To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what checks the Environment Agency makes before providing individuals with waste management licences and waste carrier licences. [148730]

Under section 36(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Environment Agency may reject an application for waste management licence if it is not satisfied the applicant is a "fit and proper person" or if rejection is necessary to prevent pollution of the environment or harm to human health. There are three components to the "fit and proper person" test: conviction for a relevant offence, technical competence and financial provision. Guidance on these provisions has been provided to the Environment Agency in Waste Management Paper No. 4 "Licensing of Waste Management Facilities"; and Waste Management Paper No. 4A "Licensing of Metal Recycling Sites".Under section 3 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, and Regulation 5 of the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations 1991, the Environment Agency may reject an application for registration as a carrier of controlled waste if, among other reasons, the applicant has been convicted of a prescribed offence, and in the opinion of the Agency it is undesirable for the applicant to be authorised to transport waste. Guidance on the refusal by the Environment Agency of applications for waste carrier registration has been provided in DOE Circular 11/91 (paragraphs 1.27–1.47).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to allow the coastguard to use public funds for non-operational purposes, including publicity; and if he will make a statement. [151445]

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for the operation of the Coastguard service. The Agency uses public funding for non-operational purposes such as publicity and educational material to raise safety awareness, promote maritime safety generally and to protect the marine environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what weight will be given to health risks when deciding on planning permission for mobile telephone masts. [151656]

Health considerations and public concern can in principle be material considerations in determining applications for planning permission and prior approval. Whether such matters are material in a particular case is ultimately a matter for the courts. It is for the decision-maker (usually the local planning authority) to determine what weight to attach to such considerations in any particular case. However, it is the Government's view that if a proposed development meets the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) on limiting public exposure to electromagnetic fields it should not be necessary for an authority, in processing an application, to consider health effects further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the provisions of the New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991 in relation to the control of roadworks undertaken by private telecommunications contractors. [152048]

Regulations under section 74 of the New Road and Street Works Act 1991 were laid before the House on 26 February. These will come into force on 1 April and allow highway authorities to levy charges on utilities, including telecommunications companies, who fail to complete street works by an agreed deadline. The Government also took powers in the Transport Act 2000 to make regulations permitting highway authorities to levy daily charges on utilities from the outset of works (so-called "lane rental"). The lane rental powers are being kept in reserve at this stage. However, we will activate them if it becomes clear that the section 74 powers have failed to reduce sufficiently the disruption which works cause to road users. We have also made it clear that we are prepared to introduce further measures, including revisiting other provisions of the 1991 Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many licences have been withdrawn from bus companies by bus vehicle inspectors in each of the last three years. [152003]

Vehicle Examiners from the Vehicle Inspectorate notify the results of their maintenance inspections to Traffic Commissioners who are responsible for licensing operators of public service vehicles. The numbers of licences revoked by Traffic Commissioners as a result of operators failing to maintain their vehicles adequately are:

• 1997–98:—21
• 1998–99:—20
• 1999–00:—18.

All figures relate to Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2001, Official Report, column 317W, on Turnham Green tube station, on how many occasions Piccadilly Line trains have made special stops at Turnham Green tube station since the current engineering works began. [152156]

This is an operational issue for London Underground who inform me that between 3 February and 6 March 2001 there have been 12 special stops in the morning and five special stops in the afternoon of Piccadilly Line trains at Turnham Green tube station. The majority of these stops were made outside the peak hours.LUL have also informed me that there have been three additional periods, two in the morning peak and one between 8pm and 10pm when Piccadilly Line trains have stopped but the actual number of trains that have stopped during each period has not been recorded for those occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2001 to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Coleman), Official Report, column 525W, on London Underground, what factors underlay the difference between (a) the original figure for London Underground's gross operating margin for 1999–2000 and the revised figure, (b) the original operating loss of London Underground Ltd. for 1999–2000 and the revised loss, (c) the original budgeted gross operating margin of London Underground Ltd. for 2000–01 and the revised figure and (d) the original budgeted investment programme for London Underground Ltd. in 2000–01 and the revised figure. [152370]

As was made clear in the Answer referred to in the Question, these differences result from London Underground's adoption of the accounting standard Financial Reporting Standard 15, which governs the treatment of tangible fixed assets. The underlying figures are unchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the criteria governing the siting of Tiredness Kills notices on motorways. [152263]

Decisions on the provision of signs at specific locations are made locally and, based on conditions at the site concerned. In most cases, however, "Tiredness Can Kill" signs are provided no more than around two miles in advance of a motorway service area. This ensures that motorists who take the advice to have a break from driving do so at a motorway service area, where they can park safely.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many road fund licences were unpaid in (a) Essex and (b) Kent at the end of February; what the procedure for collecting the moneys due for unpaid road fund licences is; and what the penalties for non-payment are. [152595]

A roadside survey conducted in 1999 estimated that there were 43,000 unlicensed vehicles in Essex and 44,000 in Kent.Vehicle excise duty (VED) evaders are required to pay an out-of-court settlement or in more serious cases face prosecution. Some 612,000 were penalised last year. In addition a scheme is in place to wheelclamp, impound and dispose of unlicensed vehicles. Over 333,000 motorists have been encouraged to relicense thus far as a result of the scheme over the three and a half years it has been in operation.The maximum fine for VED evasion is a £1,000 or five times the annual rate of duty, whichever is the greater. In addition a penalty equal to the amount of duty owed must be paid, together with costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government are taking to enforce the requirement for all vehicles to display a valid tax disc. [152489]

Following a roadside survey in 1999, it is estimated that the level of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) evasion has been cut for the first time from 4.1 per cent. in 1994 to 3.9 per cent., representing a saving of £17 million a year.The payment of VED is enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Action includes offering out-of-court settlements and prosecuting where appropriate. Last year over 612,000 motorists were penalised and some £86 million in total was recovered in fines, penalties and relicensing revenue.Part of DVLA's enforcement role is to administer a nationwide scheme to wheelclamp, impound and dispose of unlicensed vehicles. The scheme has encouraged over 333,000 motorists to relicense their vehicles voluntarily bringing in over £39 million in increased revenue over the last three and a half years. The police work closely with DVLA on VED enforcement and take part in a programme of high profile VED enforcement campaigns throughout the country. Last year, 26 such campaigns were undertaken.A new initiative to detect and deter unlicensed vehicles will make use of mobile automatic number plate readers. A trial is due to take place shortly. It is planned to introduce this camera technology on a nationwide basis later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government are taking to meet its target of 10,000 megawatts of CHP by 2010. [152638]

