To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in her 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. [151648]

Records only exist for the period since Defra came into existence in June 2001. There have been no cases in that period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of whether there are (a) physiological and (b) neurological differences between rabbits and moles, and badgers, which would affect their response to poisoning by fumigants, in terms of the distress and pain caused. [153926]

All pesticides used as fumigants are subject to strict regulatory control and must be approved by Ministers before they can be marketed or used in the UK. Those seeking approval for such products are required to provide data to ensure that the product is safe, effective and humane.No specific assessment is made of physiological or neurological differences between rabbits and moles in response to poisoning by pesticide fumigants.However, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides considered a report in 1996 on humaneness of vertebrate control agents, which resulted in the loss of one pesticide fumigant substance and approval for the remaining pesticide fumigant products to continue. Data on humaneness of pesticide fumigants in relation to the target test species, such as rabbits and moles were considered.Use of pesticide fumigants against badgers, which are protected species, is not permitted, except in special circumstances, and as such would not have been considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will conduct (a) quantified and (b) qualified research into mercury emissions from crematoriums prior to reaching a decision on whether gas cleaning systems should be fitted. [153430]

I refer to the reply to my hon. Friend on 17 November 2003, Official Report, column 624W, concerning the consultation paper the Department issued containing an assessment undertaken by the Environment Agency of the case for tackling mercury emissions from crematoria. The assessment included a review of the available mercury monitoring data and of estimates of mercury emissions from crematoria. Several of the responses to the consultation raised concerns that the emission estimates were uncertain. We recognise that there remain uncertainties and that these will have to be taken into account in reaching a decision on the extent to which gas cleaning will be required. The uncertainties do not extend to the health impacts of mercury nor affect our long-standing policy approach, as summarised in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Mrs. Clark) on 14 October 2003, Official Report, columns 99 and 100W.Officials are currently in discussion with representative cremation organisations to develop a fair mechanism for reducing emissions from a proportion of existing crematoria which is what is needed to fulfil the Governments policy objectives. We will be consulting in due course on detailed proposals, including what that proportion should be.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the (a) thickness and (b) stiffness of twine on the escape properties of a trawl net; [150237](2) what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the use of double twine in the construction of trawl nets on the selectivity of gear; and what the effect has been of permitting the use of different thicknesses of twine on the size of fish caught in North Sea fisheries; [150238](3) what the impact of lightweight high-strength fibres on the

The effect of the thickness of modern twines on selectivity of whitefish gears was first studied in 1993 at the FRS Marine Laboratory Aberdeen. Since then several further UK studies have been completed. Thicker twine has been found to reduce selectivity. In the case of double twine a decrease in thickness from 6mm to 4mm has an effect equivalent to increasing mesh size by 10mm. A codend made of 8mm single twine has similar selectivity to that made of 5mm double twine.As a result of this research, legislation was introduced, initially by UK and then EU authorities, to limit the thickness of twines. It is not possible, however, to isolate the effect on stocks of this one measure limiting twine thickness as many other changes have been made to gear designs during the same period.Mathematical models of codend geometry have shown that stiffer twine limits the expansion of the codend as the catch builds up and hence limits the openness of the codend meshes in the area where the majority of fish escape.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what trials have, been carried out in British waters of the Icelandic Ex-It cod excluder device. [150312]

As far as is known, no trials with the Icelandic Ex-It excluder device have been carried out by any UK government departments or agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people seconded to her Department from outside organisations are helping to draft Answers to honourable Members' (a) oral and (b) written Parliamentary Questions. [153913]

Defra's Ministers see secondment and interchange as a key means of complementing the skill and experience of the civil service, drawing in expertise from such fields as business, local government and the voluntary sector as well as other Government Departments. This is assisting Defra's commitment to playing its part in developing a modern, flexible outward looking Civil Service that works in partnership with all sectors of society. Interchange is seen as a key tool in meeting this commitment. Defra continues to promote and encourage the interchange of personnel between the Department and range of other organisations.

Slaughter Premium Scheme (SPS)
County	Amount paid (£)	Claims paid	Amount unpaid (£)	Claims unpaid
SPS 2001 scheme year
Powys	949,142.78	4,067	1,966.90	133
Gwynedd	1,145,295.95	3,400	0	1
Dyfed	2,170,937.55	7,932	7,702.28	30
Clwyd	1,089,531.08	3,798	0	47
South Glamorgan	189,144.07	517	0	1
Mid Glamorgan	101,975.55	428	0	0
West Glamorgan	127,252.07	442	0	0
Gwent	347,648.32	1,220	68.98	2
Total	6,120,927.37	21,804	9,738.16	214
SPS 2002 scheme year
Powys	1,936,838.88	4,530	16,421.97	199
Gwynedd	1,902,937.06	3,211	2,309.23	170
Dyfed	4,111,194.14	8,152	10,058.93	320
Clwyd	1,863,821.23	3,422	16,700.55	131
South Glamorgan	286,707.70	441	134.54	9
Mid Glamorgan	202,331.81	437	288.30	15
West Glamorgan	229,556.44	416	809.64	16
Gwent	654,392.94	1,253	7,343.73	63
Total	11,187,780.20	21,862	54,066.89	923

