To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the number of employees in his department who have a disability, broken down by disability type. [148989]

The number of employees within the department as at 1 October 2003 who have a disability by disability type is:

Description	Number
Hearing impairment	1,040
Visual impairment	310
Speech impairment	60
Mobility impairment	810
Physical coordination difficulties	140
Reduced physical capacity	1,010
Severe disfigurement	90
Learning difficulties	140
Mental illness	110
Multiple impairment	20
Unknown disability	20
Disability total	3,700
Not disabled	49,150
Status unknown	35,200
Overall total	88,100

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date in October 2002 the military decision was taken to supply all troops in Iraq with enhanced body armour. [151435]

[holding answer 27 January 2004]: In line with normal practice, an Urgent Statement of User Requirement, generated by Land Command on 21 October, was endorsed by the Permanent Joint Headquarters on 5 November 2002. This recommended that all ground forces deploying on Operation Telic should be equipped with Enhanced Combat Body Armour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether permission was obtained from the Prime Minister's office before the orders for extra sets of enhanced body armour were placed; [151438](2) which Ministers gave approval for the placing of orders for extra sets of enhanced body armour within

[holding answer 27 January 2004]: The overall process to be followed for meeting the urgent equipment and stock requirements for Operation Telic was approved by Defence Ministers. The basis on which preparatory work was undertaken took appropriate account of the continuing diplomatic process. As the Ministry of Defence's publication "Operations in Iraq—Lessons For the Future" states, operational security and the requirement not to prejudice the UN process limited early planning and engagement with industry until the Urgent Operational Requirement process was announced on 25 November 2002. Neither the approval of Defence Ministers, nor the approval of the Prime Minister or of other Ministers outside the MOD, was required or given for the placement of individual orders, including for Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) manpower strength and (b) manpower strength requirement is of the Ministry of Defence Police. [152237]

As at 1 December 2003, the total authorised complement of Ministry of Defence Police officers was 3,433 and the strength, 3,290.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether contracts which involve the supply and consumption of timber include the Defence Contract Condition (DEFCON) 691. [152190]

[holding answer 30 January 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 January 2004, Official Report, columns 1250–51W. The Ministry of Defence does not keep central records of the number of contracts, which contain DEFCON 691.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures exist for soldiers who consider themselves to have been unfairly dismissed from the Army but failed to submit a redress within three months of discharge to appeal against their dismissal; and if he will make a statement. [152748]

The three-month time limit within which a complaint must be submitted begins from the day on which the soldier is formally notified that they are to be dismissed or discharged. Complaints submitted outside this period will normally be rejected as 'out of time' unless the officer to whom the complaint is first presented judges that it was not reasonably practicable for the complaint to have been submitted earlier.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the proposed construction and finance costs were of the two alternative bids to construct the Skye Bridge brought forward in 1990 by the construction firms Morrison and Trafalgar House. [147132]

Following devolution, responsibility and documentation relating to the construction and financing of the Skye Bridge are now a matter for the Scottish Executive. The right hon. Member may wish to write to Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Minister with responsibility for this matter.The Scotland Office has no continuing responsibility and does not hold information about the Skye Bridge.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish whisky industry; and what plans he has to do so in the future. [150394]

My right hon. Friend will shortly be meeting representatives from Diageo and the Scotch Whisky Association to discuss issues affecting the whisky industry in Scotland.

To ask the Prime Minister what conclusions he has reached following his investigations into the treatment of child access by the courts announced by him on LBC Radio on 14 January. [149941]

The Government believes that children benefit from a continuing relationship with both parents following parental separation, where it is in the best interests of the child. The Children Act 1989 requires the court to make the welfare of the child concerned its paramount consideration when considering cases where parents are unable to agree on access arrangements for their children.Courts can enforce contact for non-resident parents with deliberate refusal by resident parents leading to fines of up to £2,500 or imprisonment of up to 2 years. However, such penalties may not be appropriate due to the effect this may have on the child at the centre of the dispute.The Government published its initial response into "Making Contact Work". a report by the Children Act Sub-Committee (CASC), on the issue of facilitation and enforcement of contact orders in August 2002.In light of this report, we established a stakeholder group comprising representatives from the judiciary, legal professionals, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, other government departments and the voluntary sector to examine the issue of facilitation and enforcement. The Government's full response to the CASC report, which will be published shortly, will address the issue of effective enforcement of court-ordered contact.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to meet the Dalai Lama during his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom. [150785]

I regret that because of diary commitments I will be unable to meet the Dalai Lama during his forthcoming visit to the UK.

