To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the objectives in key areas which SchlumbergerSema must meet by May 2002 in order for the company to be granted a contract extension to 2005. [24401]

[holding answer 8 January 2002]: The agreement with SchlumbergerSema contains performance and delivery conditions for a contract extension to August 2005. It emphasises the need for the company to meet and improve service standards and commits them to a programme of doctor recruitment. The amendment further requires the contractor to co-operate in the introduction of more fundamental changes in the gathering and presentation of evidence and reports together with the introduction of new processes to reduce the numbers of people who fail to turn up for examinations. It also requires them to agree and document actions to support processes around the intervention regime to be operated in Job Centre Plus as part of the Government's "Welfare to Work" agenda. The agreement to extend the contract must be confirmed or revoked before 31 May 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will allow the taking of annuities at any age up to 75 years for the purposes of assessing the proposed pension credit entitlement. [26018]

A personal pension may be taken from age 50, but an annuity must be purchased by age 75.The income from an annuity purchased from a pension fund is treated in the same way as other second pensions within the minimum income guarantee.Currently, if a person over 60 has not taken an annuity he is treated as having the income he could obtain if he used his pension fund to buy an annuity.We intend to adopt a similar approach in pension credit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what equipment has been stolen from his Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was; [26822](2) if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [27994]

[holding answer 22 January 2002]: Of a total of approximately 109,224 personal computers and laptops owned by the Department 179 have been stolen in the period in question—this represents 0.16 per cent. The total value of these items is estimated to be £217,300.Information on items of a lesser value are recorded in the table.

Thefts in Department for Work and Pensions 1 May 1997 to end of year 2001
Category	Quantity	Estimated total cost
CPU	64	44,400
Monitor	27	5,290
Keyboard	23	260
Memory Chip	6	3,600
Tape Drive	3	525
Cordless Telephone	1	70
Modem	9	900
Video Camera	2	2,250
Mobile Telephone	9	1,800
Print Sharer	1	100
Digital Camera	1	1,000
Disk Drive	1	200
Multi-media projector	1	3,000
DVD Player	1	281
Server	3	7,500
Card Reader	2	100
Pager	1	50
Mouse	22	511
Printer	72	44,650
Hard Drive	10	1,500
Motherboard	1	150
Fax	3	1,950
Miscellaneous1		1,445
1 Includes such items as server cable, cassette recorders and telephones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of East Riding of Yorkshire council. [30521]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of East Riding of Yorkshire council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.BFI found the council was striving to provide an efficient, secure benefits service and to maintain effective counter fraud performance against a background of staffing difficulties and re-organisation.Overall, inspectors identified many good features in the council's performance and examples of effective work. There was a clear commitment to customer service and efforts had been made to raise levels of fraud awareness throughout the council. Additionally, the council has introduced inspectors powers and the "Do Not Redirect" scheme.Despite this, the report notes there were a number of areas where performance fell short of requirements. Inspectors consider a key constraint to the council's performance was the high rate of staff turnover and difficulty in maintaining a fully trained complement of staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Plymouth city council. [30522]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Plymouth city council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.BFI inspectors report that the benefit service had been through a period of considerable change prior to the inspection, including a restructure, the introduction of a document image processing (DIP) system and a change in political control. In addition, during the BFI inspection, the council was implementing the Verification Framework and managing a backlog. Overall, inspectors consider the benefit service was having difficulty in an environment of major corporate change.Before the inspection the council had taken steps to secure the gateway to benefit with the introduction of the Verification Framework, a new claim form and a system of management checks. Although the council has service level agreements with the local BA and ES, inspectors found the management of these SLAs was limited.The report notes that the council works hard to keep payments right with a proactive approach to the follow up of renewal claims and reminders to claimants and landlords of their duty to report changes in circumstances. However BFI considers more could be done to target visiting and tailor benefit periods using risk assessment.In common with some authorities, the council's overall performance in the management and control of overpayments is poor. Inspectors report that prompt action to identify overpayments is negated by ineffective recovery processes.Although inspectors found fraud investigation work was poor, the report notes that the council had already recognised this and had introduced various policies, guidance and an extensive training programme aimed at improving the quality of the fraud investigations.The report concludes that the council has recently made major policy and procedural changes. These changes need to be further developed and implemented before tangible improvements will be realised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Appeal Court decision in the Fairchild case; and if he will introduce legislation to reinstate the principle of apportionment in mesothelioma cases. [25114]

I have been asked to reply.The Government are looking closely at the implications of the Appeal Court decision on the Fairchild case. It is too early to determine what action may be necessary.

