To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will place in the Library a copy of the Service Delivery Agreement for the Central Office of Information; and if he will make a statement. [99391]

A copy of the current Central Office of Information (COI) Service Delivery Agreement (SDA), which was published as part of the Spending Review 2000, is already available from the House Libraries and on-line at the COI's website:.http://www.coi.gov.uk/aboutus/sda.htmlHowever, the COI is currently in the process of revising its Framework Document and preparing its Annual Business Plan for 2003–04. It is anticipated that the COI will announce and publish its revised Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) at the same time as announcing its annual performance targets to Parliament.The current timetable for the COI to publish its annually agreed external performance targets, which will be done by means of a Written Ministerial Statement, is April 2003. Copies of these will then be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many official vehicles have been at the disposal of (a) the Government, (b) the Official Opposition and (c) the Liberal Democrats in each year since 1995; and at what cost; [100130](2) what the total cost has been for official vehicles for

The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr. Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many named day written questions were tabled to the Office between 15 October 2002 and 24 February 2003; how many that received a holding answer were given a substantive answer (a) within three days, (b) within seven days, (c) within 14 days, (d) within 28 days and (e) over 28 days later; and what procedures are in place to monitor performance on answering (i) parliamentary questions and (ii) ministerial letters.[99458]

Seventy five named day questions were tabled to the Cabinet Office between 15 October 2002 and 24 February 2003, of these nine had holding replies. All were answered within three parliamentary sitting days.Cabinet Office parliamentary questions are recorded on a parliamentary database, and progress of all parliamentary questions are monitored closely.As far as ministerial correspondence is concerned, the Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on performance of departments in replying to ministerial correspondence. The Report for 2001 was published on 24 May 2002, column 674W. The Report for 2002 will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are to appoint an independent regulator to oversee the interests of inland waterway users. [100206]

I am not convinced of the need for a regulator. British Waterways and other navigation authorities are already subject to the general law against anti-competitive practice. I know that the Inland Waterways Association has written to British Waterways suggesting that it would be preferable to set up a new appeal procedure to deal with waterway managers' decisions. I understand that British Waterways is willing to consider this suggestion and I think that it should be fully explored. It may be possible to extend any agreed arrangements to other navigation authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many confirmed incidents of bovine tuberculosis were identified in the parliamentary constituencies of (a) Montgomeryshire and (b) Brecon and Radnorshire, in each quarter in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and(iii) 2002; and if she will make a statement. [99308]

The number of confirmed incidents of bovine tuberculosis in (a) Montgomeryshire and (b) Brecon and Radnorshire, broken down as requested is shown in the table.Care must be taken in making comparisons with previous years' figures. The disruption to the TB programme caused by FMD, and the rolling nature of the testing programme means that we are now effectively catching up on two years' testing. Clearance of overdue testing has been targeted on those herds at higher risk first, therefore it will not be possible to interpret the data properly until the testing backlog has been cleared.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of diffuse pollution have been recorded in each year since 1997; and how many resulted in (a) prosecutions and (b) fines. [99250]

In its records of pollution incidents, the Environment Agency has identified 4,779 incidents since 1999 where urban or rural land run-off was the likely cause and which have been attributed to diffuse sources.However, by its very nature diffuse pollution often does not manifest itself as an identifiable incident. Much diffuse pollution occurs through repeated low level leaching of pollutants from land or run-off from surfaces that has a cumulative impact on water quality. So, records of pollution incidents only pick up a small part of the problem of diffuse pollution.It has not proved possible to collate any information on prosecutions and fines in relation to diffuse pollution for this answer.Most current legislation relating to water pollution is addressed at point sources, such as discharges of industrial effluent or specific pollution incidents, and was not designed to prevent or control more gradual diffuse pollution. This is why the Government have proposed the creation of a new statutory power to prevent and control diffuse pollution as part of action to transpose the provisions of the water framework directive into domestic legislation. This proposal was included in the "Second Consultation Paper on the Implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)", published in October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have taken place or are planned related to tracing the sources of diffuse pollution.[99251]

In the past tracing sources of diffuse water pollution has been done as part of catchment campaigns by the Environment Agency to improve compliance with river quality objectives. Such campaigns have been run in various catchments across the country.As part of action to implement the water framework directive, a more comprehensive approach will be required. The directive requires that reviews are undertaken of the impact of human activity on the status of surface waters and on groundwater, including the identification of significant diffuse source pollution. The Government have proposed that a specific duty should be placed on the Environment Agency to carry out such reviews. This proposal is set out in the "Second Consultation Paper on the Implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)", published in October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the number of households using water filter devices for providing drinking water in the UK in each year since 1992. [99231]

The Department has no direct responsibility for domestic water filters and does not compile or keep records of numbers of users or of sales. Based on information that British water has provided, however, a best available estimated figure for annual sales of plumbed-in water filters is between 20,000–25,000 during the period 1991–2001.We have no information on numbers of households using jug water filters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for the environment of adding fluoride to drinking water. [99203]

