To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what commitment she has received from the Mayor of London to provide support for the staging of the 2012 Olympics in London; [78565](2) if she will publish the Ove Arup report on the likely cost of a bid to stage the 2012 Olympics; [78566](3) what commitment she has received from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide public funds to support the staging of the 2012 Olympics in London. [78564]

The summary of the Arup report on the costs and benefits of bidding for and staging an Olympic games in London 2012 will be published on 1 November 2002. Copies will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.The report estimates the cost of staging the Olympic games at £2 billion and the cost of bidding at £13 million. We have learnt that the risk associated with hosting an event of the magnitude of the Olympic games is significant and it is our responsibility to the tax payer that this risk is properly assessed.All stakeholders and relevant Government Departments, including the GLA and the Treasury, are analysing this report and the Government will give careful consideration to the costs, benefits and risks involved before we announce our decision on whether to support a bid to host the games in 2012. We aim to make that decision by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to publish the ARUP report on the costs and benefits of staging the 2012 Olympic games in London; and if she will make a statement. [79204]

The summary of the Arup report on the costs and benefits of bidding for and staging an Olympic games in London 2012 will be published on 1 November 2002. Copies will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.This report has been commissioned jointly by my Department, the London Development Agency, the British Olympic Association and UK Sport.The report estimates the cost of staging the Olympic games at £2 billion, and the cost of bidding at £13 million. We have learnt that the risk associated with hosting an event of the magnitude of the Olympic games is significant and it is our responsibility to the tax payer that this risk is properly assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the design of her Department's logo. [78346]

The logo, and the visual identity of which it is a part, was introduced in February 1999 following the Department's name change. The identity was designed to improve the consistency and distinctiveness of DCMS communications and to achieve better value for money in design and print purchasing.The introduction of the identity resulted in year on year savings of over 25 per cent. on the procurement of the Department's printed stationery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the level of problem gambling in the UK. [77517]

The most recent authoritative estimate remains that noted in the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206), that between 0.6 per cent. and 0.8 per cent. of the adult population of Great Britain are problem gamblers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many non-devolved posts were advertised in the press in each year from June 1999; and what percentage of them were advertised in the Scottish press. [76850]

[holding answer 24 October 2002]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not advertised any post in the press since June 1999 which deals exclusively with departmental responsibilities which extend to Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her assessment of the impact of the Communications Bill on the independent radio industry. [76428]

Our general approach to the radio industry, and to communications markets in general, is deregulatory. Format controls and ownership restrictions will both be relaxed. However, we recognise the importance of maintaining the distinctive local basis of commercial radio. We therefore propose to retain key local ownership rules, and to give Ofcom a duty to protect and promote local content.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with (a) charities and (b) sports clubs on rate relief; and if she will make a statement. [78410]

The Government announced in April that community amateur sports clubs will now be eligible to apply for charitable status, under which they would receive mandatory 80 per cent. rate relief and other tax advantages. The recent Finance Act 2002 also included a package of tax reliefs available from the Inland Revenue that will benefit such clubs.In July, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met several of sport's governing bodies, as representatives of community amateur sports clubs, to discuss these measures and other issues. In September, my Department arranged a seminar which was designed to give sport's governing bodies the chance to discuss the tax and charitable status options available to amateur clubs. Since the Budget, my Department has met representatives from Sport England, the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the National Playing Fields Association on a number of occasions to discuss these issues. I will continue to work with these organisations and with governing bodies to agree the best way forward for helping these clubs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals she has for the reform of Government support for tourism; and if she will make a statement. [79130]

