To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the NAO's report into the organisation of the Warship Support Modernisation project to be published; if he will list the representations made to his Department on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [25867]

The NAO were commissioned by the Warship Support Agency Management Board to undertake an assurance audit of the Warship Support Modernisation evaluation and value for money analysis processes. While NAO reports are normally conducted for Parliament after public money has been spent, officials have asked them in this case to act in advance of any expenditure and to advise them principally on the soundness of the assessment processes. This work is being undertaken for the Warship Support Agency and is not a formal NAO investigation which would be published and presented to Parliament. The assurance audit is continuing and it is expected to be completed before the end of this month. No decision has yet been taken on the publication of this report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is made for United Kingdom service personnel on active service abroad to contact their next of kin; and what assessment he has made of similar provision for United States service personnel. [R] [25352]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 January 2002, Official Report, columns 558–59W, to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has been informed by his United States counterpart of the locations in which cluster bombs have been used by US armed forces in Afghanistan since the beginning of December. [26433]

The US and UK have been in close political, diplomatic and military contact throughout the operations in Afghanistan. A wide variety of issues have been discussed, including the locations where cluster bombs have been dropped.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much progress was made at the Review Conference for the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to reduce the hazard to civilians from (a) cluster bombs in particular and (b) unexploded ordnance in general. [26047]

The Review Conference of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons agreed a mandate for a group of governmental experts to discuss ways and means to address the issue of explosive remnants of war and to submit recommendations at an early date to the State Parties to the Convention. The mandate covers consideration of all unexploded munitions, with a specific reference to sub-munitions, which include cluster bombs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been issued by Her Majesty's Government on the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan; and on which dates such guidance was issued. [26436]

Appropriate guidance has been given to the UK forces operating in Afghanistan to ensure compliance with the UK's international legal obligations. I am withholding details of the dates guidance was issued in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 336W, on special educational needs, what percentage of children in schools operated by the Service Children's Education Agency have special educational needs. [27490]

18 per cent. of children in schools operated by Service Children's Education have special educational needs between Stages 1 and 5 of the Code of Practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 336W, how many children of service personnel there are whose parents have voluntarily registered their children's special needs stages 1 to 5 on the Service Children's Education Agency's database. [27476]

There are currently 3,257 children registered on the Service Children's Education (SCE) Special Educational Needs (SEN) database. The database includes details of service children with SEN whose parents are in receipt of Special Educational Needs Allowance, children who attend SCE schools worldwide and children who attend state schools in the UK. The database records only children who are at the Code of Practice Stage 3 or above. There is no requirement for parents to register children who are at Code of Practice Stage 1 or 2.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 336W, on special educational needs, how many children of service personnel there are whose parents have voluntarily registered their children's statement or record of needs on the Service Children's Education Agency's database. [27486]

There are 1,222 children with a statement or record of needs registered on the Service Children's Education (SCE) Special Educational Needs (SEN) database. The database includes details of Service Children with SEN whose parents are in receipt of Special Educational Needs Allowance, children who attend SCE schools worldwide and children who attend state schools in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 336W, on special educational needs, if the Service Children's Education Agency holds information on the SEN needs of the children of service personnel. [27482]

Information is held on the Special Educational Needs of children currently receiving special needs support within Service Children's Education (SCE) schools and for those children in other schools whose parents have registered their child's needs on the SCE Special Educational Needs database.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Air Force's Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft. [27270]

The Nimrod MR2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is due to retire completely from RAF service in January 2009 and will be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4. The Nimrod MRA4 will represent a significant increase in capability for the RAF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many TA commissions have been granted in each of the last four years;[R] [27196](2) how many TA places at RMA Sandhurst have been unfilled in each of the last four years. [R] [27197]

The number of places on the Territorial Army commissioning course held at RMA Sandhurst that have been unfilled, and the number of TA commissions granted, in each of the last four years, are shown in the table.

Course	Capacity	Attendance	Places unfilled	TA commissions granted
1998	320	242	78	202
1999	360	211	149	190
2000	360	155	205	141
2001	360	214	146	188

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many formed TA units have trained in Canada in each of the last four years. [R] [27198]

Branch/Trade	Requirement	Trained strength	±	Percentage
Engineer Officer	1,745	1,745	0	0
Engineering Technician Airframe	4,510	4,718	208	4.6
Engineering Technician Propulsion	2,544	2,719	175	6.9
Engineering Technician Weapon	2,048	2,149	101	4.9
Engineering Technician Avionics	3,305	3,376	71	2.1
Engineering Technician Aircraft Electrical	1,922	1,844	-78	-4.0
Engineering Technician Electronics	2,359	2,104	-255	-10.8
General Technician Electrical	646	591	-55	-8.5

Two formed Territorial Army units have trained in Canada during the last four years. The Royal Yeomanry participated in Exercise Pond Jump West from 22 to 26 July 2000 and the King's Cheshire Regiment deployed on Exercise Fingals Cave from 1 to 15 September 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Government have to facilitate the teaching of English to members of the Russian armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [27834]

