To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the findings of (a) his Department's Medical Assessment Programme and (b) independent scientists concerning the level of depleted uranium in the urine of some sick Gulf War veterans. [142032]

My Department's policy on testing Gulf veterans for uranium was set out in the paper: 'Testing for the presence of depleted uranium in UK veterans of the Gulf conflict: The Current Position', dated 19 March 1999, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The paper describes the possible health effects of exposure to depleted uranium and the circumstances that might lead to an individual being tested for the presence of uranium. Tests would be conducted only on the basis of clinical indications.Between one and five people examined by the Ministry of Defence's (MOD's) Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme physicians have exhibited symptoms that, in the judgment of the examining physicians, have indicated a clinical requirement for testing to detect uranium and have been tested. These test results show that uranium, in any form, is not a contributory factor to the patient's ill health.MOD is aware of the various testing work which has been undertaken in Canada and the United States. Despite numerous requests, we have still yet to see scientifically robust results from the work from Dr. Durakovic, Dr. Sharma and Dr. Horan. MOD will continue to make requests for such evidence so that we can move forward on a scientific basis. Recognising that this has caused veterans some concern, my Department has offered to arrange independent depleted uranium testing for those UK veterans who had their urine tested for depleted uranium in Canada. A draft protocol under which that testing might take place was sent to veterans' representatives on 1 November 1999 for comment. My officials are hoping to have further discussions on this protocol with veterans and their representatives early in the new year.Since 1993, a clinic based at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center has run a depleted uranium follow-up programme for 33 US Gulf veterans (namely those whose records showed they had been hospitalised for wounds received in friendly fire incidents), which includes 15 who have embedded depleted uranium shrapnel in their bodies. To date, any health impairments among those being monitored appear to be related to their original injuries rather than to depleted uranium. Their scores on standard neuropsychological tests showed no divergence from the normally expected responses. None of the 33 is excreting higher than usual levels of uranium, except those with embedded shrapnel. We continue to monitor the work.My Department is keeping an open mind on the issue of depleted uranium, pending further research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission independent medical analysis of the health of Gulf War veterans, and their children born after 1991, based on clinical examination and assessed alongside comparable groups in the general population. [141952]

The Ministry of Defence announced in December 1996 that, on the recommendation of the Medical Research Council (MRC), it would fund two independent epidemiological studies of the health of Gulf veterans. One of the studies, being undertaken at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is examining the reproductive health of Gulf veterans and the health of their children compared with a demographically similar group of personnel who were in the services at the time of the Gulf conflict, but did not serve there. This work is expected to be completed early next year. The other study at Manchester University examined Gulf veterans mortality and morbidity in comparison with service personnel who did not take part in the conflict. Results on mortality were published in The Lancet in July this year. Publication of a paper on morbidity is awaited.Once the results from these studies are published we will discuss the findings with the MRC and take advice on whether further research into the health of Gulf veterans' and their children is required.In addition to the epidemiological work which is questionnaire based, clinical examinations of over 3,000 Gulf veterans have taken place at the Ministry of Defence's Medical Assessment Programme. Independent clinical research into UK Gulf veterans has been undertaken at King's College, London funded by the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defence. Results are expected to be published in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up an independent research project to evaluate the health effects of low-dose radiation from insoluble particles of ceramic uranium trapped in the lungs and trachea bronchial lymph nodes. [141951]

While the Ministry of Defence will continue to consider carefully research proposals which bear on its activities, we have no plans to add to the extensive research conducted over many years into the effects of uranic materials on the body. Not only was uranium biokinetics the subject of a major review by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1995, but the ICRP has also published a series of studies addressing the risks to lymph nodes from inhaled radioactive materials, the development of systemic models for uranium and the calculation of dose coefficients based on various lung and systemic models for uranium.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with homelessness charities on the issue of assisting homeless ex-servicemen; and what was the outcome of these discussions. [142035]

