To ask the Prime Minister whether the (a) Convention on the Future of Europe and (b) Gibraltar were discussed at his meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister on 27 February; what the outcome of the discussions was; and if he will make a statement. [101375]

[holding answer 6 March 2003]: My talks with the Spanish Prime Minister on 27–28 February covered a wide range of issues, foremost of which was Iraq. We discussed the Convention on the Future of Europe, and issued a joint statement on the future institutional framework of the European Union. Gibraltar was also discussed briefly. Copies of the statements agreed at the summit have been placed in the Library of the House. The full texts are also available on the website of the British Embassy in Madrid, www.ukinspain.com.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions his Department has had with the Home Secretary's Department with a view to creating a combined air and seaports police for the whole of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [90131]

Whilst security is kept under continual review, especially so following the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001, there have been no discussions between the Home Office and the Northern Ireland Office to create a combined air and seaports police for the UK.However, on 19 December last year, and following a Governments led review of aviation security, the Secretary of State for the Department for Transport did announce the development of a capability to place covert, specially trained armed police officers aboard UK civil aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have been held with the Belfast Harbour Police about extending their jurisdiction to include providing an armed police presence at Belfast City Airport. [90130]

The need for an armed police presence at Belfast City Airport was identified as part of the continual review of security measures at the Airport. As the airport is located within the wider Belfast Harbour estate, it is right and proper that the Belfast Harbour Police should be included in consultations on how to meet the required level of service. These discussions are currently being taken forward by the airport authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about security at Belfast City Airport; and when he intends that uniformed armed police will be introduced. [90132]

Security at Belfast City Airport is kept under continual review. The need for an armed police presence was identified as part of this on-going process. This measure should be in place in the very near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when broadband telecommunications access will be made available throughout Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [100876]

Telecommunications provision is a matter for the private sector. The Government's role is to work with the private sector to encourage the provision of broadband services across Northern Ireland.To this end the government, through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, is involved in a range of activities including: technology trials and pilot action work under the UK Broadband Fund; a satellite programme in non-ADSL enabled areas; and a flagship call to stimulate broadband applications, content and services.In addition, the Government is conducting a feasibility study into broadband aggregation in preparing a telecommunications strategy for the region, taking powers to enable it to provide supportive funding; and working on a Local Access Call which is consistent with EU State Aid Requirements. It is also working with the relevant RoI authorities on the preparation of a Call for cross-border telecommunications infrastructure projects with funding from the third EU Integrated Regional Development Programme (Interreg III).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in implementing the report of the West Belfast Task Force. [100426]

The report of the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Task Forces contained a wide range of recommendations relevant to the work of most Northern Ireland Departments. The Executive provided an initial response in June 2002.An updated Government response document, detailing progress and planned actions, was provided to the two Task Forces in December and I met and discussed it with them on 23 January. There is regular contact between Departments and the Task Forces liaison group and I plan to meet local representatives again soon to ensure that this momentum is maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which organisations the proposed Railway Standards and Safety Board will report. [98338]

The Office of the Rail Regulator has proposed that the Rail Safety and Standards Board will follow the company limited by guarantee model used for Network Rail and as such will be accountable to its membership drawn from the rail industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the completion date for (a) Crossrail 1 and (b) Crossrail 2; and if he will make a statement. [100898]

Completion dates for Crossrail 1 and 2 would depend on decisions yet to be taken on whether, and if so how, either project should be taken forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he estimates the demand forecast in the February 2003 South East and East of England Regional Air Services document for Packages 20 and 21 in Annex D would be affected by Packages 6 and 9 in Annex D on the basis of availability of capacity in (a) 2011 and (b) 2024; and how Packages 6 and 9 would affect the Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value of Packages 20 and 21. [100859]

Although not specifically modelled, the impact of one or two additional Gatwick runways (package 6 or package 9) on package 21 (four new runways at Cliffe) would be to lower the economic benefits and financial internal rate of return from investing at Cliffe. Delaying the opening of a new Gatwick runway in package 20 (two runways at Cliffe in 2011 plus a narrow-spaced runway at Gatwick) from 2021 to 2024 reduces the present value of net economic benefits from that package by £180 million; there may also be a small impact on financial returns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what indications he has received that the Automatic Train Operation System was a contributory factor in the recent Chancery Lane accident on the London Underground; and if he will make a statement. [101321]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of Wednesday 5 March 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 11 February, Official Report, columns 625–26W, on low-cost airlines, if he will establish rules to provide for compensation for consequential loss to air passengers whose flights are cancelled more than two weeks before departure. [101804]

Passengers suffering losses as a result of the cancellation of their flight may, if the flight was not part of an ATOL bonded package, seek redress via the courts. Determination of the extent of an airline's liability towards its passengers depends very much on the circumstances of each case, making the establishment of rules on compensation for consequential loss very difficult. The Government therefore does not intend to establish rules but to rely on existing judicial procedures for the settlement of claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from suppliers of (a) invalid carriages, (b) electric scooters and (c) power chairs regarding the road safety implications of their use; and if he will make a statement. [101803]

I have not received any representations from suppliers of powered wheelchairs or powered scooters (both of which are described in law as "invalid carriages") about their road safety implications.I will, however, shortly be launching a comprehensive review of the construction and use requirements of these vehicles and suppliers will be among those whose views we will be seeking.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100948]

The Cabinet Office has a no smoking policy throughout the Department. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many working days were lost owing to industrial action by staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [101511]

None.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent developments there have been in developing a UK resilience strategy; and if he will make a statement. [101643]

I refer the hon. Member to the written statement my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made on civil contingencies on Monday March 3, Official Report, column 7WS. This statement set out improvements in contingency planning that have taken place and announces the next steps in improving our resilience.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the award schemes in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 promoted by the Department; what their scope was; when the relevant participating organisations are scheduled to be sent results; and whether other parties will be given notification of the results at the same time. [102058]

The Cabinet Office promoted the following award schemes in both 2001 and 2002:

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Global Fund directors on the funding available for the third round of grants in October 2003; and if she will make a statement. [100632]

