To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department spent on the delivery of the asylum process in the last financial year. [146672]

The Department for Constitutional Affairs' expenditure in the 2002–03 financial year for asylum and immigration was £277 million. This covers the costs incurred by the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Courts and, legal aid administered by the Legal Services Commission. Of this we estimate approximately £244 million was attributable to asylum and the remainder to non-asylum immigration work.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many judicial appointments the Lord Chancellor made in November and December 2003; whom he appointed; and to which posts. [146962]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor made, or recommended to Her Majesty and/or the Prime Minister, 162 judicial appointments during November and December 2003. A table detailing the names of those appointed, and the post they were appointed to, will be forwarded to my hon. Friend and a copy placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Law Lords he has appointed since 12 June 2003. [146963]

Since 12 June 2003, the Prime Minister has recommended, following advice from my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, the appointment of three Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. The Queen has approved the Prime Minister's recommendations and all three Lords of Appeal have been appointed.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what has been the average time taken in the last year for an application for leave to move to judicial review to be determined. [146493]

For the period 1 December 2002 to 30 November 2003 the average times taken to determine applications for permission to apply for judicial review from the date of issue of proceedings to the date of determination are as follows.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of the justice system was in (a) 1995, (b) 1997, (c) 1999, (d) 2001 and (e) 2003; and what the projected cost is in 2004–05. [146677]

The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on a written constitution. [146964]

There are no plans to draft a written constitution for the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will amend the Licensing Act 1964 to allow on-duty police officers to be served with refreshments; and if she will make a statement. [146572]

Section 178(b) of the Licensing Act 1964 makes it an offence for the holder of a justices' licence to supply any liquor or refreshment, whether by way of gift or sale, to any constable on duty except by authority of a superior officer of the constable. Schedule 7 to the Licensing Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on 10 July 2003, will repeal the Licensing Act 1964 in its entirety, when it comes into force. Therefore, this provision of the 1964 Act will be repealed when the 2003 Act is fully in force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department and its executive agencies has provided to the 18-Plus organisation since 1997. [147352]

There is no record of the Department or its executive agency providing any funding to the 18-plus organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to attract foreign visitors to UK attractions outside London. [147251]

VisitBritain has a target in its Funding Agreement with my Department to promote a regional spread of overseas visitors to the UK. Major initiatives include a partnership campaign with the industry in the United States and, in Europe, a £4 million "City Breaks" campaign to promote short breaks in 19 cities across Britain. The Department also contributes funding (£250,000 p.a from 2002–06) to the Greater London Authority to help support its statutory duty of promoting London as a Gateway to the rest of the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits in 2004. [147252]

In November 2003, VisitBritain published its domestic marketing strategy. This is a three-year initiative designed to grow the value of the domestic market by encouraging the British to spend more on tourism throughout the English regions throughout the year. On 1 January 2004, VisitBritain launched its Enjoy England Spring Campaign which consists of a high profile television and press campaign and offers a holiday planner so that people can plan their domestic trips for the year. This will be followed up by a number of themed campaigns throughout the year and another major campaign in September. Information on the Enjoy England Spring Campaign can be found on the website: www.visitengland.com.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners whether the Church Commissioners have made representations to the Government about changing the law to enable the courts to declare bankrupt a cathedral or other church or body that becomes unable to pay its debts. [146236]

The Church Commissioners have made no representations to the Government about the present state of the relevant law.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners discussions the Church Commissioners have had about the financial position of Bradford cathedral and its failure to pay its debts to Past Forward and other small businesses for the work they were contracted to provide for the Life Force Exhibition; and what action the Church Commissioners intend to take to ensure that the Cathedral is able to pay to Past Forward the sum specified in the county court judgment issued against the cathedral. [146237]

Legally and financially, cathedrals are independent bodies governed by the Cathedrals Measure passed by Parliament in 1999. The Commissioners have a very limited statutory role in relation to cathedrals and have no authority to compel Bradford Cathedral to reach a settlement, nor do they have power to provide funds to enable such a settlement.Nonetheless they are in contact with the Bradford Cathedral Chapter and recognise that efforts are being made to find a solution.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the first report of the McClean Review of clergy terms of service to the Archbishops' Council. [146835]

The group's first report was considered by the Archbishops Council on 9 December. It recommends that employment rights covered by section 23 of the Employment Relations Act should be conferred on the clergy through church legislation. The report will be debated in February by the General Synod, which will be invited to encourage comments on its recommendations from dioceses and other interested parties.A copy of the report will be sent to the DTI soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission regarding further derogation from the Animal By-products Regulation 2003. [147001]

The United Kingdom, along with all member states, has recently submitted information on the application of the EU Animal By-products Regulation (1774/2002) to the European Commission, including difficulties faced by operators.In the light of these comments, the Commission may decide that certain provisions will need to be amended if it is clear that similar issues are occurring in several member states.We are also in discussion with the Commission regarding a number of supplementary proposals relating to the Animal By-products Regulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 1173, whether the database of animal by-product premises will be available on her Department's website early this year. [147091]

We are currently in the process of compiling the database of animal by-product premises with the intention of placing a list of approved premises on the Defra website. In the interim period this information can be obtained from local Defra animal health offices (who issue the approvals).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned by her Department on (i) illegal animal movements, (ii) illegal culling of wildlife and (iii) illegal hunting of protected species. [146567]

It is not apparent from the question whether my colleague's interest relates to research into wild native species, exotic non-native species or agricultural animals. The answer below therefore reflects the wide range of activities that Defra undertakes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce measures to make stunning compulsory before animals are ritually slaughtered; and what assessment she has made of the case for such measures. [147175]

