To ask the Prime Minister, whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have visited the members of the Iraq Survey Group in Basra; and what assessment he has made of their personal safety as they carry out their task. [152508]

Neither I, nor my Ministers have visited the Iraq Survey Group in Basra. I and my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence have visited the headquarters of the United Kingdom Brigade in Basra.The assessment of the personal safety of Iraq Survey Group personnel must be made by the local commander who can judge the security situation on the ground. The safety of personnel is the over-riding concern during the planning of Iraq Survey Group activities. If necessary, added Force Protection can be provided to the Iraq Survey Group while they conduct missions within the UK Area of Operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people (a) in the UK and (b) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East have benefited from the minimum wage; and what measures are in place to ensure that employers are paying the statutory hourly minimum wage. [148401]

Based on the Office for National Statistics' low pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that around 1.2 million people in the UK should have benefited from the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999. We also estimate that between one million and 1.2 million people in the UK should have benefited from the increase in the minimum wage rates in October 2003.It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East. However, the DTI estimates that around 80,000 people in the North East should have benefited from the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999 and that between 80,000 and 90,000 people in the North East should have benefited from the increase in the minimum wage rates in October 2003.The Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf on the DTI. If a worker believes they are not receiving the minimum wage they should contact the minimum wage helpline (0845 6000678). All complaints about underpayment, including those from third parties, will be investigated. The Revenue also make use of their own data, including tax credits information, to make proactive visits to employers whom they suspect may not be paying the minimum wage. In 2002–03 the Revenue completed over 6,200 investigations and identified £3.6 million of minimum wage arrears.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the request from the hon. Member for Leicester, East for a meeting on the way the Insolvency Service has dealt with BCCI. [149267]

A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 13 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what written guidelines her Department has produced for staff (a) in her Department and (b) in Trade Partners on how they should respond to allegations of overseas bribery and corruption; on what date these guidelines were published; and if she will place a copy in the Library. [151513]

Guidance on these issues issued in January 2002, February 2002 and March 2003 to relevant staff in both the DTI and what is now UK Trade and Investment, as well as other relevant government departments. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Background guidance including an information leaflet on bribery and corruption (a copy of which was deposited in the Libraries of the House on 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 265W) is also included on the UKTI website www.uktradejnvest.gov.uk. The guidance complements that provided to all Crown Servants in the "Giving Evidence or Information about Suspected Crimes—A guide for Crown Servants". This report was placed in the Libraries of the House on 20 March 1997 under reference dep/3/4876. It can also be accessed at website http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/../..central/2001/crownser.pdf.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many allegations of overseas bribery and corruption her Department has received since 1997; on what dates the allegations were received; and what action her Department took. [151517]

To provide the information requested would involve a manual search of files which would incur disproportionate costs. Furthermore, we cannot comment on individual reports received in order not to prejudice possible criminal investigations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the change in the number of successful high growth business start-ups in each year since 1997. [152054]

The estimated number was as follows:

	Number
1997	12,200
1998	12,200
1999 (provisional)	12,900

These estimates are based on the following definition of HGSU:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the likely level of demand for community interest companies over the next five years. [151714]

[holding answer 29 January 2004]: The Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill, published by the Department in December 2003, used a working assumption that initially between 100 and 300 new community interest companies might register each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2004, Official Report, column 1446W, when she will write to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North. [152390]

A response was sent to my hon. Friend on 27 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on recruitment advertisements in the press, broken down by publication, by (a) her Department, (b) quangos under the Department and (c) non-departmental Government bodies under the Department (i) in the last year and (ii) since 1997. [145807]

When running recruitment campaigns, my Department uses the most appropriate advertising media, be it national, regional, local, trade magazine or website, depending on the nature of the post to be filled. We use the service of advertising agencies to place our advertisements and to seek appropriate media advice.Individual management units generally meet recruitment costs from their own delegated budgets and there are no centrally held records of the breakdown of advertising costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications there have been for compensation from former Icelandic waters trawlermen which (a) have been successful, (b) have been unsuccessful, (c) have been put on hold and (d) which are pending a decision, broken down by region of the UK. [152393]

Up to January this year 4,750 trawlermen had been paid a total of £40.7million. A total of 2,973 claims had been assessed as not qualifying for compensation. There are no claims on hold. Following is a breakdown of the numbers of payments and compensation by current area of residence:

£
Location	Number of payments'	Amount paid
Hull	1766	18.4 million
Grimsby	821	5.5 million
Fleetwood	363	3.1 million
Blackpool	54	404 thousand
Cleethorpes	226	1.6 million
Newcastle	370	3.6 million
West Yorkshire	237	2 million
Aberdeen	290	1.5 million
Others	623	4.5 million

I regret that there is no breakdown of claims not qualifying for compensation. I have today announced my proposals to extend the scheme list by 21 vessels. Claims from trawlermen who worked on these vessels will be re-examined with additional compensation for those who qualify.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the minimum payment under the Miners' Pension Fund; and if she will make a statement. [149796]

The level of pension payments by the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme is a matter for the Scheme's Trustees. In September last year they announced an increase in pensions in line with RPI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent investigating companies suspected of having broken the rules on the minimum wage in each year since its introduction. [148173]

The Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI). The following table gives details of the funding the DTI has provided the Revenue in each year since the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999.

