To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring arrangements are in place for air pollution across the United Kingdom; and how this information is publicised. [85845]

On behalf of the United Kingdom Government and the devolved Administrations DEFRA monitors air pollution in the United Kingdom through a national network of air quality monitoring sites, the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and numerical modelling techniques.There are three national automatic air quality monitoring networks:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which local authorities since 1997 her Department and its predecessors have issued directions requiring air quality monitoring to be undertaken. [85841]

The Secretary of State has not issued any directions under part IV of the Environment Act 1995 to local authorities requiring air quality monitoring to be undertaken.The Department offers advice on air quality monitoring to local authorities via centrally funded helpdesks and our statutory local air quality management guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the individual measures against which air quality is assessed in the United Kingdom what the level of each was in (a) each city of greater than 100,000 population and (b) each local authority area in each of the last 30 years in which these have been recorded. [85846]

Air quality in the United Kingdom is assessed against targets for safeguarding people's health and protecting the environment from air pollution. These targets were published in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, first published in 1997 and revised in January 2000. The strategy includes health-based standards for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide lead particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and low-level ozone. It also includes policy objectives for each pollutant to be achieved between 2003 and 2008. On 5 August 2002 the United Kingdom Government announced tighter objectives in England for particles, benzene and carbon monoxide and introduced a new objective for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.The United Kingdom Government and the devolved Administrations monitor levels of the pollutants in the United Kingdom through a national network of air quality monitoring sites, the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and numerical modelling techniques. Details the air quality targets and all air quality monitoring data—including cities and local authorities—are published on the United Kingdom Government's and devolved Administrations air quality website www.airquality.co.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) bathing and (b) non-bathing beaches in the United Kingdom which are (i) measured and (ii) not measured for (A) beach and (B) water quality standards, indicating in each case for which measurements are taken whether they pass these standards; what plans there are to strengthen the monitoring and standards of these beaches; and if she will make a statement. [85848]

The Department's publication "Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC) Detailed Summary of 2001 Survey Results—United Kingdom" is available in the Library and lists all identified bathing waters and the results of micro-biological and physico-chemical sample testing. The report for the 2002 bathing season will be published early in the new year. General beach quality characteristics are taken into account in the Seaside Awards and Blue Flag schemes administered by ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns). Lists of beaches are published on their internet site (www.seasideawards.org.uk and www.blueflag.org.uk). The EC Commission has recently published a new draft bathing water directive, which proposes tighter microbiological water quality standards. The proposal will be subject to detailed negotiation among member states and in the European Parliament. Specific questions relating to bathing waters in Scotland and Wales should be directed to the devolved Administrations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of how many small businesses will be affected by proposals contained in her Department's review of bird registration; and how many such businesses depend upon trade in species listed in Schedule 4 of the Act. [85895]

Many users of the current registration system fit the definition of a "small business". Business users range from people who trade in significant numbers of Schedule 4 birds annually to those breeding just one or two birds. In the consultation process, we have endeavoured to contact as many such users as possible in order to ensure that their views are properly reflected in the review process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason no changes were made to the bird registration scheme following the consultation on Review of Bird Registration and CITES Licensing Fees undertaken in July 1999. [85896]

No changes were made to the bird registration scheme because the 1999 consultation related solely to the question of what fees should be payable for registering a bird and obtaining any relevant CITES permits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the costs of implementing her Department's bird registration scheme were in (a) 1991, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001; and what she estimates they will be this year. [85897]

The costs for the scheme in the financial year April 1991 to March 1992 were £309,769. Costs in the financial year April 2000 to March 2001 were £355,822 and April 2001 to March 2002 were £441,557. The forecast for April 2002 to March 2003 is £456,712.The apparent large increase in costs between 2000–01 and 2001–02 is mainly due to an improved approach to cost attribution but also reflects a significant increase in enforcement effort.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) birdkeepers, (b) zoological gardens/bird parks, (c) birdkeeping magazines, (d) falconry centres, (e) police wildlife liaison officers, (f) ornithologists and birdwatchers, (g) conservation organisations, (h) bird watching magazines and (i) raptor groups have been consulted by her Department during its review of bird registration; and what criteria her Department used to determine the list of those consulted on the review. [85898]

The Department set out to consult as many interested parties as possible in conducting the bird registration review. We have therefore consulted all people who currently keep Schedule 4 birds. This includes zoos and bird parks, falconry centres and members of raptor groups. In addition, consultation took place through a number of umbrella organisations such as the RSPB, the RSPCA, the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Bird Council, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Hawkboard and the Countryside Alliance. We also issued consultation documents to conservation organisations and publishers of bird magazines and relied on them to cascade information to their members and readers. All Police Wildlife Liaison Officers in England and Wales were consulted. In all over 2,000 individuals and organisations were consulted through these mechanisms. Consultation documents were also available via the Department's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department took in framing the bird registration scheme to the effect on conservation of wild birds. [85899]

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 introduced the registration and ringing of certain species of birds when kept in captivity. The objective of section 7 of the Act was to support the conservation of our native wild birds by requiring those holding them to register them with the Department, and to fit them with a ring approved by the Secretary of State. The deterrent effect of this legislation has reduced the illegal taking of birds from the wild.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings she had with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee during the preparation of her Department's review of bird registration. [85900]

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee were involved in three meetings with my Department during the preparation of this review. The first meeting also involved representatives from raptor groups, the devolved assemblies and conservation bodies. Subsequent meetings involved officials from my Department and JNCC in discussions about a range of possible options for inclusion in the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration her Department gave to the views of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee during the peparation of its review of bird registration. [86120]