A review of the effect of fluoride on a range of aquatic life was carried out for the Environment Agency when deriving a non-statutory environmental quality standard (EQS) for fluoride in water, which was published in 2000. The review drew on research carried out by a range of recognised scientific laboratories and available data indicated that effects on aquatic life from fluoride occur at concentrations between 9.0–350mg/l. Where fluoridation schemes are in place, fluoride is added to maintain a concentration of 1.0 mg/1 in drinking water which is well below these levels. Any discharges will be further diluted upon entry to the aquatic environment through the process of collection and treatment of waste water.A copy of the review has been deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the purchase for departmental use, of fair trade products. [99241]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 9 December, Official Report, column 92W. The Government are committed to supporting ethical trading wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules and provides significant support to the Fair Trade Foundation's efforts in promoting the supply and marketing of fair trade products.This is reflected from Defra's Green Guide for Buyers, http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/improving/partf/greenbuy/index.htm, and the work that departmental officials are undertaking with Defra's catering contractors to the purchasing approach within my private office. In consultation with them Defra has produced a catering action sheet that, among other things, calls for promotion of fair trade or ethically produced food by, where appropriate, reflecting such needs in non-discriminatory specifications in line with user requirements. Defra has been negotiating with its catering contractors to put fair trade tea and coffee on their menus and to supply such drinks whenever official hospitality is provided. These arrangements should be in place shortly in Defra canteens in the following locations: Guildford, Reading, York, London and the Central Science Laboratory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many foxhound packs there are in England and Wales; and how many hunts have taken place in each of the last five years. [100361]

According to the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales (The Burns Report), published in June 2000, there were 175 foxhunting packs registered with the Masters of Foxhounds Association in England and Wales. There were also nine fell packs registered with, or affiliated to, the Central Committee of Fell Packs. In addition, there were seven packs of harriers, registered with the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles which mainly hunt foxes. There were also another two harrier packs which were registered to hunt foxes.The position in Wales was found to be less clear. There were 48 foxhunting packs registered with the Federation of Welsh Packs which included 27 Welsh based packs affiliated to the Masters of Foxhounds Association, and 30 registered with the Welsh Farmers' Fox Control Association. At the time of publication of the Burns Report these two bodies had been formed fairly recently and represented only a proportion of the total number of packs in Wales. Some estimates put the number of unregistered packs in Wales at two or three times those of registered packs (Burns, paragraphs 2.10–2.11).The Burns Report stated that there was a total of some 15,000 meets per season (paragraph 2.12). This figure would have been significantly less in 2001 when all hunting was suspended in England and Wales due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's hospitality budget (a) is in 2002–03 and (b) was in each of the last three years; and how much was left unspent at the end of each financial year. [99515]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 February 2003; Official Report, column 85W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2003, Official Report, column 380W, what additional resources the Government are making available at ports to prevent the importation of substandard meat and bushmeat into the UK. [98372]

The Government have made available a total of £25 million over the next three financial years to tackle illegal imports from outside the European Union of any meat, other animal products and plant products. Following the Cabinet Office review of enforcement structures, final decisions on the allocation of this money will be made once consultations with HM Customs and Excise and the FSA have concluded.Action against illegal imports is not limited to substandard meat and bushmeat, nor will it be limited to ports and airports. It is in addition to the requirement to pre-notify all commercial imports of meat and products of animal origin and present them to a Border Inspection Post for veterinary checks.In the current financial year, additional measures have been introduced at ports and airports to tackle illegal imports. Additional temporary agency staff have been recruited to carry out checks to detect smuggled goods—teams of six are based at our major airports and teams of two at major seaports. We are also paying for additional checks through overtime elsewhere. Additional inspection resources have also been provided through the detector dog pilot, and a publicity campaign which has targeted both ports and airports and travellers before they leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of significant non-water industrial discharges to rivers were reviewed in 2002 by the Environment Agency, broken down by region; and if she will make a statement. [99204]

The information shows the percentage of consents for significant non-water company industrial discharges to rivers reviewed by the Environment Agency (the Agency) regions in 2002. Consents are issued under the Water Resources Act 1991 (as amended by the Environment Act 1995). Significant discharges are defined by the Agency as consented discharges of more than five cubic metres per day, some smaller discharges where the type and location of discharge requires monitoring will also be included.

	Percentage
Anglian	11
Midlands	7
North East	11
North West	6
Southern	7
South West	3
Thames	5

Overall percentage of consents reviewed in England = 8

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals are deemed to be safe (a) at point of emission and (b) within water courses under (i) UK, (ii) EU and (iii) International law; how many water courses there are where the level of endocrine disrupting chemicals exceeded levels deemed safe in the last year for which figures are available; and where they are located. [99238]

The Environment Agency for England and Wales currently refers to its own non-statutory standards of 1 microgram per litre as an annual average, and 2.5 micrograms per litre as a maximum allowable concentration, for nonylphenol and octylphenol for the protection of the aquatic environment where appropriate for regulating discharges to water courses. These values were detennined in relation to the substances' wider ecotoxicological impact, although data on their endocrine disrupting properties were taken into account.Under the EU Community Strategy on Endocrine Disrupting Substances, and the Oslo Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR), a number of potentially endocrine disrupting substances have been identified for which an assessment strategy is currently being developed. The European Commission is expected to propose later this year EQS and emission standards for certain substances on the Priority List of Dangerous Substances under Article 16 of the Water Framework Directive which are potential endocrine disrupters.Nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenols are produced at one site only in the UK where monitoring for nonylphenol showed that the Environment Agency standard was not exceeded in 2002. The Environment Agency does not routinely monitor these substances nationally. Other substances, such as ethinyl oestradiol and oestradiol, have been studied in specific water courses and the results of those findings are currently the subject of risk assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of (a) streams and (b) rivers with high microbial loading in each year since 1997; and where each is located. [99252]