I announced new arrangements for support for tourism in the English regions on 13 May. Since then I have agreed with the Regional Development Agencies that they are ready to implement this, corporate planning guidance has been issued about how the RDAs should plan for the new tourism responsibilities and further planning work is in hand.I also proposed changes for the English Tourism Council and to improve the co-ordination of marketing activity for England. I have decided to achieve this by a radical reform of the existing support structures, and there are two aspects to the announcement that I make today.The first will result in a strengthening of the marketing of Britain in overseas tourism markets. This will be of direct benefit not only to England but also to Scotland and Wales. I had already asked the new Chief Executive of the British Tourism Authority, Tom Wright, to carry out a fundamental review of strategy and structure of support for British tourism overseas. The emerging conclusions point to increasing effectiveness with a structure based on dedicated new hubs for each major market and less emphasis on central services. More resource will be concentrated where it is needed most, that is in the overseas markets served by the BTA. I will also improve the accountability arrangements for BTA in co-operation with other GB Tourism Ministers.The second aspect of my announcement concerns the need for better co-ordination of the marketing of England as a tourism destination in the GB market. We wish to combine some of the day-to-day operations of the English Tourism Council with the BTA. These two organisations have served tourism well, but combining their resources and strengths allows us to develop more quickly the marketing team for England we need. This will also enable us to put more resource into direct support for tourism and less into overheads. We will take this opportunity to develop more effective partnerships with private industry investors to support tourism. We will pursue our commitment to the sustainable development of tourism, particularly in rural areas, some of which are still in recovery following the foot-and-mouth outbreak.Accordingly, I am today asking Tom Wright to broaden the BTA reform programme and to draw up detailed plans for a further unit to lead and co-ordinate the marketing of England, promoting destinations to customers within our own country. Funding for this activity, and other activities of the relaunched national organisation in support of English tourism, will be accounted for and reported to Parliament separately from action in overseas markets on behalf of all three parts of Britain.In England, I see a major leadership role for both the private sector and the Regional Development Agencies in developing a coherent marketing agenda across the industry. The new marketing team for English tourism within the relaunched national organisation will be guided by a slimmed down English Tourist Board, drawing on support from the private sector and regional and local government. The broad remit for its work has been drawn up by a group drawn from the private and public sectors, which was fully endorsed at a meeting I chaired of a wide range of tourism bodies at the beginning of August. The team will have responsibility for working closely with RDA and other partners to make the most of the public funds available to support marketing and promotion.I have asked Alan Britten and David Quarmby, the chairs of the existing boards, to work closely together to ensure the new arrangements are implemented quickly and effectively. Staff from both organisations will be treated on an equal and fair basis, taking full account of their own skills and experience and the requirements of the new arrangements. I have asked them to make recommendations about the new name when they have made further progress on the reforms.I am also announcing additional funding for tourism services in England. £10 million over three years is available, but will only be released on the effective implementation of reform, on industry rising to the challenge by coming together with matching funds, and the delivery of increased productivity we are looking for in the tourism industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the anthrax innoculation programme offered to(a) Navy, (b) Army, (c) Air Force and (d) other Ministry of Defence personnel is compulsory; [78101]

In keeping with long-standing medical practice, immunisation against anthrax for the Armed Forces and other Ministry of Defence personnel is voluntary and on the basis of informed consent.Up to and including September 2002, the period for which most recent figures are available, approximately 46 per cent. of personnel offered immunisation against anthrax had accepted. Broken down by the categories requested this equates to

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) countries and (b) organisations outside the UK to whom sale of arms and arms components is prohibited. [76533]

I have been asked to reply.The United Kingdom has arms embargoes in place in respect of the following countries pursuant to European Union sanctions: Bosnia/Herzegovina; Libya; Burma; Sudan; China (not full scope); the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.The United Kingdom has arms embargoes in place in respect of Armenia and Azerbaijan pursuant to Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe sanctions. There is also a unilateral arms embargo in place in respect of Iran (not full scope).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to ensure that arms and arms components sold abroad are not acquired by (a) countries and (b) organisations outside the UK to whom sale of arms and arms components is prohibited.[76534]

