To ask the Solicitor-General what plans she has to reform the application of bona vacantia. [14669]

As a result of my hon. Friend's question, I am looking at how bona vacantia is operated and will report back to him on any changes that may arise.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many United Kingdom citizens have been prosecuted in the United Kingdom in the last five years for offences of bribery committed abroad. [14670]

No United Kingdom citizens have been prosecuted for offences in the UK of bribery committed abroad because current legislation does not allow it. It will, though, be possible to prosecute if the offences under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill become law.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will report on recent progress with prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence. [14672]

There is considerable and encouraging progress in prosecuting crimes of domestic violence. For the first time, next week the CPS will be issuing guidance to Crown prosecutors on domestic violence. That guidance will be published, and that will be the first time that any CPS guidance has been published. To support our prosecutors to do their work as well as possible, there will be a national network of domestic violence prosecutors. A new ministerial committee on domestic violence will co-ordinate work across Government.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the operation of the Crown Prosecution Service; and how it is affected by the location of magistrates courts. [14674]

The Crown Prosecution Service prosecutes cases which have been investigated by the police. The CPS is affected by the location of magistrates courts by the need to be located where the witnesses and victims can get to them, and they need to be accessible for the crown prosecutors and caseworkers who prosecute in them.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many successful prosecutions there were in the last 12 months of people accused of rape who used GHB. [14675]

The Crown Prosecution Service holds no central records showing case outcomes broken down to particular offences or types, nor is the information held centrally by the Home Office. I will ask my officials to keep me informed on any cases that involve this drug.

To ask the Solicitor-General what the policy of the Crown Prosecution Service is in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse. [14668]

The CPS applies the evidential and public interest tests set out in the code for Crown prosecutors in all cases referred to it by the police so that it can make fair and consistent prosecution decisions.Children form a class of victims and witnesses to whom special care should be given. CPS policy in relation to child abuse cases has three key principles: expedition, sensitivity and fairness. Delay should be avoided in all cases involving a child victim or witness. Child witnesses should be afforded as much protection as necessary to enable them to give their evidence in a way that both maintains the quality of that evidence and minimises the trauma suffered by them. CPS policy emphasises that the best interests of the child should be the first, but not the final, consideration when assessing the public interest.The CPS works together with other statutory agencies in accordance with the inter-agency guidance "Working Together to Safeguard Children".

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what discussions he has had with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over the decision that her contract is not to be renewed as a matter of course. [15549]

[holding answer 16 November 2001]: The Speaker had a private meeting with the commissioner on 16 October.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent consultations he has had with the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life regarding the duties of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards; and if he will make a statement. [15513]

[holding answer 16 November 2001]: None. Although the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was established as a result of the work of the Nolan committee, the House of Commons Commission does not see a need to consult the Committee on Standards in Public Life each time the post of commissioner is advertised. In any event, I understand that the Committee on Standards in Public Life does not concern itself with individual cases.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the words were of the advertisement for the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on each of the occasions on which applications have been sought. [15732]

I have already placed in the Library a copy of the advertisement which appeared in the national press on Sunday 4 November 2001, in response to the hon. Member's previous question on 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 863W. Copies of the advertisements which appeared in 1995 and 1998 will be placed in the Library today.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the previous Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was offered a renewal of his contract. [14935]

[holding answer 15 November 2001]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottomley) on 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 864W.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, on what the assessment of the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is based; and whether the issues have been discussed with the present holder. [15281]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 863W.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what (a) written and (b) other sources of advice on best practice were relied on in agreeing (i) the terms of and (ii) the advertisement for the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [15279]

[holding answer 15 November 2001]: As in all such matters, the commission is advised in confidence by the Department of Finance and Administration and the Legal Services Office. In this case, it has also been advised by the recruitment consultants Saxton Bampfylde Hever plc.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what representations have been received on the performance of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards from (a) hon. Members and (b) non-members; and if he will make a statement. [14932]

[holding answer 15 November 2001]: There have been no submissions to the Commission on the matter.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what has been the average annual number of cases which the present Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has been investigating during her term of office. [14933]

[holding answer 15 November 2001]: Over the past three years, complaints requiring assessment have averaged 120 a year. The commissioner completed an average of 14 full investigations a year, each resulting in a report to the Standards and Privileges Committee.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason the new contract for the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards will involve fewer working days than the present contract. [14931]

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason (a) the hours required from and (b) the salary paid to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards are being reduced. [15535]

[holding answers 15 and 19 November 2001]: The Commission believes that three days per week should be adequate to conduct the duties of the post. This is the level of time commitment that was established for the first commissioner. The figure of three days is not set in stone, and will be discussed with the successful candidate for the post. Salary is commensurate with hours worked.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when it was decided (a) to drop and (b) to reinstate the option of reappointment of the holder of the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards by mutual agreement. [15280]

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason the decision to offer the next Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards an extension to his or her contract by mutual agreement was not taken in respect of the present postholder. [15536]

