To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments.[45059]

We do not collect records of all cases in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is relied on. Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. We do monitor centrally those cases which we consider may be of particular significance to this department. We have recorded 5 cases to date.We do not collect separate information centrally about the costs to public funds, legal fees or compensation payments in cases which include a human rights issue. In most cases it will be difficult to single out associated costs relating to human rights elements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recently diagnosed cases of bovine TB in herds in Denbighshire, Powys and Monmouthshire; and what steps her Department is taking to control further spread of mycobacterium bovis infection. [53204]

Powys and Monmouthshire have suffered a number of TB incidents in recent years. In the first three months of this year raw data show there were 37 new incidents in Powys, 20 of which are provisionally confirmed as due to bovine TB.Raw data show that in Monmouthshire some 36 new incidents were disclosed in the first three months of the year, of which 19 are provisionally confirmed as bovine TB.One new confirmed bovine TB incident was recently disclosed in a herd in Denbighshire. Investigations into the origin of this incident are still ongoing.The State Veterinary Service in Wales, in close consultation with the Welsh Assembly Government, is working to clear the TB test backlog, to restrict the movement of cattle off herds with suspected TB and to target resources effectively.The causes of bovine TB are complex and the Government is seeking to proceed on the basis of sound science drawn from independent scientific and veterinary experts. A wide-ranging research programme has been put in place on advice from the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG). The programme extends to the pathogenesis of TB in cattle, improved diagnostic techniques, vaccine development, the badger field trial, risks to cattle from wildlife other than badgers and a study looking at TB in newly formed herds following restocking after foot and mouth disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) formal and (b) informal meetings her Department has undertaken with the European Commission since 1 January; and if she will make a statement. [54487]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her Ministerial colleagues meet the relevant Commissioners at meetings of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Councils. In addition, the Secretary of State has met bilaterally with Commissioners Fischler (twice), Byrne, Wallstrom, Kinnock and Patten. I have met Fischler once during the period mentioned. The number of contacts between officials of the Department and representatives of the Commission, in the wide range of fora where they meet, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what criteria flood defences are graded in terms of being (a) maintained at their current level or (b) in need of enhancement. [54234]

Operational responsibility for planning, design, construction, maintenance, inspection and operation of flood defence measures rests with local operating authorities (the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards). The operating authorities determine which flood defences should be maintained at their current level and which are in need of enhancement. Efforts are being made to collate such information on a National Flood and Coastal Defence Database.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure (a) detailed mapping of areas at risk from flooding, (b) that insurance companies recognise the difference in flood risk within post-code areas and (c) that households are graded in accordance to direct risk. [54236]

The Environment Agency has published indicative flood maps and has made these available to local authorities. Copies have recently been made available to Members of Parliament in England and Wales showing the indicative flood risk areas in their constituency. Smaller scale versions are also available to the public via the Internet. The Department is in discussion with the Agency to further develop this mapping and is currently funding work that will improve the information available. Discussions continue with both the Agency and ABI to improve the information available for assessing insurance risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) homes and (b) commercial properties are at risk from coastal or inland flooding in (i) England, (ii) the South East and (iii) East Sussex; and what the total value of assets are. [54271]

The 2001 National Assessment of Assets at Risk from Flooding and Coastal Erosion, commissioned by DEFRA, estimated figures for areas at risk of flooding by regions of the Environment Agency; the Agency have provided a further breakdown for East Sussex.The estimated figures for the whole of England, for the Southern Region of the Environment Agency and for East Sussex are as follows:

	England	Southern Region	East Sussex
Homes at risk of flooding	1,670,000	152,000	23,500
Commercial properties at risk	128,000	14,000	2,100
Estimated total value of assets at risk	£200,000m	£18,400 m	£2,850 m

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to fund the repairs to flood defence systems identified as Government targets following the Bye report into the 1998 floods. [54637]

The Government drew up High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence in 1999 in liaison with local operating authorities (the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards). The targets are intended to facilitate a more certain delivery of national policies and objectives for flood and coastal defence. However operational responsibility for planning, design, construction, maintenance, inspection and operation of flood defence measures rests with the local operating authorities.I understand that the Environment Agency has repaired flood defences damaged in the 1998 floods, has carried out some improvements and is considering other improvements where they meet the normal economic, technical and environmental criteria.Funding from this Department for capital works to all operating authorities has increased from an outturn of £73 million in 1998–99 to a planned £114 million in 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if resources will be made available to improve the accuracy of the Environment Agency's maps and website relating to flood risk assessments. [54639]

The Department is in discussion with the Environment Agency to further develop the indicative flood plain maps, copies of which have recently been made available to Members of Parliament in England and Wales, local authorities and, the general public (via the internet). DEFRA is currently funding work that will improve the data available. More detailed information will be available (as hardcopy and via the internet) in the Autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the National Environment Research Council fund research into deep seabed impacts by trawling. [54867]

The Office of Science and Technology within the Department of Trade and Industry is the responsible body within Government for the allocation of funds to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for scientific research, not DEFRA. Within the budget provision from OST NERC is funding a programme of research into the ecology of deep sea fish and the impact of deep-water fisheries on both commercial and non-target species. DEFRA has in the past funded research at NERC's marine laboratories on a wide range of subjects, and also liaises with NERC over the development of its thematic programmes. DEFRA is funding an extensive programme of research at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Acquaculture Science and several other institutes into fishing impact on the seabed, but focussing on coastal rather than deep waters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent trawling damage to seabed communities. [54870]