The Environment Agency does not have any statutory obligations to control the microbial quality of freshwater streams and rivers to specific environmental standards and does not routinely monitor the microbial quality of these waters.Limited monitoring is undertaken as part of research to investigate causes of non-compliance with bathing and shellfish water standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many legal actions have been begun against (a) water companies and (b) other companies in respect of discharges of endocrine disrupting chemicals in each year since 1992; how many in each case resulted in successful prosecutions; and what fines were levied as a result. [99280]

The Environment Agency has not initiated prosecutions against any companies specifically as a result of endocrine disrupting impacts on the environment. Prosecutions may have been initiated in relation to substances which are potential endocrine disrupters but, owing to the large number of such substances and the level of uncertainty surrounding many of them, figures would be difficult to compile and would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average monthly cost to consumers is of (a) water services and (b) sewerage services in each region (i) in total and (ii) broken down by those who are (A) metered and (B) unmetered. [99243]

The following is the information for household customers of each water and sewerage company in England in 2002–03.

Table 1: Unmetered water tariffs for household customers, 2002–03
	£
Water and sewerage companies	Average monthly charge
Anglian	11.1
Northumbrian:
Essex and Suffolk	10.3
Northumbrian	7.4
Severn Trent	9.4
South West	10.9
Southern	7.6
Thames	8.8
United Utilities	9.3
Wessex	10.0
Yorkshire:
Yorkshire	9.1
York	7.7
Water only companies:
Bournemouth and West Hampshire	8.7
Bristol	9.3
Cambridge	8.3
Dee Valley	9.8
Folkestone and Dover	11.3
Mid Kent	11.1
Portsmouth	6.2
South East	10.5
South Staffordshire	7.3
Sutton and East Surrey	10.3
Tendring Hundred	14.6
Three Valleys:
North Surrey	9.1
Three Valleys	9.9

Table 2: Unmetered sewerage tariffs for household customers, 2002–03
	£
	Average monthly charge
Anglian	0.0
Northumbrian	0.0
Severn Trent	0.0
South West	0.0
Southern	0.0

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much water was supplied by water companies to consumers in the last year for which figures are available; what this represents per household; and what percentage of tap water supplied is estimated to be used for drinking purposes. [99275]

In 2001–02 a total of 8,622 million litres of water per day were delivered to households. This represents an average consumption of 150 litres per person per day. Further details are contained in the Ofwat report "Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water 2001–02", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. It is estimated that around 4 per cent. of water supplied to households is used for drinking and cooking purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much water was used by (a) domestic, (b) business and (c) industry sectors, in each year since 1992; and what the total water use was in each of these years. [99276]

As a proportion of water put into the public supply, about 56 per cent. is delivered to domestic customers, 14 per cent. to businesses and 11 per cent. to industrial users. Total water use since 1992, shown in megalitres per day, is as follows:

Year	Megalitres per day
1992–93	10,807
1993–94	10,686
1994–95	10,799
1995–96	11,327
1996–97	11,117
1997–98	12,511
1998–99	12,208
1999–00	12,370
2000–01	12,333
2001–02	12,493

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) homes and (b) businesses are fitted with water saving devices, with particular reference to (i) hippos and (ii) cistern and flush controls. [99277]

Since 1999, 840,287 cistern devices, including Hippos, have been installed in households by water companies or their customers. Since 1996, 29,542 water audits of commercial premises have been completed by water companies, but no data are available on specific measures implemented as a result. These activities were carried out as part of water companies' legal duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers. Further details are contained in the Ofwat report 'Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water 2001–02', a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission where copies of the 1992 National Audit Office report on the Saudi Arabian Airforce Project are located. [98181]

Copies of the 1992 National Audit Office Report on the Saudi Arabian Airforce Project—known as Project. Al Yamamah—are held by the National Audit Office and the Ministry of Defence.

To ask the Solicitor General if she will make a statement on the role of the Crown Prosecution Service in domestic violence cases. [99404]

I will write to my hon. Friend with my answer shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with scheduled tour operators in relation to seating arrangements on aircrafts over the last 12 months. [99984]

We have had no specific discussions with airlines over seating arrangements on aircraft, but we have been in close and regular contact with airlines in relation to the information they provide to the public on seat pitch and width.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve protection for individual airline passengers against the failure of scheduled airlines. [99913]

This is not a matter for Government. Some passengers are protected by virtue of the way they pay for their tickets. For others, insurance against scheduled airline failure is readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the viability of creating a third party insurance cover relating to British air transport. [100052]

Following 11 September 2001, when commercial insurance cover was partially withdrawn, the Government provided temporary third-party war risk insurance cover for UK airlines and other air service providers. Such intervention is a form of state aid and the terms upon which the UK, and other EU member states, assisted their aviation industry during the crisis was strictly regulated by the European Commission. The Government discontinued their support for third party war risk insurance on 31 October 2002, and we see no case for further intervention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airport development options assessed at SERAS Stages 2 and 3 were considered by the SERAS consultants to meet private sector funding criteria in terms of an acceptable internal rate of return. [99522]

The financial appraisal undertaken in the SERAS study indicates that, using airport charges at the time the analysis was undertaken, achieving a high target rate of return (12.5 per cent.) might be difficult for any major airport development. Chapter 15 of the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East, a second edition of which was published on 27 February (including some minor revisions to this chapter) discusses how major new airport capacity might be funded.The principal results of the financial appraisal of different airport options are presented in the "SERAS Stage two Appraisal Findings report (section 14.4)."

