To ask the Solicitor-General what progress has been made in the review of the work of the Treasury Solicitor's Department. [160590]

I refer to the review of the Treasury Solicitor's Department that I announced to this House on 8 March 2001, Official Report, column 336W.I am pleased to announce the publication of the report on the first stage of the review. The report concludes that the Treasury Solicitor's Department has generally provided a high quality service to the Government and should continue to be an agency. Stage 2 of the review will examine how the agency's performance can be enhanced and improved to meet the increasing demands upon its services.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for future collaboration with the European Community in the area of external development assistance. [160533]

I have approved a new Department for International Development institutional strategy paper for the European Community, which has been prepared in

Country	Date	Purpose
2000
Malta	19–21 September	Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting
Czech Republic	23–28 September	IMF/World bank Spring Meetings
New York and Ottawa	12–13 October	Discussion with heads of UN Funds and Programmes
		Discussions with Canadian International Development Agency
Germany	9 November	Discussion with the German Ministry for Development Corporation
Nepal	20–22 November	Discussion with Ministers and DFID Office
India	23–25 November	Discussion with Ministers and DFID Office
2001
Zimbabwe	22–24 January	Discussion with DFID Office
Malawi	24–26 January	Discussions with Ministers and DFID Office
Tanzania	19–21 February	Discussions with Ministers and DFID Office
Kenya	22 February	Discussion With Ministers and DFID Office
Australia, Fiji and Thailand	20–25 March	Discussion with Australian officials
		Discussion with DFID Office
		Discussion with DFID Office
Washington	27–30 April	IMF/IBRD Spring Meetings

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what visits her Permanent Secretary attended with members and officials of the United States Government during his visits to New York on 20 to 22 March 2000 and to Washington on 15 to 22 April 2000. [159807]

From 20–22 March 2000, the Permanent Secretary of DFID held discussions with the UK Mission to the UN, New York; with the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN; with the heads of the UNDP and UNICEF; and with the Under Secretary-General for the UN for Economic and Social Affairs.From 15–22 April 2000, the Permanent Secretary of DFID held discussions, at the time of the IMF/World Bank spring meetings, with the President of the World Bank; with the head of USAID; and with a number of visiting Finance Ministers. He attended the meetings of the IMF and Development Committees.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the visits outside Britain made by her Department's Permanent Secretary on official business since 11 July 2000, indicating the date and purpose of the visit in each case. [159806]

The Permanent Secretary of the DFID made the following visits outside Britain on official business since 11 July 2000:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the earthquake relief given by her Department to Turkey. [159923]

In response to both the earthquakes in Turkey, in August and November 1999, my Department contributed a total of nearly £2 million to support the emergency relief effort, co-ordinated by the Turkish Government.We provided immediate support to the search and rescue effort with specialist personnel from the UK fire service as well as other independent UK-based rescue organisations. In addition, we transported numerous relief items to the region (on behalf of the Red Cross and UNICEF), including medical supplies and tents.We also channelled funds through the UN and the Red Cross for the provision of essential relief items such as shelter materials, medical supplies, food, water and sanitation equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will receive the annual report for 2000 of the immigration and nationality directorate's independent complaints audit committee; and if he will make a statement. [160481]

A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and on the immigration and nationality directorate website. It is a useful and informative document, and I am grateful to the committee for its comments and its recommendations, which will all be followed up.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on adopting the use of electronic data tags to reduce property crime. [160482]

In May last year, the Government announced the allocation of £4.5 million to combat the trade in stolen goods by planting small identity microchips in consumer products at risk from theft. In partnership with a range of commercial companies, we are developing a series of pilot demonstrator projects to show how property crime can be reduced throughout the supply chain. These pilot projects aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) in combating property crime by providing proof of ownership of goods and confirming that they are not stolen or counterfeit.The initiative aims to make it more difficult for offenders to steal and sell stolen property, easier for the police to recover it when they do, and to accelerate the adoption of this technology by business. The response from industry to the scheme has been excellent and details of the first pilot projects will be announced very shortly. In view of the high level of interest generated, I am pleased to announce that the Government have allocated an additional £1 million to this initiative to allow the number and scope of pilot projects to he increased.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the increase in remuneration for the asylum support adjudicators for 2001–02. [160483]

The chief asylum support adjudicator's remuneration will be equivalent to grade 6.1 of the SSRB judicial scale, which for 2001–02 will be £99,420.The asylum support adjudicators remuneration (and daily fees) will be increased by 3.7 per cent. in line with the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body report No. 46, the twenty-third report on senior salaries (Cm 4995), which was presented to Parliament in February 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review schedule 1 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. [160594]

I am arranging for possible changes to the schedule to be considered by the Animal Procedures Committee, the statutory body which advises the Secretary of State on the operation of the 1986 Act. Before deciding on the action to be taken we will carefully consider the committee's recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made for the appointment of assistant surveillance commissioners under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [160595]

On 1 May 2001, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister appointed three assistant surveillance commissioners—His Honour John Jeremy Fordham, His Honour Colin Francis Kolbert, and Viscount Colville of Culross QC—for a period of three years to assist the chief surveillance commissioner in his duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has been appointed as the next HM chief inspector of prisons; and if he will make a statement. [160596]

Recruitment for the post of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons has been run under Commissioner for Public Appointments guidelines following advertisements in the national press. The choice of candidates has been guided by an advisory panel including two independent assessors. As we announced on 6 April 2001, Official Report, column 357W, these were Baroness Stern, former director of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders and now senior research fellow at the international centre for prison studies, and Lord Laming, former chief inspector of the social services inspectorate and author of the report "Modernising the Management of the Prison Service".From the candidates selected by the advisory panel, I have recommended that Her Majesty the Queen should appoint Ms Anne Owers CBE, the director of the non-governmental organisation JUSTICE, as the next Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons. Her Majesty has consented to this appointment.I am delighted that Ms Owers has accepted the appointment, which takes effect from 1 August this year. I am confident she will uphold the high standards of integrity, rigour and independence we expect from the inspection of this key public service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the funding of mentoring organisations, for making the small grants programmes more integrated and accessible to community groups and for strengthening the infrastructure that builds the capacity of the voluntary and community sector. [160258]