To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit North Ayrshire. [27103]

I have no plans at present to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he had with the Indian Government on his recent visit concerning the BAE Systems bid to supply Hawk jets; and if he will make a statement. [28301](2) what discussions he held with the Pakistani Government on his recent visit concerning United Kingdom arms sales; and if he will make a statement. [28294]

During my recent visits to India and Pakistan, I discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest with the Governments of both countries. These covered a number of defence and security matters including defence export opportunities. The Government continue to support the proposals that BAE systems has made for the supply of Hawk jets to India.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made since 11 September 2001 of the security of nuclear plants and radioactive materials in transit against terrorist attack; and if he has discussed the security of nuclear facilities with (a) his European Union counterparts and (b) the United States President, since that date. [28646]

Security and safety precautions at nuclear sites are kept under regular review. The UK's civil nuclear sites apply stringent security measures regulated by the security regulator, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security.The security of nuclear material in transit is similarly kept under review. We are also reviewing the transportation of other radioactive materials.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 297W, on Lord Birt, under which section of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information he withheld information on the projects worked upon by Lord Birt. [29653]

Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not disclosed under Exemption 2, Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 11 December 2001, concerning the UN-led conference at Bonn of the main Afghan factions on 27 November, for what reason the Northern Alliance has been allowed to keep troops in Kabul in breach of the Bonn agreement. [28021]

The Bonn agreement gave a basis for an Interim Administration to be formed in Afghanistan. That Administration is responsible for security within Afghanistan, and is using its police forces in Kabul to provide this with the support of the International Security Assistance Force. Under the terms of the Military Technical Agreement between the Interim Administration and the International Security Assistance Force (signed on 4 January), some military units have left Kabul. All other armed groups in the Kabul area are confined to designated barracks.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his written answer of 14 January 2002, Official Report, column 89W, on the International Criminal Court, if he will place in the Library copies of the written demarches sent to Secretary of State Powell on ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Court. [29654]

Further to my answer of 14 January, two demarches were sent to the US Department of State by the Belgian presidency. One was written, and I am happy to place a copy of that in the Library. The other, I now understand, was changed from a written to an oral demarche by the Belgian presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on Government support for manufacturing industry in Wales. [27064]

Despite recent labour market statistics which reflect the fundamental strength of the Welsh economy, some parts of the economy, such as manufacturing, continue to face real and sustained difficulties.There are no simple solutions at hand to ease these problems, but the Government are helping British manufacturing to raise its game and to shift its focus from competing on the basis of cost alone towards high skill, high value-added products and processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about Government support for manufacturing industry in Wales. [27066]

I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues, including manufacturing in Wales.Despite recent labour market statistics which reflect the fundamental strength of the Welsh economy, some parts of the economy, such as manufacturing, continue to face real and sustained difficulties.There are no simple solutions at hand to ease these problems, but the Government are helping British manufacturing to raise its game and to shift its focus from competing on the basis of cost alone towards high skill, high value-added products and processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the number of claims in Wales under the miners' compensation scheme for respiratory disease that have been settled in full. [27065]

I regularly discuss coal health compensation issues with my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy and attend the UK Coal Health Monitoring Group that he chairs.As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales established the Welsh sub-group of the Coal Health Claims Monitoring Group specifically to address coal health issues in Wales and to report back to the GB-wide group. I am convinced the measures discussed, and the actions so far agreed, will further speed up the processing of coal health claims.My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy attended the Welsh sub-group of the Coal Health Claims Monitoring Group in November to discuss the operation of the scheme in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many special advisers he has working for him. [27068]

I have two special advisers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the number and cost of special advisers in the Wales Office. [27070]

They are paid in accordance with the Cabinet Office pay scales for special advisers: these are currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to discuss regeneration of the rural economy with National Assembly for Wales Secretaries. [27069]

I meet the Welsh Assembly secretaries regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the Welsh rural economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what instructions are given to his offices in Wales on whether to answer the telephone in Welsh or English. [27071]

My Cardiff office is served by the National Assembly for Wales switchboard, which answers with a bilingual greeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Agriculture Secretary to discuss dairy farming in Wales. [27072]

My hon. Friend the Under-secretary has regular meetings with the Assembly Agriculture Secretary and discusses many aspects of Welsh agriculture.The recent FMD outbreak has exacerbated an already difficult situation for Welsh farmers. I therefore welcome the Assembly's strategy "Farming for the Future", which sets out a vision for the industry to achieve future sustainability, supported by the Assembly and key stakeholders. I would encourage farmers to work with the Assembly and its partners to face up to the changes necessary to create a viable agricultural future for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly about the progress of the Objective 1 programme in Wales. [27073]

I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues, including progress with the Objective 1 programme. At 9 January 2002, 421 Objective 1 projects had been approved, worth a total of £280 million in European grants. £64.3 million worth of Objective 1 grant has already been paid out by the Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the proportional representation system in National Assembly for Wales elections. [27074]

The electoral system is that outlined in the White Paper "A Voice for Wales" which was subsequently endorsed by the people of Wales in a referendum. The electoral system is a matter reserved to Parliament under the devolution settlement and the Government have no plans to bring forward legislation to change it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the measures taken by the Government to tackle crime in Wales. [27075]

Communities in Wales are gaining the full benefits of our partnership approach to fighting crime. With funding running into millions of pounds, local partnerships are implementing projects targeted at crime hotspots, domestic violence and drug related crime. Much of this funding is being channelled specifically into the most deprived communities and is going a long way towards building safer and more inclusive communities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales about the operation of regional selective assistance in Wales. [27076]

I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues. Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is the most important grant available to businesses in Wales looking to invest to grow. 240 companies received RSA grants between January and December 2001, to the value of £130.5 million in grant funding and £553 million in total investment. This funding will result in the creation of 8,700 jobs and the safeguarding of another 4,700 jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the new deal in Wales. [27077]

The new deal has been a huge success story in Wales. There has been a 75 per cent, fall in the number of young people aged 18-24 claiming JSA in Wales since launch of new deal and a 50 per cent, fall in the number of long term JSA claimants over 25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales and Cabinet colleagues about the performance of the Welsh economy. [27078]

