To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will make a statement on the latest position regarding the latest time Royal Mail can collect Members' letters for delivery to constituents the following day. [123812]

Senior officials from both Houses are in discussion with the Managing Director of UK Royal Mail with the aim of achieving reinstatement of a later collection of Members' letters for delivery to constituents the following day. I will write to the hon. Gentleman once the outcome of these discussions is known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units will make up 19 Mechanised Brigade as it is deployed to Operation Telic 2; and when deployments will commence. [123573]

The following units will make up 19 (Mechanised) Brigade, during its period of deployment to Iraq:

• 19 (Mechanised) Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron
• The Regimental Headquarters and two Squadrons from the Light Dragoons
• B Squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
• 1st Battalion, the King's Regiment
• 1st Battalion, the Queen's Lancashire Regiment
• 1st Battalion the King's Own Scottish Borderers
• 4/73 Observation Post Battery from 5th Regiment Royal Artillery
• 40th Regiment Royal Artillery
• 38th Engineer Regiment (including 100 Squadron, Royal Monmouthshire,
• Royal Engineers (Militia))

The Brigade will also deploy with a Brigade Support Group, comprising of:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sites in Iraq suspected of links to possible covert weapons of mass destruction programmes have been searched by (a) the Iraq Survey Group and (b) other coalition personnel; and how many identified suspect sites have yet to be searched. [121289]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary gave on 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 938W to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the USA concerning incidences of 'friendly fire' against British troops in Iraq. [108850]

We worked closely with the United States to ensure that effective Combat Identification arrangements were in place before the start of operations in Iraq. United Kingdom forces' Combat Identification capability is compatible and comparable with that of our US allies, but regrettably no system can be 100 per cent. fail-safe.Both incidents of "friendly fire" that occurred during operations against Iraq involving US and UK forces are the subject of Boards of Inquiry, which have now convened. But we will be looking to ensure that all parties absorb any lessons identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what US assistance was (a) requested and (b) provided in deploying logistics as part of Operation Telic. [112030]

No United States assistance was requested or provided in deploying logistics from the United Kingdom to the Gulf as part of Operation Telic. However, the US provided the reception process for all troops arriving in theatre and shared UK/US contracts were placed in Kuwait for services including accommodation and ablution facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 35W, what the value was of each order; how many man hours were required for the completion of each contract; and in which yards the work was carried out in each case. [123741]

The yards which carried out the work or the contracts listed in the answer of 30 June, Official Report, column 35W are detailed in the table. The number of man hours required for completion of each contract is not known as companies do not include this information in their tenders.

Year/vessel	A&P yard
1999
Sir Tristram	Falmouth
Brambleleaf	Falmouth
Diligence	Tyne
Sir Bedivere	Tyne
Sir Galahad	Tyne
2000
Oak Leaf	Falmouth
Gold Rover	Falmouth
Small vessel repair/maintenance	Southampton

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF and Royal Navy combat aircraft were available for operations on 1 January 2003; and how many are planned to be available on (a) 1 January 2008, (b) 1 January 2013 and (c) 1 January 2018. [119492]

As of 1 January 2003, the RAF and RN combat (fast jet) aircraft Actual Operating Fleet figure was 306 aircraft. The numbers of aircraft available on 1 January 2008, 2013 and 2018 will depend upon our operational requirements at the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units flagged for deployment with the European peacekeeping force are (a) deployed and (b) undeployable owing to roulement; what proportion by category of unit or establishment this comprises; and if he will make a statement. [123046]

There is no such force as the "European peacekeeping force".

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 538W, on infantry numbers, whether Ministers have had discussions with the Director of Infantry about disbanding infantry battalions. [122986]

Ministers have had no discussions with the Director of Infantry about disbanding infantry battalions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and Government Bills he has sponsored. [120692]

Of the bills sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces Bill was the subject of a Sewel motion in the Scottish Parliament on 29 March 2001.The Sewel motion related to specific provisions within the Armed Forces Bill concerning Ministry of Defence Police that were later included in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contractors who have been asked to provide proposals to supply trainer jets to the Royal Air Force; and by what criteria bids will be assessed. [115121]

[pursuant to the answer, 2 June 2003, Official Report, c. 42–43W]: The company named should have read Aermacchi and not Finmeccanica.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people working on road repairs and improvements over each of the last three years have been (a) injured and (b) killed working on motorways,(ii) other trunk roads and (iii) all other roads. [120672]

The number of people injured and killed while working on road repairs and improvements on Motorways and other trunk roads in England over the last three years is shown in the following table. Information for all other roads is not available.

