To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the training being provided for the Sierra Leone Army. [143683]

The training is going well, and trainees completed the fourth short-term training team course on 15 December. Soldiers from 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles have now deployed to run the next course, taking over from 1^st Prince of Wales Own Regiment. They will be deploying with additional trainers to conduct the continuation and refresher training that we announced in October.In addition, we are making preparations for the short-term deployment of a surgical team to Sierra Leone to cover the possibility of a gap in medical cover due to the roulement of UN troops. We would hope to be able to continue to draw on the medical facilities provided by UNAMSIL, for whose support we are most grateful, but it is essential to ensure that emergency cover is in place. The team will be withdrawn as soon as possible once alternative arrangements are available.Together, these deployments will mean an increase in UK forces on the ground in Sierra Leone to between 550 and 600.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason four Upholder class nuclear-powered submarines were removed from active service between 1994 and 1995; what plans he has for these submarines; and if he will make a statement. [142172]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer Lord Robertson, the then Secretary of State for Defence, gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (Mr. Healey) on 6 April 1998, Official Report, column 56W, and to my answers to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 23 October 2000, Official Report,

Date	Type/registration	Operator	Origin	Destination	Number of PAX	Customs	Immigration	Airport (£)	Airport
23/12/1999	Gessna Citation G-	West Jets Ltd.	Staverton	Inverness	—	1—	1—	124.44	1—
06/01/2000	Gulfstream 4 G-HARF	Fayair Jersey	Stansted	Manston	—	1—	1—	604.44	1—
03/03/2000	HS125 G-OMGD	Lynton Aviation	Bristol	Luton	—	1—	1—	231.11	1—
06/03/2000	Cessna Citation G-	Chauffair Farnborough	Harwarden	Harwarden	1	1—	1—	106.66	1—
27/03/2000	Cessna Citation G-	London Executive	Harwarden	Harwarden	1	1—	1—	134.92	1—
30/03/2000	Beech 200 G-BPPM	Gamma Aviation	Glasgow	Aberdeen	—	1—	1—	106.66	1—
30/03/2000	Cessna Citation G-	London Executive	Harwarden	Harwarden	1	1—	1—	134.92	1—
30/03/2000	Cessna Citation G-	London Executive	Harwarden	Harwarden	1	1—	1—	134.92	1—
02/05/2000	Cessna 550 G-JCFR	Chauffair Farnborough	Harwarden	Harwarden	1	1—	1—	84.83	1—
03/05/2000	Antonov 124 RA	Heavylift Stansted	St. Louis	Shannon	—	2—	2—	7,693.31	1—
12/05/2000	Piper PA 31 G-MAXI	Centreline Air Charter	Inverness	Bristol Fitton	—	1—	1—	63.74	1—
02/06/2000	Cessna 550 G-JCFR	Chauffair Farnborough	Northolt	Blackpool	1	1—	1—	84.83	1—
05/06/2000	Gulfstream 4 G-HARF	Hatfiad Aviation	Stansted	Stansted	0	1—	1—	604.44	1—
06/06/2000	Cessna 500 EC-HFY	Premier Aviation	Bournemouth	Bale (France)	1	2—	1—	109.34	1—
12/06/2000	Jet Provost G-UNNY	Plane Pictures	Hatfield	Hatfield	0	1—	1—	109.34	1—

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in each of the past 12 months to 30 November the movements of private commercial aircraft at the DERA Boscombe Down airfield by (a) date, (b) type of aircraft, (c) owner, (d) operator, (e) origin of flight, (f) destination of flight, (g) number of passengers, (h) attendance of HM Customs and Excise, (i) attendance of Home Office Immigration and Nationality officials, (j) airport charges levied and (k) national airport taxes levied. [141361]

[holding answer 12 December 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Lynx helicopters have had their rotor heads rectified and are now available for operational deployment. [143335]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford (Mr. Duncan Smith) on 28 November 2000, Official Report, column 492W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has now decided whether to convert the remaining Mark 3 Lynx helicopters to Mark 4 standard; and if he will make a statement. [143349]

No decisions on the remaining conversions have yet been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the consequences for the coming into service of the Merlin helicopter of the recent loss of a Merlin aircraft. [143332]

The Merlin HM Mk1 achieved its defined In-Service Date in March 1999 on delivery of the twelfth aircraft. Production continues and deliveries are scheduled until March 2002 when aircraft number 44 is due.Following the recent accident involving a Royal Navy Merlin Mk 1, military flying of Merlin was suspended pending the results of the accident investigation and Board of Inquiry (BOI).A combined Ministry of Defence and industry review team has completed a thorough analysis of airworthiness and recommended an early resumption of flying, subject to the successful completion of the current programme of checks and inspections. A phased resumption of flying is expected to commence this week once individual aircraft are cleared for flight through a process of physical and documentary checks.The temporary suspension of flying activities has delayed the achievement of the required training flying rate and introduced a six week delay to the aircraft clearances issued by the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (Boscombe Down). Both delays are at present manageable.The Merlin Mk 3 met its In-Service Date in June 2000 on delivery of the sixth aircraft and is currently undergoing a programme of Military Aircraft Release trials. As a result of the accident involving the Merlin Mk 1, the official handover ceremony at RAF Benson that was planned for November 2000 has been postponed and will not rescheduled until the resumption of military flying. However, it is currently assessed that the Merlin Mk 3 will enter operational service with a basic military capability in June 2002, as planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Merlin helicopter can provide sufficient sea-to-land lift capability for future amphibious operations. [143333]

