To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the costs of repair and renovation work to the buildings of the Welsh Office in each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [89958]

Repair and renovation costs are not separately recorded but account for most of the Department's capital expenditure which was: £8,000 in 1999–2000; £299,000 in 2000–01; £21,000 in 2001–02; and has been £5,000 in 2002–03 to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimate is of the total spending of his Department in all forms of entertainment in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92410]

The Wales Office came into existence in July 1999. It spent some £21,000 on hospitality in 2000–01 and some £8,000 in 2001–02. In the current year to date it has spent some £6,000. Figures for 1999–2000 are not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been lost by his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, through (a) fraud and (b) theft in each year since 1996–97. [92489]

The Wales Office was created on 1 July 1999 and has no NDPBs.There has been no reported theft or fraud against this office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh Office Ministers there have been in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [89962]

From 1993 to 30 June 1999 the Welsh Office had three Ministers. Since 1 July 1999 the Wales Office has had two Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many press releases were issued by his Department in each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [89955]

The figures for press releases issued by the Wales Office since 1999 are as follows:

	Number of press releases
1999–2000	30
2000–01	100
2001–02	86
2002–03	129

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92245]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 749W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and at what cost in each year. [92488]

The Wales Office came into being on 1 July 1999. It employs two special advisers and three press officers. Special advisers are paid in accordance with the national pay scales for special advisers. Costs of the press office are not separately recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce a bank holiday for Wales on St. David's Day. [90247]

The Government have carefully considered the case for the designation of St. David's Day as a bank holiday in Wales, but does not currently believe that an economic case has been made for any additional bank holidays throughout the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [89898]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the level of central Government funding for university research was for the current year in Wales, per head of population. [86465]

Funding for university research in Wales is delivered largely by research councils and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Freight Facilities Grant was paid in each year since 1997; and how much is planned to be paid in each year under the 10 year plan (a) at current prices and (b) at outturn prices, broken down by organisations in receipt of such grants. [91647]

The following table shows UK Freight Facilities Grants for the five years from 1997 and the next three years at current and outturn prices:

£million
	Current	Outturn
1997–98	9.3	8.4
1998–99	10.3	9.6
1999–2000	12.7	12.1
2000–01	20.4	19.9
2001–02	59.5	159.5
2002–03	56.5	257.9
2003–04	63.9	267
2004–05	62.6	267.2
2005–06	61.8	268
12001–02 and 2002–03 include some rephasing for change to resource accounting.
2Indicative budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much track access grant aid was paid to freight operators, broken down by company, in each year since 1992 (a) at current prices and (b) at outturn prices. [91646]

The first track access grant to a freight operator was awarded in 1995 and paid the following year. The following table shows annual payments of track access grant. Details of awards to specific companies are commercially confidential.

	£million
1996–97	12.2
1997–98	21.3
1998–99	19.3
1999–2000	17.2
2000–01	13.9
2001–02	19.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Warrior, (b) Challenger II, (c) Challenger I, (d) AS90, (e) FV430 series and (f) MLRS armoured vehicles have been written off in accidents in the past five years. [91035]

Over the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2002, two AS90 self propelled artillery systems and one FV 430 Armoured Fighting Vehicle have been written off in accidents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions exist for compensating (a) injured civilian victims and (b) the surviving families of civilians killed as a result of military action taken against another sovereign state; and what his policy is on compensating civilian victims of military action taken to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq. [90235]

Article 91 of the First Protocol to the Geneva Conventions 1949 provides that a party to an international armed conflict which violates the provisions of the Conventions or the Protocol "shall, if the case demands, be liable to pay compensation."Coalition aircraft monitoring the no fly zones over Iraq respond in self-defence only to the sustained efforts of Iraq's defences to shoot them down. They do so, in accordance with international law, only against targets posing a threat to the safety of our forces. No liability to pay compensation arises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) estimated gross expenditure, (b) authorised appropriations in aid, (c) supply grant, (d) gross expenditure, (e) appropriations in aid applied, (f) net expenditure, (g) amount to be surrendered to the consolidated fund and (h) extra receipts payable to the consolidated fund were in 2001–02, in cash terms, broken down by vote; 91462](2) what the

In accordance with the Government Resource Accounting Act 2000, the Department's financial performance is reported to Parliament in the Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts. The 2001–02 accounts were laid on 21 November 2002 (HC47). Copies are available in the Library of the House. The Department is not required to, and does not, account for cash under the headings upon which information is sought. Cash requirements are accounted for at departmental level, and details of estimate and outturn are included in Schedule 1 of the Resource Accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use has been made of depleted uranium ammunition on live training exercises in training areas in Wales by (a) UK armed forces and (b) the armed forces of other countries since 1980. [91645]

Depleted uranium ammunition has never been fired on any military training exercise in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the (a) allocation and (b) cost of Royal Naval resources used to assist the UK community during (i) the foot-and-mouth crisis and (ii) the firefighters' strike. [91230]

The aggregation of many of the Ministry of Defence's resources into central and tri-service budgetary organisations makes it impossible to provide a comprehensive picture of Royal Naval resources used on deployments such as those cited by the hon. Member. The number of personnel and amount of equipment used are, moreover, constantly changing in the course of a deployment lasting several months. It is estimated that around 180 RN personnel and their equipment were assisting the United Kingdom community at the height of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The bulk of the cost of RN resources will have fallen to the two distinct naval budget areas, those of the Commanders-in-Chief Fleet and Naval Home Command, which between them incurred additional expenditure of around £200K. MOD recovered these additional costs from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.An estimated 3,000 RN personnel and their equipment were deployed on a typical strike day during the firelighters' industrial action in November 2002. It is too early to estimate how much the military assistance has cost to date, because the costs incurred since November have yet to be fully captured through the Ministry of Defence's central cost reporting system. The additional costs for the two budget areas referred to in the first part of this statement are expected to be of the order of £800K for the period to 30 November. These costs will be recovered from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether defects have been found in S10 gas masks supplied to armed forces units; and what inspections are routinely made.[91041]