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what value of payments (a) have been made and (b) remain unpaid from the Rural Payments Agency to Welsh farmers, broken down by (i) constituency and (ii) local authority area for each year since the scheme began. [151726]

The following figures relate to payments made to Welsh farmers under the schemes administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) since its creation on 16 October 2001. The information has been provided by county, as breaking down the data by constituency and local authority area could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has evaluated on whether spores of sudden oak death are carried by (a) the air, (b) water and (c) human movement. [149263]

The disease "Phytophthora ramorum" (or Sudden Oak Death) was described as a new species in October 2001. As it was a new species very little was known about the disease and no research had been conducted which could be evaluated to determine how the spores are dispersed.From June 2002 Defra and the Forestry Commission have commissioned research to investigate the biology of the disease including how spores of this organism are spread. The research programme is on-going. However, preliminary investigations have detected spores in water, soil and leaf litter but not so far in air. More intensive air sampling is planned for the spring when conditions are more conducive for spore production. The possibility of dispersal via wind blown mists cannot be ruled out. Studies are also assessing the role of vertebrates in spreading the pathogen. If humans or animals come into contact with infected soil/debris or other contaminated material it is possible that they could spread spores of the disease but it is unclear how significant such dispersal would be in establishing new infections. Defra and FC scientists are also keeping in close contact with colleagues in the USA who are investigating this disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to enforce the ban on feeding swill to pigs on farms and smallholdings. [152255]

Following the introduction of the ban that was introduced in May 2001 the State Veterinary Service made a series of visits to all former swill feeders to ensure compliance was achieved. It is now Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 which prohibits the feeding of catering waste to farmed animals and the enforcement powers laid down in the Animal By-Products Regulations 2003 are exercised by the local authorities. The Chief Veterinary Officer, however, continues to ensure that local authorities and the State Veterinary Service are reminded of the importance of remaining vigilant on compliance during all visits and inspections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she will take to prevent wild birds feeding at landfill sites containing disposed swill, in relation to the prevention of the spread of disease to livestock. [152256]

Defra and the Environment Agency have reminded operators of landfill sites of the animal health risks from waste food and of their obligations to ensure precautionary measures are taken to help prevent scavenging by wildlife. These include prompt burial with progressive covering with non food waste to ensure waste food is not left exposed, and robust vermin and pest control measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of farms and smallholdings which may still be feeding unprocessed swill to pigs. [152257]

It has long been illegal to feed unprocessed swill and since May 2001 it has also been illegal to feed processed swill. There should therefore be no farms or smallholdings feeding such material to pigs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1)what special safety inspections are made, and with what regularity, on the aircraft of airlines that are allowed to use UK airports but are banned on safety grounds from using some other European airports; [153666](2) what his policy is on data sharing on aircraft safety with other European countries; and what his policy is on the proposed EU Directive on this. [153686]

The Government have consistently supported data sharing arrangements established under the European Civil Aviation Conference's Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) programme. The reports of all inspections of foreign aircraft carried out under the programme are entered on a central database and may be accessed by all participating states. We also support the proposed EC Directive on the safety of third-country aircraft using Community airports, which is based on the SAFA programme.My answer to the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso) on 12 January 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety inspections are undertaken on aircraft flying from the UK which are owned by airlines that are banned on safety grounds from landing in certain other European countries. [154216]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to him today (ref 153666, 153686).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on (a) overnight parking facilities for commercial vehicles and (b) dedicated rest areas. [150217]

Two representations have been received on these matters since July last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the resources which agencies within the Driver, Vehicle and Operator group will require from 2003–04 to 2006–07 to carry out vehicle enforcement responsibilities previously carried out by police forces in England and Wales; from which sources the extra resources will come; and if he will make a statement. [153204]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency is progressively taking over the role from the Police of stopping vehicles, in order to carry out roadside compliance checks using its own staff and vehicles. The estimated costs are £1.7 million per annum. The Department is providing finance for the setting up period but, in the long run, this activity will be funded through fees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 1006W, on Edinburgh airport, if he will place in the Library a list of addresses for the 33 households. [154168]

