To ask the secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to change her policy on the self-help scheme to provide assistance for rural residents outside the reach of analogue television signals. [135268]

We recognise the benifit of existing analogue self help schemes in extending terrestrial television to rural communities not reached by the broadcasters' television transmitters. These schemes continue to be licensed by my Department. We will be considering the potential of self help schemes to enable communities to receive digital television services in the context of on-going work under the Digital Television Action Plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her plans are for those rural areas that will be unable to receive analogue television signals in 2010. [135269]

The Government are committed to ensuring that terrestrial analogue broadcasting signals are maintained until: everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1. BBC2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems; switching to digital is an affordable option for the vast majority of people; and as a target indicator of affordability, 95 per cent. of consumers have access to digital equipment. A Digital Television Action Plan is already in place, designed to deliver these pre-conditions for switching off analogue terrestrial transmissions. A copy of the Action Plan is available at www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) electricity and (b) other energy her Department has used in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans she has to reduce usage; and if she will make a statement. [135049]

The figures for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for years 1997 to 2002 were provided to the hon. Member by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), on 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 403-06W.In the year 2003 the Department anticipates that it will use 415,000 KWH of electricity and 346,000 KWH of gas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list visits made by ministers in her Department in England in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency. [135524]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available to British sportsmen and women in preparation for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. [135831]

Funding to our elite sportsmen and women is provided from the National Lottery. The Government committed £100 million to support elite British Sportsmen and women in the four-year period from the Sydney to the Athens Olympics. This commitment maintains the level of lottery funding to elite athletes at the same level in the run up to the Athens Olympics as was provided in the run up to the Sydney Games.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with disability groups on the involvement of disabled people in planning for the 2012 Olympic Games bid. [135841]

Arrangements for holding the Paralympic Games form an important and integral part of hosting the Olympic Games. London 2012 is responsible for preparing the London Olympic bid and has appointed Mike Brace, Chairman of the British Paralympic Association, as a member of its board. Disability groups have been in contact with my officials about ensuring the London Olympic bid is inclusive and delivers a sustainable legacy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid in television licence fees by residents of Dumfries and Galloway in the last year for which figures are available. [135254]

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid in TV licence fees by residents of Chorley parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years. [135522]

The information requested is not available, since TV Licensing, who administer the television licensing system for the BBC, do not maintain statistics of television licence sales and revenues by locality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of television licence fee holders in (a) Dumfries and Galloway, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK are able to receive (i) all five terrestrial television channels and (ii) Freeview. [135260]

The ITC and BBC advise that the available estimates of terrestrial television coverage are as follows:

	UK households	Scotland households
Analogue BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4	99.4	98.1
Analogue Five	80	1—
Freeview digital terrestrial television (all multiplexes)	73.1	80.5
1 Estimate not available

Further details of Five analogue terrestrial television coverage can be found at the website: www.five.tv and details of digital terrestrial television coverage at: www. dtg.org.uk and www.freeview.co.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase air freight traffic through Lyneham; and if he will make a statement. [135023]

I have been asked to reply.I have taken the hon. Member's question to refer to civilian freight traffic. No steps have been taken to increase such traffic through RAF Lyneham; requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and are fulfilled on repayment terms, using irreducible spare capacity at the Station.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total demand for air travel in the UK in 2060, expressed as a multiple of the present number of passengers using Heathrow, on the basis of the forecast rates of growth used to calculate the economic benefits of various runway options in the consultation on the Future of Air Transport. [135187]

The forecasts presented in the consultation document, "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East", 2002, extended to 2030. No forecast has been made of the total demand for air travel in the UK in 2060. However, for the purposes of the analysis of economic benefits of runway options, the forecasts were projected forward to 2060, assuming a 50 per cent. increase in demand from 2030 to 2060.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2003, Official Report, column 373W, on air travel, what estimate has been made of the percentage change in the cost of air travel from 2000 to 2030, if no new runways were to be built in the UK. [135218]

The mid point forecasts in the consultation document: The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom-South East, assumed an underlying trend reduction in air fares of I per cent. per annum. In addition to this, if no new runways were built in the South East, passengers at Heathrow would pay a fare premium of £67.50 on a single journey in 2030. This fare premium would be higher if airport capacity outside the South East was also constrained, but no estimate has been made of this. The combined effect of these two factors would be an 18 per cent. increase in the cost of air travel in this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) financial and (b) other support his Department will provide for new airport infrastructure, including associated transport links. [135651]

The question of Government support for any new airport infrastructure is being considered in the context of decisions about future development. In our consultation. we invited views on the use of public money to support airport development and surface transport links, and we are analysing the responses. We will set out our policy in the air transport White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding the Government have contributed to the World Health Organisation's research into deep vein thrombosis; and what progress has been made in the research. [135477]

To date, the Government have contributed approximately £400,000 to the WHO research project. We expect our total contribution to be in excess of £1.1 million. Epidemiological studies are being carried out in the Netherlands: two at the Leiden University Medical Centre and one at the Amsterdam Medical Centre. Clinical and physiopathological studies are being carried out in the UK.At the Leiden centre, work is well advanced on the cohort study among business travellers, following a successful pilot study of the employees of an international company in Switzerland. The proposed methodology for the case-control study among frequent travellers was also piloted. However, for technical reasons an alternative methodology has been proposed, which I understand the Scientific Executive Committee responsible for the research protocols has approved in principle. At the Amsterdam centre, following extensive planning and preparation, the first test of the travel and non-travel immobility study will start shortly. This will comprise an eight-hour flight before, during and after which blood samples from volunteer passengers will be drawn for examination. Further tests will be carried out on the same volunteers to assess their clinical response to eight hours immobility, without travel, and eight hours engaged in normal activities.The other stream of the research, examining the effects of hypobaria and hypoxia on the risk of deep vein thrombosis, is already under way under the auspices of Leicester University. Hypobaric chamber tests are being carried out at the aviation medical facilities at RA F Henlow to examine the effects of reduced atmospheric pressure on the cardio-vascular systems of volunteers seated for eight hours.The World Health Organisation is due to publish the results of the research at the end of 2004 or early 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) electricity and (b) other energy his Department has used in each year since 1997(i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans he has to reduce usage; and if he will make a statement. [135059]

