To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the number of (a) accidents and (b) fatalities in UK waters in each year since 1997 involving fisheries vessels, where vessel size to power ratio was identified as a contributory factor. [103695]

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport record details of accidents and fatalities involving UK registered vessels or occurring in UK 12 mile territorial waters. They have searched their records and been unable to identify any incidents involving fisheries vessels from 1997 to date where vessel size to power ratio was a contributory factor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on reflective strips for builders' skips. [103940]

The British Standards Institution has circulated a first draft of a proposed standard for high performance retroreflective materials, and is currently preparing a revised version taking account of the technical comments received. The Department intends, once the British Standard has been published, to consult on the proposal that local authorities should be able to specify the use of these products on builders' skips, as an alternative to using lamps in conjunction with lower grade retroreflective markings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the illustrative (a) constant motoring costs and additional investment, (b) wider take up of local charging powers and (c) limited inter-urban charging scenarios, and the three illustrative scenarios combined, from the original 10-year plan have not been repeated using the new transport model; and how much he estimates it would cost the Department in (i) monetary terms and (ii) departmental manpower to carry them out. [103055]

There are several reasons why the scenarios have not been replicated. Our new National Transport Model is different to the one used for the original 10-year plan in a number of ways—including its multi-modal approach, more recent data and revised assumptions. Given this, attempting to replicate the scenarios would not provide us with useful information on the comparative performance of the two models. In addition, the information and assumptions on which the original scenarios were based has now been superseded, so the scenarios themselves would not be directly comparable.The limited information which would be gleaned means that replicating the identical scenarios has not been a priority for the modelling team. To date, and for the foreseeable future, run time is dedicated to priority work being undertaken as part of the review and roll forward of the 10-year plan. I have not estimated what the monetary costs would be, but due to the complexity of the model runs, the scenarios could take up to two weeks to produce, at the expense of urgent work required for the review and roll forward of the Plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what measures the Safety Regulation Group takes to ensure that (a) flight crew and (b) air traffic controllers are not subject to harassment after submitting safety related reports (i) within and (ii) outside the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme; [103571](2) what measures the Safety Regulation Group has taken to ensure that

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is included in the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 1999 in respect of

"compliance with the requirements of civil aviation legislation, including aviation safety".

The CAA's Secretary and Legal Adviser is the first point of contact for those who wish to make a qualifying disclosure to CAA. Contact details are given in the Department of Trade and Industry Guide to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.Any reports received by the CAA under the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme are distributed only to a Department with a direct interest in the content of that report and the anonymity of the author will be retained throughout. Any individual who considers that they have been harassed as a result of submitting a report to the CAA may make a complaint to the CAA.Reports submitted outside the Mandatory Occurrence Scheme include those submitted by flight crew to the UK Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP). This programme provides a confidential reporting system for all individuals employed in or associated with the industries. In addition, the CAA meets annually with representatives of the British Airline Pilots Association where pilots' concerns may be raised in complete confidentiality and anonymity. And Air Traffic Controllers may, if they wish, file confidential reports directly to SRG.The CAA is aware that an Overload or Mandatory Occurrence Report submitted by a controller may be written subjectively. Therefore, CAA requires that each Air Traffic Control Unit has a process in place which undertakes local investigations of such reports to verify their accuracy and objectivity.The CAA has not revoked any Air Traffic Controller's Licence as a result of receiving an Overload or Mandatory Occurrence Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unannounced inspections the Safety Regulation Group has carried out on civil air traffic control units within the last 30 months. [103572]

The Safety Regulation Group has not carried out any unannounced inspections of civil air traffic control units within the last 30 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether all the senior managers at the Safety Regulation Group have attained relevant qualifications required for their civil role and responsibilities; [103685](2) how many senior managers have been employed by the Safety Regulation Group over the last 30 months who had

The Safety Regulation Group employs 43 senior managers. Of these:

28 have a civil aviation background

7 have a military aviation background

8 have both a civil and a military background

No senior managers have been recruited to the Safety Regulation Group from external sources over the last 30 months.All senior managers at the Safety Regulation Group are selected and appointed on the basis of objective judgment as to their suitability for the role, with regard to qualifications, experience, knowledge and competence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the most recent internal phone directory for the Department was published; how often it is updated; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [101784]

The Department's internal directory is held electronically and is continuously updated. The last paper copy produced was in November 2001 for the then DTLR. A copy will not therefore be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 1159W, on London Underground, what the period is of the contract with the London Underground PPP Infrastructure Consortia; what the break and reassessment periods are; and if he will make a statement. [103447]

The full period in the contracts is 30 years. Periodic reviews are provided for at 7.5 year intervals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials work on the National Transport Model. [103057]

Nine officials work directly on the development, maintenance and application of the National Transport Model.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers travelled on the Great Western line in 2002 between (a) London Paddington and Reading and (b) Reading and London Paddington (i) each weekday on average, (ii) each weekend on average and (iii) on each day that the Reading Festival took place. [103356]

The information is not available in the form requested. The Strategic Rail Authority publishes annual passenger journey figures for each Train Operating Company in its Annual Report, a copy of which is placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the 10 locations of greatest railway congestion, indicating how many trains pass per hour in each 1-hour period between 6 am and 10 pm on a typical weekday (a) in total and (b) per available track. [102256]

