To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made in his Department to allow staff to access counselling services. [111939]

The Ministry of Defence has an Occupational Welfare Service, whose role is to help keep people effective at work through the provision of

		May 2000			May 2001
		Officer	Soldier	Total	Officer	Soldier	Total
RSIGNALS	Liability	991	7,668	8,659	991	7,668	8,659
	Strength	908	7,343	8,251	877	7,198	8,075
REME	Liability	870	9,850	10,720	870	9,850	10,720
	Strength	817	8,450	9,267	803	8,361	9,164
RAC	Liability	866	5,023	5,889	866	5,023	5,889
	Strength	800	4,812	5,612	825	4,853	5,678

		May 2002			April 2003
		Officer	Soldier	Total	Officer	Soldier	Total
RSIGNALS	Liability	991	7,668	8,659	991	7,668	8,659
	Strength	908	7,205	8,113	923	7,563	8,486
REME	Liability	870	9,850	10,720	870	9,850	10,720
	Strength	827	8,431	9,258	823	8,741	9,564
RAC	Liability	866	5,023	5,889	866	5,023	5,889
	Strength	835	4,940	5,775	834	5,034	5,868

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) strength of the (i) Royal Engineers, (ii) Army Corps of Music, (iii) Adjutant General's Corps and (iv) QARANC was (A) in May 2000, (B) in May 2001, (C) in May 2002 and (D) on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [113242]

		May 2000			May 2001
		Offr	Sldr	Total	Offr	Sldr	Total
RE	Liability	1,186	8,005	9,191	1,186	8,005	9,191
	Strength	1,105	7,258	8,363	1,124	7,397	8,521
CAMus	Liability	36	1,118	1,154	36	1,118	1,154
	Strength	37	1,011	1,048	35	987	1,022
AGC	Liability	1,056	6,150	7,206	1,056	6,150	7,206
	Strength	1,001	6,108	7,109	1,038	5,984	7,022
QARANC	Liability	354	651	1,005	354	651	1,005
	Strength	272	392	664	274	391	665

		May 2002			April 2003
		Offr	Sldr	Total	Offr	Sldr	Total
RE	Liability	1,186	8,005	9,191	1,186	8,005	9,191
	Strength	1,116	7,432	8,548	1,141	7,603	8,744
CAMus	Liability	36	1,118	1,154	36	1,118	1,154
	Strength	33	991	1,024	34	988	1,022

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) strength of the (i) Royal Corps of Signals, (ii) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and (iii) Royal Armoured Corps was (A) in May 2000, (B) in May 2001, (C) in May 2002 and (D) on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [113240]

The following tables show the requirement and trained strength of Royal Corps of Signals, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Royal Armoured Corps. Officer strengths exclude full Colonels and above.

The tables show the requirement and trained strength of the Royal Engineers (RE), Army Corps of Music (CAMus), Adjutant General's Corps (AGC) and QARANC. Officer strengths exclude full Colonels and above.

		May 2002			April 2003
		Offr	Sldr	Total	Offr	Sldr	Total
AGC	Liability	1,056	6,150	7,206	1,056	6,150	7,206
	Strength	1,035	5,846	6,881	1,053	5,969	7,022
QARANC	Liability	354	651	1,005	354	651	1,005
	Strength	285	409	694	280	428	708

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the targets were for the trained strength of the Royal Electrical and Military Engineers battalions in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [113243]

REME Battalions as at April 2000
ARM	PTE	LCPL	CPL	SGT	SSGT	WO2	WO1	LT	CAPT	MAJ	LTCOL
AGCS	17	11	28	14	7	10	0	3	6	0	0
APTC	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E2	16	3	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
RAMC	0	0	7	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
REME	306	405	435	278	116	69	23	39	52	25	6
RLC	96	81	42	33	11	8	0	0	4	0	0
RM	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
RSIG	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
				0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	435	500	512	340	138	87	23	42	62	25	6

REME Battalions as at April 2001
Army	PTE	LCPL	CPL	SGT	SSGT	WO2	W01	LT	CAPT	MAJ	LTCOL
AGCS	22	18	35	16	8	13	0	7	7	0	0
APTC	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E2	2	28	0	0	1	5	0	0	0	0	0
RAMC	0	0	11	5	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
REME	345	451	573	275	140	71	31	34	82	35	7
RLC	92	97	59	42	14	11	3	0	5	0	0
RSIG	0	0	0	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	461	594	678	347	168	100	34	41	95	35	7

REME Battalions as at April 2002
Army	PTE	LCPL	CPL	SGT	SSGT	W02	W01	LT	CAPT	MAJ	LTCOL
AGCS	22	19	33	15	7	14	0	7	7	0	0
APTC	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E2	0	34	0	0	1	6	0	0	0	0	0
RAMC	0	0	8	6	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
REME	346	368	480	204	112	65	28	31	81	34	7
RLC	65	79	40	28	13	8	3	0	5	0	0
RSIG	0	0	0	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	432	500	561	261	193	93	31	38	94	34	7