To ask the Prime Minister if he plans to visit Gibraltar in the Tercentenary; if he plans to attend St. Clement Daines tercentenary service; and if he will make a statement on Gibraltar and its tercentenary. [151271]

Ministerial visits to Gibraltar in 2004 and attendance at the St. Clement Daines Tercentenary Service are currently under consideration and details have not been finalised.The Government intends to play a full part in celebrating the Tercentenary. I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Hoon), during the debate on the Gracious Speech on 27 November 2003,

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish his witness statement to the Hutton Inquiry. [152312]

Lord Hutton set out the process for his Inquiry with which we agreed.

To ask the Prime Minister who in his Office saw the embargoed version of Lord Hutton's report. [152599]

Lord Hutton set out the process for those to receive embargoed copies of his report. The number of advance copies and the associated undertakings of confidentiality were agreed between each of the parties and Lord Hutton. We have nothing further to add.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report on "Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction—Intelligence and Assessments, of September 2003". [152964]

I am today laying before the House the Government's Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's September 2003 Report "Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence and Assessments".

To ask the Prime Minister who the members of the (a) Museums and Galleries Commission, (b) National Heritage Memorial Fund, (c) Security Vetting Appeals Panel and (d) Committee on Standards in Public Life were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and what their remuneration is. [151456]

The Museums and Galleries Commission has been replaced by Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. The members and their term of office are as follows:

• Mr. Mark Wood BA MA (Chair)
• Appointed June 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr. David Barrie
• Appointed July 2000 for a four-year term
• Ms Lynne Brindley BA MA FRSA
• Appointed January 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr. Ajay Chowdhury
• Reappointed April 2003 for a four-year term
• Dr. Maurna Crozier
• Reappointed April 2003 for a one-year term
• Mr. Loyd Grossman
• Reappointed January 2004 for a four-year term
• Mr. Mark Jones
• Reappointed April 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr. Neil MacGregor
• Reappointed April 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr. Bill Macnaught
• Appointed February 2003 for a four-year term
• Dr. Robert McKee
• Appointed January 2003 for a four-year term
• Ms Jane Ryder
• Reappointed June 2003 for a three-year term
• Mr. Michael Stevenson
• Reappointed on April 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr. Alan Watkin
• Reappointed June 2003 for a four-year term
• Mr David Henshaw, Sir Geoffrey Holland, Mr. Nicholas Kingsley and Ms Virginia Tandy all appointed January 2003 for four-year terms.

The Chair is paid £32,000 per annum. Other board members do not receive remuneration although they are reimbursed for actual expenses incurred.The members of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and their term of office are as follows:

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions since May 1997 he has called for specific briefing from the Secret Intelligence Service; and if he will list the countries involved. [152319]

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason the time limit given to Cambridgeshire county council for an appeal against the Government's grant settlement is 27 January. [150134]

The deadline for Cambridgeshire county council to give notice of any objection to the Secretary of State's notice dated 13 January 2004 determining a minimum schools budget for the Council for the financial year 2004–05 was actually 26 January because section 45C(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 provides that any such objection must be made within 14 days beginning with the date of the notice determining a minimum schools budget. The Council did give notice of objection on 26 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reasons his Department rejected a request on 2 December 2003 from the leader of Cambridgeshire county council to discuss Cambridgeshire school's budgetary problems. [150835]

The Leader of Cambridgeshire county council wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister on 2 December with a copy to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills requesting a meeting with local government and education Ministers to discuss the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2004–05 and the implications for school funding. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Phil Hope), replied declining a meeting in line with the Government's clear position of not holding face-to-face meetings with local authorities during consultation on the provisional settlement. The Government believe that it would not be equitable to meet some authorities and not others. I recently met the Leader of the Council to hear the authority's position on the level of its schools budget for next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Chorley received free school transport to (a) secondary, (b) primary and (c) special schools in each year since 1996. [151273]

Although we collect data on home to school transport expenditure, we do not usually collect data on the number of children receiving free transport. However, in response to a recent survey, Lancashire said that it provides free home to school transport to about 17,000 pupils. Its expenditure on this was £16 million in 2001/02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on further education colleges of the recent increase in fees set by the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [151859]