I meet the First Minister and Cabinet colleagues regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the Welsh economy. I very much welcome last week's labour market statistics which show that unemployment in Wales fell by 7,000 over the last quarter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the latest figures for heroin addiction in Wales. [27079]

There is currently no statutory requirement in the UK to report drug users to any central database; therefore there are no comprehensive data for heroin addiction in Wales.There is a report from the Welsh Drug Misuse Database (WDMD) for the years 1999 and 2000, which offered an analysis of reports from reporting agencies to the WDMD relating to problem drug users who presented for help and treatment during 1999 and 2000. The increase shown in heroin as a main drug in treatment cases does not necessarily indicate a rise in the number of people dependent on the drug.In May 2000, an 8-year strategy was published by the National Assembly entitled: "Tackling Substance Misuse in Wales: A Partnership Approach". The strategy covers not only illegal drugs but also alcohol, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and volatile substances. The four aims of the strategy embrace those of the UK strategy Tackling Drugs to build a better Britain.The National Assembly made £2 million available through the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Fund (DATF) in 2001–02 to support drug and alcohol treatment services in Wales and to improve access to treatment, particularly for vulnerable young people. The fund is administered through Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) and has supported many treatment services including those who provide services to people with a heroin dependency. This fund is in addition to expenditure from key agencies including health, the police and probation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will bring forward proposals to change the system for election of Members of the National Assembly for Wales. [27080]

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions regarding rail services in Wales since October 2001. [27081]

I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which include rail services.I welcome the SRA's 10-year strategic plan, a forward looking plan which will deliver good results for rail passengers and freight users across Wales.The Assembly have developed a good working relationship with the SRA and the Wales and Borders Single Franchise is being taken forward as a priority in the strategic plan. This provides a real opportunity to increase the quality and frequency of services and the new franchise is expected to be operational next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he received from hon. Members during July 2001; and if he will make a statement. [27082]

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet representatives of the farming community to discuss the crisis in the countryside. [27083]

I am planning to meet representatives of the National Farmers Union shortly. During last year both my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary and myself travelled extensively through Wales and met members of the farming community.I welcome the recent announcement by the National Assembly for Wales that they have spent almost £28 million to the end of December to help the rural economy recover from the effects of foot and mouth disease. In Wales, this is in addition to over £51 million paid out as compensation for culled animals and over £60 million paid out under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales and others on the mechanisms for co-ordinating policy for reducing alcoholism in Wales. [27084]

I have not recently discussed with Assembly colleagues the issue of alcoholism in Wales.However I am aware that the Assembly is tackling the problem of substance misuse, including alcohol abuse, through its 8-year substance misuse strategy "Tackling Substance Misuse in Wales: A Partnership Approach".

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will hold discussions with the First Minister and the Environment Secretary on the cross border impact of the proposals for an incineration plant at Wrexham. [27085]

I understand that the National Assembly has received a number of requests to call-in this planning application. It is for the Assembly to decide how to proceed. I will however draw the hon. Member's concerns to the attention of Assembly Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister regarding the state of the national health service in Wales. [27086]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet regularly with the National Assembly First Minister and the Assembly Health and Social Services Minister to discuss a range of issues, including the NHS in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy to limit funding for investment by Railtrack and its successors to the total in the regulatory settlement for Control Period 2. [26296]

The funding available to Railtrack and its successor is the regulatory settlement for Control Period 2, as supplemented by the agreement between Railtrack and the Department in April 2001. If bidders for Railtrack consider that this is insufficient, they will need to include proposals for additional funding in their bids.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what minimum notice Railtrack gives to train operating companies for planned maintenance work. [26059]

Current timetabling arrangements require Railtrack to have notified the train operators of intended works 26 weeks before taking possession of the network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy for a not-for-profit company to replace Railtrack plc. [28738]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, columns 195–97W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many rail track failures have been recorded by Railtrack in each of the last five years. [26073]

I understand from Railtrack that the number of broken rails in each of the last five financial years were:

	Number of broken rails
1996–97	709
1997–98	755
1998–99	952
1999–2000	918
2000–01	697

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many deaths there were in motor accidents during the period of the annual Christmas anti-drink campaign in each of the last five available years in which a contributory factor was (a) consumption of alcohol, (b) consumption of non-prescription drugs and (c) tiredness of the driver. [27379]

Information is not available for the periods requested. National estimates of drink drive fatalities are only made based on the involvement of a driver who had consumed over the legal limit of alcohol. These estimates are not produced for time periods of less than one calendar month. No estimates are made of road deaths involving the use of non-prescription drugs or tiredness of a driver.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff came in (a) one hour and (b) two hours late on each London Underground line and in total in (i) the last five years and (ii) each of the last 12 months; and what were the reasons given for the absence. [27710]

This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the drop out rates of persons applying for management positions on the London Underground (a) within one month, (b) one to two months and (c) two to six months after the application was received, within the last 12 months. [27708]

This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that within the last 12 months the number of applicants for management positions who withdrew applications, did not attend interviews or refused job offers is as follows:

(a) within one month of receipt of application—20 applicants

(b) one to two months afterwards—75 applicants

(c) two to six months afterwards—37 applicants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how long it took on average to recruit new management staff for London Underground from (a) previous internal positions and (b) external positions in the last 12 months. [27707]

