To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Government of China about the 10th report, Session 1999–2000, of the Foreign Affairs Committee. [152855]

Immediately after publication of the FAC report, Chinese officials in London and Peking told us that they were unhappy with aspects of its contents. The Chinese Government have issued a number of public statements criticising the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the statements made on 27 February 2001, Official Report, column 700, relating to remarks attributed to French and Italian military attaches in Washington. [153136]

The Italian ambassador and the French military attacheés have both written to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Mr. Fabricant) to deny the remarks attributed to the Italian and French military attachés in Washington on 27 February 2001, Official Report, column 700.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign elections have been observed in the past five years by publicly funded British observers. [153459]

I regret that the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Nonetheless, between spring 1999 and spring 2000 the UK supported election observation in 19 countries, either by providing international observers or by funding domestic observers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he intends to hold with regional Government representatives in Andalucia regarding HMS Tireless. [153160]

We have had regular contact regarding HMS Tireless with the local and regional Andalucian authorities through our Embassy in Madrid. There has also been an exchange of correspondence at ministerial level. We have always made clear that we acknowledge the concerns of the people in the region. We will continue to do all we can to allay these concerns and to provide assurances regarding the safety of HMS Tireless.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contact he has had with the Government of Indonesia concerning inter-communal killings. [153539]

We are deeply concerned by reports of inter-communal violence in Kalimantan and regret the extensive loss of life resulting from these clashes. We have urged the communities involved to halt the violence. We called on the Indonesian authorities to re-establish law and order, and to assist the communities in finding a peaceful and lasting solution. I issued a statement to this effect on 27 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Brunei concerning the recent arrest of seven Christians. [153725]

A total of seven were initially detained. Four people have now been released, but three remain in detention. Our High Commissioner in Brunei is in close contact with local church leaders and has discussed the matter with senior officials in the Bruneian Government; and we are co-ordinating our actions with EU counterparts. Our High Commissioner in Brunei will continue, both through contacts with the Bruneian authorities and in consultation with EU partners and other Governments represented in Brunei, to press for those detained to be treated in line with Brunei's obligations as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contacts he has had with (a) the PKK and (b) other Kurdish organisations in Turkey and elsewhere. [153594]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any contacts with the PKK or any recent contacts with other Kurdish organisations in Turkey or elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Macedonia with respect to recent inter-communal violence. [153593]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: I last spoke to the Macedonian Foreign Minister on 2 March, when I expressed our deep concern over the occupation of the Macedonian village near the Kosovo border by a group of Albanian extremists. I also commended the restraint shown by the Macedonian Government. On 12 March the Prime Minister wrote to President Trajkovski to express support for the Macedonian Government. I welcome the robust action taken by NATO and KFOR, not only in tightening control over the Kosovo side of the border but also in strengthening co-ordination with the Macedonian Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the Home Office about fulfilling the commitment to extend the European Parliament franchise to Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [153458]

holding answer 13 March 2001]: We are in regular contact with Home Office Ministers and officials on this issue. As I said in my evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 7 March, HMG unequivocally accept their obligation to secure the European parliamentary franchise for Gibraltar. We are carefully considering all possible options for achieving this objective before the 2004 EP elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings UK representatives have held with human rights organisations in Colombia since May 1997; and how many embassy staff in Colombia are dedicated to human rights work. [153692]

UK representatives have a regular and on-going dialogue with human rights organisations in Colombia. My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and I met a range of human rights organisations, NGOs, church and trade union leaders during our visit to Colombia in September 2000, including representatives from Christian Aid, CODHES, Mandato Ciudadano por la Paz, Indepaz, Redepaz, No Mas, and also Padre Francisco de Roux and Monsignor Pedro Rubiano. Recently on 8 March in London, I hosted a round table on Colombia with UK NGOs, Padre de Roux and the Presidential Counsellor for Security and Alternative Development. My right hon. Friend met a number of other leading human rights organisations during her visit to Colombia in March this year, including Women Waging Peace, CINEP and CCJ. We value all these contacts and will continue this substantial dialogue.Human rights are central to the work of the embassy in Bogota. A considerable proportion of the time of several embassy staff is devoted to human rights work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial support has been given by the UK to Plan Colombia to date; and what further expenditure is planned. [153693]

