subsidise the costs of people living in the highest value properties. This is consistent with our policy of not supporting such properties on Income Support where help for mortgage interest in new cases is also restricted. However, we are aware of the concerns that remain with this measure and are continuing to monitor the effects of the restriction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much funding has been allocated for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme for 2000–01. [135883]

The budget for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme for 2000–01 is £121,857,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to publish for public consultation the Soil Protection Strategy recommended by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in its 1996 report, 'Sustainable Use of Soil'. [136011]

Soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the trigger level for the holding of parish polls. [135740]

[holding answer 31 October 2000]: We have no plans to alter the legislative requirements for the holding of parish polls.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review current arrangements for ascertaining the medical fitness of older drivers. [135734]

[holding answer 31 October 2000]: These matters are kept under constant review. The benefits of any changes to medical requirements would be assessed in the context of overall mobility and safety benefits for older people and other road users.We have commissioned research from Manchester University into the driving behaviour of older people. The project is due to be completed by the end of November and a report will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many staff were employed by Salisbury District Council in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) on 1 October 2000. [136044]

The information that is available is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received Road Traffic Reduction Act reports from local traffic authorities as required by the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997. [136774]

I have received reports under the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 from local traffic authorities in England, as required under the Act. Copies of the reports have been laid before the Parliament and placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the recommended level is of reserves required to be held by a parish council; and if he will make a statement. [136179]

The Government do not make recommendations on the level of reserves to be held by parish councils.The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) published non-statutory guidance on standards of financial reporting for parish councils following the laying of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 1996.The CIPFA guidance does not make recommendations on levels of reserves either, but does set out reporting requirements and guidance relating to reserves for small (budgeted annual income of less than £5,000), medium-sized (£5,000–£500,000) and large (£500,000 plus) parish councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received the return from Ross-on-Wye Town Council on the finances of the council; and if he will make a statement. [136178]

Ross-on-Wye Town Council is a Parish Council, rather than a District Council, and as such does not make financial returns to this department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will build a bypass for the village of Chicklade on the A303(T) in Wiltshire. [134301]

The A303 Chicklade Bottom-Mere Improvement is one of the schemes currently being considered under the London to South West and South Wales Multi-Modal Study. The outcome of the study will inform the Regional Planning Body's consideration of transport infrastructure requirements in preparing a review of the Regional Transport Strategy, currently contained in emerging Regional Planning Guidance for the South West, including the need for improvements to the trunk road network. I expect the study to report towards the end of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plans to publish the draft Water Bill; and if he will make a statement. [136776]

I will publish a draft Water Bill for public consultation on Monday 6 November. The draft Bill will have three main elements: first, it will contain provisions to improve the management of water through reforms to the abstraction licensing system and by promoting greater water conservation by water companies; second, it will re-introduce the regulatory reform provisions for water that were removed from the Utilities Bill in March 2000. These clauses have been updated since then, mainly to reflect any relevant amendments made to the equivalent energy provisions now in the Utilities Act 2000. The overall aim is to put the consumer at the heart of the regulatory process and to make regulation more open and accountable; and third, the draft Bill will contain a number of other useful but minor improvements to the regulatory systems for water and reservoir safety.The draft Bill includes provisions to increase the maximum penalty for abstraction and impounding offences and for supplying water unfit for human consumption from £5,000 to £20,000. This reflects the importance the Government attaches to ensuring appropriate fines for water offences. Unlimited fines are available in the crown courts.The draft Bill will also give new powers to the regulators to fine water companies up to 10 per cent. of their turnover for breaches of their conditions of appointment, or for failure to achieve prescribed standards of performance.We are also consulting on measures to ensure that customers have easy access to reliable comparative information on water company performance. We are working with the water industry with the aim of developing a pilot scheme. We are also consulting when we publish the draft water bill on introducing any necessary legislation to require companies to provide comparative performance information to customers.Copies of the draft Bill and covering consultation paper, and an accompanying publication setting out the Government's Regulatory Impact Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and a Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment will be laid before the House at 11am on Monday 6 November.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Departments produced risk management frameworks relating to their Statement of Internal Control by September; and if she will place copies in the Library. [135490]

