To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy for (a) increasing cycle journeys and (b) reducing cycling injuries and deaths. [146827]

We are improving cycling infrastructure and have initiated the Cycling Projects Fund to give over £4 million for local cycling facilities and training. On the safety front, we are promoting training and measures which cyclists can take to protect themselves, such as making themselves conspicuous. We are also improving training and testing for motorists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many speeches during 2003 he declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. [147294]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 12 January 2004, Official Report, columns 516–17W by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what routes passengers will be able to travel from Manchester to Waterloo to connect with the Eurostar following the withdrawal of existing services; and whether the Newport to Waterloo service will be withdrawn in May. [147969]

Passengers can travel to London Euston and connect with London Underground services to Waterloo, a journey of around 3 hours 20 minutes (the Manchester—London Waterloo direct service takes over six hours). Direct services between Newport and London Waterloo will be withdrawn from May. However, alternative services will continue to operate to London Paddington.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Cormorant system will enter into service; and what delays have occurred in the programme. [147277]

The Cormorant Communication System has an approved in-service date of May 2004 which is expected to be achieved. This will be some 19 months later than the latest date originally approved for entry into service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which contractors tendered for the design, development, build and supply of cartridge RF distraction Mark 216 Model 3; when the winner will be announced; when production will commence; and if he will make a statement. [146632]

[holding answer 13 January 2004]: The closing date for receipt of bids from industry to supply the Seagnat 216 Model 3 RF Distraction Round was 18 December 2003. I am withholding further details in accordance with Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information as the tender evaluation process is at a very early stage and is classified Commercial in Confidence. It is anticipated that the contract will be let by the end of May 2004, enabling production to commence to meet the stated in service date for the round, which is December 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding is being made available to the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) Deployed programme. [147279]

We are continuing to investigate the full requirement and costs for an enhanced Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) (Future-Deployed) capability, and no formal budget has yet been approved. Funding for some elements of the programme will come from existing provision for in-service systems that DII (Future-Deployed) will subsume, such as updates to current Navy and Army administrative information systems. Any additional funding required will be sought through the normal departmental resource planning process.The Ministry of Defence is also investing significantly in other programmes to develop our information infrastructure for deployed operations, such as Skynet 5 (satellite communications services); Cormorant (voice and data communications services to support Joint Rapid Reaction force deployments); Falcon (tactical formation level secure communications), and Bowman (tactical secure voice and data system).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions 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. [147007]

[holding answer 12 January 2004]: Since 1997, the Ministry of Defence has investigated 47 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 Defence what assessment he has made of the findings of the Cheshire Coroner, regarding the death of Major Ian Hill; and if he will make a statement. [147143]

We are aware of the Cheshire Coroner's conclusion of 24 November 2003 as to the death of Edward Ian Hill. To facilitate our understanding of the Cheshire Coroner's conclusion, officials wrote to him on 19 December 2003 under the Coroner Rules of 1984, requesting copies of reports of the post mortem examination and any special examinations, notes of evidence and documents put in evidence at the inquest. We understand that delivery of the letter was delayed. The Coroner has confirmed that he is dealing with our request.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medical flights, involving civilians, were conducted by military aircraft between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [147521]

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.We do not hold information about Medevac flights in a form which allows easy analysis of the point of origin and final destination of each trip. Those flights which cross the borders between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom are thought to be few in number and mainly confined to transplant patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether negotiations between his Department and Microsoft regarding future licensing arrangements have been completed; and if he will make a statement. [147552]

The Ministry of Defence has now completed negotiations with Microsoft regarding the continuation of future licensing arrangements for a range of software products (the 'Enterprise Agreement'). However, formal signature has not been completed at this stage. The new licensing arrangements will deliver savings to the Department and will come into effect in April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason employment services with the armed service is not considered relevant for pensions entitlement for employees who transfer to the MOD police. [147681]

Under the rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, a civil servant whose pensionable service begins on or after 1 January 1986 may apply in writing to bring in a transfer value in respect of any accrued pension benefits within 12 months of the date on which he or she takes up pensionable service in the PCSPS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many appeals have been made by employers against compulsory call-out notices to their employees in each of the last five years; and how many of those appeals were allowed in each year. [R] [147134]

As at 12 January 2004 only 41 employers had lodged an appeal against the compulsory call-out of their employees under the appeals procedure set out in Part IX of the Reserve Forces Act 1996. Of these, seven were awarded to the Service authority, one was awarded to the employer, one remained outstanding and 32 were withdrawn before going to appeal. All of these appeals were lodged in 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many compulsory call-out notices were issued to serving members of the Territorial Army in 2003; and how many of the recipients were actually mobilised. [R] [147135]

During 2003 9,765 compulsory call-out notices were issued to serving members of the Territorial Army. Of these, 6,681 were subsequently mobilised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals have been mobilised after receiving a compulsory call-out notice more than once in the last three years. [R] [147262]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army mobilised after receiving a compulsory call-out notice have served for (a) up to four months, (b) four to six months, (c) six months to one year and (d) over one year in the last three years. [R] [147263]

The number of Territorial Army personnel who have been mobilised, during the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003, after receiving a compulsory call-out notice is shown according to length of service in the table.

