To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles were collected in Huntingdon in 2002–03; what the average length of time was from notification to collection; and if she will make a statement. [146433]

One thousand one hundred and sixty, abandoned vehicles were removed and destroyed in Huntingdon in 2001–02, the most recent year for which data are available from the Municipal Waste Management Survey. Information on the length of time from notification to a local authority of an abandoned vehicle to its collection is not collected as part of the survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles were collected in Chorley in each of the last three years; and what the average length of time was from notification to collection. [146967]

The information requested for Chorley borough council is given in the table.

Financial year	Number of Abandoned Vehicles Removed and Destroyed
2000–01	300
2001–02	274

2001–02 is the most recent year for which data are available from the Municipal Waste Management Survey. Information on the length of time from notification to a local authority of an abandoned vehicle to its collection is not collected as part of the survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with Able UK on how it proposes to dispose of the polychlorinated biphenyls in the US ghost ships. [143441]

None. Regulation of this matter is for the Environment Agency. Environmental legislation requires that all wastes arising from the vessels would need to be treated or disposed of at facilities duly authorised to accept and deal with them. This includes disposal of wastes containing non-liquid polychlorinated biphenyls, which is confined to electrical insulation, gaskets, seals and similar uses on the ships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the European Union's changes to the status of animal medicines to veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals. [147157]

We have received letters opposing the European Commission's proposal to require all veterinary medicines for food producing animals to be prescription only. This proposal does not apply to medicines for companion animals.During the review of the EU medicines legislation officials from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) have had regular discussions with interested parties on all aspects of the proposed changes to the veterinary medicines legislation. Particular account has been taken of the distribution of medicines for food producing animals. The Government's aim in the negotiations was to enable a flexible approach to such distribution that takes advantage of existing national practices so long as consumer protection and animal welfare can be demonstrably assured. This has been achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the cost of veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals on (a) farmers' incomes and (b) farm animal health. [147158]

I have made no assessment of the effect of the cost of prescription only medicines on farmers incomes or farm animal health as the use of medicines relates directly to the husbandry methods and disease pattern on an individual farm. However, the Government have accepted Competition Commission recommendations in their Report on the supply within the United Kingdom of prescription only veterinary medicines that are designed to lead, over time, to an overall reduction in the cost of all veterinary medicines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the United Kingdom Government will implement EU changes to the status of animal medicines to veterinary prescription only pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement. [147159]

The European Parliament adopted a compromise text of amendments under Review 2001 in the second reading stage on 17 December 2003. This is expected to be considered for adoption by the Council of Ministers as soon as the translated texts are available. Once this has been achieved, we will be starting a full review of the UK legislation taking into account the changes to EU legislation, the recommendations of the Competition Commission Report on the supply within the United Kingdom of prescription only veterinary medicines and those of the Independent Review of Dispensing (Marsh Report). This will involve discussion with interested parties and will lead to formal proposals being circulated for consultation in early 2005.We will implement the EU changes to the status of veterinary medicines for food producing animals. We will discuss proposals to amend national legislation to introduce POM A, B and C categories as recommended in the Marsh Report. POM C comprise the current Pharmaceuticals and Merchants List products and these would continue to be distributed under the control of Specially Qualified Persons working for registered agricultural merchants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications of the public consultation held in 2002 on the Animal Welfare Bill on progress of the Bill. [144537]

The public consultation on an Animal Welfare Bill ended in April 2002 and attracted some 2,500 replies. The comments received in response to the consultation, together with the subsequent discussions we held with over 100 organisations representing a wide spectrum of views on animal welfare, have contributed greatly to the drafting of the Animal Welfare Bill. A further round of public consultation on a possible draft Bill is anticipated in spring 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there is scope within the new Animal Welfare Bill to cull out contiguous pockets of m.bovis infection in species other than badgers. [144589]

No. The proposed Animal Welfare Bill will relate only to the welfare of captive and domestic animals. Wild animals in the wild are therefore outside the scope of the Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the guidance will be issued to licensed premises for the recovery of CFC gases from disused refrigeration equipment. [147101]

The Environment Agency (EA) and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) published guidance in April 2002. A review of this guidance has taken place in conjunction with SEPA and the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS). This revised guidance was sent out for external consultation with Fridge Destruction Industry.Due to the recent amendment to the ODS Regulations, which now require member states to report on the amount of controlled substances recovered, recycled or destroyed every year, the Environment Agency is now reviewing the guidance, any additional changes will require further public consultation.Following this consultation the guidance will be issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether since the amendment made to EU Regulation 2037/2000 of 7 November 2003, the Government have collated the figure for the tonnage of CFCs recovered from the de-manufacture of refrigeration equipment; and what figure was given to the EU Commission by the deadline of 31 December 2003. [147102]

Since the technical amendment was not published until 22 October 2003, and did not come into force until November the obligation on reporting only applies to the months of November and December. We are currently collecting this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average recovery level achieved by licensed UK plants in respect of CFC from refrigeration equipment was in the last year for which figures are available. [147103]

From the figures available for the fridge destruction plants, the average recovery rate of CFC from the R 11 Blowing Agent in England and Wales in 2003 was 186.13 g per unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) pursuant to the statement of the Under-Secretary of State for Health, of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 1172, whether the Cabinet Committee on meat crime will consider issues of co-ordination between government departments and agencies arising from (a) the meat fraud conspiracy case at Denby Poultry and (b) previous meat fraud cases; [147092](2) pursuant to the statement of the Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Health, of 10 December 2003,

