To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [37442]

Our Minister's correspondence database does not record details of response times and percentages of response times for the last five years. We can only provide this information for letters answered for the period since the formation of DEFRA on 8 June 2001 to 31 March 2002.The DEFRA service target is 15 working days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which members of (a) her Department and (b) the Government are planning to attend the Rio†10 Summit in Johannesburg in 2002; and on what dates these individuals are expected to be in attendance. [44358]

The final decision on the make-up of the delegation to the summit will rest with the Prime Minister nearer the time. However, both the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will attend the summit. We are keen to ensure that all three pillars of sustainable development are represented in the ministerial element of the delegation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to (a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to mountain issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been. [44343]

The majority of the montane area in the UK occurs in Scotland. Although montane habitats are very scarce in England there are 33 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) with an estimated 26,000 ha of land above 600 m. Several of these are also Natura 2000 sites designated in accordance with the EC wild birds and habitats directives.In addition to protection measures afforded by notification as special sites (SSSIs, Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas), actions in hand include the establishment of six upland habitat action plans under the UK biodiversity action plan.In England the hill farm allowance (HFA) was introduced in 2001 to provide support to beef and sheep producers in the less favoured areas in recognition of the difficulties they face and the vital role they play in maintaining the landscape and rural communities of the hills. Similar schemes operate in the devolved Administrations. HFA is linked to sustainable farming practices, forms part of the wider rural development programme and is WTO compatible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much technetium has been discharged from Sellafield in each year since 1992.[53650]

Annual discharges of technetium-99 to sea from BNFL Sellafield since 1992 were as follows:

Year	Discharge in terabecquerels (TBq)
1992	3·2
1993	6·1
1994	75
1995	190
1996	150
1997	84
1998	53
1999	69
2000	44
2001	79

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of meat imports were subject to random checks in the last 12 months. [53702]

All commercial consignments of meat from third countries are required to be presented to border inspection posts where they undergo 100 per cent. documentary and identity checks. Physical checks are undertaken on a minimum of 50 per cent. of consignments of poultry and game meat, with a minimum level of 20 per cent. on other meats.In addition HM Customs and Excise have also participated with local and port health authorities in targeted exercises on air passengers and deal with meat found in baggage in contravention of our imports rules as part of their normal controls. In cargo, meat found in Customs examinations which was not declared in freight would be drawn to the attention of the local and port health authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research projects are continuing on the environmental impact of Chernobyl on the United Kingdom. [54171]

There are no current research projects on the environmental impact of Chernobyl on the United Kingdom. A great deal of work has been done in the past to understand and ameliorate the effects of radiocaesium on the environment and the food chain. The Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continue to monitor the effects of the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl in sheep and fresh water fish. Details of the latest monitoring results can be obtained from the Food Standards Agency's annual report "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from small producers on the implementation of the European Directive on the Compulsory Labelling of Eggs. [54161]

Comments were received from the main representative bodies and two producers during the negotiations on the proposal to amend Council Regulation (EEC) No 1274/91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when her Department will have rural proofing embedded in policy-making procedures as set out in the Countryside Agency's report, Rural Proofing in 2001–02; [54429](2) when her Department will implement proofing and checklist measures as part of overall rural proofing measures set out in the Countryside Agency's report, Rural Proofing in 2001–02. [54434]

The Government have made a firm commitment to rural proof all relevant policies and for performance to be monitored independently by the Countryside Agency. This innovative approach—described as "courageous" by the agency's chairman Ewen Cameron, when his first report was published on 11 April this year—applies across Government and to agencies and other Government bodies.The first report concludes that a great deal has been achieved since this approach was proposed in the Rural White Paper in November 2000, but that much more needs to be done to make rural proofing fully effective. The report sets out details of the checklist devised by the Countryside Agency as an appendix.Following the decision to implement the strong rural agenda set out in the White Paper, a number of other changes have taken place. In June 2001, the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs came into being. For the first time, there is a Minister of State for Rural Affairs and a director general within DEFRA backed by a team with a clear focus on rural social and economic issues and on implementation of the Rural White Paper. A Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has a specific focus on rural affairs. The Minister of State for Rural Affairs has met Ministerial colleagues across Government to discuss the challenges of delivering services in rural areas.The implementation of rural proofing is a process across Government. Responsibility lies with each individual Department but DEFRA and the Countryside Agency are working together to develop rural-proofing strategies and to rural proof individual policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will introduce measures to raise rural awareness through staff (a) training, (b) development and (c) secondments as part of overall rural proofing measures as set out in the Countryside Agency's report, Rural Proofing in 2001–02. [54417]

The Government have made a firm commitment to rural proof all relevant policies and for performance to be monitored independently by the Countryside Agency. This innovative approach—described as "courageous" by the agency's chairman, Ewen Cameron when his first report was published on 11 April this year—applies across Government and to agencies and other Government bodies.The first report concludes that a great deal has been achieved since this approach was proposed in the Rural White Paper in November 2000. but that much more needs to be done to make rural proofing fully effective. The report sets out details of the checklist devised by the Countryside Agency as an appendix.Following the decision to implement the strong rural agenda set out in the White Paper, a number of other changes have taken place. In June 2001, the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs came into being. For the first time, there is a Minister of State for Rural Affairs and a director general within DEFRA backed by a team with a clear focus on rural social and economic issues and on implementation of the Rural White Paper. A Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has a specific focus on rural affairs. The Minister of State for Rural Affairs has met ministerial colleagues across Government to discuss the challenges of delivering services in rural areas.Each Government Department has put in place arrangements to respond to the requirements of rural proofing and the Treasury, for instance, has a secondee from the Countryside Agency working with their officials on rural proofing work. Rural proofing is also one of the forms of policy assessment that the Centre for Management and Policy Studies in the Cabinet Office introduces as appropriate during its training for civil servants on policy making.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will establish rural targets and monitoring as part of overall rural proofing measures as set out in the Countryside Agency's report "Rural Proofing in 2001–02". [54424]

