To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether a Minister's spouse or partner may use a Government car for official engagements when not accompanied by the Minister. [94992]

The rules on the use of an official car by a Minister's spouse or partner are set out in "Travel by Ministers".

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each (a) year and (b) quarter from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92427]

The number of press releases issued by the Cabinet Office since 1995 is as follows:

• 1995—128
• 1996—135
• 1997—189
• 1998—277
• 1999—343
• 2000—381
• 2001—196
• 2002—106

The figures for 1999 and 2000 include press releases issued by the Year 2000 Media Co-ordination Unit, which was operating from the Cabinet Office. Most of these figures will also include press releases issued on behalf of the Privy Council Office, which have only been separately identifiable since 1 January 2002.Lists and copies of Cabinet Office press releases issued from 1999 are available at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.Providing quarterly figures since 1995–96 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to extend the opportunities for members of the public to receive appointments to public bodies, task forces and ad hoc advisory committees. [93388]

As Cabinet Office Minister responsible for public appointments, work is currently under way in my Department on a new website, through which people will be able to get details of current and prospective public appointment vacancies across Departments. This new website will enable people to search on the basis of topic, Government Department, location of the body etc. and will be linked through to the job specification and how to apply. The new website will be complemented by a biannual newsletter so that access to the internet is not a barrier. The website and newsletter will be available in the course of the year.Individual Departments are responsible for appointments to the public bodies they sponsor, and for setting up and organising the membership of specific task forces and ad hoc advisory committees.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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 2000–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92230]

Details of my Department's spend on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 can be found in the table. Information prior to 1997–98 is not held on the Department's accounting system and is therefore available only at disproportionate costs.

£thousand
Year	Publicity	Advertising
1997–98	472	144
1998–99	1,634	138
1999–2000	2,551	262
2000–01	1,803	464
2001–02	4,260	2,708

The estimated spend on publicity and advertising in 2002–03 is £2,106,000. This is based on actual expenditure incurred up to and including December and forecast expenditure for the remaining months of the financial year. It is not possible to separate out the publicity costs from the advertising costs without incurring disproportionate cost.Expenditure incurred by non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department are not held on our accounting system and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.The increase in publicity expenditure between 1997–98 and 1999–00 is due to expenditure in connection with Year 2000 compliance awareness.The increase in publicity expenditure from 2000–01 to 2001–02 from £1,803 to £4,260,000 is due to expenditure of £2,670,000 incurred by the Office of the E-Envoy for the UK Online advertising campaign, offering help to people wanting to use the internet.The increase in advertising expenditure from 1998–99 to 2000–01 from £138,000 to £464,000 is due to expenditure on recruitment advertising for posts within the Department. These posts range from administration and junior management level through to the senior civil service. Also included is recruitment advertising expenditure for specialist placements within the Government Information and Development Centre.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93508]

Absenteeism is defined as unauthorised absence for which pay would be stopped. The Cabinet Office (and agencies) keep records of unpaid absence generally but they also include authorised absence. Separating the records could be achieved only at disproportionate costs.Sick absence figures for government departments are published annually in the report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". The most recent report for calendar year 2001 was announced by Ministerial Statement 19 December 2002. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. Figures for 2002 will be announced later this year.Cabinet Office figures (including its agencies and non-departmental public bodies) are

	Days per staff year
1993	7.3
1994	6.3
1995	7.7
1996	6.4
1997	6.6
1998	7.3

£
Distributor	NLDF balance at 16 March 2000	Uncommitted funds	NLDF balance at 31 March 2001	Uncommitted fund	NLDF balance 31 March 2002	Uncommitted funds
Arts Council of						531,576
England	282,798,703	-98,044,005	256,789,149	-16,113,171	246,267,032	(0.2 per cent.)
		12,798,154		9,796,283		7,774,074
Film Council	12,798,154	(100 per cent.)	41,761,184	(23.5 per cent.)	67,640,454	(11.5 per cent.)
Arts Council of		9,773,570		17,292,726		15,443,320
NI	26,969,427	(36.2 per cent.)	30,372,890	(56.9 per cent.)	33,555,930	(46.0 per cent.)
Scottish Arts		1,771,859		10,747,608		9,076,600
Council	52,442,351	(3.38 per cent.)	46,450,319	(23.1 per cent.)	44,642,966	(20.3 per cent.)
				1,042,978
Scottish Screen	n/a	n/a	4,290,609	(24.3 per cent.)	3,637,995	-1,306,175
Arts Council of Wales	24,055,796	-7,977,347	28,108,522	-9,889,513	32,542,530	-5,296,685
Community Fund	601,000,000	-26,000,000	489,771,011	-159,413,432	401,424,347	-148,132,113
Heritage Lottery Fund	903,000,000	-27,200,000	935,605,679	-48,603,065	933,667,077	-125,269,349
Millennium				91,383,244		157,384,792
Commission	591,711,691	-148,888,309	466,483,244	(19.6 per cent.)	386,384,792	(40 per cent.)
New
Opportunities		142,949,683		11,541,590
Fund	463,999,683	(30.8 per cent.)	571,897,073	(2.0 per cent.)	826,417,473	-55,387,421
Sport England	458,717,575	-196,745,718	451,912,589	-186,232,411	382,438,490	-465,214,510
Sports Council of		778,787		1,952,654		5,178,473
NI	14,746,090	(5.3 per cent.)	16,748,325	(11.67 per cent.)	19,539,173	(26.5 per cent.)
		9,919,219		32,375,718		19,599,086
Sport Scotland	75,106,991	(13.2 per cent.)	70,326,344	(46.0 per cent.)	72,899,224	(26.9 per cent.)