The figure of 33 residential properties that would need to be taken if a new close parallel runway were to be built at Edinburgh airport comes from a map based appraisal analysis designed to enable comparison of options. This exercise was not designed to be a highly detailed or final assessment of specific options. Individual addresses were not therefore recorded as part of it.The Air Transport White Paper called for the preparation of the airport masterplans. The masterplan for Edinburgh airport will be incorporated into the strategic planning framework for West Edinburgh and future local development plan revisions. This will enable a more definitive view to be taken of exactly which properties will be affected when future planning applications are made. This will in turn allow the owners of those properties which may be affected to seek redress under the terms of the non-statutory scheme for Edinburgh which BAA are currently considering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Network Rail and (b) rail operators protect their (i) stations, (ii) tracks and (iii) rolling stock from graffiti; [153614](2) if he will co-ordinate a programme of cleaning graffiti from tracks, stations and rolling stock. [153615]

Network Rail has responsibility for ownership and maintenance of the national rail network infrastructure, including the removal of graffiti. In 2003–04, £2.5million was allocated in Network Rail's Safety and Environment Plan to tackle environmental issues like graffiti, rising to £3.5million in 2004–05. Network Rail is also taking forward a number of partnership projects with local authorities in different regions to enable graffiti removal from roadside parapets and walls of Network Rail-owned bridges.Train operating companies (TOCs) have responsibility for removing and preventing graffiti on those railway stations that are leased to them and on their rolling stock. The SRA's new franchising agreements contain key performance indicators in the areas of station security and the on-train environment. This further incentivises the prevention and removal of graffiti by train operating companies by tying the issue of cleanliness firmly to their profits. The SRA also encourages all train operating companies to seek accreditation under the Secure Stations and Secured Car Park award schemes. Such schemes have proven their value in reducing all types of crime, including the prevention of graffiti.The Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit is taking forward a national action plan—'Operation Scrub-It'—aimed at developing initiatives to tackle graffiti. This is being taken forward in partnership with the British Transport Police, Crime Stoppers, Network Rail, London Underground and other transport providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of international trends in the use of liquefied petroleum gas for road vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [153672]

There is limited information on international trends in the use of LPG for road vehicles. There were an estimated 107,000 LPG vehicles in the UK in 2003. In contrast, there are estimated to be over one million LPG vehicles in Italy which has the largest European market.The European Commission Alternative Fuels contact Group recently presented their report on The Market Development of Alternative Fuels. The report argued that a combination of alternative fuels had the potential to achieve a 20 per cent. market share by 2020 and identified LPG as having the scope to achieve a 5 per cent. Market share by 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed in the UK in the road vehicle liquefied petroleum gas industry. [153673]

The latest estimate of the Liquid Petroleum Gas Association is that there are 2,500 people employed in the industry in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles in the UK have been converted to run on liquefied petroleum gas; and how many have been converted with the aid of a PowerShift grant. [153674]

According to the Liquid Petroleum Gas Association, approximately 107,000 vehicles had been converted to run on LPG by the end of 2003.Since 1997, 17,383 vehicles have been converted to run on LPG with the aid of a Powershift grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor about the impact of fuel taxation measures on (a) liquefied petroleum gas conversions, (b) environmental damage and (c) public health. [153675]

The Government issued a joint DfT/HMT/HMCE consultation document in June 2003, which sought views on the future structure of the Government's support for road fuel gases and natural gas in the short to medium term. The consultation is available on the DfT website. The consultation summarised the growth of the LPG sector incentivised by fuel duty differentials, reduced vehicle excise duty and the availability of grants under the Transport Energy programmes. Further, the consultation made an illustrative comparison of the environmental performance of LPG vehicles in comparison with conventionally fuelled vehicles.The Government are currently considering the responses to this consultation and will announce their decisions in Budget 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many re-fuelling sites are available in the UK for (a) liquefied petroleum gas and (b) compressed natural gas. [153670]

According to the Liquid Petroleum Gas Association and the Natural Gas Vehicle Association, there are approximately 1,300 LPG re-fuelling sites in and 18 compressed natural gas re-fuelling sites in the U K.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of upgrading Junction 10 of the M5 to allow northbound and southbound traffic to join and leave the motorway. [153783]

The cost of upgrading Junction 10 of the M5 to a full movement junction would be in the region of £,15 to £30 million at current prices, depending on the design and the cost of land required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what works are being carried out adjacent to the southbound carriageway of the M1 motorway between junctions 14 and 13 in Buckinghamshire which relate to alleviating motorway noise; when this work was authorised; and what estimate he has made of the cost. [153248]

These noise mitigation works are being constructed outside of the highway boundary by a private landowner and are not publicly funded.Planning consent for a 6 metre high, 150 metre long screening bund was granted by Milton Keynes Council in May 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail freight miles were travelled in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [150011]

Rail freight moved in Great Britain is published by the Strategic Rail Authority each quarter in "National Rail Trends". In 2002–03, rail freight moved was 18.7 billion tonne-kilometres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries there have been on the (i) A12, (ii) A134, (iii) A120 west of Colchester, (iv) A 120 east of Colchester, (v) A137 and (vi) A133 in Essex in the past 12 months. [152079]

The information requested is shown in the following table.

