To ask the Solicitor-General what measures she has taken to improve access to information in her Department by those outside her Department. [23871]

In the interest of accountability, the Attorney-General is determined that the Departments for which he is responsible should take steps to extend access to official information, the assumption being that such information should be released except where disclosure would not be in the public interest.The Law Officers' Departments—the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department—all continue to increase access to information through various avenues.CPS publicity materials now include more extensive information about CPS policies and the prosecution process. A key recent example is the publication of a booklet providing the background to prosecution policy on domestic violence cases.The potential for releasing information via the internet will be explored to the full. The website maintained on behalf of the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers is currently being reviewed and 2002 will see a new, improved, CPS website. The SFO website has recently been substantially expanded and the Treasury Solicitor has also improved access to information through two dedicated websites.

To ask the Solicitor-General what efforts are being made to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service works effectively with the police and local authorities to secure successful prosecutions in antisocial behaviour cases. [23873]

The CPS work with the police and local authorities through the local partnerships set up under the Crime and Disorder Act.In February 2000 all key agencies launched the antisocial behaviour protocol and there have been joint training seminars and joint guidance.Between April 1999 and September 2000:

To ask the Solicitor-General what criteria are applied in deciding whether to prosecute serious fraud. [23874]

Criteria for consideration of prosecuting serious fraud are the same as for all criminal cases: (i) is there enough evidence and (ii) is it in the public interest.Offences involving serious or complex fraud are prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). In deciding whether the SFO rather than CPS should accept a case for investigation, the factors taken into account include:

To ask the Solicitor-General with which organisations she has had discussions on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill relating to the prevention of terrorism. [23875]

Policy responsibility for the Act, including for consultation, lies with the Home Secretary. Any discussions that I, or the Attorney-General, have had about aspects of the Bill were therefore conducted in the context of our role as Law Officers, such as in discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding some of the prosecution/criminal law aspects. Quite separately from this, the Attorney-General provided assistance to the Home Secretary in taking parts of the Bill through the House of Lords.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement about the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service. [23870]

During the period April-September 2001 the Crown Prosecution Service secured convictions in respect of 98 per cent. of defendants whose case proceeded to a hearing in magistrates courts and almost 89 per cent. of defendants whose case proceeded to a hearing in the Crown court. During the same six-month period, the service had already met its 2001–02 targets for the timeliness of committal papers and of briefs to counsel, and for reduction in non-injury acquittals attributable to failings in the prosecution. In addition, the service made a vital contribution towards halving the time taken to deal with persistent young offenders, from an average of 142 days in 1996 to 70 days in the quarter ending September 2001.While these figures show that the Crown Prosecution Service is continuing to work to a high standard, its priorities for 2002–03 are more demanding still, including: delivering more effective prosecutions; developing a greater public service ethos; developing its own professional role; building partnerships to drive up the performance of the criminal justice system as a whole; and developing a modern, diverse organisation which staff take pride in.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent meetings she has had with the National Union of Teachers to discuss the number of vacancies in secondary schools. [23835]

My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the NUT along with other unions from time to time to discuss a wide range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent meetings she has had with the Association of Colleges to discuss the number of (a) teachers and (b) lecturers in further education. [23853]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent meetings she has had with the Association of Colleges to discuss the numbers of (a) teachers and (b) lecturers in further education. [23857]

The Secretary of State met David Gibson from the Association of Colleges (AoC) on 14 November 2001 and also addressed the AoC Conference on 20 November. Additionally, my colleague John Healey and I have each met twice with representatives from the AoC on 12 July and 10 October and 15 June and 31 July, respectively.Discussions with AoC representatives are wide reaching, including recruitment and retention difficulties for lecturers in some subject areas and initiatives such as the Teaching Pay Initiative, Golden Hellos, Student Loan Write Off and Training Bursaries, which the Government have introduced to attract new staff to the profession and reward and retain excellent teachers and lecturers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vacancies there are for teacher posts in maintained schools in Hertfordshire. [23836]

Information on the number of teacher vacancies in local education authorities is collected once a year in January as part of the annual census of teachers and vacancies. In January 2001, the vacancy rate for Hertfordshire LEA was 0.6 per cent. compared with 1.4 per cent. nationally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to achieve equal funding for students at sixth form colleges and in school sixth forms. [23841]

The Government are firmly committed to bringing up the level of funding for colleges towards that of school sixth forms. As we have repeatedly made clear, this will take time and must be done as resources allow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase funding to further education colleges; and if she will make a statement. [23862]

£527 million extra funding is available for further education colleges this year compared with 2000–01. This is a 12 per cent. real terms increase and there will be a further 3 per cent. real terms increase in 2002–03. The increase in funding is designed to support widening participation in learning, higher standards of teaching and learning leading to improved success rates, the introduction of centres of vocational excellence, a step change in capital investment in the sector and the modernisation of pay arrangements in further education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to increase education funding in Swindon. [23842]

Swindon's Education Standard Spending Assessment will be increased by 4.65 per cent. next year, and the sums available through the Standards Fund and in direct grant to schools will also increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for the distribution of university research funding. [23843]

The Government's policy is selectively to support high quality research in universities and colleges. The detailed distribution of public funds for research is a matter for the research councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the other UK funding councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about nursery provision. [23845]

Since September 1998, all four-year-olds have been able to access a free early education place.We have increased the percentage of three-year-olds able to access free places from 34 per cent. in 1997 to 62 per cent. in 2001. From September 2004 all three-year-olds will have access to a free early education place.The funding available for early education will be increased from £1 billion in 1996–97 to £2 billion in 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children aged between three and five years are in full-time nursery education. [23861]