[holding answer 11 March 2003]: There is no one standard method of measuring congestion.The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is developing Route Utilisation Strategies whose purpose is to identify the best overall use of the network. The SRA's Capacity Utilisation statement of principles, published in December 2002, has been placed in the House Libraries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the announcement of the draft specifications for the new arrangements for the Thames Trains franchise due to commence in April and May 2004; and if he will make a statement; [103297](2) what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority on plans for Great Western timetable restructuring in 2004; and if he will make a statement. [103324]

My right hon. Friend has regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) on the full range of its activities. The SRA is considering the process for the replacement of the current Thames Trains franchise, which expires on 31 March 2004. The Great Western timetable is likely to change following the Great Western Main Line route utilisation strategy, which is expected to be implemented in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lorry movements he expects to divert from Hull to Rosyth as a result of his Department's grant assistance for new RO-RO facilities in Rosyth. [103839]

My Department's grant award to Forth Ports plc, Rosyth was predicated on the substantial environmental benefits which will arise through the saving of over 400,000 long distance lorry movements between Scotland and English ports over the next 10 years. It is estimated that around 40 per cent. of these movements would otherwise have passed through the port of Hull.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make ministerial announcements in April. [103662]

Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish Parliament will be conducted in accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the estimates of traffic in 2000 will not be agreed until May 2003. [103056]

A re-assessment of the traffic figures, which began in 2002, has been a major exercise, but is now nearing completion. It is expected that the revised estimates for all years will be ready for the next Road Traffic Statistics Quarterly Bulletin due to be published on Thursday 8 May. This will be in accordance with the new National Statistics protocol on Release Practices, which requires the publication of revised estimates as soon as these are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to tax the gratuity which a member of the Armed Forces receives upon leaving. [103180]

The current pensions simplification consultation document proposes that tax free lump sums paid from pensions schemes will only be available after the minimum age of 55. The Government is considering separately the position of members of the Armed Forces pension scheme in light of this proposal.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish take-up figures for the child tax credit and the working families tax credit. [102990]

Statistics on the Child and Working Tax Credit will be published quarterly, beginning in August 2003. The first set of statistics will cover awards at early July 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps has he taken to increase the level of UK private investment in less developed countries. [103522]

The Chancellor has supported a range of initiatives to encourage foreign direct investment in developing countries. These include supporting the creation of new Investment Advisory Councils in developing countries which bring together public and private sectors together build a consensus, in the light of regional conditions, on how to secure higher levels of investment.Additionally, the UK government provides funding through DfID for a joint project between the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). The project aims to encourage the private sector to work with the NEPAD programme of action, and stimulate the increased domestic and foreign investment required for NEPAD to succeed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) business groups and (b) development organisations regarding private investment in developing countries. [103523]

The Government views the creation of favourable business environments in developing countries as an important driver for growth and development. To this end Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of academics, business leaders and NGOs. Both the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for International Development recently addressed a government sponsored international conference on 'Financing Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and the Private Sector'.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the impact on road traffic levels he estimates would be from (a) a decrease in petrol duty by 5p a litre, (b) a decrease in petrol duty by 10p a litre, (c) an increase in petrol duty by 5p a litre, (d) an increase in petrol duty by 10p a litre, (e) an increase in petrol duty by 20p a litre and (f) an increase in petrol duty by 50p a litre; and what he estimates the change to revenues to the Treasury would be from (a) to (f). [102476]

I have been asked to reply.We are unable to estimate the impact on traffic of a change in the duty on petrol alone. The estimated effect of a 5p per litre reduction in duty on both petrol and diesel together, based on provisional traffic data for 2002, is to increase traffic levels by around 5.1 billion vehicle kilometres. Similarly, the estimated effect of increasing fuel duties by 5p per litre is to reduce traffic levels by 5.1 billion vehicle kilometres. Successive changes of 5p per litre in fuel duties are estimated to have effects of broadly the same magnitude, although the larger the change the greater the likely error in predicting its effects.The impacts on revenue can be estimated from Table 6 in "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs", November 2002, published by HM Treasury.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the funding available to the Department for International Development to prepare for the humanitarian consequences of war with Iraq; and what contingency planning he has made to increase the funding available to the Department for International Development for this purpose. [100263]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional funding has been given to the Department for International Development to help it prepare for and respond to the humanitarian consequences of war in Iraq. [102044]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funding has been earmarked for humanitarian relief in (a) Iraq and (b) its neighbours. [103943]

The Government have not yet made any firm estimates of the likely costs of humanitarian and reconstruction needs in Iraq if there was to be military action. The UK Government believe that the role of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions will be vital in addressing the reconstruction in Iraq if military action is taken. The UK Government will be fully involved in any humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq, alongside our international partners.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 3 February, Official Report, column 5WS, on the landfill tax credit scheme, to what extent the transitional funding is adequate to cover all eligible claims for transitional funding in England; and who will decide, and how, which of competing eligible claims receives funding. [103506]