Casualties from Road Accidents: 20021
	Fatal	Serious
A12	15	125
A133	2	21
A134	4	24
A137	2	16
A1202	4	6
A1203	4	29
1Last full year for which figures are available
2 East of Colchester
3West of Colchester

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate real terms cost inflation for road improvement projects for each year since 1997. [153782]

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) monitors prices for new road construction and publishes indices. The DTI's Road Construction Tender Price Index (RCTPI and also known as the ROA DCON Index) is based on priced rates contained in accepted tenders for road construction, motorway widening and major maintenance schemes costing over £0.25 million obtained from the Highways Agency and local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The indices are published every quarter and the first two columns of the table are abstracted from the latest available ROADCON Index figures (December 2003). The third column has been calculated for this answer.

	ROADCON Index	Year on year "inflation rate " (in ROADCON Index terms) since 1997
1997	100	—
1998	99	-1.0
1999	100	+1.0
2000	114	+14.0
2001	117	+2.6
2002	121	+3.4
2003	1122	+0.8
1The figure for the year 2003 is an interim figure as (i) the year is not yet complete (the last quarter is January to March 2004), and (ii) the indices for the last two published quarters are provisional and subject to adjustment (when delayed data are received by DTI).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) for what reasons advance warning was not given of the closure of the exit from the A1 at Newark to the A17 and A46; [153243](2) for what reasons 24-hour working is not taking place on the southbound carriageway of the A1 near Newark; [153244](3) for what reasons and for how long the junction between the Al, A17 and A46 at Newark will be closed; and for what reasons the exit from the Al at this point is closed; [153245](4) for how long he expects the southbound carriageway of the Al to be closed at Newark. [153246]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Archie Robertson to write to the right hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras there were in Wales in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) police force, (b) constituency, (c) safety camera partnership and (d) local authority area. [151748]

We do not hold information centrally for camera operations other than those operated within the Safety Camera Partnerships. The figures from the South and Central Wales safety camera partnership, which joined the scheme from April 2000 and the North Wales partnership, which joined the scheme in October 2001, are as follows.

	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
North Wales1	2—	28	45	66
South and Central Wales3	33	80	313	357
1 Covers the North Wales police authority area
2 Prior to joining the safety camera programme
3 In 2000–01 and 2001–02, covered the South Wales police authority area; from 2002/03, joined by Gwent and Dyfed and

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were killed or seriously injured in accidents involving uninsured cars in the last year for which figures are available. [153939]

Information on the number of people killed or seriously injured in accidents involving uninsured vehicles is not held by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the average additional cost to car insurance premiums resulting from damage from uninsured vehicles involved in accidents. [154101]

The Motor Insurers' Bureau estimates that the average cost to each motorist's insurance premium as a result of uninsured drivers involved in accidents is between £15 and £30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy on (a) the provision of loans and grants to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and (b) the maximum annual percentage uplift by which the agency may increase its fees and charges. [153203]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), as a Trading Fund, may receive loans or grants to accomplish its objectives that are agreed with the Department. Fees and charges are set periodically, based on the costs and commitments in undertaking functions.There is no maximum ceiling for the VOSA's annual fee increases, but all proposals are subject to a thorough series of consultations and submissions both with the Driver, Vehicle and Operator group, the Department for Transport, Ministers and the Trade before any increase in fee levels is agreed. Ministers have to approve all fee increases to be included in Statutory Instruments (SI) and have to sign SIs prior to them being presented to Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's contribution to the improvement of road safety and environmental standards and (b) failure rates on checks and tests of (i) heavy goods vehicles, (ii) public service vehicles and (iii)light goods vehicles reported in the Vehicle Inspectorate's Effectiveness Report for 2002–03; and what targets he has set for these checks and tests for 2003–04 to 2005–06. [153205]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's contribution to road safety and environmental standards is made through its range of licensing, testing (including emissions testing), enforcement, education and training services, and through its supervision of MOT testing. Fleet compliance checks are carried out regularly to assess the base-line condition of vehicles and to compare them against our targeted checks. Failure rates at annual test for heavy goods vehicles, public service vehicles and light goods vehicles remain unsatisfactory. Slightly higher fail rates for heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles in 2002–03 over previous years is mainly due to a new item in the test.The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency is increasingly targeting bad practice among operators and owners of vehicles through improved knowledge and intelligence systems. The responsibility for test failure rates lies with operators and owners, and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has not been set specific targets. The Agency has been set effectiveness improvement objectives for its enforcement activities during 2003–04. Enforcement effectiveness is measured by Performance Gain points, and the Agency is to achieve at least a 2 per cent. improvement across all its activities, including for enforcement of HGV and PSV roadworthiness and environmental standards. No objectives have yet been set for enforcement effectiveness in 2004–05 or 2005–06.Performance Gain is an agreed indicator of the outcome value in road safety compliance terms of each of VOSA's specific enforcement activities and has been operating for several years during which annual performance objectives have been met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place to ensure that the owners of untaxed illegal foreign cars are traced and brought into the United Kingdom car tax regime; and if he will make a statement. [153431]