In respect of (a) and (b) I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 403-08W.Energy management is delegated to local energy managers who are responsible for assessing usage and tailoring procurement decisions and awareness campaigns accordingly.The Department is committed in its Greening Operations Policy Statement to reducing energy usage. The Department will communicate with staff and contractors about environmental policies and best practice and continue with office equipment 'switch off and other energy awareness campaigns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the report of the Inspector of the Terminal 5 Inquiry at Heathrow is included as part of the consultation into Future Development of Air Transport in the UK; [135291](2) if he will uphold the recommendations of the Inspector for the Heathrow Terminal 5 Inquiry in the forthcoming Aviation White Paper. [135292]

In his decision of 20 November 2001 on the Heathrow Terminal 5 planning application, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions said that matters about the future of Heathrow airport (other than his decision on Terminal 5 I would be for the review of airports policy and this would take account of the Inquiry Inspector's comments.Paragraph 7.2 of "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation referred to the approval for Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether nitrogen dioxide is assessed as a relevant pollutant in section 7.29 of the Government's consultation paper The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom. [135293]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) current and (b) projected roadworks on the M5 motorway between Bristol and Tiverton; and how long each section of work is expected to take. [135423]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the safety proposals of the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycling; and if he will make a statement; [135880](2) what plans he has to introduce safety-related legislation regarding the use of motorised two wheelers; and if he will make a statement; [135881](3) what plans he has to promote motorcycles as an environmentally friendly alternative to cars; and if he will make a statement. [135882]

The Advisory Group on Motorcycling, which I chair, has been considering a range of issues related to the role of motorcycling, including safety and environmental performance. The Advisory Group is not due to report until next year, following which the Government will determine its strategy for motorcycling. It is too early to say what Government policy will include, as it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the findings of the Advisory Group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government is taking to increase the (a) security and (b) safety of public transport in London. [135383]

The Government fully support the British Transport Police (BTP) who as the police force for London's railways and London Underground are an integral part of the city's anti-terrorism policing strategy. There is very close liaison and co-operation between BTP and the rail industry, Transport For London (TfL), Government departments, the Metropolitan Police and other emergency services at all levels. The Health Safety Executive, as rail regulator, also work closely with London Underground and the national rail operators on safety related issues.In addition, TfL is part of a joint initiative with the Metropolitan police—the Transport Policing Initiative, which is aimed particularly at increasing safety and security on London's bus services.The Secretary of State for Transport also issues the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) with directions and guidance, which require the SRA to encourage train operators to participate in both the Secure Stations and Secure Car Park schemes, which award accreditation when specified standards of design and management are reached. Further to this, the Modern Facilities at Stations programme will provide CCTV at some of London's stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of rail traffic congestion at and around Birmingham New Street station on the performance of the national rail network. [135373]

The Strategic Rail. Authority (SRA) has developed a 'Capacity Utilisation Policy' aimed at delivering the most efficient use of the current network. Individual 'Route Utilisation Strategies' (RUS) will now be developed. The SRA intends to consult on the RUS for the West Midlands in Spring 2004. The outcomes are expected to include improved capacity and performance.The SRA has also announced a new approach to the long term planning of the railway network through Regional Planning Assessments (RPAs). These will form the basis on which the development of Britain's railway is planned over the medium to longer term (5-20 years). The provisional date for the publication of the West Midlands RPA is Autumn 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 618W, on station improvements, if he will list the stations where improvements are (a) taking place and (b) being considered. [131454]

Further to the answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman of 17 July: at Table 1 is a list of the Strategic Rail Authority's Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) schemes that include station improvements and which have been approved for RPP funding. Table 2 lists a further 68 stations that are being considered by the Authority under its Modern Facilities at Stations Scheme (MFAS). The SRA and Network Rail are currently developing a schedule of work for the stations included in the programme. The timetable has yet to be finalised. Table 3 is a list of schemes in Scotland. Some of these are funded through RPP and some through the Incremental Outputs Statements scheme (I0S). In other cases new stations are also being provided as part of a wider project.

Table 1. Rail Passenger Partnership Schemes
Station scheme	Status
1. Witham	Now withdrawn
2. Burnham on Crouch	Completed
3. Waterbeach	In progress
4. Littleport	Contracts being finalised
5. Bury St. Edmunds	In progress
6. Downham	Contracts being finalised
7. Brentford	Completed
8. Tees Valley	In Progress
9. Thornaby	Completed
10. Macclesfield	Completed
11. Horwich	In progress
12. Chorley	Contracts being finalised
13. Hexham/Carlisle	Completed
14. Ramsgate Interchange	Contracts being finalised
15. Saltash	Contracts being finalised
16. Penzance Interchange	Completed (Phase 1)
17. Liskeard Interchange	Contracts being finalised
18. Plymouth	Completed
19. Chippenham	Contracts being finalised
20. Bodmin	Completed
21. Redruth	Completed
22. Beauly	Completed
23. Edinburgh Park	In progress
24. Ludlow	Completed
25. Burnley Central	Contracts being finalised
26. Bromsgrove	Completed
27. Gobowen	Completed
28. Haverfordwest	Completed
29. Doncaster	Now withdrawn
30. Sheffield	In progress

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects that Liverpool Lime Street station will be owned by Network Rail; and if he will make a statement. [136452]

In common with the other 2,500 railway stations on the rail network, Liverpool Lime Street is already owned by Network Rail.Network Rail are, however, in negotiations with First North Western to take operational control of the station. Network Rail inform me that negotiations are well advanced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in support of a review of the speed limits on roads; and what plans he has to undertake such a review. [135299]

The Road Safety Strategy, published in March 2000 gave a commitment to review guidance on setting local speed limits. The Transport Select Committee on Road Traffic Speed that reported last year also recommended a review of speed limit guidance and this was supported by local authorities and road safety professionals.Work has already started on revised guidance to local authorities and we expect a first draft to be available in spring 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the cross-subsidy in favour of Stansted Airport. [135629]

