To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress is being made on the review of the minimum funding requirement; and if he will make a statement. [144495]

A wide ranging consultation paper was issued on 14 September 2000 asking for comment by 31 January 2001. We will then study the responses received and consider the best way forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements have been made to process claims for higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance in respect of three and four-year-old children; and if he will make a statement. [144851]

Due to take place from 9 April under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act, the extension of the higher rate mobility component to three and four-year-olds is expected to benefit 6,000 children in the first year and more in the future. Most children likely to benefit will already be receiving the Care Component of Disability Living Allowance. This means they are already known to the Department and arrangements have been made to write in every case to the person who deals with the child's benefit to invite them to apply for the higher rate mobility component. Once details of a child's mobility needs are known to the Department, then depending on the circumstances of each case, they could be entitled to an extra £38.65 per week and access in some cases to the Motability scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people have received all the backdated winter fuel payments to which they are entitled; [143157](2) how many men who have an entitlement to a backdated winter fuel payment accrued when they reached 60 years have

Latest information shows that around one million people, of whom around 980,000 are men, have chosen to claim for past winters and around one million payments have been made, of which around 975,000 have been to men. Almost one million claims were received before 3 November and approximately 50,000 since that date.We are unable to give precise figures as claims are still being received and processed. It is up to the individual to choose whether to claim payments for past winters. The information campaign, which has been running since April, aimed to ensure that existing and potential customers know about the changes to the scheme and what to do to get a payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the very sheltered housing scheme is intended to provide a replacement for Housing Benefit. [144187]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Housing Benefit is available to help people on low incomes, including those tenants living in sheltered or very sheltered accommodation to meet their housing costs (ie rent and accommodation-related service charges). Housing Benefit will also continue to help meet service charges for lower-level support until April 2003. From this date, the various funding streams will be drawn together and these support services will instead be met from a single budget—Supporting People—which will be managed by local authorities together with probation services. Service charges for more intensive personal support, including personal care, remain ineligible for Housing Benefit.

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 Benefit 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 International Development, pursuant to her answer of 13 December 2000, Official Report, column 135W, on St. Helena, if she will place in the Library a copy of the draft report resulting from the study of options for sea and air access to St. Helena. [144572]

This is a matter for the St. Helena Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the projects undertaken for her Department by (a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144082]

DFID draws widely on the range of consultancy expertise in order to deliver our development programme.Since 1 May 1997 DFID has awarded over 7,200 contracts with a value of some £1,043 million. I am placing a list of these contracts in the Library of the House.Information on the total expenditure classified by consultants, academic researchers or university departments is not available without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's role in the current GATS negotiations. [143086]

My Department is helping to build the capacity of developing countries to participate effectively in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations. DFID is contributing to a World Bank Programme on Trade in Services, providing data and information to help developing countries formulate policy for the negotiations. In addition, officials are in the process of drawing up specific proposals to support representatives of developing countries in Geneva responsible for the trade in services issues.My officials also work closely with other Whitehall Departments to ensure that UK and EU policy on trade in services has a strong development dimension. A successful outcome from the current negotiations on the GATS would offer a number of benefits for developing countries. They could potentially increase their income from individual service sectors, for example, tourism. In addition, progress on issues such as the "movement of persons" (the ability for nationals to work overseas for a temporary period) would offer developing countries new opportunities for export of services. Increased competition in the provision of domestic services which support a country's basic infrastructure, e.g. banking, transport and telecommunications, will contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries.The current negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) offer developing countries the potential to gain access to new markets overseas and to benefit from more efficient and competitive services at home. Developing countries are particularly interested in the liberalisation of sectors where they have the greatest export potential; at present tourism services and movement of persons (i.e. the ability for personnel to spend some time overseas for the purposes of providing a specific service).We are helping developing countries to participate in the new GATS negotiations, so that world trade in services better contributes to their economic growth and thereby the elimination of poverty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of (a) the prime contractors' proposals for the procurement of the first batch of Type 45 destroyers, (b) the implications of these proposals for the investment plans of companies involved in procurement of the first batch and (c) how the proposals will affect the delivery of a competitive procurement strategy for follow-on Type 45s. [143918]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to him and to the hon. Members for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey), for Salisbury (Mr. Key) and for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 21 December 2000, Official Report, columns 248–51W, to which I have nothing to add.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposal he has received from BAe Systems Marine for an alternative shipbuilding strategy for the Type 45 destroyer programme; if this proposal involves a partnership strategy without competition for downstream batches of the class; and if he intends to sign a DFM contract with BAe Systems before a decision has been taken to accept this proposal. [144038]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him and to the hon. Members for Salisbury (Mr. Key), and for Truro (Mr. Taylor) and my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead) on 21 December 2000, Official Report, columns 248–51W, to which I have nothing to add.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from service personnel who have undergone experiments at Porton Down. [144476]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: I announced on 21 November 2000, Official Report, columns 101–02W, a number of measures aimed at assisting Service personnel gain information about the trials they were involved in at Porton Down. Since my announcement, the Porton Down Volunteer helpline, which was established in January 1998, has received 120 calls. Volunteers who approach the helpline will obtain full information, by letter, on their own trials, and be offered the opportunity to examine the records for themselves at the site. I also offered volunteers the opportunity of receiving a thorough medical assessment, along the lines of the well established Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) at St. Thomas' Hospital, London. As at 4 January, the MAP programme has received 20 inquiries, of which 14 volunteers have been referred to the MAP for assessment.We have also received 24 other inquiries, in the form of Parliamentary Inquiries and letters from members of the public, on matters relating to the trials at Porton Down. Porton Down have also received written correspondence from members of the public, doctors and the War Pensions Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the chemicals used in experiments on service personnel at Porton Down. [144477]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Comprehensive records at Porton Down show that since 1990 the following drugs (chemicals) have been administered to personnel taking part in the Service Volunteer Programme at CBD Porton:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deaths of service personnel were directly attributable to chemical weapons experiments at Porton Down. [144478]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Since 1940 we have had well over 20,000 volunteers take part in trials. There has been one death on the site, that of Ronald Maddison in 1953.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the projects undertaken for his Department by (a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144086]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.However, the Department's annual returns of expenditure on External Assistance, which includes outside consultants, for the last five financial years are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are being made to ensure that service personnel are given an appropriate measure of priority for medical treatment; and at what expense. [144511]

