To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list non-governmental organisations operating in the south-west region that receive public funds from her Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39184]

We have offered funding support to the following organisations in the south-west during the financial year 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Angola, with particular respect to children; and if she will make a statement. [39610]

The humanitarian consequences of the continuing conflict in Angola are appalling. The forced displacement of people by both sides continues, with children and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of the suffering. The death of Jonas Savimbi may provide a chance for the Government and UNITA to make a lasting peace and we urge both sides to respond to this opportunity. The UK has contributed £2.5 million in the last year to the humanitarian relief effort through UN agencies and NGOs, as well as our contribution through the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people were employed in a press or public relations function in her Department on 1 January in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and (f) 2002. [39942]

We currently employ four press officers, and this number of posts has remained the same since January 1997. We also have small teams working

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the contracts that have been awarded to the Capita Group by the Department. [39346]

The information requested is in the table.to raise awareness and understanding of international development issues through educational work, publications, policy forums and other related activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press releases were issued by her Department (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b)in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive. [40036]

The number of press releases issued is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with Ministers in the South African Government with regard to the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa. [40662]

During my last visit to South Africa in October 2001, I met Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who heads the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) to discuss the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa. I also discussed the situation with former President Nelson Mandela.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide support and assistance to the Nations Trust in South Africa. [40661]

My Department has no plans to provide support and assistance to the Nations Trust in South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent meetings her Department (a) has had and (b) proposes to have with the Nations Trust in South Africa. [40660]

My Department has had no meetings with the Nations Trust in South Africa. No such meetings are planned.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will make a statement about breast-feeding facilities in the House. [41788]

The Administration Committee recommended to Mr. Speaker that the House should give a lead to the country in promoting breast-feeding by allowing mothers to feed their babies wherever it is appropriate to them in the Palace of Westminster and associated buildings; that suitable, non-toilet facilities should be made available for feeding babies; and that staff should be provided with information in order that they can answer queries from breast-feeding mothers about available facilities.On the Speaker's instructions the Serjeant at Arms has undertaken a comprehensive study with a view to improving the facilities that are available in the House for nursing mothers. The study has identified a number of improvements. I will ask the Administration Committee to examine these at its next meeting with a view to recommending early implementation.Mr. Speaker has informed the Committee that, after undertaking broadly-based consultations within the House, he has decided to make no change to the current regulations under which breast-feeding is not permitted in the Chamber, in Committees or in the public galleries.A copy of Mr. Speaker's letter and details of the improvements identified by the Sergeant at Arms have been placed in the Library.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many days were added to the pay of the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after 1 January. [40199]

Details of pay for any individual employed by the House of Commons Commission are confidential. I refer the hon. Gentleman to my previous reply to him, 27 January 2002, Official Report, column 1277W.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on how and when the Commission first had the information that the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards was not being paid for every day she was working. [39629]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 2 May 2001, Official Report, columns 640–41W. The House as a good employer would always wish to ensure that work done is properly remunerated. Arrangements to reimburse the former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards were made administratively following claims submitted by her, as the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) informed the House on 13 February 2002, Official Report, column 267.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the expenditure of the excess surplus in the National Insurance Fund for each of the past four years. [41278]

Any balance in the Fund is invested. Estimates of the income from investments in specific years are given in the Government Actuary's annual report on the level of the Fund.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the tax burden was in real terms at the end of financial years (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2000–01. [40833]

Historical series of net taxes and social security contributions as a per cent. of GDP are available in table B22 of the November 2001 pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value of euro-based transactions in the United Kingdom since the introduction of the currency. [41421]

The Government have not made any estimate of the value of euro-based transactions in the UK.It is entirely a commercial decision for UK business to determine whether or not they wish to accept the euro or any other foreign currency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the accounting arrangements are for National Savings and Investments' Guaranteed Equity Bond [41860]

As with most other National Savings and Investments instruments, the Guaranteed Equity Bond is a liability of the National Loans Fund (NLF). In order to avoid exposing the Exchequer to movements in equity prices, a matching equity index swap is being executed on the Debt Management Account (DMA) and managed by the debt management office.Both NLF and DMA accounting officers are content that appropriate risk management processes are in place and that, overall, the GEB will provide cost-effective financing for the Government that is consistent with National Savings and Investments' primary role.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether capital expenditure on London Underground by means of (a) private sector companies and (b) bond funding raised by London Underground falls within the general Government financial deficit; whether such capital expenditure is included in the public sector borrowing requirement; and if he will make a statement. [34901]

Capital expenditure by London Underground Ltd. (LUL), financed by its own borrowing, would increase public sector net borrowing. It would not increase general Government net borrowing because LUL is a public corporation: these are outside general Government but inside the public sector.In accordance with generally accepted accounting practice, capital invested in London Underground (LUL) by the private sector would not count as public expenditure, and would not be included in the public sector net borrowing, if LUL's accountants and auditors judged that the assets should be off LUL's balance sheet. If the accountants judged it was on balance sheet then it would count as public expenditure and be included in public sector net borrowing. The PPP saves £2 billion of public money over the first 15 years of the contracts, in comparison to funding the same projects through conventional public investment. The plans will mean £16 billion of investment over the next 15 years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns his Department undertook in the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current parliamentary Session in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current Session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland; [37400](2) what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current Session, for his Department in