A vehicle which is registered and taxed in its home country may be used by a visitor to Great Britain for up to six months in 12 without being subject to domestic requirements. To qualify for this exemption the visitor must have their normal residence outside GB.If at any time a vehicle being used in Great Britain on foreign plates is stopped by the police, it is the responsibility of the keeper to demonstrate that they are eligible to use the vehicle without licensing and registering it here. If they are not eligible, enforcement action will be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects the training facilities for Apache helicopter pilots to be available; [153973](2) for what reasons training equipment is not available to train Apache helicopter pilots; [153975](3) when he expects there to be sufficient trained helicopter pilots available to enable the helicopters at RAF Shawbury to be put into front line service. [153976]

Training facilities for Apache helicopter pilots are already available and being utilised. The Army expects to achieve Initial Operating Capability in August 2004 and a task force capability based on nine Regiment Army Air Corps during spring 2005. The numbers of aircraft in storage will diminish progressively from mid 2004 through to autumn 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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 amounts were involved in each case. [153208]

The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRF) reservists are allocated to each of the regional CCRF units; and if he will make a statement; [153282](2) how many training days members of Civil Contingency Reaction Forces undergo; what is covered at each training day; and if he will make a statement. [153283]

500 Civil Contingency Reaction Force (CCRF) reservists are allocated to each of the 14 regional CCRF units. Members of the CCRF receive five days training per year, in addition to their normal reservist training. The additional days are used to ensure familiarisation and integration with the local authorities and the emergency services. They also ensure that the procedures for mobilisation are well practised. This is achieved through practical exercises and study periods and is completed in the context of the normal training regime, which covers areas such as First Aid, Fitness, Nuclear Biological and Chemical drills, map reading and communications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individuals and organisations to whom (a) his Department, (b) its executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible sent a copy of the consultation document, A New Chapter to the Strategic Defence Review: the role of the reserves in home defence and security. [153851]

The consultation document "A new chapter to the strategic defence review: the role of the reserves in home defence and security" was distributed by the Ministry of Defence in June 2002, with a consultation period of three months.It is not possible or practicable to list every individual who received a copy of this document. However, I can confirm that the following organisations or groups of people were sent a copy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the planned decommissioning dates are for (a) HMS Vanguard, (b) HMS Victorious, (c) HMS Vigilant and (d) HMS Vengeance; [154104](2) what the

[holding answer 20 February 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 3.11 of the Defence White Paper published in December 2003 (CM 6041).As with other key defence capabilities, we routinely undertake studies into the optimum operational life and value for money rather than specifying a fixed lifespan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what use the additional investment to reduce the response times of helicopter-borne forces to deal with renegade shipping has been put; and if he will make a statement. [154276]

In accordance with the SDR New Chapter, a programme of enhancements to the Ministry of Defence's support for Maritime Counter Terrorism has been introduced. This will allow MOD to continue to provide support to the civil authorities in response to this threat. The programme includes enhancements to equipment and the training of additional aircraft crews and engineers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of HMS Roebuck to remain fully operational until its planned decommissioning in 2014. [154280]

HMS Roebuck is planned to begin a ship life extension programme in September 2004. The programme will cover mechanical systems, hull structures, habitability, in-service support and the updating of her survey capability, including a new multibeam echo sounder. It will extend her life until around 2014.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the question from the hon. Member for East Carmarthen and Dinefwr of 2 December 2003, on human rights violations, reference 141740. [154478]

I replied to the hon. Member on 6 February 2004, Official Report, column 1104W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of British cluster bombs on (i) Iraqi armed forces during the conflict and (ii) civilians since large-scale hostilities ceased; and if he will make a statement. [147326]