There have been no defects reported in relation to the S10 Respirator supplied to the armed forces. Units are required to carry out routine inspections at regular intervals and prior to operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the serviceability rate is of (a) Gazelle, (b) Lynx, (c) Sea King, (d) Chinook and (e) Puma helicopters (i) on operations, (ii) for training and exercises and (iii) overall. [91037]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to (1) what extent HMS Glasgow will be able to fulfil the specialist functions of HMS Nottingham as developed in her 1999–2000 refit; [91280](2) when HMS Glasgow was placed in extended readiness; and when she is expected to be fully operational; [91221](3) what assessment he has made of the

While the Type 42 Destroyer, HMS Glasgow, will help ease the short term programming gap in the Fleet created by the unavailability of HMS Nottingham, she is not a direct replacement for that ship. Although both ships are designed to provide area air defence, either independently or as an integral component of larger joint or coalition maritime Task Groups, Glasgow does not have the enhanced air defence capability to take over HMS Nottingham's programme. However, there is no difference between the "anti-terrorism" capabilities provided by the two ships.HMS Glasgow was placed at extended readiness from May 2002 (

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Sovereign is fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [91033]

HMS Sovereign has recently completed a long period of maintenance and is currently undertaking the training required, which will return her to a full operational state of readiness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of possible terrorist threats to UK oilfield platforms. [91232]

I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the requirement is for (a) Sea Harrier pilots and (b) Harrier GR7 pilots; and how many there are in each case. [91036]

The position as at 15 January 2003 is set out in the table.

Aircraft	Requirement	Strength
Sea Harrier	172	48
Harrier GR7	269	368
1The Sea Harrier pilot requirement includes 'cockpit' and career broadening appointments in the Royal Navy, plus a training margin. Both front line squadrons are fully manned and forecast to remain so for the foreseeable future.
2The Harrier GR7 requirement comprises wing commander, squadron leader and junior officer posts on front line squadrons, operational conversion units, operational evaluation units and wing appointments. In addition to these established flying posts, fast jet pilots are required for instructional duties within the RAF's flying training system, overseas exchange posts, the RAF Acrobatic Team and a number of ground posts shared by all serving in the General Duties Branch.
3 Figure includes three Royal Navy officers flying GR7 aircraft. These officers are acting as pathfinders for the scheme under which Joint Force Harrier will gradually migrate to a fleet equipped with GR7/GR9 aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in erecting a radio mast in Lagopatria, north of Naples, to provide broadcasting services for the Armed Forces South British Services community. [91215]

The Ministry of Defence is not currently seeking to erect a radio mast at Lagopatria (or any other location in the Naples area) to provide a British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio channel for United Kingdom personnel serving at HQ Allied Forces, South. The provision of such a facility is not currently assessed to be a high priority against other welfare needs or against the size of the service population who might benefit. The erection of such a mast could, in any event, only proceed with the prior approval of the Italian authorities, for both its construction and the use of a viable radio frequency. The Italian authorities have previously declined to grant the use of such a frequency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place for evaluating the financial stability of contractors working on behalf of the RAF. [88641]

Works requirements are advertised in the Ministry of Defence Contracts Bulletin, and where appropriate, the Official Journal of the European Community. The adverts request that companies wishing to express an interest in tendering submit specific details to demonstrate their financial standing. This will normally be confirmation of the firms registration on Construction Line (a database jointly maintained by Department of Trade & Industry and Capita on behalf of all Government Departmens), details of a companies registration with an official list maintained by another Member State, or a statement of the firms overall turnover and turnover on construction works over the last three years.Tender lists are thus drawn up using contractors of proven and established financial health, workload and performance.The financial standing of contractors is regularly monitored and vetting is carried out where appropriate.As a result of signs that the company might be in trouble the financial standing of Inframan Ltd was under review just prior to the company going into administration on 12 December 2002

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Inframan Ltd. and its continuing role at RAF Leuchars. [88598]

Inframan Ltd. was placed into Administration on 12 December 2002. Grant Thornton were appointed as administrators of Inframan by the High Court of Justice.With effect from 19 December 2002 Grant Thornton concluded a transaction with Steill Ltd., a subsidiary of Alfred McAlpine plc, for acquisition of the assets of Inframan Ltd.It is intended that the existing contracts between Inframan Ltd. and the Ministry of Defence will shortly be transferred to the new owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is owed to sub-contractors in respect of work completed at RAF Leuchars. [88599]

The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the main contractor at RAF Leuchars changed in 2002. [88600]

Hyder Infrastructure Management Ltd. were appointed the main contractor at RAF Leuchars in April 2001 following a competitive tender process to support Commander Royal Engineers (Airfield Section) re-role. Hyder Infrastructure Management Ltd. changed their trading name briefly to Inframan Ltd. by Special Resolution as provided by Section 28(1) of the Companies Act 1985. As a consequence the contract was amended to reflect the contractor's new name and the change referred to was in name only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place for (a) reimbursing sub-contractors who are due monies from Inframan Ltd. and (b) allowing them to reclaim assets from RAF Leuchars for which they have not been paid. [88639]

Sub-contractors who are owed money by Inframan Ltd. should present their claim to the administrators, Grant Thornton, who were appointed administrators of Inframan Ltd. on 12 December 2002.Sub-contractors who wish to make a reservation of title claim in respect of stock supplied to Inframan Ltd. should equally present their claim to Grant Thornton.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sums have been paid to Inframan Ltd. in each month since their appointment as contractor to RAF Leuchars. [88640]

The information requested is withheld in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information as it is Commercial in Confidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the SA80; and if he will make a statement. [91413]

The SA80 modification programme has significantly improved the reliability and performance of the weapon. Extensive trials were carried out across all climatic conditions before the modified weapon was introduced. More recent trials and demonstrations in Afghanistan and Oman have established beyond doubt that the weapon is reliable and accurate, and can be maintained in an operational environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which SSNs have been given Tomahawk capability; which further SSNs will be refitted with Tomahawk capability; and when these refits will take place. [91031]

The following RN SSNs have been made Tomahawk capable:

• HMS Splendid;
• HMS Triumph;
• HMS Trafalgar; and
• HMS Turbulent.