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 423W, and also to the answer given to the then hon. Member for Guildford (Mr. St. Aubyn) on 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 258W, by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary.As to further breakdown of expenditure, such figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason (a) Mr. Lakshmi Mittal and (b) LNM Holdings do not pay tax in the United Kingdom. [38399]

Under Section 182 of the Finance Act 1989 the Inland Revenue cannot comment on the tax position of particular individuals or companies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will implement his plan to end non-domiciled tax status for foreign nationals resident in the UK. [38772]

The Chancellor keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the criteria are for the promotion of staff in HM Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland who have served less than one year in their previous job band. [40402]

The criteria for the promotion of staff in HM Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland vary depending on the specific job requirements, as defined in the role profile for each job, and the business requirements which the vacancy seeks to address.Staff serving less than one year in their current job band may apply for a post in a higher job band providing they meet the criteria for the post and their conduct, performance and attendance clearly meet the required standards. In a promotional situation no time in band restriction applies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the barriers to institutional and retail investment in smaller quoted companies. [40247]

A number of assessments have been made. The Government commissioned the Myners Review in 2000 to look at factors that may be distorting the investment decision-making of institutions. The Review reported in March 2001 and found weaknesses in the investment process that affected all quoted companies, including smaller quoted companies. In addition, a working group on smaller quoted companies was set up in August 1998 and reported to the Treasury in October 1998. The Department of Trade and Industry also participated in two tranches of work dealing with SQC issues with findings from both published in 1999.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if a platform to encourage a wider shareholder base actively interested in investing in smaller quoted companies has been established. [40254]

In 1995 the London stock exchange created the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). This has helped to create a focus to encourage investor interest in smaller quoted companies with growth potential. Over 850 companies have used AIM since it was created. The Government have taken further steps to encourage investment in smaller quoted companies by introducing attractive capital gains tax taper relief for investors investing in AIM.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax losses due to tax-free non-domicile status in each of the last three full financial years, distinguishing between the general categories of taxation. [40562]

Individuals who are not domiciled here are liable on UK income and gains as they arise and on overseas income and gains which are remitted or brought to this country.Any estimate of comparative tax yield would depend on what it was assumed would apply in place of the current rules.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in his Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40437]

Treasury officials' travel is carried out in accordance with Paragraph 8.2.1. of the 'Civil Service Management Code'.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total cost to the Exchequer of NIC rebates for those contracting out of the state earnings related pension scheme; and if he will provide separate estimates for (a) employees and (b) employers, identifying within each subtotal the rebates applicable in the case of (i) salary-related schemes and (ii) money-purchase schemes. [40766]

This information is contained in the "Report by the Government Actuary on the Social Security Benefits Uprating Order 2002 and the Social Security Contributions Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments 2002" (Cm 5383).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap among staff in his Department. [40990]

In response to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) task force "Just Pay" report, the Government have committed Departments and agencies to review their pay systems by April 2003 and prepare action plans to close any equal pay gaps. The Cabinet Office issued comprehensive guidance in January 2002 to assist Departments and agencies in carrying out these reviews. All Departments and agencies have until April 2003 to complete an equal pay review and prepare the necessary action plans to close any equal pay gaps.The Inland Revenue has begun analysing its pay systems with a view to identifying any gender pay gaps. HM Treasury will shortly be developing their strategy for carrying out the review. HM Customs and Excise will be carrying out an equal pay audit during 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the basket of items used to calculate inflation was last reviewed; and what changes were made. [40941]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publicise open market annuity options to savers and financial advisers. [40890]

The FSA already draw the attention of annuitants to the advantages of the open market option in their explanatory material for those buying a pension annuity.In addition, the FSA has consulted recently on proposals that firms should be obliged to tell their personal pensions customers, at an appropriate time before their retirement, that their annuities can be bought from a different provider firm. This proposal is designed to ensure that consumers are made aware of their right to shop around to get the best annuity deal on offer to suit their circumstances.The FSA's consultation process (which started in August 2001) recently closed. The FSA plans to publish the results of the exercise, with its decisions on next steps, shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the availability of staff at the Contributions Agency to people calling by telephone; and if he will make a statement. [41280](2) what assessment he has made of the time taken by the Contributions Agency to provide information; and if he will make a statement. [41281]

I refer the hon. Member to page 112 of the Inland Revenue's annual report for the year ending 31 March 2001, which was presented to Parliament by the Paymaster General in December 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the accuracy and consistency of information provided by the Contributions Agency; and if he will make a statement. [41279]

