To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she will take to address the difficulties faced by poor people in coffee growing countries. [92209]

The UK is committed to reducing global poverty as measured by progress towards achieving the MDGs. The Department for International Development has bilateral programmes in a number of coffee producing developing countries where poor people's livelihoods are significantly dependent on coffee production. These include Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda; and Guatemala and Nicaragua. The UK supports countries in the development and implementation of their poverty reduction strategies, including nationally owned agricultural diversification plans to deal with commodity dependency. In Uganda, DFID is supporting a feasibility analysis for coffee certification to help poor producers realise better prices for their production. DFID also supports research in several coffee producing countries aimed at improving the competitiveness of smallholder production.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific meeting in Bangkok in December 2002. [92211]

We are pleased with the outcome of the Fifth Asia and Pacific Population (ESCAP) Conference. The plan of action adopted at Bangkok represents a balanced, comprehensive and constructive framework for addressing reproductive health and poverty in the Asia/Pacific region and fully reaffirms the principles agreed at the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development. It will help the region to make progress on the millennium development goals especially maternal and infant mortality and tackling HIV/AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's priorities are for aid to west Africa in 2003. [92212]

My priorities in West Africa are:

• To help consolidate peace and security in Sierra Leone:
• To support Ghana's poverty reduction strategy;
• To encourage Nigeria to pursue effective reforms in order to reduce poverty; and
• To support poverty reduction strategies elsewhere in the region, particularly in the Gambia and Cameroon.

An immediate priority for the region is to resolve the crisis in Cote d'lvoire. We are fully supporting the regional and international communities' efforts to assist.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her policy towards cancellation of Ethiopia's foreign debt. [92213]

HMG supports debt relief for Ethiopia within the framework of the internationally agreed Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Ethiopia qualified for interim debt relief from international creditors under HIPC at Decision Point in November 2001. This temporarily reduces the debt service payments Ethiopia has to pay. Ethiopia will qualify for irrevocable debt relief when it reaches Completion Point in the next year or two. Total HIPC debt relief over time will amount to $1.9 billion. These resources will be freed up for Government of Ethiopia to use for poverty reduction.Ethiopia owes the UK £15.4 million, but is already receiving full debt relief on this under the UK Government's policy, which provides 100 per cent. relief on debt service payments due, starting at Decision Point, and writes off formally the entire debt after Completion Point. The UK is also concerned that Ethiopia may finish the HIPC process with debts above the HIPC thresholds and we will seek to ensure that additional relief is provided as necessary to prevent this.We will continue to monitor the impact of external debt on the pace of poverty reduction in Ethiopia and work with the international community to address problems that may be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is being done to bring about greater international debt relief for Ethiopia. [92216]

HMG supports debt relief for Ethiopia within the framework of the internationally agreed Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Ethiopia qualified for interim debt relief from international creditors under HIPC at Decision Point in November 2001. This temporarily reduces the debt service payments Ethiopia has to pay. Ethiopia will qualify for irrevocable debt relief when it reaches Completion Point in the next year or two. Total HIPC debt relief over time will amount to $1.9 billion. These resources will be freed up for the Government of Ethiopia to use for poverty reduction.Ethiopia owes the UK £15.4 million, but is already receiving full debt relief on this under the UK Government's policy, which provides 100 per cent. relief on debt service payments due, starting at Decision Point, and writes off formally the entire debt after Completion Point. The UK is also concerned that Ethiopia may finish the HIPC process with debts above the HIPC thresholds, and we will seek to ensure that additional relief is provided as necessary to prevent this.We will continue to monitor the impact of external debt on the pace of poverty reduction in Ethiopia and work with the international community to address problems that may be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to reform the European aid budget so that it focuses on the needs of poor people. [92214]

I have been working to expose the inefficiency of the EC aid budget and mobilise a commitment to reform since 1997.My Department published a revised strategy for improving the poor performance of the European Community development programme in August 2001. I welcome the positive steps that the reform process has taken, including establishment for the first time of an EC development policy which secured poverty reduction as the central objective. We continue to work for agreement that a much greater share of EC aid should be allocated to low income countries where it will have the greatest impact on poverty reduction. In 2000, only 38 per cent. of EC aid was spent in low income countries compared to 70 per cent. in 1990. Indications are that the 2001 figure shows an improvement. Our objective remains to reverse this decline in order to improve the focus and effectiveness of EC aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's efforts to relieve poverty in Bangladesh. [92215]

My Department finances a large programme in Bangladesh aimed at poverty reduction. We support health and education programmes with both Government and NGOs. We are working with a range of Government Departments to improve their capacity to plan and implement poverty programmes including improving the planning and management of public finances. We finance direct poverty programmes with NGO's and are strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations to increase the responsiveness of Government to poor people's needs. We are preparing a new Country Assistance Plan which will be published in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential humanitarian consequences of a war in Iraq. [92217]

My Department is considering a wide range of contingencies, which take into account the present humanitarian situation in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent action her Department has taken to promote fair trade products; and if she will make a statement. [92218]