Two more SSNs will be made Tomahawk capable this calendar year, with the remaining three receiving the capability by 2007. All Astute class SSNs will be made Tomahawk capable on build.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's position on forthcoming EU negotiations on a bio-waste directive. [89620]

I cannot at this stage be precise as we have yet to see a Commission proposal for a bio-waste directive. A proposal is expected to come forward later this year. In general terms, we will seek to protect UK interests, while negotiating constructively for a positive outcome. We recognise that a well thought out and relevant bio-waste directive could play an important role in achieving our aim of a sustainable waste management system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will meet the manufacturers of chewing gum to discuss the impact of their product on the environment; and if she will explore the potential for biodegradable chewing gum. [91348]

At the suggestion of my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy), I met the Wrigley's company on 8 January to discuss the effect chewing gum has on the environment. The meeting was positive and we agreed to hold further discussions to explore measures that would help to minimise the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what evidential basis her Department stated that fisheries in cod related fisheries will be able to fish for 15 days per month, with reference to the terms of Annex XVII to regulation 2341/2002. [91772]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: Annex XVII to the Regulation provides in paragraph 6a for nine days at sea per month for fishing vessels carrying demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size equal to or greater than 100mm except beam trawls. Paragraphs 6b and 6c provide for the Commission to allocate additional days to Member States in certain circumstances. During the Council the Commission confirmed to me that on the basis of these paragraphs the UK will be allocated a further six days per month for vessels carrying the above gear types, bringing the total to 15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies her Department and its predecessors have had contracts with since 1 May 1997; what the period of those contracts was; and what areas of work they (a) are and (b) have been involved in. [91216]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the equivalent figures were for 1997. [90675]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 16 January 2003, Official Report column 697W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legal rights drainage boards have to carry out their duties. [91180]

Internal drainage boards have powers to exercise a general supervision of all matters relating to the drainage of their districts. These are set out in the Land Drainage Act 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the cost to the average British family of all subsidies paid to the farming industry and to rural areas in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02. [90256]

Transfers to producers under agricultural policies take place through taxpayer expenditure and through higher prices to consumers. We estimate that the total average weekly cost, to a notional family of four, of all transfers under the CAP and UK national agricultural policies was between £11–£12 in 1999 and £9–£10 in 2000 (the latest year for which estimates are available).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest calculation is of the change in the value of (a) farm land, (b) farm houses and (c) other farm buildings over the last 10 years. [90252]

Estimates are available only for the value of farm land and farm buildings combined. Estimates for the value of farm houses are not availableThe overall value of farm "land and buildings" in the UK increased by £43 billion, or 85 per cent. (52 per cent. in real terms) between 1993 and 2000. Estimates for years prior to 1993 are not comparable.Whilst estimates of the value of all farm land are not separately available, statistics are available on the average price of farm land sales. These show that the annual average price of agricultural land sold in England increased by £3,300 per hectare or 87 per cent. (55 per cent. in real terms) over the same period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in nitrate vulnerable zones. [90962]

Fifty eight waste grants have been awarded in nitrate vulnerable zones, since the start of the scheme tin 1996 to 31 December 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average size of farm waste grants was in the last period for which figures are available. [90964]

The average size of farm waste grant paid, since the start of the scheme in 1996 to 31 December 2002, is £6,800.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in Lancashire in each of the last five years. [90726]

No applications for farm waste grants have been received in Lancashire in each of the last five years. The Farm Waste Grant Scheme only operates in designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). NVZs were not designated in Lancashire until October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm waste grants have been awarded in each of the regions; and how much each region has received. [90750]

The number of farm waste grants awarded so far and the number each region has received, since the start of the scheme in 1996 to 31 December 2002, is:

	Number awarded	Total grant awarded(£)	Applications received	Value of claims (£)
South West	3	37,377	3	37,377
East	17	93,512	18	118,766
North West	4	35,230	6	44,592
York and Humberside	3	9,078	3	9,078
East Midlands	13	89,909	15	100,151
South East	11	76,036	12	110,036
West Midlands	7	53,218	8	72,129

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors spent on compensatory payments to farmers, broken down by (a) type and (b) region, in each year since 1997. [91217]

The amounts of compensatory payments made since 1997 are as follows:

Scheme	Scheme year payments (in £million)
	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997
AAPS1	87.2	883.0	1,130.4	985.9	1,055.7
SAPS1	59.4	105.4	143.0	167.7	117.6
BSPS1	121.2	114.7	142.7	127.0	135.7
ESP1	45.1	56.3	0	0	0
SPS	33.1	26.1	0	0	0
SCPS1	67.9	775	106.0	77.9	78.8
HLCA	Closed	Closed	40.7	25.8	38.4
HFA	39.0	42.6	0	0	0
ERDP2	90.8	85.8	64.2	55.4	44.5
DAIRY3	54.9	15.6	0	0	0
1Includes Agrimonetary compensation
2Relates to Financial years.
3Relates to calendar year payments.

