To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the projects to be funded by the sums pledged by (a) the UK and (b) the EU as reconstruction aid to Iraq indicating the sum allocated to each project; what the expected UK contribution to (i) the World Bank loan and (ii) the IMF loan is; to what purposes these contributions are expected to be put; and if he will make a statement. [141118]

It is too early to say how the money pledged at Madrid will be allocated by DFID and the EU as priorities are still being determined in coordination with the interim Iraqi Administration and other donors. Equally it is too soon to say what the UK contribution to the World Bank and IMF loans will be.As soon as DFID approves its reconstruction projects for Iraq, details will be placed in the House Library and published in the weekly sitrep that can be obtained on the DFID website www.dfid.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the projected aid budget for reconstruction in Iraq has been funded by changes in the aid budget for other countries in financial year 2003-04. [141256]

None of the funding for reconstruction in Iraq this financial year has been found from planned expenditure for other countries. Of the £312 million budget for 2003–04 £180 million is additional resources for reconstruction from Treasury reserves and a further £75 million has been sourced from the DFID contingency reserve. The rest has been found from existing allocation for Iraq, MOD funds, the Global Conflict Prevention Pool and our share of EC funding for Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the sexual balance is of the team of gender advisers he has assigned to Iraq. [141828]

Both members of the team are female.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) children and (b) pregnant mothers died of malaria in developing countries in each of the last five years, using figures from his Department's research. [141193]

Children and pregnant women are at the greatest risk of dying from malaria. The WHO'S most recent official estimates of children under-5 dying of malaria for year 2000 are close to 1 million deaths globally. There are no official WHO estimates of malaria related mortality for pregnant women. WHO and Roll Back Malaria (RBM) recognise the importance of having more accurate estimates, which are important to measure progress and ensure that global targets are met.DFID has contributed £48 million over four years (1999 to 2003) to RBM, a global partnership which includes national governments, UN agencies, pharmaceutical companies and NGOs, with the objective of working to half the world's malaria burden by 2010. This will be done through expanding coverage for preventative interventions (e.g. insecticide-treated mosquito nets), expanding effective treatment for the disease and strengthening national capacity for surveillance, monitoring and planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's programmes for middle income countries will (a) be ended early and (b) have their funding reduced in (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 2005–06. [140869]

The Secretary of State outlined intended changes to programmes for middle-income countries in his statement to the House of 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 42WS. More detailed plans are now being made, in consultation with partner countries and other donors. They will be embodied in the annual revision of DFID's Aid Framework, which is expected to be completed over the next two months.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response he will make to the drought relief appeal in Namibia.[141370]

The Government of Namibia launched an appeal to donors at a meeting in Windhoek on 20 November. We and other agencies are currently considering this appeal and the wider issues it raises for emergency planning and response in Namibia.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action the Government are taking to address the humanitarian crisis (a) in Northern Uganda and (b) in the Anglican Diocese of Soroti. [141514]

The situation in Northern and Eastern Uganda has resulted in the UK disbursing an additional £4.4 million over the last 12 months specifically targeted at the humanitarian situation. This assistance has been channelled through the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the Uganda Red Cross Society to support those affected by the conflict. We are currently considering how best to programme a further £4.1 million for urgent humanitarian needs. This will include additional support to the Red Cross specifically for helping those suffering in Eastern Uganda, including Soroti.

To ask the secretary of State for International Development if the Government will support the UNICEF strategy for orphans and vulnerable children.

The UK supports UNICEF's Medium Team Strategic Plan 2002–05 which provides support to orphans and vulnerable children through its five priority areas of: child protection; girls' education; immunization; early childhood development; and tackling HIV/AIDS. The UK supports UNICEF's regular resources. In 2002, the UK provided a further £34 million in extra-budgetary support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air accidents or serious incidents, in addition to total losses, involving United Kingdom-registered airlines are registered on the Airclaims CASE database for the last 10 years for which information is available; and what the comparable accident level was for airlines registered in (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) Germany. [141246]

The following table sets out the number of major partial loss and minor loss accidents for United Kingdom, German and Irish airlines contained in the Airclaims CASE database for the period 1 January 1993 to 31 December 2002.

Accidents other than total loss accidents for the period 1 January 1993 to 1 January 2003
	Passenger operations Aircraft >5,700 kg mtwa	Cargo operation Aircraft <5,700 kg mtwa	Aircraft >5,700 kg mtwa	Aircraft <5,700 kg mtwa
UK airlines	29	0	5	0
German airlines	12	0	2	0
Irish airlines	3	0	1	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cycling (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries occurred among (i) adults and (ii) children in each of the last three years; and in each category what percentage of these adults and children were wearing helmets. [140472]

The following table shows fatal and serious pedal cycle casualties among adults and children for each of the last three years.