The primary focus for work to reduce the incidence of rough sleeping among ex-service personnel is a Working Group of officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Rough Sleepers Unit at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Steps taken by the Working Group include, as a pilot project, the launch of the "Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex-Services" (SPACES) at Catterick garrison. This is run by the English Churches Housing Group, and provides accommodation advice to service personnel who are about to be discharged from the armed forces.In addition, the Ministry of Defence has regular discussions with the "Ex-Service Action Group on Homelessness", chaired by the Chief Executive of the Sir Edward Stoll Foundation. It has been involved in discussions with the homeless charity "Crisis", both prior to and subsequent to publication of their report "Lest We Forget".The Ministry of Defence values all such discussions and is taking action on a number of the recommendations made in the report, where work was not already in hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average amount of overtime worked by his Department's police officers at (a) AWE Aldermaston and (b) AWE Burghfield in each month since June. [141544]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table:

Hours
Month 2000	AWE Aldermaston	AWE Burghfield
June	39.07	38.71
July	45.55	36.39
August	37.50	35.06
September	35.61	32.38
October	32.76	31.79

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the longest amount of overtime worked by a MOD police officer at (a) AWE Aldermaston and (b) AWE Burghfield in any period of (i) one month and (ii) six months since June 1999. [141545]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table:

Hours
	AWE Aldermaston	AWE Burghfield
Highest number of overtime hours worked in one month	164	132
Highest number of overtime hours worked in six months	614	588

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of sickness hours per officer among his Department's police (a) in total, (b) at AWE Aldermaston and (c) at AWE Burghfield for each month since June. [141543]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table:

Hours
Month 2000	Force Average	AWE Aldermaston	AWE Burghfield
June	9.4	11.37	4.43
July	10.0	10.83	7.54
August	10.2	12.55	8.10
September	10.0	13.78	9.11
October	10.9	13.73	9.78

While collating data for this answer, it was discovered that the Force average figure of "9.5 hours" recorded for June 2000, in my letter (D/Min(AF)JS2931K/2932K/2933K/2934K/2935/00/M) to you of 9 August, was incorrect and should have read "9.4" as shown in the table above.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the Royal British Legion has in respect of resettlement of ex-forces personnel; and if he will make a statement. [142152]

Under its Royal charter, the Royal British Legion (RBL) has a responsibility for the welfare of the ex-service community and its dependents. The RBL's services are therefore complementary to those provided by my Department and it is able to offer advice and assistance to ex-Service personnel, as well as organising a number of initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Mull of Kintyre Group about the Chinook accident, and what issues were discussed. [142464]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I met with Lord Chalfont and other members of the Mull of Kintyre Group on 15 November 2000. The Group took the opportunity to restate their continuing concerns over the conclusions of the RAF Board of Inquiry into the cause of the accident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to promote equality between (a) older people, (b) disabled people, (c) ethnic minorities, (d) religious minorities, (e) women and (f) gay and lesbian people, and the rest of the population, with respect to the activities within the responsibility of his Department. [141489]

The Ministry of Defence, its agencies and the armed forces, are committed to, and operate a policy of, equal opportunity for all staff and for those applying for employment. The Department's equal opportunities policy clearly states that there must be no unfair discrimination on the basis of: gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, religious belief, physical or mental disability, or working pattern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to fund transport and other infrastructure improvements around (a) Wembley Stadium and (b) Picketts Lock. [141420]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The transport and other infrastructure improvements needed for the new Wembley Stadium, and to support the regeneration of the surrounding area, are being discussed by the Wembley Task Force. The funding for the package of improvements will come from a number of different sources. These included the s106 agreement between the London Borough of Brent and Wembley National Stadium Ltd., the Single Regeneration Budget and London Underground.The transport and infrastructure improvements for the new National Athletics Stadium in Edmonton are currently being assessed by the stadium project team, which includes UK Athletics and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and supported by the London Borough of Enfield, as part of on-going feasibility work. It is too early to assess what improvements will be necessary or how the improvements will be funded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the most recent developments in Phase II of the Creative Industries Task Force Television Inquiry. [142683]

The Inquiry has been completed and the consultant's report will be published on my Department's website today: www.culture.gov.uk—click on 'CREATIVE, MEDIA & ARTS', then click on 'FORMS AND DOCUMENTS'. A hard copy Executive Summary of the report will also be published, sent to interested parties and made available by my Department on request. I will also arrange for copies of the Executive Summary to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses in due course.The consultants, David Graham and Associates, were asked to report on how the UK television programmes supply market could best be adapted to realise the potential of UK creative talent to satisfy the growing audio-visual economy.Their report addresses outstanding issues from Phase I of the Inquiry, highlights important and interesting data about recent trends in the broadcasting industry and updates information provided by the consultants in their 1999 research "The Economics of the TV Supply Chain". It concludes by making recommendations for establishing the conditions necessary for each element of the programme supply chain to compete and prosper in the digital age.Findings have informed the joint DTI/DCMS Communications White Paper, and the Government will continue to work closely with the television industry in formulating policy that is intended to meet future challenges.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations his Department received in response to its consultation on aircraft noise. [142052]