We have introduced a range of incentives to stimulate CHP growth, including exemption of Good Quality CHP from the Climate Change Levy, subject to EU clearance and eligibility for enhanced capital allowances. Electricity generating plant and machinery will also be exempted from business rating from 1 April 2001 A comprehensive strategy will be launched in the coming months to ensure that our 2010 target is achieved with the help of the measures already announced and other new measures designed to stimulate CHP growth further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many (a) fatal accidents and (b) accidents requiring an overnight stay in hospital there were on construction sites in each Government region in the last three years. [152640]

	1997–98		1998–99		1999–20001
Region	Fatal	Major/Non-fatal	Fatal	Major/non-fatal	Fatal	Major/Non-fatal
North	5	282	0	287	2	311
North West	15	576	12	546	9	559
Yorkshire and Humberside	7	430	5	484	8	426
West Midlands	7	331	7	365	3	378
East Midlands	4	347	3	336	5	284
East Anglia	0	142	4	188	3	164
South West	5	365	4	380	10	419
South East	12	761	11	799	13	824
Greater London	12	635	9	744	15	815
Wales	7	285	6	261	3	273
Scotland	12	511	7	644	14	587
Total	86	4,665	68	5,034	85	5,040
1 The figures for 1999–2000 are provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the average mortgage payment was in London (a) in 1996 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [152192]

Based on data from the Family Resources Survey, the estimated average mortgage payment for owner occupiers in London with an outstanding mortgage was:

	£ per week
1996–97	64
1999–2000	82

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what level of grant he will set for the Greater London Authority for 2001. [153069]

The following table displays, for each of the past three years¹, reported fatal and major injuries to workers and fatal and non-fatal injuries to members of the public in the construction industry.The statistics are compiled from reports by employers and others under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Major and non-fatal injuries are defined as major injuries to workers (e.g. amputations, fractures and injuries which lead to 24 hours stay in hospital) and to members of the public, which lead to immediate transfer to hospital. Overnight stays in hospital are not reported.

GLA Transport grant is determined annually after consultation with the Mayor of London under section 101 of the GLA Act 1999. The Secretary of State has today determined the level of grant for 2001–02 at £707,088,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what major land assets were transferred to Transport for London on 3 July 2000. [153068]

I have today placed a list in the Libraries of both Houses, which details all the major land assets that TfL inherited on 3 July 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the inspector's report on the inquiry into the fifth terminal at Heathrow will be published. [152660]

The Secretary of State plans to publish the Inspector's Report when he issues the decision on Terminal 5. This is in accordance with the usual practice for planning decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish his response to the recommendations of the panel that conducted the public examination of draft regional planning guidance for Yorkshire and the Humber; and if he will make a statement. [153125]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is today publishing for public consultation Proposed Changes to the Draft Regional Planning Guidance (RPG 12) for Yorkshire and the Humber. They are largely based on the recommendations of the independent Panel that held a public examination into draft RPG last summer.In October 2000, my right hon. Friend published new guidance on regional planning in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 11. This followed the announcement of a new approach to planning for housing provision last March which was taken forward in more detail in the revised Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 3. Important issues for the region to take forward are contained in the Urban and Rural White Papers, issued last November. The Proposed Changes to the draft RPG for Yorkshire and the Humber reflect the principles and priorities set out in these statements. They aim to achieve urban and rural renaissance, support economic growth and regeneration, while at the same time protecting and enhancing the region's environment.Draft RPG was prepared by the Regional Assembly for Yorkshire and Humberside. Its overall spatial strategy aims to create a more sustainable region and achieve urban and rural renaissance by focusing development on the region's main towns and cities and making best use of previously-developed land. We support this, and, as recommended by the Panel, we are proposing changes to ensure that the strategy is more clearly expressed and so that its implications for development plans and other programmes are clearer to make a real difference on the ground.A key issue for the region is to encourage economic growth and regeneration in a sustainable way. To achieve this we are proposing changes which set out priority areas for regeneration, a clear strategic framework for choosing where future industrial and business development will take place, and a sub-regional growth study covering West Yorkshire and Barnsley.We are proposing that the first priority for regeneration in the region be South Yorkshire and the Coalfields, particularly the Dearne Valley. This reflects South Yorkshire's Objective 1 status and the importance of regenerating the Yorkshire Coalfields. The strategy also aims to build on the success of the Leeds economy and spread the benefits further afield. To help this process, it is proposed that the Regional Assembly leads a growth study involving the local authorities, Yorkshire Forward and other stakeholders. The study would look to examine the potential for plan-led growth, and determine the distribution of additional housing land. It offers the opportunity to take a more strategic and collaborative approach than in the past and will provide a valuable input to an early review of RPG.We are proposing a modest increase in the amount of additional housing in the region as recommended by the Panel in order to reflect the region's aims of economic regeneration and growth. The new proposal is for 14,650 additional dwellings per year, compared with the 13,980 previously proposed by the region's local authorities. We agree with the Panel's recommendation that 60 per cent. of this should be provided on previously-developed land and by re-using existing buildings.We are proposing some changes to the distribution of the housing provision as recommended by the Panel in order to ensure that it is concentrated on the region's main towns and cities, avoids unnecessary development in the countryside, and helps to create a better balance between where people live and work.There will now be a twelve week consultation period on the Proposed Changes, ending on Friday 1 June 2001. Copies of the relevant documents have been placed in the House Library and provided to all of the region's MPs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on port police forces. [153353]

We are setting up a review of the current arrangements for ports police, as proposed in "Modern Ports—A UK Policy", published in November last year. My Department is aiming to review the powers, duties and functions of ports police forces; the advantages or disadvantages of alternative arrangements that have been implemented at those; ports that no longer have port police; how the port police forces compare to Home Office police forces in terms of accountability i.e. management, inspection, complaints procedures, disciplinary matters and training; and report on the current situation and make recommendations for future options for the port police. We will be consulting the ports police forces, the ports industry and users and other Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's proposed study of municipal ports. [153354]

The ports policy paper noted our intention to look at the existing management structures and practices and financial arrangements for municipal ports to make sure that they are playing a full and accountable part in the local and regional economy. We are keen to ensure that municipal ports have an opportunity to benefit from the same changes as are now being made in the trust port sector following out review of trust ports and publication of national standards of accountability and good practice in "Modernising Trust Ports—A Guide to Good Governance" (which we launched last year).We are now about to commence the study and will be looking at: how effectively the Best Value initiative and the Modern Local Government White Paper are impacting on municipal ports: what, if any, constraints are posed to development, accountability and effective operation by municipal ownership and how these might be addressed; the advantages of municipal ownership for non-commercial municipal ports;The study will also seek to benchmark performance of the municipal sector against other UK ports and will examine options and opportunities for the future role and status of municipal ports in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when more rigorous safety checks for roll on/roll off passenger and high-speed ferries operating in UK waters will be introduced. [153355]