We evaluate the performance and effects of all our equipment following the conclusion of every military operation involving UK Forces. The department's 'First Reflections' report included a brief summary and our initial assessment of the effect of cluster bombs during major combat operations in Iraq. Cluster bombs were used by UK forces against dispersed Iraqi military forces in the open or on the periphery of built up areas where they played an important role. Had cluster bombs not been used in this way more powerful and more destructive munitions would have been needed.The UK takes seriously its obligations as a member of the coalition to provide a safe, secure and risk free environment for the Iraqi people. Since the end of major combat operations 675,000 munitions have been cleared in the UK area of responsibility. We do not record individual types of munitions cleared.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received about the case of former NATO employee Jan Willem Matser convicted of forgery and fraud in the Netherlands; what discussions he has had with the NATO Secretary General on the implications of the case; and if he will make a statement. [154454]

I have not received any official reports regarding this case, nor have I raised the matter with the NATO Secretary General.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to instruct the (a) Defence Procurement Agency and (b) Defence Logistics Organisation to make an annual report on their work, to include the total amount in bid costs refunded to contractors in respect of procurement competitions being (i) terminated and (ii) substantially altered. [153512]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for replacement oilers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. [146509]

The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme is intended to provide the Royal Navy with a significant element of its future afloat support requirements as the current capability provided by the RFA fleet is progressively withdrawn from service. This will include the replenishment at sea of bulk consumables such as fuel oil, lubricants, water, stores, ammunition, and food. MARS is currently reaching the end of its concept phase prior to the start of its Assessment Phase during which the project team will work with industry to establish how best to deliver this capability. As MARS comes into service, it will progressively replace those existing oilers due on current plans to be withdrawn from service over the next decade with the exception of the two new Wave Class Auxiliary Oilers which came into service in 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 505W, to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler), on Sea King helicopters, whether the helicopters in the collision were equipped with accident data recorders. [154503]

No. The only Royal Navy helicopters fitted with accident data recording equipment are some of the Merlin Fleet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 505W, to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler), on Sea King helicopters, what assessment he has made of the need for fleet-wide night vision capability since the collision; [154505](2) what assessment he has made of whether senior officers are satisfied that there was no malfunction of equipment during the exercise; [154494](3) what

I will write to the hon. Member with the information he has requested, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 505W, to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler), on Sea King helicopters, when the Royal Navy Flight Safety and Accident Investigation Centre will publish its report on the accident. [154506]

The accident investigation into the loss of the Sea King helicopters from HMS Ark Royal will take at least another six months. A copy of the resulting accident summary will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's definition is of a weapon of mass destruction. [154249]

As the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien), said on 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 769W, there is no universally

Seminar	Lecture	Date
Seminar for Potential Nominated Care Judges	The Paediatric Witness	7–9 May 1997
Seminar for Potential Nominated Care Judges	The Paediatric Witness	6–8 May 1998
Seminar for Potential Nominated Care Judges	The Paediatric Witness	5–7 May 1999
Seminar for Potential Nominated Care Judges	The Paediatric Witness	9–12 May 2000
Continuation Seminar for Nominated Care District Judges	Paediatric Reports	22–24 May 2000
Seminar for Potential Nominated Care Judges	The Paediatric Witness	1–4–May 2001

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her 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 amounts were involved in each case. [153868]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no reported cases of staff involved in benefit fraud in the last six years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the criteria are by which the sequence by region of digital switchover will take place; and if she will make a statement. [154174]

Digital switchover will be a phased process, with different regions switching at different times. Part of the work of the Digital Television Action Plan is to agree the order in which different regions are switched. The reports from the BBC and Ofcom and the Digital Television Consumer Expert Group expected at the end of March, will help inform our considerations.

To ask the Solicitor-General in how many cases in the last five years initial charges of causing death by dangerous driving have been reduced to the charge of careless driving. [154332]

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no central records on particular charges, or on the amendments made to charges.This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Solicitor-General on what occasions Sir Roy Meadow has given lectures to judges and other court officials on the subject of infanticide and harm of children at the hands of their parents. [151029]

Details of the lectures given by Sir Roy Meadow at seminars organised by the Judicial Studies Board appear in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives her Department has undertaken to encourage communities to become involved in graffiti prevention. [153823]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport works with other Government Departments and agencies, including the Home Office and Youth Justice Board, to deliver initiatives that seek to reduce antisocial behaviour, such as graffiti, by offering developmental sports and arts activities as an alternative. These include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with charity owners of historic buildings on the impact of the changes to gift aid relief against admission ticket revenues announced in the Pre-Budget Report. [154402]