The Department is currently looking to establish Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas to extend the EC Habitats and Birds Directive beyond 12 nautical miles with a view to protecting vulnerable habitats and species. One potential site is an area of coral reef off the North West coast of Scotland known as the Darwin Mounds thought to have been subject to damage by trawl gear. We will work to get the Commission to bring forward the necessary legislation to restrict fishing activity where a habitat is in need of protection but is situated in international waters. More generally, one of our priorities for the forthcoming review of the Common Fisheries Policy is the greater integration of environmental concerns into fisheries policy: this will involve action to reduce the impact of fishing on non target species and sensitive habitats.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what total sums of public money, unavailable to urban areas, were paid in each of the past four years to rural areas in all forms of subsidies, compensations, concessions and reduced charges. [54827]

It is difficult to draw an absolute line between urban and rural areas. Support for farmers will be available to farmers within a mainly urban area, for instance. It must also be remembered that these figures represent targeted funds. Other finances are targeted at purposes relating mainly or wholly to urban needs.The following table provides information on the total public expenditure on UK agriculture in each of the past four years.

£ million	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
UK Public expenditure under CAP & on national grants and subsidies	3,482	3,161	3,014	3,227
(b) Foot and Mouth disease costs [of direct benefit to the agriculture sector]	—	—	29	2,028
(c) Total	3,482	3,161	3,043	5,255

In addition UK agriculture benefits from red diesel and other concessions. These are broadly estimated to be worth £300m per year.Beyond agriculture there are other forms of support for rural areas unavailable to urban areas. The following table provides details of public expenditure for relevant programmes for rural areas in England (as defined by the Countryside Agency definition).

programme £million	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
Rural Transport1	2·3	3·3	4·6	6·0
Community Services
Grant2	—	—	—	1·7
Parish Transport2	—	—	—	0·4
1This includes the Rural Transport Partnership and Rural Transport Development Fund, which include funds for linking rural and urban areas. In 1999 the Countryside Agency took over the role of the Rural Development Commission, which administered these funds.
2Part of the Countryside Agency Vital Villages programme, which first reported in 2001–02.

In addition there is rate relief for a number of rural businesses, including village shops, post offices, public houses and garages in rural communities of less than 3,000 inhabitants.There are a number of other programmes that have specific rural targets but are also open to urban areas. These include Parish Plans, funded by the Countryside Agency, and programmes of the Regional Development Agency and Housing Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to regulate the sale of (a) cats and (b) dogs in pet shops.[54694]

There has been a review of animal welfare legislation relating to farmed, captive and domestic animals, including the regulation of companion animal sales. A public consultation exercise ran from 2 January to 30 April. We will now evaluate the 2,400 responses we received and then decide on what changes need to be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the 1946 International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling. [54976]

The Government's policy on whaling remains unchanged. We are opposed to all forms of whaling other than some limited subsistence whaling; and we strongly support the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the natural reproduction rate is of (a) Minke whales and (b) Sperm whales; and what her Department's estimate is of the rate of change in their global populations if these whales continue to be hunted at current levels. [54975]

Minke whales can normally reproduce every 1—2 years and Sperm whales every 4–5 years. It is not possible to estimate the effects of current whaling activities in terms of the rate of change in global populations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's assessment is of the world's population of (a) Minke whales and (b) Sperm whales. [54977]

There is considerable scientific uncertainty over the numbers of whales of different species and in different geographical stocks. The International Whaling Commission (IWC), which is the primary international body responsible for the management and conservation of whales, estimated that (a) in 1995 there were approximately 149,000 Minke whales in the North Atlantic (excluding Canadian East Coast) and (b) in 1990, approximately 25,000 Minke whales in the North West Pacific and Okhotsk Sea. The IWC Scientific Committee is currently carrying out a major review of Minke whales in the Southern Hemisphere as no reliable estimate is available.There is no current assessment of the population of Sperm whales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to introduce new regulations in respect of sheep identification and traceability.[54849]

[holding answer 8 May 2002]: The Interim Animal Movements Regime introduced in February 2002 makes provision for the identification and tracing of sheep and goats. We will be reviewing experience with these interim controls in the next couple of months with a view to making any necessary changes in late summer. Later in the year we will also need to consider any recommendations on identification and traceability that emerge from the independent inquiries into the foot and mouth outbreak, and possible proposals from the European Commission on identification of sheep.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to provide financial support for research into electronic means of identification of sheep. [54850]

[holding answer 8 May 2002]: There are no current plans to commission research into electronic means of identifying sheep (EID) in England. However, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre has recently completed a major four-year programme of practical trials of EID in cattle, sheep and goats to test feasibility, including practicality and animal welfare. The UK government is working closely with the EC-Joint Research Centre to learn from this experience.We are also making practical use of EID technology as part of the NSP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money has been paid to farmers in compensation for slaughtered livestock arising from the recent foot and mouth epidemic to date; what is (a) the average amount paid to each farmer and (b) the largest payment to a single farmer; and if he will make a statement.[52545]

