To ask the Prime Minister what preparations are being undertaken for the commencement of the jubilee baton relay in celebration of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. [30928]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him earlier in the House.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance of the performance and innovation unit. [30894]

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the roles of the (a) forward strategy unit, (b) performance and innovation unit and (c) policy unit. [30885]

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Members for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 14 January 2002, Official Report, columns 86–87W.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his talks with President Bush at Camp David on 23 February 2001. [31662]

My visit to Camp David on 23 and 24 February 2001 was the first opportunity for face-to-face talks with the newly-elected President Bush. The joint statement we agreed and issued on 23 February 2001 covered our key concerns: NATO, a European security and defence policy, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Iraq, the Lockerbie tragedy, Northern Ireland, developments in Africa and trade issues. The terrible events of 11 September have underlined the importance of the United Kingdom's close working relationship with the United States in pursuit of our common aims.

To ask the Prime Minister whether the performance and innovation unit's energy review considers the exploitation of coal bed methane vital to the UK's energy needs; and when the review will be published. [30888]

:I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance and innovation unit's role in relation to the cross-cutting review of child care. [30890]

My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced on 25 October that an inter-departmental review of child care would be undertaken with conclusions feeding into the 2002 spending review. The performance and innovation unit are project managers for the review. It is being led by my noble Friend Baroness Ashton, and involves the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry and the women and equality unit.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent work of the PIU on the energy review. [30912]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what role his Department has in establishing the criteria for making senior appointments to the civil service. [30898]

Individual Departments are responsible for deciding the criteria used for selection to fill their own senior management posts. The Cabinet Office has a role in ensuring that senior appointments policy as a whole meets the objectives of the civil service reform programme. This includes monitoring progress against targets to increase diversity and to bring in new skills and experience from outside the service.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent work the social exclusion unit has carried out on youth homelessness. [30899]

The SEU has produced a number of reports, such as "Teenage Pregnancy", "Bridging the Gap", and "Truancy and Exclusion", which have focused on children at risk of social exclusion and the underlying issues which can lead to youth homelessness.The SEU is currently leading a project on young people who run away from home or care, many of whom are at risk of rough sleeping and homelessness in later life.A number of youth homelessness projects have been supported by the rough sleepers' unit since the 1998 SEU "Rough Sleeping" report.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what assessment he has made of the way in which the Government office for the east midlands contributes to the regional economy. [30900]

The performance of the Government office for the east midlands is regularly assessed against the targets set out in its annual business plan. For example, grants offered to businesses by the Government office have generated further investment of nearly £6.5 million and with the support of the office £119 million has been allocated to the region to support local transport plans. A further £90 million is allocated through the Government office to support the regional development agency.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on combating social exclusion. [30901]

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on the reduction in social exclusion since 1997. [30902]

The social exclusion unit is currently working on four new projects, looking at:

• re-offending by ex-prisoners;
• young runaways;
• educational attainment of children in care; and
• transport and social exclusion.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent discussions his Department has had about increasing the number of women seeking public appointments. [30903]

The Government as a whole are determined significantly to increase the number of women who hold public appointments.My Department produced best practice guidance on making public appointments which will be continuously updated.My hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) is also hosting a series of seminars around the country to encourage more women to apply for public appointments.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what progress has been made in attaining the targets set out in the Modernising Government White Paper. [30904]

The Modernising Government White Paper set out the following commitments:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State when he expects the Government to publish new proposals for directly elected regional government in England. [30905]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 80W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on establishing an elected regional assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber. [30911]

The Government's plans for taking forward the manifesto commitment on elected regional government will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper on Regional Governance.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on the operation of the ministerial code of conduct. [30907]

The Government's response to the Third Report of the Public Administration Select Committee on the ministerial code sets out their views on the operation of the code.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what co-ordination he has undertaken of Departments' assessment of the implications of the free personal care for the elderly in Scotland. [30908]

In July 2000, DH Ministers announced that they intended to make care from a registered nurse free when provided in a nursing home. This was implemented in October 2001. At the same time, it was announced that personal care services—such as help with dressing and bathing—would continue to be provided on a means-tested basis.The Scottish Executive similarly decided to make nursing care free in nursing homes. In January 2001 they also announced that, unlike in England, personal care would be made free too. These policies have not yet been implemented.Both the Government and the Scottish Executive are committed to improving health and social care services for older people, but a different approach has been taken.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent progress has been made in improving the quality of information technology management in government. [30909]