The Royal Navy's Merlin Mk1 aircraft is primarily an organic Anti-Submarine Warfare variant of the Anglo-Italian EH101 helicopter. Although it offers some lift capability, it is unlikely to be tasked for amphibious operations. The Mk 3 aircraft, designed to carry troops or a range of vehicles or underslung loads, will provide a major element of the Joint Helicopter Command's support helicopter capability. However, it is designed for use in battlefield, and not amphibious, operations. The UK's current amphibious lift capability is provided by the Sea King Mk 4, with occasional support from the RAF Chinook Mks 2 and 2A, while a small-scale lift capability is provided by the maritime Lynx Mks 3 and 8.It is currently planned that the Support, Amphibious and Battlefield Rotorcraft (SABR) programme will provide the UK's future medium and heavy amphibious and battlefield lift capability from 2009. A Merlin variant is one of a number of possible solutions to this programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the RAF has spent on aircraft fuel in each of the past five years; and what the RAF fuel budget is for (a) this year and (b) next year. [143051]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: The amount that the RAF has spent on aircraft fuel in each of the past five years is shown in the following table:

Year	£ million
1995–96	130.98
1996–97	142.86
1997–98	119.81
1998–99	101.06
1999–2000	132.55

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he plans to withdraw HMS Fearless from service; [143072](2) what the estimated cost is of the repair work to HMS Fearless; and when he expects her to return to service. [143044]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: The cost of the repair work to HMS Fearless, needed as a result of the fire damage to her after machinery space, is under negotiation with Fleet Support Ltd. (FSL), the company that will undertake the work. I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 7a(1) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to the competitive position of a Department. HMS Fearless is expected to return to service in the first half of 2001. The exact date will not be known until a more accurate assessment of the work is completed by FSL by the new year.On current plans, HMS Fearless is due to be withdrawn from service in 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the contract for his Department's Staff Requirement 1248 programme for a precision-guided munition for the RAF, when the contract is due to be awarded; what time scale has been set for development and production of the precision-guided munition; and if he will make a statement. [142173]

The Staff Target (Air) 1248 Precision Guided Bomb project is currently in the Concept Phase and it is not possible as yet to give reliable estimates of the total programme cost. Contract award is expected to be towards the end of financial year 2000–03, or shortly thereafter. Development and Production is likely to last some three to four years depending upon the complexity of the chosen solution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines his Department have set Raytheon for the integration of satellite-based global positioning system guidance into the RAF's Paveway II laser-guided bomb system; and if he will make a statement. [142174]

Enhanced Paveway II bombs from Raytheon company have been selected to meet the all-weather precision guided bombing capability which was announced in the House on 24 July as one of the immediate enhancements being made in the light of our analysis of operations in Kosovo. The company has been set accuracy requirements that the systems must achieve in all weathers, as well as a delivery schedule for the supply of equipment. The company has also been asked to demonstrate basic compatibility with the host aircraft in advance of contract signature.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) undertaken and (b) promoted into the integration of radar, electro-optic and acoustic seismic sensors into an air defence system; and if he will make a statement. [143340]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the state of readiness is of HMS Intrepid; and how long it will take for her to be returned to operational service. [143050]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: HMS Intrepid is being held at a low readiness state commensurate with force levels endorsed within the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). She could, if necessary, be returned to operational service within the timeframe similarly agreed through the SDR process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the whole fleet of the RAF's Tornado F3s to be equipped with AMRAAM; and how many aircraft will be so equipped. [143028]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: 100 Tornado F3 aircraft are being modified to carry AMRAAM. So far 60 aircraft have been modified. The modification programme will be completed by May 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if all nuclear fleet submarines currently withdrawn from service will be returned to full operational duties. [143045]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: We plan to repair all Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines currently withdrawn from service and return them to full operational duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had with the commercial airlines in the past year to discuss recruitment of former RAF and Fleet Air Arm pilots. [143026]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: My colleagues and I have had no such meetings this year. However, there is on-going contact with the airlines under the Royal Air Force Civil Airline Recruitment Scheme. In the light of the continuing shortage of pilots, the Government are considering a range of options to address the problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) manpower establishments and

	1 Para		2 Para		3 Para
	Establishment	Str	Establishment	Str	Establishment	Str
Infantry:	558	499	615	575	615	590
Other Infantry Cap Badges	—	4	—	8	—	1
Royal Logistic Corps	23	19	23	18	23	18
Royal Army Medical Corps	4	2	4	2	4	3
Queen Alexandra Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps	1	—	1	—	1	—
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	11	11	21	21	21	20
Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Support)	22	21	22	25	22	21
Adjutant General Corps (PRO)	—	—	—	1	—	—
Army Physical Training Corps	1	1	1	1	1	1
Total UK Trained Army Personnel (UKTAP)	620	557	687	651	687	654
GURTAM (Gurkha Reinforcement Company)	—	—	—	117	—	—
Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS)	—	—	—	1	—	—
Total whole Army	620	557	687	769	687	654