I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 14 December 2000, Official Report, columns 227–28W. There is no UK Government financial involvement in Plan Colombia either bilaterally or through the EU. Assistance through the EU of 105 million euro will support human rights, long-term economic and social development, and an end to violence. No expenditure is planned by the UK Government to support Plan Colombia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the British representatives at the UN Commission on Human Rights held in Geneva for each session since May 1997; what reports have been issued by the Commission; and if he will place them in the Library. [153691]

The UK delegation to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has, since the 54th session in 1998, been headed by Mrs. Audrey Glover CMG. The delegation has also included representatives from the UK missions to the UN in Geneva and New York, as well as from the Human Rights Policy Department and the Global Issues Research Group of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All reports issued by the Commission, and all resolutions adopted, are available in full on the following website: www.unhchr.ch. I understand that the House of Commons Library receives UN documents, including the annual report of the CHR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve single living accommodation for Service personnel. [154041]

Much of the living accommodation provided for Service personnel and their families is of good quality. But it is not consistently so. We have in hand a major upgrade programme for Service families' accommodation in Great Britain, with the aim of bringing core stock to modern standards by late 2005. The quality of the accommodation provided for single Service personnel also leaves much to be desired. This Government are determined that all those who serve their country are provided with good accommodation. So a significant proportion of the new money provided to the Defence budget in Spending Review 2000 will be devoted to a major and sustained upgrade programme for single living accommodation. Together, existing and new projects, including PFI, will see investment in this area reaching around £200 million per year. We intend to apply the principles of "Smart Construction" to this programme, achieving greater efficiency and economies of scale through prime contracting and close collaboration with the building industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets he sets the Defence Procurement Agency in respect of delivering a percentage capability within a particular time scale. [153453]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: The current Key Targets for the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed by the Defence Procurement Agency. [153447]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: As at 9 March 2001 the number of staff employed in the Defence Procurement Agency stands at 4,601.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the total running costs of the Defence Procurement Agency and its predecessor since 1971. [153448]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Central records for running costs do not exist. However, the operating costs of the Defence Procurement Agency (and before that the Procurement Executive), including the nuclear and fissile material programme, have been as follows since 1995–96:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on future UK force levels in the Balkans. [154042]

Following a review by NATO of the Statement of Requirement for aircraft in the Balkans theatre we have agreed new burden-sharing arrangements with the US Air Force. This agreement means that for three months in 12, we will meet the requirement for four strike aircraft, and the US for the remainder of the year. We have now completed our first three-month commitment, allowing us to withdraw four RAF Harriers and some 150 support personnel from Gioia del Colle from 1 April. The RAF will next deploy four aircraft again in early 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to store used nuclear reactor containers at the Devonport dockyard. [152859]