[holding answer 12 January 2004]: Although there is no committee looking specifically at "meat crime", there is a Cabinet Committee on Illegal Imports:The Ministerial Committee on Illegal Imports (MISC 23), has the following Terms of Reference:"To co-ordinate policy on imports of animals, plants, fish and their products".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the results of her Department's investigation of the feasibility of variable charging for domestic waste collection. [145757]

In its response to the Strategy Unit report, "Waste Not, Want Not", the Government undertook to carry out further work before a decision is taken on whether to enable local authorities to implement direct or variable charging for waste. This work, which is looking at the practicalities of operating schemes, how potential disadvantages could be overcome and is analysing international experience of such schemes, is under way. The Government will consider the results of this work during 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Environmental Council on 22 December 2003; what the Government's stance was on the discussion on the EU Chemical Regulation; and if she will make a statement. [147229]

I attended the Environment Council on 22 December 2003, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.The Council adopted a Regulation establishing a transitional points system applicable to heavy goods vehicles travelling through Austria for 2004 (known as `Ecopoints'), a matter previously dealt with by Transport ministers. Agreement had been reached between the Council and the European Parliament through the conciliation process, but there was a discussion in Council as Austria was unable to support the outcome. Council approved the result of the conciliation committee, with Austria voting against.We held a short discussion on the proposed revision of the Directive on the management of bathing water. A compromise text prepared by the Presidency was unacceptable to the Commission and to a number of member states, including Germany, Greece and Spain, who believed it would produce an insufficiently demanding new Directive. The Secretary of State made it clear that the UK would be unable to agree to the legally binding targets to be reached by 2015, on which the Commission wished to insist. It was evident that there was no realistic prospect of reaching political agreement at this meeting, and the Italian Presidency decided to leave further negotiations to the forthcoming Irish Presidency.We debated the Commission's proposals concerning the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms in relation to the EU scheme for greenhouse gas emissions trading. Ministers expressed their views on a number of questions posed by the Presidency. Most supported early linking to the Clean Development Mechanism, although views were divided on whether such linking could be made available prior to the Kyoto Protocol coming into force. There was also a range of views on the question of qualitative standards for projects, and on the use of sinks. The Secretary of State spoke in support of quantitative limits on the use of credits.We agreed three sets of Council Conclusions: supporting the preparation of an EU strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships; agreeing the EU's position for the 7

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what type of trawl is used as standard for scientific fisheries research within the European Union. [146714]

The type of trawl used for survey work varies according to target species and area. In the fisheries of interest to UK fishermen, the main trawls used for surveying bottom living fish are the GOV and the beam trawl.The GOV is a general purpose bottom trawl with a high headline and is used for scientific surveys where the target species are the main commercially important whitefish including cod, haddock, whiting, pout and saithe. The net also samples some of the main shoaling or pelagic species including herring and mackerel. The design and operation of the GOV trawl is co-ordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and all countries involved in the International Bottom Trawl surveys in the North Sea use the GOV trawl with an internationally-agreed specification. In addition to the North Sea. the GOV is used in surveys in the west of Scotland and the eastern English Channel, and has recently been adopted as the main trawl for surveys in the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea.For flatfish species such as plaice and sole, the main gear used is the beam trawl. Scientific surveys in the North Sea, eastern and western English Channel, the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel are again co-ordinated through ICES. The survey trawls are based on the beam trawls used commercially but vary slightly in size and specification between areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government will pay transitional aid to fishing vessels in England adversely affected by effort controls resulting from the Cod Recovery Programme on the same basis as proposed for fishing vessels in Scotland and Northern Ireland. [147161]

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the flood defence works for the Silkstream, Edgware. [146617]

[holding answer 8 January 2004]: As you know Defra approved the Environment Agency's proposed Silk Stream flood defence scheme in March 2003, subject to satisfactory resolution of negotiations with landowners. I understand that design and land negotiations are proceeding largely to plan, although having to deal with a variety of estates departments has resulted in some delay.The Agency is undertaking a review of the relative priority of all capital schemes in the programme for Thames region, in the light of the available resources.

Trends in types of hazardous waste produced 1998–99 to 2002
Thousand tones
EWC Code	Broad Category	1998–99	2000	2001	2002
01	Wastes from Mining and Minerals	13	13	7	9
02	Waste from Agricultural and Food Production	6	9	6	4
03	Wastes from Wood and Paper Production	3	7	5	3
04	Wastes from Leather and Textile Production	2	3	3	4
05	Wastes from Petrol, Gas and Coal Refining/ Treatment	259	88	126	68
06	Wastes from Inorganic Chemical Processes	366	295	225	224
07	Wastes from Organic Chemical Processes	573	591	613	593
08	Wastes from Manufacture, Formulation, Supply and Use of Paints, Varnish, Adhesive and Inks	145	141	132	115
09	Wastes from the Photographic Industry	13	22	42	40
10	Wastes from Thermal Processes (inorganic)	113	176	215	191
11	Wastes from Metal Treatment and Coating Processes	146	120	127	115
12	Wastes from Shaping/Treatment of Metals and Plastics	151	96	96	94
13	Oil Wastes	1,036	1,098	1,042	1,008
14	Waste Solvents	109	139	110	63
15	Waste Packaging, Cloths, Filter Materials	48	65	69	52
16	Wastes Not Otherwise Specified	484	753	584	672
17	Construction and Demolition Wastes and Asbestos	1,008	1,064	1,385	1,243
18	Waste from Healthcare	17	17	21	20
19	Wastes from Waste/Water Treatment and Water Industry	235	306	278	346
20	Municipal arid Similar Commercial Wastes	86	129	49	98
99	Unclassified	99	64	78	95
	Total all classes	4,910	5,196	5,213	5,058