Stansted is a designated airport subject to price cap regulation under the 1986 Airports Act. As such, the issue of cross-subsidy in favour of Stansted was considered by the CAA as part of its price cap review and decisions on BAA's London airports, published in February 2003. The Government will set out their policy on this issue in the Air Transport White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is mandatory for a transport manager to be in the employment of the licence holder under EU Directive 96/26. [135272]

Section 58 of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 defines a transport manager as

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Administration of Mr. Hamid Karzai is considered to be a credible national Government across Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [133623]

President Karzai and the Afghan Transitional Administration (ATA) are the legitimate Government of Afghanistan, following President Karzai's election by the Emergency Loya Jirga in June 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's aims are at the Convention on Conventional Weapons negotiations in November; and if he will make a statement. [135848]

The Government recognises the importance of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and will continue to play an active role in the negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva. Our immediate aims for the November meeting will be to continue to work for conclusion of an agreement on a new and legally binding instrument on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and to reach consensus on a negotiating mandate for 2004 to take forward constructive work on Mines Other Than Anti-Personnel Mines (MOTAPMS).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department's representatives at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons negotiations in November will seek agreement on a mandate for future negotiations on cluster munitions. [135849]

The UK will seek a mandate for negotiations on an instrument that could contain technical standards to be phased in for cluster munitions. This would aim to improve the reliability of cluster munitions so that fewer of them remain unexploded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the generals of (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea concerning the implementation of the decision on the border dispute; and if he will make a statement. [136530]

We have had no direct discussions with generals on either side on this subject. However, the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Forces Commander has had regular, joint discussions with the military commanders of both sides in the Military Coordination Committee (MCC). And we are in close touch with the Governments of both countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the UK representative office has in selecting candidates for European Commission vacancies; what guidelines have been issued on this process; and if he will make a statement. [135891]

The European Commission is responsible for selecting candidates for vacancies within its services. Most such vacancies are filled through internal procedures by permanent Commission employees who have been recruited through open competition. For a small number of temporary appointments the Commission inform member states of vacancies and invite them to submit names of potential candidates. A Commission Selection Committee decides on such appointments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of opening Basra International Airport to non-governmental commercial and passenger flights for (a) trade with and (b) the reconstruction of Iraq. [135361]

Opening Basra airport to commercial aviation would have a positive effect on trade and reconstruction. We intend that the airport should be opened to commercial aviation as soon as possible once the relevant security and other requirements have been met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the coalition governments have had with Red Crescent officials regarding involvement in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [135598]

The Coalition Provisional Authority has had contacts with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, which is active throughout the country. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society works with the local authorities in the search for, and identification of bodies in, mass graves; contacting families and assisting with burials; basic first aid; ambulance services; and rehabilitation of its four hospitals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United States State Department informed the Government of the outcome of the work undertaken by the working groups on the likely political, economic and security situation in a post-invasion Iraq. [135628]

There have been frequent and regular meetings between the Government and members of the United States State Department before, during and after the conflict, at which all aspects of policy in Iraq have been discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he is doing to combat the (a) production and (b) export of land mines worldwide. [136477]

The Government considers universalisation of the Ottawa Convention to be the best means of combating the production, use, stockpiling or transfer of anti-personnel land mines. The United Kingdom was among the first states to ratify the Convention and continues to play a leading role in follow-up work, including encouraging the widest possible adherence to the treaty. Through our diplomatic missions overseas we have recently lobbied states not party to the Convention, urging their ratification or accession at the earliest opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of religious freedom with the Egyptian Government and urge it to permit Muslim converts to Christianity to change their (a) religion and (b) names in their identity papers. [135499]

The British Government is committed to promoting tolerance and mutual respect between religions. Although the majority of people in Egypt are Muslim, there is a large Christian minority who are free to practice their own religion. The Egyptian State upholds Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Egyptian citizens are therefore free to convert to Christianity. The lack of an administrative provision for converts to Christianity to change their religious affiliation on their identity cards is a problem. We understand that a suit has been brought in the Egyptian courts to remove this affiliation altogether.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are to rebuild the bridges at Novi Sad; and if he will make a statement. [135599]

The 3 bridges destroyed at Novi Sad during the 1999 NATO intervention have been replaced. However, one of these is a temporary pontoon structure, which will be removed on completion of a €40 million European-Union funded reconstruction of the 'Sloboda' bridge, due in May 2005. The EU also contributed €22 million to the successful clearance of bris and unexploded ordnance from the riverbed, which was completed in June 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the European Union's Stability Pact for the Balkans; what projects have been completed; what projects are under way; what stage they are at; when they are estimated to be completed; what projects have been agreed to but have not yet commenced; what projects have been submitted for consideration and are awaiting decision; and which of these relate to Serbia and Montenegro. [135440]

The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was established in 1999. It has helped the region address a wide range of issues in support of stabilisation, development and reform. The Stability Pact's activity is divided into three Working Tables: Human Rights and Democratisation (Working Table I); Economic Reconstruction, Development and Cooperation (Working Table II); and Security Issues (Working Table III). The Pact's umbrella currently covers 26 different initiatives. The Pact has six priorities for 2003: Local Democracy and Cross Border Cooperation; Media (both Working Table I): Regional Infrastructure/ Energy; Trade and Investment (both Working Table II); Organised Crime; and Managing and Stabilising Population Movements (both Working Table III).The Pact has no budget (except for its own Secretariat) with which to fund or implement projects. Its principal function is to act as a conduit for project implementers and donors. It is therefore difficult to provide information on the status of projects profiled under the auspices of the Pact, as these remain owned by the donor(s).In relation to Serbia and Montenegro (SaM), the Pact has helped with the following items under the six priorities during 2003:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to (a) promote respect for human rights and justice among participants in the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development sponsored peace process in Sudan and (b) encourage the inclusion and participation in the peace process of hitherto excluded political parties and civil society groups. [136223]

In their decision to end the civil war, the parties recognise that the principle of human rights must be at the core of any peace agreement. We have taker every opportunity to reiterate this message. Or 14 October the Government of Sudan released from house arrest Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, the leader of the Popular National Congress, as well as other politica prisoners. We welcome this step towards reconciliatior of all parties.We are considering ways to strengthen civil society participation in consolidating peace and, with others to support the establishment of a Human Right Commission and other relevant institutions following peace agreement. We will also look at ways to support the development of an effective public administration and judicial system throughout Sudan.Human Rights is at the forefront of our policy it helping Sudan reach a comprehensive peace agreement