	Number
Up to four months	3,259
Four to six months	1,573
Six months to one year	3,137
Over one year	43

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written statement of 7 January 2004, Official Report, column 9–10WS, on reserve forces, what his policy is in respect of (a) full-time regular Service and (b) compulsory call-out when making provision for medium-sized operations of low intensity. [R] [147471]

The reserve forces are an integral part of the United Kingdom's military capability for a wide variety of different types of operations. Many factors will determine the number of reservists required to support a particular operation and whether it is necessary to mobilise reservists compulsorily. These factors include: the size of the operation; other concurrent operations; the time available to set up and train a force before deployment; the expected length of a particular operation; the individual skills and trades required; and the pool of people available with the requisite qualifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Territorial Army, (b) Royal Naval Reserve and (c) RAF Reserve personnel remain available for mobilisation. [147725]

[holding answer 13 January 2004]: As at 1 December 2003, the following Volunteer Reserve personnel were available for mobilisation:

Territorial Army: 28,400

Royal Navy Reserve: 2,670

Royal Marines Reserve: 750

Royal Auxiliary Air Force: 1,300.

These figures include untrained strengths (while untrained, they have a call-out liability), but exclude those who are currently mobilised, those serving on Full Time Reserve Service, Additional Duties Commitment and members of the Officer Training Corps.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid in (a) reservist standard award and (b) reservist hardship award to mobilised reservists in each of the last five years; and how many individuals were involved in each case. [R] [147260]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to reservist standard award are planned; and when they will be implemented. [R] [147261]

The Defence White Paper made clear that work is in hand to produce new regulations governing the award of both Reservist Standard Award and Reservists Hardship Award. The new regulations will take into account the lessons arising from the mobilisation for Iraq. It is too early to state what the finalised proposals might be. However, once the MOD has completed our deliberations we plan to publish a consultation document to seek the views of interested parties prior to the issue of the final regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many children currently benefit from boarding school allowance; and what the cost of the scheme is in 2003–04. [147138]

The cost of the scheme in each of the school terms in 2003 is as follows:

Term	Number of children	Cost(£)
Spring 2003 (January-March)	4,332	13,660,611.01
Summer 2003 (April-July)	4,406	13,655,127.27
Autumn 2003 (September-December)	4,277	14,744,626.76
Total cost		42,060,365.04

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the funding per pupil by Service Children's Education was in each of the last five years. [147140]

The Agency's Annual Report and Accounts for the past five years contain details of the Annual Operating Costs of Service Children's Education (SCE) together with the pupil numbers served. Copies of these are available in the Library of the House.It is not possible to provide the information in the format requested. The Quinquennial Review Team recognised that simple cost comparisons between Service Children's Education (SCE) and local education authorities in the United Kingdom cannot be made due to a number of factors. These include the differences in funding mechanisms between the two parent Departments. the accounting requirements placed on SCE as a Defence Agency, and most notably the additional costs incurred by the Agency brought about by operating in an overseas environment.In addition to the Annual Reports, a series of cost calculations showing a number of different tabulations for pupil costs are contained at Annex E to the Quinquennial Report published in May 2003, a copy is which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the academic and education targets set for Service Children's Education schools in each of the last five years, and what assessment he has made of the extent to which these targets have been met or exceeded. [147141]

In common with other Defence Agencies, Service Children's Education publishes its Annual Report and Accounts each year. The Agency's Key Targets and performance against them are contained within these documents, copies of which are held in the Library of the House. The Annual Report covering 2002–03 is scheduled for publication in January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all the rear weapon suspension points on all the shoulder pylons fitted to RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft fully comply with Military Standard 1760; and if he will make a statement. [147549]

Military Standard 1760 is specifically concerned with the location of electrical connector access points in relation to the weapon suspension points on the shoulder pylons. Due to space constraints the weapon electrical connector access points cannot be located at the position defined by Military Standard 1760 on the Tornado GR4. NATO Stanag 3558 does however, provide the option to locate the electrical connector at either the Military Standard 1760 position or at a specified alternative location; it is this alternative that has been utilised on the Tornado GR4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what functions have been transferred to the National Assembly for Wales pursuant to section 22 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 since 1998. [147047]

The functions are too numerous to list but they can be found in the following National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Orders:

1999 No.672: which made the initial transfer of the functions of the Secretary of State for Wales to the Assembly;

1999 No.2787: which transferred functions under the Water Industry Act 1999;

2000 No.253: which made amendments to the original 1999 Order;

2000 No.1830: which entitled the Assembly to be joined as a party in relevant Human Rights Act cases;

2001 No.3679: which relates to Intervention Board functions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's procurement policy with regard to offshore IT and call centre outsourcing; whether his Department is outsourcing IT and call centre jobs to offshore companies; to which countries his Department has outsourced these jobs; how much his Department has spent on this outsourcing in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the next two years. [147580]

The Wales Office has not outsourced any jobs to offshore companies and has no plans to do so in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales on the forthcoming Richard Commission report. [141188]

The First Minister and I meet regularly and we have discussed the Richard Commission on a number of these occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the remit of the Government's taskforce The Live Music Forum; and whether it extends to Northern Ireland. [147573]

The Live Music Forum will work with the music industry and other key stakeholders to:

take forward the Ministerial commitment to maximise the take-up of reforms in the Licensing Act 2003 relating to the performance of live music;

promote the performance of live music generally;

monitor and evaluate the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on the performance of live music; and

make recommendations for further action.