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the hazardous waste landfill sites identified by the Environment Agency that will remain as hazardous Until that review is complete, the Agency is unable to provide an update of its planned timetable for the construction of the Silk Stream scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when it will become an offence not to have a passport for all equines. [147946]

From 1 July 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Hazardous Waste Regulations will be published. [142598]

Draft new Hazardous Waste Regulations will be published when Defra goes out to consultation on the Regulations in early 2004. After a 12 week consultation period, new Regulations should he laid before Parliament in spring 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mass of hazardous waste was produced in the UK for each of the last five years, broken down by category of hazardous waste. [144919]

The Environment Agency has provided the following data for England and Wales to show types of hazardous waste produced each year broken down by European Waste Catalogue (EWC) category. The Environment Agency moved from financial year to calendar year reporting in 2000, and only data for complete years is shown.waste landfills following reclassification in July 2004; if she will identify for each site the types of hazardous waste that the site can dispose of; and whether each site is for private use. [144920]

The information requested, as at 16 December 2003 is set out in a table which has been placed in the Library. Under the new regulations, former sites can continue to accept hazardous waste if it is contained within a separate disposal cell. This is likely to lead to additional sites as well as these dedicated sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of (a) the lead content in glass television screens and (b) lead glass in crystal for household use, with respect to the disposal of hazardous waste; and if she will make a statement. [146716]

A draft study currently being finalised for Defra shows that lead oxide accounts for approximately 9 per cent. by mass of the cathode ray tube in television sets with screens of 19 inches and over. Lead bound up within the glass of the cathode ray tube does not leach very readily. No formal assessment of lead glass in crystal for household use has been carried out as such material when discarded is not on the hazardous waste list.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the delay of the landfill allowance trading scheme until 2005. [146519]

The decision to delay the implementation of the landfill allowance trading scheme until 2005 which was announced by the Minister of State for Local and Regional Government on 19 November 2003, was made as part of Defra's contribution to helping to reduce spending pressures on local government in 2004–05. We expect local authorities to be able to save up to £10 million as a result. (On 6 January 2004 we announced that Defra will also provide a targeted grant of £20 million to local authorities in 2004–05 to help address the spending pressures arising from their statutory recycling targets).The decision reflects the views of local authorities which we received through our consultation on the implementation of the landfill allowance trading scheme, that they needed more time to prepare for this new scheme which is a significant departure from their normal operations. The delay in starting the scheme will mean that waste disposal authorities will have to make steeper annual reductions in the amount of biodegradable waste they landfill in order to meet the first target year of 2010 but they will have more time to plan how to do this.The Government will use the additional time to raise awareness of the scheme within local authorities and to educate and support those who will make use of its provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of delaying the introduction of the landfill allowance trading scheme on achieving the UK's compliance with the landfill directive; and if she will make a statement. [146538]

Delaying the introduction of the landfill allowance trading scheme in England should not affect the achievement of landfill directive targets for the UK in 2010, 2013 and 2020. The delay is intended to give local authorities more time to decide how, and over what time period, to invest in alternative waste management options to landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether her Department has received requests from waste disposal authorities for the start of the landfill allowance trading scheme to be delayed; [143092](2) whether her Department has received requests from waste disposal authorities for the start of the landfill allowance trading scheme to be delayed. [143091]

[holding answer 9 December 2003.]:Yes. During regional consultation meetings on the implementation of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme held in September 2003, local authorities commented that they would find it difficult to operate the scheme in 2004–05. This view has been reinforced by the written responses to the consultation that have been analysed to date. Local Authorities generally feel that they need more time to prepare for a trading scheme that is a completely new departure from their normal operations. It has already been announced that the start date will be delayed by one year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the European Union on the import into the UK of puppies from puppy farms; [147455](2) what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Republic of Ireland concerning the importation of puppies from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland; [147465](3) how many puppies have been imported into the United Kingdom from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland in each of the last five years; [147466](4) what licensing arrangements are in place in respect of importers of puppies from puppy farms in

There are no centrally held statistics available for the number of dogs imported into the United Kingdom from the Republic of Ireland because there are no restrictions on trade of animals between the two countries. However, all movements of animals for commercial purposes within the EU must comply with the provisions of EU Directive 91/628/EEC on the protection of animals during transport, which in the UK is implemented by the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997. There have been no discussions with my counterparts in the Republic of Ireland or the EU on the subject of importation of puppies from puppy farms into the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will hold a Public Inquiry into the explosion at Cleansing Services Group, Sandhurst, Gloucestershire, in October 2000; and if she will make a statement. [143925]

[holding answer 15 December 2003]: I have recently received a Final Report (prepared by the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive) into the incident at Cleansing Services Group, Sandhurst. When I have considered the implications of this report, I will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what analysis has been made of the risk of the introduction of species of wildlife or plants from the James River estuary to the Tees estuary as a result of the arrival in Hartlepool of the US ships intended for decommissioning: [142332].(2) what measures were taken to reduce the risk to the Tees estuary from the importation of alien species in ballast water in the US ships intended for decommissioning by Able UK. [142333]

The Environment Agency considered the risk of transfer of species of wildlife or plants in ballast water and imposed a condition on the Able UK waste management licence. This requires that no removal or disposal of ballast water may take place from any of the US vessels, except in accordance with a detailed method statement submitted to and approved in writing by the Agency. These are more stringent conditions than apply to the many visiting ships to the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the status of the ghost ships in Hartlepool. [145249]