Reported Casualties at HA1 roadworks (Motorways and Trunk Roads)22000–02: Casualties
	Severity	Motorway	Trunk road	Total
2000	Fatal	1	2	3
	Injured	48	11	59
	All	49	13	62
2001	Fatal	3	1	4
	Injured	47	26	73
	All	50	27	77
2002	Fatal	1	5	6
	Injured	59	37	96
	All	60	42	102
1Highways Agency.
2Motorways and Trunk roads in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of vehicle excise duty evasion in England, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997. [121524]

The estimated revenue loss from vehicle excise duty evasion in each year since 1997 in England is as follows:

Vehicle excise duty evasion
£million
	Amount
1997–98	162.5
1998–99	172.5
1999–2000	162.2
2000–01	169.0
2001–02	170.5
2002–03	172.1

A breakdown of the revenue loss from evasion by local authority area could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. These are cash amounts and are not indexed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will commission research on the technology that would enable abandoned cars to be used in steel production. [122583]

Recent data obtained by the Department estimate that 93 per cent. by weight of the ferrous metal components of end of life vehicles is recovered for re-use or recycled to the steel industry. Abandoned vehicles are managed in the same way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will bring forward for the disposal of abandoned cars. [122584]

Waste collection authorities are required under section 3(1) of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 to remove a vehicle which is abandoned in their area on any land in the open air or on any other land forming part of a highway. Section 4 of the 1978 Act enables waste disposal authorities to dispose of vehicles in their custody which have been removed because they were abandoned. Such vehicles are normally disposed of through either dismantlers or scrap yards.The dismantling and recycling of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) must be carried out in compliance with the conditions of a waste management licence or under a registered exemption from licensing and in a manner which does not pollute the environment and harm human health.The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive requires that all ELVs, including those abandoned vehicles which are ELVs, are depolluted and dismantled to specified environmental standards by appropriately-permitted facilities. The permits will replace registered exemptions (unless a site is only carrying out recovery operations on de-polluted vehicles). Regulations to transpose this aspect of the Directive will be laid before Parliament shortly following a joint consultation with DTI which closed on 6 June about implementing parts of the Directive.The Directive requires that member states shall set up a system according to which the presentation of a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) is a condition for deregistration of the vehicle. When the Directive is transposed into National law, it is expected that CoDs will only be issued by Authorised Treatment Facilities meeting specified site, storage and operating standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within her Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and comparable titles since May 1997; what their job title is or was; what their role is or was; whether they were or are being paid; what the total cost of each such person was in each financial year, including expenses and benefits; what the expected cost of each such person is in 2003–04; to whom they are accountable; and if she will make a statement. [112459]

Defra came into being in June 2001 and the following information relates to the period since then.The Secretary of State has two Special Advisers: Sheila Watson and Nicci Collins.The Department employs an Environmental Adviser, who reports to the Director for Environment Protection Strategy. This post was held by Peter Madden until 2002 and is now held by Stephen Hale.The above are paid appointments. Under exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, details of individual salaries are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. All of these appointees are or were accountable to Ministers for their decisions and actions.Ewen Cameron, who is also Chair of the Countryside Agency, is the Rural Advocate, arguing the case on countryside issues and for rural people at the highest levels in Government and outside. While this role has no formal line of accountability Sir Ewen works closely with the Minister of State for Rural Affairs on a range of issues of rural proofing and also has access to the Secretary of State and other senior members of Government.Dr Chris Fay holds the title Emissions Trading Champion. Reporting to the Director for Climate, Energy and Environmental Risk, he assisted the Government in recruiting participants to the UK's voluntary Emissions Trading Scheme launched in April 2002, and plays a role in communicating with business on emissions trading issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are employed by her Department in (a) West Derbyshire and (b) Derbyshire. [124013]

(a) There are three staff employed by Defra in West Derbyshire, in the State Veterinary Service Area Office at Bakewell.(b) Neither Defra nor any of its Agencies has offices in Derbyshire other than those in Bakewell.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the underspend was of her Department in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03, broken down by budget head; and what percentage of the total budget this represented. [123814]

For details of the 2001–02 underspend, I refer the hon. Member to Schedule 1 (page 23) of the Department's 2001–02 Resource Accounts, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the house.Actual 2002–03 outturn figures are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in England and Wales are at risk of (a) river and (b) coastal flooding. [122725]

The Environment Agency's indicative floodplain maps published in November 2002 suggest that there are (a) about 938,000 properties at risk of river flooding and (b) about 908,000 at risk of coastal/tidal flooding in England and Wales. These properties are situated within the indicative floodplains and the majority of them are protected by flood defence structures. Approximately nine per cent. of these are commercial properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Rural Payments Agency has made any payment in cases where an animal has been presented for the Over-30-Months Scheme with a worn or defective ear tag. [123320]

While over six million animals have entered the Over-30-Month Scheme since it started in 1996, the Rural Payments Agency is not aware of any instances where payment has been made on a tag that was worn to the extent that it was partly illegible. If an instance came to light the Agency would look to instigate recovery action in respect of any moneys paid.Tags which are so worn that they are partly illegible, have been ineligible for the OTMS since the onset of the scheme in 1996. This has been stressed in numerous Trader Notices issued over the years and is also set out in Part B of the OTMS Producer's Handbook.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what system is in place to enable the assessment of the impact on the environment from the interaction of pesticides individually approved for use. [123830]

Possible synergistic effects of pesticides on the environment are addressed by looking at the toxicity of pesticide products that contain more than one active ingredient.The Pesticides Safety Directorate has also examined the possible effects on the environment of the interaction of pesticides on a more general level. In 1995 a literature review was undertaken on the possible ecotoxicological implications for the Directorate's wildlife risk assessment of the possible synergistic effects of pesticides.As a follow-up to the literature review, and in response to reported wildlife incidents, the Directorate has commissioned research into the synergistic effects of insecticides and fungicides on honeybees. The research is due to be completed later this year when the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides will consider it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appeals against derogations on maps under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 have (a) been lodged and (b) succeeded. [123405]

Up to the week beginning 16 June the Planning Inspectorate received 188 appeals in respect of Region 1, the south east of England and 721 appeals in respect of Region 2, the upper north west. So far three appeal decisions have been issued, two of which were successful.In addition, 24 appeals have so far been received for Region 3, the central southern region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many representations she has received on the mapping of land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [123407]

Between 2001 to the end of June 2003, we received around 600 representations on aspects of the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 including mapping.