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the requirement to provide ATOL protection to all airlines and booking facilities offering bundled flight and accommodation services; and if he will make a statement. [R] [100261]

The Government have no plans to extend the requirement to provide ATOL protection in this way.Some airlines selling air tickets through the Internet provide links to other services such as accommodation and car hire. Purchasing such services by this method involves separate contracts with, and separate payments to, different companies for the individual services. This does not constitute a package under European law. It is for individual consumers to decide whether to purchase disaggregated services in this way or to purchase a package deal offered by an ATOL holder.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on the provision of public money (a) to support the Central Railway project and (b) to meet claims for compensation arising out of the Central Railway project. [99490]

Central Railway's proposal is for an entirely privately funded project. We understand that it includes provisions for compensation of property owners in the event of compulsory purchase

	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Vehicle Certification Agency
Total staff	80	86	87	92	100
Inspectors	41	43	44	47	49
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Total staff	986	1,000	1,064	1,024.5	1,067
Surveyors/inspectors	160	160	149	157	162
Driving Standards Agency
Total staff	1,785	1,637	1,715	1,742	1,851
Examiners/inspectors	1,202	1,119	1,201	1,196	1,302

Where part of an employee's duties includes inspection they have not been counted in the second row. Only dedicated inspectors are shown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress of the pilot network of child pedestrian training schemes in primary schools in deprived areas. [99769]

Projects are being rolled out in three tranches. The first 38 English projects were awarded to 38 local authorities in September 2001. The next 39 projects were awarded to 36 local authorities in September 2002. Each project will run for three years.Invitations to bid for the final round of projects will be issued shortly.By the end of the summer term 2002, 703 of the volunteers who themselves train children had undertaken their own training. Also, in total, 3,882 children have received some training with an average of 105 children per project and 24 per school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) guidance has been issued and (b) requests have been made by the Department to the DVLA with regard to congestion charging over the last 12 months; [99875](2) what discussions he and his Department have had with the DVLA regarding congestion charging in London in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [99767]

DVLA has worked closely with Transport for London to develop the systems needed to meet the legal obligation to supply information from its records to support congestion charging. My Department has asked DVLA for regular reports on progress throughout last year to ensure that the Agency meets its obligations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the (a) Vehicle Certification Agency, (b) Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and (c) Driving Standards Agency, in each year since 1997; and how many were inspection staff in each case. [100016]

The average number of employees and of dedicated inspection staff during each accounting year was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the number of people killed in road crashes caused by driver fatigue on (a) motorways, (b) trunk roads and (c) other roads in the last five years. [99636]

Research studies indicate that driver sleepiness accounts for 15–20 per cent. of accidents on monotonous roads, especially motorways and for about 10 per cent. of all accidents on the road network in Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to promote the erection of tiredness kills signs on trunk roads as well as on motorways. [99637]

Signs have been provided on the approaches to service areas on motorways to remind drivers of the need for regular breaks, because opportunities for drivers to stop on motorways are limited. This is not generally the case on all-purpose trunk roads. We have no plans for the erection of additional signs on approaches to trunk road services, unless there is a specific traffic management need at a particular location.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what research has been conducted into the Future Integrated Transport LINK Programme; and if he will place a copy of findings in the Library; [99770](2) if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Future Integrated Transport LINK Programme. [99771]

The Future Integrated Transport Programme provided part funding to academic/ industrial collaborative research projects under the Government's LINK framework. From the launch of the programme in September 1999 until its closure to applications in 2002, the Department for Transport and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council offered support to 18 projects. The LINK projects supported are:

Pedestrian Activity Measurement in the Transport Environment;

The Demand for Public Transport—a Practical Guide;

UK Marine Motorways Study;

Integrating Transport and eCommerce in Logistics Supply Chains:

Rapid Construction of Passenger Interchanges;

Assessing the Potential for Rationalising Road Freight Operations;

Integration of Multi-Modal Reliability in the Assessment of Transport Schemes;

Monitoring of High Occupancy Vehicles;

Inclusive Transport Environment: Colour Design, Lighting and Visual Impairment;

Measuring Demand for an Integrated Inter-urban Public Transport Network;

Evaluating the Success of Urban Cycle Networks;

Enhanced Rail Contribution by Improved Reliability;

Improving the Efficiency of Travel by Improved Household Activity Scheduling;

Co-ordinating Individual Action Programmes in Rural Transport Management;

A Model to Assess Public Transport Reliability;

Multi-Objective Signal Control for Urban Environments;

Computer Based Tools for Streetscape Design and Reallocation;

Dynamic Assistive Information System.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) staff and (b) inspection staff were employed by the Highways Agency in each year since 1997. [99760]

The numbers of civil servants employed by the Highways Agency on the 1 January 2003 for the past seven years are set out in the following table:

Year	Number of civil servants
1997	1,628
1998	1,597
1999	1,591
2000	1,634
2001	1,647
2002	1,668
2003	1,720

The Highways Agency has not employed any inspection staff during this period. These duties are carried out on behalf of the Agency by their managing agent contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how often Ministers in his Department have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups; [99581](2) what criteria Ministers in his Department use when determining whether to offer hospitality in restaurants to interest groups at public expense; and if he will make a statement; [99504](3) what hospitality has been offered at public expense in the last 12 months, by each Minister in his Department to outside interest groups, broken down by

All offers of hospitality are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in "Government Accounting". The giving and receiving of hospitality is conducted fully in accordance with the guidance set out in the "Ministerial Code", and "Guidance on Contacts with Outside Interest Groups Including Lobbyists". The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on allowing motor vehicles powered by LPG to travel through the Channel Tunnel; and if he will make a statement. [99403]