Regulations implementing Council Directive 1999/35/EC on a system of mandatory surveys for the safe operation of regular roll on/roll off and high speed passenger craft operating a service to or from the UK came into force on 16 February.The Regulations require Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors to:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to issue guidance to local authorities on local transport plan annual progress reports. [153356]

In order to provide the guidance on local transport plan annual reports to local authorities as early as possible, my Department is today arranging for local authorities to receive copies of the guidance by electronic mail. This will be followed shortly with printed copies and the posting of the guidance on my Department's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150912]

I have been asked to reply because, prior to 1 July 1999, responsibility for most aspects of transport, environmental and local government policy in Wales fell to my Department. Since the impact of departmental policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency, it is not practicable, in most cases, to provide statistical information which is specific to Clwyd, South. However, I can say that, between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2000, central Government grants were paid under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme towards the cost of domestic insulation measures for some 4,200 households in my hon. Friend's constituency.A range of all-Wales policy initiatives and other action taken during this period will also have impacted on Clwyd, South and its residents. Some of the more significant ones are listed and fuller details are contained in the Welsh Office Departmental Reports for 1998 (Cm 3915) and 1999 (Cm 4216), copies of which are in the Library:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure was in his Department for the financial years (a) 1996–97. (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000, and what the planned expenditure and breakdown of expenditure for 2000–01 is on (i) public opinion research, (ii) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (iii) direct mail. [149259]

[holding answer 8 February 2001]: (i) Public Opinion Research: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 17 December 1998, Official Report, column 721W. In the present financial year, the FCO has spent £43,000 on preliminary public opinion research on consular matters.(ii) TV. Radio and Newspaper advertising: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 17 December 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to date of hiring a consultant minority ethnic liaison officer. [152408]

Since 1 December 1999, £43,724, including VAT has been paid to a consultancy company for the services of the FCO's Minority Ethnic Liaison Adviser.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations to the Sri Lankan Government he has made about the possible introduction of capital punishment in Sri Lanka. [152480]

The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and, together with EU partners, calls upon all states to abolish the death penalty. At the World Bank Development Forum in December 2000, the EU expressed their concern about Sri Lanka's plan to bring back the death penalty. The EU Troika in Colombo are currently seeking a meeting with the Sri Lankan Minister for Justice to make a formal demarche on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to encourage peace in Sri Lanka. [152479]

The Government remain fully committed to supporting the peace process in Sri Lanka. We will continue to give our wholehearted support to Norway's efforts to facilitate peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. We stand ready to play a role, if asked.We urge the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to intensify their efforts towards seeking, with the help of the Norwegian Government, a peaceful negotiated settlement to this tragic conflict which has claimed over 65,000 lives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on departmental and agency logos and associated branding since 1 May 1997. [152657]

We have spent £127,333 on departmental and associated branding since 1 May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to a letter dated 7 November 2000 concerning Mrs. Ingrid Chare, a constituent, whose address has been supplied to him. [152457]

[holding answer 7 March 2001]: My noble Friend Baroness Scotland of Asthal, FCO Minister responsible for consular matters, replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 7 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Saudi Arabian Government on the efforts of Mrs. Ingrid Chare to obtain compensation following the death of her husband, Mr. John Bernard Chare. [152459]

[holding answer 7 March 2001]: Our Consulate in Jeddah has raised this matter with the Saudi authorities on over six occasions in the last 12 months. Compensation matters such as these do take some time to resolve. Our Consulate will continue to press the judge for a decision on the Blood Money in this case. We are waiting for confirmation of the exact date the papers to be served on Mr. Chare's former company were passed to the Saudi authorities. Our Embassy in Riyadh and our Consulate in Jeddah are currently closed for the Eid holiday. However, my noble Friend Baroness Scotland of Asthal, FCO Minister responsible for consular matters, will write directly to my hon. Friend once we have this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any goods subject to strategic export controls have recently been approved for export to Afghanistan. [153209]

The Department of Trade and Industry recently issued two export licences for mine-clearance equipment for use by the HALO Trust to assist their demining activities in Afghanistan. These goods appear on the Military list. However, UNSCR 1333 (2000) which imposes inter alia an arms embargo on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, it provides scope for the UN Sanctions Committee to approve of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use to Taliban-controlled territory. The Sanctions Committee has given its approval in these cases.The granting of these export licences are fully consistent with the UN Security Council resolutions and does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU common position on arms exports to Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards establishing a fully civilian presence on South Georgia. [153210]

In 1998 the Government announced their intention to establish a fully civilian presence on South Georgia. From the end of March, the small military detachment will be withdrawn. The Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Commander British Forces, based in the Falkland Islands, will continue to have responsibility for ensuring the security of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.At the same time, the British Antarctic Survey will be opening a new scientific base on South Georgia. The scientific and support team will augment the existing civilian presence on the island. New accommodation and science facilities have been built. BAS will undertake a programme of scientific research, under contract to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The aim will be to support the Government in environmental management and sustainable development of the Territory.The opening of this new facility, with funding from the British Government, the Government of the Falkland Islands and the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands demonstrates our commitment to the Overseas Territories, in accordance with the Overseas Territories White Paper 1999, in particular to sound environmental management of a territory with a unique and sensitive ecosystem.Our commitment to the maintenance of British sovereignty over South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and to ensuring their security, remains as firm as ever.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes there have been in United Nations sanctions in relation to Liberia. [153352]

UN Security Council resolution 1344 (2001), imposing mandatory UN sanctions in relation to Liberia, was adopted on 7 March. The resolution was co-sponsored by the UK and US in response to the findings of the UN Expert Panel on Sierra Leone on violations of the Sierra Leone arms embargo and the link between the trade in diamonds and arms. The Security Council determined that the active support provided by the Government of Liberia for armed rebel groups in neighbouring countries, and in particular the RUF in Sierra Leone, constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the region.The new measures are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian Government on the exclusion of the (a) Simon Wiesenthal centre and (b) Bahái international community from the United Nations world conference against racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and related intolerance hosted by Iran. [152667]

