To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Harrier GR7 and GR9 will be equipped with ASRAAM. [56195]

ASRAAM will not be fitted to Harrier GR7, nor do we intend to integrate the missile on to the aircraft during the programme to upgrade GR7 to GR9 standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the Meteor missile programme. [56196]

A finalised draft contract for the Meteor missile was sent to our partner nations at the end of April. Once approval is obtained from each nation we will be in a position to award the Meteor contract to MBDA. This is currently planned for early July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what capability will be available in 2006 to replace the withdrawn Sea Harriers; and if he will make a statement. [56684]

Royal Navy Task Groups will retain a significant air defence capability after the Sea Harrier is withdrawn from service in 2006, including against sea-skimming missiles, against which Sea Harrier has little capability. This air defence capability will include type 42 anti-air warfare destroyers armed with updated Sea Dart anti-aircraft missiles, type 22 and 23 frigates armed with point defence missile systems (including the enhanced Sea Wolf missile system) and close-in weapon systems. From later this year, the first upgraded airborne early warning Sea King flight will go to sea providing an improved detection capability over land and sea. All task group warships and some support shipping are also equipped with decoy systems against air and surface launched anti-ship missiles. Additionally, the Harrier GR aircraft possess a point defence capability through the sidewinder short range air-to-air missile.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis the decision on the timing of the withdrawal of the Sea Harrier was made; and if he will make a statement. [56686]

The Sea Harrier FA2 is being withdrawn by 2006 as to retain it as a viable weapon system beyond the middle of this decade would require significant investment and would also involve significant technical risk.As the Sea Harrier FA2 is essentially a modified Harrier GR3, an all-metal aircraft that was withdrawn from RAF service in the late 1980s, investment will instead be concentrated on the more modern Harrier GR7 that will be upgraded to GR9 standard to provide an enhanced expeditionary capability for land attack operations from both land and aircraft carriers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the benefits of integrating the Sea Harrier's specific capabilities on to the remaining GR Harriers; and if he will make a statement. [56683]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of upgrading the Harrier GR7 to include an advanced air defence radar capable of using AMRAAM; what the cost is estimated to be; and if he will make a statement. [56535]

The role of the Harrier GR7 is in support of force projection. Its air-to-air capability is optimised for its own defence. To integrate the Sea Harrier's specific air defence capabilities on to the GR Harrier would entail the fitting of the Blue Vixen radar and Advance Medium Range Air to Air Missiles (AMRAAM) missiles. While it would, in theory, be possible to do this we currently have no requirement to do so. Therefore no detailed work has been undertaken by the Department into the practicality and cost effectiveness of such a modification.Such a programme would be at least as complex, lengthy and costly as the Sea Harrier Blue Vixen/AMRAAM update in the mid-90s. Given the considerable cost, time scale and technical risk involved, and the planned entry into service of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft in 2012, the benefits of integrating the Sea Harrier specific capabilities onto the GR Harrier would be of limited duration and utility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the (a) French, (b) Spanish, (c) Italian and (d) German defence ministers in respect of his decision to withdraw the Sea Harrier from service. [57645]

[holding reply Monday 20 May 2002]: None. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 2452W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer). These countries will be advised of this change as part of the annual submission to the NATO Defence Planning Questionnaire, and also in the annual update to the european Headline Goal Helsinki Catalogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with the (a) US Defence Secretary and (b) NATO Secretary General in respect of his decision to withdraw the Sea Harrier from service. [57644]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: None. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1451W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer). The United States of America and NATO will be advised of this change as part of the annual submission to the NATO Defence Planning Questionnaire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of continuing the Harrier FA2 in service until 2012 without an engine upgrade; and what estimate he has made of the cost of this. [57231]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: In determining the future strategy for Joint Force Harrier ahead of the introduction of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft in around 2012 a variety of investment strategies were considered for both Harrier GR7 and Sea Harrier FA2. Our recent operational experience, and consideration of likely future threats, led us to conclude that the priority is for carrier-borne aircraft that can fulfil the ground attack role. The Sea Harrier FA2 has an extremely limited ground attack capability and without a new engine, a high risk technical challenge, has major performance limitations. Further, a number of the FA2's avionic and defensive systems are becoming increasingly obsolescent and by the middle of the decade will have significant operational deficiencies. The cost of recovering this obsolescence would be around £250 million. Such a significant investment was deemed incoherent without a more powerful engine that could deliver world-wide year-round embarked capability and when it would only restore elements of the air defence capability. It would do nothing to equip the aircraft to carry current and near term smart offensive weapons, our key future need. This would have required a full replacement of the avionic system which was judged to be unachievable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to upgrade the air-to-air capability of the Harrier GR7; and if he plans to fit the aircraft with AMRAAM missiles. [57646]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: We have no plans to upgrade the existing air to air capability of the Harrier GR7.AMRAAM will not be fitted to Harrier GR7, nor do we intend to integrate the missile onto the aircraft during the programme to upgrade GR7 to GR9 standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the remaining Harrier GR7s will be upgraded to GR9; and how many GR9s will be in service at the end of the upgrade programme. [57229]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: We currently plan to upgrade all Harrier GR7 aircraft to GR9 standard, up to 68 aircraft in total. The GR7 upgrade programme is due to begin in late 2003 and be completed during 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of upgrading the Harrier GR7 to GR9; and what estimate he has made of the cost of upgrading the engine of the Harrier FA2. [57230]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1166–67W.The integration of the Pegasus Mk 107 engine into 11 Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft was the subject of a feasibility study in 2000. The cost of integration was estimated to be approximately £230 million. The study concluded that there would be significant technical difficulties and that overall the programme did not represent good value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 340W, and of 28 February 2002, OfficialReport, column 1463W, on Army HQ, when the final assessment of the cost of moving the Army's northern headquarters from York to Edinburgh will have been made. [56640]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1463W. I will, of course, write to him when the assessment is complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions P. W. Pains Wessex have attended MOD-organised sales and marketing events in the past two years; and what was the nature of their attendance. [56572]

I understand that P. W. Defence Ltd. was formed last September from the amalgamation of several subsidiaries of the Chemring Group plc. Delegates from the company attended the Ministry of Defence's Export Services Organisation's symposium for defence exporters held in March 2002.Attendance by companies attending or exhibiting at other sales and marketing events organised by commercial organisations is a matter for the organisers concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the way in which military ethos has changed since 1997. [56530]

The core values of the armed services have not changed since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the benefits of a distinct military ethos to the effectiveness of the British Army. [56529]

Military ethos may be defined as:

"That spirit which inspires soldiers to fight. It derives from, and depends upon, the high degrees of commitment, self-sacrifice and mutual trust which together are so essential to the maintenance of morale".