Existing arrangements for the treatment of Service personnel, which include provision for rapid access to hospital out-patient appointments in high priority cases, have recently been supplemented by contracts with private sector providers in order to help return personnel quickly to fully deployable status and so relieve overstretch. I am withholding details of the costs of these various contractual arrangements in accordance with Section 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons British prisoners of war held during the Second World War who were not paid during their period of capture have not been subsequently compensated; what plans he has to make payments to the surviving former POWs; and if he will make a statement. [144379]

During the Second World War, British Service personnel who were held as prisoners of war or protected personnel continued to receive their Service pay during their captivity; this was credited to their home pay account. On repatriation, arrangements were made for adjustments to be made to an individual's pay account to resolve any outstanding pay issues in relation to their time in enemy hands. From time to time the Ministry of Defence continues to receive representations from former British Service personnel about matters relating to their pay while in captivity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people over the age of 75 years receive a free television licence. [144136]

To date, 2.76 million free television licences have been issued by TV Licensing. A further 236,000 applications from people giving their age as 75 or over are currently being verified. Up to 500,000 beneficiaries of the £5 Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary licence are estimated to be 75 or over and will receive free television licences as their current licence comes up for renewal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Wansbeck will benefit from the introduction of the free television licence for persons aged 75 years and over. [144289]

TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates of the over-75 population based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 5,700 people aged 75 or over in the Wansbeck constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners aged 75 years and over in the Vale of Clwyd qualify for a free television licence; and how many of those qualifying had received the licence on the latest date for which figures are available. [144458]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Everyone aged 75 or over is entitled to benefit from a free television licence, but licences cover households rather than individuals so households with more than one member over 75 need only a single free licence. TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates of the over-75 population based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 7,100 people aged 75 or over in the Vale of Clwyd constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will publish the final version of the guidelines he uses in assessing BBC public service proposals; and if he will make a statement. [144673]

I intend to publish the guidelines, which have been revised in the light of the public consultation, tomorrow. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.The guidelines explain how the BBC must meet its obligations under the Charter and Agreement. They make clear that the BBC cannot make material changes to the nature of existing services without properly consulting licence payers and that they cannot establish new national services, or go outside the terms of services which I have approved, without my consent. The BBC cannot make fundamental changes to the nature of existing channels, such as the proposals to change BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge into BBC3 and BBC4, without consulting the public.Individual scheduling decisions are of course a matter for the Governors, but the Guidelines make clear that the BBC must ensure that its services, including BBC1 and BBC2, continue to meet the standards of content and quality set out in the Charter and Agreement. As I recently made clear over the move of the BBC Nine O'Clock News, I shall be looking to ensure that the Governors perform those duties rigorously. And no changes to those standards of content and quality can be made without the consent of Parliament.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on "Public Bodies 2000". [144847]

"Public Bodies 2000" is the latest in a series of annual reports on the size, spend and membership of the UK "quango" sector. I am pleased to report that "Public Bodies 2000" was published on 4 January and that copies are available from the Vote Office. Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.This Government are committed to keeping the number of "quangos" (or non-departmental public bodies) to a minimum. I am, therefore, pleased to report that there are now fewer "quangos" in the UK than at any other time over the past 20 years. The latest figure of 1,035 means that numbers have fallen by around 10 per cent. since 1997. Those "quangos" which remain, such as the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency and the Parole Board, continue to carry out a range of important and essential public services.The Government are determined to ensure that all "quangos" are open and accountable. To this end, responsibility for hundreds of public bodies has now been transferred to the new, democratically elected bodies in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and London. Furthermore, our new Freedom of Information Act 2000 will introduce a statutory right of access to a wide range of information held by all public bodies.As a Government, we are committed to increasing the representation of under-represented groups. I am, therefore, pleased to note that "Public Bodies 2000" reports an increase in the proportion of women and members of the ethnic minorities serving on the boards of public bodies compared with 1997. In total, there are around 30,000 men and women serving on the boards of the public bodies. They bring a wealth of skills and experience into the running of public bodies and we are grateful for their continued involvement and enthusiasm.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of 'Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action', published in May 2000. [144848]