I refer the hon. Member to pages 111 and 112 of the Inland Revenue's annual report for the year ending 31 March 2001, which was presented to Parliament by the Paymaster General in December 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies he has commissioned into the experience of other countries in using tax stamps to deter and prevent spirits frauds. [40860]

HM Customs and Excise are considering a wide range of issues as part of their on-going consultation on the costs, benefits and practicalities of introducing a tax stamps system, including the experience of other countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans a further call-out of members of the reserve forces; and if he will make a statement. [41787]

In order to sustain military operations against terrorism, up to 49 members of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force will be called out compulsorily next month under the call-out order made on 11 October 2001 and Section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996. The majority of those called out will undertake aircraft movements duties at the air transport main operating bases in the UK.In addition, a new call-out order has been made under Section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to enable reservists to continue to be called out to support operations in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This took effect from 2 March 2002, the date the previous order expired. Only reservists who volunteer will be called out under this order.We continue to call out members of the reserve forces to support operations in the Balkans and the no-fly zones in the region of Iraq; overall they make a very valuable contribution to our operational requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for HMS Fearless; and if he will make a statement. [41862]

After over 36 years, HMS Fearless, the last steam-driven surface ship in the Royal Navy, will be withdrawn from service upon her return from a successful deployment on operations in support of the campaign against international terrorism later this month.Her replacement HMS Albion will commence sea trials later in the year, before entering service in January 2003. HMS Albion and her sister ship HMS Bulwark, which on current plans will enter service towards the end of 2003, will be significantly more capable than their predecessors HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid.The new vessels represent a major step forward in the modernisation of our amphibious shipping called for the strategic defence review. They will be equipped with vastly more sophisticated command, control and communication systems. They will also be able to deploy embarked forces much more quickly—by air and sea—and will use landing craft with 20 per cent. more landing capability and a Ro-Ro type configuration for rapid embarkation of vehicles.Plans for the disposal of HMS Fearless are currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure he has incurred in the (a) dismantling, (b) management and (c) verification of (i) chemical and (ii) biological weapons in the states of the former Soviet Union since 1996. [40574]

As part of Spending Review 2000, the Government decided to make available up to £12 million over the three years 2001–02 to 2003–04 for assistance to Russia with chemical weapon demilitarisation and biological non-proliferation projects. We have given priority to assistance with chemical weapons destruction, where we plan to support the provision of infrastructure which is needed for the construction and operation of the major chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch'ye. An essential pre-requisite to allow this work to proceed was negotiation of a legally-binding agreement with the Russian Federation. Following extensive negotiations, I signed the agreement in London on 20 December on behalf of the Government. Dr. Pak, Director-General of the Russian Munitions Agency, signed on behalf of the Russian Federation. We hope to conclude negotiations shortly on the necessary Implementation Arrangement which will allow our first project to proceed in the near future, subject to agreement of contract. Our first project will be to provide a water supply for the destruction facility, which will also benefit the local population. As a result of the need first to complete these sets of negotiations, it has not yet been possible to start implementation of assistance projects. Expenditure of some £250K has been incurred to date on setting up the assistance programme.Verification of the destruction of chemical weapons in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention is the responsibility of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in the Hague. There are no agreed provisions for the verification of biological weapons.The Ministry of Defence monitors the biological and chemical weapons capabilities of all relevant states. The costs of such monitoring in relation to the states of the former Soviet Union can not be separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the French Government regarding the impact on war graves of the revised proposals to build an international airport on the Somme. [41457]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 166W to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by his Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994. [29417]

[holding answer 22 January 2002): Records are not kept of the number of occasions on which Defence Ministers have not been able to answer parliamentary questions wholly or in part on grounds of commercial confidentiality. This information could be extracted from the thousands of answers given in a typical year only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many uniformed staff will be allocated full-time to duties connected with the European rapid reaction force. [38944]

There is no standing European rapid reaction force. EU member states have identified a pool of forces from which units could be drawn as necessary for EU-led operations. Forces would be assembled only for the duration of any mission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list non-governmental organisations operating in the south-west region that receive public funds from his Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39190]

This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am therefore unable to provide a substantive answer under the terms of Exemption 9 (voluminous and vexatious requests) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is (a) the estimated total project cost, (b) the total expenditure to date and (c) the planned expenditure in each of the next three years on (i) the Conventionally Armed Stand-Off Missile project, (ii) the Hercules C130J project, (iii) the Spearfish Heavyweight Torpedo project, (iv) the Astute Class Submarine project, (v) the Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance and Attack MK4 project, (vi) the Attack Helicopter project, (vii) the Merlin HM MK1 Maritime Helicopter project and (viii) the Eurofighter project; [41268](2) what is

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much his Department underspent its expenditure limits in the financial year 2000–01. [40829]

The Ministry of Defence underspend against the Departmental Expenditure Limit in financial year 2000–01 was £73 million, less than 0.4 per cent. of the budget for the year. This outcome reflects sound forecasting and management action in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has made an assessment of the cost of implementing the Government's recycling strategy. [38003]