Eurotunnel's original applications for operating certificates excluded the carriage of LPG and dual-fuelled vehicles. It is for the company to come forward with proposals to extend the range of its services to include these vehicles; Eurotunnel has been keeping its policy under review. If the company does seek to extend the scope of its services to include these vehicles, it will first need the agreement of the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission, acting on the advice of the independent binational Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, to its proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what environmental impact assessments he (a) has studied, (b) has commissioned and (c) intends to commission regarding the proposed widening of the M6 motorway between junctions 11 and 20; [99368](2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the opening of the M6 toll road in 2004 on the volumes of traffic using the M6 motorway between junctions 11 and 20; [99370](3) what proposals he has for widening the M6 motorway between junctions 6 and 11. [99369]

The environmental assessments carried out in the mid 1990s, at the time of the previous widening proposals, are currently being reviewed and updated by the Highways Agency with a view to a widening scheme between Junctions 11 and 20 being included in the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements. Should such a scheme be accepted into the Programme as a result, a full environmental impact assessment would be prepared to reflect the new proposals.The effects of the opened M6 Toll Road on M6 traffic levels were assessed when the toll road was being planned. More recently, the West Midlands to North West Conurbation Multi Modal Study, which gave rise to the present widening proposals between Junctions 11 and 20, also took account of the implications of the toll road opening. The effects will be evaluated in more detail as the widening proposals aredeveloped.There are no proposals to widen the M6 between Junctions 6 and 11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 525W, what estimate was made of total costs of the former Marinair scheme, during the 'Preliminary Site Search of Options for New Airport Capacity to Serve the South East and East of England'. [94781]

The "Preliminary Site Search of Options for New Airport Capacity to Serve the South East and East of England" (published June 2001 and available in the Libraries of the House) estimated the total costs of the former Marinair scheme at nearly £20 billion pounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research he has conducted about the number of (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries arising from accidents in which a driver involved was using a mobile phone; and if he will make a statement. [100389]

A wide body of research provides clear evidence of an increased risk of an accident when using a mobile phone while driving. A recent report, "The risk of using a mobile phone while driving", commissioned by the Department from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, contains a review of such research. It also summarises 19 cases reported in the UK press between 1988 and 2001 where a death could be attributed to a driver using a mobile phone. The report may be viewed at www.rospa.com/pdfs/road/mobiles/report.pdf.Two research projects currently under way will help to establish the likely numbers of road traffic accidents involving mobile phones. One involves in-depth analysis of police fatal road accident reports that identify distraction as a possible contributory factor. A report is expected in the summer. The other involves on-the-spot studies of accidents in order to improve the understanding of the influences of human involvement, vehicle and highway design on accident causation and injury mechanisms. A database is expected to be available from the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many named day written questions were tabled to the Department between 15 October 2002 and 24 February 2003; how many that received a holding answer were given a substantive answer (a) within three days, (b) within seven days, (c) within 14 days, (d) within 28 days and (e) over 28 days later; and what procedures the Department has in place to monitor performance on answering (i) parliamentary questions and (ii) ministerial letters. [99427]

In the period 15 October 2002 to 24 February 2003, 318 named day written questions were tabled to my Department, of which 77 (24 per cent.) received a holding answer.Of the 77 that received a holding answer, 65 (84 per cent.) received a substantive answer within three days; 10 (13 per cent.) received a substantive answer between four and seven days; and two (3 per cent.) received a substantive answer between eight and 14 days.The effective handling of parliamentary questions and ministerial correspondence is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance. The Department has a Service Delivery Agreement Target of responding to 76 per cent. of ministerial correspondence within 15 days and 90 per cent. within 20 days. My Department operates an electronic tracking system to monitor ministerial correspondence and parliamentary question performance. The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on performance of Departments in replying to ministerial correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return. [98091]

The list of all such forms, as recorded by the Department's Forms Gatekeeper and Survey Control Unit, has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list makes no distinction between those that are compulsory or voluntary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the technical note underlying his Public Service Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [99393]

The technical note will be published shortly, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's estimate is of the cost to (a) local authorities, (b) train operating companies and (c) Network Rail of cleaning costs relating to the presence of birds on railway property in the last 12 months. [99774]

My Department has made no such estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for (a) erecting netting, (b) erecting deterrents and (c) cleaning costs, relating to the presence of birds on railway property, with specific reference to bridges over public highways. [99775]

Network Rail advises that it is under no statutory duty to prevent the fouling of its structures by pigeons or other birds; and that it falls to the local highway authority to maintain the public footways and highways under the company's bridges. In specific cases of the establishment of a statutory nuisance under one of its bridges, the costs of pigeon proofing the structure and cleaning the public footway may be shared equally by agreement between Network Rail and the local authority. The company seeks to work with local authorities to tackle pigeon nuisance and to assess alternative pigeon deterrents to netting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking (a) to ensure better value for public money from the railways and (b) to prevent rail costs increasing; what is being done to limit the number of contactors and sub-contractors working on the railways; and if he will make a statement. [100297]

The Strategic Rail Authority's second Strategic Plan, published in January, sets out the nature of the challenges and the steps underway to control costs and improve value for money. The contractual arrangements for maintaining and renewing the railways are a matter for Network Rail and its customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the recommendations to his Department from the School Travel Advisory Group; and what progress has been made towards their implementation in each case. [99768]