2000		2001		2002
Severity	Child	Adult	Child	Adult	Child	Adult
Fatal	27	98	25	111	22	107
Serious	731	1,856	649	1,840	572	1,694

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require statutory undertakers and private companies to pay a rent to local authorities for the stationing of (a) fixed equipment and (b) street furniture on highway land; and if he will make a statement. [141034]

We have no plans to introduce legislation to require statutory undertakers and private companies to pay a rent to local authorities for such activities on highway land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for replacement of rolling stock on the London Underground Victoria Line; and if he will make a statement. [141178]

Responsibility for London Underground transferred from the Government to Transport for London in July this year. Improvements to the Victoria Line infrastructure are the responsibility of Metronet Rail BCV. Metronet are committed to the delivery of 47 new trains on the Victoria Line, all of which will enter service between 2009 and 2012.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of amalgamation and rationalisation of (a) services, (b) management, (c) premises, (d) depots and (e) fleet provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and other bodies responsible for maritime safety in UK territorial waters. [141746]

No specific assessment has been made nor is it considered necessary. The UK land, sea and air Strategic Committee, through its Operators' Group, keeps opportunities for amalgamation and rationalisation of resources for the promotion of maritime safety under review.The Strategic Committee, which reports directly to Ministers, and the Operators' Group are chaired by my Department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency respectively. They include representatives from all the UK emergency services, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Mountain and Cave Rescue Teams.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Coastguard calls relating to (a) commercial shipping, (b) leisure craft, (c) fishing vessels and (d) passenger ferries there were in each of the last five years; and what the cost was in each case. [141821]

HM Coastguard receives calls relating to commercial shipping, leisure craft, fishing vessels and passenger ferries either directly from the vessel via radio or satellite communication, or from interested parties ashore via telephone. A record is not kept of the number of individual calls received and as the receiver of such calls there is no cost to HM Coastguard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many individuals he expects to apply for grants under the Powershift initiative for the (a) conversion of vehicles and (b) for the purchase of low emission vehicles in (i) the current financial year and (ii) each of the next three financial years; [141491](2) what the level of unallocated funds is for grants for

"Powering Future Vehicles—The Government Strategy", published in July 2002, describes the action which the Government are taking to promote the shift to clean, low carbon fuels and vehicles, including low duty rates for liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, hydrogen and biofuels, the introduction of CO₂-based graduated VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) and company car tax, and grants towards the purchase or conversion of cleaner fuelled vehicles, including electric and hybrid vehicles. The First Annual Report on implementation of the Strategy was published in October. Copies of both documents have been placed in the House Library. In this financial year the Energy Saving Trust estimate that they will provide grants for around 4000 vehicles under the PowerShift programme, compared to some 2000 vehicles last year. My Department is currently discussing with the Trust how they can support the Government's environmental objectives in future years. Estimates are not yet available for the number of PowerShift grants in future years. In the current financial year, take-up of PowerShift grants has been strong, and the year's resources have been fully allocated. However, if existing offers are not fully taken up, the resources will be allocated to organisations or individuals whose grant applications have been placed on the PowerShift waiting list. The financial outturn for PowerShift are detailed in the following table.

Financial year	Outturn (£ million)
1997–98	1.684.
1998–99	2.254
1999–2000	3.837
2000–01	8.147
2001–02	9.201
2002–03	5.201
2003–041	9.125
1 Forecast outturn to end March 2004

The Energy Saving Trust is currently carrying out a detailed review of CO

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the outcome of discussions between the train operating industry and the Strategic Rail Authority to develop a national discount railcard. [141309]

Following the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) Fares Review, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport asked the SRA to explore options for the introduction of a well-targeted National Railcard. The SRA is in discussion with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) about the best way of taking this forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the effect on sales of Network Railcards of limiting their application to journeys costing more than £10 in the South East; [141329](2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of leisure journeys made in the South East between June 2002 and June 2003 which

The South East Network card is a commercial "product" and as such is not subject to Government regulation. It's conditions of issue and use are matters for the train operating companies. Information on its use is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to oblige franchised train operators to provide toilet facilities (a) on trains and (b) in stations. [141526]

There are no plans to oblige franchised train operators to provide toilet facilities on trains or in stations.Train operators provide toilet and other facilities where they consider it appropriate, bearing in mind their obligation to achieve improved levels of customer satisfaction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times foreign ships have been detained for falling short of safety standards following inspection in British ports in each year since 2000––01; what (a) prosecutions and (b) penalties have resulted; what the current annual budget is for the inspection and enforcement of international, European and national safety standards; and if he will make a statement. [141360]

The number of foreign flag ships detained in UK ports as a result of Port State Control inspections in each year since 2000–01 is as follows:

	Number of Detentions
2000	112
2001	114
2002	116
2003 to date	91
Total	433

None of these detentions have needed to be followed by a formal prosecution.In the current financial year the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's budget for ship inspections and related activity including enforcement is £25,769,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the new level of subsidy to South Central Trains each year is for the revised length of the franchise.[140483]

The subsidy per year is as follows:

Financial year	Subsidy (£ million)
2003–04	79.5
2004–05	104.5
2005–06	110
2006–07	104.5
2007–08	98.5
2008–09	90
2009–10	84

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the results of the Assembly elections. [141220]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Hillsborough (Helen Jackson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress towards the restoration of self-government in the Province. [141222]

I refer my hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Hillsborough (Helen Jackson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the peace process. [141226]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the member for Sheffield Hillsborough (Helen Jackson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the resumption of power-sharing in Northern Ireland. [141227]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. [141223]

On 19 February 2003 I announced details of a five year £2.1 billion Strategic Investment Programme. A Strategic Investment Board has been established and made considerable progress in improving the performance of Northern Ireland's capital expenditure programme. It is actively involved in many key projects, including eight which it sponsors directly.In addition six former security sites have been made available for social and economic regeneration. One site is to he sold with the proceeds ring-fenced for Reinvestment and Reform Initiative purposes. An Urban Regeneration Company has been established to regenerate the Ebrington Barracks site and consultation is under way to determine the best possible use for the other four sites.The Government remains committed to reflecting the intentions of the former Executive to drive forward a programme to improve our public services through reform and modernisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions his Department has held with Belfast International Airports Authority regarding future policing arrangements at the airport; and if he will make a statement. [141224]

A Security Co-ordinating Committee, chaired by a NIO Official and including representatives from PSNI, RAF Aldergrove, Department for Transport, Department for Rural Development and the Airport Authority, oversees the provision of security at Belfast International Airport. Earlier this year a review of security was carried out by PSNI, the results of which were approved by the Security Coordinating Committee.The implementation of these recommendations will impact on policing numbers at the airport and the Airport Authority has apprised the Department of their implementation plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps religious schools have to take to teach ethical, moral and religious views other than their own faith; and if he will make a statement. [141225]

Religious Education is a compulsory subject in all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland. While the RE core syllabus is Christian in content, it is intended to comprise only 50 per cent. of teaching time for RE, allowing schools scope to include study about other world religions if they so wish. A revised core syllabus, currently under development, includes proposals for the study of other world religions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had on building a national sports stadium for Northern Ireland. [141228]

Support remains for the principle of a national sports stadium but this must be considered on the grounds of need, long term sustainability and in light of other priorities. The Sports Council for Northern Ireland is presently re-considering options for the way forward on a national stadium and this may provide a basis for discussions with the appropriate stake holders in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births were registered for (a) 1 September 2002 and (b) 31 August 2002. [141707]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the harmonised index ofconsumer prices will apply to index-linked pay in (a) central government employment, (b) the National Health Service and (c) independent statutory agencies and regulators. [141727]

Pay is not index-linked to inflation in any part of the public sector. Pay remains the responsibility of individual departments and employers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to link index-linked public sector (a) pay and (b) pensions to the harmonised index of consumer prices; and what estimate he has made of the change in annual public sector annuities which would result. [141728]

Pay is not index-linked to inflation in any part of the public sector. Pay remains the responsibility of individual departments and employers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the interest paid on index-linked government securities was in each year since 1997; and what the interest payments would have been if the harmonised index of consumer prices had been applied. [141729]

The following table sets out the actual interest paid on index-linked gilts each year between 1997–98 and 2002–03.

Interest paid on index-linked gilts1
£ billion
Year	Total
1997–98	3.1
1998–99	3.6
1999–2000	2.5
2000–01	3.9
2001–02	3.0
2002–03	3.0
1Including RPI inflation uplift

No estimates have been produced of the interest costs of index-linked gilts based on a calculated inflation uplift using the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) rather than the general index of retail prices (RPI).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 25 September from the honourable Member for Haltemprice and Howden concerning the signing off of the EU's accounts by the Council of Ministers and Commissioner Kinnock's conduct as Vice President of the Commission and Commissioner for Administrative Reform. [140554]

I have done so.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many inspections were carried out by HM Customs on (a) vessels entering Shoreham Harbour and (b) aircraft landing at Shoreham Airport in the last year. [141095]

HM Customs and Excise do not publish precise details of how many searches or examinations are conducted at specific locations as there is a risk of prejudicing ongoing and future law enforcement operations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) average and (b) median earnings of graduates who are full-time employees in each age cohort from the age of 25. [141203]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many people have been successfully prosecuted in each of the last six years for illegally importing meat products; [140994](2) how much has been spent by local authorities in Sussex in each of the last six years on prosecuting cases involving illegal importation of meat. [141055]