Regulatory impact assessments are developed by the Department to assess the costs and benefits of proposed measures to increase recycling. These RIAs are published in consultation documents and are available on the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution she expects the commercial composting of household waste to make in reaching recycling targets. [38018]

The Government and the National Assembly have set challenging targets in "Waste Strategy 2000" to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005. We hope that composting will play a major role in helping local authorities reach these targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received regarding the implementation of the EU directive on the recycling of refrigerators. [38023]

We have received a number of representations about the EC regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The representations have mostly been from local authorities regarding funding; from retailers about take-back on delivery systems; and from the waste management industry about technical and environmental standards for storage and treatment of refrigerators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to prepare for implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. [38024]

My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy has the lead responsibility for negotiating the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. However, Ministers and officials in both Departments have been working together closely. An initial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 7 December 2000. A revised RIA is likely to be ready later this month. Both Departments have had significant dialogue with business throughout the negotiation of the directive and will continue this process during the remaining stages of negotiation and while devising implementing regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. [38025]

My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy has the lead responsibility for negotiating the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. However, Ministers and officials in both Departments have been working together closely. An initial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 7 December 2000. A revised RIA is likely to be ready later this month. Both Departments have had significant dialogue with business throughout the negotiation of the directive and will continue this process during the remaining stages of negotiation and while devising implementing regulations. Based on the principle of producer responsibility, these directives provide that producers will be responsible for financing the costs which arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the plans for recycling plants for refrigerators will be finalised and local authorities informed. [R] [38028]

Plans for recycling plants for refrigerators are a matter for industry. However, a mobile treatment plant is expected in the country within a week or two and further static treatment plants should be operational by the end of June. The Local Government Association is being kept informed of the progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce the exposure of farmers to hazardous chemicals. [38007]

The Government take safety of users of chemicals seriously, and in doing so strictly regulate and enforce the use of chemicals on farms. This is on the basis of scientific advice. Regulation includes an assessment of the risk from exposure of the user to the chemicals, and clear instructions on the personal protective clothing and equipment that must be worn when using specific chemical products.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make a decision on the control of sheep movement; and if she will make a statement. [38009]

Controls on the movement of sheep continue. They were relaxed from 11 February 2002 and may be further relaxed after the lambing period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the licensing scheme for the movement of livestock. [38013]

In view of the continued improvement in the disease situation, relaxations in the rules governing animal movement controls were introduced from 11 February 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the resumption of beef exports to France. [38011]

The Government have made it clear that we expect France to comply with the judgment of the European Court of Justice and lift its ban on British beef exports as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has discussed this issue with Commissioner Byrne and we are confident that the Commission will take further action in the court as necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's role in the implementation of European directives on the environment at present under consideration. [38014]

DEFRA has responsibility in the main for ensuring that the UK meets its obligations to implement EU legislation on the environment, and particular responsibility in respect of legislation where we have the policy lead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the delays of the delivery of integrated control and administration system cheques to farmers. [38015]

IACS payments were not made as early as in previous years and our target of paying at least 96 per cent. of payments was not met by the regulatory deadline of 31 January. This was the result of industrial action in the autumn and winter months. The unions however suspended industrial action on the 11 January and through overtime and some redeployment of staff we succeeded in paying 94 per cent. of AAPS claims by the end of the payment window.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's plans to promote the growing of energy crops. [38016]

The Government have welcomed the publication of the Energy Review by the Performance and Innovation Unit, which draws attention to the key role of renewable energy sources, including energy crops, in moving to a low carbon economy. The Government plan a public consultation on the key recommendations of the report leading to a White Paper in the autumn. This Department has allocated support of £29 million to solid biomass crops through the energy crops scheme, part of the England Rural Development Programme. The Renewables Obligation will permit the co-firing of energy crops with fossil fuels. We are working with other Departments to put in place further schemes with funding of £70 million which will develop markets for biomass, including purpose grown energy crops and material from forests, in heat, combined heat and power and electricity generation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what preparations are being made for the Rio Plus Ten conference. [38017]

A Cabinet Committee (MISC 18), chaired by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, has been established to coordinate, develop and deliver the Government's strategy for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). DEFRA, working closely with other Departments, is leading on UK preparations. At official level DEFRA chairs a High Level Steering Group, and an Inter-Departmental Group to discuss WSSD. My officials are fully involved in the international preparations for the summit.A communications strategy to raise awareness of the summit has also been agreed. We are working closely with local authorities, NGOs, business and other organisations to ensure that we engage a wide range of stakeholders. A key element of our communications strategy is the development of the Government sustainable development website www.sustainable-development.gov.uk, to include information on WSSD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the benefits to the UK of the water framework directive. [38019]