REME Battalions as at April 2003
Army	PTE	LCPL	CPL	SGT	SSGT	WO2	W01	LT	CAPT	MAJ	LTCOL
AGCS	22	15	28	15	7	14	0	6	7	0	0
APTC	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E2	0	24	0	0	1	6	0	0	0	0	0
RAMC	0	0	6	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
REME	221	238	324	145	72	53	23	21	68	29	7
RLC	45	51	25	19	11	7	2	0	3	0	0
RSIG	0	0	0	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	288	328	383	190	97	80	25	27	79	29	7

The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) are the specialist corps responsible for the technical maintenance of equipment within the Army. The tables below show the targets for trained strength for REME battalions in each year since 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Government has to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of D-Day; and if he will make a statement. [113602]

Although preparations have not been concluded, the intention is for the Government and armed forces to be represented at Ministerial and senior officer level at parades and services in Normandy being organised by the French Comite du Debarquement, and the Army will provide a band. Appropriate representation will also be provided at a service of remembrance and thanksgiving which will take place at St. Paul's Cathedral later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries in which UK defence attachés are in place. [112298]

United Kingdom Defence Attachés/Advisors are currently serving in the following 82 locations.

Country	City
Albania	Tirana
Angola	Luanda
Argentina	Buenos Aires
Australia	Canberra
Austria	Veinna
Bahrain	Manama
Barbados	Bridgetown
Belgium	Brussels
Brazil	Brasilia
Brunei	Bandar Seri Begawan
Bulgaria	Sofia
Canada	Ottawa
Chile	Santiago
China	Beijing
Colombia	Bogota
Congo DRC	Kinshasa
Croatia	Zagreb
Cyprus	Nicosia
Czech Republic	Prague
Denmark	Copenhagen
Egypt	Cairo
Ethiopia	Addis Ababa (as from 1 June 2003)
Finland	Helsinki
France	Paris
Georgia	Tbilisi
Germany	Berlin
Ghana	Accra
Greece	Athens
Guatemala	Guatemala City
Hungary	Budapest
India	New Delhi
Indonesia	Jakarta
Ireland	Dublin
Israel	Tel Aviv
Italy	Rome
Jamaica	Kingston
Japan	Tokyo
Jordan	Amman
Kazakhstan	Almaty
Kenya	Nairobi
Korea	Seoul
Kuwait	Kuwait City
Latvia	Riga
Lebanon	Beirut

Country	City
Lithuania	Vilnius
Macedonia	Skopje
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur
Morocco	Rabat
Nepal	Kathmandu
Netherlands	The Hague
New Zealand	Wellington
Nigeria	Abuja
Norway	Oslo
Oman	Muscat
Pakistan	Islamabad
Philippines	Manila
Poland	Warsaw
Portugal	Lisbon
Qatar	Doha
Romania	Bucharest
Russia	Moscow
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh
Serbia & Montenegro	Belgrade
Sierra Leone	Freetown
Singapore	Singapore
Slovak Republic	Bratislava
Slovenia	Ljubljana
South Africa	Pretoria
Spain	Madrid
Sri Lanka	Colombo
Sweden	Stockholm
Switzerland	Berne
Syria	Damascus
Thailand	Bangkok
Turkey	Ankara
Uganda	Kampala
Ukraine	Kyiv
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi
USA	Washington
Uzbekistan	Tashkent
Venezuela	Caracas
Zimbabwe	Harare

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many documents are held by his Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification. [107352]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 695W. The position is the same for the Ministry of Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) strength of REME and RE trades relating to the maintenance of equipment is, stating in each case the (i) trade and (ii) percentage shortfall from establishment requirement; and if he will make a statement. [113241]

The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) are the specialist corps responsible for the technical maintenance of equipment within the Army and not the Royal Engineers (RE). The tables below show the requirement and trained strength of REME trade groups. Information on individual trades is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

REME Trade Groups
Army/Corps Trade Group (REME)	Requirement	Strength	±	Percentages
Artificer
Aircraft	86	132	46	53.5
Artificer
Avionics	46	55	9	19.6
Artificer
Electronics	189	327	138	73.0
Artificer
Vehicles	476	520	44	9.2
Artificer
Weapons	80	119	39	48.8
Technician
Aircraft	600	602	2	0.3
Technician
Avionics	259	299	40	15.4
Technical
Electronics	905	969	64	7.1
Armourer	679	594	-85	-12.5
Metalsmith	233	229	-4	-1.7
Recovery
Mechanic	591	454	-137	-23.2
Shipwright	29	27	-2	-6.9
Technical
Storeman	334	300	-200	-36.2
Vehicle
Electrician	553	353	-200	-36.2
Vehicle
Mechanic	4,124	3,432	-692	-16.8
Total	9.184	8,412	-772	-8.4