£1,050m has been paid to farmers in compensation for slaughtered livestock arising from the recent foot and mouth epidemic to date, and the average amount paid to each farmer was £124,755. The largest payment to a single farmer was £4,238,800.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results of her Department's surveys on board UK pair trawlers to establish how many dolphins were killed per 100 net hauls; and if she will make a statement. [49282]

[holding answer 15 April 2002]: Observations by the Sea Mammal Research Unit during 2000 and 2001 were as follows:—

Target species	No. of dolphins	No. of hauls	No. of days at sea
Anchovy	0	3	3
Blue whiting	0	4	8
Herring	0	42	33
Mackerel	0	27	64
Pilchard	0	8	6
Sprats	0	10	10
Bass	53	116	71

These figures indicate a significant problem in the bass fishery off south west England but not in other fisheries sampled. Those pair trawling teams monitored in the bass fishery caught dolphins at a rate a little in excess of one every two hauls. This is a cause for serious concern, and we have drawn the attention of the EU Commissioner and the French Fisheries Minister to it.SMRU have also completed an initial trial in the bass fishery of special gear designed to allow dolphins to escape. Information on this will be published as soon as it is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list by category, the number of key sector workers living in affordable housing in rural areas in each of the last 10 years. [54815]

I have been asked to reply.Information is not available in this form.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the research on Public Attitudes to Directly Elected Mayors by IFF Research Ltd. published by his Department on 14 December 2001 cost; and when the research was delivered to his Department. [53784]

The research on Public Attitudes to Directly Elected Mayors, commissioned to find out more about how the public perceived directly elected mayors and to establish the level of interest in local democracy generally, involved fieldwork by IFF Research Ltd, which cost £103,650, and analysis and publication by my Department. The survey data was delivered to my Department on 25 September 2001, and after analysis was published on 14 December, a date which was outside any period for restricting publicity prior to a mayoral referendum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the starting salary of a fireman is in (a) London and (b) the rest of England; and when this salary will next increase. [54176]

The starting salary for a firefighter aged 18 in London is £20,111 rising to £20,897 after six months. Firefighters over 18 in London start on £20,378 rising to £21,152 after six months.Outside London the starting salary for a firefighter aged 18 is £16,941 rising to £17,727 after six months. For those over 18 the starting salary is £17,208 rising to £17,982 after six months.After four years a firefighter in London will be on £24,701 and £21,531 outside London.Under the national pay agreement between local authority employers and the Fire Brigades Union the operative date for pay increases for firefighting staff is 7 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to increase the pay of fire service personnel. [54177]

The Government has no statutory role in the determination of fire service pay. Pay arrangements are negotiated between the local authority employers and the representatives of the staff concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the shortfall is in the number of firemen in the UK; and what measures he plans to introduce to increase numbers. [54178]

Based on figures taken from annual returns HM Fire Service Inspectorate, the difference between establishment and actual strength of whole-time and retained firefighters in England and Wales as at 31 March 2001, the most recent figure available, was as follows:

	Establishment	Actual	Shortfall
Whole time	33,640	33,376	264
Retained	14,940	12,028	2,912

Recruitment and increases in firefighter numbers are a matter for local fire authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fire stations have (a) closed, (b) opened and (c) had improvements made to them since 1997. [54179]

This information is not collected centrally. Information on the number of fire stations in each fire authority in England and Wales at 1 January for each year from 1997 to 2002 was given in my right hon. Friend's reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. Theresa May) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, columns 239£242. On the basis of these returns, six fire stations have closed and five fire stations have opened since 1997. However, these figures may not include instances where the opening of a fire station is balanced by the closure of another in the same authority within a particular year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that district authorities have the flexibility to fund and deliver high quality public services to local people. [54797]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) on 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 26W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will require the Health and Safety Executive to take steps to improve the safety at work of bus workers. [54871]

Bus workers, in common with all other workers are protected by the general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and related legislation. The priorities for HSE are set out in the Health and safety Commission's Strategic Plan 2001–04. There are no specific plans to target the safety of bus workers at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend rural bus challenges to non-road transport; and what his reasons for his policy are. [55078]

We have no plans to extend the rural bus challenge scheme to non-road transport. The scheme's focus on buses, and other road public transport, recognises that in the overwhelming majority of cases throughout the country they will be the means of meeting public transport needs in rural areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what plans he has to issue new guidance on aggregates as a technical note to Mineral Planning Guidance Note 1; [55073](2) when he plans to review the guidance in Mineral Planning Guidance Note 6; [55072](3) whether minerals planning authorities may deviate from the production levels set in Mineral Planning Guidance Note 6, with particular reference to paragraph 105 of MPG 6. [55074]

