To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for (a) new diagnostic and treatment centres and (b) new acute hospitals in the eastern region of England. [155731]

By 2005 there will he a further four new Treatment Centres in the eastern region of England providing services for NHS patients. In addition further investment is being made in expanding NHS hospital services at four main sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress made in preparing a national service framework for long-term conditions. [155732]

We are making good progress in developing the national service framework for longterm conditions which will focus on improving services for people with neurological conditions. We plan to publish the framework in December 2004 for implementation from 2005. Only yesterday, I met the Chairs of the External Reference Group to discuss progress, and I expect to receive final advice from the group in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change the amount of NHS funding allocated to children's hospices. [155733]

National Health Service funding is available through negotiation between children's hospices and primary care trusts. which are responsible for funding health care for their resident population. There are no limits to the amount of funding which may be provided; this is for local decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement regarding guidance issued to doctors concerning the prescribing of benzodiazepines. [155734]

Guidance on the prescribing of benzodiazepines is provided in i he British National Formulary, which is sent to all doctors within the National Health Service and on the Internet at Electronic Medicines Compendium. The guidance has been reiterated in the Chief Medical Officer's Update dated January 2004 Which announced the Department's intention to introduce instalment dispensing of benzodiazepines to minimise access to extensive doses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to combat obesity in school children. [155735]

The Government takes the issue of tackling obesity in children very seriously. Prevention is the best long-term approach, by improving diet and promoting physical activity. Strategies are being developed through the Food and Health Action Plan that promotes healthy diet and the Activity Co-ordination Team that promotes physical activity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle obesity through increasing physical activity. [155742]

Together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport, I chair the cross-Government Activity Co-ordination Team, which is preparing a delivery plan on how the Government will increase physical activity in England. We aim to publish a consultation document on physical activity proposals in April as part of the Public Health White Paper consultation process.I have also commissioned 10 Local Exercise Action Pilots across England, which are currently under way. These will evaluate a range of different methods—and establish which are most effective—in driving up sustained physical activity rates across the population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on domiciliary care. [155736]

The Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations 2002 and National Minimum Standards for Domiciliary Care came into force on 1 April 2003. People using domiciliary care services are protected for the first time by a regulatory framework.Progress on the target to increase by March 2006 the number of those supported to live intensively at home to 30 per cent. of all those being supported at home or in residential care, is encouraging. The percentage has risen by nearly two points from 27.2 per cent. to 29 per cent. in 2002–03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the cost of travel and accommodation for (a)patients undergoing tertiary treatment and (b) their relatives or carers. [155737]

Patients eligible under the NHS Low Income Scheme are entitled to full or partial reimbursement of their costs to hospital under the Hospital Travel Cost Scheme. The transport costs of an escort may also be reimbursed, but not the cost of accommodation, or any cost associated with relatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of out-of-hours general practitioner services. [155738]

Primary care trusts are working with general practitioners and other organisations to develop out-of-hours services that meet national quality standards and local needs. With more direct control over the way these services are commissioned and provided they will be able to ensure they are better integrated with other unscheduled care services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of trauma consultants needed by the NHS in 2010; and how many such consultants there were on the latest date for which figures are available. [155739]

As at 30 June 2003, there were 1,396 consultants in trauma and orthopaedic surgery, an increase of 32 per cent. since September 1997. We are planning to increase trauma and orthopaedic consultant numbers by a further 9 per cent. between March 2004 and March 2006.The national health service will continue to plan, for three-year periods, its future workforce requirements and steps will be taken to address the identified need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the star rating system for hospitals. [155740]

From April 2004, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection will take over the responsibility for performance rating the national health service. It will be up to CHAI to determine what form performance assessments will take in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of bone marrow treatment for those suffering from Crohn's disease. [155741]

While we welcome new developments that improve our understanding of distressing conditions like Crohn's disease, we would need to see a rigorous scientific and clinical analysis of this particular procedure, and its outcomes, before we could judge whether it was suitable for NHS patients with Crohn's disease.The assessment of new treatments is a gradual process. Evidence from clinical trials may suggest that a new treatment is effective. Further research is then undertaken to provide substantive evidence around issues like long-term safety, before moving to the implementation stage. We have to await evidence provided by the medical and research community before we implement new procedures and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provison is made for ambulance drivers to receive (a) initial and (b)refresher training; and if he will make a statement.[155462]

