To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a list of (a) advisers, (b) agencies and (c) task forces (i) based in and (ii) administratively linked to his office. [7153]

At 15 October, I had agreed to the appointment of the following special advisers:

• Andrew Adonis
• Phil Bassett
• David Bradshaw
• Alastair Campbell
• Hilary Coffman
• Patrick Diamond
• Kate Garvey
• Anji Hunter
• Sarah Hunter
• Peter Hyman
• Katie Kay
• Roger Liddle
• Liz Lloyd
• Alasdair McGowan
• Chris McShane
• Fiona Millar
• Joanna Nadin
• Geoffrey Norris
• Carey Oppenheim
• Jonathan Powell
• Ed Richards
• Catherine Rimmer
• Justin Russell
• Derek Scott
• Carl Shoben
• Simon Stevens.

In addition, I announced last week the appointment of independent advisers to work with the new Forward Strategy Unit (FSU). These roles are unpaid. Those appointed are:

To ask the Prime Minister for what reason salaries of Ministers special advisers are confidential. [10221]

Details of individual special advisers' salaries are not published in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the banks in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in money laundering for (a) terrorists and (b) drug runners connected to Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [8876]

The "Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus" is not internationally recognised except by Turkey, and has consequently never been formally assessed by any of the leading global anti-money laundering organisations. There is evidence, however, that it is vulnerable to exploitation by those involved in money laundering, and it has taken some steps to combat this.The United Kingdom authorities will continue to remain alert to the activities of financial institutions in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action the Government have taken to help Indonesian Christians and Muslims on the Maluku Islands. [9657]

The Department for International Development (DfID) has pledged more than £4 million to help establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. The unit will build up capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces torn apart by ethnic conflict, particularly in north Maluku. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation, begin wider reconstruction work and to offer practical assistance where appropriate.The British Government have repeatedly encouraged the Indonesian Government bilaterally and through multilateral forums to bring to justice religious extremists responsible for human rights abuses in Maluku. I most recently raised these issues with the Indonesian Vice President, Hamzah Haz, when we met in Jakarta in August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of al-Qaeda funding of the rebels in Albania [9618]

We have no evidence of al-Qaeda funding activity in Albania.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Mujahedeen who operated with the Bosnian Army in the 1990s are now involved with the rebels in Macedonia. [9617]

We have no evidence that any Mujahedeen who operated in Bosnia are now active in Macedonia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the security arrangements covering the transportation of plutonium. [7871]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: The transportation of plutonium is carried out in accordance with strict national and international regulations and recommendations. The standards applied are approved by the Director for Civil Nuclear Security, the Government's Regulator, to ensure that the security risks associated with the transportation of nuclear material are effectively countered by protective measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to introduce regulations tightening controls on pyramid investment schemes. [9622]

Investment schemes fall within the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ensure that consumers of gas and electricity who are wrongly transferred from their supplier are compensated for resulting loss and inconvenience. [9871]

A voluntary code has been developed by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (Energywatch) and has been accepted by all suppliers of gas and electricity to domestic consumers. The code, known as the Erroneous Transfer Customer Charter, will come into effect in January 2002. It will ensure that consumers who have been wrongly transferred will be returned to their previous supplier with as little inconvenience as possible. The consumer will be able to contact either supplier, who will resolve the problem and provide the consumer with any necessary information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in Bassetlaw constituency have been (a) assisted and (b) established by the Small Business Service in the last year. [9879]

Since April 2001, 142 businesses in Bassetlaw have been assisted. In the previous 12 months a local Enterprise Agency supported 226 and facilitated 29 business start-ups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ex-trawlermen whose claims are outstanding have died since the fishermen's compensation scheme was announced. [9869]

I regret that this information is not available, since the Department is not informed of deaths in many cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries were caused by fireworks in each of the last 10 years. [9603]

The number of deaths and injuries caused by fireworks in each of the last 10 years is given in the following table. The seriousness of injuries is not separately identified in the annual statistics.

	Total number of accidents	Deaths
2000	972	2
1999	1,056	0
1998	831	0
1997	908	0
1996	1,233	2
1995	1,530	0
1994	1,574	2
1993	1,058	0
1992	942	0
1991	723	0
1990	805	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to promote offshore wind farming as an alternative source of energy. [10563]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) on 22 October 2001, Official Report, column 13W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the Office of Fair Trading to report on its inquiry into BSkyB. [10097]

Competition Act inquiries are a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the TRIPS Council between WTO member states on 19 September. [8313]

[holding answer 23 October 2001]: I have been asked to reply.The TRIPS (Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights) Council on 19 September concentrated on issues about access to medicines.The meeting reached no conclusion and the matter has been referred to the Chair of the World Trade Organisation General Council to take forward discussions regarding a ministerial declaration. The next TRIPS Council will be on 26 to 30 November 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes are planned for the numbers of service personnel to be based in service establishments in the Gosport constituency. [9771]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 334–35W to my hon. Friend the member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) in which I advised the House that as part of the implementation of the Defence Training Review the Ministry of Defence is conducting a series of studies into rationalisation of training facilities. Under this programme HMS Sultan in Gosport will be the benchmark or Public Sector Comparator for electromechanical engineering training. As Project Definition work is not due to be completed until next March it is, however, too early to judge the outcome of this study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the employment implications for United Kingdom companies with special reference to Astrium Ltd. of the awarding of his Department's Skynet 5 Military Satellite Communications contract to a majority UK-based communications company; [10169](2) when he expects to announce the name of the company making the successful bid in his Department's Skynet 5 Military Satellite Communications contract, and if he will make a statement; [10168](3) what assessment he has made of the Paradigm Secure Communications consortium's bid to be awarded his Department's Skynet 5 Military Satellite Communications contract, and if he will list the names of the companies which have submitted bids; [10171](4) what criteria he is using to assess the bids for the awarding of his Department's Skynet 5 Military Satellite Communications contract. [10170]