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is available for commanders on how best to address family after-care and advice in cases of bereavement or serious training injury; what changes to guidance will be made following the review undertaken by the principal personnel officers; and if he will place copies of advice in the Library. [112631]

Each of the services has a well-defined and practised casualty reporting procedure with written guidance available to commanders and their staffs involved in bereavement aftercare. The guidance has recently been reviewed and new guidance issued where this was thought necessary. In addition, commanders and their visiting officers who are tasked with assisting bereaved families are able to draw upon the expertise and experience of unit welfare staffs (including service chaplains) and the Casualty Co-ordination Cell in each service. Aftercare guides and videos have been produced in order to help with the training of commanding officers, their personnel staffs and visiting officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to sell the Halton Army Training Camp in Lancaster; and if he will make a statement. [112545]

There is no intention to dispose of Halton Camp. A proposal is under consideration to sell off part of the camp to finance a re-build of the retained part.Internal planning is at an early stage and no decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans exist to release reservists serving in the Iraq theatre. [111357]

As the Secretary of State for Defence stated on 30 April 2003, Official Report, columns 15–16WS, we will continue to withdraw assets and personnel from the region where possible, but we will maintain an appropriate military presence for as long as is necessary. The requirement for Reservists will match this pattern. As at 12 May some 533 Reservists serving on Operation Telic had been demobilised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts are being made to return TA soldiers serving in the Gulf to their employers at the earliest opportunity. [112648]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the reservists on duty in Iraq will be brought home. [112876]

As the my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence stated in his written ministerial statement on 30 April 2003, Official Report, columns 15–16WS, we will continue to withdraw assets and personnel from the region where possible, but we will maintain an appropriate military presence for as long as is necessary. The requirement for Reservists will match this pattern. As at 12 May 2003 some 533 Reservists serving on Op TELIC had been demobilised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of his staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year; [111989](2) how many sick days were lost over the last year by his Department through staff mental health problems. [112003]

In 2002, 106,081 sick days were due to mental health problems. This figure includes stress related and non-stress related mental illnesses. 2,559 staff took sick leave due to mental health problems. This figure includes civilian non-industrial staff but do not include industrial staff, Ministry of Defence trading funds and RFA's.MOD is committed to improving the health of its staff and managing sick absence more effectively. The department has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all our employees and have a commitment under the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative to meet targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illnesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) improvements to and (b) restrictions placed upon access to land owned by his Department since 1997. [112360]

Since 1997 improvements to public access to the defence estate include:

the continuing implementation of specific objectives published in the Estate Strategy 'In Trust and On Trust' (published in 2000), an important part of which related to the introduction of Environmental Management Systems and Integrated Rural Management Plans (IRMPs), which address public access;

the appointment of dedicated Access and Recreation Officers for the Army Training Estate (ATE) in general, and Otterburn Training Area in particular;

a programme of Public Access Studies which are identifying access opportunities at a number of Army Training areas;

improved provision of information, such as site specific leaflets and the revised Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands booklet (published in 2001), and the Defence Estates Access website.

Work is also being carried out on the development of methodology for path condition and visitor surveys; and also for disabled access provision.Public access to the defence estate is kept under continuous review but is, of course, subject to operational, safety and conservation requirements, as well as the interests of our tenants.MOD has an Access and Recreation Working Group which works closely with Statutory Bodies and Non Government Organisations through an Access and Recreation Focus Group.Access issues are included in the Environmental Law and Policy Course and the Conservation Course provided for MOD staff by the Department of Specialist Management Training (RAF Halton).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the call out notices issued by his Department, broken down by type of notice, for the call out of reserves in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the unit to be called up, (b) the units to which the reserves were attached, (c) the location of the deployment, (d) the numbers of reserves sought and (e) the number achieved; and if he will make a statement. [113251]

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the (a) Territorial Army, (b) Royal Naval Reserve, (c) Royal Auxiliary Air Force, (d) Royal Marines Reserve and (e) Regular Reserve were (i) deployed and (ii) called up in connection with Operation Telic. [112085]

As at 2 May 2003, the information requested for Operation Telic was as follows.

