To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Hull, North constituency, the effects on Hull, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150623]

Details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Hull, North constituency and on the city of Kingston upon Hull have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what specific funds have been allocated to (i) Cheshire local education authority and (ii) Halton local education authority since May 1997 for (a) pre-school, (b) primary school, (c) secondary school, (d) special school and (e) post-16 education. [148848]

[holding answer 14 February 2001]: The funds allocated to Cheshire local education authority for each category since 1997–98 are shown in the table. Figures for Halton are available only from 1998–99, when it became a unitary authority. The figures include each authority's Standard Spending Assessment, Nursery Education Grant, Standards Fund, Schools Standards Grant, and Budget Support Grant. For some specific funds that are not distributed on the basis of these categories, we have estimated the amounts for each category. From 1998–99 Nursery Education Grant has been used to fund free places in the private, voluntary and independent sectors and new free places in the maintained sector. New places in the maintained sector are funded only for one year via Nursery Education Grant, and after that are normally funded through Standard Spending Assessment.In 1997–98, Cheshire County Council included Halton and Warrington. Since 1998–99, Halton and Warrington have been separate unitary authorities.

Funds allocated to Cheshire and Halton local education authorities
£ million
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Cheshire1
Nursery	20.5	—	—	—
Primary	151.2	—	—	—
Secondary	158.6	—	—	—
Post-16	24.7	—	—	—

Funds allocated to Cheshire and Halton local education authorities
£ million
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Cheshire2
Nursery	n/a	16.7	16.9	17.7
Primary	n/a	103.8	114.5	125.2
Secondary	n/a	109.9	116.8	127.3
Post-16	n/a	18.9	19.0	19.7
Halton
Nursery	n/a	3.9	4.6	4.7
Primary	n/a	25.0	26.7	29.3
Secondary	n/a	24.9	26.4	29.1
Post-16	n/a	2.4	2.6	3.2
1 Including Halton and Warrington
2 Excluding Halton and Warrington

In addition Cheshire has been allocated £60.6 million and Halton £9.5 million for capital expenditure since 1997–98. Capital funding cannot be broken down into the categories requested.Under this Government funding nationally per pupil has already increased by over £300 in real terms, and it will increase by a further £150 per pupil for 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what information he has collated about the academic achievements and funding per student at (a) Farnham College and (b) Godalming College in the last year for which figures are available; and what the corresponding average figures are for (i) Surrey, (ii) England and (iii) the UK. [150301]

The achievement rates for further education colleges in England are contained in the table:

	Achievement rate 1998–99 (percentage)
Farnham College	93
Godalming College	93
All sixth form colleges in England1	86
All colleges in Surrey	66
All colleges in England	76
1 Farnham and Godalming Colleges are both sixth form colleges, therefore this achievement figure offers a more valid comparison

The level of funding of students by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) is determined by a tariff system which provides a number of "units" of funding for various aspects of the course and student. Most "units" are for the length and type of course; others cover achievement, entry and additional support, for example.The average level of funding (or ALF) per unit varies between colleges, mostly for historical reasons but is converging by deliberate council policy. The ALF (1998–99) for Godalming College is £16.91 and for Farnham College is £17.75. This methodology will continue for the first year following the inception of the LSC. Following that, a revised system will be introduced which will simplify the FEFC system but maintain separate elements for course length and type and for achievement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received regarding the teaching of Shakespeare in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement. [150539]

[holding answer 15 February 2001]: The requirement for secondary schools to teach Shakespeare, as well as other major literary figures, was identified clearly in our review of the National Curriculum, which was completed last year. We maintained a consistent position, despite some proposals to the contrary, that pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 should be required to study the works of a range of major writers and poets, including two plays by William Shakespeare. The range also includes plays, novels, short stories and poetry from the English literary heritage. Major classical authors are represented, including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, John Milton and William Wordsworth.These proposals were the subject of wide consultation, which produced strong public support. We have no plans to change the requirement for the teaching of Shakespeare in secondary school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what the target ratio is of (a) learning support units and (b) pupil referral units to secondary schools; [150712](2) how many additional pupil referral units he estimates are needed September 2002 in order to meet the Government's commitment to provide a place for all young people who have been excluded from school. [150795]

The ratio of Learning Support Units to secondary schools varies from LEA to LEA. Some, such as City of Nottingham, have chosen to set up LSUs in all their secondary schools; others have targeted those schools with greatest need in terms of rates of exclusion,

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers have been given golden hellos broken down by (a) gender, (b) number of UCAS points and (c) age. [151003]

[holding answer 28 February 2001]: Golden hellos are awarded irrespective of gender, number of UCAS points and age. The information requested is therefore not collected centrally.Compared to 1998–99, before the introduction of golden hellos for maths and science, graduate recruitment is up 23 per cent. for maths and 8 per cent. for science. In September 2000, golden hellos were extended to modern languages and technology. Graduate recruitment for 2000–01 is up by 13 per cent. and 23 per cent. respectively compared to last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the admission figures were for the last three academic years, and for academic year 2001–02, what the latest application figures are, for higher education institutions, broken down into (a) UK based students, (b) EU and EEA students and (c) other overseas students, indicating in each case the figures for (i) full-time and (ii) part-time students. [151161]

The available data on the home domicile of students, covering students applying for full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), are shown in tables 1 and 2. UCAS does not cover applicants or accepted applicants to part-time courses. The available data, collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, on entrants to part-time undergraduate courses are shown in table 3. Information on the numbers of part-time entrants for 2000–01 will be available in April 2001.

