To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation to extend antisocial behaviour orders to Northern Ireland. [17952]

Different administrative and legal structures in Northern Ireland mean that it is not currently possible to extend the provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 creating antisocial behaviour orders to Northern Ireland. In particular, the provisions rely on local authorities having responsibilities in the criminal justice field which they currently do not have in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what type of complaints he has received from (a) Ardoyne road and (b) Glenbryn road residents relating to the Holy Cross protest. [17231]

The Government have received a number of representations and written correspondence concerning the situation at Holy Cross Girls Primary School from Members of this House, Members of the devolved Administration and the general public. We continue to encourage local dialogue between the two communities. We have consistently called on the protesters to call off their protest, but in the meantime support the police in their operations to ensure the children of Holy Cross Primary can make their way to school. We welcome recent efforts by local politicians and community representatives to resolve the current impasse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government grants have been allocated to local community groups in north Belfast; and for what purpose, since 1998. [17234]

Responsibility for this subject has been devolved to the Northern Ireland institutions and is therefore no longer a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact of the incitement to religious hatred clause of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill on preaching against Roman Catholicism in Northern Ireland. [18183]

It has been an offence in Northern Ireland since 1987 (under the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987) to stir up hatred or arouse fear against a group of persons because of their religion. The proposed amendment to the Public Order Act 1986 will not, therefore, have any impact there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which prison establishments in Northern Ireland do not use the Royal prefix. [15948]

All Northern Ireland prison establishments can and are referred to officially both as HMP and by name only.The inclusion or exclusion of the Royal prefix is at the discretion of the governing governor of each establishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what colours will be used in the new uniform of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, excluding those used in the badge. [17470]

The Report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten report) recommended that the colour of the current police uniform should be retained (Recommendation 154). The Government have accepted this recommendation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan following the ejection of the Taliban from key centres and of the opportunities this presents to increase the volume of food aid to the country; and if she will make a statement. [15584]

The advances made by the Northern Alliance in recent days should enable us to improve humanitarian programmes and give better access to some of the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan who have received the least help in recent weeks. Such progress is dependent on improved security.We hope that the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross will be able to improve delivery of food, healthcare, and other assistance to two million vulnerable people in the Northern Region of Afghanistan and that some of the internally displaced will be able to return home before the winter gets worse. Plans are now being made for the international staff of the UN, Red Cross and non-governmental organisations to return and thus improve services to vulnerable people. In addition, we will be able to accelerate deliveries to areas in central Afghanistan which will become harder to access in the coming months so that stockpiles can be built closer to the people who need them.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her response to the proposals by the Mineseeker Foundation on a scheme to clear mines in Afghanistan. [17973]

My Department has not received any proposals from the Mineseeker Foundation for mine clearance in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from the Ugandan Government about buying arms. [14533]

I have held meetings with President Musevini of Uganda on a number of occasions over the past two months. Our discussions covered a wide range of issues, including defence expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has spent on women's leadership training in (a) newly democratic and (b) developing nations in the last five years. [16682]

The statistics requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost but my Department puts women's empowerment at the heart of its work.It starts with: girl's access to basic education and completion of primary schools; support for civil society organisations that represent the needs of and advocate for women in decision-making roles; education of the whole community about the rights of women and girls.Women's leadership training needs to be built on these foundations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals her Department has for funding leadership training for women in Afghanistan once stability has been restored. [16681]

It is the responsibility of the entire international community to ensure that the women of Afghanistan are fully involved in the new political settlement in Afghanistan.As reconstruction activities begin, the programmes that we support will be designed and monitored to ensure that women and girls benefit. Women are both often the poorest members of communities, and the best organisers. Participation of women in public life is therefore integral to our approach.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with EU Ministers about EU aid to Ethiopia; and if she will make a statement. [17721]

We play a full part in discussing EU aid to Ethiopia both at the Development Council and in meetings with the Commission. Officials from my Department visited Brussels earlier this week to discuss the new EU Country Strategy Paper for Ethiopia. Current EU assistance concentrates on food security, human development, roads and democratisation/institution building.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list her Department's aid contribution specifically aimed at reducing illiteracy in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and the projected contributions in (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004 (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of gross national product; [16641](2) if she will list her Department's aid contributions that incorporate illiteracy reduction in

Literacy statistics are notoriously misleading, particularly when they are disaggregated from the overall sector in which they are embedded. Figures cannot be provided in the form requested.DFID's major focus for tackling illiteracy is helping developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education for all by 2015. Increasing access to good quality primary education and ensuring that children are literate when they leave school is essential for development and poverty reduction. Since 1997 the Government have committed over £600 million to support sustainable education systems in developing countries able to provide high quality primary education for all children. We will do more. We will also give increasing attention to helping developing countries tackle adult illiteracy and poverty reduction. All this will require a broad-based, multisectoral approach, aimed at enhancing national capacity to plan and implement effective national poverty reduction programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the proposals put forward by non-governmental organisations in the development and environmental sectors to reform the world trade rules. [15733]

Prior to the 4^th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), we undertook extensive consultation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We intend to continue this dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department has offered to the Caribbean countries hit by Hurricane Michelle. [14737]

We have been following closely the impact of Hurricane Michelle. Following an appeal for international assistance from the Government of Honduras, we have approved three proposals from NGO's (Tearfund, Save the Children Fund and Care International UK) amounting to £372,010. The Government of Cuba have not made an official request for international assistance. However, a joint Government of Cuba and United Nations interagency assessment mission to the affected areas is expected to report their findings shortly. We await that report. In the meantime we stand ready to assess any appeals for assistance from international organisations or project proposals from NGOs for Cuba.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussion there was in Doha about the impact of the patent system on health systems in developing countries; and which proposals for reform she supported. [16063]