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations hi: Department has made to the Government of Sudan since the end of the temporary ceasefire on finding t political solution to the conflict in Darfur. [136225]

Our Embassy in Khartoum continues to focus on the issue of Darfur and is following closely both the humanitarian situation and the political dialogue at the Abeche peace talks.We believe that the Abeche Agreement did not stipulate an end to the cease-fire and we call on both parties to respect that agreement. Our Ambassador to Sudan has spoken to the Government of Sudan on a number of occasions, and continues to do so, about the need for a process of political engagement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan on the house detention of Dr. Hassan al-Turabi. [136492]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him on 23 October 2003, Official Report, column 713W. Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, and other political prisoners, were released on 13 October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security agreement signed between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for long-lasting peace in Sudan. [136494]

I refer my hon. Friend to the joint press statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the then Secretary of State for International Development (Baroness Amos) on 25 September in which they welcomed the Framework Agreement on Security Arrangements during the Interim Period. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. We believe that this is a reflection of the commitment of both Parties and an important step towards peace.We are encouraged by the progress made so far and are optimistic for the prospects of peace in the long term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to trail assets moved by spouses and children of senior ZANU PF officials; and if he will make a statement. [135259]

In 2002 the EU imposed an asset freeze on senior members of the Zimbabwe government. The list of targets includes Grace Mugabe, Robert Mugabe's wife. We are obliged to locate and freeze any assets held by her in the UK. While no other spouses or children of senior Zanu PF officials are on the sanctions list, if a UK bank suspects that an account in someone else's name is being used by or for a Zimbabwean on the sanctions then it should be reported to the Bank of England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the threat by Mr. Robert Mugabe to use British citizens as hostages in the event of British action. [135310]

Mugabe has made a range of threats in response to alleged British plans to intervene in Zimbabwe. There are no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his response to the Eighth Report of Session 2002–03 from the Foreign Affairs Committee on Zimbabwe, if he will now revisit his decision not to take steps to strip Mr. Robert Mugabe of his honorary knighthood. [135342]

Our position on this remains unchanged. We do not view the removal of Mugabe's honorary knighthood, conferred on him in 1994. on the recommendation of the previous government, as an immediate priority. Our current efforts are focused on providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe, whilst encouraging the return of a democratically accountable government which respects human rights and the rule of law. We may nevertheless revisit this question in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for (a) the consular section of the British

£000
	(a) Consultations	(b) Pilot Schemes	(c) Conferences	(d) Publications	(e) Staffing
2001–02	69	n/a	1	697	1,371
2002–03	964	168	45	1,548	3,136
2003–041	672	701	59	563	2,044
1 To end September 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research she has commissioned on the effects of the possible introduction of double summertime. [135833]

The Government have no current plans to alter the present summer time arrangements as previous research concluded that the disadvantages outweighed the benefits.

The High Commission in Harare is currently offering a full range of consular and entry clearance services. There are no plans to change the consular services provided by the British High Commission in Harare, including the processing of entry clearance applications.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what total expenditure by the Electoral Commission has been on (a) consultations, (b) pilot schemes, (c) conferences, (d) publications and (e) staffing costs for each financial year from 2001; and if he will make a statement. [135068]

Total expenditure by the Electoral Commission, rounded to the nearest £1,000, on (a) consultations, (b) pilot schemes, (c) conferences, (d) publications and (e) staffing costs, for each financial year from 1 April 2001, is set out in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to tackle the public use of Chinese fireworks; and if she will make a statement. [135756]

Most fireworks sold to the general public in the United Kingdom originate in China. But whether fireworks are imported or made here in the UK, all which are intended for use by the general public must meet the requirements of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 and the British Standard BS 7114, the safety standard governing the safe construction, testing and labelling of consumer fireworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) in respect of what (a) weight and (b) number of items of fireworks import licences were granted to Global Fireworks Ltd. (i) prior to 5 April 2002, (ii) between 6 April 2002 and 5 April 2003 and (iii) from 6 April 2003 to date; [135638](2) how many import licences for fireworks were granted to Global Fireworks Ltd..

Licensing controls on imports of fireworks from China applied from 15 March 1994 to 10 March 2003. Licences specified weight of shipment rather than the number of items. The ending of the licensing regime was one of the conditions of China's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The following licences were issued to Global Fireworks Ltd.:

(a) Prior to 5 April 2002: four licences totalling 103,608 kg

(b) Between 6 April 2002 and 5 April 2003: no licences issued

(c) From 6 April 2003 to date: no licences issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to tackle the sale of illegal fireworks through the internet; and if she will make a statement. [135784]

United Kingdom based companies selling over the internet are subject to the provisions of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997. We cannot legislate for those companies who operate outside the UK. However, we advise consumers to exercise the utmost caution when buying fireworks over the internet from outside the UK. Also it is illegal to supply fireworks in the UK which have not been classified by Health and Safety Executive's Explosives Inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the efficacy of the Scottish Aerospace Strategy Initiative; what plans she has to establish a similar strategy for the aerospace industry in the North West of England; what discussions she has had with the Scotland Office about developing the aerospace industry in Scotland; and if she will make a statement. [134013]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made no assessment of the efficacy of the Scottish Aerospace Strategy Initiative, as this is a matter of economic development and devolved to the Scottish Executive.In May 2002, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry established the Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team (AeIGT) to produce a 20-year vision for the future of the aerospace industry across the whole of the UK and to make recommendations as to how to make that vision a reality. Those recommendations were published in June 2003 and give strategic direction for the aerospace industry across the UK, including the North West of England. The Chairman of the North West Regional Development Agency is a member of the AeIGT and continues to be, closely involved in its work. It is for the North West Regional Development Agency to consider the need for a regional strategy.The Department has an on-going relationship with the Scottish Executive and its economic development agencies both as part of the dialogue of Working with the Regions and Devolved Administrations and in the context of the implementation of the AeIGT report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the provision of launch aid to businesses in the supply chain for (a) Airbus and (b) aircraft carrier projects. [135405]