[holding answers 15 and 19 November 2001]: There has been no such decision. As to the position of the present commissioner, I refer the hon. Member to my answer today to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (David Winnick), column 483W.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason the Parliamentary Commissioner has not been offered an extension to her contract. [14934]

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, for what reason it was decided not to renew without the requirement for open competition the contract of the current postholder of the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [15534]

[holding answers 15 and 19 November 2001]: The appointment was made for a three-year term. Any extension or renewal would be a matter for agreement by both parties. The commission considered that a new appointment should be made following an open competition. The current commissioner is eligible to apply and may be appointed for a further three-year term if she applies for the post and is successful at the final short list stage.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make it his policy henceforth that the Commission will (a) meet in public and (b) publish agendas and minutes of its meetings. [15533]

[holding answer 19 November 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottonaley) on 2 November 2001, Official Report, column 864W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the European Union about its contribution to humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan; and what was the outcome. [16066]

I had informal meetings with European Union Development Ministers on 10 October and 8 November. We agreed upon the importance of continued, substantial, assistance from the European Union for humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan. We also agreed on the importance of effective international co-ordination.The EC's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has recently announced the provision of a further 15 million euro of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. This brings the amount of EU humanitarian aid committed for the Afghan people so far in 2001 to nearly 44 million euro. The UK contributes 19 per cent. of this.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on (a) recent developments in the supply of humanitarian resources in Afghanistan and (b) her priorities in the supply of humanitarian needs in Afghanistan over the next three months. [16065]

There has been good progress by humanitarian agencies in opening up routes to get food and other emergency supplies into Afghanistan. From 13 November until 19 November, World Food Programme (WFP) operations were suspended (due to local hauliers' concern about the security situation in southern Afghanistan). The WFP resumed operations from Peshawar on 19 November. Operations from Quetta are still suspended, although the WFP continues to deliver food via the northern routes from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. International staff from humanitarian agencies are beginning to return to Afghanistan, where possible, in order to accelerate deliveries so that winter stockpiles can be strengthened.Our immediate priorities are to help meet lifesaving needs within Afghanistan, to support refugee needs in neighbouring countries and to strengthen the work of international humanitarian agencies. At the same time, we will also support the people of Afghanistan in building a better future. We continue to work with the international community on plans for rehabilitation and recovery. The principles and priorities guiding our approach are outlined in a document entitled "Afghanistan—Recovery: An emergency plan for the first 100 days". A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with (a) her counterparts in other Governments and (b) the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on the aid programme for Afghan refugees (i) within the borders of Afghanistan and (ii) in neighbouring countries. [15865]

My Department is in regular contact with other Governments through the Afghanistan support group of major donors, including USA, Japan and European countries. We are also in daily contact with key agencies, including UNHCR, regarding the humanitarian situation in the region.In its inter-agency donor alert, the UN system identified $664 million of priority needs for Afghanistan. Over $700 million has been pledged against the appeal—sufficient to meet immediate requirements—of which over $280 million have actually been contributed (over 40 per cent. of the requirement). This is good by historic standards.The UK was the first donor to pledge assistance, even prior to the UN inter-agency donor alert. We have so far allocated £40 million to support the work of UN agencies, the Red Cross movement and NGOs for immediate humanitarian assistance to Aghans, both in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Of this, £3 million has been disbursed to UNHCR, and includes financial, technical and in-kind assistance in support of its regional programme. At UNHCR's request, my Department has provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR to Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites.In addition, we have allocated a further £11 million to support refugee-hosting communities in Pakistan. This will support the delivery of public health services, the supply of drugs and health equipment, and water and sanitation services. It will focus particularly on North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan, where most of the Afghan refugees have settled.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with UNHCR about the adequacy of provision for refugees outside Afghanistan. [16067]

My Department is in regular contact with UNHCR at both field and headquarters level so that resources are used effectively for the provision of assistance to refugees and the protection of their rights.So far we have committed £3 million to UNHCR's operations for refugees in response to the current crisis. At the request of UNHCR, my Department has provided three relief flights to Iran and Pakistan transporting tents, shelter material and communications equipment. We have also provided a specialist site planner to UNHCR in Pakistan to assist with the setting up of new refugee camp sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the status of the New Africa Initiative with respect to Ethiopia. [17719]

The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), as the New African Initiative is now known, is an Africa-wide initiative, that does not focus on specific countries. Ethiopia is one of the 17 members of the NEPAD implementation committee, and therefore takes a full part in NEPAD activities. NEPAD has set up teams to work on five areas, which are capacity-building peace and security, economic and corporate governance, infrastructure, central bank and standards, and agriculture and market access. Work on these areas should bring benefits to Ethiopia, as it will to other countries in Africa that are part of NEPAD.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on bilateral agreements between the UK and Ethiopia. [17720]

