To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to visit southern Sudan; and if she will make a statement. [2284]

I continue to keep under review the possibility of a visit to north and south Sudan. Our priority for Sudan is to encourage a just peace. We continue to provide relief to alleviate the suffering caused by the war.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what polices she is pursuing to tackle the problem of the digital divide in developing countries; and if she will make a statement. [1808]

Our recent White Paper outlines the threat the digital divide provides to the prospects of poor countries. Our policy is to maximise the benefits to the poor by integrating the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) into our existing development activities aimed at achieving the international development targets. For example effective use of ICT can help improve governance and accountability, improve access to services such as education and health, and boost economic growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 41W, on Belize, if KPMG passed to her Department copies of the three letters from Carlisle Holdings during its study to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes. [3372]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 42W, on Belize, on what date her Department was informed that KPMG were the external auditors of the Belize b ink. [3373]

On 25 August 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what dates KPMG received letters from the Public Investment Company, Sonisa, during its study to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; if she will place copies of these letters in the Library and if she will make a statement. [3374]

My Department is not aware of any such correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the amount of tax not paid since 1990 by the two public investment companies with regard to the study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; if she will place a copy of these calculations in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [3375]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 July 2001, Official Report, column 531W, concerning the confidentiality of the KPMG report.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department asked (a) KPMG and (b) the Belize Government to calculate the amount of tax not paid since 1990 by the two public investment companies during its study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; and if she will make a statement. [3378]

KPMG was asked to estimate the scale of the possible loss of tax revenue as a result of PICs (Public Investment Companies). I refer the hon. Member to my answer to question uin3375.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much debt owed by Belize has been written off by the British Government under the Commonwealth Debt Initiative in each year since 1997; how much debt owed by Belize is planned to be written off by the Government over the next decade; and if she will make a statement. [3377]

£1.146 million in debt relief was granted to Belize in 1998 covering repayments due on past UK aid loans from April to October 1998. Bilateral aid amounting to £1.771 million for poverty-focused projects was agreed in 1999—equivalent to the repayments due between December 1998 and March 2000. This was provided so that the newly elected Government did not lose out on the value of the debt relief but was given time to decide whether it wished to qualify for the benefits of the Commonwealth Debt Initiative. The remaining outstanding debt on past UK aid loans to Belize amounts to £10.470 million, covering a repayment period which lasts until 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what dates KPMG visited Belize while conducting the study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes. [3379]

18 July to 1 August 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the basis was for commencing a hard strip of the Dome. [3101]

[holding answer 9 July 2001]: The hard strip was suspended while market testing of future Dome use options was begun. Independent professional advice has since been received that completing the hard strip offers maximum flexibility for any future use and does not prejudice the chances of the Dome being used for any particular use. Carrying out the hard strip enhances the prospects of finding a long term sustainable use, and therefore the work is proceeding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much public money has been spent from 1 January to 30 June on the care and maintenance of the Millennium Dome; and what his estimate is of the total figure for 2001. [2347]

Between 1 January and 30 June 2001 expenditure by the New Millennium Experience Company in relation to care and maintenance of the Millennium Dome was:

• January—£600,000
• February—£646,000
• March—627,000
• April—£609,000
• May—£632,000
• June—£224,000.

The company received a rates rebate in June of £838,000 for the same six-month period, thereby reducing the care and maintenance cost by that amount. The figures listed do not include expenditure incurred on decommissioning, or any costs relevant to the company's on-going wind-down and liquidation activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the actual figures for the amounts the private sector is investing in London Transport under existing contracts. [2729]

The following table shows estimates of the value of investment in London Transport through the existing London Underground Private Finance Initiative contracts.