Successful implementation of IT enabled projects is important for the Government's delivery of improved public services and we are strengthening their management in a number of ways. During the last year all major procurement projects in central civil government have been required to undergo Gateway reviews at key decision points by teams of experts independent of the project team; projects can proceed to the next stage only when these rigorous tests have been met. We launched the Successful Projects in an IT Environment (SPRITE) Programme in January 2001 to work with Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies to ensure that the recommendations to improve project delivery in the Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action report become embedded in their working cultures.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what part his Department has in co-ordinating the Government's policy on climate change. [30910]

The Cabinet Office provides support to me in my continuing role on international climate change discussions and negotiations on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. It assists me in my work to foster effective relationships internationally at the highest political level. The UK's negotiating positions for international negotiations on climate change are agreed through the Cabinet Committee on the Environment, which I chair, and which is serviced by the Cabinet Office.The lead Department for climate change is DEFRA, which retains policy responsibility, leads the negotiations in both international and EU fora and deals with day-to-day progress and implementation of the UK's policies. The Cabinet Office works closely with them and with other Departments with a key interest in strategic and cross-departmental issues.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if he will make a statement. [32314]

The Civil Service Management Code (CSMC) prohibits Departments and agencies from providing staff with private medical insurance. The Cabinet Office and its agencies comply with this long-standing policy.Although non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are not bound by the conditions of the CSMC, I can confirm that none of those sponsored by Cabinet Office have paid for private medical insurance on any occasion.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of retired senior civil servants have undertaken paid work within the private sector in each of the last five years. [32908]

Figures are not held centrally, but I can answer on behalf of my own Department. Civil servants who wish to take up outside appointments within two years of their retirement are required to seek permission in the circumstances set out in the Business appointment rules. These rules are included in full in the civil Service Management Code.Within the Cabinet Office in the last five years 18 people have retired from the Senior Civil Service. Of these, four, who retired in the years shown in the table, have submitted applications under the rules to take up paid work in the private sector.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of civil servants have spent the whole of their career within a single Department. [32909]

The information, by length of service, is given in the table.

Staff in post by known length of service—April 2001
Headcount
Length of service (years)	Staff who remain in the same Department	Total staff in post	Proportion who remain in the same Department (percentage)
Less than one	33,860	36,900	91.7
1–5	96,700	121,530	79.6
6–10	62,800	78,860	79.6
11–15	63,660	90,530	70.3
16–20	32,640	51,040	64.0
21–25	31.030	51,460	60.3
26–30	20,960	34,250	61.2
31–35	10.170	16,780	60.6
36–40	3,830	6,700	57.2
41–45	740	1,190	62.2
46+	20	50	38.3
total	356,390	489,270	72.8

This information depends for its accuracy on the reliability of data supplied by Departments to the Cabinet Office's Mandate database. Mandate covers around 97 per cent. of civil servants in Departments supplying information electronically.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what the employment costs are, including benefits, of (a) Ministers representing the Cabinet Office and (b) special advisers and their supporting staff retained by the Cabinet Office. [8163]

The employment costs, including benefits, of Ministers representing the Cabinet Office is £248,000 per annum and the cost of their special advisers is £196,000 per annum. The estimated cost of Minister's private office supporting staff is £580,000.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will list his Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98. [32787]

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what his estimate is of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) his Department, (ii) his agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has responsibility in each of the last four years. [30078]

Information requested, covering 1997–98 to 2000–01 (inclusive), is set out in the table.

£
Year	Annual running costs	As at 31 March	Net book value
1997–98	484,000	1998	130,270
1998–99	562,000	1999	1,437,943
1999–2000	462,000	2000	173,875
2000–01	451,000	2001	139,400

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what the total external spend by his Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement. [31037]

The information on the Cabinet Office's use of Private Finance Initiative consultants from 1 April 2000 is as follows. Information prior to that date can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

£
	2000–01	2001–021
Total expenditure	269,123	255,919
Number of full time equivalent consultants3	30.38	4—
Number of billed consultancy days	82	57.5
Number of consultancy firms used	1	1
1 To date
2 Excludes VAT
3Calculated on the basis of 215 working days in the year.
4Represents the average cost over the two year period
5Not available

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will. publish the results of the reviews of the mandatory age of retirement undertaken by each Department. [32667]

Each Department has conducted its own review. The overall picture is being collated for Ministers. We have no plans to publish a separate document.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, columns 335–36W, on older people, when he expects the Cabinet Office to have completed collecting the data from Departments; and when he will write to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam. [32760]