On 29 December 2000, Andrew Pinder, the interim e-Envoy, reported to me on the progress. An electronic copy of the report is at www.e-envoy.gov.uk/successful—it/progress—forword.htm. This shows much work has been achieved so far. All 19 recommendations due for completion by December 2000 were met. These early recommendations have laid the infrastructure that will help Government Departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to implement their recommendations to improve their delivery of IT-enabled projects and programmes. Copies of the report have been laid in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of industrial sites covered by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive are not energy intensive users. [142878]

[holding answer 15 December 2000]: A list of energy intensive installations is given in paragraph 51 of Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2000. This list describes the sectors covered by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive. All industrial sites with installations covered by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive are considered by that definition to be energy intensive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking including relevant research to promote sustainable urban drainage; and if he will make a statement. [143850]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson), on 13 November 2000, Official Report, column 476W, in which I outlined the range of promotional activities for sustainable drainage systems in which my Department is involved.I would add to this that in revising the draft PPG 25 on "Development and flood risk", we are considering what more can be said to assist in the promotion of sustainable drainage systems.My Department co-funded with the Environment Agency and others, the Construction Research and Information Association (CIRIA) research project, which examined sustainable urban drainage systems in practice. Design manuals for Scotland and Northern Ireland and for England and Wales were published during 1999 and a best practice manual is to be published shortly. Officials are also assisting in steering a CIRIA project that has just started on sustainable water management.We are also examining what further action might be needed, including research, to further promote the use of sustainable drainage systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many telephone calls were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on 18 December from keepers of vehicles inquiring about the implementation of the new excise duty rates for vehicles of 1500cc and less. [143890]

The Agency received around 1,500 telephone calls on 18 December 2000 from keepers of vehicles on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the age requirements in respect of those applying for driving licences. [143926]

In accordance with the Government's Road Safety Strategy we are currently considering options for improving the safety of novice drivers. This includes the recommendation made by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee that a minimum period should be set between drivers obtaining their provisional licence and first attempting a practical car driving test. We wish to ensure that learner drivers achieve the necessary level of driving experience before they take their test and will consult fully on any proposals before introducing any subsequent changes to the present arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycles to develop a national motorcycle strategy; and if he will make a statement. [143901]

Our integrated transport White Paper recognised that motorcycles can contribute to an integrated transport policy, but there are important and complex matters to consider, including road safety, traffic management and environmental issues. The Advisory Group on Motorcycling was established to bring together motorcycle interests to discuss these issues. The Group has still to reach conclusions, but these should assist the Government in defining their strategy for motorcycles.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the results of the consultation undertaken on the problems of the dispersal of foam plastics in 1998. [144401]

DETR published a consultation paper "Options for Tackling the Problem of Waste Non-Packaging Farm Plastics" in October 1998. This sought opinions on the potential for legislative and voluntary approaches to recycling non-packaging agricultural film. Some 10,000 consultation documents were issued but there was a very limited response to this consultation—only 35. These showed no clear preference for a legislative approach and provided the Government with no clear basis for future action. The issue has been raised again in the context of extending waste management controls to agricultural waste and is being considered currently.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will announce successors to the Partnership Investment Programme; [144338]

I refer the hon. Member to the Government's response¹ to the 16^th report of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee report and the subsequent debate on the Select Committee's report, which took place in the House of Commons on 19 December 2000.The Government are not involved in any discussions to reverse the decision ending the Partnership Investment Programme (PIP). The closure of PIP has not prevented other publicly funded urban regeneration programmes from going ahead.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the (a) number and (b) percentage of dwellings in (i) the private rented sector, (ii) multiple occupation in (1) England and Wales, (2) Greater London and (3) the London borough of Enfield in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [144526]

The available estimates for private rented dwellings are given in the table. These are not available for the London borough of Enfield.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the impact on (a) house prices and (b) levels of homelessness in the south-east region of a decision to allow individual local authorities to decide the overall level of provision of new dwellings over the next 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [144519]

The Government's policy is to encourage local authorities to work with one another and other stakeholders in order to take a strategic view of housing needs sensitive to the location of jobs and services and to future changes it circumstances. The new framework for the development of Regional Planning Guidance facilitates this approach and helps local authorities to plan, monitor and manage on a more flexible basis than under the former "predict and provide" regime which we have abandoned.Planning on a purely local basis without this strategic framework would be likely to lead to higher house prices and increased homelessness in areas of high demand, and to other impacts such as skill shortages and longer journeys to work. It would also be likely to lead to inconsistent patterns of provision aggravating problems of shortage in some areas and conversely contributing to low demand and abandonment in others. However, the precise scale of these impacts is in the south-east would be difficult to estimate given the complexity of the housing market.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will break down the total amount spent on each programme by his Department in each year since May 1997 in the (a) Edmonton parliamentary constituency and (b) London borough of Enfield where applicable. [144491]