My Department is in regular contact with the Global Fund.The primary role of the fund is to provide drugs and commodities for the prevention and treatment of AIDS, TB and Malaria. The UK is firmly committed to fighting these three diseases. We have pledged $200m over 5 years to the Fund, $80m of which has been disbursed. In addition we have committed over £1.5 billion since 1997 to support the development of health systems in poorer countries. Strengthening such systems is vital if the drugs and commodities made available through the fund are to be safely and sustainably supplied to the poor.Wherever possible the Global Fund should be providing support behind strategies that help deliver sustainable improvements in healthcare. The fund has strong founding principles in this regard but performance to date in this regard has been disappointing.Our future support for the fund will depend on its effectiveness. It is one of several possible instruments designed to improve basic health care in poor countries.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development which major construction projects are under way in Afghanistan with the support of the international community; and when they will be completed. [100986]

[holding answer 5 March 2003]: There are hundreds of infrastructure projects that are currently underway in Afghanistan. Full details are held on the Afghanistan Transitional Administration's website: www. afghanistangov.org.In the construction sector the main Kabul-Mazar—Herat-Kandahar refurbishment is due to start this summer and is expected to take between four and six years to complete. Provincial road-repair projects are also underway. Kabul and Balkh airport runways are being refurbished.A German-funded nationwide rehabilitation of energy infrastructure has been completed. Other energy infrastructure projects are underway.The World Bank's Emergency Infrastructure project is providing water and sanitation infrastructure to Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-I-Sharif and other secondary cities. A nationwide well construction scheme for rural communities is underway.Bridge, school and hospital rehabilitation and construction are all under way both in the provinces and Kabul, as is the construction of a nationwide network of Women's centres in 15 provinces. The construction of health clinics in provincial areas has begun.

(1) Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact which military attacks on electricity stations would have on the humanitarian situation in Iraq; [100884](2) what assessment she has made of the impact which military attacks on

The people of Iraq are already in a fragile humanitarian situation. After years of misrule they are highly dependent on aid under the UN Oil For Food programme, which relies on an efficient distribution network and transport infrastructure. Many are also reliant on electrically pumped water and sanitation systems, especially those in urban areas. In the event of military action, the greater the damage and the longer the disruption to such infrastructure, the greater will be the humanitarian consequences. My Department has been holding close discussions with the Ministry of Defence and US Government about planning to minimise the humanitarian impact of any military action in Iraq. Following any such action, a key priority would then be to repair any critical infrastructure which has been damaged as quickly as possible.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to avoid food shortages in Burundi. [100972]

Early warning systems set up by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and operated in collaboration with the Government of Burundi, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have predicted low output from the September to October 2002 agricultural season. The effect of this low availability of food will be compounded by epidemic disease and by further disruption caused by continued conflict in some areas. Access to the worst-affected areas is limited by insecurity. WFP are planning to distribute food relief. DFID stands ready to support relief agencies that are willing and able to assist those in greatest need.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the levels of malaria in Burundi. [100971]

Burundi ranks near the bottom of the international league tables in terms of life expectancy. This is due in large measure to the burden of disease, inadequate nutrition, and poor services. Malaria is one of the major causes of death.In January the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) quoted the Burundi Department of Epidemiology and Statistics as reporting an increased number of malaria cases for the period October to November 2002 in five provinces. The data are consistent with the occurrence of an epidemic.Recently after efforts by NGOs the Government of Burundi has agreed to recommend a new drug for treatment as resistance had developed against existing drugs. The new drug is not, however, currently available in sufficient quantities. DFID remains ready to support relief agencies that are able to intervene on behalf of those most affected.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Malawi regarding it's decision to sell 50,000 tonnes of stored maize; and if she will make a statement. [100919]

The Malawi Government has imported approximately 250,000 tonnes of the national staple grain, maize, for sale to the public with a 50 per cent. subsidy. Substantial imports by private traders from surplus areas in Southern Tanzania and Northern Mozambique are making available maize at prices even lower than the Government subsidised price. High levels of maize in the national grain reserves could seriously jeopardise the maize market following the expected harvest commencing in April.My Department's officials in Lilongwe have met with the Government of Malawi, other donors and civil society organisations, and have endorsed the decision to reduce maize stocks. This will limit potential market distortion and reduce the heavy fiscal burden associated with the initial purchases of maize and the subsidy. Maize is being offered at the subsidised price to NGOs for their humanitarian programmes and 50,000 tonnes has been offered to private traders for local sales, to supplement their own imports. The Government of Malawi will increase their Strategic Grain Reserve from 60,000 to 100,000 tonnes. Donor-supported humanitarian programmes continue to provide free grain to more than 25 per cent. of the population.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the projected levels of food production in Malawi. [100974]

The crop estimates issued by the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture at the end of January 2003 suggest a national maize crop of 2.05 million tonnes if the present good rains continue. The harvest will begin in April. Together with additional food from other crops, national self-sufficiency may be achieved this year. Substantial maize stocks in the strategic grain reserve and continuing humanitarian feeding programmes will mitigate localised areas of deficit.

Asked the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department has given to the Government of Burkina Faso since the outbreak of meningitis. [100917]

We contribute to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is working with national governments to tackle meningitis and other epidemics. In response to the latest meningitis outbreak WHO has provided 500,000 doses of vaccine to Burkina Faso with a further 1 million doses ready to be shipped. Our general assistance to Burkina Faso is provided through multilateral agencies, in particular the EU. Our share of the substantial EU programme is just over £5 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise officers are dedicated to tackling cigarette smuggling; and how many are based at each port of entry. [100825]

For the number of law enforcement staff within Customs and Excise I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury gave my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, columns 246W–47W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the vaccines given to troops preparing to go to the Gulf, stating in each case (a) whether they have been approved by the Medicines Control Agency and (b) whether they are administered voluntarily or compulsorily; and if he will make a statement. [92142]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details of the current precautionary inoculation programme for troops likely to serve in the Gulf. [93200]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the course of inoculations that are being given to HM Forces personnel being deployed for possible operations against Iraq; and which drugs are administered and over what period of time. [93646]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what vaccines are being administered to UK troops deploying to the Gulf in addition to anthrax vaccine. [95926]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inoculations are being offered to members of the British armed forces for the purposes of health protection prior to potential conflict in the Gulf. [99677]