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee are the main adviser to the Department on all scientific questions arising on bird registration issues. They were therefore consulted fully prior to the issue of the public consultation document, and were involved in a number of the preparatory discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects of removing bird species from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on the ability to secure convictions for possession of these birds. [86121]

The recent consultation process sought views on four possible options for the future of the bird registration scheme. We consulted as widely as possible, and consultees included the enforcement authorities, whose views we greatly value. We shall decide what specific proposals to develop in the light of the responses to the consultation. The possible impact on the ability to secure convictions under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will be one of the factors we take into account in doing so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of how removing bird species from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will affect the number of these birds taken illegally from the wild. [86122]

When the current consultation is concluded, the Department will refer to our scientific advisers, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, for assistance in determining whether species should remain on Schedule 4. One of the criteria in determining whether a species should remain will be its vulnerability to illegal taking.The evidence from the 1994 review showed that the removal of kestrels, sparrow hawks and common buzzards from Schedule 4 had no detrimental effect on wild population levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many representations from (a) Lancashire and (b) the north-west of England she has received regarding the loss of cattle-passport slips by the Cattle Movement Service. [85338]

The British Cattle Movement Service has received around 22,000 representations about movement notification failures since May this year from around England, Scotland and Wales. It would be wrong to assume that these involve the loss of cattle movement notification cards by the Department since I am informed that these are recorded on computer on arrival and in many cases where an issue arises a check shows that no notification has been received by the British Cattle Movement Service. It follows that breaking down figures on representations on to a county by county or region by region basis would only be available at disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what actions she has taken regarding the loss of cattle-passport slips by the Cattle Movement Service; and if she will make a statement on the loss of the slips. [85339]

The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) operates to ISO 9001:2000 standards, is registered with the British Standards Institute and its operating practices have received the Kite mark. All documents received by the organisation are scanned and recorded on arrival and great care is taken to avoid any loss.Some cattle keepers have claimed to have told the BCMS about cattle movements when their computerised records have been cross-checked and deficiencies found as part of the subsidy claims checking process. I understand that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the BCMS check these cases very carefully. It is wrong to assume that the BCMS has lost keepers' movement notifications when they have no trace of the document ever arriving at the BCMS site. If keepers want to guarantee that their notifications are received by BCMS they can send them by registered post or by e-mail to the BCMS website at www.bcms.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of differences between (a) the data held on the British Cattle Movement Service Online Tracing System, (b) the data held by the British Cattle Movement Service and (c) the records of cattle keepers themselves; what plans she has to rectify these differences; and if she will make a statement. [85363]

I am assured that there is no difference between the information held on the cattle tracing scheme website (CTS Online) and that held on the main database held by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS). The online database is a copy of the main database.The differences that exist between the Government's central database and on-farm records represent those births, deaths and movements that the keeper has taken steps to record on one but not on the other. Our programme of on-the-spot farm inspections bring these differences to light and we work with keepers to sort their records out. Where serious discrepancies are found, individual animals or, in the worst case, the whole herd of cattle will have a movement restriction placed upon them until the problems are rectified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the relationship between the Rural Payments Agency and the British Cattle Movement Service; what plans she has to help improve this relationship; and if she will make a statement. [85364]

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) are both constituent parts of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Both are committed to providing consistently high quality services that are valued by their customers. With the legislative requirement to cross-check common agricultural policy bovine subsidy claims against the cattle tracing system, it is essential that they work together to achieve these objectives.A formal Service Level Agreement exists between the agency and the service and this is constantly reviewed. I understand that they have had a good working relationship in the past and they have liased extremely closely over recent months to ensure that the queries discovered during the cross-check exercise were resolved without referral to the industry where possible. Rural Payments Agency staff working at, and in conjunction with, the British Cattle Movement Service, examined over 150,000 cross-check queries during recent months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help will be given to farmers to accommodate to the change over to digital mapping with special reference to the accuracy of mapping. [86556]

To help farmers accommodate the change to digital mapping, each is being sent a copy of the relevant maps showing details of the fields after initial digitisation. The field information being noted by RPA's contractors is taken from the Area Aid Application submitted by the farmer concerned and is digitised using the latest digitised maps provided by the Ordnance Survey. To assist this process, RPA has also obtained up-to-date high quality aerial photographs of England.In addition each farmer is sent an explanatory leaflet describing the process and explaining what is required. The maps and attached field data highlights queries which farmers are asked to help to resolve.Once the queries have been resolved, maps will be edited and a final copy will be sent to farmers to retain.The digitised maps are of a high standard of accuracy and the details are set out on the OS Website, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 27 to 29 November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [858571