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list HMS Sheffield's deployments over the past 12 months and the planned deployments for the next 12 months. [143031]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: HMS Sheffield only had one main overseas deployment during 2000. This was to the Baltic region between 26 May to 26 July in order to participate in Exercise BALTOPS and to conduct a series of port visits in the region to support UK's Outreach and NATO's Partnership for Peace Programmes.During the next 12 months, HMS Sheffield is scheduled to deploy between February and August as the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) ship. Her programme after August is still under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each new publication issued by his Department since 1997 and the total cost to the Department of each publication. [141472]

[pursuant to his reply, 13 December 2000, c. 163–64W]: The cost of producing Britain's Defence Booklet in Financial Year 1997–98 is £728 and not £728,000, as previously stated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action his Department is taking to improve access to Disability Living Allowance for those with a history of mental illness. [143180]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: The establishments and actual staffing levels for each of the three Regular Parachute battalions, as at 1 November 2000, are shown in the table. The figures exclude Locally Employed Personnel and Royal Irish (Home Service).

We recognise that it can be difficult accurately to asses the needs of people with mental health problems, and that for some of these people the process of claiming itself can be difficult to understand and stressful. That is why people claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are given six weeks to return the claim form to the Benefits Agency. Claimants with mental health problems are also encouraged to ask others, for example their carer or Community Psychiatric Nurse, for help in completing the claim form or to add comments on their behalf. In DLA/Attendance Allowance (AA), as with all benefits, claimants who are not able to manage their own affairs can have someone appointed to act on their behalf.When gathering information to assess a claim for DLA, decision-making staff are encouraged to contact Community Psychiatric Nurses or other healthcare professionals who may have a good understanding of an individual's personal care and support arising from their mental health problems. As part of the Disability Benefits Modernisation programme we are always considering improvements in the taking of DLA/AA claims to provide all claimants, including those with mental health problems, with the necessary support to ensure they receive their correct entitlement.Following recommendations from the Social Security Select Committee, we are looking at the possibility of assessing entitlement to DLA and AA in a different way—using a set of daily activities undertaken by disabled people in managing their lives as a means of assessing need. We are looking for an approach which would be more transparent, easier for disabled people to understand and could be administered with greater consistency. Clearly, we would not wish to make such a major change without clear evidence that it would lead to better assessments. Any changes would be made only after their impact on disabled people, including those with mental disabilities, had been thoroughly tested and discussed with the representative organisations. The new system is being developed in consultation with disability organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what the average cost in administration is of (a) reviewing life awards for Disability Living Allowance and (b) appeals against the outcome of reviews of Disability Living Allowance; [142998](2) how many reviews of life awards for Disability Living Allowance have been conducted in

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK are in possession of a life award of Disability Living Allowance, broken down by rate. [142996]

The information is:

People in receipt of an indefinite award of disability living allowance in Scotland and Great Britain1
	Great Britain	Scotland
All awards	1,564,100	181,600
Care component2
Higher rate	286,800	34,500
Middle rate	394,400	48,100
Lower rate	375,500	41,100
Mobility component3
Higher rate	1,147,500	136,400
Lower rate	264,800	30,600
1 Figures relate to 31 May 2000. A clarification, introduced by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, means that awards are now made "for an indefinite period" instead of "for life".
2 Includes people who also receive the mobility component.
3 Includes people who also receive the care component.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. [143662]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the London Borough of Waltham Forest and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Inspectors found that Waltham Forest had clear aims to provide high quality benefit service, but this aim is not always being met. Waltham Forest had contracted out benefits administration in 1999. Since then, a backlog of work had developed on a number of occasions which meant that the requirement to process benefit claims within 14 days is not now being met and there are frequent breaks in payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Newham. [143660]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of the London Borough of Newham and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Inspectors found that Newham had some good working practices, but the efficiency, responsiveness and security of the benefits system was compromised by a substantial backlog of work and lengthy delays. The report notes that after Newham contracted out the benefits administration in 1999, customer dissatisfaction increased sharply, remedial expenditure outweighed any savings that might have been made, and benefits work fell badly into arrears. These arrears caused further deterioration of Newham's service and prompted it to defer the introduction of the Verification Framework, leaving it at greater risk of making incorrect benefit payments.Inspectors found the lack of a counter fraud manager in the past and an ineffective prosecution policy have limited Newham's counter fraud work. BFI notes Newham's fraud investigations were poor and needed considerable improvement in the preparation and quality of work undertaken.The report notes that Newham is keenly aware of the deficiencies in the current benefits operation and has recently introduced significant improvement programmes. It has had some success working with the contractor to clear backlogs and address inefficiencies and has developed an action plan to tackle the weaknesses in countering fraud.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Leeds City Council. [143659]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of the Leeds City Council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Inspectors report that there is no doubting Leeds' desire to provide a good service to benefit claimants and at the time of the inspection the council was processing new claims quickly, an important component of the quality of service available to claimants. The council has, to its credit, implemented the Verification Framework; however, inspectors found that there were weaknesses in verification and consider that the council could strike a better balance between clearance rates and the need to verify claims.Although Leeds has implemented the Verification Framework (VF), Inspectors found there were weaknesses in verification. At the time of inspection, Leeds processed new claims quickly, which contributed significantly to the quality of service offered to claimants. Nonetheless, inspectors considered that the council could strike a better balance between clearance rates and the need to verify claims.Inspectors found that Leeds makes effective use of management information to manage the workload, resulting in no significant arrears of new claims. However, the report notes that the council did not renew any claims for most of 1999 as it was changing its IT system to support the implementation of VF. This created significant backlogs, contravened regulations and has potential subsidy implications for the authority.The BFI notes the council's commitment to tackling fraud but reports that the standard of fraud investigations is inadequate, with most investigations only scratching the surface. The report recommends that Leeds should improve the quality of its investigative work and develop a corporate counter fraud policy and strategy.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the responses to the consultation document 'Safeguarding Social Security: Getting the information we need'. [143661]