We are in the process of assessing all the recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter, including the recommendation that all animals should be stunned prior to slaughter. We are planning to issue our draft response to the report for public consultation shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for bio yoghurt of the EU directive on yoghurt classification; and what representations she has received on the new arrangements. [145731]

I assume that the hon. Member refers to the provision in Commission proposal COM(2003)14 which would amend Article 2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 relating to standards for organic production. The proposal is intended to restrict the labelling of food with the term 'bio' to food which complies with the organic standards. The Explanatory Memoranda submitted on this proposal explain our view that the proposal to amend Article 2 is unnecessarily restrictive but note that it commands widespread support among other member states. Representations on the proposal have been received from a number of interests, most recently from the Dairy Industry Association Ltd., the British Retail Consortium and the Provision Trade Federation.I refer the hon. Member also to the reply given by the Secretary of State for Health on 19 November 2003,

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome of her Department's discussions with manufacturers and other interested parties about discarded chewing gum was; what changes to her policy on discarded chewing gum she has made and plans to make; and if she will make a statement. [146361]

The group is considering a range of options for tackling the problem and intend to make recommendations to me shortly. I will then decide what steps should be taken and an announcement made. We are working closely with all interested parties through an action group which includes representatives of, Defra, the Department for Education and Skills, ENCAMS (formerly the Tidy Britain Group), chewing gum manufacturers, the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, to progress effective and sustainable ways of tackling it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Environment Agency's total expenditure has been since its formation; and how much has been spent on collecting and refining statistics on waste. [142594]

The Environment Agency's total expenditure since its formation has been £4,484.3 million.The Environment Agency has spent a estimated £5 million on collecting and refining waste statistics from its surveys on the production and management of waste from industry and commerce. This figure does not include waste statistics collected by the Agency as part of its regulatory duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of farmers have signed up to the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147000]

Good progress is being made in setting up the Scheme and farmers will be invited to subscribe to it shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the cost of the proposed national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147002]

Initial estimates of costs for the collection and disposal of all fallen stock in the UK, excluding those disposed of under TSE testing arrangements are likely to be around £28 million per year. However, the proposed National Fallen Stock Scheme will be voluntary, and as not all farmers will choose to subscribe, costs may be lower. Exact costs will depend on the rates of payments to collection and disposal operators which are currently being determined, and the volume of fallen stock which comes forward which is unknown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made on the national subscription scheme for the disposal of fallen stock. [147003]

Defra, in co-operation with devolved administrations, the individuals nominated as Directors of the National Fallen Stock Company and other key stakeholders are making good progress in setting up the Scheme. We hope to be able to make an announcement on the start date shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much food, by weight, is required to produce one kilo of marketable farmed salmon; how much raw marine resource, by weight, is required to make one kilo of fish food; where that food is sourced from; and what the content of that food is. [146712]

Defra does not collect data on feed usage and composition from enterprises engaged in fish farming in the UK. However, industry estimates range from 1.0 to 1.3 kg of feed needed to produce 1 kg of farmed salmon of a marketable size.We do not have information on the weight of the raw marine material used in feed for farmed fish. The quantity involved will vary depending on the proportion

of fishmeal used in the different grades of dry fish feed produced for fish at various stages of growth. Salmon, like other farmed piscivorous species, are unlikely to consume, through feed, more natural marine resources than would their wild counterparts in the natural environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much farmed salmon has been produced from the United Kingdom salmon farms over the last 10 years. [146713]

Production figures of UK Atlantic Salmon (tonnes) for the 10-year period up to 2002 (the latest year for which complete data are available) are as follows:

Tonnes
1993	48,691
1994	64,066
1995	70,060
1996	83,121
1997	99,197
1998	110,784
1999	126,686
2000	128,959
2001	138,519
2002	145,609

The figures include production primarily for human consumption, with some production for restocking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many salmon farms operate in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region. [146970]

There are 530 salmon farms operating in the UK as follows:

• Scotland: 504
• England: 18
• Wales: 7
• Northern Ireland: 1

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the escape characteristic is that cod have for avoiding towed fishing gear. [146715]

There is little published information on this in the scientific literature, but what there is, suggests that avoidance of fishing gear by cod is largely a visual response. The escape characteristic of cod will vary between day and night, with avoidance being in either a vertical or a horizontal direction. Generally, fishing gears are rigged to reduce such escapements. In the case of bottom gears, for example, the warps tend to reduce the horizontal movement of fish and the headline is forward of the foot rope to reduce vertical escapement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average fruit and vegetable consumption was in the (a) 50 most deprived and (b) 50 most affluent wards in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average for England was. [145986]

Data from the Expenditure and Food Survey on fruit and vegetable consumption is not available at ward level. However, fruit and vegetable consumption is available by income quintile for households in the United Kingdom for the 12 months from April 2001 to March 2002.Average consumption of fruit and vegetables in the 20 per cent. of households with the lowest incomes was 2,622g per person per week, compared to 3,651g per person per week in the 20 per cent. of households with the highest incomes.

Average consumption of fruit and vegetables per person in the UK
	Household income
Grams per person per week	Lowest 20 per cent.	Highest 20 per cent.
Fruit and vegetables	2,622	3,651
Fruit and vegetables1	1,667	2,947
1Excluding potatoes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether the pesticide regimes which may be approved for the cultivation of Chardon LL maize will be more aggressive than the regime adopted in the farm scale evaluation trials. [146619]

[holding answer 8 January 2004]: Under Directive 2001/18/EC, the management practices associated with the cultivation of GM crops must be assessed for their environmental impact. Consequently, my Department will seek advice from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) as to whether the evidence provided by applicants about the specific management practices associated with a GM crop present an increased likelihood of adversely affecting the environment as compared to conventional practices associated with the cultivation of its non-GM counterpart. It would also be within the scope of Directive 2001/18/EC to include conditions to the consent that circumscribed the herbicide regime permitted, if this was felt to be appropriate. The farm scale evaluations provide important data with respect to current management practices, which will be invaluable in making this assessment.