It is difficult to place a financial value on many of the benefits of the Water Framework Directive which include: improvements in the quality and availability of raw water; protection and enhancement of aquatic wildlife; more coherent management of river basins; better targeting of water protection measure; and accountability and transparency in the river basin management planning process.A study undertaken in 1998 by consultants on behalf of DETR and the National Assembly for Wales made a preliminary assessment of the value of some of the tangible benefits the directive will bring in informal recreation, angling, general amenity, non-use values and low flow alleviation. On this basis, benefits for England and Wales were estimated at between £1.6 billion and £6.2 billion.Implementation of the directive and the assessment of its benefits in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and with respect to the devolved functions in Wales are matters for the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Executive and the National Assembly for Wales. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, implementation of the Directive and the assessment of its benefits are being managed wholly by the Scottish Executive the Northern Ireland Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement regarding the impact of the regulations governing animal movements on the viability of livestock markets. [38020]

I am pleased to say that a number of livestock markets have met the new bio-security rules introduced on 11 February and have now re-opened. I expect more to do so as the disease situation continues to improve. Livestock markets have an important role to play in the marketing of farm animals between the various stages of production and some are developing a broadened range of services to farmers. We will be considering carefully the recommendations from the Policy Commission on future developments in livestock marketing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet representatives of the livestock sector to discuss policies to combat further outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. [R] [38021]

My ministerial colleagues and I meet industry representatives on a regular basis to discuss a range of disease control arrangements.The next meeting of the foot and mouth disease stakeholder group will be held on 14 March.A high-level imports forum will be held in March to consider the next steps for intensifying our efforts to reduce the risks posed by illegal imports of meat and other animal products, and to agree further priorities and action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of deliberately infecting livestock since 20 February 2001; [37796](2) how many people have been

[holding answer 28 February 2002]: There is no specific offence of deliberately infecting livestock at present, although the Animal Health Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, would create such an offence.Responsibility for the enforcement of animal health legislation lies with my Department and the local authorities. My Department has taken one prosecution for obstructing a Government inspection of a farm premises. The defendant was found guilty.There is currently no complete record of local authority prosecutions taken during the foot and mouth outbreak. However, we are not aware of any local authority prosecution for the above offences. My Department is liaising with the Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards (LACOTS) to a compile a complete record of local authority prosecutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what figures she has collated on the origin of those animals destined for re-stocking of UK farms following foot and mouth culls. [38639]

All animals used for controlled restocking must come from farms which are free from any animal healths restrictions including foot and mouth disease. No figures are collected on the geographical origin of animals used for restocking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of animals known to have the foot-and-mouth antibody there have been since 30 September 2001. [38524]

[holding answer 28 February 2002]: Antibody to foot and mouth disease virus has been detected in 177 animals on 18 farms since 30 September last. All cases were thoroughly investigated and no evidence of foot and mouth virus was found in any of these animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates since 30 September 2001 (a) tests have been carried out for foot and mouth disease, (b) the diagnosis of those tests has been received and (c) those animals tested and found to be dangerous contacts have been slaughtered. [38659]

[holding answer 7 March 2002]: Since 30 September, and before, samples have been taken from premises to investigate the presence of foot and mouth virus on a daily basis. Sample types may include the following material; epithelium from the feet and mouth, blood and probang samples. Results from initial tests on epithelium are usually returned within 24 hours of receipt. Results from the completion of final virology and serology tests, if negative, usually take up to four days, sometimes longer.There have been 18 cases (farm premises) since 30 September where foot and mouth antibodies have been detected in animals and these animals were slaughtered as dangerous contacts on the dates set out as follows:All of these cases were thoroughly investigated and no evidence of foot and mouth virus was found.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she was informed (a) of the suspected outbreak of foot and mouth on St. Agnes Farm at Hawnby and (b) that veterinary tests proved negative; and what the average time was between testing and negative result during last year's outbreak. [40308]

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: I was notified by my officials of the suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease on St. Agnes Farm, Hawnby at around 5.00 pm on 26 February and was informed at around 7.00 am the following day, 27 February, that initial tests had returned negative results. Results of the final set of tests were received on 3 March.During last year's outbreak, results from initial tests on epithelium were usually returned within 24 hours of receipt. Results from the completion of final virology and serology tests usually took up to four days, although it was not uncommon for a longer period to pass in some circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she is making in negotiating a derogation for the UK inshore fishing fleet, from this year's increase in fixed-net mesh sizes. [38022]

Norway and the EU agreed last year to increase mesh sizes in fixed fishing gear from 1 January 2002. We have drawn the Commission's attention to the fact that Norway seems to have exempted its inshore fleet from this requirement. The Commission have raised this with the Norwegian authorities and are awaiting their response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on recent changes to total allowable catches. [38029]

The Commission originally proposed large cuts for a wide range of total allowable catches, in many cases going further than science would justify. At the December Fisheries Council, after lengthy negotiations, we achieved an outcome which closely followed the scientific advice. This did not avoid severe measures where they were justified but met the UK's criticisms of what the Commission had proposed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of low impact fishing methods. [38010]