Within the 2002 Outreach defence diplomacy programme with Russia, the Ministry of Defence plans to continue the teaching of English to Russian officers at the Defence School of Languages and at the University of Ripon and York. As a further part of the Outreach programme, English language training is one possible course within our Russian Resettlement Project for retiring and recently retired Russian officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will grant the funds necessary to finance (a) blood and (b) saliva tests for radiation pioneered by Dundee university. [28058]

The Ministry of Defence has been approached in the past to grant funds to Dundee university for such studies into the possible radiation exposure of nuclear test veterans. We have declined to do so because there are reservations about the capabilities of the proposed techniques for estimating historic radiation doses. Other studies using these techniques have found them to be inconclusive when there is a considerable time lapse since exposure, and where the exposure is low. These constraints were found to be particularly so in an age group typical of British nuclear test veterans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the establishment requirement in the Royal Air Force for qualified technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of equipment serviceability in operational units and maintenance depots, stating in each case the (a) specialty requirement, (b) manning levels and (c) percentage difference from establishment requirement; and if he will make a statement. [25897]

The specific information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the requirement and trained strength, as at 1 December 2001, of RAF branches and trades involved in work relating to the maintenance of equipment serviceability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the establishment requirement in the Army for qualified technical personnel responsible for the

	Requirement1	Strength2	Shortfall ±	Percentage
Career Employment Group
Artificer Aircraft	88	140	+52	59.1
Artificer Avionics	45	60	+15	33.3
Artificer Electronics	91	141	+50	54.9
Artificer Instruments	24	52	+28	116.7
Artificer Radar	43	72	+29	67.4
Artificer Telecommunications	28	62	+34	121.4
Artificer Vehicles	478	515	+37	7.7
Artificer Weapons	81	122	+41	50.6
Technician Aircraft	580	569	-11	-1.9
Technician Avionics	265	272	+7	2.6
Technician Control Equipment	345	336	-9	-2.6
Technician Instruments	215	210	-5	-2.3
Technician Radar	191	200	+9	4.7
Technician Telecommunications	210	175	-35	-16.7
Armourer	643	506	-137	-21.3
Metalsmith	229	207	-22	-9.6
Recovery Mechanic	591	457	-134	-22.7
Shipwright	29	23	-6	-20.7
Vehicle Electrician	556	363	-193	-34.7
Vehicle Mechanic	4,071	3,136	-935	-23.0
Total	8,803	7,618	-1,185	-13.5
REME Officers	875	817	-58	-6.6

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the establishment requirement in the Royal Navy for qualified technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of equipment serviceability in operational units and maintenance depots, stating in each case the (a) specialty requirement, (b) manning levels and (c) percentage difference from establishment requirement; and if he will make a statement. [25898]

The respective requirement, strength and percentage difference for each category of technical specialist in the Royal Navy are as shown in the table.

The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) are the qualified specialist corps responsible for the technical maintenance of equipment within the Army. The table shows the REME trades involved in work relating to the maintenance of equipment, as at 1 December 2001.

Specialisation	Requirement	Bearing	Shortfall (percentage)
Weapon Engineer Officer	746	733	-1.7
Marine Engineer Officer	652	640	-1.8
Air Engineer Officer	346	312	-9.8
Weapon Engineering Artificer	1,661	1,523	-8.3
Marine Engineering Artificer	2,050	1,972	-3.8
Air Engineering Artificer	984	961	-2.3
Weapon Engineering Mechanic	785	762	-2.9
Marine Engineering Mechanic	3,514	3,225	-8.2
Air Engineering Mechanic	2,240	2,273	+1.4

Currently the overall shortfall is 3.38 per cent officers and 4.61 per cent. ratings. However, all the RN's operational seagoing engineer officer posts are filled, and operational capability is being protected by giving priority to filling front-line posts for ratings. A number of measures are in hand to improve the shortfall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Sulawesi, Indonesia, with particular reference to recent bombings of four churches in the area. [28062]

We continue to monitor events in the province of central Sulawesi closely. Sporadic clashes between Muslims and Christians in and around Poso, and more recently between Muslims and the security forces, continued after three Christian militia leaders were sentenced to death on 5 April 201 for their part in killings in May and June 2000. On 19 November 2001, the Supreme Court in Jakarta dismissed appeals by the three militia leaders against the death sentence.On 23 November 2001, our chargé d'affaires in Jakarta raised our concerns about the escalating violence with Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian Co-ordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs. Mr. Yudhoyono confirmed that police and military reinforcements had been despatched to Poso to help contain the situation. During a visit to Central Sulawesi on 5 December 2001, Mr. Yudhoyono announced that President Megawati had ordered a six-month security restoration plan for the province. The Indonesian Government subsequently brokered an agreement between the warring factions to end the fighting which was signed on 20 December. This appears to be holding up reasonably well, although four bombs exploded outside churches in the region on new year's eve. The culprits are unknown but both Christian and Muslim leaders have appealed for calm.HMG have consistently made clear their view that long-term solutions to regional conflicts can be achieved only through negotiation and consultation. We continue to work with the Indonesian authorities to promote reconciliation, begin wider reconstruction work and offer practical assistance where appropriate. As part of our effort to support conflict prevention initiatives, the British Government recently funded a series of Conflict Reporting training workshops for journalists in various provinces in Indonesia, which included participants from Poso.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the source of funds that financed the arms shipment on Karine A; and if he will make a statement; [28247](2) what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority over the arms shipment detected on the Karine A; and if he will make a statement; [28246](3) what assessment he has made of the