My Department estimates that eight per cent. of three and four-year-old children were in full-time nursery education¹ in England in January 2001.However, the vast majority of children engage in nursery education on a part-time basis. If these children are included, my Department estimates that two in three children aged three and four are in either full or part-time nursery education. Of these, 32 per cent. of the population attended private and voluntary providers, four per cent. attended independent schools, 30 per cent. attended maintained nursery schools or nursery classes within maintained primary schools and less than 0.5 per cent, special schools.We are committed to guaranteeing free part-time places for all four-year-olds whose parents want one and by September 2004 free part-time places for all three-year-olds.Children in nursery education comprise those educated in schools and private and voluntary early years settings, but does not include children educated in infant classes in maintained primary schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without qualifications. [23846]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without qualifications. [23860]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without any qualifications. [23850]

In 2001 the proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without any qualifications fell for the sixth year in a row to 5.5 per cent. This reflects a continuing rise to 94.5 per cent. in 2000–01 in the percentage of pupils achieving one or more GCSEs at grades A^*-G (or equivalent).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to reduce the administrative burden on teachers. [23848]

My Department is committed to making teaching a more manageable profession and keeps administrative requirements on all schools under continuous review. Following the recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study on teacher workload and its recommendations on reducing administrative burdens, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has invited teacher representatives, local authorities and other key education figures to join her on a working party to take forward work on remodelling the teaching profession.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on funding for education in Wiltshire. [23849]

In 2002–03 Wiltshire's Education SSA will be £189.72 million, an increase of £11.58 million or 6.50 per cent.—above the national average. Wiltshire will also benefit from the increase in Standards Fund grant of almost £160 million; and in the direct grant for schools of at least 2.75 per cent..

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the process for awarding university status to higher education colleges. [23851]

The criteria and processes for the award of university title to higher education colleges were revised in 1999 following full consultation with the academic community and others. I am satisfied that they are working effectively balancing, as they must, the legitimate wishes of some colleges to become universities with the need to protect the reputation of the United Kingdom university title.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to increase participation in further education among 16 to 18-year-olds. [23852]

We are investing substantially in a wide range of policies designed to raise participation among 16 to 18-year-olds, including in further education. We have established the Learning and Skills Council to drive these forward and have put in place a number of measures which provide the support and incentives young people need to take up and succeed in learning. These include the Connexions Service, education maintenance allowances, new generation modern apprenticeships, and the new Connexions Card to be launched nationally in autumn 2002. Further education colleges will also play a central role in our plans to develop a coherent 14–19 phase of learning for young people. We will be publishing a Green Paper shortly setting out our plans in this area. Finally, with the Learning and Skills Council, we are continuing with our drive to improve standards in further education, underpinned by a rigorous, independent inspection regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions she has had with regard to the future of higher education in Wales. [23854]

My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning at the National Assembly for Wales covering a range of issues, including higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what strategy her Government have to increase participation in adult learning. [23858]

The Government's strategy is to ensure that learning is available in a form and at a time and place that best suits the needs of adult learners; to provide targeted financial support to adult learners; and to extend the information, advice and guidance available on learning. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a statutory duty to encourage adults to learn. It will publish its strategy for workforce development by the end of March 2002. The National Target for Participation in Learning has been achieved one year early, with 500,000 additional learners since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage more children from lower socio-economic backgrounds to attend university. [23859]

We are spending over £190 million on the Excellence challenge programme, which will provide extra help and information for young people in areas with traditionally low participation to reach higher education. In addition, education maintenance allowances and our reforms to qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds will assist young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to stay in education and training and to reach the level to access higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to lift the suspension of individual learning accounts. [23863]

Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) will not be reinstated in their present form. However, I can give a cast-iron guarantee that this is not the end of Government funding for adult learning, or of Government support for all those who find a lack of money a barrier to returning to education, learning or training. We are developing future plans which build on the successful elements of the ILA programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the premises of training organisations dealing with ILA holders were inspected with regard to (a) the training stations available and (b) the training qualifications of staff. [23436]

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: The premises of training organisations dealing with ILA holders and the training qualifications of their staff were not inspected. However, as part of the registration process learning providers were asked to provide a copy of a valid health and safety certificate and their public liability insurance. In addition we required all learning providers to sign a learning provider agreement. A key part of the agreement asked providers to offer a clear explanation to account holders of any accreditation held (in respect of the course, the qualification or the provider), the qualification a course undertaken may lead to, and the awarding body.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what compensation her Department is providing to colleges in respect of losses incurred by the withdrawal of individual learning accounts. [23831]

The Department has no plans to compensate learning providers in relation to the closure of individual learning accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the numbers of (a) girls and (b) boys taking science subjects at A and AS-level in each of the last five years. [23864]

The number of girls and boys that took science subjects at A and AS level in each of the last five years was as follows:

	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
A Level (legacy)
Girls	53,975	55,768	55,102	54,568	51,826
Boys	65,588	65,845	62,951	60,053	57,054
Advanced Supplementary (legacy)
Girls	3,508	3,360	3,465	3,598	1,973
Boys	3,799	3,939	4,011	3,748	1,989
Advanced Subsidiary (new)—2000–01	Girls	57,780	—	—	—	—
Boys	61,917	—	—	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress is being made to equip schools with resources in information and communications technology. [23865]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Tony Cunningham) on 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 657.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parenting orders have been sought by schools based in the Buckingham constituency. [23731]

I have been asked to reply.We understand from the Youth Justice Board that between October 2000 and June 2001, 10 parenting orders were sought and granted in Buckinghamshire following convictions of adults for failing to send children to school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the trends in the numbers of students domiciled in (a) Scotland who attend English universities and (b) England who attend Scottish universities, in the last five years. [23844]

In the five years to 2000–01 the number of full-time Scottish undergraduate students in England rose from 5,277 to 5,834 while numbers of full-time English undergraduates in Scotland fell from 16,336 to 14,723. However, UCAS entry figures for 2001–02 suggest these trends have changed with decline of full-time Scottish students in England of about three per cent. and an increase in full-time English students in Scotland of about five per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention in London. [23855]