	Days per staff year
1999	6.8
2000	4.6
2001	5.7

Figures for 1990–92 are not available.Our target for reducing sick absence is no more than

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funds unallocated to good causes has been held by each of the Lottery fund distributors in each of the past five years; what percentage of their total balance this represented in each year; and if she will make a statement. [94138]

All funds held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) are allocated to one of the Good Causes. Information regarding funds not yet committed to projects by each distributing body is only readily available in the form requested for the past three years. The figures in the following table show the position at the end of each of the last three completed financial years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the variation in expenditure relative to revenue received of the Lottery income distributing bodies; and if she will make a statement. [94139]

There are significant differences between the 15 Lottery Distributing Bodies in terms of the nature of their activities and the type and timescale of the projects that they support.There are therefore good reasons why different bodies will draw down funds raised for them at different rates. DCMS is working with the distributors to encourage and facilitate greater commitment of Lottery funds and the faster expenditure of committed money. This must however be consistent with the principles of good financial management and accountability.At 30 September 2002, the distributors collectively had made commitments, with varying degrees of firmness, totalling 3.99 billion while the amount held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) at this time was 3.52 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the accountability of the Lottery Fund distributing bodies and their application processes to (a) applicants, (b) the public and (c) her Department; what assessment she has made of them; and if she will make a statement. [94140]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has from time to time received representations about the accountability of the Lottery distributors and their application processes. The Accounting Officer of a Lottery distributor is accountable to both the Department's Permanent Secretary and to Parliament for the proper and prudent expenditure of funds, and distributors' activities are subject to external audit by the National Audit Office. As Lottery proceeds allocated to distributors are public money, the general

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement. [93509]

Cabinet Office publishes an annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". The most recently published figures for the calendar year 2001 were announced by Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2002, and copies placed in the Libraries of the House.For DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency the 2001 average working days sickness absence per staff year figures were:

	Certified sickness	Self-certification	Total	Staff years
DCMS	3.8	2.1	5.9	420
Royal
Parks
Agency	2.5	11.0	13.5	229

The 1999, 2000 and 2001 reports are available on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/ civilservice/publications/sickness/index.htm The sickness absence figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.DCMS and its Agency have no recorded cases of any unauthorised absenteeism.The targets set for DCMS and its Agency were:

	2001–02	2002–03
DCMS	7 days	6 days
Royal Parks Agency	10 days	9 days

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to sell the Tote (a) to a racing trust to allow it to compete commercially with all long-term profits invested in the sport and (b) to a profit-making company with interests in the gambling sector. [93794]

The Government's policy in this area is well established. The intention remains to sell the Tote to a consortium of racing interests and that is the basis we are working on. We would only consider other alternatives if that model proved to be unviable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are in service with (a) 847 NAS, (b) 846 NAS and (c) 845 NAS, and what the serviceability rate is of the aircraft of each squadron. [93648]

The numbers of aircraft and overall serviceability rate for 847 NAS, 846 NAS and 845 NAS are as follows:

Aircraft
	Number
847 Naval Air Squadron
Lynx Attack Helicopter	Six Aircraft; 100 per cent.
Mark 7	overall serviceability rate
Gazelle Attack Helicopter	Eight aircraft; 83 per cent.
mark 1	overall serviceability rate
846 Naval Air Squadron
Sea King Helicopter Mark 4	10 aircraft; 60 per cent. overall
	serviceability rate
845 Naval Air Squadron
Sea King Helicopter Mark 4	10 aircraft; 90 per cent. overall
	serviceability rate

Serviceability is defined as the number of aircraft within the Actual Operating Fleet (AOF—the actual aircraft allocated to the Operating Commander to complete the mandated task) that are fit to fly at the time of reporting expressed as a percentage of the AOF. The figures provided are accurate as of 27 January 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British involvement in military strikes on targets in the Iraqi no-fly zones since 11 September 2001; what the cost of this involvement has been to Britain; and what (a) military and (b) civilian casualties have resulted. [93217]

Our records do not separately identify expenditure incurred in maintaining the no-fly zones, nor can they be broken down from specific dates. However, the table sets out the overall estimated additional expenditure incurred as a direct result of operations in the Gulf during financial year 2001–02 and 2002–03.

	£million
2001–02	221
2002–03	261

Denotes figure calculated on a resource basis.I will write to the hon. Member with further details concerning expenditure in 2001–02 and 2002–03.We are not aware of any civilian casualties resulting from responses made in self-defence by coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones since 11 September 2001. It is not possible to confirm whether military casualties have occurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year. [90609]

Based on the net working hours of Ministry of Defence staff, increasing the minimum wage by any of the rates at (a) to (e) will have no impact on the cost of salaries for the MOD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rifles have been supplied for use by (a) front-line troops and (b) support forces. [94103]

The information to distinguish between the number of rifles of all types held by front line troops and support forces is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Troops being deployed as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with the modified SA80 rifle. To date, 50,000 modified SA80 rifles have been issued to United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops being deployed in the Gulf as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with unmodified SA-80 A2 rifles. [93991]

None. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all troops deployed on Operation Telic will be equipped with the modified SA-80 A2 rifle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation has been paid to service personnel for cancelled holidays in the past six months; and how many service personnel have been compensated. [93652]

During the period June—December 2002, approximately 46 Service personnel claimed a total of about £lIK in refunds under the Nugatory Holiday Expenditure scheme. This scheme reimburses Service personnel for otherwise irrecoverable expenses incurred through having to cancel or curtail holidays at short notice due to unplanned and unforeseen military commitments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) gas masks and (b) protective suits have been issued to service personnel. [93568]

All service personnel receive a personal issue of one respirator, to be retained at all times, and protective suits are made available for operational requirements. Protective suits are bulky items so whilst one suit is given as a personal issue, the others would normally be held by Quartermasters and issued as required. Thereare sufficient stocks of gas masks and protective suits to meet our contingency plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in the amount of food which will be produced in the EU after the expansion of the organisation. [94163]

Accession to the EU will promote restructuring and improved productivity in the new member states. We welcome that. But it makes the need for reform of the common agricultural policy all the more critical in order to avoid stimulating artificial and uneconomic production in both the new and the existing member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet British Sugar to discuss the development of new technology in sugar beet refining. [94173]

Defra maintains regular contact with British Sugar at all levels. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, (the Lord Whitty), visited the Wissington Sugar Factory as recently as 17 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government policy towards horticulture. [94174]

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment, stated at Oral Questions on 19 December last, the Government welcome the contribution of horticulture to the UK economy. It is worth some £2 billion at the farm gate and supports substantial downstream activity in packhouses, processing and the garden industry. We will continue to work with the industry through the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy published on 12 December, by funding research and development and through the England Rural Development Programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategy has been in place during the past five years to combat the effects of water acidity upon stocks of native brown trout; and if she will make a statement. [94175]

The Government have lobbied for, and implements controls both on atmospheric emissions (to tackle the impacts at source) and on forestry practices (to help minimise the impacts). Alongside these controls we use catchment liming (if feasible and appropriate) as a method of remediation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to tackle sewer flooding. [94176]