The review of the Common Fisheries Policy provides an opportunity to recognise the role of fishermen using selective and environmentally friendly fishing techniques. We raised this issue in our public response to the European Commission's Green Paper on the future of the CFP. We will look to support ways of encouraging low impact fishing in negotiations on the future of the CFP this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects adequate flood defences to be in place to protect Lewes. [38026]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 803W. I understand that the Environment Agency plans to consult on a preferred option for improved flood alleviation measure for Lewes in May. Subject to relevant consents and funding, the Agency hopes that work will commence in Lewes within 18 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on plans to improve flood prevention in the vicinity of the River Roding. [38030]

Operational responsibility rests with the Environment Agency and the London Borough of Redbridge as far as the River Roding catchment is concerned. I understand that, since flooding occurred in October 2000, the Agency has repaired a bank that was overtopped and drawn the attention of Thames Water Utilities to concerns about surface water drains. The Agency has also commissioned consultants to prepare a flood defence strategy for the Roding catchment with a view to identifying sustainable defence options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve protection against flooding; and what assistance she is giving to those affected by recent floods. [38006]

The flood and coastal defence operating authorities have major programmes of work throughout the country to reduce flood risk, supported by ever increasing Government funding. DEFRA support for flood and coastal defence will increase by over 70 per cent. from £66 million in 2000–01 to £114 million in 2003–04. The overall annual expenditure on flood and coastal defence in England now exceeds £400 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the rate of progress in achieving the Government's targets on air pollution. [38027]

We are broadly on track to meet our policy objectives for carbon monoxide, benzene, 1,3 butadiene, lead and sulphur dioxide, but we will need to do more to meet our targets for nitrogen dioxide, particles and ozone. Emissions of most pollutants have fallen over the last decade, and levels of air pollution are falling steadily in most urban areas of the UK. The headline air quality indicator, which gives the total number of days of poor air quality recorded each year through our national monitoring network, shows a steady reduction in the total number of days of poor urban air quality from 59 days in 1993 (when the dataset began) to 21 days in 2001. The pattern in rural areas is less clear since the main pollutant in rural areas is ozone, which is strongly influenced by the weather and by emissions of ozone precursors in continental Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department is taking to combat fuel poverty among people in rural areas. [37992]

The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published in November last year, set out the Government's goal to seek and end to fuel poverty, with the first target to ensure that by 2010, no vulnerable household need risk ill health due to a cold home.The strategy's aim is to improve the energy efficiency of fuel poor households, to maintain the downward pressure on fuel bills, to tackle poverty and social exclusion.The fuel poor in rural areas will benefit from these measures and from a number of pilot projects to help homes that are off the mains gas network and pilot the use of micro Combined Heat and Power.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm animals have been slaughtered since 30 September 2001; and what the reasons for their slaughter were. [38640]

In total 6,113 animals have been slaughtered since the last case of foot and mouth disease on 30 September 2001. These animals have been slaughtered as either dangerous contacts as a result of sero-positive blood samples or as slaughter on suspicion cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many public speeches on agriculture she has given since her appointment; and how many of them were made to audiences of farmers and those working in agriculture. [20000]

Since my appointment in June I have made three major speeches on agriculture, all to farming audiences. In addition I have made six other speeches, for example while on regional visits or on visits abroad, in which agricultural issues have been addressed. The audience for some of those speeches included farmers. I have also attended six Agriculture Councils and spoke at last December's EU conference on FMD in Brussels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider making Environment Agency funding to improve angling opportunities dependent on improving access for non-powered craft to the same waters. [39478]

It is difficult to see how this would work. The Government provide grant-in-aid to meet the general duty of maintaining, improving and developing fisheries rather than to improve angling opportunities specifically. There is no specific requirement to improve angling opportunities when doing recreation or navigation work that benefits non-powered craft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the scheme that provided a free collection service of plastic sheeting for farmers was stopped; and what the cost of the scheme was in its last 12 months. [39563]

A self-financing voluntary scheme for the collection of farm plastics operated between 1994 and 1997. The scheme operated by charging producers of farm plastics a levy of £100 per tonne. I understand that the scheme collapsed because some importers of this material refused to participate. Collection of farm plastics is still carried out by a small number of local voluntary schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what environmental inspections are made of (a) contaminated, (b) radiated and (c) toxic material associated with the Ministry of Defence and defence equipment plants. [40572]

I have been asked to reply.It is the policy of the Ministry of Defence to comply with all environmental legislation and only to invoke exemptions from such legislation where compliance would adversely affect military operations. Issues of pollution prevention and control, including those related to contaminated, radioactive and toxic material, are addressed within the framework of the Department's overarching safety management system.Guidance on the management of safety and environmental protection in the Ministry of Defence, including liaison with pollution control authorities and other regulatory bodies on inspections of our sites, and any activities which may impact on the environment, is published in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 418 (the Environment Manual). JSP 392 (Instructions for Radiation Protection) an JSP 375 (the MOD Health and Safety Handbook) also contain guidance and information on these issues. Copies of these three publications are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister what the membership is of each Cabinet Committee. [41942]