My Department has provided financial support to the media campaigns of the Fairtrade Foundation designed specifically to raise both supermarket and consumer awareness of products carrying the Fairtrade Mark. In particular DFID has provided £120,000 to the Fairtrade Foundation over three years (2001–03) in support of its efforts to target new groups through its annual Fairtrade Fortnight campaigns.In addition, last year DFID approved a project (at a total cost of £300,000) designed to address a recognised bottleneck within Fair Trade—namely the limited number of products for which international Fair Trade standards exist. The project aims to develop new Fair Trade product standards, secure the registration of new producer groups and help bring additional Fair Trade products to supermarket shelves over the next two years. The target is to increase the retail value of Fair Trade sales in the UK to over £100 million per annum by 2004 and by so doing extend the benefits of Fair Trade to a greater number of producers in developing countries. By expanding the scale of Fair Trade activities, the project also aims to secure a sustainable future for the Fairtrade Foundation, so that its core operational costs (including the cost of subsequent promotional activities) can be fully funded from the income it receives from licensees.Although a niche market, Fair Trade can play a catalytic role. In the UK and Europe, the activities of the Fair Trade movement have raised awareness of the positive impact our buying decisions can have on poverty. These activities have in turn contributed to the growing demand for ethical trading standards to be employed by multinational companies in their dealings with developing country suppliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department will pledge to the Angolan Government at the forthcoming Donor's Conference in Angola. [91678]

We have not so far been advised of arrangements for a donor conference on Angola, although I understand that the Angolan Government would like one to take place in Brussels within the next few months. Rather than a pledging conference, we and other donor countries see this as a timely opportunity for discussion between the donor community and the Government on their plans for economic and social reform and development, building on the base of last year's peace agreement, and on the status of their discussions with the international financial institutions. We hope to continue to provide support to Angola in economic and social reform, effective governance, demobilisation and reconciliation, and the development and implementation of a national poverty reduction strategy. We will also continue to respond to Angola'surgent humanitarian needs for as long as this is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government is giving to Angola in the clearance of landmines. [91819]

My Department has allocated £300,000 to UNDP for a project aimed at improving the effectiveness of mine action through strengthened co-ordination at the provincial level. DFID has also contributed US$ 50,000 in support of a mine action database. The United Kingdom contributed 19.7 per cent. of the 6 million euros which the EC has made available for mine action in Angola. This included 5 million euros to a variety of mine clearance agencies.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently contributed US$460,000 from its Emergency Response Fund for Angola (ERF) to clear the mines from some of the main transport arteries used to deliver emergency supplies. The United Kingdom was one of the main donors to this fund in 2002, contributing £1.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has held with the Centre for International Briefing, Farnham; and what plans she has to visit the centre. [92041]

I have had no discussions with the Centre for International Briefing, Farnham and have no plans to visit the centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Governments of (a) Chad and (b) Cameroon on World Bank funds for the Chad-Cameroon pipeline; and if she will make a statement on the social and environmental objectives of the pipeline. [91454]

My Department has not had any direct discussions with the Governments of Chad and Cameroon about World Bank support to the Chad-Cameroon petroleum development and pipeline project because our support is provided through multilateral channels.We recognise that this project raises a number of potential social and environmental concerns. My original approval to the World Bank contributing towards the project was based on the view that it had the potential significantly to reduce poverty in Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world. I also believe the project will take much fuller account of social and environmental considerations with World Bank involvement than without. Project approval followed extensive improvements to the design to ensure that the project met the bank's environmental and social safeguards, and the introduction of mechanisms to monitor such impacts and ensure that oil revenues would serve to finance mainly poverty expenditures. Significant changes were made to the proposed route of the pipeline to reduce the impact on the natural and human environments. Since the project was approved, the bank, and International Finance Corporation, have allocated exceptional resources to monitor and support its implementation. Where problems have been identified, World bank management have drawn up proposals to address them which are discussed by the Board of Executive Directors, of which the UK is a member. We will continue to monitor progress on the project and take up issues as necessary with the bank so that the full benefits of this investment for the poor can be realised.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to tackle corruption in (a) Chad and (b) Cameroon. [91455]

Our assistance to Chad is channelled through multilateral channels. The World Bank and the European Commission are helping tackle corruption in particular through the monitoring of the revenues from the Chad-Cameroon petroleum development and pipeline project to ensure they are mainly used for poverty reduction. An international advisory committee has been established aimed at ensuring transparency and good governance in implementation of this project.In Cameroon, we are actively engaged in the preparation of a Forest and Environment Sector programme, which will include measures aimed at combating corruption in the forestry sector. We also currently fund an independent monitor of illegal logging. More generally my Department has supported the inclusion of benchmarks on good governance, as part of the assessment of Cameroon's eligibility for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, and will encourage full implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants have been employed by (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if she will make a statement. [92403]

The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the department has not sold any assets.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the establishment of criteria for debt cancellation which are based on the resources needed by a country to meet the Millennium Development Goals. [92355]

Debt relief alone cannot deliver the resources needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and significant new resources will be required. Developing countries generally, not just heavily indebted poor countries face a financing gap in meeting the MDGs. Further debt relief to HIPCs would not be an effective way of generating additional resources. Most bilateral creditors, like the UK, have already written off all or nearly all of the debts from HIPCs, so further relief would have to come almost entirely from existing resources provided by the multilaterals, such as the World bank. This would mean skewing money away from other equally poor non-HIPC countries, which might have better policy environments than some HIPCs. This is why we have focused on debt relief as a means of ensuring debt sustainability, and why additional donor resources will inevitably be needed to meet the MDGs.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to encourage multi-national companies to co-operate with heavily indebted poor countries. [92513]