This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that in the last 12 months it took, on average, 8.8 weeks to recruit management staff from previous internal positions, and 10.6 weeks from previous external positions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the meetings he has had in the last 10 months with London Underground. [28481]

My right hon. Friend and ministerial colleagues meet London Underground representatives on both a regular and ad hoc basis, to discuss a variety of relevant matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the National Air Traffic Service Prestwick Centre will be completed. [27730]

[holding answer 16 January 2002]: The events of 11 September 2001 have led to a review of the phasing of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) capital investment plan, which includes the New Scottish Centre (NSC). Work on the NSC building has been suspended, but continues on evaluating systems solutions.My officials continue to be in close discussion with NATS, who are keeping the position under review. NATS will commission further work at NSC as soon as traffic forecasts make it prudent to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy to refuse access to UK waters of single hull oil tankers; and if he will make a statement. [28045]

The rights of innocent or transit passage, as provided in the United Nations convention on the law of the sea, benefit UK ships in foreign territorial waters and prevent the UK from refusing access through UK territorial waters to single hull oil tankers. However, it was recently agreed that after 2007 the oldest (unprotected) type of single hull tankers will not be allowed to operate anywhere; and the UK will not permit newer single hull tankers, fitted with partial protection, to enter its ports after 2015, exercising a new right which that agreement has given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to respond to the concerns raised by the Cally Rail Group in letters of 4 October 2001 to himself, and of 24 October and 17 December 2001 to his Department, in connection with the carrying out of Channel Tunnel Rail Link work on and around Caledonian Road, London N1. [28039]

My Department wrote to the Cally Rail Group on 17 October and 5 December 2001 and has subsequently provided a holding reply to their letter of 17 December. A further substantive reply has now been sent offering a meeting with representatives of the group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether his Department's statements and the SRA plan have taken into account the delays in establishing the first special purpose vehicles in estimating completion dates for infrastructure investments. [28567]

To avoid possible delays the Strategic Rail Authority has set aside funds within its strategic plan to help reduce commercial risk in projects before competitions to build them are held.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which new recommendations from multi-modal studies have been included in the SRA plan. [28565]

The Strategic Rail Authority is working with my Department on the processes by which the study outcomes will be taken forward in the short, medium and long terms. The authority is currently undertaking further work on the access to hastings study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what impact the Strategic Rail Authority's new strategic plan will have on plans for the proposed Worcester Parkway station at Norton; and if he will make a statement. [28597]

The Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan makes it clear that £430 million will be available over the next 10 years for the Rail Passenger Partnership Scheme which is designed to provide partnership funding for local schemes which support local and integrated transport objectives. The scheme was recently relaunched by the authority and the bidding criteria were not affected or altered by the strategic plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what mechanism the £7.5 billion public sector funding will be used to lever in the new commitments that will deliver the (a) short and (b) medium term priorities set out in the SRA strategic plan. [29232]

The private sector investment will be levered in through the franchising process, Special Purpose Vehicles and specific funding schemes such as the Rail Passenger Partnership fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason a two-year extension to the Central Trains franchise is expected to achieve an early increase in capacity. [28573]

An extension to the existing Central Trains franchise will provide an opportunity to secure early new investment in, for example, new rolling stock and additional services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the (a) capacity and (b) levels of usage of the rail network to carry individual services. [28548]

The Strategic Rail Authority has carried out numerous studies to gauge rail use and travel patterns in order to help determine priorities for investment. It has also carried out specific capacity studies to determine where enhancement is required. The priorities for investment have been identified in the authority's strategic plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the changes to subsidy resulting from the implementation of cost plus agreements on the railways. [28561]

Under 'cost plus' agreements, the franchisee does not commit to a subsidy/premium profile for several years at a time. Instead, the franchisee is paid an agreed margin on the costs it is expected to incur in running the franchise in the coming year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether additional funds are being made available to the relaunched Freight Facilities Grant scheme. [28558]

The Freight Facilities Grant scheme now covers coastal and short sea shipping. Additional funding is accordingly being sought under SR2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the impact of fuel taxes on road and rail passenger usage. [28571]

The Department's latest assessment of the impact of changes in the cost of fuel, including taxes, on road use is given in Annex C of "Modelling using the National Road Traffic Forecasting framework for 'Tackling Congestion and Pollution' and 'Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan'—Technical Report".In this assessment, the long run elasticity of car use with respect to fuel cost per car kilometre is 0.23. This means, for example, that an increase (decrease) in fuel cost per car kilometre of 10 per cent, would lead to a 2.3 per cent, decrease (increase) in car kilometres.As announced in the 10-Year Plan, the Department is developing its multi-modal modelling capability. This will enable estimates to be made of the impact on rail passenger usage of changes to fuel taxation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if it is his policy that rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports will not receive public funding for completion before 2010. [28569](2) if it is his policy that Airtrack will not receive public funding for completion before 2010. [28568]

No. The SRA's strategic plan makes it clear that a number of major schemes, including Airtrack and direct rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, are being explored further in terms of feasibility and value for money. If increased funding becomes available, particularly through partnerships with other parts of the public sector, it may be possible to make earlier progress on some of them than intimated in the current strategic plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how much of the proposed East London line will be complete by 2006; [28549](2) whether he expects the East London line to be extended to Wimbledon by 2006. [28564]