The Doha Ministerial discussed the relationship between the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement (TRIPS) and public health; the freedom to determine the grounds upon which compulsory licences for patented drugs can be granted; the right to determine what constitutes a national emergency; the freedom to establish a regime for the exhaustion of intellectual property rights; and how countries with insufficient or no pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity can make effective use of the compulsory licensing provisions.I welcome and fully support the proposals in the Doha Ministerial Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health and the World Trade Organisation's (WTO's) effort to ensure the TRIPS Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of public health. I also supported the move to allow Least Developed Countries until 2016 to implement TRIPS provisions with regard to pharmaceuticals.Furthermore, the Government are committed to working to help the TRIPS Council find a meaningful solution to help countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector make effective use of compulsory licensing by the end of 2002, as agreed in the declaration.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the WTO conference in Doha with respect to developing countries. [16068]

The Ministerial Declaration from the WTO meeting in Doha made strong commitments to the interests of developing countries. The Ministerial resulted in agreement on the need to reduce subsidies and barriers to trade in agriculture, manufacturing and services, which could potentially produce enormous benefits for developing countries. The agreement on TRIPS recognised the need for a flexible interpretation of TRIPS to enable developing countries to protect public health. The challenge now is to ensure that these commitments become a reality.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to encourage increased access of developing countries to generic drugs. [16064]

Poor people need better access to medicines at affordable prices. We are committed to working with industry and the international community to bring this about.In many cases, increased access to generic drugs will be the most appropriate way to improve health outcomes. 90 per cent. of the drugs on the World Health Organisation's Essential Drug List are generics. Most tried and tested drugs for TB and malaria, for example, do not have patent protection and can be generically produced. We will continue to work for and encourage increased access to such medicines.In other cases, essential medicines are covered by patent protection. Such protection is necessary in order to create incentives for research and development into future treatments. We fully support the Doha Ministerial declaration on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and public health and the World Trade Organisation (WTO)'s efforts to ensure the TRIPS agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of WTO members' rights to protect public health.A key aim of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria—to which the UK has pledged US$200 million—will be to finance increased coverage of both patented and off-patent generic drugs and medicines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the future of individual learning accounts. [18829]

On Friday 23 November the Department for Education and Skills called in police to investigate new allegations of fraud and theft involving individual learning accounts. Officers from the Department's Special Investigations Unit had discovered irregularities on Thursday after being contacted by an ILA provider. On Friday afternoon, the ILA programme was shut down immediately, two weeks earlier than the planned suspension from December 7, as set out in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), on 25 October 2001.I do recognise the impact this decision will have on learners and learning providers and I am taking steps to keep them informed about developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when her Department was first notified of possible fraud related to individual learning accounts. [17484]

The first individual learning account provider to have been suspended because of complaints about alleged fraud was on 25 June 2001. The Department, on 11 June 2001, received the first letter in relation to this particular case. From July of this year the Department received an increasing number of similar complaints from individuals and local trading standards officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils have been excluded by (a) constituency and (b) local education authority in each year since 1991. [16966]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: The available information on permanent exclusions by local education authority area has been placed in the House of Commons Library.Information on permanent exclusions at Parliamentary Constituency level could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The latest permanent exclusions data were published in a Statistical Bulletin "Permanent Exclusions from Maintained Schools, England 1999/2000" on 16 November, copies of which are available from the Library, or alternatively can be accessed from the Department for Education and Skills statistical website www.dfes.gsi.gov.uk/statistics

Publicly planned funding for higher education institutions in England
£ million1(Cash)
	Actual
	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
HE recurrent grant and contribution to fees £ million	3,679	3,976	4,291	4,559	4,696
Other funding not included above Capital1	337	319	319	322	350
Access funds and bursaries	23	23	24	27	28
Grants, loans2, student support (inc. admin)3	2,036	2,615	2,907	2,688	2,417
Funding per FTE student4	5,300	5,060	4,900	4,830	4,750

£ million1(Cash)
	Estimated
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
HE recurrent grant and contribution to fees £ million	4,605	4,664	4,810	5,003	5,172
Other funding not included above Capital1	243	0	0	0	150
Access funds and bursaries	22	22	39	82	87
Grants, loans2, student support (inc. admin)3	2,382	2,395	2,344	1,762	1,614
Funding per FTE student4	4,580	4,580	4,700	4,810	4,860

£ million1(Cash)
	Planned
	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
HE recurrent grant and contribution to fees £ million	5,455	5,664	5,900
Other funding not included above Capital1	256	308	364
Access funds and bursaries	96	97	101
Grants, loans2, student support (inc. admin)3	1,571	1,609	1,655
Funding per FTE student4	5,020	5,140	5,290
1 Unit funding is based on HEFCE/TTA recurrent grant and plus tuition fees, divided by the number of full time equivalent students. It excludes capital, funding for widening access and all student support.
2 This includes capital to 1997 which was included in the unit funding calculation, and earmarked capital from 1999–2000 which is excluded from the unit cost calculation. It includes funding via HEFCE for research infrastructure, but excludes the funding for research amounting to around over £1 billion from JIF/SRIF.
3 Resource costs of student loans including hardship loans.
4 Also includes British Academy and DFES HE Innovations Fund. Outturn figures drop after 1997–98 due to the change from the "old" grant based system of student support to the current loan based system.
5 Figures are rounded to nearest £10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate the number of staff employed by her Department by region and nation of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [6858]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1009–12W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was given to the higher education sector in each year since 1990 (a) in total and (b) per student; and what the forecasted yearly expenditure is for the next three years. [9592]