Table 1: Accepted applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses via UCAS institutions in the UK
Thousand
	Academic year of entry
Domicile	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
UK	298.2	303.1	308.7
EU	15.9	15.5	14.0
Other overseas	15.7	16.0	17.0
Total	329.8	334.6	339.7

Table 2: Applicants1 to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses via UCAS institutions in the UK
Thousand
	Academic year of entry
Domicile	2000–01	2001–02
UK	292.4	296.4
EU	13.6	11.4
Other overseas	14.4	14.8
Total	320.5	322.6
1 As at 15 December

UCAS UK-domiciled applicants and accepted applicants to Oxford and Cambridge universities by previous educational establishment
	Oxford Year of entry				Cambridge Year of entry
	1999		2000		1999		2000
	Nos.	%1	Nos.	%1	Nos.	%1	Nos.	%1
Applicants
Independent	3,401	42	3,202	40	3,509	36	3,526	36
Maintained2	3,177	39	3,176.	40	4,410	45	4,412	45
Other3	1,222	15	1,304	16	1,495	15	1,474	15
Not known	287	4	281	4	411	4	413	4
Total	8,087	100	7,963	100	9,825	100	9,825	100
Accepted applicants
Independent	1,421	48	1,343	46	1,301	44	1,306	44
Maintained2	1,106	37	1,130	39	1,258	42	1,232	41
Other3	364	12	392	13	340	11	368	12
Not known	73	2	63	2	86	3	93	3
Total	2,964	100	2,928	100	2,985	100	2,999	100
1 Constituent parts may not sum to totals because of rounding.
2 Includes comprehensives, grammar, former grant maintained schools, sixth form centres, special schools and other secondary schools.
3 Includes FE and HE institutions, Sixth Form Colleges. Adult Colleges and City Technology Colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals was in (a) specialist secondary schools and (b) other secondary schools in England for the most recent period for which figures are available. [151165]

Information from the Department's 2000 Annual Schools Census shows that the proportion of pupils "known to be eligible for free school meals" was 16 per cent. in mainstream specialist secondary schools currently operational, and 18 per cent. in other mainstream maintained secondary schools. For those mainstream specialist schools designated in 1996 or earlier, the proportion of pupils "known to be eligible for free school meals" was 14 per cent.: for those mainstream specialist schools designated after that date the proportion was 17 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each constituent college of (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge universities the proportion of (i) applicants and (ii) accepted applicants from (a) state schools and (b) independent schools for the academic years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. [151179]

[holding answer 26 February 2001]: The available data for Oxford and Cambridge universities are given in the table.Figures for each constituent college are not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to establish training and financial support structures for existing voluntary organisations. [151180]

[holding answer 28 February 2001]: My Department has no specific mandate to set up training and financial support structures for voluntary organisations. It is the Home Office Advice Communities Unit that has overall responsibility within Government for the voluntary sector. However, the voluntary sector is essential to the achievement of our objectives and we have put in place a number of arrangements for improvement the way we work with voluntary organisations and to help them improve the quality of their work.We already provide support and technical assistance to providers working on particular initiatives such as Surestart, Millennium Volunteers and the New Deal Innovation Fund. We have established a short-term Voluntary Sector Support Unit within the Department to enhance the relationship with the sector, and we are introducing a national Funding Formula through the Employment Service and the Learning and Skills Council with effect from April this year.

1993–94
School name	Project description	Allocation (£)
Belmont Primary	Remedial works after flooding	43,598
	Re-roofing work	7,000
Chellaston Secondary	New technology extension and internal refurbishment	550,569
Merrill College	Repairs to pipework	924
	Heating system repairs	10,129
	Heating system repairs	6,221
	Health and Safety work and fire prevention measures	84,205
John Port	Heating repairs	71,904
	Roof repairs and Health and Safety work	31,286
Noel-Baker	Roof repairs	102,875
	Roof repairs	44,633
The Pingle	Security measures	63,585

1994–95
School name	Project description	Allocation (£)
Belmont Primary	Boiler repairs	4,824
	Replacement classrooms	256,559
Linton Primary	New hall and changing rooms	210,830
Chellaston Secondary	New sixth form	1,139,747
	Replacement of outfall drains	12,163
Merrill College	Repairs to electrical services following water leak	8,534
	Repair to gas pipes following gas leak	14,688
	Re-roofing works	5,498
	Sewer repairs	5,698
	Essential roof repairs and securing of windows	120,792
John Port	Re-roofing works	77,079
	Foul drainage works	34,251
	Four new science labs accommodation and prep rooms	510,034
Noel-Baker	Re-roofing works	78,317
	Upgrade fabric of block	129,787
The Pingle	Extension and roof repairs to technology block	295,093

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2001, Official Report, column 46W, on schools (South Derbyshire), if he will list the project-specific allocations to individual schools in each of the financial years listed in the table. [151250]

[pursuant to her reply, 12 February 2001, c. 46W]: The project-specific allocations to individual schools in the South Derbyshire constituency in each financial year from 1993–94 are shown in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) where, and in what form, academic

The academic requirements for the Fast Track Teaching programme reflect the demands it will make on those who will participate. The key requirements were published on the Fast Track Recruitment website at the time of the launch in October 2000. They have not been changed since that date. 1,574 applications were received by the closing date of 31 January. In common with accelerated progression schemes for other professions, applicants will undergo a rigorous staged assessment process. We expect that process to continue into April. To date over 400 applicants have proceeded to the second stage. Of those who did not, 21 have asked for their applications to be reviewed. In one case the review has resulted in the applicant progressing to the second stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the annual cost of providing private taxi hire for the purposes of school transport in (a) Devon and (b) the United Kingdom. [151881]

In 1998–99, the latest year for which figures are available, Devon local education authority spent £11.9 million on home to school transport. The figure for England for the same year was £444 million. These figures are for all forms of transport: we do not have any means of estimating the amount spent on taxis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much his Department spent on school bus transport in the last financial year; and if he will break down the sums allocated to each LEA. [152009]