[holding answer January 2003]: All vaccines offered to Service personnel are administered on a voluntary basis. The standard Service public health vaccinations or boosters listed below, all of which are licensed by the Medicines Control Agency, are offered to personnel deploying to the Gulf region if they are not already up-to-date with these vaccinations:Hepatitis A/TyphoidMeningococcal Meningitis CPoliomyelitisTetanus/DiphtheriaTuberculosisYellow FeverRubella (Female/healthcare personnel only)In addition, all troops deploying on operations to the Gulf are being offered immunisation against anthrax. Immunisation against Hepatitis B is offered to certain groups at special occupational risk if they are not already up-to-date with this vaccination. Immunisation against Rabies is also offered to personnel deploying to the Gulf region who work with animals. These vaccinations are also licensed by the Medicines Control Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the relative success rates using (a) in-vitro non-animal techniques and (b) animal experiments to develop antidotes to biological and chemical weapons in the last five years. [100403]

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down has the remit to provide the United Kingdom and its Armed Forces with safe and effective protection in the event of Chemical or Biological weapons being used against them. Wherever possible, scientists at Dstl Porton Down are developing in-vitro models to replace and reduce the numbers of animals involved. However, to undertake this research effectively necessitates some research involving the use of animals.It is not possible to determine the relative success rates of the use of in-vitro techniques and animal experiments. However, both elements make an invaluable contribution to the medical countermeasures programme.In-vitro non-animal techniques are routinely used to screen candidate therapeutic drugs and treatments. These include the use of donated human skin to screen prospective barrier cream formulations, and the use of cell and tissue cultures to evaluate new antibiotics and improved anti-convulsant drugs.Over the last five years the research programme at Dstl Porton Down to develop new generation vaccines for plague and anthrax has continued to progress well: the candidate plague vaccine is already in clinical trials; and the candidate anthrax vaccine is expected to enter clinical trials later this year. Additionally, the results of several years' research has lead to the proposal for a new nerve agent pre-treatment and a change in one of the drugs contained in the triple therapy Combopen. These drugs are currently undergoing studies to satisfy the regulatory and licensing requirements. The Ministry of Defence is committed to these improvements in the provision of treatment for nerve agent poisoning as they offer not only an enhancement in survivability but also a significant decrease in incapacitation following poisoning by nerve agents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been undertaken of the effects of the use of depleted uranium during the Gulf War of 1991 on (a) coalition forces, (b) Iraqi forces and (c) Iraqi civilians. [100277]

[holding answer 3 March 2003]: Many independent reports have been produced that consider the battlefield effects of using depleted uranium (DU) munitions, but none has found widespread DU contamination sufficient to impact the health of the general population or deployed personnel. These include work by the US RAND Corporation, the US Institute of Medicine, the Royal Society, the European Commission, the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The two Royal Society reports on "The Health Hazards of Depleted Uranium Munitions" (2001, 2002) support the Ministry of Defence's view that risks to the health of soldiers on the battlefield are minimal except for a small number of extreme cases.Under the auspices of the independent Depleted Uranium Oversight Board, a test for DU in urine is currently being developed and we aim to make it available to all those who wish to be tested later this year. In parallel with this, we will also carry out an epidemiological study which will examine the link between exposure to DU and health.No UK troops who served in the Gulf experienced the highest level of DU. However, thirty-three US soldiers were highly exposed when their vehicles were accidentally hit by DU rounds. Consequently, seventeen of them have retained embedded DU shrapnel for the last twelve years. The health of this group is closely monitored by the US Government and so far they do not show signs of health problems attributable to DU.At the end of August 2001, the World Health Organisation (WHO) despatched a technical team to Baghdad to establish specific projects to explore areas of health concern in Iraq. These discussions, carried out in an atmosphere of full collaboration and co-operation with the Iraqis, culminated in four project proposals covering health surveillance of cancers, health surveillance of congenital malformations and renal diseases, studies to explore health effects of environmental risk factors (including DU) and an implementation plan for cancer control. The WHO sent details of the proposals to the Iraq Ministry of Health in the last quarter of 2001, but a response is still awaited.Meanwhile, WHO has contracted the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm to complete the first phase of extensive epidemiological studies to investigate environmental factors that may lead to increased incidences of various cancers. The first meeting to schedule and detail the studies has been called for mid-March. The Iraqis will participate in the studies, in full collaboration with these institutes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what research his Department will undertake into the radiation effects of an X-bank radar on UK soil; [100665](2) what discussions he has had with the US on the siting of

The Ministry of Defence keeps in touch with the United States Administration on possible future developments in missile defence. The United States has undertaken to extend missile defence coverage and make missile defence capabilities available to the United Kingdom, subject to technological developments and our willingness to participate in such a system. This would involve the siting of interceptors in Europe. Decisions on whether the UK should seek to acquire missile defences, and the location and provision of interceptors, are for the future, in the light of the prevailing security circumstances at the time. We have no reason to expect a request to site a missile defence X-band radar in the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Defence does not therefore intend to undertake or commission any research into radiation effects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Reserve Forces served with a call up notice have applied to the Hardship Fund; what percentage of Reserve Forces served with a call up notice this represents; how many applications to the fund have been approved; how many have been denied; and if he will make a statement. [100823]

[holding answer 5 March 2003]: Only members of the Reserve Forces who have been accepted into permanent service may apply for Reservist Standard Award (RSA) and Reservist Hardship Award (RHA). As at 4 March, 4, 111 Reservists had been accepted into Service. As at that date the Ministry of Defence had received 638 applications for RHA, representing 16 per cent. of those accepted for service. Of those applications received, 571 had been awarded; 13 had been refused; and 54 were under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern the return of personal property, items and effects to the families of military personnel who die or lose their lives while on service at home or overseas; what items must be retained or held in order to send elsewhere; in what circumstances and at what rank discretion may be exercised over the return of property; what rules govern disclosure of information concerning withheld items; what remedy is available to families denied property; and what steps he will take to ensure that bereaved families are made aware of their rights. [101066]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the backlog is of refresher training for constables and sergeants in the Ministry of Defence Police; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last five years. [101152]

The Ministry of Defence Police Agency does not keep data for the backlog in training in previous years. Until 11 September 2001 all essential training identified in the staff reporting system was conducted. Since then a backlog for some refresher training modules has built up. This is mainly due to officers not being available to undertake the training because of increased duty requirements, and a difficulty in back-filling essential posts for training because of restrictions on overtime working.Currently 78 per cent. of the Force is qualified in Personal Safety Training which is approximately 7 per cent. short of the requirement. The force target for Firearms qualified personnel is 87 per cent., whilst currently the percentage of officers qualified is 88.9 per cent..