This was articulated in the pamphlet "Values and Standards of the British Army", which was published in March 2000, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.We believe that the constituent values of military ethos contribute significantly to military effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what extra capability the £600 million of UK specific requirement for the Joint Strike Fighter will provide; and if he will make a statement. [56693]

The estimate of £600 million, which was announced in January 2001, will optimise the aircraft's capability for the United Kingdom environment. It represents the costs of providing and integrating certain UK weapons systems, to be selected in due course, securing the Joint Strike Fighter's compatibility with UK Command and Control arrangements and ensuring compliance with our safety and environmental requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of a lack of BVRAAM on the Eurofighter's operational ability; and if he will make a statement. [56685]

Eurofighter's primary role is air superiority. Without a BVRAAM, it would be wholly reliant on short-range missiles in this role and would be disadvantaged in medium and beyond visual range engagements. We have therefore assessed that Eurofighter will require a BVRAAM capability. From the outset, it is planned that the aircraft will be cleared to carry and fire the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM). This capability will be enhanced by the acquisition of Meteor. Meteor's planned In-Service Date is 2012.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the contracted June 2002 delivery date for the Eurofighter will be achieved; and if he will make a statement. [57648]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Moonie) on 30 April 2002, Official Report, column 745W. We are now considering the results of this review, including the implications for delivery dates, and will make an announcement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what off-the-shelf options are being evaluated to replace the Medium Range Trigat; how much they cost; and if he will make a statement. [56688]

Two off-the-shelf medium range antitank guided weapon systems are being evaluated to replace the capability which Medium Range Trigat was expected to deliver for use by Light Forces and Mechanised Infantry: Javelin offered by a joint venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and supported by the US Government; and Spike offered by MBDA.As part of the evaluation the Ministry of Defence is conducting a commercial competition between the two equipments, and as such I am withholding details of the costs in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the financial consequences of the Lewis ECHR case. [57642]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: I assume that the question concerns a case before the European Court of Human Rights, but we do not immediately recognise a Lewis case. I answered a question from the hon. Member on 1 March about that court's judgment in the case of Mr. Morris, Official Report, column 1624W, and it may be this to which he is now referring.Hitherto there have been no quantifiable financial consequences for the Ministry of Defence as a result of this case, apart from legal fees and the award by the court of a proportion of Mr. Morris's costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long HMS Ocean has been at sea on her current deployment; and when she will return to the UK. [57799]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: HMS Ocean has been at sea on her current deployment since 11 February 2002. On current plans she returns to the United Kingdom (Plymouth) in early June 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what technical difficulties HMS Ocean has experienced on her current deployment. [57800]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: HMS Ocean has experienced some minor technical difficulties during her current deployment. These were associated with the propulsion system, air conditioning and chilled water plant, the side ramp and some other equipments and systems. Such difficulties are consistent with a deployment of this duration and nature. The majority have already been resolved and none has adversely affected HMS Ocean's ability to undertake her operational tasks at any stage of her deployment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution of the anti-ballistic missile treaty to strategic stability. [57978]

We have always valued strategic stability between the United States and Russia, a stability to which the anti-ballistic missile treaty made a major contribution throughout the cold war. But it is important to recognise that the strategic context is changing and that it is stability we value rather than one particular means for achieving it. To this end we welcome the progress that the United States and Russia have made towards a new strategic framework, in particular their recent agreement on major reductions in nuclear weapons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Ministry of Defence Police Agency for the financial year 2002–03. [58607]

The following key targets have been set for the Ministry of Defence Police Agency:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ASTOR aircraft he plans to procure. [57805]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: Five aircraft are being procured for the ASTOR programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors are taken into account when determining which organisations investigate the circumstances of a death or serious injury of a member of Her Majesty's armed forces on his Department's property. [56696]

Jurisdiction for the investigation of incidents resulting in death or serious injury will vary depending upon the nature of the incident and whether it occurs in the United Kingdom, overseas or, in the case of the Royal Navy, on board ship. The rules governing jurisdiction are detailed in the Queen's Regulations for each service. In the case of a death in the United Kingdom, primacy for any investigation lies with the local civilian police force, who would usually be supported by the appropriate service police authority or Ministry of Defence police, and other agencies as required. For example, where a death is suspected to have been caused by an accident, an investigation could also be carried out by a service accident investigation team. Cause of death can only be concluded by Her Majesty's Coroner. A service Board of Inquiry would normally be carried out following the conclusion of any associated police investigations.In cases of serious injury, factors such as the cause of injury, level of severity and any suspicion of criminality would determine whether the civilian police, Ministry of Defence police or service police authorities would investigate. Again, where serious injury is suspected to have been caused by an accident, the relevant service accident investigation team could also be involved. All of these factors would be considered in determining whether a service Board of Inquiry is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the volume of waste to be removed from land at RAF Portreath as part of the Ministry of Defence's clean-up operation; what guidance has been issued to local authorities and agencies responsible for the removal and disposal of waste from RAF Portreath; at which locations waste from RAF Portreath will be deposited; and what assurances he has given local residents and local authorities regarding the disposal of waste removed from RAF Portreath in landfill. [57175]

