To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role of the Territorial Army in guarding UK installations against terrorist attack. [13679]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2001, Official Report, column 377W, to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000, relating to the proposal to seek its advice on the feasibility of an epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [14743]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 December 2000, Official Report, columns 163–64W. There is no such correspondence on this matter other than that which was placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department are employed to carry out the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down announced on 1 May; what grade each of these officials is; and on what date each started work on the comprehensive survey. [14748]

With effect from 28 February 2001 the historical survey has been undertaken by a Principal (Grade B2) working for the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit. Additional support has been provided, as required, by staff based at Porton Down and within the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will issue a press release announcing the winners of the contract to carry out the epidemiological study to explore the health of volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down; and when the winners will be chosen. [14749]

At the request of the Ministry of Defence the Medical Research Council (MRC) invited proposals for such a study and these are now under consideration. Recommendations about which proposals are suitable for funding by the MOD are expected after the next meeting of the MRC's Physiological, Medicine and Infections Board in January. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement about which proposals will be taken forward shortly after that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in his Department's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit specifically to deal with issues relating to Porton Down volunteers. [14753]

At present, four Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit staff deal full time with issues relating to Porton Down volunteers; a further six staff assist with these issues on a part-time basis as required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, have been referred to the medical assessment programme since 21 November 2000; and how many of these have been seen by the medical assessment programme. [14762]

During the period 21 November 2000 to 8 November 2001, 94 former Porton Down volunteers have been referred to the MAP. Of this number 88 have been seen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many teams of scientists and academics have expressed an interest in carrying out the epidemiological study to explore the health of volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, since 21 June; if he will list these teams; and if he will place in the Library copies of the submissions of interest of those teams which have now withdrawn from the competition to conduct this study. [14757]

This is a matter for the Medical Research Council (MRC), which has invited research proposals on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and will make recommendations about which proposals merit funding early next year. The MRC treats competing applications for peer review in strict confidence and therefore details of the proposals may not be released. However, we have been advised by the MRC that they received 15 expressions of interest, of which seven were shortlisted. Subsequently five research proposals were received from four United Kingdom groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates officials in his Department have held meetings with the Medical Research Council since 5 April, to discuss the epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [14744]

Meetings between Ministry of Defence staff and the Medical Research Council to discuss epidemiological research into Porton Down volunteers took place on 30 May, 2 August, and 3 August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questionnaires have been sent out to former service personnel by his Department's officials conducting the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down; and how many questionnaires have been returned by former service personnel who took part in the experiments. [14755]

Some 726 questionnaires seeking recollections from former participants of the Porton Down Service Volunteer programme have been distributed by the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit via the Wiltshire police and the Medical Assessment Programme. As at 13 November 2001, 400 questionnaires had been returned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up. [14769]

Following Royal Assent in November 2000, officials in the relevant Ministry of Defence policy branch began making initial preparations for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This has involved an ad hoc programme of briefings, meetings and workshops to heighten awareness and improve understanding of the Act. As a result, the main defence management areas and policy branches were asked in August 2001 to nominate representatives to participate in the principal Freedom of Information (FOI) working group, which has responsibility for ensuring smooth implementation of the Act across the MOD. The FOI Working Group had its inaugural meeting on 17 October and it will meet again in mid-December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what instructions have been given to service personnel engaged in Afghanistan in the event of them encountering UK citizens fighting for (a) the Taliban and (b) al-Qaeda; and if he will make a statement; [13629](2) what instructions have been issued to UK forces in Afghanistan in the event of them taking prisoner a UK citizen fighting for

Wherever they are engaged, British forces are required to act in accordance with national and international law. Any prisoners taken would be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if cluster bomblets are defined as precision munitions in the conflict with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan. [14263]

Cluster bombs rely on a ballistic delivery—for example, on the skill of the crew to ensure accuracy—and neither the bombs nor the bomblets that they release are laser guided. They are used with discretion and proportionality as international law requires, and against legitimate and appropriate terrorist and military targets that are selected with great care. Our targeting and weapons selection processes are rigorous with every effort made to avoid civilian casualties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for ex gratia payments for former captives of the Japanese have been refused; and what the circumstances of those applicants were. [13972]

As at 12 November 2001, 3,741 claims for ex gratia payments for former captives of the Japanese have been refused. The circumstances of those applicants vary widely, but include civilian internees who did not meet the criteria of being a British subject either born in the UK or having a parent or grandparent born in the UK, those not interned and children of former prisoners of war of the Japanese.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the two nuclear submarines that may be allocated to the European Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Corps., include types capable of firing (a) tomahawks and (b) nuclear missiles. [14826]

