To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [143161]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, on 9 December 2003, Official Report, column 355W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on progress of negotiations towards the December Fisheries Council. [142045]

My right hon. Friend and the First Minister discuss a wide range of matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from (a) student representative bodies and (b) the university sector in Scotland on the subject of top-up fees. [142729]

My right hon. Friend has not received any representations on the subject of variable tuition fees from student representative bodies, but he has had correspondence from three MPs writing on behalf of Scottish universities and individual students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what written representations he has received from the First Minister of Scotland on the subject of top-up fees. [142764]

[holding answer 8 December 2003]: My right hon. Friend has frequent exchanges with the First Minister on a range of relevant issues, including the possible impact in Scotland of the introduction of variable tuition fees in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provisions exist for the police to take action against motorists who emit loud noise from car stereos. [141919]

The police have powers to restrict noise from moving vehicles under Regulation 97 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. This regulation makes it an offence to use a motor vehicle on the road in such a manner as to cause any excessive noise that could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care on the part of the driver; this includes excessive noise from car stereos. The penalty is a fine of up to £1,000.In addition, Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 gives power to seize a vehicle if it is being used in certain specified circumstances, including in a manner

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of cider was produced in the UK in each of the last five years. [142140]

The volume of cider produced in each of the last five financial years for which data are available is as follows:

Financial Year
Million litres
1997–98	475
1998–99	495
1999–2000	505
2001–01	510
2001–02	495

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total profit made by UK cider producers was in each of the last five years. [142141]

The total profit before tax made by major cider producers in the UK in each of the last five financial years for which data are available is as follows:

Financial Year
£Million
1997–98	51
1998–99	15
1999–2000	28.5
2001–01	49
2001–02	5

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by her Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141271]

Countryside stewardship scheme (part of the England rural development programme)
Project funded by Defra	Project 1	Project 2	Project 3	Project 4	Project 5	Project 6
Project was announced	2002	2002	1995	1995	2001	1998
Project started	2002	2002	1995	2000	2001	1999
Funding provided by	Defra	Defra	Defra	Defra	Defra	Defra
Third party	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Target group	General public	General public	General public	General public	General public	General public
Funding since 1997 (£)	558.75	477.90	3.000.00	1,500.00	1,000.00	2,000.00
Name of the project	Access	Access	Educational access	Educational access	Educational access	Educational access

European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund (St. Helens)—Objective 1 Merseyside
Project funded by Defra	Project 1	Project 2	Project 3	Project 4	Project 5
Objective 1	2000–06	2000–06	2000–06	2000–06	2000–06
Project started	January 2003	September 2003	September 2003	March 2001	March 2001
Funding provided by	Defra	Defra	Defra	Defra	Defra
Third party	EU	EU	EU	EU	EU
Target group	Farmer	Farmer	Farmer	Land owners	Land owners
Funding since 1997 (£)	23,000	16,000	18,000	66,000	150,000
Name of the project	Farm diversification	Food processing and marketing	Food processing and marketing	Forestry	Forestry

Processing and marketing grant (ended 1996)
Project funded by Defra	Project 1
Project was announced	Unknown
Project started	1996
Funding provided by	Defra
Third party	None
Target group	Poultry processor
Funding since 1997 (£)	162,474
Name of the project	n/a

Environment quality and waste
Project funded by Defra	Project 1	Project 2
Project was announced	December 2003	December 2003
Project started	April 2004	April 2004
Funding provided by	Defra	Defra
Third party	None	None
Target group	General public	General public
Funding since 1997 (£)	645,000	350,000
Name of the project	n/a	n/a

The latest information on regional progress in the national headline indicators of sustainable development were published by Defra in the second edition of the 'Regional quality of life counts' report on 21 June 2002. This provides updated regional figures and analysis for 13 of the 15 headline indictors for each of the English Government Office Regions. The Government's third annual report on sustainable development in the UK—Achieving a better quality of life—was published by Defra on 24 February 2003. Both publications are available on the Government's sustainable development website: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk. In addition, a wide range of information about the Department's policies and work is also included in the Defra Publication Scheme which was introduced in November 2002 and is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk.

Information and statistics on the distribution of the Department's funds are not normally held on a parliamentary constituency basis. The following tables show as fully as possible details of projects that have benefited St. Helens since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the incidence of TB in badgers in (a) England, (b) Herefordshire and (c) Worcestershire was in the last six months for which figures are available. [140457]

[holding answer 1 December 2003]: Data from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) and the associated current Road Traffic Accident (RTA) survey are not available. The most recent data available are for the period 18 February 1999 to 18 August 1999. These data are sourced from the previous RTA survey and sources other than from badger removal operations, and pre-date the current RTA and RBCT.The following table shows the number of badger carcases tested for Mycobacterium bovis (the causative organism for bovine tuberculosis) for this period. Data for Hereford and Worcester were collected together, and thus given as a total.

