To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the conditions to be met for material found in the archives of foreign intelligence agencies to be regarded by the Crown Prosecution Service as of evidential value in legal proceedings. [136231]

Any statement in a document found in the archives of a foreign intelligence agency will be hearsay and inadmissible if the reason for tendering the evidence is to prove the truth of the content of the document, unless the document can be brought within one of the exceptions to the hearsay rule. The most important of these, as regards statements in documents, are found in a number of statutes, for instance the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

To ask the Solicitor-General what the Crown Prosecution Service's policy is on prosecution of cyclists for (a) riding on pavements, (b) failing to display lights at night, (c) riding without warning bells or horns and (d) ignoring red signals at traffic junctions. [136257]

Pedestrians and road users should be able to travel safely. Cyclists must take responsibility to ensure the safety of others and where the facilities are available make use of designated cycle lanes and at other times use the roadways. When cyclists have failed to act in a safe way thereby causing or potentially causing danger to others, offences arising out of this behaviour (such as riding on a pavement, failing to display lights, and ignoring signals) will be considered for prosecution.Where cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service pass the evidential and public interest tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecuters, a prosecution will be brought. There is no law stating that pedal cycles must be ridden with warning bells or horns and the Crown Prosecution Service cannot prosecute such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish the report of the review of the proposal for a new police fund to assist the widows and families of RUC officers murdered as a result of terrorist action; and if he will make a statement. [137114]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2000, Official Report, columns 20–21W, what the recommendations are of John Steele's report on implementation of recommendation 87 of the Patten report; how he plans to respond to each of the recommendations proposed; and what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing each recommendation. [135792]

I received the report from John Steele on 27 October. It is being published today, and copies are being placed in the Library of both Houses. Copies are also being sent to all those parties with whom Mr. Steele had meetings.The Government are grateful to Mr. Steele for taking on this sensitive review of the recommendation (recommendation 87) by the Independent Commission on Policing and for concluding his review so promptly. We welcome his comprehensive and thorough report. The Government are undertaking a detailed assessment of each of the specific proposals and these will form the basis on which the Government take forward implementation of this very important Patten recommendation.In particular, the Government agree that a new fund should be established covering in scope deaths and injuries caused directly by terrorist violence against members of the police in Northern Ireland. The fund would help seriously injured police officers, and retired officers and their families, as well as police widows. The Government will establish a Trust to administer the fund, on the basis proposed, as soon as possible.The Government also accept the key recommendation that widows of police officers who were killed as a result of terrorist activity prior to 25 November 1982 should receive lump sum payments. We will look to see how these payments, along the lines proposed in Mr. Steele's report, can be made without undue delay.The Government have already implemented the related recommendation, recommendation 88, that the Widows' Association should be given premises and a regular source of finance to run their organisation. The Widows' Association moved into new premises, and funding began, in September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the armed forces to undertake a joint exercise in Oman in Autumn 2001. [137361]

Exercise Saif Sareea 2 will take place in Oman in September and October 2001. This will be a major Joint and Combined exercise with the Sultan's Armed Forces. The exercise will demonstrate the Joint Rapid Reaction Force concept, which was a central pillar of our Strategic Defence Review by deploying, sustaining and recovering a Joint Task Force at medium scale to conduct an Out of Area Operation. It sends a very clear signal about our commitment to the Gulf region arid will show Britain's ability to deploy rapidly a considerable force, with real punch, over large distances. The UK contribution will include a Naval Carrier Task Group, Armoured and Commando Brigades and around 50 combat aircraft. The exact number of personnel taking part has yet to be finalised, but our contribution will be in excess of 20,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of Sponsored Reserves. [137548]

The first agreement for the use of what are familiarly known as "Sponsored Reserves" was signed on 27 October 2000 on behalf of the Meteorological Office and the RAF's HQ Strike Command. Introduced by the Reserve Forces Act 1996, this new form of reserve service extends the ability of the private sector and Government agencies to provide specialist support on operations as well as in peacetime. More properly known as special members of a reserve force, sponsored reservists are employed as civilians in peacetime and as volunteer members of a reserve force when deployed to support operations.The Mobile Meteorological Unit (MMU) provides meteorological support to the RAF in peacetime and to UK and Allied Forces when these forces are operating away from their fixed bases. Some 60 staff of the MMU form a unit of the RAF Reserve. Members will be routinely called out on a rotational basis under the terms and conditions of employment developed from the abroad consultation process with Industry that followed the Reserve Forces Act's coming into force in April 1997. This agreement represents the first use of the SR concept by my Department and builds on the established working pattern of the MMU which has supported operations since 1962 with great distinction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 160W, regarding his Department's headquarters in Whitehall, which companies or consortia other than Modus Services plc were (a) invited to apply for the public-private partnership contract and (b) applied for the public private-partnership contract; what independent assessment was made of his Department's office requirements prior to the contract being signed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and Modus Services plc. [136673]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: As a result of advertisements requesting Expressions of Interest in December 1996, over 30 companies were issued a Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) in February 1997. Eight consortia responded to the PIM and six consortia were invited in mid 1997 to submit outline proposals for the public-private partnership project for the redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence Main Building in Whitehall. These were:

• Amey/Kvaerner consortium led by Kvaerner Corporate Development (this consortium became Modus Services plc);
• British Land, Pell Frischmann and Royal Bank of Scotland led consortium;
• Horseguards Group led by Ove Amp and Partners, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson Ltd. and Innisfree Management Ltd.;
• MoDeM consortium led by the Bucknall Group;
• Mapeley Defence led by Nationsbank;
• Paladin Property Partnership led by Trevor Osbourne Property Group Ltd.