There is no European Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Corps. The UK has offered to provide two nuclear-powered attack submarines to the pool of forces and capabilities required to meet the EU's Helsinki Headline Goal. These submarines are capable of firing Tomahawk missiles. No nuclear forces have been offered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies have taken place within the MOD police in each of the last three years; and how many MOD police have been transferred to the police service. [15167]

Eleven Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers, through a limited mobility waiver scheme, accepted voluntary redundancy on compulsory early retirement/compulsory early severance terms during financial year 1998–99. There were no such redundancies during financial years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. The number of officers who have resigned from the MDP and joined Home or Scottish Office forces are shown in the table:

Year	Number Resigned
1998–99	1
1999–2000	8
2000–01	34

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on the merger of MOD police and the atomic energy police. [15168]

The respective Quinquennial Reviews of the Ministry of Defence Police and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary are considering a range of options in regard to these organisations. The outcome of these reviews will be made known in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of running the MOD police was in the last 12 months. [15170]

The total net operating cost of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency for financial year 2000–01 was £151.869 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chief Executive of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency met the First Minister to discuss the relocation of the fixed wing aircraft repair business from RAF St. Athan to Cardiff International Airport. [15157]

Defence Aviation Repair Agency records show that the meeting with the First Minister took place on 28 March 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on projects (a) Connaught and (b) Allenby. [15070]

The management of Project Allenby and Connaught has been combined. The project's feasibility studies into the Army's accommodation and support service requirements for garrisons around the Salisbury Plain and in Aldershot were completed in the summer and their recommendations are being considered by Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to make funding available to carry out essential repairs to the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot. [15068]

A total of £18,000 will be spent on planned maintenance and unforeseen repairs to the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot in this financial year. Of this, some £4,000 has already been spent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many churches in the United Kingdom are maintained by his Department; and if he will list their locations by denomination. [15071]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposed Ministry of Defence payment system and the role of prime contractor EDS. [14629]

The delivery of armed forces pay under the new arrangements introduced by Pay 2000 involved rebuilding the core of the three single service pay systems. Since 1 April 2001, 95 per cent. of our regular armed forces have been paid under these systems. The remainder will be transferred by April 2003. The Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency (AFPAA) has a PFI partnering arrangement with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for the delivery of information systems and information technology in support of the personnel administration and pay of service personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists, called up in the last month, have reported for duty; and if he will make a statement. [15185]

During the past month 118 reservists were called out and all have reported for duty. This reflects the success of our policy of seeking volunteers to be called out. They are serving in a variety of locations including the former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone and in support of operations resulting from the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2001,Official Report, column 434W, on ballistic missiles, when he will place a copy of the code of conduct in the Library. [15182]

A copy of the draft International Code of Conduct on Ballistic Missiles was placed in the Library of the House today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 435W, on the cost of Operation Veritas, for what reason he has referred the hon. Member for North Essex to an answer to a previous question, referring to a letter to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker), 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 114W, which has not been sent; and when he will (a) give and (b) publish in the Official Report a substantive answer to the question from the hon. Member for North Essex. [15275]

The financial data required to provide a substantive answer on the costs to date of Operation Veritas are still being gathered. I hope to be able to provide the information requested in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date he instructed officials to draw up draft legislation to prevent the Rail Regulator performing an interim financial review on Railtrack. [10404]

Details of internal communications are exempt from disclosure under paragraph 2, part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he contacted (a) the Chairman and (b) directors of Railtrack plc on Saturday 6 October to ask whether the Board accepted that Railtrack plc was insolvent; [14461](2) if he will list the contacts made by

[holding answer 13 November 2001]: There were numerous contacts at various levels between my Department and Railtrack plc and our respective legal and financial advisers on Saturday 6 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council. [13826]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of (a) the number of home inspectors who will be needed to enforce the proposals in the seller's pack and (b) the cost to the taxpayer of policing compliance with the seller's pack. [13808]

Home condition inspection should not be confused with enforcement. The home condition report will be a standard mid-level survey that we propose should be a mandatory part of the seller's pack. This survey will be carried out by accredited professionals who may be surveyors, buildings inspectors or any other professional who satisfies the accreditation body that they have the necessary skills and knowledge.We anticipate that some 7,000 to 9,000 people will need to have been accredited through the certification regime in order to provide home condition reports. The vast majority of these will be currently practising professionals.The cost of enforcement would depend on the regime agreed by Parliament. But the assessment provided by L.A.C.O.T.S. of the costs arising from the proposals in the 2000 Homes Bill suggested an average of around £5,000 per annum for each local authority to meet the costs of enforcement work by trading standards officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to mitigate the reductions in the 2001–02 budgets of fire and civil defence authorities arising from the fire call element of the standard spending assessment. [13598]