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary and I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 27 to 28 November 2002. Ministers responsible for fisheries and farming issues in Scotland and Wales also attended and, together with the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, joined me at a short bilateral meeting with Commissioner Fischler on Friday morning at which we discussed the Mid-Term Review of the CAP.On fisheries, the main items discussed by the Council were reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and cod and hake recovery. The Presidency noted the positions of the member states on CFP reform and will now reflect on how to promote agreement at the December Council.On cod and hake recovery, the Commissioner outlined his revised strategy for securing cod recovery in the light of the recent scientific assessments. He envisages an 80 per cent. reduction in fishing effort for whitefish fishing, 40 per cent. for flatfish, 10 per cent. for industrial fishing and 5 per cent. for nephrops. The UK emphasised its commitment to securing stock recovery. On the other hand we emphasised our commitment to finding a package of measures which would enable sustainable fishing activity to continue while still achieving recovery. We stressed in particular the importance of the burdens resulting from recovery action falling equitably on all fleets whose activities impact on cod stocks. There will be further technical discussion at official level before the December Council.The Commissioner also made a first presentation of his proposed action plans on the social, economic and regional implications of EU fleet restructuring and on how to reduce discards of unwanted fish. These will return to the Council for further consideration after study by officials.The Council reached political agreement, by qualified majority, on rules for the authorisation and labelling of genetically modified (GM) food and feed. This was a difficult discussion. I eventually voted against the final compromise because it contained provisions regarding the adventitious presence and labelling of GM organisms that are neither practicable nor enforceable. I also had concerns about the legal base on which the proposal rested.There was a brief discussion of the measures forming part of a package addressing hygiene rules and their enforcement in respect of food of animal origin. Further work is planned at official level before the December Council.The Commission gave its regular report on BSE in the EU and reported contacts with the French Government over its plans in respect of Specified Risk Material (SRM) controls on sheep spinal cord. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary restated our concerns about the proposed French measures and strongly underlined our view that member states should not take unilateral action that goes beyond existing EU legal provisions and scientific advice.The Council continued its consideration of the Mid-Term Review of the CAP with a discussion concentrating on modulation, decoupling and cross-compliance. I welcomed the broad thrust of the Commission's proposals while noting that the EU needed to start work quickly on the detailed legislative texts which the Commission had promised for January. I recalled our opposition to certain features of the Commission's modulation model, including its unfair redistribution of modulated funds. I gave strong support to the principle of decoupling aid from production which would encourage farmers to focus more on markets and at the same time strengthen the EU's hand in the WTO negotiations.Under other business, there was discussion of animal welfare in third countries and the situation in Spain following the sinking of the oil tanker 'Prestige'. The Council also approved a state aid to Greek cotton producers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costings have been done to assess whether a similar campaign to the Keep Britain Tidy campaign would be (a) timely and (b) prudent. [86020]

ENCAMS will play an important role in supporting the Government's agenda of improving the local environment and people's quality of life by running high-profile campaigns each year based around Local Environmental Quality and Litter issues.Campaigns planned for 2003 include a focus on fly-tipping, car litter, fly-posting and youth litter and these initiatives are in effect a continuation of the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign year on year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the environmental impact of increased littering and tipping of household waste in (a) urban and (b) rural areas. [86023]

The Department receives representations on litter and fly tipping from different sectors of society. During the period 1 January 2001 to 1 January 2002, we received 430 representations on litter. During the period January 2001 to the present, we received 180 representations on fly tipping. We do not differentiate between urban and rural representations in correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Keep Britain Tidy campaign cost after 1972; and what assessments were made of its impact on reducing litter. [86019]

Since 1972 the programmes and initiatives run as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign have cost £37,341,498.There are regular reviews of the performance of all programmes and campaigns run by the Tidy Britain Group (TBG), now part of an umbrella organisation called Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS). Under terms set out in the Grant Memorandum they submit a yearly Grant Review document, which examines in detail the effectiveness of every campaign and programme run over the previous year. Also a Financial Management and Policy Review of ENCAMS is carried out, usually at five year intervals, as part of the Government's requirement that all non-departmental public bodies and those like them should be subjected to regular and detailed scrutiny. The last review of ENCAMS took place in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the maximum potential for anaerobic digestion systems to remove waste from the waste stream; and what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of such systems. [85838]

When reviewing the waste strategy the Strategy Unit commissioned a study of new and emerging technologies, which includes anaerobic digestion. This contains details on the environmental impacts of the processes under study. Anaerobic digestion can potentially treat a wide range of biodegradable wastes. However in practical terms its application will depend on its cost and performance compared with the other available treatment options. The report is entitled "Delivering the Landfill Directive: The role of new and emerging technologies" and is available as an annexe to the full report "Waste not, Want not" on the Strategy Unit website: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/innovation/index.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the effect of bombing in Afghanistan on the (a) production of and (b) trade in drugs. [84697]

The disruption of drug production and trafficking was not among the aims of the military campaign waged in Afghanistan. Any damage to the drugs trade as a result of bombing would be incidental to the principal aims of the campaign and would not be covered in any battle assessments. It is not possible to calculate from other sources the damage caused to the drugs trade in Afghanistan as a result of bombing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Spain in relation to compulsory purchase of property belonging to British citizens in the regions of Valencia. [85173]

[holding answer 3 December 2002]: No representations have been made to the Spanish central Government; however, our ambassador in Madrid brought these problems to the attention of the head of the Valencian regional government in a letter dated 22 October which refers to a number of individual cases. The ambassador has met and discussed the matter with British nationals, including at a public meeting. British nationals are being advised to engage the services of local lawyers, who are best placed to assist them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Independent Monitor. [86730]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not met Mr. Rabinder Singh, in his official capacity of Independent Monitor for non-Appealable Entry Clearance Refusals. Mr. Singh has met my three predecessors as Ministers responsible for entry clearance matters; in October 2000 the then Minister for Europe, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz), in December 2001 the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) and in October 2002 with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the Danish Presidency's latest offer on agricultural production quotas to the candidate countries due to join the EU in 2004; and if he will make a statement. [86547]

The Danish Presidency has proposed small quota increases for candidates on a number of agricultural commodities. The Government will consider these provided they are justified on the basis of historical data and objective methodology and fall within the agreed financial ceilings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Gibraltar. [86728]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the plight of minority groups, with specific reference to Christians in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [86582]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Mark Todd) on 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 527W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public appointments he has made in November 2002. [86729]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to open additional visa centres in the Indian sub-continent. [86726]