National health service trusts are responsible for ensuring that their staff are suitably trained and qualified to perform their duties. Ambulance staff employed on emergency driving duties receive initial driving training, are required to satisfy proficiency standards and to receive periodic refresher training to maintain proficiency in accordance with a national syllabus and standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has published on the vision levels that ambulance drivers need to achieve and on how frequently they should receive eye checks. [155463]

Through its occupational health service each national health service trust is responsible for setting and monitoring staff health standards—including eyesight—and for ensuring that they conform to driver licensing requirements and relevant occupational health guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards of driving test ambulance drivers are required to meet; and what the failure rate was in each year since 1997. [155464]

Ambulance drivers are required to hold the driving licence appropriate to the class of vehicle they drive and to undertake training and an assessment as part of their initial and refresher training. Information on success or failure rates is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the guidelines published by his Department on the disciplinary code for ambulance drivers. [155465]

Each national health service trust is responsible for developing, adopting and implementing an appropriate disciplinary code for its staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what disciplinary measures are taken against ambulance drivers who are involved in road accidents. [155466]

It is the responsibility of each national health service trust to investigate any accidents, alleged failure or misconduct on the part of its staff and where necessary to instigate disciplinary action in accordance with its local procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance drivers in the NHS have not received additional driver training; and if he will make a statement. [156002]

We are not aware of any specific instance of a national health service ambulance driver having failed to receive suitable driving training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date specialist ambulance driver training became mandatory. [156003]

The mandatory requirement is that ambulance drivers are requited to hold the driving licence appropriate to the class of vehicle they drive. In addition, ambulance drivers engaged on emergency duties should undertake specialist driver training in an accredited driving school as part of the basic ambulance training course. This requirement has been in place since 1968, when the responsibility for ambulance services rested with local government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accidents involving ambulances there were (a) in total and (b) involving fatalities, in each year since 1997 in (i) England and (ii) each ambulance trust; and if he will make a statement. [156001]

Information on accidents involving ambulances is shown in the table. Figures for each individual ambulance trust are not collected centrally.

Accidents involving ambulances, by : England, 1997–2002
Severity	1997	1998	2000	2001	2002
Fatal	4	3	7	4	3	5
Serious	35	38	29	37	22	33
Slight	232	282	246	299	278	257
All	271	323	282	340	303	295

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for ambulance 999 calls in rural areas have been set; and what the latest figures for performance against these targets are. [154906]

Current ambulance response targets are:

category A calls—presenting conditions which may be immediately life-threatening and which should be responded to within eight minutes irrespective of location in 75 per cent. of cases;

category B calls—presenting conditions which, though serious, are not immediately life-threatening and should be responded to within 14 minutes (urban) and 19 minutes (rural) in 95 per cent. of cases;

category C calls—presenting conditions which are not immediately life-threatening or serious but should also be responded to within 14 minutes (urban) and 19 minutes (rural) in 95 per cent. of cases; and

urgent cases—in addition to emergency 999 calls, ambulance services are required to take patients to hospital where the need is identified by a doctor as urgent and these patients should arrive at hospital within 15 minutes of the arrival time specified by the doctor in 95 per cent. of cases.

Information about performance of ambulance trusts is published annually in a statistical bulletin. The latest data are in "Ambulance Services, England: 2002–03". A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library and on the Department's website at: www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.pdf

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cataract operations will be carried out in Kent in financial year 2003–04. [155729]

The Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority plan to provide a total of 11,084 cataract operations this year in Kent. As a result, the maximum waiting time for cataract operations in Kent will be down to six months by 31 March 2004—a year-and-a-half ahead of the NHS Plan target.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of proposals to fund a joint unit at Gatwick Airport between immigration officials and members of West Sussex Social Services Child Protection Division. [144997]

I have been asked to reply.We have not as yet received formal proposals from the local authority on the structure and function of a Children Social Work team at Gatwick. The amendment to section 110 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 allows us to provide funding for special projects of this nature, and we will give full and careful consideration to any proposals from West Sussex once we receive them.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the cost of the Electoral Commission report on Electoral Pilots at the June 2004 elections was. [155119]

I am advised by the Chairman of the Commission that the total cost to it of reporting on the most suitable European Parliamentary regions for electoral pilots at the June 2004 combined European Parliamentary and local elections, as directed by the Government under section 6(2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, is estimated to have been approximately £32,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place the Department's guidelines on the implementation of the EU Directive on Animal By-Products in the Library. [153469]