The Government have made a firm commitment to rural proof all relevant policies and for performance to be monitored independently by the Countryside Agency. This innovative approach—described as "courageous" by the agency's chairman, Ewen Cameron, when his first report was published on 11 April this year—applies across Government and to agencies and other Government bodies.The first report concludes that a great deal has been achieved since this approach was proposed in the Rural White Paper in November 2000, but that much more needs to be done to make rural proofing fully effective. The report sets out details of the checklist devised by the Countryside Agency as an appendix.Following the decision to implement the strong rural agenda set out in the White Paper, a number of other changes have taken place. In June 2001, the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs came into being. For the first time there is a Minister of State for Rural Affairs and a Director General within DEFRA backed by a team with a clear focus on rural social and economic issues and on implementation of the Rural White Paper. A Cabinet Sub-Committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has a specific focus on rural affairs. The Minister of Stare for Rural Affairs has met Ministerial colleagues across Government to discuss the challenges of delivering services in rural areas.The Rural Services Standard, as set out in the Rural White Paper (Our Countryside: the future (Cm4909)) sets targets for the individual services delivered by Government. It is monitored for DEFRA by the Countryside Agency, and its content is currently being reviewed. Some individual Departments also have their own rural targets within their public service or service delivery agreements. Proposed public service agreement targets for 2003–04 and beyond are under discussion as part of the current Spending Review.As the agency's annual report recommends, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Renewal will review progress in the autumn, and take a close and continuing interest in the subject generally. The Countryside Agency will report again next year on progress with rural proofing, so there is a regular external monitoring and evaluation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the various potential uses of compost produced from household waste. [54588]

The Government have set up and are funding the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to promote sustainable waste management by working to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling. Part of this work is to tackle issues relating to composting waste. Currently WRAP is working with the Composting Association to develop the existing industry standard for compost, to achieve British Standards Institute (BSI) accreditation. The delivery of these industry standards for compost will help to create markets for organic waste derived products.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost to local authorities of dealing with stray dogs in the last 12 months. [54693]

This information is not collected centrally. The most recent information on the cost to local authorities of dealing with stray dogs dates from a 1997 MORI poll. The assessment of cost to local authorities then was £11.3 million per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been taken on by the State Veterinary Service since the end of the foot and mouth outbreak; and how this has affected the establishment figure. [54519]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: FMD related work still continues, however, for the purpose of my response, figures have been calculated from 22 January 2002. This is when FMD status (without vaccination), for the purpose of international trade was restored by the OIE.At the start of the outbreak a total figure of 1,064.4 veterinary, technical and support staff were employed by the field service element of the State Veterinary Service (SVS), compared with 1,247.66 at the end of January 2002. This indicates an increase of 183.26.A high proportion of this increase relates to the creation of an enhanced personnel and IT unit, the creation of the National Scrapie Administration Centre at Worcester along with recruitment of fixed term veterinary appointees and other staff at most levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to encourage the development of a market for recovered waste electrical and electronic equipment. [54553]

I have been asked to reply.Markets already exist for a range of waste electrical equipment such as mobile telephones and large household appliances where there is a high metal or precious metal content. The Government are encouraging the development of new recyclate markets through the not-for-profit company the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). WRAP is jointly funded by the DEFRA, DTI and the devolved Administrations. The budget for the three years commencing 1 April 2001 is £40 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the statistics for waste recovery in the United Kingdom for the categories of WEEE as outlined in Annexe I of the common position on WEEE (2000/0158(COD), Doc 11304/1/01 † ADD1). [54554]

I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultations she has had with producer and sectoral groups about the practical implications and likely cost of compliance with the EU WEEE directive; and if she will make a statement. [54558]

I have been asked to reply.DTI carried out a formal consultation on the Commission's proposal in autumn 2000. There were 70 responses representing over 340,000 organisations. A summary of the results was published on the website. There has been a regular on-going dialogue with stakeholders from all sectors. A new partial regulatory impact assessment that considers costs in detail was placed on to the DTI website in April 2002. Over 700 organisations, including major trade associations and local authorities were alerted to this by letter this month. A small business consultation group and informal retailer group have also been established.A series of over 20 information seminars are planned across the UK over the next four to five months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department intends to make use of the optional five-year exemption for SMEs from the provisions of the EU WEEE directive relating to producer responsibility. [54556]

I have been asked to reply.The Common Position text allows member states the option of exempting SME manufacturers from the financing requirements of Articles 7 and 8 for a period of up to 30 months after the commencement of this obligation for other producers. The Government support this flexibility and will wish to take up this opportunity to exempt SME manufacturers if this is permitted under the directive finally adopted and if practicable within the implementing legislation developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the derogations granted to Greece and Ireland in Article 15.4(a) of the Common Position on WEEE (2000/0158(COD), Doc 11304/1/01† ADD1). [54560]

I have been asked to reply.The Common Position text would allow Greece or Ireland up to a further 24 months in which to reach the recovery and recycling targets set out in Article 6 and the collection target specified in Article 4. They are required to notify the Commission of their intention to use these derogations by the time required for completion of the transposition process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategies her Department intends to adopt to communicate to the public the need to sort and recover WEEE. [54555]

I have been asked to reply.These will be considered alongside the development of implementing legislation and are a requirement of the draft directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to increase the uptake of affordable housing in rural areas by key sector workers; and if she will make a statement. [54816]

Our overall strategy is: to ensure that the housing needs of people in rural area, including key workers, are properly identified; to increase investment in new social housing; to maximise delivery of affordable housing through the planning system; and to make the best use of existing property. We expect to deliver around 9,000 affordable homes annually in rural areas by 2003–04 through these measures as announced in the Rural White Paper. This should provide greater opportunities for key workers in rural areas where local authorities have identified affordable key worker housing as a priority need.Our Starter Home Initiative (SHI) is specifically helping key workers in England to buy a home in urban and rural areas where the high cost of housing is undermining recruitment and retention. £230 million SHI funding was allocated to local scheme providers in September 2001, including some £8.7 million to help around 360 key workers to buy homes in rural settlements with a population of 3,000 or less. We expect to announce the allocation of a further £20 million SHI funding to successful bidders later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the impact on carbon dioxide emissions of the exemption from the climate change levy of electricity from combined heat and power plants sold through licensed electricity suppliers; [53734](2) what assessment she has made of the impact on the total level of generation from combined heat and power sold through licensed electricity suppliers of its exemption from the climate change levy. [53733]

I have been asked to reply.Granting Good Quality Combined Heat and Power (GQCHP) a full exemption from the Climate Change Levy (CCL) will encourage the use of this energy-efficient technology, and support the achievement of the Government's target of at least 10 gigawatts (GW