Badgers tested for Mycobacterium bovis 18 February 1999 to 18 August 1999
	England	Hereford and Worcester
Number of badger carcases tested	771	128
Number of badger carcases M.bovis positive	72	19
Percentage	10.1	14.8

It is not possible to provide incidence rates for TB in badgers for the period in the absence of data about the date badgers became infected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people, since 1998, have been arrested for interfering with Government badger traps; and how many have been prosecuted. [141973]

The arrest and prosecution of anti-trial activists is the responsibility of the relevant police forces in whose areas the Randomised Badger Culling Trial areas are located, and the Crown Prosecution Service. Defra does not receive information on, or maintain records of, such arrests and prosecutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what deleterious effects on wildlife arising from the current badger population level have been recorded by her Department and other UK public bodies. [141992]

Previous research has shown that there is a negative relationship between badger and hedgehog abundance, i.e. more badgers equals fewer hedgehogs, in rural areas. This is believed to be due to hedgehog predation by badgers and through hedgehogs avoiding areas of higher badger density. However, this is not necessarily a "deleterious effect on wildlife", since predator/prey interactions are a feature of ecosystems. It has been suggested that badgers may impact adversely on some species of ground nesting birds. The interaction between the badgers and other species in the ecosystem is the subject of a study being carried out by the Central Science Laboratory. This study is being conducted in selected areas of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and the results will not be available until after the fieldwork programme finishes at the end of 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost has been of the reactive cull component of the Government's Randomised Badger Culling Trials. [142459]

It is not possible to give an accurate cost of the reactive element of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. The total cost of the trial to the end of March 2004 is forecast to have reached £30.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many badgers have been killed as part of the Randomised Badger Culling Trials; how many were tested for TB infection; and how many were culture positive for TB. [142467]

As at 5 December 2003, 8,276 badgers had been culled in the Randomised Badger Culling Trials. All culled badgers are tested for TB infection. On the advice of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, data on the prevalence of TB in badgers caught in the trial, along with locations of their capture and the incidence of TB in cattle in trial areas, once triplets are active, are not released. This is to protect the integrity of the trial, and for the security of Defra field staff and farmers co-operating in the work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria are used to assess whether a reactive badger culling programme is effective. [142472]

These are set out in the Second Report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB. Essentially, over the same time period, the number of cattle herd breakdowns in reactive trial areas are compared with the number of herd breakdowns in the survey only trial areas, taking into account factors such as numbers of herds per trial area, timing of tuberculin test and a number of other variables. For analytical purposes, the starting point used for such comparisons, for each triplet, is the end of the initial culling operation in the proactive trial area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the results of the research into the interaction between TB in badgers and TB in cattle. [140458]

[holding answer 1 December 2003]1: The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO) intends to publish the results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial as soon as possible following its predicted conclusion in 2006.In line with its undertaking to report any significant results that emerge from analyses before the trial's conclusion, the ISO recently reported results that indicated that localised badger culling seemed to increase TB incidence in cattle. These results stem from a comparison between the level of TB incidence in cattle in the reactive culling and the control (no culling) treatment areas. Further information is available from the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/index.htm and from a paper the ISO have published in

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what examples there have been of reactive badger culling programmes in England where the work was successful in controlling TB in cattle; and where and when those programmes were carried out. [141970]

Since the early 1970s MAFF/Defra has carried out a range of badger control strategies in an attempt to reduce TB incidence in cattle. These were reviewed in the Krebs Report in 1997 where, among other things, it was recommended that a scientific field experiment be set up to test rigorously the effectiveness (and cost-effectiveness) of different badger culling strategies and to provide the evidence on which to base future TB control strategies. The Krebs report recommended a randomised block approach comprising three treatments: reactive culling, proactive culling, and no culling. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial, as recommended by Krebs and designed by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, commenced in 1998.Previous control strategies included Gassing (1975–82), Clean Ring (1982–86), Interim (1986 to 1998) and Live Test (1994–96) further details are available in the Krebs Report Chapter 5 page 76. None of the control strategies has been assessed in a properly designed experiment to establish their efficacy. While removal operations may have had an effect on the prevalence of TB in badgers and on herd breakdowns, other factors may also have influenced these. In the absence of scientific controls, it is not possible to separate out the effects of badger removal from these confounding factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the incidence of TB in (a) badgers and (b) cattle in England during (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005. [142469]

It is only possible to make estimates of the incidence of bovine TB in cattle based on previous years. Unfortunately, data for both 2002 and 2001 cannot be easily compared with earlier years. This is because, in 2001, TB testing was largely suspended during the foot and mouth disease outbreak, and in 2002 much of the testing effort was aimed at high-risk herds and those with overdue tests. Nevertheless, early indications suggest that the reduced levels of testing in 2001 have not substantially altered the underlying historical trend of confirmed TB incidents in cattle, which continues to rise at a yearly average rate of about 18 per cent. for new herd incidents.No estimates have been made regarding the incidence of TB in badgers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the level of funding to laboratories for the examination of bovine samples for M. bovis on the time scale for the testing of samples. [142338]

Culture of samples for Mycobacterium bovis (the causative organism for bovine tuberculosis) takes at least six weeks. A backlog of samples built up at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) after the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001.An extra £650,000 funding was made available in 2003–04 to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) to tackle the backlog. So far in 2003, the monthly throughput at VLA of bovine samples for culture has been more than three times higher than in 2002. Fresh samples are now being processed as they arrive at VLA and we are further reducing the backlog of frozen samples.At the end of October 2003 there were 1,781 tissue samples awaiting culture at the VLA (down from 6,329 at the end of March 2003). Nearly all of the outstanding samples (1,712) are from carcases that showed no visible lesions at post-mortem, and thus not causing a delay in lifting movement restrictions from farms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls apply to the use of chemical solvents as substitute fuels in cement kilns; and what monitoring takes place of emissions which might reasonably be expected to derive from such use. [142345]

The use of solvents as substitute fuel in a cement kiln requires a permit from the Environment Agency. The permit contains conditions specific to the cement kiln which include:

a specification for the substitute fuel(s);

requirements for on-site storage and handling of substitute fuel(s);

requirements for monitoring and sampling to ensure that out-of-specification substitute fuel is not burned in the kiln;

a range of other requirements ensuring adequate control of the process;

emission limits for pollutants likely to be emitted in significant quantities; and

requirements for monitoring and reporting emissions.

