To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the review of compensation arrangements for Gulf War veterans will examine the seven-year rule on eligibility for war pensions; and if he will make a statement. [1540491

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) on 16 March 2001, Official Report, column 756W. The Ministry of Defence Consultation Document on the Joint Compensation Review is not confined to arrangements for Gulf veterans, but seeks views on the general eligibility for claims under a new compensation scheme. We will give careful consideration to all views put forward during the consultation phase. The proposals resulting from the review do not envisage changing the eligibility for claims under the DSS administered War Pension Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what troops and equipment he has available for assisting in the destruction of animals infected with foot and mouth and the containment of the disease. [155041]

The armed forces are supporting the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by co-ordinating the disposal of carcases in areas worst hit by the outbreak, and in providing a small number of vets and logistic support at MAFF HQ.Although the situation is being constantly monitored and necessary adjustments made, the details, as of midday 22 March, are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2001, Official Report, column 633W, on malaria, and his subsequent letter, how many service personnel of the 200 deployed to Sierra Leone without anti-malarial treatment have since been diagnosed with malaria; to which regiments they belong; and if he will make a statement. [155073]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 February 2001, Official Report, columns 609–10W. There are no more than 10 personnel who have contracted malaria among the group who deployed without anti-malaria tablets. These personnel were from 1^st Battalion Parachute Regiment and 2^nd Battalion Parachute Regiment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many enlisted personnel left each of the three services in the last 10 years, citing pay as the reason for leaving; and if he will make a statement; [153981](2) how many service personnel at officer rank left each of the services in the last 10 years, citing pay as the reason for leaving; and if he will make a statement. [153983]

Information is not available as to the specific reasons why each individual leaves the armed forces prematurely. Each service does, however, run leaver surveys. In the past three years these surveys have indicated that, more often than not, it is the cumulative effect of several factors rather than a single item that has the most impact on retention. From these surveys it is possible to say that dissatisfaction with pay is not one of the most influential factors in an Officer's or Other Rank's/Rating's decision to leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outstanding total of backdated claims is from (a) serving and (b) former MOD police officers in respect of (i) rent allowances and (ii) housing allowances; and if he will make a statement. [155120]

There are no outstanding backdated claims from serving or former Ministry of Defence police officers in respect of rent or housing allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London borough of Hackney. [155728]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the London borough of Hackney and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.The reports main conclusion is that the standard of service provided to benefit claimants over the past three years has been very poor. The council contracted out its Benefits and Revenues services in 1997 and the BFI reports that flaws in the contract coupled with a failure to invest sufficient resources in the client side management, has contributed to the present situation.Inspectors found that a poorly designed claim form, considerable backlogs and very poor processing performance was having an effect on other parts of the service leading to significant delays and a sharp increase in the numbers of complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman.The report notes that some measures were introduced to improve customer service. But the effectiveness of these measures is being seriously undermined by long waiting times and inefficient use of the caller centre.Inspectors found that since April 1999 Hackney has failed to comply with the requirement to notify claimants of their benefit entitlement and subsequent changes. The report also noted major concerns in the prevention and recovery of overpayment. In 1999–2000 the HB debt was £17.8 million.The report notes the introduction of a strong management structure of the council's counter fraud unit and a number of good practices. But limited resources were resulting in poor quality fraud investigations and a failure to make full and proper use of all investigative practices and powers.The report notes, however, that a new Managing Director took up post during the BFI inspection and its clear that considerable effort is being put in to address some of the significant weaknesses in performance.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Glasgow city council. [155729]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Glasgow city council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Overall, inspectors found a number of weaknesses and poor standards of performance in benefit administration and counter fraud work that needed immediate attention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Sheffield city council. [155730]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Sheffield city council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.Inspectors found a number of weaknesses and poor standards of performance in benefit administration and counter fraud work. Performance is failing to meet contractual expectations in a number of key areas.The report notes the council is struggling to cope with significant backlogs of work which are resulting in lengthy delays in claims processing and reduced customer services. The council has introduced measures to resolve the backlogs and Some progress is being made towards restoring an effective benefits service.Benefits administration needs to be improved with regard to verification, overpayment classification and implementation of effective qualify checking controls. Although some weaknesses were found in the control and management of overpayments work Inspectors found the council to be pursuing recovery of debts effectively.The report notes that although there is some good counter fraud work, it is not focused and management controls are largely ineffective and provide little assurance. Inspectors found investigation work to be of poor quality and insufficient to tackle the estimated level of fraud in the council's area.Inspectors were pleased to find effective corporate policies and measures were in place to encourage an anti-fraud and corruption culture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many of the additional staff posts allotted to the Independent Case Examiner in September 2000 have been filled; [154510](2) what plans he has for clearing the backlog of Child Support Agency cases awaiting investigation by the Independent Case Examiner; [154509](3) on what basis it was decided to advertise the job of the Independent Case Examiner on a part-time rather than full-time basis. [154511]