Departments and public bodies will be required to produce Statements of Internal Control from the financial years 2001–02 onwards. The first Statements will be published in 2002. As a separate exercise, Departments and Agencies that are responsible for managing significant risks faced by the public are drawing up and publishing the framework and procedures they use for reaching decisions on the risks for which they are responsible. Copies of these will be placed in the Library. As of 31 October, risk frameworks had been published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Environment Agency, the Department for Education and Employment, the Food Standards Agency, the Department of Health, the Health and Safety Executive, the Inland Revenue and the Office for National Statistics.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent studies her Department has undertaken on the economic and financial effects of pharmacy (a) licence regulation and (b) planning permission. [134505]

The Performance and Innovation Unit of the Cabinet Office published in December 1999 a project on rural economies, which discussed the implications of planning policy for rural economies. Additionally, the independent Better Regulation Task Force, for which I am sponsor Minister, published in June 2000 a case study of increasing regulation in the hotel and restaurant industry. Among other things, it looked at whether there were any barriers in the planning system to the productivity of this sector.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are employed in the Performance and Innovation Unit. [135387]

As of 31 October 2000, there are 31 people employed in the Performance and Innovation Unit.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to be able to publish the final research report on the trials of the new system for home buying and selling. [135830]

We are planning to announce the results of the seller's information pack pilot at a conference in Bristol on 24 November. A short report and a summary of the main findings and conclusions will be published on that date. A full research report is expected to be published in December.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will publish the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of the magistrates courts service: and if he will make a statement. [136775]

The Lord Chancellor has today placed copies of the Chief Inspector's Annual Report in the Libraries of both Houses.The Chief Inspector reports a noticeable improvement in overall proficiency across the service. Magistrates courts committees have faced up to hard decisions and shown determination in executing them. While further improvements are needed, such as in the management of performance through the monitoring of suitable indicators, magistrates courts committees are demonstrating an increasing willingness to think strategically.Although most MCCs continued to show significant weaknesses in managing performance in case administration, all magistrates courts committees inspected achieved average or better than average case completion times. There were also some encouraging signs of recent improvement. The Chief Inspector also noted that there had been good inter-agency work on the planning and implementation of the new Narey procedures and Youth Court Joint Performance Improvement Plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in the drafting of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. [135376]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason a draft Charter of Fundamental Rights is being negotiated by EU member states. [135574]

In June 1999, the Conclusions of the Cologne European Council called for a Charter of Fundamental Rights to be drawn up to make those rights more visible. It was agreed that the Charter would be drafted by a body called the Convention, consisting of 15 member states representatives, 16 MEPs, 30 national parliamentarians and one Commissioner.The Convention met regularly from December 1999 to October 2000. It circulated a final draft on 2 October. This was discussed by Heads of Government at the Biarritz Informal Council on 13–14 October. They agreed that the Charter should be proclaimed as a political declaration at the Nice European Council in December. Copies of the Charter text have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who are the members of the Praesidium referred to in Convent 45, Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; and what are its powers. [135523]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today, columns 555–56W, to the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash) and to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow)The Praesidium was chaired by Roman Herzog, the Chairman of the Convention. The European Commission was represented by Antonio Vitorino, Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs.The three Vice-Chairs were Inigo Mendes de Vigo (European Parliament), Gunnar Jansson (national parliamentarians) and Paavo Nikula followed by Bacelar de Vasconcelos and Guy Braibant (Finnish, Portuguese and French Presidencies).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the number of European commissioners per member state; [135092](2) if he will make a statement on his policy towards changes in majority voting in the EU. [135089]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the White Paper laid before the House on 15 February 2000, Official Report, columns 769–83, which sets out the Government's position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on reinforced co-operation in the EU. [135382]