The Department has been working closely with the Office of Water Services to look at ways of tackling the serious problem of sewer flooding. The Government appreciate this can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for those affected.Following a consultation on flooding from sewers, Ofwat announced that they will consider proposals from sewerage undertakers for additional schemes to alleviate the most serious problems in the period up to 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the forthcoming expansion of the European Union on the economic viability of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet. [94178]

We do not expect the forthcoming accession of new member states to affect the economic viability of the UK fishing fleet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to use money allocated to flood defence for self-help schemes aimed at securing insurance at reasonable rates against flooding. [94179]

The Government currently have no plans to draw on flood defence budgets to award money to individual householders to install flood protection measures at their homes. Individuals are, however, encouraged to consider with their insurers whether investment in such devices will enable them to secure a reduction in their premiums. The development of standards for these devices has been supported by the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the International Fund for Animal Welfare regarding hunting; and if she will make a statement. [92998]

The International Fund for Animal welfare is one of three organisations which comprise the organisation Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals (the other two being the League Against Cruel Sports and RSPCA). I met representatives of IFAW and the other campaigning organisations on a number of occasions, particularly in connection with the public hearings held in Portcullis House in September. I was meeting the Countryside Alliance and the Middle Way Group in parallel or at the same meetings. A representative of IFAW was present at the hearings examining the evidence put by expert witnesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on advertising since its creation; and if she will make a statement. [93677]

Defra was formed as a Department in June 2001.The Department does not maintain records of its expenditure on advertising separately. Our expenditure for publicity, which includes advertising, publications, events, shows and direct information literature mailings, in financial year 2001–02 was £6.64 million. The allocation for publicity in 2002–03 is £4.1 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been carried out on the replacement of diesel with fuels based on sunflower or rapeseed; and what plans the Government have to encourage the recycling of cooking oil as fuel for motor engines. [93476]

This Department has funded a small number of projects evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of using oilseed rape for biodiesel. DEFRA does not fund research and development work on liquid biofuels which is largely covered by the programmes of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport. The Chancellor introduced a duty cut of 20 pence per litre for biodiesel compared to Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel in 2002. This has stimulated the recycling of used vegetable oil to produce biodiesel, which is now available to the public as a blend with fossil diesel. Over 60 filling stations are currently retailing high quality biofuels made from recovered vegetable oil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the priorities are of her Department's research into animal welfare issues; and if she will make a statement. [94171]

The Government are committed to promoting the welfare of all animals kept by man and to eliminate cruelty. The animal welfare research portfolio is wide-ranging and has projects covering important areas concerning welfare on farm, during transport, at markets and slaughter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she expects her Department to spend on early retirement packages over the next five years; and how much her Department has spent on retirement packages since its creation. [93675]

The expected costs of early retirement over the next five years are as follows:

£million
	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Core
DEFRA	3	7	7	—	—
Rural
Payments
Agency	12.3	16.5	1.3	1.2	1
Total	15.3	23.5	8.3	1.2	1

Historic information on the expenditure since DEFRA was created is notimmediately available. I will write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the current levels of farming incomes. [94177]

As reported to the House this morning, revised estimates of farm income, output and productivity of agriculture during 2002 were published today. These confirm the increase in farm incomes forecast last November, and indicate a rise of 15 per cent. (14 in real terms) compared to 2001. Details have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the tests being applied to civil servants to evaluate them in the leadership review in her Department. [93674]

The assessments made on participants in the Senior Managers' Development Programme will be based on DEFRA's Leadership Profile, which describes the skills and behaviour required to be an effective leader. We are awaiting detailed proposals from the consultants recently appointed to design and deliver the Programme, which will include how the assessments will be made. A copy of the Leadership Profile has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cost savings she expects to make from the leadership review of her Department; and if she will make a statement. [93679]

The purpose of the Senior Managers' Development Programme is to achieve a qualitative improvement in the performance of the participants and to strengthen the leadership capability of the Department. We plan to evaluate the impact of the Programme through the performance management systems within which DEFRA staff work, and through customer and staff surveys, rather than through the attainment of targeted cost savings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chief Executive of Network Rail about the environmental and health hazards posed by the deposit of litter and human excrement on railway lines; and if she will make a statement. [88718]

We have had no meetings with the Chief Executive of Network Rail regarding the environmental health hazards posed by litter and human excrement on railway lines.However, I understand that Network Rail continues to work closely with its maintenance contractors to ensure the lineside is clear from surplus litter, excrement and to prevent the future build-up of such material.The discharge onto a railway track from a sanitary convenience or sink forming part of a vehicle used for carrying passengers on a railway, where the discharge is less than 25 litres, is exempt from waste management licensing. These exemptions are specific activities and are defined in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regualtions 1994. Exemptions are prescribed so as to meet the terms set out in Article 11 of the Waste Framework Directive. Under the terms of Article 11, exemptions must ensure protection of the environment and human health.Since 1995 all newly-constructed trains are required to be fitted with retention tanks which obviate the need for such discharge. There is no finance available to make the alterations to pre-1995 carriages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if she will make a statement. [92249]

DEFRA as a Department did not exist prior to June 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects conclusions to be reached following the consultation on the control of odour nuisance from sewage treatment works. [94161]

I expect to be able to make a decision on the way forward in the coming months following consideration of the responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was for her Department, its predecessors and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement. [93497]

The information requested in respect of absenteeism is not available, and may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.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 calendar 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.Figures for the most recently available years for the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the former DETR are shown as an average per staff year. These are:

Days
	MAFF	DETR
1990	7.5	9.4
1991	8.7	10.3
1992	8.0	10.2
1993	8.4	10.7
1994	7.4	9.4
1995	9.1	11.2
1996	7.8	10.4
1997	7.8	9.7
1998	8.7	8.7
1999	9.3	8.7
2000	9	9
2001	7.2	10.5

Figures for sickness absence in the Department's non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally, and may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need to change the staffing complement in her Department working on (a) climate change, (b) energy efficiency, (c) renewable energy and (d) radioactive waste policy. [93901]

Defra is currently discussing its budget for the coming financial year, and decisions on this annual process will be taken by the end of February. No decisions have yet been taken. Public spending is constrained and it is inevitable that choices and options are aired.We have set out our clear objectives, in "Working for the Essentials of Life". Like other Government Departments, we continually look for efficiency and effectiveness in delivery and to ensure that taxpayers' funding is allocated to support priority areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport with regard to environmental impacts from transport. [94180]