The effect on further education colleges of the recent increase in fees set by the Criminal Records Bureau will vary from institution to institution depending on staff turnover and the number of students for which criminal records checks are required. The Department does not collect data relating to staff turnover as this is a matter purely for the institutions, neither can it predict the likely rate of staff turnover in future years.It is the Government's policy to provide colleges with core funding levels which enable them to raise standards while meeting necessary cost pressures, rather than to compensate colleges separately for individual cost increases. Under the spending review 2002 proposals funding per student will rise by 7 per cent. on average in real terms between 2002–03 and 2005–06.Funding rates are kept under review and adjusted to reflect changes in costs incurred by colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans his Department has to ban fast food advertising from vending machines in schools in England; and if he will make a statement. [152518]

The Department for Education and Skills has no plans to ban fast food advertising from vending machines in schools. The Headteacher and governing body of a school decide whether or not to install vending machines in schools, and where they are installed, the products that are sold.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of tuition fees on women medical students. [149761]

Under our proposals for the introduction of variable fees from 2006, women medical students who commence their undergraduate course in 2006 or later, will be liable to pay variable fees of up to £3,000 per year, if the institution they attend decides to charge them.The Government have made a number of proposals to safeguard access to higher education for those from low income families. Such students will continue, as now, to have the cost of the standard tuition fee (£1,125 in 2003/04) met by the Government. Around three in 10 students will also receive means tested Higher Education Grants of £1,000, to be raised to £1,500 for new students from 2006. In addition, many students from lower income families will be eligible for partial grant as well as bursaries and other support from universities under arrangements agreed by the Office of Fair Access.Fees for English domiciled medical students in years five and six are currently paid by the Department of Health. These students also qualify for means tested NHS bursaries in their fifth and subsequent years of study. Department of Health Ministers have indicated that they will, if necessary, take measures to ensure that any increase in the level of tuition fees will not have an adverse impact on the supply, retention, diversity or quality of students on health professional courses, including medicine. Arrangements for repayment of fee loans will, for all graduates, be heavily subsidised: graduates will repay their loans at zero real rate of interest and only when their income exceeds £15,000 per year. Repayments will then be made at a rate of 9 per cent. of income above £15,000. Loans will be written off after 25 years: that could particularly benefit female doctors who opt to take a career break.Figures collected in March 2003 show that 73 per cent. of newly qualified medical graduates in hospital posts earn £34,533 per annum. This compares very favourably with the salaries of other newly qualified graduates. According to Graduate Prospects, the average starting salary for graduate-level jobs was £18,000 in 2002/03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy that trainee teachers will be exempt from university top-up fees; and if he will make a statement. [151238]

My right hon. Friend announced on 27 January that he will commission a report next year to examine gateways into the professions and the recruitment of graduates to the public services under the new student finance system. The findings of the report will inform the next comprehensive spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether after the introduction of higher student fees he intends to maintain the universities block grant in real terms. [151966]

Future levels of funding for higher education will be subject to the outcomes of the current and subsequent spending reviews. I am, however, committed to safeguarding the level of funding for universities already set out to 2005–06 and expect to be able to deliver increases in future years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to transfer powers and responsibilities held by Learning and Skills Councils to elected regional assemblies where they are introduced. [152100]

None. However, elected Regional Assemblies, where introduced, will have an important economic role. In our White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" we set out proposals for each Assembly to appoint two members to the Board of each local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in its region, and for the national LSC to consult Assemblies on its guidance to the local LSCs. We also propose that focal LSCs will be required to have regard to Assembly strategies, including in drawing up their spending plans; and to consult the relevant Assembly about their local plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the implications of the grant settlement for 2004–05 on local education authorities' ability to provide centrally funded services. [152135]

The increase in Formula Grant for local education authorities for 2004–05 is 6.1 per cent. The increase for Schools Formula Spending is 5.7 per cent., which includes funding for centrally provided education services. The increase in the LEA sub-block is 3.4 per cent. which is higher than the rate of inflation. It is for authorities to balance their overall resources and spending pressures in drawing up their budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 26 January 2004, Official Report, column 145W, on school meals, who has statutory responsibility for the provision of school meals if the governing body of a school resigns. [152219]

School meal provision is the responsibility of the governing body of a school if the school's delegated budget share included funding for meals. If the members of the governing body of such a school all resigned, the governing body would still exist as a corporate entity and would retain the statutory responsibility for meals provision. Although the head teacher would be able to exercise decision-taking powers in accordance with any formal delegation previously agreed by the governing body, it would be for the local education authority to make arrangements as soon as possible for the reconstitution of the governing body membership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how value added measures will be used to determine action to be taken in (a) individual schools and (b) local education authorities. [152307]