The UK is concerned about the issue of creditor participation in the HIPC Initiative. Debt relief from commercial creditors accounts for only 4.4 per cent. of HIPC relief, but the potential costs to HIPC countries in terms of administrative and legal costs are much higher. We have raised this with the World Bank and the IMF, and at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June 2002. Bank and fund staffs are increasing the pressure on non-participating creditors. We welcome the decision last September to publish details of creditor participation—something we had pressed for—and we hope that it will increase international pressure on all creditors to deliver their share of relief. We have also asked the World Bank and the IMF to come forward with more proposals to promote creditor participation, such as a donor-funded technical assistance facility to provide legal advice to HIPC countries facing litigation. Staff are currently preparing a paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997. [90671]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development aid was paid to Palestinians in 2002; and which projects were funded. [91001]

DFID provided £68 million to the Palestinians in 2002. This figure comprises:

• Bilateral programme: £15 million
• UNRWA: £22 million
• UK Share of EC funding: £31 million

Our bilateral development programme in the West Bank and Gaza Strip focuses on support for the Middle East peace process; capacity building and institutional development; improvements to basic services, and a range of emergency programmes arising from the current conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution her Department has made to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea on the demarcation of the border between the two countries; and what estimate she has made of the impact which the projected funding shortfall of the Mission will have on the progress towards demarcation. [91163]

We have contributed £750,000 of support to the UN Trust Fund for the Delimitation and Demarcation of the Ethiopia/Eritrea border.We will keep the situation under review in order to help the international community play its full part in ensuring that UNMEE is able to carry out its mandate.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the recent floods in (a) Malawi and (b) Mozambique. [91456]

In Malawi the Humanitarian Working Group of the National Food Security Task Force is now assessing the overall extent and impact of the recent floods. My Department is working with partners in this working group to develop an appropriate response.In Mozambique, damage caused by tropical cyclone Delfina in Zambezia and Nampula provinces is not thought to be as severe as initially anticipated. However more information is required as there is currently a lack of comprehensive data. Damage to the Nacala railway will impact on the Malawi food pipeline.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to assist countries which have passed their completion point under the HIPC initiative with unsustainable debt. [91161]

The Government has been working to win greater international concern for the problems of debt sustainability facing some Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) as a result of falling commodity prices and I have raised these concerns at the Development Committee of the World Bank repeatedly over recent years. In Ottawa in November 2001, we asked Bank and Fund staff to revisit the debt sustainability analyses of all commodity dependent low-income countries, including HIPCs. The HIPC Initiative now has the flexibility to provide, when appropriate, additional debt relief at Completion Point, so called 'lopping up', to ensure that countries exit the HIPC process with sustainable levels of debt. However, this is not enough and the UK is pressing the World Bank and the IMF to widen their approach to topping up, so that any HIPC country facing unsustainable debts, that has demonstrated its commitment to poverty reduction and economic reform, should qualify for this additional relief. In April 2002, Burkina Faso became the first country to qualify for topping up. Debt relief alone, however, cannot guarantee future sustainability. This requires sound macroeconomic policies, strong growth and export bases, including access to markets of developed countries, access to adequate financing on highly concessional loan and grant terms, and prudent policies on new borrowing. The UK is co-financing a debt strategy project aimed at helping HIPC governments to strengthen their debt management capacity. The UK is also providing substantial aid to Bolivia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda—countries that have passed their HIPC Completion Point.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what sales of heritage assets and antique assets have been made by her Department since May 1997; if she will list other assets; and if she will estimate the total sales proceeds. [92405]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration is given to the costs associated with (a) the millennium development goals and (b) combating HIV/AIDS in the construction of poverty reduction strategy papers for countries wishing to enter the HIPC initiative. [91162]

I have been asked to reply.In line with the principle of ownership and country-led processes which the UK has championed, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) set national development targets which, in most cases, closely overlap with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The costings section of PRSPs provides an estimate of the cost of reaching these national development targets and how HIPC debit relief is to be allocated accordingly.For many HIPC countries, HIV/AIDS is an important factor in the analysis of poverty trends for PRSPs and usually costed within the health sector plans. HIV/AIDS is a multi-sector issue, and we are working with developing country partners to strengthen the quality of these plans and costings.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the impact of the failure of the Government of Mozambique to declare a national emergency on international efforts to assist in providing for the needs of people unable to meet their food needs up to the next harvest period in March 2003. [92607]

The current situation in Mozambique should be seen in the context of the country's increased ability to meet its food needs and respond to such a crisis and the Government's legitimate caution about undermining coping strategies or risking donor fatigue.Food production has recovered since the end of the long war in Mozambique, from 80 per cent. dependency on food aid in 1992 to now only importing about 20 per cent. of its food. The Government of Mozambique have been able to respond early to the threat of the current drought. For example the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development provided seeds and other agricultural inputs to drought-affected families, and has begun to rehabilitate small dams and irrigation schemes. The Government are conscious of the risks of large handouts of food aid contributing to weakening local self-help initiatives as people abandon traditional coping mechanisms.Mozambique is subject to recurrent natural disasters and has frequently been forced to declare national emergencies, most recently in the floods of 2000–01 and 2001–02. The current drought affects about 3 per cent. of the population, nearly all of them in sparsely populated, semi-arid areas of the country. In this context, the Government have not declared an emergency due to legitimate concerns about donor fatigue and a perception that the current crisis forms part of a long-term trend to increased vulnerability in the drought areas, which cannot be solved with short-term aid alone.The lack of a formal declaration of emergency has made it difficult for some donors to mobilise emergency funds, and Mozambique has not been able to form part of the Consolidated Appeal Process or the regional appeal of the Federation of the Red Cross. UN efforts in providing co-ordination services to humanitarian stakeholders have been hampered and there has been limited mapping of humanitarian programmes, leading to poor information about gaps in the delivery of assistance and difficulties with the identification of sensible projects.However, although the Government have not made a formal joint appeal, they have requested help from individual UN agencies, eg WFP (food aid), UNICEF (supplementary feeding) and FAO (seeds and other agricultural interventions). DFID has contributed to supporting these.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the suppliers are of her Department's (a) paper and (h) paper products. [91903]