	£ million
1999–2000	3.5 plus 1.9 start-up costs
2000–01	3.5
2001–02	4.7
2002–03	5.85
2003–04 (forecast)	5.7

Funding in the first two years did not cover overheads, including accommodation costs. Three new compliance teams were established in 2002–03, as were a number of local enforcement pilot projects to help improve compliance with the minimum wage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she is taking to ensure the integrity of the national power grid. [151260]

Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the national transmission system rests with the National Grid Company (NGC). NGC have a number of important statutory and licence duties relating to the development and maintenance of their system. The duty for enforcing these licence and statutory obligations rests with Ofgem.Officials in my Engineering Inspectorate monitor power failures attributed to the national grid on an ongoing basis and they liaise with staff in the transmission companies to ensure adequate remedial measures are put in place. At my request, Inspectors recently completed a formal investigation of the major interruptions on 28 August and 5 September 2003 and the conclusions and recommendations have been shared with the companies. Inspectors will be liaising with the companies over the coming months to ensure the recommendations are implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to explore the licensing of new nuclear technologies in the United Kingdom. [152041]

No steps are being taken by Government. It is for industry to bring forward any applications for a licence under the provisions of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on companies selling online competitively-priced CDs and DVDs to residents of the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [152416]

Provided companies are acting legally, online sales of CDs and DVDs will increase competition, providing consumers in the UK with more choice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the use of telephone transferred charge calls to propogate unwanted pornographic messages; and if she will make a statement. [152541]

None. However the law relating to pornography applies online as it does offline. Unsolicited emails and reverse SMS messages advertising pornographic services are prohibited by the regulations implementing a recent EC Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications, and which are enforced by the Information Commissioner's office. The mobile operators are drawing up a code of practice to cover new forms of content including pornography. Premium rate services continue to be regulated by the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of discussions with major high street banks on the provision of banking services at post offices; and if she will make a statement. [151989]

As a result of constructive discussions with the major financial institutions, all the high street banks and the Nationwide Building Society are making a very positive contribution to universal banking services, providing customers with free access to basic bank accounts at post offices, and making significant financial contribution (£180 million) to the cost of running the Post Office card account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that there is adequate consultation with relevant hon. Members and other interested parties when an urban post office is nominated for closure. [150616]

Proposals for closures of sub-post offices under the urban network reinvention programme are put out to public consultation, including relevant Members of Parliament, in accordance with the code of practice agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch. In preparing closure proposals, Post Office Ltd. collect a range of information relevant to the provision of post office services in an area. This includes local authority plans, environmental and transport information, local shopping habits and other local developments and features. With the move to area plans, the public consultation period has been extended from four to six weeks during which comments and representations, including new or additional information, can be submitted for consideration by Post Office Ltd. before they reach a final decision. Recent experience of the programme has shown that there is a clear need for Post Office Ltd. to respond promptly to issues raised during the consultation and to explain its decisions more fully. The Government has impressed on the company the urgent need to improve its performance on this aspect of the programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Urban Reinvention Programme's consultation process for closure proposals. [150816]

Recent experience of the programme has shown that there is a clear need for Post Office Ltd. to respond promptly to issues raised during the consultation and to explain its decisions more fully. The Government has impressed on the company the urgent need to improve its performance on this aspect of the programme. There is also an escalation procedure agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch for handling disputed proposals which can be applied in the small number of cases where Postwatch opposes the closure proposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who the members of the (a) North West Industrial Development Board, (b) South West Industrial Development Board and (c) Eastern Region Industrial Development Board were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and what their remuneration is. [151300]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the claims for research and development tax credits that have been received by the Government have led to the development of a new product, service or process. [152060]

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 progress has been made towards the achievement of (a) targets and (b) delivery of the (i) regional economic strategy and (ii) corporate plan of each of the regional development agencies. [152063]

England's Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), working with their regional and local partners and stakeholders, have produced Regional Economic Strategies (RESs) which set out the medium to long term vision for the economic development of their regions. They are designed to be implemented by the RDA and by regional partners and stakeholders. Each RDA monitors and reports to its region on delivery of the RES differently but the Annual Report and Accounts, which the eight RDAs outside London are required to produce, outline the achievements and progress made by each RDA. They are laid in Parliament and copies are available in the Libraries of the House. I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 17 July 2003 about the Annual Reports and Accounts for 2002–03. The London Development Agency also produces an annual report and accounts, outlining achievements and progress, which is available on its website.The Government has agreed a common framework of targets for the RDAs to achieve. (The framework can be viewed on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/rda/in.fo/index.htm.) Target levels are set through the Corporate Planning process and current targets were agreed by Ministers (and, in London, by the Mayor) and published in RDA's Corporate Plans for 2003–2006. The RDA details the activities and initiatives it will undertake in order to help implement the RES, and to contribute to the achievement of the targets set, within its Corporate Plan. Progress on achievement of the Tier 3 output targets is published six monthly and I refer the hon. Member to the statements I made on 7 July 2003 and today.The Corporate Plans, RESs, and Annual Reports and Accounts are available on each RDA's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many seminars the Government has organised for the UK business community since 1997 on (a) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Convention and Combating Bribery and (b) Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; on which dates and in which locations; and (i) how many and (ii) which companies attended each seminar. [151588]

Since 2002 officials have run seminars or given presentations covering both (a) and (b) in several locations including those listed as follows. However, accurate numbers and details of those who attended events since 2002, and any information for the period between 1997 and 2002 would involve a search of records and company research which would Incur disproportionate costs.