As my Statement of 3 February Official Report, column 7WS, made clear, the transitional funding is being administered by Entrust, the regulating body of the landfill tax credit scheme, on behalf of DEFRA. An Independent Assessment Panel decides whether projects in England meet the criteria set out in the Statement. All projects which meet the eligibility criteria will receive transition funding.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list internal flights made by Ministers in his Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class. [103581]

As to flights taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 27 February 2003, Official Report, column 694W. With regard to flights taken by other Treasury Ministers, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ask the Inland Revenue to investigate the remuneration policies of the Royal households. [103824]

The tax affairs of the Royal Households and their employees are confidential in the same way as those of other taxpayers. Exemption 15 (Statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make ministerial announcements in April. [103651]

Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish Parliament will be conducted in accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the effect tax incentives may have on the level of UK private investment in less developed countries. [103521]

The UK Government believes that the establishment of a good overall investment climate, rather than the use of tax incentives, is the most effective way of encouraging more productive private investment in developing countries. Through the Department for International Development the UK funds two research centres which conduct research into issues relating to private investment in developing countries.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the VAT revenue received from (a) advertising cigarettes, tobacco and related products and (b) advertising wine, spirits, beer and related products in each year since 1996. [103425]

Any VAT relating to the advertising of tobacco or alcohol products will have been recoverable by VAT-registered purchasers of the advertising services. Therefore, such advertising has had no direct effect on VAT revenues.The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 bans most advertising of tobacco products.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants employed by (a) the Strategy Unit, (b) the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, (c) the Office of the e-Envoy, (d) the Office of Public Services Reform and (e) the Prime Minister's Policy Unit have been (i) members of the Labour Party, (ii) employees of the Labour Party and (iii) employees of Labour hon. Members. [103065]

The rules relating to the involvement of civil servants in political activities are set out in the "Civil Service Management Code". There is no requirement for Departments to collect information on civil servants' membership of political parties. Information relating to civil servants' previous employment is not maintained centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement. [101277]

Government Departments are already subject to a range of similar external checks and disciplines:

performance of departments in delivering their PSA targets is assessed regularly by the Cabinet Committee on public services (PSX);

departments are required to publish details of performance twice a year through departmental reports and the new autumn performance reports. These are subject to scrutiny through Parliament's departmental select committees;

overall performance of departments is assessed every two years through the Spending Reviews when new budgets and targets are set;

the Head of the Home Civil Service will be holding regular meetings with heads of departments to discuss progress on 'departmental change programmes'. The personal performance of individual Permanent Secretaries is also reviewed annually through the Permanent Secretaries' Remuneration Committee;

the National Audit Office undertakes a programme of detailed value for money studies covering the activities of each departments, and Accounting Officers may be called before the Public Accounts Committee;

the management of individual projects is subject to detailed scrutiny through the 'gateway' process led by the Office of Government Commerce.

Taken together these processes provide substantial pressure for the improvement of performance, and a high degree of accountability and transparency.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people work in the Forward Strategy Unit; what issues it is looking at; what its running costs were in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.[99884]

The (Prime Minister's) Forward Strategy Unit is no longer in operation. In June 2002 it was merged with the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) and the Policy Studies Directorate of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS), to create the Strategy Unit (SU).The staffing of the Strategy Unit varies according to its work programme. It is currently around 90 full-time equivalents.The Strategy Unit carries out long-term strategic reviews and policy analysis, which can take several forms:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent estimates the Government has made of dolphin bycatch deaths in UK fishing waters; [102789](2)what measures the Government plans to introduce to reduce incidents of dolphin bycatch by UK fishing boats. [102761]

The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) on behalf of Defra has carried out sample surveys of fisheries implicated in the bycatch of dolphins. These surveys have indicated a problem in the offshore bass fishery where the pair trawling teams monitored caught dolphins at a rate of approximately one every three hauls. However, bycatch information from other member states whose vessels operate in this fishery and elsewhere in UK waters is not available so it is not possible to produce reliable estimates of dolphin bycatch deaths in UK waters.This reinforces the need for action on the part of all member states involved in the fisheries concerned and the Commission if measures to reduce dolphin deaths are to be effective. This is why we raised the need for urgent action at the January Council of Ministers' meeting. I have also raised this issue with Commissioner Fischler on a number of occasions both in writing and in personal contacts. I have also recently written to the Commission to press for urgent action to widen observer coverage off the South West coast where a number of other Member States' vessels fish. I was pleased that the Commission included a commitment to take action in this area in papers produced as part of the recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. I am looking for positive action on this in response to our recent approaches.In the meantime, Defra has also committed some £140,000 for trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in the offshore bass fishery. I will also, along with the devolved administrations, shortly be issuing a consultation document outlining a UK bycatch response strategy. This will set out the extent of our knowledge of bycatch in UK waters and make proposals for action to address the bycatch problem. The document will be laid in the Library of the House and I will ensure that my hon. Friend receives a personal copy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional financial assistance will be given to those who previously fur farmed. [103820]

Number and percentage of households in fuel poverty
	1996		1998		2001
	Number of households (thousands)	Percentage	Number of households (thousands)	Percentage	Number of households (thousands)	Percentage
North East	331	31.0	280	26.3	106	10.2
England	4,287	21.8	3,278	16.4	1,761	8.6

