To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the role of the Advisory Panel on Crown Copyright. [112593]

As I announced on 14 April to the House through a written ministerial statement the role of the Advisory Panel on Crown Copyright is:

To advise Ministers on how to create opportunities in the information industry for greater reuse of Government information;

To advise Her Majesty's Stationery Office about changes in the information industry, so that the licensing of Crown copyright information is aligned with emerging developments; and

To advise on the impact of complaints under the Information Fair Trader Scheme.

I look forward to meeting its Chairman, Professor Richard Susskind, shortly.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made to increase the number of members of ethnic minorities who take up public appointments. [112594]

Good progress is being made. "Public Bodies 2002" published on 31 January 2003, showed that members of ethnic minorities held 6.2 per cent. of public appointments, up from 4.8 per cent. in the previous year.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps have been taken towards making Government services accessible to the disabled. [112592]

2003 is the European Year for Disabled People and the Government are committed to ensuring the delivery of accessible electronic information and electronic services to disabled users.The Government first issued "Guidelines for UK government websites", requiring all new or re-designed web-based services to be made accessible to the disabled, in December 1999. It is now a condition of registering a.gov.uk domain name that websites comply with these guidelines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the volume of freight carried on the rail network, with particular reference to changes in funding arrangements. [112577]

The Strategic Rail Authority published its "Freight Progress Report" on 8 May. A copy is in the Library.£54 million of Freight Facilities Grants have been awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority, matched by £31 million of private sector investment, which together keep over 4 million lorry journeys off the roads.The Strategic Rail Authority plans to reopen the Freight Facility and Track Access Grant schemes in the autumn for spend from April 2004, subject to available funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements he plans to make to the A556 link between the M6 and the M56. [112578]

In his announcement on 1 April 2003, the Secretary of State for Transport was not convinced that the proposal for a new motorway in open countryside between M6 Junction 19 and M56 was acceptable. Instead, he has asked the Highways Agency to work with local stakeholders to identify smaller-scale measures to address congestion and safety on the A556. Consultation will take place this summer, with the full involvement of local stakeholders. The Highways Agency has a scheme at Bucklow Hill, which is expected to start in the next 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the provision of village bypasses. [112580]

Proposals for village bypasses are appraised against the Government's objectives for the environment, safety, economy, integration and accessibility, and decisions on particular bypasses are made on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on rail services to and from Gloucestershire. [112581]

In order to improve reliability and performance on the Virgin Crosscountry network, the Strategic Rail Authority has decided that most Virgin Crosscountry trains should no longer serve Gloucester station from the beginning of the summer 2003 timetable on 18 May. Instead, new services operated by Central trains and Wessex trains will provide a more reliable service to a range of destinations including Cardiff, Cheltenham, Worcester and Birmingham, from where onward connections can be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the detrunking of roads in Lancashire. [112582]

The Highways Agency is planning to detrunk the A59, A565, A65, A646 and A679 in Lancashire on 1 July. They are working with the local highway authority and any objectors to resolve any outstanding issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to facilitate joint ticketing between public transport companies. [112583]

Operators may agree ticketing schemes falling within the block exemption from the Competition Act 1998. Local authorities have statutory powers to make ticketing schemes for buses, with or without tram or rail connections.My Department has encouraged the Journey Solutions organisation to deliver a simple add-on bus option to rail tickets called PlusBus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the actions of Network Rail in relation to the redevelopment of Gourock station. [112584]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has recently spoken to the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, met representatives from both Network Rail and Inverclyde council, and has written to the Chairman of Network Rail about the company's participation in the Gourock Interchange Project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail about the proposed construction of a telecommunications mast in front of Totnes Castle. [112585]

None. I am advised that Network Rail has an on-going dialogue with South Hams local district council regarding the location of the GSM-R mast in Totnes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to improve public ground transport links to airports. [112586]

We have looked closely at possible improvements to public transport links, as part of our studies of airports and air services across the UK, on which we are presently consulting. We will set out our conclusions in the air transport White Paper. Airports are also working with the relevant parties to improve public transport links, in accordance with the policies set out in the 1998 "New Deal for Transport" White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a further public display of proposals for the construction of an airfield at Alconbury, held at a venue close to the airport site. [112640]