The recommendations of the "School Travel Advisory Group are set out in the "School Travel Advisory Group Report 1998–1999". Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.The recommendations for my Department were for school travel issues to be included in local transport plans; better road safety education; improved enforcement of speed, parking and other traffic regulations; better cycle storage facilities and lockers at schools; affordable bus travel for all children in compulsory education; and special training for bus drivers working with children.We have asked local authorities to include a school travel strategy, explain how they will work with individual schools to develop school travel plans (STPs) and include targets for reducing the number of children who travel to school by car in their local transport plans. To help local authorities we have provided 57 bursaries to enable them to employ staff to work with schools to develop STPs, and a further 17 for them to employ staff to work jointly with schools and workplaces. Since May 2001 we have been providing up to five days of free site-specific consultancy advice to schools wanting to develop a STP.We have published free best practice guidance on developing and implementing STPs for both local authorities and schools and a school travel resource pack for schools. (These and other resources are also available on our web site at http://www.localtransport/schooltravel/index.htm). We have held free seminars to disseminate these guidesand to promote partnership working between local highway authorities, Healthy Schools co-ordinators, School Sport co-ordinators, bus operators and others.To improve child road safety we have published a range of booklets for children and the child road safety pages of our web site include lesson plans for primary and secondary school teachers designed to tie in with the national curriculum; these can be found at http:// wuav.databases.dtt.gov.uk/lessonpians/. We are also spending £10 million over five years for local authorities to pilot a network of child pedestrian training schemes in deprived areas.To reduce child deaths and injuries we have asked local authorities to pay particular attention in preparing their local road safety strategies to roads around schools and the routes children use to get to school; we have asked them to plan specific measures such as 20 mph zones with traffic calming and safe crossing places if traffic calming is not appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a list of stations which have Secure Station status. [99778]

The list of the 170 stations currently accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of likely traffic flows in East Lancashire following completion of the Bingley bypass. [100044]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many university students his Department and associated agencies have supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what his policy is on work placements; what plans he has to develop such schemes; and what his policy is on paying their university fees. [98535]

In 2002, my Department organised centrally five summer work placements.Placements arranged are available to individuals through formal schemes:

To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Home Office and the Department for Health regarding the availability of health care for female asylum seekers and refugees at dispersal areas. [98073]

[holding answer 24 February 2003]: I have had no discussions with the Home Office and the Department of Health regarding the availability of health care for female asylum seekers and refugees at dispersal areas.

To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had and plans to have with the Home Office about the central collection of statistics regarding domestic violence. [99047]

Domestic violence is a serious and abhorrent crime accounting for a quarter of all violent crime. Currently, any incidents of this crime are recorded through the British Crime Survey and the Police Crime Statistics.Within these Police Crime Statistics, domestic violence is not a separate category and incidents are recorded across a range of crimes. As a consequence, it can be difficult to identify the prevalence of this serious crime.

To ask the Minister for Women how many women have attended regional seminars by the Women and Equality Unit on attracting women to public appointments; and if she will make a statement. [99042]

848 women attended the eight regional seminars. In addition, five national seminars took place, targeted at specialist female audiences. In total, 1,328 women, from diverse backgrounds, attended the 13 seminars.

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the publication of the Cabinet Office report, "Public Bodies 2002". [99043]

I welcome the publication of "Public Bodies 2002", as announced by the Cabinet Office on 31 January 2003. Although the number of women holding public appointments has remained static at 34 per cent., the figures published are as at March 2002, and therefore do not reflect any changes due to activity since March 2002. I welcome the news that the proportion of those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities have increased (from 4.8 per cent. to 6.2 per cent. and from 1.5 per cent. to 3.3 per cent. respectively).

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the regional seminar series hosted by the Women and Equality Unit in attracting women to public appointments; and if she will make a statement. [99045]

The national outreach campaign to encourage more women to apply for public appointments included a series of regional seminars and events targeted at specific audiences. The seminars aimed to increase awareness among women, to provide support and to help women realise their potential. On-the-day evaluation showed that 91 per cent. of those attending reported that they were now more likely to apply for an appointment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the controlled goods which have been granted export licences for use in Algeria for each month since September 2001. [99145]

I refer the hon Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore) on 6 February 2003, Official Report, column 389W–390W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how quickly disabled people will be able to change designated individuals authorised to collect benefit payments on their behalf from post offices when card accounts come into operation; [100450](2) what plans she has made for assisting disabled people to use the new PIN number key pads for card accounts in post offices when accessing benefits; [100447](3) what the procedure is for benefit claimants changing designated individuals to collect payments on their behalf when their carer changes. [100449]

This is a matter which falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial assistance her Department gave to the Greater London Assembly in 2002; and for what projects. [95847]

No financial assistance was given to the London Assembly in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Office of Fair Trading report on Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance will be published. [100244]

The Office of Fair Trading is conducting a fact finding study of the UK Liability Insurance Market, including Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI). The timing of the study is a matter for the OFT, but I understand that a report is planned for publication in spring 2003. Further details of the OFT study are available at http://www.oft. gov.uk/market + investigations/investigations/insurance.htm.The Government are simultaneously carrying out a review specifically of the operation of the ELCI system, led by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and involving other Government Departments, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Officials working on the ELCI review are also working closely with OFT and the two pieces of work are being conducted to a similar timetable. Further details of the ELC1 review are available at www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2002/ health-safety/eli-review/index.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will publish a summary of the responses to the consultation on energy policy. [99674]