Ministers and officials from the Department have frequent discussions with the Department for Transport about issues which might have environmental impacts. Recent discussions have covered consultation on airports capacity in the South East, the development of policy on aviation, the 10-year Transport Plan progress report, the Government's public service agreement targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and to improve air quality, and the Multi Modal Studies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the water framework directive is implemented to meet its deadlines. [94160]

The Government published detailed proposals last October in a second consultation paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to address human trafficking in (a) Europe and (b) throughout the world. [93145]

Organised immigration crime is on of the Government's highest priorities in the fight against organised and international crime. A multi-agency task force, known as 'Reflex', co-ordinates UK action against organised immigration crime. Since April 2002, 17 organised crime groups have been disrupted and a further 69 investigations are on-going. In addition to contributing to the work of the UN, OSCE, IOM and others on this issue, the UK has contributed over £600,000 in the last three years to assist partners worldwide in tackling this criminal trade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have indicated that they will make a military contribution to the UN to enforce Resolution 1441, should the UN require military force. [93597]

We are not aware that the UN has made any such request. Nor would we expect it to in advance of a Security Council decision. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable. We hope that the Iraqi regime will choose to resolve this conflict peacefully, by complying fully with UN resolutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have been invited to join a military coalition to deal with the problem of Iraq. [93614]

No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable. We hope that the Iraqi regime will choose to resolve this conflict peacefully, by complying fully with UN resolutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has received of (a) drug trafficking and (b) white slavery in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [93618]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: Her Majesty's Government estimate that about 80 per cent. of the heroin received in the United Kingdom is trafficked through the Balkans from Afghanistan. The available information on trafficking routes suggests that a large majority of this heroin transits other Balkan and central European countries (for example, Bulgaria, over 2,000 kilograms seized in 2000) rather than Kosovo.We remain concerned at the trafficking of women and children through the region, including Kosovo. The United Kingdom's law enforcement agencies work closely with regional partners, including in Kosovo, to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks targeting the UK. In 2002, the Trafficking and Prostitution Investigation Unit of the UNMIK Police conducted 353 raids on premises where people trafficking was suspected of taking place. 61 premises were closed down, 234 arrests were made and 92 persons were charged with trafficking offences. 89 victims were repatriated and 1,727 people were added to a database used to help target efforts to tackle trafficking from major source countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the number of Serbs who have fled Kosovo since KFOR forces entered the province; and what his estimate is of the numbers who have returned. [93619]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 159,000 Serbs have left Kosovo and, according to the United Nations Office for Returns and Communities, nearly 3,500 Serbs have chosen to return to the province since KFOR forces entered Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Orthodox churches in Kosovo have been destroyed since KFOR forces have been present in the Serbian province; and what steps are being taken to bring the perpetrators to justice. [93620]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: Figures for the number of churches destroyed in Kosovo vary. Following extensive inquiries, UNMIK, KFOR, OSCE and UNHCR believe that 110 churches have been destroyed since KFOR entered Kosovo in June 1999.I told Kosovo Albanian leaders during my visits to the province that the destruction of churches and all religious sites were acts of barbarism which bring shame and dishonour to all concerned. KFOR and UNMIK continue to take action against extremists. In support of combating extremism, UNMIK also conduct programmes promoting multi-ethnicity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk to the security of the UK posed by terrorist organisations based in Pakistan. [93434]

I have been asked to reply.Advice on any terrorist threat to the UK is the responsibility of the Security Service. Strategic assessments about terrorist threats to the UK are provided to the Government by the Joint Intelligence Committee. All threats are a matter that the Government continue to take seriously and are kept under constant review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Governments of (a) the Czech Republic, (b) Hungary, (c) Romania and (d) Slovakia, on the living standards of their Roma citizens. [93467]

[holding answer 28 January 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania in 2002. He raised the question of Roma minorities with all three. He also plans to meet the Slovak Foreign Minister in February 2003. The UK's programmes of pre-accession support for candidate countries puts a high priority on improving the quality of life of Roma minorities.All four states have been found to meet the Copenhagen criteria, which require a state to uphold the basic human rights of all its citizens.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken to secure the release of the detainees: Sandy Mitchell, Les Walker, James Lee and James Cottel, arrested in Saudi Arabia. [93703]

My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, and ministerial colleagues have raised the cases of the British men detained in Saudi Arabia at the highest levels with the Saudi authorities. We remain deeply concerned about these cases. The men's welfare is a key concern. We continue to work to resolve the cases. We are in close contact with the Saudi authorities and the men's lawyers. We also continue to make consular visits to the men.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 14–15W, on Afghanistan, what consideration has been given to the use of security forces to assist in the dispersal of humanitarian aid; and what steps are being taken to address the security situation in Zabul province. [93909]

Since my last answer of 20 January 2003, the UN in Kabul have spoken to the Governor of Zabul province and have agreed improvements in security for those aid agencies operating in Zabul. Most of the hijacked cars, together with the equipment on board, have also been recovered.It is not the primary role of the security forces in Afghanistan to assist with the distribution of humanitarian aid, although they have been involved in a limited number of successful small projects in and around Kabul. The main purpose of security forces is to improve the security conditions to allow humanitarian and development organisations to provide assistance themselves.New joint civil-military provincial reconstruction teams are being deployed over the next few months to help provide greater security outside Kabul.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the New Partnership for African Development and (b) the Africa Union in promoting democracy in Zimbabwe. [93858]

The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) commits African leaders to the promotion of good governance, human rights and democracy. It is a new process and obviously cannot overnight correct all governance problems in Africa such as those in Zimbabwe. The African Union has to reflect the views of all African states. It has traditionally been reluctant to comment on the internal affairs of a member state, although there are encouraging indications that this attitude is changing. The UK government continues to work with African governments and regional initiatives and institutions to promote good governance, human rights and democracy. We should not of course punish all of Africa for the situation in Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made with collection of data on the state of health in Angola. [93801]

The need for more effective information management systems in the health and education systems in Angola, including improved collection and analysis of data, has been identified as a key issue for future progress in the 2002 UN Common Country Assessment. This need is likely to be highlighted in the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, on which the Government are presently working, which will provide the framework for future donor support to Angola.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of people in Angola are suffering from (a) HIV/Aids and (b) malaria; and if she will make a statement. [93802]