£
Contract name/Investment coverage	Investment Value1
British Transport Police
New HQ and BTP police station at Tottenham Court Road and a new BTP station at West Ham	10
Connect
New stations and trains radio systems and communications infrastructure	350
Northern Line Trains
Provision of new Northern Line train fleet	400
Power
Network of substations and power distribution cables	100
Prestige
Ticketing service infrastructure	150
Total investment value (£ billion)	1.01
1 The investment value is not the actual amount the private sector is investing in London Transport. Instead it is London Transport's estimate of what investment in PEI projects would have cost had they done the investment themselves.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will set out the key components of cycling strategies; and what plans he has to monitor their implementation; [3199](2) if he will make a statement regarding local authorities which have failed to produce a cycling strategy. [3198]

Our guidance to local authorities on full local transport plans (LTPs), published in March 2000, set out both the minimum requirements of a cycling strategy and the characteristics expected in a good LTP as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of (a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord rents in Hammersmith and Fulham he estimates will be in excess of £100 per week in (i) 2002, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2010. [2987]

Estimates will be available only when the landlords have completed their rent plans, which are due by April 2002. However, later this summer the results will be available from the case study research into the practical issues arising from the rent reforms in west London. These will include initial estimates of the effects of the reforms on the rents of properties owned by London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Notting Hill Housing Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what consultation his Department has carried out to date over his policy on rent restructuring with (a) local authority tenants, (b) registered social landlord tenants, (c) local authorities and (d) registered social landlords; [3002](2) what plans his Department has to consult the representatives of local authority and registered social landlord tenants over his plans for rent restructuring; and if he will make a statement. [3000]

My Department's approach to bring a fairer and more coherent structure to social rents is set out in the December 2000 policy statement "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing". This drew on response to the April 2000 Green Paper "Quality and Choice: a decent home for all" which almost universally agreed on the need to bring more coherence into the structure of social rents. The Green Paper was sent to all local authorities, registered social landlords and national tenant groups.We are now in the implementation stage. The Housing Corporation is considering the results to its March 2000 consultation paper on its proposals for implementing the rent restructuring framework among registered social landlords and will shortly be publishing interim guidance. It plans to issue final guidance in the autumn.In the local authority sector, a consultation paper is being published on changes to the housing revenue account subsidy system to support rent restructuring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his Department's most recent estimate is of the average increase of housing association tenants' rents in the next 10 years in real terms (a) in total and (b) in Hammersmith and Fulham. [3003]

The December 2000 policy statement "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing" stated that from 2002–03 the rents of registered social landlords (RSLs) should, on average, rise by 0.5 per cent. above inflation (RPI + 0.5 per cent.) per annum. Over a 10-year period this will result in average RSL rents rising by around 6 per cent. in real terms. Estimates for housing association tenants' rents in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham will only be available once their landlords have completed their rent plans. However, later this summer the results will be available from the case study research into the practical issues arising from the rent reforms in west London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discretion in percentage terms his Department intends to give to local authorities in respect of the overall level of rents. [2986]

Local authorities will continue to be free to set rents at whatever level they consider appropriate. However the approach to social rent reforms set out in the December 2000 policy statement "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing" encourages social landlords to set rents on individual properties which are normally within a band of up to 5 per cent. higher or lower those indicated by the new rents formula.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when his Department expects to publish the consultation document on restructuring the housing revenue account subsidy system; and if he will make a statement. [3067]

We published this consultation paper on 13 July. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House. The closing date for comments on our proposals is 8 October.We have announced a policy for achieving fair and affordable rents in the social rented sector. As part of this we have set out a common basis on which all rents in the social sector should be set and announced a 10-year transitional period in which the changes should as far as possible be made.The housing revenue account (HRA) subsidy system needs to be changed so that it supports rent restructuring. At the same time the opportunity can be taken to relieve stresses in the system that have become apparent as a result of the way in which rent rebate subsidy limitation was introduced in 1996–97.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the Trans-Pennine rail franchise; and if the franchise will be determined on the basis of the guidelines to be issued on 16 July. [3014]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: A decision on whether to make a direction under section 26 of the Railways Act 1993—that would allow the Strategic Rail Authority to proceed to the next stage of the franchising process for its proposed Trans-Pennine franchise—will be made in due course.We will make clear the scope and application of the franchising policy statement when it is published, shortly. It will not apply to replacement franchises for which the SRA has already invited best and final offers. This consultative statement will complement our draft directions and guidance to the authority and will also set out the Secretary of State's policy with regard to his powers under section 26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his latest estimate is of the income to be generated by the sale of a 46 per cent. stake in NATS to the Airline Consortium. [3693]