The energy White Paper consultation process consisted of two main strands, public consultation and strategic stakeholder consultation.Three methods were used in consulting the public: focus groups, deliberative workshops, and a touch screen questionnaire used at the BBC Tomorrow's World roadshows in Birmingham, London, Cardiff and Glasgow, and also made available via the DTI website. The results of the public consultation were published on 10 October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what environmental impact assessment process is in place in respect of oil and gas exploration and production activities in the North Sea. [99795]

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) became a formal requirement for all offshore oil and gas activities in March 1999, following the introduction of the Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999. All new developments, and significant exploration and production activities that could have an adverse impact in the receiving environment, require a full EIA that includes consultation with statutory bodies and a period of public notice. Other activities are also assessed to confirm that a full EIA is not required. Activities are additionally considered under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the purchase, for departmental use, of fair trade products. [99290]

Departmental policy is to promote the purchase of fair trade products. However, this is set against the background of the need to obtain best value for money, the EC procurement rules and the Department's objectives. Within these guidelines, the Department is committed to supporting ethical trading wherever possible. For example, the Department's catering contractor to its London restaurants makes available fair trade tea and coffee to staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department will publish the firework injury statistics for November 2002; and what plans she has to collect year-round firework injury statistics. [98716]

The firework injury statistics are currently being finalised and it is our intention to publish them by the end of March. I have no plans to collect them year -round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what hospitality has been offered at public expense in the last 12 months by each Minister in her Department to outside interest groups, broken down by (a) restaurant, (b) recipient and (c) cost in each case; [99497]

All offers of hospitality are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in 'Government Accounting'. The giving and receiving of hospitality is conducted fully in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code, and Guidance on Contacts with Outside Interest Groups including Lobbyists. The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what schemes are in place to increase the number of people in house building professions. [99397]

The Construction Industry Training Board is taking the lead in increasing recruitment into the construction industry. This includes the needs of the house building sector. The Ambition Construction scheme was launched in 2001 with joint CITB and DWP funding to train and place New Deal clients in skilled jobs directly relevant to house building.In recognition of the importance of this issue to the future health of the industry, the Strategic Forum for Construction has set targets for recruitment and retention in its agenda (as set out in its report "Accelerating Change"). In addition, the Strategic Forum is also looking to improve the productivity of the construction industry through integrated team working and through offsite fabrication which will in turn increase the ability of the industry to meet the demands—both in terms of quality and quantity—of its clients. The Department is working with the Strategic Forum and others, to deliver this agenda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on levels of manufacturing investment. [100085]

The level of manufacturing investment as a proportion of manufacturing output in the fourth quarter of 2002 was 9.7 per cent.Recent difficulties faced by manufacturing are largely the result of the global slowdown, which began in 2001, and increased uncertainty and lower confidence in global conditions have led firms to postpone investment projects.We are taking action to help manufacturers facing difficult conditions through the Government's Manufacturing Strategy we have developed in partnership with industry. The macroeconomic framework we have established, with low inflation and sound public finances, is creating the right underlying conditions to encourage businesses to increase investment when the global economy recovers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 24 February 2003, ref 98996, if she will list the official visits to (a) companies, (b) universities and (c) organisations by (i) the Minister for Science and (ii) the Chief Scientific Adviser in each of the last three years. [99985]

Unfortunately this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her plans to work with Norway to make more efficient the administration of the North Sea oil and gas industry. [99198]

The report of the UK-Norway North Sea Co-operation Workgroup, published in August 2002, sets out a number of recommendations to facilitate closer co-operation and sharing of best practice. This includes a Framework Treaty—designed to facilitate a wide range of potential future trans-boundary oil and gas developments—and a single North Sea suppliers' database. Further work is also proposed to assess the need for a pan-industry Code of Practice.The report shows clearly that improved co-operation in the recommended areas can improve North Sea effectiveness and will unlock value through lowering investment and operating costs, through economies of scale and through improved safety standards.A Pilot /Kon-Craft Implementation Group is working closely with relevant parties to ensure that the recommendations of the report are fully realised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of (a) oil and (b) gas reserves on the UK mainland. [99791]

Current estimates of remaining reserves (proven and probable) on the UK mainland are (a) 18.7 million tonnes of oil and (b) 4,400 million cubic metres of gas. The gas reserves include associated gas from onshore oil fields, dry gas from onshore gas fields and mine gas from mine vent fields.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to accord part-time workers the same employment rights as those in full-time work. [100480]

Part-time employees in the UK enjoy the same statutory employment rights as full-timers, including protection against unfair dismissal, unlawful deductions from wages and adverse treatment on grounds of sex, race or disability. In addition, the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 require them to be treated no less favourably in their terms and conditions than comparable full-timers, unless different treatment can be justified on objective grounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with European Union colleagues regarding a Europe-wide approach to securing parity of employment rights between part-time workers and full-time workers. [100482]

None. The European Directive on part-time work already requires member states to ensure that part-time workers are treated no less favourably in their terms and conditions of employment than comparable full-timers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many consultation exercises have been undertaken by Post Office Counters concerning proposed closures of post offices since 1 July 2001; and how many such exercises have resulted in the intention to close being withdrawn. [99916]

Proposals for post office closures under the urban network reinvention programme are put out to public consultation in accordance with the code of practice agreed with Postwatch. Final decisions on closure, after consideration of representations received, are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if electricity produced from processes involving the recovery of clean recyclable materials will be classed as a renewable source of energy. [99372]