My Department does not allocate money to local education authorities specifically for school transport. Money for this purpose is included in LEAs' standard spending assessments, but it is up to individual authorities how they spend it. In 1998–99, the latest year for which figures are available, LEAs in England spent a total of £444 million on all forms of school transport; we do not have a breakdown of how much of this was on buses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will publish a response to the report of the Disability Rights Task Force, "From Exclusion to Inclusion." [152415]

I am delighted to announce that the Government's response to the Task Force, entitled "Towards Inclusion—civil rights for disabled people", is published today. Copies are available in the Library of the House.We are already taking forward the Task Force's recommendations on civil rights in education in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill, which received its Third reading in the House of Lords on 1 March. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Member for Streatham (Mr. Hill), announced on 7 December that he would be consulting separately on the Task Force's civil rights recommendations on transport. The Disability Rights Commission, on which the Task Force made previous recommendations, has been open to the public since 25 April 2000."Towards Inclusion" describes our proposals for amending the Disability Discrimination Act's provisions on the definition of disability, employment and access to goods, services, facilities and premises. These proposals will have a major impact on promoting equality for, and safeguarding the rights of, disabled people. They include: covering more people with HIV and cancer; ending the DDA's small employer exemption by 2004; bringing within scope of the DDA occupations and employment such as the police, fire-fighters, prison officers, barristers and partners in business partnerships. By making these changes, we will bring over 600,000 disabled people, in a range of jobs and occupations, into its scope. We will also improve the process for making tribunal complaints; extend the scope of the DDA to cover most functions of public bodies—not just services to the public as now; and introduce a new duty for public bodies to promote equalisation of opportunities for disabled people. We are seeking views on our proposals by 8 June. In addition, we have asked the DRC, as part of its role to monitor and review the DDA, to consider further some other Task Force issues."Towards Inclusion" also describes how we have taken forward the Task Force's non-legislative recommendations and outlines the wide range of positive Government action for disabled people over the last four years, in all areas of life.Our 1997 manifesto made a major commitment to disabled people. We promised to support their comprehensive and enforceable civil rights. With the help of the Disability Rights Task Force, the steps we have taken over the last four years—and what we now propose in "Towards Inclusion"—meet this commitment. We are on the way towards creating a truly inclusive society for disabled people.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the number of refugees in Guinea. [151684]

There are currently around 310,000 Sierra Leonean refugees, and around 122,000 Liberian refugees, in Guinea. Many have been there for a number of years. There are also significant numbers of internally displaced Guineans in the south of the country, in the area adjoining the Liberian and Sierra Leone borders.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the composition, terms of reference and scheduled date of reporting of the planned commission on intellectual property rights. [152141]

The process of selecting the commission is under way, but not yet completed. A selection panel will sit at the end of March and propose recommendations for its membership to me thereafter. The terms of reference are as set out in the White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor". We expect the commission to report by the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has contributed to research to identify a microbicide to prevent HIV transmission in the last four years; and which research organisations received funding. [151631]

My Department is a major source of international support for reproductive health commodities including male and female condoms. An effective microbicide would be an important addition to the list of reproductive health commodities and would also offer people more choice and control in protecting themselves from infection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the IT projects his Department plans to undertake in the next year; and if he will state in each case the (a) expected date of commencement and completion and (b) cost. [151473]

[holding answer 26 February 2001]: A number of new Defence IT-related projects are planned to commence during the coming financial year. It is impracticable to list all new initiatives, but the most important is the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII), which will enter its initial assessment phase during 2001–02. This is planned to provide a computing infrastructure across the whole of Defence, and is an important step forward, since it represents a change from stand-alone IT projects to the development of a single Defence-wide computing infrastructure on which both office and business applications will be mounted. The DII is based on, and is planned to subsume, a number of related IT projects. Other business application projects being considered include DRUMM (material management capability), DSMS (Defence Supply Management System), P2P (Purchase to Payment, a component of the Defence e-Commerce programme) and SGIS (Surgeon General's system). All of these are in their formative stages, with completion expected over the next three years. Since contracts for these projects have yet to be awarded and are subject to commercial confidence, I am withholding the information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the IT projects currently undertaken in his Department; and if he will state the (a) expected completion date and (b) cost of each project. [151503]

[holding answer 26 February 2001]: Information Technology is a key component of many Ministry of Defence (MOD) projects, both large and small. Consequently the MOD has a large number of information-related systems in service, under development or planned. Many projects are relatively small and are undertaken within the delegations given to budget-holders and Defence agencies. Comprehensive records of these projects are not held centrally. As part of the MOD response to the McCartney report on improving Government IT projects, records are being compiled for medium to large-scale projects. Since these records include commercial in confidence details of projects, I am withholding the information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Some 45 projects are currently listed and work continues to complete the list and ensure that all useful data have been captured.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the Gulf Veterans Medical Assessment Programme; and if he will make a statement. [151814]

The Gulf Veterans Medical Assessment Programme has been in existence since October 1993 and at the end of February of this year 3,105 veterans had been seen. A paper on the findings from the first 1,000 veterans was published in the British Medical Journal in January 1999. A paper on the second 1,000 veterans will shortly be published in the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps and a paper on the third 1,000 veterans, and the 3,000 in total, is almost ready for submission for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. A presentation based on this last paper was made by the head of the GVMAP at a recent conference on Gulf illnesses in the United States.Psychiatric illneses are predominant among the illnesses seen at the GVMAP, of which Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with or without co-morbidity, is the most common. The GVMAP physicians have found a few other Gulf related illnesses, predominantly of a respiratory or dermatological nature. They have not found any evidence of a unique syndrome among Gulf veterans or any unusual pattern of disease among veterans who attended the programme. They have not seen any evidence of increased immunological, neurological or renal diseases, or the appearance of any unusual cancers. The symptoms presented by veterans who have attended the GVMAP are similar to those reported by members of the general population attending their GPs' surgeries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what repots the Department has received or produced relating to neurological damage sustained by service personnel in the Gulf War; and if he will publish them. [152154]

