Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Tuesday 16 October 2001

Prime Minister

Intelligence And Security Committee

To ask the Prime Minister what the composition is of the Intelligence and Security Committee. [8271]

Following appropriate consultation and in accordance with section 10 of the Intelligence and Security Act 1994 I have appointed the following members to the Intelligence and Security Committee:The right hon. Ann Taylor MP (Chair)Kevin Barron MPThe right hon. Alan Howarth MP CBEThe right hon. Gavin Strang MPThe right hon. Joyce Quin MPThe right hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QCThe right hon. James Arbuthnot MPMichael Mates MPThe right hon. Alan Beith MP.Copies of letters announcing these appointments were placed in the Library of the House on 30 July 2001.

Health

Public-Private Partnerships

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he has had with trade unions since 7 June to discuss public/private partnerships in the NHS. [3765]

I have met with trade unions on a number of occasions to discuss a range of issues including public/private partnerships.

36.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the availability of public capital for hospital building programmes. [3799]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the availability of public capital for the National Health Service. This matter will be discussed again at the Public Expenditure Ministerial Cabinet Committee as part of the current spending review process.Public capital will be considered for major hospital building projects when it is proven through the business case process to provide better value for money than a private finance initiative solution.

Cervical Cancer Screening

14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on cervical cancer screening in the NHS. [3777]

In the year to March 2000, 3.6 million women were screened and laboratories examined 4.1 million smears. Research has shown that the incidence of cervical cancer fell by 43 per cent. between 1988 and 1997.

Health And Social Care Act

15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the provisions of section 49(2) of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 will be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [3778]

In line with our pledge in the NHS Plan, section 49(2) of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 came into effect for those paying for their own care by a registered nurse on 1 October 2001. For those who are already state-funded, the provisions will come into effect on 1 April 2003.

Nhs/Private Sector Concordats

16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to review the concordats between the NHS and the private sector. [3779]

My officials are surveying health authorities and trusts on the extent and cost of the acute activity they commission from the private sector, and discussing experience to date with private sector providers and the NHS. The Centre for Health Economics at York University is also conducting a review of activity and experience.

Beta Interferon

17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the NICE report on the availability of beta interferon for MS sufferers. [3780]

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence's Appraisal Committee is carefully considering the extensive comments on the Provisional Appraisal Determination. NICE expects to issue its guidance by December 2001.

31.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the clinical benefits of beta interferon for MS sufferers. [3794]

In view of the uncertainty over the appropriate use of beta interferon, we asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to conduct an authoritative appraisal on the evidence of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate. NICE expects to issue its guidance by December 2001.

Health And Social Care

18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his plans are for improving co-operation between health and social care. [3781]

21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve co-operation between health and social care. [3784]

Improved co-operation is being encouraged through the Health Act 1999 flexibilities—pooled funds, lead commissioning and integrated provision, especially in intermediate care, community equipment and nursing care. Care trusts can now be formed as single organisations, commissioning and providing both health and social care. Fifteen care trust demonstrator sites are preparing to go live from April 2002 to April 2003, receiving financial support for the preparatory period from the money recently announced to reduce bed blocking. Co-operation on the use of this money will be supported by the capacity planning being carried out by the local health and social care economy.

Diagnostic Testing

19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for increasing the use of diagnostic testing in health care. [3782]

Diagnostic services are key in meeting NHS Plan targets. Central procurement programmes for CT and MRI scanners are already delivering improvements in the diagnostic quality of images, supporting the work of clinicians and benefiting patients. Over the last two years we have invested £20 million in supporting innovative pathology modernisation projects and a further £8 million is being made available this year.

Cloning

20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to introduce legislation to ban the cloning of human beings; and if he will make a statement. [3783]

Human reproductive cloning cannot and will not be carried out in the United Kingdom. Treatment using human embryos requires a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which has stated that it would not issue a licence for reproductive cloning. Anybody carrying out such treatment without a licence would be guilty of a criminal offence. We will introduce primary legislation to put this ban on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Osteoporosis

22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department is giving for services to help people with osteoporosis. [3785]

There are well established clinical procedures in the NHS for dealing with osteoporosis. We have included specific targets for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in the National Standards Framework for Older People. We are also examining how osteoporosis can be included in our pre-retirement health check pilots.

Nhs Staff (Child Care)

23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to improve child care for NHS staff. [3786]

The NHS Childcare Strategy centres on providing good quality accessible and affordable child care. We are already making available funding of over £70 million for the provision of 150 additional on-site nurseries by 2004, creating around 7,500 further nursery places. We have also pledged a further £100 million to develop alternative forms of child care.

Health Authorities (Lancashire)

24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the merger of health authorities in Lancashire. [3787]

Public consultation is already under way on the proposal to create a new, strategic health authority (StHA) serving Lancashire and Cumbria. Consultation is taking place concurrently on the 27 other proposed StHAs in England, ending on 30 November 2001. Ministers will then decide on boundaries.

Bed Blocking

25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in tackling bed blocking in the health service. [3788]

The proportion of people over 75 whose discharge from hospital was delayed fell to 11.1 per cent. in June 2001 compared with 12.1 per cent. in the same quarter in 2000. We are also investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme designed to end widespread 'bed blocking' by 2004. £100 million will be available for the remainder of this financial year to April 2002 with £200 million available for 2002–03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the amount of NHS hospital beds subject to bed blocking, broken down by each hospital trust in England and Wales, shown in actual terms and as a percentage of beds in use. [7618]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The proportion of people over 75 whose discharge from hospital was delayed fell to 11.1 per cent. in June 2001 compared with 12.1 per cent. in the same quarter in 2000. We are also investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme designed to end widespread 'bed blocking' by 2004. £100 million will be available for the remainder of this financial year to April 2002 with £200 million available for 2002–03.

Nhs Dental Practices

26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dental practices there are in Pendle and Burnley; and how many are accepting new NHS patients. [3789]

There are 16 national health service dental practices in Pendle, three of which are currently accepting all categories of NHS patients; another (one) practice is accepting children only. Burnley has 12 NHS practices, one of which is accepting NHS patients for dentures only.

37.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that NHS dentistry is accessible in all areas. [3800]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for the provision of dental services in England. Provision of services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved bodies.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 in England now have in place dentistry action plans to ensure that everyone in their local area can access NHS dentistry if they want it within a reasonable time and distance. The plans identify shortfalls in service provision and ways of tackling unmet demand.We have invested over £100 million of additional funding in NHS dentistry in the last two years. Dental access centres offering a complete range of services to unregistered patients, are operating from over 100 sites and more are being developed. Funding has been made available to general dental practitioners to encourage them to treat more NHS patients. In addition regulations have been introduced allowing health authorities to use their own resources to access NHS dentistry tailored to the needs of their local communities.Information for patients on NHS dentistry via NHS Direct has been available nationally since the end of September. Callers seeking access to NHS dentistry will from now on be provided with information about the availability of NHS dental services within a reasonable distance of their homes.

38.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of NHS dentists in the rural districts of North Yorkshire. [3801]

Currently there is one dentist in Scarborough Town and another some three miles away in East Ayton accepting new National Health Service patients. There are also dentists in Whitby and Kirkbymoorside accepting new NHS patients. Additional resources have been allocated to a general dental practice in Scarborough to enable it to treat more unregistered NHS patients. The health authority has set up dental access centres in Scarborough, Whitby and York. The demand for these services is high and the health authority is considering expanding these dental access centres.

Health Inequalities

27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to tackle health inequalities; and if he will make a statement. [3790]

In the NHS Plan we made a commitment to set national targets for reducing unacceptable inequalities in health which consistently widened under the last Government. In February of this year two new national targets for reducing health inequalities in infant mortality and life expectancy were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and at present we are consulting widely on the actions necessary to deliver them. Copies of the consultation document, "Tackling Health Inequalities", are available in the Library.

Nhs University

28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress with the establishment of a university of the NHS. [3791]

The NHS Plan included a commitment to establish an NHS University for all NHS staff. The recruitment process for a Chief Executive and project team to establish the NHS University has begun. A launch document, which gives more information about the vision for the University, has been published and will be widely circulated within the NHS, and within the academic community.

Cancer Services

29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve cancer services. [3792]

34.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve cancer services. [3797]

By 2003–04 an additional £570 million will have been invested in cancer care. This money will support the appointment of new consultants; implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance to end the postcode lottery of care; cutting waiting times for cancer and increasing National Health Service investment in specialist palliative care services.

Primary Care Trusts

30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in the creation of Primary Care Trusts. [3793]

One hundred and sixty four Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are already operational. There are around 150 applications from the remaining Primary Care Groups to become PCTs in April 2002, making PCTs the lead national health service organisations in assessing, planning and securing all health services and improving health.

Radiotherapy Equipment

32.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the availability of radiotherapy equipment. [3795]

Investment through the New Opportunities Fund and the NHS Plan will provide 102 linear accelerators for treating cancer. In addition, funding has been made available for radiotherapy treatment planning computers and simulation equipment to support these.Twenty-eight linear accelerators have been delivered and are expected to be treating patients by the end of the year. By 2004 all of the radiotherapy equipment will be in place.In addition, 86 MRI scanners and 186 CT scanners will be installed to help in the diagnosis of cancer.

Osteopaths

33.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many treatments have been provided by osteopaths on the NHS in each year since 1992. [3796]

Information about the number of osteopathic treatments provided on the national health service is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners

35.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish a new contract for general practitioners. [3798]

We are committed to introducing a new quality-based contract by 2004 and have asked the National Health Service Confederation to negotiate this with the profession. The British Medical Association has indicated that it shares our aim and would like to see earlier implementation. Positive and constructive negotiations will facilitate this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the requirement for general practitioners in Huntingdon to take account of anticipated house building in the area until 2011. [6172]

In response to the anticipated population growth over the next few years Huntingdonshire Primary Care Trust opened a new general practitioner practice in Huntingdon in March of this year. There are currently two GPs in the practice but the building has the capacity to accommodate four GPs. The PCT has planned that this additional capacity will address any increased demand on primary services until 2006.The development of primary care in Huntingdon beyond 2006 will depend on the outcome of the current study commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council into the urban planning for Cambridge and its surrounding market towns.

Staff Retention

39.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the retention of staff working in the professions allied to medicine. [3802]

"Meeting the Challenge" sets out our plans for developing and supporting Allied Health Professions and the central role they have to play in delivering the NHS Plan's key priorities. The NHS Plan also introduced the Improving Working Lives Standard to ensure that NHS employers create well-managed, flexible working environments that support all NHS staff.

Coppice Family Doctor Practice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will authorise the Coppice family doctor practice in Rustington, West Sussex to replace a full-time partner with two part-time doctors. [6760]

It is not for Ministers to authorise the appointment of general practitioners. The decision is for the Medical Practices Committee (MPC), an independent, non-departmental statutory body. When a vacancy occurs in general practice it is the responsibility of the partners to fill the vacancy with a GP with the most appropriate skills to serve the local population. An application to the MPC has already been refused, but I understand that the submission of a further application is now being considered.

Vaccinations

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what clinical grounds parents seeking separate vaccinations for their children are being advised to give rubella vaccination first. [7212]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The information requested is not available centrally in the format requested.The Department, acting on the advice of its independent expert advisory committees and on the overwhelming view of experts from around the world, does not recommend or endorse the use of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines instead of MMR. The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer wrote to all doctors on 9 March 2001 reiterating their advice that

"Children should not be given separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in place of MMR, since there is no evidence of benefit and a clear risk of harm from such a practice".

We are not aware of any medical condition that would make the use of separate vaccines preferable to the use of MMR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in each of the last five years were given separate vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. [7213]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The information requested is not available centrally.

Transplant Units

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) by what date changes to the network of transplant units will be implemented; [7221]

(2) what period of consultation will be allowed following the publication of proposals for the future of transplant units in Wythenshawe, Sheffield and Birmingham; [7222]

(3) when he will publish his proposals for the future of transplant units in Wythenshawe, Sheffield and Birmingham. [7223]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The discussion document on the National Heart and Lung Transplant Service was published on Friday 21 September 2001. The Department of Health will receive comments until 7 December 2001.Our proposals for new national standards are set out in the discussion document National Adult Heat and Lung Transplant Service and will be reviewed in the light of the comments received.

We have already made it clear that the transplant units at Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham will remain open.

Retirements (Nhs)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of staff working in the NHS are due to retire in the next (a) five years, (b) 10 years and (c) 15 years. [8030]

Information on the number of staff due to retire from the national health service is not collected centrally.

Number of children looked after by local councils in England at 31 March 2000, by placement
Number and rates per 10,000 children aged under-18
	Number				Rate per 10,000
	All children¹	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements	All children	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements
England	58,100	37,900	6,500	13,700	51	34	6	12
North East
Shire counties
Durham	525	345	55	125	47	31	5	11
Northumberland	300	175	60	65	44	26	9	10
Unitary authorities
Darlington	115	75	15	30	51	32	6	13
Hartlepool	115	65	35	15	52	29	16	7
Middlesbrough	185	135	20	30	51	36	6	9
Redcar and Cleveland	165	115	10	35	50	36	3	11
Stockton on Tees	205	125	35	45	46	28	7	10
Metropolitan districts
Gateshead	260	160	30	70	60	37	7	16
Newcastle Upon Tyne	445	305	45	95	76	51	8	16
North Tyneside	280	185	30	65	67	44	8	15
South Tyneside	295	180	30	80	82	51	9	23
Sunderland	465	300	40	125	68	44	6	18
North West
Shire counties
Cheshire	475	350	40	90	32	23	3	6
Cumbria	515	325	100	90	49	31	10	9
Lancashire	1,445	780	265	405	55	30	10	15
Unitary authorities
Blackburn and Darwen	275	160	45	75	72	42	11	19
Blackpool	285	175	25	80	92	57	8	26
Halton	175	135	15	25	56	43	5	8
Warrington	165	120	15	30	38	27	3	7
Metropolitan districts
Bolton	315	185	55	75	49	28	9	12
Bury	195	130	25	45	46	30	6	10
Manchester	1,235	815	195	225	110	72	18	20
Oldham	300	190	30	80	54	34	6	14
Rochdale	255	155	40	60	48	30	7	12
Salford	570	345	80	145	108	66	16	27
Stockport	350	210	50	90	54	32	8	14
Tameside	265	170	45	45	50	33	9	9
Trafford	150	90	15	45	30	18	3	9
Wigan	465	305	85	80	66	43	12	11
Merseyside
Metropolitan districts
Knowsley	250	165	35	45	61	41	9	11
Liverpool	1,215	715	170	330	112	66	16	31
Sefton	300	195	30	80	47	31	4	12
St. Helens	270	140	40	95	67	34	9	23
Wirral	395	265	60	70	52	35	8	9
Yorkshire and Humberside
Shire counties
North Yorkshire	340	235	45	60	28	19	4	5
Unitary authorities
East Riding of Yorkshire	240	150	35	55	36	22	5	8
Kingston Upon Hull	645	410	90	145	101	64	14	23
North East Lincolnshire	275	180	35	55	72	48	9	15

Children In Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young persons are in care and how many of those are (a) fostered and (b) otherwise cared for separately from their natural parents in each social services authority in England; and what percentage of the total under-18 population this represents. [7503]

Information on the number of children looked after in each social services authority by type and placement at 31 March 2000 (latest available date) is given in the table.

Number of children looked after by local councils in England at 31 March 2000, by placement
Number and rates per 10,000 children aged under-18
	Number				Rate per 10,000
	All children¹	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements	All children	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements
North Lincolnshire	190	110	40	40	55	32	11	12
York	140	80	15	45	38	21	4	13
Metropolitan districts
Barnsley	335	190	60	85	65	37	12	16
Bradford	685	410	95	180	54	33	7	14
Calderdale	220	135	25	55	48	30	6	13
Doncaster	435	245	75	115	63	36	11	17
Kirklees	330	155	75	100	35	16	8	11
Leeds	1,275	835	155	280	79	52	10	17
Rotherham	370	235	60	75	62	40	10	13
Sheffield	695	410	120	165	61	36	11	15
Wakefield	455	350	40	60	61	48	6	8
East Midlands
Shire counties
Derbyshire	645	515	25	105	40	32	1	7
Leicestershire	275	200	30	45	20	15	2	3
Lincolnshire	520	295	80	140	39	22	6	11
Northamptonshire	610	375	55	180	41	25	4	12
Nottinghamshire	530	365	40	120	32	22	3	7
Unitary authorities
Derby	445	315	35	90	81	57	7	17
Leicester	465	310	50	105	63	42	6	14
Nottingham	605	385	70	150	89	57	10	22
Rutland	10	5	²—	5	10	6	1	3
West Midlands
Shire Counties
Shropshire	190	130	5	55	31	22	1	9
Staffordshire	570	375	70	125	321	21	4	7
Warwickshire	350	260	35	55	31	23	3	5
Worcestershire	640	440	90	110	54	37	8	9
Unitary authorities
Herefordshire	195	145	20	35	53	38	5	9
Stoke on Trent	345	230	40	70	60	40	7	13
Telford and Wrekin	155	95	10	55	41	25	3	14
Metropolitan districts
Birmingham	1,760	1,030	200	525	67	39	8	20
Coventry	490	290	75	125	66	39	10	17
Dudley	380	240	80	65	55	35	11	9
Sandwell	440	315	70	55	62	45	10	8
Solihull	180	120	20	40	38	26	4	8
Walsall	365	230	35	100	59	37	6	16
Wolverhampton	380	250	60	70	65	43	10	12
South West
Shire Counties
Cornwall	565	400	60	105	54	38	6	10
Devon	700	490	55	155	48	34	4	11
Dorset	270	215	10	45	34	27	1	6
Gloucestershire	505	370	65	75	40	29	5	6
Isles of Scilly	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Somerset	335	230	10	95	30	21	1	9
Wiltshire	260	195	30	35	26	20	3	3
Unitary authorities
Somerset	145	130	5	15	43	38	1	4
Bournemouth	205	160	5	35	67	53	2	12
Bristol	555	395	45	115	63	45	5	13
North Somerset	150	110	20	20	38	27	5	6
Plymouth	405	315	25	65	72	56	5	12
Poole	145	110	10	25	48	37	3	8
South Gloucestershire	140	105	10	20	25	19	2	4
Swindon	180	140	15	20	42	33	4	5
Torbay	215	150	30	35	85	59	13	13
Eastern
Shire counties
Bedfordshire	355	200	60	100	41	23	7	11
Cambridgeshire	395	285	40	75	32	23	3	6
Essex	1,205	735	125	350	42	25	4	12
Hertfordshire	810	590	55	170	34	24	2	7
Norfolk	680	490	35	155	41	30	2	9
Suffolk	535	355	75	100	35	23	5	7

Number of children looked after by local councils in England at 31 March 2000, by placement
Number and rates per 10,000 children aged under-18
	Number				Rate per 10,000
	All children¹	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements	All children	Foster placements	Placed with parents or relative	Other placements
Unitary authorities
Luton	305	220	40	50	62	44	8	10
Peterborough	390	270	55	65	101	70	14	17
Southend	250	195	20	35	66	51	6	10
Thurrock	185	130	10	45	56	39	3	13
London
Inner London
Camden	330	210	10	105	88	56	3	29
City of London	5	5	0	0	72	72	0	0
Greenwich	465	315	40	110	86	58	8	21
Hackney	490	355	30	105	95	69	5	21
Hammersmith and Fulham	365	255	20	90	119	83	7	29
Islington	545	315	15	215	143	83	4	56
Kensington and Chelsea	215	135	10	70	68	43	3	23
Lambeth	735	420	25	285	117	67	4	45
Lewisham	495	320	35	135	84	54	6	23
Southwark	600	435	30	135	104	75	5	24
Tower Hamlets	280	³—	³—	³—	54	³—	³—	³—
Wandsworth	345	250	25	65	70	51	5	14
Westminster	290	180	30	80	76	47	7	21
Outer London
Barking and Dagenham	235	165	10	65	58	40	2	16
Barnet	265	195	15	55	35	26	2	8
Bexley	200	150	10	40	39	29	2	8
Brent	295	200	30	65	49	33	5	11
Bromley	250	155	30	65	40	24	5	11
Croydon	395	255	50	95	50	32	6	12
Ealing	430	230	40	160	62	33	6	23
Enfield	250	170	10	75	40	27	1	11
Haringey	435	260	10	165	85	51	2	32
Harrow	175	120	15	40	36	24	3	8
Havering	165	115	10	40	33	23	2	8
Hillingdon	385	245	15	120	67	43	3	21
Hounslow	255	160	30	70	52	32	6	14
Kingston Upon Thames	105	55	5	50	34	17	2	15
Merton	185	130	20	35	46	31	5	9
Newham	485	375	30	80	68	52	4	11
Redbridge	145	85	15	45	26	16	2	8
Richmond Upon Thames	110	65	10	35	29	17	3	9
Sutton	145	100	20	25	36	24	5	6
Waltham Forest	325	170	5	150	60	31	1	27
South East
Shire counties
Buckinghamshire	255	165	40	50	23	15	3	4
East Sussex	465	300	70	95	44	28	7	9
Hampshire	905	550	125	230	32	19	4	8
Kent	1,500	1,080	145	270	49	35	5	9
Oxfordshire	470	285	65	120	33	20	4	8
Surrey	670	380	85	205	28	16	4	9
West Sussex	750	490	75	190	46	30	5	12
Unitary authorities
Bracknell Forest	65	30	5	35	23	10	1	12
Brighton and Hove	345	275	30	45	71	56	6	9
Isle of Wight	175	125	30	20	67	48	11	8
Medway Towns	345	245	15	80	57	41	3	14
Milton Keynes	³—	³—	0	0	³—	³—	³—	³—
West Berkshire	130	85	5	40	38	25	2	11
Portsmouth	220	130	40	50	54	32	10	12
Reading	130	55	15	60	40	17	5	18
Slough	135	80	20	40	49	29	6	14
Southampton	385	240	75	65	82	52	16	14
Windsor and Maidenhead	90	45	5	40	28	14	1	13
Wokingham	85	45	5	35	25	14	1	10
¹ All children looked after under a series of short-term placements have been excluded from this table
² Indicates less than 3
³Data not available

Note:

All numbers of children rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:

CLA 100

Nhs Treatment (Costs)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which categories of person, on the basis of age, marital status, duration of residence in UK, contribution record, immigration status, nationality and other characteristics, are eligible for (a) free emergency treatment in NHS hospitals, (b) free non-emergency treatment in NHS hospitals, (c) free treatment by NHS general medical practitioners, (d) free treatment by NHS dental practitioners and (e) NHS drug prescriptions; [7954](2) what powers he has to recover the cost of treatment under the NHS of persons ineligible for free treatment; [7955](3) how much was recovered, in the last year for which information is available, of the cost of treatment under the NHS of persons ineligible for free treatment; and how much is estimated to remain uncollected. [7956]

There is no charge for any treatment given in a hospital accident and emergency department regardless of the personal circumstances of the patient. Patients who are not normally resident in the United Kingdom may be charged for any other treatment given by an NHS trust or primary care trust if they, or the treatment they are being given, are not specifically exempt from charges under the terms of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended. Copies of these regulations are available in the Library.The regulations place an obligation on health authorities, NHS trusts and primary care trusts to determine if a patient should be charged for their hospital treatment and, if so, to make and recover a charge for that treatment.There is no separately identifiable record held centrally of the amounts recovered from charge-liable overseas patients or the amount outstanding from them at any one time.There is no charge for any treatment which a general medical practitioner regards as emergency or immediately necessary, regardless of the personal circumstances of the patient. General medical and dental practitioners have discretion to accept or reject any patient, whether ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or not, for NHS treatment subject, in the case of dentistry, to the same charges as other UK residents. They are advised however to offer private treatment if it appears that a patient has come to the UK specifically to obtain treatment. Guidance on the eligibility of overseas patients to free primary care has been placed in the Library.Patients who are entitled to NHS hospital treatment or who have been accepted as NHS patients by a general practitioner or dentist are entitled to prescriptions on the same basis as other UK residents.

