To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed progress on the European Security and Defence Policy with the German defence minister. [100061]

I last discussed progress on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) with my German counterpart on 5 November 2002 in Berlin.ESDP was also discussed extensively at the last General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on 18 and 19 November 2002 at which Defence Ministers from all member states were present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Alenia Marconi System used the F680 procedure to receive preliminary Government advice on the likely prospects for approval on their export licence application to export an air traffic control system to Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [99304]

Details of F680 applications from companies are normally commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure under Exemptions 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Any F680 application received in respect of Sudan would be rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria and the EU arms embargo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he received the recommendations of the Sub-Committee of the Honours and Decorations Committee, on the issue of a medal for UK servicemen who were in Egypt between 1951 and 1954; whether he will accept the recommendations of this sub-committee; and if he will make a statement. [100249]

I have not received the recommendations of the sub-committee. They passed their recommendations directly to the HD Committee for its consideration. The Ministry of Defence awaits the publication of the result of their deliberations and will accept their decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the MOD expects to award the contract for the Future Infantry Soldier Technology Programme; what capabilities the new equipment will have; when the technology will come into full service; what the length of the contract is; and if he will make a statement. [98349]

An announcement on the Prime Contractor for the Assessment Phase (AP) of the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) programme will be made shortly. Contract award will take place soon thereafter. The contract will last for a little under three years, and will be followed by a Demonstration and Manufacture Phase which will be the subject of separate contractual arrangements. The FIST programme will bring the benefits of technology improvements to the infantry soldier by providing an integrated suite of equipment which will enhance mission effectiveness in dismounted close combat. This will be defined more closely during the AP. An In-Service Date will not be set until the main investment decision, but current estimates are around the end of this decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances unmarried service personnel deployed to the Gulf receive longer separated service allowance. [100624]

Longer separated service allowance (LSSA) compensates for longer separated service regardless of marital status. From 1 March 2003, following changes recommended by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), it is paid to all eligible personnel who have completed 12 months' initial qualifying service. LSSA is paid on a daily basis for separation of 10 days or more, at three rates (basic, middle and higher) dependent upon periods of accumulated separation. Bonuses are available for those who experience very high levels of accumulated separation.Regularly reviewed by the AFPRB, their 2003 report reduced the initial qualifying period from 18 months' service to 12 to target the allowance at junior personnel to ensure that they do not commence a second operational tour without compensation for separation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which categories of service personnel are eligible for longer separated service allowance; and under what circumstances it is awarded. [100625]

Regardless of marital status, all regular service personnel can receive longer separated service allowance (LSSA) provided that they meet the qualifying criteria. Reservists who have been called out on permanent service or who undertake full-time reserve service are eligible for the allowance; members of non-regular permanent staff of the TA and reservists who are undertaking part-time reserve service can also qualify for LSSA.LSSA compensates personnel for the effects of longer separated service regardless of marital category or rank. Following recommendations by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), the initial qualifying period was reduced from 18 months' service to 12 months from 1 March 2003. The allowance is paid at three daily rates to eligible personnel who spend 10 days or more on temporary duty away from their permanent duty station. The basic rate is paid once 12 months' service has been completed. After 300 accrued days of separation at the basic rate, the middle rate applies and after a further 300 accrued days of separation at the middle rate, the higher rate applies. Bonuses are available for those who experience very high levels of accumulated separation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the (a) number and (b) percentage of (i) single males, (ii) single females and (iii) couples (A) over 60 and (B) over 75 who will be eligible for (1) any amount of council tax benefit and (2) full council tax benefit (x) at present, (y) in April 2003 and (z) in October 2003. [96369]

The available information is in the table.

Estimated numbers of pensioners eligible for Council Tax Benefit (CTB) in 2002–03
	All pensioners		Pensioners aged over 75
	Any CTB	Full CTB only	Any CTB	Full CTB only
2002–03
Single males	630,000	310,000	270,000	120,000
Single females	1,960,000	1,170,000	1,080,000	710,000
Couples	1,300,000	510,000	430,000	170,000
Total	3,890,000	1,990,000	1,780,000	1,000,000
2003–04
Single males	700,000	320,000	310,000	120,000
Single females	2,080,000	1,210,000	1,140,000	730,000
Couples	1,470,000	540,000	480,000	180,000
Total	4,240,000	2,060,000	1,930,000	1,030,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of operating his Department's filestores in each year since 1997. [98845]

The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. Because the availability of data is not uniform across the period, the figures are non-comparable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of total housing benefit expenditure on private accommodation used for housing families in temporary accommodation in 2001–02. [91691]

The March 2002 report, "More than a roof" and the Government's response to it set out a challenging new approach to tackling homelessness. Specific measures include changes to Housing Benefit (HB) rules worth around £10 million to boost incentives for private sector leasing by local authorities.HB expenditure for temporary accommodation is recorded where the accommodation is arranged by or through the Council. However, expenditure is not identified separately where a homeless person finds his/her board and lodging accommodation or where the council has no licensed or short-term lease accommodation available. Therefore it is not possible to reliably estimate total HB expenditure on private accommodation used for housing families in temporary accommodation in 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's plans are to introduce a standard local housing allowance to replace housing benefit; when the plan's changes will be introduced throughout the UK; and in which areas the reforms are being piloted. [97318]