As the Minister for the Armed Forces made clear to the hon. Member during the Westminster Hall Adjournment debate on Radioactive Discharges (River Tamar) on 17 January 2001, Official Report, columns 121–24WH, we currently have no plans to store used nuclear reactor compartments from decommissioned nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard. Later this year we shall be inviting industry to put forward their land storage proposals and, although these are likely to include the storage of intact reactor compartments, other options could be proposed. We expect potential storage sites to emerge from this further work. Decisions on the land store method and site will not be taken for some two to three years, and then not until after full consultation with the UK's independent regulators and the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many public interest immunity certificates have been requested by his Department; how many have been granted; and what subjects they covered, in relation to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. [153225]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has signed four certificates claiming public interest immunity in respect of intelligence material which is relevant to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. The Tribunal has approved two of the claims; rulings on the other two are awaited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the estimated savings to date as a result of the smart procurement initiative. [153451]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Over the three successive annual planning rounds since the inception of the smart procurement initiative, we have identified costing reductions attributable to smart procurement which total £2 billion over the ten-year period 1998 to 2008. We expect to improve on this in the current and future planning rounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has put in place to ensure that contractor past performance is given sufficient weighting in the MOD's procurement decisions. [153452]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: In assessing the eligibility of suppliers to fulfil its requirements, the MOD takes account, where appropriate, of a number of factors, including company capacity, capability and past performance. Companies may be required to complete a pre-qualification to provide information on, among other things, delivery and performance history for similar projects. The Department recognises the importance of learning from, and building on, past experience, and to that end it is looking to implement a further series of measures designed to better capture past performance, including a supplier self-assessment scheme, joint industry/Ministry of Defence reviews aimed at improving future performance and closer vendor management initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total over-spend on defence procurement projects since 1971. [153449]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Figures for cost performance of the largest projects have been published in the Major Projects Report since 1993 and copies are available in the Library of the House. Complete historic data for all projects are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning the use of trucks for the slaughter and disposal of stock affected by the current foot and mouth outbreak; and if he will make a statement. [153503]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Officials from the Ministry of Defence are in close touch with their opposite numbers from the Ministry of Agriculture., Fisheries and Food, discussing the impact of the foot and mouth outbreak and possible requests for military support. All requests for support are treated urgently and sympathetically. Trucks for the slaughter and disposal of stock affected by the outbreak require sealed containers which do not form part of the military inventory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Maverick anti-armour missiles procured from Raytheon Corporation are in active service; and if he will make a statement. [152904]

Maverick entered service with the Royal Air Force on 15 February 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service, was in his Department for 2000–01. [R] [152798]

For staff covered by the main departmental pay system, the basic headline settlement added 2.5 per cent. to the paybill. A further 0.2 per cent. represented restructuring costs, including 0.1 per cent. for bonus payments in line with the civil service reform agenda. Together with funds released by staff turnover, staff in post received performance related increases averaging 4.7 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many RUC officers have accepted voluntary redundancy under the recently introduced terms; how many have left to date on voluntary redundancy terms; how many officers whose applications for voluntary redundancy have been accepted have still to leave; and over what period they will be leaving. [152383]

The number of officers who have left the Royal Ulster Constabulary under voluntary severance terms up to 3 March 2001 was 367. A further 116 officers will be leaving during the period 4–31 March.The closing date for acceptance to the second phase of the scheme is 31 March 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints were made against decisions of the Child Support Agency in 2000. [152681]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the impact on the weekly pensions of men aged 60 to 64 who, had they been women, would have qualified to receive the state pension, of allocating to them the funds for the proposed increase to existing pensioners. [153500]

A man cannot draw State Retirement Pension before he reaches State pension age. Therefore no estimate has been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the practice of pension clawback by companies operating occupational pension schemes. [153671]

Occupational pension provision is voluntary, and it is for employers to decide the nature of the scheme and the benefits provided. The decision as to whether a scheme should continue to operate on an integrated basis, or if not, how and when integration should be abolished, is a matter for employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service, was in his Department for 2000–01. [152790]

The headline pay settlement was 2.6 per cent. on the pay bill and, together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received increases averaging 4.5 per cent

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action will be taken to identify and remove inaccurate, duplicate and fraudulent national insurance numbers once the Data Cleansing Project comes to an end. [152437]

The Data Cleansing Project removed 182,000 National Insurance numbers (NINOs) during the last financial year—more than during the whole of the last Parliament.The Data Cleansing Project will move from departmental project status to departmental core business status on 31 March. Therefore the process of analysing our database to identify and remove inaccurate, duplicate and fraudulent NINOs will continue at current levels as part of our core business.In addition, from 31 March onwards there will be a rollout of an enhanced process for allocating NINOs. The new process will involve far more stringent tests before a NINO is allocated thus preventing fraud and error entering the system in the first place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many national insurance numbers on the Departmental Central Index relate to people (a) now deceased, (b) who live abroad and receive no benefits, (c) who live abroad and receive benefits and (d) aged under 16 years. [152438]