As the Prime Minister made clear in his speech in Warsaw on 6 October, this Government support the principle of enhanced co-operation in an enlarged Union. But this must be subject to important safeguards. Enhanced co-operation must remain open to all at any stage; it must not undermine the single market or other common policies and it must not lead to a hard core in which some member states create shared policies and institutions from which others are in practice excluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on proposals from the European Parliament relating to a legal personality for the European Union. [135385]

The issue of EU legal personality has been touched on in discussions at the Intergovernmental Conference. However a majority of member states, including the United Kingdom, were not in favour of this being added to the IGC agenda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on a European Federation with a constitution. [135383]

The Government have made clear their opposition to a federal superstate. We want a United Europe of States, not a United States of Europe. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Prime Minister's speech in Warsaw on 6 October. I have sent him a copy of this speech today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the result of the Danish referendum on the euro. [135378]

As the Prime Minister has said, this decision is a matter for the Danish people and does not change the Government's position. We are in favour, in principle, of joining a successful single currency but in practice the five economic tests have to be met. Should Government and Parliament recommend joining, the final decision should be for the British people in a referendum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the relationship between European common Foreign and Security Policy and NATO. [135384]

NATO is the cornerstone of the UK's defence. NATO plays a major role in crisis management, as in Bosnia and Kosovo. In pursuit of its common Foreign and Security Policy, the European Union is developing its capacity to undertake military crisis management operations where the alliance as a whole is not engaged. More capable European nations will strengthen NATO as well as the European Union.For European Defence to be effective, EU activity needs to be underpinned by arrangements for consultation, co-operation and transparency with NATO and for EU access to NATO assets. Negotiations between the EU and NATO to secure these arrangements are under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on proposals by the European Parliament relating to the European Union's powers in relation to economic, social and employment policies. [135090]

In its resolution of March 2000, the European Parliament proposed a number of changes to the European Union's powers in relation to economic, social and employment policies, for discussion at the intergovernmental conference. Not all aspects of the European Parliament's proposals have been taken up by the Conference. As far as the proposals relate to qualified majority voting, the Government made their policy clear in their White Paper "IGC: Reform for Enlargement" of February 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is towards the Southern Cameroons National Council; and if he will make a statement. [135261]

As an Anglophone organisation committed to secession from Cameroon, parts of the SCNC have used armed violence in pursuit of their aims. We have pressed the Cameroon authorities to ensure that the rights of all, whether Anglophone or Francophone, be respected. We urge all groups in Cameroon to work together to find peaceful and lawful solutions to their problems. We deplore all violent activity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on EU institutional changes affecting (a) the Commission, (b) the Parliament, (c) the Court of Justice and (d) the Court of Auditors. [135397]

I refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper laid before the House on 15 February 2000, Official Report, columns 769–83, which clearly sets out the Government's position toward the institutional changes currently being discussed at the intergovernmental conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress being made in EU enlargement negotiations with (a) Bulgaria, (b) Latvia, (c) Lithuania, (d) Malta, (e) Romania and (f) Slovakia. [135390]

Accession negotiations with the six countries listed were launched on 15 February 2000. For the purpose of negotiations, the "acquis communautaire" (ie the body of law and practice to which all member states subscribe) of the European Union is divided into 31 "chapters". By 24 October, the countries concerned had "opened" (ie started negotiations on) between eight and 13 chapters each. Malta had "provisionally closed" (ie no further negotiations are required at this stage) 10 chapters; Slovakia nine; Latvia and Lithuania seven each, Romania and Bulgaria six each. These countries are expected provisionally to close a number of further chapters at the Deputies Conferences scheduled for 16 November and at the Ministerial Conferences on 21 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the state of the EU enlargement negotiations in respect of (a) Cyprus, (b) Czech Republic, (c) Estonia, (d) Hungary, (e) Poland and (f) Slovenia. [135391]