The Standard Local Housing Allowances (SLHA) will provide a better, quicker service based on simpler, clearer rules. It will allow people to know in advance what housing benefit support they will receive, promote choice and personal responsibility, and bridge the gap between benefit and work by allowing tenants to budget for their own rent. Details of our proposals are in the prospectus, "Building Choice and Responsibility: a radical agenda for Housing Benefit", a copy of which is in the Library.We will be piloting the SLHA in 10 pathfinder local authorities (Blackpool, Brighton and Hove, Conwy, Coventry, Edinburgh, Leeds, Lewisham, Middlesbrough, North East Lincolnshire and Teignbridge). All 10 local authorities have accepted our invitation to participate in the pilot, based on our commitment to meet all reasonable costs. The scheme will be based on local reference rents and these local authorities were selected to reflect a wide range of housing market conditions, including areas with high value rented properties.Extension of SLHA throughout the rest of the country will depend on the results of our evaluation of the pilot scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to provide an alternative method to people to drawing their pension in person, when they suffer from sudden illness, from April. [100564]

If someone cannot get out to collect their state pension which is paid into an account then they can give authority for someone they trust to do this. The precise arrangements will depend on the type of account they have. If the customer could not make alternative arrangements to draw their state pension, the Department currently has arrangements in place to ensure vulnerable customers do not suffer hardship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people draw their pensions through post offices using casual agents. [100563]

Information on the number of people who draw their pensions through post offices using casual agents is not available.There is a facility available for all benefit and pension recipients to allow an individual to complete the reverse of a giro cheque or payment foil from their order book, which gives authorisation to someone to act as their agent on a one-off or temporary basis, without notifying the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he will take to advertise the benefit of the post office card accounts to those recipients of (a) war pensions and (b)M child benefit who have already been contacted about changes in the method of benefits payments, prior to the start-up of the Post Office card account. [100565]

Those people who have already been contacted about the move to direct payment received a mailing with information which clearly set out the account options. The information material set out the key features of the various accounts and explained how people can access their money at the Post Office, if they wish to do so and what to do if they wanted a Post Office card account. War pension and child benefit customers who have already opted for a Post Office card account after receiving the mailing will be contacted after April when the account becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [98531]

The Department for Work and Pensions supports certain students with work placements via a combination of local and centrally-run arrangements. Figures for the former are not available centrally. For the latter, the Department supported 14 students on work placements in 2002, with the aim of attracting high-calibre undergraduates who are interested in a career in the Civil Service. The Department plans to continue to offer paid work placements to undergraduates during their breaks. Payment of university fees is not therefore an issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles there were in the UK in each year since 1992; and how many are projected for the next five years (a) in total and (b) in each region. [99226]

Information on the number of abandoned vehicles in England and Wales is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) abandoned and (b) end of life vehicles are disposed of in a sustainable manner; [99335](2) what the cost to local authorities of

Waste collection authorities are required under section 3(1) of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 to remove a vehicle which is abandoned in their area on any land in the open air or on any other land forming part of a highway. Section 4 of the 1978 Act enables waste disposal authorities to dispose of vehicles in their custody which have been removed because they were abandoned. Such vehicles are normally disposed of through either dismantlers or scrap yards.The dismantling and recycling of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) must be carried out in compliance with the conditions of a waste management licence or under a registered exemption from licensing and in a manner which does not pollute the environment and harm human health.The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive requires that all ELVs, including those abandoned vehicles which are ELVs, are depolluted and dismantled to specified environmental standards by appropriately-permitted facilities. The permits will replace registered exemptions (unless a site is only carrying out recovery operations on de-polluted vehicles). Draft regulations to transpose this aspect of the Directive will be published shortly for consultation with a view to their coming into effect later this year. The Directive also requires that 85 per cent. by weight of ELVs are recovered and recycled by 1 January 2006, and 95 per cent. by 1 January 2015. The Government is currently considering its preferred approach to achieving these targets.We estimate that disposal costs for abandoned vehicles under the 1978 Act arrangements are between £30 and £50 per vehicle. Under the ELV Directive additional costs for the takeback and treatment of ELVs are estimated to be £50 depending on the age, condition and type of the vehicle and the price of scrap metal at the time. The increase is largely due to the costs of depolluting the ELVs to the standard required by the Directive.Information on the cost to local authorities of disposing of and administering schemes to dispose of abandoned vehicles is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department is taking to tackle the illegal importation of bush meat [100395]

I have been asked to reply.Bush meat is generally taken to refer to meat from wild animals hunted for food. Controls on its import arise from both the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and from controls imposed to protect animal health.Customs are responsible for the enforcement of CITES restrictions and they take action to target, intercept, seize and where appropriate prosecute offenders.In controls to protect animal health Customs' role is to support the lead enforcement authorities, port health authorities and Defra. In 2002, Customs deployed additional resources in this role. A Cabinet Office study has recommended that the anti-smuggling role is transferred to Customs is actively working with Defra to implement this change as soon as practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigations she has carried out into the amount of household domestic waste which has been separated for recycling by the householder but has ended up in landfill (a) by Project Integra and (b) in England. [100033]

[holding answer 28 February 2003]: We do not collect this information. Under the best value performance indicators the information collected is household waste sent for recycling; this would not distinguish any amount subsequently sent to landfill because it was not recycled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment has been made or is planned of the effectiveness of fines levied by the Environment Agency on polluters in preventing (a) further incidences of pollution by the polluters and (b) incidences of pollution from others who have not previously polluted; what changes are planned; and if she will make a statement; [99240](2) how much has been levied in fines by the Environment Agency against