	Location
January 2002	London, UK
October 2002	Moscow, Russia
January 2003	Birmingham, UK
March 2003	Panama City, Panama
March 2003	Mexico City, Mecico
June 2003	Bogota, Colombia
December 2003	Tehran, Iran
December 2003	Kuwait City, Kuwait

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the oral answer of 6 January to the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart), Official Report, column 156, what action she has taken to ensure that, as a result of the UN Technology Summit in Geneva, the benefits of information and communication flow to all in society. [152270]

[holding answer 3 February 2004]: The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Geneva on 10–12 December 2003. It focused on increasing the opportunities and allow the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) to flow to all.The WSIS Action Plan formally asked that the Secretary General of the United Nations set up a task force to review the adequacy of all existing financial mechanisms to meet the challenges of ICT for development, by 2005. The Secretary General was also mandated to set up a working group on internet governance to investigate and make proposals for action on the governance of the internet, also by 2005, to coincide with the second phase of the Summit.Preparations for the second phase will start officially with a meeting in the Autumn of 2004, but there will be a series of related workshops and meetings held from this Spring.From the beginning, the UK encouraged the Summit to create a framework for initiatives to meet local peoples' needs, particularly "enabling partnerships" supported by governments, private sector partners, civil society and local "champions". The UK is already engaged in this partnership approach to reduce poverty and meet our Millennium Development Goals. We will continue to promote this up to the second phase of the Summit in Tunis in November 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the contribution of the (a) concrete content of foundations, (b) losses in transmission and (c) the construction of necessary supports infrastructure to the (i) energy and (ii) carbon costs of wind farms. [152448]

Research has shown that a modern wind turbine will recover all of the energy expended in its manufacture, operation and decommissioning within approximately three months. This figure is similar for onshore and offshore wind turbines. Exact figures for energy costs vary depending on the type of turbine, location, etc. However, a reasonable estimate in the construction of an onshore turbine is that (a) foundation energy costs account for up to 5 per cent. of the total and (b) support infrastructure accounts for less than 20 per cent. The rest is primarily accounted for in the manufacture of the turbine itself.Over an operating lifetime of 20 years, an onshore turbine is expected to recover over 80 times the input energy required. This figure also includes maintenance energy requirements and transmission losses of 6 to 9 per cent. Carbon savings are dependent on the emissions from electricity that would otherwise have been produced from conventional power stations, but it is reasonable to assume that the lifetime savings will be of a similar multiple. The energy recovery for an offshore turbine is expected to be higher due to higher energy outputs over a longer lifetime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the additional cost of reinforcing the transmission grid to cope with the addition of wind farm-generated electricity. [152451]

The Transmission Issues Working Group reported in June 2003 that the overall cost to connect an additional 12 GW of renewable energy generation to the GB network would cost £2.1 billion. National Grid Transco, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy are currently revising these costs.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to regionalise the administration and management of the Civil Service. [152103]

The administration and management of the Civil Service, other than for Senior Civil Service, is delegated to Departments. Sir Michael Lyons is conducting a review of the scope for relocating Civil Service jobs/functions out of London and the South East.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the cost of bird scarers and (b) their efficacy in preventing RAF bird-strikes. [152459]

In 2003 approximately £1.5 million was spent on bird control at RAF stations.The use of bird scarers reduces the number of bird-strikes when aircraft are close to the airfield. However the majority of bird-strikes occur when the aircraft is in flight; Bird Control Units can do nothing to prevent these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pairs of correctly fitting boots each trainee receives at Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. [152377]

New recruits to the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick are all issued with one pair of correctly fitting boots when they first commence training. These boots are exchangeable as necessary for reasons of fair wear and tear, accidental damage, etc. during the course of training. On completion of training, each successful recruit is issued with one further pair of boots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much space, expressed in square metres, the Department occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London. [150289]

MOD headquarters activity is currently carried out in six buildings in central London. Both military and civilian personnel occupy office space. The net usable area of these buildings, not including circulation, columns and walls, to the nearest square metre, is laid out in the following table.

Building	Net usable area (m2)
Metropole Building	15,528
Northumberland Avenue	10,285
Old War Office	25,396
St. Georges Court	20,835
Great Scotland Yard	14,631
Total	97,165
1Includes circulation.

The Main Building redevelopment project completes in 2004. Following reoccupation the MOD will dispose of four of the buildings listed in the table. Headquarters activities will be concentrated in two Whitehall sites, with one further building in central London, as part of an overall reduction in staff in central London from over 12,500 in 1990 to less than 5,200 by the time the project completes. The net usable area for these buildings, to the nearest square metre, is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of staff employed within his Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age. [145770]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 20 January 2004, Official Report, columns 1130–34W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the resources available for driver training in the armed forces. [152303]

No specific representations have been received regarding the resources available for driver training in the armed forces. However, in common with all other aspects of individual training, the resources available are under constant review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the appointment of the Head of the European Armaments Agency. [150784]

The European Union's General Affairs and External Relations Council decided on 17 November last that a new European Agency should be created in the fields of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments.The Head of the Agency will be the EU High Representative for European Foreign and Security Affairs, Javier Solana.It was announced on 29 January that a Ministry of Defence official, Mr. Nick Witney, currently Director General International Security Policy, has been appointed to lead the Agency Establishment Team.The Government welcome these developments and look forward to the Agency contributing to the strengthening of defence capabilities of the European Security and Defence Policy and Europe's contribution to NATO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are based in Wales. [152246]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November 2003, Official Report, columns 324–25W, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what protection from radioactive fallout is offered to UK forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [148294]