	Call-out notices served	Accepted into service
Royal Navy
Regular Reserve (RFR)	0	0
Volunteer Reserve (RNR)	354	282
Royal Marines
Regular Reserve (RFR)	0	0
Volunteer Reserve (RMR)	136	112
Army
Regular Reserve (RAR)	1,288	214
Volunteer Reserve (TA)	5,252	3,480
RAF
Regular Reserve (RAFR)	526	148
Volunteer Reserve (RAuxAF)	1,150	831
Total	8,706	5,067

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the retention rates were for (a) male and (b) female NCOs in each of the services in each of the last five years. [112622]

Retention may be measured by looking at either the Premature Voluntary Release (PVR) rate that shows the number leaving voluntarily before the end of their engagement during a financial year as a proportion of trained strength, or the outflow rate, the total number of NCOs leaving the service during a financial year as a proportion of trained strength.Figures for each service are as follows:1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Committee headed by General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank will report on the review of the issuing of a Medal to those who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954; and if he will make a statement. [113601]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 May Official Report, column 274W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed airfield at Alconbury would be suitable for use by 747 Jumbo aircraft. [112642]

With a runway length of over 2,700 metres aircraft up to Boeing 747 size could use Alconbury (but not at maximum loads).The option of a small-scale development at Alconbury, presented in "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East (second edition)" consultation document, allows for the use of a typical aircraft of the Boeing 737–700 type.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will press the Council of Ministers to refer proposals by the European Parliament for increased flying hours to the European Aviation Safety Agency. [112345]

The European Aviation Safety Agency, which was established in September 2002, currently has no powers in the fields of operator and personnel licensing. However the Commission is required to bring forward by October this year proposals to extend the scope of the Agency to cover these fields, which would include rules on flying hours.The European Parliament's proposals on flight time limitation rules take the form of a first reading amendment to a proposed Regulation which would adopt EC standards for commercial airline operations, based on Joint Aviation Authorities requirements. The Council has not yet discussed the Parliament's amendment and it is for the Presidency to decide whether and when such a discussion should take place. The timing and substance of any such discussion are likely to be influenced by the development of the Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional information he is awaiting before responding publicly to the report of the SRA on Central Railway; and from whom. [112858]

We have asked for further information from Central Railway on several matters before any decision can be taken on whether the Department should support its project.In particular, we need to be assured that all outstanding operational and financial issues have been resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the preparatory and planning costs incurred on the proposed crossrail link in London. [113201]

It is estimated that, from inception to the end of the 2002/2003 financial year, Cross London Rail Links (CLRL) had incurred total costs of around £32 million on preparation and planning for Crossrail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects an announcement to be made on the future of Crossrail; and if he will make a statement. [113254]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Transport to my hon. Friends the Members for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey), and Ilford, South (Mike Gapes) on 13 May 2003, Official Report, column 149.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a statement on the future of the East London line extension. [113202]

Not while there are matters before the Court of Appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department have received honours; and how many honours are held by his officials, broken down by category of honour. [111488]

Due to the machinery of Government changes over the past two years, these data are not held by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what limitations have been placed on Infracos involved in the refurbishment of the London Underground in passing further work to third party contractors. [113206]

A significant proportion of London Underground's engineering work has always been delivered by approved contractors, where this is the most effective means. This will continue. The standards for approving contractors have not changed, and the PPP contracts require the Infrastructure Companies to continue to follow them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his staff have taken sick leave due to mental health problems in the last year. [111975]

During 2002, 107 staff in the centre of the Department for Transport have taken sick leave for causes which may be considered as 'mental health problems'.Information from the Department's Agencies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many sick days were lost over the last year by his Department through staff mental health problems. [112072]

During 2002, the centre of the Department for Transport recorded 4,067 days as sick absence for causes, which may be considered as 'mental health problems'.Information from the Department's Agencies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures will be taken by his Department to reduce noise levels emitted from the M5 for Hucclecote residents in the Gloucester constituency. [113574]

The Highways Agency has plans to lay a quieter road surface on both the northbound and southbound carriageways of the M5 motorway at Hucclecote for a length of 1.32km. This will be a continuation of the noise mitigation measures recently carried out at Upton St. Leonards.This work was recommended in a report on noise from the M5 at Hucclecote. I have asked the Highways Agency to send my hon. Friend a copy of the report and to keep him informed on future progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received covering the introduction of a national rail card to promote railway travel at off-peak times throughout the network. [113200]

Following the Strategic Rail Authority's public consultation on their Fares Review, they received around a dozen responses from organisations proposing or supporting a National Railcard. This included a response sponsored by the Friends of the Earth, which consisted of around 1,200 individual postcards from members of the public. In reaching conclusions on future fares policy, Ministers will take account of these representations together with all other responses to the consultation. An announcement on the outcome of the review on national fares policy will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Answer of 5 March 2003, Official Report, columns 1030–31W, on DVLA, what the total pay costs incurred by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency were in each year since 1997. [113381]

The information requested is as follows:

£000
Year	Total pay costs
1997	59,862
1998	61,068
1999	68,507
2000	75,845
2001	83,551
2002	95,634