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to require auditors to owe a duty of care to individuals who are shareholders at the date of the audit report. [100916]

The Company Law Review carefully considered the arguments for and against extending by statute those to whom a company's auditors owe a duty of care. The Final Report concluded, in the light of responses to consultation, that the case for statutory extension had not been made out and that negligence law in this field was best left to the normal process of case law. The Government is considering this recommendation as part of the wider issue of auditor liability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export regulations apply to the computer and computer maintenance contracts between ICL/Fujitsu and the Government of Iraq; when approvals have been given; and if she will make a statement. [102870]

The export of computers, and goods required for their maintenance, from the UK to Iraq is controlled under the provisions of the Export of Goods (Control) (Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions)Order 1990. In

Licensed fur farm businesses, which closed down after the Fur Farming (Prohibition)Act 2000 received Royal Assent, will be able to claim compensation. A compensation scheme will be drawn up under the Act to provide payment for certain categories of loss.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK were in fuel poverty on (i) 1 February 1997 and (ii) 1 February 2003. [103557]

The Government published "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy Pt Annual Progress Report" on March 2003. This showed that the number of households in fuel poverty in the UK is estimated to have fallen from about 5½ million in 1996 to about 3 million in 2001.The available information on fuel poverty in the is set out as follows. Figures are not available centrally for the Jarrow constituency or for South Tyneside.addition, a UK company might require an individual licence to communicate, before entering into a contract to supply goods or services to Iraq, if the business they wished to discuss was not covered by the provisions of the Open General Licence to Communicate dated 19 November 1998.The details of export licence applications from particular companies are normally commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure under exemptions 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, details of export licence applications from ICL, to export computer systems to Iraq prior to the imposition of UN sanctions in August 1990, were published in the 1996 Report of the Inquiry into the Export of Defence Equipment and Dual-Use Goods to Iraq and Related Prosecutions. A copy of the 1996 Scott Report is available from the Libraries of the House.We have not been able to identify any export licence application from ICL or Fujitsu, to supply computers or related equipment to Iraq, since 2 May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Wrexham of 27 November. [104003]

The reply was sent on 13 December 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help is given to disabled people collecting benefits from post offices. [103558]

Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act at any specific post office location is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. in respect of Crown offices and the individual sub-postmaster in respect of sub-post offices. I have been informed by Post Office Ltd. that sub-postmasters have been provided with packs enabling them to audit their own offices for Disability Discrimination Act compliance and that advice will be provided by POL throughout the process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 7 March 2003, Official Report, column 1290W, on the Energy White Paper, if she will place a copy of the nuclear and radiological skills study in the Library; what the URL is for the report on her Department's website; and if she will publish the (a) names and (b) affiliations of the members of the task group. [103306]

Copies of the report of the nuclear and radiological skills study have been placed in the Library of the House and are also available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/nuclear/sldlls/nsg.shtml The report was produced by a group chaired by Professor John Chesshire and made up of people from the nuclear industry, academics and officials from my Department, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Health and Safety Executive. Full details are listed in the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to restrict the sale and use of very noisy fireworks; and at what decibel level the restriction will be set. [101014]

The Firework (Safety) Regulations 1997 prohibited the supply to the general public of aerial shells, shells-in-mortar and some other large and powerful fireworks including the category 4 type.Fireworks meeting these Regulations must comply with BS7114. However, this standard does not set a maximum noise level.As part of the work associated with the Fireworks Bill currently before Parliament, we are considering how best to control the level of noise emitted by fireworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many tonnes of (a) green, (b) white and (c) brown glass were imported in each year since 1997. [103338]

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many tonnes of (a) green, (b) white and (c) brown glass were manufactured in the UK in each year since 1997. [103337]

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the contribution of hydropower on British rivers towards electricity production. [103320]

The most recent statistics for year ending December 2001 show that hydro-power in the UK has an installed capacity of about 1500 MW which could be expected to produce between 4000 and 5000 Giga Watt Hours of electricity, the actual output being dependent on rainfall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1)what (a) discussions she has held with and (b) representations she has received from the US Government concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict which leads to regime change; [102750](2)what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following a conflict in the Middle East; [102757](3)what discussions she has held with multinational oil companies concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict in the Middle East. [102751]

It is our position that Iraqi oil is owned by the Iraqi people. Its revenues should be used for the good of the people. We make this clear in all our contacts on the subject.However, the current situation is not about oil, it is about weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime deliberately flouting the will of the United Nations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the meeting between the hon. Member for Leicester, East and the Minister for E-Commerce on 10 March. [103222]

I met the hon. Member and a delegation representing the textiles and clothing industry in Leicester to discuss issues relating to the industry. I agreed to write to the hon. Member addressing the points raised at the meeting, which I will do shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations she has received advocating an investigation by the Competition Commission into motor fuel (a) retailing and (b) wholesaling. [103046]

In recent months, we are aware of having received one representation advocating an investigation by the competition authorities into motor fuel retailing or wholesaling.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is a complete embargo on exports of replacement parts for nuclear power stations in India. [103167]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) on 15 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1298–1300W.A licence will not be issued where there is a clear risk that the items could contribute to weapons of Mass Destruction Programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to replace the computer licensing system at the Office of Fair Trading; and if she will make a statement. [102782]