The Licensing Act 2003 applies to England and Wales. Therefore, the Live Music Forum's remit extends only to those countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the projected total annual salary bill of Ofcom is for its first year of operation; [145499](2) how many Ofcom employees will have an annual salary of £100,000 or over; [145500](3) how many people will be employed by Ofcom; [145501](4) what the estimated total cost is of setting up Ofcom; [145502](5) if she will estimate the

These are matters for the Office of Communications (Ofcom). DCMS officials have, therefore, asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of (a) Green Box support, (b) Amber Box support and (c) Blue Box support is from the UK Government to agriculture. [146645]

The level of agricultural support, categorised by Green, Amber and Blue boxes, is notified to the World Trade Organisation for the European Union and is not separately identified by member state. The latest published notification of domestic support for the European Union is for the marketing year 1999–2000 and records the level of Green Box support as €19.9 billion; Amber Box €47.9 billion; and Blue Box €19.8 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the implications for the United Kingdom of the article on climate change impacts in the United Kingdom and other countries over the next half century by Professor Chris Thomas of Leeds University, published in Nature in January. [147688]

The article in Nature indicated that about a quarter of the land species in the areas studied could be committed to extinction in 2050 under midrange global climate warming scenarios. However the article did not provide a prediction for extinction rates in the UK.The Department, along with the devolved Administrations, statutory nature conservation agencies and non-governmental organisations, is contributing to an ongoing research programme on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the UK. Results suggest that as climate changes, the distribution of species and the composition of habitats will change. With warmer temperatures, some northern species are likely to retreat, while southern species may be able to expand their ranges. Movement of some species may be strongly impeded by our highly fragmented landscapes, possibly leading to local extinctions.The Department also plans to commission an update of its "Review of the impact of climate change on UK species and habitat conservation (2000)". The latter report is available on the internet www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/climatechange/nature/index.htm and will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment her Department has made of the benefits of relocation of staff to North Staffordshire; and if she will make a statement; [146863](2) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of possible relocation of staff in her Department to North Staffordshire on

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 516W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many speeches during 2003 she declared support for the Government's policy on the euro. [147303]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 516W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she will provide to fruit and vegetable retailers following the Law Lords' decision on the case against Asda relating to European Union definitions of fruit and vegetables. [146719]

No new guidance is required. The Law Lords' decision does not affect either the EU marketing standards themselves or the existing obligations of fruit and vegetable retailers. Guidance is already availalble from Defra's Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate, who advise on and enforce the standards, and from the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/hort/hmi.htm. Information on this site includes copies of the standards, contact details for inspectors and a retailers' guide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what sums were made available to (a) UK and (b) EU companies for the restitution of funds to assist with exporting costs in each of the last three years. [147051]

During the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 the Rural Payments Agency paid approximately £125.4 million, £138.7 million and £170.2 million respectively in export refunds to companies claiming in the United Kingdom.For the whole of the European Union, payments made during 2000 and 2001 amounted to 5.6 billion euros and €3.4 billion respectively. The figure for 2003 is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she has received from the Advisory Committee on Releases into the Environment on the proposal by Bayer to import GM rice into the EU for processing and animal feed. [148307]

The application by Bayer for the importation of herbicide tolerant rice (event LLRICE62) into the European Union is being considered under the procedures set out in Directive 2001/18/EC. The UK is the lead member state and therefore undertakes the initial assessment. The Government has been advised by ACRE that "This GM rice does not pose a risk to human health and the environment. The marketing of this product for importation and processing in the UK will be no different from that of other rice imported for processing and animal feed purposes. In coming to this conclusion ACRE have taken account of the advice of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF). ACRE also recommends that reports of post market monitoring for general surveillance of this product be provided to the regulatory authorities on an annual basis". The complete ACRE advice is available on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/regulation/euconsent.htm.The application and the UK's assessment will now be assessed by other EU member states and the Commission before a collective decision is made. Consent, if granted, would not permit cultivation of the rice in the EU nor, without separate approval, could it be used in human food.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a veterinary inspection and certification is necessary prior to the issue of a horse passport. [147945]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the horse passport regulations apply to the wild horses on Bodmin Moor. [147947]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to change the requirement for veterinary certification on horse passports. [147948]

The silhouette on a passport must be signed by a veterinary surgeon or someone deemed competent to do so by the Passport Issuing Organisation. This is clearly the intention of the legislation but recently we became aware that some passport issuing organisations were allowing individual horse owners to complete and sign the silhouette. Independent verification is clearly essential. In underlining this point to the organisations I have proposed that the owner may complete the silhouette provided a microchip is inserted at the same time. This reflects our approach of working with the industry and seeking to be practical rather than gold plating the legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has made to introduce legislation to protect and manage the marine environment following the publication of the Marine Stewardship Report. [147538]

The Marine Stewardship Report announced a Review of Controls on Development in Marine and Coastal Waters. It also announced a Pilot project in the Irish Sea as the next step of the Review of Marine Nature Conservation. Both of these Reviews are examining whether new arrangements, including new legislation, are required to better manage and protect the marine environment. The Government will take a decision on whether new legislation is needed once it has seen the recommendations from these Reviews.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the single farm payment. [148308]

We hope to make an announcement on the model for allocating entitlements under the new single payment scheme in a matter of weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned into illegal culling activity in TB hot spot areas. [148304]