I have been asked to reply.Exports of arms and other goods controlled for strategic reasons are subject to export licences issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. All individual licence applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Exporting Licensing Criteria. Criterion 1A of the consolidated criteria makes clear that the Government will not issue a licence if approval would be inconsistent with the UK's international obligations and its commitments to enforce UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes, as well as national embargoes observed by the UK.The Government focus their efforts on assessment of potential end-use at the export licensing stage. This includes checks made by our posts overseas where necessary. Carrying out effective risk assessment on end-users before making the export licensing decision is the surest way of preventing arms from falling into the wrong hands. In addition the Government remain committed to carrying out end-use monitoring of exports in those circumstances where this will genuinely add value to our efforts to minimise the risk of misuse and diversion and where such monitoring is practicable. Our overseas posts have standing instructions to report on allegations of misuse of any UK-origin defence equipment. We take these reports into account in our assessment.Officials from across Whitehall co-operate to pursue possible breaches of sanctions in the UK and abroad. Breaches involving the sale of UK arms and components sold abroad are thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 17 October 2002, Official Report, column 570, when the letter to the hon. Member for North Essex on the relationship between NATO and the European Security and Defence Policy will be sent; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [78102]

I replied to the hon. Member on 30 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations will be made for the 60th anniversary of D Day; and if he will make a statement. [78419]

Although preparations have not been concluded, the intention is for the Government and Armed Forces to be represented at ministerial and senior officer level at parades and services in Normandy being organised by the French Comité du Debarquement. The Army will provide a band. Appropriate representation will also be provided at a service of remembrance and thanksgiving which will take place at St. Paul's Cathedral.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many doctors were serving in (a) the RAF, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Navy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [78272]

The number of military trained doctors in the Royal Navy, Army and RAF as at 1 April in each of the last five years are shown in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the question raised in the note by Mr. M Barnier to members of Convention, CONV 264/02, as to whether an undertaking of collective defence should be enshrined in the Treaty on European Union. [77817]

The Government's policy, and the policy to which the EU collectively committed itself at the European Council of Nice in December 2000, is that NATO remains the basis for the collective defence of its members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effect of enlargement on military contributions to the EU designated peacemaking and peacekeeping forces. [78117]

All the countries which are candidates for accession to the EU have made offers of contributions, with a view to their participation in EU-led operations. These countries could already offer forces to an EU-led operation, if invited to take part. When a country joins the EU, it simply removes the need for a formal invitation for that country to take part in EU-led operations.Procedurally, there is also a change. The offers from member states are recorded in the Helsinki Force Catalogue; those of accession candidates in a supplement to the catalogue. This catalogue identifies the pool of capabilities, meeting commonly-agreed requirements, from which forces can be rapidly assembled on a case-by-case basis for particular operations, with the approval of the relevant national governments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the definitions of (a) European Security and Defence Policy and (b) European Security and Defence Identity. [77813]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 31W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the restrictions imposed by the Spanish Government on the movements of NATO military aircraft and warships in the vicinity of Gibraltar and in transit between Spain and Gibraltar; and what steps have recently been taken by the UK Government to have these restrictions lifted. [77379]

NATO Standardised Agreement (STANAG) 1100, sets out the procedures for visits to NATO and non-NATO ports by naval ships of NATO nations. This Agreement contains a reservation, inserted by the Spanish Government, which prevents visits by NATO ships to or from Gibraltar directly to or from Spanish ports. Any request by military aircraft from NATO (or other) nations, which has Gibraltar as a departure or arrival airfield, to overfly or land in Spain is routinely denied by Spanish authorities. We understand that NATO has no plans specifically to discuss the restrictions imposed by Spain on NATO ships and aircraft. Discussions between the British and Spanish Government in the context of the Brussels Process aim to resolve all outstanding issues between the United Kingdom and Spain over Gibraltar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) nurses, (b) GPs, (c) medical consultants and (d) other health care professionals working for the NHS are subject to military call-up as reservists in the event of military action. [74650]

Although the Ministry of Defence encourages reservists to declare their reserve status to civilian employers, there is no legal requirement to do so unless specified in individual contracts of employment. Reservists are not usually required to provide details of any civilian employment to the Ministry of Defence, until such time as they are called-out. Therefore, no records are available for the number of nurses, GPs, medical consultants and other healthcare professionals that are working in the NHS who are subject to military call-out as reservists.However, it is possible to provide the number of volunteer reserve nurses, GPs, consultants and other healthcare professionals in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) as at September 2002, and this is outlined in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason HMS Marlborough and HMS Northumberland have been withdrawn from the Joint Maritime Course off Scotland. [78658]