We have not made any representations to the Iranian Government in this instance. However, we and our EU partners take every opportunity to raise such issues, particularly those concerning discrimination and human rights, in Tehran and in London.In conjunction with our EU partners we also table twice-yearly UN resolutions on human rights in Iran. The most recent resolution, reflecting both positive developments and remaining concerns, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for major future defence public events; and if he will make a statement. [153202]

In 1999 my predecessor announced a series of events, now under the umbrella title Defence 2000, which would follow the ending of the Royal Tournament. The spirit of the Tournament would be taken forward with an event in London and a military festival held annually outside the capital at different military locations. The Royal Military Tattoo 2000 held on Horse Guards Parade last summer was a major undertaking for the Armed Services. It was the Ministry of Defence's principal contribution to the Millennium celebrations and was an outstanding success. London will continue to be well served with military pageantry not least in terms of State occasions, the annual Beat Retreat and Queen's Birthday Parade. We intend to identify possible future occasions where an event on the scale of RMT 2000 would be both appropriate and practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Medical Supplies Agency for 2001–02. [153204]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Medical Supplies Agency (MSA) for financial year 2001–02. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in March 1996 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Medical Training Organisation for 2001–02. [153205]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Medical Training Organisation (DMTO) for financial year 2001–02. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1997 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Dental Agency for 2001–02. [153206]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Dental Agency (DDA) for financial year 2001–02. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in March 1996 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Defence Secondary Care Agency for 2001–02. [153207]

Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) for financial year 2001–02. The targets build on the progress already made by the Agency since it formed in April 1996 and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to call out members of the reserve forces to support UN operations in (a) Siena Leone and (b) the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [153203]

Our policy remains that, reservists who volunteer to serve with our regular forces on such operations will be called-out as and when required. The first call-out order made under section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 expired on 1 March and a further order effective from that date has been made to permit members of the reserve forces to continue to be called out for operations in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to resume the programme of voluntary immunisation against anthrax for armed forces personnel deployed to the Gulf. [153378]

We plan to resume the anthrax immunisation programme for personnel deployed on operations to the Gulf shortly. Immunisation was last offered in 1998, but had to be suspended due to manufacturing difficulties at our supplier. We have now received the first new supplies of licensed anthrax vaccine and will be in a position to resume the voluntary immunisation programme in April.Anthrax immunisation is safe and effective. As in 1998, it will be offered to personnel on the basis of voluntary informed consent. By accepting it alongside other defensive measures, armed forces personnel will have the very best protection possible against anthrax used as a biological weapon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Scots and (b) non-Scots are serving in the UK armed forces. [152405]

Examination of available personal records of currently serving personnel¹ has revealed the following information:

¹Place of birth and nationality for personnel serving in the Naval Service is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Army details are based on nationality at birth, RAF on place of birth. The figures are for combined trained and untrained strengths.

	Number
Scots
Army1	12,956
RAF2	5,688
Non-Scots
Army3	96,953
RAF	48,221
1 At 1 February 2001
2 At 5 March 2001
3 The non-Scots army figure includes 2,636 personnel with a recorded nationality at birth as 'British' with no further breakdown available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives to anti-personnel mines are being researched by DERA; and at what cost. [152599]

In response to the Ministry of Defence requirement, DERA has been asked to pursue research into replacing the capability previously provided by anti-personnel mines. Any such capability will comply fully with the Ottawa Treaty. The research programme is to look at various sensor systems, such as acoustic, infrared and seismic, which when combined together can detect intrusion into a defined area. The cost of the proposed work is approximately £0.25 million to £0.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average interval between tours and the average length of operational tour was for (a) Army field ambulance units and (b) Army field hospital units in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [151802]

[holding answer 7 March 2001]: The tour length for Field Hospitals, or main elements of Field Hospitals, was extended from six months to one year in 2000. The average tour interval for Field Hospitals between 1995 and 1999 was nine months. The usual tour length for all Field Ambulance units is six months, although in the last five years some units have deployed on short notice deployments for less than this. The average tour interval for Field Ambulance units between 1995 and 2000 was 26 months. It is not possible to break these averages down by year as requested, as many deployments span more than one calendar year and the reorganisation of nine Field Ambulance units into five Medical Regiments between 1999 and 2000 further complicates the issue.Tour lengths and intervals for individuals do not necessarily match those for units. For example, individuals in Field Hospital units would not normally deploy for more than six months, and some only for much shorter periods, even though the unit tour length is now one year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the call by the European Parliament for a suspension of the use of depleted uranium munitions. [147411]

Based on the results of many years of scientific study already available to us, we see no basis for any moratorium on the use of depleted uranium (DU) based ammunition. This ammunition provides a battle-winning edge. We have no intention of denying this capability to our troops, thereby placing them at unnecessary risk. DU based ammunition will therefore remain part of our arsenal for the foreseeable future.NATO has recognised the concerns raised from the use of DU munitions and has acted swiftly in its responsibility to ensure Alliance members, Partners and other troop contributors are fully informed of DU risks. As announced by the Secretary General on 10 January, measures have been put in place to pool and share scientific analysis and information to best inform decision making, and in response the UK has contributed information for consideration and will continue to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he undertakes on (a) defence against viral warfare and (b) the foot and mouth virus. [152057]

[holding answer 6 March 2001]: The remit of the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of DERA at Porton Down is to provide safe and effective protection for the UK and its armed forces should chemical and biological weapons be used against them. In order to achieve this, research involving a range of pathogenic viruses is undertaken.This research is aimed at understanding the hazard posed by these agents, developing rapid methods for their detection and diagnosis of the diseases they cause, identifying suitable physical protection equipment, and developing medical countermeasures against them. These later measures include the development of safe and effective vaccines and therapies for use of the UK and its armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the decision to withdraw the Ministry of Defence Police from policed sites. [152745]

The decision to withdraw Ministry of Defence Police was taken after full consultation with the Home Office and Licensing Authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the relevant Home Department Chief Constables, and after careful consideration of the security threat to the sites I can see no grounds for reviewing it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the penalties which are applied to unlicensed money lenders. [152407]

The Consumer Credit Act 1974 set up a licensing regime for individuals, companies and firms carrying on regulated consumer credit or consumer hire business. Therefore, generally, a money lender is required to obtain a licence in order to carry on its business. Licences are issued by the Director General of Fair Trading and it is a criminal offence to engage in regulated consumer credit (or consumer hire) business without one.Section 167 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Act set out the penalties for this offence, which are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the companies which supplied artillery equipment to both Iran and Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. [151854]