The information is not available broken down by regions.HFA applications are made in one year and paid in the Spring of the following year. Therefore the figure for 2001 is for applications made in 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions she has had with the Treasury regarding additional funding for aid to fishing communities since the agreement reached at the recent Fisheries Council; [91773](2) what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive in respect of aid packages to fishing communities since the agreement reached at the Fisheries Council. [91771]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: In considering the need for funding for fishing communities I am discussing the issues both with other Whitehall Departments and the devolved administrations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the chairmen of flood defence committees have to declare other jobs they hold. [91170]

All Defra appointments to Regional Flood Defence Committees are made following the Code of Practice of the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). On application for appointment, chairmen are asked to declare their present employment, other business interests, other public appointments and any other possible factors which may affect their suitability for appointment, including involvement in political activities. This information is updated regularly.There are also requirements under paragraph 14 of Schedule 5 to the Environment Act 1995 regarding declarations of interest by members of regional and local flood defence committees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress with the flood defence scheme for the Silkstream, Edgware. [91179]

Operational responsibility for flood management measures rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency (EA) and local councils, who decide which projects to promote and their timing.The EA is not seeking Defra grant for their proposed flood defence scheme for the Silkstream, Edgware, but do require our approval given the scale of public funding involved. Defra is considering the EA's proposed scheme against the normal technical, economic and environmental criteria. In the meantime the EA are working on the detailed design and negotiating with landowners. Subject to the necessary agreements, the EA plan to start work by the winter of 2003 and expect the construction phase to take two to three years to complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood defence committees there are in England. [91509]

There are nine Regional Flood Defence Committees in England and one in Wales. There are statutory Local Flood Defence Committees in Anglian, Southern and Wessex Regions and in Wales. In the North West region there are three non-statutory advisory committees.All committees are listed below:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will advise insurance companies that premiums on flooding policies should relate directly to risk and not to the post code areas in which the property is situated. [91400]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: It is not for Government to advise insurance companies how they should calculate premiums. However, the Environment Agency are shortly to provide data to the Association of British Insurers which will enable them to develop a better understanding of the risk of flooding within a particular area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the research conducted by her Department and its non-departmental public bodies regarding the immunocapillary electrophoresis test; [90036](2) what assessment her Department has made of the correlation between the immunocapillary electrophoresis test and other pre-clinical tests; and if she will make a statement. [90286](3) what plans her Department has to evaluate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis (ICE) test in a large surveillance trial; [90840](4) what steps her Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) validate the Immunocapillary Electrophoresis test with the European Union; and if she will make a statement. [90841]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (1) how many sheep have been tested by her Department and its non-departmental public bodies using the immunocapillary electrophoresis test; and what proportion of sheep were identified as (a) scrapie-infected and (b) non-scrapie infected, [90035](2) if she will make a statement on her policy on the continuation of the application of the immunocapillary electrophoresis test. [90287](3) what assessment her Department has made of the use of the immunocapillary electrophoresis test for diagnostic purposes; and what steps she is taking to enable the test to be used throughout the United Kingdom. [90845]

[holding answers 15, 16 and 20 January 2003]: DEFRA has commissioned the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to evaluate and further develop the ICE test (Immunocapillary Electrophoresis Test) with a view to its potential use in the pre-clinical diagnosis of BSE and scrapie. Work on this test has also been funded since September 2002 by the EU Commission with EU laboratories and the VLA under the Framework 5 Programme.The technology has been transferred from the USA and the test is still in the development phase. It has not yet been applied to field samples on a larger scale commercial level. Technical issues have had to be resolved, further improvements are envisaged, and the implementation of field case testing has been delayed by Foot and Mouth Disease.To date the ICE method has been used on sheep within a controlled scrapie-infected flock. The test has been shown to identify positive animals at certain stages of infection before clinical disease develops. Further work is being done to determine the exact age range in which positive animals can be identified. Scrapie-free animals give negative results with the test. The method therefore shows promise as a diagnostic tool but its use on a wide scale will be determined by the final characteristics of the test, in particular the optimum time for the test to be used to identify TSE positive sheep. Further validation will be required when the final test protocol is defined.In the absence of other validated confirmatory pre-clinical tests, the results from ICE testing are being correlated with biopsy materials and eventual postmortem confirmation of infection in the tested sheep. Facilities to expand the use of the test for field sampling are in place at the VLA and sample materials have been collected to use in a validated test. The preparatory stages for samples in this test are relatively complex and require several days to process; this may limit the number of samples that can be processed and the scale of use of the test. Currently the ICE method remains the only non-invasive live animal test that has been developed to the potential for identifying TSE-infected sheep or sheep flocks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the internal drainage boards in England and Wales, broken down by constituency. [91578]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, a list of drainage boards wholly or partly in England together with associated constituent councils has today been placed in the Libraries of the House. A map of internal drainage districts (Ref: PB 5455 Flood Defence and Land Drainage in England and Wales) is available from The Stationery Office. Flood defence is a fully devolved responsibility and the information relating to Boards in Wales should be sought from the National Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) public and (b) other money internal drainage boards have received in each year since 1997; how much money internal drainage boards have spent in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [91579]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: Internal drainage boards' income and expenditure is as follows:

Internal drainage boards' income and expenditure
£
	Public	Other	Total
Income
1999–2000	21,459,845	19,088,311	40,548,156
2000–01	21,439,538	20,221,600	41,661,138
2001–02	24,377,419	20,403,613	44,781,032
Expenditure
1999–2000	40,721,041
2000–01	41,983,118
2001–02	43,305,755

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of internal drainage boards in dealing with flood alleviation in England and Wales. [91580]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: There are 223 internal drainage boards (IDBs) in England, of greatly varying size, whose role is to secure the effective land drainage of their area. I believe that they generally perform this role well.The great majority of IDBs have produced policy statements setting out their approach to flood defence issues. IDBs have also generally played a full role in inspecting flood defences and watercourses, reporting the results to the Environment Agency as required under Defra's High Level Targets.The institutional arrangements for flood and coastal defence are currently being considered in the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review. While I see a continuing role for internal drainage boards I shall wish to ensure that their activities are compatible with wider Government policies and that they are organised in a way well fitted to the 21st Century.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the annual cost to the farming industry of the introduction of the EU draft regulations on the double-tagging of sheep; and what proportion of that cost she plans to meet from her Departmental budget. [91420]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: A full regulatory impact assessment is being prepared and officials will be seeking advice from key stakeholders to ensure that costs are accurately reflected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90548]