Scheme	1 January	1 April	Claims outstanding as at 26 June 2003	Value of outstanding claims as at 26 June 2003 (£)
Arable area payments scheme 2002 main payments	0	106	55	577,120.20
AAPS 2002 non-food	0	309	20	61,820.51
Sheep annual premium scheme	0	83	74	450,760
Dairy subsidy schemes	0	7	0	0
Non IACS schemes	37	80	38	8,227
Trader schemes	0	0	114	4-
ERDP	0	0	7,858	4-
Slaughter premium scheme (SPS)	174,167	156,673	2138,606	6,885,946
Beef special premium scheme (BSPS)	135,278	125,414	257,230	24,093,540
Suckler cow premium scheme (SCPS)	116,257	19,816	212,407	33,993,594
Extensification payment scheme (EPS)	n/a	122,467	216,783	30 million (estimate)
1claims with an outstanding advance payment representing 80 per cent. of the payment due which could have been made from 16 October 2002.
2Claims with an outstanding balance and or advance payment.
32003-04 financial year
4Values not available

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value of compensation payments to farmers as a result of late payments by the Rural Payments Agency was in each year since it was created. [122842]

Since the Rural Payments Agency was created on 16 October 2001, payments of compensation because of late payments has been made under the Bovine Schemes and the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS)In 2003–04 £383,013.36 was paid to 3,439 bovine producers whose 2001 subsidy claims were paid in full after the statutory payment deadline of 30 June 2002. The delays had been caused by the need to crosscheck all subsidy information against the Cattle Tracing System database as required by EU legislation.Under the AAPS producers have been compensated for a number of reasons included late payments. The total amount of compensation payments in each year since 16 October 2001 is:

	£
2001/02	11,945.79
2002–03	35,804.70
2003–04	9,666.70

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Rural Payments Agency claims were outstanding (a) on 1 January, (b) 1 April and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available; and what sums were outstanding in each case. [122522]

The number of Rural Payments Agency claims outstanding on 1 January, 1 April and 26 June 2003 are as shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many satellites are (a) owned and (b) leased either in whole or part by her Department, giving (i) the purpose of their use, (ii) their initial cost and annual running costs and (iii) from whom they were purchased or leased in each case. [117337]

This Department does not own or lease any satellites, but Defra does have a significant interest in a payload instrument (AATSR—Advanced—Along Track Scanning Radiometer) on board the European Space Agency's satellite ENVISAT, which was launched in March 2002. Defra represented the UK as the lead agency in the AATSR project, with some components of the instrument being supplied by the Australian Govern went, and an in-kind contribution from the Natural Environment Research Council.(i) The Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) instrument is the third in the ATSR series. It is designed to measure sea surface temperature to a high level of accuracy, in order to enable the detection of trends in climate.(ii) The capital cost of the design and build of the instrument was £11 million. In 2002–03 operational costs incurred amounted to £400,000; now that the instrument is successfully commissioned, future annual running costs are expected to be approximately half this amount.(iii) The instrument was manufactured by Astrium (formerly Matra Marconi/British Aerospace) and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). Project management and technical management advice was provided by Leicester University and Vega Space Systems up to the launch date. There will be continued advice (but to a lesser degree) as part of the operational in-flight support. In-flight operation and maintenance is provided by RAL with data validation undertaken by Leicester University.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff the Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which the Department is responsible had in each year since 1997; and what the cost of those staff was in each of those years. [122263]

Data on staffing levels in the civil service are collected from departments and agencies twice yearly, in April and October. Headline figures are published under National Statistics guidelines via a press notice. Those for October 2002 were published on 27 February 2003.A copy of the press notice, accompanying media brief and supporting tables is available on the worldwide web at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics. Copies of these documents are also placed in the Libraries of both Houses.More detailed information on the civil service is published annually in 'Civil Service Statistics', copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. The last edition, based on April 2001 data, was published in June 2002. The next edition, based on April 2002 data, is due to be published at the end of July 2003.The Cabinet Office publishes information on non-departmental public bodies in its annual publication 'Public Bodies'. The information includes details of the number of staff employed by each NDPB at 31 March each year. "Public Bodies 2002" was published in January 2003. Copies of "Public Bodies" published each year since 1997 are available in the Libraries of both Houses.Information on staff costs for Defra and its agencies is available in the Defra departmental report and the agencies' annual reports. Information on staff costs for non-departmental public bodies is available in each body's published accounts.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what discussions he has had with the Defence Secretary regarding the role of provincial reconstruction teams for Afghanistan. [123661]

The concept of Provincial Reconstruction Teams was agreed at ministerial level earlier this year, with the Ministry of Defence being asked to take overall responsibility for delivering the agreed objectives of the PRT. These objectives were set out in the statement to Parliament made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 8 May 2003; Official Report, column 38WS.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what measures the Government are taking with their international partners to reduce the price of antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment imported to poor countries. [123048]