As part of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, a proportion of setts within the survey only treatment areas are regularly checked for evidence of illegal activity, including badger digging and other signs of unauthorised culling or interference.There is currently no Defra commissioned research on illegal culling outside of the badger culling trial areas.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new proposals he has to extend e-Government services. [146494]

66 per cent. of Government services are now available on-line. Departments continue to make progress towards our target for making all services available electronically by 2005, with key services achieving high levels of take-up.Later this year, we will pilot an enhanced customer offering for the delivery of electronic services designed around the needs of customers.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what inquiries his Department has conducted into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and on what occasions 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. [147010]

Since 1997, my Department has investigated 10 suspected leaks.In line with Exemptions 1

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the total savings for small businesses that would accrue from those measures listed in the Regulatory Reform Action Plan, which have yet to be implemented. [147606]

The updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan (RRAP), which was published in December 2003, contained over 650 deregulatory measures, many of which will benefit small businesses. Examples of these are highlighted throughout the RRAP. Individual Regulatory Impact Assessments will be produced by the relevant Departments identifying benefits and savings from these measures as appropriate.

					£ million
	FY 01–02	FY 02–03	FY 03–04	FY 04–05	FY 05–06
DFID Afghanistan Programme	46	75.5	55	55	60
Global Conflict Prevention Pool (joint DFID-FCO-MOD)		13	16.8	18	tba

We also provide about £40 million each year to Afghanistan through multilateral channels like the United Nations and EC.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the financial assistance from his Department to Afghanistan in 2003–04 has been directed towards the long-term development of the country. [148582]

DFID has allocated £55 million so far to Afghanistan this year, in addition to contributions to the joint FCO-DFID-MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool and various multilateral organisations. £37.5 million of this has been disbursed to date. All of this financial assistance contributes to the long-term development of Afghanistan, including the £8 million we have provided in humanitarian assistance to support returning refugees, health and education.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many street children he estimates there are in each country of Asia. [148130]

It is difficult to provide accurate data on the overall numbers of street children in Asia or to provide a breakdown by country. Estimates are unreliable and coverage is patchy. According to UNICEF there are roughly about 25 million children estimated to be living on the streets in Asia. However there is no reliable information for many Asian countries. In India the Ministry of Social Welfare estimates that there are between 75,000 and 250,000 street children in Calcutta alone. UNICEF estimate there are 15,000 street children in Vietnam and 16,000 in Sri Lanka.The fundamental cause of children living on the street is poverty. This is exacerbated by chronic hunger, lack of school places and family conflict. Between 30 per cent. to 50 per cent. of children in South Asia are malnourished. Despite improvements in education provision around 41 per cent. of children drop out of school before they reach the fifth grade. Between 30 per

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money has been allocated by his Department to Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and how much has been pledged for (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06. [148101]

The table shows the allocations made to Afghanistan by the Department for International Development Afghanistan in each of the last three years and how much has been allocated for financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06.cent. to 55 per cent. of school age children are working. Many of these children are exploited through child labour or are involved in the sex industry. Unless these problems are addressed the problems of street children in Asia will continue to grow.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money has been provided by his Department in each of the last six years to tackle the problem of street children in Asia; what proportion of the money has been spent by whom; and with what results. [148131]

Urban poverty, homelessness, lack of education and the demand for child labour forces children to leave their families and live on the streets in Asia. It is important that these underlying problems are addressed as well as helping street children directly. Our bilateral programmes in Asia aim to alleviate family poverty more generally as a basis for addressing the needs of street children.Many of our programmes support NGO activities that advocate for the rights of children and work directly with street children. In Bangladesh we are supporting two NGOs to provide informal education to vulnerable working children in urban areas at a cost of £8 million. In Burma we have been supporting a street and working children project with World Vision at a total cost of £450,000. In India we are supporting a local NGO to work with child street vendors and have several other small projects in the pipeline focusing on vulnerable working children in urban areas.We are providing £1.6 million to Save the Children to work directly with vulnerable children in the Mekong sub region. This project aims to prevent poor rural children being trafficked to urban areas in the region for purposes of sexual exploitation and under age employment. This helps to reduce the potential for these children to end up on the street.Other DFID activities also contribute directly to addressing the problems of street children. Improving basic education for every child is the main contribution that Asian Governments can make to reducing child poverty and indirectly to reducing the numbers of street children. Support to basic education is a major focus of our bilateral programme in Asia and in 2001–02 DFID committed £130 million to support this.Another example is the £12 million urban poverty reduction project in Cochin in India that has helped to improve basic services for poor families and their children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the remaining amounts of weaponry and ammunition held by the Provisional IRA. [147042]

This information requested is only available from intelligence sources and in line with Part 2 of The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment. The Government and the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning have consistently made clear that they will continue to pursue complete decommissioning by all paramilitary organisations to ensure that there is a permanent end to paramilitary activity in all its forms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the total value of (a) house burglaries and (b) attacks on the person in the Coleraine borough in the last three years; and what additional resources have been made available to address this problem. [145103]

The information is not fully available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The table sets out the number of domestic burglary and personal robbery offences within Coleraine District Council.