The office of the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) has already recruited two extra staff. A further four staff members will be in post by the end of April 2001, and two more in May 2001.All cases referred to the ICE are dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible. Cases are dealt with in the order they are received to ensure that all customers receive a similar service. In exceptional circumstances, such as where a customer's health is being affected by their case, it will be dealt with more urgently.The current Independent Case Examiner, Mrs. Anne Parker, was appointed on a part-time basis and the intention is that her replacement will also be part-time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will commission research into the practice of commercial operators paying out cash, subject to a substantial charge, for benefit and Housing Benefit cheques; and if he will take action on the findings. [154508]

We have no plans to commission research into commercial cheque cashing services.No benefit recipient should have to pay for benefit cheque encashment. The facility exists for people without a bank account to return crossed girocheques to their local Benefits Agency office and have them replaced by lower value girocheques which can be encashed at a Post Office.Most high street banks now offer basic accounts which are free to open and run. These are available to the majority of benefit recipients and can be used to clear crossed benefit cheques or Housing Benefit cheques issued by local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how changes in Government spending since 1997 have affected the incomes of (a) poorer pensioners and (b) pensioners with low levels of savings. [154281]

Information regarding income gains over the Parliament for poorer pensioners is available in "The Pension Credit: A consultation paper" (Cm 4900). As the document sets out, by next April 1.7 million of the poorest pensioner households will on average be at least £15 a week better off and half of the poorest pensioner households will on average be over £20 a week better off as a result of tax and benefit measures introduced by the Government since 1997.The information requested regarding pensioners with low levels of savings is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the level of expenditure on Winter Fuel Payments has been in each year since their introduction; and what the projected level of expenditure is in each year to the end of the public expenditure planning horizon. [155158]

The information for expenditure to date is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he has consulted the Social Security Committee on his proposed broadening of the definition of the single room rent; [155293](2) if he will list the organisations that commented on the proposals relating to single room rent; and how many of these

We have fulfilled our statutory obligation to consult the Social Security Advisory Committee and the Local Authority Associations on our proposal to broaden the definition of the Single Room Rent.The Social Security Advisory Committee was content for our proposal to proceed without the Committee conducting a public consultation exercise. The Local Authority Associations favoured abolition of the Single Room Rent, but they welcomed our proposal as a step in the right direction.Our proposal is designed to better reflect the accommodation which is available in the market, based on advice from the Rent Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the meetings and conferences organised by his Department and agencies of his Department which have been (a) cancelled and (b) postponed owing to foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [1553731

Information on cancelled and postponed meetings is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the level of Income Support take-up among pensioners in Torbay. [154291]

Estimates cannot be produced below national level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what degree of independence the National Cancer Institute will have from cancer charities; [154642](2) if funding for the National Cancer Institute will emanate from Government. [154643]