The Ministry of Defence has not received any reports relating to neurological damage in Gulf veterans which have not been published in scientific journals or are otherwise publicly available. Nor has the Ministry of Defence produced any such reports.The MOD is currently sponsoring research at King's College Medical School which is investigating neuromuscular problems in Gulf veterans. The results of this research will be published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date and for what reasons he decided to acknowledge the existence of the Force Reaction Unit; what the limits are on disclosure of information regarding the activities of this unit; and what instructions he has issued regarding the co-operation of former members of the FRU with the Stevens Inquiry. [150583]

I believe my hon. Friend is referring to the Force Research Unit (FRU).In July 2000 the Ministry of Defence provided a national newspaper with information relating to a court order obtained against a former soldier, known as "R". The order was obtained in order to protect lives and national security. These papers confirmed that "R" was a former member of the FRU.Further information regarding the activities of this unit is withheld under exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.It would be inappropriate for the MOD to issue instructions to any former soldier who is to be questioned by the police on any issue. Nevertheless, the MOD is fully supportive of the Stevens Inquiry and will continue to provide it with whatever assistance it can.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel in total have served with the armed forces in Northern Ireland since troops were deployed there in 1969; how many have been killed and injured in the course of their duties; how many are receiving war pensions as a result of injuries sustained in Northern Ireland; and how many widows are receiving pensions where bereavement is attributable to tours of duty in Northern Ireland. [150584]

Since August 1969, the total number of soldiers who have served at least one day in Northern Ireland is 310,831, while the total number of officers who have served at least one day in Northern Ireland is 28,282¹. In the case of the Royal Air Force 2,233 officers and 24,236 airmen/airwomen are recorded as having received pay while serving in Northern Ireland and will, therefore, have served at least one month in Province. Comparable information for the Royal Navy is not available.The number of service personnel who have lost their lives since August 1969 in connection with their military duties and responsibilities in Northern Ireland is detailed in the table.

	Number
Army2	651
RN3	11
RAF3	4

Date	Duties
30 April 2000	A Company-Exercise Red Stripe in Jamaica
7–26 May 2000	Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone
31 July-4 August 2000	Arms plot move to Dover
2–20 September 2000	A Company-Operation Barras Sierra Leone
October-December 2000	Northern Ireland Training
December 2000	Rural Roulement Bn (Northern Ireland)-two Companies are in Northern Ireland

They are engaged on a variety of Infantry Training duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much depleted uranium was used by each country in the allied forces during the Gulf war. [147377]

As far as we are aware, only UK and US forces used ammunition containing depleted uranium The number of British service personnel injured in Northern Ireland since August 1969 is detailed in the table.

	Number
Army4	6,146
RN5	165
RAF5	154
1 These figures include regular soldiers, full and part-time members of the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment. They also include members of the TA, who do not play any part in security operations in Northern Ireland, but it is not possible to extract these figures from the overall totals.
2 Figures are from August 1969–19 February 2001 and relate to terrorist activity. 434 deaths occurred while the individual was on duty.
3 Figures are from 1 January 1974–19 February 2001 and include injuries/deaths from all causes.
4 Figures are from August 1969–19 February 2001 and relate primarily to injuries which were incurred while on duty; however, the manner in which data have historically been compiled means some injuries incurred while off duty may also be included.
5 Figures are from 1 January 1976–19 February 2001 and relate primarily to injuries which were incurred while on duty; however, the manner in which data have historically been compiled means some injuries incurred while off duty may also be included.

Information about the number of widows receiving pensions where bereavement is attributable to tours of duty in Northern Ireland is not readily available. Neither my Department nor the War Pensions Agency categorises these pensions according to the geographical area in which bereavement took place. This information could be obtained only by a manual search of all pension files, which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further action has been taken against the three paratroopers alleged to have shot Fahri Bici and Avni Dudi in Kosovo; and what duties have been undertaken since April 2000 by (a) the 1^st Battalion Parachute Regiment and (b) the three paratroopers against whom allegations have been made. [150632]

This issue is currently being considered by the Attorney-General, and any potential further action will be dependant on the outcome of his deliberations. The 1^st Battalion Parachute Regiment has undertaken the following duties since 1 April 2000.(DU) during the Gulf conflict. The Ministry of Defence's assessment is that UK tanks used fewer than one hundred 120mm rounds against Iraq's military forces during hostilities (this equates to less than one metric tonne of DU). Additional rounds were fired by UK forces during earlier work-up training to establish the round's Mean Point of Impact. In a paper published in December 2000, the US Government reported that US forces in the Gulf had fired ammunition rounds containing some 290 metric tonnes of DU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between (a) Government officials and (b) Ministers and British companies about the latter's participation in National Missile Defence projects. [151608]

No discussions have taken place between either Ministers or officials of my Department and British companies about participation by the latter in US National Missile Defence projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the number of Typhoons which will be (a) purchased and (b) brought into service by the UK; and what the in-service date for the Typhoon in the United Kingdom is. [151792]

[holding answer 1 March 2001]: Typhoon is the name given by industry to the export version of Eurofighter; it is not the name for RAF aircraft.The UK currently intends to acquire 232 Eurofighter aircraft, and we plan to bring all of these aircraft into service, except for two Instrumented Production Aircraft and one to be used for the Major Aircraft Fatigue Test.Production contracts for the first 55 RAF aircraft were signed in September 1998. Contracts for the remaining aircraft are planned for 2003 and 2007. The in-service date of Eurofighter, which is defined as delivery of the first aircraft, is June 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date and for what reason the former serviceman described as Geoff in the BBC television documentary "Brits" was discharged from the Army. [152088]