There are approximately 13.5 million records on DCI holding a date of death. These are needed in case spouses make claims on their deceased partner's contributions.Figures have never been kept on the number of records for people who live abroad and receive no benefits. These records are held in the event that people subsequently return and make a claim to benefit.Benefit is currently paid to approximately 2 million customers including their dependants resident overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of exempting Invalid Care Allowance from the overlapping benefits rules (a) entirely and (b) with respect to retirement pension. [152330]

It is estimated that for the year 2002–03 the cost of abolishing the overlapping benefits rules for ICA recipients (a) entirely would be £450 million and (b) for those over state pension age only, £400 million.The rules on overlapping benefits have been a feature of social security benefit payments since 1948 and prevent more than one benefit intended to meet the same need being paid at the same time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners had money deducted from their state retirement pension while in hospital during the last calendar year for which figures are available; and what the cost to the Exchequer would have been of not making such deductions. [153226]

As at 31 March 2000, some 31,900 retirement pensioners were in hospital and subject to a downrating of their retirement pension. The costs of abolishing such downrating is approximately £60 million per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) people and (b) children were living in poverty in Lancashire in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001. [153167]

Poverty and social exclusion are complex multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of people's lives—including income, health, housing, the quality of their environment and opportunities to learn. There is no single measure that can capture the complex problems that need to be overcome.However, a number of these aspects have seen significant improvement in Lancashire since 1997. For example, the number of unemployed people in Lancashire has fallen by around 10,000, from nearly 27,000 in January 1997 to around 16,000 in January 2001. Between 1997 and 2000 the number of children in families in receipt of out of work benefits has fallen from nearly 50,000 to around 46,000. The proportion of 11-year-olds achieving level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 has risen in English from 68 per cent. in 1998 to 76 per cent. in 2000 and in mathematics from 63 per cent. in 1998 to 74 per cent. in 2000.The annual report "Opportunity for all", available in the Library, sets out and monitors the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many mothers in Wansbeck have received the Sure Start maternity grant since its introduction. [153143]

The information is not available in the format requested as the number of recipients of Sure Start maternity grants (SSMGs) is not held by sex or parliamentary constituency. SSMGs may be claimed either by the mother or by her partner, one of whom must have been awarded a qualifying benefit.In the period since the introduction of SSMGs on 27 March 2000 to the end of February 2001, 1,368 people have received a SSMG in the Benefits Agency's Northumbria area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the proportion of private landlords who will not accept tenants who are in receipt of Housing Benefit; and how these figures have altered since May 1997. [153390]

None. No data are held to make the comparison requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to extend the use of work-focused interviews within the Working Age Agency. [153900]

My tight hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and I are establishing, later this year, the Working Age Agency. This will bring together labour market and benefit services for people of working age and enable us to provide a more integrated approach for our customers.As the first stage in the launch of the Working Age Agency, we will be introducing around 50 Pathfinder offices. A provisional list of their locations is set out in the table. People of working age making a claim for benefit in these offices will be required to participate in a work-focused interview as an integral part of the benefit claims process and will be offered specialist support to help them into work. I will shortly be laying regulations under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children have been lifted out of poverty since May 1997; and if he will provide the basis for Ministers' calculation concerning the number of children who will be lifted out of poverty by the end of the present Parliament. [152432]

I have been asked to reply.As a result of personal tax and benefit reforms announced in this Parliament, over 1.2 million children will be lifted out of poverty. This is an estimate, using the Treasury's tax benefit simulation model, of the impact of measures on the number of children living in households with income below 60 per cent. of the median.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) registered nursery and (b) playgroup places there were (i) in 1996 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available for (A) London and (B) each London Borough. [152196]

[holding answer 8 March 2001]: The available information requested is shown in the tables. This includes information on day nurseries and playgroups for March 1996 and March 2000 and needs to be seen in the context of a national rise in playgroup places. In addition, for your information I have provided a table on the provision of education in maintained nursery and primary schools in England in January 2000.The responsibility for day care provision transferred from the Department of Health to the Department for Education and Employment in March 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service, was in his Department for 2000–01. [152797]

