To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the administration costs budget of the Treasury in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [135302]

The Treasury's administration costs expenditure is set out in successive Departmental Reports (most recently for 2003, Cm 2922) and Resource Accounts (most recently for 2002–03, HC 999).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Customs and Excise has responded to the requests by the United Nations Security Council for information on violations of arms embargoes in Rwanda by UK companies discussed in the United Nations Security Council document, "Third Report of the International Commission of Inquiry (Rwanda)", (S/1997/1010). [135132]

I am advised that Customs investigators had met with officials from the International Commission of Inquiry (Rwanda) on 10 January 1996 to discuss Customs investigations and had also responded to a request from the UN International Tribunal on 21 March 1996. The Third Report of the Commission was published on 1 November 1996.There had been some earlier confusion over letters from the Commission which were never received by Customs, but the Commission accepted that the requests in those two letters had been answered in the course of the above meeting.HM Customs and Excise responded on 14 November 1996 to the Commission's requests for information about Customs investigations into arms supplies to Rwanda and exiled Rwandans.I understand that Commission officials expressed complete satisfaction with the co-operation received from the UK Government of the day.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the aggregate charge in taxation paid by UK business was from 1997 to 2002. [134867]

Figures on receipts from individual taxes are available in tables 2.1A to 2.1E in Financial Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much council tax was paid as a proportion of gross incomes for households in each income quintile group in London for the latest year for which data is available. [135162]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the letter to him of 20 June from the hon. Member for Taunton concerning Mr. Ken Coles of Chelston about national insurance contributions. [135878]

There is no record of the hon. Member's letter having been received in the Treasury. However, a copy has been requested and a reply will be sent as soon as possible.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the cancellation of continuing debt incurred by the UK (a) during and (b) in the aftermath of the Second World War. [135255]

No specific representations concerning the cancellation of the debt incurred by the UK as a result of the Second World War have been received in recent years. However successive Governments have undertaken to meet the obligations under the terms of the debt incurred by repaying the United States and Canadian Governments in full the amounts lent in 1945.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid to the United States in settlement of military equipment provision during World War II in each year since 1973. [134946]

From 1973 to 2000, the UK made annual repayments of principal and interest of around US$153 million, made up of a US$138 million scheduled repayment of principal and interest plus US$15 million of interest on the six deferred payments, to the United States in respect of its Second World War Loans. In 2001 and 2002, the repayments were US$152 million and US$150 million respectively.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 6 October, Official Report, column 1087W, on employment disincentives, if he will make such an assessment. [135110]

Existing survey data would not provide sufficient information to make an assessment of the disincentive for those on low incomes to change jobs because of short-term cash flow problems. The creation of a new survey, or extension of an existing one, to generate this information would entail disproportionate cost and therefore the Government have no plans to make this assessment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 June, Official Report, column 458W, on the euro, if he will list the events attended by ministers to campaign for a pro-European consensus; which Government ministers were in attendance at these events; when each event took place; if he will list the events planned for ministers to campaign for a pro-European consensus; which Government ministers will be in attendance; and what were the dates of these events. [135349]

The Chancellor and other Ministers have held a variety of meetings to discuss the euro in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition, Treasury officials have held more than 150 meetings with opinion formers in Britain and Europe since the Chancellor's statement on 9 June.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the growth figures for (i) England and (ii) the north-west in each year since 1992, and (b) projected figures for future years. [134895]

UK growth forecasts will be updated in the forthcoming Pre-Budget Report. The Government do not publish forecasts for England and the English regions. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not produce estimates of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for England and the nine English regions. However, the ONS does produce estimates of nominal Gross Value Added (GVA) for these regions, which can he found on its website (www.statistics.gov.uk).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate his Department has made of the level of income tax contributions lost to evasion. [135382]

There is no reliable measure of the total tax and other duties lost to evasion. In his report, published in March 2000, Lord Grabiner QC commented on the scale of the hidden economy and said:

"By its nature, the size of the informal economy is hard to measure. Most estimates are based on analysing high-level economic aggregates, such as labour market statistics or income and expenditure surveys, and calculate the result as a percentage of GDP. However there is research which suggests that these estimates tend to be exaggerated."