Permits require the continuous monitoring of the following parameters:

• Particulate matter
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO plus NO₂ expressed as NO²)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Hydrogen Chloride (HCL)
• Oxygen, moisture, temperature and pressure
• Volatile Organic Carbon expressed as Total Organic Carbon (VOCs as TOC)

Permits require the periodic monitoring of the following parameters:

• PM₁₀¹
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO plus NO₂ expressed as NO²)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Hydrogen Chloride (HCL)
• Hydrogen Fluoride
• Volatile Organic Carbon expressed as Total Organic Carbon (VOCs as TOC)
• Heavy metals
• Dioxins and furans²
• Moisture, temperature, oxygen,
• Flow
• Other species³
• ¹PM 10s monitored during substitute fuel trials.
• ²Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls are being included in new permit variations.
• ³Other species may be specified based on an assessment of the fuel composition and trial data.

Each of the above controls including monitoring requirements is considered in detail in the "Substitute Fuels Protocol"—Environment Agency guidance for managing substitute fuel trials on cement and lime kilns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many litres of milk were produced in the UK in each of the last 10 years; and what the national quota was in each of those years. [141566]

The following table gives the total amounts of quota allocated to the UK for the period 1994–95 to 2002–03 and the amount of milk produced in each of these years.

Million litres
Quota year	Quota allocation	Amount produced
1994–95	14,167	14,256
1995–96	14,167	14,324
1996–97	14,167	14,221
1997–98	14,167	14,294
1998–99	14,167	14,205
1999–2000	14,167	14,232
2000–01	14,179	13,885
2001–02	14,186	14,103
2002–03	14,186	14,064

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's strategy for the stretch of coastline from Happisburgh to Winterton in North Norfolk; and what the cost of implementing this strategy is. [141989]

Development and implementation of options for defending against flooding and coastal erosion is the responsibility of the flood and coastal defence operating authorities—the Environment Agency, local authorities and, in areas with special drainage needs, internal drainage boards.The Environment Agency is responsible for a 14 kilometre length of sea defences from south of Happisburgh village to Winterton-on-Sea. This coastline has a long history of erosion and breaching of the defences, causing flooding of a large low-lying hinterland, extending into the Norfolk Broads area.Defra agreed the Agency's current sea defence strategy for this frontage which recommends maintaining the existing system of sea defence structures by implementing a programme of beach recharge and groyne replacement. The estimated cost of this strategy is now £60 million, if continued over the next 50 years.This strategy accords with the 'Hold the Line' defence policy recommended in the current Shoreline Management Plan. This plan is currently being reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the veterinary resources required to administer the pet pig walking licence scheme. [143634]

Pet Pig walking licences are issued as routine work by Defra Local Animal Health Divisional Offices. They allow Defra to minimise the risk of disease spreading from pet pigs to commercial herds. No central record is maintained. To obtain details of the licences issued would result in disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost is of completing the mapping stage of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, broken down by (a) year, (b) central government and (c) local government. [143015]

By the end of October 2003, the Countryside Agency and the Planning Inspectorate had spent a total of £22.7 million on implementing Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. This figure includes expenditure of £2.5 million in 2000–01; £3.4 million in 2001–02; £9.1 million in 2002–03 and £7.7 million in 2003–04. As well as the costs of mapping work completed, whether or not yet invoiced, it covers other costs arising from Part 1 of the Act, such as appeals, restrictions and publicity, and it includes staff costs. It is not possible to give accurate figures for the remainder of the mapping exercise because there are still large external factors to be taken into account. These include the number of comments received on draft maps and the number of appeals. These variables could have a large impact on the final costs of the mapping exercise.The figures relate to England. Information on mapping in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. Local government is not involved in the mapping stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she takes to ensure that materials agreed as suitable for fuel under the Environment Agency's Substitute Fuels Protocol in practice result in no net detriment to the environment; what formula is applied to consider relative gains against relative losses in environmental impact; and if she will make a statement. [142347]

The Substitute Fuels Protocol is based on the premise that it is necessary for an operator proposing to use substitute fuel(s) to undertake a programme of rigorous trials, in order to establish scientifically the facts about the possible environmental impacts of its proposals on the area around the site in question. The results of such trials ensure that the Environment Agency is able to make sound judgments as to whether or not the permanent use of substitute fuel(s) should be permitted and, if so, under what conditions.For applications to allow the use of substitute fuel(s), the Environment Agency ensures that the change will not produce any net detriment to the environment.The methodology for making this assessment is entitled "H1: Environmental Assessment and Appraisal of BAT" published by the Environment Agency. This methodology enables different operating scenarios to be compared for emissions to all media.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what analysis is carried out to determine the impact on emissions from cement kilns of (a) particulate matter and (b) complex chemical compounds from the switch from fossil based fuels to substitute fuels, with particular reference to hazardous waste. [142348]