There are no plans for further public exhibitions on the options presented in "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" (second edition).Public exhibitions providing information about the published consultation options were held last year, This included an exhibition on 3 October at the Huntingdon Marriott Hotel concerning the option for the small-scale airport development at Alconbury airfield.On 27 February 2003 the Government published a revised South East consultation document, including runway options for Gatwick airport, A public exhibition about these new options was held recently with a further day planned for later this month,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to (a) develop and (b) promote cycling as an element of multi-modal transport planning (i) in England, (ii) regionally and (iii) in Teesside. [112716]

Our National Cycling Strategy (NCS) aims to quadruple the number of journeys made by bike (based on 1996 figures) by 2012. We have established the NCS Board for England to take this forward. The Board combines expertise on transport engineering, marketing, local government and research. It has established a team of regional champions—the English Regions Cycling Development Team—to work with local authorities to promote and monitor cycling and deliver an improvement in conditions for cyclists.At local level, provision and improvement of facilities for cyclists are largely funded through Local Transport Plan funds, All authorities have developed a local cycling strategy as part of these plans. This must identify gaps in the local infrastructure and potential improvements to the cycling network. In the 2003–04, Tees Valley authorities plan to spend over £1 million on cycling schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he has entertained Labour hon. Members at public expense in the last 12 months; and at what cost. [106391]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's (a) total managed expenditure, (b) total spending on Information Technology and (c) spending on Information Technology as a proportion of its total managed expenditure was in each financial year since 1997–98. [107177]

The contribution by the Department for Transport to Total Managed Expenditure can be measured by the total of spending under resource and capital budgets, less non-cash items in Annually Managed Expenditure, Data for 1998–99 to 2001–02 were published in the 2002 Departmental Report (Cm 5405), New estimates will be published in the same table in the 2003 Departmental Report, in May 2003.Estimates of spending on Information Technology (IT) are not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred on the Stratford to Birmingham railway line between Earlswood and Tyseley since 1980. [112167]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that, since their records began in December 1990, there have been a total of 108 incidents on the railway (including stations) between Earlswood and Tyseley that are reportable to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1995. The incidents recorded range from slip and trip injuries to employees to more serious route crime incidents such as missile strikes to train cabs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents on the Stratford to Birmingham railway line between Earlswood and Tyseley since 1980 were caused by leaves on the line. [112168]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that, since their records began in December 1990, there have been no accidents caused by `leaves on the line' incidents reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. However, there were two incidents on 24 August 1996 and 3 January 1998 where trains have struck trees that have fallen on to the line near Earlswood station,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints were received from members of the public regarding each rail operating company in each of the last five years. [112185]

Data on the number of complaints received by each train operator is published in the Strategic Rail Authority's On Track publication, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. The information first appeared in the issue published on 29 June 2001 which provided data back to 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 March, Official Report, column 759W, on Rosyth, what estimate he has made of the likely change in long distance lorry movements through Tyneside which will result from the new RO-RO facilities at Rosyth. [113056]

My Department's grant award to Forth Ports Pic, Rosyth was predicated on the substantial environmental benefits which will arise through the savings of over 400,000 long distance lorry journeys between Scotland and the ports of Dover, Hull and Teesport over the next 10 years, No specific estimate was made of the number of lorries that would pass through the Port of Tyne,Of the 400,000 lorry journeys, 100,000 would have originated in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Fife, or Borders and thus passed through Tyneside on the way south.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has set the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority a target for response times to letters from (a) hon. Members and (b) the general public; and if he will make a statement. [112973]

The Secretary of State has not set such targets for the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). However, the SRA aims to answer all correspondence from hon. Members within 15 working days of receipt, and to answer correspondence from members of the public within 20 days of receipt.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of toll roads on poorer communities and social exclusion; and if he will make a statement. [112715]

The M6 Toll is the only planned toll road. Midland Expressway Ltd. (MEC) was given a concession for the road in 1992. No assessment was carried out of the impact on poorer communities and social exclusion of tolls being levied on this road, as there is a free alternative to this road.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent changes he has made to regulations affecting the height of road humps and other traffic calming measures; and if he will make a statement. [113264]

The most recent regulations containing details on road humps and other traffic calming measures are "The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999" and "The Highways (Traffic Calming) Regulations 1999". Copies of these regulations are available from The Stationery Office. We have no current plans to alter these regulations.