Guidance is available on the Defra website at hhtp://defraweb/animalh/by-prods/default.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the proposed new EU regulation on animal transport. [155663]

The Government are seeking measures that result in improved conditions and better enforcement throughout the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether there is a central register of those convicted of cruelty to animals in the United Kingdom; [155570](2) whether there is a central register of those banned from keeping animals in the United Kingdom. [155571]

There is no central register of people convicted of cruelty or who have been disqualified from keeping animals. However, the Department is considering, as part of the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, the introduction of an Animal Welfare Enforcement Database, which would assist in the enforcement of animal welfare legislation in England and Wales. It is proposed that the database would include details of those people who have been convicted and disqualified from keeping animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the natural predators of the badger are, other than man; and what effect they exert on the United Kingdom badger population. [153961]

Adult badgers have no natural predators, other than man in Britain. It is not unusual, however, for badger cubs to be killed by dogs, foxes and sometimes by adult badgers¹.

Table summary of badgers taken during trial operations to 12 January 2004
	May 1998 to January 1999		May 1999 to January 2000		May 2000 to January 2001		May 2002 to January 2003		May 2003 to January 2004		Total
Triplet Proactive (P) or Reactive (R)	P	R	P	R	P	R	P	R	P	R	P	R
A			55	0	0	34	149	47	52	36	256	117
B	238	0	85	73	74	34	49	84	172	110	618	301
C			246	0	111	178	126	115	132	101	615	394
D							293	0	368	122	661	122
E					1744	0	96	62	258	126	1,098	188
F					451	0	248	145	103	290	802	435
G					428	0	205	172	144	84	777	256
H					162	0	231	16	71	143	464	159
I							219	0	175	94	394	94
J							441	0	187	0	628	0
Sub total	238		386	73	1,970	246	2,057	641	1,662	1,106	6,313	2,066
Total (P and R)	238		459		2,216		2,698		2,768		8,379
1Combined total for initial and follow-up cull completed in the same culling year													Note:													No data for May 2001-January 2002 when trial suspended due to FMD

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs what targets have been set for the bovine TB testing of herds in the last five years for which figures are available; how many have been completed; and how long it will take to clear the backlog of required tests. [155082]

The State Veterinary Service has two targets relating to TB testing of cattle herds:

95 per cent. of herds to be tested within one month of the due date, and

100 per cent. of herds to be tested within three months of the due date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many badgers have been culled in each of the (a) proactive and (b) inactive cull areas in each of the selected trial zones in each year since the trials commenced. [155081]

The Randomised Badger Culling Trial compares 30 areas of 100 km², grouped into 10 triplets. One of the following three "treatments" is allocated to each trial area:

'Proactive' culling whet e badgers are trapped and culled at the outset of the trial and at intervals afterwards.

'Reactive' culling where badgers are trapped and culled from social groups associated with farms which have a confirmed incident of bovine TB during the course of the trial.

'Survey only' areas where no trapping or culling takes place. Setts are surveyed regularly to check for signs of unlawful removal of badgers. These areas act as a scientific control against which the impact of the two culling strategies can be measured.

Culling in the reactive areas of the trial has been suspended.Details of the badgers culled in the proactive and reactive treatment areas are given in the following table:The following table details the performance figures for the years where figures are available.

	2001	2002	20031
Number of herds due to be tested	12,207	19,877	15,524
Completed tests within one month of the due date (percentage)	14.5	47.4	78.7
Completed tests within three months of the due date (percentage)	22.7	65.0	92.7
1to end September

The number of tests overdue at the end of December 2003 was 3,623 of which only 163 were more than 12 months overdue (provisional data). This is similar to the number of overdue TB tests recorded before the FMD epidemic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget was set by her Department for each year for all aspects of bovine TB research, testing, culling, compensation,

Expenditure on bovine TB in Great Britain: 1998–99 to 2002–03
Expenditure in £000
	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Compensation1	3,491	5,303	6,632	9,243	31,146
TB testing	7,247	8,329	8,675	3,571	12,398
Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) and associated research	2,988	4,392	6,630	6,001	6,479
Other research (not including RBCT)	2,541	4,114	5,266	6,112	6,824
Other costs2	8,617	9,002	8,996	5,557	17,055
Total (rounded figures)	24,883	31,141	36,199	30,485	73,902
1Includes compensation paid for cattle and deer slaughtered as a result of TB control measures.
2Includes State Veterinary Service staff costs and diagnosis carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