All metropolitan fire authorities received an increase in grant in 2001–02 and will receive an increase in grant, as a result of the floor and ceiling mechanism, in the 2002–03 local government finance settlement.We recognise that the fire calls element of the fire Standard Spending Assessment is a perverse incentive and are committed to removing this indicator as part of the current review of local government finance. That review, which is being undertaken in partnership with local government, is looking at a number of ways in which the fire calls indicator might be replaced from 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial support he gives for the construction of swimming pools in partnership with local and regional authorities. [14040]

This Department makes no specific financial provision available for construction of swimming pools. However local authorities may use their non ring-fenced basic credit approvals, which are issued by this Department, to support borrowing for any capital projects. The majority of capital funding for sport is channelled through the sports councils. Sport England is the distributor for the Lottery Sports Fund, to which local authorities may apply, which provides funding for a range of community sports facilities, including swimming pools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to provide a second access road to the new Norfolk and Norwich University hospital. [13863]

None. South Norfolk district council are currently considering an outline planning application for residential development at Cringleford together with a new link road between the A11 and Colney Lane. The new link road would have the potential to provide an alternative route to the new Norfolk and Norwich hospital.It is for Norfolk county council, as the local highway authority, to consider the question of a second access for the hospital. The Highways Agency looked at the acceptability of allowing direct access to the hospital from the A47 and concluded that an additional junction between the B1108 Watton road and the A11 would affect the safe and efficient operation of this section of the A47. Subsequently a technical assessment of a direct link between the A47 and the hospital was commissioned by Norfolk county council and the Highways Agency is currently examining proposals received from the county council on 1 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what subsidies have been paid to Connex South Eastern to assist them with the purchase of new trains; when these payments were made; what Connex is required to do as a consequence of accepting these payments; how many confirmed orders for new trains Connex has informed his Department it has made; and how many trains Connex has accepted. [13874]

Between 13 October 1996 and 31 March 2001, the following amounts of franchise support were paid to Connex South Eastern by the franchising director and, since 1 February 2001, by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

Year	Cash price (£ million)
1996–97	58
1997–98	115
1998–99	86
1999–2000	64
2000–01	43

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what are London Underground's estimated (a) passengers, (b) passenger kilometres operated, (c) gross operating costs, (d) total income from fares and (e) gross operating margin for 2001–02. [14606]

[holding answer 13 November 2001]: The budgeted information for 2001–02 for London Underground Ltd. (including the InfraCos) is as follows:

(a) Fare paying passenger journeys—975 million;

(b) Passenger kilometres operated—7,518 million;

(c) Gross operating costs—£1,387 million;

(d) Total fare income—£1,175 million; and

(e) Gross operating margin—(£122 million).

The actual figures for 2001–02 will be published in due course as part of the London Transport Annual Report 2001–'02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on targets for development on brownfield sites, with specific reference on how to prevent town cramming. [14841]

[holding answer 14 November 2001]: Our national target is that by 2008, 60 per cent. of additional housing should be provided on previously developed land and through conversions of existing buildings.Regional planning bodies should propose land recycling targets to be set in regional planning guidance, drawing on the urban housing capacity studies undertaken by their constituent local authorities. These targets should contribute to achieving the national target. Local planning authorities should adopt their own land recycling targets in development plans which will contribute to attaining the regional target and which are consistent with data from their urban housing capacity studies.Good design and layout of new development can help to achieve the Government's objectives of making the best use of previously developed land and improving the quality and attractiveness of residential areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when work to replace the Gayton level crossing on the West Coast Main Line with a bridge will be (a) initiated and (b) completed. [15008]

I am not aware of any proposal to replace this level crossing. This would be a matter for Railtrack in the first instance, who are responsible for maintaining the network infrastructure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people over retirement age were made homeless in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001 to date; and what proposals the Government have to counter this problem. [15199]

Homeless acceptances represent households in need who are helped by local authorities into accommodation. Information reported to the Department by local authorities for total acceptances and those where a member of the household is identified as vulnerable due to old age are as follows:

1997	2000
Total	102,410	111,550
Of which vulnerable due to old age	4,220	4,050
Percentage	4	4

The Government have introduced the Homelessness Bill whose provisions will

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the shortfall is in the number of Fire Service personnel in the UK; and what plans he has to encourage more people into the service. [12960]

Based on provisional figures taken from annual returns to HM Fire Service Inspectorate, the difference between establishment and actual strength of the fire service in England and Wales, as 31 March, was 3,582.To help encourage people from all backgrounds to join the fire service, officials from my Department have been working in collaboration with stakeholders from all parts of the fire service to produce effective and informative national recruitment literature. This literature will be produced centrally for use by fire authorities in their recruitment activities. The production of this literature forms part of a strategic approach to recruitment across the fire service which aims to raise awareness among under-represented groups of the fire service as a career choice.We will be launching the first of the recruitment publications shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made in delivering the Government's proposals for improving the quality of urban parks and green spaces. [15791]

The Urban Green Spaces Taskforce was set up in January 2001 to advise the Government on its proposals for improving the quality of our urban parks, play areas and green spaces.The taskforce has, today, published its interim report: "Green Spaces, Better Places". The report describes the taskforce's work, some preliminary findings, and how proposals are being developed. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House.The final report of the taskforce will be published in April 2002.