The relevant suppliers are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department's study of the linkages between wildlife and poverty will be available (a) to the Department and (b) for wider consultation. [91416]

The final version of the Wildlife and Poverty paper is available on the DFID website. It will be published in the near future and a copy placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press releases have been issued by her Department in each (a) year and (b) quarter from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if she will make a statement. [92479]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90551]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many working days have been lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90970]

My Department will announce the number of sick absences recorded in 2002 in due course.The number of sick absences recorded in my Department from 1997 to 2001 is:

Year	Number of absences	Average number of days per staff year
1997	9,250	8.1
1998	8,643	7.3
1999	9,263	7.3
2000	8,426	6.2
2001	11,545	8.3

Staff numbers on which these are based have risen from 1,142 in 1997 to 1,391 in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote good governance and respect for human rights in Sudan. [91684]

The only long-term answer to improving human rights situation in Sudan is a peace settlement. We believe the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process offers the best chance to bring an end to the civil war through a negotiated settlement between the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A. In 2002, the talks produced breakthroughs on the key issues of state and religion and self-determination for the south and a Memorandum of Understanding on a cessation of hostilities and unimpeded humanitarian access and agreement on aspects of power and wealth-sharing, as well as human rights.The war in Sudan has prevented many donors, including the UK, from carrying out a development programme in Sudan over the past decade. Over $500 million of development funding will become available from the international community when there is peace: this is an important incentive for the warring parties to reach a comprehensive agreement. We are coordinating closely with other donor countries on all matters, including assessing support for good governance. Until there is a peace agreement, we will continue to support life-saving humanitarian work and peacebuilding activities such as personnel to monitor the ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains, support for antislavery work and for the IGAD secretariat.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met representatives of opposition parties in Zimbabwe. [91447]

I have not met representatives of Zimbabwe's opposition parties in recent months. My officials maintain dialogue on the humanitarian situation with a wide representation of civil society.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met representatives of the Government of South Africa to discuss the political situation in Zimbabwe. [91448]

I have had no such discussions. The British High Commission in Pretoria is in regular contact with the Government of South Africa on the situation in Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the World Bank continues to fund government programmes in Zimbabwe. [91449]

The World bank has not disbursed funds in Zimbabwe since 2000, after the Government of Zimbabwe ceased making payments on previous loans. Zimbabwe's arrears to the World Bank totalled US$107.4 million as at 6 December 2002. The World bank cannot resume lending until the arrears are repaid in full.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the German Chancellor Schroeder. [92159]

My wife and I visited Hanover on 11 January for a dinner with Chancellor Schroeder and his wife. We discussed policy issues of mutual interest.

To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants have been employed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92415]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on UK policy towards the agreement reached between President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder for the Convention on the Future of Europe; and what measures he will take to enhance British influence in the EU. [92123]

I welcome the Franco-German contribution to the debate on Europe's future. Strong French and German engagement is essential to take the debate on the future of the EU forward towards a more democratic, accountable and effective European Union. The paper is good for the UK. It contains important proposals which the UK has advocated, such as a full-time Chair of the European Council. The UK will continue to engage with confidence in the debate on the future of Europe.

To ask the Prime Minister when his e-mail address will be established for members of the public to contact him online. [92987]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty) on 6 November 2002, Official Report, column 399W.

To ask the Prime Minister when he last discussed United States compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with the President of the United States. [91965]

I remain in close touch with President Bush about a range of international matters.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2002, Official Report, column 811W, on referendums if he will make a statement on the Government's criteria for determining on which subjects it is appropriate for referendums to be held. [92655]

I refer the hon. Member to my previous reply on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 306W, where I indicated that there are no criteria, set out in either the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act or elsewhere, for determining on which subjects it is appropriate for referendums to be held.Dedicated primary legislation is required for any particular Referendum and the Government would of course, explain its reasons for deciding that the issue in question was suitable for a referendum.