Fieldwork costs are included in the expenditure shown for the RBCT and associated research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much beef was not allowed into the country on health grounds in the last year for which figures are available. [155349]

Centrally kept statistics do not provide information to answer the question in the form asked. I can say that in the year 2003, out of 15,294 consignments of imported meat and meat products, derived from cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses presented for veterinary checks at Border Inspection Posts in the UK, 215 were rejected for various reasons. It is not possible to say how many were rejected on health grounds as consignments rejected for other reasons—for example, because of incorrect certification or because they did not tally with the accompanying documentation, would not be further checked to see if there were also health problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the (a) operational and (b) safety impact of including steaming time in the days at sea allowance. [150324]

For vessels using demersal trawls of over 100 mm mesh, the total allocation of days per month is 15, the same as last year, though the total last year included a separately identified element for steaming days. There need, therefore, be no differential impact this year. We do not, however, propose to require vessels to include time lost in life-threatening circumstances at sea (such as going to the aid of another vessel in distress) as part of their allocation.

Historical information on the budgets originally set for various elements of the bovine TB programme is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a breakdown of the actual spend for the last five financial years is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the economic impact on the UK retail market of the UK fishing fleet producing a surplus of haddock in the absence of adequate cod supplies. [152368]

Because of the global nature of the markets for the main whitefish species, the impact of such changes is difficult to quantify, since there is no simple relationship between local catch levels and market prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that the plans by South Somerset District Council for a Merriott flood alleviation scheme (phase 2) receive early approval from (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency to enable it to qualify for funding available before 31 March; and if she will make a statement.[155107]

Following the significant flooding in autumn 2000, the Department agreed to consider special cases supported by the Environment Agency (EA) HQ for particularly deserving river defence schemes that did not achieve the priority score threshold for Defra funding. Such schemes still had to meet the other basic criteria for funding. For special case consideration, EA HQ identified criteria that were then not reflected fully in the priority scoring system. On that basis, they supported a number of special cases that the Department accepted in July 2001. Much of the special case criteria was incorporated into the revised priority scoring system that came into effect in April 2003. When notifying details of 2003–04 allocations to flood defence operating authorities in February 2003, officials indicated that, given special cases were identified as urgent following the autumn 2000 floods, the Department would not expect to extend special treatment beyond 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the impact of game licences on (a) the sport of shooting, (b) the quarry species and (c) the environment; and if she will make a statement. [155180]

No assessment has been made of the impact of game licences on the sport of shooting game, the quarry species covered by these licences or the environment more generally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2004, Official Report, column 1301W, which EU countries ban the import of chickens infected with salmonella; and for what reasons the United Kingdom does not ban salmonella infected chickens. [155184]

[holding answer 23 February 2004]: There are no bans as such on imports into EU countries of live chickens or chicken meat because of salmonella. However, European Community legislation stipulates that live chickens intended for breeding or production imported from third countries have to be accompanied by certification confirming that they are from flocks which have been submitted to a disease surveillance programme for salmonella pullorum and salmonella gallinarum.Live chickens traded between member states must come from flocks that are routinely monitored for

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

[pursuant to his reply, 14 January 2004, Official Report, c. 742W]: In my answer I referred to information on Cambridge Water and Folkestone and Dover. This was incorrect.The correct information for Cambridge Water and Folkestone and Dover is as follows:

Water only undertakers	Ultimate holding company and where headquarters is based	Date of acquisition
Cambridge Water plc	Union Electricia Fenosa	January 2000
	SA (Spain)
Folkestone and Dover	Veolia Environnement	Owned since before
Water Services Ltd.	(France)	1989

The rest of the answer remains correct.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will ensure that amendments to Bills which appear on the Order Paper are available at the same time on the parliamentary website. [154571]

The timetable for electronic publication of House of Commons documents is based on the recommendation of the Information Committee: that they should be made available as soon as practicable after release to Members. However, it also takes into account the potential cost to the House of moving to earlier publication. Although times of publication have been advanced in instances where this can be achieved at little cost, simultaneous publication is not practicable.At the moment marshalled lists of amendments are made available electronically by 12 noon on the day of publication in printed form. Discussions with the House's contractor indicate that this time could be brought forward to 9.30 am without giving rise to substantial additional costs; and this option will be pursued

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising. [155520]

The proportion of our overall advertising expenditure spent to (a) advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other recruitment advertising, is shown in the following table.