In late 1997, invitations to negotiate were issued to three consortia as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will publish the bids received for construction of the four vessels under the ALSL performance; indicating how successful and unsuccessful bidders (a) met and (b) failed to meet his Department's selection criteria; [136744](2) what reasons underlay the increase in the budget for ALSL vessels from two to four ships; [136818](3) what the final bid prices were for tenders for the ALSL design and build contracts received from

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Four new Alternative Landing Ships Logistics (ALSL), replacing four LSLs, therefore represents a significant increase in capability. The current Landing Ships Logistic (LSLs) are mostly over 30 years old and of decreasing utility. The new ships will each have double the capacity of the old versions, and be able to offload troops into a potentially hostile environment twice as quickly, at a safer distance, in significantly worse sea conditions. We have always known that the LSLs would need replacing at some point; buying four ALSLs in this manner represents better value for money that running a fleet of two ALSLs and three LSLs and then buying more ALSLs closer to the LSLs' Out of Service Dates.The bids received, the assessment markings and the prices are commercially sensitive and I am therefore withholding these details under Exemption 7 (effective management and operations of the public service) and Exemption 13 (third party's commercial confidences) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the budget for training all ranks of Royal Navy personnel in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 2000–01 and (e) 2001–02. [136939]

The figures provided are the training budget in cash terms for the delivery of training at all the shore establishments of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency. This encompasses initial training (i.e. new recruits) and aspects of career training and Pre-Joining Training, i.e. courses immediately prior to a particular draft/appointment. These figures do not include costs of projections for Royal Marines or Naval Reserves but does include the NRTA HQ costs as these are considered to be a training overhead cost or projection.The following are the actual expenditure figures for 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, the cash allocation figure for 2000–01 and the Short Term Plan (STP 01) projected Cash Control Total (CCT) for 2001–02:

Naval recruiting and training agency (NRTA)
£ million
Year	Actual expenditure	Cash allocation	Project CCT
1997–98	179.902	—	—
1998–99	192.263	—	—
1999–2000	192.990	—	—
2000–01	—	200.342	—
2001–02	—	—	196.133

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the stewardship programme at AWE Aldermaston and indicate its annual budget. [135406]

The stewardship programme at AWE comprises work, including research, necessary to ensure the continued safety and operational effectiveness of the Trident warhead. The current annual cost is broadly £120 million at 2000–01 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of bombs and missiles currently in service to withstand repeated take-offs by the aircraft carrying them. [136235]

An initial assessment of the life of a weapon, taking into account all operational factors including take-offs and landings, is made by the Design Authority when the weapon enters service. Further testing and evaluation is carried out while the weapon is in-service to identify any requirement to extend air carriage life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Armed Forces Overarching Personnel Strategy. [137068]

Copies of the Armed Forces Overarching Personnel Strategy were placed in the Library of the House on 14 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he will take to ensure compliance with the United Nations Optional Protocol on the Rights of the Child. [136954]

We are currently considering detailed administrative guidelines within the armed forces to implement the Optional Protocol. These guidelines will reflect the practical position set out in the UK's declaration on signing the Protocol.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people paid more than £1 million in tax in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000. [134724]

There are around 500 and 550 people who had income tax liabilities greater than £1 million in 1997–98 and 1998–99 respectively. These estimates are based on the Self Assessment computer system. I regret that information for 1999–2000 liabilities is not yet available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much contraband rolled tobacco was seized by HM Customs in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available. [134411]

Prior to this year, separate figures for seized rolled tobacco have not been kept centrally. The figures for revenue on all types of tobacco detections for 1993–94 to 1996–97 were given in my answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 16 February 1998, Official Report, column 478W; similar figures for 1997–98 are contained in HMCE Cross Channel Excise Smuggling 1998, a copy of which is in the Library.For 1998–99 and 1999–2000, the amounts seized were £60.6 million and £297.8 million respectively.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was raised in Wales broken down by (a) income tax, (b) VAT, (c) corporation tax and (d) other tax in the last year for which figures are available. [135237]

For 1998–99: (a) the figure for income tax liability from people living in Wales will be included in the next edition of "Inland Revenue Statistics 2000", a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House;

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) value-added tax, and (b) income tax was collected in each tax office in Wales in each year since 1995. [135238]

Meaningful figures are not available.

Tax year 1999–2000
Date	Issued1	Received1	Sent back1	Processed1	Waiting to be processed1
April 2000	8,763,125	202,063	3,170	0	202,063
May 2000	111,723	450,747	7,156	33	652,777
June 2000	80,792	668,360	21,613	536,927	784,210
July 2000	48,707	689,542	17,589	575,802	897,950
August 2000	50,490	875,041	18,526	739,180	1,033,811
September 2000	41,072	1,314,559	27,309	740,604	1,607,766
1 Monthly SA returns

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publicise the proportion of the purchase price of (a) a pint of beer, (b) a bottle of wine, (c) a bottle of whiskey, (d) a packet of 20 cigarettes and (e) a litre of unleaded petrol that is represented by tax and excise duty. [136391]

This information is available in Customs and Excise factsheets on (a) beer, (b) wine, (c) spirits, (d) tobacco and (e) hydrocarbon oil, copies of which are in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an estimate of the impact of direct and indirect taxes on households in all main income deciles since May 1997. [136419]

The latest available figures are contained in the article "The effects of tax and benefits on household income, 1998–99" in the April 2000 edition of Economic Trends. It should be noted that the detailed results in this article are freestanding, since the underlying statistics do not support direct comparison with articles from earlier years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the loss to the Inland Revenue in 1999–2000 resulting from (a) tax avoidance and (b) tax evasion. [136390]

The Inland Revenue does not identify these elements separately in their statistics. Figures are published in the Board of Inland Revenue's Annual Report, copies of which are in the Library of the House, and updates will be published in the next edition.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of increased excise duties on the Retail Prices Index since May 1997. [136192]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 1022W, concerning tax returns, if he will publish the monthly number of self assessment forms (a) issued, (b) received, (c) sent back, (d) waiting to be processed and (e) processed for each month since the introduction of self assessment. [135872]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 31 October 2000, Official Report, columns 412–13W. The figures for 1999–2000 are as follows:

The impact of changes in excise duties on the Retail Prices Index are published by the Office for National Statistics each year on the Internet. The latest of these can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason aviation fuel utilities on (a) UK domestic flights and (b) EU internal flights is exempt from fuel taxation. [136544]