Since the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) and my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 10 July 2001, Official Report, column 452W, 1 have established six new Cabinet Committees and made a number of minor changes to the membership and terms of reference of existing Cabinet Committees. I have placed a copy of the current list of Cabinet Committees, their membership and terms of reference in the Library of the House. Details will also be updated on the Cabinet Office website.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's strategy for the reform of the public services. [41287]

I am today publishing a pamphlet, entitled "Reforming Public Services: Principles into Practice", which sets out the Government's strategy. Copies of this document have been placed in the Libraries of the House today.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2001, Official Report, column 701W, on voluntary work, how many members of staff he had in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001. [39548]

For figures for 2001 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 8W. As of 1 September 2000 170 staff were on the No. 10 payroll.

To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants reported within his office ultimately to a special adviser on 1 January and in (a) 1998, (b) 2000 and (c) 2002; and what proportion they represented of all civil servants at No. 10 Downing Street. [40717]

The Order in Council in 1997 provides for my Chief of Staff and my Director of Communications and Strategy to manage civil servants. No other special advisers in No. 10 manage civil servants directly. I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the No. 10 organogram, a copy of which is in the House Library.

To ask the Prime Minister what evidence he has collated of civil servants in the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions undermining the credibility of Jo Moore. [41275]

I have nothing to add to the detailed statements made by the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and his permanent secretary.

To ask the Prime Minister when his officials were informed that exchanges involving the Chief Press Officer of the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, about announcements on Friday 15 February, were not as suggested at his spokesman's lobby briefing the previous morning; when he informed the President of the Council of this; and who was responsible for the inaccuracy. [41276]

The PMOS has fully explained the position in the lobby. Copies of the lobby notes are available on the Number 10 website. The President of the Council has made his position clear and I refer the hon. Member to his personal statement on 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 842.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Bush about the possible imposition of tariffs on steel imports by the United States; and if he will make a statement. [41091]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) in the House on 6 March 2002, Official Report, columns 281–82.

To ask the Prime Minister when the PIU will issue its privacy and data sharing report. [40862]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 29 January 2002,Official Report, column 204W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years. [27997]

The Department of Trade and Industry's log of missing items is a mix of lost, stolen or misplaced items belonging to the Department or its workforce. In the majority of cases the value of items is not recorded and it is not possible to answer this question in detail without incurring disproportionate cost. However, I refer the hon. Member to parliamentary questions answered on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 847W and on 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1071W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to ensure the universal postal delivery service in rural areas since the publication of the Postcomm report on competition in postal services. [40713]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart) on 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1125W.Postcomm's document "Proposals for effective competition in UK postal services", published on Thursday 31 January, is a public consultation and we would expect concerns about the universal service obligation to be thoroughly considered as part of the consultation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what means the Post Office enables the public to consult a list of alpha-numeric postcode suffixes matched to a word-based local descriptor; and if she will place such a list covering Northern Ireland postcodes in the Library. [38297]

I am informed by Consignia that postcode information is available from a number of sources; online at www.postcodes.royalmail.com and through a telephone helpline charged at local rates. Postal address books are available at public libraries. Postal address books for local postcodes are available to businesses free of charge and to members of the public for a small fee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's plans to encourage the use of renewable energy. [37993]

The Government are providing substantial support to industry to encourage the use of renewable energy.Introducing the new renewables obligation, exempting renewables from the climate change levy and protecting existing non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO) contracts will together create a long-term market incentive for renewables worth over £1 billion per year by 2010.We are underpinning the obligation with direct Government funding for renewables worth over £260 million between 2001 and 04. We are setting up extensive capital grants programmes, in particular for offshore wind and energy crops projects, initiating a major photovoltaics demonstration programme, and boosting research and development.We recently introduced an order to allow locational flexibility for NFFO 3, 4 and 5 projects that have not yet been commissioned. This will allow more appropriate locations to be found in order to overcome problems in securing planning permission.We have initiated studies of each UK region's capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources. Once all these assessments are completed, it is expected that specific regional targets for renewable energy will be adopted across the UK. We are also publishing an overview of those regional assessments.The Government are also exploring the scope for upgrading the electricity distribution system to enable the UK's huge renewable energy resources to be exploited to the full. For example, an initial study of the feasibility of an underwater cable to connect parts of the western seaboard of the UK directly to the national grid has recently been completed. We shall be moving to a more detailed study of all the options and their costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a Scottish Executive Minister will be a member of the UK delegation to the Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Tourism European Union Council of Ministers meeting on 1 March; and what information is being provided by her Department to guarantee effective pre-council scrutiny by the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament. [40318]