We have placed a summary of the responses in the Library and have arranged for copies to be sent to all those who replied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what discussions he has had with organizations concerned with pension reforms on the subject of widows and divorcees who in remarrying are disadvantaged in terms of their pension entitlement; [143570](2) what plans he has to review the system whereby widows and divorcees can be disadvantaged in terms of pension entitlement by remarrying. [143569]

Pension entitlement is determined when a claim is made at state pension age. An individual's contributions do not constitute a personal fund either for themselves or a spouse. The rules on remarriage do not, therefore, cause disadvantage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many (a) women over the age of 60 years and (b) men over the age of 65 years were in receipt of Income Support in each month since May 1997; [143391](2) how many

[holding answer 18 December 2000]: The information is in the table.

Income Support/Minimum Income Guarantee recipients by age and gender, May 1997 to August 2000
Quarter	Men aged 65 and over	Women aged 60 and over
May 1997	358.7	1,173.9
August 1997	357.9	1,168.7
November 1997	354.2	1,159.5
February 1998	350.7	1,146.3
May 1998	341.5	1,131.5
August 1998	338.7	1,125.9
November 1998	336.4	1,118.2
February 1999	331.3	1,101.7
May 1999	334.6	1,102.2
August 1999	337.7	1,101.1
November 1999	338.0	1,098.4
February 2000	333.5	1,082.2
May 2000	338.3	1,087.0
August 2000	346.0	1,100.6

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners have applied (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully for the Minimum Income Guarantee since the start of the take-up campaign in each Benefits Agency area. [143524]

The effect of the Minimum Income Guarantee take-up campaign will not be known until it comes to a conclusion. There are thousands more claims in the pipeline, and the effects of the last stage of the campaign will impact on claims processed up to January next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many calls have been received by the Winter Fuel Payment Helpline since the Chancellor's pre-Budget statement; and if he will estimate the maximum number of people who were on hold during such calls at any one time. [143093]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have contacted the Benefits Agency this year regarding (a) overpayment and (b) underpayment of winter fuel payments; and of these, how many were from widows who have received only half of their entitlement. [143092]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how frequently senior civil servants in national departments of social security in English-speaking countries meet together in conference; when and where the last three such meetings were held; which of his officials attended those meetings; and at what cost to public funds; what subjects were discussed; and if he will place a copy of the minutes of those meetings in the Library. [141341]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: Meetings between the heads of social security departments in the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the United States of America and Ireland take place every 18 months. The last three meetings took place in the UK (September 2000), New Zealand (March 1999) and Ireland (September 1997).The Department's Permanent Secretary generally attends the meetings outside the UK, together with two senior officials who hold responsibility for the areas of work to be discussed. The UK hosted this year's meeting and additional officials attended relevant discussions. The subjects discussed vary but are generally wide-ranging.The cost of hosting the UK meeting was just under £60,000, which is broadly in line with the costs incurred by other countries for these meetings.Due to the informal nature of the meetings, and to promote frankness and candour during discussions, formal minutes are not published. This falls within Exception 2 of the Code of Practice of Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when he will publish the triennial survey of student finances; [143183](2) what independent academic studies his Department has commissioned into sources of student financing and student response to changes in the public student funding support package since the introduction of changes and abolition of grants following the 1997 Dearing report; what studies of this nature have been received by his Department; and when they will be published. [143184]

"Changing student finances: income, expenditure and the take-up of student loans among full and part-time higher education students in 1998–99" by Claire Callender and Martin Kemp of South Bank University is due to be published on 20 December. This is the fourth in a series of roughly triennial reports on students' income and expenditure, and the first since the Dearing report. A copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library.The Department has also published "Students in the labour market—nature, extent and implications of term-time employment among University of Northumbria undergraduates" by Dr. Mike Barke, Paul Braidford et al of University of Northumbria in July 2000. In addition, two studies are currently under way and are expected to be completed in early 2001—"Participation in higher education by mature students" (together with Universities UK, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Higher Statistics Agency and Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and "Participation in higher education by students from lower socio-economic groups".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many voluntary sector providers of education there are. [142827]

