To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on small businesses of the requirement to take refrigerators to scrap yards after 1 January 2002. [12689]

These requirements are a policy matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment. However, officials in the Department have been assisting those in DEFRA to consult small businesses about this issue, and to consider the wider implications for small businesses as the policy is developed.DEFRA is currently assessing what financial assistance local authorities will require, in keeping with the new burdens procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representatives her Department had at the International Atomic Energy Agency's conference on nuclear terrorism in Vienna; what recommendations for action by the United Kingdom Government were made at the conference; and what further discussions she intends to have with the IAEA in respect of security at civil nuclear installations. [13230]

Officials from the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and the Export Control and Non-Proliferation Directorate within my Department participated at the International Atomic Energy Agency's symposium on nuclear safeguards, verification and security held in Vienna between 29 October and 2 November. This included a special session on 2 November focused on the issue of combating nuclear terrorism. The special session consisted of preparations on a number of issues around the response to the threat of nuclear terrorism.The IAEA Secretariat will he presenting a preliminary report to the IAEA's Board of Governors later this month on current and planned activities relevant to protecting against acts of nuclear terrorism, and ideas for new and expanded activities for the agency to undertake. The UK is an active member of the Board of Governors, and will consider carefully the agency's proposed activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if initial findings submitted to the strategic steering group as part of the Helping the UK get to the Future First and Business Support reviews will be made available to opposition parties. [12520]

The reviews of my Department's priorities and structure of my Department's support for business are continuing. I propose to make a public announcement about them as soon as their recommendations are ready.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome of the Research Council held in Brussels on 30 October was; what the Government's stance on each issue discussed, including their voting record was; and if she will make a statement. [12018]

The Research Council which was held in Luxembourg on 30 October:

1. Held a general debate on Commission proposals for the next EU Research and Development Framework Programme 2002–06, including the proposed new funding instruments, and the next EURATOM Research and Development Framework Programme 2002–06. The Government reiterated their support for a focused programme, aimed at achieving added value through European co-operation, and for improving the efficiency of financial arrangements. The Council agreed to set up an expert working group to examine the future development of research on nuclear fusion.

2. Adopted Council conclusions on the possible application of Article 169 concerning the voluntary networking of national programmes.

3. Received a presentation from the Commission of its Communication on the regional dimension of the European Research Area.

4. Received a presentation by the Commission on a draft European Community action plan on the Global Monitoring of Environmental Security (GMES) satellite initiative. The Government welcomed the emphasis on users' needs in the proposed action plan, but underlined the risks of a potential overlap with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

5. Received information from the Commission on the networking of member states' activities in the field of therapeutic AIDS trials.

6. Under Other Business, the Council agreed in principle a proposal by the Belgian presidency to set up an expert group of member states' representatives to examine the scope for co-operation in research aimed at countering bio-terrorism.

7. No votes were taken at the Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings Ministers have had with the Institute of Directors in each of the last five years. [10092]

Since 2 May 1997 DTI Ministers have had formal meetings with representatives from the Institute of Directors on the following number of occasions:

Year	Number of occasions
1997	5
1998	4
1999	4
2000	7
2001	3

In addition, in the normal course of Government business DTI Ministers will have had more informal contact with representatives from the Institute of Directors on other occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings Ministers have held with the Institute of Management in each of the last five years. [10093]

Since 2 May 1997 DTI Ministers have had formal meetings with representatives from the Institute of Management on the following occasions.

Year	Number of occasions
2000	3
2001	1

In addition, in the normal course of Government business DTI Ministers will have had more informal contact with representatives from the Institute of Management on other occasions.