We are currently exploring how to engage most effectively in a development partnership with Ethiopia, where the overall objective of our assistance will be to support the Government of Ethiopia's poverty reduction strategy. We will discuss plans to seek agreement with the Ethiopian Government when we hold development talks early in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list her Department's aid contributions specifically aimed at human rights issues and eliminating gender disparity in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP; [16644] (2) if she will list her Department's aid contributions that incorporate human rights and gender disparity in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP. [16640]

Information in the appropriate format has been collected centrally only since 1 April 1998.In the last three fiscal years, DFID has committed the following amounts to projects which are aimed at addressing human rights or gender disparity issues:

£ million
Project objective	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Human Rights
Principal	95	28	23
Significant	98	152	302
Total	193	180	325

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's actual and as a percentage of GNP overseas expenditure on (a) human resources, (b) technical aid (c) commodities and (d) direct financial assistance for debt relief in each of the last four years. [16637]

Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01", a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address: www.dfid.gov.uk/. The tables which are of relevance are "Table 12 DFID Programme: Bilateral Technical Co-operation, Table 13 DFID Programme: Bilateral Grants and Other Aid in Kind, Table 15.1 DFID Debt Relief: Retrospective Terms Adjustment by Country, and Table 15.2 Other Debt Reorganisation by Country". A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's overseas aid contribution for (a) 1997,(b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003, and (h) 2004 broken down by (i) bilateral, (ii) EU, (iii) multilateral and (iv) NGO aid contributions (A) in total and (B) as a proportion of GNP. [16545]

Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01", a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address: www.dfid.gov.uk/. The tables which are of relevance are "Table 3 Gross Public Expenditure on Aid 1996/97–2000/01, and Table 13 DFID Programme: Bilateral Grants and Other Aid in Kind". Please note it is not appropriate to provide these categories of assistance as a proportion of GNP or to provide projected contributions for future years. A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's overseas aid contributions for the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998,(c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for the years (f) 2002, (g) 2003, and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of GNP.

Figures on DFID's aid and contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01" a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address www.dfid.gov.uk/. The table which is of relevance is "Table 16.1 UK Total Net Flows to Developing Countries: 1976–2000". Please note it is not possible to provide projected contributions either in total or as a proportion of GNP. However, the Government will ensure that the ratio of oda to GNP will rise to 0.33 per cent. by financial year 2003–04.A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's aid contribution to emergency relief aid in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [16643]

Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996/97–2000/01" a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address www.dfid.gov.uk. The relevant table in the publication is Table 10 Humanitarian Assistance. Please note it is not possible to provide projected contributions for future years. A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list those public bodies which are the responsibility of her Department and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000; [17598](2) if she will list those public bodies to which her Department appoints members and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000; [17597](3) if she will list those local bodies which were set up under legislation which is the responsibility of her Department since May 1997. [17599]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's individual aid contributions to international sexual and reproductive health NGOs via the Civil Society Challenge Fund in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [16645]

The levels of funding granted by my Department to international sexual and reproductive health NGOs under the Civil Society Challenge Fund, since the introduction of the scheme in 2000–01 is as follows.

	£000
2000–01
Population Services International	78
2001–02
International Family Health	152
Population Services International	240
2002–03
International Family Health	142
Population Services International	257
2003–04
International Family Health	81
Population Services International	78
2004–05
International Family Health	12

The funding indicated for 2002–03 onwards represents projects to which we are already committed. Further funding will be dependent on the success of new Civil Society Challenge Fund applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list her Department's sexual and reproductive health aid contribution, actual and as a percentage of GNP, for (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for the years (f) 2002, (g) 2003, and (h) 2004 broken down into (i) bilateral, (ii) EU, (iii) multilateral and (iv) NGO aid contributions (A) in total and (B) as a proportion of GNP; [16546](2) if she will list her Department's sexual and reproductive health aid contribution in

Information in the appropriate format has been collected centrally only since 1 April 1998.In the last three fiscal years, DFID committed the following amounts to projects aimed at Reproductive Health Services including HIV/AIDS.

Year	£million
1998–99	39
1999–2000	202
2000–01	436

A breakdown of these figures by country has been placed in the Library of the House. It is not appropriate to present these figures as a proportion of GNP. Contributions for future years are not available.In addition to the figures shown in the table, over the same period, DFID made total multilateral contributions to UNFPA of £79.5 million, UNAIDS of £12 million, IPPF of £21 million and WHO-HRP of £0.3 million for activities related to reproductive health services including HIV/AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's individual aid contributions to international sexual and reproductive health NGOs in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions for (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [16646]

Figures on DFID's aid contribution for the last five fiscal years are available in "Statistics on International Development 1996–97 to 2001–01" a copy of which is posted on DFID's website at the following address www.dfid.gov.uk/. The tables which are of relevance are "Table 13 DFID Programme: Bilateral Grants and Other Aid in Kind and Table 14 DFID Expenditure through UK CSOs 2000–01". It is not appropriate to provide projected contributions for future years. A printed version of "Statistics on International Development (SID)" will be placed in the Library of the House following its publication in late November.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list her Department's emergency relief aid contributions to sexual and reproductive health programme work for (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and projected contributions for (f) 2002 (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [16636]