The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), announced today, is a partnership between all the United Kingdom Health Departments, the Medical Research Council, the Cancer Research Campaign, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the Marie Curie Research Institute and the pharmaceutical industry. The greatest benefit for patients is likely to be achieved if all the main funders of cancer research work together to ensure the best use of research resources.The NCRI will be established from 1 April. It will provide the focus for cancer research conducted across the UK, and provide strategic oversight of that research. It will take the lead in identifying where further research initiatives are indicated and are most likely to lead to progress. It will also co-ordinate research into cancer genetics in the UK.But the NCRI will not be a single, large "bricks and mortar" facility. It will have a core staff of about six people, and total running costs of about £500,000 a year. All the partners have agreed to contribute. The details have to be worked out, but the Government are prepared to underwrite the costs in the first instance so that the NCRI can make progress without delay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each category of grant, and the amount of each grant, paid by his Department to (a) Westminster and (b) Kensington and Chelsea in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–01; and what the projected figure is for 2001–02. [146310]

The tables provide a list of the grants paid by the Department of Health to the two local authorities Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster city council for the periods required.The grants are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) fatal accidents and (b) accidents requiring an overnight hospital stay there have been in each of the last 10 years. [152602]

The number of deaths resulting from fatal accidents in England for 1989 to 1999 is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the television, newspaper and radio advertising and other promotional campaigns conducted by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its departmental public bodies, in each of the past five years, showing for each the expenditure incurred by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [153412]

[holding answer 12 March 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 20 March 2001, Official Report, columns 133–36W.Major advertising spend on individual campaigns is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated for medical negligence; how much has been top sliced from allocations to health authorities to pay for it in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [155109]

The allocation for medical negligence, top sliced from health authorities (HA), for the forthcoming year and the last three years is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the meetings and conferences organised by his Department and agencies of his Department which have been (a) cancelled and (b) postponed owing to foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [155360]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to questions tabled by the hon. Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North on 16 January (Ref. 146310) and 5 March (152273). [155292]

I replied to my hon. Friend's question tabled on 16 January today. I shall let her have a reply to her other question as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent in the current and preceding two years on CCTV and other security improvements in hospitals in the south-west; and how much on improved ambulance communications in Avon. [155375]

As part of the national programme to improve accident and emergency services funded from the Capital Modernisation Fund in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, £417,000 was invested in providing improved security for staff and patients through the provision of CCTV systems in a number of hospitals across the region. £8,000 was spent separately at Crewkerne and Wincanton hospitals. Other schemes funded in this programme included investment on CCTV and security improvements, however, it is not possible to identify separately the expenditure on this element in these schemes. Other improvements to hospital security will have been made locally from National Health Service trusts' block capital allocations.In 1999–2000, Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust received £190,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the introduction of an automatic vehicle location system to help improve ambulance response times, and a mobile data system which will provide the platform for telemedicine for better diagnosis and care of patients.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made with appointments to the Government-industry forum on non-food uses of crops since the Adjournment debate on non-food crops in Westminster Hall on 11 January. [155720]

I am pleased to announce the following appointments to the forum: Mr. Robert Margetts CBE as Chairman, Professor Dianna Bowles, Dr. David Carmichael, Mrs. Pamela Castle, Dr. Paul Ekins, Dr. Ray Marriott, Dr. Richard Miller and Mr. Andy Taylor. In addition, there will be one member each from MAFF, DTI and DETR and MAFF will also provide a full-time secretary, and two technical advisers.The terms of reference of the forum are:To provide strategic advice to Government and industry on the development of non-food uses of crops. In particular;To keep under review technological developments and market opportunities for non-food uses of crops.To make recommendations on policy affecting non-food uses of crops and on R&D priorities.To publish an annual report.The forum will hold its first meeting as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of total agrimonetary compensation was (a) applied for and (b) received in each of the last 10 years. [151828]

[holding answer 1 March 2001]: The UK was first eligible for agrimonetary compensation following currency movements during 1996. Agrimonetary compensation applied for since then is shown in the table. In each case, payment has been made as soon as possible following approval by the European Commission.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what money he has applied for from the EU to reclaim agricultural land affected by flooding; and if he will make a statement. [152293]