In working towards our goal of encouraging and supporting new mentors, I am today pleased to be able to announce the launch of a mentoring fund grants programme.With up to £5.3 million available over three years, the mentoring fund will provide grants for mentoring organisations to:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ensure there is fair and open competition for the provision of information technology systems and software to police services; and if he will make a statement. [159694]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: Government procurement procedures are followed to ensure that there is fair and open competition for the provision of information technology systems and software for the police. These procedures comply with the relevant European Directive on procurement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many alleged contraventions of the Data Protection Act 1998 are outstanding before the Information Commissioner; what the date is of the oldest complaint; what is (a) the average and (b) the mean age of outstanding complaints; and if he will make a statement; [160161](2) in what circumstances, when requested to do so on a complaint under section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Information Commissioner will institute

These questions cover matters which fall within the operational responsibility of the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner administers and enforces the Data Protection Act 1998 independently of the Government.I have noted the length of time taken to resolve the issue and I have written to the Commissioner asking when she will be in a position to resolve this matter and drawing her attention to the issues raised by my hon. Friend's questions. I understand she will reply directly to him.The Commissioner publishes complaints statistics in her annual report to Parliament and a statement of her policy on the handling of assessments under section 42 of the 1998 Act is available on her website at www.dataprotection.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those applicants who applied for consideration under the regularisation scheme for overstayers had their cases (a) decided, (b) granted, (c) refused and (d) are still awaiting an initial assessment of eligibility; and if he will set a target date for the completion of consideration of these applications. [159997]

In total 17,120 applications were received under the Overstayers Regularisation Scheme of the Immigration Appellate Authority 1999. Of the cases decided to date, 255 have resulted in grants of leave and three have been refused. There are 3,916 cases now under consideration and the remaining 12,946 cases are awaiting action. I am currently considering how best to invest our resources on tackling the Regularisation Scheme during this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reason was for the delay in transferring the letter from the hon. Member for Ilford, North of 24 July relating to the closure of Citizens Advice Bureaux in Redbridge from his Department to the DTI; and if he will make a statement. [160119]

I am sorry that there was such a serious delay in transferring my hon. Friend's letter of 24 July. Within two days of receipt of the letter my Private Office correspondence section identified that responsibility for the subject matter fell outside my Department. A number of attempts were made immediately and over the next few months to transfer the correspondence to the most appropriate Department. The Department of Trade and Industry accepted the letter on 8 February. I recognise fully that this is a quite unacceptable level of service and apologise to my hon. Friend and her constituents for this. My Department has now initiated measures to ensure that transfers of correspondence are effected within a reasonable period and in accordance with central guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect closed circuit television cameras have had on the crime levels in Bolton. [159838]

Police operational experience and various research studies show that Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) has considerable crime reduction and detection potential, particularly when used as part of a wider strategy.No formal independent evaluation of CCTV in Bolton has yet been undertaken. However, the Bolton Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership consider that CCTV has contributed to the 7 per cent. fall in recorded crime in Bolton last year.The value of the Bolton town centre and car parks CCTV scheme in helping the police control and direct resources was demonstrated during a concerted effort to reduce crime in the town centre during Christmas 2000 shopping period. Reductions of 10 per cent. in street crime and 80 per cent. in vehicle crime were achieved in crime hot-spots compared with the previous Christmas.During the past year, incidents of anti-social behaviour reported in the residential areas of Bolton covered by CCTV reduced by 75 per cent.Under the current CCTV Initiative, coverage in Bolton is being enhanced. The Partnership is close to implementing two schemes providing coverage in residential areas and has been invited to prepare final proposals for two further residential schemes. Potential awards could reach nearly £420,000. The schemes will need to have been in place for at least 12 months before their impact can be fully evaluated. Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships will also be evaluating schemes locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the research undertaken by his Department by subject, indicating where the research was undertaken, by whom it was carried out, and the cost of each piece of research since 1996. [159793]

The Home Office research department undertakes a wide range of research activities that support the development of information-led policy, including scientific and engineering research, market and opinion research and social research.The Research Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) conducts social research supporting all seven Home Office aims.The Science and Technology Unit sponsors scientific research in support of the police.The Fire Research and Development Group (FRDG) undertake research in support of Home Office aim 7. The Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate has also conducted a range of social research.The Emergency Planning Research Group (EPRG) carries out a wide mix of research, both intra-mural and extra-mural, in support of Home Office aim 7. The research findings are used to formulate evidence-based policy of promoting the co-ordination and development of effective national arrangements for integrated emergency management.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) of 27 March 2001, Official Report, column 589W, on the Airwave communications system, if he will make a statement on the progress being made on the reviews being conducted by the Health and Safety Executive, the Defence Evaluation Research Agency, the National Radiological Protection Board and the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme; and when he expects the results of each review to be published. [159976]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: The Health and Safety Executive have conducted an independent assessment, commissioned by the Lancashire Police Federation, of the potential health risks associated with the Airwave service. The report concludes that, on the basis of available information and on calculations carried out, the new portable and mobile transmitters should not affect the health of persons using the equipment.The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) have begun preparatory work for their investigation. DERA will report on progress every quarter. The final report should be available in early May 2002 after the main study has been concluded. The work allows further research to be carried out in light of the results from the main study. The report from this additional study, if it is required, should be available by August 2002.The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has commissioned a review from their Advisory Group on Non-ionising radiation (AGNIR). The AGNIR are well advanced in the process of preparing material for their report. The AGNIR report will require clearance by the NRPB board before it is released. It is anticipated that the report will be available for the NRPB's board meeting in July if not sooner.If, during the course of the DERA and NRPB studies, commissioned by the Home Office, any issue arises which suggests a risk to health, it will be made public without awaiting the publication of final reports. However, the Stewart Report said that:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current time taken for asylum appeals is from being received by the Appeals Support Section to final determination; and if he will make a statement. [159922]