Completion of this Public Private Partnership is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions. In finalising these, the Government will ensure that the deal continues to deliver real value to the Government and to taxpayers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on his progress in appointing Government nominees as directors of the company formed to provide air traffic control services following the sale of NATS to the Airline Consortium. [3694]

I hope to be able to make an announcement about the Government directors shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the sale of National Air Traffic Services to the Airline Consortium will be completed. [3695]

Completion of the Public Private Partnership for National Air Traffic Services is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. We are working with the Airline Group to ensure that these conditions are satisfied at the earliest opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the opening date for the air traffic control centre at Swanwick, Hampshire. [3692]

NATS have advised the Government that the new En Route Air Traffic Control Centre (NERC) at Swanwick is still on course to come into operation on 27 January 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guarantees have been sought by the Airline Consortium purchasing National Air Traffic Services with regard to the opening of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick, Hampshire. [3697]

No guarantees have been given to the Airline Group in connection with the Swanwick centre. However, the Airline Group will be under a contractual obligation to complete and operate the new centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the timetable for the introduction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. [3554]

I am pleased to report that CTRL Section 1 (Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in north Kent) is on schedule and on budget for completion in October 2003. Construction of CTRL Section 2 (Southfleet to St. Pancras) started on 2 July 2001, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library information about the percentage of all ammunition fired by the British Army in training that does not detonate. [2782]

The document that contains statistical data on performance failures is classified and therefore withheld in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his future plans for the Altcar training camp. [3249]

The facilities at the Altcar training camp play an important role in meeting the training needs of the Regular forces, reserves, and cadets from all three services. The Ministry of Defence is considering proposals for the modernisation of the facilities at the camp, specifically the upgrading of targetry and associated range control features.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what multi-engine pilot shortfalls were predicted at the 22 November 2000 meeting of the multi-engine aircrew Training Steering Committee. [2696]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: An unspecified pilot shortfall was predicted to cover within the next two to three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what target the Training Group Defence Agency set for into productive service multi-engine pilots for 2001; and how many went into service in 2000–01. [2698]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: Against an Into Productive Service target of 55 for multi-engine pilots in the RAF, a total of 57 entered service in 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the lack of RAF flying personnel staying on past the 38/16 point will have on the supply of pilots for multi-engine aircraft in each year up to 2012. [2700]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: The number of pilots trained to fly multi-engine aircraft who leave the RAF at the age 38/16 years of service point is small. Last year 16 pilots (1.9 per cent. of trained strength on 1 April 2000) left the service at that point and although a small increase is forecast over the next five to six years, the rate is expected to return to current levels by 2007–08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he last made of the likelihood of a shortage of junior (officer multi-engine aircraft pilots in the RAF from the end of 2001. [2699]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: The current assessment is as follows:

RAF multi-engine aircraft—junior officer pilot forecast shortfall
	Requirement	Forecast strength	Forecast surplus/shortfall
2001–02	568	586	+18
2002–03	571	580	+9
2003–04	580	575	-5
2004–05	593	563	-30
2005–06	603	552	-51
2006–07	600	543	-57
2007–08	608	538	-70
2008–09	586	539	-47
2009–10	585	542	-43
2010–11	574	549	-25
2011–12	571	555	-16