To ask the Prime Minister what reply he has sent to the petitioners from the Chagos Islands who delivered a petition to 10 Downing street on Friday 2 May; and if he will publish his reply. [113238]

I have asked my right hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) to reply on my behalf.

To ask the Prime Minister what guidance is given to civil servants in his office on the sharing of opinions with politicians not in the Government formed in the course of their professional activities about hon. Members. [112895]

Contacts between civil servants and politicians not in the Government are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Directory of Civil Service Guidance.

To ask the Prime Minister whether British interrogators have obtained independent access to captured senior officials of the Saddam Hussein regime in the search for weapons of mass destruction. [113012]

UK and US personnel are conducting a co-ordinated series of interviews with senior officials of the Saddam Hussein regime.

To ask the Prime Minister, how many (a) husbands, (b) wives and (c) partners of Government Ministers are in paid Government employment as (i) civil servants and (ii) advisers; and if he will list them. [112561]

All appointments are made, as appropriate, in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and t he Code of Practice on Public Appointments. Detailed information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with representatives of the Irish Republic's Government about the situation in Northern Ireland this year. [112902]

This year I have met the Taoiseach on the following occasions:

Date	Location
23 January	No. 10
12 February	Hillsborough
27 February	No. 10
3–4 March	Hillsborough
8 April	Hillsborough
10 April	No. 10
16 April	EU Council, Brussels
6 May	Dublin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the impact of the Animal By-Products Regulation on (a) small abattoirs and slaughterhouses and (b) planning applications for small and medium-sized abattoirs and slaughterhouses since October 2002. [111117]

A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Animal By-Products Regulation is in the Library of the House, as part of the consultation on the enforcing regulations dated 27 January 2003. The Department has issued guidance to abattoirs, suggesting simple, low-cost ways of complying with the new requirements for disposal of blood. Planning applications may not be required in all cases. We have no information on the impact that the Regulation has had on the number of planning applications from small and medium sized abattoirs since October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the provisions relating to the separation of buildings in the Animal By-Products Regulation in relation to small abattoirs and slaughterhouses. [111118]

The UK has secured a modification to Annex V of the Regulation to allow fat-rendering plants to be linked to abattoirs, providing they are operated separately and only process animal by-products originating on the premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations will be in force regarding the burial of horses on racecourses and studs following the introduction of the EU Animal By-products Regulation; and what information has been given to horse owners and trainers. [111350]

New EU legislation, the Animal By-Products Regulation, applied in Member States from I May. Amongst other things the Regulation banned the routine on-farm burial and open burning of animal carcases.Horses from racecourses and stud farms will have to be disposed of in accordance with the Regulation. Burial or open burning is not permitted. Currently the permitted disposal routes for fallen stock include rendering, incineration, or sending the carcases to approved knackers yards, hunt kennels or maggot farms.No specific advice has been provided to horse owners and trainers, but information on the disposal of animal carcases is available on the Defra website, at http:// www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bv-prods/default.htm., and from local Defra Animal Health Offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to encourage catering sections of each Department to source and serve food which is (a) produced in Britain, (b) organic and (c) Fair Trade. [111156]

Defra has published guidance for public sector bodies that covers issues such as removing obstacles to tendering by local and UK producers and the purchase of organic and fair trade produce. It can be seen on our web site at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/ sustain/procurement/index.htm. We are also taking a number of other steps to integrate sustainable development into the public procurement of food and catering services. These include seminars to raise awareness, bilateral meeting at Ministerial and senior management level (including with representatives of local government) and the production of case studies. The guidance takes account of the Government's policy of achieving value for money and its commitment under the EC rules to ensure that public procurement is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects (a) Wedholme Flow, (b) Bolton Fell Moss and (c) Solway Moss to be designated as special areas of conservation in accordance with the recommendations of English Nature. [112032]

Following English Nature's recommendations in June 2002, issues concerning boundary alignment and compensation payments have arisen. English Nature is working with stakeholders to resolve these questions. Until these matters have been resolved it is not possible to say when the sites will be designated as Special Areas of Conservation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects

Regulation	Section	Consultation commenced (not later than)	Date regulations in force (not later than)
Regulations regarding mapping of access land and consultation on draft maps	Section 11	March 2001 [ended June 2001]	1 November 2001
Regulations regarding issue of provisional maps, appeals, and issue of conclusive maps	Section 11	November 2001 [ended 8 Feb 2002]	29 July 2002
Regulations regarding the establishment of LAFs and the appointment of members	Section 94 (Part V)	July 2001 [ended October 2001]	7 August 2002
Regulations on correcting minor errors and omissions in provisional and conclusive maps	Section 11(2)(1)	October 2002 [ended 7 November 2002]	June 2003
Regulations regarding dedication of land for access	Section 16	January 2002 [ended 15 April 2002]	June 2003
Regulations relating to exclusion or restriction of access under Chapter II, including appeals (but not emergencies)	Section 32	December 2001 [ended 22 March 2002]	June 2003
Regulations on removal or relaxation of restrictions on access land and to exclude access in emergencies (including appeals)	Paragraph 7, Schedule 2; Section 31	June 2003	December 2003
Regulations on appeals relating to notices	Section 38	June 2003	December 2003
Regulations on references to public places in existing enactments	Section 42	June 2003	December 2003
Regulations regarding review of conclusive maps	Section 11	February 2004	August 2004

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the recipients of exported EU tobacco by (a) country and (b) grade; what quantities are involved; what the new rights of access under Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to commence in the upper north west region. [112530]

I announced in November last year that the new right for the public to walk on mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land will be rolled out on a region by region basis. This will give walkers the right to walk in open countryside and on registered common land as early as possible, rather than having to wait for the mapping process to be completed for the whole country. I intend to open the upper and lower north west regions in the autumn of 2004.This is a demanding timetable as we will need to have in place not only the conclusive maps for those regions but also all necessary restrictions and exclusions. Guidance and codes of practice will also need to be available to walkers and landowners. These mechanisms are necessary under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (The CROW Act) and it is important for them to be in force in each region before access land is made available to the public so that the interests of both land managers and walkers are safeguarded. We expect to meet the target of having all access land open by the end of 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 735W, if she will set out the timetable for the implementation of regulations under Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [112801]

The table below records the progress we have already mace towards bringing regulations into force and our timetable for completing the process. As I explained in my answer of 16 January, the precise timing may vary but we are firmly committed to ensuring the necessary regulations are made to allow the new right of public access under the Act to be rolled out as planned.quantity of each grade is destroyed by the Communities; what the cost in 2003 is of (i) subsidy and (ii) destruction, broken down by grade; which countries are recipients of production subsidy; and if she will make a statement. [111076]

Exports of tobacco in 2001, the latest full year available, were as shown in the table.There is no provision under the EU regime for tobacco to be destroyed.The cost of production subsidies in 2002 was 970 million euros (£610 million at 2002 exchange rates

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to respond to proposals from farmers' representatives regarding the use of animal carcases in relation to carrion; and if she will make a statement. [107126]

A derogation to permit the feeding of fallen stock to necrophagous birds is available to Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and France as part of approved conservation measures for vultures. This derogation is not available in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about the use of fallen stock in upland and moorland areas being used as food for carrion. [107696]

A derogation to permit the feeding of fallen stock to necrophagous birds is available to Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and France as part of approved conservation measures for vultures. This derogation is not available in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implementation or the EU fallen stock regulations in Buckinghamshire. [110320]

The EU animal by- products regulation which includes a ban on burial of fallen stock applies throughout the EU from 1 May 2003. Defra has sent a letter to all livestock farmers in England asking for expressions of interest in joining a national fallen stock collection and disposal scheme although it is not an essential requirement. We very much hope that farmers in Buckinghamshire will respond positively to this letter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the independent study into the environment and health implications of the foot and mouth disease burial site at Throckmorton to be published; and what arrangements will be made to ensure that elected representatives for the area receive a copy of the report at the time of its publication. [112666]

The report by consultants DNV has been published this morning and is available at the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/regions/wmidlands/wmidlands.htm. I have placed copies of the report in the Library. I understand that DNV has written to local elected representatives to inform them of the outcome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what weight of wild fish is required to provide fishmeal for the production of one kilogram of farmed fish; and what assessment she has made of the long-term implications for wild fish stocks. [112417]