[holding answer 30 October 2003]: The provision of Launch Investment is entirely discretionary. Each application is considered on its merits against a range of established criteria and against public expenditure constraints.The Government are currently investing £530 million of Launch Investment to Airbus UK for the design and development of the Airbus A380 wings. The support provided to the prime contractor such as Airbus UK benefits the whole of the supply chain by securing strategically important projects for the UK. On the A380 programme more than 400 companies located throughout the UK are already contributing to the programme.Launch Investment is only available to the civil aerospace sector and therefore aircraft carrier projects would not be eligible for support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1067W, whether her Department's proposals for secondary orders under the Export Control Act 2002 will comply with the text adopted by the plenary session of the European Parliament on 19 June 2003 (B5-0312/2003); [135102](2) pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003,

The European Parliament resolution is exhortatory so the question of compliance with it does not arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many exhibitors at the recent Arms Trade Fair in London did not have licences to trade and possess such weapons in the United Kingdom; what proportion of the total exhibitors and traders were unlicensed; and on what basis they were allowed to continue to participate in the fair. [134905]

I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the cost of broadband telecommunications charges to public bodies within the Ribble Valley constituency in 2002–03; and what plans there are for improving value for money. [131699]

Estimates of the cost of broadband telecommunications charges to public bodies within the Ribble Valley-constituency in 2002–03 are not available.The Government are improving value for money through the aggregation of public sector demand for broadband connectivity. In the coming month, nine new Regional Aggregation Bodies (RABs) will be set up, one in each of the English regions to join up individual public sector requirements and present them to the market in larger units. They will deliver better value deals and drive up availability by making it more attractive to telecommunications companies to make the capital investment necessary to provide broadband in new areas. Their work will also improve broadband availability for non-public sector users in those areas by encouraging service providers to use the infrastructure to provide broadband services to the public and small businesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the timescale for the introduction of community interest companies. [136087]

I announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 10 July 2003, Official Report, column 62WS, that the Government intend to move ahead with legislation on Community Interest Companies, alongside some company law issues, as soon as parliamentary time allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the introduction of community interest companies as a means for delivering foundation hospitals. [136088]

None. Subject to legislation, NHS Foundation Trusts are to be incorporated as public benefit corporations, as set out in the Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts and the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the contributors to the Government's consultation on community interest companies. [136089]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 41 WS, that a report on the outcome of the consultation on Community Interest Companies has been published. A list of the 134 respondents to the consultation is included at Annex A of the report. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the Houses and on the DTI website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the European Software Patent Directive. [135283]

The Government's policy remains the same as that announced in 2001 after a public consultation on the patentability of software. The Government's conclusion from that consultation was to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software. However, the consultation also concluded that business methods should remain unpatentable.Subsequently, we have supported the introduction by the European Commission of a draft Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions, in order to clarify the legal position across the European Union. Discussions on this Directive are on-going and I await the outcome of further discussions between the EU institutions on its progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1069W, on Interpol, for what reason her Department does not use Interpol's international weapons and explosives tracking system. [135113]

The DTI does not have responsibility for tracking weapons or explosives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to encourage an increase in the capital per worker ratio in UK manufacturing. [134869]

By maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment, together with measures such as reforming capital gains tax, making permanent enhanced capital allowances for small and medium-sized firms, and introducing the Research and Development Tax Credit, we are providing a climate conducive to investment for the long-term in UK manufacturing.The global slowdown in 2001 and added uncertainty in 2002 have led firms to postpone investment decisions, but the UK's strong economic fundamentals mean that manufacturers are well placed to benefit when the global recovery shifts up a gear.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on manufacturing industry. [135581]

While we should remain cautious, we may now be at the start of a recovery path, with positive data from the last four Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) surveys and manufacturing output from the Office for National Statistics up by 0.5 per cent. in the three months to August. However, the sector clearly remains under considerable pressure and we are doing all we can to help.For example, the Manufacturing Advisory Service has been a real success as a major source of advice and support for small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Since it launched in April 2002, the Manufacturing Advisory Service has handled over 17,000 enquiries from manufacturing companies and has carried out over 3,000 diagnostic and advisory visits. Over 1,000 firms have benefited from in-depth consultancies to help them improve their productivity. The total value added benefit to firms helped by the Manufacturing Advisory Service is over £18 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the (a) impact on and (b) cost to UK companies of the reclamation of land in 2002 by the Martu Aborigines of Western Australia; and if she will make a statement. [133640]

None. Since no representations have been made to the Department on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Government have received from (a) the Oil and Gas Industry Liaison Team and (b) other parties concerning the proposed Energy Chapter in the draft European Constitution; and if she will make a statement. [135884]

The Oil and Gas Industry Liaison Team, in an open letter to the my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 October 2003, set out their view of the implications for the UK oil and gas industry posed by the Energy Chapter of the draft European Constitution. A number of organisations with UK oil and gas interests have also made representations to Ministers. Under the Treaty establishing the European Community, there is already Union activity in energy matters and we believe there is a strong case for making the legal base for policy in this area more transparent. However, the UK Government will only agree to an extension of competence in energy policy if it is consistent with British national interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what overseas visits (a) she and (b) her ministerial colleagues plan to make in the next year to promote trade with the United Kingdom. [135475]

Next year's overseas visits programme for Ministers, in support of trade development and policy, has yet to be finalised. All plans will take into account other travel proposals across Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices have closed in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in (i) each of the last 12 months and (ii) the previous five years. [135923]

I am advised by Post Office Ltd. that data on post office numbers is not available in the form requested.However, I understand that since March 2000 the company has recorded details of post office closures on the basis of Government Region and in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region as a whole, the numbers of net closures were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent meetings she has had with her counterpart in the United States of America to discuss import tariffs on United Kingdom pottery products; and if she will make a statement. [135478]

US tariffs on pottery products are being addressed as part of the ongoing WTO Doha Development Agenda multilateral negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products. In these talks the EU negotiates as one and maintains regular contact with other WTO members including the United States of America.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps her Department is taking to encourage the manufacture of reusable printer cartridges; [135887](2)what discussions she has had with