Accession negotiations with the six countries listed were launched in March 1998. For the purpose of negotiations, the "acquis communautaire" (ie the body of law and practice to which all member states subscribe) of the European Union is divided into 31 "chapters". By 5 October, the countries concerned had "opened" (ie started negotiations on) 29 (out of 31) chapters. Cyprus had "provisionally closed" (ie no further negotiations are required at this stage) 16 chapters, Estonia 14, Hungary and the Czech Republic 13 each, Slovenia 12 and Poland 11. These countries are expected provisionally to close a number of further chapters at the Deputies Conferences scheduled for 14 November and at the Ministerial Conferences on 5 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the New Agenda Coalition at the United Nations General Assembly and their efforts to get agreement on multilateral nuclear disarmament.[135399]

The Government were pleased to have reached agreement with the New Agenda Coalition, and with the other states party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), on a forward-looking agenda for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament at the 2000 NPT Review Conference in May.The Government wish to see that agenda reinforced at this year's United Nations General Assembly. To that end, we are currently engaged in discussions with the Coalition in New York on the text of their draft resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with the landmine clearance programme in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and when he expects the operation to be completed. [135216]

It is difficult to obtain precise figures for demining progress to date in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) estimates indicate that, up to 1999, 50,000 devices (mines and unexploded ordnance) had been cleared; official figures from the local Mine Action Centres suggest that over 12,600 devices have so far been cleared in 1999 and 2000. The overall system of demining in Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently under review, in an effort to accelerate the process; but it is not possible to give an estimated end-date for the operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) financial support and (b) logistical, personnel or training support the Government have provided to the Colombian Anti-Narcotics Police in the last 10 years. [135114]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have not provided financial support to the Colombian Anti-Narcotics Police (ANP).Some training has been provided to the ANP in the past ten years. This has included military training, seaport profiling and vehicle search techniques. We have also provided equipment to the ANP in support of this training, which has included rummage kits and communications equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the UK and its European counterparts to make a final decision on the allocation of funds for Plan Colombia. [135110]

The European Commission announced at the second consultative group meeting on support for the peace process in Colombia, held in Bogota on 24 October, that the EU would contribute 105 million euro to Colombia over the period 2000–06. In addition, the Commission pledged to continue to support humanitarian projects in Colombia, current expenditure of which is around 10 million euro per annum.The EU Presidency made clear at the meeting that the European package is in support of the peace process; defence of human rights and international humanitarian law; help for victims of violence; protection of biodiversity and the environment, and support for regional co-operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent violence in the Chapare region of Bolivia. [135111]

The political situation in Bolivia has stabilised following a period of social unrest and violent tension in late September and early October. Protests in the Chapare centred on the Bolivian Government's plans to eradicate illegal coca crops, in line with a five year counter-drug action plan.An agreement was reached with coca growers on 14 October and the situation in the Chapare has stabilised, although there have been sporadic outbreaks of violence since then. The agreement provides for better implementation and control of alternative development projects and the establishment of a human rights commission to investigate violence and deaths in the Chapare since 1998. The Bolivian Government has also shelved plans to build three military barracks in the Chapare.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on proposals by the European Parliament relating to the European Union's energy policy. [135088]

I have been asked to reply.I am not aware of any specific proposals in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations are being undertaken to ensure that arms exports to Israel are not being used for internal repression or external aggression. [135555]

We have no evidence to suggest that equipment licensed for export by this Government has been used by Israeli Forces against civilians in the Occupied Territories during the recent events. We are very concerned about the recent violence in the Occupied Territories and in Israel and continue to monitor the situation closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for action Her Majesty's Government are evaluating in its role as one of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention to monitor Israeli violations of the IVth Geneva Convention in the Occupied Territories. [135473]

We and our EU partners monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories closely through our diplomatic missions. We are also in close contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department is taking to ensure that no British equipment is being used by Israeli forces in (a) helicopter attacks and (b) other actions against civilians in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. [135472]

We have no evidence that equipment licensed for export by this Government has been used by Israeli forces against civilians in the Occupied Territories during the recent violence. We would be concerned if such evidence came to light and continue to monitor the situation closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Israeli Government about the re-establishment at Mitzpe Hagit in the West Bank of an illegal settlement. [135471]