HMS Marlborough and HMS Northumberland have not been withdrawn from the Joint Maritime Course. HMS Marlborough is currently taking part in this training. HMS Northumberland was not scheduled to take part in the Course. She is undertaking safety training prior to her planned period of Operational Sea Training which begins in early November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the call-up of medical reservists; and if he will make a statement. [78320]

It is vital that service personnel deployed on military operations receive the appropriate level of medical support. The use of reservists for operations is fully in line with the tenets of the Strategic Defence Review, namely having more capable, usable, integrated and relevant reserve forces that support their regular counterparts on operations overseas. The need to call-out reservists is kept under review as part of contingency planning. If reservists are called out, we would select the most suitably qualified individuals for mobilisation by taking into account their relevant skills, fitness and training, and their professional and domestic circumstances. The Ministry of Defence would work closely with the NHS Trusts concerned to minimise disruption as far as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medical specialists, and in which specialisations, the Department requires in order to meet operational requirements. [78318]

The Operational and Retained Task requirement for medical specialists and the number of consultants we have in those categories, and in which specialisations, as at 1 July 2002, are set as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been concluded that will allow the non-EU European NATO members and other countries which are candidates for accession to the EU to contribute to EU military crisis management. [77814]

The EU is committed to the fullest possible involvement of the non-EU European Allies and the EU accession partners in the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). A supplement to the Helsinki Force Catalogue has been drawn up, detailing offers of contributions made by these states with a view to their participation in EU-led operations. The Nice European Council agreed at substantial set of provisions governing consultation with these countries and arrangements for their participation in EU-led operations. As a result, they now attend regular ESDP meetings at a number of levels. In the event of a crisis, this dialogue and consultation will be intensified. In particular, it was confirmed at Nice that "upon a decision by the Council to launch an operation, the non-EU European NATO members will participate if they so wish in the event of an operation requiring recourse to NATO assets and capabilities. They will, on a decision by the Council, be invited to take part in operations where the EU does not use NATO assets. Other countries who are candidates for accession to the EU may also be invited by the Council to take part in EU-led operations once the Council has decided to launch such an operation". More detailed modalities concerning non-EU European NATO members were agreed at the European Council in Brussels last weekend. Thursday 31 October 2002PQ Ref No 5558M

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all service personnel have direct access to their military medical records; and if he will make a statement. [78277]

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, personnel are able to request access to their service medical records by making a subject access request. For access to primary health care records, the request should be made to the appropriate Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force Service Records Office. For access to secondary health care records, the request may be sent to either the appropriate service records office, the hospital they were treated at, or to the Ministry of Defence Central Health Records Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken to ensure that all military medical records will be accurately maintained and secured; and if he will make a statement. [78285]

Every effort is taken to ensure that service personnel medical records are accurately maintained and securely stored. All three services have routine administrative procedures in place to check that the medical records of both regular and reserve personnel are both up to date and accurate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to amend the Armed Forces pension scheme to allow benefits to be paid to partners of service men and women killed on active service; and if he will make a statement. [78210]

[holding answer 30 October 2002]: In the light of support for change expressed in response to public consultation and to a series of focus groups across the Armed Forces, consideration is being given to introducing pension benefits for unmarried partners as part of our review of the Armed Forces pension scheme. The Ministry of Defence will be seeking to finalise approvals on the new scheme around the turn of the year. Those who decide to remain in the current pension scheme would not benefit from any change. Under a similar review of current compensation arrangements, consideration is being given to extending benefits for attributable deaths to unmarried partners as part of a new scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) officers and (b) men the Royal Navy requires to crew the submarines in service with an adequate margin of reserve to ensure full continuity of operations; and how many are available. [78314]