We plan to open visa application offices in Jalandhar and Ahmedabad early in 2003. We also hope to open a number of similar offices across the country so that UK visa services are more accessible to our Indian customers. We do not currently have any plans to open similar offices in other South Asian countries.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the objectives of the Government's plans for modernisation of working practices in the Fire Service, with special reference to the impact of his plans on public safety. [86432]

The Government believe that the Fire Service is in need of change and reform. It is a service which can make much better use of its existing resources; a Service which has to consider new ways of working and which needs to forge better partnerships; and a service which needs to attract a more diverse workforce, that better reflects the community it services. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes that by addressing these areas the Fire Service can further contribute to public safety.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed changes to local government finance on (a) the London Borough of Havering and (b) schools within the London Borough of Havering. [85416]

The provisional local government finance settlement for 2003–04 was announced in the House of Commons on 5 December 2002, Official Report, column 1065 and incorporates the changes made to the formula grant distribution system following the full scale review.As part of the settlement. the London borough of Havering will receive £154.4 million formula grant for the 2003–04 financial year, which represents an increase of £5.2 million, or 3.5 per cent. over 2002–03. Havering's formula spending share for schools funding stands at £110.039 million for next year.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representation he had at the Irish Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; and what assessment he has made of this initiative. [86013]

I have been asked to reply.The most recent meeting of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation was held on 27 November 2002. An official of the British Embassy in Dublin attended. HMG welcome dialogue across a number of different fora, including the Irish Forum for Peace and Reconciliation.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 2 December, Official Report, column 517W, on regional Government officers what guidelines within the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relate to the provision of information by civil servants in Government regional offices to hon. Members. [86962]

The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information contains guidance on the release of information relating to a Department's area of responsibility. The Code applies to requests for information from any person and there are no specific provisions for hon. Members.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to ensure that all new schools, public buildings and commercial premises are fitted with sprinklers. [86504]

There are no immediate plans to introduce amendments to the Building Regulations in relation to the provision of sprinklers.However, the Building Regulations are under constant review and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to begin work on a major revision of the fire safety aspects of the Regulations in 2004. The important issue of fire safety in schools, public buildings and commercial premises, are items that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be reviewing. As with any new guidance within an Approved Document, any decision in the future with regard to fire precautions in schools, public buildings and commercial premises would need to take account of a range of views, expert advice and of course a full Regulatory Impact Assessment.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the clergy's status as office holders. [84626]

An analysis of the clergy's status as office holders can be found at paragraph 76 of the DTI's discussion document on Employment Status in relation to Statutory Employment Rights (URN 02/1058). The Archbishops' Council is preparing a response to this document, and a copy of the response will be made available when it is issued.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what representations the Commissioners have received concerning the proposed enforcement of local authority licensing on church venues and the payment of fees for musical performances in churches; and if he will make a statement. [84506]

Matters of this kind relating to Anglican cathedrals and churches in use, and matters relating to places of worship of other denominations and faiths, fall outside the formal responsibilities of the Church Commissioners.However, the Bishop of London's speech in Another Place on the Second Reading of the Licensing Bill drew attention to concerns expressed on behalf of churches, cathedrals and other people from the wider community about the provisions in the Bill regarding the use of places of worship for "entertainment" such as concerts and plays. Unless these are for the purpose of religious meetings or services or incidental purposes, they would fall within the licensing requirements in the Bill, even though they are not "commercial" in character. I understand that Church of England staff are now in discussion with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) police officers and (b) civil servants have been seconded to work with the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland. [85885]

[holding answer 9 December 2002]: I have been asked to reply.Recruitment of staff for the Northern Ireland branch of the Assets Recovery Agency is in hand for it to begin operations, as planned, in February 2003. One civil servant has been seconded from the Northern Ireland Office to assist the project manager. These local staff are supported by the national implementation programme team in London. Further appointments, including that of the Agency's Northern Ireland Assistant Director, will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2002, ref 84475, on which occasions, and by whom, representatives of the Fire Service of Northern Ireland have attended meetings of the National Joint Council and Employers Side in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [85715]

One of the two members of the Fire Authority Board appointed by the Authority to represent it on the National Joint Council has attended National Joint Council meetings on the following dates: 26 February, 28 May and 30 October; and Employers Side meetings on 26 February, 28 May, 17 July, 21 August, 2 and 13 September, 28, 30 and 31 October and 5, 6, 11, 12, 21 and 28 November this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what means parents of children with mental health problems excluded from school, are able to influence the level and type of education undertaken by local education authorities. [85640]

Whenever a child is excluded from school the parent has the right to make representations to the governing body; and if the exclusion is a permanent exclusion the parent may also appeal beyond the governing body to the appeal panel. Governing bodies and independent appeal panels must consider the parent's representations and all relevant factors relating to the child's exclusion.Where a child has been excluded, the LEA should involve the parents at an early stage in discussions about alternative school places, and keep parents in touch with progress. An individual re-integration plan must be drawn up taking into account the context and culture of the pupil, and should be discussed with the parents.Local education authorities (LEAs) have a duty to provide suitable education for those children who cannot attend school because of their medical needs, including children with defined mental health problems. In such cases parents should be full collaborative partners in the education process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered primary schools in the Wycombe constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnic group. [85531]

The information requested is not available centrally. The table provides the overall number of pupils by ethnic group.