Extra staff were required by the Agency over this period for major new initiatives, projects to implement policy changes and safeguard delivery of the core business and increased workload. The exceptional rise in pay costs for 2002, i.e. to a greater proportion than the staff employed, was due to the fundamental restructuring of the Agency's pay system as the first and most significant impact of a five year pay deal agreed with the Unions. The restructuring is designed to address a number of issues, including:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Answer of 3 February 2003, Official Report, column 46W to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster), on railway staff, what the total pay costs incurred by the Office of the Rail Regulator were in each year since 1997. [113382]

The total pay costs incurred by the Office of the Rail Regulator since 1997 are as follows:

Year	£000
1997–98	4,099
1998–99	4,558
1999–2000	5,285
2000–01	6,204
2001–02	4,982
2002–03	5,440

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will determine the applications for port developments at (a) Dibden Bay, (b) London Gateway (Shellhaven) and (c) Bathside Bay together. [113523]

These are separate applications running on individual timetables and there is no compelling reason why they should be determined together.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what EU legislation sets out a safety framework for public service vehicles, with particular reference to (a) non-fluorescent lighting and (b) low floor access. [113476]

EC Directive 2001/85/EC covering the harmonisation of construction standards for the interior and bodywork design and accessibility for PSVs, includes the requirements for low floor access. The same directive also sets out the requirements for the internal lighting of these vehicles in respect of passenger safety and also the avoidance of reflective lighting for the driver. No distinction is made between fluorescent and non-fluorescent lighting.Exterior lighting on public service vehicles is regulated under EC Directive 76/756/EC which relates to the installation of exterior lighting and light signalling devices. EC Directives 76/758/EC, 77/759/EEC, 76/760/EC, 76/761/EC, 76/762/EC, 77/538/EC, 77/539/EC, 77/540/EC and their corresponding UNECE Regulations set standards for the individual lighting components. For all lighting other than headlamps, no distinction is made between fluorescent and non-fluorescent sources.UNECE Regulations 98 and 99 set specific standards for gas discharge headlamps.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the major infrastructure developments are expected on the Cheltenham to London rail line, with special reference to resignalling. [112488]

Network Rail advises that it is working with the Strategic Rail Authority to jointly develop schemes that will increase the flexibility of the network by improving the signalling system as well as undertaking a combination of life extension works and like for like renewals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on station re-opening, with special reference to parkways. [112865]

The Strategic Rail Authority has a responsibility to promote and secure the development of the rail network. Where appropriate, this will includes appraising proposals for the re-opening of railway lines and the development of new infrastructure such as stations, including parkway stations. The SRA considers all such proposals for investment on their merits, and in accordance with its robust appraisal criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list payments made by the Strategic Rail Authority to train operating companies to compensate for income lost due to industrial action over the past year. [113237]

[holding answer 13 May 2003]: In the past year, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has made payments of £12.65 million to National Express in respect of revenue loss by ScotRail arising from industrial action. This follows the introduction of a clause into all franchise agreements allowing the SRA, at its discretion, to compensate train operators for such losses. Payments will be made only where the SRA is satisfied that operators have done all they reasonably could to settle disputes and the cost must be accommodated from within the SRA's agreed budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving motor cycles there were resulting in (a) death and (b) serious injury in each of the last five years; and how many of those involved were (i) males and (ii) females under 2 5 years old. [113025]

The number of road traffic accidents in Great Britain involving motorcycles which resulted in (a) death and (b) serious injury in each of the last five years were as follows:

Fatal and serious accidents involving motorcycles:
	Accidents
Year	Fatal	Serious
1997	538	6,085
1998	523	6,102
1999	569	6,479
2000	649	6,910
2001	618	6,888

And the number of (i) male and (ii) female casualties among motor cycle users under the age of 25 are shown in the following table:

Motorcycle driver or rider casualties aged 24 and under, by gender and severity of casualty:
	Casualties
	Male		Female
Year	Killed	Serious	Killed	Serious
1997	138	1,696	14	229
1998	114	1,589	15	235
1999	132	1,703	17	185
2000	129	1,908	13	226
2001	136	1,921	7	204

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents caused by drivers under the age of 17 years resulted in (a) death and (b) serious injury in each of the last five years. [113030]

The table gives the number of fatal and serious accidents in Great Britain where at least one driver under the age of 17 was involved. We have no information on whether the accident was caused by a young driver.