We do not hold information on the weight of wild fish used in fishmeal for feeding to farmed fish in the UK. The quantity involved will vary depending on the proportion of the fishmeal used in the different grades of dry fish feed produced for the species of farmed fish concerned and their stages of growth. However carnivorous aquaculture species are unlikely to consume more natural marine resources through feed than their wild counterparts would consume in the natural environment.The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) makes annual assessments of the main commercial fish stocks around Britain, including those used to produce fish meal such as sandeels, Norway pout and blue whiting, and provides advice on their management. The total abundance of sandeel or Norway pout in the North Sea varies considerably for natural reasons, but the ICES assessments show that they are currently stable. ICES does not consider that the sandeel and pout fisheries are affecting the availability of food for other wild fish at the stock level, but studies are in progress to investigate whether problems are likely to occur more locally. As regards blue whiting, ICES has stated that these stocks are outside safe biological limits and that catches should be limited to 600,000 tonnes in 2003. Although there is no internationally agreed Total Allowable Catch (TAC), the EU has set a TAC of 345,000 tonnes for Community waters in order to help manage the fishery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department is giving to the British food and drinks industries to help them to promote British brands. [110747]

Defra promotes the export of British brands of food through sponsorship of and grant in aid to Food from Britain, which also assists with the marketing of regional speciality foods. As part of the Strategy on Sustainable Farming and Food, we have introduced a new structure and an additional £3 million over three years for regional food initiatives both in this country and overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what security guidelines her Department has issued in the last year to food (a) producers, (b) processors and (c) providers regarding potential terrorist action. [105073]

The Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group, which we have set up with the industry and which meets regularly, provides a forum for sharing of advice on security issues. We are also in regular contact with representatives of all parts of the food chain and pass on security information of relevance to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to advise people entering Britain of the illegality of importing meat; and if she will make a statement. [111279]

[holding answer 6 May 2003]: Information is displayed at ports of entry to the UK as well as at some foreign airports, and disseminated through many of our diplomatic posts abroad. In addition we have produced two videos and a radio filler. The videos are being broadcast on television and we continue to work with airlines to get our message across in-flight. An increasing number of airlines are now making in-flight announcements on the personal import rules. Our message on meat imports is currently advertised on seven million ticket wallets for long-haul destinations.Defra has recently produced a new leaflet setting out in detail the up-to-date rules on personal imports. This leaflet is being distributed via HM Customs, who have taken over responsibility for enforcement at the border, and for publicity at our ports and airports, at overseas destinations and in transit to the UK. Defra will retain responsibility for raising awareness within Britain of the fact that there are rules on the import of animal and plant products, the reasons for them and the penalties for breaking them, for example by attending appropriate shows and events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental effects of liquid petroleum gas fuel in comparison with other fuels. [112719]

An assessment of the environmental performance of various alternative fuels was carried out by the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force in 2000. A copy of their report is available via the DfT website, at www.dft.gov.uk. Copies are also available through the House of Commons Library. The research showed that road fuel gases can have environmental benefits over conventional fuels, particularly for air quality and noise, although progress with conventional engine and fuel technologies is reducing this advantage.As announced in Budget 2003, the Government plans to consult key stakeholders on how best to ensure that future support for LPG and other road fuel gases continues to reflect environmental and other policy objectives.

	Rural Transport Development Fund		Rural Transport Partnership1		Parish Transport Grant		Rural Bus Challenge2
Year	Number	Funding (£m)	Number	Funding (£m)	Number	Funding	Number	Funding (£m)
1998–99	N/A	1.6	N/A	4.2	—	—	46	11.2
1999–2000	N/A	1.6	N/A	4.2	—	—	58	16.8
2000–01	N/A	1.6	N/A	4.2	—	—	51	21.2
2001–02	—	—	278	8.0	40	2.0	58	20.5
2002–03	—	—	350	12.0	116	5.0	46	20.2
2003–04	—	—	3350	312.0	3200	38.0	4	4
2004–05	—	—	3350	312.0	3300	37.0	4	4
1Prior to 2001–02 this was called the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme
2The Rural Bus Challenge is an annual competition and the level of funding refers to the total award granted to successful bids.
3Budget and project targets in the Countryside Agency Business Plan.
4DfT will administer a further round of the Challenge fund later this year.