My Department has received 590 responses to the consultation on control of noise from civil aircraft near aerodromes. The responses are currently being studied.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what target he has set for increasing access to airports by public transport. [142054]

In their White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", the Government said that they expected all airports with more than 1,000 commercial aircraft movements a year to develop surface access strategies. These strategies contain short-term and long-term targets for increasing the proportion of passengers and airport staff travelling to and from the airport by public transport, walking and cycling. The Government have not stipulated what these targets should be, but their guidance on drawing up strategies emphasised that they should be realistic but challenging. Setting the targets is a matter for the Airport Transport Forum at each airport, a body comprising representatives of airport employers, public transport operators, local authorities and other interested parties.Surface access strategies were produced by each airport earlier this year, and fed into local authority Local Transport Plans. They will therefore be taken into account in the Government's decision on funding for local transport schemes. It is now the task of the Airport Transport Forums to monitor performance against the targets. The Government will also monitor the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Ordnance Survey plans to resume publication of maps indicating parliamentary, local authority and ward boundaries for each county. [141319]

Ordnance Survey will continue to publish the Administrative Boundary Map series which includes European and Westminster boundaries and unitary and local authority boundaries. The previous 1:100,000 Scale Administrative Areas Diagrams were phased out in 1996. The Administrative Areas Diagrams did not depict wards. In the new series eight maps at 1:250,000 scale show unitary and local authority boundaries and two maps at 1: 625,000 scale show the European and Westminster Parliamentary Boundaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions at what stage the review of the Collaboration Agreement between the Environment Agency and British Waterways is; and if he will make a statement. [141305]

The Collaboration Agreement between the Environment Agency and British Waterways was signed on 19 June 2000. The Government undertook to review the progress made in implementing this agreement, as well as the Environment Agency's navigation responsibilities, as part of the first quinquennial review of the Agency. The commencement of this review was announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 8 December. The review is expected to report to Government next year and to be completed in summer 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to require that all main line railway stations are equipped with lifts to enable disabled people to cross between platforms. [142244]

Access to railway stations for disabled people is covered by Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Since October 1999, service providers have been required to take reasonable steps to change practices, policies or procedures which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service. From 2004, service providers will have to take reasonable steps to remove, alter or provide reasonable means of avoiding physical features that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service.In addition, the Rail Regulator is currently revising his Code of Practice, "Meeting the needs of Disabled Passengers", which is aimed at helping protect the interests of disabled users of railway passenger services and station services.Rai1track is committed to ensuring that all stations are fully accessible to disabled people within 20 years to enable them to meet their DDA obligations. I understand they are currently developing and prioritising a detailed implementation programme in consultation with train operators, local disability organisations and local authorities.Our 10-year transport plan, "Transport 2010", published in July, demonstrates the Government's continued commitment to improving accessibility. The rate and level of new investment will ensure that improvements in the accessibility of transport are brought forward more quickly. The plan is also clear that building in accessibility for disabled people in all investment is a condition of public money being spent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish his Department's advice on the procedures for calling in a planning application. [141739]

My right hon. Friend's general approach, like that of previous Secretaries of State, is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted them with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas. It is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.There will be occasions, however, when my right hon. Friend may consider it necessary to call in the planning application to determine himself, instead of leaving the decision to the local planning authority.His policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications. He will, in general, take this step only if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Such cases may include, for example, those which, in his opinion:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what consultations he plans with local authorities concerning proposed changes in the second home council tax discount; [141742](2) what the

In the White Paper, "Our Countryside: The Future", (Cm 4909), we said that we would consult on giving local authorities discretion to charge the full council tax on second homes rather than the 50 per cent. discount that they are required to apply at the moment.We intend to issue a consultation paper to local authorities and others in the new year and will finalise our proposals in the light of comments we receive. Primary legislation would be needed to provide local authorities with this power.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Railtrack on the feasibility of redoubling the track between Swindon and Kemble. [141738]