Drugs (Children)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of drugs being used for the treatment of children which are not licensed for that purpose; [5278]

(2) what assessment he has made of the need for research to establish the safety and efficacy of all drugs used in the treatment of children; [5276]

(3) what estimate he has made of the number of children who (a) died and (b) were injured as a result of treatment with drugs not licensed for the treatment of children in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [5274]

(4) what steps he is taking to ensure that pharmaceutical companies in the United Kingdom provide clear dosage information for children and adults on all drugs they produce; and if he will make a statement; [5275]

(5) what percentage of medicines used for treatment of children do not have a dosage approved by the Medicines Control Agency; and if he will make a statement. [5277]

[holding answer 19 July 2001]: We recognise the critical importance of this issue and agree that children should have access to medicines that have been fully evaluated to the same high standards of safety, quality and efficacy as those available for the adult population. The issue is not confined to the United Kingdom, but affects the whole of Europe and the United States. Medicines regulation in the UK derives largely from European legislation and an international approach to the issue is therefore needed.We have consequently raised the profile of this issue at a European level, including taking the lead in developing a European guideline, adopted in 1997, to encourage companies to undertake appropriate clinical trials on the use of medicines in the treatment of children. This formed the basis for an international guideline, which came into operation in January in the EU, and also applies in the USA and Japan. In addition, the Council of the European Union has asked the European Commission to bring forward measures to make sure that medicines for children are fully adapted to their specific needs. We are presently waiting for their proposals. However, the Commission has stated its intention to comply with this request. The UK will play an active role in the development of this initiative to ensure that effective solutions are found.In addition, the Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP), the scientific advisory committee of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA), recognising the importance of this topic has announced its intention to set up a Paediatric Expert Group to advise the EMEA and its scientific committees on all questions relating to the development and use of medicinal products in children. The UK has nominated representatives to this Paediatric Expert Group.In the meantime, the UK Government have taken important steps to address the issue at a national level within the existing regulatory framework. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), an independent expert committee that advises the Licensing Authority has established a Paediatric Sub-Group to provide expert advice on the regulatory strategy to improve the availability of medicines licensed for use in children. MCA now routinely asks companies for paediatric development plans where appropriate. Pharmaceutical companies are required by the Licensing Authority to provide dosage information in the Summary of Product Characteristics when a Marketing Authorisation for their medicinal product is granted or amended in the UK. This dosage information must be supported by the findings from clinical trials undertaken in the relevant adult or paediatric patient population.The safety of all medicines whether licensed, used outside the terms of their licence, or unlicensed, is monitored by the Medicines Control Agency and CSM. Various data sources are used for monitoring safety including: the UK Yellow Card Scheme for reporting suspected adverse drug reactions, suspected adverse drug reaction reports from abroad, the world-wide medical and scientific literature, clinical trial reports and periodic safety updates from manufacturers. The UK Yellow Card Scheme acts as an early warning system for drug safety hazards but is not a scheme for recording all suspected adverse reactions that occur in the UK. Data from the Yellow Card Scheme cannot, therefore, provide estimates of the incidence of adverse reactions, including fatal adverse reactions occurring in children. The CSM Working Group on Paediatric Medicines also advises on the collection of information on adverse reactions in relation to unlicensed use of medicines in children.

Defence

Army Strength

To ask the secretary of State for Defence what the strength and complement is of each regiment in the UK. [6953]

The establishments and actual strengths of each regiment based in the United Kingdom as at 1 September 2001 are shown in the table. The figures do not include the Royal Irish (Home Service), Special Forces or the Territorial Army.

Unit	Establishment¹	Actual strength² as at 1 September 2001
Household Cavalry Regt.	463	455
Household Cavalry Mounted Regt.	340	327
Queens Dragoon Guards	398	437
Kings Royal Hussars	497	465
Light Dragoons	469	434
1 Royal Horse Artillery	571	509
19 Regt. Royal Artillery	341	311
40 Regt. Royal Artillery	571	552
2 Signal Regt.	³552	376
14 Signal Regt.	718	509
21 Signal Regt.	593	380
30 Signal Regt.	⁴695	612
1 Grenadier Guards	623	586
1 Coldstream Guards	612	613
1 Scots Guard	624	594
1 Welsh Guards	670	681
1 Royal Scots	610	519
1 Princess of Wales's Royal Regt.	670	618
2 Princess of Wales's Royal Regt.	687	608
2 Royal Regt. of Fusiliers	620	517
1 Kings	670	583
1 Royal Anglian	667	642
2 Royal Anglian	620	599
1 Devonshire and Dorset Regt.	623	539
1 Light Infantry	620	609
2 Light Infantry	667	643
1 Prince of Wales Own	620	516
1 Green Howards	651	554
1 Royal Highland Fusiliers	621	548
1 Royal Welsh Fusiliers	620	636
1 Kings Own Scottish Borderers	668	655
1 Royal Irish	688	⁵691

Unit	Establishment¹	Actual strength² as at 1 September 2001
1 Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regt.	616	555
1 Worcestershire Forester Regt.	610	612
1 Queens Lancashire Regt.	667	568
1 Staffords	670	570
1 Highlanders	624	504
1 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders	617	584
1 Parachute Regt.	620	602
2 Parachute Regt.	686	⁶683
3 Parachute Regt.	667	701
2 Royal Gurkha Rifles	706	734
1 Royal Green Jackets	620	588
3 Regt. Army Air Corps	307	305
4 Regt. Army Air Corps	302	317
¹ Establishment strength source is from Directorate of Communications Information Systems (Army)
² Actual strength source is from Defence Analytical Services Agency (Army)
³ Includes Gurkha Sig. Sqn.
⁴ Includes Gurkha Sig. Sqn.
⁵ Includes Gurkha Reinforcement Company
⁶ Includes Gurkha Reinforcement Company

Type 45 Destroyer

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the type 45 destroyer will regularly operate a helicopter; [6979](2) where the new type 45 destroyers will have their home port; [6981](3) if the forward equipment programme contains full functioning for type 45 destroyers; [6985](4) how many of the proposed type 45 destroyers will be available for operations, and excluding those in refit, at any one time; [6980](5) what the in-service date is for the new type 45 destroyer; [6984](6) what the planned complement is of

(a) officers and (b) ratings on the new type 45 destroyer; and with which command system the type 45 destroyer will be equipped; [6978]

(7) when the last of the new type 45 destroyers is expected to enter service with the Royal Navy. [6986]

On current plans, we expect that the first type 45 destroyer will enter service with the Royal Navy in 2007 and that the last will enter service in 2014.We have yet to decide where the type 45 destroyers will have their base port. The decision is the subject of on-going work which will also take account of the base porting requirements of other vessels in the procurement programme such as the Future Aircraft Carrier and the Future Surface Combatant.The forward equipment programme includes funding for up to 12 type 45 destroyers. Capability upgrades included in the type 45 incremental acquisition plan will be funded within the type 45 programme budget. Other capability upgrades, including those to reflect future changes in defence requirements and technology advances, would be funded as appropriate.The currently planned complement of the type 45 is approximately 190 personnel, of whom around 20 will be officers and 170 other ranks. We are continuing to examine the scope for driving down the complement even further and to introduce a more flexible and adaptable style of crewing. Accommodation standards will be significantly better than in earlier classes of warship.BAE Systems Electronics, the Prime Contractor, has selected a consortium comprising Alenia Marconi Systems and BAE Systems Combat and Radar Systems to develop and manufacture a Command System, known as the Combat Management System, specifically for the type 45.Assuming a class of 12 type 45s, we expect that nine or 10 ships would, on average, be available at any one time to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet for tasking, while two or three would be undergoing maintenance, including one or two in refit.In most operations we currently expect to have a Lynx helicopter embarked on the type 45 destroyer. The type 45 will also be interoperable with the Merlin helicopter. The type 45 destroyer will be a versatile platform, able to operate a variety of other helicopters; the ship's large flight deck can take helicopters up to and including Chinook size.

Nato

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support the Government are providing to those countries seeking to join NATO in building up their armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [8031]

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, we support the further enlargement of NATO when the political and military conditions agreed at the 1997 Madrid and 1999 Washington Summits are met. To support this process, we are assisting aspirants with their preparations through the Membership Action Plan, which was launched at the 1999 Washington Summit. The main objectives are to promote defence reform and restructuring within a democratic context and to support the development of flexible, modern armed forces capable of contributing to peace-keeping operations. Assistance takes many forms including: English language training to support interoperability; the secondment of military and civilian advisers to aspirant countries; the provision of a wide range of training opportunities including Non-Commissioned Officer training at the permanent British Military Advisory and Training Team based in the Czech Republic; exercise opportunities in the UK and in aspirant countries; seminars on specialist subjects; and high-level visits.

Sustained Hypersonic Flight Experiment

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Sustained Hypersonic Flight Experiment programme is expected to cost; for how many years the programme is projected to last; and if he will make a statement. [7337]

The Sustained Hypersonic Flight Experiment is an experimental programme with the primary aim of obtaining vital engineering data to allow the Ministry of Defence to determine the credibility and risk levels associated with the development and future possible procurement of hypersonic cruise missiles.

The programme is expected to last for six years. The first year is a preliminary study costing £172,000. The cost to MOD for the following five years is expected to be approximately £1 million per annum.

The programme will be reviewed at the end of the first year and again at the end of the third year to ensure its aims remain viable and that the project has a manageable level of technical risk before continuation funding is released.

An important part of the preliminary study phase is to seek international collaborative partners to increase the overall value of this research programme to MOD.

Small Arms

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which countries the UK has exported small arms; how much revenue was generated from such sales in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [7338]

The Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls (Part III) provide details of the number of weapons and small arms exported, by country. Information on the total value of guns, small arms and parts exported in each of the last five years has been published in the Ministry of Defence publication "UK Defence Statistics 2001" (Table 1.13), which is available in the Library of the House. In both cases the definition, which is based on Customs Tariff codes, includes large as well as small calibre weapons.The UK is not a major exporter of small arms. It is Government policy that small arms which are declared surplus by the Ministry of Defence—other than automatic weapons which are routinely destroyed—are made available only to Governments, for use by acceptable military, paramilitary and police organisations, either directly or through duly licensed entities authorised to procure weapons.

Long Range Strike Weapons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will increase spending on long range strike weapons; and if he will make a statement. [8032]

The UK invests a significant amount of money in its long range strike weapons capability. The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile has already demonstrated its worth in Kosovo and the current operation against international terrorism; the Tornado GR1 to GR4 conversion is proceeding well, with upgraded aircraft now in service; new GPS Interim Precision Guided Bombs are due to enter service at the end of this month; and we are planning to take delivery of the Stormshadow conventional air launched stand off missile next year.UK's requirements for long range deep strike weapons are, however, kept under constant review. Decisions on whether there is a need for increased spending will be taken as and when gaps in the UK's existing capability are identified.We are also currently reviewing our future requirements for long range strike weapons as part of the Future Offensive Air Capability Study. This study is examining the deep strike capability that the UK will need in the 2015–20 timeframe, and will inform decisions on a number of equipment projects, including the Future Offensive Air System.

Meteor Air-To-Air Missile

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected cost is of his Department's collaborative effort to develop, produce, and support the Meteor Beyond-Visual-Range-Air-to-Air Missile; how much of this development will be carried in the UK; which UK companies are involved in this project; and if he will make a statement. [7323]

To the UK, the whole life cost of the Meteor missile will be in the region of £1.5 billion. This figure includes the cost of development, production and in-service support. Some 35 per cent. of the work undertaken during the development phase will be carried out in the UK, and matches the UK's financial contribution to that phase.Matra BAE Dynamics (UK) (MBD) will be the prime contractor for the Meteor programme with Alenia Marconi Systems, Royal Ordnance, Roband, Fairey Hydraulics, BAE Systems—Systems and Sensors Division, and Missile and Space Batteries acting as first level UK sub-contractors.Subject to conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with all of our partner nations, and negotiation of satisfactory contractual terms and conditions with MBD, we hope to be able to place a demonstration and manufacture contract for Meteor by the end of this year.

Ministerial Visits

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the official overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in his Department in each year since May 1997, indicating (a) the cost in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, (b) the number and grade of (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers accompanying Ministers and (c) the number of official engagements or meetings undertaken on each visit; and if he will make a statement; [6939](2) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in his Department for official overseas visits; what the

(a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if he will make a statement. [6940]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W, to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond).

Depleted Uranium

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an annual report on (a) future DU test firing proposals and (b) environmental testing results from the previous 12 months at the DERA testing facility at Dundrennan, Kirkcudbrightshire. [6506]

Under current practice, reports on annual monitoring surveys of the marine and terrestrial environment are provided to Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and placed in the Library of the House. On 28 March 2001, the Ministry of Defence produced reports containing results from the 1999 marine and terrestrial environment monitoring surveys—copies are held in the Library of the House under reference DEP01–872. Reports for the 2000 monitoring surveys are being prepared and will be published shortly. This practice will continue. In addition to the routine marine and terrestrial environmental surveys, a more general survey to try to find any previously undetected depleted uranium (DU) fragments is currently being conducted at the range and results will be published next year.MOD has no plans to produce an annual report outlining future DU firing at the Kirkcudbright Training Area range. Further firings may be required while the ammunition remains in service, and I will publicise the details when plans are agreed.

Aircraft Carriers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected cost is of building the Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers; where the assembly plant is; and if he will make a statement. [7324]

The Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers will be built at an estimated cost of up to £2.9 billion. The vessels will be built in the UK and no decisions have been made on construction or assembly sites.

Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the upgrade of the British Army's Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter is projected to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [7317]

The Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter is not an upgrade programme but will replace the capability provided by the Army Lynx Mks 7 and 9. It is planned to enter service from the middle of this decade and to have replaced the current Lynx by the early years of the next.

Weapon Modification Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies bidded for the individual weapon and light support weapon modification programme; and if he will make a statement. [7320]

The modification programme for the SA80 Weapon System is being undertaken by Heckler & Koch GmbH, Oberndorf, Germany. H&K are wholly owned by a British company, BAE Systems Royal Ordnance (Weapons and Munitions). No other companies were invited to bid for the programme as H&K are the Design Authority for the modifications.

The contract for up to 200,000 weapons is on schedule with some 10,000 modified weapons available in the UK for issue to the armed services.

A400m Project

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs Airbus UK's wing design development role in the A400M project is expected to create; and if he will make a statement. [7321]

Airbus UK have estimated that work associated with A400M wing design and manufacture will create or secure over 2,500 long-term high-skill jobs. They have also calculated that indirect employment could bring this figure up to 7,500. The proportion of these jobs attributable specifically to the design development role has not been disclosed.Although there is no direct relationship between offtake and workshare, we are confident that the number of jobs estimated by Airbus UK is commensurate with our investment in this programme.

Ordnance Board Project

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ordnance Board report Board Project G/220A dated 23 February 1982. [7114]

The document is currently withheld under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.A review is being conducted to determine whether some or all of the information can be released into the public domain.I will write to my hon. Friend when this review is complete, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Wessex Helicopter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the job losses at RAF Shrewsbury in connection with work on the Wessex helicopter. [7136]

The Wessex servicing work at RAF Shawbury, new Shrewsbury, is to come to an end due to the withdrawal of the Wessex helicopter from service.The helicopter maintenance personnel that undertake this work are employed by FB Heliservices Limited.FB Heliservices advise that as a result of the end of the Wessex element of the RAF Shawbury maintenance contact they are facing a redundancy situation for up to 39 employees. The company has advised us that it is actively pursuing alternative employment for the staff involved and is in consultation with both the recognised Trade Unions and individual employees. As part of its efforts to find alternative work, the company has made a proposal to place some other Ministry of Defence helicopter servicing work at RAF Shawbury. This proposal is being considered.

Aircraft Manufacture

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the United Kingdom's ability to continue to manufacture aircraft. [6505]

The UK aerospace industry is involved in a number of current and future military aircraft projects such as Eurofighter, A400M and the US Joint Strike Fighter programme. This demonstrates the UK's continuing technical and engineering ability to play a major role in the manufacture of military aircraft.

Future Offensive Aircraft Capability

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to approve the development of the Future Offensive Aircraft Capability. [6504]

The Future Offensive Air Capability study is an Operational Analysis-based study examining the deep strike capability that the UK will need in the 2015–20 timeframe. It will inform decisions that we expect to take in the next two to three years on a number of equipment projects, including for the Future Offensive Air System project.

Royal Navy

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies are developing technology capable of integrating the US Navy's co-operative engagement capability into the UK Royal Navy's surface fleet; what the projected cost of this system is; and if he will make a statement. [7319]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Michael Hancock, dated 16 October 2001:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning integration of the US Navy's Co-operative Engagement Capability into the Royal Navy's surface fleet. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I refer you to the answer given on 25 July 2000 (official record col 542).

Assessment studies to fit the Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC) to Type 23 Frigates are being undertaken by Lockheed Martin UK Integrated Systems and Raytheon Systems Limited, with each company being supported by a number of potential sub-contractors. A competition has been conducted between them for the second phase of assessment work. Contract award is forecast for the first half of 2002.

A separate package of work, to assess fitting the capability to the Type 45 destroyer, is being undertaken by BAE Systems Electronics Limited, the Type 45 Prime Contractor.

The estimated procurement cost of integrating CEC into Type 23 and Type 45 is £255M and the latest estimate of the whole life cost is £415M. Both figures are at 2001 outturn prices. I regret that the figure of £250M for whole life costs, given in the answer of 25 July 2000, related to support costs alone and was intended to be additional to the quoted procurement costs. The correct whole life cost estimate at that time was therefore £424M.

The programme is still at an early stage; costs, performance and timing will be refined before the main investment decision at Main Gate.

Culture, Media And Sport

Speakers' Corner

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the impact of pop concerts on activities at Speakers' Corner. [6061]

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its chief executive, William Weston. Mr. Weston wrote to the hon. Member in July.

Letter from William Weston to Mr. Peter Ainsworth, dated July 2001:

I have been asked by the Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Question about what representations have been received concerning the impact of pop concerts on activities at Speakers' Corner I regret that it was not possible to answer your question before the Summer recess. However, the information you requested is as follows.

I received an email on 19 July from Heiko Khoo of the Speakers' Corner Association who believes that the right to free speech at Speakers' Corner, enshrined in the 1872 Parks and Gardens Act, is encroached by the arrangements made to facilitate large concerts on the adjacent Parade Ground. Mr Khoo questioned the Agency's right to make any restrictions on access to the area, and asked why such concerts could not be held in one of the of other Royal Parks instead.

Football Fixtures

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received calling for international football fixtures taking place in England to continue moving between major premiership venues. [7224]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Department has received no representations calling for England home international football fixtures to continue moving between major premiership venues. We have had a number of representations about the use of the national stadium, and a small number of representations about the use of a specific ground for the FA cup semi-final.

British-Made Films

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many British-made films have been made as part of European co-productions in the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [8056]

The number of films made under the UK's European co-production treaties, and the Council of Europe's convention on cinematographic co-production, is as follows:

	Number
1996	12
1997	7
1998	13
1999	10
2000	21
2001 (to August)	24

Ministerial Visits

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will list all official overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in her Department in each year since May 1997, indicating (a) the cost in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, (b) the number and grade of (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers accompanying Ministers and (c) the number of official engagements or meetings undertaken on each visit; and if she will make a statement; [6887](2) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in her Department for official overseas visits; what the

(a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if she will make a statement. [6888]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W.

World Athletic Championships

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if it is Government policy to underwrite the 2005 world athletics championships; [7858](2) if it is Government policy that Sheffield city council should underwrite the 2005 world athletics championships. [7860]

The Government have previously made it clear that in view of the size and importance of the IAAF world athletics championships, they would ensure that the underwriting of the event is resolved. The Government will consider this issue again once the decision of the IAAF council meeting in late November has decided whether to accept our proposal of Sheffield as the venue for the 2005 championships.

Lottery Proceeds

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the total grants paid by each organisation responsible for allocating lottery proceeds, broken down by county in both absolute terms and pounds per thousand population. [7502]

The information held on lottery award proceeds is not broken down by county, but is available by local authority area. I will place copies of the information requested in the Libraries of both Houses.