The discovery of the arms shipment on the Karine A is a serious matter. We have seen evidence linking the shipment to Palestinian officials. But the extent of Palestinian Authority involvement and details of the origin destination and funding for the arms remain unclear. Israeli and Palestinian Authority inquiries are in hand. In a meeting with President Arafat on 15 January I urged him to investigate Palestinian involvement thoroughly and present his findings quickly.Meanwhile the parties should not be deflected from the urgent business of implementing the Tenet Security Plan and Mitchell Committee recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the value of Plan Colombia; and what plans he has to promote a similar plan in relation to Afghanistan. [28111]

Plan Colombia is the Colombian Government's programme to tackle Colombia's interconnected problems of violence, social and economic inequality, abuse of human rights and drugs cultivation and trafficking. It is designed to produce results over a number of years.Neither the UK nor the EU has made a contribution to the plan. The UK is contributing to a separate EU package of assistance to Colombia worth euro 300 million over the period 2001–06. The package focuses on measures that support human rights, long-term economic and social development, including alternative development, and an end to violence.The Government currently have no plans to promote a similar plan in relation to Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is Her Majesty's Government's intention to reach an accommodation with Spain about Gibraltar irrespective of the will of the citizens of Gibraltar. [28265]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir P. Cormack) in this House on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 822.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Her Majesty's Government's policy is on a referendum of the residents of Gibraltar on (a) independence, (b) integration and (c) joint sovereignty. [28266]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 26W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will put forward proposals for further integration of Gibraltar into the United Kingdom. [R] [28263]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 187W. Discussions under the Brussels Process have not included the possibility of integration of Gibraltar into the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on discussions on independence for Gibraltar. [R] [28264]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 187W. A copy of the joint press communiqué issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs when they met under the Brussels Process in Barcelona on 20 November has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Independence for Gibraltar is not an issue being discussed under the Brussels Process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what possibilities Her Majesty's Government are studying for the future status of Gibraltar similar to Ceuta and Mellia. [28267]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 187W. Discussions under the Brussels Process have not included the possibility of integration of Gibraltar into the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for a referendum to be held in Gibraltar on an agreement with Spain about the status of Gibraltar. [28268]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 12 December 2001, Official Report, column 853W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public statements have been made concerning Gibraltar by British diplomats in the last 12 months. [28269]

British diplomats have set out the Government's policy on many occasions in the last 12 months, including international fora.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has been informed by the Government of Pakistan (a) on what charges and (b) in which prison James A. McLintock is being held; [28123](2) if

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not been in contact with the Pakistani authorities about this case.Staff at the British High Commission in Islamabad first sought information about a detained British national, later identified as James A. McLintock, on 21 December 2001. British officials saw Mr. McLintock on 4 and 5 January 2002. Confirmation of his health and welfare was made and this information was relayed to his family by FCO staff in London on 9 January. Access to Mr. McLintock was given again on 16 January 2002 and more information was passed to his family. Mr. McLintock is being held in Islamabad and has not been charged. Our staff have not requested legal representation, but instead have advised the Pakistanis that if Mr. McLintock is charged he must have legal representation. We continue to be in consultation with the Pakistani authorities about Mr. McLintock's situation. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary would, of course, be happy to see the hon. Member about this case if that would be helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representations (a) made to and (b) received from the European Commission by his Department in respect of the Sellafield MOX plant since 1 January. [19407]

I have been asked to reply.Further to my answer to my hon. Friend on 10 December 2001,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Government policy regarding the coal industry. [25554]

Coal plays a key role in meeting UK energy needs. Future policy in relation to the coal industry will be informed by the PIU energy review, the Clean Coal Technology Review, and the House of Lords report into security of supply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions her Department has had with the European Commission on national energy policy. [25555]

This Department is in continual contact with the Commission on a wide range of European energy issues affecting national energy policy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met Mrs. de Palacio on 29 November last year when they discussed energy liberalisation, the Commission's Green Paper on security of energy supply, coal subsidies, the need to ensure fair competition in the context of ownership by vertically integrated companies, and nuclear energy including safety standards. I attended the Energy Council on 4 December during which discussion focused mainly on the internal EU market in electricity and gas and on the Commission's Green Paper on security of energy supply. The Council also discussed the proposal for a directive on the energy performance of buildings, on climate change and on the justification or otherwise for continued state aid to the coal industry after expiry of the European Coal and Steel Community treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to ensure that the universal service provision is adhered to in the UK market for postal services. [25556]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to ensure that the universal service provision is adhered to in the UK market for postal services. [25556]