According to the UNAIDS office in Angola, very few accurate statistics are available on HIV/AIDS outside the capital Luanda, where HIV infection rose sharply from 3.4 per cent. in 1999 to 8.6 per cent. in 2001. Overall, it is estimated that over 520,000 adults in Angola (out of an adult population of just over six million) were living with HIV in 2001. With regard to malaria, the UN DP Human Development Report 2002 states that there were 8,796 cases per 100,000 in 2000.The Government of Angola is currently drafting an Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP) which includes an assessment of the country's health needs. This will state how donors can support work on HIV/AIDS and malaria. My Department will consider the implications for our development support to Angola, once the I-PRSP strategy becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking in the development of local government in Angola; and if she will make a statement. [93803]

Local government in Angola is relatively weak due to a lack of consistent funding from the centre and because it is appointed rather than elected. This has created a distance between local government and Angola's citizens.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of children in Angola are being educated to primary school standard; and if she will make a statement. [93804]

UNICEF has estimated that 51.2 per cent. of Angolan children attended primary school in 2001. However, the 2003 UN Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal (CAP) estimates that at least 80 per cent. of all Angolan children do not have access to adequate education and more than one million children are outside the formal school system. In newly accessible areas, seven out of ten children do not attend school.Primary education is only one of several key tasks that confront the Government of Angola. The Ministry of Education recognises the need to address this situation and has set itself a target of achieving two thirds enrolment by 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to retrain former military personnel in Angola. [93805]

The proposed Angolan demobilisation and reintegration programme is currently being negotiated between the Government of Angola and the World bank. The programme will include sub-projects to provide ex-combatants with a wide range of educational opportunities from basic literacy to apprenticeships and professional qualifications. Agricultural extension services and support for the self-employed and micro enterprise are also envisaged.Over 5,000 ex-UNITA fighters are being integrated into the Angolan armed forces, as part of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process in Angola. They are receiving up to three months training depending on their rank and existing skills.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action is being taken to ensure that revenue raised from the exploitation of natural resources in Angola is used for the development of the country. [93806]

Since the end of the civil war, we and other donors have been impressing on the Government of Angola the need for transparency over the collection and allocation of resources, and the need to increase levels of spending in the social sectors and for national reconstruction. Last year, the United Nations, in partnership with the Angolan Government, carried out an assessment of public financing of the social sectors in Angola. The objective of the study was to make practical recommendations regarding the distribution of resources and budget management mechanisms. More recently, my Department has provided consultancy support toward the preparation of Angola's Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IPRSP), specifically in clarifying details of the Government budget including a breakdown of revenues.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) European, (b) British and (c) UN regulations prohibit the use of child soldiers in military forces. [93492]

International humanitarian law, as embodied in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, prohibits the recruitment or use of children under 15 in armed conflict and provides for the protection of children, particularly those separated from their families. The Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which the UK is a state party and which has been incorporated into national law, makes the recruitment and/or use of children under 15 a war crime.The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, now enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998, forbids the use of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment which may include the forcing of children to take part in hostilities.The UK is a Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which makes particular provision for the protection of all children under 18 years. It prescribes that the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration, severely restricts the circumstances in which children may be removed from their parents and protects children against arbitrary interference with their privacy and liberty. This Convention, along with International Labour Organisation Convention 182 (which the UK has ratified), prohibits the use of children in the worst forms of labour; and Convention 182 specifically prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.The UK expects to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict later this year. This provides that states parties must take all feasible measures to ensure that members of their armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities, and that children under 18 years are not compulsorily recruited into their armed forces. Non-state actors, such as insurgent groups, are prohibited from ever recruiting or using in hostilities children under 18. We take the Protocol seriously. That is why before we ratify, we need to be clear that the detailed procedures and administrative guidelines for the armed forces are finalised. These will give concrete form to our commitment. MOD officials, in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are in the final stages of drafting an Explanatory Memorandum which will explain the steps being taken to meet that commitment. As part of the ratification process, we will lay the Explanatory Memorandum (EM) before Parliament. This does not require any changes to UK legislation.The UK has many laws that prohibit the activities usually associated with the use of child soldiers, such as assault, forcing a child to perform illegal acts, deprivation of their liberty and making children take harmful drugs and alcohol.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) discussions she has held and (b) action she has taken jointly with her counterparts in other countries to combat (i) the use of children as soldiers in conflicts and (ii) their recruitment into the armed forces of (A) governments, (B) paramilitary groups, (C) civil militia and (D) non-state armed groups. [93493]

The most effective way of tackling the use of child soldiers is to prevent, reduce and resolve armed conflicts. This is part of the wider issue of the impact of armed conflict on children generally, their families and communities. In addressing this, my Department is working with other UK Government Departments and other governments through appropriate regional mechanisms, the non-governmental community and the multilateral system to this end. UNICEF, with the support of my Department and other governments, works to effect the disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation of child soldiers, particularly back into the community and prevent their re-recruitment. Through a multi-year capacity building programme supported by my Department, UNICEF are collecting data on the situation of children affected by armed conflict globally, to better inform policy, guidance and programming on the wide range of issues involved.My Department has also been supporting the work of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, whose work (primarily of advocacy and raising awareness of the issues at all levels) features prominently in the Secretary-General's report of 26 November 2002 to the Security Council on this issue.Through its representation on the Security Council, the Government have been closely involved in the passing of eight resolutions since August 1999 addressing the issue of child soldiers and other children affected by armed conflict, and are currently involved in negotiations for a further resolution to strengthen the ability of the international community to take action to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. Along with the vast majority of other states, the Government have also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and is taking steps to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention preventing the use of children in armed conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the abolition of the Europe Development Council. [94563]

I was not in favour of the abolition of the Development Council, which had been useful in promoting reforms of EC development co-operation, in adopting a more coherent development policy framework and in pressing the case for an increase in the poverty focus of EC aid. The June 2002 Seville European Council decided to streamline the functioning of the Council in the run-up to enlargement and reduced Council groupings from 16 to 9 and thus abolished the development Council. There are opportunities with the new General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) for more discussions on development at monthly meetings.I have been working to maintain a strategic approach to development issues as established by the Development Council. In particular, I have been pushing for at least two strategic GAERC meetings per year focusing on development—one forward looking and one to assess progress. I will continue to press hard to ensure development is given due weight in the new configuration and will seek to ensure appropriate UK ministerial attendance to debate development issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the grants funded by her Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if she will make a statement as to (a) the total of such funding in the last financial year, (b) the total number of awards and (c) their administrative costs. [82185]

The numbers and values of grants made in FY 2001–02 by the various DFID funds open to members of the public and organisations in UK are listed as follows. Information on the administrative costs of these funds is not held centrally and could not be gathered without incurring disproportionate cost. The number and value of grants refers to new grants made in the period.