The data from the farm scale evaluation trials will, alongside other relevant data, also be considered as part of the scientific evaluation of any application for a commercial level of approval for the use of glufosinate ammonium on Chardon LL maize. Only if Ministers are satisfied, on the basis of the expert advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, that the particular use as proposed by the applicant on the draft product label is safe to people and the environment will approval be granted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government's investigations have produced evidence to indicate that GM technology should now be released commercially. [146998]

Under Directive 2001/18/EC each application to release GM crops for commercial importation or cultivation is judged on a case-by-case basis according to the scientific evidence of any risks it may pose to human health or the environment. A person or company wishing to market such a GM crop must supply a detailed dossier of information including an environmental risk assessment on that GM crop. This information is open to scrutiny by all 15 member states and the European Commission, and an EU-wide public consultation must be held. In considering any application, the Government will consider all relevant evidence including results of its own investigations, for example including the Farm Scale Evaluations. No GM crop may be imported or grown commercially unless and until EU member states have agreed collectively under qualified majority procedures that it is safe. Once a GMO has the suitable consent, it can be imported and, if the consent conditions permit, cultivated within the EU, subject to other applicable legislation on seeds, pesticides and novel food and (animal) feed. No GM crop currently has all the required approvals for UK cultivation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with insurance providers for non GM farmers who might be commercially damaged by GM contamination. [146999]

We have not had any discussions with insurance providers on this subject. The Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission has submitted a report to the Government on co-existence and liability issues in relation to GM crops and we are now considering this very carefully.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures can be taken to alleviate the contamination from sewers and septic tanks which take place after groundwater flooding. [146227]

The Environment Agency works closely with local authorities, water companies and other groups to ensure that the effects of flooding are, as far as possible, minimised. Proper maintenance and siting of sewers and septic tanks, and monitoring of groundwater levels, can help reduce the risks, though during a flood event itself there is little that can practically be done apart from ensuring that any sewage pumping does not contribute to contamination, that the situation is properly monitored, and that those affected are informed of the situation and risks. The Department has been working with the Environment Agency and others to produce a groundwater protection code of practice on septic tanks and other non-mains sewerage systems and public consultation on a draft will commence shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list information technology contracts in her Department and its predecessors with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been. [146192]

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs was established as a new Department in June 2001. At its inception, the Department novated existing MAFF framework contracts set up in 1999 with three major suppliers, Fujitsu, Sema UK Ltd. and Sungard Sherwood Systems Group Ltd. who have provided consultants to work with in-house staff for system development. No single system has cost of more than £20 million.The Rural Payments Agency signed a £35 million seven year contract with Accenture on 31 January 2003 for the development of systems to deliver payments to farmers and traders under the Common Agricultural Policy. The systems are still in the development phase and are scheduled to become operational during 2005, after which the contract allows for a period of support and maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department is spending on the assessment of possible environmental impacts resulting from the release of nanotechnology products into the environment, with particular reference to ultra-fine particles. [147225]

The Department does not currently fund any research into assessment of the possible environmental impacts resulting from the release of specifically nanotechnology-based products into the environment. Most regulation to protect the environment is based on product or use categories and would therefore cover such a release, whether or not based on nanotechnology.However, in order to find out whether the technology raises new ethical, health and safety, environmental or social issues that have not already been covered by current regulations, last year the Department of Trade and Industry commissioned the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to conduct an independent study to look at current and future developments in nanotechnology. We will examine carefully the conclusions of this study, expected in spring this year, to see whether there are any gaps that will need to be filled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) environmental and (b) toxicological data is held by her Department in respect of carbon nanotubes present in consumer goods. [147227]

No such data is held by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the application of the precautionary principle to the decision on whether to impose a moratorium on the release into the environment of ultra-fine particles generated through nanotechnology processes. [147236]

Precautionary action must be based on objective assessments of the costs and benefits of action. The precautionary principle does not mean that we only permit activities if we are sure that serious harm will not arise, or there is proof that the benefits outweigh all possible risks. Most regulation to protect the environment is based on product or use categories and would therefore cover such a release, whether or not based on nanotechnology processes. We therefore do not consider that there is currently a case for a blanket moratorium on such releases, but we are keeping this under review, in particular via the independent study being carried out for the Department of Trade and Industry by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the consultation on Statutory Control of Odour and Other Nuisances from Sewage Treatment Works; and when the White paper will be published. [146322]

The Government is awaiting the outcome of the House of Lords appeal case following a High Court ruling that odours from sewage treatment works can be dealt with as a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The Government will announce its response to the consultation and its approach following the House of Lords ruling and the outcome of the concurrent National Assembly of Wales consultation regarding sewage treatment works. There are no plans to issue a White paper on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum appeals determined by adjudicators in the second quarter of 2003 were dismissed; and how many of those whose appeals were dismissed have been removed from the UK. [140572]

[holding answer 1 December 2003]: The available information requested is given in the following table and relates to appeals determined at the Immigration Appellate Authority. Some applicants whose appeal is dismissed may still be awaiting the outcome of further appeals—some appellants apply for leave to appeal to the Tribunal, and a proportion of these are granted leave followed by determinations by the Tribunal. Data on the number who have been removed after their appeals rights have been exhausted is only available at a disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