Value added information on individual schools is published within the DIES School and College Performance Tables. The data may be used by schools and local authorities, alongside other information, to evaluate their performance in relation to pupils' progress. Local education authorities may augment the published information by providing schools with additional value added data, for example in relation to the performance of individual departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what value added score (a) a school and (b) a local education authority will need to achieve to be judged as satisfactory. [152335]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: Independent judgments about both schools and LEAs are principally a matter for Ofsted, through the inspection system. While an Ofsted judgment is likely to take into account value added criteria, the overall decision will be made on the basis of a wide range of inspection evidence.The Government have not set any upper or lower benchmarks in relation to published value added scores, but it is recognised that schools with scores at the lower end of the distribution for schools with similar levels of prior attainment are likely to be underperforming.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the Government's response to the proposed Common Agricultural Policy reform. [151958]

The Government will announce in a matter of weeks their decision on the method of payment for the CAP reform agreed last June.The Government are also engaged in the EU negotiations on proposals for further reform of the cotton, hops, olive oil, sugar and tobacco regimes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a national grant scheme will be set up to assist local authorities with their new powers under Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; and when the details of the scheme will be made available to local authorities. [151627]

I am very keen to ensure that the new right of access is implemented as smoothly as possible on the ground and I met the Countryside Agency recently to consider its proposals for a National Grant Scheme to help local authorities, land managers and communities manage open access in their areas proactively. If this scheme is approved, the Agency will announce further details and guidance including the percentage grant-aid available and when it will accept applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will quantify the financial impact on crematoria of introducing gas cleaning systems to all crematoria; and whether the principle of polluter pays will be adhered to. [151304]

In reply to the point on financial impact, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer of 17 November 2003, Official Report, column 623W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw).In line with the Polluter Pays Principle there are no funding packages linked to the Local Authority Pollution Control regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the implications for United Kingdom industry of the National Emissions Reduction Plan in relation to the Large Combustion Plant Directive. [150228]

Defra commissioned analysis from independent consultants which examined the costs and benefits of the two implementation approaches. This analysis carried out prior to the 2003 consultation on the Directive, suggested that for the 2008–2024 period the national plan approach would cost UK industry as a whole around £650 million whereas the alternative approach—the emission limit values approach—would cost around £900 million.We have received a range of comments on the analysis in the consultation, and are continuing to assess the potential economic impact on UK industry of the introduction of the Directive using both internal analyses and independent research. We are also in detailed dialogue with industry to help us to understand their views as expressed in response to consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the schemes under which payments are made to farmers in England; and what the total amounts paid under each scheme to (a) limited companies and (b) individuals were in the most recent year for which figures are available. [144458]

Providing this information in the form requested has involved considerable work to interrogate the computer records in order to produce the required figures for England. In order to do so it has been necessary to include all businesses that do not incorporate the term "limited" in their title in the trading name under the heading "individuals".The following figures represent payments made in the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund Year 2003—16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003—and do not include Common Agricultural Policy market support schemes.

£
Scheme	Limited companies value	Individuals value
Arable Area Payments	186,582,223.13	682,615,833.19
Arable Agrimonetary Aid	105,596.05	69,870.01
Beef Agrimonetary Aid	29,533.43	473,716.88
Beef National Envelope	991,509.93	13,630,439.57
Beef Special Premium	7,348,365.73	109,024,177.25
Extensification	3,338,151.33	51,927,956.37
Hill Farming Allowance	947,164.39	38,212,678.88
Milk	—	263,043.48
Sheep Annual Premium	4,437,189.52	100,437,173.61
Suckler Cow Premium	5,236,163.74	71,972,974.84
Sheep Agrimonetary Aid	89.70	7,809.36
Slaughter Premium	5,375,867.10	61,472,846.45
Rural Development Service Operated Schemes
Arable Stewardship	4,047,399.33	1,313,793.43
Countryside Access	2,417,329.19	16,643,660.50
Countryside Stewardship	—	31,451,770.61
Energy Crops	75,096.40	66,693.60
Environmentally Sensitive Areas	4,430,669.21	57,170,574.76
Farm Woodland Premium	1,518,910.06	6,809,501.96
Habitat	223,389.40	1,622,720.89
Moorland	—	25,350.00
Nitrate Sensitive Areas	333,897.80	1,304,479.48
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones	55,680.09	396,565.20
Organic Farming	1,855,784.37	7,833,778.95
Processing and Marketing Grant	5,558,457.51	1,664,423.52
Rural Enterprise	3,285,539.56	14,709,634.85
Vocational Training	601,553.90	1,296,838.65
Structural Funds	13,474,107.46	8,505,521.90
Total	252,269,668.33	1,280,923,828.19