Proposals have been received from two consortia: Paradigm Secure Communications (led by Astrium) and Rosetta Global Communications (led by Lockheed Martin, British Telecom and BAE Systems). The evaluation of Skynet 5 is very complex and will primarily take into account financial, commercial and technical issues. The assessment will also consider the industrial implications of each proposal. Both bidders have been invited to submit 'Best and Final Offers' by the end of November 2001. All aspects of the bids will be fully assessed before a decision is reached. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the bidders' proposals while the competition is taking place. However, on current plans I expect to announce the preferred bidder in the early part of 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice the Department of Social Security gave to the Association of British Civilian Internees Far East Region in November 2000 on the interpretation of which categories of claimant could count as British in order to qualify for the ex gratia payments announced on 7 November 2000. [10226]

The ex-gratia scheme for former captives of the Japanese is administered by the War Pensions Agency, which was an executive agency of the Department of Social Security until 8 June 2001 when the agency transferred to the Ministry of Defence.I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 22 October 2001,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the source of the 0.3 tonnes of plutonium still to be moved from AWE Aldermaston to Sellafield as of 14 March 2000; what quantities of plutonium have been moved to Sellafield and placed under safeguards since this date; and what plans there are to move further quantities of military plutonium to Sellafield. [8962]

Taken in their totality, acquisitions of plutonium for the nuclear weapons programme were predominantly from Sellafield. A number of other sources are described in the Ministry of Defence report of April 2000, entitled 'Plutonium and Aldermaston, an Historical Account'. It is however impossible to identify the specific original source of the 0.3 tonnes of weapon grade material to which my hon. Friend refers. Of this 0.3 tonnes, some 235 kilograms have been moved to Sellafield and placed under International Safeguards—this represents some 162 kilograms since 14 March 2000. It is intended that the balance of 65 kilograms will be moved in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has plans to migrate to Microsoft Windows XP and MS Office XP; what estimate of the costs involved has been made; and what alternatives have been examined. [8782]

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is planning to integrate its corporate information systems under a single Defence Information Infrastructure programme, the requirements for which are still being formulated. If approved, this programme will assess various options including software provision and any potential move to Microsoft XP products, taking account of costs and benefits.Separately, MOD has recently agreed a defence-wide licensing agreement reflecting the considerable number of Microsoft products already used within the MOD. This agreement would allow MOD to migrate to new products if shown to be cost-effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what abatement is made in respect of pay levels in the armed forces to take account of the benefits from the non-contributory pension scheme. [9392]

It is the remit of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) to consider broad pay comparability, and this includes taking account of the deferred pay represented by pension provision. The AFPRB currently applies an abatement to comparators' earnings to account for the early and fast accrual of benefits under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) compared with those available in the civilian sector. The level of abatement set in the AFPRB's 30th Report (2001) is 7 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate has been made of the costs of increasing death-in-service benefits of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [8739]

Within the current Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), the death-in-service gratuity for non-attributable deaths is significantly lower than in most other comparable pension schemes. The recent consultation document setting out our initial findings from the review of the AFPS therefore recommended that the death-in-service gratuity should be increased to three times pensionable salary. Overall, the changes would represent a substantial improvement in terms for family and dependants. The additional cost of this enhancement has been estimated at some £9 million per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the review of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme will report. [8742]

The period of public consultation was due to end formally on 31 July but was extended informally to admit some late replies. The Ministry of Defence is now undertaking an analysis of the responses with a view to identifying significant issues and recommending how it might move ahead on these. This will require detailed discussions to agree responses that meet our recruitment and retention needs, but which are also consistent with wider public sector pensions policy. In addition, we intend to engage in further discussions with the ex-service community during this process, both to discuss their particular concerns and inform them of our thinking. This approach means that it is not possible to set a definitive time scale but our current plan is that we should seek to report on the review by the late spring of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to ensure that substandard service living quarters are upgraded; and within what time scale. [9770]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced a significant new programme of investment at the Defence Estates Conference for Industry on 14 March 2001.The upgrade programme will involve a major investment year on year for the next decade, which will build up to new investment levels of approximately £200 million per year on new and upgraded accommodation.A number of upgrade and rebuild programmes are already under way. We are preparing a competition for a major Single Living Accommodation Modernisation Prime Contract, to be awarded by the end of 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role has been played by the Territorial Army in Exercise Swift Sword. [R][9675]

The Territorial Army have made a very positive contribution to exercise Saif Sareea (Swift Sword) II in a variety of roles. Around 400 Territorial Army personnel have been deployed primarily to augment regular units in a wide range of specialist functions including intelligence, medical support and military policing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which states (a) biological and (b) chemical material have been supplied from Porton Down since 1990. [8770]