The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions provided the following funding to the London borough of Enfield in each of the last four years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy on reduction of the payment of council tax benefit subsidy to local authorities that make council tax increases which he judges to be excessive; if he will make an exception to his policy for Worcestershire; and if he will make a statement. [144513]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The Government believe that local authorities making steep increases in council tax should themselves meet part of the escalating council tax benefit bill resulting from their decisions. The Council Tax Benefit Subsidy Limitation (CTBSL) scheme was introduced to achieve this. The Government announced the proposed details of the scheme for 2001–02 on 27 November 2000 for consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2000, Official Report, column 86W, if he will list the sites in remote and sparsely populated areas in (a) the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and (b) Argyll and Bute constituency; if he will publish the recommendations of the independent research regarding these sites; and if he will make a statement. [144183]

The independent research did not specifically examine sites in either the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, or Argyll and Bute constituency. However, similar sites in other remote and sparsely populated areas (such as in Wales and the Yorkshire Dales) were studied. The sample of sites chosen was designed to ensure that selected sites were broadly representative of quarries across the country in terms of local population density and outputs. The findings of the research, "The Environmental Costs and Benefits of the Supply of Aggregates" by London Economics, was published in July 1999 and provided the basis for setting the rate of the aggregates levy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy for high-value cars destined to be crushed as a result of the owners' non-payment of road tax to be auctioned with the proceeds going to the relevant local highway authority. [144473]

High-value vehicles impounded as a result of non-payment of vehicle excise duty and not reclaimed are always auctioned. Such vehicles make up less than one per cent. of the total impounded. The funds are used for VED enforcement purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent estimate he has made of the cost of environmental damage from the emission of carbon dioxide from domestic properties; how this figure is incorporated into his Department's estimated cost and savings of introducing improvements to Part 1 of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [144509]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to my hon. Friend for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) on 28 November 2000, Official Report, columns 549–50W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fatal road accidents there have been in Essex in each of the last seven years. [144149]

The following numbers of fatal accidents were recorded in Essex in the last seven years for which information is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his strategy is for combating violent crime is. [144672]

Although violent crime represents a relatively small proportion of all crime, and the British Crime Survey showed that there had been a 4 per cent. fall in total violent crime between 1997 and the end of 1999, it includes those crimes which cause people, particularly those who are most vulnerable, the greatest concern and fear.The Government are committed to ensuring that the long-term rise in the number of violent crimes is reversed, that the causes of violent crime are addressed and that individuals and communities are protected and feel safe. The Government are therefore introducing a comprehensive strategy to tackle violent crime through action which will prevent violence in the first place, assist the police in their fight against such crime, bring offenders to justice, root out offending behaviour, and support victims and witnesses.The detailed proposals underpinning the strategy are set out in "Fighting Crime Together: An Action Plan" to be published tomorrow, a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implications of the European Court of Justice's judgment in case C-37/98 R v. SSHD ex parte Savas Judgment (11 May 2000) on the rules applicable to Turkish nationals, lawfully in the UK, who wish to apply to vary their leave to establish themselves in business in the United Kingdom; and if he will apply the Immigration Rules 1973, HC509 and HC510, to such individuals. [143770]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money the Government received in charges for the services of immigration officers from each relevant port for the financial years (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000; how much he expects to receive from each such port in 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [142804]

[holding answer 14 December 2000]: The level of charges received by the Immigration Service for the provision of officers under section 9(4) of the Immigration Act 1988 is set out in the table. The provision of information by port would identify, in some cases, charges paid by specific port operators, and thereby breach contractual agreements on commercial confidentiality.

We are continuing to consider the implications of the judgment, in consultation with fellow member states. I will write to my hon. Friend when that consultation is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent to which United Kingdom law complies with the United Kingdom's obligations under the 1997 OECD Convention on Transnational Banking and Business Transactions; what action he plans to take to ensure compliance; and if he will make a statement. [142794]

[holding answer 14 December 2000]: I understand that the hon. Member is referring to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.The United Kingdom ratified the Convention in December 1998 on the basis of the Government's assessment that existing statute and case law in the United Kingdom already ensures compliance with our obligations under the Convention. In our White Paper "Raising Standards and Upholding Integrity: the Prevention of Corruption" issued in June 2000 (Cm 4759) we proposed to put or compliance beyond any doubt by making it clear in statute that the United Kingdom has jurisdiction over bribery offences involving foreign public officials which take place in the United Kingdom. The White Paper also proposed a new provision, implementing an optional provision of the Convention, to give the United Kingdom jurisdiction over bribery offences committed by United Kingdom nationals overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the weekly cost of housing an asylum seeker at Oakington (a) is and (b) will be when the centre is operating at full capacity accounted for by the costs of Immigration and Nationality Directorate staff on site. [142772]