Following public consultation on principles to be adopted in planning for the future supply of aggregates in 2001, revision of MPG6 was in progress at the time that the Government decided to proceed with the Planning Green Paper. Work on MPG6 was put into abeyance so that any new guidance could conform with decisions to be taken in the light of consultation on the Planning Green Paper. The Green Paper proposed that priority should be given to revising MPG1, dealing with guidance for all types of mineral working, and suggested that MPG6 should be replaced by a technical note in support of MPGI.Subject to an announcement on the conclusions of the Planning Review, work is in hand to publish a consultation draft revision of MPG 1 in the Autumn of 2002, with draft supplementary advice on aggregates following early in 2003. Meanwhile, as a matter of priority, work is proceeding to update the national and regional quantitative guidelines for aggregates provision, at present in the 1994 edition of MPG6, with a view to consulting on these in mid 2002.The supply guidelines in MPG6 have always been flexible. Paragraph 26 of MPG6 makes it clear that "If circumstances change, requiring a change in assumptions, the provision to be actually made can be adjusted. Consequently the figures contained in these Guidelines are not targets but are indicative figures for the purposes of preparing development plans and the administration of development control." In addition, paragraph 58 of MPG6 makes it clear that the regional guidelines "provide an indication of likely demand but the apportionment figure should not be regarded as inflexible".

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with West Sussex County Council on the provision of new aggregate sites at (a) Funtington, (b) Oving and (c) Duncton. [55075]

No such discussions have taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the status is of planning policy guidance and mineral planning guidance notes issued by his Department. [55071]

Planning Policy guidance and minerals planning guidance notes set out the Government's policies on different aspects of planning and minerals issues. Local and mineral planning authorities must take them into account, where relevant, in preparing their development plans. It has also been established that such guidance may be material to decisions on individual planning applications and appeals, depending on the circumstances of each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will announce the outcome of the consultation exercise on the future treatment of telephone kiosk glass advertising in the regime for the control of advertisements; and if he will make a statement. [56243]

Existing planning rules do not address telephone kiosk glass advertising, which is a relatively new form of advertising. The issue raises a wide range of considerations including visual amenity, highway safety, public safety and crime, and the cost and other resource implications of formal regulation. The consultation paper which we issued on 11 July 2001 invited views on possible options for clarifying the position. 1 am grateful to all those who took the trouble to respond.We have carefully considered the responses received and the range of factors involved. We have concluded that kiosk glass advertising should benefit from deemed consent but subject to certain conditions and limitations. This will mean that, subject to meeting conditions and limitations relating to geographical coverage, illumination and size of advertisement, such advertisements may be displayed without the express approval of the local planning authority. The siting of kiosk glass advertisements in conservation areas, areas of outstanding natural beauty, National Parks and the Broads will require the express consent of the local planning authority, as will advertising on more than one face of a kiosk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will bring into force the new homelessness legislation in the report "More than a Roof"; and what resources will be provided to ensure its effective implementation. [56244]

The homelessness report, "More than a roof', was published on 13 March. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out his response to that report on 13 March in the reply he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wigan, Official Report, column 1091 W. Together, those documents set out a new approach to tackling homelessness, one that focuses as much on people and the problems they face, as on the places in which they live. New legislation is a key part of this new approach.The Homelessness Act 2002 received Royal Assent on 26 February. The Act will strengthen the safety net which local authorities provide for people who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness. It will, for the first time, place a new duty on local authorities to conduct a review of homelessness and develop, in consultation, a strategy to meet the housing and support needs of all homeless people in their district. It will also ensure that people are given greater choice in applying for social housing.We will be making an Order later this Session to bring the main homelessness provisions of the Act into force in July.We will also be laying an Order for approval by Parliament to extend the groups of people who have a priority need for accommodation under the homelessness legislation. This will ensure that vulnerable homeless people leaving institutions, young people including those leaving care, and people fleeing domestic, racial and other forms of violence get the help they need. We intend, subject to Parliament's approval, to bring these changes into force in July, at the same time as the main provisions of the Homelessness Act 2002.We will also issue revised statutory guidance on homelessness in June, up-dated to reflect the new legislation.Section 8 of the Homelessness Act 2002, which provides for applicants to seek a review of the suitability of accommodation offered by a local authority as a settled solution to homelessness, and paragraphs 3 and 7 of Schedule 1 of the Act, came into force on 26 February. Interim statutory guidance has been issued to housing authorities in respect of these provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what definition he uses of the terms affordable housing and social housing; and if he will make a statement. [55304]

Social housing normally refers to subsidised housing provided by local authorities or registered social landlords for rent. For the purposes of securing affordable housing through the planning system, affordable housing encompasses low-cost market and subsidised housing, whether for rent or shared ownership, that will be available to people who cannot afford to rent or buy houses generally available on the open market. Local authorities are expected to define in their local plans what they consider to be affordable in the plan area, in terms of the relationship between local income levels and house prices or rents for different types of households.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will set out his definition of key workers in the public services for the purposes of providing Government land for pre-fabricated key worker housing; [55321](2) what proportion of the housebuilding targets in each county will be provided by prefabricated key worker housing; [55324]

The Government recognises that there is an urgent and growing need to assist the number of keyworkers and others on intermediate incomes who cannot afford to rent or buy in high demand areas where house prices have risen sharply over the last few years. We are looking at a number of options for helping overcome this problem, including the potential to increase housing supply by using surplus public sector land of all types for affordable housing and by using modular unit construction techniques as illustrated by the Peabody Trust scheme at Murray Grove, Hackney. These techniques offer significant time savings and potential cost reduction. Normal planning rules have applied to recent modular developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK sites where armour piercing and hard target penetrating warheads containing depleted uranium have been used, indicating the numbers used on each site in each year since 1990. [43414]