Maintained primary schools in Wycombe parliamentary constituency: number of pupils by ethnic group—position at January in each year
	Pupils of compulsory school age and above
	White	Black Caribbean	Black African	Black Other	Indian	Pakistani
1997	5,963	377	22	89	72	1,481
1998	5,920	391	20	97	84	1,524
1999	5,139	335	17	89	76	1,387
2000	5,037	321	29	74	68	1,396
2001	4,867	300	36	89	79	1,365
2002	4,766	270	36	91	76	1,384

	Pupils of compulsory school age and above
	Bangladeshi	Chinese	Other	Classified1	Unclassified	Total2
1997	21	22	206	8,253	83	8,336
1998	16	18	177	8,247	61	8,308
1999	25	22	174	7,264	11	7,275
2000	29	24	263	7,241	7	7,248
2001	28	24	352	7,140	7	7,147
2002	30	23	276	6,952	83	7,035
1 Pupils of compulsory school age were classified according to ethnic group.
2 Collection of ethnic group data was made for pupils of compulsory school age and above only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent independent advice she has received on the decommissioning costs of British Energy's facilities. [85646]

The Department's financial and accounting advisers have produced advice on a range of issues affecting British Energy. The company currently makes contributions to a Nuclear Generation Decommissioning Fund owned by the Nuclear Trust whose primary purpose is to pay the legitimate costs of decommissioning British Energy's UK nuclear power stations. The Trust held its first quinquennial review in 2001, taking advice as appropriate, to compare its funds with its assessment of those costs and published its conclusions on 10 December 2001. However, the Trust does not advise the Government on British Energy's decommissioning costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the (a) discounted present value and (b) undiscounted cost of decommissioning British Energy's nuclear facilities; and what percentage of these will be borne by the Government. [85647]

British Energy's annual report and accounts 2001–02 estimate the cost of decommissioning the company's nuclear power stations as £0.9 billion (discounted) and £4.8 billion (undiscounted). If the proposed restructuring announced by British Energy on 28 November is successful, it represents the best chance of the company meeting these costs itself. The amount Government will pay depends on the company's performance, and it will underwrite these liabilities to the extent that the funds are insufficient to meet these costs when they occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated implication is for (a) public expenditure and (b) revenue receipts over the next five years, of the renegotiated BNFL contracts with British Energy. [85645]

The precise terms of the new contracts between BNFL and British Energy have yet to be agreed. We anticipate that any impact on total Government revenues of the new commercial deal between BNFL and British Energy will be marginal, and entirely consistent with the fiscal projections in the Pre-Budget Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations took place between officials of her Department and the European Competition Commissioner in advance of her statement on the future financing of British Energy on 28 November 2002; and if she will place copies of notated (a) correspondence and (b) minutes of meetings in the Library. [86170]

Since the Government notified the financial support to British Energy on 10 September 2002, there have been a number of contacts between officials of my Department and officials of the European Competition Commissioner. Correspondence and minutes relating to these meetings contain commercially sensitive information, and as such, are exempt from disclosure under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government is taking regarding extortionate interest rates used by door-to-door lenders. [85802]

In July last year I announced a review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and in August this year I published a report on the progress of the review, which included emerging ideas on how to increase protection for consumers against extortionate credit. I will be consulting on more detailed proposals in the early part of 2003. The review is also looking at ways of improving the current licensing regime to ensure better regulations of lenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of the cost to small business over the past two years of the increase in the turnover threshold above which a business must undertake on annual statutory audit; and if she will make a statement; [84261](2) what plans she has to increase the £4.8 million turnover threshold above which a business must undergo an annual statutory audit. [84260]

The Department of Trade and Industry is carrying out work to analyse the information that is available to assess the impact of the last increase that raised the audit threshold limit to £1 million.My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in his Pre-Budget Report that we will shortly announce a programme of research to assess the impact of the increase before making a decision on further increases, inviting key stakeholders and other interested parties to contribute their views and experiences. In the light of conclusions drawn from the assessment, the Government will consult by summer 2003 on whether the audit exemption threshold should be increased or maintained at the current level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the proportion of debt to income of different socioeconomic groups in the United Kingdom. [75759]

The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a household survey into the cause extent and effect of over-indebtedness. The report was published on the 27 November 2002 and contains data on consumer credit repayments as a proportion of gross monthly income.The following table suggests that for non-pensioner households the lower the income the greater the likelihood that they will be paying 25 per cent. or more of their income on repayments (excluding mortgages).

Non pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)
Household income (£)	Owes nothing (per cent.)	0–25 per cent.	25 per cent. plus
Under 5,000	44	25	20
5,000–7,499	42	38	14
7,500–9,999	43	45	8
10,000–14,999	39	49	2
15,000–24,999	42	45	7
25,000–34,999	36	55	2
Over 35,000	44	46	6

Pensioner households show similar patterns to non-pensioner households, but the proportions repaying credit are smaller.

Pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)
Household income (£)	Owes nothing (per cent.)	0–25 per cent.	25 per cent. plus
Under 5,000	80	14	3
5,000–7,499	78	18	2
7,500–9,999	80	15	2
10,000–14,999	75	20	—
15,000–24,999	65	24	3
25,000–34,999	53	48	—
Over 35,000	84	16	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) engineers and (b) scientists that have provided responses to the Energy Review. [85449]

[holding answer 9 December 2002]: The Government are currently undertaking an energy review with a view to publishing a White Paper in the New Year. As part of that review the Government carried out a wide-ranging consultation exercise.A substantial number of professional engineering and scientific bodies responded to this consultation including the Research Council UK; the Royal Academy of Engineering; the Council of Science and Technology; the Institute of Mechanical Engineers; the University of Sheffield (Immobilisation Science Laboratory); Nuclear Physics Group of the Institute of Physics; the University of Leeds (School of Chemistry); and the Institution of Chemical Engineers. A list of responses to the Energy Review is available on the DTI's website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/responses.shtml

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters she has received in the last three months from (a) hon. Members and (b) Members of the public regarding fireworks. [86421]

[holding answer 9 December 2002]: During the last three months the Department has received 359 letters from hon. Members and 1,089 letters from members of the public regarding fireworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of plutonium owned by Swiss customers are held at Sellafield; in what form it is stored; and what arrangements exist for its return to Switzerland. [86137]

The total amount of plutonium to be allocated to any one reprocessing customer is directly related to the total amount of spent fuel that customer has contracted to be reprocessed. BNFL has contracts to reprocess at THORP 422 tonnes of spent fuel belonging to Swiss electricity generators. The total allocation of plutonium allocated to Swiss customers is a commercial and contractual matter for the owners of the spent fuel and BNFL as the provider of the reprocessing service. However, approximately 1 per cent. of each tonne of spent fuel will be plutonium.Certain Swiss reprocessing customers have already concluded contracts for the manufacture of MOX fuel, making use of their plutonium dioxide, and these contracts are in the process of being fulfilled. Accordingly, plutonium currently held at Sellafield on behalf of Swiss customers is held in three forms: spent fuel, separated plutonium dioxide and fresh MOX fuel. In addition, some Swiss owned plutonium dioxide has already been made into MOX fuel and used in Swiss reactors. All Swiss plutonium is expected to be returned to Switzerland in the form of MOX fuel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information her Department has (a) received and (b) sought from BNFL Westinghouse in the United States on its plutonium immobilisation programme. [86168]

None. I have been informed that BNFL/Westinghouse in the United States does not have a plutonium immobilisation programme in its portfolio of work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial investment has been made by BNFL into immobilization of surplus plutonium at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement on progress to date with the immobilisation programme. [86167]

BNFL have informed me that as part of its work programme to examine the management options for stored separated plutonium, it is carrying out analysis of various technologies under assessment or study worldwide. BNFL's investment in the plutonium fuels related R&D is approximately £2 million per year.The company is also examining alternative immobilisation techniques and technologies for those stocks which may prove difficult to convert into fuel. These non-fuel immobilisation technologies are currently in a development or exploratory stage, as they are throughout the world. The work being undertaken by BNFL is part of a wider investment in waste immobilisation technologies of some several million pounds each year; this includes an investment in the UK university base of some £2.5 million over five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to assist the British textile industry. [86719]

The Department is committed to building a sustainable future for the UK textile and clothing industry.To this end, DTI will continue to work with the industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group on a range of initiatives aimed at increasing its competitiveness and productivity through the development of innovative products, more efficient production methods and by diversifying into new markets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has funded into the impact of wind farms on (a) military and (b) civilian radar. [86632]

The Department of Trade and Industry has funded five projects since March 2001, with a total value of £356,898, that have addressed the impact of wind farms on radar and aviation interests. These projects have all addressed both civilian and military radar.

	Litres per adult
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Beer	128.3	130.3	124.8	124.3	119.6	121.4
Spirits (@40 per cent. abv)	4.4	4.5	4.2	4.8	4.9	5.0
Cider	12.1	11.8	11.8	12.7	12.6	12.3
Wine of fresh grape
Still <15 per cent. abv	16.4	16.3	16.9	17.7	18.6	19.9
Sparkling <15 per cent. abv	0.8	0.8	0.9	1.2	1.1	1.1
>15 per cent. abv	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6
Made wine
> 1.2 per cent. to 5.5 per cent. abv	3.8	2.5	2.6	3.8	5.9	7.7
Still > 5.5 per cent. to 15 per cent. abv (and > 15 per cent. abv)	1.1	1.0	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8
Sparkling > 5.5 per cent. to 15 per cent. abv	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by HM Customs and Excise at Newhaven. [85839]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) nominal and (b) real price of each form of alcohol with a separate duty regime was in each year since 1996; and what the consumption per head was of each form of alcohol with a separate duty regime in each year since 1996. [86187]

Unfortunately, price data are not available at the level of individual duty regimes. The following tables contain estimates of annual average prices for beer, spirits, cider, light wine and sparkling wine. The estimates are based on bi-monthly prices from an established market research company for on-trade and off-trade outlets and have been weighted by volume.

Estimated annual price of alcohol types
£
	Current prices
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Beer (pint	1.49	1.55	1.61	1.65	1.7	1.71
Spirits (litre)	24.93	24.91	25.28	25.51	26.84	25.43
Cider (pint)	1.16	1.29	1.38	1.40	1.47	1.41
Light wine (litre)	5.51	5.86	6.13	6.28	6.73	6.77
Sparkling wine (litre)	8.01	8.11	7.90	7.60	7.90	7.91

Estimated annual price of alcohol types
£
	Constant 2001 prices
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Beer (pint	1.69	1.70	1.71	1.73	1.73	1.71
Spirits (litre)	28.3	27.41	26.91	26.74	27.33	25.43
Cider (pint)	1.32	1.42	1.47	1.47	1.49	1.41
Light wine (litre)	6.25	6.45	6.52	6.58	6.85	6.77
Sparkling wine (litre)	9.09	8.92	8.40	7.97	8.05	7.91

The following table contains estimates for consumption per head for the different categories of alcohol under separate duty regimes. They have been obtained using estimated adult population aged 16 and over and clearance volumes.