[holding answer 5 March 2001]: At our request, the European Commission has agreed a number of changes and flexibilities in CAP scheme rules to protect payments to British farmers affected by flooding this winter, details of which have already been announced. EU funding was discussed as a possibility under the England Rural Development Programme but the views of rural stakeholders expressed in consultations were that restoration from flooding was a lower priority in this long-term programme than measures to conserve and improve the environment and to assist the creation of a more productive and sustainable rural economy.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations he has carried out to determine how many consignments of sheep and lambs have been illegally exported from England and Wales to the Irish Republic during the last 12 months. [153030]

[holding answer 12 March 2001]: Exports of sheep from England and Wales to another member state are required to be covered by export health certification under harmonised EU conditions. Under normal circumstances, additional border checks constitute an illegal impediment to trade. However, since the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, surveillance at Holyhead Port has been increased. We are not aware that there have been any illegally exported consignments nor have any been reported to MAFF by the Irish Authorities.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many geographical locations are associated with the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease announced to date. [153841]

[holding answer 15 March 2001]: As of 19 March there are 14 areas within the United Kingdom which are covered by "infected area" restrictions.These are as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the different locations affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire. [153843]

[holding answer 15 March 2001]: As of 19 March, two premises in this area have been affected with foot and mouth disease. They are Longmore Farm and The Woodlands, Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster. Details of newly affected premises are listed on the MAFF website and provided to Members of Parliament on a daily basis.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he is examining to help other rural businesses, besides farming affected by the foot and mouth epidemic. [154029]

[holding answer 16 March 2001]: I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures his Department is taking to ensure that hauliers do not breach new regulations concerning the length of time over which animals can be transported. [155257]

Owing to the foot and mouth disease outbreak, movements of FMD susceptible livestock may only take place under licence. We expect all hauliers to take seriously their obligations not to spread the disease. But we will nevertheless arrange for a high proportion of longer distance movements to be supervised and accompanied. In addition, checks are made by the police and local authorities to ensure compliance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published; and if he will make explanatory notes on the Bill's clauses available to hon. Members. [155578]

The Finance Bill will be published on Friday, 30 March. Explanatory notes on the Bill's clauses will be placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses that day. Members of the public will be able to obtain copies of the explanatory notes from the Treasury; these will also be available on the Treasury's website http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information on purchasers of stakeholder pensions the Inland Revenue will ask providers of such pensions to provide; and if this information will allow the Inland Revenue to determine whether the target market for such pensions is being reached. [154773]

Information requirements for stakeholder and personal pensions are laid out at Part 17B of the Inland Revenue Personal Pension Schemes (including Stakeholder Pension schemes) Guidance Notes—IR76 (2000). I have arranged for a copy to be laid in the House of Commons Library.These requirements, supplemented by surveys and with other information held by the Inland Revenue, will enable take up of stakeholder pensions to be monitored.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans for Partnerships UK. [155722]

Partnerships UK was launched in June 2000 to build upon the success of the Treasury Taskforce and to provide a permanent and sustainable centre of expertise to continue the Treasury Taskforce's role in developing and expanding the Government's PPP programme.The Treasury is currently seeking private investors for a 51 per cent. stake in Partnerships UK. The Treasury's aim is to raise at least £22.5 million through a sale of the shares on a competitive basis to qualifying institutions. Each potential qualifying investor is being invited to invest between £1 million and £5 million.An Information Memorandum has been distributed to qualifying institutions in connection with this Offer for sale. Further information on the sale can be obtained from the publication copy of the Information Memorandum, which has been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements have been made to review the procedures for safeguarding the security and confidentiality of information to be collected in the 2001 Census in England and Wales. [155723]