To ask the Solicitor-General, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) of 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 1W, on cluster bombs, if she will make it her policy to change the convention covering advice given by the Law Officers; and if she will set out the reasons for the current policy of non disclosure of Law Officers' advice. [14691]

British Council Of>: The Ministerial Code provides that the fact and content of advice given by the Law Officers, either individually or collectively, must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority. This long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, protects the confidentiality of the legal advice given to the Government. There are no plans to change Government policy on this matter but we keep under continuing review all arrangements relating to our work.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many investigations were conducted by the Serious Fraud Office into alleged fraud on the internet in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [14383]

The SFO is currently investigating one case where the internet was the principal medium through which the fraud was carried out. There are a number of other SFO cases where the internet has been used, but not as the principal medium for the fraud. The SFO does not record these separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has made a decision about the future of the Compensation Agency. [15302]

I have agreed that the executive agency status of the Compensation Agency should be continued until 31 March 2004. My decision follows the completion of stage 1 of a quinquennial review which examined the past performance of the agency and the other organisational arrangements available for the administration of compensation schemes. Stage 2 of the review will look at ways of improving the delivery of services.Copies of the report of stage 1 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to set mechanisms in place for the re-introduction of trial by jury following the most recent report of General de Chastelain. [13913]

The mechanism for reviewing trials without jury in Northern Ireland is already in place. The Northern Ireland specific emergency provisions as contained at part VII of the Terrorism Act 2000 (which came into force on 19 February 2001) are time-limited to five years and subject to annual renewal; its provisions can be phased out by order, individually if appropriate, as soon as the security situation allows. Section 75 of the Act relating to mode of trial on indictment which falls within part VII is therefore subject to this process.Influencing factors relating to the re-introduction of trial by jury will be the risk of juror intimidation; the subsequent risk of perverse verdicts; and an assessment of the level of threat/security situation. The annual report(s) of the independent reviewer of the Terrorism Act 2000 will assist in informing future decisions and parliamentary debates on part VII of the Act.

To ask the President of the Council 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. [13139]

None.

To ask the President of the Council when the House of Lords Appointments Commission will publish its annual report. [13870]

My understanding is that the Commission will publish its annual report in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was informed of the Russian submission to the United Nations Security Council in March on Al-Qaeda's infrastructure; and what action he took. [12180]

[holding answer 2 November 2001]: We have no knowledge of any submission by Russia on the infrastructure of Al-Qaeda in March this year to either the Security Council or the Afghanistan sanctions committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received concerning the Shelter Now aid workers imprisoned by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan since August. [14786]

We welcome the liberation of all the Shelter Now International (SNI) workers on 15 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications refused by entry clearance officers were subsequently granted on appeal in each of the last five years. [13643]

The Home Office has provided the following statistics. The outcome of entry clearance appeals to immigration adjudicators is:

	Total dealt with	Allowed	Outcome Dismissed	Withdrawn
1996	7,320	1,790	4,200	1,330
1997	8,760	2,670	4,110	1,970
1998	7,600	2,200	4,100	1,200
1999	5,800	2,070	3,280	450
2000	6,650	2,360	3,690	600

The source of these statistics is the "Control of Immigration Statistics United Kingdom 2000" copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives from overseas territories with regard to the reciprocal rights to reside and work in (a) the UK and (b) those territories of the citizens of both categories. [13914]

Discussions have been held with the overseas territories on a regular basis since the preparation of the 1999 White Paper on the relationship with the overseas territories, "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the nature and extent of British military presence in British territories overseas. [13980]

There are 5,132 British military personnel deployed in British overseas territories and sovereign base areas. They are deployed to maintain garrison facilities and provide on-going defence to the British overseas territories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates the (a) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948, (b) International Labour Organisation Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), (c) Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 1949, (d) Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, and its 1967 Protocol, (e) International Labour Organisation Discrimination Convention (Employment and Occupation), 1958 (No. 111), (f) Convention against Discrimination in Education, adopted on 14 December 1960 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (g) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979, with a view to achieving universal ratification within five years, and its Optional Protocol of 1999, (h) Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and its two Optional Protocols of 2000, and the International Labour Organisation Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), (i) International Labour Organisation Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143), (j) International Labour Organisation Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992, (k) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, 1990, (1) Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 1998, (m) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the Convention and the Protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the Convention, 2000 and (n) the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 36/55, of 25 November 1981 instruments were (i) signed and (ii) ratified; and what further progress he expects to make with these in the next 12 months. [13924]