As at 1 August 2002, the Royal Navy Submarine Arm required 254 officers and 1,959 ratings to man submarines in service.On the same date, 834 officers and 3,670 ratings were required to man the Submarine Arm as a whole. The equivalent strength figures were 629 officers and 3,552 ratings. The shortfall is borne by a range of support and training functions ashore and is currently the focus of a range of recruitment and retention initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are not serving because of illnesses acquired on deployments in (a) Sierra Leone, (b) Saif Sareea, (c) Afghanistan, (d) Kosovo and (e) Macedonia; and if he will make a statement. [78284]

The number of Army personnel discharged as a result of illness following deployment to Sierra Leone and Kosovo, is one and seven respectively. No Army personnel were discharged as a result of illness to the other deployments listed. No personnel were recorded as having been discharged as a result of these deployments from the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) terms of reference, (b) membership and (c) date for final report are of the committee chaired by Lord Guthrie to examine the case for a service medal for veterans of the Suez Canal Zone campaign from 1951 to 1954. [78573]

The terms of reference are as I announced in a written response to a Parliamentary Question on 23 July 2002, Official Report, column 1106W, to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Bob Russell). The sub-committee of the HD Committee under the chairmanship of General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank will report on the case for an exceptional award of a GSM for the Suez Canal Zone without creating a wider precedent or breaching long-standing principles which underpin the making of such awards.The sub-committee will consist of the chairman plus Field Marshal Sir John Chapple GCB CBE; Air Vice Marshal K D Filbey CBE FIMgt FRAes RAF; Charles de Chassiron CVO Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps and Head of Protocol Division, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; the military historian Sir Max Hastings and Gay Catto, Ceremonial Officer, Cabinet Office.The sub-committee is necessarily independent of the Ministry of Defence and as such I have no visibility or authority over their proceedings. I am advised that the sub-committee has yet to take evidence after which it will fully consider the options. When it has reached a conclusion on the matter, it will report to the HD Committee which in turn will publish the results.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what category of weapons have been (a) lost and (b) stolen from MOD units and establishments in each year since 1972. [76671]

[holding answer 24 October 2002]: Ministry of Defence records show a total of 354 weapons to have been lost, and 802 weapons stolen, since 1972. 262 weapons have been recovered during this period. Only the Army and Royal Marines records go back as far as 1972. Royal Navy records go back to 1993 and the RAF to 1991. The detailed year-by-year since statistics were provided is set out in the tables.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on affordable housing in villages in rural England in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03 to date. [78406]

Information in the form requested is not available immediately. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is collated.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines he issues to local authorities considering the

Guidance on all aspects of development in the green belt, including new educational facilities, is set out in planning policy guidance note (PPG) 2, green belts. Designated metropolitan open land has the same status as green belt, and the planning policies set out in PPG2 will also apply to such land. New educational facilities in the green belt will be subject to the same controls as other development in the green belt and proposals will need to demonstrate that very special circumstances exist, which outweigh the harm caused to the green belt by the development, if they are to be granted planning permission.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the use of fireworks on (a) the environment and (b) wildlife; and if he will make a statement. [76958]

I have been asked to reply.The Government do take the issue of fireworks seriously. On 14 October 2002,

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the amount of brownfield land in (a) the London Borough of Enfield and (b) Greater London for the construction of new dwellings; how many new dwellings could be constructed; and if he will make a statement. [78091]

From the 2001 National Land Use Database of Previously Developed Land (NLUD-PDL) an estimated 2,500 hectares of brownfield land were potentially suitable for housing in London. On the figures supplied by local authorities and current density assumptions they could provide 149,000 dwellings.The most recent information for Enfield is from its return for the 1998 survey. This showed 49 hectares of brownfield land potentially suitable for housing. At densities current at the time they could provide about 2.300 dwellings.In 2001 23 out of the 33 London Boroughs returned information to NLUD-PDL. The information has been grossed up to provide the estimates for London as a whole quoted above.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was allocated in housing grants in each year since 1997 to the Housing Corporation; and how many houses were built as a result. [77869]