The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking the planning process for the voluntary remediation of five dump sites at RAF Portreath. For these purposes it is estimated that the total waste from all five dumps is approximately 100,000 cu m of material, which is likely to be a mix of inert, hazardous and special waste.On completion of the planning process and the consultation phase, involving the local authorities, residents and interested agencies, MOD will issue the relevant information and guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the British armed forces have (a) procured and (b) deployed the E100 Series Integrated Grenade System with the fragmentation grenade E105 incorporated into the trip wire mechanism manufactured by PW Defence. [57228]

The British armed forces have never procured or deployed the El00 Series Integrated Grenade System with the fragmentation grenade E105 incorporated into the trip wire mechanism manufactured by PW Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between his officials and PW Defence regarding the status of the El00 Series Integrated Grenade System and fragmentation grenade E105 incorporated into the trip wire mechanism under the Landmines Act 1998. [57227]

The Ministry of Defence has not had any discussions with PW Defence regarding the status of the E100 Series Integrated Grenade System and fragmentation grenade E105 incorporated into the trip wire mechanism under the Landmines Act 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will initiate a system of independent review of decisions concerning low-flying areas. [57306]

Decisions taken in respect of the United Kingdom Low Flying System are already subject to appropriate review. Such reviews may include investigations by the Defence Flying Complaints Investigation Team, consultation across Ministry of Defence and reference to external specialists as necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned in-service dates are for each of the ordered type 45 destroyers. [56704]

[holding answer 16 May 2002]: The First of Class, HMS Daring, is planned to enter service in late 2007, with the second ship, HMS Dauntless following in 2009. It is planned that the remaining four ships on contract will enter service at intervals up until 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis the decision was made to reject the BAE proposal to build all 12 type 45 warships; and if he will make a statement. [57348]

The BAE Systems unsolicited proposal was very carefully considered. However, it was decided not to take it further because of the serious implications it would have for competition downstream for future United Kingdom warships and the very substantial forward commitment it sought on a variety of shipbuilding programmes. The revised type 45 procurement strategy, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 July 2001, should offer better value for money in the longer run, if it enables competition to be pursued on other warship programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sites in the UK are capable of assembling a large enough vessel to operate conventional take-off and landing aircraft; what modifications are needed to potential sites to bring them to this capability; and if he will make a statement. [57351]

It is assumed that the question refers to potential sites for the assembly of the United Kingdom's future aircraft carrier. The competing primes on the carrier programme—BAE Systems and Thales—are assessing the capability of a number of sites within the United Kingdom that have the potential to participate in the build (the construction and outfitting of modules or blocks of the vessel) and assembly (the joining together of the blocks into a whole ship in a dry dock of sufficient size). No final decisions have been made on the mix of sites that will be utilised in the ship build programme. A number of potential facilities for assembly have been identified to date, including Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Inch Green on the Clyde, and Swan Hunter on Tyneside. Other potential assembly sites continue to be assessed and much will depend on the design and dimensions of the carrier that is eventually taken forward and the method of construction. The two prime contractors are due to submit proposals on ship procurement towards the end of this year. This will include preferred assembly sites together with an assessment of any required modifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the RAND study into warship procurement; and if he will make a statement. [57347]

Pursuant to my reply to the hon. Member on 16 July 2001, Official Report, columns 1–2W, RAND have completed their study into alternative procurement strategies for the Ministry of Defence's future warship programme. Interim results from the study helped inform the MOD's decision to proceed with a revised procurement strategy for the type 45 destroyer, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 July 2001, Official Report, columns 675–85.It was originally planned that RAND would publish a report of their findings last autumn. However, it has taken them longer than expected to produce it for a variety of reasons, including a redirection of effort to undertake more urgent work into shipbuilding strategies for the future carrier and disruption caused by the events of 11 September. RAND have also been at pains to produce the best possible report and have accordingly engaged in detailed consultation with interested parties over its content. The report is now very close to being finalised and is scheduled for publication this June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have held with representatives of local authorities to discuss options for RAF Lyneham. [57238]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: As the first round of the consultation process for the Strategic Review of RAF Lyneham, RAF Brize Norton and RAF St. Mawgan, a meeting was held between officials and representatives of the relevant local authorities and Regional Development Agencies on 29 January. As the review progresses, further meetings will be held. Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence nor I have met any representatives of local authorities to discuss options for RAF Lyneham.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where each of the (a) Astute class submarines and (b) EF2000 will be based. [57647]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The basing of the Astute class submarines is currently being considered as part of a wider review of base-porting and waterfront infrastructure. The review is proceeding to schedule and it is hoped that announcements will be made during the summer of this year. The Eurofighter will be based at RAF Leeming, RAF Leuchars and RAF Coningsby.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the length is of the PFI contracts for (a) the River class offshore patrol vessels and (b) the RN ro-ros; and what criteria he uses to decide the optimal length of PFI contracts on such ships. [57237]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The River class offshore patrol vessel contract is an operating lease arrangement rather than a pure PFI deal. It has a duration of five years with the option to extend. The ro-ro contract is still being negotiated but the intention is that it will be a service-based PFI running until 2024.The optimal length of any PFI type contract varies according to the circumstances of the particular deal. In practice this means taking account of the duration and scope of the requirement, the potential asset life and residual value at the end of the deal, and optimising capital financing charges. These key criteria are considered together with the scope for risk transfer to determine the length of contract that is expected to deliver the optimal value for money solution for the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on changes in the ownership of land at and adjacent to Throckmorton airfield since 1992 with reference to the Crichel Down rules. [57337]

