To ask the Prime Minister when he will next meet the President of the United States of America to discuss the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change; and if he will make a statement. [58367]

I have regular discussions with President Bush on a wide range of international issues. I expect to see him next on 28 May in Rome for the NATO/Russia Summit and on 25–27 June in Kananaskis for the G8 Summit.We welcome the US's recognition that climate change is a serious problem and the fact that they are taking domestic action. The UK continues to believe that the Kyoto Protocol remains the only workable basis to take forward international action to tackle climate change. We are maintaining a constructive dialogue with US ministers and officials.

To ask the Prime Minister what measures the United Kingdom will be proposing to tackle the illegal timber trade at the G8 Heads of State meeting in Vancouver, Canada. [56673]

The UK led the G8 work on illegal logging in the 1998 action plan, and has taken many actions to support measures by timber producing countries to control illegal logging. The G8 report on the action programme on forests will be published in the run-up to the G8 meeting in Canada. We want to concentrate on implementation of the programme.

To ask the Prime Minister if it is his policy to introduce legislation to allow a referendum on whether Britain should join the euro to Parliament before the five economic tests are assessed as having been met. [59807]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the right hon. Members for Ross, Skye and Inverness West (Mr. Kennedy) and for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) in the House on Wednesday 22 May, Official Report, columns 286–7 and 289–90.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions (a) his Office and (b) the Government have held with the European Commission on the appointment of the next head of the Commission Representation in the United Kingdom; when that post will become vacant; if the role of the Commission in a single currency referendum has been discussed, with particular reference to influencing public opinion; and if he will make a statement. [58770]

The Government has kept in close contact with the Commission as the recruitment procedure moves forward, while, naturally, respecting the Commission's independence in this process.The Commission has Representations in all Member States. Their role is to represent the Commission to the media, report to the Commission on political, economic and social development in the host state, and disseminate information about the EU through recognised outlets.The Government's position on the Single Currency remains a matter for the Government.The position was advertised as the subject of an open competition on 17 July 2001. An exact date for appointment of the new incumbent will depend on his or her individual circumstances.

To ask the Prime Minister when he was first informed of the (a) candidates and (b) short list for the replacement for the head of the Commission delegation to the UK. [58773]

The Commission has kept the Government informed at all stages about the procedure for the selection of the next Head of the European Commission Representation to the UK.The shortlist for the open competition for the position was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 21 March of this year.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many representations the Scottish Executive has made to his office since May 1999 broken down by (a) Scottish Executive department, (b) subject and (c) date the representation was made; [59505](2) how many times his Office has made representations to the Scottish Executive since May 1999 broken down by

Information is not available in the form requested. Both formal and informal contacts take place regularly between Government departments, including the Scotland Office, and departments of the Scottish Executive. My Office and the Scottish Executive are in contact from time to time. In addition, I have meetings with the First Minister on a regular basis, both bilaterally and through the Joint Ministerial Committee, to discuss matters of mutual interest.

To ask the Prime Minister, what plans he has to transfer the administration of reserved powers or functions of UK government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies within their remit from those departments to the Scotland Office. (59504)

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what areas were identified under the G8 programme of action on forests where the United Kingdom needed to improve its performance to combat the trade in illegally harvested timber; [56671](2) what action the United Kingdom

The UK led the G8 work on illegal logging in the 1998 action plan. The G8 report on the action programme on forests will be published in the run-up to the G8 meeting in Canada. It identifies the actions that have been taken by G8 members to combat illegal logging and associated trade. The UK has taken many actions to support measures by timber producing countries to control illegal logging. These include access to better information and analysis, establishment of monitoring and verification processes and policy and institutional reforms.Internationally we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia that commits both parties to work together to combat illegal logging and stop the trade in illegally logged timber between our countries. This important bilateral agreement for joint action by producer and consumer countries is the first of its kind. It is highly influential and is acting as a catalyst for the development of further agreements.In addition to our work within the G8 action programme we are working within the EU and with international organisations to broaden the base of countries engaged in actions to control illegal logging. The EU is developing an action programme that is examining the need for new legislation to provide effective enforcement. The UK, with others, is supporting a forest law enforcement process in Africa that will learn from the successful process started in Asia last year. We need to demonstrate progress with bilateral agreements and build these into regional and multilateral arrangements.Domestically the Government now requires all Departments to seek to procure only legally and sustainably harvested timber and wood products.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be governed until a replacement for Jose Bustani is appointed. [57950]

The Executive Council, which is the Executive organ of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will continue to function as normal. Its next meeting is on 31 May. The Director-General heads the Technical Secretariat that is responsible for assisting the Executive Council in the performance of its function. Until a new Director-General is appointed, the Technical Secretariat will be headed by the Deputy Director-General.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects a new Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to be appointed. [57949]

The Special Conference of States Parties (The Hague, 21–24 April) decided that it would reconvene no later than 10 June to appoint a new Director-General, following the formal recommendation of the Executive Council which is due to meet on 31 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries that are members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. [57948]

There are currently 145 State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). All States Parties to the CWC are members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). They are as follows: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, E1 Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Fiji, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many chemical weapons inspectors have been employed by the OPCW in each year since its creation; and what the projected numbers are for 2003; [58088](2) if he will list the staff at directorate and branch head level in the OPCW, together with the nationality of the

We do not hold this information. We will make enquiries and I will write to my hon. Friend, and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaneau Gwent (Llew Smith), of 8 May, Official Report, column 241W, on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, if he will make a statement on the reasons underlying his assessement that Mr. Bustani has lost confidence of a significant number of the OPCW's Executive Council. [57938]

The assessment was based on the views expressed by members of the OPCW represented on the Executive Council. It was borne out by the subsequent vote in which 17 supported the vote of no confidence, 18 abstained and only 5 opposed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his definition is of major shareholder in the context of member states of the OPCW; and what the implications are of the definition for the independence of the organisations. [58091]