The table shows the amount of grant paid by the Housing Corporation to registered social landlords under the approved development programme (ADP) and local authority social housing grant (LASHG) together with the dwellings completed in each year for these programmes:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he intends to bring forward to raise the density of new housing developments in London and the South East. [78711]

In my Parliamentary Statement of 18 July on sustainable communities I announced the Government's intentions for tackling the housing shortage in London and the South East. The Statement explained that the Government expects the housing numbers already agreed in regional planning guidance for the South East to be delivered, working within the presumption of making better use of land by improving design, increasing densities and using brownfield sites to the full. In the Statement, I announced I would intervene in planning applications for housing that involve a density of less than 30 dwellings per hectare net. 1 am publishing today the Town and Country Planning (Residential Density) (London and South East England) Direction 2002 which gives effect to this announcement. From 2 December local planning authorities in London and the South East will have to consult me before giving planning permission for low density housing developments.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department has made available to implement a more flexible lettings policy by local authorities; and how much each rural local authority received in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03 to date. [78395]

We are currently funding 27 local authority pilots of choice based lettings. £13 million was allocated in April 2001 towards the pilots which are expected to finish in April 2003. Out of these, four rural authorities are being supported and payments to date are as follows:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether (a) planning permission and (b) public consultation is needed in order for phone companies to erect antennae on buildings; and if he will make a statement. [78033]

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO) (as amended) grants a general planning permission for licensed telecommunications code system operators to install specified telecommunications apparatus without the need to apply for planning permission to the local authority, subject to certain conditions and limitations.The installation of an antenna on a building, where the antenna does not exceed the height of the building by 4 metres or more, would normally be regarded as permitted development and would not therefore require an application for planning permission or statutory public consultation.All mobile phone antennas are registered with the radiocommunications agency. Information on the location and ownership of the antennas is available on the Agency's Site Finder database at www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk The site is updated every three months.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government has to introduce regulations restricting the ability of phone companies to erect base stations close to residential properties, schools and hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [78034]

Mobile phone mast development close to residential properties, schools and hospitals is subject to the normal telecommunications planning arrangements in place throughout England, set out in Part 24 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO). Following publication of the Stewart report on mobile phones and health in May 2000, these arrangements were significantly strengthened and include improved requirements for consulting local people about mast proposals. The changes to the GPDO were underpinned by revised guidance, set out in planning policy guidance note 8, telecommunications, published in August 2001.The Stewart report did not recommend that the erection of mobile phone masts should be restricted in such areas and we have no plans to introduce specific restrictions. However, in respect of masts near schools, PPG8 advises that before an operator submits an application for planning permission or prior approval for a mast near a school or college they should discuss the proposed development with the relevant body of the school or college.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received on health issues relating to mobile phone masts; and if he will make a statement. [78035]

Between January and October this year, the former Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received centrally 166 letters from Members of Parliament and 165 letters from members of the public and local planning authorities about the amenity or health aspects related to mobile phone masts.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to publish the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit's Annual Review. [78712]

I have today published the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit's annual report, copies have been placed in the libraries of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list those parish and town councils which have reported to him that they have had councillors resign rather than sign the new Standards Code. [76993]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Standards Board for England together have been informed of 95 resignations of parish councillors who were unwilling to accept the new Code of Conduct. A list of those parish councils is as follows:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many parish councillors there are in the West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency; and how many have notified his Department that they have resigned from their parish councils as a result of the introduction of a code of conduct for parish councillors. [77152]

The information requested is not held centrally. Nine parish councillors from four parish councils in Essex have told the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or the Standards Board for England of their intention to resign.