Capacity of coal stations owned by major power producers1 in the UK in DNC2 terms
MW
End month	Coal fired	Oil fired	Mixed or dual fired3	Gas fired (CCGT)4	Gas turbines and oil engines
March 1990	34,583	12,847	5,434	—	3,356
March 1991	34,298	11,895	5,172	—	3,130
March 1992	32,686	10,817	4,806	229	2,968
March 1993	30,523	8,556	5,781	1,129	2,539
March 1994	29,132	6.317	5,694	5,463	2,248
March 1995	27,774	5,145	5,534	8,364	1,895
March 1996	27,494	5,214	5,534	9,034	1,890
December 19965	25,976	3,989	8,445	12,052	1,721
December 1997	25,976	4,069	7,530	12,252	1,526
December 1998	25,324	2,829	6,928	14,638	1.492
December 1999	25,581	2,829	7,017	16,110	1,333
December 2000	24,835	3,514	6,872	19,349	1,243
1 Companies whose prime purpose is the generation of electricity. The total fossil fuel capacity of other generators was 3,284 MW in March 1990 rising to 5,358 MW in December 2000.
2 Declared net capability.
3 Mixed or dual fired covers stations that can be fuelled by more than one fuel either as alternatives or simultaneously. So as not to disclose information provided in confidence about individual stations, this category also includes gas fired stations that are not combined cycle gas turbine stations.
4 Combined cycle gas turbine stations.
5 In 1996 a change was made to measure capacity at the end of the calendar year rather than at the end of March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total amount of electricity generated from fossil fuel sources (a) in total and (b) for each fossil fuel type, in the UK in each year since 1990. [13288]

The available information is as follows:

GWh
	Electricity supplied from coal	Electricity supplied from oil	Electricity supplied from gas	Total electricity supplied from fossil fuels
19901	n/a	n/a	n/a	246,114
19911	n/a	n/a	n/a	245,368
19921	n/a	n/a	n/a	236,034
1993	170,276	20,038	32,930	223,244
1994	161,739	14,075	49,526	225,340
1995	157,240	12,480	63,323	233,043
1996	146,856	13,677	82,959	243,492
1997	119,627	7,854	109,515	236,996

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is in relation to the provision of (a) operating aid, (b) employment aid and (c) investment aid in the Objective 1 regions under Article 87(3)a of the EC Treaty; and what representations she has received on this issue. [12398]

Our policy is to support aid which addresses market failure and which speeds economic reform but which does not distort competition. I have received no recent representations about aid in Objective 1 regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the installed capacity of fossil fuel generation for each fossil fuel type in the UK in each year since 1990. [13290]

The available information is as follows:

GWh
	Electricity supplied from coal	Electricity supplied from oil	Electricity supplied from gas	Total electricity supplied from fossil fuels
1998	122,953	6,360	117,858	247,171
1999	106,112	5,685	143,052	254,849
2000	119,960	5,597	146,807	272,364
1 Before 1993 electricity supplied statistics were disaggregated by type of station rather than type of fuel so only the total for fossil fuels is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total installed capacity of renewable energy generation in the UK in each year since 1990. [13292]

The available information is as follows:

MW
End December	Capacity of renewable energy generation in the UK in DNC1terms
1990	1,234.8
1991	1,572.7
1992	1,644.5
1993	1,743.0
1994	1,795.3
1995	1,831.1
1996	1,962.0
1997	2,008.1
1998	2,171.3
1999	2,273.4
2000	2,439.7
1 Declared net capacity

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the proportion of electricity generated from (a) renewable and (b) UK-based renewable sources since 1990 (i) in total and (ii) compared with each fossil fuel type; [13286](2) what was the

The available information is as follows. Nuclear sources account for the proportion of generation that was neither from renewables nor fossil fuels. On b(i), the fuel source of imported electricity is not recorded separately in DTI statistics. It is assumed that electricity imported from France in these years was from non-fossil sources:

		Proportion of total electricity generated in the UK that was from:
Year	Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK (GWh)	Renewable sources (percentage)	Fossil fuel sources (percentage)
1990	5,894	1.8	77
1991	5,409	1.7	76
1992	6,502	2.1	74
1993	5,883	1.8	69
1994	7,307	2.2	69
1995	7,283	2.2	70
1996	6,101	1.8	68
1997	7,428	2.1	68
1998	9,231	2.5	68
1999	10,199	2.8	69
2000	10,476	2.8	73

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she proposes to improve the postal service; and if she will make a statement. [12591]

Under our reform package for postal services, which was fully implemented on 26 March this year, Consignia has greater commercial freedom to compete more efficiently and effectively. There is now a new independent regulator, the Postal Services Commission, whose primary responsibility is to maintain the provision of a universal postal service at a uniform tariff. The commission has set tough standards of service for Consignia and is monitoring them closely. In addition, the commission can and has licensed other companies to compete with Consignia which will benefit consumers through more choice and better quality services. The commission recently completed a comprehensive consultation exercise on the introduction of competition and is expected to come forward with a report and recommendations shortly.The Consumer Council for Postal Services, known as Postwatch, replaced the Post Office Users National Council, and will investigate consumer complaints if these have not been satisfactorily resolved with Consignia. Postwatch has wider powers and duties than POUNC and works closely with Postcomm to monitor the quality of postal services in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the bodies found in the mass grave at Dragodan, Pristina have been identified, broken down by (a) ethnic background and (b) sex. [10450]