[holding answer 14 December 2000]: I am now in a position to reply in full to the question.At 19 December 2000, the current weekly unit cost of housing an asylum seeker at Oakington was estimated at £1,536. That cost is broken down as follows: £1.004 for the supervision of detainees, security and related costs; £243 for Immigration and Nationality Directorate staff costs and £289 for running costs such as interpreters, office accommodation, telephone and other general office expenses.The weekly unit cost of housing an asylum seeker when operating at full capacity was given as £800 in my answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 26 October 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost of retirement to police authorities was in (a) 1980, (b) 1990, and (c) the most recent 12 months for which statistics are available; and for each of these, what percentage of total police budget this cost accounted for. [143889]

The information is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the representations of Dr. Rosemary Lee of Northwood, Middlesex, concerning the Police Information Technology Organisation. [143754]

I shall write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to require companies to declare their policy towards stock options for their staff, the take-up and potential take-up of such options, and the effect on the companies' equity. [143879]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: There are already a number of legislative and regulatory disclosure requirements in relation to stock options. The Companies Act 1985 requires companies to provide information relating to any option to subscribe for shares, including the number, description and amount of the shares in relation to which the right is exercisable and the price to be paid for the shares allotted. Listed companies are required under the Listing Rules to seek prior shareholder approval of an employees' share scheme involving the issue of new shares, and to send a circular to shareholders in connection with the approval including either the full text of the scheme or a description of its principal terms. The Government have no plans to require additional disclosures by companies in this area. We will, however, look carefully at these disclosure requirements when the final report of the independent Company Law Review is delivered later this year. There are, of course, fuller disclosure requirements in relation to company directors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to require companies and limited liability partnerships to declare their policy towards, and their payments of, bonuses and special payments to their staff. [143874]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The Companies Act 1985 requires companies to state the aggregate wages or salaries, including bonuses and special payments, paid or payable to employees in respect of each financial year. The Government have laid a draft statutory instrument before Parliament under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 which would introduce a corresponding requirement in relation to the sums paid to the employees of a limited liability partnership. The Government have no plans to require additional disclosures by companies or limited liability partnerships in relation to bonuses and special payments to staff. We will, however, look carefully at these disclosure requirements when the final report of the independent Company Law Review is delivered later this year. There are, of course, fuller disclosure requirements in relation to company directors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department paid all correctly presented bills within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or an invoice in (a) 1999 and (b) 2000. [144143]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will make the Order under the Postal Services Act 2000 nominating the company to which the business of the Post Office will be transferred; and if he will make a statement. [144849]

A key element of our Post Office reform package is the transformation of the Post Office from a public corporation to a public limited company. An Order was made on 4 January, which came into effect on 5 January, nominating Consignia plc as the company to which the property, rights and liabilities of the Post Office will be transferred in accordance with section 62 of the Postal Services Act 2000. Prior to making the Order, the Post Office were consulted, in accordance with section 62(3) of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to co-ordinate policies on export licences with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and if he will make a statement. [144161]

Licences to export arms and other goods whose export is controlled for strategic reasons are issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry acting through DTI's Export Control Organisation (ECO). All relevant individual licence applications are circulated by the DTI to other Government Departments with an interest as determined by those Departments in line with their policy responsibilities. These include FCO, MOD and DfID. These Departments give advice to the DTI on whether the applications should be approved or refused in accordance with the consolidated EU and national export licensing criteria announced by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 199–203W.Strategic export licensing is a joined-up process. Officials in the Export Control Organisation (ECO) are in contact with officials in other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on a daily basis, and there is an inter-departmental Steering Group that meets regularly to discuss export controls. There are also regular meetings between officials in the main Departments to identify specific ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the export licensing system, as well as to discuss particular licensing applications.In addition, Government Departments have worked together since 2 May 1997 to publish Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Three such reports have been published so far; copies are in the Library of the House.Finally, details of the roles and responsibilities of the Government Departments involved in the export licensing process have been set out in a Memorandum from the FCO and DTI to the 'Quadripartite Committee' (Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Development, Trade and Industry), published on 15 June 1999 (HC540).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licences were granted in each of the past 10 years. [144173]

Between 1993 and 1997 statistics on export licensing decisions were periodically placed in the Library of the House.Since 2 May 1997, details of export licensing decisions have been set out in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; copies are in the Library of the House. Three such reports have been published so far and each report lists by country of destination the export licences issued and refused in each equipment category and gives details of the military equipment for which licences have been granted. The report for the year 2000 will be published this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the recommended time is for the issuing of export licences; what percentage of applications have taken longer to process than this time in each of the last 24 months; and if he will make a statement. [144166]