Investment in the OFT's computer systems is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive Department for Health on the report from the Office of Fair Trading on the regulation of pharmacies. [103237]

[holding answer 17 March 2003]: There have been a number of discussions between this Department and the Scottish Executive Department for Health and Community Care, at Ministerial and official level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with representatives of the pharmacy profession in Scotland on the Office of Fair Trading report on the regulation of pharmacies. [103285]

[holding answer 17 March 2003]: Representations have been made to the Department of Health and Community Care at the Scottish Executive. This Department has been made aware of the content of those representations and officials have attended meetings in Scotland to hear the concerns of the profession directly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to consult the Scottish Executive on the implications of the OFT report on pharmacists. [103178]

This Department is working co-operatively with health departments in all the devolved Administrations in considering the OFT report on Pharmacy entry controls.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the impact on United Kingdom GDP of implementation of the Draft Directive on the re-use and commercial exploitation of public sector documents. [101087]

[holding answer 10 March 2003]: It is too early to say with any certainty what impact the implementation of the Directive will be within the UK, and no estimate has been made, but the proposal, as amended within the Council Working Group and due to be considered at the 27 March Telecoms Council, is broadly consistent with the policy adopted within the UK in 2000. That policy, the result of the Cross-cutting Review of the Knowledge Economy, has meant that most central Government information is now licensed for re-use on a marginal cost basis, which in practical terms generally means free of charge. The UK reserved the right of Trading Funds, such as Ordnance Survey and the Met Office, to charge for their documents in a way that would allow them to obtain a reasonable return on investment, and that latitude is reflected in the Directive.If the text is adopted, any effect on GDP would be from the easier re-use of European documents. This would depend on the extent to which UK companies and others took advantage of it. A provisional estimate carried out by Pira International for the European Commission in 2000 suggested that the annual economic benefit for the European Union as a whole would be between 28 billion Euro and 134 billion Euro.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a further statement on the incursion by protesters into the Sizewell B nuclear plant on 13 January in respect of allegations that a serious breach of security occurred. [103025]

I have nothing to add to the Statement I made on 28 February 2003, Official Report, columns 56-57WS, and to the Statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business on 14 January 2003, Official Report, columns 547–50.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what research she has undertaken to ascertain the effects of a worst case scenario terrorist attack on Sizewell A and B Power stations; [102846](2)what assessment she has made of recent research into

The Government have undertaken an assessment of potential terrorist acts against all civil nuclear power stations. The results are not published on the grounds that the information would be of value to potential terrorists.There are well tried and tested contingency plans for dealing with the aftermath of an accident, terrorist attack or other incident affecting a nuclear power station. These have been developed over many years and practised regularly in a rolling programme of local site-based exercises involving the site operators and the relevant local and national agencies. The lessons of these exercises are taken forward both locally, and nationally through the DTI-chaired Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the development of tidal energy lagoons off (a) the Welsh coast and (b) elsewhere in the UK. [103318]

My Department has received a number of representations from one organisation regarding a tidal lagoon project in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate she has made of the cost of power from (a) waves, (b) tidal stream, (c) tidal barrage and (d) tidal lagoons. [103446]

A number of claims have been made about the cost of power from these technologies but as they have not yet been demonstrated as proven and reliable methods of electricity generation such estimates are speculative.The exceptions to this are tidal barrage on which much work has been done in the past, particularly in respect of the Severn Barrage and tidal stream. A recent review of the Severn Scheme showed previous conclusions that such projects are uneconomic compared with other forms of electricity generation were unchanged.In 2001 a study

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the feasibility of offshore tidal power generation. [103316]

In 2001 a study was commissioned which re-examined the commercial prospects for tidal stream power^*. The UK is at the forefront of development of technologies which harness this potential although this form of generation has yet to be shown to be commercial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the potential of tidal energy lagoons to provide renewable energy in the UK. [103317]

Tidal lagoons as with other forms of large scale barrage have potential to contribute to the UK's renewable energy targets. However, these schemes have a very substantial impact on the environment and in the case of lagoons their economics have yet to be demonstrated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the role that non-barrage tidal power electricity generation could play in achieving renewable energy targets. [103529]

The recent Energy White Paper acknowledged the potential contribution that tidal power technologies could make to achieving the Government's longer term renewable energy goals. In 2001 a study was commissioned which re-examined the commercial prospects for tidal stream power^*.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will institute an annual holiday early in November, to be called Veterans' Day, in honour of those who have given their life in defence of the country. [103192]

The Government have no plans at present to increase the number of bank holidays.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he plans to have with member states of the European Union on the role the Union will play in future negotiations regarding Cyprus. [102375]

Regrettably, it has not proven possible to secure a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus in time for a reunited island to sign the Treaty of Accession with the European Union on 16 April. As decided by the Copenhagen European Council, Cyprus will accede with the a cquis suspended in the north of the island. The Commission will, in consultation with the government of Cyprus, consider ways of promoting economic development of the northern part of Cyprus and bringing it closer to the Union. The UK and the EU remain committed tc efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement within the framework of the UN Secretary-General's proposals of 26 February. However, as Mr. Annan made clear in his concluding statement in The Hague, an opportunity like the one so recently missed is unlikely to recur for some time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1)what the source was of the material provided to UNSCOM about Iraq's attempts to obtain nuclear material in Africa; and if he will make a statement; [103861](2)if he will publish the evidence provided to UNSCOM that Iraq has tried to procure nuclear material in Africa. [103862]