There have been no discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had recently with representatives of Wales and West and First Great Western on the subject of train punctuality and reliability. [141737]

Ministers have had no discussions with either Wales and West or First Great Western about train punctuality and reliability. The Franchising Director is in regular contact with both operators about their services as part of his monitoring of their franchises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the additional superannuation costs for which local authorities in England and Wales will have to make provision in year 2001–02, as a result of changes to advance corporation tax. [142288]

After changes were made to advance corporation tax we agreed, following consultation with the Local Government Association, to build £130 million into the annual settlement for 1999–2000, and subsequently each year thereafter, to meet additional local authority pension costs. Consequently no separate additional estimate has been made for 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fatal road accidents occurred in Gloucestershire in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [142105]

The number of fatal road accidents in the county of Gloucestershire for the years 1995–99 are shown in the table:

Year	Number
1995	40
1996	46
1997	48
1998	36
1999	40

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will amend Part II of the Local Government Act 1988. [142558]

I have today laid before Parliament a draft Order under section 19 of the Local Government Act 1999, which modifies the list of `non-commercial' matters, set out in Part II of the Local Government Act 1988, which are currently excluded from local authority contracting. The Order provides for relevant workforce matters to cease to be defined as `non-commercial' matters for the purposes of Part II, to the extent that they are relevant to the achievement of Best Value and where the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (as amended) are to be applied.Following completion of parliamentary consideration of the Order, a departmental circular will be published containing related guidance. The guidance will set out how Best Value authorities can consider workforce matters when selecting tenderers and awarding contracts. Our aim is to modify the restriction on consideration of workforce matters so that authorities can have proper regard to them in cases where they are relevant to Best Value and the quality of the contract.These proposals meet two overriding objectives. Firstly by enhancing good procurement practice under Best Value and secondly by recognising that a well motivated and trained workforce is vital to the provision of quality local services. This will make a substantial contribution to achieving Best Value services in local government.We have received over 120 responses to our Consultation Paper "Best Value and Procurement: Handling of Workforce Matters in Contracting" from local government, the private and voluntary sectors and individuals. I am grateful to those bodies and individuals that have responded. The revised Guidance takes account of the views expressed. A list of respondents is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.We intend to put in place with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) a monitoring system to assess the impact of the changes both on local government and the private and voluntary sectors.The Order and guidance applies to Best Value authorities in England and to police and fire authorities in Wales. The National Assembly will decide whether or not to make their own Order for local authorities in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce legislation to improve the employment rights of workers employed by employment agencies. [141948]

[holding answer 8 December 2000]: I intend to lay revised regulations governing the conduct of employment agencies and employment businesses shortly. Some employment rights already attach to agency workers but others do not except where they are engaged under contracts of service or apprenticeship. I plan to issue a discussion paper in due course on legal issues relating to employment status as it affects the coverage of statutory employment rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent to which rural businesses will benefit from ADSL internet access following local loop unbundling. [141655]

Local loop unbundling will allow other operators to provide high speed digital services such as ADSL over BT's copper wires. ADSL will however not work where the end user is more than 3–4 km from the local exchange, which means that only about 70 per cent. of the country is potentially able to receive it. There are other broadband technologies available, including satellite which can potentially cover the whole country. As stated in the White Paper "Our Countryside: The Future", the Government will

ask the Countryside Agency to monitor the rollout of broadband in rural areas and we will take this into account in developing policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent to which rural communities will be able to benefit from British Telecom's planned provision of ADSL internet access. [141664]

BT has already rolled out ADSL to exchanges covering nearly 40 per cent. of the population. Subject to commercial considerations, it intends to upgrade exchanges covering 70 per cent. of the population by the end of 2002. ADSL will however not work where the end user is more than 3–4 km from the local exchange, which means that it will not be available to everyone. There are other methods of high speed internet access becoming available, including satellite which has the potential to cover the whole country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of the Internal Market, Consumer and Tourism Council held in Brussels on 30 November; and if he will make a statement. [141627]