The Government's commitments to exporters are set out in a Service and Performance Code published by the Export Control Organisation (ECO). Where, as in almost all cases, the advice of other Government Departments is sought on applications for Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs), the aim is to provide a substantive response within 20 working days.While the Government have performance targets for processing SIELs, this target does not apply to applications concerning Iran, Iraq or applications for licences to export goods which are subject to control solely because of UN sanctions. This is because there are special licensing procedures for those destinations, which reflect the Governments concerns. But none the less, we still make every effort to process such applications as quickly as possible. Nor do they apply for Open Individual Export licences because of the very wide variation in the goods and destination coverage of such licences.The Government's performance figures were not collected on a monthly basis before 1 January 2000. However, the performance for the whole of 1999 can be found in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls. The figures from 1 January 2000 are set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's policy is on issuing export licences for repeat orders; and if he will make a statement. [144179]

Licences to export arms and other goods whose export is controlled for strategic reasons are issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry acting through the Export Control Organisation (ECO) of the Department of Trade and Industry. The ECO issues a range of licences depending on the circumstances.Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) generally allow shipments of specified goods to a specified consignee up to the quantity specified by the licence. Such licences are generally valid for two years where the export will be permanent; where the export is temporary the licence is generally valid for one year only.Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) are specific to an individual exporter and covert multiple shipments of specified goods to specified destinations and, in some cases, specified consignees. OIELs covering the export of goods on the Military List are generally valid for two years, while OIELs covering the export of other goods are generally valid for three years.Open General Export Licences (OGELs) allow the export of specified controlled goods to specified destinations by any company, removing the need for exporters to apply for an individual licence, provided the shipment and destinations are eligible and the conditions on the licence are met. All OGELs remain in force until they are revoked.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in descending order the 10 countries to which the largest number of export licences applied in 1999. [144180]

Details of all export licensing decisions taken in 1999 were set out in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; copies are in the Library of the House. This report lists by country of destination the numbers of Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) issued and refused in each entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled, which is known as their rating. It should be noted that an OIEL covers multiple shipments of specified goods to specified destinations or specified consignees.In addition, Open General Export Licences allow the export of specified controlled goods to certain destinations by any company, removing the need for a company to apply for an individual licence. Copies of all Open General Export Licences valid at any time during 1999 were listed in the Annual Report and have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make the remaining licence awards in the 9^th Landward Round of oil and gas licensing. [144850]

The outstanding issues mentioned in my answer to the House on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 725W, have now been satisfactorily resolved. Further licence offers have been made to the following companies:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were reported (a) missing, (b) murdered, (c) kidnapped or taken hostage and (d) imprisoned abroad in each year since 1996; and if he will list the countries concerned. [142490]

The information is in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the procedure for intervention by Her Majesty's Government in cases where a British national is (a) reported missing and (b) suspected to have died overseas. [142491]

We do all that we properly can to trace British nationals who have been reported missing or are suspected to have died overseas. It would not be possible for British consular staff to physically conduct searches so we approach relatives, local authorities, the police and any other agency which might help in the search.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in how many cases since 1996 the Government have intervened in cases where British citizens were reported (a) missing and (b) killed in countries overseas; which countries were concerned; and what were the results of the interventions. [142501]

We seek to be as helpful as possible within legal and resource constraints in every case where a British citizen is reported missing or killed overseas. 2,492 British citizens have been reported missing and 239 killed overseas since 1996. Information on the countries concerned is contained in my answer to my hon. Friend's earlier question. The information requested on our interventions and results of our interventions in these cases could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he has taken in response to the disappearance of Surjit Kaur Athwal, a British citizen, in India in December 1998. [142500]

We have expressed our concerns about Mrs. Athwal to the Indian authorities on numerous occasions and at a high level. Mrs. Athwal's family met the Acting Head of Consular Division in August and will meet Baroness Scotland, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, early in the New Year. Through out efforts the Indian police granted permission for the Metropolitan police to become involved in the investigation, and we arranged for officers to travel to India this year to assist their Indian counterparts in any way possible. The family have a legal representative in India but a court case did not produce the result they were, seeking, for lack of evidence. We shall continue to press the authorities to keep up their efforts to try to find Mrs. Athwal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commnonwealth Affairs if he will list for (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000 and (e) 2000–01, (i) his 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 he has made of the effectiveness of each campaign based on these criteria. [142722]

In 1997–98 we spent £1 million on a publicity campaign to reduce the number of ticketless fans travelling to France for the World Cup Finals and to explain what consular services were available. Independent monitoring of the campaign showed that it had been effective in increasing awareness among fans of the dangers of travelling without tickets. Before our campaign, 13 per cent. of our target audience said they were likely or very likely to travel to France for the World Cup in the hope of getting into a game with a ticket bought on the black market. After the campaign, those saying they would still travel dropped to 6 per cent. The Foreign and Commnonwealth Office did not undertake any advertising campaigns in 1996–97, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, and to date has not done so in 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 31 August, 6 October and 9 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. A. Abdul Rahman. [143080]

The Secretary of State replied on 15 December, and apologised for the delay. My right hon. Friend is always free to discuss any of his casework that is urgent with me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 18 July, 24 August and 6 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Fozia Mirza. [143079]