The Government's position remains that all settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the peace process. This applies to Mitzpe Hagit, as to other settlements. The Israeli Government is well aware of our position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for November and (b) the major European Union events for the period between 30 November and April 2001. [136810]

To date we have received the detailed agendas for the following Council meetings in November:

• 7 November—Brussels—ECOFIN Council
• Adoption of the agenda
• Approval of the list of "A" items
• Follow-up to the Lisbon European Council meeting
• Adoption of the joint Council-Commission report assessing European financial instruments for risk capital.
• Discussion of the Commission proposal for implementation of the action plan for risk capital and monitoring indicators.
• Adoption of the report on structural performance indicators.
• Discussion of the EPC progress report on the financial and microeconomic impact of aging.
• Preparation for the Nice European Council meeting (poss.) Exchange-rate strategies of countries applying for membership.
• Other business
• 7 November—Brussels—Environment
• Adoption of the agenda
• Approval of the list of "A" items(^*)
• Community strategy on climate change strategy debate prior to COP6/preparation for COP6
• Draft Council conclusions
• Commission progress report on the European climate change programme
• Other business(^*) Including in particular the Council conclusions on the negotiations for a legally binding international instrument to apply international measures to certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• 9 November—Brussels—Education/Youth
• Adoption of the agenda
• (poss.) Approval of the list of "A" items
• (a) Mobility
• Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers.
• Political agreement
• 5600/00 EDUC 8 SOC 28 JEUN 3 CODEC 59
• 12020/00 CODEC 736 EDUC 133 SOC 318 JEUN 53
• (b) Mobility Action Plan
• Adoption of a Resolution
• Preliminary draft report on future objectives of education systems
• Presentation by the Commission and discussion
• Follow-up to the Leiden seminar on open co-ordination and benchmarking as applied to European education systems
• Information from the Presidency and the Commission
• Contribution to the Luxembourg process
• Adoption of a contribution from the Council (Education) to the Council (Employment and Social Policy)
• Social agenda
• Adoption of a contribution of the Council (Education) to the Council (Employment and Social Policy)
• Follow-up to the meeting of the EU-Latin American Ministers for Higher Education in Paris on 3 November 2000
• Information from the Presidency
• Memorandum on life-long learning
• Presentation by the Commission
• Commission information points

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government will ratify the statute creating the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement. [135530]

The UK will ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as soon as the necessary legislation is in place. The International Criminal Court Bill was published in draft on 25 August for consultation and will be introduced as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list by UK diplomatic mission the sums disbursed on (a) British and (b) Commonwealth war memorials in (i) 1998 and (ii) 1999. [134303]

No funds were disbursed by UK diplomatic missions on British and Commonwealth war memorials during 1998 and 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what (a) ministerial and (b) official representation is planned at the 14 Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers to be held at Halifax, Nova Scotia for 27 to 30 November. [134425]

[holding answer 26 October 2000]: The delegation is currently being finalised. It will include myself and Education Ministers from four overseas territories. The devolved Administrations will make their own decisions on possible representation. The Department for International Development also hopes to be represented at ministerial level. The Ministers will be accompanied by officials from the relevant Departments; by Sir Tim Lankester, Deputy Chair of the British Council; and by Dr. Geoffrey Caston, Chairman of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom. A number of other UK bodies and Commonwealth bodies based in the UK will also be attending, either as observers to the ministerial conference or as delegates to the parallel symposium and trade fair.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to provide funding for pre-school playgroup places for three-year-olds in Buckinghamshire. [134581]

Details of the funding we will be making available to Buckinghamshire local education authority to fund places in 2001–02 will be announced shortly. Figures are not available for the number of places specifically funded in pre-school playgroups.From April 2000, Buckinghamshire local education authority were allocated £144,000 to create a total of 124 new, free, part-time early education places in 2000–01 for three-year-olds in all settings. This was increased in September 2000 by £193,000 to fund a further 250 places.The allocation of places at a local level is the responsibility of the Buckinghamshire early years development and child care partnership. At a national level, approximately 80 per cent. of the new places made available for three-year-olds are in the private, voluntary and independent sectors.Since May 1997, we have increased the number of early education places for three and four-year-olds nationally by 120,000. Already, all four-year-olds in Buckinghamshire have access to an early education place. By September 2004, all three-year-olds will also have that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many letters he has received in support of Mrs. Marjorie Evans. [134708]