In respect of HM Customs and Excise I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wealden (Mr. Hendry) on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 143W. They brought two prosecutions in 2001.In respect of prosecutions undertaken by agencies other than Customs, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 10 March 2003,

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many seizures of illegal meat imports by Customs have taken place at Heathrow airport since April; [140995]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wealden (Mr. Hendry) on 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 40W. The figures published by Defra for total seizures of imported goods by all agencies, at ports of entry and elsewhere in 2001–02 and 2002–03 are 2,053 (114,790 kg) and 7,819 (109,211 kg) respectively. Figures for earlier years are not held centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what inspections are carried out on imported cargo at Heathrow airport, and where, to check for illegally imported meat products. [140997]

HM Customs and Excise inspect imported cargo on a risk-based and intelligence-led basis. Since 11 April 2003 risk assessments have included illegally imported meat products. Checks are carried out in the Customs controlled freight area and can vary from simple visual inspections to full physical examinations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what specialist training is available to customs officers to detect illegally imported meat products. [140999]

The operational skills required for detecting illegally imported meat and other animal products are the same as for Customs and Excise other anti-smuggling responsibilities. All customs officers involved in such work are trained in anti-smuggling techniques before commencing operational duties.As part of the implementation of their new responsibilities in respect of illegal imports of meat and products of animal origin, HM Customs and Excise have provided specific training to existing anti-smuggling staff across the United Kingdom. Similar training has been incorporated into formal training programmes for staff who are new to anti-smuggling work or who are receiving structured refresher training.The training covers the scope of the relevant regulations and the ontrols, the nature of the products subject to prohibition or restriction, dealing with seizures, links to other agencies and where to seek advice.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many trained sniffer dogs are deployed for the detection of illegal meat imports at UK ports of entry; and where they are located. [141056]

Customs deploy two meat detector dogs and a further four will be deployed early in the new year, as soon as their training is complete. All of these dogs can be deployed at any port or airport across the UK.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers of arrest are available to law enforcement officers operating at UK airports against people suspected of importing meat products illegally. [141058]

Customs officers have powers under Sections 50 and 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 to arrest any persons suspected of knowingly importing meat products illegally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is responsible for inspecting imported cargo at each major UK airport. [140996]

HM Customs and Excise inspect imported cargo at airports and ports where there is reason to do so, for example to verify the import declaration or to check for prohibited or restricted goods. Other government departments or local authorities may also inspect specific cargoes in which they have a specific interest, in order to carry out their statutory duties.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much would be raised by increasing the basic rate of income tax by one pence on the residents of (a) Portsmouth Unitary Authority and (b) Southampton Unitary Authority. [141735]

The requested information is given in the table.

Additional full-year yield of increasing the basic rate of tax by 1p in 2000–01
	£ millionM
(a) Portsmouth Unitary Authority	13.0
(b) Southampton Unitary Authority	9.1

Estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes. The effects of the illustrative changes can be scaled up or down over a reasonably wide range. The results exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been donated by his Department as part of the Payroll Giving scheme in each year since 1995. [141376]

Currently, 143 staff give a total of £3,400 each month to their chosen charities through payroll giving. This figure represents 12 per cent. of Treasury staff.Information from the payroll prior to May 2003 is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Payroll Giving scheme. [141377]

In April 2000, the Government set a target to raise the amount given through Payroll Giving to £60 million by April 2003 and to increase the proportion of employees who have access to Payroll Giving schemes from an estimated 1 in 5 to 1 in 3. The total given in 1998–99 was £29 million and by 2002–03 was £86 million. The number of donors has risen from around 400,000 in 1998–99 to around 520,000 in 2002–03, although survey data from July 2003 indicated that there has been little increase in the proportion of employees with access to schemes.While the growth in levels of giving has clearly exceeded expectations, and the rise in the number of donors is welcome, the Government remains keen to find ways to encourage greater access to schemes.In the 2002 Pre-Budget Report we launched the Corporate Challenge. The aim of the Corporate Challenge is to increase business involvement in community activity in three main areas, one of which is corporate support for and promotion of Payroll Giving schemes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to promote use of the Payroll Giving to charities scheme. [141378]