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Mr. Pickthall) at column 417.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the Crown post offices which have opened since May 1997. [27651]

[holding answer 15 January 2002]: understand from Post Office Ltd. that no new Crown post offices have opened since May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the gross running costs of the Crown post offices in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2000–01. [27652]

[holding answer 15 January 2002]: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the information is not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with steel industry management regarding the future of the steel industry. [25558]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and my noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment have met senior management from Corus to discuss a variety of issues in recent months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the commercial position of airports and aircraft companies following the attacks of 11 September. [25561]

The hon. Member will be aware that the last four months have been a difficult time for those companies in the aviation and aerospace sectors. UK companies are working extremely hard to remain competitive. The current downturn in these sectors has regrettably resulted in job losses, but the long-term prospects for the industry remain good.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance her Department is providing to small firms affected by the downturn in the aviation industry since 11 September; and if she will make a statement. [25570]

There is no specific support available from the Government for small businesses that have been adversely affected by these events.The Government do, however, make a significant financial contribution to the aerospace industry generally, in terms of launch investment, research and technology funding, and competitiveness improvement training.There are also other forms of generic business support available.The Business Link network provides advice and support for companies suffering as a result of a recent crisis. Business Links can also advise companies on a number of disaster management issues. Companies experiencing difficulties should contact their local Business Link office. The Business Link National Contact Centre, 0845 600 9006, will put small firms in touch with their local provider.Small businesses dependent on the UK airlines affected by 11 September will also benefit indirectly from the aid package provided by the UK Government to the aviation industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her policy on the end of life vehicles directive. [25563]

Our policy is to implement with a light regulatory touch, achieving the environmental objectives of the directive without putting UK business at a competitive disadvantage. We are now assessing responses to our consultation document, and the recommendations of the Trade and Industry Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the Office of Fair Trading report into restrictive practice in the professions. [25564]

As stated in the pre-Budget report, published on 27 November 2001, the Government intend to remove schedule 4 to the Competition Act 1998, which provides a special regime for the exclusion of professional rules from competition law, in the forthcoming Enterprise Bill.The professions are conducting reviews of their own in light of the OFT report and some bodies have already announced positive changes as a result. On the remaining matters for Government from the report, the Lord Chancellor's Department is considering what further steps might be needed in respect of the market for legal services to ensure that competition issues are fully addressed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's entitlement to half of the surplus of the mineworkers' pension scheme. [25565]

I am pleased to announce a new, additional benefit for members of the mineworkers' pension scheme on the lowest incomes, at a cost of £90 million. This will be funded out of the Government's share of the scheme's reserves.The package will help mineworkers' pension scheme members who have only very modest miners' pensions, despite many years of service to the industry before 1975. Help for that particular group was identified as a priority in discussions with the scheme's trustees. Now, thanks to gains in the scheme's value under the Government's guarantee, the Government and Trustees have agreed a package of benefits, which includes special one-off payments for up to 66,000 of these members, alongside the 9 per cent. bonus for all members agreed earlier this year.These lump sum payments will apply to members with at least five years service who left British Coal before or shortly after 1975 and who are on low pensions, defined on a sliding scale from not more than £5 a week after five years' service to not more than £10 a week after 10 or more years' service. The amounts they will receive will depend on their length of pensionable service and the current value of their pensions. Those with the longest service and the lowest pensions will receive the most. Payments, will range between £200 (e.g. for someone with, five years' service on £4 to £5 a week, or with 10 years' service on £9 to £10 a week) and £2,000 (for someone with 10 or more years' service on less than £1 a week). Details will appear in the next edition of the mineworker's pension scheme newsletter.Members will not need to claim the money—most of those eligible, including all the existing pensioners, are expected to be paid in May, with the remainder paid within the next 18 months.The Government and the Trustees of the two former British Coal pension schemes, the mineworkers' pension scheme and the British Coal staff superannuation scheme, have also agreed a joint statement agreeing a review of arrangements for the Government's guarantee of members' basic pension benefits. The text of that statement is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the Government's share of Coal Industry Pension Fund surpluses. [25567]

I have received seven representations on this issue over the last two months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage research and development in UK manufacturing industry. [25566]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale (Mr. Hall) at column 411.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to increase access to venture capital funds in the regions of England. [25568]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to increase access to venture capital funds in the regions of England. [25579]

To increase access to venture capital in the English regions the Government are seeking to stimulate the creation of Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs). Being developed on the basis of one in each of the English regions they are being established to demonstrate institutional investment in the "equity gap" and demonstrate to institutional investors that commercial returns can be made in this sector; to increase the supply of venture capital in amounts of under £500,000; and ensure that every English region has access to "equity gap" funds. All RVCFs will be commercially focused with fund management and all investment decisions undertaken by experienced fund managers. All funds should launch during 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the accessibility of medical test centres to former miners in the east midlands seeking compensation for COPD. [25569]