	Domestic burglaries	Personal robberies
2000–01	228	27
2001–02	405	28
2002–03	304	30

Depending on its nature, an 'attack on the person' can be recorded separately as a 'violent crime' (a category which also includes all offences against the person, sexual offences) or as an 'offence against the person' (this also includes assaults, intimidation and harassment offences), but a statistical breakdown could be established only at disproportionate cost.It is not possible to establish the total value of property stolen or damaged, if any, as a result of these offences as there is no requirement for the police to keep a record of individuals' losses or the cost of repairs to properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) house searches, (b) arrests and (c) convictions have taken place involving members of Loyalists paramilitary groups in the Coleraine borough in each year since 2000. [145104]

To supply the information specifically with regard to Loyalist groups would incur a disproportionate cost. However, the following table provides details of the number of house searches carried out in the Coleraine borough since 2000. Authorisations were issued to search dwelling houses for munitions, transmitters, scanning receivers and wireless apparatus.

Financial year	Number of house searches
2000–01	22
2001–02	25
2002–03	4
2003–04 (to 30 September)	7

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the results were of the investigation into the accident involving a military helicopter in Lough Foyle, County Londonderry on 19 July 2002. [147045]

I have been asked to reply.The Board of Inquiry into the accident is not yet complete. The investigation is expected to be completed later in the year and I will write to the hon. Member with the outcome and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the current funding level of the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Fund. [147533]

The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee is required, by regulation, to obtain an actuarial valuation of the assets and liabilities of its pension fund every three years. The next actuarial valuation exercise takes place on 31 March 2004. Each quarter the Committee and the fund's actuary monitor the position and the Department of the Environment is advised accordingly, on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated additional cost of a rise in the current employer contribution rate to 11.9 per cent. for the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Fund would be to his Department's annual budget; and whether the spending plans for 2005–06 reflect such a possible increase. [147534]

For all employing authorities contributing to the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Fund, the estimated cost of an increase from the current employer contribution rate of 4.6 per cent. to 11.9 per cent. would incur further contribution income amounting to £32,605,830 in one year. There are currently 209 employing authorities, including district councils, education and library boards, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Housing Associations and certain schools and colleges, all of which would have to budget for any increase.The rate of 11.9 per cent. is, however, at this stage, an indication of the potential required increase and the position will be determined when the actuarial valuation of the fund, as at 31 March 2004, is obtained by the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee. It is anticipated that a stepped approach to increasing contribution rates would be adopted, over the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007. The position would also be reassessed at the 31 March 2007 valuation. Efforts would be made to keep annual increases in the contribution rate within the range of 2 per cent. to 4 per cent. of pensionable payroll. 2005–06 spending plans do not, as yet, take account of any potential increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many paramilitary beatings were reported in each of the last six years. [146307]

The information requested is outlined in the following table.

Number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults
	By Loyalist	By Republican	Total
1998	89	55	144
1999	90	44	134
2000	78	54	132
2001	93	53	146
2002	89	50	139
2003	102	46	148

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the (a) Director General and (b) Director of Operations of the Northern Ireland Prison Service have been provided with accommodation on the Stormont estate. [146174]

Neither (a) the Director General nor (b) the Director of Operations of the Northern Ireland Prison Service has been provided with accommodation on the Stormont Estate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to public funds has been of providing accommodation in the Stormont Estate for the Director General and Director of Operations of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. [147219]

It is standard practice for office accommodation for all civil servants to be arranged by their individual agency/department.In the case of the Director General and Director of Operations of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, office accommodation in the Stormont Estate is provided through Northern Ireland Prison Service Headquarters at Dundonald House.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the rules regarding the use of party political advertising material in Government buildings; [148160](2) when the guidance on the use of Government buildings for party political purposes was last updated; [148058](3) what measures are taken by his officials to enforce the rules regulating the party political use of Government buildings; and how many times they have been breached since 1997. [148059]

Section 6 of the Ministerial Code, which was last revised in June 2001, provides guidance on the use of Government property for party political purposes. Section 3 of the Civil Service Code, which was last revised in May 1999, is also relevant and it is for each Department to enforce the rules. No central records on this are held.

To ask the Prime Minister whether the source of the leaked minutes of the Honours Committee has been found; and if he will make a statement. [148399]

In order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements, it has been the practice of successive governments not to comment on the conduct and outcome of leak inquiries.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what the (a) number and (b) salary cost of special advisers was in each Department in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement; [147656](2) what the total salary cost for special advisers is estimated to be for 2003–04; and how many special advisers there are in each pay band, broken down by Department. [147657]

Since July 2002, I have published on an annual basis details of the number of special advisers by pay band and Department and their overall cost. Information for the financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04 is available in the Library of the House. The total salary cost for special advisers in 2003–04 will be published as soon as the information is available at the end of the financial year.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment the Department has made of the extent to which (a) the closure of county magistrates courts and (b) the pressure on the Courts Service's outlying civil and family estate affect the distance people are required to travel to have access to justice in each region. [147673]

The extra time and distance people are required to travel is always carefully considered when magistrates courts are closed. Other factors taken into consideration are workload, the facilities available and the costs of renovations which would be required to bring a court up to standard. All of these are assessed when I consider any appeal on a magistrates court closure.The Court Service has been working with the Magistrates Courts Committees to look at the opportunities to share court accommodation to ease the pressure on the court estate and thereby improve access to justice.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on delivering an efficient asylum process. [146671]