The transposition of the WEEE Directive into UK legislation is being overseen by an interdepartmental team, including officials from all of the Departments concerned and the devolved Administrations.The Department has had extensive dialogue with cartridge manufacturers and the UK Cartridge Remanufacturers Association on the scope of the WEEE Directive in relation to printer cartridges, but there is no formal assessment by Government on the effects of inclusion or exclusion on either manufacturers or re-manufacturers.My Department continues to welcome the reuse and re-manufacture of printer cartridges, as a useful contribution to sustainable consumption and production, but does not operate a promotional programme specifically aimed at encouraging printer cartridge re-manufacture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many redundancies were notified, broken down by nation and region, in each year since

Table 1: Number of proposed redundancies notified in advance
Thousand
Region	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
West Midlands	20.1	27.4	38.4	43.1	52.3	24.7
East Midlands	28.4	31.5	35.1	40.0	54.9	31.0
South West	13.9	22.0	17.5	20.2	41.6	19.2
London and South East	64.2	82.0	101.5	115.7	229.9	94.4
Northern	23.1	21.2	20.0	16.4	24.4	8.5
North West	33.3	36.8	46.3	41.7	71.5	23.8
Yorkshire and Humberside	25.6	27.6	29.0	30.3	50.4	18.8
Total for England	208.6	248.5	287.8	307.4	524.9	220.4
Scotland	25.7	29	35.4	25.5	54.1	27.6
Wales	9.4	13.6	14.5	15.0	18.0	11.6

Table 2: Total employee jobs at December each year
Thousand
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
England	20,658.9	21,022.9	21,488.9	21,808.2	21,883.5	21,828.7
Scotland	2,121.6	2,161.1	2,171.6	2,232.5	2,281.1	2,257.2
Wales	1,019.3	1,035.2	1,070.6	1.085.4	1,074.8	1,072.6

Table 3: As a percentage of total employee jobs
Region	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
England	1.0	1.2	1.3	1.4	2.4	1.0
Scotland	1.2	1.3	1.6	1.1	2.4	1.2
Wales	0.9	1.3	1.4	1.4	1.7	1.1

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to strengthen regional economies in the UK. [134870]

The following tables show the available information. The notification requirements apply only where an employer proposes to make redundant 20 or more employees at one establishment. Such notifications should be made 30 days in advance. If an employer proposes to make 100 or more employees redundant at one establishment, the notifications should be 90 days in advance. In addition, there is no information about how many of the proposed redundancies actually take place. The purpose of the advance notifications is to alert trade unions and employment and other support services to likely future job losses. They do not purport to represent a measure of the numbers of redundancies occurring in the economy.Table 1 shows the total numbers of proposed redundancies notified. Table 2 shows these numbers as a percentage of the total number of employee jobs in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively. There are no percentages for individual regions of England as the figures for notified proposed redundancies are not compiled on the same regional basis as those for employee jobs.

The Department jointly owns, along with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Treasury, a public service agreement to make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions and, over the long term, reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between the regions. The joint team taking this work forward has been reviewing the key drivers of economic growth in the regions and the market failures which result in under-performance in some of them, and examining the regional impact of current policies in the three departments and across Government. A coherent and effective package of policy proposals will then be developed to be taken forward as part of the next spending review and beyond.In addition, strengthening regional economies and improving the economic performance of the regions forms one of the key areas identified in DTI's five-year strategy, launched in September 2003. Regional thinking will play a bigger role in DTI policy formation, so that national and regional strategies reinforce and complement each other. As part of this, DTI will consider regional impacts throughout its business planning process. The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have a pivotal role to play as strategic drivers of regional economic development. Funding for the RDAs under the Single Pot is set to rise: it will be worth £2 billion a year in 2005–06—up from £1.8 billion in 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) new starters and (b) people returning to the industry (i) have been trained and (ii) are being trained for the (A) ship building, (B) ship repair and (C) offshore industries under schemes supported by One NorthEast. [133392]

Available figures¹ show that, over the last 12 months, 76 new trainees/apprentices joined ship building and offshore companies in the North East of England.ONE NorthEast, the Learning and Skills Council, COGENT (the Sector Skills Council for the Oil and Gas Extraction, Chemicals Manufacturing and Petroleum Industries) and SEMTA (the Sector Skills Council for the Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies) are working closely together on skills issues, including the development of a comprehensive Energy Cluster Skills Action Plan covering the offshore, marine, defence and renewables sectors. The Action Plan will identify sector skills gaps and propose solutions on issues including crafts levels, graduate skills and employee retention. An initial draft will be available in the next few weeks.

To ask the Secretary and state for Trade and industry if she will make a statement on the trade relationship between Britain and (a) New Zealand and (b) Australia. [135512]

Britain has a healthy bilateral trade relationship with (a) New Zealand and (b) Australia From January to July 2003. bilateral trade in goods between the UK and New Zealand was worth £0.55 billion representing a 9 per cent. increase over the same period of last year, and bilateral trade in goods between the UK and Australia was worth £2.3 billion representing a 1.8 per cent. increase over the same period of last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Institution for the Multilateral Protection of pan-African Commercial Transactions on UK companies investing in Africa; and if she will make a statement. [134447]

My Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the Institution for the Multilateral Protection of pan-African Commercial Transactions (IMPACT) on direct investment in Africa. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development confirmed that such an assessment would be most appropriately carried out by the World Bank, who provided a US $5 million IDA loan for the establishment of the Africa Trade Insurance Agency (as IMPACT is also known) in 2001, and as such the initiative would be subject to EDA procedures for assessment and review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the (a) impact on and (b) cost to UK companies of the 2002 judicial ruling to allow the Waiapi Indians of Amazonia to surface mine in their land; and if she will make a statement. [133641]

None, since no representations have been made to the Department on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department plans to outsource call centre work to premises outside the United Kingdom. [132104]

The Department has no plans to outsource call centre work to premises outside the UK, nor through OJEU procurement process at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations govern the (a) quantity and (b) type of therapeutic and non-therapeutic drugs given to chickens; and if she will make a statement on their use. [134704]