Road accidents in which at least one driver under 17 was involved
	Accidents
Year	Fatal	Serious
1997	69	1,503
1998	52	1,353
1999	56	1,408
2000	56	1,275
2001	60	1,264

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents there were in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in (a) death and (b) serious injury. [113031]

The number of road traffic accidents in Great Britain in the last five years; and the number which resulted in (a) death and (b) serious injury are shown in the table:

	Accidents
Year	Total	Fatal	Serious
1997	240,287	3,298	36,330
1998	238,923	3,137	34,633
1999	235,048	3,138	33,267
2000	233,729	3,108	32,499
2001	229,014	3,176	31,588

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures he has collated on (a) average traffic speeds, (b) air pollution and (c) bus usage in central London since 17 February; and if he will make a statement. [113203]

The Department for Transport: does not hold the specific figures requested. It is for Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor to do detailed monitoring of the London congestion charging scheme which started on 17 February. TfL are undertaking a comprehensive monitoring programme, using standard surveying techniques, covering relevant modes of transport. They are also proposing to examine wider economic and other impacts, including air quality. They have pledged to make all results available.The Government will consider the evaluation of the scheme and if there are significant gaps in TfL's study programme then the Government will commission work to fill them.Information on traffic levels and bus services since the scheme came into operation can be found on the TfL website at the following links:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the Warsaw Convention in light of recent court judgments in England and Australia. [112982]

At present there are no plans to amend international agreements on air carrier liability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her action to monitor the compliance of Anglian Water Group with consumer standards regulations; and what the results of her monitoring were. [112884]

I have been asked to reply.The Director General of Water Services (Ofwat) monitors the performance of water companies as part of his duty to ensure that the interests of water customers are protected.Each year the water companies in England and Wales provide information to Ofwat on their performance against various aspects of service. In 2001–02, Anglian Water Group were ranked sixth out of the ten water and sewerage companies, in their overall delivery of services to customers.Information on company performance is available in the Ofwat report, Levels of Service for the Water Industry in England and Wales 2001–02, available in the Library of the House and on Ofwat's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of households in (a) Birmingham, Erdington, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK have taken up broadband connectivity. [112996]

According to Oftel (Internet and Broadband Brief) 7 per cent, of households in the UK had broadband connections by the end of April 2003. These data are not available for Erdington and the West Midlands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the work being carried out by Davis Langdon Consultants on insurance in relation to the construction industry; and when Davis Langdon Consultants will be reporting their findings to her Department. [112833]

[holding answer 12 May 2003]: Following representations received from the construction industry about the difficulties being experienced in obtaining insurance, as part of its sector sponsoring role within DTI, Construction Sector Unit (CSU) commissioned Davis Langdon Consultancy (DLC) to:

establish the nature and extent of the difficulties contractors face in obtaining a range of different types of insurance;

provide a clearer understanding of the reasons for the problems facing construction firms in terms of both insurance market aspects, operational practices and developments within construction itself, and;

suggest how the industry could better represent its approach to risk assessment, management and control to the insurance industry, in ways that would help insurers better assess premiums.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of businesses in the construction industry which are operating without employers' liability insurance cover. [113224]

Responsibility for the enforcement of Employers Liability (Compulsary Insurance) (ELCI) lies with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). I understand that non-compliance is monitored by means of checks undertaken by HSE's Workplace Contact Officers and Health and Safety Inspectors.Prosecutions for all employers, not just construction, under ELCI is low at less than 1 per cent. HSE's estimate for non-compliance is based on the level of Enforcement Notices to Produce served for evidence of ELCI certificates. During the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 there were two Notices to Produce served on construction companies and two prosecutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of energy sales mis-selling there were in each local authority area in the last year for which figures are available; if she will list for each authority the total number of incidents; and if she will make a statement on energy sales mis-selling. [112983]

From April 2002 to March 2003, the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (Energywatch) received 109,500 complaints, of which 12,954 were about mis-selling to domestic consumers. Energywatch does not collect figures on a local authority basis. The complaints received by its regional offices were:

Regional office	Number of complaints
Central	2,501
Southern	1,324
London and South East	3,367
North West	2,007
North East	2,015
Scotland	897
Wales	843

I have made it clear to the industry that it must address the continuing problems of mis-selling. Over the past year, it has made considerable efforts to do so, and has introduced the EnergySure staff training scheme and a Code of Practice on direct selling. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), which regulates the sales activities of energy suppliers, may take investigative and enforcement action, including levying financial penalties, against any supplier that breaches the terms of its supply licence. In November 2002, Ofgem fined London Electricity £2 million for mis-selling under its own brand aid that of Virgin Energy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what compensatory measures to other electricity generators are contained within the British Energy restructuring package submitted by the Secretary of State to the European Commission on 7 March. [109527]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) on 13 March 2003, Official Report, column 360W.In restructuring aid cases, the question of whether there should be compensatory measures is a matter for the Commission to assess based on a variety of factors including characteristics of the market and the extent of any distortion of competition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to prevent foreign citizens who are not based in the UK from making a tribunal claim under the Employment Rights Act, following the repeal in 1999 of section 196 of the Act; and if she will make a statement. [113499]