The relevant EC Directive provides a compulsory exemption for commercial aviation fuels reflecting long-standing international agreement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much road fuel has been seized by Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland because it was being illegally imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [137088]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr. Ross) on 5 July 2000, Official Report, column 201W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional resources Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland have received to deal with increases in the illegal importation of road fuel from the Republic of Ireland. [137089]

From within their existing resources Customs and Excise have increased by a factor of four the resource devoted to tackling oils fraud in Northern Ireland, complemented by additional mainland resource for specific exercises.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the current level of petrol duty on the Retail Prices Index. [137105]

An assessment of the impact from petrol duty on retail prices is made when producing the twice-yearly economic forecast. An updated inflation forecast will be published in the pre-Budget Report, on 8 November.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure the deadlines normally applicable for VAT and other tax returns by businesses are relaxed for businesses seriously affected by the recent flooding in Lewes. [136566]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Both Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue will deal sympathetically with any business in serious difficulty as a result of an unforeseeable event such as severe flooding. Deadlines applicable to the submission of VAT and other tax returns are prescribed in law but there is no liability to a penalty where the business has a reasonable excuse for failing to meet its obligations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines are issued by the Inland Revenue regarding the tax treatment of married couples where a business partnership exists between husband and wife; if, in these circumstances, an investigation into the tax affairs of either husband or wife automatically triggers an investigation into the financial circumstances of the spouse; and if he will make a statement. [135158]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The tax treatment of a business partnership between husband and wife is the same as the tax treatment of any other business partnership.The Inland Revenue may open an inquiry into the partnership return and any or all of the partners' personal returns. The official guidance is that before they issue a notice of an inquiry into the partnership return, staff should review the returns of all relevant partners. Where staff decide that they need to check whether the partnership return is fundamentally incorrect, they will normally need to inquire into all of the individual partners' returns as well. This is to ensure that all risks of error or evasion in the partnership are looked at properly.Where a partner's personal return is selected for inquiry on its merits, without an inquiry into the partnership return, then an inquiry into the spouse's return is not triggered automatically.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost to the Exchequer would be of disregarding the working mother's allowance in respect of the working families' tax credit. [136831]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: I am not aware of a working mother's allowance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the introduction of ultra low sulphur diesel. [137609]

The Government are today publishing "Using the Tax System to Encourage Cleaner Fuels: The Experience of Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel". Copies are available in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made to the English comparator that forms the basis of the Barnett formula in each year since 1997; what consequential changes in allocations to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales were made as a result; and what the cumulative effect of all such changes was in the current financial year. [137027]

With regard to changes which have been made to the English comparator since 1997, the departmental comparability factors in the Barnett formula which were used in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review were set out in Annexe C of the Statement of Funding Policy published in March 1999. The factors which were used in the 2000 Spending Review were set out in Annexe C of the updated Statement of Funding Policy in July 2000.The changes in allocations to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales depend on changes in UK Government Departments' departmental expenditure limits, the relevant departmental comparability factor and the appropriate population share. Increases in the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales budgets were announced in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review and 2000 Spending Review.Spending in the current financial year determined in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review was based on comparability factors used in that review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Federation of Small Businesses and (b) the Forum of Private Business about Government policy towards the euro. [134379]

I have regular meetings with both the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum of Private Business to discuss a range of issues regarding the single currency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the operation of sunset regulation in the United States; and if he will make a statement. [136409]

This Department is well aware of the use of sunset regulations in the United States and elsewhere. It is one of the many techniques available to improve regulatory processes and we are already committed to using it in appropriate circumstances. For example, Part I of the Electronic Communications Act 2000—which received Royal Assent on 25 May this year—is subject to a 'sunset clause'.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the impact of the United States Regulatory Flexibility Act 1980 and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act 1996. [136408]

David Irwin, the Small Business Service Chief Executive, and I visited the US in March this year.In addition, a delegation of the Small Business Council visited the US in October and is currently assessing the impact of that legislation. It will make recommendations on the merits of this type of approach to David Irwin in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the impact of the Family and Medical Leave Act in the United States. [136399]

As part of the review of maternity pay and parental leave, I visited the US in July to learn about existing and proposed provision in the US and best practice in US companies. This included discussions with the Department of Labor on the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Department of Labor is currently undertaking an assessment on the Act's impact in the US, but data are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the cost to business of employment-related litigation in the last year for which figures are available. [136455]

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of (a) the setting up costs and (b) the annual running costs of the Universal Bank. [136708]

The Post Office and the High Street banks are working together to develop Universal Banking services. An announcement on costs will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has recently commissioned on the possible link between overhead power lines and cancer. [137199]

The Department of Health is currently funding both epidemiological and laboratory studies on power lines and cancer. The Department of Health also contributes to the World Health Organisation International Electromagnetic Fields Project and has supported the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study. The electricity industry is supporting high-quality, independent research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to bring the Postal Services Act 2000 into force; and if he will make a statement. [137485]

I have made the first Commencement Order under section 130 of the Act to set the dates for the coming into force of many of the principal provisions of the Act. In accordance with the Order, these provisions will be brought into force in three phases.As announced in the pursuant answer given on 6 November 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Post Office regarding the proposals contained in the Performance and Innovation Unit report on the Post Office Network sub-post offices for a new role for Government general practitioners. [137256]

There have been extensive discussions between my Department and the Post Office on the development of proposals and of a business case for a Government General Practitioner role for the Post Office Network, including sub-post offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures his Department is taking to protect suburban post offices from closure in the Sutton and Cheam parliamentary constituency. [136442]