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department has taken since 1997 to encourage energy efficiency in (a) the domestic sector, (b) the commercial sector, (c) the industrial sector and (d) the public sector; and how much Government financial support has been made available. [50435]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 155W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the productivity and profitability of (a) businesses assisted by business links (i) in the Milton Keynes, Oxford and Buckinghamshire area and (ii) nationally and (b) businesses not assisted by business links in the latest year for which figures are available. [51391]

Business link operators are required to submit data on those clients receiving the most intensive level of support in order to track changes in their growth and performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been (a) sought and (b) received from the Scottish Executive on new UK-wide electricity trading arrangements. [52903]

I have been in close contact with colleagues in the Scottish Executive and they fully support moves to create a British electricity trading and transmission market. The project is being taken forward with the full involvement of the Scottish Executive who are represented at my regular meetings with the industry in this issue. Scottish Executive officials also attend the monthly steering group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on the total level of generation of electricity from coal mine methane sold via licensed electricity suppliers of its exemption from the climate change levy. [53731]

The Government do not have their own estimate for the extra sites which would be developed as a result of the CCL exemption, but the Association of Coal Mine Methane Operators has estimated that around 30 new sites could be made viable as a result. It is for the operators to respond to the incentive that has been provided, but if all the association projects went ahead this would add something in the region of 175 MW of electricity generating capacity with the electricity produced per annum totalling about 1.4 terawatt hours.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on carbon dioxide emissions of the exemption from the climate change levy of electricity from electricity from coal mine methane sold via licensed electricity suppliers.[53732]

Using methane from abandoned mines will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and therefore has a significant environmental benefit. The scale of the environmental benefit cannot be precisely quantified at present, because the effect of pumping the gas leads to some acceleration in the extraction rate beyond the level of natural leakage from abandoned mines. Work is in hand to inform these estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance the Government have provided since 1997 to small businesses starting up. [54193]

Creating new businesses is important to achieving a vibrant economy. The Government are committed to creating an environment that encourages more people to think about setting up a business, and to provide them with easy access to the information and support available that will help them to be successful and grow. Since 1997 the Government have introduced through the Small Business Service (SBS) a range of measures to assist small businesses to start up including:

At the heart of the SBS is the Information and Advisory Service, which provides start-ups and other small businesses with access to information and advice on a wide range of business topics. This is focused at a local level through the SBS's business link operators (BLOs), which provide tailored high quality business support to meet the needs of all small businesses in their areas. Each BLO is required to provide a local service for pre start-ups and start-ups brokering specific help when appropriate from local partners;

People thinking of starting in business or who are already trading have easy access to information about all aspects of starting and running a business from the business link website (www.businesslink.org) and National Contact Centre (0845 600 9006).

The Business Volunteer Mentoring (BVMA initiative) provides mentoring advice to pre and early start-up businesses from a core of volunteers (retired or otherwise) drawn from all sections of the business community. With support from the SBS, the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, is overseeing the co-ordination of the initiative for delivery at local level through local enterprise agencies and other business link local partners. There are currently approximately 900 volunteers operating within the BVMA initiative.

High Growth Start-up (HGSUs)—a high-quality advice service to pre-start and start-up businesses in England who are identified as having high growth potential. The service is part of the start-ups services delivered locally via business link operators in England. Support is being provided, across a variety of business sectors, to people who are traditionally considered to face barriers in starting and growing a business including women, ethnic minorities and young entrepreneurs. Around 7,000 pre and early start businesses have been assisted since October 1999.

The £75 million SBS Business Incubation Fund opened for business on 1 October 2001; the fund is providing loans to developers of business incubators to help those starting up in business and early stage SMEs to survive and grow.

96 projects supported by £30 million from the Development Fund element of the Phoenix Fund, bringing enterprise projects to disadvantaged areas and groups.

However the Government are committed to continue finding ways of increasing the numbers of new businesses, and of helping them to be successful and grow. In response to the joint Treasury/DTI paper "Productivity in the UK", which was published on 16 June 2001, the SBS is currently consulting on developing a comprehensive strategy for supporting business start-ups. A consultation document was published on 6 May 2002, setting out some concrete proposals and recommendations for areas where further work is considered necessary. The consultation period will run until 31 July 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid by her Department in coal health claims for (a) occupational respiratory disease and (b) vibration white finger in fees and other charges to (i) her Department's legal advisers and counsel, (ii) her Department's claim handlers, (iii) the medical service providers (A) Healthcall Ltd. and (B) SEMA, (iv) external and seconded consultants, (v) other contractors and (vi) claimants' solicitors, in the period up to 31 December 1997 and in each subsequent year. [54839]

The Department is unable to provide figures relating to contractors' fees, as the details of these payments remain commercially confidential.Figures for the period prior to 1 April 1999 are not available in time allowed. However, from 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2001 the Department has paid out the following on administrative costs (medical, records collection, defendant legal and claims handling costs) broken down by financial year and scheme:

£ million
Financial Year	Respiratory disease	Vibration white finger
1999–2000	4.6	1.1
2000–01	19	8.4
April to December 2001	43.8	5.6
Total from April 1999 to December 2001	67.4	15.1

The cost of administrative expenses for the Department on this work cannot be separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will make her decision regarding ECGD support for United Kingdom commercial interests in the proposed Bo NoK power plant in Thailand; and which companies have expressed an interest to her Department. [55058]

ECGD has not received a formal application in respect of Bo Nok power project. However, an initial inquiry was received over a year ago. 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 which UK companies the ECGD is supporting in connection with (a) the Sual coal plant in the Philippines and (b) its associated transmission networks. [55061]

ECGD supported Alstom Power Plants Ltd. (then GEC ALSTHOM Power Plants Ltd.) and Alstom Power Plants Services Ltd. (then GEC ALSTHOM Turbine Generators Ltd.) in relation to the Sual coal plant. ECGD did not provide any support for the associated transmission networks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Estates Agency for financial year 2002–03. [55841]

As detailed in the Defence Estates Corporate Plan 2002–07, the following key targets have been set for the agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department introduced a normal retirement age of 60 years for senior and professional technology officers; whether his Department has completed its review of its age retirement policy; and if he will make a statement. [55023]

The normal retirement age for senior professional and technology officers, and a number of other grades, was changed from 65 to 60 in 1992 as one of the measures needed to manage the "Options for Change" reduction in the size of the Ministry of Defence's civilian work force which became possible following the end of the cold war.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military aircraft movements have taken place at the West Freugh new DEFRA facility in Wigtownshire in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [55106]

I have taken the question to refer to the Defence Evaluation Research Agency at West Freugh. DERA was, as previously announced, subsumed in QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in July 2001. The number of military aircraft movements that took place at West Freugh in each of the last 10 years, is listed. These figures do not include overflights or range runs.