It would be impractical to arrive at a precise and meaningful figure as to the scale of the problem without a considerable investment of time and resources.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people aged 65 years or over died of influenza in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire, (b) Hull and (c) the UK in each year since 1997. [135280]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what costs the Government has (a) incurred since and (b) made provision for in relation to Iraq, broken down by Government department. [135767]

In his 2003 Budget statement, the Chancellor confirmed that £3 billion has been set aside in a special reserve available to the Ministry of Defence, for the costs of the military campaign in Iraq,

"so that our troops continue to be properly equipped and given the resources that they deserve and have a right to expect." [9 April 2003, Official Report, column 271.]

It is too early to provide total costs of the military campaign in Iraq. However, up to the point military operations began, Ministry of Defence estimate costs at around £700 million.At the Donors' Conference on Iraq, in Madrid on 24 October, the UK made a total financial commitment towards Iraq's reconstruction of £544 million for the three years from April 2003, including funding we have provided so far and our share of proposed European Community spending in Iraq.£248 million is for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance already committed by DFID and other Government Departments, £9 million of which is our share of the EC commitment, and £296 million will be for the period up to March 2006, £29 million of which is our share of currently proposed EC spending.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the directions overriding a note of dissent by an accounting officer that his Department has been notified of since January 2003; if he will place details of such directions in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [134224]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Economic Secretary on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 617W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current average pay in the (a) private and (b) public sector is, (i) exclusive and (ii) inclusive of work benefits. [134873]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) Scottish Borders, (b) Dumfries and Galloway and (c) Glasgow local authorities (i) the amount of housing debt remaining after transfer of local authority housing stock, (ii) the portion of that residual debt which (A) has subsequently been redeemed and (B) continues to be serviced, (iii) the breakage costs associated with any redemption of residual debt and (iv) the estimated servicing costs of any residual debt in (X) 2003–04, (Y) 2004–05 and (Z) 2005–06 indicating in each case which costs are being met by (1) the Treasury and (2) the Scottish Executive. [135075]

Housing stock transfers in Scotland are a devolved responsibility of the Scottish Executive, and therefore most of the information requested is a matter for the Executive. With regard to Treasury costs, the amount of grant provided by the Exchequer to the Scottish Executive in respect of repayment of debt was £59 million for Scottish Borders, £76 million for Dumfries and Galloway and £920 million for Glasgow.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what total government spending or the (a) tourist and (b) agricultural industry was in 2002–03. [135839]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to Table 3.5 in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003 (Cm 5901) a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the relative VAT rates applied to (a) energy saving equipment and (b) energy used in (i) new build and (ii) the repair and conversions of existing buildings. [135402]

The installation of energy-saving materials in residential accommodation and certain charity buildings is liable to VAT at the reduced rate of 5 per cent. This helps to keep homes warm and contributes to achieving the energy saving targets we are committed to as a result of the Kyoto summit. The Government is currently negotiating hard for an amendment to the European Sixth VAT Directive which would permit the reduced VAT rating of the purchase of energy-saving materials for do-it-yourself installation.Fuel and power used in the construction, repair and conversion of buildings is standard-rated for VAT purposes. However, since 1997 domestic fuel and power subsequently used in those buildings has only been liable to VAT at 5 per cent.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the Cabinet Office has made of the proportion of civil servants which the senior Civil Service represents; and if he will make a statement. [134135]

Building	Acquisition date	Means of acquisition	Use
70 Whitehall1	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space and operational facilities
36 Whitehall	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space
53 Parliament Street	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space
Hepburn House, Marsham Street	19962	Departmental transfer	Vacant space and transfer to another Department pending
10 Downing Street1	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space, residential accommodation, state rooms
11 Downing Street1	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space, residential accommodation, state rooms
12 Downing Street	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space
Admiralty House1	19962	Departmental transfer	Residential accommodation, state rooms
11 Belgrave Road1	19962	Departmental transfer	Office space, training and operational facilities
Admiralty Arch	1998	Departmental transfer	Office space
22/26 Whitehall1	1999	Departmental transfer	Office space
35 Great Smith Street1	2000	New acquisition	Office space
Stockley House, 130 Wilton Road1	2000	Departmental transfer	Office space
9 Whitehall	2001	New acquisition	Office space
7 St. James's Square1	2001	Departmental transfer	Office space
10 Great George Street1	2001	New acquisition	Office space and operational facilities
2 Little Smith Street	2001	New acquisition	Office space
67 Tufton Street	2001	New acquisition	Office space and operational facilities