To ask the Prime Minister when the United Kingdom first provided UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency with intelligence material on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. [92306]

The United Kingdom has been providing information of various kinds to UN weapons inspectors since they first started inspections in Iraq in 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for commencement of work on the A3 tunnel at Hindhead. [92042]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997. [90664]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what medical advice is given to personnel in advance of their inoculation against biological agents [91040]

Independent, expert medical advice confirms that immunisation against anthrax is safe and effective. United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel included in the voluntary immunisation programme against anthrax are encouraged to take advantage of the additional protection it provides. All personnel included in the programme are comprehensively briefed on the disease and on the vaccine, and given time to consider whether to accept it. The briefing includes an information leaflet, a video, a briefing from a commanding officer and an opportunity to speak to a doctor. All the briefing materials were drawn up with the assistance of expert medical advice. There is also a help-line, and copies of all the printed materials are available from the MOD web-site [www.mod.uk] along with links to additional information and answers to frequently asked questions.We have announced our intention to vaccinate a small cohort of medical and NBC specialists against smallpox; I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 2 December 2002 (

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency measures have been put in place to ensure there are sufficient stocks of blood and plasma available to the armed forces in the event of military action in Iraq. [91885]

The provision of blood and blood products to the armed forces in the event of military action in Iraq is the responsibility of the Defence Medical Supplies Agency who obtain all necessary requirements from the National Blood Service in England. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all anticipated requirements will be met. In extremis, the Defence Medical Services have a limited capability to take blood in theatre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the McKinsey report into the operations of the Defence Logistics Organisation; and what plans he has to reduce staff numbers at the Defence Logistics Organisation. [91045]

The McKinsey report confirmed that the rationale for a fully integrated Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) remains as persuasive now as it was at the time of the strategic defence review in 1998. The DLO has made real, demonstrable progress towards its strategic objectives, while continuing to provide a high level of support to operations and exercises. The McKinsey report identifies the key principles that will underpin the long-term strategy for logistics support, and proposes improvements in the three core logistics processes (procurement, engineering and asset management, and materiel flow), many of which build on existing good practice within the DLO. The key principles and performance targets are embedded in the new DLO strategic plan, and work to deliver against these objectives is being taken forward in the DLO change programme. McKinsey also identified a need for wider end-to-end review of the logistics processes in the land and air environments, and this is now the subject of a separate follow up study that will report in the summer.Staff numbers in the DLO are reducing as a result of a number of initiatives and rationalisation measures already implemented, such as the warship support modernisation initiative. The McKinsey report suggested that more significant reductions in DLO staff numbers could be achieved. More study and testing will be required before any firm conclusions can be drawn. Any reduction in staff numbers will be as a consequence of changes to modernise logistic processes and any decisions to change how the DLO's current provider functions should be undertaken in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure of his Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002. [90528]

Expenditure on commercial and HMSO publications, including newspapers and periodicals, by the Ministry of Defence in financial year 2001–02 was £8,070,439.67.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff have been suspended pending fraud investigation in his Department in each of the last five years. [91527]

Reported cases of suspected fraud are recorded centrally on a summary basis only, and detailed information on the number of staff under suspension pending fraud investigation in each of the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been found guilty of fraud offences in his Department in each of the last five years.[91528]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the distribution of his Department's whole-time equivalent staff was, including the staff in agencies and other bodies reporting to him, in each Government office region and nation of the UK (a) in 1996 and (b) at the most recent available period. [90479]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 15 January 2003, Official Report, column 609W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which north east companies have had negotiations with the Defence Diversification Agency in each year since its inception. [91082]

The Defence Diversification Agency has had dealings with some 417 companies through its office in the north east since it was set up in April 2001. Of these, deeper discussions have taken place with 59 companies and a listing of these companies follows:

Name	Company
Stephen Taylor	Pyramid Design Associates
Lesley Sharp	NRS UK Ltd.
	Bodycote Materials Testing
Phil Kite	William Cook Defence
R. Nassor	Stargate Precision Engineering
Tony Wilkinson	Royston Engineering Group
Jeff Sylph	North British Tapes
Owen Craggs	Neptune Engineering
Malcoln Thomson	MM Thomson
Johnathan Marks	Hunter Gears Ltd.
Jim Broadway	EMAT
Steven Knaggs	Agronautics
David Poole	AEI Cables Ltd.
Mick Callan	Welwyn Components Ltd.
John lianas	Synthesys
Jim Wallace	Seaward Electronics
John Morrison	Sapphire Technologies Ltd.
Harry Barnshaw	Teledyne Electronic Technologies
John Johnson	PDQ Engineering Ltd.
Geoff Edwards	Oxley
Brian Johnson	Northern Precision Engineering Ltd.
Terry Williamson	Rolls Royce
Steve Grainger	Enigma
Judith Knights	Nicholsons
Tony Brown	Metrology Software Products Ltd
Nizam Balkhi	Electronics Design
Ian Moore	Treepax
Ken Rowntree	Broady Naval Flow Control
Peter McGowan	Mercurl Urval
Raymund Kelly	TRISK
Andrew Robson	Premier Engineering
Tom Trusty	Sycopel International Ltd.
Geoff Brumfield	AIK Crossley & Bradley
Glen Callender	Bibby
Michael Stoker	Carmichael Associates
Avril Leach	People 4 U
Steven Brown	NEBCC
Paul Mitchell	Orbitel Marketing
Richard Smith	Oxford Chemicals Ltd.
Paul Newman	2Touch
David Bowles	NDI Ltd.
Barry Stoddart	Procter & Gamble
Arthur Chadwick	South Tyneside College
John Autherson	EPICC
Bob Marris	ETRUST
Dr. John Casci	Synetlx
Geoff Race	Northern Offshore Federation
Peter Lovering	Singsby Aviation
David Lussey	Peratech Ltd.
Colin Arrowsmith	ATEECC
Nick R. C. Goddard	Stephensson Gobin
Martin E. Morey	Morey Osys Technology Ltd.
John B. Aitchison	Alcan
Wayne Richardson	Senstronics
Jeannette Roddy	Answers Consulting
Mark Nails	TCS
Steph Hargreaves	Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP)
Ron Jamieson	RCID
George Ord	NE Innovation Centre Co. Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002. 90513]