[holding answer 23 October 2001]: The Defence and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down has supplied biological, or biologically derived samples to the following countries: USA, France, Belgium, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Japan and Canada. Chemical materials that fall within the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention have been supplied to Sweden and Canada.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the production lead time is for producing additional air filters for the Challenger II main battle tank; [8740](2) what production facilities exist to produce air filters for the Challenger II main battle tank. [8741]

The Challenger H air filter is produced by PALL Aerospace at their facility in Redruth, Cornwall. The company have a production lead time of eight weeks, but they have been able to provide filters within a three week period when necessary

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Tracer programme. [10157]

The UK and the US have taken a joint decision to bring the Tracer programme to a close in July 2002 when the current assessment phase comes to an end. In keeping with the principles of Smart Acquisition, this illustrates our willingness to take the right decision early in a programme in response to changing priorities. The Tracer programme has successfully developed a pool of key technologies that can now be utilised in future programmes such as the Future Rapid Effects System which will play a key role in meeting the Land Commander's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the drawing of the STTA map, LFA14T; and when the borders were last redrawn. [9982]

The Tactical Training Areas, within which Operational Low Flying is conducted, were selected on the basis of low population density and remoteness from major conurbations. The boundary of Low Flying Area 14(T) has remained unchanged since it was established, with the creation of the current UK Low Flying System, in 1979.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent training the armed forces have received for dealing with chemical warfare; how up to date that training is; and what has been done to ensure that training has been updated to take account of recent terrorist attacks and the present international situation. [9270]

Training for nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) defence is a wide ranging and comprehensive activity for all armed forces personnel, beginning with basic recruit courses and continuing throughout their careers. Training is carried out both individually and collectively in units and formations. NBC defence is integrated into a wide range of military training, including major and minor exercises. The Defence NBC Centre at Winterbourne Gunner is world-renowned. A major task of this tri-service unit is to provide the best possible training in NBC defence for officers and NCOs, whether they are employed in staff appointments, as instructors, or at unit level. The content of training courses remains under regular review to ensure that it is relevant, up to date and effective, and mechanisms are in place to ensure that NBC Defence training is validated by all three services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Road Traffic Accidents involving service personnel have taken place in the last 12 months on (a) MOD property and (b) public roads in which driver's fatigue has been identified as a significant factor; and if he will make a statement. [10217]

Information on Road Traffic Accidents is updated centrally for the period 1 April to 31 March each year. The number of Road Traffic Accidents for the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 where driver fatigue was identified as a contributory factor, rather than a significant factor, is 115, broken down as follows:

Places	Number
On Ministry of Defence property	47
On public roads	68

Further information on road safety matters is contained within the Defence Annual Road Safety Report and a copy of the report for 1999–2000 will be placed in the House shortly. This report also contains details of various measures being put in place to reduce the risk of accidents (including fatigue). The report for 2000–01 is due to be published towards the end of this year, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House when it becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2001, Official Report, column 4W, when the first operational Apache Squadron will be available; and when a full task force capability based on an attack helicopter regiment will be operational. [10227]

The first regiment to be equipped with Apache will be 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, based at Dishforth. Elements from that regiment will provide an Initial Operational Capability in 2004. A full Operational Capability, based on three regiments, is expected to be available by the end of 2007.

To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to make proposals to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons on submitting parliamentary questions by electronic means. [9611]

Responsibility for this rests with the Procedure Committee. However, I understand the Committee is currently inquiring into parliamentary questions and I am sure that Members will have an opportunity to make the Committee aware of their views.

To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to make proposals to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons on webcasting the business of the House. [9612]

Responsibility for this rests with the Broadcasting Committee. However, I understand that, following a recommendation from the Committee, a pilot project to explore the potential of webcasting will begin in January, and proceedings from each House will be webcast from that date.

To ask the President of the Council what the cause was of the delay in the supply of new technology for hon. Members; and if he will make a statement. [10220]

During the debate on Members' Allowances, Insurance &c. on 5 July 2001, Official Report, columns 421–77, I said to the House that distributing new computer equipment to Members' offices in Westminster and the constituencies has proved to be a massive logistical exercise. Hon. Members will therefore not be surprised to learn that early delays were due to the complexity of the operation. Our suppliers have had to process orders with different combinations of product and then to dispatch and install the equipment, often on two or three sites.The new Advisory Panel on the Members' Vote which advises Mr. Speaker and myself has been monitoring progress. I am told that of the 468 Members who have now placed orders, 162 have been fulfilled and 55 have been met in part. Members who ordered before the end of the recess can expect to be offered delivery and installation before the end of November. By the end of the financial year over 6,000 items will have been delivered and installed to over 1,300 locations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to reintroduce targets for the reduction of exclusions from schools. [6697]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to reintroduce targets for the reduction of exclusions from schools. [6713]

We have no plans to set fresh targets to reduce permanent exclusions further. We have met our target to reduce permanent exclusions by a third a year early and consider the current level of exclusions to be sustainable. Our priority now is to ensure that teachers are supported in maintaining classroom discipline, and that where pupils are permanently excluded, they receive a full-time education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to encourage people who have left the profession to return to teaching. [6701]