Since 1992 the Ministry of Defence has not recorded any sales of land at Throckmorton airfield although some leases have been completed in areas of land and buildings. Most of the Throckmorton site, formerly known as DERA Pershore, is now owned by QinetiQ. The remainder of the site, used last year to deal with some of the consequences of the foot and mouth outbreak, is in the final stages of being transferred to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).All of the property sold to QinetiQ was exempted from the provisions of the Crichel Down rules under provision 14.6 concerning the transfer of Government functions to the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance has been provided to Nepal in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [57179]

Nepal is a long-standing friend of the United Kingdom and our armies have always had close links. Over the past five years, the UK has provided low-level military assistance to Nepal through the provision of places on training courses in the UK, limited training in country with UK experts and the supply of non-lethal equipment. The Royal Nepalese Army personnel have routinely sent students to our Joint Staff College at Shrivenham, on commissioning courses at Sandhurst and to the Royal College of Defence Studies.All our military courses are undertaken within the framework of the democratic and accountable use of military force in order to improve the general professionalism of the RNA. They include modules on legal use of force, proportionality and respect for human rights.The UK is also funding infrastructure work being undertaken at the regional peacekeeping centre at Panchkal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make an announcement about the A400M project. [57240]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence gave on 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 176W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the delay to the A400M project will have on his consideration of the future of RAF Lyneham. [57239]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The delay to the A400M project is not expected to have any effect on the conclusions that will be reached by the strategic review on the future roles of RAF Lyneham, RAF Brize Norton and RAF St. Mawgan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding will be made available for the facilitation of multinational brigades and possible multinational battalions for international operations as agreed in the meeting between the Defence Ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the UK in Alesund, Norway; what are the terms of the agreement; and if he will make a statement. [57681]

At the Nordic Defence Ministers' meeting in Alesund, I signed a Letter of Intent that provides the basis for the United Kingdom's co-operation with NORDCAPS (the Nordic Co-ordinated Arrangement for Peace Support). This builds on the co-operative arrangements that we already enjoy with our Nordic partners in the Balkans. Our involvement is on a case-by-case basis. It does not commit the UK to participate in operations, exercises or training, and no additional funding has been made available.NORDCAPS, and the UK's co-operation with it, is an excellent example of how multinational defence co-operation can enhance overall military capability. It is a pool of Nordic forces (in this case from Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden) available for peace support operations by summer 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the infantry wastage rate for Army recruits embarking on phase 1 of their infantry training was in each of the last five years; and what measures are in place to combat wastage. [57637]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The figures requested are as follows:

Per cent.
Year	Wastage rate for infantry phase 1 training
1997–98	29.6
1998–99	21.2
1999–2000	19.9
2000–01	23.9
2001–02	21.8

Measures in place to combat wastage include:Training teams at the Recruit Selection Centres to run military activities to motivate and enthuse the candidates. Candidates also receive briefing on what they can expect in training and the opportunity to meet recruits in phase 1 training. This applies to all employment groups.Phase 1 instructors undergo a two-week induction course designed to give them the skills to deal with new recruits and to help them provide nurturing to recruits during training to minimise wastage.Infantry phase 1 and 2 training has now been combined into one course at Catterick. Trials conducted last year showed that a considerable reduction in overall wastage could be achieved by allowing training to be more progressive over the combined course, particularly on the physical demands of infantry training. Rehabilitation facilities across the phase 1 training establishments and at Catterick have been improved to assist those recruits injured during training to recover more quickly and rejoin training.The adoption of the combined phase 1 and 2 infantry course has enabled mid-course leave and adventure training to be introduced into the syllabus at Catterick; a retention positive measure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Army recruits will wait for more than one month until they can be admitted to those waiting to be admitted to phase 1 of infantry training; [57638](2) how many soldiers are awaiting training. [57639]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: As at 16 May 2002, there were 2,668 potential recruits in the system who have passed selection (i.e. received a job offer) but have not yet enlisted (i.e. finally accepted the offer). This figure includes those who are awaiting allocation to a training vacancy; those who are already allocated but not yet enlisted because their allocated course is more than 21 days away; those who have chosen to delay entry for personal reasons, such as work or educational commitments; junior entrants whose courses do not commence until July and September this year; and finally a proportion who remain undecided on whether or not to accept the job offer. Of the 2,668, 474 are earmarked for the infantry already; 113 are awaiting a course allocation, 361 are allocated to a course commencing after 16 June 2002.This figure changes on an almost daily basis as new recruits commence training and others pass selection. The Army Training and Recruiting Agency's Allocation Committee meets weekly in order to plan the loading of recruits onto courses; the aim is always to minimise the waiting time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships will be involved in events connected with Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations; and if he will make a statement. [57802]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The key tri-service event is in Portsmouth on 27 June. The following ships will be present during Her Majesty's visit:

	Name of Ship
Aircraft carrier	HMS Ark Royal
Destroyer	HMS Cardiff
Frigate	HMS Cornwall
Frigate	HMS Kent
Frigate	HMS Lancaster
Offshore patrol vessel	HMS Alderney
Mine counter measure vessel	HMS Bangor
Mine counter measure vessel	HMS Cattistock
Mine counter measure vessel	HMS Hurworth
Mine counter measure vessel	HMS Penzance
University RN unit patrol craft	HMS Blazer
University RN unit patrol craft	HMS Dasher
University RN unit patrol craft	HMS Raider
University RN unit patrol craft	HMS Tracker
Royal fleet auxiliaries	RFA Fort Victoria
Royal fleet auxiliaries	RFA Sir Bedivere

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cadets there are in the (a) Army Cadet Force, (b) Air Cadets, (c) Sea Cadets and (d) Combined Cadet Force. [57806]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: As at 1 April 2001, the most recent date for which figures are available, the numbers of cadets was as follows:

	Number
Army Cadet Force	40,573
Air Training Corps	33,177
Sea Cadet Corps	10,662
Combined Cadet Force	40,783
Total	125,195

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets are in place for numbers of cadets. [57808]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: There are no targets set by any of the four cadet forces for numbers of cadets. We are constantly encouraging young people to consider the development opportunities offered by the cadets and hope to see as many as possible join in order to benefit from these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the complement is of each type 23 and type 22 frigate. [57643]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: The complement for each type 22 and type 23 frigate is shown in the table.

