To ask the Leader of the House what visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Office (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement. [143101]

The Labour Party is consulting its members and the wider community on the Government's progress and challenges ahead. The Big Conversation is a party document and has been issued by the Labour Party.Ministers and special advisers have of course participated in this process according to the rules laid out in the Ministerial Code and the Special Advisers Code. No events have been held using public funds, and no civil servants have attended them.

To ask the Leader of the House whether it is the policy of his office to use fair trade products, as a matter of course, in (a)sales on Departmental premises and (b)receptions and meetings involving staff and visitors. [142808]

My office does not have a refreshment facility in which it could stock and sell fair trade products.While there is currently no Government-wide approach to the procurement of fair trade products, we will endeavour to use them for official entertaining, subject to this being value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result was of the investigation held into the death of Private David Shipley by the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; on what date a board of inquiry was convened; and what its principal recommendations were. [142114]

The Board of Inquiry convened on 15 September 2003 and is on-going. Her Majesty's Coroner has yet to convene his inquiry. It would therefore be inappropriate to release details of the police findings at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure is planned on defence estates upgrades in each year up to 2008; and if he will make a statement. [141660]

Our current planned provision or the funding of the UK estate is:

• 2003–04–£760 million
• 2004–05–£930 million.

No planned provision figures are available after that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the tanker programme.[142720]

We are currently considering proposals from two consortia that are bidding for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme. We plan to make a decision on this complex and important PFI competition as soon as possible in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the protocol is for debriefing soldiers who have served an operational tour in Northern Ireland. [142739]

There are no formal protocols for debriefing soldiers after they have served an operational tour in Northern Ireland. However, as with any operational deployment, on their return, units are required to produce a Post Operational Tour Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the incidents in the Troubles since 1973 involving members of the British Army which resulted in deaths and injuries to members of the armed forces; and which regiment was affected in each case. [142746]

Since 1973 a total number of 474 members of the Army died as a result of terrorist activity in Northern Ireland. The number of Army personnel injured from 1973 is 4,645. This figure relates primarily to injuries which were incurred while on duty, however, the manner in which data has been historically complied means some injuries off duty may have been included.It is not feasible to list each death, injury and which Regiment was involved since 1973 as the data is not held on one particular format and that information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been carried out of the real estate value of the St. John's Wood Barracks. [142711]

The last assessment by agents in 2002 concluded a value of £6.65 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent per student in higher education in each of the last 30 years. [142633]

Information on the funding per student at higher education institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administration. The table as follows shows the public funding per student at higher education institutions in England since 1989–90.

Publicly planned funding per student via HEFCE/TTA in real terms, 2002–03 prices
	£(rounded to nearest £10)
1989–90	8,150
1990–91	7,420
1991–92	7,050
1992–93	6,530
1993–94	6,170
1994–95	6,000
1995–96	5,740
1996–97	5,360
1997–98	5,200
1998–99	5,200
1999–2000	5,190
2000–01	5,130
2001–02	5,170
2202–03	5,170
2003–04	5,310
2004–05	5,340
2005–06	5,500

Information for earlier years was published "Higher Education in the learning society", the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education chaired by Lord Dearing. The information required is in chart 3.16 of that report. A link to that report is available at www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe.

2003
	Males			Females
	Mean (£)	Number in sample	Standard error (%)	Mean (£)	Number in sample	Standard error
Unitary Authority
Portsmouth	450.3	207	3.6	384.7	108	4.5
Southampton	457.4	234	3.0	—	110	5.1
Borough
Basingstoke and Deane	—	199	5.2	—	126	5.6
East Hampshire	—	122	6.4	—	73	6.8
Eastleigh	569.7	156	4.9	—	95	5.6
Fareham	563.3	123	4.0	375.8	78	4.5
Gosport	406.2	79	4.2	—	67	5.5
Hart	—	104	5.9	—	58	7.2
Havant	—	142	6.1	345.4	82	3.9
New Forest	—	178	5.2	364.7	121	4.7
Rushmoor	530.6	113	4.7	—	70	7.3
Test Valley	—	126	5.4	—	82	5.5
Winchester	—	110	7.5	—	58	6.3

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the Minister for

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for the most recent year available, what were the (a) male, (b) female and (c) two earner household average earnings for people resident in (i) each borough within Hampshire, (ii) Portsmouth Unitary Authority and (iii) Southampton Unitary Authority in 2003. [143120]

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

At the point when the letter to the BBC came into the public domain, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families consulted Departmental Officials to ensure that she followed the procedures laid down in the Ministerial Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of his Department's private finance initiative projects were completed (a) on time and (b) on budget; and of those that overran in terms of (i) time and (ii) budget, who bore the cost. [141663]

Each schools PFI project involves a separate contract between the relevant local authority and a private sector contractor, and, for a variety of reasons, timetables of work may change from that which was envisaged when the contract was signed. It is not possible therefore, for DfES to hold a record of the circumstances of each completion. However, where there have been difficulties, these have generally been brought to our attention by the LEA concerned. These cases have been a small proportion of the total number of completions.The responsibility for any overrun in terms of time and budget in any PFI project rests with the PFI contractor. Overruns in traditionally funded building projects are fairly commonplace but happen less frequently in PFI projects as the financial consequences of any overrun rest with the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school private finance initiative schemes are being examined by the Project Review Group. [141664]