In accordance with NATO agreed definitions the Ministry of Defence defines fallout as the return to lower atmospheric layers and to earth of radioactive substances projected to high altitude, and contaminated particulate matter and debris absorbed into the cloud of a nuclear burst. Fallout will result from the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Radiological contamination can occur from the use of a radiation dispersion device. The likelihood of either occurring in Iraq is currently assessed as low.MOD has safety instructions on the measures to protect personnel from radioactive fallout, radiological contamination and Environmental Industrial Hazards. The measures the military adopt follow UK best practice for nuclear protection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are deployed in Iraq. [150149]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: As at 27 January 2004, there were around 10,000 United Kingdom personnel in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) tanks, (b) armoured personnel carriers and (c) other equipment used by troops from Welsh battalions stationed in Iraq were fully upgraded for use in desert conditions; and what the cost was of these upgrades. [151745]

The only Welsh battalion to have deployed on Operation Telic to date is 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Wales (RRW), which does not operate Main Battle Tanks. 1RRW operates Warrior and FV 430 armoured personnel carriers and these were considered fit for use in desert conditions and were not modified for this purpose prior to or during operations. The unit also operates Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) [CVR(T)]. These vehicles were also considered fit for use in desert conditions and were not modified for this purpose prior to or during Operation Telic.Units will also utilise other Combat Support Vehicles in theatre. These include Battlefield Ambulances of which all those deployed on Operation Telic were modified for use in desert conditions under an Urgent Operational Requirement at a cost of £8,000 per vehicle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1247W, about the Iraq Survey Group, if he will break down the figure (a) by nationalities and (b) by speciality; and what the figures were for January 2003. [151538]

The figure of 1,272 personnel in the Iraq Survey Group is broken down as follows:

	Number
United States	1,210
United Kingdom	52
Australia	10

United Kingdom contribution consists of 31 Service personnel (Army 20, Royal Air Force 7, Royal Navy 4) serving as Headquarters staff, Signals staff, EOD staff, Collection Team Commanders and interviewers/ interpreters; and 21 civilians who are scientific and technical specialists. The breakdown by specialism of other coalition members' contributions is a matter for their Governments.There are no comparable figures for January 2003 as the Iraq Survey Group was not established until June 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget of the Ministry of Defence Police has been in each of the past five years in current prices; and what the planned budget is for the next three years. [152238]

The Department now reports in Resource Accounting Terms. Budgetary figures from 2002–03 onwards are therefore not entirely comparable with those recorded for earlier years. Budgets from 2002–03 are broken down into Resource Defence Expenditure Limit (DEL), Capital DEL and Annual Managed Expenditure (AME). The Ministry of Defence Police budget figures, at then outturn prices, were as follows:

	£ million
1999–2000	134.237
2000–01	139.145
2001–02	132.732
2002–03
Resource DEL	141.932
Capital DEL	1.160
AME	4.767
2003–04
Resource DEL	151.716
Capital DEL	1.795
AME	7.183

Budgets for future years are set at the appropriate time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the overall allocation is of night-vision goggles to the (a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force. [149878]

[holding answer 22 January 2004]: NVGs used by aircrew are not allocated on a Service basis. NVGs are issued to Front Line Commands according to operational requirements and as such, the numbers vary on a day to day basis. As at 31 December 2003, 307 aircrew NVGs were held by CINFLEET, 882 by Joint Helicopter Command (which operates both Army and RAF helicopters) and 865 by RAF Strike Command. A further 287 aircrew NVGs were undergoing repair or maintenance at designated regional repair facilities. NVGs can be operated only in helicopters that have been specifically modified for this role and are fitted to allow operation with NVGs according to their tactical role in operations.In addition to aircrew NVGs the following quantities of night vision weapon sights and goggles are held:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether individual soldiers are permitted to buy components for their army-issued personal radio systems. [152378]

No. There are well-established procedures in place for units to address shortages of equipment through the Ministry of Defence supply system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list sites owned by his Department that are being considered for storing radioactive waste as part of project ISOLUS. [152380]

117 Ministry of Defence owned coastal sites are being considered for suitability to store radioactive material from nuclear-powered submarines under Project ISOLUS. Many have been dismissed and I will make an announcement once it has been established which of the remaining sites, or others that may yet be identified, warrant further consideration.I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 6 January 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF flying posts there are this year; and how many are planned for each of the next three years. [152222]

I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the report of the Defence Aviation Safety Centre into the possible impact on public safety of the relocation of glider squadrons to RAF Halton. [147968]

The Defence Aviation Safety Centre conducted a risk management survey on both RAF Henlow and RAF Halton in late 2003. Copies of the section of the report relating to RAF Halton and specifically the measures to ensure that the Station operates safely have been placed in the Library of the House today. It is expected that the recommendations proposed for RAF Halton will be fully adopted to ensure that the Station continues to operate safely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether there were breaches of security at RAF Leeming during the evening of 29 November and early morning of 30 November 2003; and whether an unauthorised person was able to approach within about 50 m of the vehicles of the Nuclear Weapons Convoy while parked at RAF Leeming; [147075](2)how his Department keeps under review the protection and security arrangements at RAF Leeming; if he will make available the outcome and recommendations of such reviews; and if he will make a statement; [147076](3)whether the convoy of road vehicles used in the transportation of nuclear warheads to and from RNAD Coulport and the Atomic Weapons Establishments in Berkshire stopped overnight at RAF Leeming on the night of 29 and 30 November 2003; and whether it was carrying nuclear warheads; [147077](4)whether for the transport and storage of fissile materials the United Kingdom adopts the security and protection standards prescribed by IAEA INFCIRC/225 Rev 4; [147078](5)whether, in addition to IAEA INFCIRC/225, his Department applies further safeguards during transit and storage of nuclear warheads that are equivalent to the United States Department of Energy's stored weapons standard; [147079](6)if he will make a statement on security at RAF stations. [151684]