The Cabinet Office has now collected the data from departments and is currently putting together a report for me to send to ministerial colleagues. When I have presented this to ministerial colleagues I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last four years. [27908]

On (a), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 406W.>On

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States concerning the observance of the Geneva Convention and its protocols relating to the treatment of prisoners captured in the course of conflict in Afghanistan. [29798]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the treatment of those detained by the US in Afghanistan with US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the telephone on 12 January and in Washington on 31 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Afghan Interim Government regarding provision of security across Afghanistan. [33187]

Security is a key issue for the Afghan Interim Authority (IA) and for the International Community. It is clear that a stable environment is needed for the IA to be able to function effectively and for reconstruction work to begin. We have been working closely with the IA on this issue and the UK is currently acting as lead nation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). ISAF was mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 (2001) to assist the IA in the maintenance of security in Kabul and its surrounding areas, so that the IA as well as UN personnel can operate in a secure environment.There has been regular discussion with the IA on the issue of security, including between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the IA during the latter's visit to the United Kingdom on 31 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 776–77W, on stolen equipment, what the security classification was of the stolen computers and related hardware; from which Departments they came; whether breaches of security were deemed to have resulted in each case; whether equipment was lost outside the Department buildings; and if he will make a statement. [31486]

The computers and hardware were stolen from South East Asian Department, South and South East Asia Research Group, Information Department, Human Rights Policy Department, Global Citizenship Unit, IT Support Services, Eastern Department, Finance Branch, Latin America and Caribbean Department, Middle East Department, Management Consultancy Services, IT Strategy Unit, Research Analysts, Personnel Command Training and Conference and Visits Group.All the equipment concerned was "unclassified" and went missing from within the FCO buildings. No breaches of security resulted to any of the Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking on behalf of the UK to ensure that when the International Criminal Court begins to function it will do so with (a) an independent prosecutor, (b) financial independence and (c) without risk of political interference from the UN Security Council. [31765]

The arrangements for the election of an independent Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, for the funding of the Court and the Court's relationship with the UN Security Council are set out in the Rome Statute of the ICC. The United Kingdom took a significant part in the drafting of that statute and was among the 139 states subsequently to sign it. The UK ratified the Rome Statute on 4 October 2001.The Prosecutor will be elected by secret ballot of the Assembly of States Parties. In addition, Article 53 provides that the Prosecutor is independent with respect to the initiation and conduct of investigations and prosecutions, subject to review, in limited circumstances, by the Pre-Trial Chamber.The budget of the Court will be provided through Assessed Contributions levied from states which have ratified the Rome Statute. The precise United Kingdom share will not be determined until the Court comes into existence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that the International Criminal Court, once functional, has retrospective jurisdiction over defendants involved in unlawful international events. [31766]

Article 11 of the Rome Statute of the ICC deals with the temporal jurisdiction of the Court. The Court will have no jurisdiction in respect of crimes committed before the entry into force of the Statute.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what involvement the United Kingdom has in the practical preparations for the staffing of the International Criminal Court; and what steps have been taken to ensure that it is adequately and expertly staffed; [31756](2) what role the UK is taking in the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court. [31758]

The United Kingdom has been an active participant in the eight (to date) Preparatory Commissions (Prepcoms) for the ICC. The election of Judges and senior Officers of the Court will be a matter for the Assembly of States Parties, which will meet once 60 states have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute of the Court. 49 states, including the UK, have done so to date. The staffing of the Court has been discussed at the Prepcoms in the context of the Court's budgetary requirements. Work is continuing on this. The appointment of suitably qualified and expert staff will ultimately be the responsibility of the Registrar of the ICC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what steps he is taking to encourage states which have not yet ratified the Statute establishing the International Criminal Court to do so; [31764](2) what assistance he is giving to the UN Secretary General in his aim stated at the Preparatory Conference for the International Criminal Court on 27 September 2001 that the International Criminal Court should be functioning within a year; [31759](3) what additional steps he will take to hasten the transition of the International Criminal Court into a working court. [31757]

The United Kingdom will continue to urge other states, in our bilateral contacts and in partnership with other EU and associated states (in pursuance of the EU Common Position on the ICC) to ratify the Rome Statute. 49 states have ratified to date, the 60th ratification will cause the Court to come into existence. The United Kingdom will liaise with the Officers of the Court, when they are appointed, to determine what practical assistance we may offer in facilitating the smooth commencement of the Court's activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is making representations to the USA in respect of its ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. [31822]