Addressing pilot shortfalls is a key priority for the Government and RAF and a number of initiatives are being undertaken to address this problem. These include the introduction of an in-service degree scheme to attract aircrew at a younger age, fully manning the RAF training systems, and the introduction of targeted financial incentives and the Linkup scheme to help improve retention. A comprehensive review of aircrew retention measures across the armed forces is also being undertaken and will report later this year, hopefully in time to influence the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's deliberations for their 2002 report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which military unit the STANOC Centre is attached; for what reason it was transferred from HQ Director Royal Artillery; what the annual cost or saving resulting from the move is; and how many personnel were employed in the centre in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001. [3016]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: The Surveillance, Target Acquisition. Night Observation and Counter-surveillance (STANOC) centre is currently part of the Royal Artillery Trials and Development Unit, which is an element of Headquarters Director Royal Artillery based at Larkhill in Wiltshire. As a result of the General Staff Review and a further study into Army Trials and Development Units, it has been decided that the STANOC centre's outputs would most effectively be provided in the future by disaggregating its prime responsibilities to the Land Warfare Training Centre (LWTC) and Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU), both of which are based at Warminster. The current annual cost of the STANOC centre is £242,878. The provision of new infrastructure at Warminster is currently estimated at £65,000. Six military personnel were employed at the STANOC centre in 2000, and from 1 September 2001 three of these posts will be transferred to the LWTC and ITDU at Warminster and the remaining three posts will be redeployed elsewhere in the Field Army. Therefore, there will be no overall saving to the defence budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the availability of tritium for Britain's military defence programme following the accident at the Chapelcross reactor Number 3 this month. [3721]

The incident at Chapelcross had no impact upon the availability of tritium for Britain's military defence programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution he is making to President Bush's deliberations over the sort of missile defence system the United States will deploy. [3706]

We continue to discuss missile defence and related issues regularly with the United States. We have consistently made it clear that we share US concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and that we will continue to work together to tackle the potential threat with a comprehensive strategy. And we welcome the fact that they are consulting with Allies, Russia and others on this important issue. But it is ultimately a matter for the US Administration to decide what sort of missile defences they will seek to deploy. They have not yet done so, and nor have they made any request for the use of facilities in the UK for missile defence purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of communications from the Medical Research Council to his Department outlining the reasons why they believed an epidemiological study of the Porton Down volunteers is feasible. [3408]

There are no such communications. The feasibility of an epidemiological study was discussed formally at a meeting on 5 April 2001. Notes of that meeting are contained in the briefing pack for research teams wishing to undertake the study. A copy of the pack has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library (1) a copy of the information pack which is being sent to academic researchers who submit an expression of interest in carrying out an epidemiological study of service volunteers who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down; [3410](2) a copy of the protocol drawn up by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, to carry out the experiment in 1983 in which service personnel were exposed to sarin nerve gas and involved the technique of single fibre electromyography. [3399]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department invites bidders to offer liquidated damages as a standard percentage of their tendered price with a standard time limit on their application; and how he ensures that contractors do not include the value of potential liquidated damages payments in their tendered prices; [3881](2) what role liquidated damages indemnities play in securing the FASTER element of his Department's smart procurement initiative; [3716](3) what procedures his Department follows to establish the level of likely damage on which to base liquidated damages indemnities; and to establish an upper limit of liquidated damages in each case. [3880]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition of British nationality is used to establish the entitlement of Japanese internees to compensation. [4276]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 11 January 2001, Official Report, column 517W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the United Kingdom's contribution to the EU was calculated to come from Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [3397]

Contributions are made for the United Kingdom as a whole and no such estimates are therefore available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss in tax revenue to his Department in the last year from people operating in the hidden economy for each of the regions in the United Kingdom. [3715]

No such estimates have been made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the review of the events leading up to Equitable Life's decision to close to new business and the role of the Financial Services Authority will be published; and if he will make a statement. [4584]

I understand from the Financial Services Authority that the review team is not yet in a position to complete its report. I can confirm that it remains our intention to publish the report as soon as it is practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS structures in west Sussex. [2095]

West Sussex health authority is committed to working in an integrated way with the whole of the national health service, stakeholders and local social services. The introduction of primary care trusts will further enable the health authority to work towards improved quality of services along with better value for money. Any substantive changes to NHS structures in west Sussex will be subject to full statutory consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the cost of implementing "Information for Health"; from which budgets that cost will be funded; and if he will make a statement. [1968]