There is no agreed definition of a major shareholder in the context of the OPCW. The use of this term has no implications for the independence of the Organisation, where each member has one vote. This term has, however, occasionally been used to describe those members who have continually been represented on the Executive Council, and the six largest financial contributors who provide approximately 70 per cent of the OPCW budget (the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK and Italy).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance has been offered to British companies who retain an economic presence in Burma in the last 12 months. [58025]

HMG does not encourage trade, investment or tourism with Burma. Companies asking for advice are informed about the political and human rights situation in Burma and told we will not provide any assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the military Government of Burma. [58026]

The UK maintains formal diplomatic links with Burma. Contact with the military regime in Burma is limited by the EU Common Position which contains a visa ban on senior members of the regime visiting the EU and a ban on High Level visitors from the EU travelling to Burma. There has however been contact at official level, most recently in late February/early March.An EU Troika mission also visited Burma in March 2002 for discussions with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, representatives of the ethnic minority groups and also members of the regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings his Department has had with (a) the NLD and (b) Aung San Sun Kyi as to how the British Government may aid them in bringing about democratic Government, equality before the law and enhanced human rights in Burma. [58023]

Our Embassy staff in Burma and visiting FCO officials meet regularly with representatives of the National League for Democracy. Our Ambassador has also met Aung San Suu Kyi since her release from house arrest.The EU Common Position on Burma includes an arms embargo, a ban on non-humanitarian aid, a ban on items that may be used for torture, a ban on high level visits and a visa ban and asset freeze on senior members of the regime. In addition the European Community suspended Burma's trading privileges in 1997 in response to concerns over the use of forced labour and the Government does not encourage trade, investment or tourism with Burma.Together with other EU partners, the Government takes every opportunity to encourage the military government, the democratic opposition and the ethnic minorities to press ahead with national reconciliation, with the aim of re-establishing democracy and the rule of law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made about the case of the imprisonment of Chinese Christians who were imprisoned for bible transportation. [58157]

We have been following closely the cases of three Chinese Christians imprisoned for bible transportation earlier this year. We welcome the fact that two of them have been released on health grounds. At the latest round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 15 May we raised our concerns about the protection of religious freedom in China.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of persecution of Christians in China and if he will make representations to the Chinese authorities about the persecution of Christians in China. [58156]

We are deeply concerned about the treatment of Christians in China and raise religious freedom regularly with the Chinese. We raised the treatment of Christians most recently at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 15 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the member state submissions on their national counter-terrorism programmes made to the United Nations Security Council, pursuant to SC resolution 1373 (2001). [157990]

Most of the UN's member states have submitted reports on their compliance with UNSCR 1373 (2001) to the UN Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC), which is chaired by the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. The CTC is analysing these reports collectively, with the help of independent expert advisers. At this stage, the CTC is seeking further information from all states that have submitted such reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list EU funds available for information campaigns in applicant countries; what the United Kingdom's share is; what measures exist to ensure impartiality; if he will list organisations which are recipients; and if he will make a statement. [58772]

In the Candidate Countries for accession to the European Union, information activities are carried out by the European Commission's Delegations.The following table shows the EC funding in euros for each delegation in 2001.

Country	Budget 2001—€
Bratislava	650,000
Bucharest	850,000
Budapest	1,000,000
Ljublijana	720,000
Prague	900,000
Riga	670,000
Sofia	550,000
Tallinn	611,375
Vilnius	680,000
Warsaw	1,559,000
Turkey	600,000
Cyprus	200,000
Malta	200,000

In accordance with normal budgetary principles, the own resources contributions of the Member States are not allocated to specific expenditure lines.The overall strategy for the information initiatives has been endorsed by the Council and implementation on the ground takes place in full consultation with the national Government concerned as well as with the embassies of the Member States in the relevant capital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will make up the delegation representing the United Kingdom Government at the G8 Heads of State meeting in Vancouver, Canada. [56670]

The G8 Summit of Heads of Government will be held on 26–27 June in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. The UK delegation will be led by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and include Baroness Amos, his Personal Representative on Africa. Around 25 officials from No. 10, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Treasury will join them as necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Afghan prisoners in Shebarghan prison are being held under the Geneva Convention. [59408]

It has not yet been possible to verify whether or not the prisoners in Shebarghan prison are being held in accordance with the Geneva Convention. However, we remain concerned about the reported conditions in which prisoners are being held in certain parts of Afghanistan.Security considerations have so far prevented our Embassy staff in Kabul from visiting these prisons. But they are in frequent contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which closely monitors the situation and welfare of all prisoners in Afghanistan.We have made clear to the Afghan Interim Administration that we expect them to respect their international obligations, including treating their prisoners in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on Afghan prisoners held at Shebarghan being sold back to their families. [59407]

We are concerned about reports that some prisoners previously held in Sheberghan have been ransomed.Security considerations have so far prevented our Embassy staff in Kabul from visiting these prisons. But they are in frequent contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which closely monitors the situation and welfare of all prisoners in Afghanistan.Throughout the conflict last autumn, we urged the Northern Alliance to respect the tenets of the Geneva Conventions and to treat humanely all those who surrendered and were taken prisoner. Since then, we have made clear to the Afghan Interim Administration that we expect them to respect their international obligations, including to treat their prisoners humanely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a substantive reply will be given to Eric and Kathleen Rodham's letter of 5 February, concerning an embargo on military exports to India, Pakistan and Israel, acknowledged on 11 February. [59227]

I sent a response on 9 May. I apologise for the delay in responding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he and his Department have had with the Indonesian Government on the enforcement of the Malino II agreement in the Moluccas Islands. [59235]