Officials are in regular contact with the US Administration in respect of this issue. We have also joined with EU partners in a written demarche to Secretary of State Powell on 30 October and a verbal demarche on 20 December 2001, both in support of the EU Common Position on the ICC of June 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department in each of the last four years. [31743]

In 1998, leave entitlements for FCO staff in the UK were as follows:

Grade	Days
(a) Up to Higher Executive Officer1
On entry	22
After one year	25
After 15 years (HEO equivalent)	30
After 18 years (up to EO equivalent)

Grade	Days
(b) HEOD equivalent up to Senior Management Structure2
On entry	25
After 10 years	30
Senior Management Structure	30
1HEO equivalent (except HEO Development (HEOD) equivalent)
2 Senior Civil Service equivalent

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2001, Official Report, column 259W, if he will make a statement on progress toward resolution of outstanding restitution issues relating to the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi Germany by EU accession candidate countries. [31868]

The Government continue to encourage the settlement of Holocaust-era claims in the relevant EU candidate countries. There has been some progress—notably in Poland, where the Prime Minister has announced that a new restitution Bill compensating victims of all nationalities will be brought to Parliament probably next year. Budgetary difficulties have hampered claims settlement in several of the countries concerned, though all the candidate countries emphasise the importance they attach to this process, as we do.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to support the sending of UN observers to the occupied Palestinian territories. [31949]

The Government believe that third-party monitoring, accepted by both parties, would serve the interests of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in their search for peace. We would support any monitoring accepted by both parties, including UN monitoring. Such monitoring could assist both sides in implementing the Mitchell recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Grade Days General Affairs Council held in Brussels on 28 and 29 January; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [31831]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I attended the 28 January General Affairs Council. There were no formal votes taken at this Council, but Conclusions were adopted on a range of subjects, in each case reflecting UK positions.The Council held a public debate on the Spanish presidency programme for the first half of 2002. The UK underlined the importance of anti-terrorism co-operation, enlargement, economic reform, effectiveness in external policy, trade liberalisation, the middle east peace process and Zimbabwe.On Zimbabwe, the Council concluded that the essential elements defined in Article 9 of the Cotonou Agreement were not being respected. It decided to close the Article 96 consultations with Zimbabwe and to implement targeted sanctions if:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals he estimates live full-time in Gibraltar; and how many UK-registered businesses operate in Gibraltar. [32019]

The latest figures published by the Gibraltar Government show that some 3,700 non-Gibraltarian British passport holders were living in Gibraltar in 2000.Details on how many UK registered businesses operate in Gibraltar are not available but there is a substantial number of business interests of UK origin.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what present trading arrangements exist between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. [32066]

The same trading arrangements apply to trade between Gibraltar and the UK as between Gibraltar and the rest of the EU.The EC treaty applies to Gibraltar by virtue of Article 299(4). But Gibraltar is exempt from the VAT and Common Agriculture and Fisheries provisions of the Treaty. It is also excluded from the Common Commercial Policy and Community Customs Territory. In consequence, intra-Community rules on Customs and free movement of goods do not apply to Gibraltar, and Gibraltar is a third country under the common regime for imports.United Kingdom exports to Gibraltar were £128 million in 2001.Gibraltar was the United Kingdom's 73rd export market in 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the release by the Government of Yemen of a British citizen held on terrorism charges. [31866]

Mohamed Mustafa Kamel, a British national, was released from Mansoura Prison, Aden, on 26 January 2002 following the completion of his three-year sentence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK nationals are being held in Shebhargen prison near Mazar-i-Sharif. [32234]

We are not aware of any UK nationals being held in Shebhargen prison near Mazar-i-Sharif.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage a comprehensive military and political agreement with the FDD and other armed movements excluded from Burundi's peace process. [32282]

The UK has pledged £250,000 in support of the facilitation efforts of President Bongo of Gabon and Vice President Zuma of South Africa. They are working hard to bring together all the disparate elements in the Burundi conflict with the aim of a peaceful negotiated settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in identifying the bodies found in Dragodan and Suva Reka in Kosovo. [32169]

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has exhumed 210 bodies from individual graves at the cemetery in Dragodan. According to the Missing Persons Unit of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), 52 of the 210 bodies have been identified to date.ICTY completed its exhumations in Suva Reka in October 2000. The 73 bodies identified to date have been Kosovo Albanians.In accordance with last November's UNMIK-FRY Common Document, UNMIK will launch a comprehensive programme of exhumation and identification in Kosovo this year. This will include Suva Reka where 300 unidentified bodies, exhumed by ICTY from graves across Kosovo, were re-interred by UNMIK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has UNMIK made in tracing the missing Serbs in Kosovo. [32168]