Four decommissioned US government-owned vessels are currently being stored by Able UK at Hartlepool. The vessels have been surveyed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to assess the integrity of the vessels' structures and safety systems following their passage across the Atlantic, and were confirmed to be in satisfactory condition. The US authorities accept that the four ships will have to return to the US, unless environmentally suitable and legally acceptable methods for their disposal have been identified. The immediate return of the vessels is not practicable. In the meantime the Environment Agency has modified the conditions of Abie's waste management licence so that no dismantling, cutting or breaking of the vessels is permitted, pending the best environmental option for dealing with them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in the Department have responsibility for waste management. [142591]

As at 15 December 2003, there are 95 officials employed by Defra with responsibility for waste management. In addition to this, there are four secondees who are on temporary placement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the polluter pays principle applies to management of the municipal waste stream; and if she will make a statement. [146517]

The Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC as amended by 91/156/EEC) sets out a range of measures on the management of waste—including its collection and disposal. These measures include Article 8 which requires that—any holder of waste has it handled by a private or public waste collector; and Article 15 which provides that "In accordance with the 'polluter pays' principle, the cost of disposing of waste must be borne by.… the holder who has it handled by a waste collector."The Government has put a range of measures in place under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 to comply with the Directive's requirements. These measures include the arrangements for the collection and disposal of household waste-by-waste collection and disposal authorities. The cost of collection and disposal under these arrangements is met through taxation and charges. Most commercial and industrial waste is collected and disposed of by the private sector under arrangements which comply with the Directive. The cost of collection and disposal under these arrangement is met through charges.Municipal waste includes household waste and any other wastes collected by a waste collection authority or its agents under Part II of the 1990 Act (Waste Strategy 2000 page 198 (Cm 4693–2)).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to extend the statutory duty on local authorities with regard to recycling and composting beyond 2005–06; and if she will make a statement. [146518]

The Government is committed to reviewing the national recycling targets this year, in light of the progress made by local authorities in meeting their 2003–04 Statutory Performance Standards for recycling and composting.The review will include consideration of whether to set further statutory recycling targets for local authorities for the years beyond 2005–06, to succeed the current Statutory Performance Standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of material have been recycled as a direct result of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's activity; what the average cost to public funds was per tonne of such recycled material; and if she will make a statement. [146540]

WRAP'S market development programmes are delivering an extra 1,000,000 tonnes/year of additional recycling capacity in the UK, through projects that have been delivered or are close to completion.It is estimated that all of the capital grant and R&D projects initiated by WRAP, once fully realised, will generate at least four million extra tonnes of recycling per year in the UK. If the reasonable assumption is made that this recycling will continue to be delivered for at least 10 years, the cost to the public purse is estimated to be approximately £1/tonne.These estimates relate solely to WRAP'S R&D and capital interventions and not to WRAP'S advocacy and procurement work, which make essential contributions to the programme as a whole, but are not so easily related to tonnage figures.

Water and sewerage undertakers	Ultimate holding company and where headquarters is based	Date of acquisition
Thames Water Utilities Ltd.	Thames Water Aqua Holdings GmbH (RWE AG) (Germany)	November 2000
Wessex Water Services Limired	YTL Power Berhad (Malaysia)	May 2002

Water only undertakers	Ultimate holding company and where headquarters is based	Date of acquisition
Cambridge Water plc.	Union Electricia Fenosa SA (Spain)	January 2004
Folkestone and Dover Water Services Ltd.	Veolia Environment (France)	Februarv 2003
Tendring Hundred Water Services Ltd.	Veolia Environment (France)	Owned since before 1989
South East Water plc.	Macquarie Bank Ltd. (Australia)	October 2003
Three Valleys Water Services plc.	Veolia Environment (France)	Owned since before 1989

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Sports Council about a new national sports stadium for Northern Ireland. [146810]

Support remains in principle for a national stadium but this must be assessed on the grounds of need, sustainability and on the involvement of a number of sports. I am able to confirm that there are on-going discussions with the Sports Council of Northern Ireland about a new national sports stadium. The sports council is also in touch with the governing bodies of the main sports to assess their willingness to use a national stadium bearing in mind that these sports are at various stages in planning for their future facility needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase investment in infrastructure in Northern Ireland. [146811]

Yesterday I launched the Northern Ireland Priorities and Budget 2004–06, copies of which have been placed in the Library. This Document shows planned expenditure on capital investment will rise by 40 per cent. over the next two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the water supply and urban and rural drainage bodies in England which are companies where a holding company or majority of shareholdings are not from the United Kingdom, stating in each case the country and name of the ultimate owner, together with date of acquisition. [145468]

The following table lists those water and sewerage and water undertakers that are owned by companies based outside the U.K., the country where the controlling company's head office is and the date of the acquisition. Information about the nationality of shareholders is not available.Internal Drainage Boards in England have been established in areas of special drainage needs. They are public statutory bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve educational attainment in disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland. [146812]

The Government has instituted a wide range of measures to improve educational outcomes among children, young people and adults in disadvantaged areas. These include the School Support Programme, Group 1 schools, curriculum flexibility for work-related learning at Key Stage 4, and a number of Further Education initiatives.I have also recently announced the creation of Education Action Zones aimed at tackling the root causes of educational failure within communities. All these initiatives contribute to the overarching policy of Targeting Social Need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on Government action to develop essential skills in Northern Ireland. [146813]

The Essential Skills for Living Strategy and Action Plan was launched in October 2002. Our aim is to support 25,000 adults in Northern Ireland to improve their literacy and numeracy skills by 2005. In the first year 6,500 learners were supported and we are on track to meet our target of supporting a further 8,000 learners by March 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the review of the Good Friday Agreement will commence. [146814]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on measures to improve the security of older people in Northern Ireland. [146815]