Records are not yet available for the number of days lost due to sickness absence in 2002, but these will be announced in due course. Sickness absence figures for previous years are published in the Cabinet Office annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service", copies of which are placed in House Libraries.The Department is committed to the effective management of sickness absence, and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement target of reducing sickness absence to 6.9 days for 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with industries dependent on unsustainable activities to encourage a transition to more sustainable ways of earning their living. [90622]

Promoting sustainable business is a key objective of the UK Government's Sustainable Development Strategy 'A Better Quality of Life'. It has been highlighted as a priority in recent reports from the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit covering Resource Productivity, Energy and Waste. Encouraging sustainable consumption and production was also one of the key concerns at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.Engaging with UK business forms an integral part of all of this work. Ministers and officials have frequent contact with business leaders through advisory bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (ACBE), the Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment (ACCPE), the Trades Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee (TUSDAC), and the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC).We have been working closely with business in the development and introduction of a range of initiatives, including the Climate Change Levy and its associated negotiated agreements, the Emissions Trading Scheme, and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).We also engage with business in the course of work on Government sponsored support programmes such as Envirowise (which offers advice on waste minimisation), ActionEnergy (which offers advice on energy efficiency) and the Pioneers Group' (which provides practical advice to sectoral bodies in drawing up sector-wide strategies on sustainable development).This engagement will continue and expand as we take forward new initiatives, such as the implementation of the Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, in revising the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, and in responding to the recommendations of the Strategy Unit's report on waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much tallow produced under the over-thirty-months scheme has been sold (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas in each year since the scheme began; for what purpose it has been sold; and how much revenue has been raised from sales (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) overseas, in each year since the scheme began. [90843]

In total over 213,000 tonnes of tallow from the over thirty month scheme (OTMS) have been sold for energy recovery. No OTMS tallow has been sold overseas. The OTMS began in 1996. Receipts for each financial year since together with details of the tonnage sold follow:

Financial Year	Income (£)	Tonnes sold
1996–97	1—	21,356
1997–98	1—	26,362
1998–99	333,397.00	17,099
1999–2000	1,454,308.00	31,223
2000–01	968,638.00	35,105
2001–02	857,855.28	31,518
2002–03	21.670,546.44	350,399
1Income for tallow sales not separately identifiable. Included under general receipts
2Invoice payments are outstanding
3Tonnes sold to date

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for peace and the cessation of terrorism in the middle-east. [91794]

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has stated, urgent progress on the MEPP is essential. Our goal is to achieve an Israeli state free from terror, a viable Palestinian state based on 1967 boundaries. The Quartet is working on a roadmap to realise President Bush's goal of a final status agreement within three years. It represents best current chance of securing peace. I was pleased with the progress made at the London meeting, intended to support the Quartet's efforts, on Palestinian reform. We judge that this will have made a contribution towards both improving prospects for peace and clearing the way for a cessation of terror.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the level of public awareness in the UK of the forthcoming enlargement of the EU. [91797]

The Eurobarometer survey of October 2002 suggests that 38 per cent. of the UK population are for enlargement, while 35 per cent. are against and 28 per cent. have no opinion. The Government accept the importance of informing public opinion on this matter and have recently stepped up its public information activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with EU applicant countries on the Convention on the Future of Europe. [91681]

My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with colleagues in EU accession countries on many issues including the Convention on the Future of Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek a change of nuclear policy by the Government of North Korea. [91799]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement to the press deploring North Korea's stated intention to withdraw from the nonproliferation treaty on 10 January and has made representations to the North Korean Government through the Embassy in Pyongyang, in addition to holding regular discussions with key international partners on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has initiated with his counterparts in the UN Security Council concerning the withdrawal of North Korea from the Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [91564]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has held bilateral discussions on this issue with a number of UN Security Council (UNSC) colleagues. We also expect the UN Security Council to discuss it.The Foreign Secretary issued a press statement 10 January expressing his deep concern about North Korea's recent actions. We subsequently delivered a similar message to the North Korean Government through our Embassy in Pyongyang. We also protested to the DPRK chargÉ d'affairs in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to normalise relations with North Korea since establishing diplomatic relations with it. [91565]

Diplomatic relations between the UK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were established in December 2000, and the British Embassy in Pyongyang opened on 30 July 2001. This established a channel of communication which has allowed us to address the North Korean authorities directly on issues of international concern, such as non-proliferation and human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether North Korea possesses nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement. [91566]

We have no hard evidence that the North Koreans have produced nuclear weapons, but we assess that they have sufficient fissile material for one or two nuclear weapons, and the technical capability to produce them. In October 2002, North Korean Government officials admitted to the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State, James Kelly, that North Korea had been pursuing a secret uranium enrichment programme. If North Korea begins to re-process the spent fuel rods at Yongbyon, it is possible that they could be used to produce nuclear warheads within a matter of months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the countries to which missile technology has been exported by North Korea; and if he will make a statement. [91865]

North Korea is the world's biggest supplier of ballistic missiles and related technology to countries of concern. Missiles are North Korea's most significant export and, by channelling profits back into the programme, an almost self-sustaining missile industry has been developed, supporting the requirements of both the domestic programme and the export market. North Korea has provided No Dong missile technology to Iran and Pakistan, enabling them to acquire their own versions. SCUD technology is also available for export, and has been sold to Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, UAE and Yemen. Over the last 15 years North Korea has exported at least 400 missiles

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has initiated at the United Nations for a new resolution in relation to Israel and Palestine. [91801]

Our immediate priority is the implementation of those resolutions already passed; most recently, Security Council Resolution 1435 of September 2002, which called for a complete cessation of violence, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian cities and action by the Palestinian Authority to bring those responsible for acts of terror to justice. The UK played a leading role in the adoption of this resolution. There are no plans for a further resolution in the near future, but we remain committed to further Security Council action whenever this might be useful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ensure long-term stability in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [91802]

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained in his written statement of 7 January, our priority is to secure Iraqi compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, including on giving up weapons of mass destruction. We are working to ensure that Iraq becomes, in the Foreign Secretary's words, "a stable, united and law abiding state, within its present borders, co-operating with the international community, no longer posing a threat to its neighbours or to international security, abiding by all its international obligations and providing effective and representative government for its own people."