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: I represented the UK at the Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Tourism Council on 1 March. It is the responsibility of the European Committee of the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise the Scottish Executive's involvement in preparations for EU Council meetings. These arrangements are a matter for the Committee and the Scottish Executive. The Department provides information to Scottish Executive officials as part of that process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to implement the seven aims of the UK print industry contained in the recent report 'Print 21: Coming of Age'. (40287]

The seven aims contained in the report "Print 21; Coming of Age" are addressed not to Government, but to the printing industry itself. The industry has formed a steering group to take forward the seven aims and I am pleased to say that the Department is part-funding a project proposed by the group to draw up a strategy to achieve this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reports her Department has produced on Exchange Direct during the last year; and if she will make them available to the police investigation into the company. [39998]

[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The Department has produced no reports on Exchange Direct plc.A winding up order was made against the company on 23 January 2002 and the Official Receiver is now responsible for investigating the reasons for the company's failure and the conduct of its directors. The Official Receiver is aware of the police investigation and will provide assistance as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many bankruptcies there were in each of the last 20 years. [40359]

The number of bankruptcy orders made in each of the last twenty years is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average time was for a bankrupt to be discharged in each of the last five years. [40363)

Bankrupts are discharged under the terms of the section 279 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Bankrupts are generally discharged three years after the commencement of the bankruptcy except in the following circumstances:

Where the court has issued a certificate for summary administration of the bankrupt's estate (and that has not been revoked before discharge), the bankrupt will be discharged two years after the commencement of the bankruptcy.

Where an individual has been an undischarged bankrupt at any time in the period 15 years ending with the commencement of the bankruptcy or where an individual is subject to a criminal bankruptcy order, an application for discharge has to be made to the court, but not until at least five years after the commencement of the bankruptcy.

The court can suspend these discharge provisions where it is satisfied that an undercharged bankrupt is failing to co-operate with his trustee and/or the official receiver.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average time taken was by the Official Receiver to complete his inquiries into bankrupts in each of the last five years. [40364]

The Insolvency Service does not hold statistics on the amount of time taken to complete inquires; this is largely dependent on the complexity of the case. The Insolvency Service has set targets for the percentage of reports to creditors to be issued within certain time limits. During the last five years The Service has issued of reports to creditors within 8 weeks and 12 weeks of the bankruptcy order respectively as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many insolvency practitioners are in practice in England and Wales. [40275]

A total of 1,623 individuals are currently authorised to act as insolvency practitioners by the Secretary of State and by the recognised professional bodies in England and Wales. Of this number some 1,020 are currently bonded to take appointments as office-holders in insolvencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to publish the Competition Commission report into small business banking. [41094]

The supply of banking services by clearing banks to small and medium-sized enterprises was referred to the Competition Commission for investigation by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Chancellor and I will publish the report as soon as practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will bring forward plans to introduce speed-limiters in motorised road vehicles. [40545]

I have been asked to reply.In Great Britain, there are already legal requirements to fit top-speed limiters to goods vehicles, buses and coaches weighing more than 7.5 tonnes maximum permitted weight. These measures are more extensive than is currently required by existing European Union law. A proposal currently under consideration by the European Parliament and the Council Ministers would extend the European requirement to buses and coaches with more than eight passenger seats irrespective of weight, and to goods vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes maximum permitted weight. We are not convinced that the safety and environmental consequences of fitting limiters to lighter vehicles would be beneficial—bunching of vehicles could cause added congestion and create safety hazards—and voted against the proposal when it was considered by the Transport Council in December last. The proposal is, however, likely to be adopted later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the Financial Services Authority proposals regarding polarisation in the provision of financial services; if she will ask the Social Exclusion Unit to assess the report in terms of its impact on people on low incomes; and if she will make a statement. [40712]

I have been asked to reply.The proposals in CP121 to reform the polarisation regime for the distribution of financial service products are a matter for the FSA. They are subject to consultation and the government would encourage all those with views to look at the consultation paper and supporting research reports, and let the FSA have their views by 19 April. Any proposals the FSA brings forward following consultation will be subject to detailed cost benefit analysis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bristol, East constituency, the effects on Bristol of her Department's policies and actions (a) from 5 May 1994 to 2 May 1997, (b) from 2 May 1997 to 7 May 1998, and (c) since 7 May 1998. [35595]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Regional Co-ordination Unit have provided data and I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 80W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years. [37445]

The correspondence standard in the Department for Education and Skills is to reply to 95 per cent. of all correspondence within 15 working days of receipt. Figures reflecting our performance on all departmental correspondence are shown at Tables 1a and 2a. These were published, in the annual service standards report, by Cabinet Office each year up until 2001 to show performance against the correspondence standard which is one of the six Whitehall standards set for central Government on 1 April 1997.For the period from April 2000, when we introduced an electronic case tracking system (Correspondence Handling System), we are able to provide more detailed information on performance as shown in Tables 1b, 2b and 2c. This covers most correspondence but not emails sent direct from Ministers' offices.Ministerial correspondence (calendar years)