Information on the number of teacher vacancies in local education authorities is collected once a year in January as part of the annual census of teachers and vacancies. In January 2001, the vacancy rate for London was 3.5 per cent. compared with 1.4 per cent. nationally. We are aware of the particular problems in London and are making considerable efforts to address them. In 2001 the Government made nearly £20 million available to London LEAs through its recruitment and retention fund. This amounted to more than half the total national funding. In 2002 we will increase that funding in London to £22 million. In addition we have increased pay for all teachers above the rate of inflation for the third successive year. London allowances have been raised by 30 per cent. so that teachers in inner London now receive a starting salary of £20,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many teachers received backdated threshold pay before 1 April 2001, broken down by local authority; A [25844](2) how many teachers received backdated threshold pay after 1 April 2001; A [25845](3) what assessment she has made of the number of teachers who paid higher rates of tax as a result of their backdated pay being paid after 1 April 2001. A [25846]

The information requested has not been collected centrally and could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 259W, on what evidence she based her answer on the numbers of teachers having to pay higher rates of tax; and how this is reconciled with her answer of 30 November 2001, Official Report, column 1213W, on threshold allowance awards. [25861]

To pay higher rate tax as a result of receiving threshold back pay from 2000–01 in the current financial year a teacher would have to earn at least £32,768 this year before any threshold back pay was added. Estimates derived from the teachers' pensions scheme indicate that a substantial majority of teachers who have crossed the threshold are not paid as much as this. So even though we do not have detailed information about when they were paid, we can nevertheless say that most post-threshold teachers would not pay higher rate tax even if they received threshold back pay this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils attended faith schools in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997, (d) 1998, (e) 1999 and (f) 2000. [19199]

[holding answer 29 November 2001]: The available information is shown in the following table.

Number of pupils1 in maintained primary and secondary schools in England
	2000	2001
Primary
Number of pupils in non-religious schools	3,199,355	3,173,926
Number of pupils in faith schools	1,235,991	1,232,289
Secondary
Number of pupils in non-religious schools	2,694,103	2,736,891
Number of pupils in faith schools	487,710	494,936
1 Headcount of pupils

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with President Musharraf on the situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [23714]

During his visit to Pakistan on 22–23 November, the Secretary of State discussed the situation in Afghanistan with President Musharraf. The Secretary of State expressed our continuing appreciation for President Musharraf s courageous decision to support the fight against terrorism and the practical assistance that Pakistan has provided. The Secretary of State also discussed the situation in Pakistan and sought President Musharraf s advice on how best to achieve our shared objective of a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what encouragement he has given to President Musharraf to return Pakistan to democracy during 2002. [25431]

Both my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary encouraged President Musharraf to return Pakistan to democracy during their recent visits to Pakistan. We welcome President Musharraf s public reiteration of his commitment to stick to his roadmap to democracy and hold national and provincial elections by October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out for each of the conclusions in section 6.4 of the Performance and Innovation Unit report, "Winning the Generation Game", (a) what progress his Department has made and (b) what future plans his Department has for acting on them; and if he will set out against each of the conclusions the targets and deadlines that have been set. [24200]

[holding answer 19 December 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 335W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Indonesian Government on the protection of Christians; and if he will make a statement. [24418]

We take every opportunity, including with our EU partners, to urge states to foster tolerance and mutual respect and to protect religious minorities. In the case of Indonesia, we raised our concerns about violence in Maluku and Sulawesi most recently on 29 November when the British Chargé d'Affaires in Jakarta called on Manuel Kaisiepo, the Minister for Eastern Indonesia. I myself raised the issue with Vice-President Haz when I met him in August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the treatment of Christians in Indonesia. [25730]

There are a number of regional conflicts in Indonesia with a religious dimension. Their origins are complex. The UK's message to the Indonesian Government has been consistently clear: a long-term solution can be achieved only through political dialogue and consultation with the people.The Department for International Development has pledged more than £4 million to help establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. The Unit will build up capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces torn apart by ethnic conflict. The British Government have also recently funded a series of Conflict Reporting training workshops in various provinces in Indonesia. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation and offer practical assistance where we can.We will continue to monitor cases of inter-communal violence closely and raise our concerns with the Indonesian Government at every appropriate opportunity. I myself raised the issue with Vice President Haz when I met him in Jakarta in August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the EU is playing in seeking to make progress towards peace in the middle east. [25415]

The EU plays an active role in efforts to secure peace in the region, in parallel with US, UN and Russian efforts. EU Foreign Ministers and High Representative Solana visit the region frequently to deliver strong messages to both parties about their responsibilities to put an end to the violence and resume negotiations. Solana began a further visit on 6 January. The EU' s position is clear: the Palestinian Authority should dismantle terrorist networks; the Israeli Government should withdraw their military forces, end operations against Palestinian institutions and lift restrictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Vietnamese Government concerning the treatment of Christians in Vietnam. [25295]

The Secretary of State raised general human rights issues in Vietnam when he met the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Mr. Nien, in London in September 2001. The EU Human Rights Working Group in Hanoi, in which our embassy plays a leading role, raises the treatment of religious groups and individuals, during its regular dialogue with the Vietnamese authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK assistance to militaries and police forces overseas. [26900]

UK training and assistance to militaries and police forces overseas has been provided through the ASSIST (Assistance to Support Stability with In-Service Training) scheme, the ASSIST Challenge Fund and English language training programme. In total £6.8 million in FY 2000–01 supported some 220 training and assistance projects for the military, law enforcement agencies and civilian bodies in over 65 countries, with a strong emphasis on human rights and good governance. Examples include the attachment of a UK chief constable to the Indonesian police service to help it establish a new structure and code of ethics; English language training for central and eastern Europe militaries to support their international peacekeeping capabilities and NATO candidature; and a project to help UK and South Asian police forces work together on the issue of forced marriages.Following a review last year of the Government's conflict prevention and resolution activities, the ASSIST budgets have been subsumed into the interdepartmental Conflict Prevention Pools, which continue to fund ASSIST-type activities.The review of the ASSIST activities for 2000–01 gives more detail. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to offer military support against terrorism in Nepal by supplying (a) equipment and (b) personnel. [24747]