None. The repeal of territorial limits in the 1996 Act ensured that the UK fulfils its EU obligations and removed an obstacle to fair treatment in a few cases. For the Act to apply to any particular case there must first be some proper connection with Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the End of Life Vehicles Directive. [113307]

Draft regulations to implement a number of provisions in the End of Life Vehicles Directive were published for consultation on 7 March. There will be further consultation in due course on draft regulations covering those provisions in the Directive which do not take effect until 2006 and beyond.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many liquefied petroleum gas outlets there were in the UK (a) in 1997, (b) in 2001 and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available. [113281]

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (LPGA) informed the Department of the following figures on the LPG outlets:

End of 1997	End of 2001	2003
100	1,000	1,260

The latest figure of 1,260 was taken from the LPGA website (last updated on 24 April 2003).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the timetable is for the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. [112896]

For planning purposes, the target date for establishing the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on a fully operational basis is April 2005. This assumes that implementing legislation can be bought forward in the next Session of Parliament but this is subject to decisions on the Government's Legislative Programme. Draft legislation will be published shortly for comment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with (a) DEFRA, (b) the industry and (c) green groups on the storage of nuclear waste. [112897]

The Department has regular discussions with DEFRA and the nuclear industry on issues associated with the storage of radioactive waste. Environmental groups have also raised the issue with my officials in the context of discussions on implementation of the proposals set out in the White Paper on Managing the Nuclear Legacy (Cm5552) which was published last July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the services to be funded by the resources allocated to the local network category in the small business section on page 96 of the DTI's Expenditure Plans 2002–03 to 2003–04, Cm 5416; how much funding is allocated to each service; and what the function of each service is. [112881]

The activities to be funded in 2003–04 under the local network category of the DTI Expenditure Plans report for 2002–03 to 2003–04 are: Business Link Core Services Budget—£140.5 million. This budget is allocated to 45 Regional Business Link Operators (BLOs) to deliver business support services for the benefit and the development of small and medium sized enterprises by increasing employment, productivity and helping to stimulate an increased level of business start-ups in the BLO's locality.Local Network Development—£3.7 million. This funding supports SBS head office and regional activities designed to enhance and develop the effectiveness of the BLO network and to support the SBS strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to encourage the inclusion of animal welfare considerations in bilateral agreements on food imports. [113304]

The Government have pressed hard for animal welfare considerations to be included in the WTO multilateral negotiations for a new Agreement on Agriculture. I am pleased to say that the first draft of the new Agreement contains proposals for specific measures on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to visit Cardiff to discuss agricultural issues of mutual interest with the First Secretary and other relevant Secretaries of the Welsh Assembly Government. [113313]

I have no plans to visit Cardiff at present, but look forward to meeting the new Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside at one of my regular meetings with Ministers representing the Devolved Administrations agriculture interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the consultation process for GM crops. [113316]

The consultation process on applications for approval to market GM crops in the European Union is carried out by the European Commission under Directive 2001/18. There are periods of public consultation on the initial application and on the assessment by the member state handling the application. Anyone can submit comments, which are circulated to all member states to inform their own scrutiny.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of progress in reforming the Common Agricultural Policy. [113317]

Commission proposals for reform of the CAP are under active discussion and we expect these to reach a critical stage at the June Council. We are working hard for a positive outcome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will visit Colchester to inspect sites put forward by Essex county council for waste incinerators. [113318]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to visit the sites put forward by Essex county council for waste incinerators. However, if the hon. Member wishes to send me an invitation, it will of course be considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on smells affecting communities. [113314]

I meet frequently with the Environment Agency to discuss areas of concern about the operation of landfill sites and other waste facilities, including any odours that may be affecting local communities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the prospects for farming businesses in upland areas. [113319]

The Government recognise the importance of farming business in upland areas, and the contribution they can make to the upland environment, economy and community. I am aware of the anxiety about CAP reform and its impact on the uplands, but economic analysis undertaken by the Department suggests there will be an improvement in prospects for UK agriculture overall. These and other factors will be taken into account in our current review of Hill Farm Allowance, on which public consultation is under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of carbon dioxide emissions was attributable to the steel industry in each of the last three years. [113321]

Emissions from the UK iron and steel industry accounted for some 5.9, 5.4 and 4.5 per cent, of UK carbon dioxide emissions in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively. The corresponding figure in 2002 was provisionally 3.8 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received regarding the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. [113322]

A considerable amount of correspondence has been received about the measures agreed at the December Council on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy from a range of stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with retailers about proposals to classify uncooked meat and fish as animal by-product waste. [113320]