I represented the UK at the Internal Market, Consumer and Tourism Council in Brussels on 30 November.The Council reached unanimous political agreement on: the General Product Safety Directive (with the UK receiving confirmation from the Commission that there would be no disproportionate burdens on charity shops); the Regulation on data protection within EU institutions; and on technical aspects, apart from the language regime, of the Community Design Regulation.The Council discussed the proposals for simplifying, clarifying and modernising the public procurement directives on works, supplies and services; work will continue on this dossier. The Council agreed a declaration on Services of General Economic Interest to be sent to the Nice Council and welcomed the Commission's proposals for a European Food Authority, also to be endorsed at Nice.The Commission gave a progress report on implementation of the

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the findings of the Department's research into the impact of parental leave provisions on multinationals operating outside Britain, which he commissioned as part of the review of parental leave. [142025]

The Government have published an account of the research and analysis underpinning the Green Paper 'Work and Parents, Competitiveness and Choice'. This draws upon two surveys commissioned by the Department to support the review although neither considers the impact of parental leave provisions on multinationals operating outside Britain. The full survey results will be published in Spring 2001.The published research and analysis paper is available on the Internet at:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has undertaken to identify the primary factors which influence decisions by women to return to work following a period of maternity leave. [141959]

Research evidence is summarised in the research and analysis paper published to accompany the Green Paper 'Work and Parents, Competitiveness and Choice' on pages 22 to 33. This suggests that the primary factors influencing the decision of women to return to work are the type of employer and job they had before childbirth. The timing of their return is influenced by financial considerations and childcare.The research and analysis paper is available on the Internet at:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he intends that the Post Office Regulator will carry out his duties under the Postal Services Act 2000. [141957]

The Postal Services Commission was established on 6 November 2000 under section 1 of the Postal Services Act 2000. It is an independent regulator required by statute to carry out its duties in accordance with the provisions of that Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list each new publication issued by his Department since 1997; and what the total cost is to the Department of each publication. [141473]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: A list of those DTI publications produced since 1 January 1997 that have been notified to my Department's Publications Unit has been placed in the Library of the House. The listing includes the total cost incurred by the Department in publishing, preparation and production of each publication (where notified centrally), and excludes publications produced for internal use. Where the Department makes use of a private sector publisher the publishing, printing and design costs are generally met by the publisher as part of their acceptance of the risks of publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's spending on official publications was for (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000 and (e) 2000–01; and what the planned expenditure is for 2001–02. [141441]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: Excluding its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, the total expenditure on publishing, preparation and production of those official publications, which have been notified to my Department's Publications Unit by individual budget holders, is as follows:

	£
1996–97	5,176,892
1997–98	4,886,238
1998–99	7,208,674
1999–2000	4,552,019
2000–01	12,370,746
2001–02	23,324,136
1 To 7 December
2 Full year estimate, including proposed publications

Information on planned expenditure for 2001–02 is not available centrally.These figures exclude the costs of publications produced for internal use. Where the Department makes use of a private sector publisher, the publishing, printing and design costs are generally met by the publisher as part of their acceptance of the risks of publications.I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to PQ 14173 for information on those individual titles included in the above costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations have been shown a copy of the business case for a universal bank. [142249]

The Post Office is working with the High Street banks, other financial institutions, the British Bankers' Association and the Building Societies Association to develop the concept of universal banking services. All those party to the negotiation have seen the Post Office's business case for universal banking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a breakdown of the sub-post offices which have closed since May 1997, by territory. [142467]

The information is not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the requirements on companies to disclose the chemicals which they use in household cleaning products. [142104]

The safety of chemical products, such as cleaning products, is governed by the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 1994. These Regulations require that manufacturers must assess a chemical product for its health effects (toxicity, irritancy etc.). If dangerous, the product must then be labelled with a warning symbol and phrases indicating the dangers. The particular chemical(s) which cause the product to be classified must be named on the label.The Regulations also require that all potentially dangerous chemicals supplied to the public must be in packaging which is properly labelled and contains warnings about the potential hazards, and gives brief advice on suitable precautions. Manufacturers or suppliers of cleaning products would also be required to give details of how to use the product safely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of school budgets has been allocated to the purchase of reference books in each year from 1992 to 2000. [141943]