Asylum appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration appellate authority, excluding dependants1,2
Number of principal appellants
			appeals determined by adjudicators
		Allowed3		Dismissed3		withdrawn3
	Total determined4	Total	As percentage of total determined	Total	As percentage of total determined	Total	As percentage of total determined
2002
Q1	14,010	3,165	23	10,500	75	340	2
Q2	15,525	3,450	22	11,715	75	360	2
03	18,260	3,935	22	13,825	76	495	3
Q4	16,615	3,320	20	12,805	77	490	3
2002 total	64,405	13,875	22	48,845	76	1,685	3
2003
01	20,595	3,480	17	16,445	80	670	3
Q2	19,345	4,060	21	14,875	77	415	2
Q3	21,500	4,270	20	16,805	78	420	2
Most recent three months
July	8,195	1,655	20	6,375	78	165	2
August	6,740	1,320	20	5,275	78	145	2
September	6,565	1,295	20	5,155	79	110	2
1 Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest five. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
2 Data for 2002 and 2003 are provisional.
3 Based on data supplied from the Presenting Officers Unit within the Home Office.
4 Based on information supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, before laying the statutory instrument relating to Cheadle Royal hospital which is being prepared in his Department, he will take steps to satisfy himself that all the income received by the charity has been applied to the properly authorised charitable purposes. [145328]

[holding answer 5 January 2003]: I confirmed in my answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 766W, that neither the Charity Commission nor the Greater Manchester police have found evidence of charitable income or assets being inappropriately used by the trustees of Cheadle Royal Hospital. A copy of the proposed new statutory instrument has been forwarded to the hon. Member and her comments requested by 9 January to support the progress of the instrument and enable the release of the funds of the charity to be used for the public benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, before laying the statutory instrument relating to Cheadle Royal hospital which is being prepared in his Department, he will take steps to satisfy himself that all the assets of this charity have been sold or reassigned in accordance with charity law, and in particular with section 36(8) of the Charities Act 1993. [145773]

I confirmed in my answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 766W, that

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what power the Charity Commission has to remove charitable status from Church of England bodies; and in what circumstances this would apply. [146235]

This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the government department responsible for the regulation of charities in England and Wales. The Chief Charity Commissioner will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter dated 18 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. M. J. Sattler, transferred from the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Office for National Statistics. [141583]

I replied to my right hon. Friend on 8 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition he will use of the term reasonable explanation for failing to produce documents; and whether he intends to include a definition in relevant legislation. [143473]

Ultimately it will be for the courts to define what constitutes a reasonable excuse for the purpose of the offence set out in clause 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of claimants etc) Bill. However, the offence explicitly rules out certain defences which are not to be considered as reasonable causes for no longer being in possession of a document. The defence does not include reference to other legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of the DORE achievement centres and dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit treatment programme at Balsall Common School; and what plans he has to extend the programme to other schools. [146171]

The dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention disorder treatment (DDAT) is one of a number of commercially available programmes designed to support children with specific learning difficulties. It is for parents, individual schools and local education authorities to decide whether a given technique has something to offer an individual child in the light of his or her particular needs. The Department has no plans to extend the programme to other schools but officials are meeting with representatives of the Dore achievement centres/DDAT to receive an update.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances foreign language students on (a) part-time and (b) full-time English language courses will be required to pay the proposed surcharge; and if he will make a statement. [143839]

No decisions have yet been made about the level of the fees. The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is required to provide a range of fees for indicative purposes only. The upper limit of that range, £500, does not signify that the Government intends, as some newspapers suggested, to set fees at that level.

The enabling power is the first stage of a two-stage process. The second part of the process is to undertake a full Regulatory Impact Assessment and wider consultation with key stakeholders. Following this consultation, decisions regarding fee levels, scope and timing of introduction can then be made taking these views fully into account.

Any foreign language student, full or part-time, who currently pays a fee would be required to pay charges at whatever level they may be set.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in his Department. [146005]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 8 January 2004, Official Report, column 488W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assist (a) tobacconists, (b) alcohol retailers and (c) publicans in determining the age of customers where restrictions on sales exist; and if he will make a statement. [145327]

The Government's plans for a national identity cards scheme would provide a nationally accepted, useful and secure way of proving and determining age. Our current best cost estimates would fund the issuing of cards free to all 16-year-olds.In the shorter term, we have a strong interest in initiatives like the British Retail Consortium's Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) which establishes a common standard for issuing the various proof of age cards that are available.Officials have worked closely with the British Retail Consortium to ensure the PASS scheme is as effective as possible. We have endorsed the scheme with ministerial involvement at its launch event last year and we continue to take steps to promote it such as including details of schemes that are PASS accredited on the Home Office website and providing a representative to sit on the PASS Board as an observer.

To ask the Minister for Women what (a) measures are in place and (b) measures are proposed to encourage fathers to share caring responsibilities for their children. [146260]

The Government is committed to helping provide parents with more opportunities than ever before to balance work and family life. In April 2003, we introduced new laws for working parents which cover fathers as well as mothers, including the right for parents of children aged under six or disabled children under 18 to request flexible working, adoption leave available to men and women, and the right to two weeks paid paternity leave for fathers. These new rights together with the existing rights to parental leave and time off for dependents recognise that men increasingly want to play a greater role in sharing caring responsibilities for their children, and gives them more choices for doing so.To encourage take-up of the new rights, the Government is running an ongoing awareness raising campaign which includes national newspaper adverts targeted specifically at fathers, and is working in partnership with a number of key stakeholders such as Fathers Direct. The Government's Work-Life balance campaign also encourages employers to adopt best practice and provide family-friendly working practices right across the workforce.The Children Act Sub-Committee, working to the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Board on Family Law, published a report "Making Contact Work", which amongst other issues highlights paternal responsibilities in caring for children. The Government is currently considering recommendations arising from the report, and plans to respond in full as soon as possible.The Family Support Grant has provided funding for a number of projects over the last five years to encourage fathers to become actively involved in the care of their children. These have included supporting the Active Dads programme, which assists a range of joint father/child activities rolled out through the Community Education Development Centre (now Contin You), and helping organisations such as Fathers Direct provide support and guidance to fathers and professionals working with them.