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former 'Yugoslavia (ICTY) has exhumed 210 bodies from individual graves at the cemetery in Dragodan, Pristina. Of the bodies exhumed, 36 were females and 139 were male. The gender of 35 bodies could not be identified.According to the Missing Persons Unit of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), 52 of the 210 bodies have been identified to date. Five bodies were Kosovo Serbs (four male and one female). Forty-seven bodies were Kosovo Albanians (40 male and seven female).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of running (a) British high commission offices and (b) British embassy offices in each of the last three years. [12083]

The total costs of running British high commissions and embassies for the years in question are as follows:

£ million
	(a) British high commissions	(b) British embassies
1998–99	148.35	510.99
1999–2000	113.50	442.74
2000–01	127.01	479.40

The apparent fall in costs between the first and second years is due to the switch from cash accounting to resource accounting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences of a failure of the Government of Gibraltar to participate in the Brussels process. [12017]

When the Foreign Secretary met the Spanish Foreign Minister on 26 July for talks under the Brussels process, they confirmed that Gibraltarian engagement would be an important element in carrying the process forward and that they would welcome the attendance of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar at future ministerial meetings. This remains the case and both we and the Government of Spain very much hope that the Chief Minister of Gibraltar will participate at the ministerial meeting due to be held in Barcelona on 20 November.The Government believe that through the dialogue in the recently resumed Brussels process, we shall build a better future for the people of Gibraltar, including normalising relations with Spain, and that all should welcome this. I refer the hon. Member to my speech to Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001,

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he (a) last met and (b) next plans to meet representatives of the Spanish Government to discuss the future of Gibraltar. [12383]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 121W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of Gibraltar. [12381]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's briefing of 30 October on the future of Gibraltar. [12961]

I refer my hon. Friends to my statement in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy relating to the sovereignty of Gibraltar. [12831]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) on 30 October 2001, Official Report,? columns 737–39, and to the speech I made in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements were made for discussions with representatives of (a) Government, (b) industrial, (c) commercial and (d) other organisations during his visit to south and central America. [12880]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not yet visited south or central America since taking office. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, together with a delegation of business leaders, visited Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in July-August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution his Department has made to the Plan for Africa. [11349]

The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD—formerly known as the New African Initiative) will require a broad international response, ranging form support to some of NEPAD's programmatic elements to action in the EU, OECD, UN and other international forums. No specific financial commitments have yet been met.The Prime Minister has appointed Baroness Amos as his personal representative in developing a G8 Action Plan for Africa to be adopted at the at the 2002 G8 Summit in Canada. The first meeting of G8 Heads of State personal representatives was held in London 17 to 19 October. They agreed to consult widely with other development partners, with the private sector, civil society and international organisations. They have further meetings planned which will include dialogue with African partners. The elements in the Action Plan will be evolved in the context of these meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish his Green Paper on private military companies. [13427]

Preparation of the Green Paper is now well advanced. I will keep the House informed of progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will meet representatives of Save the Children to consider what action can be taken by the Government to reunite separated children with their families in the Afghanistan area. [12696]

As part of our response to the current crisis, my Department is supporting Save the Children's work in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which encompasses health, education and shelter in addition to child protection activities.We are also supporting the Red Cross movement and UNICEF for their work in child protection, food supply, water and sanitation, shelter and health.All these organisations are experienced in the important activity of reuniting separated families in humanitarian crises.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what she is doing to ensure that refugee camps in Pakistan comply with internationally agreed standards; [12906]

Pakistan has been shouldering the burden of some 2 million refugees from Afghanistan for many years. This is in addition to the estimated 100,000 people who have moved into Pakistan from Afghanistan since 11 September. Over the last 20 years, these refugees have been hosted in camps or absorbed into communities. The majority of the camps in Pakistan pre-date the agreement of the international sphere standards.We must of course do all we can to ensure that all refugees are properly cared for. And the international community must do more to give Pakistan all possible support in coping with this burden and making progress towards improving standards in camps.So far my Department has committed £3 million to UNHCR's operations in response to the current crisis, to support its operations for refugees. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR in Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites. In addition we have allocated £5 million to support NGOs, much of which will be directed towards Afghans in Pakistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of (a) the impact on British businesses of the proposed physical agents directive and (b) its cost to British business. [11855]