The Secretary of State replied on 21 December 2000, and apologised for the delay. It may be of assistance to my right hon. Friend if he wished to discuss any case with me I would be happy to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking in support of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with particular reference to through-bonded child labour. [143546]

The Government are committed to the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Government signed the two new Optional Protocols to the CRC on the protection of children in armed conflict and the sale of children, prostitution and child pornography in September 2000. We are now working on ratification of the protocols. The Government are also fully engaged in preparations for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children due to take place in September 2001.With regard to bonded labour, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan, (Mr. Sarwar) on 21 July 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which provisions of the Nice Treaty indicate that NATO is the option of first resort for all types of crisis management. [143428]

The Presidency Report on the European Security and Defence Policy, adopted by the Nice European Council, confirms (paragraph 2 of the report itself) that the EU's aim is to be able to take decisions and, where NATO as a whole is not engaged, to launch and conduct EU-led military operations in response to international crises. It also confirms that NATO remains the basis of the collective defence of its members and will continue to play an important role in crisis management.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which NATO countries have not agreed on the circumstances in which the EU may act in an emerging crisis [143427]

EU governments have repeatedly stated that the goal of the European defence initiative is to be able to take decisions and, where NATO as a whole is not engaged, to launch and conduct EU-led military operations in response to international crises. At its Washington Summit, NATO confirmed that it stood ready to adopt arrangements for NATO support to EU operations

"in operations in which the Alliance as a whole is not militarily engaged as an Alliance".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Headline Goal has been harmonised with NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative; and if he will make a statement. [143426]

Work within the EU on development of the Headline Goal has been done by national defence planners, supported by NATO experts. The Nice European Council approved a proposal for a capabilities review mechanism, which is intended to support the need for reinforcement of the EU's capabilities goals and those arising, for the countries concerned, from NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI). The NATO Ministerial on 14–15 December confirmed that the objectives of the DCI and of the EU's Headline Goal are mutually reinforcing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2000, Official Report, column 122W, on entry visas, if he will list the hon. and right hon. Members whose representations were successful in the 19 cases, indicating how often each hon. and right hon. Member was involved; and how many unsuccessful representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members since October 1999. [143172]

[holding answer 18 December 2000]: I regret that the figure given in my answer of 12 December is incorrect. I have in fact overturned 18 entry clearance decisions made at our Post in India. It would be inappropriate on grounds of confidentiality to discuss the names of hon. Members who have been in contact with me on individual visa cases.Figures on unsuccessful representations received from right hon. Members since October 1999 are not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategic considerations warrant inclusion of (a) adhesive paper, (b) baking soda, (c) bath brushes, (d) children's balls for sport, (e) candles, (f) chalk, (g) detergents, (h) door knobs and (i) dust cloths on the sanctions list of items which cannot be supplied to Iraq. [143503]

None of the items identified by my hon. Friend are on a list of items which cannot be supplied to Iraq.Over US$37 billion has been made available to purchase humanitarian goods for Iraq under the Oil for Food Programme since its inception in 1996. This year alone revenue is expected to reach more than US$16 billion.Under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1284 almost $3 billion worth of humanitarian goods have been "fast-tracked" to Iraq this year. These goods, which include foodstuffs, medical, agricultural, educational, water and sanitation supplies and oil spare parts, no longer require Sanctions Committee approval but only need to be notified to the UN Secretariat. Under Security Council Resolution 1330 the lists of "fast track" goods is being extended to include goods in the electricity and housing sectors also.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UN assessment of the number of deaths in Iraq attributable to the current sanctions policy. [143501]

We are not aware of a UN assessment linking deaths in Iraq with the UN sanctions policy. With up to $16 billion of humanitarian aid available to the Iraqi people this year alone under the UN Oil for Food programme, we do not accept that sanctions are responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people.The UK has always advocated and supported initiatives aimed at better targeting the humanitarian effort to help the most vulnerable. These include the introduction of fast-track procedures for humanitarian goods in the foodstuff, medical, educational, agricultural, oil spare parts and water and sanitation sectors. Almost $3 billion worth of goods were processed in 2000.Meanwhile according to the UN Secretary-General's latest report the Iraqi regime has spent just 28 per cent. of Oil for Food funds available to it under the last six months phase. More importantly, the regime has ordered no medicines or other health sector items in that time. Significantly also, it has refused access to a UN team of experts intending to assess the humanitarian situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what directions overriding a note of dissent by an Accounting Officer have been given by the boards of non-departmental public bodies within his Department since May 1997; and if he will place the details of the directions in the Library. [143453]

There have been no such directions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which his Department believes sponsor terrorism. [143641]

The Government condemn state sponsorship of terrorism and monitor closely any evidence of such activities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes the responsible Governments aware of our concerns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which areas of responsibility previously within the competence of the EU institutions have been devolved to member states under the subsidiarity clause in the Maastricht Treaty. [143760]

Subsidiarity is not about the repatriation of powers to member states Rather, it is about ensuring that where the Treaty already allows for action at both EU and member state level, the most appropriate level is chosen each time action is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the backlog of letters in the joint entry clearance unit. [144245]