This information is not collected centrally and to provide data on the basis requested would be at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to ensure that exports of refrigerators to the third world comply with the European regulations which come into effect on 1 January. [16247]

My Department applies Government policy on greening government operations and our procurement agents ensure that refrigerators purchased for use by the development programme comply with the new regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of (a) her Department and (b) agencies sponsored by her Department work in (i) London, (ii) areas benefiting from EU objective 1 status, (iii) areas with objective 2 status and (iv) other areas. [16109]

(a) The numbers of staff employed by DFID in the United Kingdom as at 1 September 2001 were:

(i) London—826

(ii) In areas benefiting from EU objective 1 status—nil

(iii) In areas with EU objective 2 status, other than London—nil

(iv) In other areas—540 (in east Kilhride).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she supported the move by the United States Government for a compulsory licence to negotiate a lower price for the anti-anthrax drug, Cipro, at the World Trade Organisation meeting. [16072]

I have been asked to reply.The negotiations between the United States Government and the manufacturers of Cipro were private matters for the parties involved. In this instance, the United States Government reached an agreement with the manufacturer of Cipro for a bulk supply of this anti-anthrax drug at reduced prices without resort to a compulsory licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what circumstances she has supported developing countries seeking a compulsory licence to negotiate lower drug prices; and if she will make a statement on her policy in such circumstances. [16073]

I have been asked to reply.The trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights agreement makes clear that any WTO member can issue a compulsory licence in certain circumstances. An individual WTO member itself determines the grounds upon which such a licence would be granted.The declaration agreed at Doha last week on TRIPS and public health commits the TRIPS Council to finding a solution by end 2002 as to how WTO Members with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector might make effective use of compulsory licensing under the TRIPS agreement. The UK (as part of the EU) intends to play a constructive role in those negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if it is her policy that the TRIPS agreement should not impede developing countries from taking measures to protect their public health; and what assessment she has made of the obstacles to achieving this. [16069]

I have been asked to reply.The UK wholeheartedly supports the declaration on the TRIPS agreement and public health issued at the successful conclusion of the fourth ministerial meeting of the WTO at Doha, Qatar. The declaration makes it clear that the TRIPS agreement does not and should not prevent Members from taking measures to protect public health.I am confident that this agreement will both allow developing countries better access to vital medicines in the fight against diseases like HIV/AIDS and TB, and protect the patent system that promotes research into the drugs of the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on a moratorium on formal WTO disputes over TRIPS. [16071]

I have been asked to reply.In relation to TRIPS and public health the UK wholeheartedly supports the declaration issued at the successful conclusion of the fourth ministerial meeting of the WTO at Doha, Qatar. The declaration makes clear that the TRIPS Agreement does not and should not prevent Members from taking measures to protect public health. It also extends the deadline for implementation of the agreement for the least developed countries, in relation to pharmaceutical products, by 10 years to 2016. Taken together, along with the rest of the declaration, it is clear that there is no need for a formal moratorium.I have placed a copy of the declaration in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vehicles in the Government car pool are electric-powered; and what plans there are to increase this number. [17348]

The Government Car and Despatch Agency, which is responsible for running ministerial cars, has one electric car on long-term trial and one hybrid petrol/electric powered car on its fleet. Until electric cars with adequate passenger space and mileage range become available, there are no plans to increase the number of electric cars on the fleet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the cost was to the Strategic Rail Authority's budget (a) in total and (b) in each year since 1997, of producing (i) each of their annual strategies and (ii) their annual channel tunnel rail link strategy; [15741](2) if he will place in the Library copies of each of the Strategic Rail Authority's annual channel tunnel strategies produced since 1997; [15740](3) what the key recommendations were from the Strategic Rail Authority's most recent annual Channel Tunnel Strategy document; what account he has taken of these recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [15739]

The Strategic Rail Authority was established on 1 February 2001 under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000. The Act requires the authority to produce strategies, including a channel tunnel strategy. Copies of the authority's strategies will be placed in the Library of the House when they are published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the instructions given to Ernst & Young to prepare the review of the value for money of the PPP for London Underground. [14486]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today placed in the Library a copy of the terms of reference agreed with Ernst & Young for this review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who is financing the current advertising campaign on the London Underground relating to the benefits of the public-private partnership; and what is its cost. [16562]

This is a matter for London Underground.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is Government policy that all trans-European network roads should be dual-carriageways. [14789]

[holding answer 15 November 2001]: No. The European Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network do not require roads represented on the TEN to be dual-carriageway standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the value was of one share in Railtrack at (a) the time of privatisation and (b) at 1 October for each year thereafter. [16060]

The flotation price of a share in Railtrack Group plc on 20 May 1996 was 380p. The share price for Railtrack Group plc for 1 October in each subsequent year is as follows:

• 1 October 1996: 491p
• 1 October 1997: 902p
• 1 October 1998: 1,713p
• 1 October 1999: 1,320p
• 1 October 2000: 1,109p
• 1 October 2001: 265p.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice the Government sought about the timing of an announcement to the stock exchange of the changed plans for Railtrack plc. [16378]

In reaching his decision on 5 October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had regard to the responsibilities and duties that Railtrack Group plc has as a stock exchange quoted company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the legal fees for advice to his Department (a) incurred so far and (b) likely to be incurred in the rest of the 2001–02 financial year on the issues arising from the Railtrack administration. [16373]

I estimate that since Railtrack went into administration on 7 October 2001, my Department has incurred legal fees of approximately £400,000 for advice on issues arising from the administration. At this stage it is not possible to give an accurate estimate for the rest of this year, but it will be within the Department's budget for such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what accountancy advice he took on the financial position of Railtrack in connection with the petition for administration. [16376]

The Secretary of State received advice on Railtrack's financial position on an on-going basis. It was accountancy and financial advice that provided the evidence of a deficit of £700 million by 8 December rising to £1.7 billion by the end of March 2002, which formed the basis for the administration order. This evidence was not challenged in the High Court by Railtrack.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what (a) guidance and (b) instruction has been issued to Railtrack in administration by the Government on employment in the company. [16364]

No such guidance or instruction has been issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 289W, on letters of comfort, if he will make it his policy to place such letters in the Library; what representations he has received from potential financiers of the successor body to Railtrack for non-legally binding assurances from the Government on their support for Railtrack's successor body; and if he will make a statement. [16730]

The Government are not anticipating having to provide any non-legally binding assurances on their support. If contingent liabilities are required to be entered into, they will be notified to Parliament as part of the standard procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what arrangements are in place for private investors to invest in the not-for-profit company replacing Railtrack; and if he is in negotiation with such investors. [16769]

[holding answer 21 November 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State 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, pursuant to her answer of 30 October 2001, Official Report, column 571W, what recent ministerial meetings there have been with the chair of the Strategic Rail Authority. [17119]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 668W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 31W, on Railtrack, if he will set out the basis on which his Department determined the value of assets of Railtrack plc for the purposes of assessing the company's solvency, as requested. [17780]

As my previous reply stated, the solvency of a company is assessed on the basis of its ability to meet its debt liability payments; and this is the basis on which evidence was produced for the petition to the High Court. The determination of the value of the assets in Railtrack plc is a matter for the administrator.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information regarding the financial position of Railtrack was received by his Department between (a) 28 September and 1 October and (b) 1 October and 5 October. [17226]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: Between those dates my Department received various information on the financial position of Railtrack from various sources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what comparative assessment he has made of the likely impact on the public finances of a takeover of Railtrack by (a) a not-for-profit company and (b) a private company. [17744]

It will be for the administrator to assess and make recommendations on proposals for how Railtrack plc's property rights and liabilities are transferred out of administration as a going concern and to put a transfer proposal to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for approval. Guidelines on the criteria upon which my right hon. Friend will need to be satisfied before approving any proposal put forward by the administrator were set out in reply my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 669–71W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which representatives of financial institutions he has met to discuss the future of the rail industry since June. [16171]

The Government have had regular meetings with their financial advisers. In addition, the Government have had meetings with bondholders, institutional shareholders and with credit rating agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what occasions since 1997 the Government have refused a request to use section 54 of the Railways Act 1993. [16176]

No such request has been refused since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has received a letter from Mark Fowler, Managing Director of Nottingham City Transport, of 8 November; and if he will make a statement on how competition legislation affects the ability to cross-subsidise bus services. [16953]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport has received a letter dated 8 November from the Managing Director of Nottingham City Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received in 2001 on bypasses from residents of Buckingham constituency. [16904]

In 2001, my Department has received representations from Buckingham residents on the A41 Aston Clinton bypass, the A418 Stoke Hammond and Western Linslade bypass and the A418 Wing bypass.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many names and addresses of vehicle owners/keepers have been disclosed to third parties by virtue of that party showing reasonable cause for the disclosure over the last three years, broken down into terms of categories of reasonable cause; if the DVLA alerts third parties to the offence under section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998; if he has undertaken data matching exercises to identify those who might be using the third party facility as a means of tracing individuals who do not want to be traced; and if he will make a statement. [17168]

The number of "reasonable cause" requests for information processed against the DVLA vehicle register during the last three years are:

	Number of requests
1998–99	830,970
1999–2000	883,522
2000–01	955,484

Specific categories of reasonable cause are not recorded and it is not possible to break down the statistics in this

Scheme	Timetable
Sunderland Extension to Tyne and Wear Metro	Under construction, due to open March 2002
Nottingham Express Transit	Under construction, due to open in 2003
Three extensions to Manchester Metrolink1	Approved, construction should begin in 2003
Leeds Supertram (Three lines)	Approved, construction should begin in 2003
South Hampshire Rapid Transit	Approved, construction should begin in 2003
1 Oldham-Rochdale, Airport and Ashton-under-Lyne