We fully appreciate the value pupils gain from using reference books, and have supported the use of books in schools through initiatives such as the Books for Schools and National Literacy Strategy Standards Fund grants which provided a total of £115 million for the purchase of reading books in 1998–99 and 1999–2000. Individual schools, however, are responsible for deciding, within the budgets delegated to them, what provision to make for the purchase of books, and this information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what recent research studies into the educational needs of autistic children his Department has funded; and if he will make a statement; [142028](2) what guidelines have been issued to local education authorities on the provision of specialist teaching aids for autistic children. [142029]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: In September 1998 we published "Educational Interventions for Children with Autism: A Literature Review of Recent and Current Research; Jordan, Jones and Murray". A copy is in the Library.My Department has not issued such guidelines to local education authorities. The Department has established an Autism Working Group which aims to publish guidance, including pointers to good practice, next year. The Group plans to include pointers on good practice in the use of Information and Communication Technology aids with autistic children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that head teachers of maintained schools agree performance targets with their governing bodies by 31 December. [142459]

The published regulations on performance management—The Education (School Teacher Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2000—require the appointed governors responsible for the head's review to meet the head and a trained external adviser to discuss objectives by 31 December. In order to allow governing bodies some flexibility for this first round, the Secretary of State has proposed to amend the regulations to extend the deadline to 6 April 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many head teachers in maintained schools he estimates will have agreed performance targets with their governors by 31 December; and what percentage this constitutes of all heads of maintained schools. [142460]

As of 11 December 2000, 6,762 head teachers had agreed their performance targets with their appointed governors with the assistance of an accredited external adviser. It is estimated that a further 2,076 will have done so by 31 December 2000.This represents 42 per cent. of heads maintained schools. In order to provide flexibility in the first year of operation, the Secretary of State has proposed to extend the 31 December 2000 deadline until 6 April 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will respond to the report of the Nuffield Languages Inquiry. [142279]

We will be producing a clear statement of response in the new year which takes account of Nuffield's main recommendations, and which highlights the positive languages policies already in place. We are already doing a great deal to promote learning in this field, for example by expanding our numbers of specialist language colleges and offering attractive incentives to teacher trainees. The statement will reinforce our commitment to broadening opportunities and will point to where there will be scope for development. Our Languages National Training Organisation has already indicated its readiness to participate in vocational language learning initiatives. Additionally we are working with our key partners to promote the programme of events for next year's European Year of Languages. We have recently broached these matters in discussions with our Nuffield colleagues and in formulating our statement we will be working in consultation with them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the establishment of, and how many staff were in post in, (a) each directorate of his Department, (b) his Department's legal adviser's office and (c) Government offices for the regions on business relating to his Department, on 1 July; [142292](2) how many staff were employed in each of the

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 November 2000, Official Report, columns 814–15W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the research and consultancy budget for his Department for (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03. [142285]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 16 November 2000, Official Report, column 753W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much extra funding schools in Gloucestershire will receive as a result of the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Statement. [142100]

Schools in Gloucestershire Local Education Authority will receive an extra £2,030,684 Devolved Formula Capital as a result of the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Statement. Schools in South Gloucestershire Local Education Authority will receive an extra £848,866. This brings the total Devolved Formula Capital available to schools in Gloucestershire in 2000–01 to £4,345,860 and in South Gloucestershire to £1,815,936.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Annual report for 1999–2000. [142684]

I have today laid the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation his Department has undertaken on pieces of research that offer an alternative to human embryo cloning for medical research; and if he will list those pieces of research that have been examined. [142037]

The main pieces of research that were evaluated by the Chief Medical Officer's expert group when preparing their report are included in the key references listed at the end of their published report. The group also consulted a number of organisations and individuals with expertise in this area in preparing their report.Individual experts on the group keep abreast of published research in their specialist areas of interest. In September 2000, members of the expert group were also asked to look at key papers which had been published since the completion of their report, including the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with (a) the bioscience industry, (b) religious organisations and(c) other interested groups on the recommendations of the Donaldson Report; and what was the outcome of these discussions. [142039]

The Chief Medical Officer's expert group sought information on the scientific and ethical issues from a range of outside groups and individuals. The group considered written submissions from over 100 respondents from all sides of the debate. A list of responders is in the table. The outcome of these consultations is reflected in the recommendations made in the Donaldson Report.Since the finalisation of the report, officials from the Department have had discussions with a number of groups interested in this issue, mainly from medical, ethics and patient support backgrounds. A number of these groups have provided briefing to hon. Members on the recommendations contained in the Donaldson Report.