The most recent figures relating to the number of staff as at 1 April 2003 were published on 16 October 2003. These figures show that there were 542,770 permanent civil servants (Headcount basis), and of these 4,260 or 0.8 per cent. were at Senior Civil Service Level.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many non-departmental public bodies there were in England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [134549]

Information on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is provided annually in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". The latest available data are contained in "Public Bodies 2003", giving information as at 31 March 2003. Copies of these publications are held in the House Libraries.The number of NDPBs sponsored by UK Government Departments with responsibilities for England in each year was as follows:

Year	Number
1997	846
1998	837
1999	828
2000	822
2001	853
2002	773
2003	786

Some of these NDPBs will have a remit which extends beyond England.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the official buildings within a mile of Parliament for which the Cabinet Office has responsibility, giving in each case the date of acquisition; whether the acquisition in each case was (a) as a result of a departmental transfer and (b) a new acquisition by the Government; and what the buildings are used for. [134419]

The buildings are as follows:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of ministerial appointments to public bodies in each year since 1997 were of (a) men and (b) women; and what proportion of public appointments were held by women in each year since 1997. [134682]

Information is provided annually in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". The latest available data is contained in "Public Bodies 2003", giving information as at 31 March 2003. Copies of these publications are held in the House Libraries.These show that the number and proportion of men and women holding ministerial appointments in public bodies were as follows:

	Men		Women
Year	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
1997	22,068	67	10,728	33
1998	20,676	66	10,487	34
1999	19,693	65	10,526	35
2000	17,303	66	9,106	34
2001	16,743	66	9,106	34
2001	16,743	65	9,106	35
2002	14,510	66	7,391	34
2003	14,436	64	8,028	36

Data on non-ministerial appointments have not been collected since 2001.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter from Sir Ian Wood and Mr. Paul Blakeley of 22 October regarding the impact of the draft EU constitution on investment in the exploitation of North Sea oil and gas reserves; and if he will place a copy of the reply in the Library. [R][135324]

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has replied today on my behalf. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent guidance she has given to (a) the Football Premier League and (b) UK Sport on the deterrent use of maximum bans for breaches of drug testing regulations. [135312]

The Government have given no advice to the Football Premier League and UK Sport on doping sanctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations the Government have made to the International Olympic Committee on an Olympic team from Burma taking part in the Athens games in 2004; and if she will make a statement. [134719]

The Government have not made any representations to the International Olympic Committee regarding the participation of Myanmar in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It remains the Government's view that the Olympic Games is a non-political event.The hon. Member for Portsmouth, South may be interested to note that the EU Common Position on Myanmar includes a visa ban on regime members. This would mean that senior regime members would not be able to attend the Games in Athens.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to introduce legislation to change the status of the Tote; and if she will make a statement. [134990]

We intend to bring the necessary legislation forward when parliamentary time allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the pay and conditions offered to members of the reserve forces differs from those offered to members of the regular forces; and if he will make a statement. [134917]

When called out for full-time service, reservists receive the same rates of pay and are generally entitled to the same allowances as their regular counterparts. However, unlike regular soldiers, reservists may also claim financial assistance if their civilian earnings are greater than their military pay. They are also entitled to a tax-free call-out gratuity of £420.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the armed forces' daily pay rate is deducted for the purpose of contributing to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. [134493]

No deduction is made from the pay of Volunteer Reservists for the purpose of contributing to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what mechanisms (a) have existed since 1973 and (b) exist to ensure that all members of the armed forces are fully informed of their pension entitlements on leaving the services and if he will make a statement; [134918](2) what incidences there are of members of the armed forces not being informed of their pension entitlements on leaving the services: and if he will make a statement. [134919]

Mechanisms have been in existence since 1973, to inform, by letter, all members of the armed forces of their pension entitlements on leaving the Services. Computer generated printouts for each Service advise the pension divisions of the requirement to produce this letter.A problem has been identified affecting some former service personnel with less than two years service, who may not have received their entitlements to an Armed Forces Pension Scheme attributable gratuity, or pension. We expect the great majority of omissions to have been rectified by January 2004. Procedures have been tightened to prevent a reoccurrence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what rights members of the armed forces (a) have and (b) have had to backdate their pensions if they were not informed of their pension entitlements on leaving the services; and if he will make a statement; [134920](2) under what circumstances a former member of the armed forces who has not collected their pension from the first date at which there were entitled to it can receive backdated payments; and if he will make a statement. [134921]