Ship	Complement
Type 22
Sheffield	234
Cornwall	240
Cumberland	238
Campbeltown	225
Chatham	239
Type 23
Norfolk	173
Marlborough	167
Argyll	169
Lancaster	169
Iron Duke	169
Monmouth	168
Montrose	168
Westminster	168
Northumberland	171
Richmond	169
Somerset	168
Grafton	168
Sutherland	169
Kent	168
Portland	168
St. Albans	173

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of (a) the minutes of meetings held between departmental ministers and the Chief Veterinary Officer and (b) the minutes of meetings and other communications between Ministers and (i) the Environment Agency, (ii) SEAC and (iii) European Union officials, in respect of dealing with foot and mouth, since the outbreak of the disease. [3959]

Minutes of meetings between Ministers and others are not normally disclosed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the advice which her Department and the Prime Minister received from the Chief Scientist on foot and mouth disease. [5253]

Advice which Ministers receive from officials is not normally made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of representations received from the UK retail industry from October 2000 about EU Regulation 2037/2000. [34842]

[holding answer 11 February 2002]: I will place copies of these representations in the Library within the next week, subject to agreement from the authors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what professional indemnity insurance clause is part of her Department's standard consultants' contract. [50828]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: The Department's standard conditions of contract for indemnity and insurance is set out below.

The Contractor shall indemnify the Department, the Crown, its servants and agents against all actions, claims demands, costs and expenses incurred by or made against each or any of them in respect of any loss or damage (including consequential and indirect loss, loss of profit, goodwill or revenue) or personal injury (including death) which arises out of or in connection with his and any sub-contractor's performance of the Services under this contract.

The indemnity contained in the Condition above shall not apply to the extent that the loss, damage or injury is caused by the negligent or wilful act or omission of the Department, the Crown or any servant or agent of the Crown.

The Contractor shall have in force and maintain and shall require any sub-contractor to have in force and maintain insurance with a reputable insurance company, including (but not limited) to employer's liability, public liability and professional indemnity insurance, for such range of cover as the Contractor deems to be appropriate but covering at least all matters which are the subject of indemnities or compensation obligations under these

Conditions in such sum as may be specified in the Contract Letter, or, if no such sum is specified, the sum of not less than £5,000,000 for any one incident and unlimited in total.

The policy or policies of insurance referred to in the condition above shall be shown to the Department whenever it requests, together with satisfactory evidence of payment of premiums.

The terms of any insurance or the amount of cover shall not relieve the Contractor of any liabilities under the Contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how often she has made an exception to the professional indemnity requirement of her Department's standard consultants' contract in the last five years. [50831]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received from small businesses about the level of professional indemnity insurance in contracts with her Department; and if she will make a statement about professional indemnity insurance with small contractors. [50832]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: From information held centrally, the Department is unaware of any recent representations received from small businesses about the level of professional indemnity insurance in contracts with the Department.Departments are expected to set the level of professional indemnity insurance at a level appropriate to the size of the contract and the level of risk involved. The terms of any insurance or the amount of cover shall not relieve the contractor of any liabilities under the contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of professional indemnity insurance was required by her Department of small businesses contracted with them in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and (f) 2002. [50829]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: DEFRA came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many small businesses have individual contracts with her Department. [50830]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: DEFRA came into being on 8 June, 2001. From information held centrally, it is estimated that DEFRA has dealings with 2,799 contractors falling to be classed as small businesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much agrimonetary compensation the Government can draw down for (a) dairy, (b) sheep and (c) arable farmers. [52417]

[holding answer 26 April 2002]: The Government could have claimed approximately £37 million for the dairy sector and £9 million for the sheep sector. No agrimonetary compensation was available for arable farmers in that package. While we acknowledge the difficulties the livestock sector is facing and are working with them on the recommendations of the Policy Commission on Farming and Food, we have decided not to make a claim on these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present, particularly as more than eighty per cent. of the £46 million would in effect have to be met by the British taxpayer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many digital radios are owned by her Department for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work; and what the (a) cost and (b) date of purchase of each radio was. [52848]

[holding answer 26 April 2002]: DEFRA came into being on 8 June, 2001. From information held centrally, no digital radios are owned by the Department for use in departmental buildings in which Ministers work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have taken place in each of the past 10 years in the value of (a) farmland and (b) farms and farm buildings. [51281]

[holding answer 29 April 2002]: Disaggregated data that distinguish overall farmland values from farms and farm buildings values are not available. Estimates for the valuations of land and buildings together in the UK can be derived on a consistent basis since 1993 from the aggregate agricultural balance sheet.

Estimated UK values—land and buildings1
As at December each year	£ million
1993	50, 702
1994	56, 286
1995	67, 876
1996	77, 424
1997	84, 038
1998	84, 643
1999	90, 605
2000	93, 665
1 The valuations of land and buildings are at average market prices. Includes the value of owner-occupied and tenanted land. Includes that proportion of the dwelling house that is attributed to business use.