Number
1992	1—
1993	3,868
1994	1,666
1995	5,253
1996	4,501
1997	5,946
1998	4,636
1999	7,236
2000	5,976
2001	3,861
1 Not available

Our records are not in a form that readily enables provision of the figures as far back as 1992. I will write to the hon. Member following further analysis of the available data to see what information can be provided and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the lending policies of (a) the World Bank, (b) the IDA, (c) the Asian Development Bank and (d) the EBRD. [53623]

The multilateral development banks make a unique contribution to international development and poverty reduction. Each of these institutions have different, complementary lending policies. Further details of these are publicly available through the following websites: www.worldbank.org (for World Bank and IDA); ww.adb.org; and www.ebrd.com.My Department has published institutional strategy papers for the multilateral development banks which set out how the UK Government can work in partnership with each of these institutions to maximise the effectiveness of our combined development efforts (available www.dfid.gov.uk or through our public inquiry point, tel. 01355 843132). These papers outline our views on the effectiveness of these institutions and how we intend to ensure that their lending contributes to poverty elimination.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department last discussed the political situation in Tanzania with (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Department for Trade and Industry and (c) the Ministry of Defence; and what was discussed. [54262]

DFID maintains a regular dialogue with other Government Departments on all aspects of our work.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding the purposes of the air defence system recently purchased by the Tanzanian Government. [54255]

We have had various discussions with the Government of Tanzania regarding the proposed air traffic control system. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is currently undertaking a review of Tanzania's civil aviation requirements and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote good governance in Tanzania. [54261]

Governance is a core element of the DFID programme in Tanzania, which supports the Government of Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy. DFID supports several programmes aimed at improving governance. Some of these are with the Government of Tanzania and include financial management reform and financial accountability, decentralisation through local government reform, public service reform and civic education. We are also working with civil society at local and national levels, disseminating information and supporting networks for advocacy and lobbying.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of her decision to withhold aid from Tanzania; and when she expects aid to resume. [54254]

In October 2001 DFID provided £35 million budget support to Tanzania. We have delayed disbursement of the next tranche of £10 million budget support pending the Government of Tanzania's response to the review of the country's civil aviation requirements. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has been in Tanzania to undertake this review and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding the peace process in the DRC. [54256]

I have not had discussions recently with the Tanzanian Government regarding the peace process in the DRC, but my Department and the FCO maintain a regular dialogue with the Tanzanian Government on all regional issues including the Great Lakes. We have encouraged them in their attempts to bring the Burundian rebels to agree a ceasefire and join the political process under the Arusha Peace Accords, and have offered to help with the costs of these meetings. We have encouraged them to continue to link their efforts in this regard to those of the Burundian peace facilitation team under Vice-President Zuma of South Africa and President Bongo of Gabon, to whose team we are giving technical support. We are also in close touch with the Governments of Tanzania and Burundi, and with UNHCR, on resolving the question of the large number of Burundian refugees still in refugee camps in Tanzania.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1002, on Tanzania, what further information she has collated on the impact of the purchase of an air traffic control system on the sustainability of Tanzania's debt servicing obligations and the achievement of anti-poverty targets. [54842]

The Government of Tanzania agreed with the World Bank to review its civil aviation requirements in consultation with the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The ICAO has been in Tanzania to undertake this review and will report to the World Bank and Government of Tanzania. It is not possible to determine the impact of the purchase of an air traffic control system until the ICAO report is issued and the Government of Tanzania and the World Bank have considered it.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Tanzania regarding good government in Zimbabwe. [54258] Clare Short: Neither my Department nor I have had discussions with the Government of Tanzania regarding good government in Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of business links between Tanzania and Zimbabwe and their impact on (a) political stability and (b) international development. [54253]

I have made no recent assessment of the business links between Tanzania and Zimbabwe but the Zimbabwe crisis is impacting on the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was given by the EU to the UN population fund in each of the last 10 years. [54481]

This information is not readily available and to obtain it would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the policy of the UN population fund with respect to the Chinese one child policy. [54482]

Like the Government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) does not support China's one child policy. The objective of UNFPA's programme in China is to demonstrate that a voluntary, non-coercive approach to family planning can be effective in promoting sustainable population growth. UNFPA report that birth quotas and targets have been abolished, and abortion rates have fallen in the areas of China where UNFPA is working.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what oversight and scrutiny her officials have over the funding of the UN population fund; and if she will make a statement. [54485]

My Department's level of funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is based on an assessment of its performance in contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals—particularly those relating to HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health—and other international development targets. Our assessment of UNFPA's performance is based on regular feedback from DFID's offices in developing countries, and on studies by external evaluation experts. In addition, the UK (DFID) is a member of UNFPA's executive board which carefully scrutinises the fund's activities and performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the level of funding made available to the United Nations population fund in (a) 1980, (b) 1984, (c) 1988, (d) 1992 and (e) 2000. [54480]

The UK's contributions to the United Nations population fund (UNFPA) in the years referred to were:

(a) £2 million

(b) £3 million

(c) £2.625 million

(d) £9 million

(e) £15.05 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds are being made available by (a) the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and (b) the International Parenthood Federation to fund population control in Peru. [54483]

Neither the United Nations population fund (UNFPA) or the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) support population control programmes in Peru or elsewhere.In 2002, UNFPA's US$1.4 million programme in Peru is supporting action to reduce maternal mortality and to improve access to reproductive health information and care for young people. IPPF's US$246,716 programme in 2002 is supporting the promotion of a range of quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health services and information for poor people, including improving access to modern methods of contraception and support to combat gender-based violence.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last discussed political security in the Great Lakes region of Africa with the UN. [54257]

I am in frequent contact with the UN about the security problems of the Great Lakes region and the means of ending the conflict there. I spoke to the Secretary General again this last weekend when we usefully were able to talk through a broad range of current issues on the Great Lakes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with respect to (a) Tanzania and (b) Zimbabwe. [54259]