I have been asked to reply.The Government are very concerned at the situation in Nepal and have fully supported the Nepalese Government's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Maoist insurgency. The United Kingdom has been equally supportive of the Nepalese Government, which has a duty to protect its citizens from Maoist violence, over the crisis caused by the Maoists' return to violence in November 2001. Our armed forces have close links with the Royal Nepalese Army and already provide them with training and are currently providing logistic equipment. We remain in close contact with the Nepalese Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Sea Dart anti-aircraft missiles on Type 45 destroyers can be used against surface targets; if Sea Dart missiles will be fitted to Type 45 destroyers; if the Aster anti-aircraft missiles on the Type 45 destroyers can be deployed against surface targets; what effect the move to littoral operations has on the need for anti-surface weapons capabilities; and if he will make a statement. [24022]

The Sea Dart missile is fitted only to Type 42 destroyers. It has a limited anti-surface unit capability. It will not be fitted to Type 45 destroyers. The Aster missile system, with which the Type 45s will be equipped, will not have an anti-surface unit capability. The Type 45 Destroyer's anti-ship capability will be provided by the Sea Skua missile fitted to its Lynx helicopter, together with the 4.5" Mk8 Mod 1 Gun and twin 30mm guns. The Type 45 Destroyer is being designed to facilitate the incremental incorporation of additional capabilities, including a surface-to-surface guided missile should the requirement for one be demonstrated.Our ships have always needed to operate in the littoral, but the emphasis on ensuring that we can operate in this environment has increased, not least to take better advantage of the contribution of maritime forces in the force projection role. The Type 45, in its primary role of maritime air defence, will significantly enhance our ability to operate in this environment. For anti-surface capability, however, the main effect is to increase the emphasis on robust measures to protect ships operating in this area against the threat from fast inshore attack craft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will state the (a) strength and (b) establishment of the Coldstream Guards; [24569](2) if he will state the strength and the establishment of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment; [24916](3) what the

The establishments and actual strengths for the Coldstream Guards, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Forester's Regiment as at 1 November are shown in the table.

	Establishment strength	Actual strength
Coldstream Guards	609	604
1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	669	602
2nd Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	667	613
Worcestershire and Sherwood Forester's Regiment	610	597

The establishments and actual strengths for the regiments above include the cap-badge strength as well as attached personnel from other Corps who are supporting the regiments in their current location.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many enlisted personnel have sought early retirement after serving less than the maximum period for a full pension in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [25831]

Full pension for enlisted personnel is payable after completion of 37 years' service. However, those who complete 22 or more years' service are eligible for an Immediate Pension which, broadly, is calculated on a pro rata basis. The latest figures in each category are set out in the table.For the last three years, the total numbers of enlisted personnel who have retired before completing the necessary 37 years' service for full pension entitlement, but after having served the required 22 years for immediate pension are as shown in the table.

	Personnel having served 22 years
1 November 2000 to 31 October 2001	897
1 November 1999 to 31 October 2000	752
1 November 1998 to 31 October 1999	709

The total numbers who retired before completing the necessary 22 years for payment of immediate pension and were therefore entitled to a preserved award only are given in the table:

	Personnel having served less than 22 years
1 April 2000 to 1 March 2001	78,823
1 April 1999 to 1 March 2000	79,412
1 April 1998 to 1 March 1999	78.638

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Fuchs NBC defence vehicles and CAM-level 3s are (a) in service and (b) operational. [125701]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 434W, regarding the Fuchs NBC Defence Vehicle.A number of hand-held Chemical Agent Monitors (CAM) have recently been refurbished and sufficient stock is held to meet current defence planning assumptions. I am withholding the information with regard to specific quantities in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies the Defence Analytical Statistical Agency has carried out in the last four years which have involved data on servicemen and women who had already retired. [23957]

The Defence Analytical Services Agency routinely analyses data on men and women who have left the service to obtain historical information on the strengths and characteristics of the services and to help in predicting the future numbers and types of leavers. The source data are obtained from departmental pay and personnel systems.Retired service personnel may also be included in more general surveys conducted by the agency, for example if a retired officer is employed by the department in a civilian post or if a survey includes reservists.In the last four years the agency has also carried out some special studies involving retired service men and women. In 1999–2000 a study of people who die in service or are invalided out was undertaken to support the Joint Compensation Review, and information on leavers in general was used to support the Armed Forces Pension Scheme Review. The agency is currently carrying out a study of ex-service men with pensions and preserved pension rights to provide information on pension troughs in the Armed Forces Pension

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has completed negotiations with NATS on the contract for the new Scottish centre. [23560]

The Ministry of Defence is currently engaged in discussions with National Air Traffic Services about the future provision of military area radar support services. No decision has yet been made about whether it will conduct military area radar operations from the new Scottish centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to establish an office of a national security adviser. [25857]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to his Department to service current pension commitments in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [25833]

Contributions towards retired pay and pensions from the Ministry of Defence in each of the last three years, for civilian and Service personnel, were as follows:

	£
1998–99	1,155,334,581
1999–2000	1,203,738,081
2000–01	1,257,556,631

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the bidding companies for the Warship Support Modernisation Project have been allowed to amend their bids since the closing date following subsequent discussions with Warship Support Agency officials. [25864]

Proposals were received in September 2001 from the Dockyard companies for potential partnering arrangements at each of the Naval Bases as part of the Warship Support Modernisation Initiative. Since then, the normal process of post-tender clarification, negotiation and assessment has been taking place. This has involved discussions by officials with representatives from each of the companies. As a result of these discussions, the proposals have been amended in places to clarify matters that had not been fully explained and to reflect the latest state of play in these negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the trade unions' alternative proposals for the Warship Support Modernisation Project demonstrate value for money; if value for money will be the sole criterion for the final decision; and if he will make a statement. [25868]