Action to trace missing Serbs from Kosovo is being taken forward by both the UNMIK-FRY Contact Group on Missing Persons and the new High Ranking Working Group, established following signature of the UNMIK-FRY Common Document in November 2001.In the Common Document, UNMIK agreed to launch a programme of exhumation and identification in Kosovo this year. As a first step in this process, three joint protocols covering cross-border repatriation of identified remains, joint verification teams and an exchange of forensic information were signed by UNMIK and the Yugoslav authorities in Belgrade on 24 January.UNMIK is also in the process of transferring 800 bone samples to the International Commission on Missing Persons' (ICMP) state of the art DNA testing facilities in Sarajevo. The UK is supporting the work of the ICMP with a donation of £250,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what developments in respect of enhanced counter-terrorism protection measures for (a) civil and (b) military nuclear facilities were transmitted by the Interdepartmental Group on Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) to the UN Security Council, pursuant to SCR 1373 in December 2001. [32728]

The defence of civil and military nuclear facilities was not mentioned in either UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) or in the guidance for the report.A copy of the UK's response to the Counter Terrorism Committee has been placed in the House of Commons Library, and can also be found at www.un.org/docs/sc/committees/1373.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European Union and United States counterparts on the threat of nuclear terrorism. [32289]

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had regular discussions with his European Union and United States counterparts about terrorist threats, including the threat of nuclear terrorism.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what access British diplomats have had to (a) Mr. Sandy Mitchell, (b) Mr. Jimmy Cottle, (c) Mr. James Lee and (d) Mr. Les Walker; what evidence against them has been provided by the Saudi authorities; what legal assistance has been made available to them; what charges have been made against them; what date has been set for their trial; and what representations have been made to the Saudi Government regarding their treatment. [32925]

British embassy consular officials have visited Sandy Mitchell, Jimmy Cottle, James Lee, Les Walker and Peter Brandon as often as allowed. This has been about once a month since we secured consular access to the men. The Saudi authorities have shown us no evidence against the men. Four of the men have been shown on Saudi television saying they carried out bombings. We pressed hard for the men to be allowed to appoint lawyers. This has been allowed and the men have now done so. Their lawyers now have unrestricted access to them. We have not been told what the men may stand trial for. No date for a trial has been set.We are extremely concerned about various aspects of this case, including that our access to the prisoners has been restricted. We are in close touch with the detainees' families. The majority of them agree that we should not discuss the cases in detail in public. Throughout we have raised these cases at the highest levels with the Saudi authorities. We continue to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to encourage a reduction of tension between India and Pakistan about Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [32838]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs is in frequent contact with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts, and other international partners. We are urging Pakistan to continue its crackdown on terrorism. We continue to reiterate to both countries that their differences will best be resolved through dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about human rights violations in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [32839]

We remain very concerned over the human rights situation in Kashmir. We condemn all acts of violence that bring suffering to the people of Kashmir.We continue to receive regular correspondence from the public and from non-governmental organisations with interests in human rights in Kashmir. We have urged the Government of India to allow greater access to Kashmir, including for international human rights organisations and for UN Rapporteurs. Most recently the Secretary of State discussed human rights in Kashmir on 29 January with Jaswant Singh, the Indian Foreign Minister.We continue to impress on the Indian authorities the benefits of greater transparency and importance of investigating abuses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visitors visas were granted to citizens of (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Sri Lanka in each of the last three years. [32901]

We do not maintain overseas statistics on nationalities of applicants received at Posts. Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan nationals are free to apply at any Post.The numbers of visitor category applications granted in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are:

	India	Pakistan	Sri Lanka
1999	152,040	47,968	15,215
2000	154,081	82,099	14,471
20011	177,756	275,746	17,156
1The collection of annual statistics on the breakdown of applications by category is currently moving from a calendar year to a financial year basis. So the best available 2001 statistics are for the total number of non-settlement type visas issued in 2001.
2We still await November and December 2001 statistics from Islamabad.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) integrated digital and (b) analogue television sets have been bought by his Department in each of the last 24 months; and if he will publish the guidance given to officials making decisions on television purchases. [33226]

[holding answer 4 February 2002]: Details of the television sets bought by UK Departments of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and overseas posts could be provided only at disproportionate cost since the FCO does not maintain a central record of such purchases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement by the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), of 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 414, on Israel, what assessment he has made of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Dr. Mustapha Barghouthi by Israeli forces. [32761]