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) number and (b) location of Information Technology staff in her Department employed directly or on contract at each location outside Guildford. [150614]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has made a strategic decision to outsource the majority of its IT service delivery and functions under the e-nabling Defra Programme.The following table outlines the number of people involved in IT-related work based at each location, outside Guildford (based on our records as at December 2003):

Location	Number of people undertaking IT related work1
9 Millbank, London	1
Alnwick	1
Ashdown House, London	26
Bristol	2
Bury St Edmunds	2
Caernarfon	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been conducted on measures to deal with diffuse water pollution; and when she expects to bring forward proposals for legislation. [150964]

[holding answer 30 January 2004]: The Government have funded programmes of research on the sources, transport and control of diffuse water pollution from agriculture over the last decade. The programmes cover nitrate, phosphorous, sediment/soil erosion, pathogens and the potential implications of control measures for different pollutants. The total annual budget (in 2003–04) is £3 million. The results of this research are available on the Defra website (www.defra.gov.uk/ science). The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has also published related work in its report "The impacts of agricultural environmental management: case studies from theory to practice", which is available on the SEPA website (www.sepa.org.uk/publications/index.htm).

To ask the Minister for Women what steps she has taken to reduce the pay gap; and what evaluation she has made of the success of those steps. [152066]

The pay gap is a complex issue and the Government have limited direct levers to reduce it. However, the Government have taken a number of steps to address the underlying causes including promoting pay reviews by providing business with the tools to undertake them, leading the way through Civil Service pay reviews, introducing the Equal Pay Questionnaire and increasing support for child care, flexible working and work-life balance.It is extremely difficult to measure the impact of Government policy on the gender pay gap. Latest figures show that the gender pay gap closed by 1 percentage point to 18 per cent. on the mean measure, and stands at 12.9 per cent. on the median measure.

To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the implications of the gender pay gap for levels of female employment. [152067]

I have not made any specific assessment of the implications of the gender pay gap for levels of female employment. The employment rate for women in the UK currently stands at 70 per cent., well above the EU average and above the Lisbon target for the female employment rate of 60 per cent.What research has shown is that higher levels of female employment tend to be associated with larger gender pay gaps. For example Eurostat figures show that the EU country with the lowest gender pay gap, Italy, also has one of the lowest female employment rates in the EU at just 42 per cent., nearly 30 percentage points below the UK's.

To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the work of the (a) Informed Choice programme and the (b) Extending Working Lives programme. [150146]

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement issued today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, at column 33WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how, following the grant to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research in December 2003, he will ensure that there is parallel continuity for the bilateral centrally-funded research programmes upon which developing countries have been relying for capacity building and poverty-eradicating applied research; and whether he is providing bilateral funds for such strategic activity. [152719]

I was pleased to announce in December 2003 an additional £30 million over the next three years for the work of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. The UK is an active member of the Group and will continue to play a full part in its efforts to mobilise agricultural science to reduce poverty. This funding is additional to the bilateral research programme. I expect to maintain a strong bilateral programme into the future with a clear focus on the millennium development goals.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in benefit fraud in each of the last six years; and what the amounts involved were in each of the cases listed. [152424]

DFID does not hold a central record of the information requested. I can confirm, however, that the Department is not aware of any of its staff having been involved in benefit fraud in any way within the last six years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department will take in relation to budget support to identify trends in where the Department's money is being spent. [152084]

By its nature general budget support cannot be explicitly tracked once it reaches the recipient country budget. Sector budget support can be clearly classified at the broad level, although how this is subsequently distributed between sub sectors is not always known. For example, we may not be able to say how much of our support to the education sector in a particular country is spent on basic education.However to inform our understanding of where DFID aid flows are being directed, we are developing a method whereby budget support will be notionally classified by extrapolation from the recipient country's own budget plans. So, for example, if the Government were planning to spend 30 per cent. of its budget