By 2006 the SRA expect to have completed and commissioned the new East London line infrastructure from New Cross Gate and Old Kent Road junction in the south to Dalston junction in the north. The new rolling stock is also expected to have been delivered by that date. The planned service to Wimbledon will be possible once the relevant South Central works by Go Via, and, if powers are granted, the relevant Thameslink 2000 works, have been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when work on extending South West Trains suburban platforms will be completed; [28555](2) what assessment he has made of the timeframe for

The establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle and the timing of works on platform extensions are both the subject of negotiations between the Strategic Rail Authority, Stagecoach and Railtrack. The SRA are keen to progress the project, which will allow the operation of longer trains to help reduce overcrowding, as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the common usage by light and heavy rail services of the Tyne and Wear metro route. [28574]

In December 1999 the Deputy Prime Minister, then Secretary of State for Transport, announced approval of funding for the extension of the Tyne and Wear metro system to Sunderland. The new line is due to open in March. In addition to building new tracks from the centre of Sunderland to South Hylton, this scheme has made use of excess capacity on existing heavy rail Railtrack lines. The promoters have worked closely with the HSE to ensure that the scheme complies with all the necessary safety requirements to enable common usage of heavy rail infrastructure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the impact on capacity at London rail termini of the presence of more than one train operator. [28551]

The Strategic Rail Authority has identified opportunities for improvement in capacity at key London termini by bringing services under single operator control where possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether it is his policy to retain a single train operator at Waterloo. [28588]

Eurostar, Wales and Borders and South West Trains currently operate from London Waterloo. The Strategic Rail Authority has stated that it proposes to simplify the train operator franchise structure by bringing services at key London termini under single control wherever possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what date a special purpose vehicle will be established in respect of the financing of Thameslink 2000. [28589]

The SRA is currently investigating options for the funding of the Thameslink 2000 project, if powers are granted. These options include the possibility of establishing a special purpose vehicle. It is not possible at this stage to predict when an SPV would be in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of impact on investment plans for the Cotswold line between Worcester and Oxford of a two-year extension of the Thames Trains franchise; and if he will make a statement. [28598]

A two-year extension of the current Thames Trains franchise is one of the options which the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is currently considering. Proposals for further investment in the Cotswold line and others included in the franchise are matters to be considered by the SRA in deciding whether to agree an extension.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial incentives are available to companies wishing to move freight from road to rail. [28382]

The Strategic Rail Authority operates two grant schemes to help companies switch traffic from road to rail. The Freight Facilities Grant helps companies with the capital cost of providing rail facilities and the Track Access Grant helps rail freight operators to meet the charges paid to Railtrack for access to the network, which in turn allows operators to offer a more competitive price to companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the quantities were of freight carried on Britain's rail network in each of the last four years. [28383]

Freight moved is measured in net tonne kilometres (NTKMs). This takes into account the net weight of the goods carried (excluding the weight of the locomotive and wagons) and the distance carried. The total amount carried in each of the last four years is shown in the table:

Billion NTKMs
	Freight moved
1997–98	16.9
1998–99	17.3
1999–2000	18.2
2000–01	18.1

Growth in 2000–01 was not achieved because of the Hatfield derailment and subsequent network-wide problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if, in advertising the Trans-Pennine franchise, the Strategic Rail Authority will ensure that the service continues to stop at Stalybridge station. [28508]

There is currently an hourly Trans-Pennine service for Stalybridge station that is protected by the Passenger Service Requirement (PSR). Bidders for the new Trans-Pennine Express franchise have been instructed by the Strategic Rail Authority that services protected by the PSR must be maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many delays were caused by signal failures on the Metropolitan line in each of the last five years. [28482]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) on 18 July 2001, Official Report, column 197W. London Underground advise me that it is not possible to separate the data for signals and points.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many votes were cast by post in the (a) 1997 and (b) 2001 general elections, broken down by constituency as (i) a percentage of total votes cast and (ii) a percentage of the electorate. [28475]

Figures of the number of votes cast by post, the total votes cast and the total electorate for the 1997 general election were published, by constituency, in Table 4 of "Election Expenses" (House of Commons Paper 260) in February 1999. Publication of the corresponding data for the 2001 general election was the responsibility of the Electoral Commission and is contained in the report entitled "Postal Votes, Proxy Votes and Spoilt Ballot Papers at the 2001 General Election" published on 17 January. Copies of both publications are in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many and what percentage of trains operated by Thames Trains departed late from West Drayton station in each month of (a) 2000 and (b) 2001. [28484]

The Strategic Rail Authority do not keep performance figures disaggregated to station level. However, the following table shows a summary, by four weekly reporting period of the number of Thames Trains arriving at their destinations punctually:

Industry period	Percentage of Thames Trains arriving at destination punctually and reliably
Period beginning 2 January 2000
0010	87.4
0011	92.4
0012	92.1
0013	92.8
April 2000
0101	91.0
0102	90.8
0103	86.1
0104	87.2
0105	90.9
0106	88.7
0107	85.8
0108	65.9
0109	62.8
0110	76.1
0111	83.8
0112	84.5
0113	81.4
April 2001
0201	82.8
0202	82.8
0203	81.6
0204	73.8
0205	79.1