Officials in the Ministry of Defence are currently assessing the alternative proposals from the MOD trade unions for warship support modernisation, alongside the in-house efficiency proposals from the Naval Base Management and the proposals from the Dockyard companies. All options are currently being compared for value for money, together with their technical, commercial and Human Resource implications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which naval personnel can be used by a private company to provide a profit-making service to the Royal Navy; [25865](2) what arrangements have been put in place to secure the continuing service rights of naval personnel who will be working for a profit-making private company on the Warship Modernisation Project; at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [25866]

If partnering is the agreed way forward, a number of naval personnel will be seconded to work with the companies, chiefly in the area of engineering support. They will remain available for standard military duties, training and for other ad hoc military or emergency tasks. The use of these personnel will be charged to the companies on an annualised hours basis, whereby the companies will pay for the available working time of those personnel at local commercial rates. All naval personnel employed within the partnering arrangements will continue to be subject to the essential terms and conditions of service which apply to all Royal Naval personnel irrespective of where they serve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) All Terrain Mobility Platforms, (b) Hagglund BV 206, (c) Truck Utility Light/Medium, (d) Battlefield ambulances, (e) Truck Utility Medium, (f) Drops, (g) Truck Cargo 8 Tonne 4 x 4, (h) Truck Cargo 16 Tonne 8 x 4, (i) Foden GS 6 x 6 Recovery Vehicles, (j) Tank Transporter Unipower Commander and (k) Centurion Beach Armoured recovery vehicles are operational. [25700]

The information requested is held quarterly. The information for the quarter ending 31 December 2001 will be available at the end of this month. I will write to the hon. Member at that stage and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) offensive fighters, (b) defensive fighters, (c) heavy bombers and (d) transporters were operational in (i) October and (ii) November 2001. [25698]

The number of aircraft of the types specified, in the RAF's Operating Fleet, as at 1 October and 1 November 2001, is detailed in the table. The Actual Operating Fleet comprises all aircraft which are fully operational or in 1st and 2nd line maintenance. Dedicated training aircraft of the aircraft models comprising the answer, have been excluded.

	Number of aircraft
Aircraft type	1 October 2001	1 November 2001
Offensive fighter	208	204
Defensive fighter	115	113
Transporters	75	76
Heavy Bombers	0	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fully-trained navigators would be required by the RAF if it was fully recruited; how many are available; what steps he is taking to improve training facilities for navigators; and if he will make a statement. [25154]

The requirement for trained navigators in the Royal Air Force on 1 December 2001 was 973. The trained strength was 1,176. However, the figures mask a deficit of 83 at junior officer level.The Military Flying Training System project is planned to provide the updated facilities required to train the navigators of the future. Other measures introduced over recent years to improve the training output include the introduction of new and redesigned training modules to ensure the syllabus continues to reflect the training needs, and the provision of extra flying training for students where necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use his Department has made of services provided by the Government Actuary's Department in each of the last four years. [23956]

The Ministry of Defence regularly uses the services provided by the Government Actuary's Department. These services include receiving actuarial advice in respect of the armed forces pension scheme, advice regarding continuing pension provision for civilian staff transferred to a new employer under the TUPE regulations and also specific advice on casework involving both Service and Civilian staff pensions.The Government Actuary has provided these services for many years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the firm of solicitors acting for the Inland Revenue in respect of the RSI Compensation Scheme are also acting for the PCS Union representing employees claiming compensation. [25767]

The solicitors who act for the PCS Union, representing staff who use the Inland Revenue's RSI Compensation Scheme, do not also act for the Inland Revenue. As with all litigation involving the Inland Revenue, the Solicitor to the Commissioners of the Inland Revenue acts on the Department's behalf in respect of the scheme.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the correspondence between the Inland Revenue and Solicitors Russell, Jones and Walker, in respect of the RSI Compensation Scheme. [25768]

It would be inappropriate to publish the correspondence between the Inland Revenue and the solicitors acting for the PCS Union in respect of the RSI Compensation Scheme, in accordance with Exemptions 4 (law enforcement and legal proceedings) and 12 (Privacy of an individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of RSI have been settled since the announcement of the Compensation Scheme for employees of the Inland Revenue in 1996; and how many are outstanding. [25766]

The Inland Revenue's RSI Compensation Scheme was set up on 20 December 1995. Since then, 638 claims have been submitted under the scheme. Of these, the remaining 243 claims are still being processed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people living in the London borough of Wandsworth are in receipt of the working families tax credit. [25900]

The number of recipients of the working families tax credit and the disabled person's tax credit in each region, local authority and parliamentary constituency are shown in "Working Families' and Disabled Person's Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses." This can be found on the Inland Revenue website, www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk, under "Statistics", and in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 585W, what assessments have been undertaken which show that the level of fraud on inactive national insurance accounts is no higher than for live accounts. [24247]

In 1999, as part of the NI Integrity Programme, a review of inactive accounts (where no national insurance contributions or credits have been recorded for three or more consecutive tax years) on NIRS2 was carried out. Most of these accounts relate to women who do not have paid employment. Others relate to people who have gone to live abroad.Part of the review resulted in an analysis of 100 accounts of contributors found guilty of fraud and 22 were inactive (22 per cent.) and 78 were live accounts. The number of fraudsters using inactive accounts appears to be in proportion to the number of inactive accounts held on NIRS2 (14 million of the 66 million accounts held on NIRS2 are inactive, which equals 21 per cent.).We have initiated further work under the banner of the `National Insurance Number (NINO) Work Programme' sponsored by the NINO board (a joint Department for Work and Pensions and Inland Revenue project). This will look at all areas of vulnerable accounts held on the NIRS2 and Departmental Central Index systems.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross earnings was accounted for by (a) income tax, (b) national insurance contributions, (c) VAT, (d) other indirect taxes and (e) local taxes for (i) a single person, (ii) a married couple who are both working and (iii) a married couple with two children on (A) 50 per cent., (B) 75 per cent., (C) 100 per cent., (D) 150 per cent., (E) 200 per cent., (F) 500 per cent. and (G) 1,000 per cent. of average earnings in each year since 1997. [25296]

The available information, which shows income tax (including child benefit and working families tax credit from its first full year of implementation) and national insurance contributions for multiples of median earnings up to 200 per cent. was published in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 30 March 2001, Official Report, columns 843–44W. The same information for 500 per cent. and 1,000 per cent. of median earnings is given in the table. The estimates of median earnings used here are the same as those in the earlier answer, £19,600 per annum in 2001–02Estimating the impact of indirect taxes on these very specific family types is meaningless because spending patterns vary considerably between households of the same type and income. The level of council tax payments also varies depending on where families live.