We record the date of receipt into the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), not the date received by the Appeals Support Section of IND, on our systems and therefore the data requested are not available. However, for the 12 months ending 31 March 2001, data from the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) for those cases where data are available indicate that the average time taken from receipt of an asylum appeal by IND, to the appeal being decided through both tiers of the authority, was approximately 28 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many strip searches of (a) women, (b) men and (c) children have been conducted in the past 12 months by authorised personnel attached to the (i) Prison Service, (ii) the police, (iii) Customs and Excise and (iv) other bodies. [159552]

Information on the number of strip searches conducted by authorised personnel attached to the Prison Service, the police or any other body is not collected centrally by the Home Office.Information relating to Customs and Excise is a matter for Ministers in Her Majesty's Treasury.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual budget was of the National Asylum Support Service in the last financial year; and how much of this was (a) allocated to accommodation and support and (b) paid to (i) local authorities and (ii) private accommodation providers. [159735]

Estimated expenditure on asylum accommodation and support, including unaccompanied asylum seeking minors in 2000–01 was £751 million (estimated final outturn). This was made up of:

Grant payment to local authorities for adult families and unaccompanied asylum seeking minors—£575 million

Support payments by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS)—£115 million

Payments to the Department of Social Security for supporting asylum seekers on benefit—£56 million

Payments to the Scottish Executive for support to adults and families who applied before April 2000—£5 million.

The support payments by NASS include a total of £54 million paid directly to accommodation providers under contract for the provision of accommodation and related services to dispersed asylum seekers. £46 million of this was paid to private sector providers and £8 million to local authority regional consortiums.The administration budget for NASS was £16 million. In addition £22 million was allocated for payments to the voluntary sector for work carried out to support the new dispersal arrangements and for other work relating to asylum seekers and refugees.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what telephone helplines to assist the public are administered by his Department and its agencies. [159571]

The main Home Office 24 hour switchboard is on 020 7273 4000. Unless the caller knows an extension or name, callers are then transferred to the Home Office Public Enquiry Service which operates weekdays on 020 7273 4599 between 9 am and 5 pm. The public can also call the Public Inquiry Service direct, but the number is not widely published.Other numbers are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average overall cost to the Criminal Justice System in 2000–01 of each person (a) proceeded against, (b) found guilty or admitting guilt and (c) found not guilty. [158932]

[holding answer 26 April 2001]: The figures for 2000–01 are expected to be available in the autumn. The most recently available figures are for 1999–2000. In that year, the expenditure on the Criminal Justice System was £12.1 million and 1.9 million offenders were proceeded against. The average cost per person proceeded against is £6,400.The specific costs of cases where there was a finding of guilt, and cases where there was no finding of guilt are not known, and it is thus not possible to provide answers for

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the publications of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council over the past 10 years. [158051]

The Defence Scientific Advisory Council is an advisory body and has published no papers over the last 10 years. During that time, however, two reports of council subordinate bodies have been placed in the Library of the House: the independent medical assessment of a sub-committee of the council relating to baton rounds mentioned in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department to my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Mr. Fitzpatrick) on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 68W, and a panel review of existing literature and research entitled "The Long Term Neurotoxicity of Anti-cholinesterases": DSAC 10/99 dated 28 June 1999, to which I referred in the answer I gave on 20 October 1999, to my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Mr. Twigg), Official Report, columns 585–86.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he received the Crowd Control Technologies report published by the Scientific and Technological Options Assessment Panel of the European Parliament Directorate General for Research; and what measures he has taken to implement the recommendation that an independent and objective social impact study be (a) commissioned and (b) published prior to authorisation of purchase orders for new crowd control technology. [158049]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which the Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), gave him on 25 April 2001, Official Report, column 283W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those units that are to be equipped with the L21A1 plastic baton round; what his estimate is of the cost of re-equipping each; how many L21A1 baton rounds have been ordered in each force and at what cost; how many L104 anti-riot guns have been ordered and at what cost; how many XL18E3 optical sight mechanisms have been ordered for each force and at what cost; what his estimate is of retraining each unit to be equipped with new equipment; and how many personnel training and trainer hours will be expended on this exercise. [158050]

Army units charged with supporting the police in Northern Ireland are to be equipped with the L21A1 baton round, as are the relevant training establishments. Other units may need to be issued with the new baton rounds should circumstances require it, subject to prior training. Sufficient numbers have been ordered to fulfil anticipated requirements. I am withholding details of equipment numbers in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. I am withholding information on costs on the grounds of commercial confidentiality in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The units that are to be equipped with the new baton round already undergo regular baton round training. Any extra cost and time associated specifically with the new round will be small, but cannot be separately identified without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact tests were conducted by (a) the Defence Evaluation Research Agency at Porton Down and (b) the Defence Scientific Advisory Council on the L21A1 plastic baton round; how many (i) animals and (ii) human beings were involved in testing; and how many fatalities and what injuries were sustained as a result. [158048]

For the medical evaluation of the L21A1 baton round, no physical impact tests were conducted by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency or by the Defence Scientific Advisory Council on living animals or on human beings.Computer models of the head, thorax and abdomen were used to compare the biomechanical response of the body following the impact of L21A1 and L5A7 baton rounds. In addition, physical impact tests were conducted on excised bovine scapulae to compare the skull fracture patterns of the two projectiles. The bovine scapula is a physical model of skull fracture and the scapulae were obtained from the meat trade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what models of plastic baton round have been tested that would meet the criteria for a penetrating kinetic energy round; and what his assessment is of the lethality potential of such weapons. [158047]