"Information for Health" is an ambitious and far-reaching strategy for information technology investment in the national health service and investment in IT for the national health service is expected to grow by around £1.6 billion over the lifetime of the strategy up to 31 March 2004.This figure reflects national estimates of the sum of investment needed to deliver "Information for Health" and the IT components of the NHS plan. The majority of this investment will be made available to local health communities through health authority allocations. The allocations are intended as a guide for local health communities in ensuring that their own plans will meet the targets and milestones for implementing the NHS plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many beds in hospices are available to the national health service; and what the figures were for each of the last 10 years; [1057](2) what level of financial support is given per bed to hospices; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the national health service per bed of providing the same level of service itself; [1058](3) what proportion of the costs of running hospices is met by

[holding answer 2 July 2001]: The total number of beds separated into national health service specialist palliative care units and voluntary hospices for each of the past 10 years for the United Kingdom is shown in the table. All hospice beds are available to NHS patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the possible health effects on people who live near (i) electricity pylons and (ii) telecommunications masts; and if he will make a statement. [1858]

[holding answer 3 July 2001]: The Department obtains advice on potential health effects risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF), such as those from power lines or mobile phone masts, from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB).Power line EMF has been reviewed in a report published on 6 March by the NRPB' s Advisory Group on non-ionising radiation and provides an assessment of the potential risks of cancer. (Documents of the NRPB Vol. 12, No 1, 2001). Copies have been placed in the Library. The board of the NRPB also published a response statement which can be found on the NRPB website www.nrpb.org.uk. The report states that any possible risk of childhood leukaemia relates to those exposed at relatively high levels of domestic magnetic field exposure but that these are not necessarily associated with proximity to pylons or overhead power transmission lines. The conclusions indicate that the question of whether exposure to electromagnetic fields can influence the development of cancer cannot at present be completely resolved.Mobile phone base stations (transmission masts) emit radio waves at very different frequencies to those fields generated by power lines. They are therefore being dealt with as a separate issue. The possible public health implications of mobile phone technology has been investigated by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart group). Its report, published in May 2000 concluded that:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what salary the new chief executive of Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Trust will receive; [2476](2) who has been appointed chief executive of Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Trust; and if the post of Chief Executive was advertised; [2774](3) how many meetings of the appointment panel took place before the decision was made to appoint a new chief executive of Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Trust. [2475]

At their next public meetings in late July, the boards of Chorley, South Ribble and Preston Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trusts are expected to consider seeking ministerial approval to consult on a possible merger. There has been no formal approach to Ministers, or the Department. A paper, to be taken in public session, will also include a proposed job description for the proposed new joint chief executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of access to NHS dentistry by September. [2539]

	May 2001		June 1997
Health authority	Number of over 12 month waiters	Percentage of over 12 month waiters	Number of over 12 month waiters	Percentage of over 12 month waiters
Hillingdon	250	6.0	313	5.9
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster	99	2.2	134	2.6
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	811	8.0	1,288	9.1
Bedfordshire	725	7.0	293	2.6
Berkshire	516	3.6	542	3.7
Buckinghamshire	777	5.7	701	4.9
Croydon	606	8.8	292	3.4
East Kent	1,122	6.8	41	0.3
West Kent	1,551	6.6	799	3.1
Kingston and Richmond	448	6.2	442	5.4
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	1,603	9.9	2,301	11.4
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	594	5.9	503	4.1
East Surrey	754	8.6	417	4.1
West Surrey	1,522	10.5	1,452	8.9
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove	1,160	6.1	650	3.2
West Sussex	1,816	9.7	1,672	7.8
Barking and Havering	521	5.1	460	4.0
Brent and Harrow	439	5.3	717	6.3
Camden and Islington	263	4.4	221	2.5
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	726	5.3	1,549	9.9
East London and the City	536	4.5	691	4.9
North Essex	1,331	6.4	1,010	4.1
South Essex	493	2.9	202	1.1
South Lancashire	258	3.2	432	4.4
Liverpool	504	4.7	683	5.3
Manchester	697	6.1	891	7.2
Morecambe Bay	183	2.7	101	1.4
St. Helens and Knowsley	319	3.4	345	3.5
Salford and Trafford	849	6.7	763	5.6
Sefton	287	3.9	521	5.7
Stockport	248	3.5	264	3.6
West Pennine	285	2.3	235	1.7
Northamptonshire	623	4.5	460	3.1
Oxfordshire	487	4.5	842	7.3
Suffolk	617	4.0	618	3.7
Barnsley	18	0.4	104	2.1