The available data for England are shown in the following tables. Universities also receive public funding from the research grants, the national health service and other Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how she defines higher education for the purposes of the Government's target for 18 to 30-year-olds experiencing higher education by the end of this decade. [14542]

[holding answer 13 November 2001]: This is the first time any Government have set a long-term participation target in Higher Education, so we are currently examining the data to ensure we provide a proper and appropriate base from which to consider progress. We shall shortly announce the results.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was raised from private sector sponsorship for higher education in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001; and if she will make a statement. [16047]

Data on funding for higher education institutes can be found in the Higher Education Statistics Agency publication "Resources for higher education institutions", copies of which are in the Library of the House. Data for 2000 and 2001 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the total cost of administration in each of the local learning and skills councils in the current financial year. [13335]

[holding answer 19 November 2001]: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been allocated £188 million for administration, of which £144 million has been allocated to local LSCs. The LSC has taken on a range of functions previously carried out by a number of bodies, including the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), 72 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), Government Offices, and the National Advisory Council on Education and Training Targets (NACETT), as well as new work. For the latest year for which we have robust estimates available (1999–2000), our assessment is that the total spent on administration by the predecessor bodies, in relation to the relevant functions, was between £270 and £280 million.Allocations to each local LSC are detailed in the table.

(£)
Councils	Administration budget
East Midlands Region
Derbyshire	2,364,907
Nottinghamshire	2,857,567
Lincolnshire and Rutland	1,960,869
Leicestershire	2,687,889
Northamptonshire	1,798,677
	11,669,909
East of England Region
Norfolk	2,289,251
Cambridgeshire	2,374,829
Suffolk	1,956,078
Bedfordshire and Luton	2,002,038
Hertfordshire	3,199,652
Essex	3,818,435
	15,640,283

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list (a) the total budget for the Learning and Skills Council's Standards Fund, (b) the total number of funding streams within the Standards Fund and the budget for each; and, within each funding stream what is (i) the total number of projects supported to date within the following ranges (A) up to £25,000, (B) £25,000 to £50,000 (C) £50,000 to £100,000 and (D) over £100,000. [14245]

			Projects supported to date
Funding streams	Indicative total funding (£ million)	Up to £25,000	£25,000 to £50,000	£50,000 to £100,000	Over £100,000
Provider Improvement	51.4	487	107	56	8
Professional Development	79.9	224	10	9	21
College Governance	1.0	0	0	0	1
Centres of Vocational Excellence	10.0	0	0	0	4
Dissemination of Good Practice	10.1	9	7	9	13
National Initiatives	7.6	118	27	25	0

From next year, there will be a single, unified Standards Fund for post-16 learning with no individual ring-fenced funding streams within it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what specialist support is available to young women who are (a) pregnant, (b) have children and (c) have other caring responsibilities to enable them to continue their education (i) in England, (ii) in the Teeside region and (iii) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [16263]

One of the main objectives of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy strategy, being implemented and co-ordinated by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit, is to increase the numbers of teenage parents participating in education, training or employment. Support includes:

Sure Start Plus advisers providing personal support and advice to pregnant teenagers and teenage parents under 18. The Teeside pilot programme began in October 2001 and will run for three years in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton on Tees and Hartlepool, with an annual grant of £200,000. It is one of 20 such pilot programmes that will be fully evaluated before national roll out is considered.

Teenage Pregnancy Reintegration Officers, currently available in Middlesbrough and in April 2002, in Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. They are funded through the Standards Fund Teenage Pregnancy Grant and will help young women back into school after giving birth.

	Areas covered at present	Future areas
Sure Start Plus Pilots	Teeside, Tyne and Wear, south east London, south Yorkshire coalfields, Manchester and Salford, Liverpool and St. Helens, east London, Bradford, Sheffield, Sandwell, Nottingham City, Kingston upon Hull, Wakefield, Walsall, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Plymouth, Rochdale	None planned
Teenage Pregnancy Reintegration Officers (coverage by LEA)	Barking and Dagenham, Barnsley, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Camden, Coventry, Cumbria, Doncaster, Durham, east Sussex, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hartlepool, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Hull, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lancashire, Leeds, Lewisham, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, north east Lincolnshire, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newham, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottingham, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sheffield, South Tyneside, Southwark, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Telford and Wrekin, Tower Hamlets, Walsall, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster	To be reviewed

[holding answer 21 November 2001]: The total budget for the Learning and Skills Council's Standards Fund this year is £160 million. The total number of funding streams, and the budget for each stream are shown in the table, along with the total number of projects supported to date within the ranges specified.Furthermore, the Connexions Service being rolled out across England will give all 13 to 19-year-olds access to a Personal Adviser to help co-ordinate this specialist support. Where they exist, Sure Start Plus advisers will usually act as Connexions Personal Advisers to avoid duplication of effort.Details of whereabouts this support is/will be available across England are set out in the table.In addition, 193 Sure Start programmes are currently operating across England, of which eight are based in Teeside, providing valuable support to parents and their young children. By March 2004, 500 Sure Start programmes will be up and running. There are also some 17 projects across Teeside, many of which cross constituency boundaries, funded by the Single Regeneration Budget (in excess of £4 million) helping young women to continue in education. DfES is also funding a pilot childminding project in four areas of England (Blackpool, North East Lincolnshire, Greenwich and Barking and Dagenham), specifically aimed to get teenage parents back into education, training or work.The Government published the National Strategy for carers in 1999. An extra £325 million over five years is helping local authorities to provide a wide range of services to help carers, including young carers. Guidance was also issued to schools in supporting young carers. There are over 100 local projects operating across the country and links to these and support for young carers can be accessed through the Connexions Service, Learning Mentors and Education Welfare Officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter of 11 October on bullying from Reverend Alan Burgess of New Milton. [16412]