To ask the Minister for Women what recent assessment has been made of women's pension provision. [146253]

I have been asked to reply."Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement" Cm 5677, dedicated a chapter to assessing the state of women's pension provision.The unique pension position of women is now being considered in all the projects that followed on from the Green Paper, such as the Informed Choice programme and the Extending Working Lives programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what access is provided to international nuclear safeguards inspectors to (a) military nuclear facilities and (b) military nuclear materials, under the provisions of the protocol additional to the agreement between the United Kingdom and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the application of safeguards in the United Kingdom in connection with the Treaty on The Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. [147022]

I have been asked to reply to this question since nuclear safeguards and implementation of the protocol additional to the UK/Euratom/IAEA Safeguards Agreement (Cm 4282), which is not yet in force, are the responsibility of my Department.Under the terms of the UK additional protocol the IAEA could request access to any location in the UK, including military nuclear facilities, where such access will contribute to increasing the IAEA's capability to detect undeclared nuclear material and activities in a non-nuclear weapon State. If necessary, access may be managed in accordance with Article 7 of the protocol. If access to the requested location cannot be granted, then every reasonable effort must be made to satisfy the IAEA's requirements, without delay, at adjacent locations or through other means. Neither the Safeguards Agreement nor the additional protocol apply to nuclear material required for national security reasons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the recent decision by Advantage West Midlands not to support regeneration initiatives in Kington; and what estimate she has made of the effect on the amount of Objective 2 funding available. [142589]

Advantage West Midlands has created Regeneration Zones to maximise local input on regeneration issues. The Regeneration Zone Board considers which projects to support within the resources available. The number of competing projects was such that a package of projects in Kington was not put forward to Advantage West Midlands for funding.Objective 2 funding is still available to these projects if Kington can find alternative match funding. I am assured that Advantage West Midlands and Government Office officials will work with Kington to seek alternative funding sources.Kington has received extra support from Advantage West Midlands. It was one of the first six market towns identified for support through the regional market towns programme, which began in 2001. The Programme in Kington allows for support from the Countryside Agency for a market towns support officer, and up to £300,000 from Advantage West Midlands for a package of projects developed by the local partnership, Kington Partnership. It is in the second year of a four year programme, and has drawn down £94, 607 from Advantage West Midlands to support 11 different projects to date.In addition to the market towns partnership, Advantage West Midlands has taken forward other project work directly in Kington with local partners. This includes the purchase of the old Kington Cottage Hospital and conversion into a Youth Hostel working with the Youth Hostel Association. Advantage West Midlands has also worked up plans with Herefordshire council to renovate the local Wesleyan Chapel for wider community use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter to her dated 27 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Angela Bottomley. [147619]

I replied to my right hon. Friend on 9 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding her Department provides for (a) enterprise grants that are delivered to businesses in the regions by the Small Business Service. (b) the STEP programme, (c) the Faraday Partnership scheme and (d) the Manufacturing Advisory scheme in each year since inception of the scheme; what timescale applies to the funding in each case; and if she will make a statement on the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative. [145483]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding her Department has provided for (a) the Advanced Metals Technology Initiative, (b) the Technology Review grant scheme for small businesses, (c) the Innovation and Technology Programme for small businesses and (d) the Development Projects grant scheme in each year since inception of the scheme; what timescale applies to the funding in each case; and if she will make a statement on the timescale to which this funding applies and estimate the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative. [145488]

The following information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been provided by her Department to finance (a) the Manufacturing Advisory Service, (b) the Community Development Venture Fund and (c) the Supply Chain Groups initiative since the inception of each scheme; what timescale applies to the funding in each case; and if she will make a statement on the extent to which businesses have benefited from each initiative. [145511]

The following information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which United Kingdom organisations are members of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (Esarda); and whether public resources are provided to support participation in Esarda. [147030]

UK organisations with current membership of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (Esarda) are BNFL and UKAEA. The DTI provides funding for participation by UKAEA in the Esarda Scientific Council and Coordination Board on behalf of the DTI-sponsored UK Safeguards Support Programme to the IAEA. In addition, officials from DTI participate in some meetings of Esarda Committees and specialist Working Groups. Further information on the activities of Esarda can be found on its website: www.jrc.org/esarda/ or www.jrc.cec.eu.int/esarda/

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in implementing measures to tackle nuisance caused by fireworks. [146944]

On 22 December the Fireworks Regulations 2003 came into force which made it an offence for those persons under the age of 18 years to possess fireworks in a public place and for persons of any age to possess Category 4 professional fireworks, the largest most powerful type that are used for public displays.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether new measures to tackle firework nuisance will provide specific protection for vulnerable premises, with particular reference to stables. [146945]

The Fireworks Act 2003 does not contain provisions relating directly to the protection of premises. However, the Act does provide that firework regulations may prohibit public displays unless certain conditions are met.Further, the Act also provides for compulsory training courses for operators of public firework displays which could lessen the chances of a firework straying to cause damage to nearby buildings such as a stable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many financial services companies in the FTSE All-Share list of companies have reported suspected cases of money laundering in each of the last five years; and what estimate has been made of the sums involved. [146149]