The Government are committed to implementing all 24 of the recommendations in the Performance and Innovation Unit report on modernising the post office network. Many of the measures being undertaken, such as development of Universal Banking services, of a Government General Practitioner role as one stop shop for electronic access to public services and of e-commerce opportunities, will be relevant to all parts of the post office network, whether urban, suburban or rural.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how funds announced in this year's Spending Review for the maintenance of the post office network will be divided between areas defined as rural and areas defined as urban; and to publish the criteria used to define an area as rural or urban. [136716]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: As some of the measures for the modernisation and maintenance of the post office network for which funding was allocated in the Spending Review relate to the network as a whole, it is not possible to give a precise division between rural and urban areas. The Government definition of a rural post office is one located in a community of less than 10,000 inhabitants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the self-regulatory approach in dealing with undesirable and illegal Internet content in the specific case of Internet chat rooms and their use by paedophiles to contact children. [136216]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Illegal content in chat rooms is covered by existing law, and is dealt with by the police in the same way as illegal content in the off-line world.The Internet Crime Forum sub-group on chat recently published its interim findings (http://www. internetcrimeforum.org.uk/chatwise.html). This group looked at potential means of addressing the problems with chat rooms. Their recommendations were that the best way forward was to educate users and increase awareness of the risks. They suggested further measures on reporting mechanisms and advice to users that service providers should take.The self-regulatory approach employed by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has proved successful at regulating relatively static Internet content such as web pages and newsgroups. The IWF is generally regarded as a model internationally. However, Internet chat is ephemeral, and the IWF's remit does not specifically cover it. The IWF passes reports that it receives about chat rooms directly to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department was represented on the inter-departmental Internet Crime Forum sub-group on Internet chat services; when he will receive the report; and if he will make a statement. [136219]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Both the DTI and the Home Office are represented on the main Internet Crime Forum panel. The Home Office is represented in the sub-group on Internet chat services, although the DTI is not.The preliminary findings of the sub-group have been published on the Internet Crime Forum website, at: http://www.internetcrimeforum.org.uk/chatwise.html. I understand the full report will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met (a) Internet service providers and (b) web hosting services to discuss guidelines for the provision of Internet chat services with special reference to the protection of children. [136217]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: DTI Ministers discuss matters of concern with ISPs and others involved with web hosting on a regular basis. As Minister responsible for e-commerce, I last met a group representing the ISP industry on 25 May.I also met representatives of children's charities earlier this year to discuss issues related to the safety of children on the Internet. As a result of this meeting, Government and outside bodies including the charities and the Internet Watch Foundation have developed a set of safety messages for children and their parents on the use of the Internet. These can be found on the Government's UK Online portal at: http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/sub—safety.htm#children.In addition, representatives of the ISPs attend the Internet Crime Forum, a body that includes representatives from Government, industry and the police. This body, which covers Internet safety issues for children, last met on 26 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 156W, on Robert Maxwell, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the inspectors appointed on 8 June 1992 under the Companies Acts to investigate the affairs and membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc are providing value for money. [136713]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The inspectors act independently of Government and are

"masters of their own procedure".

However in all Companies Act inspections (including this case) the inspectors maintain regular contact with departmental officials regarding the progress of the inspection and provide detailed analyses in support of claims for costs and expenses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future prospects for offshore wind farm development. [136310]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The development of wind energy, both onshore and offshore, will make a significant contribution towards meeting our targets for renewable energy. Energy generated from both onshore and offshore wind installations will benefit from the proposed Renewables Obligation to be placed on electricity suppliers.In addition, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced last month a total of £89 million from the Government and the New Opportunities Fund for capital grants for electricity generation from offshore wind and energy crops.My Department, in consultation with other Departments and potential developers, is working to introduce a streamlined consents procedure for proposed offshore wind energy projects.Construction of the UK's first offshore wind project at Blyth is now complete, and the turbines are expected to start generating electricity soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussion he has had with other EU countries regarding the shooting and trapping of birds during the migration season. [134520]

On 18 September 2000, officials from my Department met with their counterparts from the European Commission and other member states as part of a regular forum to discuss issues concerning the EC Birds Directive, including the hunting of migratory birds.The Government fully support the Commission in its aim to ensure that member states fulfil their obligations under with the provisions of the Wild Birds Directive and that hunting is carried out only on a sustainable basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if there will be a Single Regeneration Budget round seven in 2001–02. [134566]

Following the announcement on 21 July by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister that the Regional Development Agencies' funding will be brought together in a single budget from April 2002, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions is considering what arrangements should apply during the transitional year 2001–02. A detailed announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his proposals to finance half-fare travel for senior citizens; and how much he expects each local authority to contribute. [135213]

We have said that local government will be reimbursed for the overall additional cost of the statutory minimum concessionary fare scheme, for which provision is made in the Transport Bill at present before Parliament. The Local Government Finance settlement will include an appropriate sum within the Environmental Protection and Cultural Services block, which will be distributed according to the relevant Standard Spending Assessment formula. The implications for individual authorities will depend on whether any concessionary fare scheme which they already provide meets the new statutory requirements, or if it does not what expenditure will be involved in bringing it up to the necessary standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision he has made to ensure that funding arrangements for the new concessionary fares (a) are affordable and (b) are sufficiently flexible to operate in rural areas. [137259]

Our estimate of the overall annual extra cost in England of the statutory minimum scheme provided for in the Transport Bill is in the order of £47 million. That amount is therefore being added to the lower tier of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) Standard Spending Assessment (SSA), which is taken into account in the calculation of revenue support grant allocations. An authority's SSA will increase by a share of the £47 million that is broadly in proportion to its current share of the EPCS lower tier. The financial implications of the minimum standard will clearly vary from one local authority to another, according to whether an existing scheme is operated and if so what it provides.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will investigate different models of operation of concessionary fares in order to ensure that the available network is created between urban and rural areas. [137260]

The Transport Bill provides for a statutory minimum local authority concessionary fares scheme which will ensure travel for pensioners and disabled people on local buses at half fare or better, with a free bus pass. It is open to local authorities to act jointly to provide a concessionary fare scheme which applies across their combined area, and to provide concessionary travel on modes of transport other than bus.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will launch national and local campaigns to ensure that there is maximum take-up of new concessionary fares. [137262]

I certainly hope that there will be a high take-up of the new statutory minimum concessionary fare scheme. The effect will vary from place to place, according to what scheme each local authority does (or does not) provide already; I am sure that local authorities will draw the attention of their residents to local improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the timetable for the full implementation of new concessionary fares. [137263]