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of direct budget support in Uganda. [152086]

The UK's current budget support arrangement in Uganda began in 2000. Its purpose is to support continued growth and economic stability, to reduce inequality, and to improve the impact of public spending in sectors that are key to poverty reduction and growth.An internal Project Completion Report (PCR) of the arrangement was completed in September 2003. It concluded that our support had significantly achieved its purpose. The flexibility and predictability of our budget support, together with the role we play in policy dialogue and in providing technical assistance, were identified as important to this success. The strength of our partnerships with Government and also with other donors have also been crucial. Most macroeconomic targets have been met, and the share of Government spending on poverty programmes has increased significantly. The impact of this expenditure has been shown, for example, in growing primary education enrolment, and in important health indicators such as attendance at primary health care clinics. A recent `stocktaking' review of the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC), to which DFID's budget support is linked, has also reported positively on the PRSC budget support instrument.DFID commissioned an independent evaluation study of direct budget support in 2002. The first phase of this study (December 2002) developed a framework for evaluation that could be applied widely, using Uganda as a particular example. It concluded that budget support had led to improvements in the efficiency of budget allocations, the effectiveness of state institutions, and the degree of public accountability. This work is being used as the basis of a more comprehensive joint donor evaluation of budget support that is now getting under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received from the National Audit Office on financial controls on direct budget support. [152087]

DFID works closely with the National Audit Office (NAO) to improve the value for money of the work we do. DFID worked with the NAO to develop and implement our corporate fiduciary risk policy. This is central to the appraisal and management of the risks associated with providing direct budget support.The NAO recently undertook a review of the safeguards we have in place to prevent misappropriation and diversion of UK aid. This was an important opportunity to take a joint look at the full range of our

financial controls, including how we manage the fiduciary risk of budget support. The review concluded that:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the nature was of the £800,000 in bilateral aid from the UK to the People's Democratic Republic of Korea in 2001; and what the nature is of current UK bilateral aid to North Korea. [152404]

The £800,000 was humanitarian assistance that was channelled through the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to support the health care system through the distribution of drugs and basic medical equipment. Also in 2001–02, we provided £1,200,000 to support UNICEF's primary health care programme and £75,000 to the IFRC for emergency assistance to flood victims. In 2002–03, we provided £200,000 to the IFRC for its flood prevention work.We have recently approved a grant of £1,023,000 to support UNICEF's work, in 2004, in primary health care, including improvements to the water and sanitation systems as well as essential medical supplies such as vaccinations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to maintain the UK's role in European Union research networks for renewable natural resources which are geared to helping developing countries to attain the Millennium Development Goals. [152539]

The principal network is the European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development which aims to improve the relevance and effectiveness of European investments in agricultural research to reduce poverty in developing countries. The initiative is recognised by the European Parliament and Council and implemented by a coordinating group of members of the European Commission, the member states of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland. The UK is an active participant in the initiative and in the co-ordinating group. An official from my Department is currently seconded to the initiative as its executive secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many university links have been established by the higher education Link Scheme funded by his Department; and how the scheme is promoted in UK universities. [152082]

It is estimated that some 3,200 Links between higher education institutions in the UK and in 45 developing countries have been supported by the scheme since its establishment in 1981. The British Council manages and promotes the scheme. Higher education institutions in developing countries submit applications for Links funding to the Council (which will help identify suitable UK partners if the applicant requests this).The current Links Scheme is due to end in March 2006 and no new applications for funding can be accepted. However DFID is currently considering the report of a review of the scheme and possible future options for higher education partnerships. A decision on the outcome of that review is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-governmental organisations active in Zimbabwe are receiving funding from his Department. [152514]

DFID directly funds a large number of international and Zimbabwean NGOs as part of its humanitarian support for food aid, agricultural recovery and HIV/AIDS. We support numerous NGOs indirectly through the funds we provide to UN agencies operating in Zimbabwe, such as World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Through our membership of the European Union (EU), the UK is also a significant contributor to NGO programmes through the EU's ECHO and Euronaid humanitarian programmes in Zimbabwe.DFID's main international NGO partners for relief and recovery in Zimbabwe are CAFOD, Christian Aid, Save the Children (UK), Oxfam, John Snow International, HELP (Germany), CARE international and Catholic Relief Service. Our major Zimbabwean NGO partners are FOSENET (a consortia of Zimbabwean NGOs), Farm Community Trust Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Red Cross.Our HIV/AIDS programme in Zimbabwe includes support for HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives implemented by local faith-based organisations, through Population Services International, and home-based care groups through John Snow International (UK).