We have recently introduced a series of incentives to encourage qualified teachers to return to the profession. We have introduced a scheme to pay bonuses of up to £4,000 to those returning to teaching in maintained schools and non-maintained special schools between April and December this year. We have increased funding to provide a total of 1,800 places a year on refresher courses for returners to teaching, including £150 a week grants and help towards child care costs. And we have also made changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme to make it easier and more attractive to retired teachers to return to teaching on either a full-time or part-time basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she is taking to reduce junior class sizes. [6702]

As a result of the additional funds we have invested in education, the average size of junior classes has fallen from 28.4 January 1999 to 27.9 in January 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to alter the franchise for ballots on the future of grammar schools to include those parents whose children attend the school. [6703]

In selective areas the electorate already includes parents whose children attend grammar schools. We have no plans to amend the criteria of eligibility for parents voting in feeder school ballots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to alter the system of holding ballots on the future of grammar schools. [6712]

We have no plans to amend the grammar school ballots legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to publish the findings of the review of teacher work load being carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers. [6705]

PricewaterhouseCoopers produced their interim report in August. Copies are available on the Department's website: www.dfes.gov.uk/teachers/workloadstudy. The final report is expected at the end of November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to review student finance. [6706]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements her Department has made to monitor and evaluate the impact of funding changes on access to higher education. [6717]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced on 3 October 2001 that she is leading a review of student funding, working together with representatives from HM Treasury and No. 10. We need to ensure that we have an appropriate balance between the contribution made by students, their families and the state to support our ambitions to widen access and participation in higher education. A range of policy options is being considered. No decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) which bodies she will invite to submit representations to the cross-departmental review she has announced on student finance; [10200](2) what plans she has to invite external submissions to the cross-departmental review she has announced on student finance. [10199]

We have said that we plan to consult on any proposals to emerge from the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she plans to meet representatives of Universities UK to discuss student finance. [10201]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has written to Prof. Roderick Floud, President of Universities UK, to inform him that a review is under way. We plan to consult on any proposals for change and would expect Universities UK to contribute.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to meet representatives of the National Union of Students to discuss student finance. [10202]

I met Owain James, President of the National Union of Students, in the summer to discuss student finance. We are currently reviewing student finance policy. We plan to consult and would expect the National Union of Students to contribute.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what options are under consideration in the review of student finance which she has announced; and if she will make a statement. [10203]

We will consult on proposals that emerge from the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on this year's A-level results. [6707]

The advanced level results published by the Joint Council for General Qualifications on 16 August 2001 are provisional. A copy of these provisional results has been placed in the Library. Final figures for this year's results will be published in November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on learning and skills councils. [6708]

The Learning and Skills Council and its 47 local arms became fully operational from April 2001. Significant progress has been made by the LSC to develop its strategic framework for the period to 2004, with the publication of its first corporate plan at the end of July. The plan includes key objectives and targets for 2004. This is providing the foundation for local strategic plans and business plans, which are now being developed by the local councils in consultation with key local and regional partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans to improve standards in further education colleges. [6709]

We are fully committed to raising standards in further education colleges and will reward high quality and take firm action where our standards are not being met. We are supporting teaching staff to continue their professional development, requiring that new staff have the necessary qualifications, and helping colleges to update their computer equipment and develop centres of excellence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans for the development of further education provision for (a) 16 to 19-years-old and (b) adults. [6686]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Clive Efford), Official Report, 25 October 2001, column 393.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to review with the Higher Education Funding Council the operation of the 2001 research assessment exercise. [6710]

The operation of the 2001 research assessment exercise will be reviewed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the other UK funding bodies after the exercise has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the progress of the specialist schools status programme. [6711]

The Specialist Schools Programme is popular and successful. Since May 1997, 504 schools have joined the growing network of specialist schools. There are now 685 operational specialist schools across the country and we are on course to achieve the proposals set out in the White Paper "Schools achieving success" to extend the programme to eight specialisms and expand the number of specialist schools to 1,500 schools by 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will issue new guidance following the review of Curriculum 2000. [6714]

In August, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority published detailed guidance for schools and colleges. This is available on its website. A copy has been placed in the Library.On 12 September, the Joint Council for General Qualifications issued guidance to schools and colleges about measures designed to reduce "burden of assessment".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from Oxfordshire county council concerning teacher shortages. [6715]

Officials have maintained regular contact with Oxfordshire local education authority over recent months. The LEA and schools are working hard to recruit the teachers they need and I am pleased to be able to report that schools in Oxfordshire are operating normally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings she has had with the National Union of Teachers to discuss the Government's White Paper on education. [6716]

My right hon. Friend met the National Union of Teachers at the time of the launch to brief them on the White Paper and again on 4 October 2001 to discuss the proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what effect the Connexions service has had on levels of participation and attainment. [6718]

Since April 2001, 15 out of a total of 47 Connexions partnerships have commenced operation. The remaining partnerships will be phased in during 2002–03. Raising the levels of participation and attainment of young people in education and training in conjunction with other partners is seen as a key objective of the new service and is reflected in the priorities and targets of all Connexions partnerships. The progress of partnerships towards meeting these key targets will form an important part of the performance review process in future years once relevant annual data covering participation and achievement become available from 2002 onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the future of individual learning accounts. [10372]