Members who have not claimed their pension entitlement on leaving the armed forces, or have not claimed when their entitlement becomes due, have a right to receive payments backdated to six years, in line with the Statute of Limitations Act 1980. However, Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury may authorise that payments be backdated further, depending on the merits of each case. Payments are usually backdated in full and are always so where non-payment was due to a mistake on the part of MOD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) pay and (b) conditions are offered to those that assist in running cadet forces. [133751]

Certain categories of helpers (of which there are many) with the Cadet forces can be paid for a certain number of days per year for training and to cover expenses such as travelling and subsistence.Conditions for the cadet services vary according to type of volunteer. Military status volunteers are subject to military Service Regulations while civilians are subject to the appropriate Civil Service regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 8 July 2003, Official Report, column 701 W, on depleted uranium, what conclusions and agreements have been reached with the United States following these discussions. [135038]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1159W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in (a) securing and (b) protecting evidence of human rights abuses in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's regime; what evidence has been handed to the relevant prosecuting authorities; and what the relevant prosecuting authorities are. [133831]

I have been asked to reply.The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has been working with the Governing Council, the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, and local and international organisations to put in place the necessary procedures for collecting and securing evidence. The CPA has so far investigated 128 of the 250 reported mass grave sites and seized thousands of potentially relevant documents. CPA efforts are also focused on building the capacity of Iraqis to investigate the crimes committed by the former regime for both historical and prosecution purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to send (a) additional and (b) replacement troops to Iraq; which units are to be sent and when; and if he will make a statement. [135450]

I refer the hon. Member to my Written Statement of 28 October 2003, Official Report, columns 7-8WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the reason no action was taken to take into account (a) factual errors and (b) suggested errors of interpretation brought to the attention of their seniors by concerned defence intelligence officers in respect of the draft dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction of September 2002, prior to its final publication; and when he was first informed of the misgivings of the defence intelligence staff officers relating to the draft. [131108]

As indicated in my evidence to Lord Hutton's Inquiry on 27 August 2003, I was first informed in a minute dated 18 July 2003 that two officials in the Defence Intelligence Staff had expressed some concerns about certain language used in the dossier. I set out the action taken as a result of those concerns in my remarks in the House on 11 September 2003, Official Report, columns 491-95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new build units in the married quarters estate are planned by his Department in each of the next three years; and how many houses this will replace from the existing married quarters estate. [133381]

The numbers of new build Service family houses planned in mainland UK for the next three years, through both capital projects and PFI are as follows:

Year
2003	391
2004–05	500
2005–06	315
Total	1,206

Further to the answer given by the then Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend for Kirkcadly (Dr. Moonie) on 13 May

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been recruited to the Territorial Army in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; what steps he is taking to increase these figures; and if he will make a statement. [134827]

The number of people recruited into the Territorial Army (TA) in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years are shown in the following table.

1 April to 31 March	Officers	Soldiers
1998–99	30	297
1999–2000	45	272
2000–01	33	279
2001–02	42	235
2002–03	39	218
2003–04 to date	24	153

TA recruiting is a continual process throughout the year and is generally conducted geographically by local TA centres. A local TA recruiting campaign has recently been run, supplementing the national radio, television and internet recruiting campaigns. This involved open days in the TA Centres following advertisements placed in the local press and on the radio. Considerable interest was generated from potential recruits, which included approximately 100 inquiries emanating from the North Down Constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's latest estimate is of those states that are (a) known and (b) suspected of pursuing (i) nuclear, (ii) chemical and (iii) biological weapons programmes; and if he will list them. [133721]

Under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, China and Russia are legally entitled to possess nuclear weapons. Additionally, India and Pakistan have tested nuclear devices. We continue to encourage Israel to resolve international concerns about its nuclear status by acceding to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state.There are five states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention that have declared possession of chemical weapons. They are currently in the process of destroying them in accordance with their obligations under the Convention.The Government have made clear in recent months that we continue to believe that Iraq had produced and had active programmes for production of WMD. We are also aware of, and very concerned by, persistent reports that Iran, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Libya and Syria are pursuing programmes to develop WMD and the means for their delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much asylum seekers cost public funds in the last 12 months per head of tax paying population. [132337]