I have been asked to reply.Companies suspecting money laundering activity are under various legal obligations to report this to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). The information provided is used by law enforcement agencies in fighting crime, including through locating the proceeds of crime with a view to confiscation.NCIS does not break down reports by reference to whether the reporting institution is listed on the FTSE All-Share list. Since 1999 303 companies in the banking, insurance/life assurance, and securities/investment sectors made reports. The number of reports received was:

	Banks	Insurance/Assurance	Securities Finance Investment	Totals
1999	7,223	522	108	7,853
2000	10,802	579	160	11,541
2001	18,776	795	215	19,786
2002	37,041	1,011	262	38,314
2003	63,997	1,109	274	65,380
Total	137,839	4,016	1,019	142,874

The growth in reporting is believed to result mainly from the impact of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, an increased regulatory focus on money laundering (in particular relating to the Financial Services Authority's statutory responsibilities), and greater awareness of the issues in the light of the tragic events of 11 September 2001.NCIS does not keep estimates of the sums involved in the reports received, as although some reports will relate to a specific financial transaction or transactions others will not involve transactions at all. To illustrate the scale of the sums involved in money laundering, the most recent estimate of the amount laundered annually in the UK is £25 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will direct the management of the Post Office to extend the consultation period for those Post Office branch closures which it has put out for consultation over the Christmas period by at least two weeks. [146317]

Post Office Ltd. carries out its formal public consultation in accordance with the Code of Practice agreed with Postwatch. With the move from individual proposals to area closure proposals by parliamentary constitutency last autumn, the consultation period was extended from four to six weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been made available in each year since 2001–02 to the devolved regions to support post office branches in deprived areas; and how much has been made available for future years. [144804]

The funding arrangements and allocations to support post office branches in deprived areas of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Devolved Administrations. I understand that, in December 2002, the Scottish Parliament allocated £2 million for its programme to support post office branches in deprived areas of Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the six-week public consultation period for closure proposals under the urban network reinvention programme includes (a) public holidays, (b) Saturdays and (c) Sundays. [147272]

I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the six-week consultation period for Post Office closures includes public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many responses were received to the consultation on the proposed closure of Stenhouse Cross Post Office; of these, how many (a) supported and (13) opposed the closure; and when she expects a final decision to be taken on the closure. [144823]

Proposals put out to consultation for, and subsequent decisions on, post office closures under the urban network reinvention programme are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on employment prospects in rural areas with particular reference to (a) environmental management and (b) waste control. [146568]

There are considerable employment opportunities across rural areas in the UK as a result both of improvements in land and water management (which cover organic food production, agri-environment schemes, national parks and nature protection projects etc.) and more innovative approaches to waste management and treatment (e.g. farm waste-to-energy plants). Furthermore, the role of eco-tourism in stimulating rural jobs, especially from farm diversification, should not be underestimated. However, quantifying these opportunities is challenging and there is only limited evidence available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on help available to community enterprises operating in rural areas. [146488]

As 'Social enterprise: a strategy for success' published in July 2002 made clear, social and community enterprises have a major role to play in meeting the needs of rural communities. The recently published Progress report (on implementation of the strategy) includes many measures to support the promotion and development of rural social enterprises. The Business Link network works closely with specialist rural business support organisations and Co-operative Development Agencies.In addition, DEFRA and the Home Office Active Community Unit recently announced they will provide £10 million over 2004–05 and 2005–06 to support community capacity building and voluntary and community sector infrastructure in rural areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has held with representatives of the shipping industry in connection with the expansion of offshore wind farms. [141910]

In November 2002, DTI published a consultation document, "Future Offshore", which outlined a strategic approach to the arrangements for site leasing for offshore renewable development. Consultees associated with the shipping industry included the Chamber of Shipping, the Maritime and Coastguards Agency, the Port of London Authority, Associated British Ports, British Ports Association, International Tanker Owners, and the Society of Maritime Industries. Of these, replies were received from the Chamber of Shipping, the Maritime and Coastguards Agency and the Port of London Authority.Following this consultation, DTI commissioned a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the three strategic areas proposed for the sites of the second round of wind farms in the Future Offshore consultation. Over 400 organisations and individuals were consulted on the SEA. Organisations responding who represent the shipping industry included the Port of London Authority and Trinity Light House Services, the Royal Yachting Association and the Maritime and Coastguards Agency. A summary of the responses to the consultation and the DTI's response to them can be found on the SEA website at: http: //www.og.dti.gov.uk/ offshore-wind-sea/process/envrepresponse.htmDecisions on which sites will be granted leases for second round wind farms were announced on 18 December 2003 and took into account an assessment on impact on shipping at a strategic level. Having been offered a site lease, each developer is required to conduct an environmental impact assessment and associated consultations before development consent can be given.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents in each constituency were in work at (a) June 1997 and (b) the most recent date for which information is available. [146745]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children are expected to benefit from child trust funds in Scotland in each of the next five years, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency. [144822]

All eligible children born since 1 September 2002 in families awarded child benefit will receive a child trust fund (CTF). Projected birth figures by local authority and parliamentary constituency are not available, although figures for actual births and numbers receiving child benefit are available in the Library of the House. Birth projections for the whole of Scotland, produced by the Government Actuary's Department, are as shown in the following table.