[holding answer 6 March 2001]: Licences to export arms and other goods whose export is controlled for strategic reason; have been issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and his predecessors acting through the export licensing authority (current13 the Export Control Organisation) within the Department of Trade and Industry since before the Iran-Iraq conflict started in 1980.In his report entitled "Inquiry into the Export of Defence Equipment and Dual-Use Goods to Iraq" Sir Richard Scott included details of export licence applications to Iraq in the period 1984–90. The report also breaks down into categories the goods licensed to Iraq in that period, one of which is "1A: Arms and military equipment", which would include artillery equipment. It is not possible to establish precisely which of these entries covered artillery equipment without searching the relevant paper files which would entail disproportionate cost. Also as the report notes, records of licence applications did not go back beyond 1985. We do not therefore have records from the start of the Iran-Iraq war.It would also entail disproportionate cost to search through the paper records to establish which licences issued to Iran between 1985 and the end of the war in 1988 covered the export of artillery equipment.Moreover, information about whom particular export licences were granted to is commercial in confidence, and the companies concerned would therefore need to be approached to establish whether they objected to the disclosure of such information.While the Department of Trade and Industry maintains records of licence applications, it does not compile records of licensed exports. Some licences are only used in part, while others may not be used at all. The extent to which the exports permitted by a licence are made is dependent on various factors; for example the customer's requirements may be less than originally expected or the expected contract may simply not materialise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been received from BAE Systems and other British companies regarding participation in US National Missile Defence. [152669]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not received any representations from UK industry regarding the US National Missile Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the spread of foot and mouth disease. [152413]

I and my Department are in regular contact with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food over this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the number of employees in London who were not entitled to paid holidays as a result of the coming into force of the Working Time Regulations. [152206]

The available information relates to the number of employees in London who, before the introduction of the Working Time Regulations were receiving less than the minimum stated in the Regulations. When the Regulations came into force it is estimated that 270,000 employees in the London area were receiving less than three weeks' paid leave per year. A further 70,000 are estimated to have been receiving more than three weeks but less than four weeks paid leave, and would therefore benefit when the amount of paid leave was increased from three to four weeks it November 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the Ministers in her 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. [151028]

Neither I, my hon. Friend the Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, or my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) in his role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development visited the Peterborough Unitary Authority between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she discussed with the South African Government the legal action being pursued by GlaxoSmithKline concerning the amended South African Medicines Act during her recent visit to South Africa; and if she will make a statement. [152137]

I did not have the opportunity to discuss this legal action with the South African Government during my recent visit to South Africa. I believe that negotiations with pharmaceutical companies on price and licensing offers the best way of balancing the need for affordable access to drugs with the need for intellectual property protection to encourage future research. The legal action is regrettable, but it is a matter between the pharmaceutical companies and the Government of South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings she had during her recent visit to South Africa with the pharmaceutical companies pursuing a legal action against the amended South African Medicines Act; and if she will make a statement. [152138]

I did not have the opportunity to meet pharmaceutical companies during my recent visit to South Africa. I believe that negotiations with pharmaceutical companies on price and licensing offers the best way of balancing the need for affordable access to drugs with the need for intellectual property protection to encourage future research. The legal action is regrettable, but it is a matter between the pharmaceutical companies and the Government of South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the special advisers working for him will relinquish their posts when the next general election is called. [149306]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 130W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150914]

As this question was originally addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, my response relates to the effects of Government policies and actions on industry and the economy. Such effects are not normally measured by reference to constituencies, so it is not practicable to give information in the form requested. However, prior to the transfer of functions to the National Assembly on 1 July 1999, a range of all-Wales policy initiatives and other actions taken by my Department will have impacted on Clwyd, South and its residents. Details of these are set out in the Welsh Office departmental reports for 1998 (Cm 3915) and 1999 (Cm 4216), copies of which are in the Library.Part of my hon. Friend's constituency is included in the west Wales and the valleys area, for which the Government secured objective 1 status at the Berlin European Council in 1999. Subsequently, in the July 2000 spending review, we made available additional funding, outside the Barnett formula, for the Welsh structural funds programmes. This also included provision for objective 3, which applies in the parts of Clwyd, South not covered by objective 1, and objective 2 which also applies in some parts of Clwyd, South.Our new Assisted Areas map for the UK, which was formally approved by the European Commission in July 2000, also includes tier 1 coverage for that part of my hon. Friend's constituency which falls in Denbighshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150913]

As this question was originally addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, my response concentrates on the effects of my Department's policies and actions on health services prior to 1 July 1999, when responsibility for their provision transferred to the National Assembly for Wales.Because of the way in which health services are organised, it is not practicable to provide information which is specific to my hon. Friend's constituency. The timing of financial and statistical exercises also means that some of the figures quoted relate to periods ending shortly before or shortly after 30 June 1999.In October 1997, an additional £2.2 million was made available to North Wales Health Authority, over and above its financial allocation for the year, to provide enhanced patient care. The authority's basic allocation for 1998–99, at £381.3 million, represented a year-on-year cash increase of £14.2 million. This was further enhanced by £4.1 million in April 1998 to address waiting list issues, and £2.6 million in November for dealing with winter pressures.Between annual counts taken in September 1997 and September 1999, the number of directly employed NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in the area of the North Wales Health Authority increased by 267.4 in full-time equivalent terms. Over the same period, medical and dental staff increased by 29.8.Health services in the Clwyd, South constituency will also have benefited from a range of important all-Wales policy initiatives which were developed between May 1997 and June 1999. These included:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the transfer of responsibilities for forestry to the National Assembly for Wales. [150647]

Policy responsibility for Forestry Commission activities in Wales transferred to the National Assembly for Wales on 1 July 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate to he has made of the total sums projected to be spent in Wales in (a) this financial year and (b) each of the next two financial years (i) by the Welsh Assembly and (ii) through direct spending by the Government of the UK. [152092]

It is currently estimated that total expenditure by the National Assembly for Wales will be £8,957.9 million in this financial year, £9,689.5 million in 2001–02, and £10,396.7 million in 2002–03, in resource terms.There are no current estimates of the total direct UK Government expenditure in Wales during these years, but historical information for aggregate identifiable government spending by country/region is published in the annual public expenditure statistical analyses, which are placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde will receive a response to his letter of 9 February, concerning the Winter Fuel Payment scheme. [152424]

A reply was issued on 6 March 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children in lone parent families were on Income Support in (a) London and (b) each London borough (i) in 1996 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [152198]

The information is in the table.