The Project Review Group (PRG) meets approximately every six weeks. At its meeting on 18 November it considered and approved two schools PFI projects. Currently there are four schools PFI projects to be considered at the next meeting on 16 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been spent in the last six months on advertisements to promote and explain top-up fees; how many advertisements have been broadcast; and what the total planned spending is on this campaign. [142642]

The Department has not run any advertising in the last six months to promote and explain top-up fees. However, it has run advertising to inform those considering applying for a higher education course about the

Student Support Scheme—student numbers and proportions
Academic year	1998/99		1999/2000		2000/01		2001/02
Number (Thousand)	% of eligible students	Number (Thousand)	% of eligible students	Number (Thousand)	% of eligible students	Number (Thousand)	% of eligible students
Full or partial contribution towards the cost of tution from student/parents/spouse/partner3	133	55	263	55	397	58	415	57

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what rules govern the impact on the estate of an individual should he or she die owing student loans acquired to pay tuition fees; and whether he proposes that the forthcoming legislation should change the rules. [142702]

Loan repayments are cancelled if a borrower dies before the loan is paid off. We have no intention of changing that policy in respect of loans for variable tuition fees from 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he estimates will be raised by student tuition fees in the current financial year. [141139]

It is estimated that institutions in England will receive £847 million in tuition fees for home and EU students in 2003–04. Updated projections will be issued shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have been paying tuition fees in each year since they were introduced; and what proportion of the total student population this represents. [142532]

New student support arrangements came into effect at the start of academic year 1998/99 when new entrants to higher education were expected to contribute towards the cost of their tuition. The amount of the contribution depends on family income.The number and proportion of students eligible for support in England and Wales in academic years 1998/99 to 2001/02 (latest year for which data are available) who have been assessed to make a partial or full contribution towards the cost of their tuition is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions he and his ministerial colleagues have met Universities UK during the last 12 months. [143103]

My right hon. Friend and other Ministers regularly meet representatives of Universities UK in the course of normal business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that there is provision for life-long learning in the Hemel Hempstead area following the closure of courses at the Dacorum campus of West Hertfordshire College. [141908]

The Learning and Skills Council has responsibility for planning and funding lifelong learning delivered through further education colleges. The local LSC for Hertfordshire commissioned a Strategic Options Review of West Hertfordshire College, which reported in September 2003. The local LSC will shortly be publishing an action plan for public consultation which will take into account the finding of the review. The local LSC and the college are also working closely with partners to ensure that the needs of all learners in Hemel Hempstead are met.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what visits (a) he and (b) the Minister without Portfolio (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied (1) him and (2) the Minister without Portfolio in respect of such

Report number/ year	Title	Legislative proposals
1991
194	Distress for Rent	Law of Property (Distress) Bill
1992
208	Business Tenancies: Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Part II	Landlord and Tenant (Business Tenancies) Bill

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Leader of the House gave today.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department will publish the updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan. [142470]

The updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan will be published later this week.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a)the Cabinet Office and (b)the Government Car and Despatch Agency ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources. [141662]

The Cabinet Office and the GCDA's policy for purchasing timber and timber products takes account of current UK Government Timber Procurement Policy. Furthermore, the Model Contract Specification Clause is used in all new and existing contracts to ensure that purchases are obtained from Legal and sustainable sources.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list legislative proposals contained in reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which have not subsequently been introduced. [142302]

The following table sets out reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which contain legislative proposals that have not been enacted.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much was spent on experts' fees (a) from the Community Legal Service budget and (b) from the Criminal Defence Service budget in 2002–03. [141416]

Information on experts fees paid as part of the Community Legal Service is not held centrally by the Legal Services Commission and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.For criminal cases the majority of payments are made out of central funds and came to £5.1 million. This figure includes interpreters' costs. Payments may also be paid out of the Criminal Defence Service through a payment made by the defending lawyer to an expert. Details of these payments are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the five (a) county and (b) magistrates courts in England which granted the greatest number of non-molestation orders in the last year for which figures are available. [142224]

The five county courts that granted the most non-molestation orders during 2002 are listed in the table together with the Principal Registry of the Family Division which covers much of the London area. Data relating to the magistrates courts is not complete and a comparative list is unavailable.