In addition, we have given provisional approval to two extensions to the Midland Metro system in Birmingham. The promoters are now seeking the necessary powers under the Transport and Works Act 1992 (TWA). The Docklands Light Rail extension to City airport has also received provisional approval, subject to TWA powers being granted.At present, we are considering proposals for the Bristol and South Gloucestershire light rapid transit scheme; a further extension to the Manchester Metrolink to Stockport; the Merseytram project and an upgrade of the Blackpool tramway. Transport for Landon is consulting on options for intermediate-mode transport for four corridors: East London transit, Uxbridge road, Cross River transit, and Greenwich waterfront.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the new station of Corsham will open; and what delay there has been in its opening. [17045]

The station is now expected to become operational at the start of the summer 2003 timetable. There have been delays amounting to approximately one year caused by a variety of issues which have now been resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) light rail and (b) tram schemes which are planned and which could be open by 2010. [17131]

It is for local authorities to develop proposals for light rail or tram schemes in the context of their local transport plans. The following schemes are already under construction or have received full approval:We are aware of a significant number of schemes that may in future be proposed by authorities, including extensions to existing systems. The investment plans set out in the 10-year plan for transport contain provision for up to 25 new light rail lines in major cities and conurbations in England outside London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many written representations he has received from electors in the east Devon constituency expressing support for an elected regional assembly in the south-west of England in the last 12 months. [17271]

The Department has received no representations on regional government from electors in the east Devon constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing the incidence of fire-related deaths in the home. [16921]

The Department's public service agreement target looks for an average 20 per cent. reduction in the number of deaths from the base-line figure of 379 (the average over the years April 1994 to March 1999) for the period April 1999 to March 2004—giving a target of 303 (averaged over the five years).Our statistics show an encouraging trend in the overall reduction of accidental deaths in the home. We achieved our first milestone (1999–2000); the latest set of figures indicate that the Department is not far short of achieving the second milestone (2000–01) where we would hope to record no more than 327 deaths nationally (ie England and Wales). The latest figures for the calendar year 2000 indicate that about 326 died in accidental dwelling fires, in this period. This latest figure also compares with 315 deaths recorded in the previous year (1999).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for implementing fire cover standards. [16919]

The task group on the fire cover review expects to deliver its final report to the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council in March 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the public service agreement target for reducing the incidence of fire-related deaths in the home in 2000–01 was higher than the outturn in 1999–2000. [16920]

The public service agreement target for accidental dwelling fire deaths measures reductions over five years. Because the number of fire deaths per year are subject to variations, it is necessary to take an average over five years to provide a more realistic measure of Government's ability to reduce preventable fire deaths.The milestones were set in such a way so as to aim for a uniform reduction each year until the target is reached in year five.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many registered vehicle keepers there are in the Buckingham constituency. [16912]

The number of currently licensed vehicles registered to keepers in the Buckingham constituency at December 2000 was 90,207. More than one vehicle may be registered to the same keeper and it would not be possible to establish the number of individual keepers without a special exercise at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many applications, of what total value, were received in each region of England under the street warden scheme; and of these, how many were successful, and with what total value in each region. [17776]

Details, by region, of applications made in England under the street warden scheme are shown in the table.

Region	Applications	Value (£)	Successful applications	Value (£)
East	24	5,648,011	13	1,774,820
East Midlands	11	3,284,644	7	1,030,073
South East	34	13,270,960	15	2,009,521
North West	44	13,270,270	19	2,937,791
London	45	23,249,502	18	4,240,820
North East	19	5,792,618	12	2,007,271
South West	21	5,069,953	12	1,922,744
West Midlands	41	8,050,272	17	2,188,692
Yorkshire and Humber	19	6.663,159	12	2,310,216
Total	258	84,299,389	125	20,421,947

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what subsidies have been paid to (a) Connex South Central, (b) Go Via/Goahead and (c) Thameslink to assist them with the purchase of new trains; when these payments were made; what each company is required to do as a consequence of accepting these payments; how many confirmed orders for new trains each company has informed his Department it has made; and how many trains each company has accepted. [16818]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: The following table provides details, for Connex South Central and Thameslink and for each year from franchise commencement to 2000–01, of net outturn payments (or receipts) in cash prices by the Franchising Director and, since 1 February 2001, by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA):

Cash prices £ million
Year	Connex South Central	Thameslink
1996–97	76	1
1997–98	76	3
1998–99	58	(7)
1999–2000	50	(18)
2000–01	40	(28)