The peace process in the DRC falls within the framework of the 1999 Lusaka Peace Agreement to which Tanzania was not a signatory. However Tanzania is clearly interested in the stability of the Great Lakes region as a whole, particularly in relation to Burundi because of the large number of Burundian refugees currently in camps in Tanzania. The Tanzanian Government are active in seeking to persuade the Burundian rebel groups to agree a ceasefire with the Burundian Government. We continue to press for a full and inclusive settlement to the DRC conflict within the framework of the Lusaka Agreement, which inter alia provides for the withdrawal of all foreign forces in the DRC including those of Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total value was of aid and assistance given to her Department's regional programme in the Pacific in each of the last five years. [54465]

Funding to the Pacific provided through DFID's bilateral programme and through multilateral agencies, especially the EU, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the UN is as follows:

DFID bilateral programme
Financial year	£ million
1996–97	8.552
1997–98	5.765
1998–99	4.941
1999–2000	4.193
2000–01	3.831

£ million
Calendar year	EC	World bank	UN	Others
1996	3.8	0.1	0.7	1.1
1997	6.0	0.1	0.7	1.4
1998	6.1	0.1	0.6	3.2
1999	0.9	0	0.7	0
2000	7.0	0.1	1.0	2.0

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much food aid (a) her Department and (b) the EU has provided to Malawi in the last six months. [54252]

Since January, my Department has spent £4.6 million on direct food relief in Malawi. In addition, DFID approved £1.2 million on 26 April to help raise domestic food production over the winter season. The latter is expected to yield 75,000 metric tonnes of maize by September.The EC has provided £0.3 million in direct food relief.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what further help she will give to Malawi to alleviate its famine. [55001]

Since January, we have spent £4.6 million on direct food relief in Malawi. At the end of April we released a further £1.2 million to help raise domestic food production over the winter season (expected to yield 75,000 metric tonnes of maize by September). A much larger programme to boost domestic food production, and timed to coincide with November rains, is in preparation.We have also worked hard with other donors to help the Government of Malawi to develop a long-term national food security strategy. A working group made up of donors, government, civil society and the private sector is urgently considering how to improve food production, storage and marketing, all with the aims of preventing a recurrence of the current crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the women's organisations which have been consulted over the proposed legislation by her Department during the (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 Sessions; and if their responses have been published. [54831]

The Department for International Development has undertaken no public consultation over proposed legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment; and what progress has been made. [54829]

DFID is committed to a policy of equal treatment. In relation to DFID's role as an employer, we have adopted a Diversity Action Plan, put in place staff consultative groups to assist in promoting diversity in the Department, undertaken equality-proofing of our pay and appraisal systems, implemented positive action measures in the form of a bursary scheme for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds, and have published targets for improving representativeness of our staffing in respect of race, gender and disability. We are implementing diversity training as part of our management development programmes, have adopted a requirement for all senior staff to have a diversity component in their personal objectives, and have continued to insist on the application of an equal opportunities policy in respect of a wide range of other criteria (including age and sexual orientation) in all aspects of our employment policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since August 1997. [54830]

DFID does not maintain any central record of data series in respect of its programme activities. As an employer, DFID maintains and analyses for internal purposes a range of human resources data on its staff, including gender, ethnic origin, disability and age. Since August 1997 this has been expanded to include analysis of our staff appraisal and promotion systems by, among other things, gender, ethnic origin, disability and age. The principal indicators, such as staff in post, are contained in DFID' s departmental report 2002, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the Implementation Group meeting in Kabul on 10 and 11 April. [54597]

The first meeting of the Implementation Group for Afghanistan's Reconstruction took place in Kabul on 10 and 11 April, hosted by the Afghan Interim Administration (AIA). The Afghan Finance Minister chaired the meeting, and discussions centred on presentations of the recurrent budget of the AIA, the draft National Development Framework, and the establishment of practical aid co-ordination mechanisms between donors and the AIA. My Department was represented by senior officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what plans her Department has for providing (a) water, (b) food and (c) medication to the Palestinian civilian population once access to the whole of the West Bank can be secured; and if she will make a statement; [55159](2) what medical supplies her Department has

We are working closely with our development partners to try to determine the full extent of the damage and the humanitarian consequences and priority needs arising from the current conflict. It is important that assistance is fully co-ordinated.Our bilateral assistance programme is planned at £12 million this year. This includes support, through local NGOs for a number of emergency programmes in health, trauma counselling and special education needs which have been able to respond to the intensified crisis. We have also disbursed £12 million of our annual contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees' General Fund, and made a £5 million contribution to UNRWA' s 2002 Emergency Appeal. We are providing direct assistance to help set up a Humanitarian Information Centre and have provided £500,000 to the World Food Programme for emergency needs. We are discussing with UNRWA further support to help clear and rebuild Jenin refugee camp. In addition we contribute substantially through our share of EC and World bank activities. We have not provided any direct support to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society since 1 April.We are monitoring the situation closely and aim to continue to respond appropriately.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received on the status of the Save the Children Fund water and sanitation projects in (a) Dura, (b) Anabta, (c) Jabalia and (d) Rafah; what the impact of the current campaign of the Israeli Defence Force has been (i) on the operation of the projects and (ii) on the piped water supplies, sewerage pipes and drains associated with them; and if she will make a statement. [55160]

Save the Children Fund reports continued steady progress and expects to meet the overall objectives on time. The projects are leading to improvements in both the quality and quantity of water for household consumption, and better sanitary standards as the majority of homes are connected to new sewage networks. The continued conflict and closures has inevitably had an impact on the project communities where homes and infrastructure have been damaged and destroyed. Project equipment has also been embargoed by the Israeli authorities, but it has often been possible to circumvent this by creative means.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what publicly owned accommodation is made available to her in her official role; how many nights she has been in residence at each of these properties in the last 12 months; and what the total cost is of maintaining each of these properties. [55096]

There is no publicly owned accommodation available to me in my post except when I stay at ambassadors' residences when travelling abroad.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on actions taken by her Department as a result of the Amy Gehring case. [52542]

My Department reviewed its procedures following this case. That review shows that our procedures were not at fault. However, in order to improve safeguards for children we have laid amendments to the Education Bill in the Lords, which will strengthen still further requirements to report instances of misconduct to the Department. These will extend the existing responsibility on employers, including agencies, to schools and other education institutions using a person's services. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whose Department regulates agencies under the Employment Agencies Act 1973, is reviewing the Conduct regulations under that Act. My Department is engaged in that process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she has introduced to encourage schools to employ teaching assistants on all-year-round contracts. [54097]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 8 March 2002, Official Report, column 626W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ensure that the central London weighting allowance applies to teachers living in outer London boroughs. [54596]