	Multiples of median earnings
	500 per cent.	1,000 per cent.
Single
1997–98
£ per week
Gross income	1,603.65	3,207.30
Income Tax	522.65	1,164.11
NICs	41.54	41.54
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.6	36.3
NICs	2.6	1.3
Tax and NICs	35.2	37.6

Multiples of median earnings
	500 per cent.	1,000 per cent.
1998–99
£ per week
Gross income	1,663.50	3,327.00
Income Tax	542.05	1,207.45
NICs	43.38	43.38
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.6	36.3
NICs	2.6	1.3
Tax and NICs	35.2	37.6
1999–2000
£ per week
Gross income	1,722.25	3,444.50
Income Tax	560.27	1,249.17
NICs	43.40	43.40
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.5	36.3
NICs	2.5	1.3
Tax and NICs	35.1	37.5
2000–01
£ per week
Gross income	1,799.75	3,599.50
Income Tax	584.35	1,304.25
NICs	45.90	45.90
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.5	36.2
NICs	2.6	1.3
Tax and NICs	35.0	37.5
2001–02
£ per week
Gross income	1,880.74	3,761.48
Income Tax	611.30	1,363.60
NICs	48.80	48.80
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.5	36.3
NICs	2.6	1.3
Tax and NICs	35.1	37.5
Two-earner married couple, no children
1997–98
£ per week
Gross income	1,603.65	3,207.30
Income Tax	398.57	1,040.03
NICs	83.08	>83.08
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	24.9	32.4
NICs	5.2	2.6
Tax and NICs	30.0	35.0
1998–99
£ per week
Gross income	1,663.50	3,327.00
Income Tax	413.23	1,078.63
NICs	86.76	86.76
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	24.8	32.4
NICs	5.2	2.6
Tax and NICs	30.1	35.0
1999–2000
£ per week
Gross income	1,722.25	3,444.50
Income Tax	427.84	1,116.74
NICs	86.80	86.80
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	24.8	32.4
NICs	5.0	2.5
Tax and NICs	29.9	34.9
2000–01
£ per week
Gross income	1,799.75	3,599.50

Multiples of median earnings
	500 per cent.	1,000 per cent.
Income Tax	448.81	1,168.71
NICs	91.80	91.80
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	24.9	32.5
NICs	5.1	2.6
Tax and NICs	30.0	35.0
2001–02
£ per week
Gross income	1,880.74	3,761.48
Income Tax	470.31	1,222.61
NICs	97.60	97.60
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	25.0	32.5
NICs	5.2	2.6
Tax and NICs	30.2	35.1
Single-earner married couple, two children
1997–98
£ per week
Gross income	1,603.65	3,207.30
Income Tax	517.37	1,158.83
NICs	41.54	41.54
Child Benefit (CB)	20.05	20.05
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.3	36.1
NICs	2.6	1.3
Income Tax	33.6	36.8
1998–99
£ per week
Gross income	1,663.50	3,327.00
Income Tax	536.57	1,201.97
NICs	43.38	43.38
Child Benefit (CB)	20.75	20.75
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.3	36.1
NICs	2.6	1.3
Income Tax	33.6	36.8
1999–2000
£ per week
Gross income	1,722.25	3,444.50
Income Tax	556.48	1,245.38
NICs	43.40	43.40
Child Benefit (CB)	24.00	24.00
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.3	36.2
NICs	2.5	1.3
Income Tax	33.4	36.7
2000–01
£ per week
Gross income	1,799.75	3,599.50
Income Tax	584.35	1,304.25
NICs	45.90	45.90
Child Benefit (CB)	25.00	25.00
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.5	36.2
NICs	2.6	1.3
Income Tax	33.6	36.8
2001–02
£ per week
Gross income	1,880.74	3,761.48
Income Tax	611.30	1,363.60
NICs	48.80	48.80
Child Benefit (CB)	25.85	25.85
Percentage of gross earnings
Income Tax	32.5	36.3
NICs	2.6	1.3
Income Tax	33.7	36.9

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent developments have taken place in the United Kingdom to reduce child poverty.[25904]

The Government are committed to abolishing child poverty within a generation and halving it by 2010. In support of this, it recently published a strategy document on child poverty, "Tackling Child Poverty—giving every child the best possible start in life", which will inform the Budget and Spending Review 2002.The Government's strategy involves:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations will apply in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the application of this directive to England, Scotland and Wales. [25919]

In Northern Ireland, implementation of employment legislation is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. Responsibility for regulations on part-time workers rests with the Minister for Employment and Learning. I understand that the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 came into operation on 1 July 2000.The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 came into force in England, Scotland and Wales on 1 July 2000 and ensure that part-timers are treated no less favourably than comparable full-timers in their terms and conditions unless this is objectively justified.The measure ensures that Britain's six million part-timers can no longer be treated as second class citizens.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanism was used for measuring the uptake of parental leave in the last three years; and what was the (a) uptake of parental leave and (b) proportion of those eligible who took parental leave in the same period. [25879]

The Department commissioned a survey of working parents to inform the Government's review of maternity and parental leave. Initial results were published in the Green Paper "Work and Parents competitiveness and choice", published in December 2000, and in the accompanying document "Work and Parents competitiveness and choice—Research and Analysis". The survey found that, by autumn 2000, at least 3 per cent. of working parents had taken parental leave since December 1999.Questions on take-up of parental leave have recently been introduced in the Labour Force Survey. Results are expected later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's definition is of the term sustainable development. [25311]