A reply has been issued today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to eliminate gender stereotyping throughout the curriculum; and if she will make a statement. [16862]

We have repeatedly confirmed our commitment to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their background or gender, have an equal opportunity to achieve. The national curriculum provides an entitlement to a broad and balanced education for all pupils. Since the last national curriculum review it contains, for the first time, a statutory inclusion statement which sets out the steps which teachers should take to overcome potential barriers to learning for boys or girls.The inclusion statement contains recommendations that teachers should create a climate where stereotypical views are challenged and pupils learn to view positively differences arising from race, gender, ability or disability. In order to respond to pupils' diverse learning needs teachers should ensure that boys and girls are able to take part in lessons fully and effectively. For example, they can take account of the interests and concerns of boys and girls by using a range of activities and contexts for work, allowing a variety of interpretations and outcomes and avoiding gender stereotyping in assigning pupils to activities or arranging access to equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance has been issued to schools on the best way of informing students of the problems of tobacco, drug and alcohol addictions; and if she will make a statement. [16872]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: DfES guidance Circular number 4/95 sets out the statutory position on drug education in schools and was supplemented by the guidance "Protecting Young People" (1998) which gives detailed advice on how to deliver drug education effectively.To further support schools, in partnership with the Department of Health, the DfES commissioned DrugScope (formerly the Standing Conference On Drug Abuse) to produce three further guidance documents for schools, "The Right Approach", "The Right Response", and "The Right Choice".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to tackle bullying in schools; and if she will make a statement. [16873]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: From September 1999 head teachers of maintained schools have been placed under a duty to draw up measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils, including racist or homophobic bullying. Bullying is a serious problem for those who experience it and schools should take all complaints seriously.Last December we launched a new anti-bullying strategy, including a new pack for schools entitled "Bullying: don't suffer in silence" with an accompanying video aimed at pupils. Schools can order one free copy of the pack from DfES publications. There is also a new anti-bullying website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying. The Department is also co-funding the Parentline Plus free helpline for parents whose children are being bullied and we have produced a public information film to raise awareness of bullying. In addition Baroness Ashton has recently provided a short foreword to "Safe for All: a best practice guide to prevent homophobic bullying in secondary schools" published by Stonewall.We have made it clear that heads can permanently exclude pupils responsible for persistent or violent bullying. However, the key message of our strategy is that victims should be able to report bullying to someone they trust and not suffer in silence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to review the implementation of anti-bullying policies. [16977]

Anti-bullying policies became compulsory in schools in September 1999. Each school's policy should be reviewed by the head teacher on a regular basis in consultation with the rest of the school community. Whenever my officials investigate alleged bullying with a school they verify that the school has an anti-bullying policy and that this has been followed closely in the case in question.The Framework for Inspection for the Office for Standards in Education requires inspectors to obtain the views of pupils, parents and teachers on the incidence of bullying in a school and the school's response. This includes assessment of the anti-bullying policy. We meet Ofsted regularly and discipline issues are part of our continuing discussions with them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Government policy is on bullying in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [16978]

All maintained schools in England, including primary and secondary schools, are required by law to have an anti-bullying policy. Schools should treat bullying seriously and take steps to combat it promptly and firmly whenever and wherever it occurs.In December 2000 we launched a new anti-bullying strategy, which includes a new pack for schools entitled `Bullying: don't suffer in silence' with an accompanying video aimed at pupils. The pack describes strategies for use in primary and secondary schools and it can be ordered from DIES Publications on 0845 602 2260. The cost is £15 although schools can order one free copy each. We have encouraged as many schools as possible to order the pack; so far about 5.000 have done so. We also have a new anti-bullying website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying. The key message of our strategy is that pupils should report bullying to someone they trust and not suffer in silence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 927W, what the original allocation for 2000–01 was for Birkenhead. [17338]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: In the 2000–01 financial year, Sure Start Birkenhead was allocated £394,500 as revenue and £266,500 as capital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children in south Tyneside remained in education after the completion of their GCSEs in the last year for which figures are available. [17402]

The percentage of 16-year-olds in full-time education in south Tyneside local education authority was 53 per cent. in 1998–99, the latest year for which figures are available. A further 7 per cent. entered part-time education.Participation rates by LEA for 16 and 17-year-olds are published in an annual statistical bulletin, "Participation in Education and Training by Young People Aged 16 and 17 in Each Local Area and Region, England".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the operation of performance-related pay for assistant head teachers, with particular reference to the subsidies granted by local education authorities in the current year. [17809]

Schools were able to appoint assistant heads posts from September 2000. Like other members of the leadership group, schools may award assistant heads additional pay points for sustained high performance. A new special grant will help schools meet the cost of performance points awarded to any teacher or leadership group member, including points awarded this school year. The grant will be worth £250 million over the next two financial years. This is in addition to continuing real terms increases in general school funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the differences in the operation of performance-related pay for (a) heads, (b) deputy heads, (c) assistant heads and (d) advanced skills teachers, with specific reference to the execution of the pay spine in each case. [17823]

Members of all four groups are paid on individual pay ranges set by governing bodies. These ranges are positioned on the leadership group pay spine in the case of head teachers, deputies and assistant heads; and on the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) pay spine in the case of ASTs. In annual pay reviews, governing bodies may award a point on the relevant pay range to members of all four groups for sustained high quality of performance taking account of performance objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 22 October 2001, Official Report, column 44W, on university staff, how many of the academic staff reported to have left (a) University of Oxford and (b) University of Sussex were re-engaged by their universities after 31 March (i) for the academic year until 30 September and (ii) for a longer period. [18248]