The cost of supporting asylum seekers in the last financial year for which final data are available (2001–02) was £1,046 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had about reclassifying amphetamines from a class B to class A drug. [135315]

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, amphetamines are classified as a Class B drug.The Government keep the control of drugs under review but have had no recent discussions with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs nor any other party about moving amphetamines to class A.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of gun crime. [134091]

[holding answer 27 October 2003]: Although the incidence of firearms offences is low compared to recorded crime as a whole, too many people are still being killed and injured by firearms. This is unacceptable.We are taking forward a programme to tackle gun crime on a number of fronts. This includes:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average administrative cost was of issuing a passport in each of the last five years. [134364]

[holding answer 27 October 2003]: The administration costs of producing a passport over the past five years was as follows:

Financial year	Administrative expenditure (£)	Passports issued	Administrative cost per passport (£)
1998–99	15,783,000	4,737,057	3.33
1999–2000	20,596,000	5,316,490	4.03
2000–01	25,433,000	5,543,994	4.59
2001–02	35,866,000	5,583,266	6.42
2002–03	36,081,000	5,354,348	6.74

Administration costs are classified in the Agency's accounts as all non-production costs including costs of the change programme, support staff and accommodation.The main reason for the increase over time has been to deliver a growing change programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure that councils are not financially disadvantaged by continuing the care of unaccompanied asylum seekers beyond the age of 16. [131494]

[holding answer 14 October 2003]: The Home Office is responsible for paying grant to local authorities supporting Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASCs) until the age of 18. The grant allows for local authorities to claim the same level of grant for UASCs aged 16-18 as for under 16s—provided that they applied for asylum before reaching the age of 16.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to compile annual reports on the work of the small claims court separately from the report on the Courts Service. [134938]

The Court Service will shortly be publishing the first edition of the County Court Annual Report. It will cover the period 2002–03.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether those who adjudicate in the small claims court are given training to help them assist unrepresented parties to actions in the small claims court. [134294]

Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), an independent body chaired by Lord Justice Keene. The JSB provides written guidance to judges on the conduct of small claims cases in its Civil Bench Book and on the particular needs of litigants in person in its Equal Treatment Bench Book. Both publications are publicly available via the JSB's website (www.jsboard.co.uk). Judges who sit in the county court attend an Induction Course on first appointment and further training is provided at three-yearly intervals for all who exercise the civil jurisdiction. All such training includes sessions on the needs of litigants in person.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what mediation resources are made available to (a) claimants and (b) defendants involved in actions in the small claims court. [134297]

There is no national provision of mediation services within the court system. A pilot scheme for mediating small claims cases is provided by the Devon and Exeter Law Society at Exeter, Barnstaple and Torquay County Courts. If it proves successful we will consider extending a similar service to other courts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost has been to public funds of each action brought in the small claims court in the last three years. [134298]

The only cost to public funds in pursuing a small claim through the county court is in relation to the exemption and remission of fees. Separate figures on exemption and remission are not collected on claims which fall in the monetary bands of the small claims track.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what legal advice and support is available to (a) claimants and (b) defendants involved in actions in the small claims court. [134300]

Although there is no specific provision of legal advice at small claims courts themselves, Court Service staff do provide assistance to claimants and defendants on procedural matters regarding the hearings. Money Claims Online, launched in December 2001, also allows claimants and defendants in small claims proceedings to submit their claims and responses online, thereby reducing pressure on the courts themselves. In addition, all courts in England and Wales are Quality Marked Information Points for The Community Legal Service (CLS) and hold the CLS directory which contains information on service providers such as Citizens Advice Bureaux, Law Centres, independent advice agencies and solicitors. Through the CLS information and advice is available in a wide range of categories such as consumer claims, disputes between landlords and tenants about repairs, deposits and rent arrears.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how the effectiveness of the small claims court as a means for the public to recover small claims economically is monitored and assessed by the Department. [134303]

There is no measure in place to monitor or assess the effectiveness of the county court as a means for the public to recover small claims economically. However, under the department's Public Service Agreements we have a number of business targets which have been identified to measure our performance in reducing unnecessary delay, reducing unnecessary cost and improving enforcement.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the courthouse in Sutton Coldfield. [135806]