Decisions on London allowances for teachers in 2002–03 have now been taken in the light of advice from the independent School Teachers Review Body and consultation. The levels of the allowances were increased by 3.5 per cent. from 1 April, further to the 30 per cent. increases in 2001, and the structure of the allowances was unchanged. The level for inner London is £3,105 and the level for outer London is £2,043. London allowances will be kept under review for future years. Schools are free to make use of recruitment and retention allowances as circumstances demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers (a) applied for and (b) were refused early retirement on the grounds of ill health in (i) 1992–93, (ii) 1993–94 and (iii) 1995–96. [54613]

The numbers of members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme who retired on the grounds of ill health in each of the years in question were:

Number
1992–93	4,867
1993–94	5,565
1994–95	6,075
1995–96	5,980

Information about the number of applications that were rejected is available only from 1996 when an electronic handling system was introduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about the accountability to her Department of Capita Business Services Ltd. regarding the administration of the teachers' pension scheme. [54805]

The responsibilities of Capita Business Services Ltd. for the administration of the teachers' pension scheme are set out in a detailed contract and statement of service requirements. Performance against service standards, together with compliance with legislative and other requirements, is actively managed by the Department's finance, contract and internal audit teams. The teachers' pension scheme accounts and administration are also subject to annual scrutiny by the National Audit Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will compensate bona fide learning providers who can demonstrate that they have been financially disadvantaged by the accelerated date of closure of the individual learning accounts scheme. [55054]

There are no plans to pay compensation to ILA registered learning providers. The Education and Skills Select Committee report about ILAs contains no new arguments or evidence on the case for compensation; the Department's position therefore remains unchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the spending is (a) per head of population and (b) per pupil in each local education authority in England for 2001–02. [55107]

The information requested is not yet available. The Department is due to collect data relating to the 2001–02 financial year from this September. I shall write to the hon. Member when the information for 2001–02 is to hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of schools have access to broadband internet access in (a) Lancashire, (b) the northwest of England and (c) England. [55112]

Broadband internet access (2mbs or better) is provided through regional broadband consortia (RBCs). The target for August 2002 is for 20 per cent. of all schools (including 100 per cent. of secondaries) to have broadband connections. From the latest consortia returns (28 February 2002):

13 per cent. of schools in Lancashire LEA already have broadband connections and this is expected to rise to 26 per cent. by August 2002;

23 per cent. of schools within the, north-west of England (covered by two RBCs) already have a broadband connection and this is expected to rise to 41 per cent. by August 2002:

Nationally, approximately 14 per cent. of schools across England already have a broadband connection and this is expected to rise to 32 per cent. by August 2002, exceeding the current target.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for the future funding of the work done by Neighbourhood Support Fund youth projects. [55019]

A total of £60 million was made available to the Neighbourhood Support Fund spread over three years. The current programme comes to an end in September 2003 and it has been successful in reaching out to some of the most disadvantaged young people in our communities. I will review the programme in the light of the departmental spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate the number of school days lost to truancy each year in (a) the Lancashire education authority area and (b) England. [55109]

The number of days missed due to unauthorised absence in the last three years are presented in the table. Data are based on the annual pupil absence survey that is conducted at the end of May and is based on the first five half-terms of the school year. We can not estimate the figures for the final half-term of the year as year 11 students attend irregularly while they take their GCSE examinations.

Number of school sessions (half-days) missed due to unauthorised absences in maintained schools in Lancashire and England
	Lancashire	England
2000–01
Day pupils of compulsory school age	160,768	6,698,285
Total possible pupil sessions1,2	49,196,000	1,987,849,000
Total sessions missed	271,216	14,833,790
Total number of days missed	135,608	7,416,895
1999–2000
Day pupils of compulsory school age	162,979	6,636,828
Total possible pupil sessions1,2	50,834,000	1,990,299,000
Total sessions missed	281,090	14,479,457
Total number of days missed	140,545	7,239,729
1998–99
Day pupils of compulsory school age	162,583	6,607,438
Total possible pupil sessions1,2	51,067,000	2,005,657,000

Number of school sessions (half-days) missed due to unauthorised absences in maintained schools in Lancashire and England
	Lancashire	England
Total sessions missed	301,308	15,053,051
Total number of days missed	150,654	7,526,526
1Rounded to nearest 1,000
2 Total pupil sessions are calculated as (total number of pupils) x (total possible school sessions between September and May census date)

To ask the Solicitor-General whether she will make a statement on the role of the Crown Prosecution Service within the Government's Street Crime Initiative. [55975]

As part of the cross-Government strategy to reduce street crime, a premium service will target likely offenders and crime areas and will ensure that offenders are investigated and prosecuted with skill and determination. Victims and witnesses will be given extra support. Experienced lawyers and detectives will handle cases and they will work closely together. An extra £6 million is being allocated to the Crown Prosecution Service to free up experienced lawyers to concentrate on this work.

To ask the Solicitor-General when she last considered extending the 28-day period for references back to the Crown Prosecution Service of unduly lenient sentences: and what her conclusions were. [55081]

The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (schedule 3) prescribes that notice of an application for leave to refer a case to the Court of Appeal, under section 36 of the same Act. shall be given within 28 days from the day on which the sentence was passed. Legislation would he required to amend this time limit.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many sentence referrals to the Court of Appeal on the grounds of undue lenience have resulted in sentences being increased in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [53399]

[holding answer 2 May 2002]: The following figures are available. These figures represent the number of offenders whose cases were referred to the Court of Appeal:

	Number of:
Year1	References to Court of Appeal	Sentences increased
1997	70	47
1998	96	69
1999	88	51
2000	93	264
2001	154	271
1 January to 31 December
2 There are still cases from 2000 and 2001, which are yet to be heard by the Court of Appeal