The UK Government are working to improve access to new and existing medicines, for poor people in developing countries, including for HIV/ AIDS. The factors recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that can improve poor peoples' access to medicines are: affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems and the rational selection and use of existing drugs.Clare Short chaired a High Level Working Group on Increasing Access to Essential Medicines in the Developing World, which examined these issues in detail. The Working Group made a series of recommendations for action which are being taken forward by a number of stakeholders.We need to work with others to tackle the issues affecting access, if we are to make progress. The recent G8 Summit at Evian also secured commitment to action on access to medicines. The G8 Health Action Plan is in line with the Working Group's recommendations and provides a good basis for future collaborative action with a range of stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry. We are devoting significant effort to taking this forward, particularly at country level.The Government have also supported efforts within the European Union to put in place an EU Regulation that will prevent the diversion or 'leakage' of cheaper products from developing countries back to the EU. This is to encourage companies to offer their medicines (including anti-retrovirals) at significantly lower prices to developing countries.With regard to generic production in particular, the UK is trying to find a solution to the outstanding issue from the Doha Declaration on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health, i.e. how countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical sector can make effective use of compulsory licensing procedures within the TRIPS Agreement.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government's policy is on the appointment of an EU AIDS Ambassador to help co-ordinate the fight against the disease. [123049]

We are unaware of any plans to appoint an EU AIDS Ambassador. We welcome the opportunity of increased spending on HIV/AIDS from European Commission financial instruments, including the new budget line to fight poverty-related diseases and the EC contribution to the Global Fund to fight HIV/ AIDS, TB and Malaria. We continue to call for EC spending to be more poverty-focused and to be better co-ordinated.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what discussions his Department has had with the Governments of Sub-Saharan Africa regarding the need for agricultural institutions to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. [123646]

DFID has held extensive discussions with African Governments over this issue; these have covered involvement in poverty reduction strategy working groups and the design and implementation of programmes to combat HIV/AIDS, as well as donor coordination groups and negotiations connected with the design and implementation of agricultural sector support programmes. DFID has also financed relevant research programmes that involve African institutions and supported analytical work on the links between HIV/AIDS and recent food insecurity in southern Africa.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the health situation in Monrovia, Liberia. [123662]

Our information on the health situation in Monrovia is provided by the UN, and international agencies maintaining a presence there, and the current assessment is that the situation is critical. In those areas that can be reached by humanitarian agencies, conditions are very poor. It is likely to be far worse in those areas of the country that cannot be reached. Only one hospital is functioning in Monrovia, currently run by ICRC, and a few additional clinics have been set up there following a lull in the fighting this week. Sanitation is virtually non-existent and water supplies are inadequate. A major cholera outbreak is likely in these conditions; health NGOs that remain operational are preparing to respond to this. Their activities have been hampered by looting of vehicles, fuel, drugs and medical supplies.We have committed a total of £2.5 million for humanitarian activity in Liberia this year, including £1.5 million in response to the recent upsurge in fighting. We have provided £1,050,000 to support ICRC and £450,000 to Medecins Sans Frontieres, for secondary health care. These are the only two agencies maintaining expatriate medical teams in the country. We have also recently provided £374,000 to support a MERLIN emergency health programme in Monrovia. We still have available a balance of £626,000 for humanitarian interventions in Liberia which we intend to allocate to strengthen the geographical and sectoral coverage of the relief programme. We are in close touch with the UN and other agencies working in Liberia. We will meet with them on 8 July 2003 to review the position.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation and recent actions by the Lord's Resistance Army in Teso, Uganda. [123731]

We are concerned by the impact of the recent LRA attacks. We remain in close contact with agencies operating in this area and in conjunction with them have been carefully monitoring the situation. We have indicated to these agencies our willingness to assist, and are considering a number of requests for humanitarian assistance.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the abduction of children by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent this from happening. [123724]

It is estimated that over 20,000 children have been abducted by the LRA since the conflict began some 17 years ago. Of these, approximately 8,000 have been abducted in the past 12 months. DFID continues to provide support to UNICEF and other agencies involved in the reintegration of returning abductees and to provide shelter for those displaced by the LRA's activities. We continue to lobby the Ugandan Government to use all means to bring this conflict to a peaceful end and to protect those most vulnerable to LRA attacks.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many internally displaced people there are in northern Uganda; and how much aid his Department is giving to help them. [123725]

It has been estimated that there are around one million internally displaced people in Uganda. Over the past 12 months, we have allocated £2.5 million towards their needs and will shortly be releasing a further £1 million through the Uganda Red Cross and UNICEF to help with the deteriorating situation in northern Uganda.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many street children there are in Central America, broken down by country; and how many street children there are in each country. [123740]

I have been asked to reply.The Government fully share the hon. Member's concern about the plight of street children in Central America. The rights of children worldwide are a central part of our human rights policy. We maintain a constant dialogue with the Central American authorities and NGOs on this issue; as does the EU. However, the nature of the problem is such that it is very difficult to know precisely how many street children there are in the individual Central America countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over. [119829]

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply provided by Cabinet Office on 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 658W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost of an employee working in his Department has been in each year since 1997. [119434]

The average cost of an employee in my Department based on mean basic pay, superannuation and employer's national insurance contributions since 1997 is given in the table.