The material provided was principally based upon intelligence reporting. It is not Government policy to disclose information on intelligence matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call on Israel to disarm its weapons of mass destruction in accordance with United Nations Resolution 687. [103669]

We regularly urge Israel to resolve international concerns about its nuclear status by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state and to enter into a full-scope safeguards agreement with the IAEA. We also urge them to sign and ratify all other international treaties relating to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.The UK has consistently supported resolutions in the United Nations calling for the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administrative costs were of English Heritage for each Government office of the region in (a) 1999 –2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03. [103290]

The administrative costs of English Heritage's Regional Offices are shown in the following table.

Region	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
East Midlands	205,600	236,152	261,283	259,300
East of England	337,300	376,036	402,077	369,460
London	411,400	382,638	432,483	397,140
North East	331,200	294,967	322,004	320,960
North West	124,300	147,849	173,833	153,720
South East	948,200	871,951	1,010,344	1,121,180
South West	821,600	574,629	661,413	639,980
West Midlands	323,100	365,103	355,959	440,540
Yorkshire	483,200	622,754	670,319	575,240

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administrative costs were of the New Opportunities Fund for each Government office of the region in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03. [103292]

The New Opportunities Fund set up its England regional team in September 2001. The administrative costs in each region were:

	£
2001–02	136,250
2002–03	79,776
1 Part-year costs

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the promotion of recreational sea angling. [104015]

The Government does not have responsibility for the promotion of particular sports. The National Federation of Sea Anglers, the sport's governing body, is funded through Sport England for the promotion and development of recreational sea angling.The Joint Angling Governing Bodies (which includes the National Federation of Anglers), with support from Sport England, have launched their plan for the future of the angling, which includes; expanding participation; leading the angling community; improving performance and raising the profile of the sport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the National Federation of Sea Angling. [104016]

I have had no such discussions. However, officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently met representatives from a wide range of sea angling interests, including the National Federation of Sea Anglers, along with representatives from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.My officials also meet representatives from all the angling disciplines, including those from the National Federation of Sea Anglers each year at the Angling Summit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to maintain a national register of sports facilities; and if she will make a statement. [103225]

My Department has announced our intention to establish an England-wide database of sports facilities. Information on sports facilities in England is currently held by a variety of organisations and a single database will enable more strategic Government investment in those areas and facilities that are most important.Sport England has been working on the development of an England-wide database of sports facilities and have completed the first stage of work on the tendering process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is Government policy to make available individual careers guidance to all students at the close of their compulsory school years. [103087]

Careers education and guidance is available through schools and the Connexions Service to all young people aged 13–19 as and when they need it. Where a young person needs individual careers guidance at the close of their compulsory school years then this is made available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what average (a) primary and (b) secondary school class sizes were in England in each year from 1980–81 to 2003–04 (planned), (i) broken down by local education authority and (ii) in total; and if he will make a statement. [99820]

The required information is readily available for 1980, 1985, 1990 and each year from 1995 to 2002. A table giving this information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to introduce co-payments for the public services for which he is responsible; and for which services. [102203]

The Department for Education and Skills has no plans to introduce further co-payment arrangements, where the recipient of education services contributes to their cost, other than those that have already been published in the recent Higher Education White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what qualifications mentors working with Connexions are required to have. [103646]

Connexions Personal Advisers are drawn from a range of professional backgrounds. To be fully qualified they must possess an NVQ level 4 or equivalent in a relevant professional discipline (e.g. careers, youth work, social work) and have attended a bespoke training programme, either Understanding Connexions or the Diploma for Connexions Personal Advisers. Training is accredited by higher education institutions approved by the Connexions Service National Unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many mentors are retained in each region by Connexions partnerships; and what his estimate is of how many there will be at the end of 2003. [103649]

The latest Management Information collected from Partnerships shows that at the end of December 2002 there were 6,399 Connexions Personal Advisers in post. Broken down by region, the figures are as follows:

Region	Personal advisers1
South East	608
London	838
South West	731
East of England	450
West Midlands	879
East Midlands	493
Yorkshire and the Humber	799
North West	1,177
North East	424
1 End December 2002

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of mentors working with Connexions (a) have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau and (b) are waiting for their checks to be completed. [103683]

Although Connexions Partnerships provide us with the numbers of Personal Advisers they have recruited, they are not required to provide data on the numbers who have been subject to List 99 and Criminal Records Bureau checks. To do so would serve no purpose as it is a legal requirement for employers to ensure that all Personal Advisers have been subjected to completed List 99 checks before they can come into direct contact with young people. Collecting information on the numbers checked would only serve to place an unnecessary burden on partnerships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what rights a parent has to know (a) whether their child is being advised by a mentor from the Connexions service, (b) the name of that mentor, (c) the occasions when meetings have taken place and (d) the subjects that were discussed. [103648]