[holding answer 9 January 2002]: The DTI's definitions of sustainable developments and the Department's strategy was published in October 2000 and is also available on the DTI's website www.dti.gov.uk/sustainbly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on productivity of the increased proportion of graduates in the work force. [25472]

[holding answer 9 January 2002]: Levels of educational attainment, including attainment at a tertiary level, are one of a range of factors which impact on productivity and competitiveness that are identified in the DTI's UK Competitiveness Indicators (Second Edition, February 2001). A copy is available in the Libraries of the House. The economic benefits of increased participation in higher education are widely recognised. For example a recent report from the OECD states that:

High tertiary entry and participation rates help to ensure the development and maintenance of a highly educated population and labour force. Tertiary education is associated with better access to employment and higher earnings. Rates of entry to both types of tertiary education are an indication, in part, of the degree to which the population is acquiring high-level skills and knowledge valued by the labour market in knowledge societies (Education at Glance—OECD Indicators, 2001).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to investigate nuisance faxes; and what charges can be made against those who continue to send unprompted material. [25005]

Unsolicited direct marketing by fax is regulated under the Telecoms Data Protection and Privacy Directive, implemented in the UK by the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999. Under these regulations, unsolicited direct marketing faxes to individual subscribers are banned unless they have given their prior consent. Corporate subscribers, including limited companies, are entitled to register with the Fax Preference Service or instruct particular senders not to send them any further faxes. (Individuals may also reinforce their protection by registering). Any faxes which advertise premium rate services are in addition subject to self-regulatory control by the industry regulator, ICSTIS, and must comply with the ICSTIS code of conduct.The Information Commissioner enforces the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations. The Commissioner may send an enforcement notice to anyone who sends faxes to individuals who have not given their consent, or to subscribers who have registered on the Fax Preference Service; ultimately, failure to comply with enforcement notices is a criminal offence punishable by a fine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the latest annual bonuses paid to managers of Consignia in each business unit of Consignia, broken down by (a) gender and (b) ethnic origin. [24460]

Since the company was given the commercial freedom it had long sought, operational issues like bonus payments are a matter for the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the size of the Consignia work force is. [24451]

I am advised by Consignia that the average number of staff, calculated on a full-time equivalent basis, including part-time employees, employed by the company in the year ended 31 March 2001 was 217,964.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average rate of pay is for (a) the work force, (b) managers and (c) non-managers of Consignia, broken down by business unit, and in each business unit by (i) gender and (ii) ethnic origin. [24453]

Rates of pay are an operational issue for Consignia.I am advised by the company that this information is not available in the format requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria need to be met by British manufacturers if they wish to obtain preferential status. [22812]

The Government do not give preferential status to particular exporters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement about the (a) status of and (b) future of the postal archive and the property of what was formerly the Postal Museum. [24570]

This is an issue for Consignia plc. I am advised by the company that the archives of the Post Office from 17^th to 20^th century, including historical documents, maps and posters, are open to the public at Freeling House at Mount Pleasant in London on weekdays with no need of an appointment.The artefacts of the national Postal Museum are stored at Freeling House and most of the philatelic material may be viewed by appointment. Various options are currently being considered for enhanced philatelic study facilities and improved public access to the museum collections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of computer hardware suppliers tying their customers to a particular software operating system, with particular reference to small businesses. [24514]

All UK consumers of computer hardware are free to make purchases from a range of suppliers and to choose one providing a package that will meet their individual software requirements. I am not aware of any limitation of consumers' choice in this area. If, however, there is any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour this should be forwarded to the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in meeting the Government's commitments (a) in response to recommendation (d) of the Eighth report of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry, UK Online Reviewed: The First Annual report of the E-Minister and E-Envoy, dated March 2001 and (b) in response to recommendation (e) of the Fourteenth report of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry on the Electronic Communications Bill, dated October 1999. [27107]

(a) Progress in response to this commitment was reported on pages 18–19 of the UK Online Annual Report 2001, and in a memorandum to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry dated 20 December. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the ECGD's Annual Report and Resource Accounts for 2000–01. [27108]

The Export Credits Guarantee Department's (ECGD's) Annual Report and Resource Accounts for 2000–01 were laid before the House this morning. I am pleased to say that they demonstrate once more that British capital goods exporters and investors have been successful in winning valuable overseas orders with Government insurance and guarantee support worth £5.6 billion. Furthermore, they show that ECGD is in a good financial position from which to continue supporting further business while protecting the interests of the taxpayer, in what is a difficult period for the global economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what was the value of trade credits to heavily indebted poor countries guaranteed by the UK Government which were cancelled in each year since 1983. [25238]

No such debts in relation to trade credits were cancelled between 1983 and 1990 inclusive. Amounts cancelled in each year since were as follows:

Year	£Million
1991	6.62
1992	17.80
1993	26.89
1994	8.76
1995	23.74
1996	180.69
1997	22.49
1998	33.04
1999	56.91
2000	48.13
2001	135.04
Total	560.11

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) new companies, (b) new work and (c) new venues that have been funded by her Department in order to increase access to the performing arts in the last 12 months. [22541]

We have contacted the Arts Council of England to request the information required, and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of her letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the libraries based in the Buckingham constituency which have received funding from the (a) Public Library Volunteer scheme and (b) People's Network programme indicating (i) the nature of the project, (ii) the date of the award and (iii) the amount provided in each case. [23743]

My Department, in conjunction with the Home Office Active Community Unit, is match funding the "Lending Time" scheme led by CSV (Community Service Volunteers) to promote the use of volunteers in libraries. Expressions of interest were invited from libraries through the Library Association and six libraries have been selected to pilot the scheme. Buckinghamshire did not express an interest in this scheme.All eight public libraries in Buckingham constituency have been awarded funds from the New Opportunities Access to Lifelong Learning Programme to support the People's Network programme. The funding will have provided, by summer 2002, 24 new terminals within Buckingham. The award was announced on 11 April 2001. Awards for individual libraries are not available. In total, Buckinghamshire library service will receive £827,138 to connect all its libraries to a high speed broadband network, and provide new PCs and appropriate training for librarians.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussion she has had with UK Sport about the number of drug tests on British triathletes. [25529]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no direct discussions on the number of drug tests on British triathletes, although she receives UK Sport's annual reports of the testing programmes for all sports covered by their anti-doping programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions UK Sport has had with the International Triathlon Union about drug testing; and if she will make a statement. [25530]