DfT has also funded improved transport services in rural areas through the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, and the 2003 Budget Statement announced the continuation of this grant to 2005–06. Local transport authorities can also use their own revenue resources and Local Transport Plan capital allocations for rural transport projects. Data on projects supported through these mechanisms is not centrally held.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the sources of funding available for rural transport schemes. [112823]

Funding for rural transport schemes is available through the Department for Transport's Local Transport Plan process, Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and Rural Bus Challenge scheme, as well as the Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership and Parish Transport Grant schemes. Local transport authorities can also use their own revenue resources for rural transport projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to encourage (a) greater competition between water supply companies, (b) customer choice between water supply companies and (c) a choice of tariffs for customers; and if she will make a statement. [113123]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many rural transport schemes have been funded by the Government in each of the last five years, with the amounts given; and how many have been earmarked funding for the next two financial years, with the amounts given. [112822]

Since 1998–99 the Countryside Agency has administered four rural transport schemes. In 2001–02 the Parish Transport Grant was launched and the Rural Transport Development Fund was amalgamated with the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme to form the Rural Transport Partnership. It would involve disproportionate cost to provide the number of projects funded under the Rural Transport Development Fund and the Rural Transport Partnership Scheme from 1998–99 to 2001–02. Since 2001, the Countryside Agency has been part of DEFRA's responsibilities while the Department for Transport funds rural bus projects through the Rural Bus Challenge and figures for this are also shown in the following table.

The Government consulted in July 2002 on its proposals to extend opportunities for competition in the water industry in England and Wales. In the light of comments received, proposals were included in the Water Bill, now before Parliament.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on measures to combat bullying in the Church. [112597]

A number of Church of England dioceses have produced their own guidelines for clergy on bullying and harassment and the Convocations of Canterbury and York will publish guidelines on professional conduct later this year.In addition, the National Church Institutions are committed to an equal opportunities policy containing a formal investigations and complaints procedure. The institutions require every member of their staff to attend an equal opportunities course, and harassment advisers are available to provide independent support and advocacy to anyone making a complaint.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are of the Committee appointed by Major General Robin Brims to run Basra; how many people have been appointed; how many of these are women; and if he will list their names. [109214]

[holding answer 14 April 2003]: United Kingdom Forces under the command of the General Officer Commanding 1st (UK) Armoured Division, are establishing interim consultative groups across the provinces of Basra and Maysan. These groups have no formal terms of reference. Their purpose is to help restore public administration and services. The number of appointees is increasing as the groups are established. Membership of the groups is open, to date there are no women representatives but we are actively seeking their participation. Because the status of the groups has yet to be formalised, I do not intend to list the names of their members, who may in any event not wish their involvement to be publicised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what latest estimate he has had of the death toll from current hostilities in Iraq amongst (a) UK forces (b) US forces (c) Iraqi forces (d) Iraqi civilians and (e) other civilian non-combatants. [110267]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the number of non-combatants killed in Iraq since 19 March. [111460]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are estimated to have been killed in Iraq by British armed forces in the recent conflict. [112007]

[holding answer 7 May 2003]: As of 6 May 2003, 34 United Kingdom Service personnel had died during coalition military operations against Iraq.The number of fatalities suffered by US forces is a matter for the US authorities.We make every effort to minimise any impact on the Iraqi civilian population. We have no means of ascertaining the numbers of Iraqi military personnel or civilians, or other civilians who were killed or injured during the coalition's military action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the book value is of ordnance, ammunition and missiles used up in the course of the conduct of operations in Iraq; how such book cost is calculated; what categories of munitions were used; and to what extent supplies will need to be replenished. [112087]

The cost for 2002–03 is being calculated. Once it has been audited and approved by the National Audit Office I will write to the hon Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House. I will also cover 2003–04 estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many escort vessels (a) he expects will be needed to accompany each new aircraft carrier when it enters service and (b) are needed to accompany each existing aircraft carrier on deployment. [111313]

The size and shape of any escort group supporting an aircraft carrier on deployment is dependent on the circumstances existing at the time. Various factors have to be considered, such as the nature and scale of a potential threat, the operating environment and whether the Task Group is deployed as part of a national or coalition force. We are introducing the modern and more capable Type 45 from 2007, fitted with the highly capable Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), which will support the existing and future aircraft carriers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of additional security at the Faslane base caused by anti-nuclear protests in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [112258]