Connexions Partnerships will generally advertise the existence of the Connexions service within their locality. In addition, through the Partnership Agreement, Partnerships will work with schools, colleges and other appropriate institutions to make the availability of the Connexions Service known to parents and their sons and daughters; letting them know that it is available to all 13–19 year olds within their school or institution, via various contact points within the community or through the on-line service, Connexions Direct. Connexions Personal Advisers also strongly encourage young people to discuss any Connexions support with their parents but respect the right of the young person not to do so.Partnerships are not obliged to notify parents that their child is actively involved with Connexions—either in one to one sessions with a Personal Adviser or through more general group sessions. The exception to this may be if the Personal Adviser is working with a young person in a school where it has been agreed that the school's confidentiality policy is followed, which may give the parents the right to know this information.All information sharing policies drawn up by Connexions Partnerships must be in accordance with the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what contact mentors who have not been security checked by the Criminal Records Bureau are allowed to have with young people. [103647]

Before being allowed any direct contact with young people—supervised or otherwise—all Personal Advisers must, as a minimum, have been List 99 cleared (a DIES maintained list of people whose employment working with young people has been barred or restricted by the Secretary of State). Partnerships must also carry out Criminal Records Bureau checks on all Personal Advisers. However, as List 99 provides robust clearance on child protection issues, Personal Advisers cleared in this way are able to have unsupervised, direct contact with young people while the Criminal Records Bureau check is undertaken.The Financial Memorandum for Connexions Partnerships requires Connexions Partnerships to take all reasonable precautions to avoid employing any person convicted of a criminal offence involving an offence against the person, or an offence involving sexual behaviours, except with the prior written consent of the Secretary of State. Where the Criminal Records Bureau check reveals other such criminal convictions, it is up to the Partnership to decide if they wish to obtain this consent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what definition of lower-income families is used in the White Paper on Higher Education. [103783]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak on 6 February, Official Report, column. 358W

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) schools and (b) universities he and each of his ministerial colleagues have visited in the past 12 months. [102295]

Ministers have made 152 visits to schools and 30 visits to universities on departmental business since March 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 25 February, ref 99110, how many short-listed suppliers (a) could and (b) could not meet the terms. [100051]

There were insufficient companies which met the terms and conditions of the framework exercise to offer an acceptable choice to schools.The decision to abandon the procurement exercise was made in accordance with all appropriate regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special schools have been operating for (a) visually and (b) hearing impaired children in each year since 1995. [102561]

The following table sets out the number of special schools operating for visually impaired (VI) and hearing impaired (HI) children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy rates from pupil referral units were in each academic year since 1997. [102559]

Information on pupil attendance at Pupil Referral Units is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions since UK ratification of the Ottawa Treaty on which UK forces personnel have been involved with operations involving the use of anti-personnel mines by other countries. [102361]

We do not keep records of which other nations use anti-personnel mines. The use of such weapons and compliance with the Ottawa Convention is a matter for individual nations. The United Kingdom's participation in operations with other countries is in full compliance with our obligations under the convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in the event of military action in Iraq (a) UK and (b) US forces will use tank shells containing depleted uranium. [103670]

United Kingdom Forces currently deployed to the Gulf have depleted uranium tank munitions available as part of their armoury and will use them if necessary.I am unable to comment on United States Forces' munitions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what stocks his Department holds, broken down by unit, of (a) desert boots, (b) desert clothing, (c) Combat 95 clothing and (d) tents; and if he will make a statement. [102807]

With regard to boots and clothing, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 January 2003, Official Record, column 640W to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch).With regard to tents, units hold only a small quantity of tents for use as administrative and storage facilities. Information on numbers at each unit is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the EU is involved in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [103864]

There is no peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. The role of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is to assist the Afghan Transitional Authority in the maintenance of security in Kabul and its surrounding areas so that the Authority and United Nations' personnel can operate in a secure environment. The deployment of the ISAF is authorised by the United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1444 and the European Union has no role in the Force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to resolve the (a) logistical, (b) communications and (c) equipment failures identified through Exercise Saif Sareea II. [84534]

[holding answer 2 December 2003]: Exercise Saif Sareea II was a major success and demonstrated, as planned, key elements of the Joint Rapid Reaction concept. Many of the lessons identified have already been implemented including modifications to the challenger 2 Main Battle Tank to improve its performance in desert conditions and an environmental enhancement pack for the AS90 self-propelled gun. In addition, following the successful trial on Exercise Saif Sareea II Personal Role Radios have been issued to all those ground forces deployed to Kuwait who could potentially be involved in combat.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of building HMS Albion and Bulwark was; what their initial expected in-service date with the Royal Navy was; what his estimate of their actual building cost is; whether any additional cost will be met by the Government; and if he will make a statement. [102415]

The maximum estimated cost to the Ministry of Defence at contract award of the Landing Platform Dock (Replacement) programme was £819 million, including the associated landing craft; the current estimated cost to the MOD is £790 million. The Prime Contractor has reported losses on the LPD(R) programme but there will be no additional costs to the MOD under the contract. It would not be appropriate to disclose an estimate of the actual cost to the Prime Contractor as the extent of their cost overrun is commercially confidential; I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The planned in-service dates were originally March 2002 for HMS Albion and March 2003 for HMS Bulwark.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British aircraft participated in recent coalition attacks on Iraqi ground positions; and if he will make a statement. [101594]