The individual learning account (ILA) programme is to be withdrawn from 7 December in England. The programme has attracted over 2.5 million account holders and has been a great success in bringing down the financial barriers to learning. ILAs have opened up access for a great many people to a wide range of learning opportunities. However, the rapid growth of the scheme has exceeded all expectations, causing us to think again about how best to target public funds in this area and secure value for money. I also have concerns about the way in which some ILAs have been promoted and sold. There is growing evidence that some companies are abusing the scheme by offering low value, poor quality learning.The scheme is now closed to applications for new accounts, but learning begun by existing account holders will continue to be supported provided it is booked with the ILA centre by 7 December. We remain committed to a forward-looking policy of encouraging the widest possible participation in lifelong learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the funding of failing schools and strategies to improve them. [6692]

The Standards Fund supports expenditure required to bring schools out of special measures. LEAs and schools may provide additional funding focused on action to secure improvements.Governors of every school on special measures and the LEA are required to produce an action plan setting out how they are addressing causes of failure. The effectiveness of a school's actions is monitored by OFSTED. My Department works with LEAs to challenge and support actions under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many ministerial decisions were made where authority for the same derived from the royal prerogative for the most recent calendar month for which information is available. [9368]

Records are not kept of the individual occasions on which powers under the royal prerogative are exercised, nor would it be practicable to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress she has made in the review of the LEA funding formula. [6691]

We have two working groups, comprising local government and schools partners, developing proposals for a new LEA funding system. To ensure that we get the formula right, we have decided to implement reform in 2003–04 rather than 2002–3. This will allow us to see the impact of all the changes we will be making to local authority finance, not just those which affect education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about the operation of the new funding for post-16 education in Northumberland. [6699]

Funding for school sixth forms in Northumberland this year is provided by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The Learning and Skills Council provides funding for further education and work-based training. From April 2002 responsibility for funding school sixth forms will transfer to the Learning and Skills Council. Funds will continue to reach schools via the Local Education Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about standards in primary schools. [6698]

There has been a substantial rise in primary school standards following the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Since 1998, there has been a 10 per cent. point improvement to 75 per cent. in the number of pupils achieving the expected standard for their age in the Key Stage 2 English tests and a 12 per cent. point improvement to 71 per cent. in maths. We remain committed to raising standards further and achieving the challenging targets we have set.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings she has had with Ofsted to discuss standards of discipline in schools in Somerset. [6684]

My right hon. Friend has not taken part in any meetings with Ofsted about school discipline in Somerset. However, we do meet Ofsted colleagues regularly, and standards of discipline in a particular local education authority will be discussed if an inspection of that authority shows that standards are poor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to support the Aiding Communication in Education Centre North. [9815]

The Department for Education and Skills funds both the Aiding Communication in Education (ACE) Centre North and the Aiding Communication in Education Centre Advisory Trust through the British Education Communications and Technology Agency (Becta).We are currently working with the ACE Centre North to support its transition to charitable status. We will continue to support the valuable work of these centres in providing services for children and young people who use communication aids.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the share of gross domestic product spent on education in each year since 1992–93. [8878]

[holding answer 19 October 2001]: The amount of gross domestic product spent on education between 1992 and 1997 fell from 5.1 per cent. to 4.6 per cent. Between 1998 and 2002 it will have risen from 4.5 per cent. to 5.0 per cent. This translates to a cash increase of almost £11 billion. It is estimated to rise to 5.3 per cent. by 2003–04, which means the Government will have kept their manifesto promise to increase the proportion of national income spent on education in this Parliament.Public sector education spending in the United Kingdom as a proportion of GDP in each year since 1992–93 is shown in the table:

	Percentage
1992–93	5.1
1993–94	5.1

	Percentage
1994–95	5.0
1995–96	4.9
1996–97	4.7
1997–98	4.6
1998–99	4.5
1999–2000	4.5
2000–011	4.8
2001–021	5.0
2002–032	5.1
2003–042	5.3
1Estimate
2Forecast figures

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will announce the results of the recent consultation on proposals to place union learning representatives on a statutory footing. [10237]

I am pleased to announce today the results of the consultation. There were 89 responses and the majority of respondents agreed strongly with the proposals in the consultation document that learning representatives should qualify as such if elected or appointed according to the rules of the union and that they should undergo training within a specified period. There was much general support for the production of a Code of Practice to help with the implementation of the practical implications of the proposals. This will include guidance on reasonable time off and the use of facilities. We will introduce legislation on this at the earliest opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many safe cells will be installed in (a) prisons and (b) police stations in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year. [8457]

A total of 681 safer cells will be installed in prisons in 2001–02, and there is at present financial provision for a further 531 in 2002–03. These include 576 in 2001–02, and in 2002–03, in Design, Construction, Management and Finance (DCMF) prisons in which elements of the safer cell are being incorporated.Safer cells are not fitted at police stations, but each of the 43 forces will continue to upgrade cells to reduce ligature points. There are no figures available for the number of cells to be improved in this manner either for this year or the next financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners accommodated in safe cells have committed suicide in the last five years. [8459]

One. The cause of death is not yet known as the inquest is outstanding.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many safe cells were installed in (a) prisons and (b) police stations in each of the last five years. [8458]

The table shows the numbers of safer cells installed in prisons in each of last five years. These include 2,441 cells in Design, Construction, Management and finance (DCMF) prisons in which elements of the safer cell are incorporated. Safer cells are not fitted at police stations, but each of the 43 forces will be upgrading cells to reduce ligature points as and when funds allow.