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army reservists have (a) died and (b) been injured while on service in each of the last 10 years. [101155]

Although work is in progress to establish a comprehensive database of deaths, the following figures come from a manual trawl of information held in the Casualty and Compassionate Cell. The figures include six Service personnel whose documentation indicates that they were serving as TA Non-Regular Permanent Staff at the time of their death. It is not possible to provide figures for injuries since this information is not recorded centrally.

Year	No. of TA & TA NRPS personnel deaths
1992	6
1993	2
1994	1
1995	1
1996	5
1997	1
1998	1
1999	7
2000	6
2001	3
Total	33

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's treatment of Mr. David Johnson, a constituent, relating to his compulsory retirement. [101769]

Mr. David Johnson is being retired at the normal retirement age for his grade in the Ministry of Defence, which is 60. I will write to the hon. Member about this case and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the amount per head in National Lottery grants was in each (a) constituency and (b) county in the UK, in the last year for which figures are available. [100963]

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the International Paralympic Committee's decision to ban events for athletes with an "intellectual disability" at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. [101190]

During the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney several athletes who were subsequently found not to have met the eligibility criteria competed in events for intellectually disabled athletes. As a result the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID) had its membership of the International Paralympic Association (IPC) suspended and athletes with an intellectual disability were not able to compete in IPC events. Membership has since been reinstated. However, athletes with an intellectual disability will remain banned from IPC competitions until such time that the IPC are satisfied with the procedures regarding the eligibility of athletes with an intellectual disability.In October 2002 the IPC decided on the programme of events for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens in order to meet deadlines for the organisation of the Games. The INAS-FID were given additional time to continue with the development of a new eligibility system. The IPC recognised that some progress had been made by INAS-FID on a more stringent verification procedure, but other areas such as the development and implementation of protest procedures were still not in line with IPC policy. The IPC felt that these events could not go ahead in a fair manner at the 2004 Paralympics and that there was a risk of ineligible athletes competing. As a result, a final decision was made on 1 February 2003 that events for intellectually disabled athletes would not be included in the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.The IPC has stated that they will continue to support the INAS-FID in its efforts to develop a system that does meet the conditions required by the IPC. Once an acceptable system is achieved the IPC will look at allowing athletes with an intellectual disability to participate in IPC events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and what plans she has to devolve the distributor arrangement for the operation of the National Lottery in Scotland. [101744]

The Scottish Executive already issue directions in relation to the distribution of Lottery money to their Arts and Sports Councils as provided by the 1998 Scotland Act.In February, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Elaine Murray, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in the Scottish Executive, to discuss the ongoing Lottery Review, and to consider how best to ensure that the distribution of Lottery money in Scotland meets Scottish needs and priorities.My department intends to announce proposals in early Summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what she estimates to be the cost to public funds of the process for identifying a candidate city to be European Capital of culture in 2008. [101806]

The competition to select the UK nomination for European Capital of Culture 2008 attracted twelve high-quality bids from cities across the UK. As part of the assessment process, the independent advisory panel met on several occasions and panel members visited all twelve cities, before recommending a shortlist. The panel is now considering the shortlisted bids in more detail. Panel members will visit the shortlisted cities and hold further meetings before deciding on their final recommendation to Ministers. Consultants have been engaged to support and advise the panel and the Department throughout the process.The competition process is estimated to have cost £125,000 up to 28 February 2003. This figure covers the costs of consultancy advice, meetings of the advisory panel, and panel members' visits to the competing cities. It does not include staff costs.It is not yet possible to be certain about the remaining costs of the process up to the final announcement of the UK nomination in June. However, we currently estimate that the overall total cost will be around £200,000 excluding staff costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the recommendations of the independent advisory panel on which city should go forward as the UK nomination for European Capital of culture in 2008 will be published. [101805]

We expect to announce the final choice of city to go forward as the UK nomination for European Capital of Culture 2008 in early June. Each of the shortlisted cities will be given feedback and a report on the competition, including the panel's final recommendation, will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will put a copy of the Annan 3, proposals for a Cyprus Summit in the Library. [R] [101248]

[holding answer 6 March 2003]: We have received a copy of the UN proposals for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement in Cyprus, in our capacity as Guarantor Power. However, we continue to abide by the UN Secretary-General's request for confidentiality while the settlement process is ongoing. As soon as the UN Secretary-General makes his proposals public, we will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government has made of whether the EU is on course to meet the Lisbon target of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion by 2010; what method of assessment is being employed; and if he will make a statement; [101480](2) what evaluation the Government has made of the state of the Lisbon process; and if he will make a statement; [101478](3) what assessment the Government has made of enlargement's effect on the Lisbon strategic goal of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [101607]

On 17 February 2003 HM Treasury published a detailed report entitled Meeting the Challenge: Economic reform in Europe. This report updates last year's White Paper Realising Europe's potential, evaluates progress on economic reform and identifies priorities for action in the short and medium term. It also considers the Lisbon process in the light of enlargement. The report finds that there has been clear progress towards the Lisbon goal in a number of areas. Nevertheless, there remains a great deal to be done. Copies of the Treasury report have been placed in the libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the Government's welcome for the Franco-German contribution to the debate on Europe's future. [101604]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the status accession countries due to join the EU in 2004 should have at the Inter Governmental Conference convened to agree any draft emerging from the Convention on the Future of Europe; and if he will make a statement. [101608]