L5A7 and L21A1 baton rounds are not designed to penetrate the body wall. We are not aware of any incidence of penetration of the torso body wall by polyurethane baton rounds that have been fired in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. No studies were undertaken on the probability of penetration of the torso body wall by these projectiles, prototypes of the L21A1, or commercially available kinetic energy based public order equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what heat insulation standards for pipework are being required of new buildings at (a) GCHQ and (b) Ministry of Defence headquarters; and what plans he has to adopt a standard higher than BS5422. [158808]

The agreed heat installation standards applicable to pipework as part of the redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Whitehall will be the relevant British standards prevailing at the time of installation, supported by Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers guidelines. BS5422 and BS5970 are the relevant current standards. These standards will be adopted unless and until they are superseded or amended. GCHQ is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, has to conduct research to establish whether single doses of the Oripavine derivative TL2636 can cause long-term effects on the health of humans. [159801]

The Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of DERA at Porton Down currently has no plans to undertake any further research concerning the effects of exposure to single doses of the Oripavine derivative TL2636 on the health of humans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if staff at the Medical Assessment Programme are entitled to request and receive classified and unclassified information from the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down about experiments which have taken place at the establishment; and if he will make a statement. [160064]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if former service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down are entitled to a complete copy of the medical report assessing their health after they have attended the Medical Assessment Programme. [160063]

For reasons of medical procedure, to ensure continuity with volunteers existing health care arrangements, all referrals to the Medical Assessment Programme must be made through a GP or other health professional (eg a consultant physician). As such the results of the Medical Assessment Programme consultation, with any recommendations for treatment, are reported back to the volunteer's general practitioner or referring consultant. However, a copy is provided to the individual, if requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations he has undertaken of reported losses of viruses from Porton Down in the past year. [159724]

There have been no losses of viruses from the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of DERA at Porton Down in the past year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 April 2001, Official Report, column 368, regarding the United States military Department's liaison officer in Washington, what assessment he has made of the need to gather information on United States' arrangements for paying compensation to veterans who participated in chemical warfare trials in the United States. [160062]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which ships this year are allocated to the (a) Atlantic Patrol Task (North) and (b) Atlantic Patrol Task (South); and when the ships will be on station. [159713]

The ships allocated to the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) and Atlantic Patrol Task (South) during this year, and when the ships are scheduled to be on station is as follows:

Organisation	Stand type	Charges raised (£)
King George V Fund for Sailors (KGFS)-the Festival's nominated charity	—	0
Royal Naval Association	Indoor	1,247.85
St. Dunstan's (for blind ex-servicemen and women)	Indoor	835.43
Royal Sailors Rest	Indoor	623.93
RN Enthusiasts Society	Outdoor	352.50
Mission to Seafarers	Indoor	835.43
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)	Outdoor	352.50
British and International Sailors Association	Georgian Market	211.50
Naval Personnel and Family Service (RN organisation so no charge)	—	0

The event is designed to be self-financing. All non-Service organisations, including charities, are offered the same rates based on a standard charge per m

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships will be present at the International Festival of the Sea. [159716]

The third International Festival of the Sea will be held in Portsmouth Naval Base between 24 and 27 August 2001.It is planned that, operational requirements permitting, the following Royal Navy ships will be present:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has for the replacement of the Leaf class tankers currently in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; [159718]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which veterans' organisations will be present at the International Festival of the Sea; and how much each organisation is being charged to display at the festival. [159715]

The veterans associations and related maritime charities attending the International Festival of the Sea, and the charges raised, are given in the table.(2) what plans he has to order further auxiliary oilers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [159711]

We are currently considering options on how best to provide, in the medium to long term, afloat support for the future Royal Navy, including the capabilities currently provided by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Leaf class tankers, which are currently planned to leave service between 2008 and 2009.BAe Systems Marine are building two Auxiliary Oilers (AOs), Wave Knight and Wave Ruler, for the Ministry of Defence, which we expect to enter service in 2002. These ships will provide the fast fleet tanker capability formerly supplied by RFAs Olna and Olwen. The company has suggested that two further AOs could contribute to meeting the future afloat support needs of the Royal Navy. Alongside the wider studies into afloat support, we are currently evaluating whether further AOs would be a cost-effective solution to our future capability needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proceeds were derived from the disposal of HMS Beaver. [159720]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 April 2001, Official Report, column 199W. HMS Beaver has been sold to the commercial market as scrap. Receipts for the vessel were achieved by means of a sealed competitive tender and, given that other ships in this class may be offered to the commercial market, the actual price must remain "commercial-in-confidence" so as not to prejudice future activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on investigations into illness suffered by British troops who received the meningitis vaccine in preparation for service during the Gulf war; if the meningitis vaccine contained the Pertussis vaccine; and which company manufactured this vaccine. [159872]

Up to around 5,000 Service personnel who deployed to the Gulf in 1990–91 may have received immunisation against meningococcal meningitis A and C. Initially, in August 1990, immunisation was recommended for all personnel who were to serve in the Gulf. However, by 15 September 1990, the immunisation was no longer recommended except for medical personnel and some other categories of personnel who may have been at risk.Research sponsored by the Ministry of Defence has not specifically investigated a link between the meningitis vaccine and the subsequent ill health of Gulf veterans, and the Ministry of Defence is unaware of any reported association between the vaccine and subsequent ill health (with the exception of the known side effects). The meningitis vaccine did not contain the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine.The pertussis vaccine was used separately as part of the anti Biological Warfare immunisation programme as an adjuvant to accelerate the immunisation effect of the anthrax vaccine. There were two main suppliers of the meningitis vaccine. One supplier, Pasteur Merieux MSD, was the manufacturer of the product supplied. The other supplier was SmithKline Beecham; however we have yet to confirm the manufacturer. When we have done so, I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the beef consumed by the armed forces since May 1997 has originated from UK sources; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the sourcing of all beef for the armed forces. [159828]