The responsibility for educating pupils who are unable to attend school rests with local education authorities. They are increasingly working with a range of both national and local voluntary sector partners in order to ensure that pupils unable to attend school receive a suitable education. We welcome this partnership approach and see it as an important element in meeting the target for providing a full-time education for all pupils excluded from school by 2002. We do not collect information centrally on the number of voluntary providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing a school bus transport service applicable to all children living more than one mile from their school. [143140]

My Department has made no estimate of the cost of providing transport for all children who live more than one mile from their school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the cost per issue is of the magazines (a) "Catalyst", (b) "Voices", (c) "Teachers" and (d) "Parents and Schools"; how many issues there have been; how many civil servants are employed full-time or part-time in work on each of them; what the circulation of each is; and what is total cost to date of each. [141430]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: Details of cost per issue, number of issues, number of civil servants employed full-time, circulation, and total cost to date of each of the four magazines are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding has been provided by his Department to the London Borough of Wandsworth in each of the last three years. [143147]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I sent on 18 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of average secondary school class sizes in Yeovil constituency for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [143314]

The available information for the parliamentary constituency of Yeovil on average class sizes collected it January is shown in the table. Information on average class sizes by parliamentary constituency is not available prior to 1997.

Average class sizes1in maintained secondary schools in Yeovil parliamentary constituency
January each year	Maintained secondary
2000	24.8
1999	24.1
1998	24.2
1997	23.2
1 Classes taught by one teacher

The size of the average secondary class nationally, at 22, is still five below the average primary class. Secondary headteachers are receiving on average £50,000 this year in direct grant to spend as they choose. If this were spent on recruiting teachers, the average secondary class size could be reduced by up to 0.8.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what his policy is on the level of tuition fees over the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [143315]

Tuition fees for students at publicly funded institutions are uprated each year to take account of inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 20 September on behalf of his constituent, Reverend Matthews; [143576](2) when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 2 October on behalf of Mr. G. Mitchell. [143577]

The Department has no record of receiving the original correspondence from the right hon. Member, but has now been made aware of the outstanding reply and the content requested and will be supplying a substantive response by the end of the week.

To ask the Solicitor-General if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Blackpool, South constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [142227]

My hon. Friend's constituency falls within the geographical area covered by Fylde and Lancaster Branch of the Crown Prosecution Service. At the beginning of November 1999, in line with national policy, and in liaison with the police and Lancashire Magistrates' Court Service, the Crown Prosecution Service implemented the Narey recommendations. All defendants charged with a criminal offence now make their first appearance before Blackpool Magistrates' Court within 48 hours.In the coming year 2001, the structure of the Crown Prosecution Service in Lancashire will be altered in line with the recommendations in the Glidewell Review. This will include the establishment of a Trials Unit for the Crown Court currently dealt with by Fylde and Lancaster casework. It will enable the Crown Prosecution Service to place greater emphasis on the conduct of more serious cases.The Crown Prosecution Service, together with other agencies, has also helped to draw up an action plan and associated procedures to speed up youth justice, particularly in relation to persistent young offenders. The latest published figure for Lancashire, as a whole shows an average of 74 days from arrest to charge for persistent young offenders. This compares with 91 at the same time in 1999 and the national target of 71 days. The most recent indications are that the figure is further improving.Neither the Treasury Solicitor's Department nor the Serious Fraud Office has policies which directly affect the hon. Member's constituency.

To ask the Solicitor-General what plans he has to review the working of the Crown Prosecution Service. [141602]

I meet regularly with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the CPS's chief executive to discuss current issues, the working of the CPS and its performance.The Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate conducts regular inspections of CPS areas. The CPS Inspectorate works on a two-year cycle so that each area will be inspected once every two years. Additionally, there will be thematic reviews of aspects of area performance such as advocacy and case presentation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had regarding the provision of an airport on St Helena; and if she will make a statement. [142472]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Dr. Marek) on 13 December 2000, Official Report, column 135W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial help has been given during the last 12 months to assist towards helping young people from St. Helena to study in the United Kingdom. [143149]

In 1999–2000 (the last financial year for which complete figures are available) £65,000 was provided to support the Student Scholarship Programme. This provides support for St. Helenian students who have completed their A-level studies to undertake higher education in the UK.In addition, £267,000 was provided in 1999–2000 through (i) the Technical Co-operation Training Scheme, (ii) a teacher training programme and (iii) a nurse education programme to support St. Helenians studying in the UK. These schemes are not disaggregated by age.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what ways her Department supports the education of girls in poorer countries; and if she will make a statement. [143124]

Education of girls is probably the single most effective investment in development that any country can make. We are strongly committed to the international development targets of achieving universal primary education by 2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary schooling by 2005. Our three-fold strategy involves (i) contributing to the development and co-ordination of international policies and programmes designed to achieve education for all; (ii) strong, well-targeted country programmes—with priority to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia—which will provide assistance to Governments and civil societies committed to universal primary education and gender equality; and (iii) research strategies that will contribute to the ability of the international community, to share experience and monitor progress. Over the last three and a half years, we have committed over £400 million to support primary education programmes, all with a strong focus on gender equality. We will do more.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action the Government have taken to assist Government and non-Governmental organisations in Kenya to tackle the environmental and economic problems resulting from the drought in that country. [143384]