DCMS officials have been talking to Inland Revenue colleagues and representatives of a variety of associations and representative bodies about the implementation of changes to the Gift Aid Scheme announced in the pre-Budget report with a view to ensuring that the changes do not cause unnecessary problems for the charities affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the administrative costs to (a) local authorities, (b) individual licensees and (c) central government of the changes to the licensing regime resulting from the Licensing Act 2002; and if she will make a statement. [154061]

Proposed fee levels and the expected costs of compliance with the 2003 Act were set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which accompanied the Licensing Bill and is available from the House Library. Regulations setting out the fees to accompany applications for licences, club premises certificates and other applications will be laid before Parliament shortly, showing the cost to individual licensees and applicants.The Department is working closely with the Local Government Association to produce licensing fees which are set at a level to provide for full cost recovery in respect of administration, inspection and enforcement. In those cases where the Department has announced that there will be an exemption from the payment of fees in certain circumstances the costs will be met by central government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for Lottery grant funding have been received in the last year from Cunninghame, South; what the total value was of these applications; and how many of these applications were successful. [153215]

This Department has never collected comprehensive information on either the number or value of applications for Lottery grants received by the Distributing Bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications were made for Heritage Lottery funding in (a) Trafford and (b) Altrincham and Sale, West in each of the last five years. [153221]

The number of applications that were made for Heritage Lottery Funding in (a) Trafford and (b) Altrincham and Sale, West in each of the last five years were:

Financial year	Trafford	Altrincham and Sale West
1997–98	4	3
1998–99	1	0
1999–2000	1	0
2000–01	1	1
2001–02	1	1
2002–03	2	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Heritage Lottery funding has been awarded in the Altrincham and Sale, West constituency in each of the last five years; and how many projects were awarded funding. [153222]

The amount of Heritage Lottery funding awarded to Altricham and Sale, West constituency in each of the last five years together with the number of projects funded was:

Financial year	Heritage lottery funding	Number of projects
1997–98	257,800	3
1998–99	0	0
1999–2000	0	0
2000–01	44,000	1
2001–02	0	0
2002–03	0	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what programmes her Department has set up to encourage the reform of repeat offenders. [153824]

There are a number of ways in which the Department seeks to prevent offending, including repeat offending, through engagement by young people in arts and sports activities, for example:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used

Name	Service	Type of service	Cost(£)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers	Tax/VAT Advice	Regular, ongoing technical advice	72,479.63
PriceWaterhouseCoopers	Communications; Electronic Document Records; Cash Management and Procurement Strategy	One off consultancies; financial	76,069.50
PriceWaterhouseCoopers	Internal Audit Advice/Services	Regular, ongoing financial	17,841.90
Mazars	Internal Audit Advice/Services	Regular, ongoing financial	67,945.00
Baker Mallett	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	24,200.00
Capita Property Management	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	91,878.50
EC Harris	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	167,180.21
JR Knowles Capital	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	239,414.59
Pick Everard	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	65,921.50
Turner & Townsend	Quantity Surveying and Project Management	Regular, ongoing financial	160,250.47

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the income expected this year is from fishing licences in the British Indian Ocean Territories; and what it was in each of the past five years. [153941]

Income this year (financial year 2003–04) to 31 December 2003 from fishing licences was £534,309. We cannot predict the expected income for the final quarter, but it is unlikely that revenue will reach that of previous years.Income from fishing licences in the past five years in the British Indian Ocean Territory was as follows:

Financial year	Income(£)
1998–99	2,271,595
1999–2000	744,042
2000–01	1,108,072
2001–02	822,497
2002–03	613,060

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the evidential basis was for the comment by the Minister for State, the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. Mike O'Brien), on Newsnight on 3 February that Iraq is the only country to use weapons of mass destruction. [153927]

As my hon. Friend knows, Iraq under Saddam Hussein is the only country to have used weapons of mass destruction against both neighbours and its own people. This is a fact that neither my hon. Friend nor any other hon. Member has disputed in the past.It was this point that I was attempting to make in the discussion when I was interrupted by the presenter of the programme.

Details of contracted consultants for Sport England in the calendar year starting on 1 January 2003 are as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of the United States on their policy that all visitors from the United Kingdom travelling on passports issued after 16 October without a biometric chip will require a visa; and if he will make a statement. [154470]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the US Secretary of State on 16 December 2003 to express concern at the US legislation and suggest that a joint FCO/UK Passport Service delegation visit Washington to discuss ways forward. The team visited Washington from 21–23 January. It asked the US to extend its deadline of 26 October 2004 for visitors' new UK passports to contain either a biometric identifier or a US visa. The US noted the UK position, and a formal response is awaited.The scale of the technical challenge currently makes the US requirement unachievable for the UK, and most other countries, before the end of 2005.British citizens visiting the US with machine-readable passports issued before 26 October 2004 are not affected by the new US requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits the Governor of Tristan da Cunha has made to (a) Tristan da Cunha and (b) the Ascension Islands in the last five years. [154198]