Number of children in lone parent families on Income Support— Greater London
Thousand
	May 1996	November 2000
City of London	0.1	10.1
Barking and Dagenham	8.6	8.9
Barnet	8.6	8.4
Bexley	6.8	6.5
Brent	14.5	11.1
Bromley	6.7	6.3
Camden	9.6	8.3
Croydon	14.6	12.9
Ealing	12.5	11.0
Enfield	12.7	11.0
Greenwich	13.7	13.2
Hackney	17.6	15.3
Hammersmith and Fulham	7.8	7.3
Haringey	14.1	14.3
Harrow	5.7	5.4
Havering	5.9	5.7
Hillingdon	7.7	8.9
Hounslow	8.9	8.2
Islington	12.5	12.2
Kensington and Chelsea	4.3	3.5
Kingston upon Thames	2.8	3.1
Lambeth	19.4	17.1
Lewisham	16.1	14.0
Merton	6.4	5.3
Newham	20.1	19.4
Redbridge	7.1	6.9
Richmond upon Thames	2.7	2.5
Southwark	19.1	16.3
Sutton	5.2	4.0
Tower Hamlets	12.7	10.7
Waltham Forest	13.6	10.5
Wandsworth	10.4	8.9
Westminster	6.5	5.1
Total	335.1	302.1
1 Figures below 500 are subject to a high degree of sampling error.

To ask the secretary of state for Social Security how many lone parents on Income Support there were in (a) London and (b) each London borough (i) in 1996 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [152202]

The information in is the table.

Number of lone parents on Income Support—Greater London
	May 1996	November 2000
City of London	10.1	10.0
Barking and Dagenham	4.6	4.8
Barnet	5.4	5.1
Bexley	4.1	3.4
Brent	8.4	6.2
Bromley	4.0	3.9
Camden	5.9	4.7
Croydon	8.0	7.2
Ealing	7.1	6.0
Enfield	7.3	6.5
Greenwich	7.7	7.1
Hackney	10.2	8.6
Hammersmith and Fulham	4.7	3.8
Haringey	8.4	8.1
Harrow	3.1	2.9
Havering	3.7	3.2
Hillingdon	4.6	4.5
Hounslow	5.1	4.7
Islington	7.5	6.9
Kensington and Chelsea	2.7	2.2
Kingston upon Thames	1.7	1.8
Lambeth	11.6	9.8
Lewisham	9.2	7.8
Merton	3.7	2.8
Newham	10.7	9.6
Redbridge	4.0	3.8
Richmond upon Thames	1.7	1.6
Southwark	11.3	9.5
Sutton	2.9	2.1
Tower Hamlets	6.8	6.0
Waltham Forest	7.5	5.5
Wandsworth	6.1	5.0
Westminster	4.0	3.1
Total	193.7	168.3
1 Figures are below 500 and are subject to a high degree of sampling error.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the War Pensions Agency made an assessment of the report produced by the US Institute of Medicine in 1993 entitled "Veterans at Risk—the health effects of mustard gas and lewisite". [152000]

The War Pensions Agency received and considered the report in 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition of cohabitation his Department uses for the purpose of deciding whether a widow's pension should cease. [152027]

Widow's Benefit is not payable if a person is in a relationship which constitutes "living together as husband and wife". The term "living together as husband and wife" is not defined in legislation. Guidance on what points need to be considered by a Decision Maker when deciding whether a relationship between a man and a woman is the same as that of husband and wife is set out in Volume 3 of the Decision Makers Guide, copies of which are available in the Library, or on the internet at www.dss.gov.uk/hq/dmg/.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he plans to take to ensure that carers who will become entitled to Invalid Care Allowance as a result of the new package of measures for carers being introduced in April are made aware of their potential entitlement and encouraged to claim Invalid Care Allowance. [152331]

There are two elements of the carer package which will be implemented in April—the increase in the carer premium and the increase in the Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) earnings limit.The increase in the carer premium which is paid with Income Related Benefits has been publicised along with the details of benefit uprating. This will be paid automatically and additional claims will not be required.The earnings limit in ICA will increase to £72 a week, after allowable expenses, in April. This will enable more carers to retain their benefit while working. The change in the limit was announced last autumn and a further reminder to carers will be issued in a Press Release nearer the date of the change.In addition, all working carers who make claims for ICA in the six months period from 2 January 2001 to 2 July 2001 and are disallowed, regardless of the reason, are being advised of the earnings limit increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to ensure that carers who have an underlying entitlement to Invalid Care Allowance

Average clearance time between date of receipt at the Appeals Service and date cleared expressed in weeks
	Leeds	Cardiff	Birmingham	Glasgow	Liverpool	Salford	Nottingham	Newcastle	Sutton
1 October to 1 December 1997	16.7	24.5	20.8	20.0	34.0	50.5	22.1	16.7	14.1
1 January to 31 March 1998	20.1	26.1	29.9	25.6	30.5	38.0	28.3	20.9	22.9
1 April to 30 June 1998	21.0	33.6	30.5	30.7	37.5	42.7	31.4	25.7	24.6
1 July to 30 September 1998	22.6	35.8	32.5	29.8	34.0	37.8	36.6	27.4	27.5
1 October to 31 December 1998	24.7	32.4	32.9	32.6	33.7	37.1	35.4	26.3	34.3
1 January to 1 March 1999	23.4	33.7	36.4	33.8	32.9	35.3	41.8	26.4	45.6
1 April to 30 June 1999	22.3	32.3	33.8	36.1	31.1	36.3	42.1	25.6	39.1
1 July to 30 September 1999	16.9	30.1	30.7	35.7	25.3	31.5	35.9	24.3	34.1
1 October to 31 October 1999	14.3	32.0	22.5	31.2	20.6	32.8	41.6	18.6	34.7
1 November to 30 November 1999	14.1	33.2	25.5	30.8	18.4	35.3	30.6	20.8	29.6
1 December to 31 December 1999	11.2	30.5	27.9	32.9	16.3	24.8	31.3	18.8	32.0
1 January to 31 January 2000	14.2	29.4	29.8	27.6	21.6	20.3	33.1	20.0	30.6
1 February to 28 February 2000	12.9	27.6	27.7	28.8	15.0	20.5	29.6	18.8	25.5
1 March to 31 March 2000	9.7	24.9	26.8	24.5	13.1	28.1	26.2	20.1	23.5
1 April to 30 April 2000	10.1	21.4	20.1	24.0	11.4	19.7	25.1	16.2	27.1
1 May to 31 May 2000	10.2	27.9	17.5	21.8	14.0	18.5	20.7	15.2	22.3
1 June to 30 June 2000	11.1	19.1	16.0	20.4	16.1	18.2	20.1	18.2	20.3
1 July to 31 July 2000	11.5	21.0	15.3	16.7	15.7	18.7	20.1	14.5	24.4
1 August to 31 August 2000	11.6	20.3	16.3	17.1	15.6	18.7	22.8	12.5	19.4
1 September to 30 September 2000	11.7	21.7	15.1	15.1	15.1	17.2	17.1	13.3	17.4