Birth projection (000s)
2003	52
2004	52
2005	51
2006	51
2007	51

Each of these children will be eligible for a child trust fund. Based on take-up of child benefit, it is estimated that virtually all children born will receive a CTF.The CTF is intended to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit. It will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access at the age of 18 when they begin their adult life, to a stock of assets which they can invest in their future.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of re-location of staff to North Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement;[146866](2) what assessment he has made of the effect of proposals to relocate Government jobs on the Department's ability to meet

Sir Michael Lyon's Independent Review of Public Sector Relocation was established by the Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister to examine the scope for relocating public sector activity, to improve the delivery and efficiency of public services and to benefit regional economies.Sir Michael's review will be informed by research from King Sturge on suitable alternative locations, and Experian Business Strategies on lessons from previous relocations, and the economic impact of relocation. Summaries of this research will be available shortly on the Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.ukSir Michael's final report will be published in March 2004 and individual Departments will develop relocation proposals in light of his findings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of staff employed within his Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age. [145924]

4.8 per cent. of staff employed by HM Treasury are over 55 years of age. A total of three (1 per cent.) staff recruited in the last 12 months (1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003) are over 55 years of age.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. [147295]

In June 2003 the Prime Minister and the Chancellor both said that the Government will campaign on a pro-Europe platform to make the case for Europe and the principled case for the euro.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many independent financial advisers were regulated by the Financial Services Authority in each of the last three years. [147038]

The Financial Services Authority informs me that these figures are not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the impact on independent financial advisers of compliance with Financial Services Authority requirements. [147039]

Ministers and civil servants receive representations from a wide variety of members of the financial services community. As with previous Administrations, it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the Financial Services Authority is obliged to consult publicly on all new regulatory requirements. The FSA has specific mechanisms in place to seek the views of consumers and practitioners, including small firms.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) independent financial advisers and (b) the financial services sector of the costs of complying with Financial Services Authority requirements. [147040]

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to

Project title	Country	Value (£)
Legal Adviser within Coalition Provisional Authority South (CPAS)	Iraq	72,925
Economic Support to Coalition Provisional Authority South (CPAS)	Iraq	98,655
Secondment of Negotiations Support Staff to the Office of Prime Minister	West Bank and Gaza	75,800
ITD-DFID Staff Training1	Global (Non Project Specific)	288,435
Support to the Office of the Prime Minister and to the Cabinet Office	West Bank and Gaza	100,400
Economic Development within 1st Military Division HQ Basra	Iraq	57,910
Economic Support within 1st Military Division HQ Basra	Iraq	55,510
International Lawyer within 1st Military Division HQ Basra	Iraq	63,110
Andhra Pradesh Economic Restructuring Programme—Public Enterprise Reforms, Phase II	India	416,435
Asia Trade Consultancy	United Kingdom	44,200
Support Services for Public Enterprise Restructuring in South Africa	South Africa, Republic of	6,363,435
Support for capacity-building in the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank	Afghanistan	1,229,655
Trade Training for DFID Staff—Bangkok1	United Kingdom	32,328
Support to Water Sector Regulation by PURC-Ghana	Ghana	1,079,100
Trade Training for DFID Staff	United Kingdom	20,075
Consultants for Standards, Technical Regulatory Barriers Programme	Global (Non Project Specific)	43,990
Pilot Training and Capacity Building in International Waterhouse Law	Kyrgyz Republic	131,174
Trade Enabling Agreement	Global (Non Project Specific)	1–
Communications Film for Department of Disinvestment	India	89,500
PSRC: Water Privatisation and Regulation Study Tour	Tanzania	54,924
Support for Public Sector Undertaking Reforms and Social Safety Net in Madhya Pradesh	India	80,000
Conference on Disinvestment	India	70,000
Russia Trade Policy Project	Russia	1,199,041
Lead Adviser to Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC)	Tanzania	195,690
Seminar on Export Credits and Developing Countries	United Kingdom	101,035
Rehabilitation of Cyclone Damaged Lift Irrigation Points in Orissa	India	622,736
Initial Support to the Budgetary Processes of the Government of Macedonia	Macedonia	13,630
Medium Term Programme of Capacity Building for PURC	Ghana	636,900
UK-Ireland Privatisation and Regulation Study Tour	Tanzania	11,145

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition he used for the term public sector investment in table B24 on page 237 of the pre-Budget report. [146347]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Prime Minister gave him on 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 58W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office's strategy and delivery units on changes in the way money may be allocated to schools. [147147]

The Chancellor has regular contact with the strategy and delivery units on a wide range of issues, including schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what work his Department has commissioned from the Adam Smith Institute in the last five years; and how much each of these projects cost. [146938]

The information requested is in the following table. This does not include any lower value contracts, details of which are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All these contracts have been awarded in line with standard procurement practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had since 17 September 2003 with representatives of the United States Administration on the impact of US subsidies to domestic cotton producers on cotton producers in West Africa. [146587]

EU and US cotton subsidies are among the clearest examples of trade distortion by OECD countries. Failure to address them satisfactorily was a key issue behind the collapse of WTO talks at Cancun. Four West African countries (with support from European donors including the UK) presented an initiative at the WTO calling for the end to developed country subsidies, and compensatory support to developing country cotton producers who are negatively affected by them in the meantime. US subsidies are the largest, but recent research supported by my Department and the EU Directorate General for Development shows EU subsidies also affect West Africa because of market structures.Reform of the EU's own support to its cotton sector is currently being discussed in Brussels. While these discussions continue, DFID has not had direct contacts with the US administration on the issue. The UK is pressing for more significant reform of the EU cotton regime than is currently proposed, both as an end in itself and also to help push the US to address their subsidies.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department work in (a) the West Midlands and (b) North Staffordshire. [146916]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what plans he has to establish procedures for assessing the impact of possible relocation of staff in his Department to the regions;and if he will make a statement;[146931](2) what assessment he has made of the effect of proposals to relocate Government jobs on the Department's ability to meet