In April 2000, the Government introduced a number of measures to encourage charitable giving through Payroll Giving schemes. The maximum amounts that could be given each year under Payroll Giving was abolished; we announced a three-year publicity campaign to promote the scheme to employers and their employees and introduced a ten per cent supplement on all Payroll Giving donations until April 2003. The cost of the supplement is met from public expenditure. The supplement was extended for a further year until April 2004, to allow charity fundraisers to make the most of the boost to this method of giving.In the 2002 Pre-Budget we launched the Corporate Challenge. The aim of the. Corporate Challenge is to increase business involvement in community activity in three main areas, one of which is corporate support for and promotion of Payroll Giving schemes.We also support The Giving Campaign, an independent, three year national campaign established as a partnership between Government and the voluntary sector, to encourage charitable giving and a culture of giving. The Campaign has, as one of its initiatives, been encouraging employers to develop strategies for giving by employees.The amount given under Payroll Giving has increased from £29 million in 1998–99 to £86 million in 2002–03.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has completed the further work and analysis on the design of a possible pesticides tax or other economic instrument to minimise the adverse effects of pesticide use as referred to in the Pre-Budget Report presented in autumn 2002. [141741]

In 2001, the Government introduced the Voluntary Initiative to reduce the environmental impacts of pesticide use. Work on further or complementary measures, which could take the form of economic instruments, is on-going. The case for using any alternative measures will depend on the progress of the Voluntary Initiative.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has for tax relief on investment made by retailers in specified security equipment for stores under 3,000 square feet. [140863]

Capital spending by businesses, including retailers, on security equipment can qualify for tax relief through the capital allowances system. The generally available rate of writing-down allowances for spending on plant and machinery is 25 per cent. a year on the reducing balance basis. Small and medium-sized enterprises can claim 40 per cent. first-year allowances on their spending.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) males and (b) females under the age of 30 died as a result of suicide in each of the last 10 years. [140787]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will list the recommendations the Activity Co-ordination Team has made on a methodology to secure better evidence and data on participation; [140494](2) if she will list the

The Activity Co-ordination Team (ACT) has been established by government to increase participation in physical activity and sport. ACT is not a funding body but in spring 2004 will provide ministers with a delivery plan setting out recommendations to coordinate initiatives and research across government for the three years up until March 1997.I am arranging for copies of the Terms of Reference for ACT to be placed in the libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with North Yorkshire County Council on allowing quarrying of sand and gravel in the setting of the henges; what assessment she has made of the effect on the archaeological value and integrity of the surrounding of the henges of such quarrying; and whether further planning applications have been lodged for further quarrying in the setting. [141446]

I have been asked to replyThe responsibility for minerals planning in North Yorkshire rests with the County Council. It is required to consult widely when preparing its minerals development plan, including taking advice from English Heritage on archaeological matters. Similarly, English Heritage may make representations in respect of planning applications for sand and gravel extraction if it considers these may affect archaeological interests. No planning application for extraction of sand and gravel in the vicinity of Thornborough Henges has been received, to date, by North Yorkshire County Council. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not made any assessment of the effect of any possible sand and gravel extraction on the archaeological value and integrity of the surrounding of the henges because that is the responsibility of the mineral planning authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that Ministers representing the United Kingdom abroad are adequately briefed on the London 2012 Olympic bid. [140506]

All Ministers have been briefed on the International Olympic Committee's Code of Ethics and Rules of Conduct that applies to Applicant Cities. This advice included details of what Ministers could and could not do in support of the London 2012 bid, particularly in relation to overseas promotion, which cannot be undertaken until after November 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Royal representation at the D-Day commemoration events in Normandy in 2004. [141207]

Invitations have now been received and are being considered. I will make a further announcement to the House shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace repair ship HMS Diligence when she is decommissioned; and if he will make a statement. [140911]

It is planned that the Forward Repair Ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary Diligence will remain in service until around the end of the decade. Decisions have yet to be taken on how best to deliver future Forward Repair capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total annual cost of the United Kingdom military commitment to Iraq is, assuming current manning and equipment levels. [141184]

For 2002–03, the cost of operations in Iraq totalled £847.211 million, comprising £629.531 million Operating Costs and £217.680 million Capital Costs.For 2003–04, at the moment, the Ministry of Defence intends to seek a further £1.2 billion at Winter Supplementary Estimates to cover the likely costs of Operation Telic in 2003–04. This will cover primarily the cost of peacekeeping and associated Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs). It does not include the cost of the Recuperation of my Department's operational capability. This is still being assessed. The forecast for 2003–04 may change as a result of stock being returned from Iraq and its value being credited against the overall cost of the operation. An updated forecast of costs for 2003–04 will be published in the Spring Supplementary Estimates.It is too early to say what costs might be incurred after 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of merchant ships chartered by his Department to support allied efforts in the 2003 Iraq war (a) were over 20-years-old and (b) flew the red ensign. [140675]