We warmly welcomed confirmation in the Copenhagen European Council conclusions that the new Member States will participate fully in the work of the next IGC.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the effect on England of having different council tax bands in Scotland, England and Wales. [101367]

Since the inception of the council tax, the bands have been different in Scotland, England and Wales. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not made any assessment of the effect of this.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will bring forward legislation to make provision for differential regional council tax bands between London and the rest of the country. [101368]

The existing powers in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 allows the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to create regionally different council tax bands. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has announced that work will commence on a council tax revaluation in April 2005 coming into effect on 1 April 2007 and the banding structure will be decided nearer to the revaluation. No decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the capping of police authority council tax precepts for 2003–04. [100732]

Individual authorities, not central Government, set council tax levels. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be looking very carefully at the level of council tax this year on a case by case basis when all the figures from local government have been received. The Office of the Deputy Prime does not rule out using our reserve capping powers to protect local council taxpayers.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what reasons underlie (a) his proposal to remove his functions under section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947 and (b) his decision not to seek to amend section 19. [100716]

The proposed amendment of section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947— subsections 19(1) and (2) will be retained—is an essential element of the new framework for a modern fire service set out by the Independent Review of the Fire Service, chaired by Professor Sir George Bain. As the Review identified, the primary objective must be to make the service more responsive to local needs and better placed to deliver community safety. Moving to a flexible risk-based approach to fire cover, as part of a new integrated risk management planning process, offers a real prospect of reducing the incidence of fire, and deaths and injuries from fire, as well as from other threats to community safety. The repeal, rather than amendment, of part of section 19 will assist the early implementation of this approach.The proposed repeal is also consistent with the principle of cutting back on consent regimes and red tape set out in the White Paper "Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services", published in December 2001. Repeal will place responsibility for decisions on local fire cover with democratically accountable local authorities, after consultation with their local communities.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual cost of the Women's Unit was for each of the past three years; what the projected cost is for 2003–04; and if she will make a statement. [99894]

I have been asked to reply.The budgets for the financial years specified were:

Year	£
1999–00	1,689,575
2000–01	1,742,557
2001–02	1,996,000
2002–03	2,631,000

For the financial year 2003–04, the budget figures are yet to be confirmed by DTI.The Women and Equality Unit supports the Ministers for Women to bring about measurable improvements in the position of women which benefit society more generally and to promote equality for all.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what categories of benches there are at Chorley Magistrates' Court. [100841]

Family Panel, Youth Panel, Drug Testing and Treatment Order Panel, Out of Hours Applications Panel, Licensing and Betting Committee and the General Purpose Committee.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates operate on the bench at Chorley. [100840]

Sixty four.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courtrooms are available in Chorley. [100837]

Three.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what policy the Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100953]

My Department's smoking policies aim to provide smoke-free working conditions for those staff who want them, while offering limited facilities for smokers, and help for those who wish to stop smoking. Local arrangements may differ, but in general, those offices and courts with a smoking policy will enforce "no smoking" in staff corridors, toilets, lifts and other common areas, and at meetings and seminars. Before local arrangements are introduced the views of smokers and non-smokers are sought and any differences resolved by agreement.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what complaints procedure is in place in the event of the Public Guardianship Office breaching its charter. [100930]

The Public Guardianship Office (PGO) will shortly be publishing a new guide to complaint handling entitled "Putting Things Right". Copies of this booklet will be made available to customers of the PGO who ask for guidance on how to complain. The information contained within the booklet will be available on the PGO Website and the booklet will be capable of being downloaded from the website.I will write to all MPs providing a copy of the booklet, and place copies in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps are being taken to monitor the quality of judicial decisions, with particular reference to those of the Court of Protection. [100929]

Judicial decisions of the Court of Protection are subject to appeal in the ordinary way. There is a system for internal review under Rule 54 of the Court of Protection Rules 2001 of judicial decisions made (whether by the Master, Assistant Masters or Nominated Officers) without an attended hearing, and for appeal to the High Court and beyond under Rule 55 and section 105 of the Mental Health Act 1983.The rules on appeals apply equally to appeals against decisions made under the Enduring Powers of Attorney Act 1985.There are some schemes to appraise part-time judges. However, independence of the judiciary is paramount and the aim of any appraisal is not to question judicial decisions but to observe the judges approach to, and handling of, the case.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the (a) maximum and (b) minimum penalties for non-payment of financial penalties imposed by magistrates' courts. [99874]

When a defaulter is brought before the court, the magistrates will have a number of enforcement options available to them. The sanctions to ensure the payment of fines include an attachment of earnings order if the defendant is in employment or deductions from social security benefits if they are not working. The maximum amount that can be deducted from an unemployed person is £2.70 per week. Other options include the issue of a distress warrant, (which empowers the person executing it to seize a person's goods or money to the value of the sum owed), or as a last resort, the court may decide to commit the defaulter to prison. The Courts Bill currently before Parliament proposes a number of new arrangements to facilitate the enforcement of fines, including new penalties such as clamping vehicles and entering the fine in the Register of County Court judgments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to change the capital limits in housing benefit. [100751]

We have no plans to change the capital limits in Housing Benefit.However, with the introduction of the Pension Credit from October 2003, the upper capital limit will be abolished for those pensioners receiving the guarantee credit, and savings below £6,000 (£10,000 for care home residents) will have no effect on entitlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the expected changes to the IT that local authorities use following introduction of the housing benefit allowance pilots. [100748]

We are working with the pathfinder authorities and their software providers to identify the IT changes needed to introduce the new scheme and to collect the information required to evaluate it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the new combined housing benefit/council tax benefit claim form to be introduced from April 2003; and whether it will be used for all claimants. [100753]