Year of publication/Title	Main reason(s) for revision
2000
Regulation for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1996 Edition (Revised), Safety Standards Series No. TS-R-1 (ST-1, Revised)	Minor editorial amendments to 1996 Ed. Pressure test requirements aligned with International Standards
1996
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1996 Edition, Safety Standards Series No. ST-1	Major revision incorporating: additional air transport requirements (Type 'C' package); additional requirements for uranium hexafluoride; enhanced immersion test requirements; updated activity limits; modified, radionuclide-specific exemption values.
1990
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (As Amended 1990). Safety Series No. 6	Consolidation into a single volume of the original 1985 Edition, the two previous supplement documents and inclusion of further minor changes and changes of detail.
1988
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition Supplement 1988, Safety Series No. 6—Supplementary 1988	Further amendments arising from a request to member states to identify problems applying the Regulations and proposals for change. Also incorporates amended texts to the supporting documents to the Regulations.
1986
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition Supplement 1986, Safety Series No. 6—Supplementary 1986	Corrects minor errors and introduces changes of detail, unanimously agreed by the member states by direct replacement pages to the original text.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed cameras are operating within the Uxbridge constituency. [28491]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray), on 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 601W, on nuclear transportation, if he will list (a) the dates and (b) the reasons for the last five occasions on which the International Atomic Energy Agency radioactive materials transport standards have been revised as a result of reviews. [28590]

The IAEA's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, originally published in 1961, are kept under continuous review and revised from time-to-time, as necessary, to ensure they remain effective in the light of up-to-date radiological protection standards, technological advances and operational experience. Revisions have been made in response to proposals for change and problems identified by experts from member states and concerned international transport organisations, most recently as follows:

Year of publication/Title	Main reason(s) for revision
1985
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition, Safety Series No. 6	Fully revised edition carried out by expert panels beginning in 1979 and approved by the Board of Governors in 1984. International System (SI) of units introduced as primary units. Implements the new system of dose limitation of the 1982 Edition of the IAEA's Basic Safety Standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what means he intends to promote competition between train companies following the introduction of longer franchises and a single franchise serving each London terminus. [28737]

The main competition for rail operators is from road and other modes of transport, and this competitive pressure would not be reduced by the introduction of larger franchises or a policy of single franchises serving each London terminus. The aim would be to produce a more reliable, cohesive and attractive service for passengers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what additional capacity is (a) planned and (b) under consideration for the railway lines between (i) London and Portsmouth, (ii) London, Southampton and Lymington and (iii) Bristol and Brighton, and for Island Line; when he expects each improvement to be complete; what the cost will be; and how much of the cost will be met from public funds; [28732](2) what improvement is

Capacity on the Portsmouth and Southampton routes will be increased in stages over the early years of the replacement South West Trains franchise through rolling stock investment. It is proposed that capacity be increased to facilitate a half-hourly service on the Bristol to Portsmouth route. Longer term increases in capacity will depend on infrastructure investment to permit longer trains to operate. These projects, and their financial arrangements, are subject to the outcome of commercial negotiations for the new South West Trains and Wessex franchises. The Strategic Rail Authority are developing a franchise proposition for the replacement of the Island Line franchise, in consultation with the Island council. Further announcements will be made by the authority in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions under the 10 year plan for rail, how much public money will be available in each of the next 10 years to support (a) infrastructure investment and (b) subsidies for operating costs to (i) the Railtrack successor body and (ii) the train operating companies. [29233]

The £33.5 billion of government support to the rail industry over the next 10 years, is projected to be profiled as in the table. A breakdown is provided between government capital investment and resource (revenue) expenditure.The level of future Government subsidy provided through existing franchise contracts is detailed in the 2001 SRA annual report. No other breakdown can be provided for individual companies over each of the next 10 years.

£ billion1	Resource	Capital	Total
2001–02	1.6	0.6	2.2
2002–03	1.4	1.5	2.8
2003–04	1.4	2.5	4.0
2004–05	1.5	2.4	3.9
2005–06	1.5	2.9	4.4
2006–07	1.5	2.7	4.2
2007–08	1.5	2.2	3.6
2008–09	1.6	1.3	2.9
2009–10	1.5	1.2	2.7
2010–11	1.5	1.2	2.7
Total	14.9	18.6	33.5
1 Rounded

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of (a) rail stations and (b) rolling stock are accessible for those who are mobility impaired; and what plans there are to increase the percentage. [28819]

This information is not currently held centrally. The answers will also depend on the definition of "mobility impairment" which is used—some stations and rolling stock may not be wheelchair accessible but can be accessed by other mobility impaired people. The Strategic Rail Authority will announce shortly a requirement for train operators to prepare new disabled people's protection policies. When available, these will allow national information to be provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the level of investment in infrastructure has been in each year since 1997 on main railway lines in the UK. [28618]

[holding answer 18 January 2002]: Information on rail infrastructure investment is available from Railtrack's annual report and accounts for each of the relevant years. These figures are not publicly available by individual route.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many driving test examiners were employed in each test centre in West Yorkshire in (a) January 2002, (b) July 2001 and (c) January 2001; and how many in each category were (i) full-time and (ii) part-time. [28354]