I have decided that the appeal of Birmingham city council, against closure, should be allowed. Therefore the magistrates courthouse at Sutton Coldfield will remain open.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the United Kingdom in relation to (a) the overlapping of social security benefits and (b) MOT testing; and if he will make a statement. [134829]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the National CJD Unit in Edinburgh monitored all imports and exports of brains and brain material between Belfast and Dublin. [132411]

Brain and brain tissue samples which have been sent between Belfast and Dublin relate only to Multiple Sclerosis and related demyelinating disorders of the brain and not to suspected cases of CJD. The National CJD Unit in Edinburgh therefore does not monitor the movement of these samples.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many additional (a) specialist medical, (b) nursing and (c) other staff have been employed since March 2001 to improve cancer services in Northern Ireland. [133870]

A table showing the number of additional specialist medical, nursing and other staff employed by Health and Social Services Trusts between 31 March 2001 and 30 September 2003 to improve cancer services in Northern Ireland is shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the amounts of illegal arms and explosives held by the (a) Provisional IRA, (b) Real IRA, (c) Continuity IRA, (d) UVF, (e) UDA, (f) LVF and (g) INLA. [135443]

This information is only available from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment The Government and the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning will resolutely continue to pursue complete decommissioning by all paramilitary organisations to ensure that there is a permanent end to paramilitary activity in all its forms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether the Northern Ireland Fire Authority is complying with section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in relation to equality of opportunity. [134247]

We are satisfied with the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland's commitment to the requirements of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Authority submits annual reports to the Equality Commission setting out its compliance with section 75.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the accessibility of Police Service of Northern Ireland sporting and social facilities and premises to former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. [135444]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 727W, in respect of access to PSNI sporting facilities. This is a matter for the Chief Constable.With regard to access to PSNI social facilities, this is a matter for the Council of the RUC Athletic Association, however I am advised that under rule 5 of the Association, retired RUC officers are full members along with serving officers of the PSNI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has in relation to allocation of Belfast Regeneration Office Action Plan resources for Belfast. [134615]

The Belfast Regeneration Office Action Plan is currently under consideration by Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many salmon fish farms have been operating, and how many fish were produced, in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [135446]

The information is as follows:

Number of licensed salmon fish farms
1998	1
1999	1
2000	1
2001	1
2002	1

Due to the fact that there has been only one salmon fish farm operating in Northern Ireland for the past five years, the production figures for each of the last five years is not in the public domain as it would be too easy to identify the company involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland are waiting for (a) hip and (b) knee replacement operations; how many of these have been waiting (i) less than 12 months, (ii) between 12 and 18 months, (iii) between 18 and 24 months and (iv) longer than 24 months; what steps he is taking to reduce these figures; and if he will make a statement. [134830]

Information on people waiting for treatment is collected on the basis of specialty rather than the type of operation. The number of patients in Northern Ireland awaiting admission to hospital, as either an inpatient or day case, in the trauma and orthopaedic specialty is detailed in the following table. Figures are representative of the position at the end of June 2003 (the latest information available).

Specialty—trauma and orthopaedics
Time waiting (months)	Number
0-11	4,132
12-17	721
18-23	325
24+	611
Total waiters	5,789

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on (a) consulting on, (b) designing and (c) advertising the Highways Agency's proposal for grade-separated junctions along the A 14 between Brampton and Thrapston; who decided to stop the proposal; what evaluation of project was originally undertaken; how that changed before the decision was taken to stop the proposals; what the alternative schemes are; how the value for money of the alternative schemes has been evaluated; for what reason the alternative schemes were not produced when the original proposal was withdrawn; what low cost safety improvements are planned; and when they will be made. [134862]

I have asked the acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Stephen Hickey, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 21 October, Official Report, column 472W, on air travel (compensation) when his Department will produce an updated Regulatory Impact Assessment reflecting changes made during negotiation; and if he will place it in the Library. [135368]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 October 2003, Official Report, columns 257-58W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received sufficient information on possible new runway sites at (a) Birmingham (alternative runway proposal), (b) Gatwick (alternative runway proposals by BAA), (c) Redhill, (d) the Marinair site, (e) Severnside, (f) Sheppey and (g) Thames Reach, to enable consideration to be given to them in the forthcoming White Paper on Air Transport. [135191]