The Government is committed to improving security for older people in Northern Ireland. A community safety strategy for older people will be issued for consultation in February 2004 supplemented by practical action through the Stay safe Stay secure campaign launched October 2003 and work in other agencies including the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made towards the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. [146816]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress had been made since the November elections to create a working Northern Ireland Executive. [146817]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace process following the elections of the November 2003. [146818]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase investment in the broadband infrastructure in Northern Ireland. [146819]

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is actively pursuing 100 per cent. broadband coverage across Northern Ireland by December 2005 through the award of a major contract for the provision of broadband services.Tenders are at the final evaluation stage and an announcement on the award of the contract is planned for early this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the success of measures to interdict the smuggling of drugs into Northern Ireland. [146820]

The PSNI has had unprecedented success this year in preventing the importation of drugs into Northern Ireland. Drugs Squad officers have had their most successful year to date and I congratulate them for their work.Some of the recent successes include the seizure of some £1 million worth of cocaine in Northern Ireland in October that led directly to the seizure of over £7 million in ecstasy tablets in Amsterdam by Dutch police. £2 million of cannabis was seized in August—the largest ever seizure of the drug in Northern Ireland and in September police officers seized cannabis resin with an estimated street value of £250,000 in Belfast.This high level of seizures and arrests demonstrates the PSNI's and the Organised Crime Task Force's ongoing commitment and effectiveness in tackling this problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the timescale for the construction of rail links to (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh airports. [147689]

The Department has held extensive discussions with the Scottish Executive on both proposals and has been kept informed of progress on the ongoing feasibility work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from environmental groups on the proposed expansion of Scottish airports. [147687]

Environmental groups submitted 8 responses to the consultation document "The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK: Scotland". Since the consultation ended on 30 June 2003, we have received no further representations from such groups on the proposed expansion of Scottish airports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the reasons for the banning of British charter airlines from operating in Kazakhstan; what representations he has made on their behalf to the Kazakh Government; and if he will make a statement. [146828]

Until December 2003, two UK registered airlines were operating one charter service per week to Atyrau and Uralsk in Western Kazakhstan on contract to oil and gas companies active in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the Kazakhstan Government regarding the prevention of UK charter flights from landing in Uralsk and Atyrau. [147537]

Until December 2003, two UK registered airlines were operating one charter service per week to Atyrau and Uralsk in Western Kazakhstan on contract to oil and gas companies active in the region.In early December 2003 that permission was revoked. The Kazakh authorities subsequently explained that they will no longer grant permission for these services because the new Kazakh airline, Air Astana, has now started services from Uralsk and Atyrau to Western Europe.We are concerned that permission for these flights was terminated without due process and at very short notice, with great inconvenience to passengers and to the financial detriment of UK airlines. We are also concerned that UK airlines are being denied the opportunity to offer a competing service. We will pursue this issue further with the Kazakh authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the United States Transport Security Administration Directive issued on 24 December 2003 on the Government's advice to air travellers on how to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis during long haul flights. [147723]

The Directive aims to prevent people congregating on board flights to the United States for security reasons. The Directive has no impact on the Government's advice on deep vein thrombosis, which encourages passengers to move their feet around or, if possible, to get up and walk around at intervals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on (a) the causes of flooding on the M60 between Denton and Hollinwood and (b) progress in addressing the causes. [146836]

Areas of water seepage at a number of locations on the M60 have been identified. These areas have been inspected and testing of the road material has taken place. The Highways Agency are awaiting the results of spray and drainage investigations. These results together will be used to identify remedial works that may be necessary.In the meantime, warning signs have been placed on part of the Denton-Middleton section of the M60 motorway to alert drivers to the possibility of excess water on the carriageway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the railway schemes being evaluated by his Department which involve (a) the laying of additional miles of track and (b) the reopening of disused rail routes; and if he will make a statement. [147173]

The evaluation of such schemes is a matter for the Strategic Rail Authority, who set out their project portfolio in their Strategic Plan. A copy of the latest edition, published last year, is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers local authorities have to erect 30 mph repeater signs on single carriageway roads with street lights. [147072]

Local authorities have no powers to erect 30 mph speed limit repeater signs on street lit roads as current legislation strictly prohibits it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate how many deaths there have been because of (a) dangerous driving, (b) driving under the influence of illegal drugs and (c) driving under the influence of alcohol in (i) Cambridgeshire and (ii) Huntingdon in each year since 2000. [146440]

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to prevent overcrowding on scheduled bus services taking pupils to school in rural areas; and if he will end the three for two rule. [146821]

Before a bus enters into service it is a requirement, under regulation 8 of the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984, that it has to be marked with the number of passengers, both standees and seated that it may safely carry. Both children and adults are considered as the same within these regulations. If these numbers are exceeded the vehicle would be deemed as operating illegally and then it becomes a matter for the enforcement agencies to pursue.Currently there are no plans to abolish the three for two rule.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the cost to business of highway authority street works. [147098]

The Department does not hold figures of the costs to business of highway authority works. However, it is important to minimise the disruption caused by works in the street, regardless of whether they are carried out by utility companies or by highway authorities, and this is reflected in the range of measures included in the Traffic Management Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have been made to the enforcement of penalties for failure to display an up-to-date vehicle excise duty disc; and if he will make a statement. [146761]

[holding answer 12 January 2004]; There are no changes to the penalties for the offence of failure to display a valid vehicle licence. Failure to display is normally enforced by fixed penalty.A number of changes are being introduced to strengthen the enforcement of the requirement to license a vehicle (or to make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) if a vehicle is being kept off the road). The registered keeper of a vehicle for which a licence or SORN has not been renewed one month after expiry is

Spot checks carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate in 2002–2003
		Prohibition Rate1(%)
Vehicle Category	Number of vehicles checked	Immediate prohibitions2	Delayed prohibitions3
HGV Motor Vehicles4	64,373	9.2	12.7
HGV Trailers	21,225	9.4	16.6
HGV emissions checks	7,748	0.1	0.7
PSV vehicles4	20,287	6.9	8.2
PSV emissions checks	5,447	0.05	0.45
1 Only one prohibition notice is issued per vehicle although it may contain a list of defects/offences where more than one has been found. The most serious defect/offence determines whether an immediate or delayed prohibition is issued.
2Immediate prohibition rate relates to all vehicles (including foreign vehicles).
3Delayed prohibition rate excludes checks on foreign vehicles. The Foreign Vehicles Act does not provide for the issue of delayed prohibitions to foreign vehicles.
4Excludes emissions only checks, but includes foreign vehicles.