It is not normal practice to disclose such details of any individual's military service. Such information is confidential between employer and employee and is withheld under Exemptions 8a and 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new staff have been taken on in the Gulf Veterans Illnesses Unit to deal with issues relating to Porton Down volunteers since 21 November 2000; and in what grades each of these new staff were. [152083]

Since 21 November 2000, the following members of staff have joined the Gulf Veterans Illnesses Unit (GVIU), specifically to deal with issues relating to the Porton Down Volunteer Programme:

• 1 x Principal (Grade B2).
• 2 x Senior Executive Officers (Grade C1).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 November 2000, Official Report, columns 101–02W, on what dates officials from his Department and the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, held meetings with the Medical Research Council regarding advice on an independent epidetmiological study for Porton Down volunteers. [152080]

My staff met representatives from the Medical Research Council (MRC) at Porton Down on 5 March 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 December 2000, Official Report, column 223W, regarding nerve agent studies, if the research to establish the definitive numbers of Porton Down volunteers who have taken part in nerve agent studies will include an assessment of the safety and ethical procedures which were in force at Porton Down during these studies [152054]

Yes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2001, Official Report, column 659W, regarding Oripavine, if he will place in the Library a list of the technical papers which discuss the different aspects of Porton' s research on TL2636, specifying the title, number and date of each paper. [152050]

The Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of DERA at Porton Down has identified several internal technical reports which relate to research involving Oripavine TL2636. These are as follows:

Porton Technical Paper 0835: Oripavine derivative (TL2636) as a potential incapacitating agent. 1963

Porton Technical Paper 0951: Prediction of biological activity. 1966

Nancekuke Internal Note 9: Some applications of potentiometric titrations in non-aqueous media. 1965

Nancekuke Internal Note 16: Analysis of tertiary alcohols of the 6:14 endetheno tetrahydro Oripavine series. 1966

Nancekuke Report 78: Preparation of tertiary alcohols of the 6:14 endetheno tetrahydro Oripavine series. 1966

Porton Down Technical Paper 939: N-dealkylation of Oripavine derivatives and its significance in their pharmacological activity. Date unknown.

Technical Paper 008: Neuropharmacological comparison in the cat of the catalepsy producing drugs morphine and bulbocapnine. 1969

Technical Paper 068: Effects of small doses of an Oripavine derivative on human subjects under both laboratory and field conditions. 1972.

The following three reports have some reference to Oripavine TL2636:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, have made of the report produced by the US Institute of Medicine in 1993 entitled, "Veterans at Risk-the health effects of mustard gas and lewisite"; and on what dates these assessments were made. [152082]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the ways in which his Department and the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, have co-operated and provided assistance to the Wiltshire Police during their inquiry into human trials at Porton Down. [152081]

From the start of the investigation by Wiltshire Police, staff at Porton Down have been as helpful as possible in providing them with the material they require. Officers were issued passes to allow them easy access to the Porton Down site and, prior to moving the records to the Police Headquarters, the Police had use of an office containing the archived volunteer files to carry out their work. The Police have also had access to archive material held in the Ministry of Defence's archives, and research advice and assistance from the MOD historical branches.MOD staff continue to be in regular contact with their opposite numbers in the Wiltshire Constabulary and meet with them whenever necessary to discuss points of concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the 1985 US-UK Strategic Defence Initiative Memorandum of Understanding. [152052]

I am withholding this information under exemption lb of the Code of Practice, relating to international relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has made to offer stakeholder pensions to members of the reserve forces. [152055]

The Ministry of Defence is in the process of going out to tender for a designated stakeholder pension scheme. It is intended to offer eligible members of the reserve forces the opportunity to make contributions to the designated stakeholder pension scheme via deductions from their pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his policy planners department was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular (a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the department on a full-time basis. [150373]

The Directorate of Defence Policy in the Ministry of Defence was renamed the Directorate of Policy Planning in autumn 1999, although the role it undertakes remains similar. It supports the strategic planning process which arose from the Strategic Defence Review, and undertakes policy development work on a range of issues. It also carries out work in support of the Defence Diplomacy initiative and the Government's conflict prevention agenda.The Directorate does not generally publish reports in the public domain in its own right, but it had a major input, for example, into three recent Ministry of Defence publications (Defence Policy 2001, The Future Strategic Context for Defence and Policy Paper 1: Defence Diplomacy).The Directorate currently comprises 22 full-time Ministry of Defence employed personnel, both civilian and military, and one French military exchange officer. It does not contain any special advisers.In undertaking its work, the Directorate works with a wide range of bodies in the Ministry of Defence, other Government Departments, the academic community and other interested parties. Special advisers do not routinely participate in its work, although they may be involved in discussion of work undertaken by the Directorate, in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of progress in implementing the Investment Strategy; if he will list the exceptional circumstances under which sites may be offered to other public bodies; what sites have been disposed of in this way, and under what circumstances in each case, in the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [150524]

The Investment Strategy was published as a result of the 2000 Spending Review, which sets out new plans for investment for 2001–02 to 2003–04. At the same time, the Government committed themselves to producing documents that would show how Departments planned to use this funding by setting out a strategic plan for both new investment and the use of existing assets. The Defence Investment Strategy is the result. The Strategy sets out the strategic context the MOD is working in, an analysis of its existing asset base, future investment plans and the systems the Department will be adopting to deliver value for money.The exceptional circumstances under which sites may be offered to other public bodies are where it will ensure the future preservation of an area of importance for nature conservation, a listed building or scheduled monument or to preserve a community facility which would have no alternative use. Details of the sites which have been disposed of in this way over the last four years are not held centrally, and the costs of retrieving this information would be disproportionate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former service personnel have made an appointment with the Medical Assessment Programme at St. Thomas's Hospital since 21 November 2000; and how many of these appointments have been made following a referral from the individual's medical practitioner. [152049]