10. To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he currently expects to implement proposals in the planning green paper about public consultation; and if he will make a statement. [77870]

The Government is developing its plans for implementing the planning reforms including in public consultation, which were set out in the policy paper Sustainable Communities—Delivering through Planning. Some of those plans require primary legislation and we will be seeking to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to streamline the procedure governing planning enforcement appeals. [79203]

My right hon. Friend will tomorrow lay before Parliament five statutory instruments to improve the handling of planning enforcement appeals under each of the three main procedures: written representations, hearings and inquiries. These are the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement Notices and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2002; the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement Appeals) (Written Representations Procedure) (England) Regulations 2002; the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement) (Hearings Procedure) (England) Rules 2002; the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement) (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2002; and the Town and Country Planning (Enforcement) (Determination by Inspectors) (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2002.A departmental circular (ODPM 02–2002), "Enforcement Appeals: Procedures", which explains the new procedures, is to be issued to accompany the new statutory instruments. Copies are to be placed in the House Libraries. The changes implement the conclusions of a consultation exercise announced in August 2000.The new arrangements, due to come into operation on 23 December 2002, implement the Government's commitment to improve the Planning Inspectorate's service to its customers, and to increase the efficiency of the enforcement appeals process by reducing both the cost and time taken. In introducing these changes, the Government recognise that it is vital to maintain a system which ensures that there is fair and open decision-making and that all parties have the opportunity to put their case, resulting in decisions that are legally sound and of the highest possible quality.We have already set tough targets for the Planning Inspectorate to turn round enforcement appeals more quickly, and they have made a good deal of progress in improving their own performance. However, improving service to the benefit of all concerned is not just the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. All parties to the enforcement appeal process have a responsibility to meet the deadlines set and to co- operate with the inspectorate in agreeing dates offered for hearings and inquiries. The new procedures will put in place a regime of discipline for all parties involved in the process by setting clear timetables and deadlines for the various stages. In future, representations sent after due dates will normally be disregarded. We intend to monitor the impact of the changes, and will review their effectiveness to help us decide whether any further action is needed.

To ask the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to protect post offices in areas of urban deprivation. [76424]

The Government announced their commitment to set up "a £15 million fund to sustain and improve post offices and associated retail facilities in deprived urban areas" in the 'Urban White Paper', which was published in November 2000.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is seeking to launch the scheme in the autumn of 2002, with receipt of first applications early in 2003.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) when he plans to publish the code of practice covering the recruitment of new staff on public sector contracts; [77955](2) what progress he has made towards ending the two-tier workforce in local authority services; and if he will make a statement. [77990]

The Government recently consulted on a code of practice and new statutory guidance which will ensure that all local authority service contracting takes proper account of the need for a high quality workforce in order to deliver high quality services. The consultation period ended on 6 September; we are currently considering the responses, with the aim of publishing the code and guidance shortly.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish his report on public spaces; and when he will respond to the report of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce. [78710]

I am today publishing "Living Places—Cleaner, Safer, Greener", the Government's report on public space at the Urban Summit. The report draws upon the work of six government departments. The report also includes the Government's response to the report of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce. Copies of the report have been placed in the library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce financial incentives and penalties to encourage achievement of regional targets for renewable energy; and if he will make a statement. [78143]

These targets are regionally owned. Advice on achieving them in the context of land use planning will be included in the proposed Planning Policy Statement 22 (renewable energy), on which we will consult fully. We are examining more generally the role of local and regional bodies in delivering energy policy objectives as part of the on-going work for the Energy White Paper, which is due to he published in the new year.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, (1) how the costs on the District Auditor's Office inquiry into the sale of dwellings by Westminster Council will be distributed; how much other local authorities will be charged to cover the costs; and if he will make a statement. [76860](2) what he estimates the cost of the inquiry into housing sales by Westminster City Council will be to the Office of the District Auditor; and if he will make a statement. [76861]

The auditor's investigation leading to his decision in 1996 that six individuals had caused a loss, through wilful misconduct, of some 31million to Westminster City Council. and to issue surcharge certificates against those individuals, cost approximately 3 million. Those costs were met by Westminster City Council.The auditor's costs in the subsequent litigation (during which the Divisional Court set aside the auditor's surcharge in respect of four of the six individuals) leading to the decision of the House of Lords in December 2001, to uphold the surcharge against Dame Shirley Porter and David Weeks, were met by the Audit Commission. The total of the auditor's litigation costs to this point was around 4.5million. Westminster City Council is currently taking legal action to recover the amount of the surcharge and costs. The final costs of the investigation and litigation will not be known until the outcome of those proceedings.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much each local authority will receive from the £200 million Challenge Fund as part of the Starter Home Initiative. [78198]