We welcome the agreement brokered by the Indonesian Government between the warring factions in Maluku to end the fighting. However, this is only the first small step to reconcile the warring communities and start the process of reconstruction and repatriation.The UK's message to the Indonesian government is clear and consistent: a long-term solution to regional conflicts can be achieved only through political negotiation and consultation with the people. Together with our European partners we are in regular, top-level dialogue with the Indonesian government, and urge them to maintain law and order and promote reconciliation in areas of conflict. The UK together with the EU issued a declaration welcoming the Malino peace agreement on 11 March. The declaration called on the Indonesian Government to take the necessary measures to enforce the Malino agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to promote the principle that activities of international organisations should be in the interest of all member states, with equal weight given to each vote. [58092]

Within international organisations, HMG seeks to build consensus but when votes are necessary in an organisation, HMG abides by the rules governing voting within that organisation. When these rules are drawn up or amended, government policy is to promote an equitable system of voting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what criteria armed forces personnel have been selected for medical treatment in the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [54134]

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: In broad terms the criteria used for referral to private healthcare providers under recent and current schemes relates to the likelihood of individuals returning rapidly to full fitness and to the operational priority of their particular role or trade, although the details vary between the different arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report, column 259W, whether the reimbursement by AWSR Ltd. for Government purchase of two ro-ro vessels built by Harland & Wolff will include interest; [56119](2) whether guarantees have been given by his Department in respect of the ro-ro vessels being built at Flensburg for AWSR Ltd. as part of the Strategic Sealift Service. [56120]

AWSR Shipping Ltd.'s reimbursement of the purchase price of the two Harland and Wolff built vessels will not include interest as the overall PFI arrangement will take the funding of the ships into account. At the time the four shipbuilding contracts were placed with Flensburger of Germany, the department accepted that it would assume responsibility for them in the event of a PFI contract failing to come to fruition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report, column 259W, what date was estimated by his Department for signature of the contract for the provision of the Strategic Sealift Service when AWSR Ltd. was announced as preferred bidder on 26 October 2000. [56116]

In October 2000 the Ministry of Defence estimated that contract negotiations could be concluded by the spring of 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (1) pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report, column 259W, which (a) Government departments and (b) regional and industrial bodies with an interest in the Strategic Sealift Service competition were consulted formally by his Department; on what dates; and on what dates responses to this consultation exercise were received; [56117](2) pursuant to his answer of 24 April,

Ministers have not met with AWSR Shipping Ltd to discuss the strategic sealift service. MOD officials have met them frequently as part of the contract negotiations. My hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met with representatives of the Seafarers' Unions at their request on 19 July 2001, specifically to discuss matters related to crewing of the strategic sealift service. MOD officials have met with those unions on a number of occasions. Consultation with Government Departments and regional and industrial bodies with an interest in the strategic sealift service competition was not on a formal basis and Ministerial discussions prior to 26 October 2000 were ad hoc. Details could only be gathered at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (1) pursuant to his answer of 30 April, Official Report, column 742W, whether the price quoted by AWSR Ltd. for provision of the Strategic Sealift Service and accepted by him in selecting AWSR as preferred bidder for the contract was based upon using sponsored reserve crews on the six ships when they were in Ministry of Defence use, with British officers and multinational crews when the ships were on commercial work; [56107](2) pursuant to his answer of 30 April,

AWSR's initial price reflected the arrangements described in my earlier answer. ASWR have not formally announced their intention to man the ships with British crews at all times but they made their negotiated position clear to the Trade Unions by 13 September 2001. The crewing arrangements underlying the unsuccessful bids are a matter for the companies concerned. Details of AWSR's bid costs are commercially sensitive and I am withholding the requested information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to his answer of 30 April, Official Report, column 742W, what the cost will be to the Exchequer of the introduction of a tonnage tax regime by AWSR Ltd. in the provision of six vessels for the Strategic Sealift Service; [56111](2) pursuant to his answer of 30 April,

The Government White Paper "British Shipping Charting a New Course" was published on 16 December 1998. The associated fiscal support was announced in the Finance Act 2000 and made available from 28 July 2000. Along with all the other bidders in the competition, AWSR Shipping Ltd made their final bid on 6 July 2000. The strategic sealift service proposed by AWSR Shipping Ltd. will create 184 new jobs, all of which will be filled by officers and ratings eligible to be Sponsored Reserves and recruited on the open market. AWSR Shipping Ltd. has assured the Ministry of Defence that it is committed to a level of training that meets the government's British Shipping Policy. Details of AWSR's bid are commercially sensitive and I am therefore withholding details of the costs associated with their tonnage tax position under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Of the companies making up the AWSR consortium, only James Fisher & Sons plc took part in the Government's shipping working party and only this company has ships registered under tonnage tax.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives to the Harland and Wolff Ro-Ro contract were considered; what assessment was made of the alternatives; and if he will make a statement. [57353]

Bidders in the strategic sealift competition proposed various means of meeting the Ministry of Defence's requirement. All bids were assessed comparatively in terms of value for money having regard to price, delivery and quality. AWSR Shipping Ltd's bid, which provided for early introduction of the RoRo service through ship construction divided between Harland and Wolff and Flensburger, won on merit. Once the process of evaluation had been completed and the selection made, alternatives to Harland and Wolff were not a consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the delays in the delivery of the first Eurofighter and on the cost of these delays. [56694]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 477W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Flight Lieutenant Holland's and Lieutenant Hamblin's letter in The Times on 13 May was approved by their commanding officers. [56705]

[holding answer 16 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 May, Official Report, column 777W, to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Mr. Soames).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list land in the ownership of QinetiQ; and what development proposals are under consideration for each such piece of land; [57335](2) if he will make a statement on his proposals for the development of Throckmorton airfield. [57334]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 856W, regarding the ownership of the Throckmorton airfield site (known as Pershore), and the answers I gave to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) on 13 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1162W–1164W, where I listed all the freehold and leasehold sites transferred to QinetiQ plc as part of the DERA PPP process, and commented on their development in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future military support vehicle contract. [58159]