To ask the Solicitor-General whether investigations into the criminal cases in which a parent has been convicted of murdering a child will include an assessment of whether (a) cisapride and (b) other drugs contributed to the deaths. [153753]

Since the release of Angela Cannings by the Court of Appeal and its published judgment, the Attorney-General has instigated a number of measures. A total of 258 convictions over the last 10 years for the murder, manslaughter or infanticide of a child under two by its parent have been identified. Of those, a total of 72 relate to persons still serving a custodial sentence. These will be accorded the utmost priority. Currently, some 365 boxes of evidence relating to 52 high profile cases have been recovered from central storage and dispatched to CPS areas for them to conduct an initial review. The remaining high profile cases are being recovered from the areas themselves.With the help of the Interdepartmental Group a system of review has been established. Each individual case will first be subject to a preliminary review by the relevant CPS Area to identify its key characteristics. Each case will then be reviewed by a central review team to establish whether any features identified by the Court of Appeal in Angela Cannings' judgment make the conviction potentially unsafe. As the review proceeds, the issues in each case will become clearer and the review team will be alert for any factors, including drugs, which were held to have contributed towards the death of an infant.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is being done to raise levels of internet usage among those sectors of the population whose usage is under the national average, with particular reference to the (a) 55 to 64 and (b) 65 and over age groups. [155264]

Opportunities to physically access the internet are now pervasive for all age-groups. Research by the Oxford Internet Institute has found that 96 per cent. of the population are aware of a place where they could get online.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list executive board members appointed to promote better regulation, broken down by department; and what their respective private sector experience is in each case. [155277]

As of 1 February 2004, the network of departmental board level members for better regulation consisted of:

Board member
Margaret Aldred	Home Office
Alan Davey	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Karen Dunnell	Office for National Statistics
Eddie Frizzell	Scottish Executive
Paul Gray	Department for Work and Pensions
Stephen Haddrill	Department of Trade and Industry
Mike Hanson	HM Customs and Excise
Dave Hartnett	Board of Inland Revenue
Donald Mcrae	Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs
Peter Makeham	Department for Education and Skills
Willy Rickett	Department for Transport
James Sassoon	HM Treasury
Jonathan Spencer	Department of Constitutional Affairs
Richard Stagg	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Pat Stewart	Food Standards Agency
Hugh Taylor	Department of Health
Peter Unwin	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Jane Willis	Health and Safety Executive
Baroness Young of Old Scone	Environment Agency

These senior departmental nominees draw on a wide range of experience in advising within their organisation on private sector, public sector and European regulatory issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to upgrade the A35 between Dorchester and Honiton. [155299]

There are no current plans for significant upgrading of the A35 between Dorchester and Honiton.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve (a) traffic flow and (b) road safety at Raymond's Hill on the A35. [155300]

The Highways Agency substantially completed a safety improvement scheme at Raymond's Hill last year, which includes new signs, red anti-skid surfacing and two traffic islands. It will prevent overtaking through the junction, help traffic entering or crossing the trunk road and assist pedestrians crossing the road. A reduction of the speed limit to 40 mph is also planned and this proposal has recently been advertised.The new scheme will have limited effect on traffic flow but should make a significant improvement to road safety. Its impact will be monitored to see if further measures are necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will set a date for the resurfacing of the A404 Marlow by-pass; [155068](2) whether the A404 Marlow by-pass meets the criteria for remedial action on environmental grounds to reduce noise pollution. [155069]

The A404 Marlow Bypass is currently in a satisfactory condition as far as safety is concerned and is not expected to require resurfacing within the next few years. As a result, no date has yet been set.However, I can confirm that the A404 Marlow Bypass meets the criteria announced on 22 March 1999 for consideration for remedial action on environmental grounds to reduce noise pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the Transport Safety Authority of the US Administration concerning matters of aviation security. [155221]

Departmental officials are in very regular contact with their opposite numbers in the US Transportation Security Administration, about a range of aviation security matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the disclosure to the Sunday Telegraph of the Strategic Rail Authority's latest study of the Central Railway proposal; and if he will make a statement. [155242]

It is not the Department's practice to comment on such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list for each local authority the financial support given by the Department to support cycling proficiency tests in 2003–04; [155868]