The Government's White Paper on the 2001 Census, published in March 1999, gave assurances that the well-established traditions of maintaining confidentiality of information collected in the census would be upheld for the 2001 Census, and that the Census Offices would undertake reviews of the confidentiality and security arrangements for the 2001 Census and would publish the outcome of such reviews before the Census.Independent reviews of the physical security arrangements for processing the 2001 Census information and the measures to protect the statistical confidentiality of the data were undertaken last year. The outcome of the reviews, including a joint statement from the Registrars General for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is being published today by the Office for National Statistics, the General Register Office for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.>The Government are satisfied that the measures and procedures in place will protect the security and confidentiality of the 2001 Census.The Report is available via the National Statistics website www.statistics.co.uk. Paper copies will subsequently be available on request to ONS, and copies of the Report have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of the workforce is unemployed in the Northern Region; [155045](2) what percentage of the workforce in the Northern Region was unemployed

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mothers in the Northern Region whose youngest child is aged under one year are in employment. [1550481

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of mothers in the Northern Region returned to work when their youngest child was (a) under six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) one to three years and (d) over three years in each of the last five years. [1550471

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will respond to questions tabled on 26 February 2001, Ref. 0823W/00/01 and 0824W/00/01. [155162]

I shall write shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the meetings and conferences organised by his Department and agencies of his Department which have been (a) cancelled and (b) postponed owing to foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [155368]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he supported the recent conversion of the venture capital division of the European Investment Bank to the European Investment Fund; and what the reasons were for the change. [151754]

The transfer of the EIB' s venture capital operations to the EIF was part of a rationalisation of activities in the context of the

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the priorities of the European Investment Bank; what his policy is on them; and what other priorities Her Majesty's Government have been pressing the bank to take on board. [151750]

The task of the EIB is set out in Article 267 of the EC Treaty.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which meetings of the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund are open to citizens from the European Union. [151756]

Meetings of the governing bodies of the EIB and EIF are not open to the public.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which European Union institution is responsible for overseeing the accounting practices of the European Investment Bank; what authority, in this regard, is held by the European Court of Auditors; on what grounds the European Court of Auditors can access the financial records of the European Investment Bank; when this has been done; and for what reason. [151753]

The accounting practices of the EIB are overseen by an independent Audit Committee which is accountable directly to the Board of Governors (EU Finance Ministers). The Court of Auditors has access to the bank, in accordance with an agreement under Article 248 of the Treaty.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the projects and the companies involved that have benefited from investment by the European Investment Bank in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [151752]

The information requested is available in the Annual Reports of the EIB. The report for 1999 is available in the Library; the report for 2000 will be published in the summer.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value is of the European Investment Fund; what percentage of shares in the EIF is held by the European Investment Bank; what other shareholders there are in the European Investment Fund; and what proportions of the fund they hold. [151755]

This information is available on the EIF' s website at www.eif.org

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in each of the last 10 years, what proportion of investment made by the European Investment Bank was made (a) within the EU, (b) within accession countries and (c) outside those countries. [151751]

This information is available in the Annual Reports of the EIB. The report for 1999 is in the Library. The report for 2000 will be published in June. The hon. Gentleman may also refer to EIB' s website at www.eib.org.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money the UK has contributed to the European Investment Bank in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [151749]

Between 1991 and 1996 the UK paid 145,834,734 euros in direct subscriptions to the EIB. Since 1996, no payments have been made by member states to the EIB.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to phase out the retention system in respect of construction works procured by central Government; and if he will make a statement. [155265]

A review of contracts is planned this year as part of the OGC' s ongoing performance-related Achieving Excellence in construction initiative.GC/Works/1 (1998), the Government standard form of construction contract and its associated sub-contract, allows Departments to forgo retentions as part of their commercial agreements with suppliers. Retentions do not feature in Defence Estate's Prime Contract conditions.The move to performance-based partnering type contracts will reduce the need for retentions in the future. The NAO report "Modernising Construction", published in January 2001, gave strong endorsement to the partnering approach, as a means of achieving best value.