(a) The United Kingdom acceded to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948 on 30 January 1970.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the number of British subjects killed in the terrorist attacks on 11 September. [14199]

To date, four British nationals have been positively identified as among the dead. A further 74 people are identified as missing. This number includes 56 British nationals, four dual nationals and 14 foreign nationals with close links to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Zimbabwean Government's plans for foreign and independent monitoring of the upcoming presidential elections; and what plans he has to help ensure free and fair elections in that country. [14395]

We are following the Zimbabwean Government's plans for monitoring and observation of the forthcoming presidential elections closely. We have made clear repeatedly to the Government of Zimbabwe our view that the presence of international election observers is a key element in creating a climate conducive to free and fair elections. We support the initiative of President Obasanjo of Nigeria to seek agreement from President Mugabe to allow access for international election observers. We shall work with our partners in the EU, the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the US to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international observers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what attempts he is making to ensure that foreign observers will be present to monitor the lead up to the elections in Zimbabwe. [14522]

We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international election observers in the lead up to, and during the forthcoming Presidential elections. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this matter with the Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign affairs, Mr. Mudenge, in New York on 10 November. We shall also work with our EU partners to press for early access for international observers in the pre-election period, in particular during forthcoming consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to ensure that foreign observers are present to monitor the registration of voters in Zimbabwe. [14523]

We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international observers and to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this when he met Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge, on 10 November in New York. We shall, with our EU partners, also focus on the electoral process during forthcoming consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe, under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to ensure that the registration of voters in Zimbabwe is free and fair. [14524]

We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to create a climate conducive to a free and fair election including the registration of voters. We are also working with our EU colleagues to encourage a free and fair electoral process and will continue to do so in the context of consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Zimbabwe Government concerning the forthcoming presidential elections; and if he will make a statement. [14739]

We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international election observers and to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this when he met the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge, on 10 November in New York.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the new offices of the British Council opened in each of the last three years. [14736]

The British Council has opened the following offices in the last three years.

• April 1998 to March 1999:
  • Curitiba (Brazil)
  • Mandalay (Burma)
  • Havana (Cuba)
  • Auckland (New Zealand)
  • Gilgit (Pakistan)
  • Sochi (Russia)
  • Yaroslavl (Russia)
  • Sharjah (UAE)
• April 1999 to March 2000:
  • Ramallah (East Jerusalem)
  • Brasov (Romania)
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Russia)
  • Pristina (Yugoslavia)
• April 2000 to March 2001:
  • Chongging (China)
  • Chandigarh (India)
  • Tehran (Iran)
  • Tripoli (Libya)
  • Multan (Russia)
  • Irkutsk (Russia)
  • Samara (Russia).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi authorities concerning the arrest and continuing incarceration of Christians in Jedda. [15194]

We are aware of the cases of a number of Christians of various nationalities (none British) arrested in Jedda. Saudi law prohibits the practise of any religion other than Islam. The British Consulate-General in Jedda has discussed these cases with EU partners and other diplomatic representatives. All those detained have received visits from their own diplomatic representatives. We raise our concerns about human rights with the Saudi authorities on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if UK approval for China's application to join the World Trade Organisation was contingent on an improvement in human rights within (a) China and (b) Tibet. [15195]

As the WTO accession process is primarily dependent on fulfilling trade-related and economic objectives, this was the basis of the approval of China's application for WTO membership. The UK will encourage China to implement its WTO obligations in ways which respect international human rights standards. We believe that closer integration of China into the international community will make an important contribution to improving the human rights situation in China over the longer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Greece regarding the condition of the Afghan, Iraqi Kurds and Pakistani refugees who recently disembarked on the island of Zakynthos. [14738]

The Government have made no representations to the Government of Greece about the condition of refugees recently disembarked on the island of Zakynthos.HM Government wholly condemn the people-traffickers who cause the kind of human suffering witnessed in this incident and are working energetically with colleagues, including EU colleagues, to crack down on this evil trade.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Tax Bulletin Issue No 53, (a) in the context of taper, what the Inland Revenue defines as "security", (b) for what reasons the Inland Revenue regards not all debentures as securities and (c) what guidance has been issued to relevant inspectors of taxes when considering the question as to whether a particular instrument was a security. [9759]

(a) For capital gains tax taper relief, "security" takes its ordinary meaning. In addition, certain earn-out rights under section 138A of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 may be treated as securities for the purposes of the whole Act, and thus for taper relief.For planned changes to the meaning of "security" for the purposes of taper relief, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my written answer to his question on deemed securities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend section 251 (6) of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to apply as a definition of security in the context of taper relief. [9760]