My Department has received 85 letters in support of Marjorie Evans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evidence his Department has obtained of homophobic bullying resulting from the retention of section 28. [134717]

Section 28 does not apply to schools, only to the activities of local education authorities.The 1998 report "Playing it Safe", commissioned by Stonewall and the Terence Higgins Trust, and produced by the University of London Institute of Education, for the first time detailed the extent of homophobic bullying in schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the work of the University of Buckingham. [134796]

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) carries out reviews of the effectiveness of institutional arrangements for the management of the quality and standards of academic provision in all higher education institutions that receive public funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and therefore subscribe to the Agency. The University of Buckingham is an independent university which does not receive any public funding from the HEFCE. There are, therefore, no requirements for any assessments of the work of the University of Buckingham to be undertaken by the QAA. However, the University of Buckingham is a voluntary subscriber to the QAA for academic quality audit.An academic quality audit of the University of Buckingham was carried out by the former Higher Education Quality Council in the 1992–93 academic year, with the report being published in March 1993. The audit scheduled by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) for the autumn term 2000 has had to be postponed. The next academic quality audit of the University of Buckingham is not now expected to take place until 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to offer teachers a stakeholder pension. [134372]

All teachers have access to the good quality range of benefits provided by the teachers pension scheme. Employers will not, therefore, need to offer teachers a stakeholder pension. All employers should, however, be considering whether they need to offer access to a stakeholder scheme to any of their staff to ensure that no employee is denied the opportunity to make adequate pension provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will offer financial support to those studying for the British Bee Keepers Association's basic exam as a vocational qualification. [135689]

[holding answer 30 October 2000]: Vocational qualifications eligible for funding by the Further Education Funding Council are approved by the Secretary of State on the basis of advice received from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Bodies seeking recognition of their awards for such purposes should make application to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 83 Piccadilly, London W1J 8QA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many middle schools in England have fewer than 100 pupils on roll. [134300]

Figures from the January 2000 schools census show that there were no middle schools, primary deemed or secondary deemed with less than 100 pupils. Information on middle schools by size has recently been published in the statistical volume "Statistics of Education Schools in England 2000". This is available from the Library or alternatively can be accessed on the Department's statistical website www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it has cost so far to administer the backdated winter fuel payments scheme, including the cost of the telephone helpline; and what the estimate is for the final cost of the scheme. [134560]

The administration of winter fuel payments 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 households in the Lewes constituency benefit from (a) the winter heating allowance, (b) the Christmas bonus to the basic state pension and (c) the free TV licence for those aged 75 years or over for the last year for which figures are available; and what was the combined value of these to older people in the constituency. [135327]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the City of Edinburgh Council. [136915]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the City of Edinburgh Council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as their counter fraud activities.The BFI reports that the council needs to do much more to improve benefits administration and its counter fraud efforts. Inspectors found the council had no strategic approach to combating fraud and error and there were serious weaknesses in internal security.The report notes concerns about the standards of verification being applied to claims and the BFI found there was potential for better use to be made of management information.Inspectors found that the approach of the Counter Fraud Unit had been mainly reactive and the poor quality of casework had brought about premature closure of investigations.Some of the recommendations made after the trial inspection in 1997 had been implemented, including a physical merger of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit administration. The report also notes a general improvement in the interface arrangements with the Benefits Agency.I am now considering the report on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I will be asking the council for their proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Harrow. [136916]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report in respect of the London Borough of Harrow was published on 12 September 2000, during the parliamentary recess. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as their respective counter fraud activities.The BFI report notes the council's involvement in developing and piloting initiatives. This is demonstrated by their participation in an innovative Private Finance Initiative project to finance a document imaging and retrieval scheme. Inspectors commended the council's interest in providing front line customer service and introducing modern IT.BFI found serious weaknesses and deficiencies and considered the council needed to put considerable resources into a number of areas. Inspectors considered more resources were required to clear backlogs of work, implement internal and external audit recommendations, ensure all required referrals were made to the Rent Officer and to improve liaison with housing associations and other landlords.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. [136917]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.BFI first reported on the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in July 1999. This second report records the current position and measures the progress made by the council since the first inspection. The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to further improve their benefit administration and counter fraud activities.Inspectors report that Tower Hamlets has responded positively to recommendations made in the first report. In particular the council was found to be monitoring performance in benefit administration more rigorously and ensuring verification work met a consistently high standard. Inspectors concluded that the council was in a strong position to implement the Verification Framework should it choose to do so.The report notes the way benefit staff and those dealing with homeless people work together to ensure only eligible claimants receive benefit. Dealing with homeless people can be difficult and inspectors commended the council for its efforts.The BFI found the council is active in investigating fraud and levying sanctions on fraudsters. Inspectors considered there was potential for further progress through the co-ordination of counter fraud activity against claimants who fail to declare income or change of address.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for their proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which local authorities have been directed to improve their administration of Housing Benefit following a second inspection by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement. [135260]