	£
2002–03	30,500
2001–02	29,000
2000–01	26,800
1999–2000	25,900
1998–99	25,300
1997–98	24,700
1996–97	24,000

For the period 1996–97 to 2000–01 (the period for which comparisons are available), this shows a 12 per cent. increase in average cost for the Department. This compares to a 21 per cent. increase in average salary for the labour market as a whole over the period and a 19 per cent. increase in average salary for teachers in London over the same period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of his staff retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year. [111966]

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply provided by Cabinet Office on 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 662W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to business of employers' liability compulsory insurance in the last five years; by how much it has increased since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [120387]

I have been asked to reply.It is possible to estimate the annual cost to business of employers' liability compulsory insurance by looking at the total premiums written by insurers.

	Gross written premiums earned (£million)
1997	1,151
1998	993
1999	906
2000	821
2001	1,093

It is important to note that the amount raised in premiums will depend on a range of factors including number of staff employed and average earnings.Figures are not yet available for 2002. However, it is clear that insurance premiums have risen significantly over the last two years.I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement that was given on 3 June 2003, Official Report, columns 1–2WS, announcing the publication of the report that looked at the issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what price control mechanisms will be necessary to ensure the Government's renewable energy targets for 2010 are met. [122575]

Ofgem sets price controls for all transmission and distribution companies, usually every five years. A review is currently in progress to reset the price controls on electricity distribution businesses from April 2005.The price controls for the two Scottish transmission licensees are due to be reviewed from April 2005, and NGC's electricity transmission price control is due for review from April 2006. These price controls will need to encourage the investment in the transmission and distrilbution infrastructure necessary to achieve the Government's 10 per cent. renewable energy target by 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what improvements to the National Grid will need to be made to ensure the Government meets its renewable energy target of 10 per cent. by 2010; and how these improvements will be financed. [122576]

Improvements will have to be made to the transmission grid by all of the Transmission Asset Owners (National Grid Transco, Scottish Power, and Scottish & Southern) for new renewable generation stations. The Transmission Issues Working Report published in June 2003 estimated the costs of these works.Planning works for the initial upgrades have been started by both Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern, following agreements made with Ofgem earlier this year. This was in response to requests from renewable energy generators (wind farms) to be connected to the transmission system. These upgrades will be treated as additions to the Regulatory Asset Base, with appropriate charges made to the generators according to the connection agreements offered.The Transmission Issues Working Group will continue to monitor the progress of this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she was first informed that the Royal Mail would terminate their contract for deliveries of mail by rail with EWS from April 2004. [R][123772]

The Department had been aware for some time that negotiations between Royal Mail and EWS were proving difficult. Royal Mail informed the Department on 2 June that while the final outcome was not yet settled, it expected to make an announcement about the termination of EWS rail services later in the week.Negotiations between EWS and Royal Mail are a commercial matter for the companies concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received on the transfer of Royal Mail deliveries from rail to road; and what model has been used for Royal Mail deliveries in its transfer. [R][123773]

The Department has received a number of representations about Royal Mail's decision to withdraw from rail. These include the rail unions and the all party Rail Group.Decisions about transport operations are a matter for the Royal Mail Board. Royal Mail has advised that its model is based on a model developed by New Zealand Post. This software was modified to meet Royal Mail's specific needs, including the potential use of rail transport as part of its network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the impact of the Working Time Directive on delivery of mail by road from April 2004. [123822]

Compliance with the Working Time Directive is an operational matter for the Royal Mail Board. I understand that Royal Mail has fully assessed the impact of the Working Time Directive on its future transport network. Where necessary Royal Mail will take appropriate measures, such as trailer swaps, vehicle swaps and dual manning of vehicles, to ensure compliance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to extend employment protection rights in respect of unfair dismissal to people over 65. [123299]

[holding answer 3 July 2003]: Under current legislation employees cannot generally complain of unfair dismissal if they have reached their employer's normal retirement age for their job, or, if there is no normal retirement age, the age of 65. The public consultation on age discrimination launched on 2 July, 'Equality and Diversity: Age Matters', proposes changing these provisions so that employees who believe they have been unfairly dismissed can seek redress at any age, but retirement at a justifiable retirement age will be a fair reason for dismissal. A final decision will be made in the light of responses to consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Minister of State for Energy and Construction has visited facilities which extract energy from municipal waste in the past two years; and what plans he has for such visits. [122506]

My hon. Friend the then Minister for Energy and Construction visited CPS Civic Ltd.'s energy from waste plant in Sheffield in March this year. He also met with representatives from Compact Power in London in March.I have no immediate plans for such visits, although I am always interested to hear the industry's views. However my officials have regular meetings with representatives of the waste management industry, and have played an active role in the development of good practice initiatives by the National Resource and Waste Forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was to her Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123139]

The Department does not provide training for Ministers.DCMS ran a leadership programme in 2001–02 which covered the use of the voice. The programme cost £20,531.In 2002–03, DCMS ran courses on presenting with confidence, which also covered use of the voice. These cost a total of £6,350.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 447W, on Sport England, from which budget money for redundancy and early retirement of Sport England staff in 2003–04 will come. [122156]