Some 37 per cent. of merchant ships chartered in support of the Iraq campaign were over 20-years-old. Some 31 per cent. of ships chartered flew the Red Ensign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there is a memorandum of understanding involving the UK Government in connection with missile defence; to what it commits the UK; and if he will make a statement. [141101]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 57WS announcing the signature of a Ballistic Missile Defence Memorandum of Understanding with the United States. A copy of the MOU is available in the Library of the House (Reference: DEP 03/2054).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he will take to increase the proportion of parliamentary questions tabled by hon. Members answered within the target time. [141077]

Every effort is made to answer all parliamentary questions tabled by right hon. and hon. Members within the target time. Working practices and procedures, including IT, are continually reviewed to identify problem areas and improve performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much of its personnel budget the Defence Aviation Repair Agency spent in Scotland in 2002 in (a) monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget; how these figures compare to the previous year; and if he will make a statement; [141021](2) how much of its personnel budget the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory spent in Scotland in 2002 in

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what action he is taking to ensure that members of the armed forces are not affected by future pension troughs; [141641](2) what the outcome was of recent discussions between his Department and the Forces Pension Society on remedying the effects of the pensions trough affecting Service personnel between 1976 and 1978. [141640]

I met Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin and Major General James Gordon from the Forces Pension Society (FPS) on 19 November 2003. During our discussions, I recognised the strength of feeling among those ex-Service personnel affected by pension troughs and the Society's concern that a remedy should be found for this. However, after careful consideration of the matter, I informed the Society that I did not intend to revisit this issue.

Regional spending figures for personnel costs are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proportion of the money his Department spent on school places for children of service personnel was spent in the independent sector in each year since 1996; and what he estimates the proportion will be in 2003; [140563](2) what the average cost to his Department was of the school places provided for the children of service personnel in independent and private schools in each year since 1996. [140564]

The information is not held in the format requested.The various annual rates of Service Education Allowances per child, from 1996 onwards are shown in the following table:The cost of uplifting only future payments of those affected by the mid-1970s trough would be very substantial and it would be impossible to avoid extending any change to those, whether in the armed forces or more widely, affected by other pensions troughs. It has been the policy of successive Governments that it would not be appropriate to make retrospective change to pension entitlements.For the future, and reflecting the Society's concerns, Service personnel who become members of the new Armed Forces Pension Scheme will be less exposed to the effects of any periods of pay restraint and high inflation because their pensions will be based on their best earnings in the last three years of Service, with earlier years' earnings up-rated for inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Typhoon will be fitted with the technology to make it capable of integrating with a network-centric warfare environment; [140568]

We plan to fit Typhoon with technology which will make it capable of integrating with a network-centric warfare environment. Specifically, we plan to equip it with a Multi-function Information Distribution Systems (MIDS). This will allow it to access National, NATO and coalition Link-16 networks. This will enable Typhoon to access threat and targeting data supplied by other aircraft as well as by maritime and land based units.Consequently, no assessment is required of the effect of the lack of such a capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation sponsored by his Department in 2002–03 was introduced to implement EU requirements. [141131]

The Home Office sponsored five Bills during the 2002–03 Session, which made a total of approximately 868 pages once enacted. One of the Bills (now the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003, 90 pages) predominantly implements EU requirements. Another (now the Extradition Act, 136 pages long) partly implements EU requirements. The other three Bills were not introduced to implement EU requirements.Of the 240 Statutory Instruments produced by the Home Office during the same Session that fell to be considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments only five were introduced to implement EU requirements. These Instruments made up only 74 pages out of the total of 438 pages of Instruments produced during the Session.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detectives are working full-time on murder investigations in Nottinghamshire, expressed as a percentage of all detectives. [140578]

[holding answer 1 December 2003]: We do not hold this information centrally. The deployment of police in a particular force is an operational matter for the Chief Constable to allow him/her to respond to local needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police civilian staff were employed by Nottinghamshire Police on 31 March of each year since 31 March 1997. [140768]

The information requested is set out in the table and includes the latest published police officer strength for 31 August 2003. At the end of August Nottinghamshire Constabulary had record strength.

Nottinghamshire Constabulary
	Police officers1	Police staff1
31 March 1997	2,323	1,003
31 March 1998	2,232	987
31 March 1999	2,225	1,039
31 March 2000	2,204	1,024
31 March 2001	2,275	1,039
31 March 2002	2,330	1,087
31 March 2003	2,468	n/a
1 Data is for full-time equivalent strength

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers served (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West region in each year since 1992. [141291]

Information for police strength in the Merseyside Police and the police forces that make up the Government Office area for the North-west are set out in the table for each year since 1992.Information on police strength at Basic Command Unit level has only been collected on a regular basis since 2002. The St Helen's Basic Command Unit's strength has increased from 316 police officers on 31 March 2002 to 322 on 31 March 2003.I am told that Merseyside Police aim to have 4,208 police officers by 31 March 2004. On 31 March 2003 Merseyside Police had 1,752 police (support) staff which is 409 more than in March 1997. The force also plans to have 100 Community Support Officers by 31 March 2004.