Since 1990, Depleted Uranium (DU) has been fired on the ranges at Kirkudbright, Eskmeals and West Freugh.Details of the amount of DU fired are as follows. Because of the way in which data was collected at each establishment the figures for Kirkudbright and West Freugh are given in terms of numbers of rounds fired whereas the Eskmeals data is quoted in mass (Kg) of DU:

Kirkudbright
Year	Rounds
1990	783
1991	666
1992	781
1993	682
1994	458
1995	286
1996	105
1997	734
1998	134
1999	136
2000	270
2001	126
TOTAL	4,378

Eskmeals
Year	Mass Kg
1990	1,520
1991	640
1992	1,076
1993	917
1994	512
1995	520
1996	0
1997	0
1998	0
1999	0
2000	0
2001	0
TOTAL	5,170

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the development of the new Colchester Garrison. [52449]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 40W, to the Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with trials of the Army's Apache AH Mk 1 attack helicopter. [53517]

Trials of the Apache WAH64 Attack Helicopter are progressing satisfactorily. Delivery of an initial operational capability to the army, consisting of the first operational Apache Squadron, is expected in August 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings accrued to the Defence Budget from the reduction in the planned order of Merlin helicopters. [54903]

There have been no reductions in planned orders of Merlin since the Strategic Defence Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air traffic movements were reported at West Freugh airfield in each of the last 12 months. [54251]

The following aircraft movements took place at West Freugh in each of the last 12 months.

Year	Number
April 2001	300
May 2001	470
June 2001	256
July 2001	391
August 2001	310
September 2001	231
October 2001	166
November 2001	276
December 2001	633
January 2002	143
February 2002	232
March 2002	367

These figures do not include overflights or range runs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel are serving with(a) BDLS Washington and (b) BATUS Suffield, broken down by service;[53778](2) pursuant to his answer of 16 April,

[holding answer 2 May 2002]: The answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ingram) gave on 16 April 2002, Official Report, column 825W, showed the total number and location of armed forces personnel deployed overseas on military tasks and operations only.No account was taken of army personnel serving with

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel were stationed in Gibraltar in (a) October 2000, (b) April 2001, (c) October 2001 and (d) April 2002. [54355]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The number of military personnel stationed in Gibraltar is as follows:

Year	Personnel
October 2000	585
April 2001	591
October 2001	600
April 2002	564

These figures include UK-based military personnel stationed on Gibraltar and regular members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the reason underlying the number of service personnel who are medically downgraded; and if he will make a statement. [54128]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: There are many reasons for Service personnel being medically downgraded on either a temporary or permanent basis. Personnel who are temporarily downgraded have incurred an injury or developed a medical condition for which they are receiving or awaiting treatment or are recuperating. Servicewomen who are pregnant or have recently given birth are also temporarily medically downgraded. Personnel who have a long term medical condition which prevents them from undertaking their full range of duties, but which allows them to be retained with limited employability, are placed in a permanently downgraded category.Work is currently in hand in the Ministry of Defence to develop improved analysis of the causes of medical downgrading. This will enable us to ensure that we are adopting the most effective means of prevention and treatment wherever these are appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Royal Navy are in the medical categories (a) baby, (b) PO, (c) P2, (d) P2X, (e) P2U3, (f) P2L3, (g) P3R, (h) P3P, (i) P7RA, (j) P7RB, (k) P7RC, (l) P7RD and (m) P8; in each case what percentage of (i) establishment and (ii) actual manning this represents; and if he will make a statement. [54130]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 19 April, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House. The Royal Navy only has figures for the total number of medically downgraded personnel, and a comparison with the Establishment, which includes only trained posts, would not be valid. "Baby" is not a medical category but an administrative one used when a woman declares her pregnancy; she is then included in the P3R Medical Category. P2L3 and P2U3 are administrative categories used in training, and personnel in these categories are fit for service world-wide.The number of personnel in the Medical Categories listed and the percentage they represent of the Total Strength is set out on the following table:

Medical Category	Total	Per cent of Total Strength
PO	119	0·28
P2	38,346	90·41
P2X	9	0·02
P3P	383	0·90
P3R (including "Baby")	354	0·83
P7RA	298	0·70
P7RB	66	0·15
P7RC	62	0·14
P7RD	1,525	3·59
P8	68	0·16

Medical Category	Total	Per cent of Total Strength
P2L3	844	1·99
P2U3	56	0·13

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings to the Defence Budget accrued from the delay in the delivery of the ASRAAM missile. [54902]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2002, Official Report, column 601W, when I informed the House that the delay in the ASRAAM In-Service Date had cost the Ministry of Defence approximately £7 million. The MOD has collected liquidated damages from the contractor, on the basis of terms agreed at the time of contract signature. Liquidated damages are paid to the MOD in respect of the loss and damage caused by the late delivery of the missiles; this includes both the MOD's additional costs and the loss of capability. Accordingly, although the amount of liquidated damages received from the company exceeds £7 million, the MOD does not regard this as a saving.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average length of service by new recruits in each regiment since 1990; and if he will provide a breakdown of the results of exit interviews with personnel over the most recent period for which figures are available.[55168]

[holding answer 9 May 2002]: The average length of service on Outflow for trained Officers and soldiers since Financial Year 1990—1991 is detailed in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office for the financial year 2002-03. [55842]

The key targets set for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office for the Financial Year 2002-03 are as follows:

Publish 100 per cent of priority safety information within the stated timescales from receipt of the original data.