40 per cent. will come from Sport England's grant in aid and 60 per cent. will come from Sport England's Lottery income. This reflects the current payment of salaries from each budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers were employed in the Scotland Office on 11 June 2003. [123575]

Two.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by his Department in each of the last five years. [120743]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 728W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he gave evidence to the Bain Inquiry into current working practices in the Fire Service; and if he will make a statement. [123419]

No. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister submitted written evidence on behalf of the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was to his Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123123]

The Wales Office was created in July 1999 and has incurred no expenditure on these forms of training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will give evidence to the Richard Commission. [123418]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 257–58.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120745]

The revised Regulatory Impact Assessment guidance, "Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment", was published on 28 January 2003. It advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development and gives specific examples of where sunsetting may be appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of the tourist industry in Wales to discuss current issues; and what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on this subject. [117524]

I last met with Mr. Philip Evans, the Chairman of the Wales Tourist Board, in January 2003 and was briefed on the then current position of tourism in Wales. The First Minister and I have regular bilateral meetings, and tourism is one of the many subjects we discuss.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) pursuant to his answer of 11 June2003, Official Report, columns 925–26W, on housing benefit, how much money was claimed in council tax benefit in Scotland in 2002–03, broken down by local authority; [120131](2) pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003,

The information is not available.However, national estimates of housing benefit and council tax benefit expenditure during 2002–03, as well as details of expenditure by local authority in 2001–02 can be found in "Budget Report 2003: Benefit Expenditure Tables", a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his statement of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 41WS, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive regarding support for British Sign Language; and what proportion of the funding announced will be used to support the use of British Sign Language in Scotland. [122174]

The Department is in regular contact with the Scottish Executive over a range of issues.We have said that all parts of Great Britain will benefit from the initiatives to be funded from the additional £1 million we have made available to support the statement on British Sign Language. We have established a BSL working group with representatives from key organisations of and for Deaf people with remits across Great Britain. They are charged with ensuring that initiatives reflect needs across GB including Scottish interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the status is of carer's allowance during a period when the cared-for person is in respite care; [121714](2) what the effect is on a person on carer's allowance of a period of illness. [121715]

Carers can continue to receive carer's allowance during breaks from caring which amount to no more than 12 weeks in any 26 week period, provided that they had been caring for at least 14 weeks out of the previous 26 weeks. The breaks from caring which count for these rules include breaks which arise because the cared-for person is in respite care or because the carer is in hospital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the scheme to remove driving licences from people who fail to pay child support has cost, including initial start-up costs. [121220]

The operation of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are employed within the Child Support Agency on transition between the old and new systems of assessment. [118311]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on devising strategies which ensure that children with disabilities are encouraged to have the widest possible career paths, from the earliest opportunity. [117651]

As part of its role in supporting all 13 to 19-year-olds, the Connexions Service has a particular role to play in supporting young people with disabilities making the transition from compulsory education. Personal advisers will work with young people to help them identify their aspirations, including on careers, and how to work towards them. Government guidance to the Learning and Skills Council makes it clear that, in making its decisions on funding post-16 education and training provision, it should take account of any assessment made by the Connexions Service. We have made legal provision for Connexions support to continue up to the age of 25 for those young people with disabilities who are not in a position to receive appropriate support from adult guidance services. Given its importance, we are monitoring closely the impact Connexions is having in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the cost of crisis loans has been in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997;[119119](2) what the average value of a crisis loan has been in

The information is not available by constituency, local authority or metropolitan authority areas. The available information, for the Gateshead and South Tyneside Jobcentre Plus (previously Social Security) district and Great Britain is in the tables.

Crisis Loan Awards, Expenditure and Average Awards in the Gateshead and South Tyneside District
Year	No. of initial Awards	Expenditure on Initial Awards (£)	Average Value of Initial Awards (£)
1997–98	8,200	420,000	51
1998–99	10,100	490,000	49
1999–2000	12,500	660,000	53
2000–01	13,200	780,000	59
2001–02	12,800	990,000	77
2002–03	14,700	1,200,000	82

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's procurement policy includes timber used on and in the construction of departmental building projects; and if he will make a statement. [119129]

It is the Department's Policy to specify that all timber used throughout the Department is supplied from legal and sustainable sources. It is also our policy to seek documentary evidence of this. Our major Estates Partner has supplied us with comprehensive details of timber used across DWP and this is being independently verified. The Department will use the lessons learned from this report to work closely with our Estates Partners to ensure that any areas of concern that are identified are rectified quickly to ensure that they comply with Government Policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the payment of disability living allowance to UK citizens who emigrate (a) within the EU and (b) outside the EU. [121619]

It has always been Government policy that social security benefits like disability living allowance, which are funded by the taxpayer and do not depend on contributions, should be available only to people who are resident in the United Kingdom. The situation differs depending upon whether Community law applies.Disability living allowance was listed in the EEC Regulation 1408/71 as a non-exportable, 'special noncontributory' benefit from 1 June 1992, so that new awards could not be payable to someone living permanently in another Member State. The regulation also applies to non-EU states which are within the European Economic Area (EEA) and to Switzerland.However, those in receipt of benefit before 1 June 1992 can continue to receive their benefit if they are living permanently in another Member State, providing they were covered by EEC Regulation 1408/71 prior to 1 June 1992. This applies not only to those who had worker status, but also to those who are members of the family of a worker who is an EEA national and thereby come within the personal scope of the regulation.For people who emigrate to countries outside the application of EEC Regulation 1408/71, there are no circumstances in which disability living allowance can continue in payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets he has on improving energy efficiency in (a) his Department and (b) agencies sponsored by his Department; what steps he is taking to achieve these targets; and if he will make a statement. [119125]