Bids for the future military vehicle contract are expected from industry by the 25 June 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies were invited to tender for the military support vehicle contract plan to manufacture the vehicle in the United Kingdom. [58161]

We expect to receive bids by the 25 June 2002. We are therefore not aware of the companies manufacturing plans at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies have been asked to tender for the military support vehicle contract. [58160]

Five companies have been invited to tender for the military support vehicle contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the employment opportunities in the United Kingdom created by the contract for military support vehicles. [58162]

No assessment has yet been made of the employment opportunities in the United Kingdom created by the contract for Military Support Vehicles. Companies tendering for the contract have been asked to include proposals for UK Industrial Participation in their bids. The bids are expected by the 25 June 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial checks will be made on each of the companies bidding for the contract for military support vehicles by his Department before a decision is taken. [58163]

Following expressions of interest in this procurement prior to the issue of invitations to tender, a financial check of each potential bidder was undertaken. A further assessment will be made upon receipt of bids.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soliders have been affected by dysentry in the last 12 months; if it is clear what caused it; how many soldiers have been put into quarantine in Afghanistan; if the source of any poisoning has been found; and whether other coalition forces have been affected. [57795]

[holding answer 20 May 2002]: According to available records, over the 12 months period up to 30 April 2002, there were six cases of dysentery amongst Army personnel. Two were cases of amoebic dysentery which is caused by a parasitic infection, and four were cases of Shigella Sonnei dysentery caused by a bacterial infection.Twenty-eight Service personnel in Afghanistan are being or have been treated by 34 Field Hospital for Winter Vomiting Disease. Winter Vomiting Disease is caused by an organism called small round structured virus (SRSV) which is the most common cause of gut infection in this country. Some 340 Service personnel in Afghanistan were placed in isolation while the nature of the illness was being investigated. Following confirmation of the underlying cause and measures put in place to control the outbreak, the quarantine of 34 Field Hospital and the Camp in which it is located has now been lifted. We are not aware of any coalition forces who are similarly affected. In addition, other personnel deployed in Afghanistan have suffered at various times from diarrhoea. This is not uncommon in this type of theatre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Parachute Regiment personnel deployed in Afghanistan were Territorial Army; and what was the overall personnel shortfall. [57878]

A contingent from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment was deployed to Afghanistan between 1 January and 10 April 2002. The size of the contingent was dictated by the assessment of the mission at the time. There was no personnel shortfall and therefore no need to augment the contingent from elsewhere in the Regular Army or the Territorial Army (TA). Two members of the TA from the Parachute Regiment have been mobilised for service in Afghanistan, and they have served in the brigade headquarters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the total costs of UK operations in Afghanistan will come from the Ministry of Defence budget; and if he will make a statement. [58863]

All the additional costs incurred on Operations in Afghanistan identified in 2001–02 were funded from the Conflict Prevention Pool budget and the Treasury Reserve as detailed in the Spring Supplementary Estimates 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions British forces in Afghanistan are undertaking to destroy heroin stockpiles. [58915]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 12 March 2002, Official Report, column 870W. The task force formed around 45 Commando is concentrating on operations against remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British military involvement in Afghanistan. [59224]

British troops in Afghanistan have been carrying out both security assistance and combat tasks; this dual role has not caused any significant problems. The United Kingdom has led, and made a substantial contribution to, the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul since its inception. Our troops have been widely praised for their work in helping the Interim Administration to maintain security and stability in Kabul as the Afghans begin the rebuilding of their shattered country. The number of British troops committed to ISAF in Kabul is now under 1,400, compared with 2,100 at its peak. We welcomed Turkey's announcement on 29 April that it would take over the leadership from the UK, and are finalising the arrangements.The deployment to Afghanistan of a battlegroup of up to 1,700 troops formed around 45 Commando Royal Marines has also produced significant results. The Royal Marines have so far completed three operations. All three have contributed towards denying the terrorists the opportunity to regroup, operate, and destabilise the peace process in Afghanistan. This is vital if Afghan society is to return to normality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was (a) the start date, (b) the conclusion date and (c) the cost of (i) Operation Ptarmigan, (ii) Operation Snipe and (iii) Operation Condor; and if he will make a statement; [58864](2) what the average cost is

Operation PTARMIGAN began on 15 April and concluded on 18 April. Operation SNIPE began on 1 May and concluded on 13 May. Operation CONDOR commenced on 17 May and concluded on 22 May. The costs of these Operations cannot be separated from the overall cost of Operation JACANA.The costs of the United Kingdom contributions to ISAF and the Royal Marines operations in Afghanistan are not incurred on a daily basis and to make such a calculation would be artificial and misleading. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as an estimate has been produced and actual monthly costs are available, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are annual flying mile restraints on the leased C17s. [58133]

Under the terms of the lease contract for the four C17 aircraft, there are no restrictions on the number of miles or hours that may be flown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many C130J aircraft are on order; how many are operational; and when they will all be in service. [58154]

A total of 25 C130J aircraft have been delivered to the Ministry of Defence and no further aircraft are on order. Twenty-three are in-service with the RAF and the remaining two are on loan to QinetiQ.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how far lack of availability of C17 aircraft has increased dependency on C130 Mk1 and C130 Mk3; what effect this has had on forces' training that would normally involve C130 Mk1 and C130 Mk3; and what resulting cancellations there have been in training in the last two years. [58153]

At no point during its service to date has unavailability of the C17 contributed to an increased dependency on the operation of Hercules C130K aircraft. The high flying rate of the C17 has, in part, been as a result of attempts to relieve the workload on other aircraft, including the Hercules C130. Increased utilisation of the C130 is attributable only to the upsurge in Operational flying and would have been exacerbated had the C17 aircraft not been available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions there are on the use of the leased C17s; and if these differ from restrictions imposed on the USAF in their lease of the C17. [58134]