The Environment Agency does not have the legal capacity to impose fines, which are a matter for the courts. The role of the Environment Agency is to present cases where they consider environmental damage to have been inflicted, and to maximise the chance of conviction by ensuring that all relevant information is made available to the court.No assessment has yet been made of the preventive effect of fines levied against environmental offenders. The Department shares the Agency's view that the level of fines being imposed for pollution offences is generally too low. We are now working together and with others, especially the Magistrates Association, to ensure that magistrates are trained and have an increased awareness of the implications of polluting activity and consequently impose more realistic fines. To this end, the Association recently circulated relevant training material to all its 28,000 members. The Government are also exploring the possibility of developing general guidelines on sentencing for environmental offences.The Agency does not hold statistical information on fines that predates the computerisation of their system in 1999. However, they produced the tables which address the question for convictions from 1999, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what local exercise action pilots have been introduced by the Countryside Agency in collaboration with Sport England and the Department of Health to tackle obesity and increase physical activity. [100424]

The Local Exercise Action Pilots Programme is a joint initiative funded by the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency, with support from the Local Government Association, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Education and Skills and Department for Transport. Nine local pilots led by Primary Care Trust are being developed to test effective approaches to increasing access to, and levels of, physical activity. The pilot sites will be announced in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimated total volume of waste she estimates was illegally flytipped in each year since 1992, broken down by the nature of this waste. [99269]

Fly tipped waste is collected by both local authorities and the Environment Agency. Data on the volume of fly tipped waste are not collected centrally and so estimates cannot be provided. However, a recent report looking at fly tipped waste on agricultural land estimated that 0.6 million tonnes of waste was deposited on agricultural land in England and Wales in 2001. This is broken down as follows.

Waste type	Grossed up weights for England and Wales (tonnes)
White goods	2,900
Furniture	5,600
Green waste	94,000
General household waste	8,500
C and D waste	380,000
Cars	118,000
Tyres	8,700
Total 2	0.6 million 2

The Government is currently discussing with the Environment Agency the potential for setting up a national recording system for fly tipping which would record these type of data from both the Agency and local authorities in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the Minister of State for the Environment and Agri-Environment has in the Government's consideration of policy towards GM crops. [99286]

[holding answer 27 February 2003]: I contribute to all aspects of the Government's policy thinking on GM crops.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the industries and activities which have moved (a) from a Part B process to a Part A process and (b) from a Part A to a Part B process, under the IPPC Regulations since the Climate Change Levy was introduced, providing reasons for changes which have taken place. [99237]

The Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2001, came into force on 1 April 2001, the same date as the Climate Change Levy. The Amendment Regulations provided for certain activities listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 to be moved from one section or part of a section to another in order to ensure that they were subjected to appropriate regulation.The Amendment Regulations transferred three industry sectors from Part B to Part A(2):

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many mobile recycling plants there are in operation in the UK; and what their total weekly capacity is, broken down by region. [99227]

The most up to date information indicates that the Agency has issued 116 mobile plant licences for the treatment of waste soil. The typical annual licensed capacity (per plant) is up to 75,000 tonnes per annum. This would equate to a theoretical maximum annual treatment capacity of 8,700,000 tonnes per annum, or 167,308 tonnes per week of waste soil.The plants can operate anywhere in the UK and it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the capacity by region.One mobile plant licence has been issued for the treatment of waste refrigerationequipment. It has a weekly capacity of around 3000 fridges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many disposable nappies she estimates were (a) used and (b) disposed of by (i) landfill, (ii) incineration and (iii) other means in the last year for which figures are available. [99247]

The last national study on disposable nappies was in 1993. Local authorities have carried out more recent studies, and the results suggest that nappies constitute approximately 4–5 per cent. of the municipal waste stream.The most recent figures show that 78 per cent. of municipal waste goes to landfill, 12 per cent. is recycled and 9 per cent. disposed of through thermal treatment. As disposable nappies cannot be recycled, using these figures we can estimate that approximately 90 per cent. are sent to landfill and 10 per cent. undergo thermal treatment.New work on a new compositional analysis of the municipal waste stream is being started at the beginning of the next financial year, with figures expected in December 2004. Nappies will be identified separately in this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual emission was of (a) NOx, (b) SOx, (c) particulates and (d) CO2 at (i) London Gatwick Airport and (ii) London Stansted Airport in the last year for which figures are available. [100399]

The following table shows estimated emissions of No_x, So_x, particulates (PM10), and CO2 for Gatwick and Stansted Airports in 2000 (the latest year for which figures are available).

	Gatwick(tonnes)	Stansted(tonnes)
NOx(as nitrogen dioxide)	3,670	867
SOx(as sulphur dioxide)	137	61
CO2(carbon dioxide)	422,489	184,932
Particles (as PM 10)	41	16

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when proposed new recycling plants related to the recycling of refrigerators will come online; and what their capacity will be, broken down by region. [99229]

10 fixed plants have already come online in Oldham, Willesden, Wallasey, Knighton, Bromsfield, Bradford, St Helens, Cradley Heath, Newport and Billingham. Each has a capacity of around 300k units per year. Plans are advanced for a further six plants in Chesterfield, Hertford, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Birmingham and Kettering. One mobile plant, with a capacity of around 150k units per year, has been licensed to operate in Lewes, South Wales and Swindon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many refrigerators and freezers are being stored by each local authority pending disposal or recycling. [99230]