In September 1999 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister promised that within two years everyone will be able to access national health service dentistry if and when they want it via NHS Direct. All health authorities now have in place dentistry action plans to ensure that everyone in the local area can access NHS dentistry if they want it within a reasonable time and distance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of patients waiting for in-patient treatment have been waiting for more than one year (a) at the latest date available and (b) in May 1997 in each health authority. [2834]

The information requested is shown in the table. Waiting time information was not collected on a monthly basis in 1997 and so we have provided figures for the nearest date for which we have data.In 1997 we promised to reduce waiting lists by 100,000. We have done this and today there are 125,000 fewer patients waiting for in-patient treatment than when we came into power. We are going to build on this. As part of our NHS Plan the National Health Service is working to reduce the maximum waiting time for admission to hospital from 18 months today to six months by the end of 2005. By the same date the maximum waiting time for an out-patient appointment will be reduced from over six months today to three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hip replacement and (b) knee replacement operations required revision operations in each of the past 10 years. [2375]

[holding answer 9 July 2001]: The table shows the data for in-patient episodes for hip and knee revisions in national health service hospitals in England, from 1989–90 to 1999–2000, the latest year for which figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources have been allocated to research into the (a) causes, (b) symptoms, (c) detection and (d) treatments of tinnitus in each of the last five years. [2864]

The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the Medical Research Council and charities that takes place in the NHS. The Department has provided or is providing such funding for five ongoing projects relating to tinnitus and 21 completed projects. Details of these projects can be found on the National Research Register which is available in the Library on CD Rom, or via the internet at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr/htm.The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for diseases is the MRC which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC spent £755,000 specifically on tinnitus research in 1996–97 and £875,000 in 1997–98. In 1998–99 the MRC spent £3.49 million on hearing research in general and £3.34 million in 1999–2000, some of which would be relevant to tinnitus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, consequent on his letter dated 6 June to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (1) with regard to Mr. Stephen Holden, if he will now obtain for the right hon. Member the promised reply from the chairman of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust; [3152](2) with regard to Mr. Robert McDonald, if he will obtain for the right hon. Member the promised response from the chairman of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust. [3153]

I understand that Mr. Peter Mount, chairman of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals National Health Service Trust wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 June and 6 July in respect of his constituents Mr. Stephen Holden and Mr. Robert McDonald.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for West Chelmsford can expect a reply to his letter of 9 April relating to his constituent Mr. P. Arnill of Lavender House, Dragon road, Great Leighs; and if he will make a statement on the factors underlying the delay in replying. [3571]

The Department has not received a copy of the hon. Member's letter of the 9 April relating to his constituent Mr. P. Arnill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to notify NHS trusts of the traffic light indicators for core targets against which their performance will be judged in the financial year 2001–02. [3221]

National health service trusts will be advised of the specific targets that will be used to traffic light 2001–02 performance later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the impact of Ritalin on the long-term health of children. [3018]

[holding answer 10 July 2001]: The Department funded a research project entitled "Working memory in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): the impact of methylphenidate (Ritalin)", by Dr. Kim Cornish of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Nottingham, at a cost of £26,585. The final report was received by the Department in April 2001 and has been submitted by Dr. Cornish to journals for publication.The Department funds research to support policy development in health and social care, and to support effective practice in the national health service. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and by charities where this takes place in the NHS. The Department has provided or is providing such funding for six other recently completed projects and five other ongoing projects relating to Ritalin. Details of these projects can be found on the National Research Register which is available in the Library on CD Rom, and on the internet via http:\\www/doh.gov.uk/research.As with all medicines, the safety of Ritalin is continually monitored by the Medicines Control Agency and by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, an independent expert advisory body.The MRC is the main agency through which we fund research on the causes and treatment of disease. The MRC receives most of its income via grant-in-aid from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC funds projects on ADHD but is not funding currently any research specifically into Ritalin. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and these are judged in competition with other demands for funding. Awards are made according to the scientific quality and importance to health of the applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the clinical implication of a delay in Herceptin treatment of women with breast cancer who over express the HER 2 marker. [3266]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the clinical implication of a delay in the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, at (a) first-line and (b) second-line; [3286](2) what assessment he has made of the clinical implication of a delay in the use of Rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma. [3276]