Regulatory Impact Assessments of the common position on both proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise have been prepared by the Health and Safety Executive. The RIA on the vibration directive has already been submitted to the European Scrutiny Committee and is available in the House of Commons Library; I will shortly submit the RIA on the noise directive and place it in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on compensation payable to residents for property blight arising from the construction of the Aston Clinton bypass. [11862]

The Highways Agency is able to confirm that two properties need to be acquired in order to construct the A41 London-Birmingham Trunk Road (Aston Clinton Bypass). They are being acquired under Compulsory Purchase Order (C.P.0) (No. SW14) 1997 and compensation for these properties will be at market value. Statutory property blight, which could require us to buy a property adversely affected by the announcement of a road scheme before a C.P.O is issued, did not apply in this instance because no request to purchase was received from the owner occupiers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the system of buildings inspection by approved inspectors. [12645]

Building control by approved inspectors is provided for under the Building Act 1984 and the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2000. People intending to carry out work subject to the building regulations may opt to engage an approved inspector as an alternative to asking the local authority to carry out building control. This competitive situation is widely regarded as a stimulus to better, more efficient building control services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures he proposes to encourage people to travel by air. [R] [12974]

The Government are working hard to help return the aviation industry to business as usual as quickly as possible.Following the events of 11 September security measures have been enhanced at all UK airports and for all flights from the UK. We are carrying out a fundamental review of aviation security to ensure that air travel is as safe from terrorist attacks as we can make it while, at the same time, balancing security with our freedom to travel.Alongside increased security measures and intervention to provide the industry with third party war risk insurance, the Government are also actively involved in helping to restore confidence in air travel. As part of this I undertook a programme of visits to airports on 25 October, taking in Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Bristol, which gave me the opportunity to press home the message that we should not let the fear of terrorism undermine our freedom to fly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of Croydon Tramlink. [12754]

This is a matter for the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the expenditure on Port Health was in each of the last five years and what the estimated outturn is for the next three years. [12725]

[holding answer 6 November 200I]: English local authorities have reported the following expenditure on Port Health. This information was not collected centrally after 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what European Union guidelines he uses in evaluating the environmental impact of proposed bypass schemes. [13150]

When draft orders are prepared for a road scheme, including a bypass, where the land required exceeds one hectare an environmental statement assessing the environmental impact is required under European Community Directive 85/337/EEC as amended by Directive 97/11/EC. The EC Directive sets out the information specified in the environmental statement but guidelines on evaluating the environmental impact are matters for each member state.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what (a) action he is taking and (b) further plans he has to support the civil aviation industry following the terrorist attacks on 11 September; [13236](2) what discussions he has had with

We have had discussions with airlines and other bodies connected with the aviation industry, including union representatives, to consider the economic consequences for the industry of the 11 September terrorist attacks. The Government have underwritten, on a temporary basis, third party war risk insurance for UK airlines and service providers to the aviation industry and are considering whether further support should be made available within European Commission guidelines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what plans he has to increase the minimum distance between the seat back cushion and the back of the seat in front on all UK-registered aircraft over 5,700 kg MTWA which carry 20 passengers or more; [11810](2)what plans he has to commission research into the need to alter the minimum vertically projected distance between

The Anthropometric Study to Update Minimum Aircraft Seating Standards was initiated by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) in order to examine how the most recent data on human dimensions may be used to assess the way passengers sit in their seats and their ability efficiently to evacuate an aircraft in an emergency. In addition some other aspects, such as the adoption of recommended brace positions, were also examined.The study, commissioned by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on behalf of the JAA, was carried out by consultants ICE Ergonomics. It made a number of recommendations based on dimensions between seats and between seats and other structures.The development and application of airworthiness requirements and operational procedures related to emergency evacuation is the responsibility of the Safety Regulation Group of the CAA. Currently the CAA is the only member of the JAA to set legal minimum requirements for seat spacing. The Authority will consider the study's recommendations in consultation with other members of the JAA and industry, and, if considered appropriate, proposals will be made for amending the airworthiness requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to commission prospective research together with clinical and basic scientific support, into the incidence and cause of thrombo embolic disease among air travellers. [11919]