Fourteen people are employed by HM Customs and Excise at Newhaven.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations from Scotland concerning debt relief for developing countries were received by his office in 2002. [86442]

The Treasury receives a large volume of correspondence on debt relief. In 2002 the Treasury has received to date over 29,000 letters and postcards on debt relief and related issues. Unfortunately, the number of representations received from each nation and region of the United Kingdom are not recorded separately.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions he will take in the event of the Office of Fair Trading finding proposed public sector regulations to have deleterious effects on competition. [85947]

I have been asked to reply.The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) may express a view on the competition impact of proposed public sector regulations during informal consultations or as part of the competition assessment in the Regulatory Impact Assessment process (all proposals for legislation which have an impact on business undergo a Regulatory Impact Assessment). Such views will of course be given due consideration.OFT also carry out investigatory market studies which may consider the impact of existing or proposed regulation. The Government will respond to such market studies with recommendations within 90 days of receiving the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the threat of long-term water shortages to the developing world. [84692]

It is estimated that by 2025 two thirds of the world's population will be suffering water shortages because of lack of water resources especially in Asia and Africa. At present 1 in 5 people lack access to clean water and half of humanity have no sanitation. At the Johannesburg Summit strong commitments were made to better management of water resources and improved access to water and sanitation. My Department is working with its partners to implement these.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with colleagues from G8 member governments regarding the implementation of the Africa Action Plan. [84693]

The commitments made to Africa at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis will require sustained commitment. The UK has published its implementation plan and we are pressing others to do the same.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the recommendations set out in the UN Panel of Experts' report on the Democratic Republic of Congo. [84694]

We believe the broad thrust of the UN Panel of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo was useful but it contained some notable and deeply regrettable inaccuracies. We await further information on many of the claims made. We have asked specifically for information to substantiate the claims made against UK companies and nationals.The current panel's mandate expired when it submitted its last report. We are likely to argue for an extension of the mandate in order that the report can be better substantiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the importance of professional armed forces in the process of rebuilding the health and welfare infrastructure in Afghanistan. [84695]

The decree issued by President Karzai during the Petersberg meeting last week on creating a professional Afghan National Army is an important breakthrough. This should lead to progress in extending security outside Kabul which is essential for progress in development.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the famine in Ethiopia. [84696]

The humanitarian situation is a matter of concern. But in 2002, good co-ordination and timely action by the Government of Ethiopia, donors and NGOs has prevented crisis from turning into disaster.The UK has played a significant role and committed £17.3 million to food and non-food humanitarian assistance in calendar year 2002. DFID has also provided nearly 20 per cent. of the EC contribution. We have also actively promoted and participated in continuous dialogue on the situation between Government, donors and NGOs.On 7 December, a joint Government-UN appeal was launched for humanitarian assistance in 2003. The appeal identifies 11.3 million people as needing more than 1.4 million metric tonnes of food assistance and places a further 3 million under close monitoring. Such massive need has resulted from the impact of widespread drought on a highly vulnerable population with little capacity to cope with shocks.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research she has conducted into the factors determining levels of private investment in less-developed countries. [84698]

DFID commissioned a number of papers on private investment (domestic and foreign) as part of the background research programme for the December 2000 White Paper on "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor". These papers are listed at the back of the White paper and are available on the Government White Paper website: www.globalisation.gov.uk Currently, we are funding two Development Research Centres: the Centre for Regulation and Competition and the Centre for New and Emerging Markets, both of which conduct research into issues related to private investment in developing countries. In addition to funding research, we keep track of relevant research findings from other institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are providing to the displaced Karenni people on the Thai-Burmese border. [84699]

There are an estimated 130,000 refugees from Karen and Kayah state, living in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Some authorities in Thailand have estimated that a total of 1 million people from Burma live outside of camps in Thailand. The situation for all refugees and internally displaced persons remains extremely vulnerable.In 2002–03, my Department has so far disbursed funds of £1.3 million for humanitarian assistance to support both refugees and internally displaced people within Burma/Thailand. The funding is channelled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the GATS agreement will affect a local community's ability to control the provision of services in their area. [84700]

Under the GATS, Governments retain the right and ability to determine their own domestic regulatory regimes including national policies relating to universal service, affordability of cost to the consumer, quality assurance etc.In addition the UK Government, other WTO Members and the WTO Secretariat consider public services to be outside the scope of the GATS, regardless of the involvement of private sector finance, where the service to the consumer remains a public service.Thus, a community's ability to control the provision of services in their area is a matter between that community and its government and cannot be compromised by the GATS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total expenditure is in the current year by her Department on support for Western Sahara refugees in camps in Algeria. [84701]

Our assistance to the Saharawi refugees is channelled through contributions to the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO).A new global plan for assistance to the Saharawi was agreed by the EC in May this year. This will provide 14.34 million euros (approximately £9 million) of assistance over a 15-month period. This brings the total assistance provided since 1993 to over 95 million euros, including over 79 million euros in food aid programme co-ordinated by ECHO, the World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Nearly 20 per cent. of this funding comes from my Department's budget.The UK also supports refugees through UNHCR including, but not specifically, Saharawi in camps in Algeria. My Department has recently signed a four-year Institutional Strategy Paper with UNHCR which guarantees the agency core funding for the next four years. For 2002 this contribution is £14 million. As this contribution is unearmarked it is difficult to ascertain exactly how much of the £14 million is spent in the context of this specific refugee situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian implications of a conflict with Iraq. [84702]