I can confirm that an unauthorised person gained entry to RAF Leeming while a convoy of military vehicles stopped overnight on 29 November 2003 at the base. The person was subsequently escorted off the premises by the Ministry of Defence Police. In accordance with Government policy, I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular place or time. Security at MOD establishments, including RAF Leeming, is kept under constant review. It would not be appropriate to disclose details of security reviews or their recommendations and I am therefore withholding the information requested under Exemption la of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF stations there were in the UK in (a) 2003 and (b) 1993; and how many accommodated flying operations in each year. [151629]

In 1993, there were 83 RAF stations in the UK; in 2003, there were 47. In 1993, 36 stations had active runways or helicopter landing pads; in 2003, 28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) exercises and (b) training course places involving reservists have been (i) cancelled and (ii) withdrawn in each of the three armed services in the last two years. [149305]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: The information requested is not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for changes in (a) manning levels and (b) overall structure of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment; and if he will make a statement. [151188]

The staff of Headquarter British Forces Gibraltar are currently reviewing the military and ceremonial tasks of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment to identify the appropriate levels of readiness; to re-validate structures and manpower levels of the Regiment; and to develop the training requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on lean manned ships for the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. [152244]

In the Naval Service, the Type 23 frigates are commonly known as Lean Manned ships. The increased use of automation enabled a smaller ship's complement, with an emphasis on skilled maintainers and operators. A consequent reduction in the proportion of junior personnel available for manual tasks has been alleviated by providing additional civilian manpower to undertake cleaning, painting and dining hall support when the ships are in harbour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Sea Harrier will be withdrawn from service. [152604]

The first of three Sea Harrier Squadrons will be withdrawn from service on 31 March 2004. It is planned to retire the second Squadron in March 2005 and the final Squadron in March 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value was of the contract awarded to Vosper Thorneycroft to design and construct HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise. [149617]>

The contract for design, construction and 25 years' support for HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise was awarded in July 2000 at a value of £130 million. The breakdown of this figure into individual elements is commercially sensitive and I am withholding it in accordance with Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to effective management and operations of the public service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries have cancelled training exercises involving HM forces in the past two years; and for what reasons. [152220]

Of the 350 exercises listed annually in the United Kingdom Defence Exercise Programme, 69 were cancelled in 2002, and 151 in 2003. Of those exercises cancelled in the last year, some 10 per cent. were cancelled by nations other than the UK hosting exercises in their own country or sponsoring exercises elsewhere. While specific reasons for cancellation are not available in many cases, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, many nations' exercise programmes (like the UK's) have been affected in recent years by competing operational priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the first Type 45 destroyer will be delivered to the Royal Navy; and whether this is the date originally specified. [150869]

The currently approved in service date for the First of Class, HMS Daring, is November 2007. This date has not changed since the Type 45 was approved at Main Gate in July 2000, although it is currently under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what independent audit is carried out of the quality of education offered by British universities operating overseas. [152205]

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) carries out audits which cover the means by which an awarding institution secures the standards of its awards and the effectiveness of its quality management arrangements for partnership links, including those overseas. In addition, as part of the 'Institutional Audit' process for HEIs in England, the QAA also examines the management of any collaborative links an institution may have.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by how much he expected the Children's Fund partnerships to underspend their 2003–04 budget profiles; on what basis the expectation of an underspend on Children's Fund partnerships was reached; and what alternative uses have been made of funds clawed back from his expectations of an underspend by Children's Fund partnerships. [151428]

[holding answer 27 January 2004]: The 2003–04 mid year review of expenditure in the Children's Fund programme was carried out to assess actual expenditure against partnerships' own projections. This identified approximately £12.5 million underspend from the first half of the year. Underspend from partnerships is being used to fund other commitments in the Children's Fund programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Essex received free school transport to (a) secondary schools, (b) primary and infant schools and (c) special schools in each year from 1990 to 2003. [150907]

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, Essex said that it provides free home to school transport to about 21,000 pupils at a cost of around £20 million in 2000/01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 27 January in respect of the commitment to more funding for higher education. [152531]

In line with Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, confidential communications between departments are not made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money deriving from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme has been spent on promoting environmental education in schools in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the impact of changes to the scheme on the funding of environmental education from this source. [151431]

I have been asked to reply.The amount of Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) funds spent on environmental education within schools under categories c and cc can be summarised as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about safety on school buses; and if he will make a statement. [151863]

[holding answer 29 January 2004]: The Department for Education and Skills has received representations from the National Association of Head Teachers on behalf of their members following their conference resolution on safety on school buses. We have received similar representations from one individual. I met with the NAHT to discuss safety on school buses on 19 January.Bus safety legislation falls within the remit of Department for Transport. Local Authorities are required to secure "Best Value" when negotiating home to school transport contracts, and can include a requirement that additional safety measures be included in tenders. When asked to do so we advise authorities to take the safety benefits of seat-belts and other measures into account when considering the suitability of transport for particular journeys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he was informed that the fraud squad of the Israeli police were investigating the unlawful sale of University of Humberside degrees; and what measures he has taken as a result. [152195]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: My Department was alerted by recent press articles to the investigation by Israeli police. The Higher Education Funding Council for England wrote to the University of Lincoln (formerly the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside) on 26 January 2004 formally requesting details of the University's position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) false and (b) genuine degree certificates have been issued through each branch of University of Humberside franchised operations in Israel since they were established. [152196]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: The University has informed me that 4,965 students in Israel were awarded degrees and that these are genuine. I have no information on the number of false degree certificates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, if the United Kingdom will ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels before the first meeting of the parties on 2004. [147162]