I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 30 January. Copies of this letter have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if he will make a statement. [32320]

The FCO does not provide private medical insurance for any of its staff. Staff serving overseas receive medical care in line with NHS standards via a contract with Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Trust. In some countries where medical standards do not meet those in the UK, and it is not practicable to bring staff home, they are treated by private practitioners.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in each of the last four years.[27916]

The information is as follows:

	£
1997–98	275,569
1998–99	329,255
1999–2000	355,080
2000–01	303,525

The information relates to essential refurbishment and redecoration works in the two Treasury office buildings and in 11 Downing street. It excludes refurbishment works arising from the PFI contract for the Treasury's new office accommodation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many environmental appraisals have been published by his Department since 1 January 2001; and if he will list the last four. [28999]

[holding answer 21 January 2002]: The Government publish an environmental appraisal and evaluation of Budget measures in each Budget and pre-Budget report. However, no stand-alone environmental appraisals have been published by my Department since 1 January 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last requested an environmental appraisal before making a policy decision. [29000]

[holding answer 21 January 2002]: Where environmental considerations are relevant, they form an integral part of policy advice to Ministers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures his Department has to ensure environmental appraisals are undertaken prior to (a) administrative and (b) policy decisions being made. [29001]

[holding answer 21 January 2002]: Environmental considerations are taken into account in taking important administrative and policy decisions.The Department's policy checklist includes a section on environmental appraisals.Where relevant goods and services are procured, prospective suppliers are asked to include an assessment of the major environmental impacts of the contract, as part of the tendering and evaluation process.Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methods (BREEAM) assessments are undertaken for new buildings and for the major refurbishment of existing buildings within the Department's estate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials from his Department have attended the Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy training course run by the civil service college. [29002]

[holding answer 21 January 2002): No representative from HMT has attended the course referred to to date.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip. [30173]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether special advisers have sight of replies to written parliamentary questions from hon. Members before the replies are sent; and if he will make a statement. [32977]

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers states that the work of special advisers may include "reviewing papers going to the Minister" and that "they may give advice on any aspect of departmental business".

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers working in his department are provided with private medical insurance; how many individuals have been covered by such insurance in each year since 1997–98 and at what total cost to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement; [32312](2) how many employees in

Paragraph 7.1.7 of the Civil Service Management Code prohibits Departments from providing staff with private medical insurance. This condition also applies to special advisers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish forecast receipts for (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii) 2004–05 from (a) income tax, (b) VAT, (c) corporation tax, (d) capital gains tax, (e) inheritance tax, (f) total taxation in Scotland and (g) North sea oil and gas revenues. [34311]

Projected receipts for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 from income tax, VAT, non-North sea corporation tax and North sea revenues are shown in Table B9 of the November 2001 pre-Budget report, expressed as a percentage of GDP. Receipts for 2002–03 from capital gains tax and inheritance tax are shown in Table B 11 of the November 2001 pre-Budget report. No separate projections are made of tax receipts in Scotland.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what work has been commissioned by his Department from outside Her Majesty's Treasury on the appropriate long-term exchange rate of the pound against the euro; and if he will make a statement; [33611](2) if he will list those university academics and economic research establishments he has asked to carry out work relating to the technical preparations for the five economic tests for euro entry; what this work consists of; what cost to public funds is involved; and if he will make a statement. [32874]

The Treasury is in regular contact with academics and other outsiders on a wide range of issues, including aspects of the preliminary and technical work. However, the assessment of the five economic tests will be a Government assessment and the work will be undertaken by the Treasury.The Treasury published a note in November 2001, "Preliminary and Technical Work to Prepare for the Assessment of the Five Tests for UK Membership of the Single Currency", which addressed the issues of content and timing of the preliminary and technical work to prepare for the assessment of the five economic tests for UK membership of the single currency. A copy can be found in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which partners or senior employees of (a) Andersen, (b). Arthur Andersen, (c) Andersen Consulting and (d) Accenture have been appointed to (i) informal roles giving advice to the Treasury, (ii) task forces reporting to the Treasury, (iii) ad hoc advisory groups reporting to the Treasury and (iv) other formal roles reporting to Treasury Ministers since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [32917]

Information about task forces and ad hoc advisory groups are set out in annual reports, published by the Cabinet Office. Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have been placed in the Library of the House and the annual report is available on the Cabinet Office's website.Information about informal advisory roles are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in each of the last four years. [27960]

Since its creation in July 1999, Wales Office spending on refurbishment/minor works was £217,000 in 1999–2000; and £281,000 in 2000–01. In the current year to date some £21,000 has been spent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts were let by his Department and agencies for which he is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case. [33841]