There are no figures on the numbers of refrigerators and freezers being stored by local authority area. Most local authorities have already let contracts with fridge treatment companies so their backlog will have been removed. To monitor the disposal of refrigerators, we have asked local authorities to report on the number of fridges they have dealt with as part of the national waste monitoring questionnaire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tyres were (a) purchased, (b) reused and (c) disposed of by (i) landfill, (ii) incineration, (iii) illegal fly tipping and (iv) other means in each year since 1992. [99271]

The Used Tyre Working Group, which comprises representatives from the tyre industry and officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Environment Agency, has compiled statistics on

	Replacement tyre sales		Tyres on new vehicles		Total
	Units (m)	Tonnes (000s)	Units (m)	Tonnes (000s)	Units (m)	Tonnes (000s)
1995	27.9	382	11.2	94	39.1	476
1996	27.2	359	11.6	96	38.8	456
1997	26.6	369	12.4	100	39	468
1998	27.8	370	12.9	106	40.7	476
19991	26.3	275	12.7	103	38.9	378
2000	25	260	12.8	105	37.8	365
2001	26.9	284	14.1	114	41.0	398
1From 1999 onwards, the method of calculating replacement tyre sales tonnage from unit information changed to better reflect the spread of commercial vehicle tyre sizes and weights.

Tonnes (000s)1
	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Reused2	72	87	93	110	92	99	94
Retreaded	124	116	110	86	66	56	49
Recycled	41	41	34	49	83	75	107
Energy recovery3	80	102	117	84	70	54	40
Total recovery	317	346	354	328	311	283	290
Other (inc. landfill)4	166	138	136	139	123	167	191
Used tyre arisings5	483	484	490	468	427	450	481
1Units not separately identified, since recovery generally reported in tonnage terms.
2Category includes part-worn tyres, tyres used for silage clamps and landfill engineering purposes and exports of used tyres.
3Includes the former Elm Energy/Sita Tyre Recycling tyres to energy plant which closed in 2000.
4The figure for landfill, as reported in the table, is effectively the balance between used tyre arisings and used tyre recovery. As well as covering the disposal of both whole and shredded tyres to landfill, it also includes those tyres which are disposed of to landfill as automotive shredder residue.
5From 1999, total used tyre arisings have been based on the number of replacement tyre sales, numbers of vehicles scrapped and imports of used tyres as well as a proportion of tyres re-entering the waste stream after temporary re-use.

The level of tyre fly-tipping is not separately identified. However, the Environment Agency responded to over 1,300 incidents involving tyres in 2002. The actual total is likely to be substantially higher since many incidents are reported directly to local authorities and do not feature in Environment Agency statistics.Government, through the Department of Trade and Industry, are shortly to issue a follow-up paper to its 2002 consultation on a possible statutory producer responsibility mechanism for used tyres. This follow-up paper invites views on the introduction of statutory reporting requirements through both the new tyre supply and used tyre disposal chains with the aim of improving the information base, promoting responsible tyre recovery and disposal practices while at the same time making it increasingly difficult for those fly-tipping tyres. The paper will also seek views on the introduction of a single point for the reporting of tyre fly-tipping incidents.

Municipal waste 2000–01
Government Region	Municipal waste (000 tonnes)	Landfill disposal (percentage)	Incineration (percentage)	Other methods (percentage)
East Midlands	2,290	78	7	15
East of England	2,918	82	2	16
London	4,463	71	21	8
North East	1,452	75	19	6
North West	4,155	90	1	9
South East	4,344	81	0	19
South West	2,678	82	0	18
Wales	1,642	93	0	7

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total volume of (a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) other waste was in each region in each year since 2000 and projected to 2005, broken down by the proportion of waste (i) sent to landfill, (ii) incinerated and (iii) disposed of by other means. [99234]

The available information is shown in the tables below. The latest available data for municipal waste are from the 2000/01 Municipal Waste Management Survey, by Defra and the National Assembly for Wales. In 2000–01 some 89 per cent of all municipal waste was domestic (household) waste. The latest available data for commercial and industrial waste are taken from the Environment Agency's National Waste Production Survey for 1999. Projections are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his United States counterpart in respect of United States involvement in the democratic process in countries of Central America. [100040]

FCO Officials are in regular consultation with the US Administration on a wide range of issues including Central American affairs. FCO Ministers have not made direct representations to US counterparts on the subject in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to prevent violence between forces of the Government of Cote d'Ivoire and Liberian refugees. [99295]

We are not aware of any confirmed reports of violence between forces of the Government of Cote d'Ivoire and Liberian refugees. However, the UK is concerned that Liberians may be involved in the Cote d'Ivoire conflict.The UK fully supported UN Security Council Resolution 1464 which urged all parties including the Cote d'Ivoire Government to implement the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Agreement and to take all necessary steps to avoid further violations of human rights and international law, particularly against civilians and regardless of their origin; and called upon the neighbour states of Cote d'Ivoire, including Liberia, to prevent any action that might undermine the security of Cote d'Ivoire. UNSCR 1464 also authorised French and ECOWAS troops to ensure 'the protection of civilians immediately threatened with physical violence within their zones of operation, using the means available to them'.We have raised our concern for Liberian refugees in Cote d'Ivoire in the UN Security Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote a settlement in Cyprus. [98417]

I refer my hon. Friend to the written Ministerial Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 14WS, and to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 427W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communication he has had with the governments of the EU applicant countries regarding their accession to the European Union. [99738]

Her Majesty's Government has close relations with all the candidate countries for EU accession. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I, have met with representatives of incoming EU member states on a number of occasions both in London and on mainland Europe. I intend to visit several of the applicant countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps remain to be taken before candidate countries become members of the EU. [100519]