We do not expect the new statutory minimum local authority concessionary fares scheme to come into operation before 1 April 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Local Government Association regarding the introduction of new concessionary fares arrangements, with particular reference to rural areas. [137258]

My officials have had several discussions with representatives of the Local Government Association (LGA) regarding the introduction of the statutory minimum local authority concessionary fares scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of taxis under the new arrangements for concessionary fares. [137261]

The Transport Bill provides for a statutory minimum local authority concessionary fares scheme for travel on local bus services. However, it is open to local authorities to offer schemes which provide for travel by taxi as an addition or an alternative to the statutory minimum scheme. In particular, schemes based on tokens, which can be used on taxis, can continue to be offered by local authorities, as an alternative to the statutory minimum. The necessary provision is contained in clause 145(6) of the Transport Bill, at present before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of his Department's (a) paid employees and (b) press officers attended the Labour party conference in Brighton. [135155]

[holding answer 30 October 2000]: Consistent with the terms of their contracts, all Special Advisers attended the Labour party conference. No other officials attended in an official capacity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress made by his Department since 1999 in reducing sickness absence; what targets he has agreed with the Cabinet Office; and if he will make a statement. [135764]

[holding answer 30 October 2000]: Following publication of the Cabinet Office report "Working Well Together—Managing Attendance in the Public Sector" the Department has been implementing a programme of action with the aim of reducing the level of sickness absence in the Department. Initiatives include new guidance for line managers and staff and improved sick absence monitoring so that a more accurate picture of trends can be identified and clearer understanding of the factors involved appreciated. Health promotion activities have complemented this approach with lifestyle screening, displays, in-house magazine articles and proactive events.Details of the Department' s targets for reduced sickness absence for the years 2001 and 2003 against a baseline year of 1998 will be included in its Service Delivery Agreement. This is to be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what support he plans to give to encourage the development of techniques for the recycling of organic materials in household waste. [136286]

Waste Strategy 2000 set tough statutory targets for the recycling and composting of household waste, to be achieved by 2003–04 with higher targets in later years.Waste Strategy 2000 also announced the establishment of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), to tackle the barriers to increased re-use and recycling and to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products.WRAP will co-ordinate and commission research into new or improved processing techniques for recycled materials, including organic household waste, and provide advice, guidance and technical support to people involved in recycling and composting.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure small pockets of deprivation outside cities receive Government support for regeneration. [136526]

The Government are committed to tackling deprivation and main spending programmes, which are seen as the key for achieving the greatest impact, have been set new targets through the Spending Review 2000, so that the outcomes they achieve in deprived areas improve. They have also received substantial increases from the Spending Review for the next three years. The Action Plan for implementing the Neighbourhood Renewal strategy, which will be published shortly, will set out further proposals for tackling deprivation wherever it occurs, in line with our objective of narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of the country. The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit will take this forward cross-departmentally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which non-UK and non-US carriers have received further fifth freedom rights from the UK in the last year; and which applications are still outstanding. [136703]

Fifth freedom rights are often the subject of discussion during air service negotiations. In the last year the UK has granted, as part of a balanced exchange of rights, new or additional fifth freedom traffic rights to the designated airline or airlines of the following countries:

• Argentina
• Azerbaijan
• Chile
• Colombia
• Greece
• Grenada
• India
• Luxembourg
• Namibia
• Pakistan
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Uganda.

No applications are currently awaiting a decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the proposed Thameslink 2000, indicating how many passengers the link is expected to carry. [136535]

Railtrack's Thameslink 2000 proposals are currently being considered at a public inquiry under the Transport and Works Act. Following the inquiry, the Inspector will make a report to the Secretary of State. It would be inappropriate for me to comment at this stage on the merits or otherwise of the proposals as this would prejudice the inquiry proceedings and the Secretary of State's eventual decision on whether or not to approve the proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Regional Development Agencies. [136268]

A report on the performance of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) is currently being finalised for consideration by Ministers. My Department has also commissioned research into the RDAs' Regional Strategies, partnership working, and their monitoring and evaluation frameworks. The results will be disseminated in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that Scottish airports' consultative committees are involved in the Scottish airports and air services review. [136422]

Scottish airports consultative committees will be formally consulted on the Scottish Regional Air Services Consultation Document when it is published and invited to attend public events during the consultation period which offer the opportunity for further discussion of the document.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre. [136423]

The New Scottish Centre project is proceeding smoothly. Award of the detail building design contract was made to Gibb Developments on 2 November. The main construction contract will be awarded early next year. Planning applications for site preparation works will be submitted to the local authority soon and initial site preparations are expected to begin early next year. In addition, local surveys on transport, land drainage, topography and soil characteristics have been completed. NATS have already signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin for provision of much of the centre software. NATS have now informed us that the revised forecast date on which the centre will come into operation may now be in the winter of 2007–08 rather than 2006–07. This is because NATS is considering the incorporation of additional software into the centre's systems. It is only because NATS are confident that the existing centre will be able to cope until this later date that they have the option of putting back the forecast operational date to allow the incorporation of these new functions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of red route roads there are in England; what steps are taken to enforce the regulations which apply to them; and if he will make a statement. [136671]

There are a total of 320 miles of red routes, all of which are in London. The enforcement of the regulations is a matter for the Metropolitan police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people have (a) passed their driving test and (b) progressed to Pass Plus since the introduction of Pass Plus in 1995. [136670]

Pass Plus was introduced in February 1995, since when 3,138,795 people have passed the practical car driving test and 108,549 people have successfully completed the Pass Plus course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 173W, on rail investment, if he will set out the advantages and disadvantages of taking an equity stake in Railtrack. [136283]

Were the Government to bring forward proposals to increase their current 0.2 per cent. equity stake in Railtrack, we would set out the advantages and disadvantages at that time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sift criteria will be used to determine which trunk roads are priorities for resurfacing to reduce noise levels. [136285]

The criteria for prioritising the trunk roads for resurfacing with quieter materials are being developed by the Highways Agency. The Agency will be seeking the views of local authorities on these criteria early in the new year with a view to finalising them in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers he has to regulate the cost of air travel from regional airports. [136280]