The number of safer prison service cells installed in prisons from 1997–2002
Year	Total
1997–98	10
1998–99	120
1999–2000	10
2000–01	1,919
2001–02	681
Full total	2,740

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners committed suicide in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many were (a) male, (b) female, (c) on remand and (d) aged under 21 years. [8456]

Statistics for the number of self-inflicted prisoner deaths between 1996–2000 are shown in the table.

Number of suicides in England and Wales in each of the years 1996 to 2000 by gender, on remand and under 21 years of age
Year	Total	Male	Female	On Remand	Under 21 years
1996	64	62	2	31	12
1997	68	65	3	26	9
1998	82	79	3	39	14
1999	91	86	5	45	14
2000	81	73	8	39	16

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil on 20 July [ref. 373]. [9959]

I replied to the hon. Member on 24 October 2001, Official Report, column 288W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued under the fast track scheme for shortage occupations in the period since the introduction of this scheme; how many permits were issued for shortage occupations as a proportion of the total; and if he will make a statement. [9443]

The number of work permits issued for Tier 1 applications can only be given from 1 October 1999 which are 120,750 of which 65,002 are shortage occupations. The shortage skills occupation category was first introduced into the work permit arrangements in February 1990. The number of work permits issued for shortage occupations since that date are not available as the way in which work permit management information is collected was changed on 1 October 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued to IT professionals in (a) the last year and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9446]

The number of work permits which were issued to Information Technology professionals in the last year, from 1 October 2000 until 30 September 2001 was 28,191. The number of work permits issued in the period 1 September to 30 September 2001, which is the latest period available is 1,477.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued in the last 12 months to immigrants from India and Pakistan seeking employment in the IT industry. [9382]

The number of work permits approved in the last 12 months for Indian nationals seeking employment in the Information Technology (IT) industry was 16,575. The number approved for nationals from Pakistan seeking employment in the IT industry was 342.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the period between the commencement of the home detention curfew scheme on 28 January 1999 and 30 September 2001, what are (a) the total number of prisoners released on the scheme, (b) the number of prisoners convicted of each specific offence who were released on the scheme, with a breakdown of the offences committed, including the specific offences committed by prisoners normally classified under the categories (i) other homicide and attempted homicide, (ii) other violence against the person, (iii) drug offences, (iv) assaults and (v) other offences, including a breakdown of the prisoners normally classified in the sub-category of other offences called other offences, (c) the average sentence (1) received and (2) served, and the average period spent on the scheme, in respect of each specific offence, (d) the number of prisoners released on the scheme, with a breakdown of the offences committed, who (A) breached the conditions of the curfew, (B) disappeared and were recaptured, (C) disappeared and remain unlawfully at large and (D) had their licences revoked, and for what reasons, (e) a breakdown of the specific offences committed by prisoners released on the scheme while on the scheme, including all offences committed by prisoners who committed more than one offence and (f) a breakdown of the specific offences committed by prisoners released on the scheme who committed a further offence while on the scheme that was similar in character to that for which they were originally convicted, including all offences committed by prisoners who committed more than one offence; and if he will make a statement. [9476]

I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to permit asylum seekers to take paid employment; and if he will make a statement. [9455]

We do not presently envisage any changes to the operation of the employment concession for asylum seekers. Under the terms of the employment concession adult asylum seekers can apply for permission to work if their application has been outstanding for longer than six months without a decision being made on it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost per week of detaining an asylum seeker (a) in prison and (b) in a closed reception centre; and if he will make a statement. [9456]

(a) The weekly cost of detaining an immigration detainee in prison is set out in the table.

Location	Cost per place	Cost per prisoner
Male locals	495	455
Haslar	323	360

These data are derived from the annual report for that year. We do not publish figures for cost per week so the above data have been derived by dividing the annual outturn by 52 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the organisations involved in asylum seeker support and advice who have expressed to him their views on the voucher scheme; what proportion of them opposed it; and if he will make a statement. [9448]

We have undertaken to place a list of the organisations that contributed to the review in the Library of the House, together with copies of their responses. A summary of the responses will be published in the review report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the level of support to asylum seekers including dependants, increased in the year 2001; and if he will make a statement. [9447]

The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is only responsible for setting the support levels for the asylum seekers it is supporting directly. NASS has not increased its levels of support in 2001. Individual local authorities are responsible for setting the level of support paid to asylum seekers supported under the interim scheme and there is no central record of the amounts paid. But the grant paid by the Home Office is subject to unit cost limits.Some asylum seekers remain eligible for support under the income support arrangements. It is understood that the rates for adults and children were increased in April and that there was a further increase in the income support rate for children yesterday. In most cases, asylum seekers in receipt of income support will also get their full housing costs paid through housing benefit.My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary intends to make a statement on the voucher review before the end of the month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of every £10 allocated for vouchers to asylum seekers is spent on administering the support arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [9454]

Of the total amount spent by the Home Office on supporting destitute asylum seekers just over 3 per cent. can be identified as administration costs. This includes grants to the voluntary sector for the provision of services associated with the current support arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers and dependants whose applications have not been determined have been detained in custody for (a) over 25 days, (b) over 50 days, and (c) over 100 days; and if he will make a statement. [9452]

The latest published information on the number of asylum seekers detained under Immigration Act powers relates to 30 June 2001. Information on the length of detention of persons detained as at this date is given in the table.