Fund	Number of grants	Value(£ million)
Civil Society Challenge
Fund	62	30.2
Renewable Natural
Resources Knowledge Strategy	43	22.6
Engineering Knowledge and Research Programme	54	13.4
Business Linkages Challenge Fund	9	13.3
Social Science Research	42	8.1
Financial Deepening Challenge Fund	7	6.0
Development Awareness Fund	38	5.5
Education Research Programme	46	1.9
Asia Regional Poverty Fund	22	1.9
Tourism Challenge Fund	6	1.3
Enterprise Development Innovation Fund	6	1.0
Total	335	105.2

In addition, the UK Small Grants Scheme allows UK Heads of Mission to provide funding for small-scale development projects in the countries where they work—up to a value of £100,000 per year. As responsibility for their administration is delegated to Heads of Mission, data on the number and value of new grants made in FY 2001–02 are not held centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.Total expenditure through UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in FY 2001–02 was £190.5 million. This included Partnership Programme Agreements with 11 NGOs, which provided funding in support of jointly agreed strategic programmes with NGOs with proven experience and impact, and contracts with NGOs to carry out specific development projects and humanitarian interventions on DFID's behalf.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to ensure child participation in the development of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS is in line with the recent UNICEF report; and if she will make a statement. [93599]

Over half of all new HIV/AIDS infections are in young people (15–24 age group). We believe, therefore, that HIV prevention programmes must give a high priority to informing young people about the risk of HIV/AIDS, and that young people are encouraged to participate in the development of programmes to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. We support young people's HIV/AIDS prevention through our bilateral programmes and in partnership with UNICEF.In South Africa, for example, young people have been actively engaged in the review and monitoring of our adolescent sexual health programmes. In Mozambique we have committed £2.6 million over five years to support UNICEF's HIV/AIDS programme for young people. In China, we are currently developing an HIV/ AIDS prevention and care programme that includes young people in a range of design activities. In Kenya, we have supported various focus group discussions with young people and trained peer HIV/AIDS educators.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the main causes of maternal mortality in developing countries. [93862]

99 per cent. of the 510,000 maternal deaths and most of the widespread disability caused by complications in childbirth worldwide are in developing countries. Up to 80 per cent. of these deaths result from five relatively common obstetric complications: haemorrhage, infection, complications of abortion, eclampsia and obstructed labour. Almost all of these deaths could be avoided by timely, effective interventions by skilled attendants at delivery, backed up by a functioning referral system and access to emergency obstetric care. This requires effective care and functioning health systems. To this end my Department have committed over £1 billion since 1997 to health systems strengthening. We are also working to improve access to quality reproductive and sexual health services in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 313W, on Mozambique, what the response has been to the Mozambiquan Government's request for help from UN agencies; and what the nature has been of her Department's support. [93644]

The World Food Programme (WFP) has responded to the Government's request for assistance by implementing a food distribution programme focusing on six provinces and 38 districts considered worst affected by the drought. Between July and December WFP distributed some 14,301 metric tonnes of food aid. As the operation gradually expanded over the six-month period, WFP's beneficiary caseload gradually increased. In December food rations were distributed to 247,130 people.The programme is carried out through implementing partners representing a mix of international and national non-governmental organisations, and the Mozambique Red Cross. In 11 areas of operation the programme is implemented directly through local authorities. Implementing partners help to identify vulnerable households eligible to receive food aid, and organise physical distribution of food at the community level. The main focus of the programme to date has been on implementing food-for-work schemes. Given that Mozambique is now entering the hungry period, a programme shift, with greater emphasis on meeting the needs of vulnerable people who cannot work is planned.UNICEF has extended its regular country programme to include the implementation of drought response projects in areas that are considered to be particularly vulnerable. With support from DFID (£973, 000), UNICEF is implementing a blanket supplementary feeding programme for children aged 6–59 months and for pregnant and lactating mothers. The project will focus on the six provinces considered most vulnerable and aims to reach 141,000 children and 71,000 women. The programme also includes follow-up treatment and care for severely malnourished children through support to the existing therapeutic feeding centre network. UNICEF will implement activities through a network of partners comprising local and international NGOs and the Mozambique Red Cross.In addition, UNICEF has also responded to the Government's request for assistance by supporting the creation of thirty sentinel sites for nutritional surveillance in order to measure acute malnutrition trends. This programme focuses on three drought-affected provinces. Planning work is under way to expand the programme and increase geographical coverage of the sites. UNICEF has also been working on strengthening epidemiological preparedness and providing additional support to measles vaccination campaigns. Furthermore, UNICEF has increased its focus on the provision of clean water at health centres in the districts worst affected by the drought. UNICEF is also pre-positioning school kits as an incentive for children to attend school, given indications that both the drought and the HIV/AIDS pandemic is resulting in increased drop-out rates.DFID has provided £1 million for a cash for work programme, providing an income source in the short term and increasing access to markets in the longer term. DFID is providing £973,000 in support of UNICEF's supplementary feeding programme. DFID is looking at providing up to £500,000 to support agricultural input fairs given poor crop forecasts in many areas of southern Mozambique.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the French Government regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b) other Zimbabwean Government officials. [93971]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: I have not discussed the renewal of the EU travel ban with the French Government. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has had regular discussions with his French and other counterparts on this issue, including at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 27 January. I have discussed the urgent humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe with the French and other Development Ministers, and reiterated the importance for the Zimbabwean people, especially the poor, of reversing the disastrous policies of the present Zimbabwean government.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what discussions she has had with the Foreign Office regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b) other Zimbabwean Government officials; [93972](2) what discussions she has had with the Foreign Office regarding the attendance of President Mugabe at a Franco-African Summit in February. [93970]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and I have not discussed the renewal of the EU travel ban on Robert Mugabe and other Zimbabwean Government officials nor the Franco-African Summit. We have regular and extensive discussions on the urgent humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe and the importance for the Zimbabwean people, especially the poor, of reversing the disastrous policies of the present Zimbabwean government.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement. [93510]