The Ministry of Defence places its annual return for external assistance expenditure, which includes fees for external consultants, in the Libraries of the House. These data are collected on the basis of the financial year, and details of expenditure for 2001–be published shortly. To provide this information on the basis of a calendar year, and a specific figure for the cost of external consultants, could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. The figures for 2002–03 will be collected and published once the current financial year has ended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fair trade criteria he sets when deciding upon what suppliers to use. [89911]

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made clear, the Government are committed to supporting ethical trading wherever possible and provide significant support to the Fairtrade Foundation's efforts in promoting the supply and marketing of Fairtrade products.The setting of Fairtrade criteria for the selection of suppliers would be contrary to the EC public procurement directives, which apply to this type of procurement. These rules prohibit both positive and negative forms of discrimination. The Ministry of Defence's approach is to publish its forthcoming, higher value, requirements for products that might have Fairtrade sources of supply in the Official Journal of the European Communities, and to set out in those advertisements the supplier selection and contract award criteria that will be applied. Fairtrade suppliers who satisfy the criteria and offer value for money solutions to MOD's requirements will always have every opportunity to be successful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1)how many field hospitals are deployable; and if he will make a statement; [91517](2)what is the

[holding answer 20 January 20031: The establishment and strength of each of the regular and reserve field hospital units, together with their locations, is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents involving members of the public being attacked by horses used by HM Lifeguards in Whitehall have occurred in each of the last five years; in how many cases this has resulted in claims against his Department; and what has been the result in each case. [91562]

The Ministry of Defence has not received any details of incidents within the last 12 months of members of the public being attacked by horses of the Lifeguards in Whitehall. Information relating to the previous four years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. No claims for compensation have been received during the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the disposal of HMS Coventry and HMS London; and if he will make a statement. [90339]

I can confirm that the Romanian Government have decided to acquire HMS Coventry and HMS London under Government-to-Government arrangements. The Acquisition Agreement was countersigned earlier last week by my noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Bach, and the Romanian State Secretary for Armaments, Dr. Gheorge Matache. BAE Systems will act as the United Kingdom prime contractor.

:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the programme is for the disposal of HMS Sheffield; and what revenue has been or is expected to be raised by her disposal. [91220]

The final disposal programme and therefore subsequent revenue relating to HMS Sheffield have yet to be determined. However, I can confirm that Government-to-Government discussions are in progress with a potential customer. It is not our practice to provide details of current and sensitive disposal sales discussions and I am therefore withholding that information in accordance with Exemption 1 (International Relations) and Exemption 13 (Third Party's Commercial Confidences) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the totals of (a) ships intercepted and (b) seizures made of (i) contraband and (ii) illegal drugs by the Royal Navy in each of the past five years. [91241]

The information requested as regards seizures of illegal drugs by the Royal Navy over the last five years is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of BA/Rescue team support is required to support the planned deployment of Royal Naval and Royal Air Force personnel to the Persian Gulf; and what impact such a deployment would have on emergency military fire cover in the United Kingdom. [92649]

Royal Navy vessels do not sail without a full complement of damage control and fire-fighting capabilities, which include breathing apparatus and trained personnel. The level of such support varies from ship to ship. The current Naval Task Group 03 deployment is fully equipped and has the trained personnel to deal with fire hazards. The RAF have trained personnel in the Gulf region to support longterm operations. No additional RAF personnel have been deployed. There has been no effect on emergency military fire cover in the United Kingdom and none is anticipated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [90857]

The Ministry of Defence is committed to the work/life balance of its civilian staff. A range of flexible working patterns including part time working, flexible working hours, home working and job sharing is available to civilian staff by agreement with their management.United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2002, Chapter 2, table 2.33 shows 5,004 civilian staff (excluding those in Trading Funds) employed on a part time basis at 1 April 2002. At 15 January 2003, 594 civilian staff were recorded centrally as being employed formally under job sharing arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems of compatibility were experienced between British and US communications equipment during the US Department of Defence's Joint Task Force Exercise. [85651]

Exercise Internal Look was a US `Command Post' exercise. The only communications equipment employed was Command and Control (C2) computer networks. Each nation employed national systems, which were not linked, and both also used a coalition C2 network which meant that compatibility problems were not an issue during the exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops were involved in the US Department of Defence's Joint Task Force Exercise. [85658]

Exercise Internal Look 03 took place in December 2002.The number of United Kingdom personnel taking part in the exercise changed on a daily basis. About 830 were involved full-time for the majority of the exercise's duration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his Department's policy to regard the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 and the Protocol of 1978 related thereto (MARPOL 73/78), as amended and reiterated in Regulation (EC) No 417/2002 as best practice; what plans he has to take steps to apply MARPOL 73/78 to vessels falling under the auspices of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [92314]

All of the vessels that fall under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence comply with the provisions of the marine pollution legislation quoted and which is collectively known as MARPOL 73/78. Although MARPOL 73/78 allows, under Article 3, for the exemption of military vessels from its provisions it has long been MOD policy that these vessels will comply with or put in place systems that are as good or better than the standards required by this legislation. All military ships have a management system for environmental compliance and this is audited on a regular basis. In addition, any pollution incident is reported and the appropriate steps taken to minimise the pollution potential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes his Department has made in respect of future (a) numbers of and (b) armament for fast patrol boats as a result of Islamist terrorist maritime threats since the attack on the USS Cole. [91234]