Results of light vehicle roadside roadworthiness checks
Vehicle category	Number examined	Number prohibited	Prohibition rate (%)
Cars	4,942	2,223	45
Taxis and private hire cars	6,478	1.593	24.6
Non-testable vehicles1	2,836	1,666	58.7
Light Goods Vehicles	16,498	6,061	36.7
1Non-testable vehicles include mobile cranes, diggers and non-HGV trailers

Results of light vehicle spot checks for emissions
		Prohibition rate (%)
Vehicle category	Number examined	Petrol Engine	Diesel Engine
Cars	58,044	6.1	3.1
Taxis and private hire cars	2,374	5.1	6.5
Light Goods Vehicles	10,089	7.7	3.7

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles have been stopped for roadside checks by the Vehicles Inspectorate in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many (a) were found to have vehicle faults and (b) were motor cars or other non-commercial vehicles. [147235]

The number of vehicles stopped at the roadside by the Vehicle Inspectorate (now the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) in 2002–03 and the percentage found to have roadworthiness faults are shown in the following tables. Further information and statistical analysis of the agency's work can be found in the Vehicle Inspectorate's Effectiveness Report 2002–03, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total expenditure on (a) information campaigns and (b) advertising was for his Department in each year since 1997. [145383]

My department has run no television, newspaper, radio advertising or any other kind of promotional campaign since its creation in July 1999. It has no agencies or departmental public bodies within its responsibilities. We are not responsible for campaigns that may be run by the National Assembly or other Government Departments in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of staff in his Department contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme; how much money is donated to charity per month by staff in his Department through the scheme; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater participation in the scheme by staff in his Department. [143900]

The Give as You Earn scheme is available to Wales Office staff and is regularly drawn to their attention. No staff currently contribute to charity through the scheme.This does not fully reflect the charitable activities of Wales Office staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. [147905]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US Government since the state visit of President Bush in connection with the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay; and if he will make a statement. [146501]

[holding answer 8 January 2004]: Since the recent visit of President Bush to the UK, the position of the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay has continued to be the subject of discussions between the government and the US administration. We hope to resolve the situation soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy to seek to persuade Israel to divest itself of all its weapons of mass destruction. [147402]

The UK government has consistently urged Israel to clarify its nuclear status by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state, and signing a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We urge Israel to ratify both the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. The UK has also consistently supported UN Resolutions calling for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction. That zone would include Israel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding the return of Pakistan to full membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. [147543]

The United Kingdom wants to see Pakistan readmitted to the Councils of the Commonwealth, including to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.However, it is the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) that will make a decision whether to recommend to Commonwealth Heads of Government that Pakistan should be readmitted on the basis of its return to democracy. The UK is not a member of CMAG, but the UK Government believes that the recent agreement between the Pakistani Government and opposition over the country's constitution and role of parliament marks an important step in the country's transition to full democracy. We hope this will facilitate progress on joining the full Councils of the Commonwealth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the advice given to UK visitors to Thailand. [146481]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not advise against travel to Thailand. The vast majority of visits to Thailand are trouble-free. But due to a general threat to British and other Western targets from terrorism in South East Asia, including Thailand, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises that travellers should be particularly vigilant in public places, including tourist sites. It also advises travellers to watch out for crimes of opportunity and against the possession of even small quantities of drugs. The full Travel Advice for Thailand can be viewed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population of Hemsworth constituency who have NVQ levels (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3. [147456]

The following table shows analysis of the qualification levels of the working age¹ population in the parliamentary constituency of Hemsworth. This is presented alongside England average data for comparison. Data comes from the Local Labour Force Survey for 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on equality of opportunity for students of competition between higher education institutions on price. [147240]

[holding answer 12 January 2004]: In his statement to the House on student support in higher education on 8 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced a package of support the purpose of which is to ensure that no student from a poor background would be worse off as a result of proposals in the Higher Education Bill, whichever university they attend and whatever the fee charged for the course. Higher Education institutions wishing to charge higher fees will have to enter into an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access. These access agreements will set out the measures that institutions will take to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not deterred from higher education because of higher fees. My right hon. Friend also said that the Government would establish an independent review, working with the Office for Fair Access, to report to the House on the impact of variable fees, based upon the first three years of their operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time students are enrolled on courses at higher education institutions in the north-west. [143453]

The available information is given in the table.