The European Commission gave a positive opinion on 19 February to the accession of the 10 new members. The draft Accession Treaty is now being considered by the European Parliament, which is expected to give its assent on 9 April. The Council of Ministers will take a formal decision on 14/15 April to admit the new members. Heads of State and Government will meet in Athens on 16 April to sign the Accession Treaty. All 25 parties to the treaty will have until 30 April 2004 to ratify it according to their respective constitutional requirements. Subject to ratification of the treaty, the new members will accede to the Union on 1 May 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with European counterparts regarding the Turkish application to join the EU; and what talks he has had with (a) Greek and (b) Cypriot representatives on the issue. [100520]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regularly discussed Turkey's EU candidacy at meetings of EU foreign ministers in Brussels in the General Affairs and External Relations Council and in bilateral discussions. The EU is committed to opening accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the European Council decides that it fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria. We look forward to working with the new Cypriot government to that end.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many agreements were reached between the UK Government and foreign powers in 2001; and of those, how many were agreed without Parliament being informed. [99917]

The negotiation and conclusion of international legally-binding agreements is a function of the executive. Such agreements are subsequently laid before Parliament as a Command Paper and, where the Ponsonby Rule applies, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum.Thirty five such agreements were signed by the United Kingdom in 2001, of which nine are yet to be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) environment, (b) education and (c) human resources grants funded by his Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; how much funding has been provided in the last financial year in each case; how many awards were made; and what their administrative cost was. [99963]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has three environment funds to which members of the public and organisations can apply. In the financial year 2001–02, The Climate Change Challenge Fund had an allocation of £800,000 and made six awards to organisations/members of the public totalling £151,650. The Environment Project Fund had an allocation of £1,750,000 in that year, and made 49 awards to organisations/members of the public totalling £295,000. The Environment Fund for Overseas Territories had an allocation of £500,000 and made 15 awards to organisations/members of the public. These funds are administered by officials in London and at overseas posts, and separate information about the administration costs specifically for these funds is not held centrally. It cannot therefore be compiled without disproportionate effort and cost.The Foreign and Commonwealth office holds funds for educational scholarships for which non-British members of the public can apply. In the financial year 2001–02 there were 2,366 Chevening Scholarship awards, the total cost of which was £40.1 million. Of this the FCO paid £31.5 million, other government departments £1.8 million, UK universities £2 million and the private sector £4.7 million. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also funded 85 Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan scholarships at a cost of £2 million and 87 Marshall Scholarships at a cost of £1,800,186. The British Council's management fee for administering the Chevening scheme was £4.25 million. The cost of the British Council's, the Association of Commonwealth Universities' and Commonwealth Scholarships Commission's administration of the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan scholarships was approximately £200,000. The Marshalls Commission administered the Marshall scholarships at a cost of £181,519. Additionally, all these schemes were administered in co-operation with a large number of officials in London and at overseas posts, but separate information on the time spent by these staff on this particular work is not held centrally and could not be compiled without disproportionate effort and cost.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides financial assistance to educational institutions to fund joint seminars, conferences and workshops of FCO interest. These are not formal grants; the funding usually covers speakers' travel and accommodation expenses. In the financial year 2001–02 seven such events took place at a cost of £18,850. Administrative costs (mainly staff time) associated with these events are estimated to total 450.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no human resource grants for which members of the public and organisations can apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the General Affairs and External Relations Council held on 24–25 February; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [100141]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 24 and 25 February. No formal votes were taken. Conclusions were agreed by consensus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to celebrate the 300th anniversary of British sovereignty over Gibraltar; and what representations he has received from (a) the Gibraltar Government and (b) Spain concerning the anniversary. [100312]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 26 February 2003, Official Report, column 595W. We have not received any representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with non-governmental human rights groups in preparation for the forthcoming UN Human Rights Convention, which opens on 17 March 2003 in Geneva. [100511]

I attended a pre-Commission on Human Rights (CHR) briefing session with NGO human rights groups on 13 February this year. The aim of the meeting was to brief the human rights community on the UK's approach towards the CHR and to give them the opportunity to feed in their views. The Forum is a key part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's dialogue with NGOs. Among a total number of 26 NGOs, representatives from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group attended the meeting.The UK delegation to the CHR in Geneva will keep in regular contact with British and International NGO representatives during this year's session of the CHR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the United Kingdom representatives will be at the United Nations Human Rights Conventions to be held in Geneva from 17 March 2003. [100517]

I will attend part of this year's session, and, as is customary, will address the Commission in plenary. Mrs. Audrey Glover CMG will head the United Kingdom delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights as she has done since 1998. The delegation will include officials from the UK Representation to the EU in Brussels, UK Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York, as well as London-based officials from the Human Rights Policy Department and Global Issues Research Group of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and a representative from the Department for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Government in respect of the United States registered companies shown to be suppliers to Iraq of military equipment and technology in the dossier provided by Iraq to the United Nations Security Council in December 2002. [100076]

The Government has made no representations to the Government of the United States on this issue. It is a matter for the Government of the United States to take any action against US-registered companies alleged to have been involved in the supply of military equipment and technology to Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the widest possible support for the UK sponsored draft resolution on Iraq at the UN; and if he will make a statement. [100276]