This financial year, we are spending a total of £15.5 million on drought relief in Kenya. Of this, £12 million has been contributed to the World Food Programme's Emergency Operation for the purchase of food and nutritional supplements for distribution by NGOs to the worst-affected communities. The balance is being given to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, UNICEF and NGOs to distribute agricultural inputs including seeds; for emergency water supplies and environmentally friendly borehole and waterpoint rehabilitation; for further child nutritional support, and for livestock vaccination and other assistance to pastoralists affected by the drought.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the South African Government's policy on authorising the generic version of fluconazole in the treatment of Aids related infections. [142196]

Fluconazole is a useful drug in the treatment of certain opportunistic infections associated with HIV/AIDS. The Government of South Africa has given permission for the generic version of fluconazole to be administered in exceptional circumstances on a named patient, named condition based. This limited use will be reviewed once its brand name version, Diflucan, donated to the Government of South Africa by Pfizer, is available to the public health sector. Its registration and availability in the public health sector in South Africa is a matter for the Government of South Africa and its licensing authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the provision of education facilities in the United Kingdom for talented young people from Third World countries. [143148]

Our educational priorities are universal primary education and support for key skills for the development of poorer countries including building local capacity for skills training. Our focus is the development of, and better access to, education and skill training facilities in developing countries. We support training in the UK when it helps take forward these priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for International a Development what consultations her Department has undertaken with non-Governmental organisations on the development of the Government's cross-departmental initiative on conflict resolution. [143370]

A formal consultation on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa was held in November 1999. We have maintained regular contacts with NGOs and academic institutions and envisage publishing a paper outlining our thinking in Spring 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list for (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000 and (e) 2000–01, (i) her Department's total spending on advertising campaigns, (ii) the cost of each individual advertising campaign and (iii) the criteria that were established to gauge the effectiveness of each campaign; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of each campaign based on these criteria. [142718]

The Department for International Development has not carried out any advertising campaigns since 1996–97.

To ask the Prime Minister what the membership of each Cabinet Committee is. [143837]

I have placed a copy of the current list of Cabinet Committees, their membership and terms of reference in the Library of the House. Details will also be updated on the Cabinet Office website.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 19 October concerning the internet. [143434]

I did so on 15 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 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 the planned expenditure for 2001–02. [141456]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: The following figures for spending on official publications include the costs incurred by the Department in publishing, preparation, production and purchase of copies for official 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.

(a) The former Department of the Environment spent £1,178,754 in 1996–97; no figures are available for the former Department of Transport, which had no central management of publications production.

(b) to (d) Expenditure for subsequent years was:

• 1997–98: £2,007,506
• 1998–99: £2,280,993
• 1999–2000: £3,449,439.

(e) Expenditure from 1 April to 12 December 2000 was £2,794,622.

DETR does not make specific plans for future expenditure on publications, as this is only one of the media used in public information work. The balance among media is decided on a case-by-case basis for each information project.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each new publication issued by his Department since 1997 and what the total cost to the Department is of each publication. [141459]

[holding at answer 11 December 2000]: DETR has a very wide range of policy responsibilities and therefore publishes a large number of publications. The cost of tracing and listing the total costs of each individual publication would thus be disproportionate. A list of the titles of the main publications produced through DETR's Directorate of Communication between February 1997 and November 2000 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the, Regions if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Blackpool, South constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [142233]

The constituency of Blackpool, South has benefited from a range of Government initiatives since 2 May 1997 including:

Capital allocations for housing
Year	£million
1997–98	2.880
1998–991	4.803
1999–2000	4.946
2000–01	7.204
2001–02	8.314
1 Including Capital Receipts Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the allocation of funds for the free bus token scheme. [141347]

[holding answer 11 December 2000]: As I announced in the House on 15 November 2000, Official Report, column 1029, we have allocated an annual injection of £54 million to cover the additional cost of the guaranteed half-fare concessionary travel scheme under the Transport Act 2000. I confirm that that amount was included within the lower tier of the Environmental Protection & Cultural Services block in the Standard Spending Assessment, and has been taken into account in the calculation of Revenue Support Grant to individual local authorities in the settlement announced on 27 November 2000, Official Report, columns 648–62.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to make available interest-free money for loan by local authorities and regeneration agencies for major capital projects. [142295]

[holding answer 13 December 2000]: The Department currently has no plans to make such loans.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the regeneration targets to be met by the South West Regional Development Agency. [142693]

The information the right hon. Gentleman requested is contained in section 5 of the South West of England Regional Development Agency Business Plan 2000–01. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House. The Business Plan sets out the range of Agency's key targets, many of which are cross-cutting and involve regeneration objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the projects (a) being undertaken and (b) completed by the South West of England Regional Development Agency. [142688]

The South West of England Regional Development Agency has undertaken and completed many projects. Their Annual Review 1999–2000 gives details of those projects undertaken and completed up to March 2000. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House. I am also listing the main projects that have been given Board approval since March 2000 to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many outstanding planning applications there are in England and Wales for base station masts for mobile telephony; how many are in (a) areas of outstanding natural beauty, (b) national parks and (c) national forests; and how many applications have been given consent in the last (1) three months and (2) six months. [142728]