All appointments with the Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) at St. Thomas' Hospital are made as a result of a referral by the patient's GP. During the period 21 November 2000 to 1 March 2001, 47 former service personnel who served in the Gulf have been referred to the MAP. Of these 26 have been seen.During the same time period 42 former Porton Down volunteers have been referred to the MAP by their GP. Of this number 12 have been seen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available sites designated for live firing for dry military training. [151692]

All sites designated for live firing are used for dry training whenever it is safe to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates army firing took place within each of the firing ranges in the Dartmoor National Park; and which dates were advertised in advance for the year ending 31 December 2000. [151884]

The advertised and actual number of days on which the Armed Forces fired on each of the three firing ranges in the Dartmoor National Park for the year ending 31 December 2000 are as follows:

Range	Advertised	Actual
Okehampton	60	47
Willsworthy	179	125
Merrivale	128	87

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries and personal attacks for residents of (a) housing blocks owned by local authorities and housing associations and (b) privately owned houses there were in the last 12 months. [151532]

[holding answer 27 February 2001]: Crimes recorded by the police do not provide this information. The most recent results available from the 2000 British crime survey relate to 1999, and estimate the number of burglaries and personal attacks against those in privately owned houses and those renting from social and private landlords. The survey cannot provide figures for people living in

"housing blocks owned by local authorities and housing associations"

as some blocks will have a tenure mix of owner occupiers, private tenants, and social renters. The figures for local authority/housing association properties will also include flats as well as houses. Table 1 gives the figures available.

Table 1: Estimated number of burglaries and violence incidents in 1999 (in thousands), by tenure type (British crime survey estimates)
Tenure	Burglary1	Violence2
Owner occupiers	596	1,652
Social rented sector	476	710
Private rented sector	237	703
1 Includes attempts and burglary with entry.
2 Comprises the following offences; robbery, snatch theft, wounding and common assault.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) hove many either-way offences were dealt with by magistrates in each year since 1987; of these how many were (a) committed to the Crown court for sentence and (b) committed for trial by Crown court; and in how many of these was mode of trial (i) elected by the defendant and (ii) referred for trial where the magistrate declined jurisdiction; [151818](2) how many defendants in either-way cases pleaded

The Home Office court proceedings database does not contain information on whether defendants elect Crown court trial or are directed for trial there, nor does it contain details on defendants' pleas at magistrates courts. The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for triable either-way offences in England and Wales for the years 1987 to 1999 are shown in Table A, together with details of those committed for trial or sentence. Table B shows details of plea entered by defendants committed for trial on triable either-way offences at tf e Crown court in England and Wales for the years 1996to 1999.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not separately record plea by type of offence at magistrates courts, but does record defendants finalised at the Crown court who elected for Crown court trial. Table C, from CPS statistics for the years 1992 to 2000, shows the proportion of defendants committed for trial to the Crown court in England and Wales for either-way offences who elected Crown court trial.

Table A: Defendants proceeded against for triable either-way offences at magistrates courts in England and Wales, and those committed for trial or sentence, 1987 to 1999
Year	Defendants proceeded against	Defendants committed for trial	Defendants committed for sentence
1987	468,900	95,600	5,800
1988	473,300	95,100	6,100
1989	425,900	82,000	5,500
1990	444,500	82,000	6,200
1991	462,400	82,600	7,100
1992	462,000	74,900	5,900
1993	449,600	66,600	3,600
1994	466,800	69,500	3,600
1995	434,100	61,100	3,700
1996	432,600	61,200	4,400
1997	454,400	66,500	6,800
1998	477,500	52,000	18,200
1999	479,900	51,000	19,300

Table B: Defendants committed for trial for triable either-way offences to the Crown court in England and Wales, by plea, 1996 to 1999
Year	Defendants pleading guilty	Defendants pleading not guilty
1996	46,500	21,300
1997	51,000	21,900
1998	40,000	22,200
1999	35,900	21,900

Table C: Crown Prosecution Statistics—Percentage of either-way cases committed to the Crown court in which the defendant has elected Crown court trial, England and Wales, 1987 to 2000
Year	Percentage of triable either-way defendants electing to be committed for trial
19871	52
1988	45
1989	42
1990	38
1991	37
1992	37
1993	35
1994	35
1995	33

Table C: Crown Prosecution Statistics—Percentage of either-way cases committed to the Crown court in which the defendant has elected Crown court trial, England and Wales, 1987 to 2000
Year	Percentage of triable either-way defendants electing to be committed for trial
1996	32
1997	28
1998	28
1999	32
2000	30
1 Data available for April to December only

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in Lancashire in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [151759]

Statistics on the strength of the Special Constabulary have been collected since 1995 by the Home Office research development and statistics directorate. These figures are compiled at the end of March and September each year. Before 1995, figures were collected by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The figures for 1992 were compiled at the end of the calendar year.The Special Constabulary strength figures for Lancashire Special Constabulary for 1992, September 1997 and September 2000 (the latest figures available) are as follows:

	December 1992	September 1997	September 2000
Male	313	286	222
Female	226	214	140
Total	539	500	362

We are currently considering a number of recruitment and retention issues in relation to the Special Constabulary with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities with a view to seeing how best to address the decline in the number of special constables in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who have had their applications rejected are in receipt of NASS support prior to removal from the country; and if he will make a statement. [151746]

The information requested is not currently available. However, the national asylum support service (NASS) supports single asylum seekers who receive a negative decision for 14 days following notification to them of the decision. Families with children under 18 who receive a final negative decision will continue to be supported by NASS until they leave the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of crimes committed by asylum seekers in each police authority area in each quarter of (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [151237]