We made it clear in tabling the draft Security Council Resolution on 24 February 2003 that it will not be put to a vote immediately. We are in active discussion with other members of the Security Council and key allies to build support for the tabled draft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence there is to support his statement, 26 February 2003, Official Report, column 270, that the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 authorises the use of force against Iraq. [100819]

The statements to which my hon. Friend refers concern the provision in United Nations Security Council resolution 1441(2002) which recalls that the Council has warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violation of its obligations. As the Government have made clear, that means consequences up to and including the use of force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European colleagues on the final status of Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [100013]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I are in close and regular contact with European colleagues. On 24 February 2003, Foreign Ministers issued a statement at the European Union General Affairs and External Relations Council which reiterated the importance of full respect for UNSCR 1244, and urged all parties, both in Belgrade and in Pristina, to refrain from any unilateral initiatives which were incompatible with the objective of a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo, and which may jeopardise stability and the normalisation process not only in Kosovo but in the entire region

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Algerian Government on the condition of Moroccan prisoners in Algerian detention camps. [99992]

Officials regularly meet with representatives of the Algerian Government. They often raise the subject of the Moroccan prisoners of war held by the Polisario Front in camps in South Western Algeria, particularly when discussing the dispute over Western Sahara.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a written statement in the Official Report following each (a) ministerial meeting and (b) meeting of the Permanent Representatives of the OSCE. [99442]

We have no plans to make a written statement in the Official Report following each ministerial unless there is an issue of sufficient interest to report. I do not propose to make a written statement following weekly meetings of the Permanent Representatives. The OSCE website: www.osce.org carries reports of key OSCE business and decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to press Israel to implement United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948 on the right of return for Palestinian refugees. [100042]

The issue of the right of return of Palestinian refugees forms part of the final status negotiations. As with the other final status issues, the details of a solution are a matter for negotiation between the parties. We continually impress upon all parties the importance of returning to negotiations, and taking account of the relevant UN Resolutions

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions with the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs since her appointment. [99953]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Palacio have spoken frequently since her appointment as Foreign Minister in July last year. I also have spoken regularly to my Spanish counterpart, Ramon de Miguel. Discussion has covered international, European and bilateral issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received regarding the civil war in Sudan, with specific reference to the bombing campaign of the Sudanese Government in southern Sudan; and if he will place a copy of these reports in the Library. [100737]

We have received a copy of the US-led Civilian Protection Monitoring Team's report into the incident at Mundri (Lui), south Sudan. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what end-use monitoring agreements relating to the export of military products are in place with Sudan; and what end-use monitoring mechanisms exist in each case. [96241]

[holding answer 7 February 2003]: All export licences to Sudan are assessed against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, including the EU arms embargo and Military End Use Control.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with UN officials concerning the date of a referendum on the future of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. [100510]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him and the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 358W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many animals are used by customs and excise authorities in the UK, broken down by species. [100368]

As at 28 February 2003, HM Customs and Excise had a total of 56 animals of the species canis familiaris (dogs), including those in service, training and planned replacements. No other species of animal is used.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 195W, on the Climate Change Levy, why no estimate is available of levy receipts the Exchequer anticipates to receive during 2002–03 from those companies covered by negotiated climate change agreements; and if he will make a statement. [100081]

It is not possible to estimate climate change levy receipts at a sufficient level of detail to allow tax receipts expected from those businesses covered by negotiated climate change agreements to be identified separately. The negotiated agreements and sector fuel data, which serve as a basis for the estimating revenue, do not map exactly onto one another. Also, businesses in a specific sector and/or covered by an agreement can claim for more than one relief under the levy.It is also not possible for Customs to use data from levy receipts, since they collect the levy from fuel suppliers, while it is their customers that enter into the agreements.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of his Department's measures to tackle income inequality in Northampton. [100801]

The Government have taken a range of measures to tackle income inequality since 1997, including supporting families with increases in Child Benefit and the introduction of the Children's Tax Credit; supporting low income people in and into work through introduction of the National Minimum Wage, the 10 per cent. starting rate of Income Tax, reductions in National Insurance contributions for the low paid, and the Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC) and Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC); and supporting pensioners with increases in the basic State Pension, provision of the winter fuel payment, and for the poorest pensioners through the Minimum Income Guarantee(MIG).As an indication of the coverage of some of the measures designed to tackle income inequality, 4,800 families with children in Northampton were receiving the WFTC and DPTC in August 2002, while there were 4,600 pensioner households in Northampton claiming the MIG in November 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to stop mortgage lenders charging fees when customers switch their home insurance. [100742]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received on the decision that the Insurance Mediation Directive will be administered by the Financial Services Authority under a statutory regime; [100678](2) what estimates he has made of the cost to

The Government published a consultation document, "Regulating Insurance Mediation" on 21 October 2002 that set out its proposals on implementing the Insurance Mediation Directive. Consultation closed on 31 January 2003 and the Government received around 400 responses. Representations were received from trade bodies, insurance providers and insurance intermediaries as well as from travel agents and consumer organisations. A draft regulatory impact assessment (RIA), setting out the proposals in the consultation document, was published as annex E to the consultation document. The Government will be revising the draft RIA in the light of wider consultation responses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the value of manufacturing export from companies within the Dumfries and Galloway region in the last 10 years. [100160]

The estimate for value of manufacturing exports as declared by companies within the Dumfries and Galloway region is as follows:

£ million
Year	Exports value
1996	69
1997	57
1998	64
1999	56
2000	78
2001	73
2002	65

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he plans to allow tax concessions for Britons who have been advised to leave the middle east because of the political situation in the region. [100089]