Police strength for Merseyside Police and North West region for March 1992 to August 2003
Year1	Merseyside police	North West Region
1992	4,621	17,933
1993	4,669	18,040
1994	4,693	17,906
1995	4,659	18,007
1996	4,411	17,633
1997	4,230	17,590
1998	4,216	17,628
1999	4,211	17,463
2000	4,085	17,153
2001	4,081	17,296
2002	4,125	17,804
2003	4,099	18,040
20032	4,123	18,508
1As at 31 March
2As at 31 August

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of speed cameras are in compliance with European standards of accuracy. [141545]

[holding answer 2 December 2003]: From July 2003, in line with European standards, all new speed cameras will be required to be accurate to ±2 mph up to 66 mph and ±3 per cent. above 66 mph.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department has taken to implement the recommendations in "Tackling Vehicle Crime: a First Year Strategy", on promoting the use of vehicle perimeter security and laminate glazing; and if he will make a statement. [141546]

[holding answer 2 December 2003]: The Home Office New Car Security Guidance published in 1998 encouraged manufacturers to make further improvements in car security. This included more widespread fitting of laminated glazing on side and rear windows which could resist attack by methods commonly used by criminals for a minimum of 30 seconds; and locks that could resist criminal attack for a minimum of two minutes.We aim to raise motorists awareness of the value of better perimeter security through Home Office publicity material, particularly the booklet "Steer Clear of Car Crime" and our website www.secureyourmotor.gov.uk. We have also worked with the AA Motoring Trust, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the insurance industry to translate the insurers' security assessments used for insurance group ratings into a five star rating system (available on www.ncsr.co.uk). This allows car buyers to compare the ability of different makes and models of cars to resist theft, both of the car and of its contents. The insurance industry now also provides similar information in relation to vans and trucks. We help raise motorists' awareness of all this information through links from Home Office and Department for Transport websites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many acres of land are occupied by the United States on (a) Wide Awake airfield and (b) Ascension Island; and how many acres of land the United States lease in addition to Wide Awake airfield from (i) the UK Government and (ii) the Ascension Island Government for their exclusive use and at no rent. [141551]

The United States occupy 1,196 acres for Wide Awake Airfield and 2,404 additional acres of land on Ascension Island, making a total of 3,600 acres. This land is provided, rent-free, under the terms of the 1956 Bahamas Long Range Proving Ground Agreement (and subsequent Exchanges of Notes) between the United Kingdom and the United States. There are no Agreements between the United States and the Ascension Island Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his counterpart from Nigeria concerning the attendance of Zimbabwean officials at the Commonwealth Summit to be held in Abuja in December: and if he will make a statement. [140821]

I hope to meet the Nigerian Foreign Minister during Her Majesty's pre-CHOGM State Visit to Nigeria. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke to President Obasanjo about Zimbabwe in the margins of the latter's inauguration in May. I met President Obasanjo in New York in September during which we discussed Zimbabwe. Our High Commissioner in Abuja has made our position on Zimbabwe clear to the President and other leading Nigerian politicians and officials on many occasions. We have also made the Nigerian High Commission in London aware of our position. President Obasanjo has announced that Zimbabwe will not be invited to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has for celebrations to mark the 300^th anniversary of British rule in Gibraltar; what plans his Department has to promote the anniversary; and if he will make a statement. [140837]

I refer the right hon. Member to the statement of the Government's intentions on this matter given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence during his intervention in the debate on the Gracious Speech on 27 November 2003, Official Report, columns 224–25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with its US counterparts about the US Blue Lantern end-use monitoring programme; and if he will make a statement. [140725]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Mr. Gardiner) on 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 202W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the conflict in Iraq on the war on terrorism. [140585]

International co-operation has had and is continuing to have a substantial negative effect on al-Qaeda and associated groups. This co-operation has not been affected by coalition action in Iraq and is continuing at a high level. The establishment of a stable, democratic Iraq enjoying the proper rule of law will be Iraq's best defence against terrorism and will more effectively defeat the cause of al-Qaeda and other international terrorist groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all ambulances are required to carry at least one paramedic on every call. [140814]

Current departmental guidance requires that front line ambulances should have a paramedic if responding to an emergency call. Ambulances answering urgent or non-emergency calls are not required to have a paramedic crew member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of changes in the level of alcohol abuse among young women; and what measures he will take to reduce it. [1046]

Data on the level of alcohol abuse among young women are shown in the table This suggests that, although a cause for concern, the numbers remain constant.