County court	Orders made
Principal Registry of the Family Division (which covers much of the London area)	1,540
Croydon	784
Edmonton	552
Teesside	509
Brentford	464
Leeds	435

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what budget has been provided in Wales by the Legal Services Commission in respect of (a)legal advice and (b) legal representation in relation to matrimonial disputes in (i)2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [142409]

Regional budgets are not set for legal advice and representation in relation to matrimonial disputes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what freedom primary care trusts have had to make their own decisions about what contracts best meet the needs of their local population. [142557]

Primary Care Trusts work closely with their Strategic Health Authorities when planning any contracts for local services. PCTs have the freedom as well as the responsibility to deliver the right level of care to meet patients' needs locally, as well as national NHS requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to tackle the health problems associated with alcohol and binge-drinking. [142558]

The Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England will be published and implemented from 2004, in line with the commitments given in the NHS Plan. The strategy will be a cross-cutting effort on the part of Government and other key stakeholders to tackling the harms associated with alcohol misuse, including binge drinking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with East Devon Primary Care Trust about the provision of dental treatment in East Devon.[142559]

We recognise that access to National Health Service dentistry can be difficult in some areas and that there may be growing pressure in East Devon. I have announced additional resources totalling £59 million over this year and next to support dental access. The NHS locally will be able to apply for funding from these new resources to increase access locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Welfare Food Scheme. [142560]

The current Welfare Food Scheme has served many families well since 1940, but no longer meets their nutritional needs. We have therefore taken powers in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards Act) 2003 enabling reform. We will shortly publish a response to our autumn 2002 consultation on reform, and will consult on draft regulations in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State if he will make a statement on his Department's latest research on the health effects of passive smoking. [142562]

The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health is currently updating the available data on secondhand smoke and its report is awaited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of information technology for general practitioners under the new GP contract. [142564]

Primary Care Trusts, rather than individual general practitioner practices, will be responsible for funding the purchase and maintenance of information technology systems. This will form part of Integrated Care Record Services that will be implemented by the National Programme for IT. This has been supported with £20 million additional funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new whole time equivalent general practitioners have taken up post since 1999. [142565]

The estimated number of additional whole time equivalent general practitioners, who have taken up post between September 1999 and June 2003 is 5,750.

To ask the Secretary of State for health if he will make a statement on plans to review the number of health service non-departmental public bodies. [142566]

The Secretary of State for Health announced his intention to review the Department's non-departmental public bodies along with its other arm's length organisations to the Health Committee on 30 October. We want to ensure that roles of the Department's arm's length bodies are in line with current expectations and that the oversight of front-line health and social services is kept to an acceptable minimum. We expect that the review will reach its conclusions by the middle of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Government's strategy document on alcohol treatment to be published; what the reason for the delay is; and if he will make a statement. [141984]

I have been asked to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence of Ebixa as a treatment for Alzheimer's; which health authorities have allowed it to be prescribed; and if he will make a statement on the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the use of Ebixa. [141415]

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is appraising memantine (Ebixa) as part of the eighth wave of its work programme. The anticipated publication date of its guidance is May 2005.The Department has asked national health service bodies (in HSC 1999/176) to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies, including drugs such as memantine, where guidance from NICE is not published at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence. Information about which NHS bodies are currently allowing memantine to be prescribed is not collected centrally, but data collected about prescribing shows that memantine has been prescribed on the NHS in all strategic health authority areas.The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery medical committee has considered the use of memantine and has agreed to prescribe it under certain protocols and shared care agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on chiropody and podiatry. [142550]

In the last three months we have received an estimated 22 representations on chiropody and podiatry from right hon. and hon. Members, representations from the other place and relevant organisations and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died in each of the last five years as a result of contamination by blood products (a) from HIV/AIDS, (b) from hepatitis C and (c) co-infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C; and how many who were found to be suffering from each such contamination in each of those years remain alive. [142588]

The number of haemophilia patients infected with HIV/AIDS from infected national health service blood products registered with the Macfarlane Trust who have died in the last five years are shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on deaths of people with haemophilia from hepatitis as a result of receiving contaminated transmissions of blood within the NHS; [143115](2) if he will make a statement on the levels of compensation payments offered to people who have contracted hepatitis as a result of receiving contaminated blood; [143116](3) what plans he has to compensate the relatives of patients who have died through having received contaminated blood on the NHS. [143117]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 1106W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Leeds and (b) the UK have contracted (i) HIV and (ii) hepatitis C as a result of being given contaminated blood products; and how many (A) have died, (B) cleared the virus and (C) remain infected in each case. [143183]

Figures for the Leeds area are not available.The number of people directly infected with HIV/ AIDS as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products and who have been or are currently registered with the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts in the United Kingdom is 1284.The total number of Macfarlane and Eileen Trust registrants who have died is 876.The number of people who have been infected with HIV as a result of NHS treatment with blood or blood products and cleared the virus is not known but is presumed to be zero.The number of Macfarlane and Eileen Trust registrants who were directly infected with HIV as a result of NHS treatment with blood or blood products and who remain infected is 408.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the successful bids for research funding arising out of the White Paper on Genetics.[142563]

Commissioning Groups considering submitted proposals for research on gene therapy for single gene disorders, including cystic fibrosis, and on pharmacogenetics are to meet early next year to identify successful applicants. Details of the successful bids will be published in the National Research Register located on the Department's web site at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the UK; and what change there has been in the incidence in the last 10 years.[141328]

The numbers of new diagnoses of HIV infection reported in the UK for the last 10 years are shown in the table. These are a mixture of new (incident) cases and new diagnoses of longer-standing infections.