We are keen to ratify this Agreement as soon as possible and very much hope that we will be able to do so before the first meeting of the parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, what legal and other assistance the Government are giving to the UK overseas territories of (a) South Georgia/South Sandwich Islands, (b) Falkland Islands and (c) Tristan/Gough to enable them to submit their ratifications of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels on time for the first meeting of the parties in 2004. [147179]

The UK continues to provide assistance to, and work closely with, all the Overseas Territories referred to by the hon. Member. We are keen to ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels as soon as possible and we are giving priority to those Overseas Territories that have the necessary legislation in place or have formally requested that ratification be extended to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of municipal waste going to landfill was biodegradable waste in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the likely change in the next five years. [151640]

[holding answer 29 January 2004]: In 2001–02, 28.8 million tonnes of municipal waste were collected, of which 22.3 million tonnes (77 per cent.) were disposed of to landfill. 70 per cent. of the waste land filled was estimated to be biodegradable using various assumptions. Surveys of biodegradable content of municipal waste are not made routinely, but the Environment Agency plan to carry out a survey to determine the biodegradable proportion of municipal waste arising.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount paid under the Common Agricultural Policy was in the United Kingdom to (a) limited companies and (b) to individuals in the most recent year for which figures are available. [144457]

The figures represent the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund year 2003–16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003.The figures include CAP market support and structural funds for the above reporting year.These figures represent payments to English farmers Information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their respective devolved assemblies.

	£
Limited Companies	574,273,502.02
Individuals	1,464,032,029.02

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will recommend to the Leader of the House that a debate should be held on Common Agricultural Policy reform prior to decisions being made on the methodology to be employed in implementing the single farm payment. [R][151159]

[holding answer 27 January 2004]: I am aware that a number of Members would welcome such a debate. However, I am always conscious that there are very heavy pressures on parliamentary time. The timing of such a debate is a matter for the Business Managers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent studies her Department has undertaken in respect of deposit systems used in other European countries; and if she will make a statement. [152697]

[holding answer 3 February 2004]: No studies have recently been undertaken. However, a study of deposits systems is currently under way, which will take into account international practices. We expect the first part of this study to report at the end of March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and practical assistance her Department has given environmental health officers since the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regime came into force; and if she will make a statement. [150626]

The Department has provided local authorities with a range of resources to help them carry out their functions under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the scale of penalties which will be incurred by retailers for selling (a) peaches which are less than 5.6 cm in diameter, (b) bananas which are less than 13.97 cm long and (c) carrots which are less than 1.9 cm at the thick end, following the Law Lords' decision on the case against Asda initiated by her Department. [146720]

In November 2000 an inspector from the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate found that some of the fruit and vegetables on display in the Asda store at Fareham in Hampshire contravened EC marketing standards. Asda's representatives argued that the court had no jurisdiction to deal with the alleged offences and the case eventually reached the House of Lords who on 18 December 2003 found in Defra's favour and returned the case to the magistrates court for trial. The full extent of the House of Lords decision can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to offer a Government home insurance scheme to owners of homes built on flood plains who cannot obtain commercial insurance cover; and if she will make a statement. [152336]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: The Government have no plans to introduce such a scheme.According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), it is the intention of the insurance industry, that flood insurance should continue to be available to the vast majority of existing properties. As set out in the ABI's Statement of Principles

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the change in greenhouse gas emissions has been in (a) the UK, (b) Spain and (c) Portugal since 1990. [151489]

Under the provisions of the Monitoring Mechanism Decision (Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 99/296/EC), member states are required to report annually to the European Commission on their anthropogenic emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The fourth progress report, published by the Commission in November 2003, shows data for member states' greenhouse gas emissions in 2001.The base year uses 1990 data for emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. For the fluorinated gases, most member states have chosen 1995 as the base year, as allowed under the Protocol.Under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the EU and its member states have agreed to meet their commitments jointly under a burden-sharing arrangement. The EU target, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent. below base year levels, has been redistributed between member states to reflect their national circumstances, requirements for economic growth, and the scope for further emission reductions. Under the burden sharing agreement Spain and Portugal have agreed to targets that allow for an increase in their greenhouse gas emissions. Spain has a target to increase its emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12, while Portugal has a target to increase emissions of greenhouse gases by 27 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12.The UK's target is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. In 2001, UK emissions were 12.3 per cent. below base year levels; Spanish emissions were 32.1 per cent. above base year levels and; Portuguese emissions were 36.4 per cent. above the base year levels. Provisional figures for 2002, for the UK only, indicates emissions were about 15 per cent. below the base year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has assessed on the impact of global warming on the Gulf Stream; and if she will make a statement. [152251]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: The responses of the Gulf Stream and other component: of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation are being investigated in a major joint research programme by CEFAS and by the RAPID programme of the Natural Environment Research Council, working with Dutch, Norwegian and US Research Councils. This issue is also being investigated by the Hadley Centre, funded by Department, in collaboration with the RAPID programme.Under future climate change scenarios due to increased levels of greenhouse gases the Gulf Stream is predicted to weaken. Climate models do not, however, predict that the Gulf Stream will shut down. Consequently the UK and Western Europe are still predicted to warm by several degrees over the next century.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which landfill sites have been chosen to continue receiving hazardous waste following the implementation of the Hazardous Waste Directive. [151194]