The Challenge Fund (which is not part of the Starter Home Initiative) has been set up within the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in 2003–04 to provide 4,000 homes for rent and low cost home ownership in south-east England. Bids for the Challenge Fund were invited from registered social landlords by 18 October. Dependent upon the bids received, a proportion of the homes will be for key public sector workers. We hope to announce the outcome of the bidding process in November.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list external (a) public relations/communications companies, (b) advertising and marketing companies, (c) management consultancies, (d) accountancy companies, (e) banking firms, (f) individual consultants and (g) other specialist consultancies used by his Department since June 2001; what actions those consultancies/companies have performed within his Department; and what costs have been incurred through use of these consultancies/companies. [74689]

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Warley to the hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden on 28 October, Official Report, column 735–36W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to gather evidence about cheating in national tests for 11-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [78376]

The QCA reports to the Department each year on the incidence of malpractice and maladministration in national tests. Both the Department and QCA take all complaints about malpractice very seriously. QCA works closely with LEAs to investigate and monitor reported incidents. Even anonymous complaints are recorded and monitored. QCA works very closely with LEA inspectors who conduct thorough checks throughout the test process. Investigations of malpractice can involve a review of scripts from a school, interviews with teachers, talking to children and drawing on advice from experts in the field depending upon the nature of the allegations.In 2002, 479 cases of alleged malpractice or maladministration across the three key stages were reported, leading to the annulment of the results of seven schools. Of these seven schools, four had the results in one subject annulled, two the results in two subjects and one the results in all three subjects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent guidance his Department has given the QCA on preventing cheating in national tests for 11-year-olds. [78380]

The Department's remit to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority includes the maintenance of a robust, reliable and credible examination and assessment system. As part of its role in overseeing the administration of statutory assessments, it is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to approach the Department with proposals for minimising the incidence of malpractice and maladministration in the national tests.The QCA will continue to keep its processes under review and to advise the Department accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will set up an inquiry into the levels of cheating in national tests for 11-year-olds. [78377]

No. The QCA continues to keep its processes for detecting and investigating malpractice under review.QCA works closely with LEAs to investigate and monitor reported incidents. Anonymous complaints are recorded and monitored. QCA works very closely with LEA inspectors who conduct thorough checks throughout the test process. Investigations of malpractice can involve a review of scripts from a school, interviews with teachers, talking to children and drawing on advice from experts in the field depending upon the nature of the allegations. There has been no evidence presented to Government of widespread malpractice in the administration of the Key Stage 2 tests this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the role of her Department in improving access to child care for working parents. [76459]

A new unit, led by Baroness Ashton, accountable for delivery to the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions, will administer a budget of £1.5 billion a year by 2005–06. This represents a doubling of child care spending in real terms.By March 2004, new child care places for 1.6 million children will be created. New places for a further 450,000 children will be created by 2006. There are specific initiatives—like the establishment of children's centres and neighbourhood nurseries— which will provide more good quality, safe child care in disadvantaged areas.Substantial help with child care costs is provided to lower income families through the child care tax credit element of the working families tax credit. This assistance will continue in an improved and more flexible form as part of the working tax credit from April 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what is the average mark required to pass GCSE (a) maths, (b) English and (c) history for each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [75259]

[holding answer 24 October 2002]: The GCSE is not a pass/fail examination. The GCSE grading system is criteria-related and grade boundary ranges for each subject are established each year by awarding bodies, making reference to candidates' work from the previous year, grade descriptions, past papers and statistical data. Each boundary is set by individual awarding bodies using both professional judgment and key statistical evidence. Information on grade boundary marks is not routinely collected.The information on grade boundaries in maths, English and history will be lodged in the House of Commons Library in due course.