The World Health Organisation has recently announced a global research project into a number of aspects of Deep Vein Thrombosis. This Department, together with the Department of Health, is considering the extent to which the Government should participate in this work and will shortly announce plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to introduce compulsory foldaway foot leg rests in all UK-registered aircraft over 5,700 keg MTWA which carry 20 passengers or more. [11920]

Foot leg rests are already provided in many aircraft but not normally in economy class seats. Although their provision might improve the comfort of passengers, there is no evidence to suggest their absence represents a health risk. This is not therefore a matter for regulation but rather a commercial matter for airlines to decide what level of comfort to offer in a particular class of seating.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is on providing financial guarantees to the successor company to Railtrack; and if he will make a statement. [11336]

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report column 195W, and to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 671W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes he has made in the financial provision for transport services as a result of Railtrack's going into administration. [11339]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Lawrie Quinn) on 17 October 2001, Official Report, column 1230W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of current allocated Objective 1 money has been spent in Wales; and what percentage is committed to projects in Wales. [11121]

The operation of Objective 1, and the allocation of its funds, is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings he has attended in the last 12 months on Objective 1 money with (a) HM Treasury, (b) the Department of Trade and Industry, (c) the European Commission, (d) the National Assembly for Wales and (e) the Welsh Development Agency. [11120]

In the course of the last 12 months I have had meetings with representatives of all the bodies listed to discuss Objective 1 funding, among other issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many publications were issued by his Department in each of the last four years. [11820]

My Department was established on 1 July 1999 and issued no publications in 1999, one in 2000 and has issued one so far this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones), on 17 October 2001, Official Report, column 1153, what the conclusions were of the joint committee of Health Ministers from the UK Government and the devolved administrations held on 22 October. [12883]

JMC (Health) provides a forum for Ministers responsible for health services in all parts of the United Kingdom to work together on areas of shared interest to deliver improved health services for the people they serve. At the meeting on 22 October, the Health Ministers exchanged experiences on their respective modernisation agendas and affirmed the importance of continuing to share best practice, working in partnership on issues where they had similar aims and values for improving the patient experience of healthcare.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001; and on how many occasions in those years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (A) within and (B) outside his Department. [13136]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 10 July 2001, Official Report, columns 449–50W, on the World Athletics Championships, what indications she received from Mr. Gyulai regarding the IAAF's continuing commitment to holding the World Athletics Championships in London; and if they discussed a contingency plan for the games to be held outside the UK. [5383]

[holding answer 19 July 2001]: It has been my priority to keep the International Association of Athletic Federations IAAF fully informed at every stage about the review of the UK's arrangements for the 2005 World Athletics Championships. My Department has had the following contact with the IAAF prior to the decision to withdraw support for the Lee Valley project.2 July: I spoke to Istvan Gyulai, General Secretary of the IAAF by telephone to inform him that Sport England had commissioned Patrick Carter to review the Lee Valley project and to advise him that the Government were committed to staging the 2005 World Athletics Championships.6 August: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport met Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF, and Istvan Gyulai at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton.25 September: At my request, a senior DCMS official spoke to Istvan Gyulai to inform him that the Government were considering Patrick Carter's report and that we would advise him of the position as soon as the Government, Sport England and UK Athletics had reached a conclusion on staging the World Athletics Championships.During these discussions the question of switching the Championships outside the UK was not specifically raised. Once the decision to withdraw support from the Lee Valley project had been taken, David Moorcroft, Chief Executive of UK Athletics and I spoke to Lamine Diack and Istvan Gyulai on 4 October by telephone to let them know of our decision that Lee Valley was not viable and to say that we wanted to suggest to the IAAF that the Championships be switched to Sheffield. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and I met Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF, Istvan Gyulai and Robert Stimpson, IAAF Treasurer on 5 October. This meeting was also attended by David Hemery and David Moorcroft from UK Athletics, Patrick Carter and by officials from DCMS and Sport England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many parliamentary written questions regarding the Millennium Dome have been tabled since 1 May 1997; and how many answers to such questions have been subject to commercial confidentiality. [10620]