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which the Chief Secretary to the Treasury gave on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 516W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many meetings of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU have taken place since his appointment; and how many he has attended. [147343]

Since my appointment as Secretary of State for International Development on 5 October 2003, there have been three meetings of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) of the EU and one Informal Meeting of EU Development Ministers on 24 October.Two GAERCs each year have a 'development' session. I attended the last such session in November 2003. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, represented the UK at the Italian Presidency's Informal Meeting in October, while I was in Madrid attending the Iraq Donor's Conference. For your information, I have listed the dates of all the GAERCs that have taken place since my appointment:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. [146941]

Since 1997 DFID has investigated four suspected leaks. In line with exemptions 1(a) and 7(b) set out in Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on the outcome of such inquiries in order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on recruitment advertisements in the press, broken down by publication, by (a) his Department, (b) quangos under the Department and (c) non-departmental Government bodies under the Department (i) in the last year and (ii) since 1997. [145804]

The Department for International Development expenditure on recruitment advertising in the calendar years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 is shown in table A as follows:DFID advertises in specialist and professional publications according to the specific nature and requirements of each vacancy. This includes placement

Table B—Publications where main DFID advertising expenditure has been incurred—per calendar year—from calendar year 2000 onwards
Publication	2000	2001	2002	2003	Total
British Medical Journal	13,104	11,291	1,805	4,566	30,766
Computer Weekly	Nil	14,779	4,239	22,372	41,390
Daily Mail	Nil	14,430	Nil	8,540	22,970
Economist/Economist website	324,850	572,793	471,561	381,141	1,750,345
Ethnic Media Group titles	3,308	7,365	10,998	49,326	70,997
Evening Standard	Nil	18,109	Nil	11,762	29,871
Far East Economic Review	Nil	19,661	9,038	Nil	28,699
Financial Times	18,954	35,326	Nil	1,974	56,254
Guardian and website and Weekly	196,426	234,577	149,499	171,274	751,776
Herald and Sunday Herald	8,818	25,983	9,729	32,453	76,983
New Civil Engineer	13,187	12,810	30,634	4,344	60,975
New Scientist	9,954	45,753	29,504	27,448	112,659
Planning	3,175	7,892	14,368	Nil	25,435
Police Review	18,054	Nil	3,102	14,448	35,604
The Teacher	Nil	Nil	1 1,289	5,357	16,646
Telegraph (Daily and Sunday)	21,501	47,498	1 1,074	24,127	104,200
Times and Sunday Times	31,941	Nil	44,179	17,978	94,098
Times Educ Supp and Higher Educ Supp	16,902	14,130	26,541	12,304	69,877
Total by year	680,174	1,082,397	827,560	789,414	3,379,545

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions the British Government have had with the South African Government regarding proposals for land reform in South Africa; and what advice his Government have given President Mbeki and his Government on this matter. [146841]

The Department for International Development and the High Commission in Pretoria are in regular touch with South Africa's Department for Land Affairs. Land reform is a vital element in the transformation of South Africa after the apartheid era, and potentially offers important economic opportunities for poor people. We welcome the Government of South Africa's commitment to a transparent, accountable and legal process of land reform—through restitution to previous owners of land acquired under pre-1994 legislation, through supporting purchase of agricultural land by previously disadvantaged groups, and through reform of communal land tenure arrangements in the former homelands. To support the Government of South of adverts in overseas and developing country publications. DFID uses a wide range of publications and to list all the details would incur disproportionate cost. As a result, table B as follows indicates the main publications where we have incurred the largest expenditure.Figures for 1997, 1998, and 1999 are not available.

Table A—Total DFID advertising expenditure per calendar year—from calendar year 2000 onwards
Year	(£)
2000	751,972.46
2001	1,208,190.72
2002	914,571.19
2003	871,246.31
Total	3,745,980.68

Africa in increasing the pace of land reform, DFID committed £2 million in 2002 to provide technical support to the Department of Land Affairs, and to support a public consultation process on the Communal Land Rights Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department's bid to the forthcoming government spending round will contribute to the United Kingdom's objectives on sustainable development. [146838]

Poverty reduction and sustainable development are closely inter-linked since development will only be sustainable if it tackles problems of global poverty alongside pressures on the environment. DFID policies and programmes therefore support sustainable economic and social development at both global and country levels. Resources provided as a result of the forthcoming Spending Review will enable us to continue these efforts. We will be developing plans for the next Spending Review period over the coming months.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in barriers to non-agricultural goods on (a) developed countries and (b) developing countries. [146614]

The WTO negotiations on non-agricultural market access have yet to reach agreement with several countries having submitted proposals. Although this makes assessment of the implications for developed and developing countries difficult, most studies concur that reductions in tariffs could bring significant benefits. A recent UNCTAD¹ study estimated that a reduction in barriers to non-agricultural goods will lead to an increase in global welfare of between $20 billion and $40 billion. A substantial majority of these gains are expected to go to developing countries, with welfare in developed countries remaining virtually unchanged.

To ask the Leader o f the House if he will list for each session since 2000–01 the (a) Acts of Parliament and parts thereof and (b) Statutory Instruments enacted by requirements of legislation of the European Community and Union; and how many regulations passed by EU institutions have applied without further enactment in each year since 2000. [145460]

This information is not collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in destroying poppy production in Afghanistan by use of strimmers; and if he will make a statement. [147165]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mike O'Brien, gave him on 16 December 2003, Official Report, columns 1426–27.Responsibility for eradication programmes in Afghanistan resides with the Afghan government. We are not aware of the use of strimmers as an eradication method in Afghanistan. Methods which have proved effective in the past include the use of sticks, ploughs and tractors.