To ask the Solicitor-General for what reasons the Attorney-General requested further information from Her Majesty's Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon regarding his request for a fresh inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the request from Her Majesty's Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon regarding this case. [154769]

Her Majesty's Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon applied for the Attorney-General's consent for an application to the High Court for another inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison. The Coroner has been asked to provide a summary of the evidence given at the original inquest in May of 1953 and to provide the new evidence which suggests that the verdict of misadventure (nowadays termed "accident") at the original inquest was incorrect.The procedure for ordering another inquest in these circumstances is governed by section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988. Only the High Court may order another inquest to be held. The Attorney-General's consent is required for the application to the High Court for another inquest.The Coroner is currently away on holiday. I will inquire of him when he returns and if he has no objections I will place his request in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will designate the start of trading under the New Electricity Trading Arrangements. [155719]

On the advice of the Chief Executive of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry today designated 00:00 hrs on 27 March 2001 as the time and date for the start of trading under the Balancing and Settlement Code, which commences the New Electricity Trading Arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if an annual increase in pre-tax profit will cause operating aid to be terminated; and what recovery mechanism exists. [154478]

Under the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme, aid is payable to loss-making production units only in respect of losses incurred through the production of qualifying (industrial) coal. Thus any reduction in such losses will reduce the level of aid payable, and any mine making an actual net profit before subsidy in any given financial year will not be eligible for subsidy in that year. However, the level of subsidy payable is not directly affected by the overall level of profits or losses made by the applicant company as a whole.Applications for aid, and payments of aid if European Commission approval is given, are made on the basis of forecast losses. However, once each of the applicant company's relevant financial years encompassing the subsidy period is over, there will be a reconciliation process in which the forecasts are compared with actuals for the applicant production unit in that subsidy period. If actual losses have been less than forecast, any consequent overpayment of aid will be set off against any further subsidy payments due or otherwise recovered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of money spent on medical research (a) using animals and (b) using alternatives to animals by (i) Government and (ii) industry in 2000–01. [153373]

[holding answer 12 March 2001]: It is impossible to put a precise figure on medical research spend that has required either the use of animals or alternatives to animals. All experimental work with animals is subject to approval by the Home Office. The majority of medical research projects do not involve any animal procedures. It is not possible to determine how many of these projects could have been pursued using animal experiments, and would have been issued licences, if the alternative approaches had not been available. Once alternatives to a specific experimental method have been successfully developed and shown to be effective, the Home Office will not issue a licence to conduct the same type of work using animals. All experiments using animals must satisfy the strict regulation of the 1986 Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the Hawley group; [154590](2) what plans he has for the future role of the Engineering Council; and if he will make a statement; [154591](3) if he will place a copy of the report by the Hawley group in the Library; [154592](4) what assessment he has made of the impact of the work of the Hawley group on the engineering and technology base and the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement; [154593](5) if he will make a statement on the involvement in the Hawley group of

[holding answer 22 March 2001]: The Hawley group was established at the instigation of my noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation in October 1999. The group was chaired by Dr. Robert Hawley, Chairman of the Engineering Council, and consisted of representatives from the Engineering Council, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Employment. My noble Friend received regular progress reports from Dr. Hawley throughout the course of the Hawley Review and also chaired public events on 23 May 2000 and 14 February 2001. DTI officials on the group were closely involved in the development of the review and they consulted colleagues within the Department, including those in the Office of Science and Technology, on a wide range of issues. Significant contributions were also received from officials in the DETR.The Hawley group report entitled "Making the Best of Valuable Talent" was published in December 2000 and contained some 43 recommendations for re-positioning the Engineering Council to meet the needs and aspirations of an increasingly diverse and non-traditional engineering community. The report was circulated widely for discussion within the engineering community and the initial response proved most favourable. During the consultation exercise my noble Friend spoke directly to a number of senior representatives of the engineering community, from industry and from many of the engineering institutions, to seek their views on the contents of the report. All were strongly supportive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with Regional Development Agencies regarding clearance by the European Commission of Regional Venture Capital Funds. [155253]