The Wales Office has not let any consultancy contracts to these firms since it came into being on 1 July 1999 and has no NDPBs or agencies. Under the former Welsh Office, £52,000 was paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1997–98 and £4,000 in 1998–99; £20,000 to Deloitte and Touche in 1997–98 and £16,000 in 1998–99; £4,000 to KPMG in 1997–98 and £21,000 in 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff were seconded between (a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33875]

There have been no such secondments with the Wales Office since its creation in July 1999. Prior to that date there were in 1999–2000 the following secondments with the former Welsh Office: (a) nil (b) nil (c) one (d) two (e)nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff were seconded between (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Enron, (d) Exxon-Mobil, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33209]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure has been incurred by his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; and if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each. [27948]

I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 24 January 2001, Official Report, column 590W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement. [32828]

I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 25 October 2001, Official Report, Column 351W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the provision of Government information and publicity in Wales. [30897]

My Department has run no television, newspaper, radio advertising or any other kind of promotional campaign since its creation in July 1999. It has no agencies or departmental public bodies within its responsibilities. We are not responsible for campaigns that may be run by the National Assembly or other Government Departments in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if he will make a statement. [32326]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions. [32014]

The Department of Trade and Industry has a departmental expenditure limit of £4,766 million following the 2001–02 Winter Supplementary Estimate. Of this £795 million is capital budget and £3,971 million is resource budget. Of the £3,971 million resource budget, 4.2 per cent. (excluding ACAS) is planned to be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the instances in which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01. [32038]

Information on the instances where by Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to meet the payment target can be collected only at disproportionate cost. However, I can say that the percentage of bills which were paid by my Department and its agencies within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice was 98 per cent. for the financial year 2000–01. The average percentage of bills paid by my Department's executive non-departmental public bodies over the same period was 89 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total carbon emissions are that have been omitted from all Export Credits Guarantee Department supported fossil fuel power generation projects since 1997. [31837]

Since ECGD does not have readily available information on the completion dates and operating schedules of all the power projects that the Department has supported, it is not possible to easily calculate actual total carbon emissions since 1997.However, for the power projects for which a guarantee has been issued since 1997 it is estimated that upon completion of these projects total annual carbon emission will be of the order of 13.3 million tonnes. This is based on the following assumptions.

Fuel type	ECGD1	CO22	Carbon2
Coal	11,260	40.6	11.1
Oil	492	1.1	0.3
Gas	4,367	7.1	1.9
Total	16,139	48.8	13.3
1Estimated capacity (MW)
2Tonnes per year (million)

It has been assumed the plants operate for 60 per cent. of the time (5,256 hours per year). CO

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much finance has been made available by the ECGD to support UK businesses involved in fossil fuel power projects since 1997. [31836]

The total value of guarantees and insurance provided by ECGD in respect of fossil fuel power projects since 1997 is £1.754 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of financial support the ECGD has provided to UK companies involved in the construction and operation of the Sual power plant in the Philippines; what precedent there was for such support at that time; and whether and on what projects this level has been matched in the case of other instances of ECGD support. [31832]

In 1995 ECGD provided financial support to the Sual power project worth £432 million. The guarantee was provided on a limited recourse, project finance basis.Prior to Sual, ECGD had supported one limited recourse power project, although with a much smaller loan value. ECGD has also supported a number of power projects on a non-limited recourse finance basis.Since 1995, ECGD provided support in excess of £300 million for eight

other projects:

Project	Country
Guangdong power project	China
Hawk aircraft	Indonesia
Air Force equipment and services	Saudi Arabia
LNG plant	Oman
Boilers for the Shandong power project	China
Patrol vessels	Brunei Darussalam
Manjung power project	Malaysia
Defence equipment	South Africa

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications have been received by the ECGD relating to power generating projects in the past 12 months. [31835]

In 2001, ECGD received 32 applications related to power generation projects. For reasons of commercial confidentiality ECGD is unable to provide details of individual applications prior to any guarantee being issued. No guarantees or insurance have yet been issued in respect of any of the 32 applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry from which United Kingdom companies the ECGD has received applications for support of their activities in relation to the proposed coal plants (a) Bo Nok and (b) Ban Krut in Thailand. [32483]