The Royal Navy currently has 18 Inshore Patrol Craft in commission. The requirement for naval force protection is reviewed regularly. Most recently, this has seen the decision to replace the Gibraltar Squadron with vessels previously assigned to patrol duties in the Northern Ireland region. I am, however, withholding full details of the Royal Navy's patrol craft capability in accordance with Exemption 1 of the code of practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the feasibility of basing missile interceptors in the UK as part of a ballistic missile defence system; and if he will make a statement. [91043]

No such assessment has been undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many firearms have gone missing from the

Year	Royal Navy	Army	Royal Air Force	Total losses	Total1 recoveries
1998	Nil	3 Pistols	1 Military Rifle	15	11
		11 Military Rifles
1999	1 Pistol	1 Pistol	Nil	15	15
		9 Military Rifles
		1 Sub-Machine Gun
		1 Mortar
		1 Antique/Other
		1 Shot Gun
2000	1 Military Rifle	21 Pistols	1 Antique/Other	45	23
		1 Military Rifle	4 Target Rifles (Sport)
		10 Antique/Others
		7 Shot Guns
2001	Nil	4 Pistols	2 Pistols	11	14
		3 Military Rifles
		2 Sub-Machine Guns
2002	Nil	2 Pistols	3 Pistols	15	9
		4 Military Rifles
		4 Sub-Machine Guns
		2 Target Rifles (Sport)
1The numbers of recovered firearms quoted in the draft answer does not directly correlate to the losses in the same years, because losses and recoveries do not always occur in the same year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 516W, and his letter to the hon. Member for New Forest, East of 18 December 2002, how many intruders of those listed in each of the tables set out in that letter as having been arrested were charged with offences; and what the reasons are for the disparity between numbers arrested and numbers convicted following incursions at (a) RNAD Coulport from April 2001–02 and (b) HMNB Clyde from April 2000–01 and from April 2001–02. [91284]

All persons arrested, identified in the tables contained in my letter of 18 December 2002, were charged and all those persons arrested in Scotland were reported to the Procurator Fiscal with a view to prosecution. Convictions however are a matter for the judicial system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational status is of (a) 22 Regiment Royal Artillery and (b) 161 (Ambulance) Regiment RLC.[91048]

22 Regiment Royal Artillery is under the operational command of 7 Air Defence Brigade and the Regiment is currently operational. 161 (Ambulance)

In the last five years up to 15 January 2003, 101 firearms were declared missing from the three armed services. Over the same period, 72 were recovered. The following table indicates the losses per year by category:Regiment Royal Logistic Corps was disbanded on 1 October 2002 as a result of the Strategic Defence Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Public and Commercial Services Union about their opposition to the four-year pay settlement; and if he will make a statement. [91641]

[holding answer 20 January 2003] Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, nor I have met the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) to discuss this issue. But the Permanent Secretary met with representatives of the union on 25 November 2002 to discuss their concerns. The Ministry of Defence continues to listen to the concerns of the PCS, and take account of them as implementation proceeds and officials continue to maintain a close dialogue with the trade unions about this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list PSA targets for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 which his Department has not achieved stating the progress made in each case; and if he will make a statement. [92143]

The Ministry of Defence published details of progress against all outstanding PSA targets, including for 1999–2000 to 2001–02, in its Performance Report 2001–02 (Cm 5661), laid before the House on 22 November 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the timing of his placing in the Library his departmental minute on the sell-off of QinetiQ to the Carlyle Group. [91962]

On 5 December 2002, immediately after the key terms for the sale of a stake in QinetiQ were agreed with the purchaser, I announced the details to Parliament. Following this, and in accordance with government accounting rules and in line with normal departmental practice, officials prepared a departmental minute describing the contingent liabilities accepted by the Ministry of Defence as part of the transaction. This was formally laid before Parliament on 17 December.Members have 14 sitting days to raise any objections to the proposals detailed in the minute and this period ends on 23 January 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the composition was of the financial payment made to QinetiQ on its post-privatisation; how much was paid in respect of (a) staff pensions, (b) termination of prior contracts and (c) other issues.[92293]

No such payments have been made to QinetiQ. Certain contingent liabilities in relation to staff pensions and to contract termination remain with the Ministry of Defence, and these were described in the departmental Minute laid before Parliament on 17 December 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to postpone to go-ahead with the sale of QinetiQ to the Carlyle Group until Parliament has an opportunity to evaluate and debate the proposals set out in his departmental minute of 17 December 2002. [92300]

No. To date, we have received no substantive objections which would justify either a delay in the sale process or a Parliamentary debate. However, we will, of course, continue to give proper consideration to any specific points raised in relation to the issues covered in the Departmental Minute laid before the House on 17 December 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the flight path of planes flying into and out of RAF Fairford. [92162]

[holding answer 21 January 2003]: Most aircraft arriving at or departing from RAF Fairford use the Daventry corridor, situated about 20 miles to the north east of the base. Incoming planes generally descend to 2000 feet as they make their final approach along a westerly or easterly flight path as dictated by the orientation of the runway and the prevailing wind speed and direction. Similarly, planes departing the base also use a westerly or easterly flight path.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what limitations upon stored weapons apply to RAF Fairford. [92163]