[holding answer 26 October 2001]: Of some 1,360 questions that have been answered on Dome and Millennium Experience issues since May 1997, 78 questions have been answered by my Department on which information requested has been subject to commercial confidentiality. This represents 5.73 per cent. of all questions answered.In addition, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has answered 21 questions relating to the Millennium Dome in which commercial confidentiality has been cited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the commercial value of the spectrum which will become available following the switch-off of analogue television. [12340]

The value of the spectrum will depend on a range of issues including the amount of spectrum that may become available, what the spectrum can be used for and how it might be packaged into licences for an award process, together with prospective licensees' own perception of the value of the resource at the time of award in the context of their business plans. It is not possible to anticipate these issues. However, to help consideration of the spectrum planning issues, we will shortly release a consultation document, as a strand of the Draft Digital Television Action Plan published recently, seeking views on the various ways that the spectrum might be ordered after switch over.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications she has received for membership of the advisory committee on the selection of the European City of Culture 2008; how many of the applicants are resident in Wales; when she expects to announce the membership of the panel; and if she will make a statement. [12848]

We have received 47 nominations and applications for membership of the independent advisory panel on the selection of the UK nomination for European Capital of Culture 2008. Of these, four are resident in Wales. We are also identifying possible candidates from the DCMS and Cabinet Office public appointments databases, which include many more people resident in Wales. We expect to announce the membership of the panel by March 2002. It will include at least one member from each of the four countries of the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many consultation documents were issued by her Department and its predecessors from (a) 15 October to 14 January, (b) 15 January to 14 April, (c) 15 April to 14 July and (d) 15 July to 14 October in each year from 1996. [12899]

My Department consults the public in a variety of ways, not simply through the publication of documents. Since 1998 we have, for example, held ministerially-led seminars in connection with our Departmental Spending Review; used specialist working groups to help formulate our national tourism strategy Tomorrow's Tourism; put consultation documents on our internet site, and issued press releases seeking views on whether particular buildings should be listed.No central record of every consultation document issued since October 1996 is held, but the approximate figures for DCMS and its predecessor, the Department of National Heritage, are:

From	To	Number of documents issued
15 October 1996	14 January 1997	0
15 January 1997	14 April 1997	0
15 April 1997	14 July 1997	1
15 July 1997	14 October 1997	2
15 October 1997	14 January 1998	0
15 January 1998	14 April 1998	2
15 April 1998	14 July 1998	2
15 July 1998	14 October 1998	2
15 October 1998	14 January 1999	2
15 January 1999	14 April 1999	1
15 April 1999	14 July 1999	2
15 July 1999	14 October 1999	0
15 October 1999	14 January 2000	3
15 January 2000	14 April 2000	0
15 April 2000	14 July 2000	4
15 July 2000	14 October 2000	3
15 October 2000	14 January 2001	5
15 January 2001	14 April 2001	4
15 April 2001	14 July 2001	1
15 July 2001	14 October 2001	4
15 October 2001	7 November 2001	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government money has been given to the Commonwealth stadium in Manchester. [13014]

None. The cost of the stadium, currently estimated at £110 million, is being met by Manchester city council with the support of a £77 million lottery grant from Sport England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she has taken to ensure that the mailing of households not recorded as holding television licences by the Television Licensing Authority is cost-effective. [12662]

Statutory responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the television licensing system rests with the BBC. Decisions on the resources allocated to different enforcement activities are therefore a matter for the BBC rather than the Government. However, the Corporation is accountable to the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee as to the value for money of the collection and enforcement arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft her Department recorded in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001; and on how many occasions in those years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (A) within and (B) outside his Department. [13129]

No cases of computer hacking or fraud, either by outsiders or internal staff were recorded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2000 or in 2001 to date.Two computers have been lost so far in 2001 with three computers lost in 2000.No Departmental computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers within or outside the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for North Thanet on political bias by broadcasting stations; and if she will make a statement. [12787]

[holding answer 6 November 2001]: I wrote to the hon. Member yesterday and I have arranged for copies of my letter to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter to her dated 14 June, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss M. Cowley. [6522]

My Private Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 3 August 2001.After a request from my right hon. Friend, the reply was resent on 14 August 2001 signed by myself.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of job losses in the countryside if foxhunting does not restart before Christmas. [10006]

[holding answer 25 October 2001]: It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of the potential number of job losses consequent on the suspension of hunting as a result of foot and mouth disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals were culled in Powys during the foot and mouth outbreak. [R] [12836]

The numbers of animals slaughtered on infected premises, dangerous contacts, contiguous premises and slaughter on suspicion cases in Powys are available on the DEFRA website (www.defra.gov.uk). The website is updated daily.