Unfortunately, there are no data available prior to October 1997. However, from that date to April 2001, 60 per cent. of the beef consumed by UK based armed forces has been UK sourced.Since October 1997 the task of buying food for the armed forces has been contracted to 3663 (formerly known as Booker Foodservice) and it is the Ministry of Defence's policy to require them to seek the best price in the open market. Our contractor is required specifically to give full consideration to British products, which we look to them to buy wherever they are competitive. We have given particular attention to meat procurement and over the last two years have worked closely with our contractor; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; the Meat and Livestock Commission; and farmers' representatives to explore ways to increase the proportion of British meat we can buy competitively.This has been a successful co-operation. In the case of beef we had, since the autumn of 1998, been supplying 100 per cent. British beef to our UK based service personnel, following the agreement we secured from the EC to release British intervention beef at competitive prices. However as was announced to the House on 24 July 2000,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the UK has exchanged fissile plutonium with the United States of America for highly enriched uranium since 1980. [158098]

[holding answer 23 April 2001]: The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement authorises the transfer of fissile material between the UK and the US. Over the period in question there have been no formal exchanges of plutonium for highly enriched uranium between the UK and the United States of America.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what hazardous materials were transported through Lancaster on 13 December 2000 via the Halton Army camp; [159492](2) what hazardous material was transported through the village of Nether Kellet to Halton Army camp on 16 November 2000. [159493]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: I am able to confirm that military vehicles containing radioactive material did travel through the district of Lancaster on 16 November 2000 and 13 December 2000 via Halton Army camp.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which foreign navies have been approached to provide tanker support for Royal Navy exercises in the next 12 months. [159712]

No foreign navies have been approached to provide tanker support for Royal Navy exercises in the next 12 months. However, some participating nations may provide tanker support for their own deploying groups in a given exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS Fearless will be returned to service. [159721]

On current plans, maintenance and repair work on HMS Fearless is due to be completed this summer. She will then be available for operational tasking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items have been taken from HMS Intrepid and used to replace equipment on HMS Fearless. [159714]

Since early 1998, numerous have been removed from HMS Intrepid and used to replace equipment on HMS Fearless. I will write to the hon. Member with a list of those items and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.HMS Intrepid is held at a low readiness state commensurate with force levels endorsed within the Strategic Defence Review. All the items that have been removed could be refurbished or replaced and she could, if necessary, be returned to operational service within the readiness profile agreed in the Strategic Defence Review process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS Invincible last put to sea; and when she is next scheduled to put to sea. [159717]

HMS Invincible last put to sea on 26 February 2001, to take part in the winter deployment exercise off Norway. She returned to Portsmouth on 30 March 2001. She is due to sail for Rosyth at the end of July in preparation for her forthcoming refit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS Ocean will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [159719]

HMS Ocean is currently undergoing routine maintenance and repair work. Subject to completion of this work, successful sea trials, and allowing for the summer leave period, the vessel will be available for full operational tasking in late summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what standard assessment is made of service personnel prior to enlistment to determine if they suffer from Factor V Leiden mutation. [159412]

No standard assessment is made to determine whether potential recruits to the armed forces have Factor V Leiden mutation. Potential recruits are required to provide information about their medical history and anyone with a chronic blood disorder, such as Factor V Leiden mutation, would be rejected for service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of people serving in the armed forces who suffer from Factor V Leiden mutation. [159413]

According to records held centrally by the Ministry of Defence, there have been five cases of Service personnel with blood coagulant disorders since 1997. This figure would include any cases of Service personnel with Factor V Leiden mutation, as this disorder is not identified separately in the Ministry of Defence's central records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the pilots flying the Chinook ZD576 were instructed to fly below the safety altitude for security reasons. [159871]

No. There were no special instructions with regard to this task, which was planned as a routine flight.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list (a) each category of grant and (b) the amount of each grant paid by his Department to each London borough in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–1999, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–01; and what the projected figure is for 2001–02. [155428]

I refer my hon. Friend to the letter sent on 16 February from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, setting out total funding for Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster local education authorities for the years 1996–97 to 2001–02.A list of the Department's school education grants and funding allocations paid to each London borough for the last four years and projected grant figures for the current year have been placed in the House of Commons Library.In the Budget on 7 March, national increases of £100 million for School Standards Grant and devolved New Deal for Schools Capital were announced. London boroughs will benefit from these increases, which are included in the figures placed in the House of Commons Library.Real terms national recurrent funding per pupil will rise year on year by £200 in 2001–02 and will have risen by around £540 since 1997–98. There will be an average real terms increase in per-pupil funding of around £750 between 1997–98 and 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the membership of the education strategy group, together with their qualifications, grade and geographical area of employment (separately indicating the technical group); if he will list (a) the terms of reference of the group and (b) the schedules of meetings of the strategy and technical groups; if he will publish a verbatim account of those meetings; and if he will indicate when the conclusions and the Government's response will be published. [158901]

The Education Funding Strategy Group has been set up to take forward work on the proposals for education funding set out in "Modernising Local Government Finance: A Green Paper" and is supported in that work by a technical sub-group. The groups include key stakeholders with an interest in local education authority and school funding and details of the membership of both groups are outlined in the tables. Members of both groups are not appointed on the basis of their grade or qualifications but have been nominated by the organisations they represent. Representatives have been selected for their knowledge of the wide range of circumstances local education authorities and schools face and local government members represent a balance of different authority types, regions and expertise. The Education Funding Strategy Group's papers are available on the DfEE's website (www.dfee.gov.uk/efsg/). Separate papers are not prepared for the sub-group, as its role is to consider papers before they are submitted to the Education Funding Strategy Group. The Government expect to publish their proposals on the future arrangements for education funding later this year.