Under Directive 2001/77/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market, "renewable energy sources" are defined to include "biomass," and "biomass" is defined to include "the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste."In the UK, the renewables obligation includes the biodegradable fraction of waste only if it is converted to electricity through advanced conversion technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification and anaerobic digestion.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what change is planned to the Departmental Expenditure Limit of the Electoral Commission for 2002–03. [100321]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the Electoral Commission DEL for 2002–03 will be increased by £1,294,000 from £20,117,000 to £21,411,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:

£000
	Resources	Capital
Change	694	600
New Del	20,460	951
Of which:
Voted	20,460	951
Non-voted	0	0

The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from the take up of end year flexibility for 2001–02 in respect of the payment of policy development grants (£514,528) and public awareness costs (£179,457) and for capital and refurbishment and other fit out costs of Commission offices.Although the funds had been budgeted for and approved in respect of this expenditure for the year 2001–02, the Commission was unable to make full use of the case provision.In order to incorporate the carry over into the Electoral Commission's voted resources for 2002–03, the Speaker's Committee, having consulted the Treasury, agreed on 24 February to lay a spring supplementary supply estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to her answer of 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 564, on HIPC, what response the UK Government has had from the World bank and the IMF to the call for their approach to topping up to be widened to provide additional relief for HIPC countries with unsustainable debts. [99686]

We continue, with others, to press the IMF and the World Bank to change the rules on topping up, so that any HIPC country facing unsustainable debts which has demonstrated its commitment to poverty reduction and economic reform can qualify for this additional debt relief. At discussions on topping up, to be held in the IMF and the World bank boards over the next month we shall press to move this issue forward. We are working with others to achieve this. Topping up is calculated on a case by case basis, depending on the assessment of each country's economic prospects.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how often Ministers in her Department have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups, broken down by (a) restaurant, (b) recipient and (c) cost in each case; [99592](2) what criteria Ministers in her Department use when determining whether to offer hospitality in restaurants to interest groups at public expense; and if she will make a statement; [99516]

All offers of hospitality are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting. The giving and receiving of hospitality is conducted in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code, and Guidance on Contacts with Outside Interest Groups including Lobbyists. The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department has taken in response to the meningitis epidemic in (a) the Nigerian state of Zangara and (b) Burkina Faso. [99348]

Epidemic Meningococcal Disease (EMD) is a contagious disease responsible for high number of deaths throughout the world, with up to 50 per cent. of victims dying in the developing world. Of those who survive, between 10–20 per cent. suffer permanent brain damage.Epidemic meningococcal disease imposes its greatest burden on a group of 18 countries that form the so-called "African meningitis belt", stretching from Ethiopia to Senegal. Epidemics can be devastating, sometimes flaring up to as many as 100,000 cases in a very short period of time. In the absence of mass vaccination, an epidemic can last for several months, draining enormous resources, overwhelming hospitals and disrupting routine care.The strategy to control a meningitis epidemic has three components: early detection of outbreaks, emergency mass immunization campaigns, and careful case management.The Government of Nigeria has not approached DFID to respond to the epidemic In Zamfara. However DFID supports WHO in all its work. This includes the valuable efforts to support Governments tackle epidemics. WHO are involved in supporting the Government of Burkina Faso in their surveillance and clinical service delivery. In addition, WHO has been working with GSK (vaccine manufacturer) and Gates Foundation to ensure adequate quantities of appropriate vaccine.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the competitive tendering arrangements that culminated in the award of a contract to the Rameses Group for police training in the Balkans region; and if she will make a statement. [99447]

DFID has contracted Atos KPMG Consulting as implementing agents for the United Kingdom Government's programme of assistance to enhance access to justice in the Balkans. The Rameses Group is subcontracted by Atos KPMG Consulting as project director for activities concerned with community-based policing and community safety in Serbia. The Atos KPMG Consulting contract was awarded following an open tender process in line with EC procurement directives.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) the OSCE and (b) another international agency was invited to fulfil the work in relation to police training in the Balkans that was subsequently contracted to the Rameses Group. [99449]

After an open tender procedure in line with EC procurement directives, DFID contracted Atos KPMG Consulting as implementing agents for the United Kingdom Government's programme of assistance to enhance access to justice in the Balkans. DFID was not involved in the subcontracting arrangements with the Rameses Group.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what purposes the Rameses Group has been awarded a contract in relation to police training in the Balkans region; and if she will make a statement. [99450]

As part of the UK Government's support for enhancing access to justice in the Balkans, the Rameses Group has been sub-contracted by our implementing agents, Atos KPMG Consulting, as project director for activities concerned with community based policing and community safety in Serbia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department completed its diagnostic review for compliance with the Government's Code of Practice for Age Diversity in Employment; and what changes her Department plans to make following the review. [99423]

The Department is committed to equal opportunities for all and had already incorporated age into its equal opportunities policy prior to the "Winning the Generation Game" report. The Department is in the process of implementing the final recommendation of the report, with the introduction of a flexible retirement age for those between 60 and 65 years.

Institution	Increase in visitors in the first 12 months of free entry1
Imperial War Museum (Lambeth Road)	68,887
Victoria and Albert Museum (free entry introduced 22 November 2001)	1,245,674
Natural History Museum	1,336,457
Science Museum (South Kensington)	1,321,316
National Railway Museum (York)	197,596
National Coal Mining Museum for England (free entry introduced 8 April 2002)	230,307
Museum of London	85,972
Royal Armouries (Leeds)	59,676

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's hospitality budget (a) is in 2002–03 and (b) was in each of the last three years; and how much was left unspent at the end of each financial year. [99585]