There are six centres that are accessible to the 37,505 claimants in the midlands. These are located at Cannock, Chesterfield, Coventry, Mansfield, Nottingham and Stoke. One of the mobile testing units has been deployed at Mansfield since mid-October 2001. To date, these centres have assessed, through the full medical assessment process (MAP) over 5,130 live claimants, with a further 2,072 appointments being made.Claimants are usually invited to attend a test centre within a 25-mile radius from their residence. However, claimants are given the option to attend a different centre if a more suitable time is available. For those claimants who are not able to travel to a centre, and have a letter from their doctor, Healthcall, the company contracted to undertake the MAP can carry out home visits.There has been much focus on resources in this region and the Department, in consultation with the claimants' solicitors, is continuously reviewing ways of improving services and increase throughput. Plans to convert Mansfield into a double testing centre are currently under negotiations.As at the end of November, the Department had made 8,862 interim payments and settled some 3,322 claims. In total, the Department has paid out some £45.3 million in the midlands area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the report of the working group on clean coal technology. [25571]

I hope to be able to announce the publication of the report in the very near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to encourage the take-up of clean coal technology. [25576]

The Government are currently spending around £12 million over the three year period 2000–01 to 2002–03 on research and development into cleaner coal technologies. In addition to this I also expect to announce the conclusions of the review into the case for Government support for cleaner coal technology demonstration plant in the very near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussion she has had with the management team at ALCOA aluminium to discuss the company's proposed redundancies; and if she will make a statement. [25572]

None, although DTI officials have met ALCOA management at UK and EU level to discuss a wide range of issues. The company's proposal for 228 job losses out of a total UK work force of 4,100 would involve the closure of the Dolgarrog facility and employee reductions at the Swansea rolling mill. The proposed reductions in ALCOA's UK work force form part of a global restructuring plan involving 6,500 redundancies brought about by recent falls in world demand for aluminium products. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is working with the Welsh Assembly Government to minimise the impact on those affected.A task group comprising Conwy CBC, the Welsh Development Agency (WDA), the Employment Service, trade unions and other public agencies is seeking alternative employment for those made redundant. In addition, Conwy CBC and the WDA are jointly funding a study (supported by ALCOA) to look at the potential for continued production at Dolgarrog on a more limited scale. Dolgarrog is also part of an Objective 1 Assisted Area and so the Assembly Government and its partners will be looking to secure the maximum financial support available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement about the work of Indo UK Partnerships and the Indo UK Round Table. [25573]

The UK's political and business relations with India, a key partner, are a very high priority for this Government. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit confirms this. We are making good progress, helped by the Indo-British Partnership for trade and investment and the UK/India Round Table for new thinking about our wider bilateral relations.The Indo-British Partnership (IBP) was created in 1993 by the then Prime Minister to promote trade and investment. During his recent visit to India my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met the British and Indian co-chairs of the IBP. Since its inception, the IBP has seen a substantial increase in bilateral trade. The UK is now India's second largest trading partner after the US. By the end of 2000 bilateral trade was worth £5 billion. That year UK exports to India grew by 32 per cent. The UK accounts for over 6 per cent. of India's total foreign trade.The UK/India Round Table, which meets again in April, was established in April 2000 by the two Foreign Ministers. It has produced a series of constructive recommendations for enhancing bilateral relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure the development of renewable sources of energy. [25574]

The Government are taking active steps to ensure the development of renewable sources of energy.Introducing the new renewables obligation, exempting renewables from the climate change levy and protecting existing non fossil fuel obligation (NFFO) contracts will together create a long-term market incentive for renewables worth over £1 billion per year by 2010.We are underpinning the obligation with direct Government funding for renewables worth over £260 million between 2001 and 2004. We are setting up an extensive capital grants programme for offshore wind and energy crops projects, initiating a major photovoltaics demonstration programme, and boosting research and development.We recently introduced an order to allow locational flexibility for NFFO 3, 4 and 5 projects that have not yet been commissioned. This will allow more appropriate locations to be found in order to overcome problems in securing planning permission.We have initiated studies of each UK region's capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources. Once all these assessments are completed, it is expected that specific regional targets for renewable energy will be adopted across the UK.The Government are also exploring the scope for upgrading the electricity distribution system to enable the UK's huge renewable energy resources to be exploited to the full. For example, we have commissioned an initial study of the feasibility of an underwater cable to connect parts of the Western seaboard of the UK directly to the National Grid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on UK manufacturing of the opening of a new WTO trade round. [25575]

On its own the opening of a new WTO trade round will have little impact on UK manufacturing. This is because the opening of the round merely launches multilateral negotiations. A fuller assessment of the impact on UK manufacturing and the UK economy overall should come after the hoped for successful conclusions of those negotiations. World wide reductions in industrial tariffs should, for example, lead to both improved market access for UK manufacturing overseas and lower cost sources of components. Negotiations start with an expectation of significant benefits. A halving of WTO members' tariffs, for example, could increase world incomes by around $200 billion a year. UK manufacturers could be expected to benefit significantly from such increases in world incomes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage UK exports to China. [25577]