Directions have not, as yet, been issued following a second inspection by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate of a local authority's Housing Benefit administration. We have, however, given directions in August 2000 to Northampton Borough Council as a result of the Inspectorate's first inspection of that authority.To date, the Inspectorate has completed second inspections of the London Boroughs of Croydon and Tower Hamlets and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, all of which had previously been inspected under the powers in section 139A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. We have previously published the report of the Croydon inspection and are currently studying Croydon council's response to the report. The report on Tower Hamlets will be published this week and the authority will be invited to respond. The report on Sandwell has not yet been published.Additionally, the Inspectorate has completed inspections of the London Borough of Camden, the City of Edinburgh Council and Newcastle upon Tyne City Council, all of which had previously been the subject of trial inspections which did not take place under the statutory powers.In the case of Camden we decided that it was not necessary to issue directions. The Inspectorate found that the council had built on the already good standards that were evident during its first inspection. The council has many good practices in place and, in keeping with its Beacon Council status, is readily sharing its knowledge with other authorities.The report on Edinburgh will be published today and the authority will be invited to respond. The report on Newcastle upon Tyne has not yet been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to simplify the application forms for state benefits; and if he will make a statement. [135529]

All our forms and other products are constantly under review. We frequently adopt suggestions from all areas, including from the public, and we carry out research on the effectiveness of our products. As a result, we constantly make changes and modifications in the interests of clear communication. If my hon. Friend has concerns over a particular form perhaps he will write to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what procedures exist in his Department for a civil servant to report actions which (a) are illegal, improper or unethical, (b) are in breach of constitutional convention or a professional code, (c) may involve possible maladministration and (d) are otherwise inconsistent with the Civil Service Code. [136055]

The Department actively encourages its staff to report any concerns they have about possible wrongdoing, and has in place a range of procedures to enable them to do so.From the end of this month we are establishing a dedicated Whistleblowers Hotline to enable staff to report wrongdoing along the lines of the Public Interest Disclosure ActAdditionally where a departmental civil servant has reported a concern but does not feel they have had an adequate response, then they can of course have recourse to the Civil Service Commissioners.If the hon. Member has a particular concern perhaps he will write to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have incomes (a) below, (b) up to £10, (c) £10 to £20, (d) £20 to £30 and (e) £30 or more above the minimum income guarantee level; and if he will identify in each case how many have savings of (i) nil, (ii) £0to £3,000, (iii) £3,000 to £8,000, (iv) £8,000 to £12,000, (v) £12,000 to £20,000 and (vi) £20,000 and above. [134557]

The information is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners are claiming Income Support; and if he will break this figure down by (a) age and (b) gender. [135754]

There are currently 1.6 million pensioners in receipt of the minimum income guarantee. This represents 13.6 per cent. of the pensioner population of Great Britain.