	January 2002		July 2001		January 2001
	Permanent	Other1	Permanent	Other1	Permanent	Other1
Car
Bradford (Eccleshill)	2	2	2	2	2	2
Bradford (Heaton)	3	2	3	2	3	2
Halifax	3	1	3	1	4	0
Heckmondwike	2	1	2	2	2	1
Huddersfield	4	2	4	2	4	2
Keighley	3	0	3	0	3	0
Leeds (Horsforth)	4	2	4	2	4	2
Leeds (Harehills)	8	1	8	1	8	1
Wakefield	3	1	3	1	3	1
Total	32	12	32	13	33	11
Motorcycle
Bradford (Eccleshill)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Halifax	0	0	0	0	0	0
Leeds (Horsforth)	1	1	1	1	1	1
Total	1	1	1	1	1	1
1 Other=driving examiners not employed on a permanent, full-time basis: contract examiners (with work guaranteed for a minimum of 10 days per month) or fee-paid examiners (paid on a test-by-test basis to cover for short notice absence of permanent staff).

In addition, other driving examiners were on occasions detached to test centres to cover for annual leave, sickness, and other duties, and to reduce waiting times:

	January 2002		July 2001		January 2001
	Permanent	Other	Permanent	Other	Permanent	Other
Car
Bradford (Eccleshill)	14	4	14	4	15	3
Bradford (Heaton)	10	4	10	5	11	3
Halifax	10	8	10	9	10	7
Heckmondwike	12	7	12	6	13	6
Huddersfield	10	2	10	3	11
Keighley	4	1	4	1	5	0
Leeds (Horsforth)	14	2	14	2	16	2
Leeds (Harehills)	8	7	8	7	9	6
Wakefield	15	4	15	4	13	4
Total	97	39	97	41	103	32
Motorcycle
Bradford (Eccleshill)	2	0	2	0	2	0
Halifax	3	0	3	0	3	0
Leeds (Horsforth)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	5	0	5	0	5	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures his Department is taking to improve the quality of housing in areas of deprivation. [28769]

In July 2000 the Government set a target to bring all social housing up to set standards of decency by 2010, tackling one-third of the problem by March 2004 with most of the improvement taking place in deprived local authority areas.

The following number of driving examiners were based at test centres in West Yorkshire:"The Way Forward for Housing", the Government's housing policy statement, set out a range of measures many of which would contribute towards achieving this target, including:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when targets for congestion will be agreed as part of the 10-year transport plan. [28906]

"Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan", published in July 2000, contained a target

"to reduce road congestion on the inter-urban network and in large urban areas in England below current levels by 2010 by promoting integrated transport solutions and investing in public transport and the road network".

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reform the standard spending assessment allocation for fire services taking into account fire prevention work; and if he will make a statement. [28919]

In partnership with the Local Government Association and other local authority organisations we are reviewing the local government finance grant distribution formula. We have already made the commitment that, when the new formula is introduced for the 2003–04 Local Government Finance Settlement, the perverse incentive of the fire calls indicator (whereby fire authorities are effectively penalised for reducing the number of calls) will be removed. Other options that are being considered include increasing the share that is allocated for fire safety education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will calculate the amount paid in light dues by British registered fishing vessels in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what proposals he has to exempt British registered fishing vessels from the payment of light dues. [29086]

The amount of light dues invoiced to UK registered fishing vessels for the financial year 2001–02 (April to March) is £672,326. We have no current plans to exempt fishing vessels from the payment of light dues, but we intend to consult all users of the general lighthouse authorities' aids to navigation on the charging structure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those European Union member nations which levy light dues on their domestically registered fishing vessels; and what assessment he has made of the effect of light dues on the competitiveness of British registered vessels in comparison with vessels from fishing fleets of other European Union member nations. [29087]

The lighthouse authorities in the UK and Ireland are funded through the general lighthouse fund, which is administered by DTLR. The Irish Government make a contribution to the fund towards the costs of provision of aids to navigation in the Irish Republic, and do not require fishing vessels in the Irish Republic to pay light dues. We do not have information on arrangements for covering the costs of provision of aids to navigation in other member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reasons the present form of the annual road maintenance survey is to be discontinued; how the replacement statistical series will differ; and if he will make a statement. [28907]

The National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) reports on the condition of roads, footways, kerbs and verges in England and Wales. It was introduced in 1977 as a visual survey of defects and subsequently extended to include surveys of structural condition and skidding resistance. Recent technical advances and organisational changes affecting the management of the national and local road networks have provided the opportunity to collect the information more efficiently.In future, the data for statistics of road maintenance conditions will be those which each authority now collects in order to manage its own network and to produce best value performance indicators. This has a number of advantages. Firstly, there will be cost savings to authorities as they will no longer be asked to collect separate data for NRMCS. This should also give rise to increased response rates. Secondly, the new methods of data collection use latest technology to monitor the whole of the road network, as opposed to a sample of 100 m road lengths as in the old NRMCS. As a result, we will be able to publish meaningful comparisons at authority and regional level for the first time which will also serve to improve the accuracy of the national results.The new survey will be more comprehensive than the old NRMCS. Coverage will include motorways (excluded from the old visual survey), and roads with a concrete running surface will come within the survey for the first time. In addition the condition of cycleways will be recorded.The new information will also enable the monitoring of two objectives in the 10-Year Plan for Transport—halting local road deterioration by 2004 and eliminating the backlogs in their maintenance by 2010–11. The new survey will continue to provide information on the condition of roads but should also enable the calculation of more precise estimates of the amount of outstanding maintenance than those currently derived from the visual survey.These new arrangements are being phased in over three years. Each part of the new survey will run in parallel with the corresponding part of the old survey for a period of one year to ensure consistency over time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last met the Scottish Minister for Transport; and what issues were discussed. [29483]