English Heritage

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she intends to undertake a review of English Heritage. [8270]

As part of the Department's programme of quinquennial reviews of its public bodies, my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts is today announcing that WALES the Government will shortly start a review of English Heritage.The review will include an evaluation of the role and functions of English Heritage and how those functions can best be carried out, and a review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the way in which it delivers services to its users. The review will include a public consultation exercise. A copy of the consultation paper can be found on DCM's website, www.culture.gov.uk. under "heritage, libraries & museums"; "historic environment".We estimate that the review will be completed by next summer. A copy of the announcement has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Grade	Number working mainly in London	Percentage	Number working mainly in Wales	Percentage
Senior Civil Service (SCS)	1	100	0	0
Band G (formerly Grade 6)	1	50	1	50
Band F (formerly Grade 7)	5	100	0	0
Band E (formerly SEO)	1	1	50	50
Band D (formerly HEO)	9	82	2	18
Band C (formerly EO)	10	83	2	17
Band B (formerly AO)	10	83	2	17
Band A (formerly AA)	3	100	0	0
Totals	40	83	8	17

Pay depends on the individual's permanent base rather than the location of their current post. Present scales are:

£
	Permanently based
	in London	¹Elsewhere
SCS	Within the range 55,000–60,000
Band G	41,906–58,705	37,832–52,965
Band F	34,542–48,160	30,792–43,109
Band E	26,855–37,207	23,481–32,873
Band D	21,042–28,942	17,964–25,149
Band C	16,293–22,736	13,481–18,874
Band B	13,757–17,609	10,589–14,084
Band A	12,175–14,850	9.024–11,551
¹ These staff ordinarily receive a 10 per cent. recruitment and retention allowance while working in London.

Departmental Spending

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total amount of spending by his Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of his Department's total spending this constitutes; and if he will make a statement. [6815]

The net operating cost of the Wales Office in 2000–01 was £7,121 million. Other than the running costs of my Department in Whitehall, this was all spent in Wales, predominantly by way of grant to the National Assembly for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total expenditure was on (a) advertising, (b) polling, (c) focus groups, (d) design consultants, (e) caterers, (f) production of departmental publications and (g) photographs/photographers by his Department for each year since 1995 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; what

Wales

Civil Servants

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many and what proportion of each civil service grade in his Department is located in each region and nation of the UK; what the average salary is for each grade; and if he will make a statement; [6814](2) if he will estimate the number of staff employed by his Department by region and nation of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [6810]

At October 2001, my Department has a complement of 48 posts as follows:was (A) the annual percentage increase in spending on each category and (B) spending on each category as a percentage of the total departmental running costs; and if he will make a statement. [6894]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office gave on 15 October 2001, Official Report, Columns 1009–12W.

Ministerial Travel

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in his Department for official overseas visits; what the (a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if he will make a statement. [6896]

Records are not held separately for expenditure by the former Welsh Office on overseas travel. Since the Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999, Ministers have not used any non-commercial flights for official overseas visits.

Departmental Spending (Staff)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate total staff costs for his Department and its agencies by nation and region of the UK; and if he will make a statement. [6811]

The staff costs of my Department in 2000–01 were £1,415,000. No geographical breakdown is available. The Wales Office has no agencies.

Business Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total amount of business rates collected in Wales in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [7697]

The total amount of revenue raised in Wales from the business rate between 1996–97 and 1998–99 was as follows:

Year	—
1996–97	427,156,005
1997–98	460,306,025
1998–99	464,847,538

Since 1 July 1999, this has been a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Northern Ireland

Probation Board For Northern Ireland

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Probation Board for Northern Ireland's annual report for 2000–01 will be published. [8243]

The Probation Board's annual report for 2000–01 was published on 16 October 2001.A copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Electoral Research Project

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the results of the electoral research project recently commissioned on the district council and parliamentary elections which were held in Northern Ireland. [8244]

I have today placed copies of the electoral research report in both Libraries of the House.

Oversight Commissioner

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the latest report received from the Oversight Commissioner. [8245]

In accordance with section 68(4)(a) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, I have today laid a copy of the Oversight Commissioner's second statutory report for the year 2001 in both Houses.

Northern Ireland Policing Board

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board; and if he will publish the names of those bodies consulted by him under the provisions of Schedule 1 Part 111 paragraph 8(2)(c) to the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. [8246]

On 29 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced the appointment of the following nine independent members:

Denis Bradley
Viscount Brookeborough
Brian Dougherty
Barry Gilligan
Tom Kelly
Pauline McCabe
Rosaleen Moore
Professor Desmond Rea
Suneil Sharma.

The 10 members nominated by the political parties, drawn from the Assembly are:

Alex Attwood MLA
Joe Byrne MLA
Fred Cobain MLA
Ivan Davis MLA
William Hay MLA
Lord Kilclooney MLA
James Leslie MLA
Eddie McGrady MP MLA
Ian Paisley Junior MLA
Sammy Wilson MLA.

The Secretary of State appointed Professor Rea to serve as Chairman and Mr. Denis Bradley to serve as Vice Chairman. A copy of the announcement of 29 September has been placed in the Library of the House.

In line with the requirements of Schedule 1 Part III paragraph 8(2)(c) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Secretary of State wrote to the following individuals and bodies at the outset of the process:

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Chief Police Officers' Staff Association
The Church of Ireland
The Democratic Unionist Party
The Equality Commission
The Green Party
The Human Rights Commission
The Labour Party
The Methodist Church in Ireland
The Northern Ireland Conservative Party
The Northern Ireland Unionist Party
The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
The Oversight Commissioner
The Police Federation for Northern Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Progressive Unionist Party
The Roman Catholic Church
Sinn Fein
The Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Superintendents' Association for Northern Ireland
The Ulster Democratic Party
The Ulster Unionist Party
The United Kingdom Unionist Party
The United Unionist Assembly Party
The Workers' Party.

In addition, my right hon. Friend also consulted the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the 26 district councils. Officials consulted the Commissioner for Public Appointments; approximately 900 other organisations and community groups were also approached by PricewaterhouseCoopers acting on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Regional/Minority Languages Charter

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the appointment will be made of the UK member to the Committee of Experts for the Council of Europe European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. [8267]

I am pleased to announce that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe elected on 4 October Emyr Lewis as the UK member to the Committee of Experts for the Charter. The Committee of Experts acts as a monitoring mechanism examining the periodical reports submitted by Parties on compliance with the Charter. Emyr Lewis is a fluent Welsh speaker, whose legal expertise and experience of minority language issues make him an ideal representative for the UK on this Committee.

G8 Summit, Genoa

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the aftermath of the G8 summit held in Genoa on 20 July, consular officials from other EU countries were able to gain access to their detained nationals earlier than British consular officials. [8268]

We understand that no other EU state was granted access to their detained nationals ahead of British consular officials. However, detainees were held in several widespread locations, so it is impossible to confirm definitively which nationals were seen first on Wednesday 25 July, when access was finally granted. Our Consul visited one detainee in hospital as early as Sunday 22 July. British consular officials had visited all of our detainees ahead of most other EU states. American officials were the first to gain access to their nationals in the detention centres.Throughout the night of Wednesday 25 July, when the detainees were awaiting deportation at the airport, British consular officials provided support to British nationals and to many foreigners, including those from other EU countries, in the absence of their own consular representatives.

United Nations Subscriptions

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United States' paying its United Nations subscriptions. [7301]

The payment of United Nations contributions is the responsibility of individual UN member states. However, we understand that the US Congress has recently agreed to release the second tranche of a US arrears package, worth $582 million. We welcome the forthcoming payment of these funds.

Un Resolution 1373

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UN Resolution 1373 (2001). [7829]

UN Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), adopted on 28 September, is the first resolution to impose obligations on all states to respond to the global terrorist threat. It focuses on two key areas: suppressing the financing of terrorism and denying terrorists a safe haven from which to operate. The United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the United Nations has been appointed Chairman of the Security Council committee that will monitor the implementation of this Resolution.The United Kingdom is obliged to implement immediately the mandatory provisions of the resolution. The Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001, the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2001, the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) (Isle of Man) Order 2001 and the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) (Channel Islands) Order 2001 were adopted by the Privy Council on 9 October 2001 and came into force on 10 October 2001. They will implement the mandatory provisions on terrorist financing in the United Kingdom, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies.The orders have been made under section 1 of the United Nations Act 1946. They implement paragraph 1(c) and (d) of the resolution by restricting the making available of any funds or financial services to terrorists and providing powers to freeze accounts of suspected terrorists. Paragraph 1(b) on criminalising fundraising for terrorist purposes can be implemented through the Terrorism Act 2000 in the United Kingdom. However, a specific provision on fundraising is included in the Overseas Territories, Isle of Man and Channel Islands Orders. Copies of all four orders have been placed in the Libraries of the House.We are also considering urgently what further domestic legislation may be required to take action against terrorism in line with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001).

Civil Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of each civil service grade in his Department is located in each region and nation of the UK, what the average salary is for each grade; and if he will make a statement. [6820]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employs staff in three of the Regions in England: London, Croydon in South East Region and at Milton Keynes in Eastern Region.The number of staff by grade at each location and the percentage of the total staff are shown in the table. The FCO has recently completed its own grading structure and the grades shown are the accepted Civil Service Equivalents.

Grade	London	(%)	Eastern	(%)	South East	(%)
Senior Grade	29	93.5	1	3.2	1	3.2
Senior Manager	75	89.3	6	7.1	3	3.6
Grade 6	91	77.1	10	8.5	17	14.4
Grade 7	225	74.2	39	12.9	39	12.9
SEO	142	52.8	108	40.1	19	7.1
HEO	436	66.9	202	30.9	14	2.1
EO	433	75.8	120	21.0	18	3.2
AO	541	73.2	174	23.5	24	3.2
AA	259	81.7	56	17.8	1	0.5

The average salaries paid to the staff, including payments towards national insurance and superannuation made by the FCO on behalf of staff are:

£
Grade	London	Average salary Outside London
Senior Grade	111,000	111,000
Senior Manager	75,000	75,000
Grade 7	60,990	52,850
Grade 6	49,840	44,740
SEO	37,030	37,600
HEO	30,780	31,420
EO	24,460	22,660
AO	20,630	19,005
AA	15,860	14,715

Ministerial Travel

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in his Department for official overseas visits; what the (a) destination (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if he will make a statement; [6936](2) if he will list all official overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in his Department in each year since May 1997, indicating

(a) the cost in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, (b) the number and grade of (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers accompanying ministers and (c) the number of official engagements or meetings undertaken on each visit; and if he will make a statement. [6935]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W.

Departmental Spending

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total amount of spending by his Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of his Department's total spending this constitutes; and it he will make a statement. [6821]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 854–56W.

Trade And Industry

Sellafield (Mox Facility)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on security arrangements at the MOX facility at Sellafield. [7883]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: Security at the Sellafield MOX plant complies fully with the standards set by the Director for Civil Nuclear Security, the Government's security Regulator. The Office for Civil Nuclear Security has taken account of the events in the United States of America on 11 September and continues to be satisfied that the security arrangements to be applied by BNFL will provide effective security once the plant starts to operate.

Renewable Energy

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is her policy to allow funds available to support renewable energy to be used towards projects involving energy from waste plants. [7086]

The Renewables Obligation Statutory Consultation sets out our proposals for support for renewable sources of energy and clarifies the extent to which electricity generated by energy from waste plants might qualify. Copies of this will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament. This document is also available at: "http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable/consultations.htm" and any further responses are now urgently invited as the closing date was 12 October 2001.In collaboration with the Department of the Environment Transport and Regions (DETR), now the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), we have supported the publication of "Household Waste Management in the UK, Some Examples of Good Practice". This publication illustrates how energy from waste projects can be part of an integrated approach to waste management. Copies of this guide can be ordered from: "nre-enquiries@aeat.co.uk" and copies have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of UK electricity was produced from renewable resources in the last 12 months; and what percentage of that was produced from (a) hydro#electricity, (b) wind, (c) combined heat and power schemes and (d) other; and if she will make a statement. [7361]

In 2000, 2.8 per cent. of electricity generated in the UK came from renewable sources. Of that, 49 per cent. was produced from hydro-electricity, 9 per cent. was from wind, and 42 per cent. from other sources (mainly biofuels), within which 4 per cent. was generated in combined heat and power schemes.Through the Renewables Obligation, and through a package of additional support measures, the Government are creating a strong and growing demand for renewable energy worth over £1 billion by 2010. These measures will provide the right framework for the strong expansion we need in the renewable energy sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent in each of the last five years by her Department into the investigation of renewable energy resources. [7348]

The Department of Trade and Industry attaches great importance to renewable energy and has set ambitious targets. The new Renewables Obligation will create a long-term market for renewables which will be worth over £1 billion per year by 2010. The Obligation will be the main mechanism by which we will meet our renewables targets and will be underpinned by direct Government funding worth over £260 million between 2001 and 2004. This will include an extensive capital grants programme for the early development of offshore wind and energy crops, the initial stage of a major photovoltaics demonstration programme and a boost for research and development.The Department funds research into renewable energy resources both through its own Sustainable Energy Programme and through the Science Budget which supports the Research Councils. Spend over each of the last five years, and the budgets for this year and next, which allow for significant expansion, are set out in the table.

£ million
Year	DTI Sustainable Energy Programme	Research Councils
1996–97	16.3	2.2
1997–98	13.0	2.9
1998–99	11.3	3.1
1999–2000	12.5	2.4
2000–01	13.1	2.8
2001–02	18.5	5.0
2002–03	18.5	5.1
¹ Budget

In order to promote a strategic approach to renewable energy planning from the regional level downwards, the Government in February 2000 initiated work on regional assessments and targets for renewable energy provision based upon, and where necessary updating, existing resource studies. Most of these assessments are now complete, with the remainder to be completed by the end of 2001. Spend on these studies, which is included in the wider figures above for the Sustainable Energy Programme, was £0.3 million in 2000–01 and is expected to be £0.25 million in 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to support the construction of renewable energy sources rather than nuclear power stations; if she will announce a moratorium on nuclear power station construction in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [6757]

The Government are putting in hand a range of measures to support renewable energy, including a Renewables Obligation on electricity suppliers, exemption from the climate change levy and grant funding in excess of £260 million over the next three years.The Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit is also currently carrying out an energy review and will report to the Prime Minister by the end of the year. The aim of the review is to set out the objectives of energy policy and to ensure that current policy commitments are consistent with longer-term goals. The review is considering all sources of energy including renewables and nuclear as well as the enhancement of energy efficiency. At this stage it is too early to draw any conclusions.

Civil Service (Retirement Age)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the compulsory retirement ages which apply to employees of her Department and of executive agencies and other public sector bodies for which it is responsible, broken down by grade or job title. [7229]

The normal retirement age for staff in my Department, its executive agencies and, subject to the exceptions below, public sector bodies which it sponsors, is 60 for staff at range 5 (formerly Executive Officer level) and above and 65 for staff below this level.In the Research Councils, the normal retirement age is 60 for all staff with the exception of the Medical Research Council where it is 65. The Design Council does not have a compulsory retirement age for its staff. In Regional Development Agencies the normal retirement age is 65 with the exception of the East of England Development Agency and the South West Regional Development Agency where it is 60. However, for those RDA staff who are members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, the normal retirement age is 60.

Export Control Bill

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what secondary legislation the Government plan to introduce under the Export Control Bill; if the Government will hold a public consultation on that legislation; and if she will make a statement. [8317]

My Department and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have made available to Parliament dummy orders, that is drafts of possible orders using the powers in the Bill as they currently stand. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. They are also available from my Department's library and on our website (www.dti.gov.uk/export.control). These dummy orders have been provided to assist Parliament in its scrutiny of the Bill by providing a clear indication of how the Government would propose to use the powers that would be conferred by the Bill.We intend, however, to hold a full public consultation on drafts of the orders to be made following enactment of the Bill. This public consultation, which we currently expect to hold in the spring, will provide interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the details of secondary legislation that the Government propose to introduce under the Bill. We currently expect the dummy orders to be the basis for preparation of these draft orders for full public consultation.The provisions in the dummy orders are based both on existing secondary export control legislation, consolidated and rationalised where appropriate, and on the Government's proposals for new controls to be introduced under the Bill. Proposals for new controls were set out in the Consultation Document on the Draft Bill (Cm 5091) published in March 2001.

The Consultation Document sought views on options for certain aspects of the new controls on technical assistance and trafficking and brokering. The provisions of the dummy orders reflect decisions taken on these options in the light of the consultation results. Views were sought on whether controls on the provision of technical assistance to embargoed destinations should be introduced on a unilateral basis. The Government have concluded that such unilateral action is unlikely to be effective but we will use the powers in the Bill to implement requirements in international embargoes to impose controls on technical assistance. This will enable a higher maximum penalty to apply. In addition, as explained in the Consultation Document, the Government propose to introduce controls on the provision of technical assistance to weapons of mass destruction and related missile programmes.

The Consultation Document proposed the introduction of controls on trafficking and brokering to embargoed destinations, of equipment whose export we have banned because of evidence of its use in torture and of long-range missiles that would apply to the activities of United Kingdom persons overseas as well as to activities carried out in the United Kingdom. The Consultation Document also set out proposals for additional controls on trafficking and brokering. Views were sought on whether these additional controls should apply to all equipment on the "Military List" (the "Military List" is contained in existing export control legislation) or just to weapons, ammunition and certain other key military or paramilitary items. Views were also sought on whether these additional controls should apply to the activities of United Kingdom persons carrying out activities wholly abroad as well as to activities taking place in the United Kingdom. The Government have concluded, in the light of the consultation held, that these additional controls should apply to all equipment on the "Military List" and to activities, any part of which takes place in the United Kingdom, but not to the activities of United Kingdom nationals carried out wholly abroad. The Government will, however, as noted above, apply controls on trafficking and brokering by United Kingdom persons overseas of equipment used in torture and long-range missiles and trafficking and brokering by such persons to embargoed destinations. The Government will press for international embargoes to be imposed on countries in conflict.

Finally, the Consultation Document also sought views on proposals to replicate the current licensing regime for exports of objects of cultural interest. In the light of responses which broadly welcomed these proposals, the dummy order on the export of objects of cultural interest reflects the proposals contained in the Consultation Document.

Wind Turbines

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage the generation of electricity using wind power. [7326]

The wind energy industry will benefit substantially from the introduction of the Renewables Obligation which will provide a long-term market for renewable energy for the next 25 years. This market will be worth over £1 billion per year by 2010 and suppliers are expected to meet a significant proportion of their obligations from wind energy. Existing contracts made under the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) arrangements will be honoured, and we propose to table an Order before the end of 2001 to allow locational flexibility for these projects.Wind energy also benefits from exemption from the Climate Change Levy.By promoting the development of regional plans for renewable energy, and through the proposed update of National Planning Policy Guidance Note on Renewable Energy (PPG22), the Government are seeking to ensure that local planning decisions on proposed wind energy projects are taken in the context of wider policy objectives.At least £49 million has already been announced for a DTI and New Opportunities Fund capital grants scheme for offshore wind energy projects. The offshore wind industry could also potentially benefit from forthcoming decisions on the extra £100 million for renewable energy pledged by the Prime Minister earlier in the year.We have consulted extensively with the wind industry on the design of the capital grants scheme and intend to launch the scheme shortly. We have also consulted on our proposals for a "one-stop shop" to help developers seeking to obtain the necessary consents for offshore projects.Wind energy projects are also eligible to apply for support under the Department's Sustainable Energy programme, which will provide funding for renewables research and development of £55 million in total over this and the next two financial years.

Electricity Generation

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Government plan to spend on promoting the generation of electricity in the year 2002–03. [7328]

Government action to promote the generation of electricity is directed to the sustainable energy sector. Subject to market circumstances, support from the Renewables Obligation and Scottish Obligation could be worth up to £282 million in 2002–03, and continuing support for the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and its Scottish equivalent up to £167 million.The Government's proposed budget for 2002–03 for our sustainable energy research and development programme is £18.5 million.A proportion of direct Government spending on capital grants and other support schemes for renewable energy will also occur in 2002–03. The cost of these schemes over a three-year period is expected to exceed £200 million.Exempting renewable energy from the Climate Change Levy will save the renewable energy industry an estimated £24 million in 2002–03.

Electricity Trading

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government will take to ensure that the new electricity trading arrangements do not penalise Combined heat and power and renewable generators. [7056]

In advance of going live, a number of smaller generators as well as the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) and the Association of Electricity Producers (AEP) expressed concern that the new electricity trading arrangements (NETA) would severely disadvantage them. In view of this, on 21 February, the then Minister for Energy, asked Ofgem to undertake a review of the impact of NETA on smaller generators based on its first two months of live operation.On 31 August, Ofgem published their report to the DTI on the "Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators", as well as a report "The New Electricity Trading Arrangements—Review of the First Three Months".The Government believe that the key findings in Ofgem's report on the first three months of NETA are encouraging and indicate that, overall, NETA has created a more competitive market.The Government have reviewed and considered Ofgem's reports, as well as views put forward by industry, both in the course of Ofgem's review, and to DTI. In the light of these, I will be issuing a consultation document.

Post Office Closures

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices closed in the Huntingdon constituency in each financial year since 1995–96. [6168]

I understand from Post Office Ltd. that data on the post office network are not held on a parliamentary constituency basis.

Sub-Post Offices (Compensation)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans are (a) in place and (b) under consideration to compensate proprietors of sub-post offices whose businesses become unprofitable after withdrawal of benefit payments by cash. [6497]

Benefit and pension recipients who wish to collect their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so after the change in payment arrangements, beginning in April 2003, by means of Universal Banking Services.The Government have committed £270 million of support over the next three years to start the implementation of the Performance and Innovation Unit's recommendations, all of which the Government accepted, for modernisation of the post office network. The Government remain committed to maintenance of a nationwide network of post offices.