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport. has made clear on many occasions, we will consider carefully all serious, worked-up proposals submitted as responses to the consultation.The Department held discussions with several promoters of proposals for new airport capacity that are alternatives to, or variants of, options set out in the Government's consultation document. The aim has been to provide guidance on the methodology used to appraise options in the SERAS study and on the information that will be needed by the Department in order to appraise alternative ideas submitted as part of the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what subsidy from public funds he estimates the aviation industry receives in terms of favourable taxation policy; and if he will make a statement. [135024]

I have been asked to reply.The aviation industry receives no direct subsidy from public funds.The Government recently completed a consultation process on the use of economic instruments in the aviation sector, which included examining incentives to encourage better environmental performance.The Government's views will be set out in the Air Transport White Paper due to be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action local highway authorities can take to apply for the Dealing with Disadvantage funding which has not yet been allocated. [134740]

£16 million of the money identified for Dealing with Disadvantage is available for grants to local authorities. £11.7 million has been allocated to Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Four further authorities have been invited to submit bids for grant funding. These are Bradford, Liverpool, Nottingham and Sandwell, which are the next four non-Greater Manchester and Lancashire authorities on the ranked list of places for road safety problems associated with disadvantage. Invitations to bid have been made on the basis of need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are funded out of the Dealing with Disadvantage grant; and what cost benefit analysis has been carried out in relation to the expenditure. [134741]

No specific numbers of staff have been identified for the Grants that are the subject of the Special Grant Report. The Neighbourhood Road Safety Team, which is being hosted by Greater Manchester Police, will have eight members of staff.All grant allocations have been scrutinised for relevance to the identified problems and the likelihood of success. Because some of the work is generic, such as road safety education, it is not possible to attribute directly what savings may arise, so cost-benefit analysis is not appropriate in this case.The Government wish to learn from the experience of this initiative and so a monitoring and evaluation contract is presently out to tender and this will provide lessons for future policy development and delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which highway authorities have received a share of the funds allocated for highway improvements under the Dealing with Disadvantage programme; and how much was paid to each one. [134742]

The 10 authorities that received allocations for improvements to the highway are:

£
Blackburn with Darwen	120,000
Blackpool	1,256,000
Bolton	425,000
Bury	250,000
Manchester	838,000
Oldham	195,000
Rochdale	230,000
Salford	300,000
Tameside	780,000
Wigan	563,000

In addition, £500,000 was allocated to Tameside to develop and deploy their "Watchman" anti-speeding initiative across all 10 authorities.£1,000,000 remains unallocated for further developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the most recent road safety record in respect of each a the local highway authorities to be allocated a Dealing with Disadvantage grant; and what specific improvements he expects to result from the award of such grants. [134743]

The 2002 casualty figures in the 10 authorities are as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate of the unit cost of staff he has used in determining grants for support staff to individual local authorities for delivering Dealing with Disadvantage projects. [134744]

The allocation for staff is a nominal sum in recognition of the additional administrative burden being placed on the authorities. In partnering agreements, the authorities will have to demonstrate how the staff costs have been incurred in furtherance of the Dealing with Disadvantage work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of non-transfer air passengers at Gatwick use public transport to or from the airport. [135189]

In 2002 the mode of travel to Gatwick broke down as follows (numbers rounded):

Percentage
Private car	53
Hire car	2
Taxi/minicab	15
Bus/coach	8
Rail	22
Other	less than 1

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people around Gatwick airport fell within the 54 leq and 57 leq contours for aircraft noise in 2002; and how many he estimates would fall within these contours in 2030 if a new wide spaced runway were built, assuming no change to aircraft noise standards other than those recently agreed in the International Civil Aviation Organisation. [135190]

The populations within the 54 and 57 dBA daytime leq contours in 2002 were around 8,400 and 3,500 respectively. The Stage Three SERAS report gave figures for Gatwick with an additional wide spaced runway. In 2030, the populations in the 54 and 57 dBA contours were projected to be 39,800 and 20,900 respectively. The noise projections assume no changes to ICAO noise standards beyond those recently agreed, but do not rely solely on the minimum standards required by ICAO. They incorporate realistic assumptions about replacement of older, noisier aircraft by more modern and less noisy types.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of cars used by air passengers which would travel to Gatwick airport on average each day if a new wide spaced runway were built and used to full capacity, assuming that flights operated for 16 hours each day, the proportion of passengers using public transport was the same as currently and that of the remaining passengers half parked at the airport, and half were delivered and collected. [135188]