UK Sport works in partnership with the national federations in the UK to deliver testing programmes both in and out of competition. There are a small number of events in the UK which fall under the international federation's responsibility and on these occasions UK Sport liaises with the international federation direct. The last such event was the London Triathlon in September 1998.In 2000–01 triathlon was introduced to the Olympic Games in Sydney. The focus of the testing programme was on the pre-Olympic testing of UK triathletes both in the UK and in Australia. This programme was arranged in partnership with the British Triathlon Association. In 2001–02, so far two triathlon events in the UK have been tested and one World Class Squad Training Day making a total of 37 tests to date.Discussions are on-going about triathlon introducing an out of competition testing programme for individual triathletes, and the British Triathlon Association have been actively working towards increasing their anti-doping efforts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what performance targets were set for the Royal Parks Agency for 2001–02.[26901]

The following performance targets were set for the Royal Parks Agency for 2000–01:

Financial and Efficiency

To increase income by 10 per cent. from the 2000–01 level, from all sources except recharges and VAT refunds.

Stay within the revised running costs allocation.

Seek to bring the hourly cost of a Royal Parks Police Constable on duty in line with the recommendation in the Speed Report.

Visitor satisfaction Achieve an overall quality rating of 89 per cent. from visitors to the parks. The minimum rating for any one park should be no lower than 85 per cent., compared with 83 per cent. in 2000–01.

Fabric Achieve an average rating from visitors of at least 89 per cent. on cleanliness in the parks. The minimum rating for a park should be no lower than 85 per cent.

Maintain an average score of 89 per cent. for soft landscape presentation, compared with a score of 88 per cent. in 2000–01. The minimum score for a park should be no lower than 85 per cent. compared to 82 per cent. in 2000–01.

Re-appraise maintenance priorities, and set annual targets and meaningful indicators for reducing the backlog of works and maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the results of a future referendum on British membership of the euro will allow identification of votes cast for and against according to (a) parliamentary constituency, (b) local authority area and (c) Scotland. [25870]

The conduct of referendums has, since 16 February 2001, been the responsibility of the Electoral Commission, following the coming into force of provisions in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft her Department recorded in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001; and on how many occasions in those years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (b) outside her Department.[13132]

The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. During the specified period, there were no cases of computer fraud, no incidents of computer hacking, and no systems were illegally accessed; neither were there any cases of computer theft reported by the Scotland Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much additional money will be available for local authority recycling and composting in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05, as a result of the increases in SSA for environmental, cultural and protective services after allowing for (i) cost increases in landfill and incineration and (ii) inflation. [22323]

[holding answer 17 December 2001]: SR2000 provided real terms increases for the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of the Standard Spending Assessment which includes these services. By the third year the EPCS will have risen by £1.1 billion. Landfill and incineration costs will be affected by factors such as the volume of waste, pressure on landfill gate fees and the landfill tax, which is currently £12 per tonne for active waste and will be increased by £1 per year through to 2004 05. Their effect on local authority costs will also depend on how much waste is recycled or composted. It is for each local authority to decide how much of the revenue support grant it receives, and its other resources including the amount raised through council tax, should be directed towards any particular service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact that the introduction of mandatory day-time running lights on all vehicles will have on the number of road-related (a) accidents and (b) fatalities. [24294]

The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to carry out a review of the methodology used by the SWOV Institute in the Netherlands for their report on the safety effects of daytime running lights. This report, carried out on behalf of the European Commission, which combined the results of 24 published studies, suggested that the universal use of daytime running lights in the United Kingdom in 1995 would have saved 648 lives. This would represent a 17 per cent. reduction in fatal accidents. The hypothetical overall casualty reduction would be 29 per cent.The Transport Research Laboratory's review concluded that the claims for potential accident savings appeared exaggerated because daytime running lights can only be effective in preventing a limited type of accident.The Department is proposing to carry out further research into the effectiveness of daytime running lamps.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made towards the fitting of daytime running lights on all new vehicles. [24293]

A commitment to fit daytime running lamps was included in the European Commission's proposals to introduce pedestrian protection features in new cars by a negotiated agreement with car manufacturers.This element of the proposals has been deferred for further consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which transport infrastructure projects given formal approval since 1997 will affect the Buckingham constituency; and if he will indicate the cost of each project. [24843]

There are a number of significant infrastructure schemes, either within the Buckingham constituency or nearby, which will affect the constituency. Further information is given in the table.

£000
Scheme	Cost
1998–99
A43 Towcester—M40 dualling1,3	56,600
2000–01
Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass2	32,400
M40 Handy Cross improvement measures	3,000
A41 Aston Clinton Bypass3	21,000
2001–02
Berryfields—new right turn lane3	250
A5 Old Stratford Roundabout signalization3	250
2002–03
Complementary works for M40 Handy Cross junction	400
Ml J14 minor improvements3	100
Total	114,000
1 Scheme confirmed in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" published in July 1998
2 Provisionally accepted local authority major scheme
3 Highways Agency Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the relationship is between the Strategic Rail Authority and Partnerships UK with respect to the proposed bid to take over Railtrack plc by a not for profit company. [24871]

The Strategic Rail Authority is now the sponsor of the bid by the proposed company limited by guarantee (CLG) which will put forward a proposal to the administrator to take over the assets and liabilities of Railtrack plc and its role as network operator. It is for the CLG bid team and the SRA to decide what further assistance they may require.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many affordable housing units there were; and what was the proportion occupied in rural areas by (a) constituency, and (b) local authority for each year since 1990. [24895]