I have placed in the Library of the House the information requested, as at the end of 2003. The choice of whether any sites under the ownership or control are classified as hazardous is a matter for the landfill operator. From July 2004, the Landfill Directive permits stable non-reactive hazardous waste to be disposed of in a separate cell in non-hazardous landfills. This is expected to result in additional capacity being available for the disposal of hazardous waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the impact of the European Directive requiring horse passports on the population of semi-feral mountain ponies in Wales. [149656]

I have been asked to reply.I understand that no final decision has yet been taken about the point at which Welsh mountain ponies will have to be passported, but implementation of the European legislation in full will require every horse, pony and donkey to have a passport. The Welsh Assembly, which is responsible, is still considering the final domestic legislation to implement the Directive, taking into account the need to preserve both the breed of pony and the environment in which it lives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each Information Technology system (a) supported and (b) in development by the IT Department at Guildford; which of those systems provide information to agencies associated with her Department; which of those systems support payments to outside bodies and individuals, giving the value of the payments for each system and the number of recipients of payments; which of those systems provide statistical information and payments to (i) her own and (ii) other Government departments; and which of those systems provide statistical information to the European Union. [150615]

A table showing the list of each IT system supported by or under development by the IT Directorate at Guildford has been placed in the Library of the House. The table also sets out the additional information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the contribution of organic farming to curbing the build up of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. [152323]

Carbon monoxide is of concern mainly because of its effects on human health and its role in tropospheric ozone formation. As a result, carbon monoxide is one of the pollutants covered by the Government's Air Quality Strategy. No exceedences of the health-based ambient air quality objective have been recorded in the UK for several years.According to the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, over 90 per cent. of the annual UK emissions for 2001 resulted from incomplete fuel combustion, largely from road transport. The contribution of agriculture to the total is small, so organic farming is not expected to have a measurable effect on the total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003; and why they are only available in draft form. [147080]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W, on packaging waste, what her policy is on the penalising of companies involved in the packaging waste process for actions taken in contravention of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003 before they were published. [152138]

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 came into force on 1 January and were published in final form on 14 January.The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Regulations.Producers are required to register with the Environment Agency by 7 April, providing the required packaging data and fee. There are no actions required under these new Regulations that have to be discharged in the first 14 days of January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W, on packaging waste, what the extent was of the delays caused by the Christmas holiday period to the publishing of the Producer Responsibility Obligations(Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003 [152139]

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 came into force on 1 January 2004. The final Regulations were published by the Stationery Office on 14 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason her Department had not allowed for delays caused by the Christmas holiday period when deciding (a) when to publish the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003 and (b) when they should come into force. [152140]

The new obligation year under the Packaging Regulations starts on 1 January each year. This determines when new Regulations must come into force. The Department's intention is to publish new Regulations as soon as possible after making them. We would have preferred to see the new Regulations published before 1 January 2004, but from time to time, unintended delays occur which was the case on this occasion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the action plan on diffuse pollution relating to agriculture to be concluded. [152078]

The action plan to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture in England is currently being developed to ensure agriculture plays, and continues to play, its part to make water in England as clean and healthy as practicable.As announced in the pre-Budget report in December 2003, we intend to publish a draft action plan for consultation early this year that will set out options to tackle diffuse water pollution, including a consideration of the pros and cons of using economic instruments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made in ending discharges of TC-99 from Sellafield. [152191]

[holding answer 30 January 2004]: As a result of co-operative efforts between BNFL, the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and others, much has already been done to reduce Technetium-99 (Tc-99) discharge levels from Sellafield.The discharge limit was cut from 200 TBq/year (terabecquerels per year) to 90 TBq/year in 2000. Ministers also asked the Environment Agency to carry out a review of Tc-99 discharges and the Agency's proposed decision was published in September 2001. One of the proposals, to deal with new arisings of Medium Active Concentrate (MAC) (the complex liquid mixture that contains Tc-99 and other, more radiotoxic, radionuclides) using "MAC-Diversion" abatement technology, was implemented in 2003. This will allow the discharge limit to be reduced to 10 TBq/year in 2006.The Environment Agency also proposed further research on abatement of Tc-99 arising from stored MAC. In October 2003, following approval by regulators, a plant-scale trial began using tetraphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP)—a chemical that precipitates Tc-99 out of MAC. Initial results appear to be encouraging. However, a full evaluation of the trial by the regulators is still under way. If their assessment shows that TPP is acceptable for future use to reduce Tc-99 discharges, it will allow the discharge limits to be cut to below 90 TBq/year before 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what funding her Department has provided for the Warm Front programme in each year of that programme, including the current financial year; [151887]

The level of expenditure under Warm Front since the start of the scheme is as follows: 2000–01—£72 million; 2001–02—£197 million; 2002–03—£163 million. For the current financial year, 2003–04; £152 million has been allocated to Warm Front.Decisions on future funding of the scheme will be considered during the normal Government spending round process and announcements will be made after final decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households she estimates are eligible for the Warm Front scheme in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and how many households qualify for the Warm Homes Plus element of the programme. [151206]

We are preparing estimates of the total number of households in England currently eligible for assistance under Warm Front as part of the next spending round process.In addition we will be producing an Implementation Plan on the action required to achieve targets and tackle fuel poverty.Information on eligibility of the Warm Front scheme cannot be provided at a local authority level. The smallest area for which the Department for Work and Pensions can provide estimates of those eligible for the scheme is regional government office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 732W, on domestic waste, in which month the Government will consider the results of that work. [150841]