Year of diagnosis	Number of HIV infected individuals1
1993	2,621
1994	2,574
1995	2,653
1996	2,692
1997	2,737
1998	2,818
1999	3,072
2000	3,825
2001	4,982
2002	5,711
1Numbers, particularly for recent years, will rise as further reports are received.
Source:
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Agency, data to the end of September 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice the Government are providing for women on hormone replacement therapy regarding the risk of breast cancer; and if he will make a statement. [141847]

The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and its expert working group on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have kept the safety of HRT under constant review and provided targeted advice to women and health professionals in response to important new evidence as it has emerged.In August 2003, the United Kingdom "Million Women" study provided important new information about the risks of breast cancer in long term HRT users.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the total budget for NHS Live 2004 is. [140904]

The total budget for NHS Live will depend upon the revenue generated through sponsorship and trade show exhibition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the organisations which have been approached to sponsor NHS Live 2004; and what amounts are being sought for such sponsorship. [140905]

Sponsorship for NHS Live is being sought in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. No specific amount is being sought from individual sponsors. Any revenue received (or the equivalent payments in kind) will be published in the 2004 Departmental Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement his special advisers have had in (a)devising and (b)organising NHS Live 2004. [141570]

A steering group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer oversees the planning for NHS Live. Special advisers have had no active role in devising or organising the NHS Live event.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he will participate in NHS Live 2004. [141571]

It is anticipated that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State will address the conference or visit the NHS Live exhibition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria will be used for issuing invitations to NHS Live 2004. [141572]

All National Health Service and social care organisations in England have been invited to participate in the NHS Live programme. Stakeholder organisations representing staff, patients and the public will also be invited to participate in developing the programme and in the event at Excel in July 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the media will be invited to cover NHS Live 2004. [141573]

The media will be invited to cover the NHS Live 2004 event.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action the Department is taking to tackle the rise in skin cancer cases in England. [141815]

A new sun awareness initiative "SunSmart" was launched on 27 March by Cancer Research UK to make the public aware of the dangers of exposure to the sun. The campaign is based on the successful "SunSmart" campaign in Australia. The campaign has received funding from the United Kingdom Health Departments this year. We will be providing further funding for the campaign for next summertime.

The campaign's aim is to increase the profile of the issue of skin cancer and methods of effective sun protection.The key objectives are to increase knowledge of the causes of skin cancer, to increase awareness of actions that can be taken to prevent skin cancer and to influence positively attitudes to sun protection.Subject to further funding, longer-term aims are to reduce sunlight exposure through changes in behaviour and environment, to increase the proportion of people reporting with early stage disease and decrease the proportion of people presenting with late tumours.The campaign's key messages have been disseminated by way of an alert to the campaign and mailshot pack of posters and leaflets to all general practitioner surgeries and health promotion units nationally, an alert to the campaign and mailshot to secondary schools with 3,500 leaflets and posters; and a series of press events over summer 2003, with leaflets and posters targeted in cities and seaside resorts. The effectiveness of the campaign is being evaluated and the lessons learnt will be fed into future development of the campaign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to update the research on (a)angiosarcoma, (b) lymphohematopoietic cancers and (c)cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators. [142632]

The Department has no plans to carry out further research on angiosarcoma. The independent expert advisory Committee of Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and Environment that any potential risk of cancer from residency near to municipal solid waste incinerators was exceedingly low and probably not measurable by the most modern epidemiological methods. Therefore, no further research is planned on cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators.The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) recommended in its third report an investigation of the geographical distribution of childhood cancer and leukaemia in Great Britain and how the pattern of cases around nuclear installations compares with the national pattern. This study is nearing completion and the Department has asked COMARE to advise on which, if any, nuclear installations in Great Britain have incidences of childhood cancer and leukaemia in their vicinity which are statistically outside the distribution seen nationally. COMARE hopes to report on this aspect of the study to the Department early next year. When complete, the database will also allow investigation of other environmental factors and their potential relevance to the temporal and spatial distribution of childhood cancer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking, in response to the 45^th Report of Session 2001–02 by the Committee of Public Accounts on Inpatient and outpatient waiting in the NHS, to reduce the regional variations in (a)waiting lists, (b)waiting times and (c) different specialisms. [142561]

The Department has put a number of measures aimed at reducing inpatient and outpatient waits in the National Health Service and to improve access as outlined in the NHS Plan. Local action continues to implement these measures in reducing local variations in waiting lists, waiting times and different specialties.

To ask the Solicitor-General what visits (a)she and (b)Ministers in her Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A)each Minister and (B)civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if she will make a statement. [143160]

Neither the Attorney-General nor I have made any such visits using public funds or accompanied by civil servants and none are currently planned.