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the action the UK Government will take should the UN decide not to take military action against Iraq. [91804]

In the event that there is a material breach, the preference of the British Government is for a second resolution. So far, the UN Security Council has, as Kofi Annan has said, "faced up to its responsibilities". We believe it will continue to do so. But we must reserve our position in the event that it does not.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the report from Iraq on weapons of mass destruction was not presented in its entirety to the UN. [91514]

Under relevant non-proliferation conventions, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America are obliged to prevent the dissemination of information relating to the production of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.The President of the UN Security Council therefore decided that the full Iraqi declaration should only be given to these members of the Security Council, who also have the expertise to assess the risks of proliferation. His decision followed consultations with all members of the Security Council.The other members received the main body of the Declaration excluding a number of sensitive passages and words that were omitted by UNMOVIC and the IAEA who, after consulting the Security Council members with expertise to assess the risks of proliferation, judged them to contain information that might be of use to potential WMD proliferators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the preliminary findings of UN weapons inspectors about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. [91791]

We maintain regular contact with UNMOVIC and the IAEA about the progress of inspections. Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei will be reporting to the UN Security Council on 27 January 2003 Their report is expected to cover in some detail their initial findings and their impressions on the level of co-operation received. We will then be in a position to assess their findings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the work of the weapons inspectors in Iraq. [91800]

We maintain regular contact with UNMOVIC and the IAEA about the progress of inspections. Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei will he reporting to the UN Security Council on 27 January. We look forward to receiving their report.Dr. Blix had a meeting with my right hon. Friend The Prime Minister on Friday at which he told the Prime Minister that, while the inspectors had encountered no direct obstruction in carrying out their task, the onus was on Iraq to be more proactive in their cooperation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in the African Great Lakes region. [91803]

The situation in the Great Lakes is dominated by the conflicts in DRC and Burundi. Progress has been made in both countries recently, but there are still outstanding issues to be addressed before peace is fully achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on UK adherence to the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [92339]

The Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABMT) is no longer in force between the US and Russia, and the UK was never a party to it.

To ask the Secretary. of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the forced repatriation of Chechen internally displaced persons from their displacement camps in Ingushetia; and if he will make a statement. [91766]

The UK has played a prominent role in international efforts to press the Russian Government to halt the closure of internally displaced persons camps in the North Caucasus. Bilaterally, we have informed the Russian Government that the suspension of food, water and energy supplies to the camps constituted, in our view, a forced closure and reminded Russia of her obligations under the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. The UK has also initiated and helped draft a number of EU demarches, calling for the closure of the camps to be stopped. We were therefore encouraged by President Putin's statement last month that the closures should be halted. However, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and take further action if necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the UK has made to the cost of sealing the nuclear reactors at Chernobyl; and if he will make a statement. [91870]

The United Kingdom has pledged £25 million to the Chernobyl shelter project. Some of these funds were disbursed prior to 2001, while £16.6 million have been allocated from 2001 to 2004. The project is due to be completed in 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the new Turkish Government on what has happened to the people missing since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. [91526]

[holding answer 20 January 2003]: We share the concerns of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities over the missing persons following the events of 1974. However, this is a humanitarian issue on which the UN Committee on Missing Persons, established in 1983, leads. We support the actions of the Committee and urge full co-operation with it.Such humanitarian concerns are among the many reasons why we urge both sides in Cyprus to achieve a settlement, based on the UN Secretary-General's proposals of 10 December, by the UN deadline of 28 February. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I reiterated Her Majesty's Government's support for an early settlement when we met Turkish Ministers at the Copenhagen European Council in December. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence did likewise during his visit to Ankara on 8 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii)the most recent year for which figures are available. [90712]

Detailed information on administration costs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agency going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in Table 2 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5413). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the recommendation of Working Group VII of the European Convention for an EU diplomatic service working under the authority of the proposed European External Representative; and if he will make a statement. [91545]

We believe that it remains for EU member states to organise their respective bilateral Diplomatic Services at the national level, although co-ordination and co-location of diplomatic missions with EU partners may be appropriate. The External Action Working Group report makes clear that any EU Diplomatic Service would work alongside those of member states, not replace them.The recommendation in the Working Group report is not that member states' bilateral embassies should work under the authority of the High Representative, but that the Commission's delegations should be re-badged as EU embassies/delegations, staffed by officials of the Commission, Council Secretariat and seconded national diplomats. These officials would work formally under the authority of the High Representative on Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, and under the authority of the Commission for other aspects of external action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the evidential basis was for the statement contained in a letter by Neil Sharp of his Office's European Union Department to the Democracy Movement that a constitution for Europe would not fundamentally change the relationship between the EU and its citizens, nor alter the position of the nation states as the fundamental basis of the European Union. [89128]