All higher education enrolments1,2at, north-west higher education institutions, 2001–02
Institution region	Full-time	Part-time	Total
North West GOR3	104,944	45,037	149.981
Total England4	1,003,229	591,138	1,594,367
1 Snapshot as at 1 December.
2 Includes students from both home and overseas domiciles and covers enrolments to all levels of higher education course.
3 Government Office Region.
4 Including higher education institutions in the north-west and the Open University.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the most recent figures are for the drop-out rate for English university students is in their (a) 1st year of study, (b) 2nd year of study, (c) 3rd year of study and (d) further years of study. [143250]

The available information on the non-continuation of students beyond the first year in each university, and the projected course non-completion rate in each university is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, a copy of which is available from the House Library. The latest edition, published in December 2003, gives figures for students starting full-time degree courses in the United Kingdom in 2000/01. Table 3 shows that 9 per cent. of students did not continue beyond the first year, and that the projected non-completion rate over the whole course was 16 per cent.No data are held covering those students who drop out of their course after two or three years. Nationally, the non-completion rate has remained broadly the same since 1991/92, a period of considerable expansion of student numbers.Figures published in 2003 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the UK has one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people domiciled in (a) Scotland, (b) the City of Edinburgh local authority area and (c) the Edinburgh West parliamentary constituency are attending a (i) English and (ii) Welsh university. [142620]

Data for students who enter HE are not collated centrally by constituency. The latest available data are shown in the following table.

Domicile of student by location of institution 2001/02
Domicile	Location of higher education institution England	Wales
Scotland	26,456	672
City of Edinburgh	3,798	90

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much income the university sector has earned from business in each year since 1997, broken down by university. [143135]

Details of the income of higher education institutions by source is published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in "Resources of Higher Education Institutions", copies of which are available in the House Library. Table 3 shows separately for each higher education institution income from UK industry, commerce and public corporations, although this does not include income from intellectual property rights which are shown separately in Table 4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people from Cunninghame, South enrolled to study at a university in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; and how many failed to complete their course. [141929]

Enrolment figures at constituency level are not currently available. However, higher education enrolment figures from the county of North Ayrshire for the most recent three years are given in the table.

HE enrolments from North Ayrshire
Academic year	Enrolments
1999/00	3,405
2000/01	3,366
2001/02	3,469

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of annual net income to (a) Russell Group and (b) other universities from the proposed tuition fees after all costs and concessions are taken into account. [147601]

Information on the costs and benefits associated with the proposal in the Higher Education Bill to allow universities to set their own tuition fees is contained in the Regulatory Impact Assessment published on 8 January alongside the Bill. The Regulatory Impact Assessment illustrates the income from additional fees in different scenarios. Because of the nature of a variable scheme, the costs vary greatly according to the decisions that higher education institutions take, and they cannot be estimated precisely at this stage. The Regulatory Impact Assessment does not distinguish between individual universities. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment were placed in the Library of the House; it is also available on the Department for Education and Skills website.

To ask the Prime Minister what action the Government have taken to improve social behaviour; and if he will make a statement. [1474941

We have taken a number of measures to improve social behaviour. These include introducing citizenship education into primary schools in 2000 and making citizenship education a statutory part of the secondary school National Curriculum in September 2002. We have also tackled the problem of anti-social behaviour through our introduction of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.

To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission to discuss its work. [147959]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 16 May 2003, Official Report, column 439W.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1076W, on People's Peers, whether he is now in a position to invite the House of Lords Appointments Commission to recommend names for the second round of People's Peers. [147961]

I have nothing further to add to my previous answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been taken into care as a result of paragraph 1 of schedule 3 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and whether the Home Department have ever referred the possible placing of a child into care to any local authority social services authority. [142325]

No children have been taken into care as a result of the operation of paragraph 1 of Schedule 3; nor have the Home Office referred the possible placing of a child into care to any local authority Social Services authority in connection with this legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers with children are facing removal from the United Kingdom. [143802]

[holding answer 15 December 2003]: The information requested is unavailable, partly because it is not possible to determine the number of unsuccessful asylum seekers who leave the United Kingdom voluntarily without informing the Immigration Service of their departure.Information on asylum applications, decisions, appeals and removals is published regularly on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl. html.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum cases and (b) immigration cases were heard by (i) the Court of Appeal and (ii) the House of Lords in the latest year for which figures are available. [143845]

[holding answer 15 December 2003]: During the period from 1 October 2002 to 30 September 2003, nine immigration cases were heard by the Court of Appeal (five asylum cases and four non-asylum) and four cases were heard by the House of Lords (three asylum cases and one non-asylum).Information on these cases can be obtained from the website: http://www.lawreports.co.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the best interests of children of asylum seekers with respect to (a) removal centres and (b) other circumstances for which he has jurisdiction. [142717]

The best interests of children of asylum seekers will always be a key consideration in all dealings the Immigration and Nationality Directorate has with asylum-seeking families.With respect to removal centres, rule 11 (3) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 requires removal centre operators to provide everything reasonably necessary for detained persons' protection, safety and well-being and for the maintenance and care of infants and children.Children who are accommodated in a removal centre as part of a family group are not separated from their parents or siblings and so are able to receive familial comfort and emotional support. Provision is made to ensure that they are safe; they are able to eat well; they are accommodated in quiet, warm bedrooms; they are

Asylum Appeals: Further appeals to the Tribunal, decisions, and the outcome of Tribunal Hearings, excluding dependants, 1994 to 20021
Number of principal appellants
	1998	1999	2000	2001	20022
Applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal3
Applications	10,910	8,635	6,020	15,540	25,600
Decisions	4 10,315	9,575	5,490	13,540	22,825
Appeals to the Tribunal3
Received	4 1,775	2,135	1,615	3,860	6,920
Determined	1,090	1,790	2,635	3,190	5,565
Outcome of Tribunal Hearings3
Allowed	4—	—	815	475	620
Dismissed	—	—	1,385	1,140	2,015
Withdrawn	—	—	220	150	225
Remitted to adjudicators for further consideration	—	—	215	1,430	2,700
1 Figures rounded to the nearest five. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
2 Provisional figures.
3 Figures based on data supplied by the Lord Chancellor's Department. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals received in any given year.
4 Revised figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made by his Department asking for leave to appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and, of these, how many were granted leave. [142583]