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to hasten the implementation of the Dee Cockle Regulation Order. [150041]

I understand that both the Welsh Assembly and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have responded swiftly and positively to requests for assistance in this matter from the Environment Agency Wales and stand ready to do so again if required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the visits he has made to armed forces' bases in Wales since October 2002. [151739]

I recently met Brigadier Iain Cholerton, Commander 160 (Wales) Brigade and will shortly be visiting a Territorial Army training operation at Maindy Barracks in Cardiff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the First Minister of the National Assembly to discuss (a) the Richard Commission in general, (b) the Labour Party's evidence to the Commission and (c) any differences between the Labour Party's Assembly Group's evidence and the evidence given by some Welsh Labour hon. Members. [150056]

I meet the First Minister on a weekly basis and we discuss a wide range of issues including the Richard Commission. The Labour Party's position vis-à-vis the Commission is a matter for the party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the transfer of money for 2003–04 to the Department for Constitutional Affairs in respect of the Wales Office. [152245]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 November 2003, Official Report, columns 1–2WS, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's written statement on 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 17WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the provisions relating to statutory sick pay, contained in the Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 apply to agency workers. [151838]

The Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 repealed a provision that prevented workers with contracts of three months or less from being entitled to SSP. Therefore all workers including agency workers may be entitled to SSP from day one, if they are treated as employees for National Insurance Contribution purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many successful prosecutions have been brought under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 against (a) employment agencies and (b) gangmasters supplying labour to the UK's agricultural industry. [152098]

The total number of successful prosecutions undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 is as follows:

	Prosecutions
1977	1
1978	12
1979	15
1980	8
1981	7
1982	5
1983	5
1984	0
1985	2
1986	3
1987	1
1988	0
1989	0
1990	0
1991	0
1992 (to 31March 1992)	0
1992–93	3
1993–94	7
1994–95	3
1995–96	3
1996–97	11
1997–98	14
1998–99	3
1999–2000	3
2000–01	2
2001–02	8
2002–03	8

Data broken down by sector of the private recruitment industry are not available. However, a gangmaster was prosecuted in 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action has been taken and how much has been spent by the Government on promoting the annual tax exemption on loaned computers since it was introduced in 1999. [152064]

I have been asked to reply.The exemption was set out in Budget and other published material when it was introduced in 1999, and it now features in publicly available Inland Revenue guidance on employment expenses and benefits.The exemption has recently received a major promotional boost with the launch, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 19 January, of guidelines on Home Computing Initiatives. The Government have spent £370,000 on the production, promotion and distribution of these guidelines. Industry partners have also pledged significant funds and resources to promote the guidelines and HCI schemes more broadly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) resource and (b) capital budget for her Department for each year between 1997 and 2007. [151800]

[holding answer 29 January 2004]: These are listed on pages 190 and 194 of "Central Government Supply Estimates 2003–04 Supplementary Budgetary Information" (Cm 5797, May 2003), where a breakdown is available. Figures are shown from 1998–99 (the first year for which resource information was produced) to 2005–06 (the final year of the current Spending Review period). The summary figures are:

£000
	Resource budget	Capital budget
1998–99	3,107,878	18,303
1999–2000	4,547,569	-8,205
2000–01	6,579,561	37,860
2001–02	6,595,438	88,840
2002–03	7,652,813	376,308
2003–04	4,918,551	1,196,194
2004–05	5,260,042	164,000
2005–06	5,738,519	101,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether her Department has made an analysis of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on the availability of free-of-charge, printed information at public libraries; [149488](2) whether her Department has made an analysis of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on voluntary sector organisations providing free advice to the public in this area. [149489]

Yes. Last year the Department consulted leading customers to find out how our information on employment rights could be better focussed on users' needs. As part of this review, an assessment was made of the impact of withdrawing employment rights booklets, using information provided by the Department's distribution service. Public libraries did not appear as regular customers of the distribution service.The review concluded that Acas and other organisations who provide advice to employers and employees are generally better able to provide user-focussed advice, based on factual advice supplied by the Department. Acas recently produced a series of booklets summarising individual rights. These can be obtained free-of-charge from the Acas distribution centre on 08702 429090.Although voluntary sector organisations have been major users of the Department's employment rights booklets, I consider that Acas is generally better able to provide advice which meets the needs of these organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of withdrawing paper copies of its leaflets on employment rights on sections of the public who have difficulties either accessing or using the internet. [149561]