Education Funding Strategy Group
Name	Organisation
Central Government representatives
Helen Williams (chair)	DfEE
Andrew Wye	DfEE
Jonathan Anstey	DfEE
Susanna Todd	DfEE
Audrey Brown	DfEE
Joe Crilly	DfEE
Peter Kane	HM Treasury
Nicholas Holgate	HM Treasury
Mark Lambirth	DETR
Bryony Houlden	DETR
Joe Beeley	DETR
Nick Ville	Audit Commission
David Singleton	Ofsted
Local Government representatives
Neil Kinghan	Local Government Association
Neil Fletcher	Local Government Association
Mike Grealy	Local Government Association
Stephen Lord	Local Government Association
Mike Heiser	Local Government Association
Gale Waller	Local Government Association
Bob Kerslake	Local Government Association
Jon Pittam	Local Government Association
David Smith	Local Government Association
Alan Parker	Local Government Association
Liz Nicholson	Local Government Association
Chris Waterman	SEO/ACEO
Stephen Fitzgerald	Association of London Government
Hilary McCollum	Association of London Government
Trade union representatives
David Hart	NAHT
Peter Downes	SHA
Ian Langtry	ATL
Joe Boone	NASUWT
John Bangs	NUT
Alan Manasseh	PAT
Christina McAnea	UNISON
John Fisher	TGWU
Mick Graham	GMB
George Phipson	AHFAS

Education Funding Strategy Group
Name	Organisation
Representatives from schools' bodies
Mrs. Joan Binder	FAVASA
David Lankshear	CofE Board of Education
Michael Power	Catholic Education Service
Peter Rickard	National Bursars Association
Terry Pearson	National Governors Council

Technical sub-group to the Education Funding Strategy Group
Name	Organisation
Andrew Wye	DfEE
Jonathan Anstey	DfEE
Jenny Holmes	DfEE
Joe Crilly	DfEE
Joe Beeley	DETR
Anthony Hammil	HM Treasury
Stuart Taylor	HM Treasury
Keith Bartley	Ofsted
Nick Ville	Audit Commission
Jack Hatch	NAHT
Joe Boone	NASUWT
George Phipson	AHFAS
Peter Downes	SHA
Peter Rickard	National Bursars Association
John Bangs	NUT
Terry Pearson	National Governors Council
Steve Lord	LGA
Mike Heiser	LGA
Gale Waller	LGA
Tom Fairclough	LGA
Thomas Whiffen	LGA
David Gallie	LGA
Roy Smith	LGA
Stephen Fitzgerald	ALG
Jo Mennell	ALG

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much was received by local education authorities as (a) special and (b) specific grants in each financial year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement on the distribution by LEAs. [159578]

Listed are the Department's funding allocations for special and specific grants to local education authorities for each year since 1997–98.Individual special and specific grants are distributed to local education authorities according to objective criteria, tailored to target geographical areas, or groups of schools, pupils, teachers or others, depending on the particular objectives of the grants and the relative need to spend to achieve those objectives.Between 1992–93 and 1997–98, average recurrent funding per pupil fell by £120 in real terms from £2,830 to £2,710. Since then, it has risen by an average of £540 in real terms, to £3,250 this year. By 2003–04, it will have increased by around £750 in real terms since 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to introduce a Sure Start programme in Dartford to complement the recent allocation of money from the Children's Fund for new projects in Dartford to tackle social exclusion among children aged five to 13 years. [159915]

Districts are invited to submit plans for Sure Start programmes because collectively they have high levels of need and disadvantage and give a good spread between different types of area around the country. The DETR index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) has been used to identify areas where there are high levels of need. By April 2004, there will be 500 Sure Start programmes in disadvantaged areas reaching a third of under-4s. Although so far Dartford has not been invited to submit plans for a Sure Start programme, it is possible that it will be included in a future wave of programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what steps he has taken to promote and encourage the teaching of swimming in schools; [159932](2) what proportion of pupils in England undertake swimming lessons as part of the national curriculum. [159933]

We do not hold specific figures on the proportion of pupils in England who take swimming lessons, as swimming is a compulsory part of the PE activities only at Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum, unless pupils have met the full Key Stage 2 requirements during Key Stage 1. After Key Stage 2, it remains one of six physical activity areas. The Ofsted report on swimming at Key Stage 2, published in November 2000, showed that well over four out of five of the schools inspected provided adequate time for swimming. It also reported that four out of five children are able to swim 25 metres at the end of Key Stage 2. This was good news, but we acknowledge that we need to work with schools to make even more opportunities available for more children to be able to swim 25 metres by the time they reach secondary school.Swimming and water safety are important life skills, and we are investing heavily in school sport, and swimming will benefit. The Government's commitment includes £580 million in England (out of a total of £750 million in the UK) from the New Opportunities Fund for sport in and around schools and up to £130 million to create multi-purpose sports and arts facilities in around 300 primary schools.We have also established a Swimming Advisory Group, involving representatives of the swimming associations, Ofsted, QCA and DCMS, to discuss what more can be done to create even more opportunities for children to swim. We hope to announce proposals that will increase the numbers of children who can swim by the end of Key Stage 2, before the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many teachers commenced the National Qualifications for Headteachers course in (a) April 2000 and (b) January 2001, broken down by (i) Government Office region, (ii) gender and (iii) ethnic background in each recruitment cycle, from (A) primary, (B) secondary, including middle schools where appropriate, and (C) special schools; and how many in each of (a) and (b) (1) have completed the course, (2) are continuing with the qualification and (3) have withdrawn; [159916](2) if he will make a statement on the collection and collation of data on the ethnic background of those teachers who start the National Qualification for Headteachers course. [159917]

The table sets out the number of candidates on the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) who were recruited during the last two application rounds and began their training in the spring term of 2000 (cohort 7, old model NPQH) and the spring term of 2001 (cohort 1, new model NPQH). The figures are broken down into the categories requested by NPQH region. The NPQH regions are similar to but do not precisely mirror Government Office boundaries.The Government collect data on the ethnic background of NPQH applicants through the NPQH application form. Applicants are not bound to provide these data and, as a result, current analysis is not statistically meaningful.