We are launching a new combined Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) claim form from April 2003. The new form, called the HCTB1,will replace the NHB1(HB) and NHB1(CTB) forms currently issued to customers who claim Income Support, income-related Jobseeker's Allowance or the Minimum Income Guarantee, and the new Pension Credit from October.The new form has been developed in consultation with local authorities and is designed to collect all the information needed by authorities to decide on a claim, thus removing the need for them to issue their own claim forms and for customers to complete three different forms to claim HB and CTB.Local Authorities are responsible for administering HB and CTB, and remain responsible for designing and issuing their own claim forms to people who are not claiming another income-related benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional training is planned for rent officers in preparation for the housing benefit allowance pilots. [100749]

The Standard Local Housing Allowances will be based on Local Reference Rents, which are currently determined by Rent Officers. Rent Officers therefore already have the necessary expertise to calculate the standard allowances. Detailed guidance will be issued to Rent Officers in the pathfinder areas before the pilot starts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce the housing benefit allowance reforms to the social rented sector using different timetables for Scotland, Wales and England. [100750]

We are considering developing a system of standard housing allowances for tenants in the social rented sector to be tested in a suitable pathfinder area. A timetable for introducing this scheme has not yet been decided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the potential health impact to employees of industries and businesses, with specific reference to dry cleaners, resulting from the use of perchloroethylene in day to day operations. [99267]

The Health and Safety Executive has undertaken a comprehensive human health risk assessment of perchloroethylene(perc) under the EU Existing Substances Regulation (ESR). HSE acts jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to form the UK Competent Authority for ESR activities. The assessment, European Union Risk Assessment Report: Tetrachloroethylene. Draft ESR Risk Assessment Report, August 1996, includes workers exposed as a result of dry cleaning, copies of which have been placed in the Library.In the workplace, perc is subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Employers are required to ensure that exposure to perc is reduced to at least the level of the Occupational Exposure Standard assigned to it (50ppm averaged over an 8 hour reference period, and 100ppm for a short-term exposure averaged over 15 minutes).

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was spent last year on winter fuel payments. [101616]

Latest estimated figures for Winter 2001–02 show that expenditure on Winter Fuel Payments was £1.7 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason people must obtain a personal invitation document before requesting a Post Office card account application form; and why the application form is not sent out alongside the personal invitation document. [100792]

The Post Office card account is only available to benefit, state pension and tax credit recipients. A Personal Invitation Document from one of the Paying Departments is the means by which the Post Office can identify such people and will be used by the Post Office as one form of identification for opening an account.The Post Office card account is only one of three options available to customers wishing to access their money at the Post Office. The other options are a basic bank account or certain standard accounts.The Post Office card account is a service provided by Post Office Limited and not the Government. It is, therefore, the role of the Post Office, like any other account provider, to issue application forms for its own products.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report column 522W, on the Direct Credit Scheme (Pensions)what methods of payment will be available under the exceptions service. [98115]

Progress is being made towards an alternative method for paying those customers who we are unable to pay by Direct Payment. This is expected to be available from October 2004. The options for this service are still being developed and it will be available at a range of outlets which will include Post Office branches.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Derbyshire have migrated from over-the-counter benefit payments to direct bank transfers. [98892]

The number of pensioners in Derbyshire that have migrated from payments collectable over the counter at post offices to payment into a bank or building society account is 293 as at 28 December 2002 compared with the same records from data available 4 weeks earlier.Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their benefit in cash at post offices through network banking arrangements at the Post Office. There is no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether benefit claimants who have agreed to have their benefits paid direct into a bank account under the payment modernisation programme are allowed to change their mind and apply for a Post Office Card Account. [96599]

Customers will be provided with information to help them make an informed choice as to the type of account, most suited to their needs. Some customers may subsequently decide that their needs have changed and choose another type of account, including a Post Office card account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if all non-ACT pension payments to UK citizens living abroad are being made on time; and if he will make a statement. [99730]

This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, Chief Executive of The Pension Service to reply. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) staff and (b) inspection staff were employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997. [99763]

The information requested is as follows:

	Inspectors	Staff in post(inc Insp)
1stApril 1997	1442	4077
1stApril 1998	1437	3932
1stApril 1999	1497	3880
1stApril 2000	1507	3937
1stApril 2001	1534	3894
1stApril 2002	1625	4050

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what further measures he will take to help communities with high levels of long term unemployment. [96376]

Our active labour market policies, delivered by Jobcentre Plus, are helping people move from welfare into work in all parts of the country.Since April 2002, Jobcentre Plus has helped over a million people into jobs and, since they started, the New Deals have helped more than three quarters of a million people move from welfare into work.We are building on this success, providing more help for those who face the greatest barriers to work. Last year, for example, we launched StepUP in 20 pilot areas to provide transitional jobs for long-term unemployed people who have not secured sustained employment through the New Deals.We have introduced Employment Zones specifically to help long-term unemployed people. These are based in some of the most employment deprived areas in the UK. The 15 Zones have already helped over 30,000 people move into jobs. From October 2003 we are extending the Employment Zone approach to lone parents and New Deal returners in existing Zone areas.In addition, Action Teams for Jobs are assisting jobless people from a range of disadvantaged groups in the most employment deprived areas of the country. So far, the Teams have helped over 60,000 people move into work. We are enhancing the support provided by Action Teams, investing new funds, worth some £7 million per year, to help them support employment and transport projects that will benefit their local communities.We are continuing to improve and extend the range of help available to people living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Beginning next year, we will pilot a programme of intensive support for people living in some of those areas that have the highest concentrations of worklessness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 285W, on primary care services, what impact he expects this policy to have on the number of acute hospitals in England and Wales. [91591]

Our intention is to provide more consultations and procedures outside hospitals and closer to where patients live. It is for local health communities to consider how their development of primary care services will affect demand for secondary care but the development of new or expanded services in primary care can be funded from the increased resources for primary care trusts which was announced in December 2002.On 14 February, we published new guidance on configuring hospital services "Keeping the NHS local: a new direction of travel." It showed how smaller hospitals in particular have the potential to offer a wider range of services for local people than has previously been thought possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the annual reports of multi-centre research ethics committees have been (a) written, (b) circulated to local research ethics committees and (c) made available for public inspection. [94745]