Ownership of the South Central franchise was transferred from Connex to GoVia on 26 August 2001. Franchise support for South Central and Thameslink is the Franchising Director's and the SRA's contribution to funding all those companies' expenditure under their franchise agreements, including any expenditure on new trains.Under its franchise agreement, Thameslink has no commitment to order new trains. The South Central franchise agreement included a commitment by Connex to replace its Mark I rolling stock by 1 January 2005, as required by Health and Safety Executive regulations. On 26 August that commitment was passed to GoVia, which has subsequently ordered 240 new vehicles that are due to start entering service on its South Central franchise in 2002. Further orders are expected to be placed shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 November 2001, Official Report, column 832W, on homelessness, if he will specify what provisions exist within the Homelessness Bill to ensure housing authorities take a more strategic, multi-agency approach to (a) the prevention of homelessness and (b) the re-housing of homeless households; and if he will make a statement. [17781]

The Homelessness Bill includes a requirement for housing authorities, with the assistance of social services authorities, and in consultation 'with other bodies including registered social landlords and voluntary organisations, to:

• carry out reviews of homelessness in their area;
• formulate and publish strategies for tackling and preventing homelessness problems based on the results of those reviews;
• publish the first strategy within 12 months of the coming into operation of these provisions; and
• publish a new strategy thereafter within five years of the previous strategy having been published.

The Bill also requires housing authorities and social services authorities to take the homelessness strategy into account when carrying out their functions.Details are set out in the explanatory notes which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 November 2001, Official Report, column 832W, on homelessness, if he will specify what measures exist within the Homelessness Bill to ensure housing authorities provide the (a) timely and (b) suitable rehousing of homeless households. [17814]

The Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to secure that suitable accommodation is available immediately for a housing applicant, pending completion of their inquiries, if they have reason to believe that he or she may be homeless, eligible for assistance and have a priority need for accommodation. That duty continues until the authority decides whether a substantive duty is owed. The Homelessness Bill will amend the 1996 Act so that, in all cases where the authority decides that the applicant is eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falls within a priority need group, they must secure that suitable accommodation is available until a settled housing solution can be found.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will launch a road safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of HGV drivers of vehicles with a maximum loaded weight of over 7.5 tonnes driving in the offside lane of motorways with three or more lanes in England and Wales. [17409]

No. HGVs with a laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes are already banned from the outside lane of motorways (with three or more lanes). Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what fairly traded products, other than tea and coffee, have been purchased by his Department in each of the last five years; and what was their value. [17565]

The Department does not directly purchase these products, but within the last two months the staff restaurant contractor has introduced Fair Trade chocolate and cereal bars for sale to staff in the main staff restaurant. No figures are available on the value of these purchases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he has taken to encourage the use of Fair Trade products by local authorities. [17796]

Local authorities are independent and autonomous and responsible within the law for making their own decisions on procurement matters. In doing so they will no doubt consider the case for purchasing Fair Trade products on their merits with regard to the need to achieve value for money in making their decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was (a) the cost of establishing, (b) the running costs since it was established and (c) the costs this year of the South East England Regional Assembly. [17341]

The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) has been established region—Highland voluntarily by bodies representing the interests of the south-east region. Their expenditure and start-up costs are a matter for the assembly and its members. The Government have however, allocated £500,000 this year to SEERA to help the assembly to establish a stronger strategic and scrutiny role within the region. The Government office for the south- east will be monitoring that part of SEERA's expenditure which relates to the £500,000 grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people have been employed by the South East England Regional Assembly (a) this year and (b) in each year since it was established. [17342]

These are matters for the South East England Regional Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which fire stations have been closed in East Sussex since 1997. [17344]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many firefighters are (a) in active service and (b) on long-term sick leave in East Sussex Fire Brigade this year; and what the figures were for each of the last four years. [17343]

In east Sussex this year there have been 416 whole-time firefighters in active service and 11 on long-term sick leave. Due to technical difficulties, information for previous years is not currently available. East Sussex are in the process of installing a new central personnel computer system. The information requested will be available from April 2002 for the two previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what travel concessions are available, and how many people are eligible per group, (a) in total, (b) in Teesside and (c) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [17798]

The Transport Act 2000 requires local authorities and PTEs in England and Wales to provide half-price fares on local buses to pensioners and disabled people, with no charge for the pass. In addition, the Transport Act 1985 gives local authorities discretion to provide a more generous scheme (eg less than half-fare or free travel; discounted travel on trains, metros, trams, ferries; or cross-boundary travel). In London, the Freedom Pass scheme is covered by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Broadly 5.5 million pensioners and 1.5 million disabled people are eligible for these concessions.Regional or constituency data are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money from the rough sleepers unit has been invested (a) in total and (b) broken down by area since the creation of the unit. [17797]

The rough sleepers unit has a programme budget (both capital and revenue) of £200 million over three years. In London, a total of £159 million has been invested over three years drawn from funding streams previously administered by separate Departments. Outside London, where local authorities continue to take the lead in developing local strategies, the unit has invested £39 million under the homelessness action programme. The unit's budget is ring-fenced.