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the average (1) loan taken out by students over the lifetime of their higher education in the last three years; [16177](2) what the average gross repayment of student loans is over the lifetime of the loan, including interest costs. [16172]

Information as requested is not collected centrally.Information on student loan accounts is held by the Student Loans Company, and relates to debt owed to the state or to the private sector following the two Government debt sales.The average debt of a borrower with a mortgage style student loan entering repayment at the start of financial years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, the latest year for which data are available, was £2,170, £2,840 and £3,210 respectively.The first cohort of students on a three-year course who entered higher education under the new student support arrangements is due to start repayment in April 2002. The average income contingent loan account for borrowers entering repayment in that year is estimated to be some £6,200. These borrowers include those who have completed three years of study from the 1998–99 academic year as well as those from later cohorts on shorter courses or who have left higher education early.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was raised from tuition fees in England and Wales in the last 12 months. [16187]

The estimated income to higher education institutions in England and Wales from tuition fees governed by the student support regulations, the mandatory award regulations and for those post-graduate students funded by the research councils is shown in table 1 and table 2. The data is only produced on a financial year basis.

Table 1: Estimated tuition fee income to English institutions
£ million
	Financial year
	2000–01	2001–02
Public contributions to fees	517.0	498.2
Student contributions to fees1	302.5	350.1
Total	819.5	848.3
1 The student contributions are net of an estimated 5 per cent. cost for collection and any default.

Table 2: Estimated tuition fee income to Welsh institutions
£ million
	Financial year
	2000–01	2001–02
Public contributions to fees	34.6	33.5
Student contributions to fees1	21.3	25.0
Total	55.9	58.5
1 The student contributions are net of an estimated 5 per cent. cost for collection and any default.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to visit the University of Buckingham. [16902]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the shortage of school places (a) in England and (b) in east Devon. [17267]

My Department does not collect detailed information on the demand for school places. The Government believe that decisions concerning the supply of school places are best taken locally—by the main partners in the provision of education who have knowledge of local needs. Local education authorities have a duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places in their area. They must publish annually a School Organisation Plan setting out how they plan to deal with any surplus or deficit of places over a five year rolling period.Where an LEA can demonstrate overall growth in the need for school places it may apply to my Department for capital funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the shortage of teachers in (a) England and (b) east Devon. [17268]

The Department collects statistics on teacher vacancies annually. We do not collect data specifically for east Devon but in January this year the vacancy rate in Devon was 1.1 per cent. compared with a rate of 1.3 per cent. in England as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on difference in performance at GCSE between state secondary schools (a) with and (b) without a sixth form in England and east Devon. [17270]

The proportion of 15-year-olds achieving five or more GCSEs at A^* to C in 2001 was:

Percentage
	England	East Devon
(a) Schools with sixth forms	52.3	56.7
(b) Schools without sixth forms	42.6	1—
1 There are no schools without sixth forms in east Devon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many train operating companies are operating without interruption insurance; and if public funds would be used to fund a captive insurer. [16028]

The majority of train operating companies currently have no business interruption insurance cover. The Strategic Rail Authority is discussing with the rail industry the option of setting up of a captive insurer. No decision has been made regarding funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when his Department prepared the contingency plan relating to Railtrack. [R] [16030]

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement to the House of 5 November 2001, Official Report, columns 19–29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date he sought legal advice on the price at which it would be necessary to compensate shareholders if Railtrack were re-nationalised. [15501]

[holding answer 16 November 2001]: Such details are exempt from disclosure under section 2 and 4 of 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 if he expects Railtrack administration to last no more than six months. [17113]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 389W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 898W, on Railtrack, what advice the agencies gave the Government about (a) what would be required and (b) the minimum time scale to secure an A/A2 rating. [17210]

The definitions of particular credit ratings and the criteria required to achieve them are available from the individual credit rating agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 899W, on Railtrack, if he will place copies of the correspondence in the Library, as requested. [17225]

[holding answer 22 November 2001]: There was no correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the value on 5 October of Railtrack shares held by (a) local authorities as part of a general portfolio and (b) pension funds on behalf of local authority employees. [17670]

My Department does not hold this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when press officers in his Department were first briefed about the possibility that Railtrack would be put into administration. [17795]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: Details of internal discussions and advice are exempt from disclosure under section 2 of 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 what advice he received prior to 5 October on the status of the financial facilities held by Railtrack with the banks following the making of the administration order. [17791]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: Such details are exempt from disclosure under section 2 of 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 how many and what proportion of Railtrack shares were owned by institutional investors (a) at privatisation and (b) on 1 October for each year following. [18231]

The proportion of shares in Railtrack Group plc held by institutional investors at flotation on 20 May 1996 and for subsequent years—as detailed in the Annual Report and Accounts—is shown.