The Central Office of Research Ethics Committees (COREC) has received annual reports for 2001–02 from all ten multi-centre research ethics committees in England. These reports are held by and available on request from COREC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary during the Adjournment debate on 21 January on brain injury, Official Report, columns 50–52WH, what factors underlay his decision to postpone until 2004–05 the transfer of responsibility for specialist commissioning to consortiums of PCTs. [96768]

No decision has been taken to postpone the transfer of responsibility for commissioning specialised services to primary care trust (PCT) consortia. PCTs have been commissioning specialised services since April 2002 on a collaborative basis via their regional specialised commissioning groups (RSCGs) and their local specialised commissioning groups. RSCG membership is made up of PCT representatives, who replaced health authority representatives last April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Greater London have been waiting more than 13 weeks to see a consultant at the latest available date. [97836]

At 31 December 2002, within the London Directorate of Health and Social Care area, 45,222 patients where waiting more than 13 weeks for first consultant outpatient appointment following general practitioner written referral.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess which (a) strategic health authorities, (b) NHS trusts and (c) primary care trusts will be particularly affected by the loss of medical reservists if they are called up; and if he will make a statement. [99364]

The number of medical reservists likely to be called-up is small. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service to ensure the effect of these call outs is kept to a minimum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibility is retained by NHS trusts for clinical waste handled by a contractor. [99557]

Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 places "duty of care" requirements on importers, producers, carriers, keepers, treaters or disposers of "controlled waste". As waste producers, National Health Service trusts have responsibility to take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to prevent unlawful depositing, handling or disposal of waste; the escape of waste from their control; to ensure the waste is only transferred to authorised persons and that appropriate records are maintained.Where a NHS trust employs a waste disposal contractor to dispose of its waste it must satisfy itself by a process of monitoring and auditing that the clinical waste collection and disposal process is adequate and complies with appropriate legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the procedure for disposing of waste human tissue from the NHS. [99556]

Identifiable human tissue is classified as clinical waste and needs to be dealt with by an authorised waste handling facility. The only appropriate treatment for identifiable human tissue is incineration.The National Health Service will follow recognised procedures for appropriate segregation and disposal of waste human tissue, as laid down in advice and guidance documentation. NHS Estates has published

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the current contracts entered into by the NHS for the disposal of waste human tissue; and if he will place the terms of the contracts in the Library. [99555]

This information is not collected centrally. The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) has no national contract in place and so NHS trusts negotiate their own contracts in this area.Because of this, we are not able to place the terms of these contracts in the Library.However, in the last 24 months waste management has been highlighted by PASA as an area with significant national spend and supply chain dynamics, suggesting that a national purchasing strategy should be developed. To this end, PASA has produced a procurement guide for total waste management and is working on a common set of terms and conditions for all trusts to use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the judgement in the case of R v. Eurocare Environmental Services Ltd, at Chester Crown Court on 14 February. [99776]

Any breach of the law with regard to clinical waste is a serious matter. We will consider the judgment carefully and identify any further action we should take.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by the (a) Medical Devices Agency, (b) Meat Hygiene Service and

Total Staff Numbers employed by the Organisations shown from 1997–98 to 2002–03
Agency	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Medical Devices	131	137	139	136	151	155
Agency (MDA)	(3,7)	(5,12)	(6,10)	(9,16)	(10,21)	(9,18)
Meat Hygiene	1,384	1,543	1,485	1,489	1,498	n/a
Service (MHS)	(1,247)	(1,328)	(1,273)	(1,276)	(1,310)
Medicines Control	414(23)	436(24)	445(21)	436(19)	475(25)	490(27)
Agency (MCA)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the grants funded by his Department for clinical quality for which organisations may apply; how much funding was made in the last financial year; how many awards were made; and what their administrative costs were. [99950]

The Department does not currently have a programme of grant funding in place, for which organisations are free to apply, which is targeted specifically as part of its clinical quality programme. National Health Service bodies are expected to fund clinical quality programmes from their mainstream budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent in each year since its inception by the Camden and Islington Health Action zone; and if he will make a statement on its future. [100532]

Expenditure by Camden and Islington Health Action Zone has been as follows:

Year	Expenditure
1999–00	£1,453,000
2000–01	£1,893,000
2001–02	£1,904,000

Information on expenditure for 2002–03 is not yet available.Resource allocations for primary care trusts were announced on 11 December 2002 by means of HSC 2002/012. The allocations include health action zone revenue resource allocations for 2003–04 to 2005–06, including those relating to Camden and Islington Health Action Zone. In line with Shifting the Balance of Power, Camden and Islington Primary Care Trusts will be responsible for decisions about how these resources will be used.

The information requsted is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what attempts the Government made to improve General Practitioners recruitment; what the Government are offering in new contracts for GPs; what incentives there are for women GPs who have taken career breaks to return to the profession; and if he will make a statement. [100300]

The Government are committed to recruiting and retaining more general practitioners and has introduced a range of recruitment and retention initiatives to increase the workforce. These include: incentive payments and a returners scheme to encourage qualified general practitioners who have left general practice or have taken a career break to return; the extension of the flexible careers scheme to GPs to provide centrally supported opportunities for part-time and flexible working; the extension of the National Health Service childcare strategy to primary care; international recruitment and delayed retirement payments to encourage older GPs to extend their working lives.The new GP contract, if accepted, will improve the attractiveness of family medicine as a career choice for doctors and encourage those who are already GPs to stay in the profession.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the variant bid for Inventures included in the unsuccessful William Pears Group bid was used in the successful bid from the Miller Group. [100572]

There was no variant bid for Inventures. No variant bid from Health Estates was included in the Miller bid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he has spent on legal fees with regard to the Miller Group bid for Inventures. [100571]

Approximately £27,000 has been spent on legal fees in connection with the sale of Inventures to Miller/Bank of Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health who was privy to the heads of terms documentation between the Miller Group and NHS Estates regarding the sale of Inventures. [100414]

The following organisations were privy to the agreed heads of terms documents between Miller/ Bank of Scotland and NHS Estates:Successful consortia and their advisors;Department of Health, including NHS Estates and their advisors;Her Majesty's Treasury and the National Audit Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the fraud squad on the subject of the sale of Inventures. [100415]