List of respondents to CMO's consultation on therapeutic cloning
Number	Respondent identifier
1	Neurology Department University of Newcastle upon Tyne
2	Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory—Colorado State University, USA
3	E. Jones
4	The Data Protection Registrar
5	A. Robinson
6	R. Miller
7	Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine—Division of Developmental Genetics Baltimore, USA
8	Reproductive Genetics Unit—Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences—University of California, San Francisco, USA
9	I. Barnes
10	P. Kemp
11	Medical Research Council—MRC
12	The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
13	Association of Medical Research Charities—AMRC
14	UCL/UCLH/NHNN Ethics Review Committee
15	M. McEwan-Reid
16	G. Spittles

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated financial benefit to the bioscience industry based on the proposed extension of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. [142038]

No such estimate has been made. An extension of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 was recommended in the report "Stem Cell Research: Medical Progress with Responsibility" on the grounds of the significant therapeutic benefits which could result from research across a range of possible sources of stem cells, including embryos.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems are in place to ensure health authorities use resources from intermediate care funding for disability equipment and services. [141322]

Health authorities' revenue allocations for 2001–02 and for 2002–03 and 2003–04 will include funding both for intermediate care and community equipment services. Health authorities will be asked to agree joint plans with councils, setting out how they intend to deploy these resources and what the expected outputs and outcomes will be. Performance will be monitored and managed by the regional offices of the National Health Service Executive and social services inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been allocated towards the intermediate care plan for the financial year 2000–01. [141323]

In the current financial year (2000–01) an additional £150 million has been made available, recurrently, for investment in intermediate care and related services, as confirmed in the National Health Service Plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines have been issued to NHS trusts on the provision of specialist health care for autistic children. [142026]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: In 1998, the Department published "Signposts for Success"—good practice guidance for commissioning and providing health services for people with learning disabilities, who include many with autism. In 1999 we issued "Once a Day" which sets out good practice in this area for primary health care teams.The needs of autistic people who also have a learning disability will be covered by the forthcoming White Paper on learning disability which we expect to publish early next year. We are also considering the recommendations of a review of the current issues surrounding children and adults with Asperger' s Syndrome which we commissioned late last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research studies into the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder his Department has funded; and if he will make a statement. [142027]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: There is a large volume of research on all aspects of autism. Details of projects can be found on the National Research Register (NRR) which also contains details of projects and trials funded by the Medical Research Council and other research funders. The NRR shows that there are currently 51 ongoing and 82 completed projects on autism. Of these, seven examined the diagnosis of autism.The Medical Research Council (which is funded largely by Government) has included an Autistic Diagnostic Interview study in its programme of work on autism.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the net change in the incidence of autism in the last five years. [142461]

The number of children identified as having autism is increasing. Although the full explanation for this is not clear, it is at least in part due to improvement in diagnosis by the clinical professions, including child mental health specialists and community paediatricians.Most experts agree that the estimated prevalence rate of classic autism is between four and five per 10,000 population. Prevalence of all autistic spectrum disorders is more difficult to estimate but could be as high as 91 per 10,000. We are in dialogue with the Medical Research Council over the autism agenda including the possibility of further work on prevalence and incidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in each region of the United Kingdom are on the Child Protection Register. [141676]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The information requested, as at 31 March 2000, is shown in the table.

Region	Number as at 31 March 2000
North East England	2,106
North West England	2,798
Merseyside	1,251
Yorkshire and Humberside	3,388
East Midlands	3,135
West Midlands	3,598

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many couples have been turned down by the NHS for infertility treatment (a) in Gloucestershire and (b) in the UK, in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [142102](2) what is the average cost per couple of providing infertility treatment on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [142101]

The information requested is not available. A report to the Scottish Office's Clinical Resources and Audit Group estimated the average cost of assisted conception treatment as £1,900. (Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland: "Evidence and Equity: a national service framework for the care of infertile couples in Scotland" April 1999.)I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) on 30 November 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further conclusions he has reached on the proposed new offence to deal with cards placed by prostitutes in phone boxes. [142559]