Percentage
20 May 1996	42
24 April 1997	66
5 May 1998	70
30 April 1999	77
5 May 2000	82
1 May 2001	83

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on how many days following privatisation Railtrack shares were worth (a) more and (b) less than their opening price; and what the highest and lowest values were of a single Railtrack share between privatisation and 1 October. [18232]

The closing share price for Railtrack Group plc was above the flotation price of 308p on every day between its flotation on 20 May 1996 and 4 June 2001 and also on 8 June 2001. The share price reached a peak of 1768p on 23 November 1998.The closing share price for Railtrack Group plc was below the flotation price of 308p on the 5. 6, and 7 of June 2001 and on every day between 9 June 2001 and 1 October 2001. The lowest closing share price was 252p on 20 September 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to legislate for changes in highways legislation, following the judgment in Goodes v. East Sussex county council. [16712]

We are continuing to consider the legal position on the winter service provided by Highway Authorities in the light of this judgment. In the meantime we strongly recommend highway authorities in England to implement winter service provisions on their roads in accordance with the Code of Practice for Maintenance "Delivering Best Practice in Highway Maintenance" published on Tuesday 10 July 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consideration he has given to a new station at Wootten Bassett; and if Railtrack's receivership will delay its development. [17162]

The proposal for a new station at Wootten Bassett has been given initial consideration by the Strategic Rail Authority and is a matter for them to consider further upon receipt of further proposals. This would be unaffected by the High Court's decision to put Railtrack into administration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will announce his decision on Central Railway's application for a hybrid Bill. [17116]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 383W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will list correspondence between his Department and the SRA concerning Renewco (a) since 5 October and (b) between 1 April and 5 October; [17138](2) what representations his Department made to the Strategic Rail Authority concerning the timing of the payment of money to Rai1track as part of the Renewco agreement; [17112](3) if he will list the meetings between his Department and the Strategic Rail Authority at which Renewco was on the agenda

Details of commercially sensitive communications between Government agencies and their sponsor Departments are exempt from disclosure under section 2 of 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 how many local councillors there are; and what their political affiliation is. [17198]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many letters he has received in 2001 concerning leylandii from residents of the Buckingham constituency. [16899]

The information is not recorded in the format requested, but my Department has received a total of over 400 letters and e-mails about leylandii since 1 January.

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 increasing public participation and confidence in the democratic process. [16926]

The Home Office published the following PSA target in 1998.

"Modernise the constitution and increase public participation in the democratic process"

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 improving fire service efficiency. [16918]

Fire authorities in England and Wales, including single purpose authorities, are subject to the duty to secure continuous improvement in efficiency under best value. This is underpinned by a process of target-setting against key national performance indicators, such as the incidence of accidental fire-related death and injury in the home. For certain functions where collaboration is considered to offer the most potential scope for improved efficiency, fire authorities have been required to conduct best value reviews to a common timetable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the gross costs were of the regulatory impact assessment for (a) the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2001, (b) the Merchant Shipping (Mandatory Surveys for Ro-Ro Ferry and High Speed Passenger Craft) Regulations 2001, (c) the Goods Vehicle (Authorisation of International Journeys) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 and (d) the Road Vehicle (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001. [17690]

These costs are shown in the published regulatory impact assessments which are in the House Libraries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) programmes and (b) funding streams to which the Index of Multiple Deprivation applies (i) wholly and (ii) in part; and if he will make a statement. [17773]

The following table sets out Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions programmes and funding streams to which the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2000) applies, either wholly or in part.

£ million
Programme	2001–01	2001–02	2002–03
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund	200	300	400
Neighbourhood Management		145
Land and Property Programme	—	2370	—
1 Funding for this programme runs from 1999 through to 2003.
2 Along with the Single Regeneration Budget, this programme will be subsumed into 'single pot' for Regional Development Agencies from April 2002. The Department for Trade and Industry will have effective responsibility for all grant in aid to RDAs from November 2001.

'The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund' is distributed to authorities which figure in the 50 most deprived authorities against the six individual district level measures in the Indices of Deprivation 2000. This produces a list of 81 authorities, to which were added seven authorities that were not included in this list but were included among the 50 most deprived areas on any of the four measures under the Index of Local Deprivation 1998. The allocations are based on a standard amount per head of population living in the 10 per cent. most deprived wards nationally.'The Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme' is targeted on areas selected from among authorities which include more than one ward in the worst 10 per cent. as measured by the Indices of Deprivation 2000, but excluding any local authority where there is a New Deal for Communities Partnership.'The Land and Property Programme' includes an element of the Indices of Deprivation 2000 for the period 2001–02 only. 80 per cent. of the budget was allocated on a criteria basis involving the use of seven indicators, one of which was based on the Indices of Deprivation 2000—a 'deprived wards' indicator which captured the number of people living in the most deprived local authority districts. The indices element therefore represents only a small aspect of the allocation methodology. The Index of Deprivation 2000 will not be used in future years due to the commitment of the new single pot for Regional Development Agencies from April 2002.'Allocation of Housing Capital Resources' to local authorities (Generalised Needs Index and Registered Social Landlords (Housing Needs Index)) is based on needs indices that include an element of targeting of resources to deprived areas. The targeting for 2002–03 will be based on the ID 2000; targeting had previously been based on the largely 1991 Census-based Index of Local Conditions.The way in which the indices are constructed and used means that the targeting does not allocate a specific amount of the available resources. The targeting currently accounts for 30 per cent. of the Generalised Needs Index and 15 per cent. within the Housing Needs Index (before adjustment for regional cost variations. For this reason we have not included these programmes in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to review the methodology underpinning the Index of Multiple Deprivation with specific reference to (a) incorporation of a crime domain, (b) incorporation of a physical environment domain and (c) the impact of the access domain; and if he will make a statement. [17774]

At the time of the publication of the Indices of Deprivation, in July 2000, we acknowledged that they should be revised when further substantial small area data streams become available and could be incorporated into the indices. My Department is intending to commission a project shortly to explore what new data have come on stream since the review that led to the Indices of Deprivation 2000. This will pay particular attention to the development of measures on crime and the physical environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with Nottingham City Transport on bus passenger numbers following the reorganisation of their bus services; and if he will make a statement. [17387]

I have had no discussions with Nottingham City Transport about bus passenger numbers since reorganisation of their bus services on 30 September. However, I would expect the city council to continue to monitor the use of public transport in the city as part of the annual reporting process for the Greater Nottingham local transport plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to revise the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, Schedule 2, Part 24 so far as the citing of mobile phone masts is concerned. [17411]

On 22 August this year we introduced changes that significantly improved the planning procedures and guidance for telecommunications mast development. The changes, which included, amendments to the 1995 Order:

strengthened public consultation requirements on mast proposals of 15 metres and below so that they are the same as for planning applications;

increased the time for an authority to deal with prior approval applications to 56 days;

underlined that school governors must be consulted on all proposals for new masts on or near a school or college; and

increased fees to enable authorities to carry out full public consultation.