[holding answer 8 December 2003]: The information requested is not available because data on the number of applications for leave to appeal to the occupied during the day; they have access to the fresh air, outside play areas, and are able to undertake physical exercise; they also have access to an excellent healthcare facility.In the community, local authorities in the UK have duties towards all children in need, including the children of asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made asking for leave to appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and of these, how many were granted leave. [142581]

[holding answer 8 December 2003]: Data on the number of appeals received and determined by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal, as well as the outcome from Tribunal hearings, in each of the last five years, are given in the following table. The latter data does not necessarily correspond to the number of applications for leave to appeal in any given year.Information on how many applications for leave to appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal were granted is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Statistics on appeals to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal are published annually. The latest publication, "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2002", is available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov. uk/rds/immigrationl. html.Immigration Appeals Tribunal are not separately compiled in relation to whom the appeal is sought by and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The latest available data on total applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal and the outcomes from hearings at the Tribunal in each of the last five years are given in the following table. The table shows the total number of applications and decisions for leave to appeal to the Tribunal, the number of appeals received and determined and the outcomes of Tribunal hearings broken down by appellant and Secretary of State. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals in any given year.

Asylum Appeals: Further appeals to the Tribunal, decisions, and the outcome of Tribunal Hearings, excluding dependants, 1994 to 20021
Number of principal appellants
	1998	1999	2000	2001	20022
Applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal3
Applications	10,910	8,635	6,020	15,540	25,600
Decisions	4 10,315	9,575	5,490	13,540	22,825
Appeals to the Tribunal3
Received	4 1,775	2,135	1,615	3,860	6,920
Determined	1,090	1,790	2,635	3,190	5,565
Outcome of Tribunal Hearings3
Allowed	4—	—	815	475	620
Dismissed	—	—	1,385	1,140	2,015
Withdrawn	—	—	220	150	225
Remitted to adjudicators for further consideration	—	—	215	1,430	2,700
1 Figures rounded to the nearest five. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
2 Provisional figures.
3 Figures based on data supplied by the Lord Chancellor's Department. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals received in any given year.
4 Revised figures.

Outcome of Tribunal Hearings1
Number of principal appellants
	Appellant Allowed	Secretary of State Dismissed	Withdrawn	Allowed	Dismissed	Withdrawn
1998	—	—	—	—	—	—
1999	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000	650	1,225	185	170	165	35
2001	315	1,020	125	160	120	25
20022	410	1,880	210	215	130	15
1 Figures supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit. Figures for October-December 1999 are based on data for November-December.
2 Provisional figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of families likely to be affected by Clause 7 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill. [143406]

Clause 7 will only affect failed asylum seekers and their families who refuse to take advantage of voluntary return arrangements, or to put themselves in a position to do so, without good cause. The precise number who have support stopped will depend upon the decisions made by individual families.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter sent to him dated 18 September 2003 by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Sattler. [140781]

I replied to the right lion. Member on 8 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to K.Akhtar. [144643]

I replied to the right hon. Member on 12 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 30 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs.J.Ferns. [144644]

I responded to the right hon. Member on 16 December 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Jamie Sanderson. [144646]

I responded to the right hon. Member on 31 December 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 6 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Kwok Hung Lam. [145962]

I responded to the right hon. Member on 23 December 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of those convicted of drug misuse offences who had previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years. [147335]

No figures are available on the proportion of those convicted of drug misuse offences that have previously been in local authority care.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to reduce the number of firearm offences. [146268]

Our developing programme to tackle gun crime includes:

tackling the links to drug supply and crime;

reducing the supply and availability of firearms;

effective police operations to drive down firearm offences;

tough laws and effective enforcement; and

engaging the worst affected communities to address the underlying gun culture.

We are working closely with the police and other agencies to ensure that the lessons learned from their experience in tackling gun crime are built upon. A detailed action plan to keep action to tackle gun crime at the forefront of the police agenda has been developed and is being implemented.In addition, the National Firearms Forensic Intelligence Database, launched on 25 November 2003, will provide a central database of seized weapons and help trace guns used in crimes and improve detection.

Asylum Appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority, excluding dependants1
Number of principal appellants
				Appeals determined by adjudicators
				Allowed2		Dismissed2		Withdrawn2
	Appeals received by the Home Office3,4	Appeals received by the IAA5	Total determined4	Total	As %of total determined	Total	As % of total determined	Total	As % of total determined
2003
01	212,600	18,090	20,595	3,480	17	16,445	80	670	3
Q2	210,800	17,835	19,345	4,060	21	14,875	77	415	2
Q3	210,900	18,330	21,500	4,270	20	16,805	78	420	2
Latest 12 months
October	4,965	4,475	5,980	1,170	20	4,620	77	190	3
November	3,740	6,080	5,585	1,185	21	4,270	76	130	2
December	3,575	6,110	5,050	960	19	3,920	78	170	3
January	23,400	6,015	7,210	1,265	18	5,690	79	255	4
February	24,000	6,025	6,545	975	15	5,350	82	220	3

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were heard by Immigration Appellate Authority adjudicators in the last 12 months; and in how many cases an appeal was taken to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal. [143269]

The number of cases heard by Immigration Appellate Authority adjudicators, for the latest 12-month period for which data are available, are given in the following table. Information on the number of those cases that were taken to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal following successful applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.Statistics on the number of asylum appeals heard by the Immigration Appellate Authority are published quarterly. The most recent publication covering the third quarter of 2003 is now available from the Library of the House or on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration l.html.