The Department, including its Executive Agencies, is covered by the interim, cross-Government target of a 1 per cent per annum reduction in (weather corrected) CO2 emissions. A dedicated Energy Manager is based within the Sustainable Development Team, who works closely with Estates Partners to achieve this target. A number of projects are under way to install energy efficiency measures across a range of buildings on the Estate. In addition, the Sustainable Development Team undertake regular campaigns to highlight to staff the important contribution that they make to achieving this target.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the estimated cost of (a) council tax benefit fraud and (b) housing benefit fraud in Scotland was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; [119712](2) if he will estimate the cost of housing benefit fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997; [119877](3) how many instances there were of council tax benefit fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997; [119878](4) how many instances there were of housing benefit fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997. [120134]

All the information requested is not available. However, the National Housing Benefit Accuracy Review of 1997–98 estimated that between 0.7per cent. and 2.9 per cent. housing benefit claims in Scotland were fraudulent in 1997–98, with a further 1.2 per cent. to 3.7 per cent. strongly suspected of fraud and 0.2 per cent. to 0.8 per cent. mildly suspected of fraud. These figures cannot be broken down to individual local authority level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) on 20 May 2003, Official Report, columns 749–50W, on incapacity benefits, how many people claimed both incapacity benefit and income support in each year since 1995. [121256]

The information is in the table.

People claiming incapacity benefit (IB) who are also in receipt of income support (IS)
As at 30 November	Number
1995	768,900
1996	794,400
1997	864,800
1998	872,800
1999	911,500
2000	970,300
2001	1,013,800
2002	1,057,100

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his staff retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems in the last year. [111943]

Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, 79 staff within the Department for Work and Pensions retired on medical grounds due to mental health problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proportion of claimants for pension credit who will receive payment at the commencement of the scheme. [115397]

We have a Public Service Agreement target that pension credit should be in payment to at least three million pensioner households by 2006. The current 1.8 million recipients of MIG will be automatically converted to pension redit and will start to receive payment from when it is introduced in October 2003. In addition we are writing to 20 per cent. of pensioner households inviting them to make advance claims and expect the vast majority of successful claims to be in payment by October 2003. No-one will lose out because they have not made an advance application. All those who apply before October 2004, if they're entitled will receive payment as though they had claimed at the very start, or to the first day they could have qualified, if later.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his response of 7 May, Official Report, column 701W, whether his Department will assess the submission to his Department's Pensions Green Paper made by the Pensions Policy Institute on this issue. [119217]

The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed all of the comments and feedback received during the Green Paper consultation period and benefited from the many people and organisations who responded. This was the biggest ever consultation on pensions—during which we received some 800 responses from a wide range of groups and individuals. On 11 June, we published "Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement. Action on occupational pensions" (Cm 5677) setting out action we will take to improve the security of occupational pensions and make it easier for employers to provide pensions. The document also signposts progress on the rest of our programme of reform on which we will make further announcements in due course.All of the comments received during this exercise have been assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and Government bills he has sponsored. [120689]

No bill sponsored by this Department has been the subject of a Sewel motion in the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the departmental strategy for sustainable development will be published; and if he will make a statement on steps that (a) are being taken and (b) are planned to take forward the strategy. [119126]

The Department for Work and Pensions has already published some extracts from its Sustainable Development Strategy, as responses to the published targets from the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. The full strategy is currently being developed by the Department's dedicated Sustainable Development Team in consultation with officials from across DWP and its Executive Agencies. It is intended that the strategy will be published using the web site by the beginning of 2004, with subsequent additions being made as further targets are published under the Framework.There is already in place a Sustainable Development Steering Group who have overall responsibility for the delivery of the objectives contained within the DWP Sustainable Development Policy Statement. They will have strategic control of the strategy and ensure that it remains on course to deliver real improvements.A further group of officials—the Sustainable Development Network Group—have a more practical role to play in actively working within their areas and Business Units, on a day to day basis, to deliver the targets contained within the strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of income a single person on jobseeker's allowance pays towards the average water bill in (a) Stoke on Trent, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England. [116377]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he sought advice concerning the signing ceremony of the joint venture between BP and the Russian oil company TNK; on what basis he has included the signing ceremony in the schedule of events during President Putin's state visit; and what representations he received from BP relating to the signing ceremony. [121940]

A state visit aims to strengthen the relationship between nations. President Putin and I welcomed the opportunity on 26 June to recognise the importance of the energy sector to our relationship by opening a major joint event "Russia-UK Energy: Long Term Partners".Such occasions provide opportunities to mark significant commercial developments, to the benefit of UK companies and to the benefit of the nation. Following advice from the Department of Trade and Industry, and with the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, I agreed that President Putin and I should be present at the signing of an agreement between BP and Alfa Group and Access-Renova (AAR) in the margins of the conference. My office discussed the practical arrangements with the two main sponsors of the event, Shell and BP.