Since its inception in 1976, Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) has been subject to the overlapping benefits rules and will continue to be so.Customers who are entitled to ICA but have another income maintenance benefit which overlaps, are advised in the decision letter that they may be entitled to carer premium paid as part of the income related benefits, and that it could be in their interest to claim such benefits, even if recently refused.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the (a) target and (b) actual clearance times were for Disability Living Allowance appeals in each of the nine appeals service centres in each quarter from 1996 to October 1999, and monthly from November 1999 to date. [152024]

The administration of Disability Living Allowance appeals is a matter for Neil Ward, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. He will write to the right hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the value was of Social Fund payments made in each of the last four years. [152262]

Social Fund expenditure is given in the Secretary of State's Annual Reports on the Social Fund. The reports are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the City of Bradford metropolitan district council. [153400]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of City of Bradford metropolitan district council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report makes recommendations to help the authority address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Inspectors report the authority introduced the Verification Framework to improve its poor verification of claims, and early indications are that levels of verification have improved. The report also notes the authority is struggling to cope with backlogs of assessment work, and inspectors consider it is important that it not only clear arrears, but prevents them from recurring. The authority has introduced measures to resolve the backlogs but these measures need to be consolidated into one overall plan.Inspectors were particularly pleased with the number of high quality customer service initiatives, including good use of the Internet, the sharing of good practices with other local authorities and many good examples of joint working with the BA and other organisations.The authority needs to improve its administration with regard to Rent Officer referrals, notices of determination, the setting of benefit period's timescales for appeals and review boards and benefit appeals.Counter fraud work was reported to be good, including commendable risk analysis of local fraud. Investigations were well conducted in a sound, ordered and methodical way. The authority has a sound prosecution policy and has successfully issued administrative penalties. The authority needs to increase the use of its inspectors' powers.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the Authority for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the Metropolitan borough of Wirral. [153402]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the Metropolitan borough of Wirral and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to make to the discretionary social fund. [153401]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making minor changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 19 March 2001 and 2 April 2001, to take account of new legislation in other benefit areas being introduced on those dates. A number of other minor improvements, identified during the course of routine monitoring, will also be included in this annual amendment to directions and guidance.Details of the changes have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what resources have been allocated to Warrington local education authority for provision for under fives in each year since 1997. [149486]

[holding answer 8 February 2001]: The table shows the amount of funding made available through the Nursery Education Grant, Childcare Grant, European Social Fund and the 0–5 sub-block of the Education Standard Spending Assessment to Warrington LEA since April 1998.

	£
1998–99	5,918,135
1999–2000	15,579,655
2000–01	6,693,733
1 The drop in funding between 1998–99 and 1999–2000 is due to a fall in the amount of Nursery Education Grant that the authority was able to claim for new places created in local authority provision. This funding would have been compensated for by a relative increase in the funding available through Education Standard Spending in the following year

As Warrington became a new unitary authority only from April 1998, it is not possible to provide data for the 1997–98 financial year.From September 1998, all four-year-olds have been able to access a free, part-time, early education place. By April 2001, all three-year-olds in Warrington will also have access to a free early education place. Up to December 2000 Warrington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership reported the creation of 1,327 new child care places.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 95W, what the origins were of the private funds used to make payments to the Wildcat Corporation to provide consultancy services to his Department; what the amount of each payment was; and on what terms the payments were made. [150957]

[holding answer 26 February 2001]: The employer-led New Deal Task Force has been working in partnership with the Wildcat Corporation to develop a demand-led strategy. To date a total of £175,000 has been received from employers and paid to Wildcat to test this innovative approach. Funding came from companies within the financial sector in this country who had seen the results that the Wildcat Corporation had achieved in the US and who were keen to see the same methods applied in this country.

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 Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [151910]

Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Clwyd, South constituency. The Welsh Assembly will be able to provide details of education policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much certified timber has been purchased by his Department over the past six months; and what proportion of total timber purchases this represents. [152144]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average cost of a SATs test per pupil tested (a) nationally and (b) in East Sussex. [151853]

[holding answer 6 March 2001]: The average cost of a National Curriculum assessment test per pupil per subject nationally in 2000 was £5.30. This covers the costs of developing, printing and distributing test papers across Key Stages 1–3; and costs of external marking and data collection for tests at Key Stage 2 and 3. The figure excludes the cost of supply cover for teachers

Central Government support to capital investment in London schools 1996–97 to 2000–01
£000
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	Total
Barking	3,812	1,376	3,163	3,537	5,501	17,389
Barnet	3,055	1,763	5,417	3,894	10,695	24,824
Bexley	1,789	4,299	6,304	6,598	9,169	28,159
Brent	194	889	3,047	3,316	8,353	15,799
Bromley	1,614	1,400	2,591	3,776	8,921	18,302
Camden	350	623	1,859	2,497	5,331	10,660
City of London	37	1	1	40	73	152
Croydon	2,380	2,697	5,483	6,643	11,257	28,460
Ealing	719	5,164	9,515	7,042	10,019	32,459
Enfield	7,350	8,807	7,210	7,459	9,611	40,437
Greenwich	1,658	4,394	5,310	4,444	6,554	22,360
Hackney	993	2,369	3,615	4,170	5,940	17,087
Hammersmith	1,088	1,443	3,219	3,837	3,764	13,351
Haringey	2,713	4,729	7,291	6,202	8,519	29,454
Harrow	3,529	1,739	2,240	3,885	6,087	17,480
Havering	291	1,012	2,021	2,355	7,521	13,200
Hillingdon	3,879	2,828	4,573	5,361	10,734	27,375
Hounslow	3,104	3,786	4,489	3,791	7,287	22,457
Islington	250	869	2,443	2,760	7,306	13,628
Kensington and Chelsea	581	471	1,253	829	2,158	5,292
Kingston upon Thames	1,023	4,060	4,483	5,772	6,680	22,018
Lambeth	761	1,662	4,281	3,121	6,371	16,196
Lewisham	2,804	4,614	6,690	5,084	8,373	27,565
Merton	345	583	1,987	3,291	5,888	12,094
Newham	4,435	3,631	6,770	10,611	14,940	40,387
Redbridge	9,876	9,374	5,008	5,201	11,637	41,096
Richmond	221	628	2,876	3,595	6,110	13,430
Southwark	593	2,501	2,251	2,986	8,268	16,599
Sutton	4,174	5,691	5,269	4,673	9,572	29,379
Tower Hamlets	11,169	7,963	5,789	4,330	6,662	35,913
Waltham Forest	2,451	1,838	2,798	4,640	7,392	19,119
Wandsworth	1,182	861	1,897	3,476	6,980	14,396
Westminster	1,206	1,741	2,126	1,572	4,454	11,099
London Total	79,626	95,806	133,269	140,788	248,127	697,616