Region of treatment	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Y00 Not known	2
Y01 Northern and Yorkshire Regional Office	1,700	1,934	2,030	2,272	2,323
Y02 Trent Regional Office	1,143	1,256	1,588	1,795	1,765
Y03 Anglia and Oxford Regional Office	1,033	1,180	n/a	n/a	n/a
Y04 North Thames Regional Office	1,795	1,640	n/a	n/a	n/a
Y05 South Thames Regional Office	1,504	1,620	n/a	n/a	n/a
Y06 South and West Regional Office	1,555	1,741	n/a	n/a	n/a
Y07 West Midlands Regional Office	1,688	1,786	1,857	1,907	1,982
Y08 North and West Regional Office	2,627	2,532	2,985	3,226	3,600
Y09 Eastern Regional Office	n/a	n/a	1,348	1,588	1,696
Y10 London Regional Office	n/a	n/a	2,273	2,255	2,284
Y11 South East Regional Office	n/a	n/a	1,872	1,796	2,055
Y12 South West Regional Office	n/a	n/a	1,419	1,583	1,701
England	13,047	13,689	15,372	16,422	17,406

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days relating to alcoholic liver disease there were in England in 1997–98. [140476]

The number of bed days in national health service hospitals in England in 1997–98, where patients were admitted with a primary diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease, was 106,943.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting targets set by the National Cancer Plan. [140545]

Thanks to major additional investment and the hard work of those working in the national health service, we are making real progress in

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes related to alcoholic liver disease there were in (a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997. [140475]

The number of finished consultant episodes related to alcoholic liver disease within national health service hospitals by region and nationally are shown in the table.implementing the NHS Cancer Plan and patients are benefiting from improvements across all aspects of cancer care.For example, there are an extra 941 cancer consultants compared with 1997; nearly 99 per cent. of people with suspected cancer are now seen by a specialist within two weeks of being referred by their general practitioner; we have improved the quality of breast screening by the introduction of two view mammography and are extending the breast screening service to include women aged 65 to 70. This has resulted in nearly 200,000 extra women being invited for breast screening since April 2001. Since April 2000, we have delivered over 950 of the most modern pieces of equipment to diagnose and treat cancer to hospitals. We have increased the NHS funding of specialist palliative care by £50 million a year, an increase of nearly 40 per cent., and latest figures show a reduction of 10 per cent. in the death rate from cancer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on radiotherapy capacity in the UK relative to that in other European countries. [140551]

The Department is aware of the recent Royal College of Radiologists publication on radiotherapy capacity, which included a selective comparison with three European countries. It provided data on `megavoltage machines' (including cobalt units) rather than linear accelerators (linacs). Linacs in England are provided with modern treatment facilities as standard, rather than older cobalt units.The number of linacs installed is projected to increase from 140 in 1997 to over 200 by the end of 2004 through central funding, in line with the commitment in the NHS Cancer Plan to achieve four linacs per million population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to increase radiotherapy capacity in line with increased demand. [140552]

Access to radiotherapy equipment has improved steadily since 1997. The number of linear accelerators (linacs) installed is projected to increase from 140 in 1997 to over 200 by the end of 2004 through central funding, in line with the commitment in the NHS Cancer Plan to achieve four linacs per million population.

Capacity and demand projections are being determined locally by cancer networks alongside local stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the administrative costs of the voucher system for Carers' Short Breaks; and what proportion they are of the total spending; [140685](2) how much funding was allocated this financial year for the Carers' Short Break scheme; and what proportion of this has been spent on voucher schemes; [140686]when his Department will review the operation of the vouchers available under the Carers' Short Break scheme, introduced in May 2003. [140687]

Under the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000, councils have discretion to establish short break voucher schemes for carers. The intention is that flexible schemes should be developed in consultation with stakeholders according to local need. Voucher schemes will be attractive to some carers, but it is not the intention that all breaks services should be delivered through vouchers. Vouchers were introduced to widen the choice available to carers.In 2003–04, the Carers Grant is worth £100 million to support councils in the provision of breaks and services direct to carers. The conditions of the grant ensure that the majority of this money is for flexible breaks services. Information about the proportion of this sum, that is delivered through vouchers, is not held centrally.The Government have no current plans to review the operation of voucher schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 10 October from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam concerning continuing care. [140786]

[holding answer 1 December 2003]: The reply was sent on 25 November 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter dated 15 September, from the hon. Member for Billericay, regarding the group known as Radiotherapy Action Group Exposure. [140635]

A response was sent to the hon. Member on 27 November 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims for statutory interest payments have been submitted to his Department under the terms of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998; how many claims were met; and what the total value was of such payments in each year since the Act has been in operation. [141600]

The Department has not received any claims for interest under the terms of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt Act 1998, and no interest has been paid since the Act came into force on 1 November 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on the possible leukaemia threat to the children of dockyard radiation workers. [140921]