The Animal By-Products Regulation 1774/2002 maintains the same principle as the previous Council Directive 90/667/EEC (the Animal Waste Directive) which classified uncooked meat and fish as an animal by-product. This has already been transposed into domestic legislation (Animal By-Products Order 1999).Defra has worked closely with industry representatives and enforcement bodies during the negotiations on the EU Animal By-Products Regulation to identify practical difficulties, and where possible to secure transitional measures to give industry time to make the changes necessary to comply with the new requirements.Officials held meetings with food manufacturers and animal by-product disposal companies on the 11 April and again on the 29 April with retailers and the disposal industry to discuss the implementation of the new rules.We will continue to meet with the affected sectors to discuss the progress being made and problems that arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she will take to protect the Darwin Mounds. [113315]

Regulations transposing that Directive are currently being prepared. I expect these to be the subject of a public consultation exercise shortly. As soon as they are in place the site will be formally proposed by the UK to the European Commission. In parallel, the UK is actively discussing emergency fisheries measures with the European Commission aimed at protecting the site.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average income of farming families in Shrewsbury and Atcham was in the last year for which figures are available. [109679]

No information is available on the personal incomes of farming families. Estimates of farm business income are obtainable from a sample survey, but results are not available at constituency level because the size of the sample is too small.Net farm income for full-time farms in the West Midlands Government Office Region in 2001–02, excluding farms involved in the compulsory FMD cull, was £12,200/farm. This compares with £13,600/farm for England as a whole.Net farm income is the return to the principle farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and to the tenant-type capital of the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Water and Nature Protection will visit Brixham to discuss with fishermen the future of the fishing industry. [R] [113128]

I hope to meet with representatives from the leading fishermen's organisations in the south west in early July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the Ministers who will be involved in deciding the Government's response to the results of the GM field trials. [110378]

The Government's response to the results of the GM field trials will be decided through the SCI(BIO) Cabinet Sub-Committee and in consultation with the devolved Administrations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the Harbinson draft framework agreement on agriculture recently published by the WTO. [111872]

[holding answer 13 May 2003]: The Government welcome the level of ambition in the Harbinson proposals and the ideas to help developing countries. However the Government are concerned at a lack of balance, which requires far more from the EU than from some of our other major trading partners, including the USA. Nevertheless the Harbinson paper provides a negotiating basis on which we can build. The Government will continue to work hard within the EU and with other trading partners to achieve an agreement acceptable to all parties as part of the outcome to the 5th Meeting of the WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico, this September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many co-disposal hazardous waste sites will close as a result of the United Kingdom's implementation of the EU Landfill Directive of 1999; and what volume of waste is involved in such closures. [111795]

Under the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, co-disposal of waste will end in July 2004. While it is unlikely that many landfill sites will close as a result of this provision, it is expected that a large number will change classification from hazardous to non-hazardous landfill sites at that time.What this constitutes in terms of waste cannot at present be estimated, but all waste generated has to be either re-used, recycled, recovered or disposed of regardless of the number of landfill sites available. It is Government policy to move waste up the hierarchy and thereby move towards more sustainable ways of dealing with waste than is achieved by disposal to landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review the penalties that Ofwat may impose on water companies to improve customer service and satisfaction. [112878]

The Water Bill, which was published on 20 February, brings forward proposals to impose penalties of up to 10 per cent, of companies' turnover where they contravene the conditions of their licences or other statutory requirements. The Bill, once it becomes law, will require Ofwat to consult on and publish a statement of its policies with regard to the imposition of such penalties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers Ofwat has to insist that water companies should backdate refunds or rebates to 1 April 2000. [112879]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State supports the provision of rebates for customers whose surface water does not flow into public sewers. This involves a reallocation of charges between non-connected customers and other customers, which is taken into account on a year-by-year basis. Neither Ofwat nor the Government can require companies to offer retrospective rebates, or periods with no charge in lieu of past payments. Such a scheme would imply retrospective increases for other customers, which is against the Government's policy of stable and predictable charging.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those European Union measures, pursuant to Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste, which are under discussion at European Union level, which have an impact on produce packaging by the food industry. [112500]

I have been asked to reply.The current revision to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive primarily relates to increased targets for recovery and recycling of all packaging, irrespective of type. Produce packaging is not specifically mentioned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 8 April 2003, Official Report, column 133W, on the pay review, if she will place a copy of her Department's action plan in the Library. [112324]

Defra has completed an Equal Pay Review in line with guidance from the Cabinet Office. A draft action plan has been submitted to the Cabinet Office by the deadline of the 30 April. Defra senior management are considering the review's conclusions and the ways in which the action plan can be implemented. Once these discussions have been concluded, a copy of the Defra action plan will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the Scottish Executive on preventing the crossbreeding, disease and pollution of wild salmon in the rivers of north east England from farmed salmon in Scotland. [113070]

No such representations have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken with the Scottish Executive to jointly manage the Tweed and its tributaries to protect wild salmon from pollution, disease and crossbreeding with farmed salmon. [113071]