There have been no discussions with the fraud squad regarding the sale of Inventures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the annual NHS Workforce statistics. [100498]

National Health Service workforce statistics will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the National Pharmaceutical Association regarding the Office of Fair Trading recommendations on pharmacies; and if he will make a statement. [100493]

I met the National Pharmaceutical Association on 4 February this year to hear their preliminary views on the Office of Fair Trading's report.These views and the Association's formal response received last month will help inform the Government response which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is co-ordinating.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Northampton, South constituency, on the effects on Northampton of his Department's policies and actions since June 2001. [100811]

In June 2001, there were 2,164 patients at the acute trust in Northampton waiting over 26 weeks for outpatient appointments. In December 2002 there were none. Similarly in June 2001, there were 594 patients waiting over 12 months for inpatient appointments. In December 2002, there were 224.At the Northampton General, £300,000 of capital expenditure has been invested in modernising accident and emergency services. Northampton Primary Care Trust covering Northampton will receive increases in funding of over 28 per cent. over the next three years, to help local Modernisation.A&E care performance at Northampton General has shown improvement, as a result of an additional £275,000 investment for the four-hour initiative and £115,000 funding for the establishment of the emergency care collaborative. Northampton General is confident to achieve the interim target of 90 per cent. by 31 March 2003.This is just a small sample of "investment" in local Modernisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the parliamentary questions numbered (a) 98918 and (b) 98920 tabled by the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon and (c) 98919 tabled by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) [101582]

I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on Monday 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 885W and column 887W, and to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on Monday 3 March 2003, Official Report, columns 888–89W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, ref, 95606, what his reasons are for not providing figures for the estimated financial out turn of NHS trusts; and if he will cite the section of the Code of Conduct on Access to Official Information on which he based his decision. [97947]

[holding answer 13 February 2003]: These figures are a snapshot in time and in many cases are subject to rapidly changing conditions. Their publication could be misleading. They are for internal discussion and advice only. They are not intended to replace published audited annual accounts which are the accepted vehicle for reporting National Health Service financial performance.The figures are considered to be exempt under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the Home Secretary to incorporate the Commission for Health Improvement into the new inspection regime for youth offending teams. [100555]

I have been asked to reply.A full-time representative of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) will take part in the inspection of youth offending teams (Yots). This post will be jointly funded. The inspections will cover the health of young people being dealt with by Yots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in 2002. [101562]

Information on the costs classified as accountancy services in the accounts of the Department in 2002 is £120,136,44.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when his Department completed its diagnostic review for compliance with the Government's Code for Practice of Age Diversity in Employment; and what changes his Department plans to make following the review. [99421]

My Department is committed to ensuring that there is no unfair discrimination on the basis of age. My Department took steps to embed the provisions of the Government's Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment following the completion of a diagnostic review in 2000. Age Diversity has been integrated into the Department's equal opportunity policies in accordance with the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit report-"Winning the Generation Game" 2000.In my Department, staff outside the Senior Civil Service can choose to retire between age 60 and age 65, subject to satisfying normal fitness and efficiency requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of primary school pupils in England are in classes of (a) 20 and under, (b) 24 and under, (c) 26 and under,(d) 28 and under and (e) 30 and under; and if he will make a statement. [99817]

The information requested is shown in the table.

Maintained Primary Schools(1): Number of Classes and Pupils (2)
January 2002
England
Classes taught by one teacher
	No. of classes	No. of pupils	%of pupils
Classes with:
20 or fewer pupils	18,440	290,317	7.4
21 to 24 pupils	25,864	588,228	14.9
25 to 26 pupils	21,251	542,625	13.8
27 to 28 pupils	24,645	678,429	17.2
29 to 30 pupils	38,594	1,142,816	29.0
31 or more pupils	21,382	703,097	17.8
Total	1,50,176	3,945,512	100.0

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to include political studies as part of the school curriculum during GCSE years. [100439]

Our document 14–19: opportunity and excellence sets out our plans for the curriculum at Key Stage 4. In the document we explain that the compulsory curriculum comprises those subjects that are essential for progression or personal development. Although there is no GCSE subject in political studies, Citizenship became a compulsory subject in schools in September 2002. Learning about democratic and political processes is an important part of Citizenship education. Pupils learn about the institutions, issues, problems and practices of our democracy and develop an understanding of the importance of playing an active part in the political process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many extra children in Northampton, South will be entitled to free school meals when the child tax credit and working tax credit is introduced in April. [100786]

Her Majesty's Treasury estimate that an additional 75,000 children in England will, from 6 April 2003, be entitled to receive free school lunches by virtue of their parents claiming appropriate tax credits. No local breakdown is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100950]

My Department has agreed a smoking policy with the trade unions which gives staff a non-smoking work environment, but provides separate smoking areas. Smoking is not permitted on any Departmental site other than in the small number of clearly designated smoking rooms.My Department also provides details of organisations to help and support staff to give up smoking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university students his Department and associated agencies has 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. [98543]

In 2002 my Department has sponsored:12 sandwich students;2 Windsor Fellows;1 Kings Fund student;3 students on work experience;16 Ethnic Minority Summer Development Programme participants;

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the purpose is of the project being carried out by Jigsaw Research for his Department. [101399]

[holding answer 6 March 2003]: The Department's Strategic Framework Delivering Results—A Strategy to 2006 sets out a commitment to deliver prompt, responsive and consistently excellent services to our customers. The research being carried out by Jigsaw Research, an independent market research company, is our way of measuring the quality of service we provide in response to letter, email and telephone enquiries and will help identify areas for improvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance there is to (a) prevent and (b) deal with industrial accidents; and if she will make a statement. [100472]

I have been asked to reply.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for providing information and advice about health and safety at work.HSE produces a very wide range of publications to reduce risks and protect people including guidance on the law, Approved Codes of Practice, leaflets, information sheets and booklets on the prevention of accidents, managing specific risks and hazards, and the management of occupational health and safety.Last year, HSE produced over 300 new publications, sold nearly 1 million books and issued over 6 million free leaflets.