The Environment Agency requires operators to conduct a comparative environmental assessment of process emissions, including particulate matter and complex chemical compounds such as dioxins and furans, when plant operation is switched from burning fossil fuels to substitute fuels, such as hazardous wastes.Particulate matter is continuously monitored irrespective of the operating scenario.Complex chemical compounds such as dioxins and furans monitored using extractive techniques. Other compounds may be specified based on an assessment of the fuel composition and trial data. In addition, irrespective of the fuel composition, carbon monoxide and volatile organic carbon emissions are continuously monitored as they are both considered a good surrogate for monitoring efficient combustion. The operational criteria specified for hazardous waste combustion (temperature greater than 1100°C and residence time at least two seconds) are exceeded in cement kilns thus ensuring destruction of complex chemical compounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the ability of the planning process to enable sufficient infrastructure to be built by 2020 to manage waste in compliance with the EU's Landfill Directive. [143288]

National planning policy on waste management is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 Planning and Waste Management (PPG10). PPG 10 underlines that the planning system should enable adequate provision of waste management facilities in appropriate locations, without undue adverse environmental effects or nuisance. As part of the Government's wider planning reform programme, PPG 10 will be reviewed in 2004 and updated as a planning policy statement (PPS). The new PPS will properly reflect and state the need for new, or upgraded, waste management facilities of all types. This will include the infrastructure required to support the prime objectives of reduction and recycling but, also, sites and plants for final treatment and disposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the performance standards of barriers used on motorways and trunk roads in England and Wales are the same as those used in other EU countries; and if he will make a statement. [142780]

The Highways Agency has carried out targeted investigations into performance standards of barriers at the approaches to bridges on motorways and trunk roads in England, and of the comparative performance standards in other EU countries. This found that some other EU countries require higher performance standards than England at these locations.The Highways Agency is also aware that some other EU countries require higher performance standards than England for motorway and trunk road central reserve barriers. The Highways Agency is currently carrying out research into the potential safety-benefits and cost-effectiveness of increasing the current performance standard for central reserve barriers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what privileges accrue from having a vehicle fitted with an emergency blue light and siren; and what regulations govern which vehicles may be fitted with such equipment. [143241]

The fitting and use of blue lights on emergency vehicles are controlled by Regulations 16 and 27 of The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, and sirens by Regulations 37 and 99 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.The authority to fit and use blue lights and sirens does not of itself provide any special privileges for drivers.Privileges often associated with their use, such as exemption from speed limits are contained in Section 87 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, and exemption from certain signals and traffic signs are contained in The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997 and The Traffic Signs Regulations 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people prevented from working because they are unable to use public transport. [143556]

The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment in that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the Hull-Manchester Airport link was not part of FirstGroup's Public Service Requirement when it acquired the TransPennine Express franchise. [143244]

The Passenger Service Requirement (PSR) for the Hull-Leeds-Manchester route, as part of the Arriva Trains Northern franchise, does not include an absolute requirement to operate services to Manchester Airport. The TransPennine Express franchise will inherit substantially the same PSR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much investment there was in transport in the Yorkshire and Humber region in each of the past five years. [143307]

I refer the right hon. Member to Public Sector Statistical Analyses 2003 Tables 8.10a to 8.13b where figures covering both transport investment and resource expenditure for the years 1998–99 to 2001–02 may be found. Data for 2002–03 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 165W, on digital television, what estimate has been made of the number of households expected to purchase the new viewing card announced last month which replaces the Solus viewing card. [143497]

The latest ITC estimates for Q2 2003 are that 738,900 homes receive Free to Air (FTA) digital satellite services and could therefore wish to buy a viewing card. These figures comprise an estimate of the number of Sky viewers who have only ever been FTA viewers plus an estimate of the number of ex-Sky subscribers who continue to use their set-top boxes for viewing FTA channels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by her Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141272]

My Department has wholly or partly funded a wide range of projects in St. Helens since 1997, covering the arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries. I am particularly pleased that five schools in St. Helens are taking part in the DCMS/Arts Council England 'Creative Partnerships' initiative. Additional information on this initiative and other projects that have been wholly or partly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in St. Helens since 1997 has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to use the proposed Gambling Bill to improve the statutory protection for the welfare of racing greyhounds. [143371]

The Gambling Bill is intended to reform the regulation of gambling rather than make provision for animal welfare: this is a matter for separate legislation now under consideration by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, we envisage that the premises licences for greyhound tracks which local authorities will issue under the proposed Bill will include conditions safeguarding the integrity of betting events which will entail compliance with minimum welfare standards.The prime responsibility for the welfare of a greyhound must reside with the owner. I am, however, presently exploring with both the bookmaking and greyhound industries if more funds could be provided for welfare through the existing voluntary funding arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is the policy of his Department that the European Constitution should specify poverty eradication as the primary objective of EU development programmes and expenditure in every developing country. [140870]

The draft new Treaty suggests that the principal aim of the Union's development policy is to reduce, and in the long term, eradicate poverty. We very much welcome this statement and have lobbied hard for this during the Convention debate.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to improve health delivery mechanisms in developing countries to ensure the dispersal of World Health Organisation-approved generic anti-retroviral drugs; and if he will make a statement. [142621]