In order to simplify capital gains tax (CGT) and reduce uncertainty, especially in take-overs and company reconstructions, the Government will introduce legislation to provide that debentures that are deemed to be securities under section 251(6) of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 are also treated as securities for CGT taper relief.The new provision will take effect for holding periods from 6 April 1998 and for disposals from 6 April 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the climate change levy on manufacturing productivity. [R] [10256]

The climate change levy is a broadly revenue neutral instrument which will raise the relative price of energy but lower the relative cost of employment.The impact on any specific sector or industry will depend on a number of factors including:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to widen the discount schemes for the climate change levy. [14432]

The Government have no plans to amend the eligibility criteria for businesses entering into negotiated agreements for improving energy efficiency in return for 80 per cent. discounts of the climate change levy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the statutory instruments affecting the working of HM Customs and Excise that have come into force since 31 March 1999. [11174]

[holding answer 5 November 2001]: Statutory instruments that affect the work of the Department can be found listed in the HM Customs and Excise annual reports. The next report is due to be published at the end of November.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 October 2001, Official Report, column 623W, on the Mott MacDonald study, if any public-private partnerships will be examined by the study; for what reasons he is unable to place the terms of reference in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [13456]

The study is intended to inform risk assessment in future publicly procured projects. For this reason, the study is confined to conventional procurement, as per the terms of reference, which are available in full in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisation owns the intellectual property rights to (a) the Inland Revenue proprietary system for processing tax returns, (b) the National Insurance Recording System 2 and (c) Customs and Excise proprietary systems; and if he will make a statement. [14742]

(a) Inland Revenue—Under the strategic partnership contract with EDS, the Inland Revenue owns all the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) created as part of the delivery of IT services to the Department.

(b) NIRS 2—The NIRS 2 deal with Accenture (then Andersen Consulting) is a Private Finance Initiative (PEI) and accordingly the IPRs were granted to Accenture.

The PFI deal permits IR to have 'licence to use' the IPRs in perpetuity for a sliding scale of charge.

(c) Customs and Excise—All IPRs in Customs and Excise propriety systems are owned by the Department.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland are eligible for (i) the working families tax credit and (ii) the child care tax credit. [15147]

The number of families in receipt of the working families tax credit (WFTC) in each country are shown in the WFTC quarterly inquiries, copies of which are in the Library.The following are estimates of the number of families in each country in receipt of the child care tax credit within WFTC at May 2001:

Country
(a) England	119,400
(b) Wales	6,900
(c) Scotland	14,200
(d) Northern Ireland	3,900

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what impact the reduced rate of output in manufacturing since January has had on (a) corporation tax receipts and (b) VAT receipts. [14423]

An updated projection for corporation tax and VAT receipts will be presented in the forthcoming pre-Budget Report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from BP; and if he will place them in the Library. [14443]

Treasury Ministers receive a large number of representations from a wide range of organisations on a wide range of subjects.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the total cost to business that will result from the changes to company car tax from April 2002. [14391]

The Inland Revenue estimates that employers will pay around £25 million less in national insurance contributions over the first three years of the new system as a result of the reforms to company car tax.The Inland Revenue also estimates that employers will save around £20 million per year in recurring compliance costs as a result of the reforms. A Regulatory Impact Assessment document looking in detail at the impacts of the company car tax changes on employers' compliance costs is on the Inland Revenue's website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise officers the Rosyth ferry terminal will employ; and what special measures will be included in their roles to prevent smuggling and the entry of illegal immigrants. [13938]

[holding answer 12 November 2001]: It is a matter for the Commissioners of HM Customs and Excise where and how they deploy their staff. They continually keep the position under review and will deploy staff based on the assessed level of risk and results from smuggling.The Immigration service rather than Customs and Excise are responsible for preventing the entry of illegal immigrants.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the result of the review of the future funding of the NHS, commissioned from Derek Wanless, upon receipt of the report in April 2002. [15054]

Budget 2001 announced that Derek Wanless had been asked to carry out a review to examine the technological, demographic and medical trends over the next two decades that may affect the health service in the UK as a whole. I confirm that the Government intend to publish his report when it is completed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to which nations and regions of the United Kingdom the Government capital modernisation grant scheme is applicable. [15067]

The capital modernisation fund applies to all parts of the United Kingdom for non-devolved functions and to England for devolved functions. Where money is allocated to English Departments, corresponding allocations are made to the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland based on the usual Barnett formula. The amounts allocated to the devolved Administrations from the fund are set out in the table 1.12 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish his pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement. [14145]

The Chancellor will present the pre-Budget report on 27 November.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of customs resources available to control the importation of illegal food. [15197]

The lead responsibility for controls on imported food lies with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and agencies acting on its behalf. Customs has both provided support to these agencies and dealt with illicit meat detected as part of Customs normal control activities on imports. It is examining with DEFRA how it can best contribute to the overall Government response to the risks presented by illegal meat imports.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects are planned by his Department in (i) the current year and (ii) the next financial year; and what the costs are of each project. [6523]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mrs. Lawrence) on 5 May 2000, Official Report, column 231W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the total cost of tax relief for approved pension schemes in the last financial year was provided to higher rate taxpayers. [14417]

The estimates available for 2000–01 are as follows:

Cost of relief at 40 per cent. on pension contributions paid by employees and self-employed—£3.5 billion.