In the last 12 months the Lord Chancellor and then the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor has had eight separate meetings which were scheduled to discuss asylum and 15 separate meetings which were scheduled to discuss reform of the criminal justice system with the Home Secretary. They will also have discussed these issues in the context of other meetings.The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor and I work closely with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on asylum issues and meet regularly.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many asylum appeals were considered by (a) the Court of Appeal and (b) the House of Lords in each of the past two years; and how many such appeals succeeded. [143359]

During the two-year period between 1 December 2001 and 30 November 2003, the Court of Appeal Civil Division made decisions in 248 appeals which were classified as relating to Immigration and Asylum matters. Five of these appeals were brought by the Secretary of State.Of these, 64 were allowed by the court, two of which were brought by the Secretary Of State.These figures do not include applications for permission to appeal.We have no information on how many asylum appeals are considered by the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him dated 25 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Jahangir Shah. [147612]

A reply to my right hon. Friend was signed by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor and sent on Monday 12 January.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Interdepartmental Review on International Human Rights Instruments was due to report to Ministers; when Ministers received this report; when the outcomes of this review will be made available; and if he will make a statement. [147446]

The terms of reference for the review were that it should report in spring 2003. The very wide scope of the review, and the number of Departments involved, have caused the review to take longer than expected. We will announce its outcomes to Parliament as soon as is reasonably possible.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions the Secretary of State has had with the Legal Services Commission on the funding of (a) human rights cases and (b) cases brought through legal aid against the closures of care homes for elderly people; and whether he was consulted by the Commission on the funding of such cases pursued by Hossacks Solicitors, of Kettering. [147464]

Regular discussions take place between my Department and the Legal Services Commission about funding policy, of which human rights issues form an important part, given that cases which allege human rights violations by public bodies are a priority for Community Legal Service funding.No discussions specifically concerning the funding of individual human rights cases, or publicly-funded cases against the closures of care homes for the elderly, have been held with Ministers. Nor have Ministers been consulted on the funding of such cases pursued by Hossacks Solicitors, as Ministers cannot intervene in individual funding applications.

To ask the Solicitor-General what guidelines she has issued to the Crown Prosecution Service on the question of deciding what constitutes (a) prima facie evidence warranting and (b) a public interest supporting consideration of a prosecution for inciting racial hatred. [147846]

The Code for Crown Prosecutors requires, as the hon. Member's question reflects, that in every case the prosecutor considers: (a) whether there is enough evidence to make it more likely than not that there will be a conviction and; (b) that the public interest supports a prosecution. There is a presumption under the code that it is in the public interest to prosecute racially aggravated offences in any case where there is a racial motivation against the victim.

To ask the Solicitor-General what criteria are applied to decisions on whether prosecutions for alleged racial hatred are in the public interest. [147849]

The Crown Prosecution Service reviews all allegations of inciting racial hatred in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.All cases are considered individually on their own merits, but must meet both tests set out in the Code namely the evidential and public interest tests. When considering the public interest of such prosecutions, the Code for Crown Prosecutors specifically states that

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service with the Nottingham Criminal Justice Board in connecting the criminal justice system with local people. [147847]

Ms Kate Carty, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Nottinghamshire, is an active member of the Local Criminal Justice Board, she chairs two important sub-groups: one on improving the service to vulnerable and intimidated victims and witnesses; the other on improving communications between the criminal justice agencies and the community. She also leads an initiative to ensure, through schools, that young people in Nottinghamshire are aware of the work and structure of their Local Criminal Justice Board.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the role of the specialist prosecutors of street crime at the Crown Prosecution Service. [147848]

In the 10 Street Crime Areas there are specialist prosecutors for prosecuting street crime cases (the premium service) in order to prosecute with the charge right first time and to help to secure the best evidence, reduce delays and focus resources.The premium service has worked well in Lancashire and we have seen sustained improved performance, with significant decreases in the level of early terminations of cases.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on her responsibilities in relation to (a) anti-social behaviour by youths and (b) youth justice matters. [147850]

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is working with local authorities and other criminal justice agencies to ensure a strategic and effective response to anti-social behaviour by youths.

To ask the Minister for Women when she will reply to the letter sent to her Department on 21 July by the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell on behalf of Mavish Kentish of Laburnum Road, Epsom. [143199]

In consultation with DWP and HMT officials it has been decided that Inheritance Tax falls within the responsibilities of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in transferring your letter. I have asked that a response be sent to you as a matter of urgency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many absent parents have subsequently been assessed for a change in circumstances by the Child Support Agency after failing to respond to a request for details of change of circumstances by post; [147472](2) what procedure is followed by the Child Support Agency to determine the accuracy of address information on absent parents when they receive no response to postal requests for information on change of circumstances; [147473](3) what recent discussions he has had with the Child Support Agency on procedures for contacting absent parents to ascertain changes in circumstances; [147474]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Child Support Agency cases are now operating on the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147994](2) how many Child Support Agency cases continue to operate on the original formula for calculation of maintenance payments. [147995]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he will begin the process of migrating existing cases to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147996](2) what criteria he will apply to the prioritisation of cases for migration to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments; [147997](3) how long he expects the process of migration of cases to the new formula for calculation of maintenance payments to take. [147998]