To ask the Solicitor-General, what the basis was for the request by the Attorney-General to the Crown Prosecution Service to provide him with an update on whether sand yachting should be allowed to continue at St.Anne's. [142623]

I refer the hon. Member to the Attorney-General's letter to him dated 3 December 2003, in which the Attorney stated the following:

"I indicated in my last letter that I had asked the CPS to provide me with an update, including the future of sand yachting in the area. I made this comment on the basis that I could see that the CPS decision regarding a criminal prosecution would be relevant to those responsible for licensing sand yachting in the area. The issue of whether sand yachting should be allowed to continue is not a matter for the CPS to determine, as their review of these tragic events is restricted to the more limited issue of criminal culpability."

To ask the Prime Minister how much his Office has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by his Office since 1997 was; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by his Office through sales of its works of art has been since 1997. [142365]

My office has neither sold nor bought paintings or sculptures since 1997.

To ask the Prime Minister, what visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement. [143162]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Hain) gave him today.

To ask the Prime Minister, what continuing role he intends to propose for the Joint Committee on Reform of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [142799]

The Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform published a press notice on 12 November, together with correspondence between my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Falconer of Thoroton) and my right hon. Friend, the Chairman of the Committee, (Mr. Jack Cunningham) on this issue. Copies are available in the House Library.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the (a) role, (b) duties and (c) responsibilities of (i) Mr. Jonathan Powell and (ii) the Deputy Prime Minister. [143200]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State deputises for me as required across the range of my responsibilities at home and abroad.The Deputy Prime Minister chairs Cabinet Committees on domestic affairs, environment and local government; and Sub-Committees on energy policy social exclusion and regeneration.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has responsibility for policy on local and regional government, local government finance, planning, housing, urban policy, the Fire Service, the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, the Social Exclusion Unit, the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices for the Regions.Jonathan Powell is my Chief of Staff and is appointed on special adviser terms. He has direct responsibility for leading and co-ordinating operations across Number 10 and reports to me.

To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements are in place for delegation of Prime Ministerial duties and responsibilities if the Prime Minister were unable to perform his duties for a period of time. [143201]

If I am absent for any reason then appropriate arrangements would be put in place as has been the practice under successive administrations.

To ask the Prime Minister, if he will set out the circumstances under which he would authorise the use of UK nuclear weapons. [142568]

As has repeatedly been made clear, the British Government would only contemplate the use or thereat of use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances of self-defence. We would not use our weapons, whether conventional or nuclear, contrary to international law.

To ask the Prime Minister, if he will bring forward proposals to replace the Queen's Speech with a statement to Parliament by the Prime Minister setting out the forthcoming legislative programme. [143032]

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the steps she is taking to promote composting. [142343]

Defra has set up the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) to help local authorities meet their targets for reducing the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste under the Landfill Directive. One of WIP's programmes being taken forward by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is to promote kerbside recycling and composting best practice in local authorities.This sub-programme has two components:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from (a) the Department of Health, (b) the Health Protection Agency and (c) the Countryside Agency regarding the consultation documents (i) plans for greater access to information about crop spraying and (ii) proposals for buffer zones between spraying areas and residential properties in England and Wales. [141961]

The Pesticides Safety Directorate has not received representations from the Department of Health, the Health Protection Agency or the Countryside Agency regarding the informal consultation on plans for greater access to information about crop spraying or the formal consultation on proposals for buffer zones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to obtain Land Cover Map information from the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology in order to calculate the number of people in England and Wales living directly adjacent to fields sprayed with pesticides. [141962]

I have asked the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) to carry out a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on proposals for the introduction of no-spray buffer zones between agricultural spray operations and residential properties. That will include consideration of evidence on the number of people in England and Wales living directly adjacent to fields sprayed with pesticides.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has for a formal public consultation on greater access to information on crop spraying; [141963](2) what plans she has to implement

The Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) issued approximately 1,500 consultation documents for the informal consultation on greater access to information on crop spraying. In addition, a series of meetings were held with interested parties.Some 500 written responses were submitted to the PSD, reflecting a broad range of opinions, and officials are currently processing these. Some parties, in responding to the consultation, made the suggestion of running voluntary or mandatory pilot schemes.Consideration whether to issue a formal consultation, or to carry out pilot schemes, will be given by ministers after the responses have been analysed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many submissions her Department has received to the consultation on Plans for greater access to information about crop spraying; and how many favoured proposals to oblige pesticide users to (a) keep a public register of what pesticides they have used and (b) notify surrounding households when they are going to spray a pesticide, identifying the pesticide; [141964](2) how many submissions her Department has received to the consultation on Plans for greater access to information about crop spraying which are in favour

of disclosure of the records of pesticide use

The Pesticides Safety Directorate has received about 500 responses to the informal consultation on options for greater access to information about crop spraying. A series of questions were asked in the consultation document, with the aim of identifying practical arrangements for notification and disclosure of pesticide spray activities. Officials are now processing the responses, which contain a broad range of views, but it is possible to identify some general trends.The majority of respondents were broadly in favour of greater access to information on pesticide spraying activities in general terms. However many raised potential practical difficulties with respect to the implementation of the proposals, particularly in respect of the issue of prior notification.The majority of responses favoured the proposal to oblige pesticide users to keep a public register of what pesticides they had used. In general, members of the public were in favour of direct disclosure of spray records while farmers and industry groups were broadly in favour of disclosure via a third party such as a doctor or lawyer or via a Regulatory Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in discussions between her Department and the Port of Tyne Authority concerning the dredging of the River Tyne and the disposal at sea of contaminated sediment; and what the present position is regarding the dredging and disposal. [140644]