My Department is engaged in regular contingency planning for a variety of potential humanitarian emergencies around the world. In the case of Iraq, we are considering a wide range of contingencies, which take into account the present humanitarian situation in the country. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the UN regarding humanitarian contingency planning for a potential war in Iraq. [84711]

My Department has regular discussions with the UN on general contingency preparedness planning for a variety of eventualities and in a number of countries where it works. In the case of Iraq, the UN is preparing for all eventualities. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she will next visit Uzbekistan to discuss aid to Uzbekistan; and if she will make a statement. [84703]

I have no plans to visit Uzbekistan to discuss aid to the country. I plan to visit Uzbekistan in May next year to chair the Annual Meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Malawi. [84704]

A recent assessment concluded that 2.2 million people in Malawi are currently in need of food assistance, and this will rise to 3.25 million—a third of the population—between January and March 2003. Another assessment is now under way. It is also considering the extent to which AIDS and income poverty have contributed to the crisis. The results should be available by 30 December.My Department is playing a leading role in partnership with the Government of Malawi and other donors, in dealing with the crisis. Since November 2001 DFID has provided £30 million emergency assistance to Malawi.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is providing to Armenia and to help with the refugee problem in Nagorno-Karabakh; and if she will make a statement. [84705]

My Department has provided support to refugees who have fled from Azerbaijan and Karabakh to Armenia, and also to Azeri refugees who have fled from Armenia and Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Between 2000 and 2001, we gave £660,000 to UNHCR to support refugees in Armenia. In March 2001, we also gave an additional £500,000 to WFP to provide emergency food assistance to 297,000 subsistence farmers and other drought victims in Armenia.We provide approximately £2 million for longer-term developmental assistance to Armenia. This is focused on public sector reform, the implementation of poverty reduction strategies and work on medium-term expenditure planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to reduce the target rates of return for CDC investments. [84706]

The Government do not set target rates of return for CDC investments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the occupied territories. [84707]

The only solution to the humanitarian situation in Palestine is through political action, but we should not allow the increased human suffering of the Palestinian people to continue unaddressed. The UN has recently produced a plan of action to help the international community address the most urgent needs. We are supporting a broad range of emergency programmes through UNRWA, local NGOs and the World bank. In October, I agreed an additional £5 million from my Department's contingency reserve to meet the continuing urgent needs of the Palestinian people.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to ensure that programmes for tackling world poverty continue after the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. [84708]

900 million people are still likely to be living in extreme poverty in 2015 if the Millennium Development Goals are achieved. Our commitment to eliminate poverty will not end in 2015.The 2015 targets are intended to focus international efforts and build a more effective international development system. New targets will need to be set after 2015.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development What help her Department is giving to those countries in Africa that are suffering from famine. [84709]

We have made the following commitments for the humanitarian crisis in southern Africa, since September 2001. In addition, we estimate that our contribution to commitments by the European Commission to date is approximately £21.42 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to assist those employed in West African cocoa production. [84710]

It is imperative that we help producers in developing countries benefit from international trade, in order to facilitate economic growth and to help contribute to poverty reduction. Thus through the Doha Development Agenda agreed at the 4th WTO Ministerial in November 2001, the UK is arguing for significant reductions in trade distorting policies and greater access for developing country products to OECD markets, particularly for agricultural goods.At a country-specific level, the UK Government are providing direct support to West African Governments for the development of smallholder agriculture. Specifically in Ghana, the UK supports feeder roads construction in cocoa growing areas, which has restored access to markets and provided alternative short-term employment for farmers. The UK has also supported a fair trade initiative to market Ghanaian chocolate in the UK.

What assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Angola. [84712]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her policy on aid to Zimbabwe, with special reference to promotion of good governance. [84713]

Our assistance for Zimbabwe is focused entirely on the interlinked crises of the food shortage and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Both are set in the context of disastrous national policies on the economy and governance. We do not believe that the people of Zimbabwe should be deprived of international support in the current crises because of the gross misgovernment of their country.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department is doing to increase the transparency of World Bank decisions affecting poverty in heavily indebted poor countries; and if she will make a statement. [84714]

Since April 2001, the World Bank has been moving towards making the work of its executive board more transparent. We have encouraged and are supportive of these efforts. The Chairman's concluding remarks or summings up are now made publicly available on most board discussions, including those on the debt sustainability analyses that underpin decisions on the level of debt relief to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs). These analyses are prepared jointly by the World Bank and IMF in collaboration with the Governments in the countries themselves.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts the Government are making to assist in the process of having open and democratic elections in Afghanistan in December 2003. [84201]

I have been asked to reply.The UK is working closely with the Transitional Authority, the UN and international partners to secure the full implementation of the 2001 Bonn Agreement, the framework within which elections in 2004 will take place. Our focus is on working to ensure the elections take place in a context of stability—political, economic and security.We are in continual dialogue with the Transitional Authority, supporting its efforts to rebuild the mechanisms of government. We contributed £1 million to the office of the UN Special Representative to assist with their work developing a political framework and £1 million to the Afghan Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to assist them with capacity building and restructuring. The UK has earmarked a further £1 million for the development of an independent judicial system.The UK has pledged £200 million over the next five years for both reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and is also contributing 19 per cent. of the European Commission's €1 billion assistance package over the same period. Our contribution of £13 million, last week, helped Afghanistan clear its debt arrears to international financial institutions and enabled the Afghan Transitional Authority to access an Asian Development Bank concessional loan of £100 million to support the reconstruction effort.The UK led the multi-national ISAF, authorised by the United Nations Security Council, from December 2001 until June 2002.