Broadband Telecommunications

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets she has set for the percentage of the UK population able to gain access to broadband telecommunications by the end of this decade. [6495]

The Government are committed to working to extend broadband networks across the UK. This commitment was backed up by the publication of an action plan 'UK online: the broadband future' which set out how the Government aim to facilitate the roll-out of broadband services across the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to extend broadband telecommunications to rural areas throughout the UK. [6496]

The Government are working to ensure that broadband services are available in all parts of the country. To this end we are developing a strategy together with all interested parties. The £30 million fund for Regional Development Agencies and the devolved Administrations is focused on extending broadband networks to those who are not offered access by the market, including in rural areas. The Countryside Agency also included broadband access and demand in its "healthchecks" on 100 market towns, while the devolved Administrations are carrying forward their own work on broadband in rural areas with our support and assistance.In addition, we are examining the scope for aggregating public sector demand in order to speed up the roll-out of broadband services to individuals and businesses in rural and other areas that service providers currently see as uncommercial.

Private Finance Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the likely impact of the European Commission's latest proposals on future PFI projects. [6616]

The Commission's proposals for simplifying, clarifying and bringing up to date the EC procurement directives were tabled in July 2000. They are the subject of on-going discussions in the Council and the European Parliament. Real progress is being made and the Government consider it unlikely that the amended rules will have any adverse effects on the award of PFI contracts.

Gas Imports

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many billion cubic metres of gas she expects to be imported by 2010; and if she will make a statement; [7360](2) when she expects the UK to become a net importer of gas; and if she wall make a statement. [7359]

The Department makes and publishes projections of UK gas supply and demand, for example in 'Energy Projections for the UK' published in November 2000 and in the annual "Brown Book". In DTI's submission to the current Performance and Innovation Unit Energy Review, projections of supply and demand consistent with these publications were presented which suggest that the UK could become a net importer of gas on an annual basis by 2005 or soon thereafter. There is, though, uncertainty on both the supply and demand projections, not least since both can be affected by changes in energy prices. Most outside commentators are also currently forecasting net imports from around 2005–06. At times of high demand in the winter, the UK is already a net importer of gas, as it was before 1997.Looking further ahead, to 2010, there is greater uncertainty, so it is possible only to speculate on a likely range of estimates for net imports in that year. Allowing for an effect on gas demand from the full Climate Change Programme announced in November 2000, and assuming production by then of at least some of the discovered gas reserves which are currently classified as possible and of some as-yet-undiscovered gas reserves, an import range of between 15 and 55 billion cubic metres is indicated.

Gas Energy Provision

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK's energy she expects to be sourced from gas by 2020; and what by percentage the countries of origin of the gas will be. [7379]

Future estimates of the proportion of gas in UK primary energy demand in 2020 are naturally subject to considerable uncertainty. My Department's paper, 'Energy Projections for the UK'¹, suggests that under a number of assumptions, including possible future economic growth and fossil fuel prices, gas will supply a little under 50 per cent. of primary energy demand in 2020.It is anticipated that much of the UK's gas will, by then, be imported. With the commissioning of the Bacton-Zeebrugge interconnector in October 1998 and the opening of the Vesterled link with Norway in October 2001, the UK is an integral part of the European gas network. Further links are likely. Europe's indigenous production is expected to decline by 2020 but it is relatively well situated close to more than two thirds of the world's proven gas reserves. The UK's gas could come from a variety of sources with suppliers of pipeline gas likely to include Norway, Russia and countries in the Caspian Basin and North Africa. The share that comes from each in 2020 will be determined by commercial considerations and supply-demand pressures in Europe both before and at that time. It is also possible that the UK will again import Liquefied Natural Gas that could come from some of the above countries but also from more distant sources such as the Middle East, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.

¹ EP68 The Stationery Office and www.dti.gov.ukknergy/ep68final.pdf

Gas Supplies

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has to amend legislation to provide an incentive for (a) pipe laying and (b) gas supply companies to extend gas supplies to communities without a gas supply; [6255](2) what steps he proposes to take to extend gas supplies to communities, which have no supply; and if he will make a statement. [6256]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Utilities Act 2000 sought to increase competition in connections by removing the limits on gas transporters operating in their limited licence areas, with a view to stimulating competition between transporters, promoting extension of the network and reducing connection costs. In August 2001, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) consulted on a proposal to amend the Gas Connections Regulations to allow for a recovery period of twenty years rather than five. This would be expected to reduce the incentive for householders to hold back on connecting to the gas supply, and therefore to increase initial take-up.The Government's draft Fuel Poverty Strategy included a commitment to working with Ofgem to ensure that, wherever possible, the gas network provides the widest viable coverage and fullest viable capacity. A working group, whose membership includes representatives of Government, Ofgem, the industry and consumers, is taking this work forward with a view to producing an interim report this month. The Government will take a view on what action is appropriate once the group has reported.

Intellectual Property Advisory Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress she has made in appointing the new Intellectual Property Advisory Committee. [8318]

I have appointed Mr. Ian Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of BTG plc, to chair the IP Advisory Committee. I have appointed the following as members of the Committee:

Diana Adie, former head of IP at the BBC

Professor Sue Birley, Director of Imperial College Entrepreneurship Centre

Richard Gallafent, patent attorney

Professor Paul Geroski, deputy-chair of the Competition Commission

Mandy Haberman, businesswoman and inventor

Roland Hill, consulting engineer, inventor and businessman

Paul Johnston, IP Manager at ICI Paints and ICI Group Trade Mark Counsel

Hilary Newiss, self-employed solicitor and IP consultant

David Perkins, solicitor and head of IP Europe at Clifford Chance

Tim Roberts, patent attorney, president of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, and former IP manager at Zeneca Seeds

Dr Sandy Thomas, director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics

Professor David Vaver, director of Oxford University IP Research Centre.

Further details are available at the committee's website http://www.intellectual-property.gov.uk/ipac and in the press release announcing the membership, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Low Pay Commission

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Low Pay Commission has been given its new terms of reference. [8319]

The Government have confirmed the permanent status of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) and will be providing it with full terms of reference for its next report in due course. In preparation for that, and as suggested by the LPC in its third report (Vol II), the Government wish the LPC to set up a programme of longer term, strategic and rigorous research to inform future work.In particular, the Government wish the LPC to commission research which will investigate the impact of the minimum wage, over time, on employment and joblessness levels of various age groups. The Government also wish the LPC to find out more about the effect of the minimum wage on the supply of, and demand for, work-based training, and on the link between the minimum wage, education, training and skills development more generally.The LPC has done a lot of useful work on the impact of the NMW on specific low paying sectors. The Government would like the LPC to use the longer timeframe now available to it to commission rolling research into the impact of the NMW, and the various increases to the rate, on business as a whole and on small businesses in particular, building on the work the LPC has already done on the various business strategies for coping with the minimum wage that have been adopted by such firms.

Fuel Shortages

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what emergency measures have been put in place in the last 12 months to deal with fuel shortages brought about by industrial action. [7455]

There have been no industrial disputes in the downstream oil sector in the past 12 months that have resulted in disruption to fuel supplies. The Energy Act 1976 confers powers which would allow the my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to ensure the continuity of essential fuel supplies in the event of a major disruption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of reserve petrol supplies since 11 September. [7456]

Under legislation introduced after the oil crises of the 1970s, and the economic damage caused by the two oil price hikes, each European member state has an obligation to keep stocks of oil that can be made available in the event of any disruption to international oil supplies. As part of this obligation, the UK is required to hold stocks of oil products (including motor spirit) or crude oil equivalent equal to or above 67.5 days' worth of consumption at any one time. To ensure that the UK meets these obligations, my Department regularly monitors the levels of stocks of crude oil and oil products held in the UK. The latest data available are provisional data for stocks as at 31 August 2001, which show the UK as having 4.2 million tonnes of motor spirit (including a contribution from stocks of crude oil that will be refined into products), equal to 72 days' worth of consumption. This is considered to be more than adequate, especially given the level of our indigenous resources of crude oil, to meet the UK's needs or UK contribution to any international response to an oil supply shortage.

Fishing (Iceland)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what requests she has made to the Icelandic authorities for information regarding UK fishing vessels that may be entitled to compensation as former Icelandic waters trawlermen; and if she will make a statement. [7071]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson), on 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 599W.

Mining Diseases

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ex-miners in the Elmet constituency have been compensated for (a) respiratory diseases and (b) white finger vibration (i) in full and (ii) in part; and how many are waiting for compensation. [7055]

To date, IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, advise me that, with regard to compensation for respiratory disease, there have been 485 claims registered in the Elmet constituency. 97 interim payments have been made and 53 claims have been settled in full.In relation to vibration white finger, VWF, 444 claims have been initiated. There have been 87 interim payments and 66 claims have been settled by payment.In total, the Department has paid out over £1.4 million in the Elmet constituency.Details of compensation paid by constituency will soon be available on "www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth".

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for compensation have been made in respect of vibration white finger and chronic bronchitis and emphysema in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) nationally; how many have been refused; how many have been settled; in how many cases interim payments have been made; and how many remain outstanding in each area since 1971. [7655]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: With respect to respiratory disease, the following progress has been made:

	Nottinghamshire	Nationally
Total number of claims	20,706	164,527
Total settlements	1,585	14,965
Number of interim payments	3,679	36,002
Number of denied claims	n/a	3,456

In Nottinghamshire, some 15,938 claimants are progressing to the full medical assessment and, to date, the Department has received 7,000 claims packs from solicitors.In relation to vibration white finger, VWF, the following progress has been made:

	Nottinghamshire	Nationally
Total number of claims	22,377	128,041
Total settlements	4,773	29,300
Number of interim payments	6,642	37,417
Number of denied claims	n/a	5,917

Further regional details are available on the Department's website www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much compensation has been paid to claimants in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) nationally in respect of (i) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (ii) vibration white finger since 1971. [7656]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: With regard to compensation for respiratory disease, £20.8 million has been paid in Nottinghamshire. Nationally, £203.4 million has been paid.In relation to vibration white finger, VWF, £67.6 million has been paid in Nottinghamshire. Nationally, £368.3 million has been paid.Further regional details are available on the Department's website www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

Kyoto Agreement

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments she has made of the likely growth in fossil fuel use in (a) the USA and (b) developing nations over the next 20 years; what impact such growth will have on targets set at Kyoto; and what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the ratification of the Kyoto agreement by (i) EU member states, (ii) eastern European nations, (iii) Japan, (iv) Canada and (v) Russia. [6755]

The Department has made no independent assessment of the likely growth in fossil fuel use over the next 20 years outside the UK. Assessments of future fossil and other energy uses are, however, undertaken by a number of organisations, including the International Energy Agency and the US Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. These organisations typically produce annual reports covering such work.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no discussions with her EU counterparts on the ratification of the Kyoto Agreement as that issue is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I understand that ratification of the Kyoto Protocol will be discussed at the Environment Council on 29 October.

Nuclear Reprocessing

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on future nuclear reprocessing capacity in the United Kingdom; what estimate she has for the volume of nuclear (a) storage and (b) reprocessing capacity that will be required over the next 30 years; how much of this capacity is currently available; how much additional capacity by type she estimates will need to be built in the United Kingdom; what estimate she has made of the (i) cost of such additional capacity and (ii) the amount of non-UK nuclear waste that will be (A) reprocessed and (B) stored in the United Kingdom over the next 30 years; and if she will make a statement. [6758]

The Department has made no estimate of storage and reprocessing capacity as Government policy is that the decision to reprocess spent nuclear fuel or to seek alternative spent fuel management options is a matter for the commercial judgment of its owners, subject to meeting the necessary regulatory requirements.Since 1976 reprocessing contracts with overseas customers have included a provision to return the resulting wastes back to the country of origin. Government policy remains that radioactive waste arising from overseas should not be stored in the UK. The amounts of overseas spent fuel reprocessed in the UK will depend on commercial arrangements between BNFL and its customers.

Bilking

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with petrol companies on their contributions to the cost of prevention of bilking at petrol stations. [6301]

I have been asked to reply as I have responsibility for Crime Reduction.We have not had direct discussion with petrol companies on their contributions to the cost of bilking at petrol stations, although officials have regular contact with the British Oil Industry Security Syndicate (BOSS) which is made up of representatives of petrol companies. BOSS has instigated the "Forecourt Watch" scheme which aims to reduce the types of crime that affect petrol station forecourts. There are 40 schemes currently operating across the United Kingdom and BOSS continues to develop new schemes in co-operation with local police services.

Transport, Local Government And The Regions

A3 Hindhead Tunnel

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what implementation plan he has drawn up to (a) commence and (b) complete the A3 Hindhead tunnel; [7557]

(2) if he will make a statement on his policy on the environmental and economic implications of the proposed tunnel at Hindhead on the A3; [6474]

(3) what reports he has received from the Highways Agency concerning the A3 exhibition at Hindhead. [7556]

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

Letter from David York to Virginia Bottomley, dated 16 October 2001:

I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the A3 Hindhead Tunnel. I am replying since Tim Matthews is currently abroad on Highways Agency business.

The environmental and economic implications of the proposed tunnel were assessed as part of the study completed earlier this year into possible charging for the tunnel. I attach a copy of the table summarising that assessment. As you will be aware, Ministers accepted the recommendations of the study and the scheme was added to the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements last Spring.

The exhibition last month to remind local people about the scheme details was extremely successful and we received a considerable amount of useful feedback. The comments are now being considered and will be taken into account as the detailed design for the scheme is prepared. Our next step will be to appoint a contractor, next Summer, early in the planning process to help with that detailed design work. That work should lead to the start of the statutory procedures in 2003–04.

Subject to the outcome of those procedures, work could start on site in 2005–06 and take between three and four years to complete.

A3 Hindhead—appraisal summary table January 2001
Objective/Sub-objective/Qualitative impacts	Quantitative measure	Assessment
ENVIRONMENT
Noise
With the Base Tunnel Option significant changes in traffic noise (3 dB¹) predicted on some 35 km of the road network, in some cases including parts of Haslemere and Liphook as well as in Hindhead. The tunnel would reduce noise levels substantially for parts of Hindhead Common, but tranquillity on footpaths near the new road north of the tunnel would be lost	Base Tunnel vs Do Min. in 2023 Properties benefiting by 3 Db¹:675 Properties dis-benefiting by 3 dB:115¹	Net number of properties benefiting by 3 dB:560¹
Local Air Quality
The assessment has been carried out for the road traffic model simulation area for links which would have a traffic flow of more than 5,000 veh/day (DETR, May 2000: Review and Assessment: Pollutant Specific Guidance, Part IV The Environment Act 1995, Local Air Quality Management LAQM.TG4(00))	Properties where LAQ improves PM₁₀ 1,567 NO₂ 715 Properties where LAQ worsens PM₁₀ 801 NO₂ 652	LAQ Index: PM₁₀—249.7 NO₂—2,702.9
Greenhouse Gases
The change in CO₂ is calculated over the whole road traffic model area and would be roughly equivalent to 0.012 per cent. of the total emissions of CO₂ by road transport in the UK in 1996	n/a	+3,575 CO₂ tones/annum
Landscape
Slight beneficial impact on Surrey Hills AONB. Substantial benefits to landscape of the Common arising from inclusion of a bored tunnel and removal of the existing surface route would be, in part, off-set by substantial adverse effects outside tunnel at northern and southern ends of scheme	n/a	Slight beneficial
Townscape
Removal of congestion within Hindhead provides opportunity for townscape enhancement and redevelopment, including visitor 'gateway' to the Commons and Punch Bowl. These benefits would be off-set by adverse effect on southern approach to Hindhead; new route running parallel to existing A3 would create a wide road corridor with disturbance to existing mature properties	Three residential and four non-residential properties would be demolished	Moderate beneficial
Heritage of Historic Resources
No direct/indirect impacts on designated sites. Risk to unknown/undiscovered archaeology. Substantial benefit to historic landscape of the Common by removing existing surface route and re-establishing links with Punch Bowl, offset by adverse effects outside the tunnel	n/a	Slight beneficial
Biodiversity
No direct impact on the adjacent SSSIs/SPAs. Direct impact on areas of non-designated woodland and SNCI east of Hindhead, but avoiding main nature conservation interest. Beneficial indirect effects on Punch Bowl SSSI/SPA by removing existing surface route and reuniting commons	n/a	Intermediate positive
Water Environment
The scheme would cross two of the four streams within the corridor, one of which is of excellent quality (Begley) and the other (Nutcombe) of poor quality. Surface water measures would be needed to ensure there is no pollution risk. Existing data and boreholes indicate possible conflict between tunnel and ground water levels and underlying aquifer; without detailed modelling the impact cannot be determined, but there is a risk	n/a	(potentially) large adverse

Base Tunnel Option: (BTO) vs Do-Minimum

Dual two-lane all-purpose bypass (6.5 km) incl. bored tunnel (1.7 km)

Problems: substantial delays and journey time variability on the A3 due to the traffic signals at Hindhead, the single carriageway sections either side and nearby junctions and accesses, also causing substantial amounts of "rat running" on local roads. Traffic flow 27,000 veh/day (9 per cent. HGVs).

Present Value Cost to Government: £75 million.

A3 Hindhead—appraisal summary table January 2001
Objective/Sub-objective/Qualitative impacts	Quantitative measure	Assessment
Physical Fitness
Relatively few pedestrians currently cross the A3 in Hindhead (less than 200 a day). Reduced traffic severance in Hindhead resulting from the scheme may encourage more pedestrian and cyclist trips. Tunnel will reunite severed sections of the Common which is likely to encourage greater recreational use of the Common by pedestrians and cyclists. Dedicating existing sections of A3 to pedestrians and cyclists will also offer increased opportunities for walking and cycling	No data available on number of pedestrians and cyclists who will walk/cycle for more than, or less than, the 30 minutes a day health threshold	Slight beneficial
Journey Ambience
Large beneficial effect on driver stress. Large adverse effect on views from road. Slight beneficial effect with respect to traveller care (facilities) arising from the new dedicated footway/cycleway on sections of existing A3	Over 25,000 road users a day affected	Slight beneficial
SAFETY
Accidents
Substantial reductions in numbers of accidents	Accidents reduced by 27 in 2009 rising to 34 in 2038. Thirty-year reduction 919	PVB £13 million 17 per cent, of PVC
Security
N/a	n/a	n/a
ECONOMY
Transport Economic Efficiency
Positive NPV under both High and Low growth scenarios. Benefit/cost ratio higher than in the last study in the mid-1990s	BCR 1.6	Users: NPV £108 million Public providers: NPV £75 million Other Government: NPV £13 million
Reliability
Moderate reduction in travel time variability from relieving bottleneck; would be larger but for traffic attracted (back) into the A3 corridor. Low-moderate flow	Current range of 12–32 minutes for peak journey on Liphook-Milford section of A3 would be reduced substantially	Slight beneficial
Wider Economic Impacts
This sub-objective is targeted at designated regeneration areas. Nevertheless, it is relevant that South Hampshire may benefit substantially from the improved transport connection. Also, the blighted part of Hindhead should recover when relieved of major traffic flows	n/a	(potentially) moderate beneficial
ACCESSIBILITY
Option values
Unlikely there would be substantial changes to the availability of transport services in the area		n/a
Severance
Some relief from severance along the existing A3 from the signals (at A287) northwards, particularly around the Devil's Punch Bowl, and from the signals southwards to Crossways Road		Moderate beneficial
Access to the Transport System
No change		Neutral
INTEGRATION
Transport Interchange
No change		Neutral
Land-Use Policy
Across the relevant national, regional and local policies (transport, environment, landscape, nature conservation, agriculture, cultural heritage, general development and recreation, there would be equal numbers of policies affected beneficially and adversely. There would, however, be more large positive effects than negative ones, and more of the more important policies would be affected positively. The two policies that would be affected most positively are: to provide an efficient and effective road system and to reduce congestion; and to conserve and enhance biodiversity. On balance the effect would be beneficial	Sixteen policies would benefit; 16 policies would be adversely affected; five policies where effects would be neutral. All four most important policies would benefit. Ten of the 21 policies middle-ranked in importance would benefit; eight would disbenefit	Beneficial
Other Government Policies
N/a	n/a	n/a
¹ Greater than

Aviation Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what commitments have been given to UK airlines since 11 September about (a) insurance cover for terrorist risk, (b) compensation for compulsory grounding, (c) the reallocation of unused slots, (d) compensation for extra security, (e) the payment of passenger ticket taxation and (f) state assistance to offset financial losses; and what representations have been received in respect of each of the above. [8016]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The aviation industry has made a number of representations to the Government about the financial difficulties that it faces as a result of the downturn in passenger demand following the terrorist attacks on 11 September. The Government have taken action to provide temporary third party insurance cover for war and terrorism risk, but no commitments have been given in respect of any other requests. The European Commission has now produced guidelines on what financial assistance they might allow member states to provide to airlines, and these will be discussed at the Transport Council meeting on 16 October.

London Underground

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish punctuality and reliability figures for each of the London Underground lines for each of the past five years. [7450]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Keith Hill) to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) on 27 April 2001, Official Report, columns 423–25W. Full year figures for 2000–01 showing percentage of kilometres operated are now available and are shown in the table.

Percentage
Lines	2000–01
Bakerloo	82.6
Central	96.6
Waterloo and City	96.8
Circle and Hammersmith	81.8
District	92.9
Jubilee	89.2
East London	94.1
Metropolitan	95.0
Northern	96.5
Piccadilly	86.6
Victoria	95.8
Total	91.6

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what has been the total cost to Her Majesty's Government of the delay in the public-private partnership for London Underground; [7788](2) what has been the total cost to Her Majesty's Government of

(a) consultants' fees and (b) legal expenses arising from the proposed PPP for London Underground. [7789]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 May 2001, Official Report, column 256W. The Government will continue to provide six-monthly updates to Parliament on the cost of the consultancy work for the PPP and the restructuring of London Underground. The next report will also provide an assessment of the expected final outturn.Any additional direct costs resulting from extensions to the timetable are largely in the form of additional consultancy costs. But the sooner the Tube modernisation plans can be put in place the sooner Londoners will benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the assessments of the costs of the proposed private-public partnership for London Underground, including reports from Deloittes and Parsons Brinckerhoff; and if he will make a statement. [6770]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Government's plans for a publicly run, privately built Tube will deliver around £13 billion of investment to improve the underground's infrastructure over the next 15 years. The Secretary of State has stated that these plans will go ahead only if they demonstrate value for money.To assess whether this is the case, London Transport and its advisers are carrying out a thorough evaluation of the cost and value for money of bids. My Department is also commissioning Ernst and Young to carry out an independent review of London Transport's evaluation to ensure that it is completed on a fair and robust basis. Ernst and Young's review will be published, but not before London Transport has completed its negotiations with bidders.The reports to which my hon. Friend refers from Deloittes and Touche and Parsons Brinckerhoff were produced for Transport for London.