As my hon. Friend knows from personal experience, China is a key market for British trade and investment. The Government, through Trade Partners UK, recently announced an extensive programme of supported activity for British companies in the China market for 2002–03, including 18 Government supported trade missions, 26 trade fair groups and 10 sector specific seminar initiatives. This is in addition to the regular ministerial visits to and from China including the visit by Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao in November 2001. Visits from the UK during 2001 included the then Minister for e.Commerce, the then Minister for Trade, the then Minister for Construction, the Minister for Science, the Minister for Energy and Industry and the Financial Secretary.Trade Partners UK is also supporting a programme of major events in China aimed at promoting the UK's strengths as a competitive, technologically innovative economy and a strong business partner for China. This began with a large scale, award winning UK pavilion at the China High-Tech Fair in Shenzhen last October, visited by Lord Sainsbury. In October 2002 there will be a major programme of activity in Shanghai, followed by a wide-ranging series of events around China in 2003 centred on Beijing.This high level of activity in China is complemented by awareness-raising activity among British companies in the UK. Trade Partners UK, in close co-operation with the China-Britain Business Council, is engaged in a rolling programme of events to alert UK companies to business opportunities in China. This activity includes the formation recently of a Beijing Olympics Taskforce, which aims to maximise the contribution of UK business to the preparations for the 2008 Games.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage flexibility in employment practices. [25578]

Earlier this week the Government amended the Employment Bill to take forward the recommendations made by the Work and Parents Taskforce to place a duty on employers to give serious consideration to requests to work flexibly from parents of young children.Yesterday we also announced the fourth round of the Work Life Balance Challenge Fund, which will help employers introduce and develop flexible and diverse working arrangements. The aim of the fund is to raise employers' awareness of the business benefits of policies and practices that help employees achieve a better balance between work and the rest of their lives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the sale of the air traffic control system to Tanzania. [25953]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 869W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding has been allocated to help start small businesses in Portsmouth, South in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [24942]

A breakdown of the information requested is not available by constituency and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the sum allocated in the Comprehensive Spending Review to preserve the post office network will be spent; how much has been spent in 2000–01; and how much will be spent in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04. [25372]

[holding answer 11 January 2002]: In the Comprehensive Spending Review 2000, £270 million was allocated to Modernise and sustain the post office network over the three years 2001–02 to 2003–04. Of this, £15 million over three years was allocated to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to help sustain and improve post offices in deprived urban areas. A total of £35 million over three years has been set aside to pilot the concept of post offices as Government General Practitioners. The balance of the funding is allocated to supporting the restructuring of the urban network and to providing transitional financial assistance to rural post offices.In the current financial year, up to £25 million has been committed to funding of the cost of the Government General Practitioner "Your Guide" pilot currently running in Leicestershire and Rutland. The phasing of expenditure on the other planned schemes and initiatives over the spending review period will be determined in the light of the detailed arrangements for implementation as they are finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers (a) she and (b) the Competition Commission have to investigate local monopolies of food retailing; and if she will make a statement. [25557]

The Fair Trading Act 1973 allows the Director General of Fair Trading or the Secretary of State to make a reference to the Competition Commission in respect of a product or service supplied to the UK market as a whole or to a part of it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with Consignia regarding recruitment of delivery staff in London. [26706]

The Department has regular discussions with Consignia about a range of strategic issues facing the company. However, the recruitment of delivery staff is an operational issue for the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when a new Chairman of Consignia will (a) be appointed and (b) take up his duties. [26565]

Arrangements are in hand to recruit and appoint a new Chairman of Consignia. Recruitment consultants have been engaged and the post has recently been advertised in the press.In the interim the Board of Consignia have asked Allan Leighton to chair the board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors will affect her decision as to whether Consignia should pay a dividend to Her Majesty's Government for the current financial year. [26567]

In line with the proposals set out in the White Paper "Post Office Reform: A World Class Service for the 21st Century", a number of commercial factors will need to be considered when deciding whether Consignia should pay a dividend to HMG.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she took to inform businesses affected by the foot and mouth epidemic as to the financial assistance available through the regional development agencies and other schemes; what the cost was of marketing such schemes; how many businesses applied; how much funding assistance they applied for; how much they received on average; and if she will make a statement. [27038]

[holding answer 16 January 2002]: It was left to the discretion of regional development agencies and other relevant bodies to decide on how to inform businesses of the help available from them. Information is not available centrally either on publicity costs incurred or on how much assistance businesses applied for under the Business Recovery Fund or other schemes operated by the RDAs. As at 12 December some 5,700 Business Recovery Fund grants had been approved at an average of just over £4,000. No reliable information is yet available on take-up of rate relief.To date the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme has guaranteed 29 loans to businesses affected by FMD, with an average loan size of £50,258. Of these, 18 were made under the relaxed eligibility criteria introduced in April 2001 and publicised by Ministers. In addition, 84 requests for extended loan terms have been granted to businesses with existing SFLGS loans.The Small Business Service (SBS) produced and distributed a signposting leaflet to raise awareness of the assistance available to businesses experiencing difficulties as a result of FMD. Around 3.5 million leaflets were distributed through banks, post offices, trade associations and Business Link operators. The total cost of production, printing, storage and distribution of this leaflet was £77,628.Business advice fact sheets have been posted on DEFRA's website and they have also set up a helpline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses affected by the foot and mouth epidemic applied for financial aid through the Business Recovery Fund in the south-west; how much they applied for; how much they received on average; and if she will make a statement. [27039]