There are no contract restrictions on our use of the leased C17 aircraft. The C17 aircraft operated by the USAF were purchased, not leased, from Boeing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current operational status and serviceability of the RAF's four leased C17A Globemaster III transport aircraft. [59278]

There are four C17 aircraft in operational service with the RAF, which provide an outsize strategic airlift capability and supplement the existing air transport capability. On 22 May 2002, three of the four aircraft were fully serviceable and conducting operations. One aircraft was undergoing routine pre-planned maintenance. Since the arrival of the C17 into RAF service, it has consistently performed above expectations, while its serviceability record has been comparable with that of the Hercules fleet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many C17 transport aircraft are (a) fully serviceable and (b) unserviceable; and if he will make a statement. [59232]

On 22 May, three C17 aircraft were fully serviceable and one C17 aircraft was undergoing pre-planned routine maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees under contract from temping agencies were working in his Department; and how much will be spent on temporary staff (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the total staffing budget in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [58185]

[holding answer 22 May 2002]: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Temporary staff are generally used as an interim measure to fill posts that cannot be filled conventionally in the required timescale or to cover short term peaks in workload.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many houses the armed forces have in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland. [58576]

At 1 May 2002 the Defence Housing Executive managed some 52,100 homes for Service families in mainland UK. Of these some 3,400 properties are in Scotland. An additional 3,200 properties in Northern Ireland are managed by the staff of the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on access to medical services within the armed forces. [57972]

[holding answer 22 May 2002]: On operational deployments medical support to the Armed Forces is provided by the Defence Medical Services, or in some circumstances through joint arrangements with allies and partners, particularly on sustained operations where this represents a sensible use of medical resources. Healthcare for personnel who are not deployed is normally provided by Service and civilian Ministry of Defence personnel and through the NHS, although some limited use is made of the private sector to meet particular needs. In Germany, healthcare is provided under arrangements that also involve the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association and five German hospitals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are applied to the commercial use by private firms of RAF stations. [59229]

Under the Government's Wider Markets Initiative, the RAF seeks to maximise use of irreducible spare capacity. Sustained commercial activity on an RAF station is usually exposed to full and open competition. Short-term use of the Ministry of Defence assets, including its estate, is subject to an appropriate licence, lease or contract. In all circumstances, military operations would retain primacy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent approaches have been made by private airlines to develop commercial civilian services from (a) RAF Kinross and (b) RAF Lossiemouth. [59228]

No formal proposals have been put forward by airline companies for the development of commercial civilian services from RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will state, for each train operating company, (a) when the franchise was first renewed, (b) the length of the original franchise awarded, (c) the dates on which the franchise has since been awarded, (d) when the franchise is next due to be awarded, (e) the changes in the ownership which have taken place since the franchise was first awarded and (f) changes in the franchise since December 2001. [56563]

The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House and most of it is also available on the SRA's website as SRA.gov.uk except for details of changes to franchise agreements since December 2001 which are held on the Strategic Rail Authority's Public Register, available for inspection at their offices or for purchase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment has been made of the success of (a) the postal vote and (b) other experimental voting systems; and what assessment has been made of extending the postal vote to general elections. [57160]

The Electoral Commission began its evaluation on 3 May of the electoral pilot schemes which took place in the recent local elections, and will provide a detailed assessment of the impact of new voting methods to the Secretary of State by 2 August 2002. Early indications are that all-postal ballots can increase turnout and the various electronic means of voting were positively received. We will wish to consider the Commission's evaluations carefully before making decisions on the future use of postal voting in elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many cases of vandalism of railway tracks were reported in each of the past five years; what the average annual cost of repairing vandalism to the rail network has been in the last five years; and what initiatives are being pursued to prevent vandalism of the rail network. [58062]

Information held by the British Transport Police on reported vandalism offences in each of the last five years is contained in the following table:

Year
1997–1998	13,751
1998–1999	12,855
1999–2000	13,743
2000–2001	13,349
2001–2002	15,075

(Vandalism offences include offences such as criminal damage, arson, graffiti, vandalism rolling stock, etc., endangering safety, obstructing trains, throwing missiles and stonethrowing.)Railway Safety have estimated that the repair bill for the industry resulting from vandalism is some £25 million per year.Current initiatives to reduce vandalism of the rail network include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice he has commissioned on rail safety and the state of Railtrack's assets since the appointment of an administrator for Railtrack. [58015]

Although the general safety record of the railway is good, the industry continues to focus on putting right specific weaknesses including those revealed by major accidents and in particular acting on the recommendations by Lord Cullen. It is for the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that the safety case for Railtrack is complied with.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many engineers and trained safety staff have left Railtrack Plc in the last seven months. [58018]

Railtrack has told the Department that they continue to attract good numbers of high quality candidates for vacancies at all levels of the organisation. They are doubling their graduate intake from 35 to 70 and are particularly pleased with the number and strength of the applications received. Since 8 October Railtrack have recruited 69 qualified engineers. They are on course to achieve the target of 1,000 engineers in post within 18 months. Overall turnover rates, at some 10 per cent remain steady, with engineers lower at 6 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice on safety he received in the weekly and four-weekly management reports from Railtrack in Administration. [58010]

The weekly and four weekly reports that the Department receives deal exclusively with financial matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice the former Deputy Chief Inspector of Railways gave to the Administrator of Railtrack and himself following his appointment last year to ensure that safety in the railways is maintained. [58009]

Alan Cooksey, the Health and Safety Executive's former Deputy Chief Inspector of Railways was recruited by the Administrator to ensure that technical safety issues are properly considered. His responsibilities are to the Administrator and not to the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many children have been found trespassing on railway lines in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [58339]

[holding answer 22 May 2002]: Information held by the British Transport Police on the number of juvenile trespassers each year since 1997 is contained in the following table:

Year	No.
1998–1999	4188
1999–2000	3573
2000–2001	3175
2001–2002	2647

(Juvenile trespassers include those 17 or under.)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) whether the pavement condition assessment undertaken by the Highways Agency at Hendy Cross junction has been completed; and when it will be published; [58620](2) whether the geotechnical investigation undertaken by the Highways Agency at Hendy Cross junction has been completed; and when it will be published; [58619](3) whether a pre-order exhibition concerning the Hendy Cross junction will be held in High Wycombe in the autumn; [58669](4) when he will publish the environmental statement in relation to the Hendy Cross junction; [58618](5) when he will publish statutory orders under the Highways Act 1980 in relation to the Hendy Cross junction; [58617](6) whether the Highways Agency has decided to use an early design and build contract for construction of the improvements at Hendy Cross junction; [58627](7) whether short-term improvements to Hendy Cross junction are complete. [58616]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what projects have been commissioned by his Department into electronic voting since June 2001; which local authorities used electronic voting in the May 2002 elections; and in each case what the voting levels were in (a) 2002 and (b) the previous local authority elections. [58573]

In August 2001, we jointly commissioned research by a team led by De Montfort University into the potential barriers to electronic voting. Our partners in this research included the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association. The findings from this research were published on 23 May 2002.The local authorities that used electronic processes in the May 2002 local and Mayoral elections, and the turnout figures for them have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many freight trains operated between France and the UK in the week of (a) 1 March 2001, (b) 11 November 2001, (c) 23 December 2001 and (d) 12 May 2002. [R] [58742]

I understand from the railway operator that the figures are as follows:

Date
Week of 1 March 2001	78 trains*
Week commencing 11 November 2001	23 trains
Week commencing 23 December 2001	11 trains**
Week commencing 12 May 2002	27 trains
*1 March 2001 was a Thursday whereas the three other dates are Sundays. This figure is calculated from the total train movements for March 2001.
**This week covered the holiday period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in which areas the housing pilots for lone parents under 18 years of age will be sited; who is running each of the pilots; how much the pilots have cost so far; what form the evaluation of the pilots will take; and when the pilots are due to finish. [58765]

The table below provides the information requested on the housing pilots for teenage parents under 18 being funded through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme an Supported Housing Management Grant.

Teenage Pregnancy Pilot Schemes
Registered Social Landlord	Area	Approved Development Programme (capital) spend to date	Supported Housing Management Grant (revenue) spend to date
Metropolitan HA	Brixton, Lambeth	141,050	0
Nottingham
Community HA	Nottingham	87,500	6,454
Tuntum HA	Nottingham	130,000	37,002
West Penine HA	Oldham	265,042	18,991
Bromford
Carinthia HA	Stoke on Trent	165,000	0
Bromford
Carinthia HA	Sandwell	0	17,006
Bromford
Carinthia HA	Sandwell	171,600	0

The Department will shortly commission research to monitor and evaluate the Approved Development Programme pilots for teenage mothers and supported accommodation provision funded through the Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund. The research will track the users of the supported accommodation, assess how well it meets their requirements and support needs, and how successful they are in achieving independence when they are ready to move on. The research will also assess the success of the schemes in terms of outcomes achieved, relative to their cost.We anticipate that these schemes will lose their pilot status on completion of the evaluation study in December 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many representations the Scottish Executive has made to his Department since May 1999, broken down by (a) Scottish Executive department, (b) subject and (c) date; [59520](2) how many times his Office has made representations to the Scottish Executive since May 1999, broken down by

My Department has regular exchanges with the Scottish Executive, both formal and informal, at Ministerial and official level. Details are not collated centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to transfer the administration of reserved powers and functions of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies within its remit from to his Department the Scotland Office. [59519]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fire stations there were in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1997. [58903]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, columns 239–242.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consultation his Department has initiated on the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. [58867]

We have initiated no consultation on the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. However, as I informed the House in my answer of 22 November 2001 to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Opik), Official Report, columns 755W, we would welcome a public debate on the issue. It is also open to the Electoral Commission to consider it and make recommendations for future policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many and what total amount of fines were imposed on those who failed to register on the electoral register in (a) the UK, (b) Greater London and (c) Enfield in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [58966](2) how many cases of failure to register on the electoral register have been prosecuted in

This information is not centrally recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what action he is taking to increase the take up of (a) postal voting and (b) proxy voting to increase turnouts in elections; and if he will make a statement. [58964](2) what action is being taken to increase the numbers registered on the electoral register; and if he will make a statement. [58971](3) what action is being taken to publicise the need to register on the electoral register; and if he will make a statement. [58970]

Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, responsibility for promoting public awareness of electoral systems and carrying out programmes of education and information is now for The Electoral Commission. I understand that The Electoral Commission is this year launching two main advertising campaigns to promote public awareness of the availability of absent votes and to encourage completion and return of the annual electoral registration form.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission regarding a review of election law; and if he will make a statement. [58963]

In its report on the 2001 general election, The Electoral Commission outlined its plans to review a number of areas of electoral law and practice. Many of those reviews are now under way and my Department is heavily involved with them. I understand that the Commission intends to produce recommendations in time for them to be considered before the next election. In addition, there is considerable day-to-day contact between the Commission and the Department on a range of electoral issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many prosecutions have been undertaken for non-registration with electoral registration officers; and if he will make a statement about the future of this offence in relation to access to electoral roll data without the consent of the voter. [59172]

Information on the number of prosecutions for non-registration is not held centrally. There are no plans to amend the legislation requiring electors to supply information for registration. We published on 13th May our proposals to restrict access to, and sale and supply of, the electoral registers and the purposes for which they may be used. Our intention, subject to consultation and Parliamentary approval, is to make regulations before the summer recess. The increased privacy afforded by our proposals will reassure electors when providing information for registration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made in developing technology to limit the speed of motor vehicles on public roads. [58878]