Local authorities fund cycle training from within their overall resources for transport. We do not hold data centrally on how many cycling proficiency tests are undertaken.The Government are supportive of cycle training and our research has shown that it is effective, with trained children found to be significantly safer than untrained children when knowledge and skills were tested two years after training. We want to see an increase in the level, and improvement in the quality, of cycle training for children.The Department has been working closely with a number of groups to develop cycle training. With our support 'Guidelines for the management and Operation of Practical Cyclist Training Schemes' were revised and published by RoSPA in June 2000. In July 2001 the Department for Transport and the Department of Health gave grant funding amounting to £76,000 to the Cyclist Touring Club to run a three-year project to develop a cycle training scheme for adults and teenagers. This led to the development of the publication, "Adult Cycle Training—A Guide for Instructors and Organisers", which was launched in May 2003 and sent to all road safety officers. We are also working with a group of cycle training experts to develop a new National Standard for child cyclist training. This will be piloted in schools from April, with a view to a launch later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who pays the minimum usage charge paid to Eurotunnel. [154910]

The Minimum Usage Charge (MUC) is a top-up mechanism that assures Eurotunnel of a minimum income from Eurostar and rail freight services for the first 12 years of commercial operations. It is a contractual commitment to Eurotunnel by the French and UK railways currently operating through the Tunnel. For the UK, Eurostar UK Ltd. is responsible for all payments relating to passenger services, and the Strategic Rail Authority currently makes the payments for freight services. On the French side, the payments are made by SNCF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the infrastructure improvement schemes in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and what their projected cost is. [153500]

The Chorley Transport Interchange opened in March 2003 at a cost of £2,500,000. Work is currently under way improving Chorley Railway Station at a cost of £309,000. Details of other local transport infrastructure schemes and projected costs are set out in the Local Transport Plans and Annual Progress Reports, published by Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Borough Council and Blackburn-with-Darwen Borough Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports from judges the Government have received in relation to concluded cases of failure to stop after a road crash. [154917]

I have been asked to reply.Failing to stop after an accident is a summary offence and as such it would normally be dealt with at a magistrates' court. Judges would not therefore deal with such offences unless they were committed for sentence to the Crown Court together with an indictable or triable either-way offence. My Department does not hold data centrally relating to reports from Judges who sat on particular cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the latest criteria for prioritisation of resurfacing of roads are. [155979]

The criteria for the prioritisation of resurfacing flexible trunk roads are related to the condition of the surface. The combined assessment of levels of rutting, surface crack intensity, unevenness, skid resistance, the general wear of the surface material and the frequency of accidents associated with the surface condition, is used to determine the programme for resurfacing. The aim is to maintain the trunk road network using the principle of minimising whole life costs, taking account of disruption to the road users and the need to keep the road in a safe and serviceable condition.On concrete roads, priorities for dealing with the most pressing cases of traffic noise have been established as set out in the Secretary of State's announcement to the House on 1 April 2003, and these will be progressed as funding allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the criteria for categorisation of sites for each level of noise reduction road resurfacing programmes; and what the effect of each categorisation is. [155983]

Categorisation of sites for low noise surfacing is primarily based on maintenance need. In addition, we have criteria for categorisation for noise reduction of roads with concrete surfaces. I announced these criteria on 17 October 2001; they are:

that wherever possible the application of quieter surfaces will fit in with normal maintenance needs;

that priority will be given to those sites where treatment would benefit the greatest number of people;

that the works will be carried out in such a way as to minimise disruption to general public and users of the network;

that priority will be given to roads, opened since June 1998, where actual noise levels have turned out to be significantly higher than predicted at the time of Public Inquiry.

Priority is given to road surfaces that are deteriorating and to locations where road safety is an issue. Where the resurfacing is specifically for noise reduction purposes priority will be given to those cases in which the actual noise levels exceed those predicted by at least three decibels, or where more than 100 properties per kilometre are effected by excess noise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in estimated costs of resurfacing the M1 between junctions 20 and 21 since the initial announcement; and if he will make a statement. [155987]

Final cost details for resurfacing of the M1 between Junctions 20 and 21 will not be available until current investigations by the Highways Agency are completed. It was initially anticipated that part of this section of the M1 would be resurfaced in 2004 but Value Management assessments have shown that other areas of the network need to be given higher priority. The assessments demonstrated that better value for money would be obtained by undertaking more work than simply resurfacing, although this would result in increased capital cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) actual and (b) percentage increase in power supply is required to operate an eight-car new third-rail train compared with its slam-door predecessor, assuming no change in average speed; and if he will make a statement. [155416]