Figures for Powys as at 5 November 2001
		Dangerous contacts
Animals	IP	Contiguous	Non- contiguous	SOS	Total
Cattle	5,357	9,440	2,224	697	17,718
Sheep	50,941	67,747	36,892	8,149	163,729
Pigs	2	7	47	0	56
Goats	22	15	0	0	37
Deer	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0
Total	56,322	77,209	39,163	8,846	181,540

Note:Data drawn from DEFRA Disease Control System database and are subject to revision as quality assurance of data is carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance the Arthur Rank Foundation is giving to farmers in Chorley affected by foot and mouth. [13228]

The Arthur Rank Foundation has used its charitable funds to provide relief for rural communities who have been affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. This includes, among other things, the establishment of a National Fodder Bureau. This bureau maintains a database of people who wish to sell or donate fodder and matches them up with farmers who cannot source their own supplies. The National Fodder Bureau has been receiving matched funding from the Countryside Agency pound for pound on donations (excluding corporate donations) and gift aid. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs announced on 6 November that the Government had agreed to a new tranche of match funding, comprising up to £2 million until 31 December 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to appoint a judge of international standing from outside the jurisdiction to undertake the investigation of allegations of collusion in the cases of the murders of Pat Finucane, Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright; when he expects these investigations to be completed; when he will publish the terms of reference for them; what powers he will give the judge to compel potential witnesses and interview people disapplying the Official Secrets Acts; what arrangements will be made to hear the views of the victims' families; and what commitment he has made to publish the terms of his agreement to establish a public inquiry. [11492]

The package of proposals published after the Weston Park talks contained details of the investigation by a judge of international standing into the cases of Chief Superintendent Breen and Superintendent Buchanan, Lord Justice and Lady Gibson, Billy Wright, Patrick Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, and Robert Hamill. We are currently working with the Irish Government on the appointment. Further details will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations made submissions to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission calling for the inclusion of a right to equal and free access to reproductive health care; and if he will list these organisations, together with the number of people represented by them. [12312]

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. I have asked the Chief Commissioner to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of the population have joined the national organ register. [10759]

There are currently 9,170,045 people on the national health service organ donor register. This is 15 per cent. of the population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients died in each year from 1995 to 2000 while on the waiting list for (a) heart, (b) heart and lung, (c) lung and (d) liver transplants; [10960](2) how many people are awaiting a

The information requested is in the tables.

Thoracic and liver patients who died while on the active waiting list in the UK from 1995 to 2000 by organ and year of death
Organ	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Heart	55	57	59	55	54	37
Heart/lung	32	39	32	22	26	42
Lung	50	50	54	66	71	49
Liver	50	50	62	74	76	65
Total	187	196	207	217	227	193

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to (a) provide and (b) promote pneumococcal vaccine for pensioners aged over 65 years; and if he will make a statement; [10104](2) what plans the JCVI has to consider the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccine on elderly patients and make recommendations on its future use for NHS patients aged over 65 years. [10106](3) what evaluations his Department has made of the clinical effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccine for those aged over 65 years; [10103](4) what estimates he has made of the

[holding answer 29 October 2001]: Based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), pneumococcal vaccine is currently recommended for use in certain risk groups with certain medical conditions, which put them at higher risk of pneumococcal infection. The JCVI regularly reviews its advice and the Department also keeps the evidence base on this topic under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the clinical and cost effectiveness of implementing an age-based pneumococcal vaccine campaign; [10736](2) which health authorities operate age-based pneumococcal vaccine campaigns. [10737]

[holding answer 29 October 2001]: The Department has not carried out a cost effectiveness study of administering pneumococcal vaccine based on age and does not hold data on which health authorities operate age-based pneumococcal vaccine, as the Department continues to recommend the vaccine based on underlying ill health rather than age.Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for all those aged two years or older in whom pneumococcal infection is likely to be more common and/or dangerous, ie those with:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist pharmacist inspectors the National Care Standards Commission plans to have in its establishment; how many will be in post from 1 April 2002; and what their role will be. [11013]