[holding answer 11 July 2001]: The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been asked to evaluate each of these drugs, and to assess their clinical and cost-effectiveness in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, advanced colorectal cancer and follicular lymphoma.NICE will base its recommendations on the evidence of clinical benefits—including the impact on the quality of life as well as the likely effects on mortality, and estimates of the associated costs.It will consider which, if any, of those patients diagnosed with these particular cancers will benefit from these new drugs. The publication dates for guidance on all of these drugs are to be confirmed. If NICE makes a positive recommendation all health authorities will be expected to fund these treatments from the additional £255 million available to them for cancer services in 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with follicular lymphoma that are being denied Rituximab for the treatment of their disease. [3278]

[holding answer 11 July 2001]: Follicular lymphoma is one of a diverse group of cancers known as non-Hodgkins lymphomas (NHLs). NHLs account for about 2 per cent. of all cancers. There are about 9,000 people diagnosed with NHLs in the United Kingdom each year.The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is evaluating and assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Rituximab in the treatment of follicular lymphoma. If they recommend its use the guidance will make clear which of those patients diagnosed with follicular lymphoma should benefit from it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses employed in the NHS for the first time in each of the past 12 months have (a) had a contract with an employment agency and (b) been other nurses. [3849]

Figures from the Department for the expenditure on agency nurses in 1999–2000 are available in the Library. Information on the number of nurses employed in the national health service for the first time are not held centrally but may be available from individual NHS employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential increase in the market for gas arising from the expansion of the gas network. [2299]

Approximately 20 per cent. of households do not have access to gas. The Government, Ofgem and the industry are currently working to facilitate the extension of the network. It is not yet clear how many households will be able to benefit from this work. However the Government hope that as many as possible will have access to the gas network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the detailed terms of reference of the Government's review of energy policy. [2352]

The Performance and Innovation Unit has posted a note of the scope of the project on its website, which can be found at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/ innovation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she proposes to evaluate and measure the benefits of security of supply in the Government's energy review. [2354]

Security of supply is a key element of the energy review currently being undertaken by the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU). The PIU has published a note of the scope of the review on its website and will be publishing further papers as its work develops.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the assessment of nuclear power in the Government's energy review will incorporate the full life cycle costs of decommissioning and waste disposal. [2353]

The review of energy policy will be considering what role, if any, the nuclear industry should play in meeting longer term environmental and security of supply objectives. As with other energy sources, the review will take into account all costs which are relevant to these longer-term questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many interim payments were offered in respect of claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema by area and by month since 1999. [2778]

The number of interim payments made to chronic bronchitis and emphysema claimants since 1 January 1999, broken down by area, are as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many widows' claims are outstanding in respect of their late husbands' claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, broken down by area and month since 1999. [2773]

I regret that IRISC, the Department's handler, is unable to provide figures as to the number of widow's claims outstanding by region and by month since 1999 in the time given.However, I can confirm the IRISC has registered 54,938 claims in respect of miners' widows and families, to date. Of these, so far the Department has paid almost 6,000 bereavement and loss of society awards.In May 2001, an initiative was agreed to make an interim payment of £2,000 to widows who have received a bereavement award, subject to certain conditions. The Department has, to date, made 1,932 of these awards.In total, 13,600 interims and final settlements have been paid to miners' families, amounting to £65.8 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the time which will be taken to settle all claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger. [2776]

It is difficult to say when all compensation claims for both respiratory disease and vibration white finger, VWF will be settled, not least because new claims are still being received.With regard to respiratory disease, there are currently 153,200 claims registered and 900 new claims continue to be initiated each week. To date, almost 124,000 claims for VWF have been registered, with an approximate weekly increase of 330 claims per week. While the number of claims continue to increase, the Department is unable to provide, with accuracy, an estimate of the time taken to settle claims.