DFID is committed to working with others, including our donor partners, the pharmaceutical industry, investors, developing country governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve access to medicines in developing countries, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.With the World Health Organisation, DFID believes that affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs are all essential to improve access to medicines.In line with this, DFID has committed over £1.5 billion since May 1997 to support the strengthening of health and supply systems in developing countries, which will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and to make effective choices about the selection of drugs. The UK has also pledged $280 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This will help pay for increased coverage of proven interventions for the three diseases and some associated health systems strengthening. According to UNAIDS, the UK is the second largest bilateral donor for HIV/AIDS programmes.DFID supports a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment and care and alleviation of the impact of AIDS. We welcome recent reductions in the price of both patent and generic anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV. These reductions have created new opportunities to allow poor people to benefit from the same life-saving treatment that has been available in affluent countries. We will continue to work with the WHO, the patent based and generic pharmaceutical industries and others to further reduce prices. DFID supports the target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS for three million people receiving treatment by the end of 2005. A new policy on treatment and care, to be launched early next year, will set out how DFID will coordinate work with partners to promote anti-retroviral treatment for poor people and for women.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his discussions regarding HIV and retro-viral drugs for developing countries. [141931]

DFID supports a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment and care and alleviation of the impact of AIDS. Recent reductions in the price of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV has created new opportunities to allow poor people to benefit from the same life-saving treatment that has been available in affluent countries. This is why we support the target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS for three million people receiving treatment by the end of 2005.DFID, the World Health Organisation and others believe that affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs are all essential to improve access to medicines. DFID is committed to continuing our discussions with others, including our G8 partners, the pharmaceutical industry, investors, developing country governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve access to medicines in developing countries, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. A new policy on treatment and care, to be launched early next year, will set out how DFID will coordinate work with partners to promote anti-retroviral treatment for poor people and for women.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding the Government has contributed towards research and development into affordable anti-malarial drugs in 2003–04; and how much it plans to spend in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06. [141191]

DFID is supporting public-private partnerships to develop the new generation of affordable drugs required for malaria control in developing countries. In 2003–4, we are contributing £1 million in support of the work of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). We will also contribute £1 million to MMV in 2004–5 and a further £1 million in 2005–6.We are working in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, the World Health Organisation and the University of Liverpool to develop an effective, safe and affordable drug called Lapdap, for treating drug resistant malaria. DFID is currently funding compliance and pharmacovigilance trials of Lapdap. Our funding in 2003–4 will be £213,000 and in 2004–5 it will be £286,000.DFID contributes to the Medical Research Council whose activities include funding research projects to develop medicines for resistant strains of malaria. We provide a core contribution to WHO, some of which is used to support the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease (TDR) to develop new approaches for treating infectious diseases, including malaria.Future funding plans beyond current commitments to September 2006 are under review.

Number (million)
	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
(a) £5000	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
(b) £7,500	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
(c) £10,000	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5
(d) £15,000	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2

To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions she has had in relation to (a) the decision in the High Court on bicycle rickshaws and their ability to convey passengers safely, and (b) clarifying (i) licensing, (ii) insurance and (iii) safety rules in relation to the carrying of the public by bicycle rickshaws.[142908]

None.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she and the Attorney-General will examine the lecture by Lord Steyn of 25 November on the legal status of British citizens at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. [142901]

The Attorney-General and I have already read a transcript of the lecture given by Lord Steyn on 25 November on the subject of Guantanamo Bay.

To ask the Solicitor-General what has been the Government's response to the recent inquest decision that the death of Roger Sylvester amounted to an unlawful killing; and if she will make a statement. [141210]

On 3 October 2003, an inquest jury returned a verdict that Roger Sylvester was unlawfully killed. Lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service were present throughout the inquest hearing and have commenced a fresh review of the case. The review will include the evidence given at the inquest once the relevant transcripts have been received. It will be for the reviewing crown prosecutor to decide, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, whether any criminal proceedings should be instituted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of adults living on an income of less than (a) £5,000, (b) £7,500, (c) £10,000, (d) £15,000, (e) £20,000, (f) £30,000, (g) £35,000, (h) £40,000, (i) £50,000, (j) £75,000, (k) £100,000, (l) £150,000, (m) £200,000, (n) £500,000, (o) £1 million and (p) £10 million in London in each of the last six years for which information is available. [140853]

The information requested is provided for households and is set out in the table.Number of households with net equivalised income, before housing costs, of less than:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) deaf, (b) blind and (c) deaf-blind people have applied for the Access to Work scheme in each year since its introduction; and how many have been successful in their application; how many appeals against refusals were lodged; how many were found in favour of the claimant since the introduction of the scheme; and how many people are receiving support under the Access to Work scheme. [140513]

The information requested is not routinely collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total number of people receiving Access to Work support in 2002–03 was 36,606; of these 15,199 were new applicants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what initiatives he is planning to increase (a) awareness and (b) uptake of the Access to Work scheme. [140515]

Information on all our disability services is available from Jobcentre Plus offices, and is also available on the Jobcentre Plus web site (www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk). The web address is included in our publicity material.Jobcentre Plus invests around £300,000 each year on marketing and publicising its specialised services and programmes for disabled people, including Access to Work. Promotional material is available in a range of media such as leaflets, audiotapes and videos.Disability Employment Advisers meet regularly with local employers to promote the full range of services available to disabled people, including Access to Work. In addition, many organisations for disabled people actively promote Access to Work to their members, and some also include information about the programme on their website.The number of people helped through Access to Work has increased year on year since 1996. In 1997–98, 12,825 people received support; that had risen to 36,606 in 2002–03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what administrative reasons might prevent parents with care from receiving the child maintenance premium. [143535]

The child maintenance premium is a key feature of the new child support scheme. It relies on links with Jobcentre Plus IT systems to match up individuals on benefit with payments received. The new IT system is designed to do this and by the end of November 7,500 of the poorest families were already benefiting from the new premium. However to apply the premium to old scheme cases would require redesigning and rebuilding both the new and old IT systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of disability payments paid to sufferers of conditions associated with chronic pain was in 2002–03. [140478]