To ask the Prime Minister which Government department will have responsibility for administering the recently announced Children's Endowment Fund. [122129]

I understand that my hon. Friend is referring to the Child Trust Fund. The Inland Revenue will administer the Child Trust Fund.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations the Government have received from staff seconded to the European Communities with respect to instances of (a) fraud and (b) irregular activities within the institutions; what action he has taken in response; and if he will make a statement. [123045]

I have been asked to reply.Since 2000, the UK Government have had a representation from one individual seconded to the EU Institutions. We recommended that they take their information to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and/or the appropriate police authorities, since these are the bodies which have responsibility in this area. The UK has no remit to investigate allegations of fraud or other corruption within the institutions of the European Union.Systems are in place for EU officials to submit evidence where they see wrongdoing. The UK has also supported Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock's wide-ranging reforms to improve accountability and transparency within the EU Institutions. These include a Whistleblower's Charter; revised staff regulations; and the new Financial Regulation which radically reforms the accounting framework and systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence of allergies was in the last 10 years; how many specialist allergy clinics there are; what research he has done to ascertain the reasons for the changing prevalence of allergies; what plans he has to increase the number of specialist allergy clinics; and if he will make more training places available for allergy specialists. [122632]

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) estimate in their report into allergies published on 25 June, that at least 15 per cent. of the population is affected by some form of allergy. Additionally, the following table shows the number of prescription items for the treatment of allergies dispensed in the community in England between 1991–2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that all people with aphasia receive support from a multi-disciplinary team including a neurologist, psychologist, physician, speech and language therapist, social worker and others. [123391]

The majority of people who acquire aphasia have had a stroke. Our major vehicle for improving standards for stroke services is through the older people's national service framework (NSF) which sets specific milestones for improvement by 2004 of stroke services in primary care trusts (PCTs), specialist services and general hospitals that care for people suffering from a stroke. Our document, Improvement, Expansion and Reform, which sets for the national health service a Priorities and Planning Framework for 2003–6, makes clear that implementation of the older people's NSF is a top priority, and that the 2004 milestone around specialist stroke services is a key target.It is the role of strategic health authorities, in partnership with PCTs, to decide what services to provide for their populations including those with aphasia.. They me best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rheumatologists there are in (a) South Sefton, (b) Southport and (c) Formby per 85,000 people. [122240]

The number of rheumatologists per 85,000 population in the South Sefton, Southport and Formby is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bone scanners there are in England; and how they are distributed around the country. [122321]

Information about the number of bone scanners is not collected in the format requested. However, the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency estimates that there are approximately 345 scanners across the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) quantity and (b) length of respite breaks for carers was provided by local authorities in England for (a) families caring for people with learning disability and (b) all forms of respite in 2002–03. [123439]

Information on the quantity of respite breaks for all carers and specifically those caring for people with learning disabilities in 2002–03 will be available towards the end of the summer. Information on the length of breaks is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the national service framework for children; and how many children were involved in the consultation process. [122462]

The first module of the children's national service framework (NSF), "The Standard for Hospital Services", was published on 10 April 2003, in conjunction with an Emerging Findings consultation document setting out the direction of travel for the whole NSF. The main NSF report is due to be published in 2004.In line with the principles laid out in the Department of Health action plan "Listening, Hearing and Responding", the views and opinions of a number of children and young people have been sought as part of the NSF development process, by the external working groups working with various voluntary organisations. These consultations have included children and young people in a range of settings and from varied ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and include children and young people in rural/urban areas, groups of children in hospitals and in schools, looked-after children and disabled children. Organisations such as the National Children's Bureau, Contact A Family and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children have involved hundreds through various consultation processes, which included questionnaires and group discussions, though we have not been able to calculate the exact number.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Commission for Social Care Inspection will be required to give notice of its intention to conduct an inspection under clause 76(6) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill. [122912]

The Bill provides that the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) may exercise its powers of entry and inspection at any reasonable time. Whether it would be reasonable to give advance notice of an individual inspection would be a decision that the CSCI would have to make in the light of the particular circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Government will stipulate a time period in which the report must be published under clause 76(7) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill; [122913](2) what the criteria will be for a decision to be taken as to whether the publishing of a report is appropriate under clause 76(7) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill. [122914]

The intention behind this clause is that the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) will always publish a report following an inspection, although it will have the discretion to determine the content of that report. We will be tabling amendments at report in order to make this intention clear.CSCI will also be responsible for determining the appropriate time period in which a report should be published. This may vary, depending on such factors as the length and complexity of the review or investigation that has been carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government will stipulate a time period in which the CSCI must inform the Secretary of State of its decision to award the lowest performance rating under clause 77(2) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill. [122915]

No. As an independent inspectorate, this will be a decision for the Commission for Social Care Inspection.It is implicit that the Secretary of State will be notified as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Secretary of State will make public the recommendations that the CSCI have put forward under clause 77(2) and (3) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill; [122916]

Under clause 77 (now clause 75 following amendments made in committee) the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) will issue advice and make recommendations on a wide variety of subjects. Some of these may be appropriate for publication. However, in other cases, such advice may contain confidential information. It will be a matter for CSCI with the Secretary of State as appropriate, to decide if its advice and recommendations should be published.