The headline pay settlement was 2.5 per cent. on the pay bill. Staff in post received performance related increases averaging 4.1 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will meet members of the UK Youth Parliament to discuss with them proposals in the Parliament's manifesto relating to education and employment. [152963]

I welcome the establishment of the UK Youth Parliament and congratulate the hon. Member on his role in promoting it. I attended the first sitting of the Parliament on 23 February and would welcome the opportunity to meet members again. I understand that the UKYP will be publishing its manifesto in April and I look forward to working with the Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) on the initial Government response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in Wansbeck are connected to the internet; and how many were connected in 1997. [153145]

The Department does not collect details about the numbers of internet connections at schools in individual constituencies. Substantial progress is being made towards the target of every school having access to the internet. Data from the Department's Survey of ICT in Schools 1996 are given, as the survey was performed bi-annually until 1998. The comparable survey in 2000 shows that the percentage of schools in England connected to the internet has increased as shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in (a) South Tyneside and (b) South Shields have undergone Ofsted inspections since May 1997; and how many of those have been subject to critical reports. [153298]

HM Chief Inspector has advised that 72 schools in South Tyneside, including the South Shields area, were inspected by Ofsted between May 1997 and December 2000. Six schools were found to have serious weaknesses, one of which subsequently went into special measures following a re-inspection. Two other schools were judged to require special measures and one was found to be underachieving.I have asked HM Chief Inspector Mike Tomlinson to write to my right hon. Friend enclosing a full list of the schools inspected and to place a copy of his letter in the Library. The inspection reports can be accessed via Ofsted's website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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 South Shields constituency, the effects on South Shields of his Department's polices and actions since 2 May 1997. [153092]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the South Shields constituency and on South Tyneside LEA have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Don Valley constituency, the effects on Doncaster of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [153528]

Details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Don Valley constituency and Doncaster LEA have been placed in the Library.

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 constituency, the effects on Jarrow of his Department's actions since 2 May 1997. [153559]

Details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Jarrow constituency and South Tyneside LEA have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the Government's plans are for achieving full employment. [153896]

Today we are launching the Green Paper "Towards full employment in a modem society" jointly with the Treasury and the Department of Social Security. It sets out our plan for achieving sustained full employment over the next decade in every part of the country.We will continue our crusade to eradicate long-term unemployment. The strong and stable economy provides a firm foundation for enabling job opportunities for all. Through the welfare to work agenda we have shown that the key to helping unemployed people back to work is making sure that they have the skills to be able to take up these opportunities. This approach has helped over 270,000 long-term unemployed young people back into work, and has helped see unemployment fall to its lowest level since the 1970s.We will focus on helping people into work, but also to stay in work and gain the skills they need to progress in work. By raising the skills, employability and aspirations of those who need the most help, we are also providing insurance against a return to unemployment. People equipped with the skills employers need will find it much easier to get straight back into work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has to extend the use of work-focused interviews within the Working Age Agency. [153892]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security and I are establishing, later this year, the Working Age Agency. This will bring together labour market and benefit services for people of working age and enable us to provide a more integrated approach for our customers.As the first stage in the launch of the Working Age Agency, we will be introducing around 50 Pathfinder offices. A provisional list of their locations is set out in the following table. People of working age making a claim for benefit in these offices will be required to participate in a work-focused interview as an integral part of the benefit claims process and will be offered specialist support to help them into work. My right hon. Friend will shortly be laying regulations under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the people aboard the Afghan airliner hijacked to Stansted in February 2000 are still in the United Kingdom; what is the status of each of their asylum claims; and if he will make a statement. [153689]