[holding answer 9 January 2003]: The Praesidium of the European Convention issued its preliminary draft Constitutional Treaty on 28 October. This can be accessed through their website at: http:// european-convention.eu.int/. It contains, as does the current EC Treaty, provision for union citizenship additional to nationality of the member states (Article 5), and makes clear (in Article 1) that the member states are the fundamental basis of the union. The Government would not agree to any constitution which changed this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in the past month with the Spanish Foreign Minister regarding Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [90289]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with the Spanish Foreign Minister in the margins of the European Summit in Copenhagen and he had a further telephone conversation with her on 18 December. Neither discussion concentrated on Gibraltar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) murders and (b) other serious crimes of violence were committed against UK nationals whilst on holiday in Greece in each of the last five years. [91817]

The number of murders and other serious crimes of violence (including rape) committed against UK nationals in Greece, of which consular staff were notified, from 1998–2002, are as follows:

Murders and serious crimes of violence committed against UK
nationals in Greece notified to consular staff
	Murders	Serious crimes of violence
1998	2	23
1999	0	36
2000	2	36
2001	0	51
2002	0	57

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) NGOs and (b) Amnesty International on Guantanamo Bay; and if he will make a statement. [91089]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (and officials) have written to Amnesty International on the issues raised about Guantanamo Bay. The Foreign Secretary has not had discussions with other NGOs on the subject.We continue to encourage the US to move forward with the process of resolving the position of the detainees. The Foreign Secretary discussed Guantanamo Bay most recently with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, on 5 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the position under international law of those detained at Guantanamo Bay. [91868]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had regular discussions about the detention of British nationals at Guantanamo Bay with the US Secretary of State, most recently on 5 January. Whatever their status, the detainees are entitled to humane treatment, and if prosecuted, a fair trial. We have encouraged the US to move forward with the process of determining the detainees' future, and shall continue to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of child murders in Honduras at the March meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. [90220]

We are deeply concerned by child murders in Honduras and we regularly raise our views.We are discussing with EU partners what action to take on Honduras at the forthcoming session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The UK, as part of the EU, will continue to support the CHR resolution on the Rights of the Child.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the initiatives taken by the United Kingdom since May 1997 in respect of furtherance of the aims of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [91963]

The UK has a very good record in fulfilling its NPT obligations. In furtherance of the aims of Article VI of The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the UK has, since May 1997:

withdrawn and dismantled the RAF's freefall WE 177 nuclear bomb, so that Trident is now our only nuclear weapons system;

reduced our operationally available stockpile to fewer than 200 warheads, which is a reduction of more than 70 per cent. in the potential explosive power of our nuclear forces since the end of the Cold War;

dismantled the UK's last Chevaline warhead in April 2002;

reduced the readiness of our nuclear forces. Only a single Trident submarine at a time is now on deterrent patrol, carrying 48 warheads. The submarine on patrol is normally on several days 'notice to fire' and its missiles are de-targeted;

placed fissile material no longer required for defence purposes under international safeguards, and all enrichment and reprocessing facilities in the UK are now liable to international inspection;

been more transparent about our nuclear and fissile material stockpiles and begun a national historical accounting study for fissile material produced;

published an initial summary report on the verification of the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons. The Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston is undertaking work on this issue;

ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and promoted its early entry into force;

ratified the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Raratonga (South Pacific Nuclear Weapon Free Zone) and signed and ratified the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Pelindaba (African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone);

supported Nuclear Weapon Free Zones in central Asia, south east Asia, and the middle east, and is in negotiations with the relevant states for the first two of these; and continued to press for negotiations to begin at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2003, Official Report, column 266W, on plutonium disposition, what proportion of the funds committed by the United Kingdom to the disposition of Russian plutonium is earmarked to convert the plutonium into MOX nuclear fuel. [92060]

The United Kingdom has committed £70 milion over ten years to help Russia dispose of plutonium, as it agreed to under the 2000 US/ Russia agreement. That agreement saw both Russia and the US commit to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium each. The Russian 34 tonnes will be disposed of as MOX. The UK, unlike some other contributors, has not earmarked its funds for a particular purpose. We believe this programme to be an important part of our wider non-proliferation policy, as it will ensure that a substantial quantity of fissile material cannot fall into terrorist or criminal hands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish his autumn departmental reports on public service agreement targets; and if he will make a statement. [91006]

We hope to publish the report in the next few weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with governments of other countries on protecting those who convert from Islam to other faiths, from (a) persecution and (b) arrest and punishment. [90730]

We condemn all instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief. Ministers and officials take every opportunity, including with our EU partners, to urge states to pursue laws and practices which foster tolerance and mutual respect and to protect religious minorities against discrimination, intimidation and attacks. The UK cosponsored a resolution at the UN General Assembly in November, 2002 in New York, to work to eliminate all forms of religious intolerance. We regularly raise specific cases of religious persecution with the Governments concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2003, ref 91205, when the Russian Federation has had its attention drawn to the need to put in place a legal framework satisfactory to donor countries. [92615]

The UK has been engaged in both multilateral and bilateral negotiations with Russia on such a legal framework for some time, but these negotiations are yet to be concluded. Throughout the negotiating process, UK officials have taken every opportunity, both in the negotiations themselves and at appropriate international meetings, to resolve difficulties and to stress the importance of a legal framework. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the matter in discussions with the Russian President Putin in Moscow in October 2002. We hope the remaining legal obstacles can be overcome in the near future, and work can begin on this important programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with African leaders on the situation in Zimbabwe. [91798]

We are in regular contact with African leaders about Zimbabwe. The crisis there is of concern to the entire region. Zimbabwe was discussed at two recent ministerial meetings attended by Baroness Amos: the EU-Southern African Development Community meeting in Maputo and the EU-Africa meeting in Ouagadougou, both in November 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects he estimates reside in Zimbabwe; and how many have left in the last 12 months. [91263]

There are 26,000 British nationals registered with our high commission in Harare. We believe that in total there are approximately 35,000 British Nationals in Zimbabwe. We do not have precise numbers for those that have left Zimbabwe. However, based on contact with the British community and our consular warden network, we estimate that 2,000 British nationals may have left Zimbabwe in the past 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions banned representatives of the Zimbabwe Government have visited (a) the UK and (b) the EU in the last 12 months, and under what authority. [91267]