The Governor has made four visits to Tristan da Cunha since 2001, the latest of which was in January this year.The Governor has made 14 visits to Ascension Island in the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ministerial visits have been made to (a) Tristan da Cunha and (b) the Ascension Islands in the last five years. [154199]

There have been no ministerial visits to Tristan da Cunha in the last five years. I visited Ascension Island in November 2003 and took the opportunity to meet with Island Councillors at their Chamber. Ministers also regularly transit the Island on their way to and from the Falkland Islands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department (a) encourages and (b) assists UK businesses to export. [153866]

A key role of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) (formerly British Trade International)—a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department of Trade and Industry department—is to present the benefits of internationalising business as well as equipping firms with the information and capabilities to fulfil their export potential. UKTI encourages and assists business by offering a range of services to companies, details of which are contained in its current Departmental Report issued in May 2003 (Cm 5915). UKTI's Departmental Report for 2003–04 will issue in April 2004. Copies of Departmental Reports are laid in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the clearing of landmines in Afghanistan in each of the last two years; and what the contribution of the United Kingdom has been. [148115]

According to figures produced by Landmine Monitor and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), clearance of landmines and associated activities in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, the last years for which reports are available, have been as follows:

	2001	2002
Minefield clearance (sq km)	15.6	19.0
Battle area clearance (sq km)	81.2	92.6
Minefield survey (sq km)	14.7	25.2
Battle area survey (sq km)	80.8	92.5
Mine awareness training (people)	730,000	2,448,151

DFID has provided the following sums for mine action in Afghanistan: £3 million in 2001–02 and £1.8 million in 2002–03.We are currently considering further support for UNMAS in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the number of Afghan refugees in (a) Pakistan and (b) Iran. [149972]

The most recent estimate by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UN HCR), of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is 1.6 million individuals. The number, however, is difficult to assess accurately as there has not been a registration since 1995. In addition, there are significant numbers of Afghans in Pakistan who are not refugees. In Iran UNHCR's estimate is 1.9 million. Here most of the Afghan refugees are registered, although there may be a significant margin of error.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what plans his Department has to assist African governments with the implementation of the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Declaration; [153151](2) what plans he has to discuss the implementation of the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Declaration with the Government of Cameroon; and what steps he is taking to assist the implementation of the indicative actions relating to bushmeat; [153154](3) what plans his Department has to combat illegal logging in

The Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG) Conference was held in Cameroon in October 2003. The Declaration commits timber producing and consuming countries to tackle illegal logging and associated trade. It includes an extensive list of "indicative actions". The Declaration suggested that the World Bank finance a meeting of regional representatives of the AFLEG process and decide on the next steps and the next meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in Geneva in May, is the most suitable occasion for this follow-up and we are in discussion with the World Bank about this. We have also discussed with the World Bank a review of the effects of economic reform programmes on forest law enforcement and governance, as called for in the Declaration.The UK's support to the AFLEG declaration will be delivered through the EU and through the programmes of the Department for International Development (DFID). The UK is working with the European Commission and member states on the EU Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade. The Action Plan provides for Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Initial discussions with Cameroon and Ghana on VPAs took place in London in December. Further discussions will be organised by the European Commission and member states with these and other African countries in the coming months.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [145929]

The following table shows the number and percentage of staff in DFID aged 55 and over at 1 April 2003. The figures are based on the headcount of permanent civil servants.

Number and percentage of staff in DFID aged 55 and over at 1 April 2003
	DFID
Age 55 plus	150
Others	1,490
Total	1,640
Percentage of staff aged 55 plus	9.1

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure greater transparency in the Transitional Government in Liberia. [153346]

The National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) has agreed, with the support of the international community, a Results Focused Transitional Framework to guide the process of reconstruction during its two-year period of office. It includes benchmarks on improved governance, democratic development, the rule of law, and transparency and accountability of public institutions (including those responsible for the financial sector and procurement)The NTGL has taken several steps to improve public financial management. It has made the Ministry of Finance solely responsible for tax and revenue collection and has made it a criminal offence for other officials to collect them; it has ended the monopolies on rice and petroleum products; and it has announced audits of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company, the Forestry Development Authority, the National Port Authority, the Bureau of Maritime Affairs and Roberts International Airport. It has also set up committees to examine measures needed to bring order to the forestry and diamond industries and to the aircraft registry. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in August 2003, provides for free and fair elections in October 2005.We support the NTGL in these objectives. For 2003 and 2004, we have committed a total of £16.6 million in bilateral aid and £13 million as our share of the EU budget for Liberia.