At lower speeds the new trains are more efficient. At higher speeds—up to 75mph—the traction draw is higher. The power draw for the new trains travelling at up to 75mph is capped at 1500 amps. For Mark I trains the draw is 750 amps. In percentage terms, a Siemens Class 450 Desiro train draws 39.6 per cent. more traction power than a Mark I train. A Bombardier Electrostar Class 375 draws 35 per cent. more traction power than a Mark I train.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1235W, if he will introduce primary legislation to revise the eligibility criteria for the scheme; and what discussions his Department has had with representatives of seafarer trade unions concerning alterations to the Crew Relief Costs Scheme. [155511]

Primary legislation will be introduced when Parliamentary time is available. The proposed extension of the Crew Relief Costs Scheme was discussed with members of the Shipping Working Group, including seafarer trade unions, when the policy outlined in the White Paper "British Shipping: Charting a New Course" was being developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1242W, if he will make a statement on the progress made towards implementing the actions contained in "British Shipping: Charting a New Course"; whether it is his policy to implement all the actions in the paper; and when his Department will conclude the implementation of these actions. [155513]

The Government's shipping policy is stated in the White Paper "British Shipping: Charting a New Course". Some of the actions are on-going and so will not have a date by which they will be completed. It is therefore not possible to issue a timetable showing when the implementation will be concluded. An update of the current status of the 33 actions from "Charting" has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines his Department issues for local authorities in respect of measures to deal with snowfall. [155798]

The Department for Transport strongly recommends that local highway authorities carry out winter maintenance in accordance with the Code of Practice for highway maintenance, "Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance", which was published in July 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department has provided for each speed camera partnership in England and which partners are involved in each partnership. [155213]

Eight partnerships, six in England, trialled the safety camera cost recovery scheme from April 2000 to March 2002. A further seven (six in England) joined during 2002.Funding for the camera activities of the Safety Camera Partnerships in England, met from conditional fixed penalty fines for speeding and red light offences, for 2000–01 and 2001–02, is as follows:

	Number
2000–01
Cleveland	771,901
Essex	1,846,480
Lincolnshire	512,721
Nottingham	622,371
Northants	1,702,404
Thames Valley	1,825,639
Total	7,281,516
2001–02
Cleveland	486,891
Essex	3,003,763
Lincolnshire	516,818
Nottingham	778,536
Northants	2,247,838
Thames Valley	2,617,031
Cambridgeshire	113,760
Derbyshire	455,659
Lancashire	761,017
Norfolk	433,100
Staffordshire	629,246
Warwickshire	355,068
Totals	12,398,727

Information on the Partnerships' expenditure for 2002–03 is being prepared and will be published shortly.Safety Camera Partnerships comprise representatives of the police force (or forces), local authorities and Magistrates' Courts Committees for the areas concerned. Some Partnerships also include representative of the Highways Agency and local Health Authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his oral answer of 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 616, how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in the three years prior to the establishment of camera sites in the Christchurch constituency, and how many have been (i) killed and (ii) seriously injured since, in respect of each of the camera sites. [155507]

[holding answer 23 February 2004]: My Department does not hold statistical information broken down by Parliamentary constituency areas. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership for more detailed information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are in place to determine the (a) minimum and (b) maximum armed forces retirement age; and if he will make a statement. [154960]

The question of retirement procedures is a complex one as each of the Services have their individual regulations and, indeed, within each Service retirement criteria can vary considerably depending on factors such as length of service, rank and professional specialty. In addition, the introduction of the Three Tier Commission (short, medium and full) in April 1999 and such initiatives as the Common Terms of Service for medical officers mean that the already complex situation is exacerbated as the legacy rights of personnel serving before the introduction of these schemes have to be taken into consideration. However, in order to offer some indication of the minimum and maximum retirement ages the following can be used as a generic guide. Further more detailed information can be provided on specific cases if required.There is no standard minimum retirement age as personnel can leave at various points after enlistment. However, in general terms, to receive an immediately payable pension officers would have to serve a minimum of 16 years from the age of 21 (37), whilst non-commissioned officers would have to serve a minimum of 22 years from the age of 18 (40). Personnel who leave too early to receive the immediately payable pension may be entitled to a preserved pension, based on their length of service, which is payable at the age of 60.The normal maximum retirement age is 55 but again this can vary depending on factors such as seniority and professional specialty. For example, a Medical Officer in a senior position could stay in post until the age of 65. It should also be noted that any individual may have their service extended beyond their normal retirement age if to do so would be of mutual benefit to the Service and the individual.