National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) Candidate statistics
	School phase/type
	Primary	Secondary	Special	Other	Total
Cohort 7 Old Model NPQH (Spring 2000)
NPQH Candidates by region1
East Midlands	59	38	3	6	106
East	37	28	2	4	71
London	62	39	5	17	123
North	38	29	1	2	70
North West	50	45	14	7	116
South Central	71	34	7	0	112
South East	56	41	2	5	104
South West	49	22	0	1	72
West Midlands	48	35	0	1	84
Yorks and Humberside	44	32	8	3	87
Region unspecified	28	15	2	6	51
Total	542	358	44	52	996
Gender
Male	136	201	15	21	373
Female	406	157	29	31	623
Total	542	358	44	52	996
Candidate status
Completed NPQH	70	85	7	11	173
Currently studying	407	224	33	31	715
Withdrawn	65	29	4	10	108
Total	542	358	44	52	996
Cohort 1 New Model NPQH (Spring 2001)
NPQH Candidates by region1
East Midlands	175	88	13	—	276
East	189	106	9	—	304
London	214	124	25	—	363
North	141	59	13	—	213
North West	200	111	20	—	331
South Central	206	116	14	—	337
South East	205	82	16	—	303
South West	150	70	8	—	228
West Midlands	150	94	15	2	261
Yorks & Humberside	161	79	12	—	252
Total	1,792	929	145	2	2,868
Gender
Male	427	503	57	1	988
Female	1,365	426	88	1	1,880
Total	1,792	929	145	2	2,868
Candidate status2
Currently studying	1,724	906	141	3	2,774
Withdrawn	67	24	3	0	94
Total	1,792	929	145	2	2,868
1 The 10 NPQH Regions do not tally precisely with Government Office regions.
2 No candidates have yet completed NPQH from cohort 1 as the minimum course length is six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will announce the areas that have been selected to participate in the first wave of the Children's Fund Local Network. [160358]

I am pleased to announce today the 17 areas that have been selected to receive funding from the first wave of the Children's Fund Local Network.The Children's Fund was announced following the spending review 2000. The Fund is an important element of the Government's wider strategy to tackle child poverty and social exclusion. The Local Network element of the Children's Fund is making £70 million available over three years to fund the work of local community and voluntary groups helping vulnerable children aged 0–19.The 17 areas across England, which have been included in the first wave of the Local Network, include those with the highest levels of need and were chosen to ensure a spread of support across all regions in England, including some rural and coastal areas. By April 2004 all areas across England will have access to the Fund. Each local fund will be administered by an experienced local voluntary sector grant maker.The Local Network will help children in poverty achieve their potential by investing directly in the work of local community and voluntary groups that provide local solutions. Grants will be made under four themes:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to lay before Parliament the eighth annual report of the Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures in Northern Ireland. [160531]

I have today arranged for copies of Mr. Jim McDonald's annual report for 2000 to be placed in the Library of both Houses.The report of the Independent Assessor continues to provide valuable reassurances to both the public and the Government that the army's complaints procedures stand scrutiny. I welcome Mr. McDonald's report and I will consider it further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the Government's response to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment's report on their visit to Northern Ireland in December 1999. [160532]

I have today placed a copy of our response, together with the Committee's report, in the Library of the House. The documents will also be available on my Department's website (www.nio.gov.uk) and that of the ECPT (www.cpt.coe.int).I welcome the role of the Committee and its attention to Northern Ireland I am pleased that it has recognised the many improvements that have been made in recent years. I take seriously the concerns raised by the Committee about issues that remain to be tackled and will give these close consideration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings his Permanent Secretary held with members and officials of the Irish Government during his visit to Dublin in February 2000. [159809]

The Permanent Secretary visited Dublin in February 2000 to participate in a conference. Irish Government officials attended the conference, but no meetings with members of the Irish Administration were held during the visit.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the visits outside Britain made by his Department's Permanent Secretary on official business since 1 July 2000, indicating the date and purpose of the visit in each case. [159808]

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths have been attributed to asthma in each of the last five years. [160148]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations flow from the review of the management performance of the National Investment and Loans Office since it absorbed the Office of the Paymaster General in 1996, conducted by Treasury officials. [160585]

Treasury officials conducted a review of NILO's operations, working closely with NILO's senior management and consulting NILO's customers and other interested stakeholders. The report concludes that NILO has performed well over the last five years, and recommends a number of actions to ensure that performance levels are sustained and improved in the future.I have asked Treasury officials to work with NILO, and others where appropriate, to ensure that these recommendations are implemented in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is for a post-audit of the climate change levy. [159065]

The climate change levy has been operational for only one month, and it is necessary that it has longer to bed in before review of its operation. As with any tax, the Chancellor will keep the climate change levy under review as part of the normal Budget process.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the per capita allocation of funds was to (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales for economic development, and what percentage of his Department's total expenditure this allocation represented, in each of the five years prior to July 1997; [160136](2) what the per capita allocation of funds was to

The allocation of funding in devolved areas is a matter for the devolved Administrations within their overall budgets set in the 2000 spending review. Information on expenditure per head by function and by county is set out in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses published in April 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the Debt Management Office's profit and loss account for each year since its inception; [159999](2) how much of each short term money asset has been held by the Debt Management Office, representing its short term money under management for each quarter since its creation; [160001](3) how much short term money has been under management by the Debt Management Office for each month since the Debt Management Office's creation; [159998](4) how much of each short term money market asset has been bought by the Debt Management Office from the net increase in short term assets in 2000–01 under management; and if he will publish the results in tabular form; [160000](5) what returns have been made on short term assets managed by the Debt Management Office for each quarter since its creation; and what bench marks have been used. [160002]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Debt Management Office. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he defines (a) boom and (b) bust in terms of GDP change quarter by quarter over a year. [159791]

I refer the right hon. Member to what the Prime Minister said to him in the Chamber on 25 April 2001, Official Report, column 301.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 53W, on

Bank of England)¹. The DMO did not acquire responsibility for managing the Exchequer cash position until 3 April 2000.