Railtrack

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will give a breakdown of the money granted to Railtrack from public funds since the Hatfield disaster. [7940]

Between 17 October 2000 and 1 October 2001, no public money was paid direct to Railtrack, but its profitability during that period was contingent on public money. For example, in 2000–01, some 85 per cent. of Railtrack's £2,476 million income was paid to it in access charges by train operating companies, which were paid £847 million in Support for Passenger Services (SPRS) by the Franchising Director and the Strategic Rail Authority.On 1 October 2001, Railtrack was paid £337 million of network grant, in accordance with the terms of the company's 2 April agreement with the Government; and the company, or its successor body, will be paid £162 million of network grant in 2001–02 in respect of the (October 2000) final conclusions of the Rail Regulator's periodic review of access charges.

Pcv Drivers

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the number of PCV (passenger carrying vehicle) driving examiners: and what steps the Government are taking to reduce the impact on the recruitment by public and private operators of new PCV drivers. [6553]

The Driving Standards Agency has 327 driving examiners nationwide who are qualified to conduct PCV practical driving tests. In addition there are 68 examiners employed by bus and coach companies authorised to conduct PCV practical tests of drivers in those companies and a further 114 fire service and police examiners authorised to conduct practical PCV tests for drivers in their authorities.The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is running a scheme for a faster service for applications for provisional bus driving licences in response to a request from the Confederation of Passenger Transport. The scheme was initially trialled by several companies nominated by the Confederation before being extended to all bus companies on 1 May 2001. DVLA will turn around applications made under the scheme within 48 hours of receipt and provide a faxed letter of entitlement to drive on the same day the application is processed.

Nats

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what income the Government have received from the sale of National Air Traffic Services. [7844]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 886W.

Training Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU training directive on the road haulage industry; [7461](2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU training directive on the bus and coach industry. [7459]

The likely impact of the draft European Commission Directive proposing compulsory training for professional lorry and bus drivers was considered in our April 2001 Consultation Paper. This contained an initial Regulatory Impact Assessment that will be developed in the light of responses to the Consultation Paper. Copies of the Consultation Paper are available in House Libraries.

Public Expenditure Review

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish his Department's public expenditure review. [7465]

My Department publishes its public expenditure plans annually in its departmental annual report. A copy of the current report 'DETR Annual Report 2001, Cm 5105', is available in the Library of the House.

Rail Safety

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps have been taken to improve rail safety since the publication of the second part of Lord Cullen's report. [7466]

We have asked the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) to ensure that the 74 recommendations in Lord Cullen's report are acted upon and to report progress within six months.

Transport 10-Year Plan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what reassessment will be made of public expenditure in the transport 10-year-plan to deal with the effects of terrorism. [7457]

We will consider, as part of the next spending review, the potential effects on departmental expenditure, including the transport 10-year-plan.

Terminal 5

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to make a statement on Heathrow terminal 5. [7468]

The decision on terminal 5 will be issued as soon as possible, consistent with full and careful consideration of the inquiry inspector's report. I cannot comment on any issues relating to T5 or the inspector's report while the decision is going through the relevant statutory procedures.The Secretary of State is currently consulting on BAA's revised proposals for diverting two rivers which flow across the site (the "Twin Rivers"). We anticipate that the Twin Rivers consultation exercise will be completed by around the middle of October.

General Election (Spoilt Ballot Papers)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many spoilt ballot papers there were, and what percentage they represent of the total number issued, in each parliamentary constituency, at the general election held on 7 June. [6650]

This information is being collected by the Electoral Commission who will publish it as part of a further report on the 2001 general election. We understand the report will be published next spring.

Dunstable Bypass

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will visit Dunstable in order to assess the need for a bypass. [6620]

The A5 Dunstable Eastern Bypass is one of three schemes that has specifically been remitted to the London to South Midlands Multi-Modal Study. The need for the bypass is being assessed by this study.

Local Government Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to publish his proposals on the reform of local government finance. [7539]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Local Government White Paper due to be published later this year will set our financial reforms in the context of the wider modernisation agenda and will include a Daughter Document detailing our financial proposals.

Birmingham Northern Relief Road

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what provision has been made for canal access in respect of the Birmingham northern relief road; and if he will make a statement. [6659]

The Birmingham northern relief road (BNRR) will go over the Birmingham Fazeley Canal at Curdworth and over the Wyrley Essington Canal at Burntwood and I can confirm that existing towpaths will be maintained alongside the canals through the bridges under BNRR.

Abandoned Cars

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on his proposal to reduce the number of abandoned cars. [7293]

My right hon. Friend expects to make an announcement shortly.

Housing Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many complaints about Housing Benefit have been received from each local authority area by the local government ombudsman in each year since 1997. [7906]

This information is not held centrally. However, the table provides a breakdown of the number of complaints received about Housing Benefit in each of the three local government ombudsman areas between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2001.

Year	Area A	Area B	Area C	Total
1997–98	725	206	216	1,147
1998–99	913	171	281	1,365
1999–2000	1,669	258	426	2,353
2000–01	2,704	356	968	4,028

To 31 March 2001, the local government ombudsman areas were: (A) incorporating local authorities in Greater London; (B) incorporating local authorities in southern England (except Greater London), East Anglia, the south-west and most of central England; (C) incorporating local authorities in Birmingham, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the north of England.

Polling Stations (Disabled Access)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the accessibility of polling stations to disabled people in the general and local elections in June. [6509]

We have considered carefully the SCOPE report "Polls Apart 3" about the June 2001 general election. That report concluded that there had been some improvements on polling station accessibility, but that more needs to be done. In the light of this we will continue to work, with the Electoral Commission, to secure further improvements in polling station accessibility.

Cambridge To Huntingdon Multi Modal Study

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from individuals and organisations in Cambridgeshire about the recommendations of the Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi-Modal Study. [6502]

Representations on the study report were invited by the regional planning body for the east of England, to whom the report was remitted. I understand that they received over 200 written representations and further views were elicited through stakeholder workshops. Some of the representations were copied to the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to be able to make a decision on the recommendations of the Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi-Modal Study. [6503]

The regional planning body for the east of England are examining the study report in the light of the emerging regional transport strategy. Once they have advised my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on whether they support the recommendations in whole or in part, he will consider their advice and make an announcement.

Coach Services (Huntingdon/London)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to encourage the restoration of a coach service from Huntingdon to London. [6167]

Long-distance coach services are provided on a commercial basis and decisions on which services to run are primarily for operators. While I am aware of the recent withdrawal of a service by another operator, I understand National Express continue to provide a daily direct coach service between Huntingdon and London.

Isle Of Wight Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what grants have been paid to the Isle of Wight council for the years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02; and if he will indicate which are hypothecated for a particular purpose. [7957]

The information requested is given in the table. Figures are taken from statistical returns sent to my Department by the Isle of Wight Council.

£000
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
General grant	77,614	83,135	88,412
Grants ring fenced for a particular purpose: of which	7,107	8,367	12,436
Education grants	2,181	4,228	7,039
Social Services grants	1,460	1,725	2,407
Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services grants	1,852	864	1,502
Capital Finance grants	1,614	1,550	1,488
Total	84,721	91,502	100,848

English Partnerships

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he proposes to review the future of English Partnerships. [8242]

I am today announcing a review to be undertaken by my Department, as to the future of English Partnerships. I have decided to bring forward the quinquennial review due in 2003 to ensure that the future of English Partnerships is given greater clarity and focus. The terms of reference for the whole review are set out as follows.During the review we will be seeking the views of a wide range of interested organisations. We expect to complete the first stage of the review examining the role of English Partnerships by the end of this year. Subject to confirmation of their continued existence, we aim to complete the review of the structure and skills of the organisation by Easter, to ensure that English Partnerships can deliver their new role. I will publish the findings of the first stage of the review in the New Year.The Terms of Reference for the review are as follows:

"To review the role of English Partnerships in delivering the Government's policies; to consider the future ownership of CNT assets and liabilities, and recommend such changes as might be necessary in the light of the review To consider English Partnerships' structure and processes to ensure effective and efficient delivery of its remit".

Education And Skills

Education Ssa

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for each year since the area cost adjustment was introduced, what the standard spending assessment for each pupil was in (a) Bedfordshire, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) Cambridgeshire. [6106]

The table shows for 1998–99 to 2001–02 the education SSA per pupil for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. It is not possible to produce comparable figures for earlier years, because Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire were subject to local government reorganisation.

Standard spending assessments (SSAs) per pupil in cash terms
£
	Bedfordshire	Hertfordshire	Cambridgeshire
1998–99	2,463	2,554	2,369
1999–2000	2,566	2,659	2,485
2000–01	2,693	2,785	2,591
2001–02	2,841	2,933	2,697

Free School Meals

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Huntingdon have school meals provided by the local authority. [6108]

There were 1,497 pupils on the returns of maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in Huntingdon parliamentary constituency to the 2001 annual schools' census recorded as having had a free school meal provided for them.

Teachers' Pay Differentials

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to restore the pay differential between school teachers and lecturers in further education. [6109]

It is for each college to agree annual pay rises and conditions of employment with its staff in the context of the overall resources available to them. We are, however, aware of the funding gap between schools and FE and have pledged to bring up levels of funding and allow upwards convergence over time.This year alone an additional £527 million is available for FE, a 4 per cent. real terms increase on last year. Funding will increase again next year by a further 3 per cent. This compares with the period between 1993–94 and 1996–97 when FE funding per FTE student fell by 12 per cent. in real terms.As part of the planned increases, we are investing £300 million in the Teaching Pay Initiative over the next three years to allow colleges, including sixth form colleges, to reward high quality teaching. This is separate to any general pay rise a teacher may receive.

Education Provision (Huntingdon)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in Huntingdon have not had an offer of a secondary school place for September. [6110]

Officials from Cambridgeshire education authority confirm that all pupils in Huntingdon have had an offer of a school place. Some children whose parents are unwilling to accept the place offered to them by the authority, and are pursuing an appeal, remain out of school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the class sizes were for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Huntingdon (i) on 31 March and (ii) in each year since 1996. [6161]

Information on class sizes in maintained primary and secondary schools is derived from returns made by schools to the Department in January each year on the annual schools' census.

The available information is shown in the table.

Average class sizes¹ in maintained primary and secondary schools in Huntingdon parliamentary constituency
	Maintained primary			Maintained secondary
January each year	Number of classes	Number of pupils	Average class size	Number of classes	Number of pupils	Average class size
2001	352	9,698	27.6	323	7,148	22.1
2000	342	9,598	28.1	307	7,029	22.9
1999	344	9,964	29.0	312	6,723	21.5
1998	347	9,916	28.6	312	6,647	21.3
1997	353	9,918	28.1	308	6,563	21.3
1996	345	9,624	27.9	302	6,593	21.8
¹ Classes taught by one teacher

The latest class data were recently published in a statistical volume "Schools in England 2001" on 28 September, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Skills statistical website www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many lecturer vacancies there were in further education in Huntingdon (a) on 31 March and (b) in each year since 1996. [6162]

The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on staff numbers in FE, collected on the Staff Individualised Record (SIR) by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) and latterly by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), does not include details of vacancies, leavers, salary or grade. However I understand that the Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO) has given an estimate of UK-wide vacancies for 1999–2000 in its publication "Skills foresight for Further Education in the United Kingdom (January 2000)".The FEFC collected and published information on staff numbers in the FE sector on an annual basis. The responsibilities of the FEFC have now been taken over by the LSC.

School Governors

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many governors have been appointed under the School Governors' One-Stop shop scheme since its inception; [6483](2) what the cost per governor placed is of the School Governors' One-Stop Shop scheme. [6482]

Since its inception in January 2000, the School Governors' One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) has found 1,258 school governor candidates, of whom 435 are now serving governors and a further 126 are matched with schools and awaiting final placement. We expect all those recruited to be placed in due course. The cost per serving governor, placed through SGOSS, is currently £840.70. The cost per recruited governor is currently £290.70.

Graduate Teacher Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the number of places available under the Graduate Teacher Programme. [6541]

The number of Graduate Teacher Programme places available has risen every year since the programme was introduced in January 1998. In the 2001–02 academic year, 2,250 fully funded places are being offered, over 700 more than last year. Each of these places attracts grants of up to £17,000.I announced on 24 September that additional places would be made available in January 2002 with grants of up to £4,000 to cover training costs only. With demand for places on the Graduate Teacher Programme buoyant, these places are being offered in response to requests from head teachers who are willing to meet the salary costs of trainees from their schools' own budgets.

Threshold Assessments

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to reduce the administrative burden on headteachers of the threshold training and supervision of their staff. [6546]

Threshold assessment has enabled over 200,000 teachers in England and Wales to have their professional effectiveness confirmed and gain a substantial pay increase. The number of first-round applicants was exceptionally large and its successful implementation is a tribute to the professionalism of everyone involved particularly head teachers. The number of second-round applicants will be much smaller, guidance and training materials have been improved and heads will be able to build on their first round experience. Accordingly, the second round of threshold assessment will be much less time consuming for heads than the first.

New Opportunities Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to reduce the administrative burden on teachers and cost to schools of the New Opportunities Fund training. [6547]

The New Opportunities Fund ICT teacher training is being provided to ensure that serving teachers feel confident and are competent to teach using ICT within the curriculum. The effective use of ICT in the classroom will reduce rather than increase the burden on teachers, by equipping them to access and use a much wider range of teaching aids. The flexibility of the New Opportunities Fund programme minimises the cost to the school as the training budget itself is not charged to an individual school.

School Funding (Havering)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding per pupil was provided to grant maintained schools in the London borough of Havering in the year immediately prior to the end of grant maintained status; and what funding per pupil these schools have received in the current financial year. [6549]

In the financial year 1998–99, the grant-maintained (GM) schools in the London borough of Havering, all of which were secondary schools, received recurrent funding from the former Funding Agency for Schools (FAS) amounting on average to £2,690 per pupil. For the financial year 2001–02, the most closely comparable figure currently available in respect of these schools is £3,120 per pupil. The figures have been calculated to the nearest £10 on the basis of pupil numbers from the annual schools' census for January 1998 and January 2001.The calculations for 1998–99 are based on financial information supplied to the Department by FAS. The figures include annual maintenance grant together with special purpose grants for development, GNVQ, premises insurance, and the purchase of books, but not other special purpose grants or capital grants. Where the schools' annual maintenance grant included an element to compensate the schools for their inability to reclaim VAT, appropriate adjustments have been made to reflect this.The calculations for 2001–02 are based on information from the budget statement published by the local education authority under section 52 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, supplemented and updated (in the case of specific grants) by information separately provided by the LEA. The figures include the schools' budget shares (including school standards grant), and standards fund resources devolved to the schools (but excluding capital grants, and other grants relating to school security and the National Grid for Learning).In 1998–99, under arrangements specific to the GM sector, the GM schools in Havering received formula capital allocations from FAS amounting on average to £32 per pupil. Under the NDS devolved formula capital arrangements which apply to all schools, the Havering ex-GM schools' allocations for 2001–02 amount on average to £29 per pupil; these figures are rounded to the nearest pound.

Veterinary Medicine

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places to study veterinary medicine will be available in England and Wales in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2010. [6557]

We do not have forecasts of the number of veterinary science places for 2001, 2005 or 2010.The current number of students (December 2000) is as follows:

Veterinary science students	Number
Postgraduate (PG)
Full-time	200
Part-time	100

Veterinary science students	Number
Undergraduate (UG)
Full-time	2,100
Part-time	50
Total	2,500

Note:

Figures do not sum due to rounding. Figures are normally rounded to the nearest 1,000 students, but in this case have been rounded to the nearest 50, as figures are so small.

Source:

December 2000 HESA student record

Our public higher education student number projections only go as far ahead as 2002–03 at present. Furthermore, these projections do not contain a breakdown by type of course studied.

Broadband Network

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to extend the broadband network to schools and universities; and over what time period. [6608]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Government have allocated around £80 million between 2000–02 on providing schools with broadband access. The money is allocated through regional broadband consortia (RBCs) and local education authorities (LEAs), who have been commissioned to provide cost-effective and co-ordinated broadband internet connectivity at 2 Mbits or faster to 20 per cent. of schools in their region, including all secondary schools, by August 2002. The Government intend to increase the number of schools with a broadband connection beyond the current target of 20 per cent. of all schools in future years.Universities have had a broadband network for many years, called the Joint Academic Network (JANET). The network not only connects all universities, but also all colleges of further and higher education, and research centres.

Curriculum 2000

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance has been issued to universities about Curriculum 2000. [6641]

Last month, the Department, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and partner organisations jointly published a revised edition of a booklet "Changes to Post-16 Qualifications" on Curriculum 2000 for higher education institutions. The booklet was distributed to all UCAS members' institutions and copies have been placed in the Library.

Further Education

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) employment practices and (b) colleges there are in the further education sector; and what implications these figures have for consistency on pay rates for the same role. [6670]

There are 428 colleges in the further education sector in England: the Department does not collect information on their employment practices.

Further education colleges are run by independent corporations, established under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Each FE corporation is responsible for the pay and terms and conditions of its staff. There is no national pay agreement in the FE sector but there is a national recommended pay award determined by a joint union/employer negotiating forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consideration she has given to nationally agreed pay scales in the further education sector. [6671]

FE sector colleges are run by independent corporations, established under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The terms and conditions of the staff that work in FE are a matter for the employers to determine, in discussion with the relevant unions. The Government play no part in these discussions but have encouraged employers and unions to discuss the scope for modernising pay and conditions under the FE Teaching Pay Initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff there were in further education in each of the last five years. [6672]

The information requested is contained in the table.

Numbers of staff employed in the FE sector
England	Thousands
Year	Full-time	Part-time	Total staff
1995–96	99.1	117.7	216.7
1996–97	96.3	121.8	218.1
1997–98	94.3	135.0	229.3
1998–99	93.8	137.0	230.8
1999–2000	95.0	134.9	229.9
¹ Numbers may not sum exactly due to rounding

The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) collected and published information on staff in the FE sector on an annual basis. The responsibilities of the FEFC have now been taken over by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Information on staff is taken from the Staff Individualised Record (SIR), which covers teaching staff, staff who support teaching and learning and other support staff. The SIR covers FE sector colleges in England only.SIR data for the whole year were collected from all colleges for the first time in July 1995, relating to the 1994–95 college year. This collection has been repeated annually since then; the latest data available are for 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many further education colleges were categorised by the FEFC as financially weak in each of the last three years. [6679]

The numbers of further education colleges categorised by the FEFC as financially weak in each of the last three years are:

1998: 80 colleges
1999: 65 colleges
2000: 69 colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance will be given to category C colleges to pay recommended pay awards in full. [6680]

Pay and conditions are matters for college corporations to determine. The Learning and Skills Council will work closely with individual category C colleges—that is, those colleges that are financially weak—to produce action plans aimed at addressing the causes of the college's financial difficulties. We are determined to work with the LSC and the individual colleges to improve the quality of all colleges to the standard of the best. Where appropriate, and as part of the agreed action plan, the LSC is able to provide additional financial support and flexibility to colleges that are financially weak.

Private Finance Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the rate of returns of PFI contracts in schools in England and Wales. [6759]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The rate of return to a private sector contractor in a schools PFI contract is fixed as part of the annual payment made by a local education authority for delivery of the services specified in the contract, and as such is a matter between the local education authority and its private sector partner. All PFI contracts in schools have to demonstrate better value for money then traditional procurement.PFI in schools in Wales is the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.

Departmental Spending

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total amount of spending by her Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of her Department's total spending this constitutes; and if she will make a statement. [6863]

The Department for Education and Skills does not have responsibility for spending outside England except for higher education student support and its administration for students from Wales plus some small programmes. The table shows estimated programme spending by Government region in 1999–2000 by the then Department for Education and Employment on those programmes for education and skills which are now the responsibility of this Department. It does not include local authority expenditure on education and training funded from the education standard spending assessment. This is paid through the revenue support grant distributed by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Central Government expenditure on education and skills programmes 1999–2000
Region	£ billion¹	Percentage²
London	2.2	17
South East	1.5	12
South West	1.4	10
East	1.6	12
West Midlands	1.5	11

Central Government expenditure on education and skills programmes 1999–2000
Region	£ billion¹	Percentage²
East Midlands	1.1	8
Yorkshire and Humberside	1.3	10
North East	0.7	5
North West	1.9	14
Total	13.2	100
¹ Expenditure figures rounded to nearest £100 million
² Percentage figures may not appear to sum due to rounding

Notes:

1. Total excludes approximately £100 million expenditure in Wales on student loans, mandatory awards, student loan administration for higher education students from Wales

2. Total includes New Deal for Schools capital, the Children's Fund, Sure Start and Ofsted. Total also includes some smaller programmes of which the proportion allocated outside England is less than £20 million.

3. Total does not include annually managed expenditure—the vast majority of this is teachers' pensions, which also covers Wales.

Source:

Departmental Report 2001 and internal analysis

Dyslexic Pupils

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of primary school age children (a) who are dyslexic and (b) whose condition has been helped by special provision; and if she will make a statement. [6962]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The information requested is not held centrally.Since 1981, following the Warnock recommendation, information about pupils' special educational needs categorised by disability or learning difficulty has not been collected centrally. We are looking into the feasibility of collating such information. A pilot study was carried out in June and this is currently being evaluated.