ECGD has not received formal applications in relation to either of these projects. However an initial inquiry has been received in relation to the Bo Nok project. The identity of the UK company involved is commercially confidential and, in line with ECGD's normal policy relating to discussions prior to issue of guarantees, cannot be disclosed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the UK companies that have benefited from ECGD support in the fossil fuel energy sector and have been prosecuted for contravening environmental protection regulations. [32521]

The projects that ECGD supports are by definition located overseas. Therefore ECGD cannot determine whether, and if so how many, such prosecutions have taken place.Details of UK prosecutions for breaches of environmental legislation are published by the Environment Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the five companies in the fossil fuel energy sector that have received the most in ECGD funding since 1997 and the amount received by each. [32229]

ECGD does not provide direct funding, but rather issues guarantees and insurance against loss. Since 1997 the five companies in the fossil fuel energy sector that have received guarantees in respect of the largest amounts of business are:

	£ million
Company	Value
Alstom Power	902
Mitsui Babcock	347
Kier International	49
Allen Power Engineering	39
Wier Westgarth	36

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) directly operated post offices, (b) other main post offices and (c) sub-post offices there were in (i) each English region, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) Scotland in each year since 1979; how many of each category of post office in each case were opened or closed since 1979; and how many have changed their status since 1979. [33779]

I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that historic data on numbers of directly operated post offices and sub post offices are only held on a UK basis and historical data on numbers of post office openings and closures and status change are not maintained separately.I am also informed by Post Office Ltd. that data by country are not available before 1998. The numbers of post offices operating in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, in the last three financial years are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new entrants to the civil service employed in her Department were aged 50 years and over in each of the last five years. [32887]

The information requested for my Department and executive agencies, in each of the last five calendar years, is shown in the table.

	Number
1997	33
1998	61
1999	66
2000	50
2001	81

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures have been adopted for the appointment of business executives to a strategy role in her Department; and for which posts applicants are being recruited at present. [32556]

[holding answer 1 February 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) on 1 February 2002, Official Report, column 619W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of foreign investment in the Greater London area has been in each of the last three years. [33557]

The figures in the table are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. They are based on the companies' best estimate, at that time, of the number of new jobs to be created.There is no requirement to notify inward investment decisions and so the figures include only those projects where Invest UK and its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice.

London region	Number of projects	Number of new jobs
1998–99	105	4,125
1999–2000	159	7,200
2000–01	222	8,306
Total	586	19,631

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on the funding arrangements for implementing the Your Guide system; and if she will make a statement. [33066]

[holding answer 5 February 2002]: Officials in my Department have met with officials in the Scottish Executive on a number of occasions to discuss the longer-term future of Your Guide. These discussions have included some initial consideration of funding. If the current pilot of Your Guide demonstrates that the concept meets the needs of citizens and can provide value for money for Government, funding proposals will be worked up in the light of the emerging form and content of a potential national service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Your Guide system will be introduced throughout the United Kingdom at the same time. [33065]

[holding answer 5 February 2002]: The pilot of Your Guide currently running in Leicestershire and Rutland is being thoroughly evaluated and this work should be completed in June. If the outcome of the evaluation and of additional work on the costs and benefits of a national Your Guide service indicate that a national service should go ahead, the intention is that this should be introduced throughout the United Kingdom. (Of course national roll-out of an ambitious programme of this kind would be a major undertaking and it is to be expected that the service would be phased in over a period of time.) However, roll-out of a Your Guide service in the devolved regions would be subject to discussion with the devolved Administrations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices have (a) closed and (b) reduced opening hours which are located in (i) Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, (ii) the Dumfries and Galloway region and (iii) Scotland in each of the last five years. [33067]

[holding answer 5 February 2002]: I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that data by country before 1998 are not available and that regional data are not collated in the form requested. Data on reduced hours opening of sub-post offices are not held historically.The numbers of post offices operating in Scotland over the last three financial years are as follows:

End March	Number
1998	2,051
1999	2,026
2000	1,999
2001	1,936

I am also informed by Post Office Ltd. that an on-going revision of data has affected individual country totals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many customers shopped on Christmas day 2001 in England and Wales. [30946]

No data are available on the number of customers shopping on Christmas day 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the results of the regulatory impact assessment on the Christmas Day (Trading) Bill. [30940]

No regulatory impact assessment has been completed in respect of the Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the representations her Department has received from retailers about the Christmas Day (Trading) Bill. [30861]

The Department has so far received no representations from retailers about the Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many retailers have indicated to her Department that they (a) would never open on Christmas day, (b) would consider opening on Christmas day and (c) intend to open on Christmas day, in the last five years. [30945]

No retailers had indicated their intentions on these matters to the Department.