The Port of Tyne Authority (PoT) applied for a licence in February 2003 to dispose of 315,123 cubic metres of sediment dredged from wharves within the port to the Souter Point disposal ground. Some sediments are contaminated with Tributyl-tin and heavy metals.Defra and its advisers from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science (CEFAS) have met the PoT on a number of occasions to discuss potential disposal options. I met representatives of the port authority on 3 December.On the basis of the currently available information, the levels of contamination are such that we would not be prepared to licence simple disposal of the sediments at sea. I also appreciate that land based disposal or remediation would be prohibitively expensive.We have therefore suggested that:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the new structures for (a) flood defences and (b) flood protection are; and what assessment she has made of efficiency savings in terms of (i) costs and (ii) manpower resulting from the introduction of new structures. [142040]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the conclusions of the flood and coastal defence funding review on 12 March 2003. These include the transfer of responsibility for rivers creating the greatest flood risk to the Environment Agency; funding the Environment Agency through a single stream of Defra grand in aid; and introducing a single tier of flood defence committee by abolishing the local tier where it exists but creating additional regional committees where this is considered appropriate.These measures are not designed primarily to secure cost or manpower savings. Rather they are designed to help achieve a more assured, streamline, effective and accountable service of flood defence and flood protection, that achieves a better reduction in flood risk nationally for the investment made.Defra is however working with the Environment Agency on process improvement which will take account of the changes referred to above, further rationalise scheme appraisal and approval processes and reduce the proportion of overheads in scheme costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost to landowners of clearing their land of waste that has been fly-tipped was in each of the last five years; how many convictions for fly-tipping have been secured by the Environment Agency; and what the total amount of fines paid arising from these convictions was. [142590]

No national data is available on the cost to landowners of clearing illegally dumped waste on private land.The Environment Agency has kept separate data on fly-tipping prosecutions since the beginning of calendar year 2002. Before the time, fly-tipping was not distinguished on their database from other Environmental Protection Act (1990)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what basis the herbicide regime for use on GM maize was chosen for the farm-scale trials; what role Aventis (now Bayer) had in its choice; what international research was conducted to establish whether this was a commercially realistic regime to control weeds; and what research she has conducted on whether farmers in other countries use more aggressive herbicide mixes; [142304](2) what arrangements were made to ensure that farmers growing the GM trial crops managed them in a commercially realistic manner; and whether they were

The herbicide regime used by farmers growing GM maize in the farm-scale trials was proposed by the product manufacturer, AgrEvo (now Bayer Crop Science). The way farmers could then use the product was further specified under the terms of the draft product label in line with the experimental approval. The draft product label gave farmers the freedom to apply more than one application of the herbicide if they required, providing it was within the specified crop growth stage limits.The experimental approval assumed use of the herbicide under UK conditions. No research was conducted on the method of use of this or any other herbicides in other countries as this was not considered necessary.The Scientific Steering Committee overseeing the farm-scale evaluations (FSEs) were content from the outset that the proposals for the use of the pesticide provided by the manufacturers and specified in the draft product label were capable of delivering cost-effective weed control under UK conditions. A full audit of herbicide use was conducted as part of the FSEs and published as part of the results (Champion et al. 2003). This paper also gives details of the number of GM maize fields that received more than one application of herbicide. In the published results it was concluded that cost-effective weed control had been achieved. This conclusion was endorsed by the steering committee and was further validated by the publishing journal through their peer-review process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Royal Society was asked to check the methodology of the farm-scale evaluation research, with particular regard to the selection of the herbicide regimes. [142423]

The Royal Society was not asked to check the methodology of the farm-scale evaluations. The independent scientific steering committee was established for this purpose, and the committee endorsed both the methodology generally and the herbicide regimes in particular. The work was again independently validated by the publishing journal, The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Biological Sciences) that operates independently of the Royal Society through its peer review process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will set up a review of the performance of the Central Office for Information in the GM public debate to investigate whether there has been mismanagement or incompetence; [142245](2) what assessment she has made of the implications for the GM Nation debate of constraints on funding. [142246]

The debate was acknowledged as an innovative process and a learning experience for all involved. We are currently working with the independent Steering Board and COI to consider what lessons can be learned from the GM Public Debate process. We will publish our conclusions in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what work was undertaken on preparation for the Hazardous Waste Directive in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions; [142517](2) when her predecessor Department was informed of the

The European Commission approved the Hazardous Waste Directive in December 1991. In common with the negotiation of other European Directives, the Government took an active part in proceedings, but there is no detailed record of the amount of work spent on preparation for this particular Directive by the then Department of the Environment.The implementation date for the Directive as 27 June 1995 which was set out in an amendment to the Directive approved by the European Commission on 27 June 1994. The Department would have been aware of the Directive's requirements as it was negotiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff who worked on the EU Hazardous Waste Directive in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions transferred to her Department to continue this work.[142519]