I am pleased to announce that as of 21 December the amount of outstanding correspondence for the Joint Entry Clearance Unit is zero.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions, and the individuals concerned since May 1997 on which British delegations to European Council meetings have been led by persons other than Members of either House. [144349]

Since May 1997, the Prime Minister has led the UK delegation to all meetings of the European Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Burma concerning U Pa Pa Lay and U Lu Zaw and their continued detention; and if he will make a statement. [144524]

U Pa Pa Lay and U Lu Zaw are among an estimated 1,500 political prisoners in Burma. Our Ambassador in Rangoon has made representations to the Burmese authorities on this subject. We take every opportunity, including in United Nations resolutions, to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all such prisoners. We also support the work of the ICRC in visiting prisoners in Burma.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of China concerning the continued detention of Ngawang Choephal, a Tibetan; and if he will make a statement. [144523]

We remain deeply concerned about the case of Ngawang Choephal, and raise his case regularly with the Chinese authorities. I raised the case with the then Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister, Wang Yingfan, in Beijing in November 1999 and urged that Choephal's mother. Sonam Deckyi, be allowed to visit him. A visit took place in August 2000. We remain concerned at reports that Choephal may be in poor health. During the most recent round of the UK/China human rights dialogue in October 2000, we made a specific request that his sentence be reviewed in the light of these reports. At that meeting, the Chinese stated Choephal was in good health. We will continue to press this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement about progress made on the Government's commitment to nuclear disarmament, as agreed in the Non-Proliferation Treaty final document; [144103](2) what progress his Department has made on the reduction of non-strategic weapons, as agreed in the Non-Proliferation Treaty final document; [144102](3) what progress has been made on honouring the commitment made under the Non-Proliferation Treaty for all the nuclear weapon states to engage in the process of disarmament as soon as appropriate; [144105](4) what steps he has taken towards honouring the commitment to a diminishing role for nuclear weapons in security policies, as agreed in the Non-Proliferation Treaty final document. [144104]

The Government have made their commitment to all aspects of the Final Document agreed at the 2000 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. We believe the United Kingdom is already some way ahead of most other states in fulfilling the undertakings it sets out.We have reduced our own nuclear forces to the minimum necessary to provide for our security for the foreseeable future. These reductions have included the withdrawal from service of the last of our free-fall nuclear bombs, leaving Trident as our sole nuclear weapons system.We have made clear, both nationally and in NATO, that our reliance on nuclear weapons in our security policies has been radically reduced since the end of the Cold War. We have pledged to include British nuclear weapons in multilateral negotiations when satisfied with progress towards the global elimination of nuclear weapons. And we have made clear our willingness to see a body established in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament to deal with nuclear disarmament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes there have been in United Nations sanctions in relation to the Taliban. [144437]

UN Security Council resolution 1333 (2000), adopted on 19 December, imposed further measures against the Afghan fact on known as the Taliban, who also call themselves the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in response to their continued support for international terrorism and their failure to hand over Usama Bin Laden for trial in accordance with the demands of the Security Council in its resolution 1267 (1999).The new measures will come into force on 19 January 2001. They are established for a 12 month period. At the end of this period, the Security Council will decide whether to extend them, having decided whether the Taliban have complied with the demands of the Council that they should:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, in order of their inclusion in the draft Treaty of Nice, each proposed Article relating to change in the procedure for taking decisions under qualified majority voting or other requirement, indicating for each (a) the article and treaty to which it applies and (b) the nature of the proposed change. [142415]

At Nice, the Government agreed to extend qualified majority voting in a total of 31 articles of the Treaty establishing the European Community and the Treaty on European Union. All these moves will benefit the UK. As promised, we retained the UK's veto over taxation, social security and the other key issues we identified at the start of the IGC.Of the articles that moved to majority voting, 11 relate to conditions of appointment or procedural rules. The rest are primarily about the efficiency of economic management and the single market. Where needed, articles have been amended to carve out specific issues or to retain unanimity for key aspects of legislation.The UK has an opt-in to all aspects of the free movement articles (Articles 62–66 TEC). Two other articles do not apply to us unless we join the single currency (Articles 111(4) and 123(4)).The full list follows. Those areas marked with an asterisk will also become subject to codecision with the European Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on vote reweighting in the European Union following the European Council at Nice. [142875]

[pursuant to his reply, 14 December 2000, c. 226W]: The Nice IGC agreed that on 1 January 2005 member states' votes in the Council would be re-weighted according to the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Federal Government about the conviction of Platon Obukhov for espionage. [144037]

The UK Government have made no representations to the Russian Government about this case.We are aware that Mr. Obukhov's appeal was due to be heard by the Russian Supreme Court on 19 December 2000 but understand that it has now been postponed at his lawyers' request.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many EU directives became legally binding in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [144005]

A comprehensive list of all European legislation in force as at 1 June 2000 is contained in the Official Journal Directory of Community legislation in

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the total amount awarded to schools in Shrewsbury and Atcham to improve school buildings was in each year since 1997. [143383]