Detained asylum seekers as at 30 June 2001
Length of detention1	Number2
More than 25 days	850
of which:
more than 50 days	640
more than 100 days	365
1 Relates to current period of detention; where persons have been transferred to and subsequently from the Oakington Reception Centre, the time in detention prior to Oakington is excluded.
2 Figures rounded to the nearest five, and exclude persons detained in police cells and the Oakington Reception Centre. Figures include 100 persons who are recorded as being detained under dual immigration and other powers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers and dependants were held in detention on the last day of each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of these were detained in prison. [9453]

As at 30 June 2001, 1,515 persons (to the nearest five) who are recorded as having claimed asylum at some point were being held in detention under Immigration Act powers. Of these, 880 (58 per cent.) were held in prison service establishments, which includes 400 persons detained in the dedicated Immigration Service wings at Haslar, Lindholme and Rochester, and 135 persons detained under dual immigration and other powers. Information on the number of asylum seekers held in immigration detention is not available prior to 30 June 2001. More recent information is not currently available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum appeals have (i) taken place and (ii) have failed and (b) failed asylum seekers, excluding dependants, were removed in (A) 1998, (B) 1999, (C) 2000 and (D) 2001; and if he will make a statement. [9458]

The information requested is given in the table. The information on appeals relates to first appeals only (excluding appeals to the Tribunal, or a higher court). Appeal outcomes and removals in any given time-period do not necessarily relate to one another.

	Asylum appeals
	Determined by IAA1	Of which dismissed2	Removals
1998	25,320	21,195	6,990
1999	19,460	11,135	37,665
2000	19,395	15,580	3,48,980
2001 January-July	423,760	19,4704	3,4,54,170
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 Immigration Appellate Authority.
3 Estimates based on Presenting Officer's Unit data.
4 Includes persons returned under the Voluntary Assisted Returns Programme.
5 Covers the period January to June only. Excludes dependants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the voucher scheme for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [9449]

We are reviewing the operation of the voucher scheme. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary intends to make a full statement on immigration and asylum policy later this month. The outcome of the voucher and dispersal reviews will he announced at the same time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women, (b) children under 14 and (c) children aged between 14 and 18 asylum seekers and relatives of asylum seekers are detained (i) in prison arid (ii) in closed reception centres; and if he will make a statement. [9460]

The latest published information on the number of asylum seekers detained under Immigration Act powers relates to 30 June 2001. As at that date, 25 females (to the nearest five) who are recorded as having sought asylum at some point were being held in immigration detention centres, and 10 females were being held in prison service establishments, most of whom were being held under dual Immigration Act and other powers. Information on the age of detainees is not available except by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost, so it is not possible to determine the number of children detained. The requested information is not available for the Oakington Reception Centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the availability of (a) work and (b) courses in building trades in HM prisons. [8612]

Around 800 prisoners at any time are employed by prison works departments on minor maintenance work in establishments. Around 1,100 prisoners at any time are engaged in construction industry training courses across 69 establishments running 134 courses. These cover painting and decorating, bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing and other building trades. The Prison Service is seeking through this and other work and training activity to increase the proportion of prisoners able to gain employment on release.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to review (a) the targets and (b) the policy on drugs relating to 16 to 24-year-olds. [8647]

We are currently reviewing progress against all the Drugs Strategy targets as part of the work for the 2002 Spending Review, to ensure that we still have the right balance and focus. This supports the hard work already done by Keith Hellawell. As the Home Secretary indicated in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 October 2001, he is also seeking advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on their assessment for reclassifying cannabis from Class B to Class C, proposing an innovative public awareness campaign on drugs aimed at young people, providing £1 million as a starter fund for a pilot project to help police target regional drug traffickers with a view to a national roll-out of the scheme, proposing the roll-out of drug testing programmes, and a series of measures, in partnership with the Department of Health, to minimise the harm drugs cause.Addressing substance misuse among 16 to 24-year-olds is a key priority in delivering the Strategy. We are developing our policy and approach in a number of areas, such as in improving the planning and co-ordination of the delivery of services for young people through "Young People's Substance Misuse Plans". These will help integrate the work of the Drug Action Teams, responsible at local level for delivering education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation measures, with other children's services. We will shortly be launching a consultation exercise on ways of supporting effective joint working at local level.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) oral and (b) written appeals concerning family visits to the UK were disposed of in each of the last 12 months; what proportion were successful; and if he will make a statement. [9445]

I have been asked to reply.The number of family visit visa appeals disposed of by Adjudicators in each of the last 12 months and the proportion successful is set out in the table.