Cost of relief at 40 per cent. on pensions contributions paid by employers in respect of higher rate employees—£4.6 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many secondees in his Department are paid by (a) their previous employer and (b) his Department. [14702]

There are currently 20 people seconded to HM Treasury from outside the civil service. In each case the Treasury meets the salary cost by reimbursing the employer.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the term of secondment of each secondee in his Department; and if they are renewable. [14701]

Details of the people seconded from outside the civil service are set out in the table:

Name	Start date	End date
Trevor Ashenden	3 April 2000	2 April 2002
Rachel Austin	24 September 2001	23 September 2003
Paul Bilton	13 August 2001	12 February 2003
Dee Bingham	24 September 2001	28 December 2001
Nick Bloom	24 September 2001	23 April 2002
Graeme Brown	26 February 2001	31 August 2002
Tony Burdon	3 September 2001	2 September 2002
Nick Buxton	5 June 2000	4 June 2002
Steven Cain	4 January 2000	3 January 2002
Nigel Fawcett	12 February 2001	30 November 2001
Paul Gregg	24 May 1999	23 May 2002
Robert Jennings	3 October 2001	2 April 2002
Paul Kennedy	15 November 1999	1 December 2001
Birone Lynch	23 April 2001	30 November 2002
Richard Maddison	26 October 2000	30 November 2002
Ciaran Martin	10 January 2000	9 January 2002
Simon Pink	6 August 2001	5 February 2003
Cohn Stratton	8 January 2001	7 January 2003
David Watkins	10 January 2000	9 January 2002
Peter Westaway	1 September 2001	31 December 20011
1Four days per week.

Secondments are not renewable but may be extended by mutual agreement.All secondments in HM Treasury operate in accordance with Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code, which states that periods of secondment may be granted up to three years and extended to a period not exceeding five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Corns management in the last six months regarding the future of the steel industry; and if she will make a statement. [13728]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met Corus management recently for a general discussion. The Government attach great importance to the steel industry and will maintain close contact with Corns and other key players in order to maintain its future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost is of additional security arrangements at nuclear installations since 11 September; and what her calculation is of the annual future costs of these arrangements if they are continued. [13719]

Robust security arrangements were already in place at civil nuclear installations before the events of 11 September. Security at nuclear sites is kept under regular review. The additional costs to the operators of increased security has not been collated centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the protection of (a) nuclear power stations and (b) road and rail bridges from terrorist attack. [13411]

The Government's policy on the protection of nuclear power stations is to maintain an independent regulatory authority and provide it with regulatory powers. The Government's security regulator is the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), which is responsible for setting security standards and enforcing compliance under the Nuclear Generating Stations (Security) Regulations 1996 made under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. OCNS ensures that levels of protection at nuclear power stations is adequate, taking into account the likely level of threat against them.In respect of road and rail bridges, security policy is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government plans are with regard to nuclear energy; and if she will make a statement. [13885]

Nuclear power currently produces about 25 per cent. of electricity generated in the UK, and with almost zero carbon emissions is contributing to the achievement of UK and international carbon emissions targets. Existing nuclear stations are expected to continue to contribute to our energy requirements, provided they meet the stringent safety and environmental standards currently required. The Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit review of energy policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 25 June is looking at the objectives of energy policy to develop a strategy that ensures current policy commitments are consistent with longer-term goals. To achieve its aim, the review is considering all sources of energy including nuclear. At this stage, there is no presumption of any change in nuclear industry policies. The review is due to report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each of the buildings at Sellafield which have facility arrangements and particular safeguards provisions in place for the application of international safeguards; and, for each building or group of buildings, when the safeguards provisions came into effect. [14688]

The European Commission has provided particular safeguards provisions for a total of 28 Material Balance Areas at the BNFL Sellafield facility. Facility Attachments for the two parts of the BNFL Sellafield facility (Special Nuclear Materials Store 9 and the THORP Plutonium Product Store) that the IAEA has designated for routine inspection have been drawn-up with the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under Exemption 1.1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, disclosure of detailed information on nuclear material accountancy arrangements, including the description and location of Material Balance Areas, would harm national security and would not be in the public interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the annual cost of storing plutonium at Sellafield; and what proportion of the cost is recovered from overseas customers. [14693]

This is a commercial matter for BNFL and its customers, under Exemption 13—Third Party's Commercial Confidences—of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) financial investment and (b) other assistance the North-west Regional Development Agency has put into St. Helens in each of the last three years. [14718]