The regulation of medicines given to chickens and all other animals. is governed by European legislation. Directive 2001 82 EC requires all veterinary medicines. including therapeutic antimicrobials, to be assessed against statutory criteria this context includes the health and the treated animal. the operator, the environment and the safety of consumers of any food products from the treated animals. All therapeutic antimicrobials are classified as Prescription Only Medicines (POM) and can be administered only on the basis of a prescription issued by a veterinary surgeon. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), an executive agency of Defra, is responsible for the authorisation of therapeutic veterinary medicinal products in the UK.The authorisation and use of non-therapeutic products administered to farm animals in their feed is subject to controls set down by the European Union (Council Directive 70/524/EC as amended). Under these rules, such products cannot be authorised for use unless they satisfy statutory criteria designed to ensure that, at the level permitted in feedstuffs, they will not adversely affect human or animal health or the environment. Additionally, they may only be used in accordance with the terms set out in an annex to the Directive, which specifies the species in which they may be used, authorised dosage rates and the withdrawal periods that must be applied before animals can be slaughtered for human consumption. Non-therapeutic products administered to farm animals in their feed are authorised centrally in the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the threshold score will be for securing funding from her Department for sea defence and flood alleviation schemes in the next period for which a threshold is set. [136153]

[holding answer 3 November 2003]: In general, in order to be approved for grant aid, proposed schemes must satisfy the Department's economic, environmental and technical criteria and achieve a minimum threshold priority score which is set annually at around this time for the following financial year. Changes to the threshold do not affect schemes which have already been approved.The threshold for projects to start in 2003–04 is 22 (out of a maximum possible score of 44). The Department is still analysing operating authority returns detailing their funding requirements for 2004–05 but I hope to be in a position to announce the threshold score for 2004–05 shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the regulatory framework which will need to be put in place for the introduction of GM crops. [135760]

There is already a comprehensive regulatory framework for the control of GM crops, with several regulatory approvals being needed before a given crop could be introduced for commercial cultivation.Under European Directive 2001/18/EC each particular GM crop must be judged on its own merits according to scientific evidence of any risks it may pose to human health or the environment. A person or company wishing to market such a GM crop must supply a detailed dossier of information and a detailed environmental risk assessment on that GM crop. This information is open to scrutiny by all 15 member states and their expert advisers and the European Commission and its expert advisers, and an EU-wide public consultation must be held. No GM crop may be grown commercially unless and until EU member states have agreed collectively that it is safe.In addition, each GM crop will need approval under EU seeds legislation before it can be grown commercially. Also, any GM crop intended for use with a particular herbicide or pesticide will need approval under EU pesticides legislation. And any GM crop intended to be used as a food will need approval under EU novel foods legislation. Furthermore, from spring 2004 all GM crops and any products derived from them will become subject to comprehensive new EU GM traceability and labelling legislation, which significantly extends the provisions for traceability and labelling already required by Directive 2001/18.In addition to these regulatory frameworks we will be considering the terms on which GM and non-GM crops might co-exist in the light of a report on this issue expected shortly from the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what published research she has assessed on the (a) persistence and (b) invasiveness of (i) GM herbicide tolerant and (ii) other crops in disturbed habitats where herbicides and fertilisers are used; and what research she has commissioned on this subject. [136063]

When assessing the potential impact of the release of a GM crop in England the Department is advised by an independent statutory expert body, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). In considering each case, ACRE will take account of all available relevant information on the implications of the proposed release.A large body of research has been published on the persistence and invasiveness of GM (and non-GM) crops and weeds in disturbed, improved and tilled land. This includes Government-commissioned work and work conducted independently of Government. The body of literature was recently reviewed by the GM Science Review Panel as part of the GM Dialogue, and their final report is available at www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk. Section 6.2 of that report specifically refers to the potential persistence and invasiveness of GM crops. This report has been made available to ACRE.Details of all Defra-commissioned GMO related research work are available on our website at www. defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research. This includes details of completed projects and links to download or order any published reports. Several of these include a consideration of persistence and invasiveness, including:'Environmental Risks of Herbicide-Tolerant Oilseed Rape' (March 1999);'Investigation of Feral Oilseed Rape Populations' (February 1999);'Monitoring largescale releases of genetically modified crops, incorporating report on project EPG 1/5/30: monitoring releases of genetically modified crop plants' (December 2002);'Consequences for agriculture of the introduction of GM crops' (October 2003).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) published about the biochemical implications of introducing genes coding for enzymes under the control of host gene regulation systems; and what the implications are of this in respect of the host GM plant. [136169]

[holding answer 3 November 2003]: The Department has not commissioned research into the biochemical implications of introducing genes coding for enzymes under the control of host regulatory elements because it is not relevant to the risk assessment of current GM crop releases. However, there has been a large volume of research commissioned elsewhere, which would inform decision making if this issue became relevant to proposed releases in the future.The biochemical implications of using regulatory elements will vary in each specific case, and where relevant, would be taken into account by our expert advisers alongside other factors. In general, the use of regulatory elements native to plants will result in lower levels of transgene expression than those derived from bacteria and viruses as used in current GM crops (e.g. 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter).There is a possibility that introducing copies of regulatory elements that are already present in the host plant could result in partial or complete silencing of native genes under the control of these elements. In recent years, there has been a substantial body of high quality research on 'gene silencing'. an issue which is addressed in Chapter 3 of the GM Science Review, published in July 2003 (http://www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk/).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) published about the (i) behaviour and (ii) fate in the environment of toxins used in the production of GM insect resistant crops. [136190]

[holding answer 3 November 2003]: In July 2001 the Department commissioned research into the "Environmental Impact of Bt Exudates from Roots of Genetically Modified Plants". We expect it to be published early in the new year on: he Defra website. Other publications regarding the issues on the behaviour and fate in the environment of toxins (13t) used in the production of GM insect resistant crops have been considered recently in the GM Science Review, which was published in July 2003. No GM insect resistant crops have been grown or trialed in the UK apart from two small scale research trials involving potato and strawberry plants in the raid-1990s.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the legal processes relating to the EU directive on the GM contamination threshold for conventional seeds. [135273]