A research project into External Vehicle Speed Control was carried out on behalf of the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions between 1997 and 2000. An Executive Summary of the results is available on the Department's website and copies have been placed in the library.A further project into Intelligent Speed Adaptation began last year and is expected to end in 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he intends to take to reduce the number of pedal cyclists who ride through red traffic lights. [59109]

The Highway Code and road traffic law apply to cyclists as much as to anyone else. It is an offence under section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to fail to comply with a traffic sign and the maximum fine is £1,000. The police can also prosecute cyclists who ride carelessly or dangerously and these offences carry maximum fines of £1,000 and £2,500 respectively. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent forecasts of future trends in UK port traffic have been made by his Department; and what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient port capacity will be available to meet predicted demand. [58832]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 22 April 2002, Official Report, column 57W, in which I referred to our ports policy paper, "Modern Ports—A UK Policy", published in November 2000, and a discussion paper, "Recent developments and prospects in UK container ports", published in July 2001. Copies of both documents were placed in the Library. The Department plans to undertake shortly a further study like the one on containers on roll-on roll-off ferry capacity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what studies his Department has carried out to assess the likely contribution of port development to (a) integrated transport policy and (b) wider sustainable development objectives. [58833]

I refer my hon. Friend to our ports policy paper, "Modern Ports—A UK Policy", copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The paper recognises the importance of ports in integrated transport and the importance of addressing this in regional planning guidance, and associated regional transport strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what revised guidance he has issued about the siting and operation of speed cameras. [58826]

[holding answer 23 May 2002]: The most recent announcement was made by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Transport on 3 December. The rules announced ensure cameras will be visible and conspicuous as a condition of the Netting-Off arrangements whereby safety camera partnerships may recover their costs from revenue raised from fixed penalty tickets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which proposals for new ports are under consideration that fall into the category of major infrastructure projects as defined by the Government's consultation paper, New Parliamentary Procedures for Processing Major Infrastructure Projects. [58888]

Proposals for port developments are handled under a range of existing legislation (including the Harbours Act, the Transport and Works Act and the Town and Country Planning Act). Under the proposals for New Parliamentary Procedures for Processing Major Infrastructure Projects set out in the Government's consultation paper, only those projects of national importance which are designated by the Secretary of State, in the light of the definition proposed in Annex C of the paper, would be put to Parliament as major infrastructure projects for its consideration in principle. Designation of projects will be on a case by case basis under the proposed new legislation if enacted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his Department will include the reduction of age discrimination in access to employment and services in future guidance on the evaluation and accreditation of local strategic partnerships. [59001]

The Government does not intend to include the reduction of age discrimination in access to employment within guidance on the accreditation of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). It is for the LSP to decide its objectives and priorities for action based on an assessment of local needs and in consultation with partners from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the estimated cost is of establishing an elected South West Regional Assembly including the costs of a referendum and of the first elections; and what the estimated running costs are in each of the first three years. [60024]

The costs of establishing elected regional assemblies will vary from region to region, mainly because of different sizes of their electorates. But we expect them all to fall in a range around £15 million to £30 million a region, including the costs of a referendum and of the first assembly elections. The South West is likely to be towards the middle of this range. Chapter 5 of the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, gave our estimate of the running costs of an elected assembly—around £25 million a year, or around £20 million excluding the costs of staff who will transfer from existing public bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if an elected regional assembly will have the power to impose unitary authorities on existing county and district councils if so recommended by the Boundary Committee. [60025]

Our proposals for local government reorganisation in regions which have voted to have an elected assembly are set out in paragraphs 9.8 to 9.11 of the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, published on 9 May. The orders required to implement a reorganisation will be made by the Secretary of State and will need to be approved by Parliament. This process will run in parallel with the process for establishing an elected assembly for the region. But the assembly will have no powers or responsibilities involving the structure of local government in its region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what further steps he proposes to take to ensure that road safety targets for 2010 are met; to what extent the most recent road safety statistics are in line with current targets. [59603]

The Government's strategy for achieving its casualty reduction targets for 2010 was set out in Tomorrow's roads—safer for everyone published in March 2000. We publish quarterly progress reports on the department's website.There were 41,564 road deaths and serious injuries in Great Britain in 2000—the latest figure currently available. This was 2 per cent down on the figure for 1999 and represented a 13 per cent reduction against the average for 1994 to 1998 which is the baseline for the 40 per cent reduction that we want to achieve by 2010.There were 5,202 child road deaths and serious injuries. This was 9 per cent down on the figure for 1999 and a 24 per cent reduction against the 1994–1998 baseline for the 50 per cent reduction we want to achieve by 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will reply to the Questions from the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham Ref. 42127 tabled on 6 March and Ref. 47381 tabled on 10 April. [59548]

I answered Question Ref. 42217 (not 42127 as stated in the text of this question) on Monday 11 March, Official Report, column 753W.I understand Question Ref. 47381 was tabled to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and is not therefore a matter for my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what future role (a) regional development agencies and (b) Government offices for specific regions will play in areas that introduce elected regional assemblies. [59551]

Chapter 4 of the White Paper Your Region, Your Choice (Cm 5511) sets out the role of elected regional assemblies in relation to Regional Development Agencies and some functions currently discharged by the Government Offices. Chapter 8 of the White Paper describes the continuing role of the Government Offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost of complying with best value auditing requirements on councils (a) in England and (b) each council in England. [59437]

In 2001, the most recent year for which figures are available, the total cost of undertaking Best Value Performance Plan audits was £11.45 million. The average cost to councils, by type, was:

• £52,500—London Boroughs
• £43,400—Metropolitan Councils
• £37,500—Unitary Authorities
• £37,500—County Councils
• £21,500—District Councils

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost is of the Supporting People Partnership (a) nationally and (b) in West Sussex. [59588]

The Government allocated £25 million in 2001/02 and £48 million in 2002/03 to implement the Supporting People programme. Implementation grants to West Sussex, including its district authorities, total about £222,000 and £456,000 in the same years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to provide guidance to regional planning bodies on their consideration of multi-modal studies. [60379]