On routes within the European Economic Area (EEA), air fares are governed by EC Regulation 2409/92, under which there is a presumption that airlines are free to charge the fares they wish. However, the Secretary of State may require the lowest fully flexible fare to be withdrawn if it is excessively high to the disadvantage of users, taking into account airline costs, the whole fare structure for the route, and the competitive market situation.In addition, EC Regulation 2408/92 allows a member state to impose a public service obligation (PSO) to protect services, which would otherwise not be provided on a purely commercial basis, on routes serving airports in peripheral regions and thin routes to any regional airport which is vital to the economic development of the region. The Regulation allows for PSO routes to be restricted to a single carrier, subject to an open competitive tender, and for the remuneration of operating losses incurred by carriers selected to operate these routes. PSOs may include a tariff obligation limiting fare levels or requiring concessionary fares for certain categories of passenger.On routes outside the EEA, it is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which has the power to regulate air fares. The CAA's intervention is limited primarily to circumstances where passengers are being substantially overcharged as a result of an airline abusing a position of market power, normally because bilateral government imposed restrictions are preventing free market entry. The CAA's aim is to ensure that flexible on-demand travel is available at a price reasonably related to the cost of its provision, including a return on capital.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the guidance given to planning inquiry inspectors on the degree of attention which should be given to local community opinion on planning applications. [136292]

Under the provisions of the relevant inquiries procedure rules (the Town and Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000 (S.I.2000 No. 1624) and the Town and Country Planning (Determination by Inspectors)(Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000 (S.I.2000 No. 1625)) local views and any other written or oral representations received on a proposed development must always be taken into account by Planning Inspectors in handling a planning appeal or case called-in by the Secretary of State. Like any other material consideration, the precise weight an Inspector gives to such views is a matter for his or her judgment. An Inspector will make a decision (or recommendation in those cases called-in or appeals recovered by the Secretary of State for his determination) on the basis of all the facts presented to him or her, taking into account all the relevant policy guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what environmental protection measures are in place to mitigate the effects on groundwater of water run-off from quarry excavations. [136291]

The Environment Agency has powers under the Water Resources Act 1991, the Groundwater Regulations 1998 and the Anti-Pollution Works Regulations 1999 to take action where pollution is threatened or occurring. Under the Groundwater Regulations, for instance, it can prohibit, or place conditions upon, an activity such as quarrying where groundwater could be threatened. The exact measures which it might take would depend upon the circumstances of the individual case. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult the Environment Agency when considering planning consents for quarries and are able to impose conditions to protect groundwater. Minerals Planning Guidance 2 "Applications, permissions and conditions" (1998) contains advice on this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the regulations relating to areas of special control of advertisements; and if he will make a statement. [135333]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: At the end of June, following consultation on a range of measures to improve the control of outdoor advertisements, I published a proposal to limit the geographical scope of Areas of Special Control of Advertisements (ASCAs) to land within National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and conservation areas. We are carefully considering the representations received about ASCAs since the June announcement before coming to a final decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to be able to announce alternative arrangements to Operation Stack. [136439]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: A feasibility study was commissioned by the Channel Road Transport Group in August 1999 to consider the economic and operational requirements for alternatives to Operation Stack. The Group is chaired by Kent County Council and includes, among others, the Highways Agency and Government Office for the South East. The Group is currently considering its report and will make recommendations to Ministers for consideration in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the proposed waste incinerator in North Shrewsbury. [136833]

This is a matter for Shropshire County Council as the waste planning authority. I understand that the County Council is currently investigating a number of sites for possible waste transfer stations and civic amenity (recycling) facilities, none of which are in Shrewsbury and Atcham district. Land at Battlefield in North Shrewsbury was provisionally earmarked by the County Council earlier this year for a range of waste facilities, but this location is no longer considered viable. I understand that the County Council has no plans at present for a waste incinerator.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Sports Council is a statutory consultee on planning proposals affecting playing fields. [136754]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The English Sports Council, now Sport England, was made a statutory consultee on 5 August 1996 for planning applications involving the development of playing fields. Details of the consultation requirements, including the definition of "playing field", are set out in The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure)(Amendment) Order 1996 (Statutory Instrument No. 1817).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many planning applications have been referred to his Department by Sport England since the Town and Country Planning and Playing Fields England Directive 1998. [136756]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Since The Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields)(England) Direction 1998 came into effect on 23 December 1998, 37 planning applications have been referred to the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2000, Official Report, columns 405–06W, on New Earnings Survey data, if he will publish data for hourly wages for the smallest area covering South Gloucestershire Local Authority which does not breach his confidentiality agreement. [136305]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Part A of the ONS publication 'New Earnings Survey 1999' lists the average hourly wage (excluding overtime) in South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority as £9.95. This incorporates employees in all occupation groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2000, Official Report, columns 405–06W, on local authority level wage information, for what reason the provision of data for the City of London Authority does not breach confidentiality rules. [136501]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The figure provided for the City of London in my answer of 31 October does not breach the ONS confidentiality agreement, as it is the average figure for the City of London. It therefore does not reveal the disaggregate data which is covered by the confidentiality agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide the latest Government or Government recognised figures for the percentage of parishes in England that have (a) no shops, (b) no post office or sub post office, (c) no GP surgery, (d) no primary school, (e) no secondary school, (f) no village hall or similar community centre, (g) no dispensing chemist, (h) no police station, (i) no pub, (j) no working church, (k) no daily bus service and (l) no bank; and if he will give comparable figures for 1997. [136729]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The most recent comprehensive survey of rural services was undertaken by the Rural Development Commission in 1997. It showed:

Percentage of parishes without:	Percentage
Permanent shop (of any kind)	42
Post Office	43
GP (based in the parish)	83
School (for 15 year olds)	93
School (for 6 year olds)	50
Village Hall/Community Centre	28
Chemist (of any kind)	79
Police Station	92
Public House	29
Church/chapel	161
Daily Bus Service	75
Bank/Building Society	91
1 Percentage of parishes which either have no church/chapel or are without a resident minister.