The information on offences recorded in each police authority area that is routinely returned to the Home Office does not include details of the offender. Information is also not held in respect of statistics relating to asylum seekers themselves. The only statistics which relate in any way to offences committed by those from abroad are court statistics of the number of offenders recommended for deportation, but these relate to others as well as asylum seekers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many held asylum seekers have been returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in each month of the last two years. [151289]

The requested information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives embarked upon since May 1997 have benefited Ilford, North; and if he will make a statement. [152028]

The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office annual reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although set out are examples relating to the Ilford, North constituency or the immediate locality.Redbridge, in partnership with Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Waltham Forest, is running a drug arrest referral scheme. The borough is policed by the Metropolitan police, who have increased the amount of class A drugs seized by 23 per cent. from 1997 to 1998. The borough also benefits from a Londonwide domestic violence and racially motivated crime initiative being run by the Metropolitan police.The Redbridge crime and disorder reduction partnership audit, which covers Ilford, North, was published in 1999. It showed, among other findings, that Redbridge has the second lowest crime rate in London. Redbridge's crime and disorder reduction strategy for 1999–2002 was published later in the year, setting three-year objectives for each priority area and identifying specific projects to enable these to be met.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bolton, West constituency, the effects on Bolton, West of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150605]

The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office annual reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.The impact of Home office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although set out are examples relating to the Bolton, West constituency or the immediate locality:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide during the period of a foot and mouth emergency for (a) one free postal delivery of municipal election addresses, (b) moneys to be spent promoting voting by post, (c) Northern Ireland local government elections to be brought forward to 3 May and (d) moneys to promote awareness among those using postal votes in Northern Ireland of the different method for voting between Westminster elections and that used for electing members of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [151880]

The Government have no current plans to extend the provision of free posting of electoral addresses to candidates in local elections. A Home Office-funded campaign to publicise the changes in postal voting procedures began on 19 February, shortly after they came into force.The conduct of local government elections in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. We have no plans to introduce either of the suggested measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessments he has made of the implications of the current foot and mouth outbreak for the feasibility of holding national or local elections in (a) April and (b) May. [152168]

The date of a parliamentary general election is not a matter for me. The law requires the local elections schedule for 3 May to take place on that date. At the moment we have no intention to change that.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to prepare for commencement of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000; and what public bodies he has consulted concerning future application of a general duty to promote race equality. [150613]

A commencement order has been made for the provisions of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act to come into force on 2 April 2001. There is one exception to this. To enable the immigration provisions to work effectively from 2 April 2001, the order provides for section 1 of the Act to come into force on 26 March 2001 (for the purposes of the imposition of requirements or giving of express authorisations (as defined) by a Minister of the Crown).A public consultation paper was issued on 22 February 2001 setting out the Government's proposals for extending the list of public bodies in the Act that are subject to the general duty to promote and the specific duties to promote race equality that might apply. The paper has been circulated widely among the public bodies that are likely to be affected by the new duty and to other interested parties for comments by 15 May 2001. A copy has been placed in the Library. The paper is also available on the Home Office website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ raceact/welcome.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down by religious belief (a) the prison population and (b) the population as a whole. [150614]

On 30 June 1999, there were 64,529 prisoners in England and Wales. Information on inmates' religious affiliation is recorded as a standard part of the reception process on entry into prison.Of the inmates, 42 per cent. were Anglican, 17.5 per cent. were Roman Catholic and 3 per cent. belonged to other Christian denominations. Further, 7 per cent. were Muslim, 1.5 per cent. were Buddhist, Hindu or Sikh and 1 per cent. belonged to other religions. The remaining 28 per cent. of the population did not profess to belong to any religion.This information is also published in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (Table 6.6 of the 1999 edition, Cm 4805) copies of which are in the Library.Information on the religious composition of the general population is currently available only through the British social attitudes survey, which is conducted annually. This is a sample survey of 3,500 randomly chosen households in Great Britain, of whom 3,143 responded to the following question: "Do you regard yourself as belonging to any particular religion?"In 1999, the responses were as follows: 27 per cent. were Anglican, 9 per cent. were Roman Catholic and 16 per cent. belonged to other Christian denominations. Further, 1.5 per cent. were Muslim, 1 per cent. were Buddhist, Hindu or Sikh and 0.6 per cent. belonged to other religions.Forty-four per cent. of the sample claimed no religion. One per cent. refused to divulge their religion or did not answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Hull, North constituency, the effects on Hull, North of his Department' s policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150618]

The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although set out are examples relating to the Hull, North constituency or the immediate locality:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was raised from fixed speeding penalties, arising front police cameras in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997, (d) 1998, (e) 1999 and (f) 2000. [150624]

Available information showing the number of fixed penalties for speeding offences, where cameras have provided evidence, from 1995 to 1999 is given in the table. Automatic camera devices provided evidence from 1995 to 1998 and all camera types for 1999. Data for 2000 are not yet available. From 1995 to 1999 the fixed penalty ch trge for speeding offences was £40.

Fixed penalties for speeding offences detected by cameras1, England and Wales, 1995–99
Year	Fixed penalties2	'Estimated' revenue (£ million)3
1995	170,000	6.8
1996	212,600	8.8
1997	288,600	11.5
1998	338,800	13.6
1999	423,000	16.9
1 Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types for 1999
2 Paid ie no further action
3 'Estimate' based on £40 fixed penalty charge from 1995 to 1999

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Vale of Clwyd constituency, the effects on the Vale of Clwyd of his Department's policies and actions since May 1997. [151931]

The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the right and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although examples relating to the Vale of Clwyd constituency or the immediate locality are set out as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to address members of the Criminal Bar Association on their relationships with the criminal fraternity; [152133](2) what plans he has to meet the Chairman of the Bar Council to discuss the criminal justice system and the conduct of barristers; [152131](3) what plans he has to bring forward legislation enabling action to be taken against barristers at the criminal bar who are suspected of acting unprofessionally. [152132]

My right hon. Friend has no such plans. Barristers are subject to the Bar code of conduct. The code is a matter for the Bar Council, which is responsible for its enforcement, including investigating allegations of professional misconduct.