Deliver Defence specific outputs as defined in the Tasking Authorisation Forms. All agreed outputs delivered to time and quality.

Improve completeness and delivery of orders. 90 per cent of orders shipped to schedule and 95 per cent line completeness at first despatch by year end. Deliver immediate and medium term change projects to ensure the long-term viability of the Office.

Break even taking one year with another and return an average Return on Capital Employed over the Plan period of 7.5 per cent.

Achieve efficiency measure of 5 per cent growth in "Value Added" per member of staff (based on FY 2000-01) by FY 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made and to whom against proposals for offshore wind farms off (a) Cromer and (b) the coast of Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [55578]

The Ministry of Defence has made known its objections to these offshore windfarm proposals to both the Department of Trade and Industry and to the developers concerned. Discussions continue with the developers.London Power's proposed site off Cromer is close to the Cromer Air Defence Radar and therefore the MOD has objected because the siting of wind turbines close to such installations can produce false returns on radar screens.The proposed sites off Lancashire by Shell and Energie Kontor lie within 15 miles of the airfield at British Aerospace Systems Ltd Warton and give rise to similar issues of potential radar interference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of basic training for one enlisted recruit in the British Army. [55169]

[holding answer 9 May 2002]: In the Financial Year to 31 March 2002, the estimated cost of basic training for one recruit to the British Army was £11,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) drug tests, (b) positive results of drug tests and (c) subsequent dismissals there have been in the British Army, broken down by (i) regiment and (ii) division in the last five years. [55167]

[holding answer 9 May 2002]: 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 how many naval vessels have been sold in the last five years; and what records are retained. [55166]

[holding answer 9 May 2002]: 103 surplus former Naval vessels have been sold in the last five years via the Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency (DSA). This figure includes named capital ships, minor vessels and marine support vessels. Detailed records for the last five years of all surplus transactions are retained by the DSA. There was also one Upholder Submarine sold during this period. This was the responsibility of the MOD's Upholder Programme and records would be retained by that MOD branch.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 October 2001, Official Report, column 1394W, on asylum seekers, when he will place the letters from Merseyside Police concerning asylum seekers in Everton, Liverpool in the Library. [433001

Further to my Answer of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1397W. The letters were placed in the Library on 18 March 2002. I apologise to my hon Friend for the administrative delay that occurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance indicators and output targets are used by the National Asylum Support Service to measure the efficiency of its service to asylum seekers and other stakeholders; and how the NASS is performing against these performance indicators and output targets. [44752]

The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) measures its performance against challenging targets. Targets are set for individual areas of work. Details of targets for the main areas of work are as follows:

Area of work	Target	Current performance
Response to enquiries about vouchers	24 hours	Met in 100 per cent of cases
Single additional payment and replacement of HC2 certificates	5 days in 90 per cent of cases	Target met
Post allocation work (including request for payment of maternity grant and inclusion of additional dependants)	10 days in 90 per cent of cases	Target is met in 11 of 13
Change of circumstances i.e. request to change from subsistence only to subsistence and accommodation	10 days in 90 per cent of cases	Target met
Assessment of non complex applications for support	3 days in 90 per cent of cases	Target met
Turnaround time for subsistence only applications	5 days in 90 per cent of cases	Target met

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) of 4 December 2001, Official Report, column 231W, when the report on progress towards the recommendations in the Supporting Families document will be placed in the Library. [44202]

A progress report on the issues raised in the Supporting Families document was placed in the Library today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward regulations on (a) mandatory investment by commercial companies into the development of non-animal alternatives to animal testing and (b) over-breeding of animals for experiments. [43970]

The Government does not believe that setting mandatory requirements for investment into research into alternatives to the use of animals in scientific procedures is either desirable or necessary.Nonetheless, every year the Home Office makes available to the Animal Procedures Committee (APC) a budget for research aimed at developing or promoting the use of alternatives which replace animal use, reduce the number of animals used, or refine the procedures involved to minimise suffering (the three Rs). Details of completed research projects are published in the annual Report of the Animal Procedures Committee, which is available from The Stationery Office.The amount made available to the Committee for 2001–02 for this specific purpose has increased to £280,000. However, this is not the only money spent by the Government on seeking to develop alternatives, as other Departments also fund such work. It is estimated that the total spent on this by the United Kingdom Government is in the region of £2 million each year. Industry also spends many millions of pounds each year on the search for and development of alternatives. To take this further on an international level, the United Kingdom Government will continue to support the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) through contributions to the European Union.The Animal Procedures Committee looked at the issue of the over-breeding of animals for use in scientific procedures as part of its 10-year review of the 1986 Act. The Committee defined "overbreeding" as "the production in breeding programmes of animals intended for use in scientific procedures but which prove to be unsuitable for such use or surplus to requirements". With the exception of genetically modified animals, the production of which is a regulated procedure, these animals are not recorded in the annual statistics on animal use under the 1986 Act since they are not used in regulated procedures. Estimates vary significantly as to the number of animals that may be involved. The Animal Procedures Committee concluded that although some overbreeding was unavoidable, it can and should be minimised and it recommended principles of best practice to help to achieve this. The Committee also undertook to liaise with the Laboratory Animal Science Association, which has also been considering the issue of overbreeding and how it can be minimised, to refine these principles before finalising its advice. I expect to receive the Committee's report by the summer and will carefully consider the further advice it provides.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will inform the public of the allocation of the power to detain and use force to non-police personnel; what the projected cost is of providing this information; and if he will make a statement. [44964]