The Countryside Agency is undertaking a further survey of the level of service provision in rural areas this year. I understand that this will be published in the spring of 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the latest available figures for the level of use of public bus services in rural areas; and what the comparable figures were in each year since 1995. [136677]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The data collected by my Department on the number of bus passenger journeys does not specifically identify journeys in rural areas.However, information provided separately to my Department by local authorities on the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant introduced in 1998 shows that journeys on the 1,800 services funded by the grant have risen from 10 million in 1998–99 to 16 million in 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the formulae used to allocate central Government funds to local authorities have been changed since May 1997. [136725]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: Yes. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney), on 13 July 2000, Official Report, columns 626–27W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action is being taken to ensure that area based initiatives target money to areas with the greatest need. [136700]

The Action Plan for implementing the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, which will be published shortly, will set out how the Government's main spending programmes and its area-based initiatives can best contribute to the target of narrowing the gap between areas with the greatest need and the rest of the country. The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit will take this forward cross-departmentally. The £800 million over the next three years for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund will provide extra resources for the 88 most deprived authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships will ensure local people play a part.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if individual waste disposal authorities are permitted to export some or all of their waste to the areas of other waste disposal authorities within the same region. [137245]

The proximity principle is one of the criteria required to underpin all decisions of waste disposal authorities. However, the precise location for waste disposal is a matter for those authorities and their contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the guidance given by his Department to waste disposal authorities on the regional content for their activities. [137244]

Guidance on the planning for waste at the regional level and its implications for waste local plans and waste disposal authorities is contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note No. 10 "Planning and Waste Management" and in PPG 11 "Regional Planning". They require regional and local plans to be developed in line with the national waste strategy set out in Waste Strategy 2000: England and Wales (Cm 4693) published in May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he will make available to local authorities that were reorganised on 1 April 1998 in respect of reorganisation costs incurred by them in 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [137358]

On 14 July I invited authorities that reorganised on 1 April 1998 to submit estimates of the amount of expenditure they expect to incur on transitional costs of reorganisation in 2000–01. On the basis of the information provided by authorities, I have decided the revised maximum amounts that it would be appropriate to allocate towards such costs in 2000–01.The amounts are as follows:

£000
Authority	Amount 12000–01
1998 Reorganisations
West Berkshire Council	3,740
Reading Borough Council	3,628
Slough Borough Council	1,894
Wokingham District Council	2,237
County of Hertfordshire District Council	1,711
Worcestershire County Council	4,471
Plymouth City Council	3,515
Torbay Borough Council	2,910
Thurrock Borough Council	3,213
Nottingham City Council	1,095
Halton Borough Council	3,759
Telford and Wrekin District Council	670
Medway Borough Council	2,085
Peterborough City Council	472
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council	765
Blackpool Borough Council	980
Total	37,145
1 Maximum amounts: £000s rounded

Windsor and Maidenhead, Bracknell Forest, Malvern Hills, Southend on Sea and Warrington did not submit bids for SCA.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the results of the consultation exercise on the needs indices to be used in the allocation of 2001–02 housing capital resources to local authorities and registered social landlords. [137364]

I am pleased to be able to announce that the needs indices for the 2001–02 allocations have now been finalised after careful consideration of the responses to the Consultation Paper we issued in summer and a number of other representations we have received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the last meeting of green ministers took place; what was discussed; and which Departments were represented by (a) Ministers and (b) officials. [137484]

Green Ministers held their final meeting of this year on 2 November. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Green Minister for that Department, spoke about directing development and promoting agricultural practices to protect and enhance the countryside and wildlife. The meeting also received a presentation on the Work-Life Balance campaign by the Green Minister for the Department for Education and Employment, and discussed how this initiative had implications for many departments.The Committee also reviewed the handling of sustainable development considerations in the Spending Review 2000 and environmental aspects of Government procurement. The purchase of renewable energy was discussed, with considerable progress noted.The next meeting will be held in the new year.The Departments represented by Ministers were: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Department of Health; Department for International Development; Law Officers' Departments; Department of Social Security; Home Office; Ministry of Defence; Chancellor's Departments; Cabinet Office; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Department for Education and Employment; the Welsh Office; and Northern Ireland Office.Those represented by officials were: Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the performance of local partnerships in coping with emergency planning during the floods in Shrewsbury. [136950]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have been asked to reply.Partnerships between the Environment Agency, local authorities and the emergency services worked very well in the recent bout of flooding. It is encouraging that the exercising of emergency plans in many areas played an important part in achieving a good response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the level of regulations on small businesses. [136479]

I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues affecting business in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the National Lottery funding was to (a) the English Sports Council, (b) UK Sport, (c) the Arts Council of England and (d) the Heritage Lottery Fund in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (ii) 1999–2000; and what the forecast level is for the current year in each case. [134592]

[holding answer 26 October 2000]: The amount of Lottery funding (including interest') to (a) the English Sports Council, (b) UK Sports Council, (c) the Arts Council of England and (d) the Heritage Lottery Fund in 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000 and the forecast level for 2000–01 based on our most recent Lottery income forecast is set out in the table. For the

£ million
(1)	(2) 1997–98	(3) 1998–99	(4) 1999–2000	(5) 2000–01 (forecast)	(6) Share of annual projected lottery proceeds as anticipated at the start of the current licence2
English Sports Council	307	256	211	202–244	3194
UK Sports Council	—	—	319	22–25	n/a
Arts Council of England	298	235	201	182–203	183
Heritage Lottery Fund4	371	315	288	290–319	4257
1 Interest has been included in the data in columns (2) and (5), but not in the anticipated income figures in column (6). Also, the amount of interest earned by the distributing bodies varies according to the level of their balances in the NLDF. This explains why some distributors' income has diverged from projections more than others.
2 This is based on the originally projected Lottery proceeds of £9 billion evenly spread over the seven years of the licence. The figures for individual bodies reflect their notional annual share of total projected Lottery proceeds based on the original allocation of 20 per cent. to the original five good causes adjusted to take into account the establishment of the Film Council and UKSC as Lottery distributing bodies.
3 UK Sport became a Lottery distributor with effect from 1 July 1999, taking 1.53 per cent. of Lottery income. As a consequence, the share allocated to the English Sports Council was reduced from 13.88 per cent. to 12.6 per cent.
4 The Film Council became a Lottery distributor with effect from 1 October 1999, taking 2.03 per cent. of Lottery income. As a consequence, the share allocated to ACE was reduced from 13.88 per cent. to 11.85 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the dates of attendance of (a) ministers and (b) officials of his Department at the Sydney Olympic Games and the total cost of attendance in each case. [134846]