[holding answer 29 October 2001]: The planned establishment for pharmacist inspectors in the National Care Standards Commission is 66. The number which will be in post at 1 April 2002 is not yet known, as invitations to transfer have not yet been issued to staff eligible to transfer from health authorities and trusts. The ministerial scheme to effect the transfer of staff (the Statutory Transfer Order) will be prepared later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have midwife-led maternity units. [10013]

[holding answer 29 October 2001]: Using a definition of midwife-led units to cover free standing units, separate units co-located with other hospital services and midwife-led areas which are part of a consultant-led unit, the following health authorities have midwife-led units:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many publications were issued by his Department in each of the last four years. [11835]

The Department has issued the following number of publications over the last four years:

	Number of publications issued
1998	974
1999	884
2000	1,035
2001	1 946
1 As of 31 October 2001

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of dentists providing treatment on the national health service in each health authority in England and Wales in each of the last four years. [11872]

General dental service: Total number of dentists at 30 June each year from 1998 to 2001: England and Wales
Health authority by region	1998	1999	2000	2001
England and Wales	17,691	18,245	18,686	18,995
England	16,763	17,270	17,700	18,004
Northern and Yorkshire	1,990	2,030	2,030	2,110
Bradford	146	148	148	142
Calderdale and Kirklees	185	185	188	195
County Durham and Darlington	153	161	165	171
East Riding and Hull	136	141	145	153
Gateshead and South Tyneside	119	122	119	124
Leeds	265	268	254	279
Newcastle and North Tyneside	161	173	164	168
North Cumbria	103	102	102	104
North Yorkshire	268	279	280	292
Northumberland	107	100	100	97
Sunderland	79	76	82	85
Tees	182	186	189	196
Wakefield	86	89	94	104
Trent	1,447	1,495	1,560	1,570
Barnsley	61	64	67	61
Doncaster	88	85	96	98
Leicestershire	261	267	277	278
Lincolnshire	136	149	156	157
North Derbyshire	102	105	104	112
North Nottinghamshire	106	107	122	117
Nottingham	210	219	222	223
Rotherham	70	70	73	75
Sheffield	178	176	186	197
Southern Derbyshire	162	177	178	172
South Humber	73	76	79	80
West Midlands	1,545	1,571	1,612	1,632
Birmingham	313	314	321	315
Coventry	83	86	88	89
Dudley	84	81	85	91
Herefordshire	67	72	73	73
North Staffordshire	114	116	119	128
Sandwell	86	86	81	86
Shropshire	136	132	141	146
Solihull	55	62	63	65
South Staffordshire	161	158	166	171
Walsall	58	61	63	54
Warwickshire	148	152	164	166
Wolverhampton	60	65	66	69
Worcestershire	180	186	182	179
North West	2,213	2,239	2,237	2,253
Bury and Rochdale	127	124	123	118
East Lancashire	159	157	160	158
Liverpool	153	151	144	150
Manchester	173	180	167	169
Morecambe Bay	106	110	114	111
North Cheshire	88	91	97	93
North West Lancashire	161	165	169	165
Salford and Trafford	151	148	152	154
Sefton	96	97	92	95
South Cheshire	265	251	247	253
South Lancashire	93	95	93	99
St. Helens and Knowsley	94	105	106	106

The number of general dental services dentists in England and Wales is shown in the table for June in each of the years 1998 to 2001 for the current health authorities.The total number of dentists in England and Wales increased by 7 per cent. in the three years from June 1998 to June 2001. The commitment of individual dentists to the general dental services can vary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the success of trials involving digital hearing aids in the 20 trial hospitals under the Government pilot programme;[12169](2) what research his Department has undertaken to assess the possibility of establishing a system to enable members of the public to purchase digital hearing aids at the cost price through the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [12170]

The Department has commissioned the Institute of Hearing Research to evaluate the "modernising NHS hearing aid services" project. The final evaluation report will be available next year.The Department is not conducting research to evaluate allowing people to pay for digital hearing aids on the national health service. NHS hearing aid services, which include hearing tests, hearing aids and follow up care, are available free to children and adults who are resident in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preliminary evaluation of the first wave sites in the digital hearing aid trial he has received; and if a copy will be placed in the Library. [12158]