Total grant for three years 1999–2000 to 2001–02, based on actual expenditure in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 and forecast expenditure in 2001–02
£ million
	Total
London	158.894
South West	6.185
South East	6.805
West Midlands	2.227
East Midlands	3.268
Eastern	3.204
Yorks and the Humber	2.532

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what plans he has for special purpose vehicles to be created to undertake works in connection with the replacement of the (a) south-west and (b) south and central passenger franchises; and if he will place the plans in the Library; [18218](2) what plans exist for special purpose vehicles to be created to undertake works in connection with the development of the East London Line; and if he will place plans in the Library; [17788](3) if he will list those projects for which special purpose vehicles are being established; [17785](4) what role the company which replaced Railtrack will have in the special purpose vehicles set up for rail infrastructure projects; [17782](5) if he will publish the

The framework for special purpose vehicles for rail investment projects is currently being developed by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and my Department. The SRA strategic plan will identify the investment projects for which an SPV may be appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the Green Paper on planning. [18013]

Shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has received on the use of domestic sprinklers to prevent death and damage by fire in domestic homes. [17391]

My Department regularly receives representations from organisations calling for the greater use of domestic sprinklers.The Government recognise that domestic sprinklers have a role to play in promoting life safety, particularly for the most vulnerable. The Fire Safety Advisory Board will continue to assess their value in the light of emerging standards and improvements in sprinkler technology. We have, therefore, recently commissioned research into the benefits of sprinklers in residential properties, including the preparation of a regulatory impact assessment. The results and conclusions from this work should be available in a little over two years from now.Additionally, the housing health and safety rating system, which we propose should replace the housing fitness standard, includes guidance in respect of hazards from fire. Although not mandatory for houses in multiple occupation, sprinklers may well be recommended where the risk of fire is high.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what decision he has reached following the consultation exercise on the European Commission's proposal to introduce pedestrian protection features in new cars by means of a negotiated agreement with vehicle manufacturers. [18270]

We have decided that we should support the negotiated approach in this case. The most significant factor is that it offers the quickest route to introducing worthwhile pedestrian protection into the design of new car models.The first phase of the agreement offers about 25 per cent. of the fatality reduction and 60 per cent. of the serious injury reduction expected from the European Enhanced Vehicle Safety Committee (EEVC) proposal on pedestrian protection. The full EEVC benefits are to be achieved in the second phase.I have recently written to the Chairmen of the European Scrutiny Committees, informing them of the Government's position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will consult on the proposed changes to the council tax discounts on second and long-term empty homes. [18381]

Planning applications and appeals against refusal: England 1990–91 to 2000–01
	Planning applications1			Appeals against refusal2
	Decided	Granted	Refused	Received	Decided	Allowed	Percentage of appeals allowed
2000–01
North East	14.7	13.6	1.0	0.3	0.3	0.1	42
North West	44.3	40.0	4.2	1.1	1.0	0.4	39
Yorkshire and the Humber	34.5	30.8	3.6	0.9	0.7	0.3	37
East Midlands	35.0	31.7	3.3	0.8	0.7	0.3	35
West Midlands	37.0	32.5	4.5	1.1	0.9	0.3	35
East of England	55.0	48.2	6.8	1.8	1.6	0.5	33
London	53.5	43.8	9.7	2.2	1.9	0.6	32
South East	89.0	77.1	11.9	3.3	2.9	1.0	33
South West	56.7	49.8	6.8	1.8	1.6	0.5	33
England	419.6	367.7	51.8	13.4	11.6	3.9	34

I am today publishing proposals to give local authorities discretion to reduce or end the council tax discounts which owners of second and long-term empty homes currently receive.The Government's proposals are set out in "Council Tax: a consultation paper on proposed changes for second homes and long-term empty homes". It fulfils the Government's commitment, made in the rural White Paper last year, to consult on this issue.The Government are also seeking views on how the extra revenue raised should be used: whether it should be retained locally and whether it should be used for specific purposes such as housing. We are also proposing that councils should have the discretion to give council tax discounts for local reasons such as where homes are hit by flooding or in cases of individual hardship.Our proposals would give local authorities the flexibility to choose the best option for their communities.In some areas, second-home owners bring a much-needed boost to the local economy but, in other areas, a high demand for second homes is pricing local people out of the property market and undermining the viability of local services. Equally, homes left empty for long periods can blight local communities and encourage crime and antisocial behaviour. The proposals we are announcing today could be used to help encourage owners of empty homes to bring them back into use.More than half a million properties which are no one's main residence currently receive a 50 per cent. council tax discount. Over half of these are long-term empty properties. Potentially, up to £200 million could be raised in England by ending the council tax discounts on second and long-term empty homes.The Government are asking for responses to their consultation by 15 February 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the latest annual figures for the number of planning applications under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in England and Wales by (a) region, (b) the number of application passed, (c) the number sent to appeal and (d) the number of successful appeals; and if he will provide the same figures for the previous 10 years. [R] [13595]

[pursuant to her reply, 14 November 2001, c. 726–28W]: The information for England for 1990–91 to 2000–01 is in the table.