We are unable to provide details of rates of staff absenteeism as unauthorised absence is recorded as unpaid leave along with properly authorised absence (such as additional maternity leave or career breaks) and cannot be disaggregated.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken in response to the UN Secretary General's report to the Security Council on the UN mission in Sierra Leone, with particular reference to the transfer of responsibilities to the Government of Sierra Leone. [93407]

We are playing a key role in assisting the Government of Sierra Leone to prepare for the withdrawal of UNAMSIL. Through joint action between my Department, the Ministry of Defence and the FCO, and using funds from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, the UK is leading the international military assistance training team; we are providing technical assistance for capacity-building in the Ministry of Defence, including the working relationship between civilian and military staff; we have funded the renovation and equipping of a new headquarters for the Ministry of Defence; and we are providing technical assistance to help the Office of National Security to operate effective, non-political, intelligence services. We are also providing a major programme to support the reform and strengthening of the Sierra Leone police.The Secretary-General has emphasised that the timing and phasing of UNAMSIL drawdown will be carried out with close regard to the rate of development of the capacity of the Sierra Leone security sector. We are closely in touch with the UN on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of reports by UNICEF of the number of children unaccounted for in Northern Uganda. [83980]

The LRA have for many years made a practice of making children a main target of their war. Until security improves in northern Uganda, however, UNICEF will not be able to collect precise data on the number of unaccounted children. Renewed LRA activity last year led to a dramatic increase, and it is estimated that 4,500 children were abducted in 2002 (compared to 100 in 2001). It is unclear how many of these children have returned home and how many are still being held by the LRA inside Uganda or Sudan. Unfortunately, many of these children will have been killed. DFID is supporting Save the Children's efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate those fortunate enough to escape, and will continue to do so as long as it is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Northern Uganda; and if she will make a statement. [93848]

The circumstances faced by people in Northern Uganda are of grave concern. Humanitarian consequences of the continuing conflict are high, with an estimated 600,000 internally displaced persons and declining levels of food security due to disruption of harvesting and planting seasons. DFID has made available £1.6 million for food supplies to be distributed by the World Food Programme. The total support from the UK government for humanitarian needs in northern Uganda is £2.5 million this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what discussions she had with President Museveni on her recent trip to Uganda concerning Northern Uganda; [93981](2) if she will make a statement on

I met with President Museveni briefly on transit through Uganda. We discussed his request for increased military spending focused on the need to defeat the Lords Resistance Army. I fully support the need to end the suffering inflicted by the Lords Resistance Army, however our assessment is that this objective does not justify all the additional defence expenditure. In response to the Government of Uganda's breaching of the agreed process for government resource allocations and the consequent increase of defence spending, the UK is to withhold £5 million of its general budget support this financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with President Museveni concerning possible peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army. [93983]

I am in close contact with President Museveni on the possible responses to the conflict in northern Uganda. This was one of the subjects of our meeting last week at Entebbe airport. The levels of violence perpetrated by the Lord's Resistance Army are terrible, and I support the efforts of the Ugandan government to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The complex nature of the conflict means that dialogue is crucial if a sustainable end to the suffering faced by the Acholi people is to be realised. I have been encouraged by the passing of the Amnesty Act, the appointment of the Government Peace team and the work of the Acholi religious leaders as offering real potential for dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Government of South Africa regarding food imports to Zimbabwe. [93859]

My Department has regular discussions with South African officials on the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. We have also been monitoring the progress of negotiations between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of South Africa. WFP is at an advanced stage of negotiation with the Government of South Africa regarding a gift of £100,000 metric tons of maize from South Africa to countries in the region suffering food shortages. The amount for distribution to individual countries is still to be determined, but WFP would wish to distribute over 50 per cent. of the total to Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she is having with the Government of South Africa regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe. [93861]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 317W).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her latest assessment is of the number of people facing food shortages in Zimbabwe. [93973]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: The SADC Vulnerability Assessment Committee report of December 2002 estimated that the total number of people in need of food assistance in Zimbabwe had risen to 7.2 million. Of these, the World Food Programme (WFP) aims to reach 5.8 million. Other humanitarian assistance is provided through the Government of Zimbabwe, and bilateral support direct to nongovernmental organisations in addition to donor help through the WFP. The UK bilateral programme alone is reaching 1.5 million people; 1 million of these are children receiving supplementary feeling in schools, with the remainder comprising particularly vulnerable adults (for example people in the district of Binga), pregnant women, and the elderly.

To ask the Solicitor General what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002. [90526]

[holding answer 16 January 2003]: The Departments for which I hold ministerial responsibility account for expenditure on these items differently. In particular, accounting for periodicals in Treasury Solicitor's Department include subscriptions to legal journals and updates on loose-leaf specialist legal publications.The expenditure of my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, for the financial year 2001–02 was £3,335.30.

To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department during and arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case; and if she will make a statement. [94407]

None. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Solicitor-General when she will provide a substantive reply to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning R v. McKay. [93705]

The Attorney General provided a substantive reply to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning R v. McKay, on 29 January 2003.

To ask the Solicitor-General what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [89863]

[holding answer 13 January 2003]: The figures for the Departments for which I hold ministerial responsibility account are as follows:

• The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers—nil;
• HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate—£516;
• Treasury Solicitor's Department—nil;
• Crown Prosecution Service—£3,217; and
• Serious Fraud Office—£85.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts concerning the agency workers directive; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the proposed legislation in its present form. [93395]

The proposed directive was recently discussed in the European Union Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 3 December 2002, where I represented the United Kingdom. The Department of Trade and Industry has published an explanatory memorandum about the European Commission's revised proposal which sets out the Government's policy on the proposed directive. I have placed a copy of this in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export control licence applications were received from Alenia Marconi Systems in the last five years; and what was the outcome of each of these applications. [93459]

[holding answer 27 January 2003]: Details of all relevant export licences issued and refused since 2 May 1997 are published by destination in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes), of 16 January, Official Report, column 806, if she will list the call centre scripts that she has gone through. [93857]

The Minister of State for E-Commerce and Competitiveness and I have seen the original DWP and Inland Revenue call centre scripts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about the practice of retentions in the construction industry; and if she will make a statement. [94221]