The amounts of specific classes of short-term assets that are bought by the DMO, are matters of commercial confidentiality between the DMO and its counterparties. For related reasons the DMO does not publish monthly totals of its short-term net cash position. However, paragraph 20 of the DMO's Exchequer Cash Management Operational Notice (dated 20 January 2000), as supplemented by the DMO's announcement of 12 September and 9 November 2000, list the range of financial instruments in which the DMO may transact. These are set out in the schedule attached.

All the DMO's market transactions flow through the DMA which came into operation in November 1999. The audited accounts for the DMA for the period to end March 2000 (including an income and expenditure account), will be published in due course.

¹ The details of the financing arithmetic outturn are available on the DMO web site www.dmo.gov.uk

Mr. Tatchell, on what date the British Embassy in Brussels raised the matter with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs. [160091]

Our Consul General at our Embassy in Brussels raised the matter with the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 16 March 2001. My reply of 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 53W, contained a typographical error—"Minister" should read "Ministry".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 53W, on Mr. Tatchell, if he will publish the representation made by the British Embassy in Brussels following the assault on Mr. Tatchell. [160090]

Our Consul-General in Belgium made clear our concerns at a senior level in the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a telephone call.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what telephone helplines to assist the public are administered by his Department and its agencies. [159506]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office operates two permanent telephone helplines designed to assist the public. The purpose of one is to give advice to UK citizens planning to travel overseas (Tel. 020 7008 0232/3, Fax 020 7008 0155 or 0164), the other gives visa advice for people planning to travel to the UK (Tel. 020 7238 3838). The information obtainable from both of these telephone helplines is also available on internet websites.There is also an "Emergency Unit" telephone helpline which is brought into use whenever there is a large unplanned increase in telephone inquiries from member of the public—for example, an earthquake or widespread civil disorder at a popular overseas holiday destination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the progress of the negotiations on public access to EU documents. [160593]

After a year of difficult negotiations, the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament have all agreed in principle to a draft Regulation on public access to EU documents.The UK's objectives for these negotiations were to secure a Regulation which ensures:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from Nigeria concerning the impact of Sharia law in northern states on non-Muslims; and if he will make a statement. [159410]

We continue to monitor closely the situation in northern Nigeria. Officials from the High Commission travel regularly to the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Nigerian authorities over the increase in violence against Christians in (a) Gombe, (b) Yobe, (c) Sokoto, (d) Borno and (e) other states of Nigeria. [159411]

The root causes of much of the conflict in northern Nigeria are long-standing differences between ethnic groups. These differences are over a range of issues, including control of territory and resources, and are not primarily religious.We welcome the efforts of the Nigerian authorities (both at federal and at state level), and of community groups, to reduce tension.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which European cities have been visited by Ministers to promote UK tourism during the past two months. [158900]

Government Ministers and those in the devolved administrations are using every opportunity to promote the British Tourism industry overseas. Ministers in my Department have used recent visits to Valencia (Spain) and Portoroz (Slovenia) to get the message across that it is still perfectly safe to come to the United Kingdom and that there is plenty to see and do.In addition, my hon. Friend the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting visited the USA in March to reinforce this message and I, myself have just returned from a similar visit to Canada.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of employing special advisers in his Department from 1997 to date. [160044]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 1 May 2001, Official Report, columns 607–08W.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards eradicating foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [160584]

I am placing in the Libraries of the House today the latest graphs produced for the Chief Scientific Adviser's Group on the course of the disease. These demonstrate that in the seven day period ending Wednesday 2 May there was an average of approximately eight new confirmed cases each day compared with 16 in the seven day period ending 22 April and with a weekly average of 43 at the peak in late March. We can therefore be optimistic about the future course of the disease, although the Chief Scientific Adviser has warned that cases will continue to occur for some time yet.It is clear that our policy to bear down on the outbreak swiftly and prevent spread of the disease through slaughtering of animals in infected premises within 24 hours of the case being reported, tracing dangerous contacts and tackling the disease on contiguous premises within 48 hours, has been effective. This has been crucial to the control of the epidemic.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the cause of the foot and mouth disease outbreak. [160407]

Investigations into the cause of the outbreak continue. I will inform the House of the outcome as soon as I can.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will allow livestock markets to open as collection centres for slaughter stock. [156003]

[holding answer 29 March 2001]: We have consulted on the conditions under which collecting centres should be licensed and will issue guidance in the light of veterinary advice.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions have taken place with the Environment Agency at (a) national and (b) local level in respect of the merits of (i) burying and (ii) incineration of animal carcases arising from the slaughter of animals due to foot and mouth disease. [156374]

The Ministry, National Assembly for Wales and the Environment Agency have agreed joint working arrangements and principles for disposal activities associated with foot and mouth disease. Ministry officials have held, and continue to hold, discussions with representatives of the Environment Agency and other Government Departments. These have included discussions on the merits of different options for the disposal of animal carcases.At a local level the Ministry, (including the Divisional Veterinary Manager) Environment Agency, health authority, environmental health departments of local authorities and others are involved in assessing risk to human health and the environment and the options for disposal, taking account of the location, type and quantity of material for disposal.Following a Risk Assessment, carried out by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC), the Government decided to provide the option of burial for cattle born after 1 August 1996, as these younger cattle were born after animal feed controls were fully enforced and therefore pose the lowest risk of BSE infectivity of any cattle in the national herd. Older cattle will continue to be burnt or rendered.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 27 March 2001, Official Report, column 843, on foot and mouth disease, what reasons underlay the decision not to consider the use of napalm as a fuel for burning carcases. [156464]