I have today written to the Chair of each Regional Planning Body in the following terms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the Consultation document "Accelerating Change"; what role Constructionline will play in public sector tendering; when Constructionline was formed; what percentage of public sector tenders were vetted by this company in each of the last three years; how many are expected in each of the next three years; what financial sanctions will be imposed on those public sector bodies that do not use Constructionline; and what investigations he has carried out into the cost effectiveness of alternative companies to Constructionline. [57252]

I have been asked to reply.I welcome the efforts of the Strategic Forum for Construction, which launched the Accelerating Change consultation document on 22 April. It is important that Rethinking Construction principles are adopted deeply and widely throughout the industry and among its clients. The challenge for the Forum, with support from DTI, is to ensure the final document secures widespread commitment to deliver change.Constructionline saves its clients (and registered firms) the bureaucracy and time otherwise required to process information about construction firms' underlying capacity and capability to undertake the types of work for which they offer themselves. Constructionline was formed in 1998. It does not vet tenders—it addresses pre-tender enquiries. It is a voluntary service free to clients. Constructionline is owned by government and operated by a private sector partner following a tendering exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the board memberships for each regional development agency; whom she has consulted as representatives of local authorities whose areas fall within the agency's area before making the appointments to the board for each regional development agency; against what criteria applicants to the board of regional development agencies were judged; and what representations she has received concerning her appointments of the board members of regional development agencies. [58388]

In accordance with the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, representatives of employers, employees, local authorities and those who live, work or carry out rural issues are consulted before appointments are made to the RDA boards. All stakeholders are consulted on all appointments.RDA appointments are made in accordance with the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments' Code of Practice. The selection criteria are drawn up for each round of appointments. I have placed in the library of the House the Information for Candidates for the last two apointments rounds, which includes the job specifications. There have been many replies to the various appointments rounds and details of these cannot be produced except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the fireworks injury statistics for 2001; and if she will make a statement. [42754]

The total number of persons recorded as attending hospital casualty departments in Great Britain during the 2001 bonfire night period was 1362. This represents an increase of 40 per cent on the previous year's total of 972. There were no deaths in the 2001 Bonfire period but we are aware of one death occurring outside the recording period.The increase in recorded accidents causes great concerns. We continue to do all we can to promote safety and to prevent misuse of fireworks.I am arranging for copies of the injury figures together with the analytical and regional tables to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses as well as on the DTI website: www.dti.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the proposed transposition of the EU e-commerce Directive into UK law, as set out in the Government's consultation document, is materially different from the form of transposition adopted by Germany. [54877]

The aim of transposition is to reproduce faithfully the meaning of a Directive in—and in accordance with the practice of—national legislation. Member States may therefore adopt different wording in order to achieve the same effect and often do so. Whatever the textual differences, the Government's understanding is that the German legislation transposing the E-Commerce Directive has the same intention as the draft UK Regulations on which public consultation closed on 2 May. The Government is now considering whether the wording of the UK Regulations giving effect to that intention can be improved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from (a) the e-envoy and (b) the Cabinet Office with regard to the implementation of the EU e-commerce Directive. [54878]

The Department has worked closely with all branches of Government, including the Office of the e-Envoy and the Cabinet Office, in formulating its approach to, and proposals for, implementing the E-Commerce Directive and will continue to do so in finalising those proposals in the light of responses to the recent public consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the world's electronic commerce business was conducted in Britain, (a) in March 2000 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [57553]

We have been unable to locate official statistics through ONS, OECD (or any other international group) that would allow a comparison between the UK and global levels of e-commerce value.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the consultancies which have been commissioned by Consignia in each of the last three years, their remit and their cost. [55588]

Under the commercial freedoms model enshrined in the Postal Services Act 2000, this is a commercial matter for the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the decision of Consignia to close the Dartford Parcelforce Depot. [57111]

Parcelforce Worldwide is losing £15 million per month. Despite investment of around £200 million in recent years, Consignia has failed to turn its parcels operation around and a new approach was needed to restructure and re-position the business. Closure of Dartford depot in August will result in business moving to a nearby facility in Charlton.The loss of jobs as a result of restructuring is regrettable. The company will offer as many as possible of those affected the option of continued employment with a different part of the business or a voluntary redundancy package.The decision to restructure Parcelforce was taken by the Board of Consignia. The Government accepts that action is necessary to stem the company's losses. Undertaking this action is a commercial matter for the Board of Consignia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who from her Department attended the Oslo Meeting from 6–8 May on nuclear accidents; and if she will make a statement. [56129]

No-one from my Department attended the meeting. Representatives from the UK Competent Authorities (DTI and DEFRA) under the International Atomic Energy Agency's Early Notification and Assistance Conventions were invited but were unable to attend owing to prior commitments and the need to prepare for a UK national exercise. The meeting in Oslo was a follow-up meeting to one held in June 2001 which was attended by UK representatives. Officials in DTI and DEFRA will be informed of the proceedings in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the basis and outcome of the ISIS nuclear emergency exercise held in May. [57981]

Exercise Isis was held on 10 May 2002 based on a simulated emergency at Bradwell Power Station. This was part of an ongoing programme of regular off-site exercises for civil nuclear installations. These test the off-site facility for each site, in this case based at Essex Police HQ in Chelmsford, and involve a wide range of local and national agencies. As this was the National (level 3) exercise for 2002/03, this also tested the various government departments at their headquarters. The exercise tested the response to an event with off-site consequences wider than those usually tested.Preliminary indications are that this was a successful and worthwhile exercise. It is too early to comment in detail, as the process of collecting the considered comments of all participating organisations is still ongoing. As with all such exercises, the lessons will be fully evaluated and taken forward in future planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the recent international convention on nuclear safety; which members of her Department attended it; what was discussed; and what conclusions were reached. [58536]