Members of the Zimbabwe Government have been refused entry to the UK in line with the EU's travel ban.The EU Common Position of 18 February 2002 states that member states may grant exemptions from the travel ban where travel is justified on the grounds of attending meetings of international bodies. For this reason, the following Zimbabwean Government officials have visited the EU in the last six months.Aeneas Chigwedere, Minister of Education, Culture and Sports was in Paris for a UNESCO meeting on 9 and 10 January. Two junior ZANU(PF) Ministers, Christopher Kuruneri, Deputy Minister for Finance and Paul Mangwana, Minister of State for State Enterprises were in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in November 2002. This meeting broke down when the European Parliament refused to grant the Zimbabweans access to the building. ZANU (PF)'s Trade Minister, Samuel Mumbengegwi was in Brussels for an EU/ACP meeting in September. Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, was in Lyon for an Interpol meeting in August.

To ask the Solicitor General when she expects the CPS to publish its autumn departmental reports on public service agreement targets; and if she will make a statement. [91008]

I expect the autumn performance report of the Crown Prosecution Service to be published by the end of January, or shortly thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Consultative Group since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement. [91664]

Aerospace Committee membership list—1999 to date
Name	Position	Company/Institution	Date
Mr. Colin Green	(Chairman) Director	Rolls-Royce plc	From March 1999
Dr. David Anderson	Managing Director	Future Systems Technology QinetiQ	From April 2002
Mr. Norman Barber	Chairman	Smiths Industries plc	Until May 2000
Mr. Martin Broadhurst	Managing Director	Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace Ltd.	From March 1999
Mr. Larry Brooke	National Secretary	MSF	Until December 2000
Mr. Ken Brundle	Vice President and General Manager	Shorts Brothers plc	Until May 2000
Mr. Robin Clark	Director	Cobham plc	From March 1999
Mr. Graham Cole	Director of Government Affairs	GKN plc	From March 2001
Mr. Allan Cook	Deputy Chief Executive	Cobham plc	Until January 2001
Prof. Bill Dawes	Francis Mond Prof. of Aeronautical Engineering	Cambridge University	From March 1999
Dr. John Ferrie	Group Managing Director Aerospace	Smiths Group plc	From March 2001
Mr. Simon Frost OBE	Chief Executive	Claverham Ltd.	From March 1999
Mr. Chris Geoghegan	Chief Operating Officer	BAE Systems	From July 2002
Mr. Ken Maciver	Consultant—formerly Executive Vice President	TRW Aeronautics—Lucas Aerospace	From March 1999
Mr. David Marshall	Director General	Society of British Aerospace Companies	From March 1999
Mr. John McGowan	Director of Strategic Planning	GKN Westland Ltd.	Until December 2000
Ms Eva Persson	Business Development Director	Rolls-Royce plc	From March 1999
Prof. Ian Poll	Head of the College of Aeronautics	Cranfield University, MK43 0AL	From March 1999
Mr. John Quigley	National Officer (Shipbuilding and Aerospace)	AMICUS	From March 2001
Mr. Mike Rouse	Group Managing Director	Military Aircraft and Support Systems, British Aerospace plc	Until January 2002
Mr. Michael Ryan	General Manager, Aerospace Operations	Bombardier Aerospace, Shorts Brothers plc	From September 2000
Major General Alan Sharman	Director General	Defence Manufacturers Association	From March 1999
Mr. John Sharman	Executive Director	Spectrum Capital Ltd.	From March 1999
Mr. Mike Stacey	Chairman	Meggitt plc	Until March 2001
Mr. Tom Williams	Managing Director and General Manager	Airbus UK	From May 2001
Mr. Richard Wood	Managing Director	Weston Aerospace	From March 1999

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the extent is of foreign ownership of British (a) gas and oil exploration, (b) electricity generation, (c) oil supply, (d) gas supply, (e) electricity supply and (f) other energy industries. [89569]

The purpose of the Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Consultative Group is to advise the Radiocommunications Agency on a wide range of issues relating to the award of Broadband Fixed Wireless Access licences. There are over 200 members, representing telecommunications operators, manufacturers and others with an interest in the development of broadband fixed wireless access. It also has representatives from the Agency and its advisers and from other Government organisations. Members' salaries and expenses are met by themselves or their employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who have been members of the Aerospace Committee since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement. [91660]

The members of the Aerospace Committee since its inception are listed in the following table.Aerospace Committee members are unpaid, although travel expenses may be reimbursed.Mr. Larry Brooke, a member from March 1999 to December 2000, claimed travel expenses totalling £26.10.No other travel expenses have been requested or paid.

The information is as follows:

(a) Gas and oil exploration is carried out by a range of private companies, most of which operate on a global basis. It would not be meaningful to measure offshore activity in this way, and we do not attempt to do so.

(b) Based on 2001 volumes of generation and current company ownership, around 55 per cent. of UK electricity generation is foreign owned.

(c) The international nature of the oil market makes this difficult to calculate. Based on 2001 figures, around two-thirds of the oil products produced by oil refineries located in the UK were produced by refineries in foreign ownership (Shell has been treated as British). However, not all of this production is consumed within the UK, and the UK also imports refined products. It is not possible to determine how much of the traded oil products came from foreign-owned oil refineries.

(d) Based on 2001 gas supply figures and current company ownership, around 25 per cent of downstream gas supply is the responsibility of non-UK companies.

(e) Based on 2001 volumes of supply and current company ownership, around 65 per cent. of UK supply is foreign owned.

(f) Information provided by The Coal Authority, based on their principal licensees only, shows that in terms of coal production in 2001, the entire UK coal industry is under UK control.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association. [91842]