The available estimates relate to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. In 2002–03, the Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance payments made to people for whom their recorded main disabling condition was one usually associated with chronic pain amounted to some £3.8 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the outcome of the Employment and Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council was on 1 December; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [142006]

I represented the UK together with the Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Sutcliffe), at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 1 December 2003.The Council reached partial political agreement on the Articles of a new Regulation to replace Regulation 1408/71 co-ordinating social security systems for people moving from one member state to another. In particular, member states reached a compromise on Unemployment Benefit for people who live in a member state other than the one where they last worked. This relates to a reimbursement system that member states have agreed to: the last state of work will reimburse part of the Unemployment Benefit paid by the state of residence. UK retains a Parliamentary Scrutiny on this Regulation.The Council discussed the Commission Communication on Structural Indicators for next year's spring Council and took note of the opinions of the Economic Policy Committee, the Working Group on Environment, Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee. The Presidency invited the General Affairs and External Relations Council to adopt joint conclusions as close as possible to the existing draft.The Council adopted Conclusions on disability, on immigration, integration and employment and on gender equality indicators. The Council also agreed a general approach on a Council Decision establishing a Social Protection Committee. Council noted the Other Business items without comment.In the Consumer Affairs part of the Council, a Resolution on the Safety of Services was adopted without comment. There was a general policy discussion on the proposed EC Regulation on Consumer Protection Co-operation, and the UK supported the proposal.My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr. Hutton), represented the UK for consideration of the health items on the agenda of the Council on 2 of December.The main health business related to the Proposal for a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Discussion focused on the scope of the Centre, which is due to be operational by 2005, with member states agreeing it should concentrate initially on communicable disease, with the possibility of broadening the remit following external evaluation of its operations at a later date. Issues still to be resolved include the legal base, where the UK retained its reserve, and data protection requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pages of (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation the Department put through Parliament in 2002–03. [141169]

The Department did not sponsor any primary legislation during the 2002–03 Session (13 November 2002 to 20 November 2003).The Department was responsible for the making of 97 General Statutory Instruments during the 2002–03 Session and these accounted for 725 pages of secondary legislation. The number of instruments produced includes some that consolidated and revoked previous instruments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have (a) registered with a new New Deal for Disabled People job broker, (b) been placed in work by a job broker and (c) achieved sustained work with a job broker's help since the extension of the New Deal for Disabled People. [141496]

New Deal for Disabled People was extended nationally in July 2001. Between July 2001 and September 2003, over 57.000 disabled people registered to find work; over 15,500 found work; and over 5,900 achieved sustained employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of eligible people who have not received backdated winter fuel payments for the first three years of the scheme; and what the value was of such payments. [143083]

According to our estimate around 1.9 million people could have been eligible for backdated payments for the first three years of the scheme and about 1.2 million people have now been paid. There are no cut-off dates for these retrospective payments.It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the numbers who have not claimed because the estimate of those newly eligible was based on sample data. It is up to the individual, where a claim is necessary, to decide whether or not to make that claim.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to introduce a cut-off date for claiming backdated Winter Fuel Payments for the first three years of the scheme. [143084]

There are no current plans to introduce a cut-off date for claiming backdated Winter Fuel Payments for the first three years of the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the income support needs of women carers who are pensioners. [143340]

Pension Credit replaced Minimum Income Guarantee from 6 October 2003. Around half of all pensioner households are eligible and stand to gain around £400 a year. Of those eligible, over half are single women (when partners are included almost two thirds of the people who will benefit from Pension Credit are women.)Under Pension Credit additional amounts are included for carers. All those entitled to Carer's Allowance or treated as satisfying the qualifying conditions for the award benefit from the additional amount. A person may be entitled to Carer's Allowance even if it is not payable, (for example because of the overlapping benefit provisions). The rate is currently set at £25.10.

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the Making it Happen consultation. [143338]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Women announced on 30 October the Government's intention to set up a Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). The CEHR will be key to realising the Government's vision of a fairer, more prosperous, more inclusive Britain based on equal opportunities for all and respect for the dignity and worth of each person. We have set up a Task Force to advise Government on the vision for the new body, and as a first task, assist us in the preparation of a White Paper to be published in the spring.

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on proposals to tackle domestic violence as it affects women. [143339]

We introduced the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill in the House of Lords on 1 December 2003. This is the biggest overhaul of domestic violence legislation for 30 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on action she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women play a full part in the leadership of Iraq. [143341]

I have been very involved in supporting Iraqi women to play a full role in the leadership of their country.I recently met Dr. Raja Khuzaai, one of the two female members of the Iraqi Governing Council, to discuss concrete ways to support women's full involvement in the emerging political structures.I have also pledged my full support for the establishment of an Iraqi Women's Higher Council—a non-governmental advisory body on women's issues.

To ask the Minister for Women what plans she has to propose amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to introduce a public sector duty to promote equality between men and women. [143342]

To ask the Minister for Women when she will take steps to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to introduce a public sector duty to promote equality between men and women. [143343]

The Government are taking forward a significant legislative agenda on equality matters, and they have committed themselves to introduce a duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for women and men generally when parliamentary time allows.