Session	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Commons named day PQs answered:
on the named day¹	714	532	235	183
up to two days after	124	172	129	41
between three days and one week after	68	167	129	16
between one and four weeks after	50	111	102	6
between four weeks and three months after	9	32	25	0
over three months after	0	2	0	0
Total	965	1,016	620	246
¹In accordance with Standing Order 22(4) (usually three days from date of tabling)

Session	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Commons Ordinary Written PQs answered:
within five days of tabling¹	703	588	185	184
up to two days after	200	107	91	8
between three days and one week after	165	210	215	11
between one and four weeks after	155	154	134	5
between four weeks and three months after	6	23	22	1
over three months after	0	5	0	0
Total	1,189	1,087	557	209
¹In accordance with guidance on answering of Ordinary Written PQs set out in parliamentary paper HC 393 (1971–72)

If the pilot is successful—and subject to consideration of the burden on schools and LEAs—the new data collection arrangements will be introduced nationally from 2003 as part of the Department's new Common Basic Data Set (CBDS) arrangements.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what was, for each year since 1995, the average response time for providing a substantive answer to (a) hon. Members' correspondence, (b) correspondence from members of the public and (c) written parliamentary questions in the (i) Commons and (ii) Lords; [7003](2) what was, for each year since 1995, the total number of

(a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords dealt with by her Department; what percentage took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if she will make a statement. [7004]

The effective handling of correspondence and parliamentary questions is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published by the Cabinet Office. Figures for 2000 were published on 6 April 2001,

Official Report, columns 324–28W and on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.

Information on response times of parliamentary questions (PQs) for years prior to the 1998–99 parliamentary session is not held centrally.

The average response times for Commons and Lords written PQs could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the tables show the data that are readily available on PQ response rates.

Session	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Lords Written PQs answered:
within 14 days of tabling¹	132	134	53	12
up to two days after	0	0	1	0
between three days and one week after	0	0	2	0
between one and four weeks after	0	0	0	0
between four weeks and three months after	0	0	4	0
over three months after	0	0	0	0
Total	132	134	60	12
¹ In accordance with section 4.108 of the Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords

Religious Education

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it a requirement to include teaching on the non-religious ethical life stance alongside the major faiths in multi-faith religious education; and if she will make a statement. [7129]

The Government have no plans to change the legislation on agreed syllabuses which, since it was introduced in 1988, has helped to contribute towards the rising standards in religious education in non-faith schools reported by Ofsted. Opportunities exist in religious education teaching for pupils to explore issues within and across faiths thereby learning to understand and respect different religions, beliefs, values and traditions (including ethical life stances), and their influence on individuals, societies, communities and cultures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will extend Government guidelines on multi-faith religious education in community schools to all maintained religious schools. [7128]

Extending the guidelines in the way my hon. Friend suggests would undermine the purpose and ethos of faith schools. Religious education in these schools will continue to be taught in accordance with the trust deed or in accordance with the tenets of the religion in question.

Special Educational Needs

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in each of the last five years

	Key Stage 1			Key Stage 2			Key Stage 3
	Reading	Writing	Maths	English	Maths	Science	English	Maths	Science
1997	2,600	2,600	2,500	1,900	1,700	1,700	1,200	800	1,000
1998	2,500	2,600	2,500	2,800	2,500	2,400	1,700	1,100	1,300
1999	2,500	2,500	2,400	2,300	2,000	2,000	2,000	1,400	1,700
2000	2,400	2,500	2,400	2,800	2,500	2,400	3,600	1,400	1,700
2001	2,500	2,600	2,500	3,400	2,900	2,800	3,300	1,700	2,000

As-Levels

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish further details of the revised arrangements for AS-level examinations and assessment in the academic year. [7261]

On Wednesday 12 September 2001 the Secretary of State announced the new changes to the AS examination timetable and assessment as part of the review of the A-level reforms. The Joint Council for General Qualifications (JCGQ) sent information about the were excluded from sitting SATS because they were (a) statemented for special educational needs or (b) in the process of being assessed for special educational needs. [7257]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The national curriculum test and teacher assessments are designed to allow as many pupils as possible to have access to them. There may, however, be a small number of pupils who are unable to take part in some or all of the assessments. In such instances the national curriculum and/or the tests and teacher assessments may be disapplied for a particular pupil. Pupils may be disapplied through a statement of special educational needs or because they are awaiting an assessment of special educational needs. However, there may be other circumstances where it is necessary to disapply pupils temporarily (for example, pupils recently arrived from a different educational system who require a period of adjustment).The national curriculum test and teacher assessment results information collected for disapplied pupils includes the total number of pupils disapplied in each subject at each key stage. This information does not differentiate between pupils with statements of special educational needs, those in the process of being assessed or between long term and temporary disapplication.The following table provides information on the total number of pupils disapplied in each subject at Key Stages 1–3 in each of the last five years (1996–2001). Figures rounded to the nearest hundred.changes to all schools and colleges on 12 September. Information on the arrangements can also be found on awarding bodies' and Joint Council's websites. The Joint Council will issue more detailed information on 17 October.

Literacy And Numeracy Targets

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's targets are for literacy and numeracy levels at age 11 in each of the next five years; and what steps she proposes to take if those targets are not reached. [7280]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The targets for 2002 are for 80 per cent. of 11-year-olds to achieve the expected standard in literacy and 75 per cent. in numeracy. We are currently consulting schools on raising these targets to 85 per cent. in both English and maths for 2004. We are not at present proposing targets beyond 2004. We are confident that these challenging targets can be achieved.

Emotional Intelligence

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make the development of emotional intelligence part of the national curriculum; and if she will make a statement. [7298]

The development of emotional intelligence is already covered in the National Curriculum as part of the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) framework. The framework has been in place since September 2000 for pupils aged five to 16 and was introduced to support the personal and social development of young people in today's complex and changing world. PSHE enables pupils to develop their self-esteem, confidence and well being. It also helps pupils to appreciate the effect of their actions on their own lives and the lives of others, and to understand the limits and codes of personal and social behaviour. Good PSHE in schools supports parents in helping their children to develop the ability to make informed, healthy and responsible decisions about their lives.The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS), which was launched in October 1999, has as one of its specific themes 'Emotional Health and Well-being', which includes awareness of mental health issues. The Standard is delivered as an integral part of the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) framework in schools.

School Exclusions

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many exclusions from schools relating to drug-related incidents there were in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Staffordshire in the last three years. [7343]

The information requested on drug related exclusions in respect of England is not collected centrally.The latest permanent exclusions data were published on 19 July in a Statistical First Release 'Permanent Exclusions from Schools, England 1999–2000 (final)', copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Skills statistical website www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.Exclusions in Scotland and Wales are a devolved matter and therefore matters for the Scottish Executive and National Assembly for Wales respectively.

Neighbourhood Support Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment has been made of the results of the Neighbourhood Support Fund. [7381]

The first of the Neighbourhood Support Fund (NSF) projects went live in spring 2000. The 653 community based projects have worked with almost 17,000 of the hardest to help young people. Recent evaluation of the programme by an independent research organisation shows that one third of leavers had moved on to education, training or employment with training. A further one in 10 had gone on to a local programme, including the Learning Gateway or the New Deal.The next phase of the evaluation will draw on the experiences and perceptions of the young people participating in the projects. This will help to inform future strategies for engaging the hardest to help young people.The stage 2 report will be published in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to extend the Neighbourhood Support Fund; and if she will make a statement. [7382]

A total of £60 million was made available to the Neighbourhood Support Fund spread over three years. The current programme comes to an end in September 2003 and Ministers have yet to decide whether NSF will extend beyond this date, and if so in what form. Any future levels of funding will be addressed and agreed as part of the Year 2002 Spending Review.The current NSF projects are due to finish in September 2003. I am considering the future shape, design and delivery of NSF and where it sits in the context of the Connexions Service.

Morning-After Pill

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the maintained schools in which the morning-after pill is dispensed to pupils. [7484]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: This information is not held centrally.The incidence of the morning-after pill being dispensed in maintained schools is low. We would not normally expect school nurses to issue contraception or emergency contraception. In the few cases where they have done, this should be made clear in the school's sex and relationship education policy, which has to be agreed with parents. These arrangements should not proceed until parents have been consulted.

Examination Results

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 15 year old pupils achieved five or more (a) grade A*—A at GCSE/GNVQ in (i) comprehensive schools, (ii) grammar schools and (iii) secondary modern schools and (b) grades A*—B at GCSE/GNVQ in (i) comprehensive schools, (ii) grammar schools and (iii) secondary modern schools. [7498]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: In 1999–2000 the percentage of 15 year old pupils who achieved five or more (a) grade A*—A at GCSE/GNVQ in (i) comprehensive schools, (ii) selective schools and (iii) secondary modern schools and (b) grades A*—B at GCSE/GNVQ in (i) comprehensive schools, (ii) selective schools and (iii) secondary modern schools was:

Percentage of 15 year old pupils achieving 5 or more grades:
	(a) A^—A*	(b) A^—B*
Comprehensive schools	8.3	22.7
Selective schools	47.9	82.6
Secondary modern schools	2.1	10.6
England	11.8	27.1

Bullying

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish statistics on homophobic and racist bullying within (a) schools and (b) colleges; and if she will make a statement. [7642]

Bullying can put the emotional well-being and educational achievement of young people at risk. All schools should treat bullying seriously and take steps to combat it whenever and wherever it occurs. From September 1999 head teachers of maintained schools have been under a duty to draw up measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils, including racist or homophobic bullying.Further education colleges are not under a legal duty to prevent bullying or harassment but most do draw up policies in this area. Students who experience problems can usually receive counselling or pastoral help.We do not have reliable statistics on the incidence of bullying in schools and are not aware that such data exist for colleges. Our role is mainly to provide advice to schools on how to prevent bullying and deal with any which occurs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the Government's strategy to deal with homophobic and racist bullying within schools and colleges. [7643]

Bullying can put the emotional well-being and educational achievement of young people at risk. All schools should treat bullying seriously and take steps to combat it whenever and wherever it occurs. From September 1999 head teachers of maintained schools have been under a duty to draw up measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils, including racist or homophobic bullying.Last December we launched a new anti-bullying strategy, comprising among other things a new pack for schools and accompanying video aimed at pupils. There is also a new anti-bullying website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying. The pack provides detailed advice on tackling bullying because of race or sexual orientation (the latter for the first time). It also mentions that heads can permanently exclude pupils responsible for persistent or violent bullying. The key message of our strategy is that victims should report bullying to someone they trust and not suffer in silence.We have recently provided a short foreword to 'Safe for All: a best practice guide to prevent homophobic bullying in secondary schools' published by Stonewall.

Further education colleges are not under a legal duty to prevent bullying of harassment but most do draw up policies in this area. Students who experience problems can usually receive counselling or pastoral help.

Teacher Shortages (Surrey)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of teacher shortages in Surrey; which are the shortage subjects and age groups; what steps she has taken to tackle teacher shortages in Surrey; and what the average sum per school is (a) in Surrey and (b) nationally allocated by her Department to deal with this. [7703]

The Department collects statistics on teacher vacancies annually. In January this year the vacancy rate in Surrey was 1.4 per cent. compared with a rate of 1.3 per cent. in England as a whole. Officials have maintained regular contact with Surrey local education authority over recent months and I am pleased to be able to report that schools in Surrey are operating normally. Recruitment is more difficult in secondary schools, particularly in the shortage subject areas of mathematics, science, English, modern languages or technology. The Government have put in place a range of measures such as training bursaries, "Golden Hellos" and the welcome back bonus to boost teacher recruitment. We have provided £33 million in funding to be devolved to schools to put in place local recruitment and retention initiatives. Surrey received £650,000 from the recruitment and retention fund. Ninety per cent. of this was targeted at secondary schools giving an average of around £11,000 per secondary school in Surrey. In England the average allocation was around £9,000 per secondary school. The fund was targeted at areas of greatest need and not all schools will have received an allocation.

Golden Jubilee

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to distribute (a) coins and (b) other commemorative items to school children to mark the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. [8035]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: We have no plans to distribute coins or other commemorative items to school children. However, my Department is planning a range of innovative projects to mark Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee, such as a national poetry competition which we announced jointly with Buckingham Palace on 4 October. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Home Department

Police Complaints Authority

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce new appointments to the Police Complaints Authority. [8320]

I have appointed five new full-time members to the Police Complaints Authority. Their appointments will be for three years. The five new members are as follows.

Name	Start date	Previous position
Jeniffer Rogers	3 September 2001	Mental Health Act Commissioner, Mental Health Review Tribunal, ICIS (Independent Consultants in Health and Social Services) Associate
Nicola Williams	3 September 2001	Barrister
Elaine Rassaby (part-time)	3 September 2001	Mental Health Act Commissioner, OFSTED Complaints Adjudicator, Member of Criminal Injuries Compensation Panel
Sally Hawkins (part time)	3 September 2001	Freelance writer and broadcaster, council ombudsman, Director of Banking Codes Standards Board, Non-Executive Director of University College Hospital Lewisham, Justice of the Police.
Ann Barker	3 December 2001	Historian, Member of the Parole Board. Justice of the Peace.

Drug-Related Crime

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support he has given to Cambridgeshire constabulary to tackle drug-related crime. [6169]

The following allocations have been made by the Home Office to support the Cambridgeshire constabulary in tackling drug related crime:

	Arrest Referral Schemes	Initiative Communities Against Drugs Initiative
2000–01	106,800	¹—
2001–02	216,480	²643,700
¹ Initiative commenced 2001–02
² Although this sum was allocated to the two Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Partnerships (£446,800 and £196,900 to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough respectively), the police are major stakeholders in the initiative, which is aimed at tackling drug related crime within local communities

In addition, as members of the local Crime and Disorder Partnerships and Drug Action Teams, the Cambridgeshire constabulary has access to other forms of Home Office funding for projects and initiatives which contribute, either directly or indirectly, to reducing drug-related crime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of criminal offences were drug-related in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [7294]

It is difficult to calculate a single percentage figure reflecting precisely what proportion of all crimes is drug-related since no statistical data are collected on offences that may have been committed due to drug taking. However, information is collected on the number of drug offences. Details of the number of persons convicted of or cautioned for drug offences and as a proportion of persons convicted of or cautioned for all indictable offences in England and Wales during the period 1995–99 are given in the table.

	Drug offences	All indictable offences	Drug offences as a percentage of all indictable offences
1995	88,463	504,800	17.5
1996	88,920	491,400	18.1
1997	105,214	509,400	20.7
1998	120,776	533,500	22.6
1999	111,377	512,600	21.7

Source:

Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate

Huntingdon Life Sciences

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit Huntingdon Life Sciences. [6170]

I have no plans at present to visit Huntingdon Life Sciences. My predecessor visited on 26 April. Since becoming Home Secretary I have held a number of discussions aimed at ensuring businesses and individuals involved in important scientific research where animal experimentation is necessary can safely carry on their work without impediment from those who try to intimidate or obstruct them.

Asylum Seekers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for asylum, broken down by country of origin, have had their applications refused in the last four years; and how many are known (a) to have left the United Kingdom and (b) to have remained within the United Kingdom. [7118]

Data on initial decisions on asylum applications refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain, by nationality, for 2000 are given in the table. This does not include details of appeals outcomes or of asylum seekers who are subsequently given leave to remain on other grounds.Information on the numbers of asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom, by nationality, is not currently available. The total numbers of known removals in each of the last four years, excluding dependants, are given in the table:

Initial decisions made on applications received: Refusals^1,2,3 of asylum and exceptional leave, excluding dependants, by nationality, 1997 to 2000
Number of refusals of principal applicants
Nationality	1997	1998	1999⁴	2000^5.6
Europe
Albania	175	260	175	1,875
Czech Republic	210	180	275	1,775
FRY	380	565	460	13,830
Poland	860	1,070	520	1,765
Romania	635	1,155	345	2,695
Russia	65	85	55	900
Turkey	1,475	1,015	290	2,090
Ukraine	190	430	80	1,045
Other Former USSR	545	1,260	465	3,285
Other Former Yugoslavia	170	140	180	1,280
Other	1,325	1,095	220	605
Total	6,030	7,260	3,065	31,145

Initial decisions made on applications received: Refusals^1,2,3 of asylum and exceptional leave, excluding dependants, by nationality, 1997 to 2000
Number of refusals of principal applicants
Nationality	1997	1998	1999⁴	2000^5,6
Americas
Colombia	380	810	155	1,775
Ecuador	740	1,000	135	650
Other	265	95	60	470
Total	1,385	1,905	350	2,900
Africa
Algeria	655	180	160	1,330
Angola	535	90	35	425
Democratic Republic of Congo	255	110	50	990
Ethiopia	185	60	35	355
Gambia	430	165	15	30
Ghana	1,330	425	130	225
Ivory Coast	175	285	75	265
Kenya	980	630	495	785
Nigeria	4,315	1,840	780	770
Rwanda	15	35	150	440
Sierra Leone	380	525	120	480
Somalia	305	100	120	2,365
Sudan	205	65	50	395
Tanzania	485	140	30	60
Uganda	525	120	55	480
Zimbabwe	115	45	105	525
Other	845	640	465	1,860
Total	11,740	5,465	2,875	11,780
Middle east
Iran	170	125	75	2,815
Iraq	110	90	100	2,220
Other	260	135	110	945
Total	540	350	285	5,975
Asia
Afghanistan	75	65	90	1,515
Bangladesh	555	275	375	870
China	1,380	1,500	200	5,480
India	2,395	1,450	750	2,125
Pakistan	2,870	1,950	990	3,720
Sri Lanka	1,710	1,950	1,945	6,875
Other	240	145	70	1,015
Total	9,225	7,335	4,415	21,600
Other, and nationality not known	20	^*	40	2,280
Grand total	28,945	22,315	11,025	75,680
¹ Figures rounded to the nearest 5 with *=1 or 2
² Information is of initial determination decisions excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions
³ Includes refusals on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country and non-compliance refusals, for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period: see explanatory note 6
⁴ Exclude cases where an application has been refused under the backlog criteria
⁵ May include some cases where an application has been refused under the backlog criteria
⁶ Provisional figures

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been housed in cluster areas in Essex by the National Asylum Support Service in the last 12 months; and what support is being provided to community groups and public services in these areas. [6282]

To date the National Asylum Support Service has not established any cluster areas in Essex.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the most recent information he has concerning the detention of asylum seekers under immigration law; and how many were detained, broken down by (a) location (b) number of applicants detained and (c) number of appellants detained. [7282]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The latest available information on the number of asylum seekers detained under Immigration Act powers by place of detention relates to 30 June 2001 and is given in the table. Information on the stage of asylum application is not available and could be obtained only by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Detained asylum seekers¹ as at 30 June 2001²
Location	Number
Belmarsh	40
Brixton	10
Campsfield House	180
Cardiff	40
Dover Harbour	5
Harmondsworth	65
Haslar	145
High Down	40
Holme House	55
Lindholme	95
Liverpool	70
Longport	10
Manchester Airport	10
Rochester	160
Tinsley House	105
Wandsworth	50
Winchester	35
Wormwood Scrubs	20
Other prison establishments³	120
Oakington Reception Centre	265
Total	1,515
¹ Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some point.
² Figures rounded to the nearest five, and exclude persons detained in police cells. Figures include 135 persons who are recorded as being detained under dual immigration and other powers.
³ Other prison establishments with five or fewer detainees.

Trenchard House

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to consult the local community before putting on the market the police accommodation at Trenchard House, London. [4812]

The decision to sell Trenchard House rests with the Metropolitan Police Authority. The Chair of the Authority informs me that the Authority has received a number of representations which it is considering.

Occupational Health (Police)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on occupational health in the police force. [5411]

The Government are currently working on the development of a national occupational health strategy, locally delivered, for the police service. This will be aimed at reducing sickness absence through improved human resources policy, sickness management and the provision of services. An improved occupational health service will enable forces to bring down the rate of sickness absence, and variations between forces, through supportive measures for officers.

Policing (North Wales)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last received a report on policing in North Wales from the Chief Constable of North Wales Police. [5616]

Under section 44 (4) of the Police Act 1996, every Chief Constable is required, as soon as possible after the end of the financial year to submit to the Home Secretary a general report on policing during that year of the area for which his or her force is maintained. The Chief Constable of North Wales Police and the North Wales Police Authority produced a joint annual report for 2000–01 which was submitted to the Home Office in mid-August.

Prisons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pr loners in each prison establishment are held (a) two to cell in a single cell and (b) three to a cell in a double cell. [5409]

The table shows the number of prisoners in each prison establishment held two to a cell designed for one and total overcrowding at the end of August 2001. Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.'Doubling' is a Prison Service indicator. The target is for doubling to be at or below 18 per cent. The rate of doubling for the year to April 2001 is 16 per cent.The Prison Service does not collect centrally the number of prisoners held three in a double cell. Prisons report the total overcrowding level, which includes prisoners held three to a cell for two and those overcrowded in dormitories and larger cells.