[holding answer 26 October 2000]: As Minister for Sport, I visited the British Olympic Team Holding Camp on the Gold Coast and attended the Sydney Olympic Games between 9–29 September 2000. I was accompanied by a Private Secretary. The total cost of this visit is not currently available as some invoices have yet to be received, but the flight costs for both of us totalled £8,021.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended the Games in Sydney on 15–17 September 2000 as part of a wider trip which also included official Government visits in Auckland, Wellington and Canberra. He was accompanied by his Principle Private Secretary. Again, the total cost of these visits is not currently available as some invoices have yet to be received, but the flight costs for the entire visit totalled £11,022.20The Permanent Secretary of the Department was in Australia on Departmental business from 13–17 September 2000. He attended the Olympic Games with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State from 15–17 September 2000 and accompanied him on official engagements in Sydney and Canberra. His flight costs were £5,946.In addition, I also attended the Paralympic Games between 14–22 October 2000 accompanied by my Assistant Private Secretary. The flight costs for this visit were £10,670.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the design companies which have secured contracts from the New Millennium Experience Company together with the number of contracts in each case. [135411]

[holding answer 30 October 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 23 March 2000, Official Report, column 622W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that funding from the Sports Lottery fund is targeted on the communities that need it most. [135219]

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has issued directions to Sport England under the National Lottery Acts requiring it to take into account a range of issues in formulating its criteria for Lottery funding and in assessing applications for such funding. In particular, the directions require Sport England to take into account the scope for reducing social and economic deprivation, and the promotion of sport for people from all sections of society. All of the requirements of these directions were taken into account by Sport England in the development of its Lottery Strategy published last year. The Strategy commits Sport England to allocating at least 50 per cent. of its Community Capital Projects Fund to areas of greatest need. Projects in these areas may also be eligible to receive higher proportions of Lottery funding. All projects submitted for Lottery funding must be of benefit to the local community and must show a demonstrable need for the facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which regions of the United Kingdom have received Government funding for the tourism industry in each of the last two years. [136537]

All the regions of England have received Government funding for the tourism industry in each of the last two years. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides funding, through the English Tourism Council, for the Regional Tourist Boards. Other sources of funding for tourism-related projects received by the regions include the National Lottery, the Single Regeneration Budget and the Assisted Areas Programme.Responsibility for regional funding of tourism in the other countries of the United Kingdom rests with the devolved administrations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government funding Merseyside metropolitan borough councils received for tourism projects in connection with swimming recreation for (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) the current year to date. [136538]

We have contacted a number of organisations to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the reasons for permitting the demolition of the twin towers at Wembley Stadium. [136241]

Approval for the demolition of the twin towers was given by the London Borough of Brent following an application for planning and listed building consent made by Wembley National Stadium Ltd. As the stadium has Grade II listed status, the application for listed building consent was accompanied by a full Heritage Study which considered the question of whether the stadium was capable of adaptation and the feasibility of retaining the twin towers. The new stadium will extend to the north of the existing stadium, and will be considerably higher than the towers if they were reconstructed and incorporated in the new design. In view of these considerations, and having taken into account the merits of the proposed replacement stadium, and wider community benefits, English Heritage, who are a statutory consultee for such applications, did not raise any objections to the application for listed building consent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of works of art and other items from national collections that have been hired out to (a) public and (b) private sector organisations in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [136612]

DCMS holds precise figures for the number of loan venues, both home and overseas, to which its sponsored national museums and galleries loaned items in 1999–2000. However, the actual number of loan items involved is not held centrally. We have therefore contacted those institutions to request the information for a reply to my hon. Friend. I will write to him as soon as this is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to alter the arrangements for appointing (a) the chairman and (b) the trustees of national museums; and if he will make a statement. [136851]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have issued a consultation paper proposing a number of alternative options for changes to the arrangements for appointing the trustees and chairman of national museums and galleries and I am considering the various responses. I have made clear in the consultation paper that I wish to maintain a flexible, consultative approach but one which provides an effective basis for deciding which changes are appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with chairmen, trustees and directors of national museums regarding an extension of Prime Ministerial patronage in the field of senior museum appointments; and if he will make a statement. [136852]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have been consulting the chairmen, trustees and directors of national museums on a number of alternative proposals to improve the process of public appointments to national museums and galleries. I am carefully considering the responses I have received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government funding is available for advertising by small tourism businesses. [136536]

The Government do not provide funding for advertising by tourism businesses of any size. This is a commercial matter for the businesses themselves. However, all tourism businesses benefit from the activities of the British Tourist Authority, whose funding in 2000–01 to promote Britain overseas has been increased to £37 million. They may also benefit from the over £5 million made available via the English Tourism Council to support tourism in the regions. Small tourism businesses, like all businesses, also have access to the full range of business support services available through the Small Business Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the potential cost to operators of (a) small hotels, (b) guesthouses and (c) bed and breakfast businesses of the cost of complying with Phase III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [136853]

[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will provide disabled people with better service and facilities and it will also boost one of tourism's under-developed markets. It is not possible to estimate the cost of complying with the requirements of the DDA by type of property because each case will be different. I recognise the concern among small hoteliers about the potential costs of complying with the Act, but they are only required to make "reasonable" changes to their properties, which means the costs will be reasonable. There is a need for sector specific guidance on the sort of adjustments which are likely to be necessary and my Department is discussing with the English Tourism Council and other bodies how to meet this need.