The information is not available in the form requested. The SERAS Stage 3 report included an assessment of the demands for surface access to the airport in 2030 with the addition of a wide-spaced runway in 2024 (i.e. after expiry of the planning agreement between BAA plc and West Sussex county council). Table 2.10 of the report shows that with passenger demand of 76 million passengers per annum in 2030 (and assuming enhanced rail infrastructure and services), the share of air passenger trips by car would be about 51 per cent. (about 30 million road trips per annum).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work will start on the widening of the M1 motorway; and if he will make a statement. [135334]

Various Multi-Modal and Road Based Studies have recommended widening the majority of the heavily congested sections of the Ml motorway between M25 (Junction 6A) and M62 (Junction 42).Widening of sections of the motorway in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire (Junctions 6A-13), and improvements to the M6/M1 junction, have been accepted into the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI). The Highways Agency is currently reviewing procurement and programme options for these schemes, but construction work is planned to commence within the timescale of the Ten Year Transport Plan announced in 2000, subject to completion of statutory procedures.The Secretary of State has announced previously that he is minded to add further schemes for widening other sections of the Ml motorway between Junction 21 (M69) and Junction 42 (M62) to the TPI. Preparation work continues on these sections of the motorway to identify widening options/costs. The Secretary of State intends to make further announcements in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he collates on mean average road widths in cities in England; and what guidance he gives to the relevant authorities on minimum road widths. [134833]

The available information relates to urban major roads, i.e. those that are within urban areas with a population of 10 thousand or more. The latest estimate of mean road width for A roads in urban areas is 11.2 metres.Information on minor roads is less comprehensive. In 2001, estimates were made for minor roads with speed limits of 40mph or below. The mean road widths for such B, C and unclassified roads were 7.5 metres, 6.9 metres and 6.2 metres respectively.Government guidance on road widths for residential roads is provided in Design Bulletin 32 Residential Roads and Footpaths Layout considerations and its companion guide Places, Streets & Movement.Definitive guidance and standards for motorways and other trunk roads is contained within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Whilst this manual sets a standard of good practice principally for trunk roads, it may also be applicable in part to other roads with similar characteristics. Where it is used for local roads, it is for the highway authority to decide on the extent to which the documents in the manual are appropriate in any particular situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 1 July 2003, Official Report, column 194W, on transplant vehicles, whether he has reached conclusions on whether an amendment to legislation is necessary to allow transplant vehicles to be covered by the speed limit exemption for ambulances. [134267]

The current speed limit exemption legislation grants an exemption for vehicles used for ambulance purposes, but it does not provide a definition of ambulance purposes. It is therefore for the courts to decide whether, in any particular case, a vehicle used for carrying human tissue is being used for an ambulance purpose.The Government acknowledge that there may be a requirement to amend speed limit exemption legislation in order to clarify the status of such vehicles. However any exemption to speed limits needs to be considered with the utmost ca re in order to safeguard the interests of all road users. W e are currently considering the wider impacts of such an amendment before reaching a conclusion on whether any amendment would be both necessary and justified.Primary legislation would be required in order to effect such a change, should we conclude an amendment is necessary.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the impact of offshore dredging on coastal erosion. [134761]

There is no evidence that licensed marine minerals dredging has an impact on the rate of coastal erosion but, as a precaution, each environmental statement that accompanies an application to dredge must include a coastal impact assessment. This is subjected to close scrutiny to ensure that the results are satisfactory before a licence can be given. Most licences are subject to monitoring conditions and no licence has been terminated because of adverse impacts on the coast.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what studies he has commissioned into the impact of offshore dredging on coastal erosion. [134762]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not commissioned studies into the impact of offshore dredging on coastal erosion. Every marine minerals dredging proposal is subjected to environmental impact assessment. Every dredging licence application is therefore accompanied by an environmental statement that includes a specific coastal impact study. This is subject to wide consultation and publicity. It is carefully scrutinised by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences on behalf of Defra to determine whether the proposal is environmentally acceptable. Only if the proposal is acceptable is a licence for dredging issued. The licence is normally subject to conditions requiring environmental monitoring and is time limited so that account could be taken of unforeseen environmental impacts if any were to occur.