The European Commission has decided that the appropriate mechanism for establishing statutory thresholds for the adventitious presence of approved GMOs in conventional seeds would be as follows:

1. The thresholds would be set, by species, in the Regulatory Committee established under the Directive on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs (2001/18/EC);

2. These same thresholds would then be inserted into the seeds marketing Directives by agreement in the Standing Committee on Seeds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many square miles of water off the Irish coast have been opened up to European fishing fleets as a result of removal of restrictions relating to the Irish box; and what steps are being taken to protect fish stocks in this area. [134836]

The Irish Box, part of Western Waters, was established by Council Regulation (EC) No 685/95. It comprises the area to the west of Great Britain south of latitude 56 30° North, east of longitude12 West and north of latitude 50 30° North and includes some some sixty to sixty five thousand square miles of water in parts of ICES Sub Areas VI and VII. Effort ceilings for Community vessels over 18 metres operating in specified fisheries within Western Waters, including the constituent parts of the Irish Box, were subsequently set by Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/95. Under new measures agreed by the Council of Ministers on13 October 2003, to take effect no later than 1 August 2004, separate effort ceilings will no longer operate for the Irish Box other than for a smaller management area off the south west coast of Ireland designed to protect juvenile hake stocks. Future fishing effort by vessels over 15 metres in the Irish Box will fall to be contained within new effort ceilings to be established for the totality of Areas VI and VII on the basis of actual fishing effort in those areas between 1998 and 2002. In addition a statement added to the minutes of the 13 October Council states that in this and other areas where vessels have previously been excluded the Commission and Member States concerned shall carefully monitor fishing activities in order to ensure that such activities are consistent with the measures already in place for the conservation of fisheries resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live sheep were exported from Dover to Europe on 18 September; when and where health certification was carried out in respect of the sheep; how many of the sheep were rejected as unfit for the intended journey (a) during inspection for health certification purposes and (b) at Dover docks, and to where those sheep were taken; and what the address was of the final destination given on the route plan for each of the consignments. [135179]

The information is requested is as follows:

Date	18 September 1993
Total animals	2,615
Where consignments were certified	England and Scotland
Animals rejected at certification	0
Animals rejected at Dover docks	0
Destination	France

The sheep for the consignment above were certified within 24 hours prior to export. There were no rejected animals either during health certification or at Dover docks. The consignment was of sheep for further fattening which were transported to holdings in France.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives from (a) the Meat and Livestock Commission, (b) local authorities and (c) the livestock industry about the (i) extent and (ii) impact of livestock market closures. [136192]

[holding answer 3 November 2003]: In consultation with its stakeholders the Department keeps the network of livestock auction markets throughout the country under review. This includes the extent and impact of closures in view of the importance of these enterprises in the rural economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) EU representatives, (b) the Food Standards Agency and (c) the Scottish Executive on the impact of proposals on animal welfare from the European Commission to replace independent meat inspection with inspection by the meat industry. [133120]

Defra officials continue to liaise with the European Commission, other Government Departments and the Devolved Administrations on issues relating to primary production and animal welfare and the proposed Food Hygiene Regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the detailed proposals for better controls on intermediate level radioactive waste conditioning and storage as reported in the Government's First Progress Report to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Managing Radioactive Waste Safely. [134075]

Advice from the regulators is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage restaurants to use local produce. [133895]

[holding answer 27 October 2003]: As part of the Department's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, we have agreed a programme of measures aimed at helping find new outlets (including restaurants) for locally produced food and drink. Implementation of the programme is being led by Food from Britain in England with the help of additional funding from this Department and includes:

regional food exhibitions and meet the buyer events with the specific objective of targeting caterers and chefs;

organising a series of seminars this year aimed at raising the profile of locally produced food and drink with catering college students;

producing, with "Visit Britain", an in-depth trade guide aimed at helping producers understand the opportunities presented by the public's growing enthusiasm for locally produced food and drink when eating out; and

supporting a new guide, to be launched later this year, which highlights those restaurants and hotels providing the best locally produced food and drink.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her US counterpart about importation for dismantling purposes of the ships from the US Reserve Fleet which have set sail for the United Kingdom. [133290]

[holding answer 20 October 2003]: None. However, there is on-going contact between officials in the relevant regulatory authorities, both here and in the US, and they are working to ensure that potential risks to the environment, during the transport and recycling phases, are thoroughly assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in increasing the number of (a) finches, (b)) tits and (c) buntings in the wild. [132207]

The Marsh tit, Willow tit, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Cirl bunting, Reed bunting and Corn bunting are red-listed in the 2002 birds of conservation concern listings. The Lesser redpoll is amber listed. The Long tailed tit, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch are green listed. The colour listing relates to their conservation status, with red representing the steepest decline in numbers. (Gregory et al. 2002: British Birds 1995).The National Woodland Bird Survey gathers information about the probable causes of change in woodland bird populations and is the first step in identifying possible new approaches to management of woodlands for songbirds; it was initiated in spring 2003 and is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB and funded by Governmental and non governmental bodies. To date, no general national management scheme has been initiated to recover woodland bird populations, although some local management changes brought about through managing both national forests and designated sites may have benefited woodland species. Recent increases in some woodland species are likely to be due to largely natural factors.As part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, species action plans for the conservation and enhancement of the cirl bunting, corn bunting, reed bunting and bullfinch were published in 1998. Implementation of the plans is being taken forward through partnerships including government, the agencies and NGOs. The plans identify a wide variety of measures that are being pursued to help improve the status of the species.Some of the work has been very specific, for example for the cirl bunting there have been special management options made available to farmers. For some of the other species, in addition to some specific measures. general changes to agri-environment schemes to benefit farmland birds have been put in place.The yellowhammer is a new addition to the birds of conservation concern red-list and as such does not have a formal Species Action Plan. It is, however, one of the core 20 farmland bird species that are included in the government's Farmland Bird Indicator and as such will benefit from actions being taken to improve general farmland habitat management. Defra has recently piloted a new Entry Level agri-environment scheme in England which relies on much simpler management options to benefit widespread farmland habitats—the advantage with this, if it is implemented, will be that it could cover a much greater area of farmland than under current schemes and so ultimately have much greater benefits for farmland birds.