One important component in determining such values are market prices and the relevant series for England are shown. The tables give the changes that have taken place in

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2002, Official Report, column 1064W, which countries other than Indonesia she has (a) made approaches to and (b) intends to approach for negotiations on illegal logging and associated trade. [53756]

The Government have informally discussed the memorandum with representatives of the United States, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Malaysia. The Government have also raised the memorandum with EU member states and the Commission at a recent European Union workshop on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade. The European Commission has recently committed to produce an Action Plan on illegal logging and associated trade by the end of this year.The Government also plans to raise the memorandum with both timber producing and timber consuming countries at the next Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Bali, 27 May to 7 June) and with African countries at the next African Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (Brazzaville in June) as a possible model for taking forward actions on combating illegal logging on a bilateral basis in support of existing international commitments, for example under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the proportion of her departmental budget allocated to the state veterinary service broken down by main category of expenditure, in each of the last 10 years. [54226]

Year	Administration costs (£ million)	Programme costs (£ million)	Capital (£ million)	Total expenditure (£ million)	Total budget (%)
1995–96	36.7	24.3	0.3	61.3	6.6
1996–97	32.0	35.1	0.5	67.6	6.0
1997–98	33.8	33.6	0.2	67.7	7.2
1998–99	34.2	47.0	1.0	82.3	8.8
1999–2000	35.5	37.2	1.7	74.3	7.6
2000–01	41.1	52.7	1.1	94.9	9.1
2001–02	45.6	48.4	1.0	95.0	1.7

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 162W, on the veterinary service, how many private veterinary surgeons have (a) applied, (b) received temporary appointments and (c) received permanent appointments as local veterinary inspectors broken down by region in each of the last 10 years. [56883]

[holding answer 16 May 2002]: Information regarding the number of private veterinary surgeons who (a) have applied, and (b) received temporary appointments as local veterinary inspectors (LVIs) broken down by region in each of the last ten years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Numbers of private veterinary surgeons who received new permanent appointments as LVIs broken down by region in each of the last ten years is set out in the table.

Year	North	East	West	Scotland	Wales
1992	29	61	11	30	11
1993	1,027	1,383	1,006	214	256
1994	190	165	98	56	47
1995	152	147	111	50	84
1996	128	156	97	41	49
1997	188	176	108	63	53
1998	160	195	112	52	42
1999	222	265	119	50	50
2000	195	298	130	52	73
2001	185	205	109	49	56

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to change the state veterinary service in Scotland. [56325]

[holding answer 15 May 2002]: The State veterinary service is a GB body responsible to all GB Agriculture Ministers. Were any changes to the existing arrangements as they apply to Scotland to be considered, then these would be developed fully with the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received regarding the future of the state veterinary service in Scotland. [56324]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The proportion of budget allocated to the state veterinary service has been:

[holding answer 15 May 2002]: None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee on agricultural structures and rural development is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [55661]

The European Union's Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development (STAR) covers issues regarding the implementation of the Rural Development Regulation and the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD; an instrument for support of rural development in pre-accession countries). The committee functions as an advisory or "management comitology committee" according to the issue before it.The committee normally meets monthly and has met 13 times in the last 12 months.The UK representation at the committee is provided by DEFRA. The Commission pays transport costs for two delegates attending each meeting. Our costs amount to approximately 4,000 (£2,500) per annum.Current issues under consideration at the committee are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee for the implementation of the directive on the reduction of the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56814]

The role of the Advisory Committee is to assist the Commission with matters on which it is required to take a decision under the provisions of the directive such as considering requests from member states for derogations and on the format of reports. There was one meeting of the Committee over the last 12 months at which the UK was represented by an official from my Department at a travel and subsistence cost of about £150. That meeting considered a request from Greece for a derogation; there are no other matters currently under consideration. The annual cost of the work includes the time taken to prepare for and attend meetings and the travel and subsistence costs incurred. Specific information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February 2002 (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of legislation on ambient air quality assessment and management is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56810]

The role of the Committee is to decide on amendments to technical measures described in the directive and to assist the Commission in preparing detailed instructions on the forwarding of information. There have been no meetings of the Committee over the last 12 months. The UK would usually be represented by an official from my Department. The annual cost of the work includes the time taken to prepare for and attend meetings and the travel and subsistence costs incurred. Specific information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost. There are no matters currently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of the directive on bathing water is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months is; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56797]

The Committee for the adaptation to the technical progress on the quality of bathing water is a regulatory committee provided for under Article 10 of the EC bathing water directive.The Committee has met twice over the last 12 months with the UK incurring £2,150 in annual costs. The UK can be represented by up to four policy officials.The Committee has recently been considering a revised bathing water policy and reporting arrangements under the existing bathing water directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on the protection of the environment and in particular of the soil when sewage sludge is used in agriculture is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56839]

Article 14 of Council Directive 86/278/EEC on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture, provides for the establishment of a committee to adapt the Directive to technical or scientific progress.This committee has not met in the last twelve months and has no items currently under consideration. If it were to meet, costs to the public purse would be limited to the cost of any additional work incurred in contributing to its considerations and any travel and subsistence expenses of officials representing the United Kingdom not met by the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the committee for the adaptation to technical progress of the Directive on air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56812]

This part of Directive 85/203/EEC on air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide has been repealed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on a limit value for lead in the air is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56813]

This part of Directive 82/884/EEC on a limit value for lead in the air has been repealed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee on the monitoring mechanism of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Community is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56729]

The Committee on the monitoring mechanism of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Community was established by Council Decision 93/389/EEC of 24 June 1993 (as amended by Council Decision 1999/296/EC of 26 April 1999). The monitoring mechanism is an instrument to assess accurately and regularly the extent of progress being made towards the Community's commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.The Committee has met twice in the last 12 months. The UK is usually represented by two officials from my Department. The costs incurred by the Department in contributing to the Committee's work are largely travel and subsistence costs of about £650 per meeting, incurred in attending the one day meetings in Brussels, and staff costs of about £700 per meeting. In addition to the time spent at the meetings themselves, officials spend a similar amount of time preparing for and reporting back on the meetings.Items currently being considered by the Committee include submissions to the UNFCCC on the EU greenhouse gas emissions inventory and a possible revision to the monitoring mechanism decision in the light of the Marrakech Accords.Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February 2002 (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government has encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56801]