Under a long standing Inland Revenue practice, days spent in the UK due to exceptional circumstances beyond an individual's control may, in certain cases, be disregarded in deciding whether the individual is resident here for tax purposes.This practice was applied on a case by case basis after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and its application to the current situation is being kept under close review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will meet the hon. Member for Nottingham, North to discuss the Strelley/Broxtowe Sure Start and its loss of underspends caused by building delays. [94519]

I have been asked to reply.Officials will meet with the Broxtowe and Strelley Sure Start programme on 4 March. Pending the outcome of this meeting Baroness Ashton, the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Sure Start, would be pleased to meet with my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the Taliban assets in the UK which (a) are frozen and (b) were frozen in October 2001; when assets were frozen of the Afghan National Credit and Finance and the National Trading Company of Afghanistan; and what was the value of frozen assets. [100617]

The al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1390 allowed for the release of Taliban funds to the legitimate Government of Afghanistan. As a result, UK financial institutions have made such funds available to the Afghan Government and no Taliban (as distinct from al-Qaeda) funds remain frozen. As I indicated in my written answer of 16 October 2001, to the hon. Member (at column 1212W), no funds belonging to Afghan National Credit and Finance have been frozen in the UK. The assets of the National Trading Company of Afghanistan were frozen on 5 October 2001 as a temporary measure but were then unfrozen since they were not covered by UN sanctions. As my written answer explained, some £63 million sterling in 33 accounts had been frozen as at 15 October 2001. Regrettably, the sterling value of the frozen account of Khalid A1 Fawwaz was incorrectly printed in the Official Report as £23.19 million; the correct figure, as stated in my written answer and as reflected in the total figure, was £23.19.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals were considered to be non-domiciled for tax purposes in the UK in each year from 1980–81 to 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [99900]

This information is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if trust ports classified as public corporations are required to remit an annual dividend to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. [100699]

It is for the Department for Transport to determine whether any trust ports classified as public corporations should be required to remit an annual dividend. Any dividend would be payable to the Department for Transport.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 597W, if he will place in the Library the information held by the Office of National Statistics concerning the retrospective classification of trust ports as public corporations. [100702]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the amount of unpaid tax in each year since 1993–94, broken down by (a) income tax, (b) VAT, (c) customs duties, (d) corporation tax and (e) other taxes; and if he will make a statement. [95431]

:Inland RevenueThe Inland Revenue's accounting for tax runs to the end of October each year. The table below shows the amounts of unpaid assessed and unassessed taxes at the end of each accounting year. The figures for uncollected tax represent net tax charged but not paid at the accounting date, and are a snapshot of the position at that date. Amounts of tax unpaid at the accounting date have, over the period covered in the table, approximately halved as a proportion of the tax collected during the year.

(£)million
Position at end of year to 31 October	Income tax other than PAYE	Corporate tax	Other tax1	Total
1993	2,401.8	631.4	184.1	3,217.3
1994	2,249.9	719.7	155.9	3,125.5
1995	2,201.2	576.0	131.4	2,908.6
1996	2,326.8	1,287.4	141.4	3,755.6
1997	2,270.4	682.7	136.3	3,089.4
1998	2,278.9	710.0	177.6	3,166.5
1999	2,492.2	606.4	57.4	3,156.0
2000	2,350.8	571.01	49.9	2,971.7
2001	2,348.7	566.61	33.6	2,948.9
1These figures include estimates for the amount of unpaid self assessed corporate tax.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he has estimated the net change in value added tax revenue which would result from the proposed VAT exemption for welfare services provided by state-regulated private welfare agencies; [100099](2) what discussions officials from his Department have had with representatives of state-regulated private welfare agencies concerning the proposed VAT exemption for welfare services provided by state-regulated private welfare agencies; [100098](3) when the proposed VAT exemption for welfare services provided by state-regulated private welfare agencies will come into force. [100100]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the net revenue implications of changes to VAT treatment of services connected with the care and protection of children and young people by independent fostering agencies; [100833](2) what notice was given to independent fostering agencies about changes to VAT treatment of services connected with the care and protection of children and young people and reclamation of VAT on inputs purchased. [100780]

The Government's decision at the end of last year to abolish VAT on essential care in the home will cut the cost of home care for many of the 60,000 people who currently buy in these services. Someone previously paying £400 a month for care could see a reduction of £40 in their bill as a result of these VAT changes, which have been discussed between officials and a wide range of organisations.The changes will cost an estimated £30 million per year, of which a negligible amount relates to services connected with the care and protection of children and young people by independent fostering agencies.Welfare services provided by state-regulated private welfare agencies can be exempt from 31 January. Independent fostering agencies, whose supplies are to local authorities, may choose to postpone changing the VAT treatment of their supplies until 1 April while they make the contractual and financial arrangements that are necessary for them to implement the change. This was announced in Customs and Excise business brief 01/03, issued on 20 January, and Customs additionally wrote to agencies on 24 and 30 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to make social and environmental reporting mandatory for medium and large companies. [99263]

The Government's plans for a revised reporting regime for all companies were contained in the White Paper "Modernising Company Law" (Cm 5553), published in July 2002. This included the proposal that economically significant companies should be required to prepare an Operating and Financial Review as part of their annual financial statements and reports. The Review would include information on social and environmental matters where those were relevant to an informed assessment of the company. We intend to bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received from bodies representing the accountancy profession on the use of the term Accountant. [100027]