The Government will consider the results of work being undertaken as it is progressed during 2004, so no specific month has been identified for this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) industrial refuse was recycled in each of the last three years. [151205]

Data from the three most recent annual Municipal Waste Management Surveys shows that the recycling and composting rates for household waste in England have been:

	Percentage
1999–2000	10.3
2000–01	11.2
2001–02	12.4

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what subsidies are available for (a) the incineration of waste, (b) the recycling of waste and (c) other waste disposal options; at what rate per tonne those subsidies are paid; and what assessment she has made of the impact of each of the subsidies available on waste disposal options in England. [151366]

There are no direct subsidies available for waste disposal in the UK. However, in England the Government provide financial assistance to promote sustainable waste management in a number of ways.Examples include the Waste Implementation Programme and its components. This sustainable waste delivery programme aims to deliver a package of strategic measures recommended by the Strategy Unit report on waste, helping to move waste management up the waste hierarchy. The Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund provides assistance to local authorities to improve their infrastructure and collection systems for waste, in particular promoting recycling. Additional funding is provided through Waste PFI, for local authorities looking to work in partnership with the private sector to fund long-term waste solutions. £355 million has been provided over the SR2002 period.There is also a Government funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which is designed to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, and remove the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental benefits of recycling. [151367]

Recycling has three direct benefits for the environment. By drawing recycled materials back into the production process fewer raw materials have to be extracted to produce the same amount of new products. This helps conserve natural resources and reduces the damage to the environment from resource extraction, for example mining or quarrying.It generally takes less energy to re-process recycled materials than generate new products from raw materials.Recycling also reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, which is environmentally harmful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental benefits of incineration. [151368]

Incineration with controls on emissions is an important part of the Government's strategy on waste management. It is the only suitable way to protect the environment from certain biological pathogens and is the most effective way to render some hazardous chemical wastes safe.While re-using, recycling or composting waste can represent a better use of resources, incineration offers an opportunity to extract energy from the waste and is therefore preferable to disposal. This, in turn can reduce extraction and transportation of fuels that would otherwise be used to create energy. By diverting biodegradable waste from landfill, incineration also helps to reduce the production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.Government have commissioned a comparative study of the health and environmental effects of different types of waste treatment, which is to be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental costs and benefits of landfill. [151369]

All waste disposal options have environmental impacts. Landfill has potentially adverse effects on air and water quality in addition to the local environmental impacts of noise and smell. The most important environmental impact reported in scientific research is the effect on global warming of emissions of greenhouse gases from the landfill of biodegradable waste. Methane (a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide) is generated at all landfill sites accepting biodegradable waste. The contribution of methane emitted from landfills to global warming contributes some 25 per cent. of methane emissions in the UK.Well operated and regulated landfills nevertheless have a role to play in waste disposal both now and in the future. The EU Landfill Directive (as implemented in England and Wales by the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002)) sets new standards for the management and engineering of landfill sites to reduce as far as possible the negative environmental impacts and any potential health risk. The Government are committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, which, as well as its negative environmental impacts, makes little practical use of waste and is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste. For these reasons, Waste Strategy 2000 sets out a range of policies to promote the reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste in order to divert it from landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of waste have been disposed of in England by (a) landfill, (b) incineration and (c) recycling in each of the last five years. [151370]

According to the most recent Municipal Waste Management Survey, about 28.8 million tonnes of municipal waste were collected in 2001–02. Of this, about 22.3 million tonnes were disposed of to landfill, 2.5 million tonnes were incinerated, and 3.9 million tonnes were recycled. The remaining municipal waste was dealt with using other management methods.The latest figures on industrial and commercial waste come from the last Environment Agency survey on commercial and industrial waste conducted in 1998–99, and a survey on construction and demolition waste in England in the same year. It is estimated that in 1998–99 51.2 million tonnes of industrial and commercial waste (including construction and demolition waste) were landfilled, 49.2 million tonnes were recycled and 1.3 million tonnes were incinerated. The Environment Agency is conducting another survey on commercial and industrial waste this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the impact of a £5 billion reduction in water company investment in environmental improvements on the United Kingdom's ability to meet its legal obligations to nature conservation sites; and if she will make a statement; [152250](2) what representations she has received from the Environment Agency regarding the consequences of reducing investment by the water industry in environmental improvement; and if she will make a statement. [151770]

[holding answer 2 February 2004]: The Government are committed to the maintenance or restoration of internationally and nationally important nature conservation sites, including Natura 2000. Ramsar and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. An assessment of water company programmes' effects on these areas, already under way, will be kept under review.The Government published guidance on the contribution expected from water company investment to meeting the United Kingdom's legal obligations in the Secretary of State's Initial Guidance on the Periodic Review in January 2003. The Secretary of State's Principal Guidance on the Periodic Review, which will be published shortly.The Secretary of State received formal written advice on the environment programme for the Periodic Review 2004 from the Environment Agency in November 2003. Both the Secretary of State and I have also had meetings and correspondence with the Environment Agency and English Nature to discuss the proposed environment programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15 December 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Faqi. [152642]

I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 838W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards democracy in Iran. [151604]

For elections in any country to be regarded as free and fair, electors should have a chance to vote for candidates with a range of views. We are concerned at reports that many candidates have been disqualified from standing in February's parliamentary elections.