Additional security costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence as a result of anti-nuclear demonstrations at Faslane, which includes Her Majesty's Naval Base at Clyde and the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport are:2001–02: £311,0002002–03: £169,000The costs include the provision of additional MOD Police resources, overtime incurred by the existing MOD Guard Service and repairs to damaged MOD property.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his Department's disposal targets are for married quarters estate stock in each of the next five years; [112886](2) what his Department's targets are for reducing the void rate levels in the married quarters estate; and if he will make a statement; [112888](3) how many of his Department's married quarters were empty at 31 March 2003. [112890]

8,161 Service family properties in Great Britain were empty at 31 March 2003. The relevant targets set for the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) are expressed not in terms of numbers of houses for disposal but as the progressive reduction of void rates in order to achieve, by 2005, a management margin of 10 per cent. (The management margin is the proportion of working stock vacant).Some 12,000 properties have been passed by DHE for disposal since January 2000. Further disposals will be set in hand this year, but the Services have requested DHE hold back from disposal about another 2,000 vacant properties which may or may not be needed in future, depending on the resolution of Service deployment uncertainties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new build units in the married quarters estate are planned by his Department in each of the next three years; and how many houses this will replace from the existing married quarters estate. [112887]

The numbers of new build service family houses planned in Great Britain for the next three years, through both capital projects and Private Finance Initiative are as follows:

Year
2003–04	415
2004–05	476
2005–06	315
Total	1,206

It is difficult to specify how many existing family houses these new builds will replace. New build is often at locations where the requirements for service housing are new or increasing, and therefore the new houses are not intended as replacements, but they may indirectly replace housing at other locations where requirements are declining.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department's upgrade programme for the married quarters estate will be completed by 2005; how many units are part of this upgrade programme; how many units have been upgraded so far; and if he will make a statement. [112889]

Good progress has been made with the upgrade programme for Service family housing in mainland United Kingdom. Since the establishment of the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) in 1995, the number of properties at Standard 1 For Condition has increased from only about 1,000 to about 21,000. About half the families housed by DHE are now in Standard 1 properties and some 90 per cent. in Standards 1 or 2. The upgrade programme will not be completed by 2005, but it will continue to progress towards the services' long-term requirement for family housing, currently estimated at around 41,000 properties. Demanding targets will be set for DHE each year depending on funds available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the foreign policy base line for his Department's defence review. [112562]

There is no defence review. I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the Defence White Paper issued each Parliament. I intend to publish this in the autumn. It is likely to include a description of the strategic environment in which our Armed Forces operate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated total procurement cost for Eurofighter is; what the estimated (a) cost and (b) saving would be of cancellation of the third tranche of orders; and if he will make a statement. [111837]

The estimated total procurement cost to the United Kingdom for Eurofighter Typhoon is £18.633 billion.Under the collaborative procurement arrangements for the project, the attribution of costs and savings from any cancellation of the third tranche of orders would need to be discussed and formally agreed between the four nations. No such discussions have taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role he envisages for (a) the Royal Navy and (b) the Royal Marines in an EU rapid reaction force. [112263]

There is no standing European Rapid Reaction Force. Under the Helsinki Headline Goal, EU member states have identified relevant forces and capabilities that might be contributed to EU-led crisis-management operations.As regards Naval and Royal Marines forces, the United Kingdom offer includes 18 warships, as well as amphibious infantry. Committing forces to EU-led operations is a matter for national governments to decide in the light of the circumstances of each operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether BAe and Thales have structured the (a) terms and (b) work share of their partnership in the CVF programme. [112016]

Both BAE Systems and Thales UK have agreed to take the programme forward on the basis of the allocation of roles and responsibilities outlined in the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Defence on 30 January 2003. Specifically, they have agreed to the contract for Demonstration and Manufacture being managed and executed by a single, integrated team staffed from both organisations and the Ministry of Defence. BAE Systems will lead as preferred Prime-contractor with Thales UK as Key Supplier participating in key management posts within the integrated team. The precise terms of the contract remain the subject of on-going negotiations which are due to complete by the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the benefits of moving the CVF contract to a Target Cost Incentive Fee. [112017]

No final decision has been taken on the CVF pricing strategy. The most appropriate pricing mechanism for incentivising contractors' performance is generally a choice between firm or fixed prices, or a target cost incentive fee. CVF is a complex programme and the balance of advantage between these options is being carefully weighed in order to secure the optimum arrangement. The way forward will be finalised as part of the main investment decision early in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Assessment Phase Stage 3 of the CVF programme to be completed; and whether he plans to extend the time scale of this phase. [112018]