[holding answer 16 January 2002]: 1,199 businesses applied for aid through the Business Recovery Fund in the south-west.Each business was eligible for a grant of up to £15,000. Information is not held centrally by the RDA on the amounts applied for.The average grant size in the south-west was £8,006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, columns 472–73W, on departmental expenditure, for what reason she is unable to provide reasons for spending outturns lower than planned in subcategories (a) 1 'Department of Trade and Industry: programmes and administration' and (b) 2 'Department of Trade and Industry: science'; and if she will make a statement. [26474]

Full details of outturn against the 2000–01 voted provision for programmes and administration and science will be published in the appropriation accounts to be presented to the House of Commons by 31 January. The departmental resource accounts on an accruals basis will also be presented to the House of Commons by 31 January. Updated estimates of the outturn for Departmental Expenditure Limits in 2000–01 on an accruals basis were published in the 2001 pre-Budget report (Cm 5318; Table B 16).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the Third Generator Licence fee money has been spent on broadband infrastructure. [26887]

[holding answer 14 January 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 17 May 2000, Official Report, column 187W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the representations (a) made to and (b) received from the European Commission by her Department in respect of the Sellafield MOX plant since 1 January. [19406]

I have been asked to reply.Further to my answer to my hon. Friend on 10 December 2001,

To ask the Minister for Women how many women have benefited from the national minimum wage. [25587]

Around 1 million women, and about half a million men, have benefited from the new rates for the national minimum wage which took effect on 1 October 2001.

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on her role on the promotion of women's issues in Government. [25588]

As Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women I am determined to ensure that the needs, and the contribution, of women, who make up nearly half the work force, are properly understood, and rewarded. Women have a valuable part to play in driving up the productivity and competitiveness of the United Kingdom. That is why I place great importance on encouraging flexible working practices and other measures which enable both women, and men, to make a full contribution at work and at home.

To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to increase wealth creating opportunities for women in the most deprived areas. [25589]

The Phoenix Fund, which provides grants to business to support projects for disadvantaged communities, has supported 21 projects which are specifically targeted at women, although the other projects also assist women entrepreneurs within their target groups. Devolved Administrations make their own arrangements in this area.

To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to make it easier for those mothers who want to return to work to do so. [25581]

The Government have introduced a range of measures, including the national childcare strategy, the new deal for lone parents and the new deal for partners, learn direct and the working families tax credit, all of which help mothers who want to return to work. The Employment Bill currently before Parliament includes a number of measures to enable more mothers to remain in the labour market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 183W, on the health consultation document, if he will request from the Welsh Assembly an analysis of the responses to the consultation document. [26727]

This is a matter for the National Assembly of Wales and I understand that it is not the Assembly's intention to publish an executive summary.The Assembly received a substantial number of responses in the last three days of the consultation period, and for ease of handling decided to number and summarise these individually.Copies of these summaries were then placed in the Libraries of the House of Commons and the National Assembly. Also, further copies were made available in the Assembly's Publication Centre for ease of access to the general public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last used the railway service in connection with his official duties; what station he left from and what was the destination; and whether it is his intention to make greater use of the railways in future. [28106]

I make regular use of the railway in connection with my official duties, and will continue to do so. My most recent journey was from Cardiff Central to London Paddington on Monday 14 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will commission and publish an independent report on the reasons for the level of sickness absence in his Department. [26998]

The Cabinet Office already commissions and publishes an independent annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". This report includes details of the causes of absenteeism. The report for the year 2000 will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of individuals in his (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years. [26329]

The figures for the Welsh Office and its agencies (until 1999) and (since 1999) for the Wales Office, which has no agencies, are:

	In excess of £100,000	In excess of £200,000
1 April 1998:	0	0
1 April 1999:	2	0
1 April 2000:	0	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the costs to public funds of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary agreements. [24759]

The Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary texts are agreements between the UK Government and devolved Administrations on how they intend conducting relations between the Administrations.It reflects administrative and policy best practice on issues such as co-operation, exchange of information, correspondence and parliamentary business. Supplementary texts add more detail for the international and EU fields, statistics and financial assistance to industry.A revised version of the MoU was published on 18 December as Command Paper 5240. 300 copies were printed, at a cost of £3,851. These costs were met from the Cabinet Office budget. The main distribution medium will be via the Cabinet Office's website www.Cabinet-Office.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by her Department in each of the last four years. [27961]

The only refurbishment project that my Department has undertaken over the past four years was in relation to our new recently opened headquarters building at 1 Palace street, London.The expenditure on refurbishment and associated fees was as follows:

	£ million
1999–2000	0.24
2000–01	4.8
2001–021	22
1 Estimate for whole financial year

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate her Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if she will make a statement. [27294]

The estimated cost to DFID' s budget of fraud in the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 2001 is some £250,000, of which £175,000 can be attributed to contractor fraud. Of the remaining sum, £22,000 relates to the theft of assets which, in line with Treasury guidance, has been classified as involving departmental staff either directly or through collusion. Details of suspected or proven fraud are provided to the Treasury on an annual basis. The annual report that the Treasury prepares on fraud is deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 3 December 2001 with regard to Mrs. K. Khan. [27320]

We have received a very large number of letters about the situation in Afghanistan. I regret the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend and intend to send him a reply shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what specific assistance she gives to help people suffering from leprosy; and if she will make a statement. [27156]

Leprosy is a curable disease, and treatment provided in the early stages averts disability. Three quarters of a million cases are still detected each year, of which about 70 per cent. are in India. Ten developing countries account for 90 per cent. of cases. An effective drug cure is available free of charge via the World Health Organisation (WHO) in sufficient quantities to treat all people diagnosed with the disease. The priority now is to get treatment to all who need it, especially in isolated rural areas. To eliminate the disease, political commitment in the key endemic countries is needed along with the successful integration of leprosy treatment into strengthened general health services. Our strategy is to support the creation of basic health care systems—encompassing the public, private and informal sectors—to improve poor people's access to the care, services and essential health products to safeguard their health. Within the foreseeable future it should be possible to reduce the prevalence of the disease to such a low level that it no longer constitutes a public health problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the expenditure of her (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997. [26985]

The Department for International Development (DFID) expenditure on recruitment advertising in 2000 and 2001 is listed by publication on the spreadsheet. Figures for 1997–99 are not available.In addition, DFID commissioned a 12 page report in

To ask the Solicitor-General what estimate her Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if she will make a statement. [27289]

There have been no instances of fraud within the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers during the period since 1 May 1997 and no cost to its budget.There have been no instances of fraud within the Serious Fraud Office since 1 May 1997 and no cost to its budget.Although the Treasury Solicitor's Department has suffered three frauds since 1 May 1997, none has involved any cost to the budget of that Department. The first, in 1998, was a fraud within Government Property Lawyers, which at that time was a separate agency, and involved the improper use of client money, resulting in a loss of £1.2 million to the Exchequer. The second, in 2000, was the theft of jewellery to the value of £250 which reduced the proceeds of Bona Vacantia to the Consolidated Fund. The third, in 2001, involved the misappropriation of £170,000 from the proceeds of Bona Vacantia through the use of forged wills. The loss was to the Consolidated Fund. Of the sum lost, £47,000 has since been recovered and action continues to recover further sums. Details of the three frauds are set out in the Annual Fraud Report, copies of which are available in the Library.There have been seven instances of fraud against the Crown Prosecution Service since 1 May 1997 involving a total cost to the budget of £8,426.98.Fraud is treated seriously by all the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible. There are cost implications against budgets from maintaining proactive systems of financial control and governance seeking to ensure fraud against the Departments does not occur. Such costs are, however, an integral part of the general management of the Departments and are not separately assessable.

To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects to respond to the Crown Prosecution Service inspectorate report on the CPS in London; and if she will make a statement. [27279]

The HMCPSI report on London was published 13 December 2001. The substance of any Inspectorate report is always the subject of discussion between the Law Officers in their capacity as superintending Ministers and the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service. In this instance, the Attorney-General and I have been closely involved in decisions about the response to the report from the time when it appeared from the emerging finding that there were a number of issues of concern to be addressed. Additionally, I have undertaken a series of visits to units in London to establish at first-hand what have been particular problems which CPS London faces.The environment in which CPS London operates and has operated since its creation makes it different from any other CPS area—in particular, the transient nature of the population and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified and unqualified staff. Now that better funding arrangements have been put in place it should be possible to recruit staff "to the level required" and to ensure that basic systems are maintained. The area is currently involved in a rolling recruitment campaign to increase the numbers of lawyers and administrative staff employed in London.The area is currently involved in a rolling recruitment campaign to increase the numbers of lawyers and administrative staff employed in London.The area will be producing by the end of January a detailed "action plan" which will address all recommendations made by the CPS Inspectorate. The Attorney-General and I will take a close interest in the implementation of the plan, and this will be followed by a review.Senior management have completed a review which is now being implemented. This has meant an increase in the number of Assistant Chief Crown Prosecutors from three to five, who exercise firmer control of the units for which they are responsible.Much has been done already to address issues of concern, working with the police. These include dealing with the number of ineffective trials and the high rate of discharged committals. By adopting this approach the area should be able to build upon the many features of their operation which were commended by HMCPSI.Finally, a Ministerial Committee, which I chair, has been established which focuses on criminal justice system issues as a whole in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the impact on economic activity in regions beyond Lothian of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations. [25912]