To ask the Secretary of state for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the change in the Bank of England's inflation target from RPIX to HICP on the competitiveness of UK businesses. [143332]

The move of target to the HICP will have no effect on the competitiveness of UK business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the legal fees charged to former coal miners who are claiming compensation for industrial illnesses. [143333]

The Department's position on solicitors' or claims handlers' charges is clear: we believe that all the compensation should go to the claimant without anyone taking a slice of it.I deplore any attempt to charge sick miners or their widows and families for legal or administration expenses, which are covered by the DTI. I am asking the firms involved to reimburse sick miners' widows and families in such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received regarding solicitors charging success fees in coal health compensation claims. [143334]

My right hon. Friend and the Prime Minister have received angry representations from hon. Members and others.I deplore any attempt to charge sick miners or their widows and families for legal or administration expenses that are covered by the DTI. I am asking the firms involved to reimburse sick miners widows and families in such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on bilateral trade relations with Bangladesh. [143335]

Bilateral trade in goods between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh in 2002 was worth £549.8 million, an increase of 5 per cent. over 2001. In the first nine months of 2003, bilateral trade in goods with Bangladesh amounted to £438 million, an increase of 8.2 per cent. over the same period in 2002.Total UK exports to Bangladesh in 2002 were worth £66 million. Our principal exports are power generating machinery and equipment, dyeing, tanning and colouring materials and specialised industrial machinery and medical and pharmaceutical products.

Bankruptcies in England and Wales—Industrial analysis
	2002			2003
Industry	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2
Self-employed
Agriculture and horticulture	35	34	21	42	50
Manufacturing
Food, drink and tobacco	6	7	3	1	4
Chemicals	3	0	3	1	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to promote the introduction of a carbon tax to apply to the energy industry. [143496]

Since this is a tax matter, any decisions are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process, taking account of the Government's economic, social and environmental objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many self-employed people have declared themselves bankrupt in each quarter since quarter one of 2002. [143150]

The number of self-employed people declared bankrupt in England and Wales from the first quarter of 2002 to the second quarter of 2003 is shown in the following table. Total bankruptcies are also provided to put the figures in context. The sub-division of total bankruptcies into self-employed and other categories is not yet available for third quarter 2003.

	Self-employed bankruptcies	Total bankruptcies
2002
Q1	2,261	6,027
Q2	2,235	6,269
Q3	2,244	6,249
Q4	2,114	5,757
2003
Q1	2,468	6,912
Q2	2,267	6,948
Q3	n/a	7,217

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many self-employed individuals were declared bankrupt (a) in the third quarter of 2003 and (b) since 1 October, broken down by industrial sector; and how many (i) employees, (ii) unemployed people and those with no occupation, (iii) directors and promoters of companies and (iv) people whose occupation is unknown were declared bankrupt (A) in the third quarter of 2003 and (B) since 1st October. [143256]

[holding answer 10 December 2003]: There were 7,217 bankruptcies as a whole in England and Wales in the third quarter of 2003. The requested breakdown into types of individual is published one quarter in arrears of the main series and is not yet available for third quarter 2003. The third quarter data will be published on 6 February 2004. The latest data published on 7 November 2003 cover up to the second quarter of 2003 and are attached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will provide a breakdown by (a) age, (b) sex, (c) ethnicity, (d) region, (e) housing tenure and (f) household structure of individuals declared bankrupt in (i) each year since 1997 and (ii) each quarter in 2003. [143257]

The official bankruptcy figures for England and Wales are available broken down by the

Number of bankruptcies in England and Wales by regions classified according to Official Receiver's Offices
						2003
	1999	2000	2001	2002	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3
Anglia	3,408	3,144	3,521	3,527	1,013	1,003	1,082
London	1,286	1,285	1,427	1,457	450	463	479
Midlands	3,066	3,187	3,409	3,501	1,046	1,002	1,105
North East	3,396	3,838	4,228	4,227	1,082	1,208	1,185
North West	3,517	3,640	4,108	4,116	1,020	1,208	1,039
South East	2,931	2,730	2,755	3,052	1,017	999	1,056
South West	4,002	3,720	4,023	4,401	1,281	1,351	1,267
Public Interest Unit	5	6	6	11	3	3	4
National total	21,611	21,550	23,477	24,292	6,912	6,948	7,217

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the pension rights of employees of British Energy following the financial restructuring of that company. [143119]

[holding answer 9 December 2003]: British Energy's proposed restructuring is intended to restore the company to long-term viability in the private sector. The pension rights of its employees will remain the responsibility of the company as at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter of 7 October from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [143433]

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs responded to the hon. Gentleman's letter of 7 October on 17 November. I will however be responding shortly about his query on EU subsidies on sugar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in the United Kingdom were trading online (a) in each quarter in 2003 and (b) in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [143140]

The DTI's International Benchmarking Study has been produced annually since 1997 and is used to measure the take-up and use of ICT's by business.

(a)No information is available on a quarterly basis.

(b)Trading online figures by region, are only available for the period 2000 to 2002 (earlier studies did not capture this type of information). Copies of the International Benchmarking Study for 2000 (URN 00/147), 2001 (URN 01/147) and 2002 (URN 02/147) are available from the Libraries of the House.

The 2003 study (URN 03/147) will be published on Thursday 11 December 2003. Copies will be available from the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of (a) total energy production, (b) total energy primary consumption and (c) total final energy consumption in the (i) industrial sector, (ii) service sector, (iii) domestic sector and (iv) transport sector in each month in 2003. [143004]

The energy data requested are published on a quarterly basis and are currently available for the first two quarters of 2003.