Clause 35 (4) of the Police Reform Bill proposes that a police authority must include in their annual policing plan any proposals they have to employ, accredit or give powers to police support staff or members of Community Safety Accreditation Schemes. These plans are published.Under the Police Act 1996, police authorities are already required to issue an annual policing plan each year and, so, any additional information can be included in the plan at minimal cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were made in the West Midlands by constituency in the last 12 months. [45131]

From 1 June 2000 official statistics on the number of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued are based on quarterly returns from Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs) and are not presently designed to give figures below MCC level. The latest available data covers the period to the end of September 2001. In the 12 months ending September 2001, 37 ASBOs were issued within the West Midlands MCC area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal. [48403]

[holding answer 11 April 2002]: The information available on projects that have received sponsorship since 1997, including details of sponsor, nature and date of the project, total cost and the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal is as follows:

Project—Burglary Taskforce
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total cost £	Date
British Gas	30,000*	2.25 million	April 2000
Electricity Association	30,000
British Telecom	3,000
Water United Kingdom	200,000

For further information, provided below are details for non-monetary sponsorships. The value of the sponsorship has been calculated as "added value" to the campaign. It is not cash received by the Home Office.

Chip Pan Safety Campaign
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost £	Date
B & Q	7,560	305,000	November 1997/ March 1998
Tesco	5,693
Moorhouses Brewery	6,600

Smoke Alarm Maintenance/Education/Awareness Campaign
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
Duracell	309,250	370,000	January 1999
E1 Electronics	26,000
Homebase	16,000
Woolworths	6,000
B & Q	5,000
Focus Do It All	30,000
Kidde Safety	11,500

National Chip Pan Campaign
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
First Alert	5,000	1.33 Million	August/September 1999
Morphy Richards	10,775
Comet	386,600
Curry's (Dixons Group)	27,500

Escape Route Campaign
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
Safestyle UK plc	12,500	345,000	February 2000

National Escape Route
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
Comet	41,133	5 million	September 2000
First Alert	6,774
BBC Worldwide	44,600
GMTV	450,000
E1 Electronics	31,390
Homebase	9,000
Woolworths	124,230
B&Q	52,000

Vehicle Crime Reduction Campaign
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
RAC Auto		15.015 million	July 2000 TO date
Windscreens	303,000
RAC 180,000
Lycos	29,000
Kwik-fit	130,000
Ford	150,000
Retainagroup	189,500
Tracker	38,800
NCP	40,000
AA Insurance	180,500

Child Protection on the Internet
Sponsor	Sponsorship Value£	Total Cost£	Date
Bolt.com	19,000	1.1 million	November 2001-March 2002
Yahoo	22,000
MSN	22,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the service agreement aspect of the contract with Premier Services can be placed in the public domain.[53216]

Yes. Those parts of the contract with Premier Services that are not commercially confidential or subject to the Official Secrets Acts 1911 and 1989 will be made available to the public. The service aspect of the contract will in due course be published on the Home Office website and copies placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will to reply to the letter to him dated 30 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Jawad Farooqi. [53953]

I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 26 April 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the cost to the tourism industry of the proposed increase in employers' national insurance contributions. [52757]

[holding answer 29 April 2002]: It is estimated that the changes to employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent next year.

Homes covered (per cent)
	BBC Multiplex	Digital 3 & 4 Multiplex	Multiplex A	Multiplex B	Multiplex C	Multiplex D	Core
UK (Current)	81	80	78	79	76	74	68
Scotland (Launch)	84	83	82	81	82	80	78
Wales (Launch)	62	60	62	59	55	55	42
Northern Ireland (Launch)	72	72	64	66	72	58	57

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures the Government will take to ensure that the quality of the analogue signal is maintained during digital roll-out; and if she will make a statement. [54618]

The Government are committed to ensuring that terrestrial analogue signals will be maintained until everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form can receive them on digital systems. The Independent Television Commission (ITC) require that any changes made by the broadcasters to the digital terrestrial television transmitter network conform with the ITC Code of Practice on Changes to Transmission and Reception Arrangements. This requires the continued reception of analogue services, to an acceptable technical quality, to those viewers affected by digital terrestrial services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) her Department's Vote 1 budget and (b) her Department's Vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01.[54704]

In respect of the DCMS's Vote 1 budget, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife on 14 January 2002. In respect of Vote 2, which relates to the BBC licence fee, for which the Department has responsibility to Parliament for balancing the grant voted to the BBC with the receipts received from the licence payers, there were no losses due to fraud or corruption in the years in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the population in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) each United Kingdom region and (c) the High Peak constituency is able to receive a digital terrestrial television signal; and if she will make a statement. [54619]