Prison name	Two to a cell designed for one	Total overcrowding
Acklington	0	0
Albany	0	0
Altcourse	820	820
Ashfield	0	0
Ashwell	0	0
Askham Grange	0	0
Aylesbury	0	0
Bedford	130	130
Belmarsh	0	306
Birmingham	254	254
Blakenhurst	96	96
Blantyre House	0	0
Blundeston	0	0
Brinsford	72	72
Bristol	82	82
Brixton	238	238
Brockhill	0	0
Buckley Hall	56	56
Bullingdon	76	285
Bullwood Hall	0	0
Camp Hill	222	222
Canterbury	198	198
Cardiff	0	0
Castington	0	0

Prison name	Two to a cell designed for one	Total overcrowding
Channings Wood	16	16
Chelmsford	28	28
Coldingley	0	0
Cookham Wood	58	58
Dartmoor	0	0
Deerbolt	0	0
Doncaster	580	580
Dorchester	148	148
Dovegate	0	0
Dover	0	0
Downview	32	32
Drake Hall	0	0
Durham	328	328
East Sutton Park	0	0
Eastwood Park	56	56
Elmley	228	228
Erlestoke	0	0
Everthorpe	64	64
Exeter	352	352
Featherstone	0	0
Feltham	0	0
Ford	0	0
Forest Bank	0	0
Foston Hall	0	0
Frankland	0	0
Full Sutton	0	0
Garth	0	0
Gartree	0	0
Glen Parva	404	404
Gloucester	156	156
Grendon	0	0
Guys Marsh	54	54
Haslar	0	0
Hatfield	0	0
Haverigg	0	0
Hewell Grange	0	0
High Down	0	186
Highpoint	0	0
Hindley	0	0
Hollesley Bay	0	0
Holloway	0	0
Holme House	136	136
Hull	0	0
Huntercombe	0	0
Kingston	0	0
Kirkham	0	0
Kirklevington	0	0
Lancaster	0	0
Lancaster Farms	24	24
Latchmere House	0	0
Leeds	834	834
Leicester	248	248
Lewes	34	34
Leyhill	0	0
Lincoln	304	304
Lindholme	0	0
Littlehey	0	0
Liverpool	442	442
Long Lartin	0	0
Low Newton	66	66
Lowdham Grange	0	0
Maidstone	0	0
Manchester	474	474
Moorland	34	34
Morton Hall	0	0
Mount	40	80
New Hall	56	56
North Sea Camp	0	0
Northallerton	144	206
Norwich	372	372
Nottingham	228	228
Onley	0	0
Parc	0	0

Prison name	Two to a cell designed for one	Total overcrowding
Parkhurst	6	6
Pentonville	388	388
Portland	6	6
Preston	548	548
Ranby	76	76
Reading	146	146
Risley	36	36
Rochester	0	0
Rye Hill	0	0
Send	0	0
Shepton Mallet	6	6
Shrewsbury	290	290
Stafford	0	0
Standford Hill	0	0
Stocken	52	52
Stoke Heath	0	0
Styal	56	56
Sudbury	0	0
Swaleside	0	0
Swansea	0	0
Swinfen Hall	0	0
Thorn Cross	0	0
Usk	180	180
Verne	26	26
Wakefield	0	0
Wandsworth	472	472
Wayland	36	36
Wealstun	0	0
Weare	0	0
Wellingborough	0	0
Werrington	0	0
Wetherby	0	0
Whatton	0	0
Whitemoor	0	0
Winchester	318	318
Wolds	0	0
Woodhill	126	126
Wormwood Scrubs	30	30
Wymott	0	0

Forged Passports

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the action taken by his Department on matters relating to a forged passport reported under the reference HQ/PC/01620000675 on 23 December 2000. [5636]

I am pleased to be able to inform the hon. Member that the passport in question has been recovered by the Immigration Service. Inquiries into the matter are continuing and I understand that the Chief Executive of the Passport Service will shortly be writing to the hon. Member with further details.

Football Clubs (Police Charges)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police charges paid by each London professional football club in seasons 1999–2000 and 2000–01. [5902]

[holding answer 20 July 2001]: The information requested has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and is set out in the table.

£
Football Club	Amount paid in 1999–2000¹	Amount paid in 2000–2001¹
Arsenal	259,106.66	308,703.58
Barnet	6,290.76	20,086.74
Brentford	55,730.44	48,410.74
Charlton	41,472.83	55,599.87
Chelsea	221,335.28	173,981.73
Crystal Palace (2000)	—	115,347.80
Crystal Palace	189,361.87	82,435.38
Fulham	112,275.54	80,530.23
Leyton Orient	55,135.22	34,956.92
Millwall	46,188.49	76,023.56
Queens Park Rangers	74,814.51	64,142.21
Tottenham	243,266.63	231,822.84
West Ham	184,794.52	193,492.31
Wimbledon	171,640.12	149,169.39
Total	1,661,412.87	1,616,703.30
¹ Financial years

Essex Police

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Essex police regarding his proposals to reform police pay and conditions. [6220]

In the context of the police reform programme, I have received representations from the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) regarding possible changes to police pay and conditions of service. The Essex police authority is a member of the APA. The Chief constable of Essex is a member of ACPO.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected number of serving constables is in the Essex police force for (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [6213]

Essex police have informed me that they expect to have 2,345 constables on 31 March 2002 and 2,497 constables on 31 March 2003.

Crime Survey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people aged 60 years or over reported, in the most recent national crime survey, that their lives are greatly affected by fear of crime. [5957]

Results from the last British Crime Survey (2000) estimated that 10 per cent. of people aged 60 and above reported that their quality of life was greatly affected because of their fear of crime.Comparing results elicited from the most recent British Crime Survey with those from the previous sweep (1998), shows that the percentage of those aged 60 or over that reported that their fear of crime as greatly affected their quality of life has not changed.These results went reported in "Opportunity for all. One year on: making a difference. Second annual report 2000" (Cm 4865). This has been deposited in the Library.

Community Sentencing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has collated on the likely effect of community sentences on rates of re-offending; and if he will make a statement. [6054]

Analysis of reconviction rates for different disposals shows that reconviction after community sentences does not differ greatly from that after other sentences once the underlying population characteristics have been taken into account. In recent years reconviction rates after community sentences have stayed fairly constant. However, there is a broad consensus in the research literature that some specific interventions are effective in reducing further offending, typically achieving around a 10-percentage point reduction in reconviction rates. A review of what works can be found in Home Office Research Study 187 'Reducing offending an assessment of research evidence on ways of dealing with offending behaviour'.Five principles have been found to be key to effective work with offenders:

1. More intensive programmes need to be targeted at high risk offenders.

2. Programmes should focus on factors affecting criminal behaviour eg anti social attitudes, drug dependency, low levels of educational and vocational skills, poor cognitive and inter-personal skills.

3. Programmes need to be properly carried out by trained staff and not deviate from their aims and objectives.

4. Active, participatory styles of delivery are more effective than unstructured or overly didactic methods.

5. The most effective types of interventions are skills-based and are designed to improve problem-solving and social interaction.

The National Probation Service is developing new approaches to working with offenders based on research and the principles outlined above in its pathfinder programmes.

Evidence about the effectiveness of these approaches in reducing offending is beginning to emerge but it takes time to obtain reconviction results. The main measure—reconviction rates two years after release from prison or completion of order—is typically only available some three years after the offender has been on the programme. Therefore evidence is only becoming available in 2001 for offenders who started programmes in 1998. Annexe A summarises the currently available evidence, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Victims Of Crime

To ask the secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward legislation relating to the rights of victims of crime; and if he will make a statement. [6101]

The Government are fully committed to meeting the needs of victims of crime and to introducing a Bill of Rights as promised in their manifesto. In February 2001, a consultation paper was issued to review the Victim's Charter, in which comments were invited on the introduction of statutory rights for victims. The consultation period ended on 15 June and a summary of responses was placed in the Library in July.

Further detailed work is currently being carried out on victims' rights and the other possible new developments outlined in the consultation paper. I will make a further statement as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Police Housing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision the Government have made for long-term police housing in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [6098]

It is a matter for individual Police Authorities to determine the number and location of police houses in their force area.Under the Government's Starter Home Initiative nearly 900 police officers/police civilians, of whom 340 are outside the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London, will benefit from £230 million allocated to 95 schemes to help them buy their first home. The forces that will benefit from the scheme are set out in the table.

Force	Number of homes for police officers/police civilians
Metropolitan and City	552
Thames Valley	171
Hampshire	48
Sussex	25
Surrey	24
Cambridgeshire	25
Hertfordshire	47

A further 220 police officers are expected to benefit from a £20 million scheme to provide interest free equity loans of £10,000. This will be available in housing hotspots outside London.

Thames Valley Police

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working hours were lost by Thames Valley police due to sick leave in the last year for which figures are available. [6103]

Information is not collected centrally in the form requested. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary records police sickness in days. In 2000–01, Thames Valley police lost 53,659 days due to sick leave, an average of 14.3 days per officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many constables are available for ordinary duty in Henley; and how many there were in 1997. [6102]

I am told by the Chief Constable that Henley has 21.3 full-time equivalent constables. Thames Valley police is unable to make a direct comparison with 1997 because of territorial boundary changes. Henley is now a rural sector of the Southern Oxfordshire Division. In 1997 it was an outstation of Reading.

Bradford (Disorder)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to West Yorkshire police of payments to other police forces for assistance in policing the recent disorders in Bradford; what plans he has to pay an additional grant to the West Yorkshire police; and if he will make a statement. [5967]

I am told by the Chief Constable that the cost of mutual aid provided by other forces to West Yorkshire police for the policing of the disorders in Bradford is estimated at £1 million.West Yorkshire Police Authority has not formally asked for additional financial assistance. I will carefully consider any request from the police authority in accordance with the criteria for applications for special grant in exceptional circumstances which we have established in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.

A4om (Census)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will evaluate the effectiveness of using police resources to stop car drivers on Westbourne Terrace off the A4OM on 16 July, to undertake a census; and if he will make a statement. [5996]

The survey of drivers on Westbourne Terrace on 16 July was one of a programme of similar surveys undertaken by Transport for London as part of the 2001 London Area Transport Survey. To conduct such surveys it is necessary to stop the vehicles passing the survey point and only police officers have the general power to do this. The cost of police involvement in such surveys is borne by the survey sponsors.The Government recognise that police involvement in such surveys may not be seen as the most effective use of police resources. We are looking at this issue, and others, within the context of the police reform programme, through which we aim to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the police.

Under-Age Drinking

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he will bring forward to reduce the incidence of under-age drinking and associated nuisance in public places. [6231]

The Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 provides a power for the police to confiscate alcohol from young people under 18 who are drinking in public places and who are creating disorder or causing nuisance. In addition, the law relating to the sale or purchase of alcohol to or for young people has been strengthened through the Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000, whether the intention is to consume the alcohol on licensed premises or elsewhere. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 will further strengthen the law by placing a positive duty on licensees and their staff not to sell to any person unless they are certain of age.Reducing under-age drinking and the problems associated with this are key objectives of the Home Office action plan on alcohol-related crime and disorder.

Alcohol-Related Violence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he will take to enable the police to deal more effectively with alcohol-related violence and disorderly behaviour. [6230]

In addition to broader measures to tackle violent crime and disorder, we are implementing the programme set out in the Home Office action plan on alcohol-related crime and disorder. This focuses on reducing under-age drinking, public drunkenness and alcohol-related violent crime. Specific measures, given legislative effect through the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, include new powers for local authorities to restrict antisocial drinking in specified public areas, with increased police powers of arrest and a power to confiscate alcohol; new powers for the police to order the immediate closure of licensed premises for up to 24 hours where there is disorder or disturbance; strengthening of the law relating to the sale of alcohol to those under 18; and a widening of the existing offence of permitting drunkenness or other violent or disorderly conduct on licensed premises.

Departmental Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the top 10 companies to which his Department contracted out their construction and refurbishment work in the last 12 months. [6420]

The top 10 companies by value of contracts awarded (excluding Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects which are contracted with special purpose PFI vehicles) with which the Home Office has contracted for construction and refurbishment works in the last 12 months are in alphabetical order:

Amey Asset Services Limited
Balfour Beatty
Caledonian Building Systems
Carillion plc
Henry Boot Construction UK Limited
How Engineering Services
John Mowlem Construction plc
Mansell plc
Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited
Wates Construction Limited.

Treason Felony Act

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that the Treason Felony Act 1848 is used to prosecute those contravening it. [5889]

Where any offence is alleged, it is for the police to decide whether and how it should be investigated, and whether to initiate a prosecution. It will be for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether it is appropriate for such a prosecution to be continued.

Police (Racial Fairness)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent reports he has received from the police inspectorate on racial fairness in the police services. [7152]

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has carried out three thematic inspections looking at community and race relations issues and the progress the police service is making in this area since 1997, as well as a review of murder investigation and community and race relations issues in the Metropolitan Police Service.The reports are as follows:

Winning the Race—Policing Plural Communities (1997)
Winning the Race—Policing Plural Communities.
Revisited (1999)
Winning the Race—Embracing Diversity (2001)
Policing London—Winning Consent (2000).

In addition HMIC carries out regular inspections of individual forces, and as part of this process will consider how these forces are progressing on community and race relations issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent of fair treatment on the basis of race in police employment; and if he will make a statement. [6762]

A top priority for the Government is to ensure that the police service is more representative of the communities it seeks to serve and that it should reflect and be strengthened by the full diversity of society. The Home Secretary has published targets for the recruitment, retention and progression of minority ethnic police officers in "Dismantling Barriers". As part of the assessment of forces' progress in meeting those targets, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary inspected all forces in England and Wales. Their inspection report "Winning the Race—Embracing Diversity" published in January 2001 concluded that the great it majority of forces were progressing satisfactorily, or exhibiting good practice, in minority ethnic employment.

Civil Servants (Retirement Age)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the compulsory retirement ages which apply to employees of his Department and of executive agencies and other public sector bodies for which it is responsible, broken down by grade or job title. [7239]

Information on the normal retirement age and on compulsory early retirement or severance for my Department and for the executive agencies and public sector bodies for which my Department is responsible is as follows.The normal retirement age for non-industrial staff is 60, and for industrial staff 65. However, the age retirement policy for grades between Administrative Assistant and Executive Officer (including equivalent grades, except certain Prison Service specific grades) has been temporarily relaxed. Staff in these categories who would normally retire at age 60 can choose to stay on until 31 March 2002, subject to health and efficiency considerations. Staff at Higher Executive Officer level and above can also apply for extensions of service subject to business needs, but the expectation is that they would normally retire on reaching the age of 60.A variation to this policy is applied in the Prison Service where pre "fresh-start" Prison Officers employed before 1987 retire at age 55, and Operational Support Grades retire at 65.

The compulsory early retirement or severance procedures followed in the Home Office are subject to the conditions set out in paragraphs 11.5 and 11.6 of the Civil Service Management Code. As a pre-redundancy measure, Departments and agencies may call for volunteers to leave on compulsory terms to avoid compulsory redundancy procedures. Staff may also be retired on compulsory early retirement or severance terms on grounds of structure, and on early retirement on grounds of limited efficiency. Early retirement applies to staff aged 50 or over, early severance applies to staff aged under 50.

The Home Office's age retirement policy is currently under review.

Ministerial Travel

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in each year since 1992 non-commercial flights were used by Ministers in his Department for official overseas visits; what the (a) destination, (b) Ministers involved, (c) cost and (d) reason for use of non-commercial flights were on each occasion; and if he will make a statement; [6928](2) if he will list all official overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in his Department in each year since May 1997, indicating

(a) the cost in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, (b) the number and grade of (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers accompanying Ministers and (c) the number of official engagements or meetings undertaken on each visit; and if he will make a statement. [6927]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W.

London Weighting

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the total annual value of London weightings and London living allowances for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [6854]

The estimated total value of London weightings and London living allowances for the Home Department (including Agencies) is £38,270,000. These allowances are not consolidated into pay.

Youth Custody Orders (Wirral)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youth custody orders have been issued in each of the last four years in each of the four constituencies on the Wirral. [6358]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The available information, taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, is shown in the table.Information collected centrally does not permit a distinction between the four Wirral constituencies to be made and figures for the Wirral magistrates court (which covers all four constituencies) have been given. Crown court figures have also been included where the committing court was Wirral.

The sentence of youth custody was replaced by detention in a young offender institution by the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The table however contains all forms of immediate custody imposed on offenders under 21 years of age during the years requested.

Persons under 21 sentenced to immediate custody in the Wirral Petty Sessional Area
Year	Sec. 53 C and YPA 1933	Young offender institution	Secure training order	Total immediate custody
1996	4	120	—	124
1997	1	133	—	134
1998	2	96	1	99
1999	4	105	2	111

Data for 2000 are not yet available.

Violent Offences

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further information he has collated on violence (a) against women by men and (b) by women against men in addition to that contained in the British Crime Survey; and if he will publish these findings. [6627]

There are various sources of information about various forms of interpersonal violence.The statistics on crimes recorded by the police do not routinely collate information on victims and offender characteristics. Some additional detail was provided in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/01.The "Homicide Index" stores information on victims and suspects of homicide. This information is published in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1999", CM 5001, which has been deposited in the Library. This publication also contains information on rape and other sexual offences.The Policing and Reducing Crime Unit have collated some police force information on cases of robbery in the year 2000. This information includes gender of offenders and victims and will be published in due course.The Policing and Reducing Crime Unit are to produce a report on male rape using police force data. Information from the British Crime Survey will also feed into this report. This is planned for publication in 2002.In 2000 the Policing and Reducing Crime Unit published a series of Briefing Notes on "What Works" in reducing domestic violence.The Serious Crimes Analysis Section, within the National Crime Faculty, have collected a wide range of information about serious sexual offences, murder and abductions. This information is used for operational support of major police investigations in relation to the apprehension of perpetrators. It is not published.Information relating to women and contact with all aspects of the criminal justice system is given in a 'Section 95' publication—"Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System, 2000". This is updated annually by the Home Office. The information on violent victimisation of women comes from sources already mentioned—police recorded crime statistics and the Homicide Index. Estimates from the British Crime Survey are also included.The Performance and Strategic Management Unit are preparing 'Too

kits' on Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences. These are designed to bring together information from public and voluntary sector organisations on all aspects of crime reduction strategy and best practice. These are due to be published later in the autumn of this year.

Community Safety Partnership (Wiltshire)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the members of the Board of the community safety partnership for Wiltshire, (b) the executive teams and their functions and (c) the themes addressed in the current year. [5861]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: Information is not held centrally on the membership of crime and disorder reduction partnerships, also commonly referred to as community safety partnerships, established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. In Wiltshire, the county council works closely with the four district-based community safety partnerships in the county who have responsibility for developing and implementing individual crime and disorder reduction strategies for their areas. The first strategies were published in March 1999 for the period 1999–2002. The next three-year strategies are due for publication by the end of March 2002. Crime and disorder reduction partnerships play an important role in tackling crime locally, ensuring a joined-up approach to crime prevention and community safety.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) antisocial behaviour orders and (b) curfew orders have been made in (i) Salisbury district and (ii) Wiltshire since the statutory commencement of the schemes. [5862]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) being applied for and issued is collected centrally by Magistrates Courts Committee (MCC) area only. We have no record of any such orders being made in the Wiltshire MCC between April 1999 and June 2001.No applications have been received from local authorities or the police to establish child curfew schemes under section 14 of he Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended by sections 48 and 49 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. These amendments extended the upper age limit to 15 and allow the police, as well as local authorities, to initiate schemes. These changes were implemented on 1 August 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) antisocial behaviour orders and (b) curfew orders have been made in (i) Worthing borough, (ii) Adur district and (iii) Sussex since the statutory commencement of the schemes. [7611]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) being applied for and issued is collected centrally by Magistrates Courts Committee (MCC) area only. Between April 1999 and June 2001, four antisocial behaviour orders were applied for and issued in the Sussex MCC area.No applications have been received from local authorities or the police to establish child curfew schemes under section 14 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended by sections 48 and 49 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. These amendments extended the upper age limit to 15 and allow the police, as well as local authorities, to initiate schemes. These changes were implemented on 1 August 2001.

Police Cells

To ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department (1) how many cells in police stations have been closed in each of the last three years: and if he will make a statement; [6559](2) how many police stations

(a) have custody facilities and (b) have no such facilities; and if he will make a statement. [6612]

It is an operational decision for the Chief Constable to determine the number of custody facilities/police cells required by his/her fore Information about the number of police stations with custody suites and the number of cell closures in each of the last three years is not held centrally and could ht obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Crime (North Yorkshire)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the increase in crime north of York in recent months; and if he will make a statement. [7154]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The most recently published recorded crime statistics show that in the 12 months to March 2001 total crime in the North Yorkshire police force area fell by 3.7 per cent. compared with a 2.5 per cent. fall in England and Wales. Figures for individual Basic Command Units are also available in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/01 'Recorded Crime', published on 19 July 2001, copies of which are available in the Library.

Work And Pensions

Child Support Agency

To ask the Secretary a State for Work and

Thousand
	May 1997	May 1998	May 1999	May 2000	May ¹2001
Income Support	3,958	3,853	3,814	3,811	3,928
Jobseeker's Allowance—income-based	1,225	1,027	948	824	701
Housing Benefit	4,640	4,475	4,313	4,033	3,863
Council Tax Benefit	5,500	5,326	5,166	4,830	4,657
Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit	748	767	791	1,024	1,214
Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Persons Tax Credit	13	15	17	23	27
¹ The 2001 count for Disabled Persons Tax Credit was taken in April not May 2001.

Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of those persons gaining and losing from the introduction of new child support mechanisms from 2002. [7270]

Based on an assessment made in 1998,¹ had cases transferred to the reformed scheme at that time, around 65 per cent. of non-resident parents in work would have seen a reduction in their child support liability while 35 per cent. would have seen an increase. However, only around one half of non-resident parents paying through the CSA pay all that is currently due, so a simple comparison of potential liabilities is therefore misleading. Increased compliance will mean that more of the maintenance due will actually be paid. The child support reforms have been introduced to ensure that more children see the benefit of maintenance and over one million children will gain.

¹ New scheme maintenance modelled on August 1998 5 per cent. scan of Child Support Computer System. Caseloads calibrated to forecast 'A' day levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what target he has set for the accuracy of (a) maintenance assessment. (b) maintenance assessment debts and (c) full maintenance balances calculated by the Child Support Agency for 2001–02. [7263]

My right hon. Friend has set the following target for the accuracy of maintenance assessments calculated by the Child Support Agency for 2001–02:

"Accuracy on the last action for all assessments checked in the year to be correct to the nearest penny in at least 78 per cent. of cases".

No targets are set for the accuracy of maintenance assessment debts and full maintenance balances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of non-resident parents who make child maintenance contributions to the Child Support Agency chose to terminate their employment within 12 months of their initial assessment in the last 12 months. [7587]

For the 12 months ending 30 September 2001, 9 per cent. of employed non-resident parents making child maintenance contributions to the Child Support Agency moved out of employment within 12 months of their initial assessment. No breakdown of the reasons for non-resident parents' change of employment status is available.

Means-Tested Benefits

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a breakdown of how many people were in receipt of means-tested benefits and tax credits for each year since May 1997. [7787]

The information is in the table.

Notes:

1. For Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error. Other data are taken from 100 per cent. counts.

2. Figures are for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest thousand.

3. Some people may be entitled to more than one means-tested benefit. A large proportion of people receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, may also be receiving one of the other means-tested benefits/tax credits. Figures car not therefore be added together to produce a total.

4. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.

5. The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totals for Great Britain include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents.