My officials have discussed the proposals in detail with representatives from local authorities, telephone operators, the police, CPS and other agencies. In the light of these discussions we have modified the proposals in two main areas.First, we propose a national, not an adoptive offence. Although this is as yet largely a local problem, an adoptive approach could lead to circumvention and be impractical. Secondly we favour a more limited offence which would cover advertisements for the services of prostitutes and other sexual services in telephone boxes in public places rather than a general offence of unauthorised advertising. We believe the offence should attract a power of arrest. There should be a power to extend the offence, by affirmative resolution, to other structures providing shelter to the public, in case the activity is displaced to, for example, bus shelters.As part of a co-ordinated approach, the Director-General of Oftel is consulting with the telecommunications industry on how best to bring in effective call-barring schemes to deal with the nuisance of prostitutes' cards. I believe that the co-ordinated action on call barring and the new criminal offence will enable us to crack down on this illegal and undesirable practice and protect local communities from the obvious nuisance that these cards cause.We are keen to make progress in this area and will bring forward proposals when Parliamentary time allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total allocation of funding to police forces which have, so far, signed contracts to take up Airwave in 2001–02. [142560]

The total allocation to forces taking Airwave in 2001–02 is shown:

	£ million
Capital	72,056
Revenue	31,334

I apologise that my reply to my hon. Friend on 27 November 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the sickness rate in terms of days per staff member for (a) prison officers and (b) other staff in each of the young offenders' institutions in the last 12 months. [142048]

The information requested is given in the table.

Sickness absence rate per staff member for officers and other staff in each of the young offender institutions in the last 12 months
	Sickness absence rate:
Prison name	Per prison officer grade from 1 December 1999 to 30 November 2000	Per other member of staff from 1 December 1999 to 30 November 2000
Aylesbury	20.50	23.36
Brinsford	14.13	13.57
Castington	18.17	12.10
Deerbolt	13.04	9.88
Dover	16.12	17.35
Feltham	16.80	17.68
Glen Parva	11.21	7.80
Guys Marsh	13.18	6.51
Hatfield	5.90	10.43
Hindley	9.91	17.18
Hollesley Bay	13.94	7.97
Huntercombe	15.22	11.70
Lancaster Farms	14.28	16.09
Northallerton	17.13	11.92
Onley	15.82	13.50
Portland	20.59	8.34
Reading	21.43	14.17
Stoke Heath	17.32	11.33
Swinfen Hall	7.55	10.96
Thorn Cross	11.70	8.63
Wellington	22.48	6.82
Wetherby	10.83	8.05

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum application forms submitted in each month since 1 January have been returned because the applicant provided no proper address; and if he will make a statement. [142435]

Since 31 August, postal applications submitted without the full address of the applicant have been returned with a request for the address to be given. This measure was introduced to ensure that basic information about the applicant was available to help deter fraudulent or multiple applications. The application is recorded once the address has been provided, except for applicants living in London who are first required to come to Croydon for screening. Reliable information on the number of applications returned for the address to be provided is not available, but is estimated to be about 450 a month on average.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are being supported by each local authority; and if he will make a statement. [142468]

The table gives records of the number of support weeks provided by local authorities to single adults and to families in the period 1 April to 29 September 2000. This information has been taken from the un-audited asylum support grant claims for the period and some authorities have not yet submitted claims.

Number of support weeks provided 1 April to 29 September 2000
Local authority	Single adults	Families
Barking and Dagenham	17,490	14,386
Barnet	6,939	9,188
Barnsley	1,584	328
Bath and North East Somerset	131	0
Bedfordshire	6,100	1,168
Bexley	2,769	1,674
Birmingham	12,487	4,661
Blackpool	623	0
Bolton Metro	1,125	430
Bournemouth	3,035	486
Bradford	897	521
Brent	11,451	13,002
Brighton and Hove	4,732	554
Bristol City	6,425	1,026
Bromley	3,630	3,317
Buckinghamshire	1,097	196
Bury	683	340
Caerphilly County	156	0
Calderdale	46l	83
Cambridgeshire	4,827	796
Camden	11,702	9,335
Cardiff	1,993	618
Ceredigion CC	1	0
Cheshire	427	217
City of Newcastle	6,255	971
Conwy CBC	25	0
Cornwall	46	0
Corporation of London	3,086	927
Coventry	2,134	445
Croydon	3,624	4,665
Cumbria	36	26
Darlington	26	0
Denbighshire County	26	0
Derby	3,857	720
Derbyshire	202	0
Devon	914	42
Dorset	926	58

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of supporting (a) a single asylum seeker and (b) a family for seven days; and if he will make a statement. [142428]