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question No. 149488, at column 776W.The Department has put in place special arrangements to supply our employment rights booklets on request where individuals are unable to access or use the internet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the list of additional middle water vessels to be added to the list of vessels eligible for Icelandic fishermen's compensation claims; what period will be allowed for appeals; and when she plans to begin processing claims. [151978]

[holding answer 30 January 2004]: I expect to publish a list of additional vessels on 2 February 2004. There will then be a period of three weeks for trawlermen or their representatives to appeal in respect of vessels not accepted on the list. Work on processing claims will begin immediately—there is no need for claimants to submit new applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what surveys between employers and employees were carried out before the legislation on flexible working was implemented; and what comparative surveys have been carried out since the legislation has been implemented. [151830]

Between December 2002 and April 2003, fieldwork was carried out for two DTI Work-Life Balance studies. Data were collected from employers and employees to provide a baseline for future evaluation of the availability and take-up of flexible working. Details of the results can be found at: www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar To provide a direct comparison over time, it is planned that both surveys will be repeated in 2006.The Department has subsequently commissioned questions on flexible working for an Office for National Statistics Omnibus survey. Results will become available in spring 2004.The Department is also working with key intermediaries, such as Working Families and Maternity Alliance, to gather qualitative evidence through member/supporter surveys. Additionally, in September 2003, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and Lovells conducted a survey of employers on the use of the flexible working law in the first six months after its implementation.Data collected will form the evidence base for a review of the legislation which the Government have said will commence in 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) children and (b) elderly people are living in fuel poor households in (i) the East Midlands and (b) West Derbyshire. [150922]

Fuel poverty defined as occurring when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on all fuels in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.The available information from the English House Condition Survey indicates that in 2001 there were 160,000 fuel poor households in the East Midlands Government Office region. (The current published official estimates of fuel poverty are extrapolated from a sample survey of 17,500 dwellings).More detailed breakdowns within the East Midlands Government Office region are not available from this survey as the sample size is not large enough to enable reliable detailed estimates of fuel poverty at a more local level to be produced.In England in 2001 under this definition there were 1.7 million households in fuel poverty. Of these, 210,000 contained children. 904,000 contained one or more persons aged 60 or more. The Government's estimates are available at:www.dti.gov.uk/energy/consumers/ fuel_poverty/index.shtml

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to maintain the nuclear skills base. [152042]

The Government have been assisting in the establishment of a Sector Skills Council to represent the needs of the nuclear industry. Cogent Sector Skills Council is expected to be licensed shortly and will take a strategic view of the nuclear sector to ensure that the education and training base can meet nuclear employer's current and future needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will conduct a public consultation on nuclear power. [152043]

No. The Government consulted fully on energy policy, including nuclear, for the Energy White Paper published in February 2003. The White Paper clearly states that before any decision to proceed with the building of new nuclear power stations, there would need to be the fullest public consultation and the publication of a white paper setting out the Government's proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions she has had with Postcomm about the access charges to be charged by Royal Mail to private mail companies using parts of their network; [146125](2) what estimate she has made of the

My Department has a regular dialogue with Postcomm on a wide range of postal issues concerning the postal market. However, decisions on access pricing are a matter for the companies concerned and for the regulator.Estimating the revenue and profit generated by Royal Mail through access charges charged to private mail companies using part of their network is a commercial matter for the Board of the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanisms are in place to assess the development of new products, services and processes which arise as a result of research and development tax credits; and what assessment has been made using these mechanisms. [152061]

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 19 January 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of completed projects failed to meet their required performance targets in each of the regional development agencies in each of the last five years. [152062]

Each RDA is involved in a huge number of projects at any one time and many as a co-funder with local and regional partners. Output targets are set for each project but this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the take-up rates have been for the New Elements of the Smart scheme in each quarter since their inception in 1999. [152057]

The figures in the following tables show the number of applications received and offers made under the Smart scheme from 1 March 1999. The new elements introduced under Smart in 1999 were Micro Projects, Technology Reviews and Technology Studies. Micro projects were launched in August 1999 and Reviews and Studies in October 1999.The Feasibility, Development and Micro elements of Smart closed to applications on 31 August 2003. The Reviews and Studies element closed to applications on 31 May 2003.