[holding answer 28 February 2003]: None, excepting in their response to the Department's recent consultation on the Review of the Regulatory Regime of the Accountancy Profession, the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants raised a point about defining the term "accountant" in Irish and in UK legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. [99424]

The DTI has taken a number of steps to embed the provisions of the Code of Practice, produced in 1999. This has led to the removal of all obvious and unjustifiable age discrimination including in DTI job advertisements and in selection criteria. The Code has been superseded by the Cabinet Office's Winning the Generation Game report and we have adopted, or have already met, its recommendations for Departments. This includes from August 2002 giving all staff in the DTI below the Senior Civil Service the option of continuing to work to age 65.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many incidences and what total volume of bottled water has been withdrawn from sale in the United Kingdom since 1992, broken down by reasons for withdrawal; and what prosecutions have resulted. [99216]

I have been asked to reply.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) only has reliable data on national withdrawals of bottled water following FSA advice in a food hazard warning.Since April 2000, when the FSA was formed, there has been only one withdrawal of bottled water as a result of a food hazard warning and the FSA has no information on the volume of water withdrawn. The reason for withdrawal was microbial contamination.Formal action in the case of this withdrawal, which took place in October 2002, is a matter for the relevant local authority. The FSA does not collate information on withdrawals instigated by local authorities, or on withdrawals initiated by the water bottler.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Employment Tribunals Service makes payment and administers the arrangements for the provision for a sign language interpreter or other forms of communication support when requested by a deaf person coming before a tribunal. [92812]

[holding answer 27 January 2003]: The Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) pays reasonable fees and costs for the provision of a professional interpreter, palantypist, lip-speaker, or other professional form of communication support when requested by a deaf person coming before a tribunal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to enforce the (a) accurate and (b) specific labelling of fur used in consumer goods; and if she will make a statement. [98876]

The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 makes it a criminal offence, if a trader applies a false trade description to any goods or, supplies or offers to supply any goods to which a false description is applied. This legislation is enforced by local authority trading standards departments.I also refer the answer given to the hon. Member on 25 February 2003,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the progress being made by the Office of Fair Trading investigation into the carriage costs charged by newspaper wholesalers to independent newsagents; and if she will make a statement. [98082]

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is currently reviewing the undertakings given by newspaper wholesalers, introduced following the then Monopolies and Mergers Commission report in 1993, on the supply of national newspapers in England and Wales.The Office of Fair Trading published its findings and provisional recommendation on 12 December 2002. The OFT found that carriage and service charges have risen faster than costs (which in turn have risen significantly faster than retail price inflation). The provisional recommendation, to liberalise selling-on within exclusive territories, is open to public consultation until 14 March 2003. The OFT will then finalise its recommendations and report to DTI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that part-time workers receive (a) the minimum wage and (b) appropriate levels of paid leave. [100481]

Annual publicity campaigns have ensured that awareness of the minimum wage is at almost universal levels. Enforcement of the minimum wage is carried out by the Inland Revenue. If any worker—whether part or full-time—is not receiving the minimum wage, they should phone the helpline on 0845 6000 678. All complaints are followed up by Inland Revenue enforcement teams and workers' details remain confidential.The Working Time Regulations give all workers the right to four weeks paid leave per year. Part-timers receive this pro-rata depending on the hours they normally work. This was publicised following the introduction of the Regulations and again in 2001. It is enforced through the Employment Tribunals.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on progress with the introduction of e-government. [100201]

The Government's target is to make all government services available electronically by 2005 with key services achieving high levels of use. The last survey of e-government services showed that 54 per cent. of services are available electronically.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress has been made in improving ethnic minority recruitment into the civil service. [100202]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on ethnic diversity within the civil service. [100767]

The Government remain strongly committed to a civil service that is fully representative of the community it serves.Ethnic minorities make up 7.9 per cent. of the civil service as a whole and 2.8 per cent. at senior civil service level, up from 5.7 per cent. and 1.6 per cent. respectively in April 1998. Our target for senior civil service level staff is 3.2 per cent. by 2004–5.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on proposals for civil service legislation. [100203]

The Public Administration Select Committee, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase, and the Committee on Standards in Public Life are looking at this issue. We will want to consider the work of these two important committees.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had in recent weeks with the Delivery Unit about Government targets in the health sector. [100204]

There are regular meetings with the Delivery Unit to discuss a range of delivery issues, including health.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government websites comply with W3C standards. [100693]

The Government Interoperability Framework and the Guidelines for UK Government Websites require that all Government websites that employ hypertext markup languages comply with published W3C's standards. Responsibility for adopting the W3C standards rests with those in charge of individual websites and is not centrally monitored.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government websites have a PCIS rating. [100696]

PICS labels are registered through a third-party organisation, the Internet Content Rating Association, and I have asked them to check for the latest figures. I will write to the right hon. Gentleman when these figures are available.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Government plans to launch the Online Nation campaign. [100695]

The Prime Minister announced at the e-Summit in November 2002 that the Government would run the Online Nation campaign in spring 2003. The campaign will encourage people, particularly those from socially excluded groups, to experience the benefits of the internet. A pilot campaign will run in Newcastle from 5–31 March.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her estimate is of the efficiency savings that will be made by CAFCASS over the next 10 financial years. [99546]

CAFCASS is committed to making effective and efficient use of public resources, as stated in its Corporate Plan 2002–06. For 2003–04 Ministers will set targets regarding CAFCASS' performance, including the development of efficiency measures. The expected efficiency savings will be published in CAFCASS Corporate Plans.