[holding answer 21 January 2003): Aircraft weapons are not stored at RAF Fairford during normal peacetime operations, although to a maximum limit of 200kg, explosives may be brought to RAF Fairford in support of exercise activities. The storage facilities for explosives are licensed in accordance with relevant peacetime Explosives Regulations.As might be expected, a small quantity of personal firearms and ammunition are held at the base.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are stationed at RAF Fairford; and how many civilian personnel are employed there. [92164]

[holding answer 21 January 2003]: As at 31 December 2002, the numbers of military and civilian personnel at RAF Fairford were:

	Military personnel stationed	Civilian personnel employed
RAF Fairford	175	212

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future amphibious capability of the Royal Navy in respect of (a) ships and (b) personnel. [91233]

By the end of 2005 the Royal Navy will have substantially increased its overall capability to conduct amphibious operations. In addition to the Helicopter Landing Platform (HMS Ocean) and the Landing Ship Logistic RFA Sir Bedivere, on current plans the Royal Navy will also have available two new Landing Platform Docks (HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark) and four new Bay Class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary). The Invincible Class Aircraft Carriers are also capable of operating in the amphibious assault role. There are no current plans to change the Royal Marines manning requirement. Table 31 of the Departmental Performance Report 2001–02 provides details of Royal Marines units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was in each of the last five years of his Department's search and rescue capability in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [91914]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2003, Official Report, column 637–38W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a decision will be made on whether Suez veterans should receive an honour. [92036]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 13 January 2003, Official Report, column 404W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole (Mrs. Brooke).

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much producing the Cabinet Office's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [908771]

The Stationery Office Limited (TSO) produced the latest Cabinet Office Departmental Report (Cm 5429). TSO determine the number of copies printed for retail sale and meet the costs of printing and publication. TSO are not obliged to provide this information as these are costs which they meet themselves and are not charged to Departments. TSO has sold 354 copies of the departmental report and provided the Cabinet Office with 250 copies. The Cabinet Office paid £23,177 to TSO for other costs including design and the 250 copies received. The Cabinet Office copies were mainly distributed within the Department and to some other Government Departments.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people are in the delivery unit; and how many are (a) working within the Treasury and (b) transferred to the Treasury; [91169](2) when the decision was made to move the delivery unit to the Treasury. [91513]

The delivery unit remains a part of the Cabinet Office. At 1 January 2003, it had 34 full-time equivalent staff.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants have been employed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92364]

Full-time equivalent numbers for staff in all Civil Service departments and agencies is released twice-yearly by Press Notice. The latest data, for April 2002, were published on 31 October 2002. Data for April of each year from 1995 to 2001 appear in the latest edition of the annual publication 'Civil Service Statistics'. Data for previous years are contained in previous editions of the publication. Copies of the Press Notices and annual publication are available from the Libraries of the House.Comparisons over time are made difficult because of changes in the make up of the departments and agencies comprising the Civil Service. Not only do new organisations appear and old ones disappear, but staff changes may reflect the transfer of work between departments and agencies.With the exception of those staff employed by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the staff employed by Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are not civil servants. Advisory NDPBs are generally supported by civil servants from their sponsor departments, and do not employ their own staff.My department publishes annually information on public bodies, including NDPBs. This includes details on the number of staff employed by the public body. Copies of 'Public Bodies 2001', and equivalent publication for previous years, are available in the Libraries of the House. 'Public Bodies 2002' will be published shortly.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the total expenditure by his Department on ministerial travel (a) in the UK and (b) abroad, in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement.[92426]

Since 1999 this Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House.Information for 1997–98 was included in the 1999 list. The overall cost of Minister's visits for the years 1995–96 and 1996–97 was most recently provided with the 2001 list. The information for 2002–03 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.Detailed information requested in respect of UK travel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his written statement of 19 December 2002, Official Report, column 65WS, on open government, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given on each Department by year from 1992. [91531]

The files prior to 1997 have been destroyed as part of the normal review process. The 1 April 1999 return covered a 33 month period.

Department	As at 31 March 1997	1 April 1997–31 March 1998	1 April 1998–31 March 1999	1 April 1999–31 December 2001
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	5,907	201	13	42
Cabinet Office	4,198	1,409	1,859	134
Office for National Statistics	400	0	0	1
Crown Prosecution Service	1,054	0	0	0
HM Customs and Excise	964	44	0	0
Ministry of Defence	9,081	1,519	917	535
Department for Education and Skills	3,802	0	0	0
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions	1,496	5,754	4,334	10,693
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	10,597	3,551	956	3,496
Department of Health	890	0	383	849
Department for Work and Pensions	2,944	0	49	329
Home Office	3,162	180	88	123
Board of Inland Revenue	0	0	0	2
Lord Chancellor's Department	4,692	0	452	1,304
Court Services	2,114	1,407	0	0
Metropolitan Police	615	149	205	182
Northern Ireland (NI and Departments, Northern Ireland Office and NI Court Services)	11,808	0	0	0
Department for International Development	613	0	136	0
Scottish Executive	4,928	0	0	0
Department of Trade and Industry	111	3	33	504
HM Treasury	659	49	70	217
Wales Office, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales	237	0	0	746
Government Communications Headquarters	5,824	141	852	2,266

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many statutory instruments have been issued by the Cabinet Office in each calendar year since 1979. [89841]