It is planned that the CVF Assessment Phase Stage 3 contract will ran up to the end of November 2003. It will also contain contract options to enable the continuation of work through to the planned award of the Demonstration and Manufacture contract in the spring of 2004. This is consistent with our plan at the commencement of the CVF Assessment Phase, which called for the award of a build contract in spring 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to visit the British military base on Gibraltar. [110704]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence visited British Forces Gibraltar in July 2001 and hopes to visit them again later this year. I visited at the end of last year, similarly other defence Ministers will visit regularly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards the former service personnel suffering from Gulf War illnesses, with particular reference to the War Pensions Tribunal adjudication in the case of Lance Corporal Alex Izett, RE. [112248]

[holding answer 12 May 2003]: The Ministry of Defence takes the ill health veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict extremely seriously. It is addressing their concerns by providing medical help through the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme and financial assistance through pensions and fundig scientific research. Gulf veterans who are concerned about their health should contact the MOD's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit on Freephone: 0800 169 4495.We have asked the independent Medical Research Council to carry out a formal review of research to date and recommend what further work we should sponsor. This is expected to the published later this month.The Pensions Appeal Tribunal (PAT) decided in December 2002 that Mr Izett was ill as a result of the immunisations he was given. It was only necessary for him under the provisions of the war pensions scheme to raise a reasonable doubt of a causal link between ill-health and Service. The PAT accepted such a doubt had been raised and therefore allowed the appeal. Whilst we disagree with the PAT's decision, such decisions can only be challenged on a point of law. There is no point on which MOD can mount an appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conditions he stipulates about the areas of MoD-owned land over which particular hunts may hunt. [112247]

[holding answer 12 May 2003]: Specific conditions on access to Ministry of Defence land may be stipulated to an individual hunt as part of their licence for hunting. These conditions are laid out in the Schedules to the Hunting licence. MOD may at its discretion deny access to any scheduled land; advance notice will be given to the Hunt of seven days under normal circumstances or 48 hours in case of emergency. All hunting applications must be made in writing by the Hunt to the Defence Estates office within the relevant area and a 'Permission to Hunt' form must be completed by each recognised hunt before any fixture takes place. As part of this form there are schedules which may contain conditions applicable to each individual hunt.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many acres of land were used on a permanent basis by his Department in England (a) in 1980, (b) in 1990, (c) in 2000 and (d) on the latest date for which figures are available. [112358]

The defence estate is kept under continuous review to ensure that it is no larger than is required. Since 2000 the Estate has consisted of some 240,000 hectares (approximately 593,000 acres).The information for previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what Royal Naval and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels remain on deployment in the Gulf; and what the scheduled dates are for the return of each; [111337](2) if he will list the Royal Naval and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels which have completed their deployments as part of the second Gulf war task force, together with the dates of deployment for each vessel. [111336]

On the 6 May 2003 the following ships remain deployed on Operations in the Gulf region: Frigates HMS Chatham and HMS Richmond supported by the RFA tanker Brambleleaf on routine peacetime level deployments; Mine counter measures vessels HMS Grimsby, HMS Ledbury, HMS Ramsey and HMS Shoreham remain in theatre to conduct Mine Clearance Operations, Defence diplomacy and to exercise with Gulf Co-operation Council nations.By 6 May 2003, only the submarine HMS Turbulent will have completed its deployment in the recent Gulf action, as marked by its return to the United Kingdom on 16 Apr 2003.All other units which took part in the conflict, are currently on passage to the UK or are continuing with their previously scheduled deployments elsewhere.I am withholding information on specific operational programming dates for RN and RFA units under Exemption la (National security) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the senior officers who have completed the Higher Command and Staff course since it was established. [112564]

Those United Kingdom officers who have completed the Higher Command and Staff Course since it was established are listed in a table which has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) legislation he has introduced and (b) regulations he has issued in the last 12 months which has resulted in new restrictions on (i) the general public and (ii) controlled public access to military training areas. [112314]

[holding answer 12 May 2003]: None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF have been killed while in service (i) in action, (ii) in action through friendly fire, (iii) by accident on operations, (iv) by accident on exercise and (v) by other means between (A) 11 September 1999 and 11 September 2001 and (B) 11 September 2001 to date; and if he will make a statement. [111827]

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