The European Commission approved the Hazardous Waste Directive in December 1991. Its requirements are currently transposed in England by the Special Waste Regulations 1996, but these are to be replaced by new regulations for hazardous waste in 2004. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was established in June 2001 and all staff that had worked on hazardous waste policy issues in the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions transferred to Defra to continue this work. The Hazardous Waste Branch of Waste Management Division takes the lad on these issues as well as policy work on the transfrontier shipment of waste and consists of eight staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for UK environment policy of the statement made by the Russian authorities on 2 December on the Kyoto Protocol. [142793]

The Government believe that the Kyoto Protocol, with its binding targets and timetables, is an essential first step in international action to tackle climate change, though of course much greater cuts in greenhouse gasses will be needed.President Putin stated at the World Conference on Climate Change in Moscow in early October that the Russian Government was still analysing the economic implications of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. The statement made by President Putin's economic adviser on 2 December does not appear to be an official statement of policy, and we look forward to a decision from the Russian Government when they have completed their assessment of the Kyoto Protocol.The Secretary of State and I are attending the ninth Conference of the Parties on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Milan, where Parties will be putting the finishing touches on preparations for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the (a) work, (b) resourcing and (c) institutional membership of the Marine Environment Monitoring Group. [141668]

The Marine Environment Monitoring Group (MEMG), formerly the Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group, is a group of representatives from the Government organisations with marine environmental protection monitoring obligations. The group is chaired by a representative from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). Its aim is to ensure that monitoring of the marine environment is conducted in a co-ordinated way, is as cost-effective as possible and meets national and international requirements.MEMG has no specific resources. The Departments and agencies who are members support the work of the group, and carry out the monitoring which it seeks to co-ordinate, as part of their own operations.The core members of MEMG are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources her Department has committed to support the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. [141669]

No specific resources are committed directly to support the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) other than an annual subscription of approximately £130,000. However, an indirect resource commitment to ICES arises from the participation of scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a Defra agency, in ICES science and advisory working groups, and in the governance of ICES itself. These working groups cover areas of marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture, the environment and the ecosystem. The Current chairs of the Resource Management Science Committee and the Advisory Committee on the Ecosystem are currently also CEFAS scientists.My predecessor, my hon. Friend the member for Scunthorpe (Elliot Morley) also signed, on behalf of the UK, the "Copenhagen Declaration" in 2002 in celebration of 100 years of ICES, wherein we affirmed our continuing support for ICES.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulatory impact assessments have been prepared by her Department in respect of agreements made on the control of radioactive substances under the OSPAR Commission; and if she will place copies in the Library. [141670]

The Department published the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001–2020 in July 2002. This constitutes the UK national plan for achieving the objective of the OSPAR Strategy with Regard to Radioactive Substances and it includes a regulatory impact assessment. Copies of the UK Strategy are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which OSPAR priority areas in the radioactive materials sector have been volunteered to date by the United Kingdom as ones on which UK scientists will undertake basic scientific work as the lead country for OSPAR; which other areas are being considered for volunteer research; and if she will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with OSPAR. [141671]

UK experts are closely involved in the work programme of the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Committee. Current tasks for which the UK is the lead country are the preparation of proposals for reporting on discharges of radioactive substances from oil and gas installations and proposals for harmonised reporting procedures for inputs of radioactive substances from the non-nuclear sector.UK experts have also participated in three inter-sessional working groups to establish the baseline situation regarding radioactive substances in the marine environment, against which progress in achieving the objective of the OSPAR Strategy with regard to Radioactive Substances will be assesssed. In addition, a UK expert is a member of the Radioactive Discharges Expert Assessment Panel, which examines trends in discharges from nuclear installations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what joint assessment and monitoring is being undertaken by UK-based scientific institutions on behalf of OSPAR; and if she will publish a list of current research projects in collaboration with OSPAR. [141672]

OPSAR agreed a revised Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme at the Commission meeting in Bremen in June. A copy is in the Library of the House, and is available on the OSPAR website www.ospar.org. A large number of scientific institutions provide data which is used to fulfil the reporting requirements in respect of UK waters. These include the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science, the Environment Agency, English Nature, and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and the equivalent bodies in the devolved Administrations.The Department has an extensive research programme on marine environmental issues, and most projects will in one way or another inform the UK's input into the work of OSPAR. In some cases, such as the development of a number of Ecological Quality objectives, this work is being done by the UK on behalf of OSPAR as lead country; in other cases, the research will inform the UK's input to debate within OSPAR. A list of the 74 projects currently in the programme can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/Default. asp.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the Government's total procurement of materials and products comprised recycled products in each year since 1997; and what the projections are for (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005. [142593]

Figures on recycled products and materials bought by the Government are not collected centrally and doing so would incur a disproportionate cost. In regards to the Government's current position on buying recycled paper products, I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty) on 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 146W. Data on recycled paper bought by Government is available in the "Sustainable Development in Government" and "Greening Government" reports, which are available online at www. sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/index.htm. Copies are also available in the Library.Government is currently developing sustainable procurement targets under the "Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate". The targets and online guidance will be published by Spring next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the processed output from mechanical biological treatment works counts towards local authority recycling targets. [142339]