Million tonnes of oil equivalent
Q1 2003	Q2 2003
Total Indigenous Energy Production	73.0	63.0
Total Primary Consumption	71.6	55.1
Total Final Consumption	50.7	37.2
Of which:
Industrial Sector	10.6	8.0
Service Sector (including Agriculture)	6.4	4.2
Domestic Sector	17.9	8.6
Transport Sector	12.9	13.7

Further information is published in table 1.3a of Energy Trends, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The latest edition was released on 25 September 2003; the next edition containing data for Q3 2003 will be released on 8 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of United Kingdom Hallmarking in the context of discussions on the draft Directive on Articles of Precious Metals following the European Council of 27 November. [142129]

Following the decision of the Committee of Permanent Representatives not to send the draft Directive to the Council of Ministers on 27 November, the draft Directive has now effectively been shelved again, and UK hallmarking will continue as before. After the Accession countries join the EU next year (nine of the 10 have compulsory independent hallmarking systems) there will be more support for compulsory third party marking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the export of British military equipment to Indonesia. [143144]

I have been asked to reply.All export licence applications for Indonesia are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of the circumstances prevailing at the time and other announced Government policies.All strategic exports licensed to Indonesia in 2002 are set out in the Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, which is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/Trade-and-Investment/Export Controls. The report also shows that the approximate value of exports of UK military goods to Indonesia in 2002 was £2,130,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many pages of (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation her Department put through Parliament in 2002–03. [141121]

My Department sponsored four Bills during the 2002–03 Session, which made a total of 632 pages once enacted.In the case of secondary legislation, my Department was responsible for the making of 141 General Statutory Instruments which would have been considered either by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments or the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments. These instruments made a total of 1,295 pages.It should be noted that the instruments produced by my Department include many which consolidated and revoked previous instruments and which may have been produced at the prompting of Parliamentary Committees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of the loss to pharmaceutical companies in the UK from parallel trade of medicines from abroad; [141698](2) what discussions she has had with pharmaceutical companies regarding the parallel trade in medicines from abroad. [141699]

I have been asked to reply.In terms of the impact on national health service expenditure, information is not routinely collected on the source of products, but from the data currently available the Department of Health estimates that parallel imports saves the NHS in England approximately £60 million per year in the community sector. No estimate is available for the hospital sector.The Government have not made their own assessment of the loss to pharmaceutical companies in the United Kingdom from parallel trade. The NHS does not reap the full benefit of the price differentials associated with parallel trade, as much of the difference is lost within the supply chain across Europe.Ministers in the Department of Health meet representatives of the pharmaceutical industry frequently to discuss issues affecting that sector, including parallel trade in Europe. The most recent meeting was on 2 December, between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord Warner) and representatives of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many completed successful investigations into underpayment of the national minimum wage there have been, broken down by constituency; and how much was recovered in each case. [142634]

Between the start of the minimum wage in April 1999 and September 2003 the Inland Revenue have carried out 8,471 successful investigations, in which underpayments of over £14.3 million was identified.These statistics are not available at constituency level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of its annual budget the National Environment Research Council has given to each university in England and Wales. [142911]

The most recent details of the expenditure by university are set out in the NERC Annual Report and Accounts for the year 2002–03 on pages 44 and 45. During this period NERC received £224.513 million grant in aid. Copies of the NERC Annual Report and Accounts were laid before both Houses of Parliament on 16 July 2003 and are also available at http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/annualreport2003/pages.pdf.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the total annual value of unpaid overtime by British workers. [142853]

According to the Labour Force Survey over the four quarters to summer 2003 the average number of employees who actually worked unpaid overtime in a week was 3.82 million. On average, they worked 7.7 hours of actual unpaid overtime a week and their gross hourly pay for the hours they did get paid for was £14.95. By multiplying these numbers together (and by multiplying by 52 weeks) we get an estimated value of annual actual unpaid overtime worked by employees in the UK of £22¾ billion. If managers and senior officials who receive a salary rather than an hourly rate are excluded then the value of annual unpaid overtime falls markedly, to £12½ billion. These workers (2.55 million) on average worked 7.1 hours of actual overtime per week and their gross hourly pay for the hours they did get paid for was £13.40.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she is satisfied with the existing arrangements for consultation by the Post Office and Postwatch on proposed post office closures. [141591]

The Government do not have a role in the consultation process for post office closure proposals, which is laid out in the code of practice agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch. I attach great importance to the role of Postwatch in protecting the interest of customers when any closure is proposed. Final decisions on closure, after consideration of representations received, are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards her Department's target of the UK obtaining 5 per cent. of its electricity from renewable sources by 2003; what her assessment is of whether the target will be met within the stipulated time; what percentage of electricity has been produced from renewable sources in each year since the target was introduced; and which renewable sources have contributed in each year. [143125]

[holding answer 10 December 2003]: Government Ministers acknowledged in the debates leading up to the introduction of the Renewables Obligation on 1 April 2002 that earlier hopes to obtain 5 per cent. of our electricity from renewable sources by 2003 would not be met. Such hopes had always depended on a high proportion of proposals awarded contracts under the old Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) arrangements resulting in commissioned projects, and it had become apparent that this was not happening with the necessary speed.The percentage of UK electricity coming from all renewable sources and the contributing categories of renewables in the years since 1999 are as follows:

percentage
	1999	2000	2001	2002
All renewables	2.76	2.75	2.62	2.96
of which:
Wind, wave and solar	0.23	0.25	0.25	0.32
Hydro	1.45	1.35	1.05	1.24
Biofuels	0.93	1.01	1.19	1.27
Wastes	0.15	0.14	0.13	0.13