The mandate of the EC Nitrates Regulatory Committee is to assist the European Commission in responding to scientific and technical progress relevant to the requirements of the Nitrates Directive.The Committee meets twice a year.Four representatives are permitted from each member state. The Commission pays for one representative to attend from each member state. Additional experts from the UK cost between £300 and £400 per representative per meeting.Items under consideration for the next meeting include a technical discussion on manure spreading on grassland, discussion of guidelines for monitoring groundwaters for high nitrate concentrations and discussion of criteria used to identify eutrophic waters. The Committee has also recently heard and voted on derogation requests from member states and discussed comparisons of implementation and Action Programme measures between member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the air quality limit values and guide values for sulphur dioxide and suspended particulates is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56811]

This part of directive 80/779/EEC on air quality limit values and guide values for sulphur dioxide and suspended particles has been repealed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Standing Committee for implementation of the Directive on the marketing of biocidal products is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56822]

I have been asked to reply.The Standing Committee on Biocidal Products (SCBP) has several functions specified in Directive 98/8/EC, including delivering opinions to the Commission on adoption of regulations governing the review of active substances; the inclusion of active substances in Annex I of the Directive; the mutual recognition of biocidal products across member states; the temporary authorisation of products in emergency situations; common conditions and minimum data requirements for authorisations for research and development purposes; and public disclosure and confidentiality of information. The first meeting of the SCBP took place on 18 May 2000. This has been its only meeting to date. There are no items currently under consideration by the SCBP. The UK representation at such meetings would depend on the subject(s) under consideration, and would normally consist of officials of the Health and Safety Executive. The draft rules prescribe that the Commission will cover the expenses of one representative per member state, and so the cost to UK public funds is minimal.Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1994/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of the House on 26 February 2002 (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government has encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on training in architecture is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56761]

I have been asked to reply.The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Training and Education in the Field of Architecture (ACETA) is to help to ensure a comparably high standard of education and training for architects throughout the Community and permit free movement of people and provision of services as Single Market objectives. It has met once in the last 12 months.The UK Delegation consists of one Government official from my Department, the chief executive of the Architects Registration Board, two representatives from the architectural profession, and two representatives from schools of architecture. The costs for the attendance by the Government official to the one day meeting in Brussels are approximately £500. The Committee has recently considered the compliance of university courses on architecture in member states with Directive 85/384/EEC, and in particular a number of Spanish diplomas.Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Commission Document 5685–02).As part of the review process, the UK Government has encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances (Seveso II) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56808]

I have been asked to reply. The European Commission has established a Committee of Competent Authorities (CCA) for the Seveso Directive under article 19 of the Directive.The mandate of the CCA is to promote coherent implementation and consistent application of the provision of the Directive throughout the Community. This necessitates close co-operation of the competent authorities of all member states and the European Commission. the CCA consists of representatives of the member states and the Commission services. It discusses issues concerning the implementation of the Seveso II Directive.The committee meets twice a year and is attended on behalf of the UK by representatives of the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. Where appropriate officials from other relevant Departments also attend. It is estimated that the annual cost to public funds in the UK is approximately £3,000.Recent meetings of the CCA have considered the role of the European Commission's major accident hazards bureau, implementation issues of the Seveso Directive in member states, land use planning issues around major hazard installations and relevant research. The comitology committee provided for by Article 22 of the Seveso Directive on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances has not met over the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Community framework for co-cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56809]

I have been asked to reply.The Management Committee on Marine Pollution is established under Decision No. 2850/2000/EC of 20/12/2000 of the European Parliament and the Council setting up a community framework for co-operation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution. This framework has been established for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006. The committee is composed of representatives of member states and is chaired by the European Commission.The aim of the committee is to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress and for the implementation of the Directive on contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56820]

I have been asked to reply.The Committee for adaptation to technical progress and implementation of the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms (GMMs) Directive (90/219/EEC as amended by 98/81/EC) is mandated to consider information on the

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Directive relating to the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions in respect of the marketing of new passenger cars is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [56816]

I have been asked to reply.The mandate of the committee is set out in Article 9 of Directive 1999/94/EC which deals with the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions in respect to the marketing of new passenger cars. The function of the committee is to deliver prompt adjustment of the detailed requirements of the Annexes to the Directive regarding the format of consumer information labels and guides, and the inclusion of fuel economy and CO

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to prohibit the use of partly and fully fluorinated hydrocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride in commercial and industrial processes and consumer products; and if she will make a statement. [56041]

[holding answer 13 May 2002]: The UK Climate Change Programme published in November 2000 set out our position on hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Currently, there are no plans to prohibit the general use of fluorinated gases.Under the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), the Environment Council, at its meeting of 12 December 2001, "Welcomed the intention of the (European) Commission, as announced in the ECCP Communication, to make a proposal for a Framework Directive on fluorinated gases, including containment of emissions from stationary and mobile sources, monitoring of quantities of fluorinated gases being placed on the market as well as marketing and use restrictions, where appropriate, for relevant applications where viable alternatives are available and if improvement of containment is not feasible, taking into account existing voluntary initiatives by some fluorinated gases industry sectors, where the development of alternatives is still ongoing."

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list new licences granted for the composting of waste in the last 12 months. [56034]

[holding answer 13 May 2002]: In England and Wales, the Environment Agency issued 7 new waste management licences to composting installations between November 2000 and November 2001. The installations were located in Hertfordshire, Lancashire (2), Leicestershire, Somerset, Surrey and the West Midlands. There are 67 licensed composting sites in total, with over 600 smaller installations registered as exemptions. Information on licensed composting installations will shortly be updated to 1 April 2002. Household composting is excluded from any licensing requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the draft EU Regulation on Animal By-Products will come into force; and if she has given consideration to the early implementation of those parts of the draft regulation which relate to composting. [56035]

[holding answer 13 May 2002]: The draft Animal By-Products Regulation has yet to be adopted and it is not clear when it will come into force. However, we expect it to apply in member states in the first half of 2003. We have commissioned a risk assessment on the risks to public, animal and plant health from the land spreading of composted catering waste and animal by-products. In the light of that assessment we will review our current legislation and consider whether this should be amended in advance of the EU Regulation coming into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to facilitate the granting of composting licences. [56037]