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003. Official Report, column 1092W.Plans for transferring the old scheme caseload to the new scheme have yet to be finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of the departmental pay bill increase for 2003–04. [147515]

Negotiations for the 2003–04 pay award are still ongoing. Subject to acceptance of the current pay offer, the in-year 2003–04 pay bill for the department will increase by around £120 million. This represents a percentage increase of 3.7 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him dated 6 October 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. V. Ilyas. [147613]

I apologise to my right hon. Friend for not having replied to his letter of 6 October 2003 to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.The Foreign Secretary will write to him shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. [147527]

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea are tense. We are urging both parties to take forward the Algiers Agreement which ended the war, implement the final and binding Boundary Commission decision, and to engage in dialogue on all of the issues separating the two countries. I am visiting Eritrea and Ethiopia from 13–19 January 2004, and will press these points.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the arrest of Gambia's Information Minister, Yankuba Touray, by President Jammeh's forces and (b) the series of arrests of senior governmental officials, civil servants and businessmen in the last seven weeks. [147677]

The Gambia's Secretary of State for Information. Communication and Technology, Mr. Yankuba Touray, was relieved of his official duties on 16 December 2003. He was not arrested.A number of other Government officials and businessmen have been arrested in recent weeks, largely in connection with alleged misappropriation or currency irregularities. Those concerned have been arrested, detained, charged or released in accordance with local law. The majority leader of the National Assembly has, separately, been held in custody since 26 December 2003 on matters relating to national security.We are following these developments closely. We welcome the Gambian Government's determination to tackle corruption. We are encouraging them to continue to ensure full respect for human rights and the rule of law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of the Sudan about the recent disturbances at Khartoum University. [148303]

We discuss human rights issues on a regular basis with the Government of Sudan, both bilaterally and as part of the EU-Sudan dialogue. As we understand it, the recent disturbances at Khartoum University did not directly result in any arrests or detentions, and we therefore see no reason to raise the matter but we will keep the situation under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Zimbabwe in respect of British citizens travelling to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [147209]

We keep the security situation in Zimbabwe under constant review. Our travel advice available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: www.fco.gov.uk spells out the current situation and is regularly updated to reflect any developments which might affect the safety of British citizens travelling to Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the England and Wales Cricket Board about the England cricket team's proposed tour of Zimbabwe in respect of players' and supporters' safety. [147210]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the England and Wales Cricket Board officials are in close contact. The FCO's advice to visitors to Zimbabwe regarding safety and security is on our website at: www.fco.gov.uk This advice is kept under constant review. The decision whether to tour Zimbabwe this year rests with the ECB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Zimbabwe. [147211]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Zimbabwe. [147525]

The situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate. 5.5 million people need food aid. The economy continues to collapse; inflation is at 620 per cent. Political violence continues. The Government of Zimbabwe continue to restrict press freedoms. We have made clear our condemnation of the present situation. We will continue to help feed Zimbabwe's starving people and promote a return to democratic governance and the rule of law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United Kingdom's ambassador in Harare about the situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [147212]

I receive regular reports on Zimbabwe from our ambassador in Harare. The situation remains grim. We will continue to do all we can to prevent Zimbabweans starving and to secure a return to democratic governance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet the Zimbabwean ambassador to discuss political reform in Zimbabwe. [147213]

I have no plans to meet the Zimbabwean ambassador. We maintain diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have occasional contact with his staff. The Government of Zimbabwe are fully aware of our views on the need for a return to democratic governance and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Committee on Zimbabwe about encouraging democratic reform in the country. [147214]

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met with the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Chair of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Committee on Zimbabwe, at CHOGM in December 2003. Commonwealth leaders agreed that Zimbabwe's suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth should be maintained, and asked President Obansanjo of Nigeria, and the Commonwealth Secretary General, to encourage and facilitate progress and the return of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the conditions for the re-admission of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement. [147215]

The Zimbabwe Government withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. Her re-admission would require a decision by consensus of the current members. We expect all members of the Commonwealth to adhere to the Harare principles of democratic government, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on Mr. Robert Mugabe's continuing tenure of an honorary knighthood; and if he will take steps to strip him of the knighthood. [148256]

Mugabe's knighthood was conferred in 1994 under the previous Government. Its removal is not our immediate priority, although we are keeping the matter under review. Our present priorities for Zimbabwe are feeding the hungry and working with our international partners to bring about the restoration of good governance and the rule of law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Department is taking to ensure that broadband is made available more widely to the rural community. [147915]

In England, the Broadband Aggregation Project will make sure that the £1 billion Government spend on broadband connectivity for the public sector between 2003 and 2006 will offer the best value for money and widen availability to surrounding communities.DTI is working with the Devolved Administrations and Regional Development Agencies to extend the availability of broadband still further. We have given them £30 million for pilot schemes to extend the availability of broadband in areas not currently served by the market.A joint DTI/Defra Rural Broadband Team has been set up specifically to address the issue of availability of broadband in rural areas. It is working to support local community action to secure affordable access to broadband, to ensure rural communities derive the maximum benefit from the deployment of broadband and promote rural access and take up of broadband. Promoting partnerships between the telecommunications industry, government agencies and community organizations, our aim is that every community in the country should have access to broadband by the end of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes dated 19 November 2003 enclosing one from Mr. Christopher Martin-Gathern of Buckfastleigh about identity fraud. [148057]