British aircraft continue to respond to threats from Iraqi forces while patrolling the no fly zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those countries whose military forces have been provided with training in the United Kingdom since 1997. [103464]

Between January 1997 and March 2003 the Ministry of Defence has provided training in the United Kingdom to members of the military forces of 134 countries. A complete list of countries that have trained in the UK follows:

1. Abu Dhabi

2. Albania

3. Algeria

4. Angola

5. Antigua

6. Antigua and Barbuda

7. Argentina

8. Armenia

9. Australia

10. Austria

11. Azerbaijan

12. Bahamas

13. Bahrain

14. Bangladesh

15. Barbados

16. Belarus

17. Belgium

18. Belize

19. Bermuda

20. Bosnia

21. Botswana

22. Brazil

23. Brunei

24. Bulgaria

25. Canada

26. Cayman Islands

27. Chile

28. China

29. Colombia

30. Croatia

31. Czech Republic

32. Denmark

33. Ecuador

34. Egypt

35. El Salvador

36. Estonia

37. Ethiopia

38. Fiji

39. Finland

40. France

41. Gambia

42. Georgia

43. Germany

44. Ghana

45. Greece

46. Grenada

47. Guatemala

48. Guyana

49. Honduras

50. Hong Kong

51. Hungary

52. Iceland

53. India

54. Indonesia

55. Ireland

56. Israel

57. Italy

58. Jamaica

59. Japan

60. Jordan

61. Kazakhstan

62. Kenya

63. Kosovo

64. Kuwait

65. Kyrghistan

66. Latvia

67. Lebanon

68. Lithuania

69. Luxembourg

70. Macedonia

71. Malawi

72. Malaysia

73. Maldives

74. Malta

75. Mauritania

76. Mauritius

77. Mexico

78. Moldova

79. Morocco

80. Mozambique

81. Namibia

82. Nepal

83. Netherlands

84. New Zealand

85. Nicaragua

86. Nigeria

87. Norway

88. Oman

89. Pakistan

90. Papua New Guinea

91. Paraguay

92. Peru

93. Philippines

94. Poland

95. Portugal

96. Qatar

97. Romania

98. Russia

99. Rwanda

100. Saudi Arabia

101. Senegal

102. Seychelles

103. Sierra Leone

104. Singapore

105. Slovakia

106. Slovenia

107. South Africa

108. South Korea

109. Spain

110. Sri Lanka

111. St. Christopher and Nevis

112. St. Lucia

113. St. Vincent

114. Swaziland

115. Sweden

116. Switzerland

117. Syria

118. Tanzania

119. Thailand

120. Tonga

121. Trinidad and Tobago

122. Turkey

123. Uganda

124. Ukraine

125. United Arab Emirates

126. Uruguay

127. USA

128. Uzbekistan

129. Venezuela

130. Vietnam

131. Yemen

132. Yugoslavia

133. Zambia

134. Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from what sources mines retained for training purposes as permitted under the Ottawa Treaty have been procured; and to what purposes they have been put. [101297]

Mines retained for permitted purposes under the Ottawa Convention were kept from previous operational stocks and small numbers of different types have been procured from various sources. These have been declared in the United Kingdom's annual return to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with Article 7 of the Ottawa Convention.Retained mines have been used for training in mine detection, mine clearance and mine destruction techniques as permitted in Article 3 of the Ottawa Convention. Specific purposes include: training explosive and mine detection dogs; training military and civilian mine clearance personnel; making relevant training films, videos, and posters; testing and trials of mine clearance devices; and testing and trials of protective clothing and equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether surplus or redundant (a) small arms and (b) light weapons are (i) given and (ii) sold by the Department to private contractors. [103308]

No surplus small arms or light weapons have been gifted to private contractors. No surplus small arms have been sold to private contractors in the last three years. Surplus light weapons would only be sold (via the Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency) to the original equipment manufacturer in support of an export order.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly regarding assistance for regional airports. [102974]

I have regular discussions with the First Minister on many issues including the role of airports throughout Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly about economic development in North Wales. [102975]

I have regular discussions with the Assembly's First Minister about economic development matters across Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on widening participation in higher education, with particular reference to student funding. [102976]

Regular ones, and with the Assembly Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he held with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales regarding tuition fees before the publication of the Government's White Paper on higher education. [102980]

The First Minister and I have been in close contact about the future of student funding in Wales and will continue to work with the Secretary for State for Education and Skills over the coming months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales about the state of the national health service in Wales. [102977]

I regularly meet the Assembly Minister for Health to discuss health matters in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has discussed (a) the contaminated Phurnacite land in the Cynon Valley with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales and (b) action to be taken in respect of the land. [102978]

I have regular discussions with the First Minister. I am aware of my hon. Friend's concerns regarding this land and I am pleased to tell her that the Feasibility Task Group is meeting today to consider the specifications for `treatability tests'.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and the National Assembly for Wales on the pay gap between men and women in Wales. [102979]

Regular ones. Closing the pay gap is a priority.