We have no plans to amend further the planning arrangements for telecommunications development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the average reduction in road speed as a result of the introduction of speed cameras. [17442]

Monitoring of the eight pilot areas has shown that, on average, speed at the camera sites has reduced on average by 5.6mph. On average the percentage of drivers exceeding the speed limit at pilot camera sites reduced from 55 per cent. to 16 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of how many police constabularies are in favour of the use of speed cameras. [17444]

All police forces in the United Kingdom use technology to enforce speed limits. To date, 15 police force areas have been accepted into the new netting-off scheme and a number are preparing their case to join next year. It is envisaged that the scheme will be extended to all areas within two years. ACPO strongly support the netting-off scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reduction in (a) fatalities and (b) serious accidents as a result of the introduction of speed cameras. [17440]

The first year report of the netting-off scheme shows that, on average, at camera sites, the number of people killed and seriously injured; fell by 47 per cent. compared to the average of the previous three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many requests he has received for additional funding for speed cameras since January. [17435]

Eight further bids have been received to join the netting-off scheme. Of these, seven have been approved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed cameras there are in the United Kingdom. [17441]

The numbers of speed cameras in police force areas are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the cost of damage to emergency vehicles sustained from cushion-style road humps in the last year for which figures are available. [17438]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many 20 miles per hour zones have been adopted in England. [17445]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance his Department gives on the (a) height, (b) length and (c) width of cushion-style road humps. [17437]

The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999 states that a road hump should be between 25 and 100mm in height, with no vertical face higher than 6mm and have a minimum width in the direction of traffic not be less than 900mm.The Department has issued a range of Traffic Advisory Leaflets to all local authorities in England and Wales giving guidance on the installation of road humps. Within the scope offered by the Regulations, it is for highway authorities to decide the most appropriate design and dimension of road hump for each of their roads

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice he gives on the introduction of traffic calming measures on (a) trunk and (b) residential roads. [17436]

Traffic calming has proved to be effective in reducing vehicle speeds and in reducing the number and severity of road accidentsThe Department provides highway authorities with guidance and advice on traffic calming, through our Traffic Advisory Leaflet series of publications. We are also preparing a Local Transport Note on the design and effectiveness of traffic calming measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many trains hit farm animals straying on to the track in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [17414]

The number of incidents where trains have struck animals are contained in the Chief Inspector of Railways' Annual Reports on Railway Safety, copies of which are in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what approaches he has received from the Airline Group concerning its ability, following 11 September, to invest the projected £50 million profits from its first year operations back into NATS. [17452]

The Airline Group, in conjunction with NATS, is producing a business plan, for submission to Government by the end of November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has received regarding the price of petrol and diesel in England and Wales. [17883]

This Department receives regular representations on the price of petrol and diesel from a range of bodies and individuals. The current higher price of diesel compared to petrol is the result of increased winter demand for heating oil, which is similar in composition to diesel, as compared to petrol for which demand is generally greater in summer. In Budget 2001 the duties on ultra low sulphur petrol and ultra low sulphur diesel, the two most commonly used road fuels, were reduced to 45.82 pence per litre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured on the roads as a result of accidents involving (i) bus, (ii) coach and (iii) lorry drivers in each of the last three years to which the figures are available [18067]

The following table shows the road casualty figures for accidents in Great Britain involving buses and coaches and for accidents involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) of over 3.5 tonnes gvw (maximum permissible gross vehicle weight). It is not possible to present separate figures for accidents involving buses and for accidents involving coaches. The figures include driver casualties in the specified vehicle type where these occurred.

	Road users killed in accidents involving		Road users injured in accidents involving
	a bus or coach	an HGV	a bus or coach	an HGV
1998	152	576	16,081	18,122
1999	145	620	16,567	19,180
2000	149	560	16,412	19,233

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many road accidents have involved (a) coach, and (b) bus and (c) lorry drivers in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [18091]

The following table shows the figures for road accidents in Great Britain involving buses and coaches and for accidents involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) of over 3.5 tonnes gvw (maximum permissible gross vehicle weight). The statistics relate only to accidents that resulted in personal injury. It is not possible to present separate figures for accidents involving buses and for accidents involving coaches.These statistics do not indicate whether the driver of the specified vehicle type was the injured party.