Officials in the Small Business Service wrote to the Regional Development Agencies, and other interested parties, to inform them of the European Commission's call for comments on the UK's Regional Venture Capital Fund programme, and the UK Government's view on the issues raised by the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the National Radiological Protection Board has made of the study by Sir Richard Doll on a potential cancer link to overhead power line transmission; if he will make it his policy to (a) apply the precautionary principle and (b) impose (i) a buffer zone around the houses or (ii) a rerouting to avoid houses built under the proposed Lackenby to Shipton power line; and if he will make a statement. [154787]

Sir Richard Doll's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation published its report "Extremely low frequency Electromagnetic Fields and the Risk of

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days leeway are allowed before a fine is imposed for late submission of company accounts after the due date. [154583]

[holding answer 20 March 2001]: The Companies Act allows no leeway for companies filing their accounts late after the due date.The scale of late filing penalties, the class of company against which these are levied and the time periods involved are set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crossover accidents on (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads there have been in each year since 1992–93. [154470]

The table shows the number of accidents involving vehicles crossing over the central reservation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fatalities have resulted from crossover accidents on (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads in each year since 1992–93. [154469]

The table shows the number of fatalities that were involved in accidents involving vehicles crossing over the central reservation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is for the use of concrete crash barriers; and if he will make a statement. [154471]

The criteria for the provision of concrete crash barriers are contained in the Highway Agency's departmental standard TD 19/85 "Safety Fences and Barriers" and Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works Volume 1, Specification for Highway Works Series 400. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.Barriers are procured by competitive tender and unless local circumstances indicate, both steel and concrete barrier types may be used otherwise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the costs per kilometre are of (a) installing and (b) the whole life maintenance of (i) corrugated steel crash barriers, (ii) steel wire barriers and (iii) concrete crash barriers. [154473]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2001, Official Report, column 248W, on travellers, what steps have been taken to recover the cost of measures taken, from those who occupied the site at Willington, Derbyshire; and what representations the Highways Agency has made to his Department concerning the legal framework available to prevent and to reduce the impact of occupations of this kind. [154432]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to review the operation of the mechanisms available for the removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles from (a) public land and (b) certain categories of private land. [154714]

We are currently considering the arrangements for the removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles from public and private land as part of a review of the current legislation covering abandoned vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the temporary speed restrictions in force on railways within Scotland on 13 March, indicating (a) their location, (b) normal line speed, (c) temporary line speed, (d) length of track affected, (e) date of imposition and (f) planned date of lifting. [154558]

As of 13 March, 38 temporary speed restrictions as identified in the National Recovery Plan were in place on five of the eight strategic route groupings of Railtrack's network in Scotland. These were:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what approval

The purchase of the shares in the two companies required the consent of my right hon. Friend under section 30(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, with which local authorities may establish and maintain airports, and under section 20(3) of the Airports Act 1986 with which they may acquire shares in airport companies which they do not already control. Manchester city council applied for consent on behalf of Manchester airport's 10 shareholder authorities, and the issuing of the consents to the city council empowered the airport company, which is a subsidiary of the city council, to purchase the shares. The consents were issued without prejudice to any regulatory approval which might be needed.In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry was required to consider whether to refer the proposed purchase to the Competition Commission under the mergers provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973 for a full investigation. He took a decision not to do so, in accordance with the recommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading. The primary consideration in the Director General's advice, and in the decision whether to make a reference, was the likely effect of the proposed purchase on competition in the market for airport services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes in the last 12 months the Government have made to the financial guidelines of Manchester airport. [154711]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the purchase of East Midlands airport and Bournemouth airport by the Manchester Airport Company. [154709]

The New Deal for Transport White Paper (Cmnd 3950) stated that the Government's

"new air transport strategy will consider how…regions and their airports, for example in the north and midlands, might work together to realise the potential of airports away from the congested south east of England".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Truro and St. Austell constituency, the effects on Truro and St. Austell of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154536]

The principal funding that this Department has provided to Restormel and Carrick district councils in the years 1997–98 to 2001–02 is shown in the tables. These include grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.