The Department does not hold such information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from health and other academic experts about the distance between (a) settlements and (b) dwellings and the location of a base station mast for mobile telephony. [142563]

In response to public concern about the possibility of health effects from mobile phone base stations, the Government set up the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (chaired by Sir William Stewart). The Group considered health effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters. In carrying out the review, the Group gathered a wide range of views and a call for evidence was placed in the national daily newspapers and the scientific press. A comprehensive review of relevant research was carried out as part of the review and this helped to inform the Group's conclusions and recommendations. The Group published its report on mobile phones and health on 11 May 2000.The Group's report, which took into account evidence from health and other academic experts, recommended the establishment of clearly defined physical exclusion zones around base station antennas, which delineate areas within which exposure guidelines may be exceeded. Operators have a duty under the Health and Safety legislation to ensure that their work activities, which includes the operation of their apparatus, do not present a risk to employees and the general public. The Health and Safety Executive would therefore expect operators to have measures in place to prevent access by members of the public to areas where they might exceed exposure guidelines. The report did not recommend the introduction of a minimum distance between masts and settlements or dwellings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on planning and safety guidelines for the siting of base station masts for mobile telephony. [142568]

Telecommunications operators have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure that so far as is reasonably practicable, their work activities—which would include the installation and operation of their equipment—do not expose people to risks to their health and safety.The Government's statutory adviser, the National Radiological Protection Board, has published guidelines on limiting exposure to electromagnetic radiation. All mobile phone transmission equipment should meet these guidelines. Following publication of the Stewart report on mobile phones and health in May 2000, the Government accepted that, as a precautionary measure, the emissions from mobile phone base stations should meet the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines for public exposure as expressed in the EU Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300GHz). Most base stations already meet the ICNIRP guidelines and all new base stations will do so.Health considerations and public concern can in principle be material considerations in determining applications for planning permission and prior approval. Whether such matters are material in a particular case is ultimately a muter for the courts. It is for the decision-maker (usually the local planning authority) to determine what weight to attach to such considerations in any particular case. However, it is the Government's view that if a proposed development meets the ICNIRP guidelines it should not be necessary for an authority, in processing an application, to consider health effects further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects commuter rail services in the London area to return to the timetables in operation before the Hatfield crash. [142697]

The industry is working hard to achieve a steady improvement in rail services across all parts of the country. Railtrack estimate that nationally by the end of January 85 per cent. of journeys will be back to normal, with a tail end of work through to Easter by when all services should be, fully back to normal. The Rail Recovery Action Group, chaired by the Minister for Transport, has been formed to help to get services back to normal as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the decision was taken to hold an inquiry into the fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport. [142703]

On 15 March 1993, when the main application for the development of a fifth terminal complex and associated facilities was called in by the Secretary of State for the Environment for joint decision by the then Secretaries of State for Environment and Transport. Related applications were similarly called in on various dates between 20 May 1993 and 5 May 1998 for consideration by the Terminal 5 public inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what has been the cost to date of the inquiry is into the Fifth Terminal at Heathrow Airport; [142706](2) what his latest estimate is of the cost of the inquiry into the building of the Fifth Terminal at Heathrow Airport. [142704]

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and its Agencies has spent approximately £11.8 million on the Terminal 5 (T5) Inquiry to date. The total costs of the T5 Inquiry to all participants is estimated at over £83 million of which the private sector is estimated to have spent some £64 million with the rest borne by central and local government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of landfill waste has been diverted to unlicensed sites in the last 12 months; and what action the Government are taking to address this. [142526]

Data on the percentage of waste diverted from licensed landfill sites and disposed of unlawfully are not held centrally. However, the issue is the subject of a research report which the Government commissioned—"The Effects of Landfill Tax—Reduced Disposal of Inert Waste to Landfill." A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.The action being taken by the Government on unlawful waste disposal was set out most recently in our response to the Environment, Transport and. Regional Affairs Committee's Report on the Environment Agency (Cm 4832—paragraphs 55–60).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the average cost was for a prosecution brought against the owners of unlicensed vehicles in each of the last three years. [142542]

The average cost for a prosecution against VED offenders in 1997–98 and 1908–99 was £30 per case. This was recalculated in 1999–2000 and is now estimated to be £45. Costs are always sought by DVLA in all court cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action his Department is taking to improve the arrangements for receiving revenue lost as a result of road vehicles not displaying road tax licences. [142543]

DVLA will take action against VED evaders in increasing numbers. In addition to offering out of court settlements and prosecutions the Agency will induce increasing numbers of evaders to relicense voluntarily through publicity campaigns.Recent initiatives include the introduction of a scheme to wheelclamp and impound unlicensed vehicles. Over the past three years the scheme has encouraged over 325,000 motorists voluntarily to relicense bringing in some £38 million in additional revenue.Motorists are now required to notify DVLA if their vehicle is taken off the road unlicensed under the statutory off road notification scheme. Dispensing with a 'do nothing' option when a vehicle licence expires dissuades evasion and also helps to create a more accurate vehicle record.DVLA is shortly to trial the use of digital camera technology to detect and deter VED evaders, and a nationwide roll out of automatic number plate readers is planned for the early summer of 2001. In addition, the Agency is working closely with police forces to make use of police cameras in the same way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were sent notification of intended prosecution for failure to display a road vehicle tax disc; and how much revenue was recovered as a result, in each of the last three years. [142541]