Title of contract	Awarded by	Contract start	Contract finish
Facilities Management at Police Scientific Development Branch Langhurst	Home Office	6 January 1998	31 January 2002
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Mandatory Training	Fire Service College	28 September 1998	31 March 2003

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he intends to bring forward the Mode of Trial Bill; [152130](2) if he will abandon his previously announced plans to restrict trial by jury. [152129]

As was affirmed in the speech from the Throne, the Government propose to give the courts, rather than the defendant, the power to decide where an either-way case should be tried. No decisions have been taken on the timing of this measure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual level of sewerage charges is on homes in (a) Devon, (b) the United Kingdom and (c) his Department's estate in Denbury. [151882]

Unmeasured sewerage charges consist of a fixed charge and a charge based on the rateable value of the property, both of which vary by water company. Information on unmeasured sewerage charges published by the Office of Water Services (Ofwat) show that in England and Wales in the financial year 2000–01, the weighted average fixed charge is £41.50 and the weighted average charged based on rateable value is 46.89p in the pound. Figures for South West Water, which covers Devon, are £42 and 112.35P in the pound respectively. The charges for the properties in the former Prison Service quarters estates are based on South West Water's figures and are equivalent to the charge which would be made by that company.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many exemption certificates have been issued on the grounds of national security since the implementation of the Data Protection Act 1998. [151119]

[holding answer 26 January 2001]: Since the Act came into force I have signed one certificate, which relates to categories of personal data held by the Security Service. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has signed two certificates which relate to categories of personal data held by the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts that exist between SERCo and his Department, its executive agencies and associated public bodies; and if he will list those which have existed in the last three years. [151336]

I list the details on existing contracts with SERCo. The available information shows that there have been no other contracts between SERCo and my Department, its agencies and associated public bodies in the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Ministers in his Department who visited any of the constituencies which are in the Peterborough unitary authority area between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001, indicating in each case (a) the date of the visit, (b) the constituencies included in the visit and (c) if the local hon. Member met the Minister. [151027]

[holding answer 26 February 2001]: The list of Ministers within my Department who have visited the Peterborough unitary authority area within the specified period above are as follows:

Area	Date	Minister
Huntingdon Life Sciences, Cambridgeshire	8 June 2000	Mike O'Brien
Newmarket, Cambridgeshire	19 April 2000	Mike O'Brien

The Minister did not meet the local MP on these visits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the draft Proceeds of Crime Bill. [152128]

I have today published a Command Paper, CM 5066, entitled "Proceeds of Crime Bill: Publication of Draft Clauses." Copies have been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Home Office website, www.homeoffice.gov.uk.The draft clauses we are publishing provide for the establishment of an asset recovery agency; the introduction of civil recovery; the application of taxation powers to suspected criminal assets; the creation of new specific powers for the tracing and investigation of criminal assets; the restraint of assets of suspected persons during a criminal investigation instead of only at the point of charge; improvements in the United Kingdom's ability to assist foreign jurisdictions; and the reform and updating of confiscation procedures and money laundering offences. The Bill, the work on which has been undertaken on a collaborative basis, will introduce equivalent measures in Scotland and Northern Ireland, adjusted for the legal systems of those Jurisdictions.The Government will take account of the responses to the Command Paper before finalising the Bill for introduction. We are asking to receive replies before the end of May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) operators and (b) hirers of self-drive vehicles have been liable for penalties under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 Carriers Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sate of Transporter) Regulations 2000 attributable to the actions of their clients; and if he will make a statement [151797]

The civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 enable the imposition of a penalty on those who, through negligence or otherwise, allow their vehicles to be used by persons seeking to enter the United Kingdom clandestinely. Owners, hirers and drivers of vehicles found to have carried clandestine entrants are jointly and severally liable to a penalty of £2,000 for each clandestine entrant carried.Since 3 April, when the provisions were implemented, and as at 28 February 2001, a total of 815 civil penalties have been imposed on persons found to have carried between them 4,514 clandestine entrants. Eighteen of the penalties have been imposed on the owners, hirers and drivers of self-drive vehicles in respect of a total of 193 clandestine entrants carried.A code of practice, issued in accordance with the legislation, sets out the practical measures that should be taken by those seeking to prevent unauthorised entry into their vehicles, and provides a basis for a defence against a penalty should clandestine entrance nevertheless be found. Vehicle owners who believe they are unable to fulfil the requirements of the code of practice are advised to seek ways to offset any financial liability to which they may be exposed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many apprentices and other trainees have been affected by the Corns closures announced on 1 February; and what action he is taking to secure continuity in their training programmes. [148986]

[holding answer 7 February 2001]: Corns informs me that where there have been major job reductions/closures in the past, the company has been able, with very few exceptions, to get all trainees through to the end of their apprenticeships. The company's intention is to ensure that all current trainees have the opportunity of completing their training. This may require some to relocate.The announcement on 1 February related to several plants in England and Wales. The company has provided me with the following information about the number of apprentices/trainees at the plants as follows:

	Number
Ebbw Vale	48 apprentices
Scunthorpe and Teesside	No impact on trainees as they are employed directly by local colleges
Llanwern and Port Talbot	130 apprentices
Shotton	30 apprentices
Rotherham	17 apprentices/trainees

Corus has a good track record on training and we will encourage it to maintain this record.