Mechanical biological treatment [MBT] describes a range of processes with the common purpose of treating residual waste after material recovery, to prepare it for final disposal. Where this results in the recovery of further materials that are sent for recycling or a compost that meets the criteria set for the composting indicator then these outputs will count towards local authority Best Value targets for recycling and composting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the status of a local authority waste plan if its policies are in contravention of a regional waste plan. [142307]

I have been asked to reply.Local planning authorities are required, in formulating the policies in their development plans, to have regard to regional planning guidance as well as to current national policies. Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 (PPG10), "Planning and Waste Management", sets out a number of matters that waste planning authorities should take into account in developing the waste planning strategy for their area including regional planning guidance on waste management. PPG10 also expects waste planning authorities to plan for a provision of waste management facilities that is consistent with forecasts of local and regional requirements, as well as other planning considerations.The weight attached to policies in a development plan depends upon the stage of plan preparation or review, increasing as successive stages are reached. Where an adopted or approved development plan contains relevant policies, section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requires that an application for planning permission or an appeal shall be determined in accordance with the plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Rural Transport Partnership grants. [142433]

The Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership grant scheme runs until March 2004, as set out in the 2000 Rural White Paper. The Agency has recently reviewed the scheme and the outcome will feed into the Agency's and Defra's decisions on the future direction and funding of the programme. It is hoped to announce the result with the Agency's settlement in the New year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to ensure that her Department's bid to the forthcoming Government spending round contributes towards the UK's objectives on sustainable development. [140493]

Defra's key principle is sustainable development which involves balancing economic, social and environmental considerations and is consistent with the wider approach of government as a whole. In Defra an Integrated Policy Appraisal (IPA) tool, which provides a systematic framework for the identification of the environmental, social and economic impacts of a policy, is actively promoted within the department. We will apply the IPA tool to our spending plans in SR04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Department, (b)the Centre for Science Laboratory, (c) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (d) the Pesticides Safety Directorate, (e) the Rural Payments Agency, (f)the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, (g) the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, (h) the Forestry Commission, (i) the Countryside Agency and (j) English Nature ensure that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources. [141333]

Details of the policy for purchasing timber are published on the Sustainable Development in Government Site. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs operates in accordance with this policy by using the model contract specification clause devised by Defra on behalf of all central government departments. This clause is designed to ensure that timber and timber products from legal and sustainable sources are supplied and that contractors provide documentary evidence to prove compliance.Defra's Estate Strategy and Services Division is responsible for all major works and estate management on the Defra estate and that of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the Rural Payments Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Adherence to the timber policy for the Department and these executive agencies falls to this central body of staff, which is fully appraised of the timber purchase policy.The central Science Laboratory and Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture are responsible for their own buildings and maintenance. They have also been made aware of the policy and have systems in place to ensure observance.The Countryside Agency has confirmed that it has adopted the Government's policy on Timber Procurement for all construction and fitting-out contracts, as evidenced by the inclusion of "Sustainable Sources Only" Condition/Clause within Invitation to Tender/Contract Specification document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory responsibilities apply to (a) owners of private water supplies and (b) local authorities to ensure that water supplied for domestic consumption meets legal requirements in respect of (i) lead content and (ii) coliforms; what action they are required to take to ensure that water supplies which fail to meet required standards are improved; and if she will make a statement. [142446]

Any person who supplies water in connection with a commercial use is under a general duty of care to consumers, whether the supplier is a commercial supplier or is someone who offers occasional bed and breakfast facilities in their own home.A local authority has a general duty to take steps to keep itself informed about the wholesomeness and sufficiency of water supplies, including every private water supply, to premises in their area. A supply is normally wholesome if it meets the standards set by the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991, which include a maximum permitted concentration for lead and a standard of nil coliform bacteria.Local authorities have a duty to monitor private water supplies at the frequencies set out in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991. Frequency depends on daily volume of supply or numbers of consumers. There is no statutory monitoring of private supplies that serve single dwellings solely for the daily domestic use of the occupants. Authorities prefer to advise such consumers informally where a supply is unwholesome.Where a private supply is unwholesome, a local authority may serve a private supply notice, specifying remedial steps, or one or more "relevant persons". The steps may, for example, include installing a water treatment system, replacing lead pipework or taking protective measures at the source to prevent contamination. Such persons may be owners or occupiers of premises supplied by the private supply, or of premises where the source of the supply is situated, or persons exercising management or control in relation to the source.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what inspection has taken place since their arrival to establish whether alien species are present in the ships which have arrived in Hartlepool for decommissioning by Able UK. [142334]

No inspections have yet been carried out to establish what organisms are present in the ships. Samples of the ballast water will be required to be taken for inspection and analysis before any discharge of ballast water is authorised.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in the age groups (a) 0 to four and (b) five to 14 have died of influenza in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [142965]

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