To ask the Solicitor-General how many contracts the Law Officers Department has with consultants; what level of professional indemnity insurance is standard in contracts with small consultants; whether she can make exceptions to the level of professional indemnity insurance; and what recent discussions she has had with other Government Departments about the level of professional indemnity insurance. [50841]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, has no current contracts with consultants.The Crown Prosecution Service in common with other Government Departments employs the services of consultants from time to time. However, the information requested as to the number of such contracts is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The Department's standard terms and conditions of contract for consultancy work only necessitate consultants to hold professional indemnity insurance where this is required by law. The level of indemnity insurance is not specified and where required would be subject to negotiation and agreement prior to the award of any contract.The Treasury Solicitor's Department has 28 current contracts with consultants who are assisting it on a range of issues. The level of professional indemnity insurance required is related to the nature of the work required and the assessment of risk attached to it.At the present time the Serious Fraud Office has nine contracts with small or sole trader consultants covering a range of issues, including information technology and security. In addition there are other specific contracts for expert advice related to operational cases.Professional indemnity insurance levels are not standardised and are set at a level appropriate to the size of the contract and the risk involved.HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has one current contract. The contract does not provide for professional indemnity insurance.It is not the Government's practice to provide details of discussions which form part of the process of policy development and analysis, therefore I am unable to answer your final question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Audit Commission in respect of the guidance contained in its publication Competitive Procurement relating to the operation of best value to the categorisation of the overall performance of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [53918]

My Department has had no formal discussions with the Audit Commission about its publication Competitive Procurement. The Audit Commission acts independently of Government, and the views expressed in its publications are its own. Having said this the Government welcome the Audit Commission's report, which is based on the evidence of audit and inspection, and recognises it as a valuable contribution to our drive to improving public services. I expect local authorities will find it useful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on recruitment levels and recruitment processes for railway maintenance workers in the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. [54854]

Recruitment levels and processes are matters for those in the rail industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what work is planned on the Al between Newcastle and Edinburgh; [54606](2) what major infrastructure work has been carried out on the Al between Newcastle and Edinburgh in the last 15 years; and in each case

I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the increase in traffic on the Al between Newcastle and Edinburgh over the lifetime of the 10-year plan. [54609]

The 10-year plan applies to England. As part of the work carried out in connection with the A1 multi-modal study, consultants have assessed potential traffic growth on the A1 between Newcastle and the Scottish border just north of Berwick on Tweed.Flows on the Al are currently:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what targets he intends setting to assess the performance of the fire service college during 2002–03. [55627]

The work of the fire service college contributes directly to the Department's aim of safe communities and its objectives of improving health and safety by reducing risks from work activity, buildings and fire. Its role is to deliver modern vocational training to the fire service of a type and to a standard that fully meets brigades' needs. The college should operate cost-effectively and should enthusiastically meet the diversity requirements of its customers and employees. In this context, I have agreed the following six targets for the fire service college in 2002–03.

1. To maximise the fire service college's contribution to the Government's programme to improve health, education and transport and reduce crime by:

If you require any further information, David Harvey in our Leeds office will be happy to assist you. He can be contacted at the Highways Agency, City House, New Station Street, Leeds, LS1 4UR or by telephone on 0113 283 5814.

equipping 100 per cent. of the trainers the fire service college trains to disseminate best practice and verify that by post-course assessment;

maintaining the quality of the fire service college's education, training and service delivery as externally assessed to the same or a better level of conformance achieved in the previous year, in every case; and

ensuring that the wider relevance to the community of fire prevention and fire safety is embedded in the fire service college curriculum to the extent that it features in 100 per cent. of appropriate courses.

2. To accommodate 100 per cent. of bids from UK fire brigades for courses published in the fire service college prospectus.

3. To develop within a year a capability for delivering to customer satisfaction risk management training and e-learning programmes for retained officers and for responding to any centrally determined need for decontamination training.

4. To have a series of Integrated Personal Development System compliant modules linked to five roles ready for delivery by April 2003, having obtained full stakeholder endorsement.

5. By April 2003 to further improve the agency's financial performance by:

increasing surplus by at least 2 per cent. in real terms;

achieving 6.5 per cent. return on capital employed; and

maintaining wider market business in support of UK fire brigade business by contributing 20 per cent. to overall business and creating a net contribution to fixed costs of at least £1.3 million.

6. To obtain a favourable assessment in year from Quality South West for progress towards recovering Investor in People status in 2003–04 and to make progress on diversity issues by:

increasing the percentage of women at middle and senior level in the fire service college; carrying out an equalities audit of the fire service college climate, facilities and products; and equality proofing the pay system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what levels of additional funding have been allocated to fire services to meet the needs identified by the New Dimension Group arising from the increased level of threat from terrorism since 11 September. [55022]

In answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow), 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1373, I said that we were providing £53 million funding for the fire service to give further protection to the public and emergency services in the event of a major chemical, biological or radiological attack. We are continuing to consider the case for additional resources in the light of the information provided by the New Dimension Group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether membership of New Dimension Group includes representatives of the Chief Fire Officers Association from (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland; and whether the Fire Brigades Union is represented on the group. [55021]

Yes. The chief and assistant chief fire officers associations from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales are represented on the New Dimension Group, as is the Fire Brigades Union.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment was made of congestion levels in each region when determining the level of provision made for new additional housing; and what influence this had on the final level of provision made for new additional housing outlined in regional planning guidance. [54911]

Annual rates of housing provision are established through regional planning guidance and the spatial strategy it sets out. The strategy is prepared having regard to a number of matters including the capacity of urban areas to accommodate more housing, the physical and social infrastructure needed to support additional housing and the environmental implications of doing so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the estimated environmental costs is to each local authority arising from the level of provision made for new additional housing; and what influence this had on the final level of provision made for new additional housing as outlined in regional planning guidance. [54912]

Annual rates of housing provision are established through regional planning guidance and the spatial strategy it sets out. The draft strategy is subjected to a sustainability appraisal in accordance with good practice guidance issued by my Department. A report outlining the findings of this appraisal is published prior to the public examination of the draft strategy. This report is an important consideration for the panel that holds the public examination and for me in considering what changes, if any, to make to the draft strategy following receipt of their report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 976W, on affordable housing, what the proportion of affordable homes in rural areas was to the total number of affordable homes for each year since 1990. [54853]

The table shows the number and proportion of affordable homes in rural areas (with a population of 3,000 or fewer) funding through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme and by local authorities compared with the total number of affordable homes funded by the same means in England in each year since 1990.