	Personal injury accidents involving
	a bus or coach	an HGV
1998	11,762	14,526
1999	11,888	15,191
2000	11,733	15,194

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the maximum permitted number of passengers is that can be carried on a scheduled (a) 48 seater and (b) 53 seater bus if all the passengers are aged under 14 years. [17871]

Provided that the scheduled bus is not equipped with seat belts and has seats fitted in pairs, under the three for two rule, it would be possible to carry (a) in a 48 seat bus, 72 seated passengers under the age of fourteen plus any standees that are permitted and (b) in a 53 seater bus, 79 seated passengers under the age of fourteen plus any permissible standees. However, in practice it is likely that the vehicles will be fitted with more than one single seat so the totals in that case would be less.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the investigations by the Vehicles Inspectorate into breaches of regulations concerning (a) scheduled and (b) private bus and coach operators in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001. [17877]

The Vehicle Inspectorate's data identify the operators of public service vehicles (PSVs), but the records do not differentiate between the operators of scheduled, private bus and coach services. In 1999–2000 investigations carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate into breaches of the traffic regulations by operators and drivers led to 623 cases being taken to court covering a total of 1,633 offences. In 2000–01 the number of cases was 578, which covered 1,753 offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to amend the Competition Act 1998 to facilitate arrangements between bus companies, with particular reference to rural areas. [18176]

Naturally, we wish to encourage joint ticketing schemes between operators, aimed at making life easier for bus users in rural areas and elsewhere. This is an important component in delivering the Government's integrated transport policy and achieving our target of increasing bus patronage by 10 per cent. over the period of the 10 year plan.Any proposal to amend existing competition legislation would be a matter for my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Director General of Fair Trading has made a block exemption Order exempting, among other things, multi-operator ticketing schemes. I understand that the Director General of Fair Trading intends to consult shortly on a revised guideline on the terms of the block exemption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to review the Cranford Agreement. [17794]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: We recognise there is a case for reviewing the Cranford Agreement. We will do this next year in conjunction with the review of daytime westerly preference announced in the Terminal Five decision letter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans exist for a special purpose vehicle to be created to undertake works in connection with Gatwick Station; and if he will place the plans in the Library. [17787]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: It is intended that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed to carry out works under the new South Central franchise, including track works at Gatwick station. Discussions on the appropriate structure for the SPV are being taken forward by the Strategic Rail Authority and GoVia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans exist for a special purpose vehicle to be created to undertake works in connection with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link; and if he will place the plans in the Library. [17786]

[holding answer 23 November 2001]: Construction and financing of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is being undertaken by London and Continental Railways who won a competition to do so in 1996. Those arrangements were restructured in 1998 and arrangements for the construction and finance of Section 2 were concluded in the summer of this year. Construction of Sections 1 and 2 is currently proceeding on time and on budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will

100 most deprived wards in the Government office for the south west region
Local authority	Parliamentary constituency	Ward name	Ranking on IMD
Bristol, City of	Bristol East	Lawrence Hill	133
Bristol, City of	Bristol South	Filwood	221
Plymouth	Plymouth Sutton	St. Peter	249
Penwith	St. Ives	Penzance East	336
Bournemouth	Bournemouth East	Boscombe West	415
Bournemouth	Bournemouth West	Wallisdown	441
Exeter	Exeter	Wonford	458
North Somerset	Weston Super Mare	Weston Super Mare South	466
Torridge	Torridge and West Devon	Westward Ho!	509
Gloucester	Gloucester	Barton	518
Kerrier	Falmouth and Camborne	Illogan South	548
North Somerset	Weston Super Mare	Weston Super Mare Ellenborough	618
Bristol, City of	Bristol North West	Southmead	628
Penwith	St. Ives	Penzance West	630
Kerrier	Falmouth and Camborne	Camborne North	646
North Devon	North Devon	Trinity	651
Plymouth	Plymouth Devonport	Ham	660
Plymouth	Plymouth Devonport	Budshead	678
Swindon	North Swindon	Whitworth	682
Kerrier	Falmouth and Camborne	Camborne West	683
North Devon	North Devon	Ilfracombe Central	710
Carrick	Falmouth and Camborne	Penwerris	717
Gloucester	Gloucester	Westgate	718
Bristol, City of	Bristol East	Knowle	733
Bristol, City of	Bristol West	Ashley	756
Kerrier	Falmouth and Camborne	Redruth North	773
Weymouth and Portland	South Dorset	Melcombe Regis	782
Taunton Deane	Taunton	Taunton Halcon	784
Penwith	St. Ives	Hayle-Gwithian	790
Swindon	Swindon South	Park	830
Torbay	Torbay	Tormohun	848
Bristol, City of	Bristol South	Whitchurch Park	921
North Devon	North Devon	St. Mary's	922
Bristol, City of	Bristol South	Bishopsworth	935
Kerrier	Falmouth and Camborne	Camborne South	948
Plymouth	Plymouth Devonport	Honicknowle	953
Plymouth	Plymouth Sutton	Sutton	957
Plymouth	Plymouth Devonport	St. Budeaux	963
Penwith	St. Ives	Marazion	980
Torbay	Torbay	Torwood	990
North Devon	North Devon	Ilfracombe East	1,007
Gloucester	Gloucester	Matson	1,033
Bristol, City of	Bristol South	Hartcliffe	1,036
Bristol, City of	Bristol East	Easton	1,043
Taunton Deane	Taunton	Taunton Lyngford	1,069
Bristol, City of	Bristol East	Lockleaze	1,095
Penwith	St. Ives	St. Ives North	1,105
Bath and NE Somerset	Bath	Twerton	1,111
Torbay	Totnes	Blatchcombe	1,159
Torbay	Torbay	Coverdale	1,169
Bristol, City of	Bristol North West	Kingsweston	1,207
Penwith	St. Ives	St. Just	1,226
Plymouth	Plymouth Devonport	Keyham	1,229
West Somerset	Bridgwater	Williton	1,239
Penwith	St. Ives	Hayle-Gwinear	1,242
Exeter	Exeter	Rougemont	1,264
Bristol, City of	Bristol South	Windmill Hill	1,278
Torridge	Torridge and West Devon	Appledore East	1,280
Sedgemoor	Bridgwater	Hamp	1,301
Penwith	St. Ives	St. Erth and St. Hilary	1,304