My office has no record of receiving the letter from the hon. Member. However, I should point out that identity fraud is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether compensation payments to be made for eligible estate claims for former miners for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger are being processed. [146112]

With regard to respiratory disease, the Department's priority is to settle claims from the eldest and sickest living miners and their widows. Estate claims are a lower priority and are being processed in accordance with the prioritisation process, agreed with the claimants' solicitors. They are processed when there are no higher priority claims to assess.On vibration white finger (VWF) claims, where IRISC have received the necessary medical report and confirmation of the claimant's employment history, families of deceased miners are having their claims processed along with those from living miners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when she expects the last compensation payments to be made for eligible estate claims for former miners for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger; [146113](2) when she expects the last compensation payments to be made to

It is very difficult to give such estimates for either scheme.The Vibration White Finger (VWF) scheme has closed but claims can only be processed when all relevant documentation has been received from claimants. Estates claims are being processed alongside live claims where supporting documentation is available, we expect that the greater part of general damages claims will be made offers by the end of 2005. Compensation for services will extend beyond that.The respiratory disease scheme is still open until 31 March 2004 and claims are currently coming in around 8,000 a week, of which around 5,000 are deceased claims (both widows and estates claims). The speed of processing claims will depend, among other things, on how quickly documentation is received from claimants after initial registration. Claims are processed in priority order, as agreed with miners' solicitors and estate claims come behind live individual claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of claims for (a) vibration white finger and (b) respiratory disease for (i) former miners, (ii) widows of former miners and (iii) other eligible estate claims for former miners in (A) the UK, (B) England, (C) Scotland and (D) Wales. [146114]

The Vibration White Finger (VWF) scheme is now closed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compensation claims have been registered, broken down by coalfield area; how many live claimants there are; and how many (a) widows and (b) estates are claiming. [146115]

As of 21 December 2003 the figures are:

COPD	England	Scotland	Wales
Live claims	139,008	12,489	26,699
Deceased claims (widow/estate)	145,911	14,556	38,156

Regional statistics by coalfield area can be found on the Department's website—www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth. The registration figures for deceased cases are not split between widows and estates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Operation of Euratom Safeguards in 2002, Com (2003) 764 Final, in respect of its application to United Kingdom nuclear facilities and materials. [147623]

An explanatory memorandum (16077/03) covering the Commission report on the operation of Euratom Safeguards during 2002 has been submitted to Parliament. In the report the Commission notes that its overall conclusion from activities during 2002 was that no evidence was found to suggest that nuclear materials were diverted from their intended uses. Nor was any evidence found to suggest non-compliance with provisions relating to particular safeguards provisions assumed by the Community under agreements concluded with third states. The report includes comments on a number of UK installations; these comments are generally positive. Discrepancies that arose at some UK reactors (Bradwell, Sizewell A and Wylfa) were followed-up and, after consultation with the operator involved, satisfactorily resolved. The Commission acknowledges that the operator had taken steps to correct the discrepancy and prevent its recurrence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will put in place a system of compulsory registration for installers and maintainers of oil-fired domestic central heating similar to the CORGI scheme for installers and maintainers of domestic gas appliances. [143014]

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will urge the Post Office to re-examine the case of the closure of (a) Stock Road sub-post office, Billericay, Essex and (b) Barn Hall Post Office, Wickford, Essex, following the representations of the hon. Member for Billericay to the Post Office and Postwatch. [148145]

Following public consultation, final decisions on post office closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd., in the light of advice from Postwatch and other consultation responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the grants to investment projects made under regional selective assistance in 2003–04, stating for each (a) the amount of the award, (b) the region, (c) the type of project and (d) the justification for the award; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997. [147795]

For reasons of commercial confidentiality details of individual grants offered are generally only published once the first payment of grant has been made. Publication is limited to offers of £75,000 or more and details can be found in the January, April, July and October editions of Labour Market Tends.Aggregate numbers of regions and sectors are published in the Industrial Development Act Annual Report, which is laid in Parliament about three months after the end of the reporting period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on technology transfer agreements. [147860]

My Department promotes the transfer of technology between many organisations in the UK and between British and overseas organisations. Our aim is to improve the productivity and competitiveness of British businesses along the lines we have set out in the recent Innovation Report "Competing in the global economy: the innovation challenge".Although my Department assists the process of technology transfer through business support products such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, the vast majority of technology transfer agreements are arranged privately. I welcome the considerable expansion of technology and knowledge transfer in the UK that has occurred in recent years, largely as a result of innovative programmes such as the Higher Education Innovation Fund, that have seeded the idea of spin-out firms or other exploitation of science and technology in the minds of our researchers and technologists in academia and business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements he expects choice in the NHS will have for deaf people (a) in arranging an appointment and (b) in communicating with their doctor. [147696]

"Building on the Best: Choice", Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS draws out the main themes that emerged from our recent consultation on what changes would do most to improve the experience of health care for patients, users and carers. Building on the Best confirms that the commitment in the NHS Plan for a national interpreting and translation service has been initiated by NHS Direct. The interpretation component will include a requirement to provide services for people who use British Sign Language. Over time, this contract will be available to help deaf people arrange appointments and communicate with their doctors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department collects in respect of waiting times for audiology services; [147751](2) which NHS trusts have entered into partnership agreements with private hearing aid dispensers for