Central Government support for private finance initiative investment in London schools 1997–98 to 2000–01
£000
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	Total
Lewisham	4,000	—	—	—	4,000
Enfield	—	16,000	—	—	16,000
Hillingdon	—	19,000	—	—	19,000
Westminster	—	25,000	—	—	25,000
Brent	—	—	23,000	—	23,000
Haringey	—	—	62,500	—	62,500
Lambeth	—	—	11,500	—	11,500
Tower Hamlets	—	—	68,500	—	68,500
Waltham Forest	—	—	18,500	—	18,500
Brent	—	—	—	9,000	9,000
	4,000	60,000	184,000	9,000	257,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much capital investment there has been in primary schools since 1996 in (a) London and (b) each London borough. [152194]

This information is not readily available. The following tables show the total central Government support to capital investment in all schools made in London and each London borough since 1996–97.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children there were in infant classes with over 30 children (a) in 1996 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available in (i) each London borough and (ii) London. [152197]

The information requested is shown in the table.Class size data were published in a Statistical Bulletin "Class Sizes and Pupil Teacher Ratios in England 2000" on 20 December 2000, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the

Department for Education and Employment statistical website: www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics. Figures from this release show that in September 2000, there were just 30,000 infants in classes of over 30 compared with 485,000 in January 1998. Just 2 per cent. of infants are now in such classes compared with 29 per cent. in January 1998.

Number of pupils in infant classes over 30
	January 1996	January 2000	September 2000
London	47,752	22,110	3,642
Inner London	6,004	2,766	757
Camden	127	93	93
City of London	0	0	0
Hackney	413	93	95
Hammersmith and Fulham	313	93	0
Haringey	566	124	32
Islington	443	162	159
Kensington and Chelsea	62	62	31
Lambeth	381	249	63
Lewisham	567	344	64
Newham	734	503	0
Southwark	707	409	31
Tower Hamlets	349	35	31
Wandsworth	1,118	568	1158
Westminster	224	31	0
Outer London	41,748	19,344	2,885
Barking and Dagenham	734	284	31
Barnet	730	217	62
Bexley	3,984	1,135	379
Brent	786	515	0
Bromley	5,121	2,139	188
Croydon	3,497	1,065	93
Ealing	2,499	968	124
Enfield	3,621	1,782	382
Greenwich	470	406	0
Harrow	1,929	746	224
Havering	2,439	1,804	604
Hillingdon	1,378	317	0
Hounslow	2,354	1,051	296
Kingston upon Thames	3,430	1,935	62
Merton	1,958	1,469	0
Redbridge	3,307	1,342	196
Richmond upon Thames	1,414	888	282
Sutton	1,077	680	31
Waltham Forest	1,020	601	31
1 Less than 95 per cent. of expected returns were received from these Local Education Authorities

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of pupils gained the expected level of literacy in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000. [152497]

In the 2000 Key Stage 2 tests, 75 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved the expected standard for their age in English, an increase of 12 percentage points since 1997. The 2000 results are clear evidence of the success of the National Literacy Strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the names and location of city academies (a) established to date and (b) in the process of being established together with, for each city academy, (i) the private sector investors, (ii) the total private sector financial contribution, (iii) the total public expenditure contribution and (iv) the total number of pupils in attendance and the admission limit. [152502]

To date we have announced City Academy partnerships in Brent, Lambeth, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Haringey and Hillingdon. Further announcements will be made shortly. Private and voluntary sector sponsors announced to date are Frank Lowe of the Lowe Group of Advertising Agencies and Octagon sports management, Barry Townsley, of stockbrokers Insinger Townsley, BT, Marconi, Amey plc, the Church of England and the Grieg Trust. These partnerships are developing detailed project plans to establish City Academies. The total public sector and private and voluntary sector financial contributions, and the total number of pupils and the admission limits will depend on the plans developed for each City Academy

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of pupils are eligible for free school meals in each English local education authority. [152503]

The numbers of full-time pupils of up to maximum compulsory school age 'known to be eligible for free school meals' and expressed as a percentage of all full-time pupils of that age group in mainstream, maintained schools in each English local education authority are shown in the table. The data are as collected by the Department's Annual Schools' Census.

Mainstream, maintained schools in England—January 2000
	Full-time pupils of up to maximum compulsory school age known to be eligible for a free school meal
Local education authority	Number	Percentage1
Barking and Dagenham	7,230	27.9
Barnet	7,480	18.0
Barnsley	8,450	26.6
Bath and North East Somerset	2,500	10.8
Bedfordshire	6,630	12.0
Bexley	5,400	15.2
Birmingham	55,900	34.6
Blackburn with Darwen	6,850	28.7
Blackpool	4,960	25.4
Bolton	8,130	18.9
Bournemouth	2,270	11.6
Bracknell Forest	1,010	7.4
Bradford	21,310	27.8
Brent	9,580	28.8
Brighton and Hove	5,880	21.5
Bristol, City of	10,950	23.5
Bromley	5,880	14.2
Buckinghamshire	4,350	6.7
Bury	4,520	16.0
Calderdale	5,860	18.6
Cambridgeshire	7,030	9.8
Camden	7,780	39.7
Cheshire	12,840	13.2
City of London	80	36.9
Cornwall	9,770	14.7
Coventry	9,340	20.8
Croydon	10,400	22.9
Cumbria	11,100	15.8
Darlington	2,910	19.6
Derby	7,750	22.6
Derbyshire	14,150	13.5
Devon	10,670	11.9
Doncaster	10,440	22.8
Dorset	3,350	6.7