[holding answer 13 March 2001]: Of the 170 passengers who arrived on the aircraft, 81 returned to Afghanistan.Fifty-one passengers claimed asylum (plus 26 dependants). Because of the exceptional circumstances of the hijack and the wider issues surrounding it, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary personally decided each of the asylum claims.Of the cases which have been considered to date, four (plus 13 dependants) have been granted asylum. A total of 34 (plus five dependants) have been refused asylum, not 35 as was stated in my answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 5 February 2001,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days on average it takes to (a) process a new passport application by post and (b) renew a passport by post. [153297]

The average turnaround time for straightforward and correctly completed passport applications is currently five days. This applies to both new and renewal applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the Senior Civil Service, was in his Department for 2000–01. [152794]

In the non-agency Home Office the headline pay settlement was 2.5 per cent. on the pay bill. Together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance-related increases averaging 4.75 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the organisations (a) he and (b) his officials have met concerning the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001 since its publication. [153695]

On 28 February, when I announced that I had laid the draft order in Parliament, I met representatives of the Muslim and Palestinian communities to discuss its contents. On that day the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), also met representatives of the Sikh, Tamil and Kurdish communities for the same purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the representations he received before drawing up the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001. [153510]

A number of representations were received, including from certain foreign Governments, groups and individuals, before the draft order was laid. I have, however, taken the decisions that I have because I am satisfied that, taking account of all the information available to me, the organisations listed in the draft order meet the criteria in the Terrorism Act of being "concerned in terrorism".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were allowed into the United Kingdom from overseas countries for adoption by United Kingdom residents in the last 12 months; and if he will list the countries from which these children came. [152815]

Information on the number of children admitted to the United Kingdom from overseas countries for adoption is not currently available. The information that is available covers the number of adopted children given indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. This number excludes those children given limited leave to remain and who are subsequently adopted through the United Kingdom courts, becoming British citizens on the date that the final adoption order is made.In 2000, a total of around 60 adopted children were given indefinite leave to remain. The nationalities of the children were:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on holding asylum seekers in Prison Service establishments. [152875]

The Government are committed to a programme to increase the removal rate of immigration offenders and failed asylum applicants. Regrettably, it is necessary to detain some people in order to facilitate their removal at the end of the process. To this end, we are increasing the number of dedicated detention centre spaces. However, these new facilities will not become available until later in the year. In the interim, as a short-term measure, it was agreed that surplus Prison Service remand facilities could be utilised in accommodating immigration detainees. Under these arrangements, which are not exclusive to asylum seekers, only men aged 21 or over will be so accommodated.These measures supplement existing arrangements already in place with the Prison Service in the provision of dedicated facilities at Her Majesty's Prisons Rochester, Lindholme and Haslar.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners who have been released under the Government's early release scheme reside in Lancashire; [153213](2) how many prisoners who reside in Wales were released under the early release scheme; and how many of them have re-offended. [153214]

The figures required to answer these questions are not centrally available, and would incur disproportionate costs to retrieve.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of illegal immigrants resident in Wales in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001. [153217]

There is no official estimate of the number of illegal immigrants resident in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on Government policy on pithing in slaughter houses. [144396]

[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Our general position is strongly to support action at European Union level to combat BSE. The pithing ban was introduced by Commission Decision 2000/418 of 29 June 2000, which introduced new EU-wide rules on specified risk material (SRM). We welcomed that decision overall, as a significant step forward in protecting consumers.The Food Standards Agency has recently completed public consultation on a proposal to introduce a ban on pithing with effect from 1 January 2001, as required by the EU decision. Concerns that such a ban would particularly affect small and medium-sized abattoirs were raised in a number of responses to the consultation. Representations were also made that more time was needed to allow abattoirs to make the necessary changes to enable them to operate safely without pithing. In the light of these responses, the Government are currently considering very carefully when a pithing ban should be introduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress he has made to enable produce roared and processed only within the UK prominently to be advertised as such. [R] [149690]

[holding answer 9 February 2001]: There is no reason why produce that has been reared and processed only within the United Kingdom should not be prominently advertised as such, although such claims made in respect of fresh or frozen beef and veal are subject to the current European Community rules on beef labelling.