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency takes enforcement action against vehicle keepers for VED evasion. Most are offered the opportunity to pay an out of court settlement (OCS) while more serious cases, and those who fail to pay an OCS, result in prosecution. Figures for the past three years, including total revenue collected from all enforcement action, are as follows:

	OCS	Prosecution	Total Revenue (£ million)
1997–1998	268,163	233,036	72
1998–1999	218,786	256,332	79
1999–2000	209,678	239,291	86

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of unlicensed vehicles being used on UK roads; and what estimate he has made of the revenue lost as a result in the current financial year. [142540]

A roadside survey conducted by departmental statisticians in June 1999 estimated that 1.5 million vehicles were evading vehicle duty (VED) in GB. The level of evasion was calculated at 3.9 per cent. of revenue due, equivalent to a loss of £183 million in the current financial year. The 1999 survey indicated a drop in the VED evasion level for the first time and represents a saving of £17 million a year from the previous estimate of 4.1 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he proposes to take in the light of the High Court decision on his planning powers and their relationship to the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [143432]

On Wednesday 13 December the Divisional Court gave judgment on four test cases brought in relation to the compatibility of certain aspects of domestic legislation with Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) concerning the right to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal. The Convention right was incorporated into UK legislation in the Human Rights Act 1998, which became operative in England and Wales on 2 October this year.The legal challenges related to cases involving the Secretary of State's ability under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to call in and determine applications for planning permission and to recover and determine appeals, the confirmation by him of Compulsory Purchase Orders and related Orders under the Highways Act 1980 made by one of his departmental agencies and the making of orders under the Transport and Works Act 1992.The Court concluded that the processes involved in each of the cases were not compatible with Article 6(1) of the ECHR. In particular, the Court concluded that:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions from what date his Department will require local authorities to provide older people with a free bus pass allowing them to purchase bus tickets for no more than half-price; and if he will make a statement. [142762]

The requirement to offer at least half-fares on buses to pensioners and disabled people will come into effect from 1 April 2001 (London) or 1 June 2001 (rest of England). The appropriate Commencement Order was made on 7 December. We are in touch with local authorities and the bus industry about the implementation of the mandatory scheme, and are at present consulting about the terms of Guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further studies he intends to commission on the problems experienced in Bath by North-South A46/A36 traffic, and their wider implications, before determining whether to de-trunk the A46 and A36. [143574]

The Secretary of State announced on 14 December 2000 that the A36/A46 should remain part of the non-core network. We recognise that there remain traffic problems within Bath and we will work with Bath and North East Somerset to identify appropriate measures which we will urge them to progress through their Local Transport Plans. He has no plans for further studies on the problems experienced in Bath.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions following the announcement of the Local Transport Plan capital settlement on 14 December, what money has been unallocated and kept in the LTP Reserve Fund for (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04, (d) 2004–05 and (e) 2005–06. [143437]

As announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 14 December 2000, Official Report, column 202W, £8.43 billion has been made available for local transport over the five years from April 2001.Amounts have been held back for each of the five years covered by the settlement. A large portion of these reserves are made up of resources that will be made available to authorities in respect of:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the Government's proposals are regarding the byelaws submitted by the railway companies, London Underground and other light rail operators. [143836]

The national railway operators, London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway and Nexus Metro have submitted byelaws to the Secretary of State for confirmation. These byelaws, and the formal representations received from person affected by these byelaws, have all been considered by the Secretary of State. I can announce that the byelaws, with a number of modifications, have now been confirmed, and 18 February 2001 has been set as the date that the new byelaws will come into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about Government programmes for the support of victims in Northern Ireland. [142810]

The Government have put in place a number of programmes of support in line with the recommendations in Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report "We Will Remember Them", which considered ways of recognising and acknowledging the suffering of those who have become victims of events in Northern Ireland during the last 30 years. To date over £6.25 million has been allocated to programmes and further significant funding will be made available from April 2001, which in total will represent a substantial package aimed at alleviating the financial hardships and suffering inflicted on many by violence during the Troubles.Initiatives that have been put in place include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions his Department has had with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the inclusion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. [142318]

There are currently no plans to designate the FCO under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. However, the issue of designation of Government Departments is kept under review. In the course of these deliberations we will consider whether it is appropriate to designate the FCO as a public authority for the purposes of the Act. My officials keep the Equality Commission informed of our thinking on this and other matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average daily cost of a sitting of the Saville inquiry has been; and what have been the (a) maximum and (b) minimum daily costs to date. [143355]

This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to visit the officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [143354]

The Secretary of State has no immediate plans to visit Kosovo. In my role as Security Minister, I visited Pristina in December 1999 with the Chief Constable to meet 60 officers from the Royal Ulster Constabulary working with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. It was evident then that the RUC contingent would play a key part in the executive policing role pending the establishment of a new Kosovan police service. The RUC has currently 62 officers in Kosovo where they continue to provide outstanding support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will commence the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 and Part II of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. [143685]