The North-west Development Agency has invested in a range of projects in St. Helens during the last three years. Expenditure breaks down as follows:

Year	£million
1998–99	7.2
1999–2000	7.3
2000–01	8.9

Total investment during the current financial year is expected to be approximately £7.1 million. The agency also works closely with St. Helens metropolitan borough council and other partners to provide advice and guidance on economic development and regeneration issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial aid the UK Government have allocated to help combat the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. [14455]

DFID is currently designing a new multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS programme, due to start next year, with an anticipated budget of £40 million over four years. Since 1994, the UK Government have allocated £19 million to help combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to help combat the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. [14454]

DFID's co-operation with South Africa includes support to the Government's National HIV/AIDS and STD programme, finance for a national condom social marketing programme and assistance to various NGOs to help promote behaviour change and improve HIV/AIDS-related services. We are now working with South African partners to design a substantial new initiative which will extend our support to include the education system and the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress made by the UN panel in Zimbabwe on the report into resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [14401]

The final report of the UN panel into resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not yet been published. The report is due to be published in the near future. We are not aware of the contents of the final report.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many students from southern Sudan have been awarded Commonwealth scholarships in 2000–01. [14400]

Sudan is not a member of the Commonwealth and is not eligible for such awards.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Commonwealth scholarships have been awarded to students who were nominated by bodies other than the student's own Government in 2000–01. [14399]

In 2000–01, 241 individuals took up places under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship plan, 134 of whom were nominated through agencies appointed by the governments of their respective countries. 107 were also nominated directly from their universities, except in the case of the Indian sub-continent, where nominations come from the national university authorities of the countries concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-Governmental organisations she has invited to accompany the United Kingdom delegation to the world trade negotiations in Doha. [14683]

The official UK delegation included representation from the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and the UK NGO Trade Network.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out the policies she plans to put forward at the world trade summit in Doha; and if she will place in the Library copies of all documents (a) submitted by the United Kingdom to the Doha summit and (b) distributed at Doha by (i) other countries and (ii) international bodies. [14694]

I advocated the launch of a 'Development Round' in which cuts are made to the tariffs and subsidies which act as barriers to the exports of developing countries, and in which the problems developing countries face in implementing WTO agreements are addressed.I will have the documents submitted by the UK to the WTO Ministerial placed in the Library. However, I regret that the other documents requested are not available to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the talks between the presidents of Uganda and Rwanda on Tuesday 6 November. [14534]

This was an important and fruitful meeting. The two Presidents signed an Understanding not to interfere in each other's affairs and to set up mechanisms to monitor this with the UK acting as Third Party. The Prime Minister briefly joined the talks.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what actions the Government are taking to reduce the sex trade in young girls in (a) the Ivory Coast and (b) Africa. [14074]

The Government have signed the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that strengthens the protection it gives against the sale of children, and child prostitution, and also the new convention against transnational crime that includes a protocol on trafficking of women and children.Our support for the work of the International Labour Organisation is focused on eliminating such worst forms of child labour.We are working with European partners and African states on this issue. It was one of the most important issues tackled at the recent Africa-EU summit. The states in the region are making serious efforts to counter it.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many consultation documents were issued by her Department and its predecessor office 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. [12900]

The following consultation documents were issued by my Department:

• One in the period 15 July 20 14 October 1997;
• Two in the period 15 April to 14 July 1999;
• Three in the period 15 October 1999 to 14 January 2000:
• One in the period 15 January to 14 April 2000;
• Two in the period 15 April to 14 July 2000;1
• One in the period 15 October 2000 to 14 January 2001; and
• One in the period 15 January to 14 April 2001.

Records of its predecessor office do not list consultation documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified cardiologists there were in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2000–01. [15144]

The information requested is provided in the table. Data for 2000 are the latest available.

Hospital medical staff within the cardiology specialty, England at 30 September
Number
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
All staff	1,020	1,080	1,220	1,220	1,340
Consultants	390	400	460	470	550

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the baseline year for measuring the extra numbers of nurses recruited to meet the target contained in the National Plan. [15053]

The baseline for the NHS Plan workforce targets is the 1999 workforce census.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants are available to student nurses on (a) diploma and (b) degree courses. [14141]

National health service bursaries are available to those accepted onto NHS-funded preregistration nurse training programmes at both diploma and degree levels.Those undertaking the diploma-level qualification receive a non-means tested bursary (currently £5,305 (£6,232 in London)), while those on the degree-level programme receive a means tested bursary (current rate £2,098 (£2,578 in London)) and student loan. Degree-level students receive additional payments to take account of the longer length of academic year undertaken by health professional students and for both groups additional allowances are available to older students, single parents and others with dependants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist to help student nurses complete their courses in the event of financial hardship. [14142]