Year	Rural	All (England)	% of completions that are rural
1991–92	803	31,504	2.6
1992–93	2,268	50,045	4.5
1993–94	1,567	64,834	2.4
1994–95	1,341	70,781	1.9
1995–96	1,811	68,790	2.6
1996–97	1,678	51,412	3.3
1997–98	2,020	45,765	4.4
1998–99	1,792	42,011	4.3
1999–2000	1,533	33,808	4.5
2000–01	1,278	30,931	4.1
2001–02	1,371	29,846	4.6

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 976W, on affordable housing, how many affordable homes in rural settlements in England with a population of 3,000 or less were completed and funded by 31 March. [54852]

1,371 affordable homes in small settlements with a population of 3,000 or fewer were completed and funded through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme and by local authorities from 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 448W, on affordable housing, what the Housing Corporation's budget was in each of the last 10 years; and what amount was allocated to its (a) revenue and (b) capital programmes. [54910]

The table shows the Housing Corporation's capital and revenue expenditure for the years 1993–94 to 2001–02. The figures for 2002–03 are the budget figures for the current year.

Housing Corporation expenditure
Outturn £ million
	Capital	Revenue	Total
1993–94	1,796.4	136.0	1,932.4
1994–95	1,483.5	146.1	1,629.6
1995–96	1,142.2	199.9	1,342.1
1996–97	1,044.4	198.8	1,243.2
1997–98	683.8	217.3	901.1
1998–99	606.5	207.6	814.1
1999–2000	637.8	149.3	787.1
2000–01	717.0	154.0	871.0
2001–02	774.6	143.0	917.6
2002–03	917.6	184.3	1,101.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 563, if he will make a statement on Mr. Sixsmith's agreement to resign; and when he was told, and by whom, that Mr. Sixsmith had resigned. [55622]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the oral statement I have made in the House today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) his Department's Vote 1 budget and (b) his Department's Vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [54708]

The only proven loss due to fraud or corruption for which my Department is accountable is a theft of £20 from a cash box. This was accounted for in the Class III Vote 1 Appropriation Account for 1999–2000.This does not include any loss suffered by any non-departmental public body funded from either vote where their accounts are prepared separately and laid before Parliament and published separately.Nor does it include any losses due to fraud in rent rebates. Rent rebates granted to local authority tenants are reimbursed through Housing Revenue Account Subsidy, for which this Department has overall responsibility. Rent rebates are analogous to rent allowances paid in respect of tenants of private landlords, and together they comprise housing benefit.Responsibility for housing benefit policy, including policy on fraud, lies with DWP. A full note on the implications of housing benefit fraud for HRA subsidy is appended to the Appropriation Account for Vote 1 for each of the years concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) other member states of the European Union, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand on the safe levels of radiation from mobile phone masts. [54440]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: I have been asked to reply.Ministers have not had recent discussions with their respective counterparts. However departmental officials and the National Radiological Protection Board are supporting international electromagnetic field standardisation activities in terms of reviewing the fundamental science, providing advice on guidelines to protect people from adverse health effects and assisting in the development of technical standards.The United Kingdom contributes to the development of European and international technical standards concerning the safety of mobile telephony through the European Committee on Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).United Kingdom delegates are members of the CENELEC mobile telephone project team that have developed standards for mobile phones and produced draft documents on mobile phone base stations (phone masts). The documents provide standardised methods by which compliance with health-based guidelines can be assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what rent is being paid for the Golden Jubilee Office in 85 Buckingham Gate; what the prevailing average rent per square foot in the building was prior to this rent being negotiated; and which firm advised on the negotiations. [53956]

The office at 85 Buckingham Gate was taken over from the Home Office at an annual rental of £165,000 net, as a result of the Machinery of Government changes. The DCMS were not a party to any negotiations on rent. The prevailing average rent for that particular building prior to this rent being agreed is not known, as this figure is a matter between the landlord and the former tenants. However, the rental figure was in line with the average market rent for the properties in that area. Lambert Smith Hampton, Property Management, acted for the Home Office in the lease negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement about the future funding of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. [54806]

The Heritage lottery fund trustees met on 23 April to consider a bid for the three-year funding of a full network of finds liaison officers to cover the whole of England and Wales. The fund has now informed the scheme officials of the outcome, and will announce the details of its decision later this week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received regarding the future of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. [54807]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts have received 19 letters commenting on the success of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and calling for its long-term funding to be secured. Most of these representations have been submitted by metal detectorists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the distribution of the reserve funds for National Lottery good causes in the last two years; and if she will make a statement. [55015]

Funds generated by the National Lottery for good causes are held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF), until distributing bodies need to draw them down to meet expenditure incurred by grant recipients. Under Government accounting rules, and under their financial directions, distributing bodies may not draw down moneys from the NLDF in advance of need. Any interest earned on money held in the NLDF is added to the amount available for distribution to good causes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will reserve a place for a representative of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on the board of trustees of the new non-departmental public body which is to replace the Royal Parks Agency; [54994](2) what her policy is on the representation of the interests of public users of the Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on the new non-departmental public body which is to replace the Royal Parks Agency. [54997]

The board of trustees will comprise a number of trustees with different skills and experience. There will not be a specific trustee position on the board for a representative of the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. To reflect the parks' links with a variety of organisations, not just the Friends, a trustee post will be created titled 'Community Relations' which will be responsible for developing links with the whole community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what publicly owned accommodation is made available to her in her official role; how many nights she has been in residence at each of these properties in the last 12 months; and what the total cost was of maintaining each of these properties in the last 12 months. [55105]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library copies of each version of the internal guidance which have been drawn up by his Department since 1 January 1999 to assist staff in his Department to answer subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998. [53379]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills) gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. McCabe) on 25 April 2002, Official Report, column 446W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 583W, on the EU-Israel Association Agreement, What progress has been made in resolving the rules of origin issue under the EU-Israel Association; and whether the EU is reviewing its position on the continuance of the agreement. [45203]

There have been further contacts between the EU and Israel with a view to resolving the rules of origin issue. These have not yet led to any significant progress. The EU has not changed its position on the continuation of the EU-Israel Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are the main contributors to the funding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; which of them are in arrears with their contributions; and by how much. [53458]

The major contributors to the funding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) amounting to approximately 70 per cent. of the OPCW' s budget are: the United States (22 per cent.), Japan (20 per cent.), Germany (10 per cent.), France (7 per cent.), UK (6 per cent.) and Italy (5 per cent.). The UK, France and Italy have paid their contributions for 2002 in full. The United States and Germany usually make staged payments and have so far paid approximately 50 per cent. of their 2002 contributions. Japan is expected to pay the entire amount of its 2002 contribution around the middle of this year.