	Oral appeal disposals (numbers)	Proportion successful (percentage)	Written appeal disposals (number)	Proportion successful (percentage)
2000
October	0	n/a	0	n/a
November	0	n/a	22	45
December	7	57	45	18
2001
January	9	56	93	49
February	12	92	57	30
March	71	59	138	25
April	70	69	131	44
May	96	70	161	39
June	148	67	263	33
July	297	75	214	45
August	239	77	350	41
September	228	68	240	36

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the roll-out of the combined pension statement has been delayed. [8973]

Roll-out of the new combined pension forecasting service, which is a joint initiative between the Department and the pensions industry, began, as planned, from October 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the expenditure by her Department in each of the years (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000, (e) 2000–01, (f) 2001–02 and (g) 2002–03 (estimated) was allocated with reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation; which expenditure programmes are allocated with respect to this index and other measures of relative geographic deprivation; and if he will make a statement. [8938]

None. Expenditure on the benefit programme is determined by the number of benefit claimants who satisfy the qualifying conditions that apply to a particular benefit. Similarly, the employment programmes offer help to all people seeking work providing they meet any criteria for entry to a particular programme. Certain employment programmes—Action Teams and Employment Zones—are designed to support people in disadvantaged areas, but expenditure on these is not allocated with specific reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the process for (a) deferments, (b) exemptions and (c) waivers, set out in the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001; [8047](2) when he will issue written guidance to offices on the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [8046]

Information on the process for deferrals, waivers and exemptions is set out in the guidance for Jobcentre Plus staff which was sent to offices on 10 September 2001. A copy has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [7236]

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 it is responsible is as follows:All staff outside the Senior Civil Service are able to elect to remain in employment beyond the minimum retirement age of 60 for any period of time up to 65, at which age staff must retire. Under the Civil Service management code, Senior Civil Servants are required to retire at 60.Staff may also be retired on compulsory early retirement or severance terms on grounds of structure, and on compulsory early retirement terms on grounds of limited efficiency. In addition, as a pre-redundancy measure, volunteers can be sought to leave on compulsory terms to avoid compulsory redundancies. Early retirement applies to staff aged 50 and over; early severance applies to staff aged under 50.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total value of London weightings and London living allowances for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [6848]

The total value of London weightings and London living allowances for the Department for Work and Pensions is £49,737,543.London weightings and London allowances account for 2 per cent. of the Department's total wage bill. London staff represent 12 per cent. of the total staff in the Department.These figures are correct as at 31 August 2001.

Building projects—expenditure
£ million
Description	Site	2001–02	2002–03	Total cost
Extension on existing site for the Pension Service.	Tyneview Park, Newcastle	n/a	n/a	110.0
Adaptation of three buildings for the Pension Service to accommodate circa 500 staff in each building.	Dundee	4.09	0.05	4.14
	Simonstone, Burnley	1.96	0.02	1.98
	Swansea	1.98	0.02	2.00
Provision of new, and reconstruction of existing, portacabins to accommodate staff on modernisation projects.	Lytham St. Annes	2.5	—	2.5
Construction project (new build) to provide Pathfinder Office for JobCentre Plus.	Birmingham South West	3.0	—	3.0
Reconstruction of a commercial premises to re-house staff in support of the Government's modernisation programme in Sheffield.	Sheffield	0.135	3.99	4.125
1 The equivalent cost for Tyneview Park is given as this is part of an Inland Revenue-led PFI project and hence no capital cost is involved.

Refurbishment projects—expenditure 2001–02
£ million
Description	Site	1Total
Renovation and refurbishment of existing DWP office buildings to provide new Pathfinder Offices for JobCentre Plus.	Aberdeen	1.33
	Blackburn	2.663
	Greenock	2.091
	Harlesden	1.79
	Kilburn	1.31
	Neasden	1.69
	Port Glasgow	1.47
	Southend	1.39
	Streatham	1.515
	Wallasey	2.404
	Wembley	1.25
Renovation and refurbishment of existing DWP accommodation (in three buildings) to house staff to administer Carers Allowance for over 60s.	Preston Office Centre	1.0
1 All refurbishment projects to be delivered this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil on 20 July [ref. 428]. [9961]

I answered these questions today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects are planned by his Department in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the costs will be of each project. [6594]

Details of building and refurbishment projects that will be completed within this financial year and the next are given in the tables. Information is provided only in respect of projects costing £1 million or over in total. No building or refurbishment projects have so far been approved to commence in the next financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many PFI transactions have been overseen by his Department in each of the last 10 years; what his estimate is of the cost savings made in each of these transactions in comparison with the public sector alternative; what are the outstanding payments to be made in relation to these transactions for each of the next 15 years; and if he will make a statement; [5720]

The NIO has had no involvement with PFI projects over the last 10 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the spinal injuries units in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [6751]

[holding answer 15 October 2001]: There are eight units in England as follows:

Middlesbrough: South Cleveland Hospital

Oswestry: Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital

Salisbury: Odstock Hospital

Sheffield: Northern General Hospital

Southport: Southport and Formby General Hospital

Stanmore: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital

Stoke Mandeville: Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

On 28 February 2001 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that a National Service Framework would be developed for long term conditions, and that this would have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease and brain and spinal injury.Issues relating to Wales are matters for the devolved Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when information will be provided on the criteria and deadline for applications to the maternity services capital fund; if funds from the fund can be used to create midwifery-led birth centres in existing maternity centres; and if funding will be approved for the creation of (a) stand-alone birth centres and (b) birth centres within a community and cottage hospital. [7072]