The percentage of population predicted to be able to receive a digital terrestrial signal in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Government will take steps to increase funding for culture; and if she will make a statement. [55014]

In the context of the 2002 Spending Review, my Department and the Treasury are looking closely at current and future spending needs across all the cultural sectors. The outcome of the Review will be announced in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take to improve the performance of the EU aid budget. [54687]

My Department published a revised strategy for improving the poor performance of the European Community development programme in August 2001. I welcome the positive steps that have recently been taken, including establishment for the first time of an EC Development Policy with poverty reduction as the central objective, streamlining of procedures and improvements in financial and staff management. The Commission are also delegating significant new responsibilities to their offices overseas in order to improve dialogue with developing country partners and cut delays. The Government is working with other member states, the Commission and the European Parliament to ensure that these measures begin to have an impact on the ground and allow the European Community to make a much more significant contribution to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We are also working for agreement that a much greater share of EC aid should be allocated to low income countries where it will have the greatest impact on poverty reduction. In 2000, only 38 per cent of EC aid was spent in low income countries compared to 70 per cent in 1990. Our objective is to reverse this decline in order to secure radical improvement in the effectiveness of EC aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in reforming the EU aid budget. [54688]

My Department published a revised strategy for improving the poor performance of the European Community development programme in August 2001. We welcome the steps that have recently been taken, including establishment for the first time of an EC Development Policy with poverty reduction as the central objective, streamlining of procedures and improvements in financial and staff management. The Commission are also delegating significant new responsibilities to their offices overseas in order to improve dialogue with developing country partners and cut delays. The Government is working with other member states, the Commission and the European Parliament to ensure that these measures begin to have an impact on the ground and allow the European Community to make a much more significant contribution to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We are also working for agreement that a much greater share of EC aid should be allocated to low income countries where it will have the greatest impact on poverty reduction. In 2000, only 38 per cent of EC aid was spent in low income countries compared to 70 per cent in 1990. Our objective is to reverse this decline in order to secure radical improvement in the effectiveness of EC aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made on debt relief for poor countries. [54685]

So far, 26 out of a total of 42 countries have qualified for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and by the autumn, Cote d'lvoire could be added to the list of countries benefiting from the Initiative. Relief of more than US $60 billion will be provided to these countries, reducing their debts by more than two-thirds on average. Of the 26 countries, 21 have reached Decision Point and are receiving interim debt relief on their "flow" of payment, and five have completed the HIPC process, and have received an irrevocable reduction in their stock of debt. We hope that a further three will reach their Completion Point this year. The prospects for the remaining eleven unsustainable countries are not good. Six—Burundi, Congo Republic, Liberia, Myanmar, Somalia and Sudan—are still affected by conflict; Togo has governance problems; Central African Republic, DR Congo and Comoros might go through next year; and Lao PDR is undecided as to whether to opt for HIPC relief. Angola, Kenya, Vietnam and Yemen are regarded as sustainable cases, eligible for relief from the Paris Club.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the performance of the Commonwealth Development Corporation against its objectives for 2001–02. [54686]

In 2001, CDC made £134 million of new investments, and met both its Investment Policy targets. Over the last five years, 83 per cent of CDC's new investments have been in the poorer developing countries, and last year 69 per cent of the new investments were in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Private equities and emerging markets all declined sharply in 2001, and CDC's portfolio valuation was reduced by 10.3 per cent. A copy of CDC's annual review and financial statement for 2001 has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has made to the Israeli Government to secure the safe access of the Palestinian civilian population to (a) clean water supplies, (b) working sanitation and (c) medical care; and if she will make a statement. [55171]

I refer the hon. Member to my Answer of 1 May 2002, Official Report, column 859W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of the political instability in Zimbabwe on regional security. [54260]

I have been asked to reply.The situation in Zimbabwe is having a negative impact on Southern Africa. The crisis has increased levels of illegal immigration from Zimbabwe into neighbouring countries, created economic imbalances in border areas and, more generally, reduced investor confidence in the region. All of these threaten the stability and security of Southern Africa. Regional governments will need to remain closely involved in helping to secure a lasting solution to the crisis.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will list the official visits to (a) Paris and (b) Brussels made by each Minister in his Department in 2001 and the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on the choice of mode of travel for such visits; [38157]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 6 March (Hansard column reference 421W).

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 Census Online facility will be reinstated at the designated regional service centres. [52754]

QinetiQ Ltd. is continuing to work on the technical enhancements. Once configuring of the technical enhancements is complete, rigorous testing will be undertaken on all aspects of the system. These enhancements are intended to make the site sufficiently robust to permit general Internet access, and are being done with a sense of urgency. Before the full Internet service is restored, it will be relaunched at the service centres as part of the testing programme; details of the relaunch will be available in due course.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the terms of reference are for the quarterly plenary of human rights contacts in each department of Government; and if he will list the members of the body. [53772]

These are informal meetings of human rights contacts in all the main Whitehall Departments. Our aims are to:

collect systematically examples of the impact of the Act on policy and practice in public authorities, in particular Government departments;

to disseminate and promote good practice and raise awareness amongst public authorities; and

to maintain and update a list of "notable cases" which illustrate important themes.

There are currently 26 contacts, all of whom are invited to the quarterly meetings.