[holding answer 13 May 2002]: When an establishment chooses to apply to the Environment Agency for a composting site license the agency has a series of application and working plan guidance notes to assist in understanding the licensing process. The agency has also issued guidance and risk assessment procedures to help those operating smaller establishments who wish to register exemptions. In addition, the agency recently issued a standard waste management licence pack to those applicants with a low risk impact green waste composting proposal. This allows the use of a simplified application process that results in a speedier processing of the licence application. Finally, the agency has consulted on technical guidance for composting that will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are making claims for (a) sheep and (b) cattle premiums, by regional service centre, broken down by claims for (i) minimum threshold number, (ii) minimum threshold number to 10 animals and (iii) minimum threshold number to 20 animals. [56012]

[holding answer 13 May 2002]: The number of claims received broken down by regional service centre is set out in the table. Cattle premiums are not subject to minimum threshold numbers. For sheep the minimum threshold number is 10 animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the level of nitrates were in rivers in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) region and (b) river; and if she will make a statement; [56554](2) what assessment has been made by her Department of nitrate levels in rivers; and if she will make a statement. [56556]

In England and Wales the Environment Agency's general quality assessment (GQA) scheme is used to classify water quality in rivers and canals. Figures showing changes in quality against a baseline of 1990 are published each year by the Environment Agency. Results for Scotland are collected by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and in Northern Ireland by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.Chemical quality is assessed on the basis of biochemical oxygen demand and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and ammonia. Stretches of rivers and canals are classed as good, fair, poor or bad based on different degrees of chemical quality.Phosphates and nitrates are measured to determine the average concentrations of nutrients in rivers. Each monitored river stretch is assigned one of six grades from 1 (very low) to 6 (excessively high for phosphate, very high for nitrate). The grade assigned to the water is based on three years of sampling.Since the Environment Agency monitors water quality at about 7,000 sites representing 40,000 km of rivers and canals in England and Wales it would be impractical to list the results in the detail requested. However, they can be supplied electronically on application to the Environment Agency. In addition the Environment Agency website has a section called "What's in your backyard" which enables anyone with an interest in a particular river to obtain all available monitoring results for the particular stretch from 1990 to 2000. The website address is www.environment-agency.gov.uk.The following table summarises the results of assessments since 1990.

percentage length
GQA: nutrient status—nitrate	1995	2000
1	17.6	15.7
2	14.7	12.6
3	19.7	21.1

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on (a) the levels of phosphorous in and (b) the quality of rivers in each year since 1990; if she will break the information down (i) by region and (ii) by river; and if she will make a statement; [56559](2) what assessment has been made by her Department of levels of phosphorous in rivers; and if she will make a statement. [56560]

In England and Wales the Environment Agency's general quality assessment (GQA) scheme is used to classify water quality in rivers and canals. Figures showing changes in quality against a baseline of 1990 are published each year by the Environment Agency. Results for Scotland are collected by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and in Northern Ireland by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.Chemical quality is assessed on the basis of biochemical oxygen demand and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and ammonia. Stretches of rivers and canals are classed as good, fair, poor or bad based on different degrees of chemical quality.Phosphates and nitrates are measured to determine the average concentrations of nutrients in rivers. Each monitored river stretch is assigned one of six grades from 1 (very low) to 6 (excessively high for phosphate, very high for nitrate). The grade assigned to the water is based on three years of sampling.Since the Environment Agency monitors water quality at about 7,000 sites representing 40,000 km of rivers and canals in England and Wales it would be impractical to list the results in the detail requested. However, they can be supplied electronically on application to the Environment Agency. In addition the Environment Agency website has a section called "What's in your backyard" which enables anyone with an interest in a particular river to obtain all available monitoring results for the particular stretch from 1990 to 2000. The website address is www.environment-agency.gov.uk. The following table summarises the results of assessments since 1990.

percentage length
GQA: nutrient status—phosphate	1990	1995	2000
1	8.0	14.8	14.0
2	17.7	22.7	21.4
3	10.3	11.0	10.1
4	13.1	13.3	15.1
5	28.0	27.4	28.9
6	22.9	10.9	10.6
High	64.0	51.6	54.5

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment (a) has been and (b) is being made of the impact of the water framework directive and what measures will be required as a result; and if she will make a statement. [56553]

An assessment of the costs and benefits of implementing the directive was set out in the first consultation paper issued jointly by the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the National Assembly for Wales in March 2001. This partial regulatory impact assessment estimated total costs for England and Wales in the range of £2 billion to £9.2 billion: benefits in the range of £1.6 billion to £6.2 billion. A copy of the paper is in the House Library.We will consult on measures necessary under the directive in a second consultation paper this year.

GQA: Summary results for England and Wales
	A	B	C	D	E	F	Good or Fair	Poor or Bad
GQA: chemistry quality (percentage length)
1990	17.6	30.2	23.2	14.0	12.7	2.3	84.9	15.1
1995	26.9	32.7	21.0	10.3	8.1	1.0	91.0	9.0
1996	27.2	31.2	21.3	10.4	8.8	1.0	90.2	9.8
1997	26.3	30.5	21.4	10.8	9.9	1.0	89.0	11.0
1998	27.6	31.5	20.2	10.7	9.3	0.7	90.0	10.0
1999	29.1	34.2	19.6	9.2	7.5	0.6	91.9	8.1
2000	31.9	35.8	18.9	7.7	5.4	0.4	94.2	5.8
GQA: biological quality (percentage length)
1990	24.0	31.6	21.6	9.8	7.3	5.7	87.0	13.0
1995	34.6	31.6	18.4	8.1	5.4	1.9	92.6	7.4
2000	34.6	32.3	19.8	7.6	4.8	0.9	94.3	5.7