The Secretary of State met Wendy Alexander, the Scottish Minister for Transport, on Wednesday 16 January. A number of issues were discussed including the SRA Strategic Plan, the ScotRail franchise, and the recent industrial action on the Scottish railways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is relating to guidance to district councils concerning the grant of planning consent for siting smaller wind turbines (a) singularly and in pairs, (b) in the support of farmers seeking to diversify through earning revenue through wind power generation and (c) to local communities for local power generation for the benefit of the community. [29283]

Guidance on planning policy for renewable energy is set out in PPG 22. This provides local planning authorities with guidance on a range of issues that affect the siting of renewable energy projects, including the siting of one or two wind turbines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consultations are taking place over the future of English Partnerships. [29388]

As part of stage one of the current review of English Partnerships, a range of EP's partners and stakeholders, including the regional development agencies, have been consulted. Consultations have also taken place with groups of staff from English Partnerships and with the management of the organisation.A dedicated e-mail address has also been set up to encourage comments from anyone interested in the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the total weekly rail delays, in minutes, for each week from 1 May 1997 to 21 January 2002, broken down to show delays (a) attributable to Railtrack and (b) attributable to train operating companies; and if he will make a statement. [27054]

[holding answer 22 January 2002]: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the timetable for the review of local government expenditure. [29328]

We will implement reform of the local government grant distribution system in time for setting out the provisional 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he has given to the Strategic Rail Authority on the implications of the European Council's Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States and the Community on the future structure of the rail industry. [29121]

The Government's policies, including those of the Strategic Rail Authority, are consistent with these Broad Guidelines.

To ask the Solicitor-General what equipment has been stolen from her Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was. [26840]

I am not aware of any departmental equipment being stolen from the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers since 1 May 1997.The details of other Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible are as follows:

£
Year	Equipment	Valued at
Crown Prosecution Service
1997–98	—	—
1998–99	1 computer	2,000.00
	1 laptop computer	800.00
1999–2000	2 computers	4,000.00
	1 laptop computer	2,842.00
	1 computer and printer	2,700.00
2000–01	1 mobile telephone	170.00
2001–02	1 mobile telephone	150.00
Treasury Solicitor's Department
1997	1 date stamp and pad	2.07
	1 calculator	5.50
	Computer memory chips	1,144.36
1998	1 mobile telephone	95.00
	3 dictaphone machines	196.00
1999	—	—
2000	—	—
2001	1 mobile telephone	174.00
	1 laptop computer	850.00
Serious Fraud Office
1997	—	—
1998	—	—
1999	—	—
2000	1 mobile telephone	65.00
2001	2 mobile telephones	130.00
	1 laptop computer	1,600.00

To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department in connection with the Saville inquiry; and what her estimate is of the final cost to her Department. [29066]

The Departments for which the Attorney-General answers in Parliament are the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department, as well as his own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers.The Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office have not incurred any costs in connection with the Bloody Sunday inquiry and do not expect to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the EU grant aid has been issued to farmers in Objective 1 areas for siting small scale wind power generators; and what steps her Department is taking to ease access to these funds. [29285]

No EU grant aid from the structural funds has been issued to farmers for siting small scale wind power generators in Objective 1 areas.The Department's website has information on the structural funds and potential sources of match funding. The website of each Government office in the regions gives details of the programmes for the region. These sites also contain advice on how applications can be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review consumer protection laws in relation to internet purchasing of goods and services. [26076]

Existing consumer protection laws, such as the Distance Selling Regulations and the Sale of Goods legislation, apply equally to internet purchasing as when shopping on the high street. In November 2001 I launched a campaign with my hon. Friend the Minister for E-Commerce and Competitiveness to raise awareness of consumer rights when e-shopping and to demonstrate that internet shopping is safe as long as shoppers follow basic guidelines.Consumer protection laws will be reviewed to ensure, in compliance with the E-Commerce Directive, that they do not prevent contracts being concluded by electronic means. The E-Commerce Directive will also create some additional safeguards for those purchasing goods and services online.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the minimum length of time the isotopes deposited west of Land's End in the 1960s and 1970s will remain radioactive. [27190]

I have been asked to reply.Radioactive waste was deposited at several locations in the north-east Atlantic during the 1960s and 1970s. This waste contained many different radioactive isotopes with widely varying rates of decay. For example, plutonium-239 (Pu-239) has a half-life of around 24,000 years, whereas tritium (H-3) has a half-life of 12.3 years. In view of this, it is not possible to make a single estimate of the length of time that the material will remain radioactive. Details of the radionuclides which the material contained are included in the "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the North East Atlantic" (HMSO, 1984), copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what estimate she has made of the cost to English Heritage of administering the VAT/grant recovery scheme for places of worship; and if she will make a statement; [28915](2) for what reason the administration of the VAT/grant recovery scheme for places of worship is administered by English Heritage; and if she will make a statement. [28914]