6. Council Tax Benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.

7. Housing Benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 2001

Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to May 2001

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May of each year from 1997

Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit, May 1997 to May 2001

Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Person Tax Credit May 1997 to May 2001

Benefit Take-Up

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of non-take-up of Income Support among the over-60s, for (a)those under 75 and (b)those over 75. [8049]

The latest available figures on the number of people entitled to the Minimum Income Guarantee are included in the publication "Take-Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999–2000", copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the uptake was in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98, (iii) 1998–99, (iv) 1999–2000 and (v) 2001–01 of (A) Child Benefit, (B) Housing Benefit, (C) Council Tax Benefit, (D) Family Credit and (E) the Working Families Tax Credit expressed as a percentage of those eligible; and if he will make a statement. [6734]

The available information is published in the annual statistics on "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up", copies of which are in the Library. These estimates are for Great Britain.It is not possible to produce reliable estimates for different parts of Great Britain. Information on benefit take-up is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS).No statistics are published for Child Benefit; however it is believed that on average 98 per cent. of families take up their entitlement to Child Benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what representations he has received regarding the impact of the proposed incapacity benefits reforms on the Scottish Executive's anti-poverty initiative; [7068](2) what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about increasing levels of benefit take-up. [7069]

We are in regular contact with the Scottish Executive on a wide range of issues. Both the Government and the Scottish Executive are committed to reducing poverty and we work in close partnership in this area. Changes to social security legislation are, of course, a reserved matter for the UK Parliament.

State Retirement Age

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for changing the state retirement age. [6507]

The Pensions Act 1995 equalised state pension age for men and women from a future date. Women's state pension age will be increased gradually from 60 to 65 between the years 2010 and 2020. State pension age will be equalised at 65 for both men and women from 6 April 2020.

New Deal (Huntingdon)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Huntingdon are in the New Deal programme; and how many were placed in employment up to June. [6165]

At the end of June 2001, 238 people in Huntingdon were participating in the New Deal for Young People, New Deal 25+, New Deal 50+ and New Deal for Lone Parents and 466 had been placed in employment.

Incapacity Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what consultation process was followed in regard to the insurance industry of the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations issued on 22 November 2000; [6742](2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations issued on 22 November 2000 on the disability pension paid by employers and their insurers. [6745]

Copies of the regulations were sent in draft to a range of organisations including the Association of British Insurers and the National Association of Pension Funds for their comment.A Regulatory Impact Assessment of the measures in the Welfare Reform end Pensions Act 1999 was published on 21 May 1999. The Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 2000 ensure that all the commitments made during the passage of the Act are met.

Pension Funds

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for the phased abolition of the minimum funding requirement applicable to pension funds. [7998]

On 7 March 2001 the Government announced their proposals to replace the minimum funding requirement (MFR) with a long-term scheme specific funding standard, with additional measures to strengthen security. Our proposals offer better protection that provides more effective security for scheme members without damaging consequences for investment.On 18 September 2001 we published "The Minimum Funding Requirement: The Next Stage of Reform". This document seeks views on the workability of draft regulations that introduce changes to the current MFR regime in advance of its replacement. The consultation period ends on 10 December 2001, and we plan to introduce these changes early next year.Implementing our proposals to replace the MFR in full will require primary legislation, and in the meantime we are working with the pensions industry and other interested parties to develop proposals for legislation when parliamentary time becomes available.

Treasury

Climate Change Levy

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the projected cost is to (a) UK and (b) Scottish industry of implementation of the climate change levy over the next three years. [6501]

The climate change levy will raise an estimated £1 billion in its first year, all of which will be recycled back to business through national insurance contribution cuts and support for energy efficiency. While the levy is broadly revenue neutral, it is not possible to say at this stage what the effects on any specific country, sector or industry will be. That will depend on a number of factors including:

the future energy consumption of firms in the country/region/ sector and employment levels in those firms;

the number of energy intensive firms in that country/region/sector that are eligible to receive a discount on the main rates of the levy by signing up to an energy efficiency agreement;

what use firms in that country/region/sector make of electricity generated from 'new' renewable sources of energy and in 'good quality'.

Thalidomide Trust

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Thalidomide Trust about issues arising from the Diageo Covenant. [6166]

The Chancellor receives a number of representations from a variety of organisations.

Frozen Assets (Afghanistan)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the Taliban assets in the UK which are frozen; when assets of the (a) Afghan National Credit and Finance and (b) the National Trading Company of Afghanistan were frozen; and what the value of frozen assets is. [8013]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The UK Government have frozen £63 million of Taliban assets since sanctions were introduced; details of the assets are listed in the table. No funds belonging to Afghan National Credit and Finance have been frozen in the UK. The National Trading Company of Afghanistan assets were frozen on Friday 5 October 2001 as a temporary measure. When the freeze lapsed, we decided to take no further action as they work for the state of Afghanistan and not the Taliban, and are therefore not covered by the UN sanctions.

Bank/company	Number of accounts¹	Sterling value (£ million)
Pashtany Tejaraty bank	6	3
Banke Millie	11	4.5
Da Afghanistan bank	13	55
Ariana Airlines	2	0.4
Khalid Al-Fawwaz	1	23.19
Total	33	63
¹ Approximately

Terrorist Bank Accounts

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what global resources he has proposed since 11 September and to which bodies in respect of the use of off-shore bank accounts by terrorists and others. [7313]

The UN resolutions are binding upon all states, which are expected to apply them as a matter of international law.

Health And Education Expenditure

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a breakdown of the proportion of total gross domestic product spent by EU states on health and education in the most recent year for which figures are available, indicating the private and public portion of each nation's expenditure. [7794]

The latest information on health is contained in the "Compendium of Health Statistics", a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has its own definition of education spending as a proportion of GDP. Their figures for each European Union country were published in "Education at a Glance", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The latest figures for expenditure as a proportion of GDP for the UK were provided by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in her reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 20 July 2001,

Official Report, column 776W.

Airline Industry (State Aid)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussion he has had with the (a) DTI, (b) European Commission and (c) representatives of UK airlines regarding possible state aid for the airline industry; and if he will make a statement. [7780]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to offer financial assistance to British airlines. [7464]

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), on 16 October 2001, Official Report, column 1169W to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Census Data (Bromley)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when the full census data for Bromley will be published; [7968]

(2) when the summary census results for Bromley will be published; [7966]

(3) what measures will be taken to provide accurate and reliable census data for Bromley; [7969]

(4) what percentage of households in Bromley completed a census return. [7967]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Eric Forth, dated 16 October 2001:

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject of the 2001 Census in Bromley. (7966–69)

In answer to your first question, the target date for mid-year 2001 population estimates by sex and age for all local authority areas (and including the London borough of Bromley) based on the 2001 Census is August 2002. These will include an adjustment for births, deaths and migration between Census Day (29 April 2001) and 30 June 2001. The target date for summary Census results—Key Statistics for areas throughout England and Wales (including London boroughs) is December 2002. They will be laid before Parliament and accessible through the National Statistics website.

With regard to your second question, at this stage I am unable to provide detailed information on the response rate to the Census in Bromley. This will be available in Autumn 2002. Currently ONS estimates that the 2001 Census response rate nationally will reach 98 per cent of households.

The full census data for Bromley will be published along with the detailed results for all the other local authority areas in the first half of 2003; these will be accessible via the National Statistics website.

In your final question you ask what measures will be taken to provide accurate and reliable census data for Bromley. A number of steps have either already been implemented or will be taken to ensure this. Prior to the Census an important new initiative was the Community liaison programme which had as its main objectives:

To facilitate enumeration and ensure full coverage.

To help provide a source of potential field staff.

To advertise the Census and underline its uses.

To provide help to individual members of local communities.

To help with translations and advertising.

This, coupled with the new strategy of asking the public to post their completed forms back, enabled resources to be targeted to where they were most needed.

Despite these efforts, it was always anticipated that some people would not be counted and that the degree of under-enumeration would vary across the country. The extent and nature of such under-enumeration will be more accurately assessed than ever before by the extensive, separate, follow-up Census Coverage Survey carried out by interviewing around 300,000 households shortly after the Census enumeration was completed. Once the interview responses and all the Census returns have been analysed, we will have a definitive picture of how well we have done at Local Authority level. The sample size for London was large enough for estimates of levels of under-enumeration for each borough to be made and will enable ONS to create a complete dataset for analysis of individual communities that takes account of this estimated under-enumeration.

Information about the quality of Census data will be published on the National Statistics website and brought together in a Census Quality Report to be published in 2003.

Environment Food And Rural Affairs

Incineration

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on specifically requiring county councils to include incineration in their waste plans. [6330]

County councils are not specifically required to include incineration in their waste plans. The Government are committed to maximising waste reduction, recycling and composting and minimising the need for incineration and landfill.However Government policy, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 (PPG10), states that waste planning authorities should not seek to prohibit the development of particular types of waste facility unless they are confident that adequate alternative facilities will be available in their area.

Foot And Mouth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the loss in revenue to the farming industry in England as a result of foot and mouth since the start of the outbreak. [6069]

The Department is very much aware that the outbreak is having a considerable impact on farming and a range of industries throughout the UK. However, it is not possible at thin stage to make a reliable estimate of the overall loss of revenue caused by the outbreak. DEFRA is working with a number of other Government Departments to prepare such an estimate and the results of this work will be made publicly available. We are also developing proposals for a survey to collect information from farmers on the direct and indirect impact of foot and mouth disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will visit Throckmorton to discuss the implications for the local community of the carcase disposal site. [6435]

There are no plans for the Secretary of State to visit Throckmorton. DEFRA officials have worked closely with residents, who are represented on a Local Liaison Group made, together with one representative from the three adjoining Parish Councils.

The last disposal of carcases at this site was on 20 May; adjoining land is being used for storage of surplus materials and equipment. Steps have been taken to reduce noise and wherever possible the number of vehicles delivering surplus materials on site has been limited to five or six per day. Sunday working ceased on 16 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the United Kingdom's balance of trade was in (a) livestock, (b) meat products and (c) all foodstuffs for the years since 1997; and what estimate she has made of how this will change as a result of foot and mouth export controls. [6500]

The tables show the value of UK trade in livestock, meat and meat products and total food, feed and drink between 1997 and 2000.The total food, feed and drink (including livestock) table also shows the value of exports of items over this period which are currently under foot and mouth disease export restrictions.

Livestock
£ million
Trade/animal type	1997	1998	1999	2000
Exports
Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats	49	35	29	23
Poultry	43	46	50	60
Exports total	92	81	79	84
Imports
Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats	25	16	17	24
Poultry	5	6	5	5
Imports total	30	22	22	29

Meat and meat products
£ million
Trade type/Meat and meat products	1997	1998	1999	2000
Exports
Red meat	565	456	388	386
Red meat products	45	47	34	38
Poultry and other meat	205	176	164	142
Poultry and other meat products	82	59	62	61
Exports total	898	738	649	627
Imports
Red meat	1,332	1,021	1,113	1,259
Red meat products	352	339	337	382
Poultry and other meat	445	521	545	539
Poultry and other meat products	162	170	200	227
Imports total	2,291	2,051	2,195	2,407

Total food, feed and drink¹
£ million
	1997	1998	1999	2000
Exports total	10,016	9,327	9,074	8,905
Of which:
Items currently under FMD export restrictions	675	566	492	477
Imports total	17,200	17,220	17,626	17,176
¹ Including livestock

Source:

HM Customs and Excise

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department first received an offer from hunt staff to assist in the foot and mouth slaughter process; and when the first hunt slaughterman was engaged. [5351]

The Masters of Foxhounds Association contacted Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food veterinary officials in the first week of the outbreak. Their offer of help was passed to local disease control centres in order that hunt staff could be called upon if needed. Local hunt staff also directly contacted the disease control centres. The first hunt slaughtermen who were properly licensed were engaged at the end of March. Finding qualified slaughtermen was not generally a problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reports her Department has received of (a) crows, (b) foxes and (c) other wildlife eating in the open carcases slaughtered because of foot and mouth. [5350]

On some occasions there has been evidence that predation of slaughtered carcases may have occurred. Instructions require carcases awaiting disposal to be, as far as is practicable, put beyond the reach of predators. Carcases are also sprayed with disinfectant which may act as a deterrent to scavengers. However, such animals can and do breach measures put in place to prevent such scavenging.Following confirmation of disease and slaughter an epidemiological inquiry is undertaken. One aspect of this is to consider possible routes of spread from the premises. Although it is a theoretical possibility that scavenging animals could spread infected carcase material to neighbouring stock, it is considered a much less likely source of infection when compared with other more direct routes of transfer and the overall risk is considered low. The rapid slaughter of affected stock remains the single most important factor in stopping production of virus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that restrictions imposed on rural areas are lifted on a consistent basis. [6083]

The removal of movement restrictions on animals around infected premises is governed by EU rules. Other movement restrictions are applied on the basis of the disease status of a county or unitary authority or metropolitan district areas. Counties are reclassified when results of serological testing demonstrate disease freedom.Other restrictions are largely based on veterinary risk assessments which are published on the DEFRA website.This Department will continue to ensure that restrictions are applied and lifted on a consistent and proportionate basis. Significant progress is being made on the lifting of the restrictions on farming and other rural activities. Nine out of 10 footpaths are now re-opened. Cleansing and disinfection of farms continues and we are blood-testing animals throughout the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason restrictions are being maintained on farms around the Hallburn site, Longtown, Cumbria. [5345]

The farms around the Hallburn site were subject to protection zone restrictions due to their proximity to foot and mouth disease infected premises. However, these restrictions were lifted on 23 August 2001. Infected premises in the area remain under separate restriction while the final cleansing and disinfection process is taking place. Farms around the Hallburn site are still subject to the national restrictions on the movement of livestock.

Cereals (Eu Aid)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has applied for EU aid to the cereals sector; and if she will make a statement. [7445]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The UK Government have not applied for any EU aid for the cereals sector. An amount of optional agrimonetary compensation for the arable sector became available on 1 July 2001. We have until 31 October to inform the European Commission if we wish to make these payments.

Milk Task Force

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Milk Task Force has resumed its considerations; and when it is expected to report. [7892]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The Milk Task Force has now resumed its work and on 12 October it held its first meeting since its activities were suspended in April. The Milk Task Force hopes that it will be able to report quickly, but no specific deadlines have been set for it to complete its work.

Peat Extraction

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps the Government are taking to protect UK peatlands; and if she will make a statement on the practice of peat extraction in the UK; [7776](2) what action she will take with regard to the European Habitats Directive in order to exempt areas of the UK from the possibility of peat extraction.[7893]

The best examples of peatland habitats in the UK are notified by the country nature conservation agencies as sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), or areas of special scientific interest in (ASSIs) in Northern Ireland. In England, peatland SSSIs are protected from damage through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, strengthened recently by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. In 1999 the UK Government endorsed the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for lowland raised bogs in which targets for restoration of damaged peatlands are set out. The BAP also contains targets for the replacement of peat in the UK horticultural industry, including supplies for amateur use—a reduction of 40 per cent. by 2005 and to 90 per cent. by 2010.

The EU Habitats Directive provides for the creation of a network of protected wildlife sites across the European Union. The UK has identified and forwarded to the European Commission 565 sites suitable for selection as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), thirty-eight of which feature a peatland habitat type. Sites in England receive the full protection offered by the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994, implementing the directive's provisions. Minerals Planning Authorities (MPAs) have statutory responsibility to determine applications for permission to extract peat.

Applications for new permissions, and extant permissions, must be assessed with regard to any potential effect peat extraction will have on the conservation status of candidate SACs, or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive. New permissions may be refused and extant permissions amended or revoked if an adverse effect is determined. Guidance to MPAs on criteria for selection and identification of acceptable sites for peat extraction is contained in Mineral Planning Guidance 13 'Guidelines for Peat Provision in England Including the Place for Alternative Materials'. Additional guidance on designated sites to MPAs is also given in Planning Policy Guidance 9 'Nature Conservation'.

Food And Farming Policy Commission

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Policy Commission on Food and Farming is expected to make its recommendations. [7766]

As set out in the announcement of 9 August, the Prime Minister has asked the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food to report by the end of this year.

Rural White Paper

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from Cambridgeshire in respect of the Rural White Paper. [6175]

During the preparation of the Rural White Paper 16 of the 799 responses to the Discussion Document "Rural England" came from individuals and organisations in Cambridgeshire, including a number of district, town and parish councils and other public, private and voluntary sector bodies. Ministers and officials also received a number of other representations from individuals and organisations in Cambridgeshire in written and other forms both during and after publication of the White Paper.

Civil Servants (Retirement Age)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the compulsory retirement ages which apply to employees of her Department and of executive agencies and other public sector bodies for which it is responsible, broken down by grade or job title. [7238]

The creation of DEFRA has brought together staff from the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions: terms and conditions of employment for the new Department will need to be negotiated. This will take account of a planned review of departmental policy on retirement age. Staff meanwhile retain their existing terms and conditions including retirement arrangements as described.For ex-MAFF staff including executive agencies, the age of retirement may vary according to grade and reckonable service. Staff in grades at Administrative Officer level and below may generally, subject to efficiency, remain in service until age 65. Staff in higher grades are required to retire at age 60, but a short service concession is available for staff who nave then served less than 20 years. Staff may also be retained past their retirement age for limited periods if, exceptionally, the Department's business needs justify it. Compulsory retirement before the normal age may exceptionally apply in circumstances of redundancy, restructuring or limited efficiency.DEFRA staff who were formerly attached to DETR retain their retirement arrangements. These are broadly similar to those for ex-MAFF staff, and for details I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead), on 15 October 2001,

Official Report, column 872W.

Staff in the Intervention Board/Rural Payments Agency normally retire at age 60 but may be retained for an extended period (up to a maximum age of 65) dependent upon meeting standards of efficiency and upon the Agency's needs.

The Department sponsors a considerable number of other public sector bodies, including 20 executive NDPBs. Information is not held centrally on their retirement arrangements and could be obtained only in the form requested at disproportionate cost.

Livestock Movement Licences (Somerset)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for livestock movement licences were made in Somerset in the period 24 September to 4 October; and how many licences were issued in the same period. [7890]

Local authorities are responsible for issuing most animal movement licences. We understand from Somerset district council that during the period from 24 September to 4 October, 1,821 application forms (for farm to farm movements of livestock) were issued to Somerset farmers. Of these 780 were returned and 425 licences were issued. 92 applications were rejected by the Animal Movement Licensing System, 188 farmers withdrew their applications and 75 applications are awaiting approval.In addition, 1,227 licences for moving livestock for slaughter have been processed by Somerset local authorities/Trading Standards own system.

Animal Movement Licences

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for animal movement licences are outstanding. [7775]

Local authorities are responsible for issuing animal movement licences. But we understand that the backlog of outstanding applications varies between 0 and five days' workload, with the average being one day.

Tenant Farmers

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last met representatives of tenant farmers. [7724]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met tenant farmers' representatives since her appointment. However, the Department does maintain close contact with the tenanted sector. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State Lord Whitty met representatives from the Tenant Farmers Association on 16 July 2001 and my right hon. Friend is planning to meet them in the next few weeks.

Overhead Powerlines

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the environmental implications of overhead powerlines; and if she will make a statement. [3847]

I have been asked to reply.The Department has received representations on the possible health effects of overhead lines. Overhead lines, however, remain a cost-effective and acceptable means for transferring power from producers to the consumer.

Deputy Prime Minister

Civil Service Fast Stream

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the next report on recruitment to the fast stream of the civil service. [8269]

In September I placed in the Library of the House the sixth annual report on recruitment to the fast stream of the civil service. It covers the results of competitions completed between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001.The report shows that the civil service is increasingly successful in attracting the best graduates, despite the highly competitive nature of the market, and is doing so while maintaining the high standard required of entrants. For the first time in several years, for instance, the service has filled all its vacancies for scientists and engineers. The proportion of graduates recruited to the fast stream from minority ethnic groups has risen from 3 per cent. in 1998–99 to 7 per cent. in 2000–01. The service's commitment to improving the diversity of the fast stream will continue.

Government Annual Report

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much it would cost to send a summary of the Government's annual report to each taxpayer. [7122]

The Government have said they do not intend to publish an annual report.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will continue to publish an annual report from Government. [7121]

The Government announced in July that they were considering whether to continue with the annual report in its current form. The Government will continue to report to Parliament and the public on its performance through a variety of means such as reports, statistical bulletins, ministerial statements and parliamentary questions. The information in the annual report was in any event a collation of existing, publicly available material and we have decided not to continue with it.

Volume 372: debated on Tuesday 16 October 2001

Written Answers To Questions

Prime Minister

Intelligence And Security Committee

Health

Public-Private Partnerships

Cervical Cancer Screening

Health And Social Care Act

Nhs/Private Sector Concordats

Beta Interferon

Health And Social Care

Diagnostic Testing

Cloning

Osteoporosis

Nhs Staff (Child Care)

Health Authorities (Lancashire)

Bed Blocking

Nhs Dental Practices

Health Inequalities

Nhs University

Cancer Services

Primary Care Trusts

Radiotherapy Equipment

Osteopaths

General Practitioners

Staff Retention

Coppice Family Doctor Practice

Vaccinations

Transplant Units

Retirements (Nhs)

Children In Care

Nhs Treatment (Costs)

Drugs (Children)

Defence

Army Strength

Type 45 Destroyer

Nato

Sustained Hypersonic Flight Experiment

Small Arms

Long Range Strike Weapons

Meteor Air-To-Air Missile

Ministerial Visits

Depleted Uranium

Aircraft Carriers

Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter

Weapon Modification Programme

A400m Project

Ordnance Board Project

Wessex Helicopter

Aircraft Manufacture

Future Offensive Aircraft Capability

Royal Navy

Culture, Media And Sport

Speakers' Corner

Football Fixtures

British-Made Films

Ministerial Visits

World Athletic Championships

Lottery Proceeds

English Heritage

Departmental Spending

Wales

Civil Servants

Ministerial Travel

Departmental Spending (Staff)

Business Rates

Northern Ireland

Probation Board For Northern Ireland

Electoral Research Project

Oversight Commissioner

Northern Ireland Policing Board

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Regional/Minority Languages Charter

G8 Summit, Genoa

United Nations Subscriptions

Un Resolution 1373

Civil Service

Ministerial Travel

Departmental Spending