The hon. Member may be aware that the Trade and Industry Select Committee has recently published the findings of its inquiry into the use of retentions in the construction industry.I welcome these and I am pleased that the committee has broadly supported the Government's approach to improving UK construction performance through "Rethinking Construction" and "Accelerating Change". Issues of fair payment and quality, defect-free work are fundamental to the continued success of the UK construction industry.The Department of Trade and Industry intends to respond to the Select Committee's recommendations on behalf of the Government by Tuesday 4 February. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the Select Committee's recommendations before the Committee has had the opportunity to consider my response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals there are to extend antidiscrimination law to cover discrimination in employment and training on grounds of sexual orientation. [93485]

The Government are committed to introduce new legislation (implementing the Article 13 Employment Directive) to outlaw unfair discrimination at work and in training on grounds of sexual orientation by December 2003.Our plans were published on 23 October 2002 in the consultation document 'Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead'. Consultation ended on 24 January. We will consider responses before laying regulations before Parliament later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 to allow unmarried partners to leave their pensions to their surviving partner of either sex when they die. [93484]

We consulted on proposals to implement the employment directive in the document 'Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead'. In our view, rules which restrict benefits to opposite sex partners—whether or not they are married to the pension holder—are likely to constitute unlawful discrimination.Because the directive is 'without prejudice to national laws on marital status and the benefits dependent thereon' however, we proposed that benefits aimed exclusively at married couples would continue to be allowable.The consultation ended on 24 January. We will consider responses before laying the regulations before Parliament later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department. [90874]

Currently in DTI, there are around 28 job shares, including three job shares at senior civil service level; two people work school term times only and the staff survey shows that 78 per cent. of staff state that their managers allow working patterns to help them balance work and home life.The Department launched a new flexible working policy including guidance for managers and staff in April 2002, to ensure that new ways of working are available to all individuals and the benefits to stakeholders, customers, managers and staff are fully maximised. Emerging results reflect great success with an increase in take up of flexible patterns, including compressed hours. Further evaluation will be carried out in April this year. In February this year, we will be launching a more comprehensive toolkit for managers and staff to provide on-going support and advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the (a) size and (b) lifespan of the North Sea oil reserves. [94126]

The Department publishes annually estimates of oil reserves on the UK Continental Shelf. The latest estimates are that, as at the end of 2001, remaining proven and probable discovered recoverable reserves amounted to 955 million tonnes. A further 475 million tonnes are classified as possible reserves. It is also estimated that, as of that date, additional reserves of between 205 and 1,930 million tonnes existed in fields that had not yet been discovered. How long these reserves will last will depend on whether the additional and possible reserves are brought into production and the rate at which they are extracted, but production is expected to continue beyond 2020.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance will be given to the proposed nurse co-ordinators on seeking consent from potential embryo donors under the new MRC initiative. [93392]

The regulatory agencies have agreed that there should be standard donor information and consent forms for the donation of embryos. These have been developed by a committee comprising the Medical Research Council (MRC), Department of Health, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and Medicines Control Agency and chaired by Professor Richardson (a lawyer and member of the MRC Council). The documentation is being reviewed by the MRC Stem Cell Steering Committee, chaired by Lord Patel. It will then be reviewed by HFEA committees, and once the final draft has been approved, it will be piloted in a selection of IVF clinics. It will then be finalised and distributed to all IVF clinics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices have closed in Hull and the East Riding since 1 May 1997. [93822]

I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that historic data on the post office network are not available in the form requested as the company does not require these data for operational reasons. I further understand from the company that it compiled a list of post offices by parliamentary constituency as of 20 April 2002, showing their classification as urban or rural offices. A copy of this list is held in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on recent consultations by Postcomm of a possible rise in the cost of postage. [94097]

Postcomm is responsible for setting the price control for Royal Mail services. It issued a consultation on the future price control on 3 October 2002. My Department responded with a written submission, now publicly available on the Postcomm website, so that Postcomm could, in reaching a decision, take into account the context and rationale for the commercially based financial package for Royal Mail, the details of which I announced to the House on 16 January 2003. Postcomm has not yet announced its final decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been received by potential renewable energy exporters for the £50 million in ECGD cover to be available from April 2003; and what extra resources have been allocated within the DTI to encourage applications from the renewable energy sector in the UK. [94149]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: ECGD has received three applications and one preliminary inquiry for renewable energy projects that could qualify for support under the renewable energy initiative. Contracts for these projects have still to be agreed, and no guarantees have yet been issued.The DTI's Renewables UK team, with two Renewable Energy Trade Promoters, are now encouraging applications from the UK renewable energy sector as part of their on-going trade promotion activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the £50 million of ECGD cover to be allocated to renewable energy exporters from April 2003 will be available to exporters of energy from waste technology to the developing world, including municipal mass burn incineration. [94150]

[holding answer 29 January 2003]: Waste to power projects are generally considered to be a source of renewable energy. Such projects will be eligible for support, provided all other environmental impacts, such as air emissions and impacts on local populations etc, are acceptable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Nigel Griffiths) to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink), of 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 809, by which method the Department determines that the United Kingdom is the fastest growing economy in the world. [93851]

The best measures of economic activity is GDP. In 2001, the latest year for which data are available, the UK economy grew by 2.0 per cent. This growth rate was higher than that for the other major economies (G7 countries), according to the latest data published by the OECD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) UK and (b) EU shipping of the United States Jones Act] [93946]

The US Merchant Marine Act of 1920, otherwise known as the "Jones Act", restricts the carriage of sea borne cargo between ports in the United States to vessels constructed and registered in the United States, owned by a United States citizen and manned by United States seafarers. The Act has the effect of denying the opportunity to foreign shipping, including ships registered in the UK and other EU Member States, to compete for coastal trade in the United States. It also affects adversely the ability of foreign shipping companies to move their international cargoes and empty containers more efficiently between US ports using their own vessels on existing international services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study will be entered into the trunk road targeted programme of improvements; [94565](2) whether the funding required for the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study has been reserved within the 10-Year Plan; [94564]s(3) what stage the preparatory work on the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study has reached; and when the preparatory work is expected to be completed; [94567](4) for what reasons a timetable to carry out the major Al4 improvements was not included in the Department for Transport, "Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report" of December 2002. [94566]