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, "The Future of the Defence Diversification Agency". [153852]

The Consultation Document "The Future of The Defence Diversification Agency" was published on 8 February 2001. I have placed a list of the individuals and organisations which were sent a copy of the document in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Defence Estates Core Sites Report of March 2003 will be published. [155558]

It is not our intention to publish the list, which is a working document and subject to constant detailed revision as the department undertakes further work to clarify where estate rationalisation may be possible. Any specific proposals arising from these studies will be subject to proper announcement to the House and full consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures United Kingdom forces have taken in the area of Southern Iraq under British control to ensure no weapons of mass destruction, their components, relevant explosives or contaminants are smuggled out of Iraq. [152318]

Specific searches for WMD are the responsibility of the Iraq Survey Group, although UK forces routinely conduct a range of anti-smuggling operations as a part of continuing security operations in the UK area of responsibility in Southern Iraq. UK forces are also involved in training Iraqi border officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2004, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch), Official Report, column 920W, if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the research projects funded by his Department, the Longer Range Threat, BMD studies and the Capability Gap Work; and if he will place reports relating to these projects in the Library. [155656]

We keep the threat posed by ballistic missiles to the United Kingdom and its deployed forces—and the best means of countering this threat—under constant review. An unclassified summary of the Technology Readiness and Risk Assessment Programme referred to in my answer of 19 January to the hon. Member for Hereford Official Report, column 920W has already been placed in the Library. However, much of our work in this area must remain classified. The Longer Range Threat and the Capability Gap Work programmes, together with the Ballistic Missile Defence studies, form part of our new Ballistic Missile Defence programme, and no unclassified summary of this work is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated costs of plans to upgrade nuclear weapons design and production facilities at Aldermaston are; how much has been allocated for this upgrade; and what the timetable is for its completion. [154079]

The refurbishment and replacement of older facilities, and the decommissioning of those no longer required, is a continuing programme of work at AWE to meet safety, regulatory and operational requirements. We made clear in paragraph 3.11 of the Defence White Paper published in December (CM 6041—1) that we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the range of options for maintaining a nuclear deterrent capability is kept open until we need to take decisions on whether to replace Trident.The costs of the continuing programme are included in the overall incentivised price of the 25-year AWE Management and Operation contract. The precise timing, scope and cost of all the investments required over the 25 year period have yet to be finalised with the AWE contractor. The total cost of operating AWE for the current financial year is expected to be of the order of £310 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department have been (a) suspended, (b) dismissed, (c) prosecuted and (d) 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. [154543]

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date no disciplinary action or prosecutions have taken place against staff for involvement in benefit fraud.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in which years each of the 1851 to 1901 decennial censuses of population for Scotland were released for public inspection; and if he will make a statement on the timetable for release of the 1911 census records for Scotland. [153936]

The General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S)), an associated department of the Scottish Executive, is responsible for carrying out periodic censuses of Scotland's population.The Scottish Census returns for 1841–71 were opened to public inspection in 1923. The returns for 1881 and 1891 were opened to public inspection, though with some restrictions on copying, in 1955. The records for 1901 were opened to public inspection at the end of 2001.I understand the returns for 1911 will not be opened to public inspection until 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much space, expressed in square metres, the Office occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London. [150278]

The Scotland Office occupies 1,857 sq m of Dover House in central London. The remaining space in the building is shared between a number of other Departments; the Scottish Executive: 320 sq m, Scottish Development International: 57 sq m and other parts of the Department for Constitutional Affairs: 111 sq m.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties. [155169]

The Secretary of State regularly travels by all modes of public transport. My right hon. Friend last travelled by train in connection with his ministerial duties on 2 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months. [147981]

Staff of the Scotland Office have reported one security pass as stolen and four as lost in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received from (a) the museum and (b) the heritage sectors in relation to introducing Gift Aid tax relief (i) in writing, (ii) in meetings and (iii) in any forms since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [156009]

Such information as is available about the representations this Department has received from the museums and heritage sectors since 1997 in relation to Gift Aid tax relief is provided below. These relate to the changes to the Gift Aid Scheme announced in the Pre-Budget Report (Cm 6042).Written representations have been received from The Charleston Trust, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Bronte Society and Dulwich Picture Gallery, Mr. G. Lovewell Blake and R. P. Heyworth.In addition representatives from the following representative bodies and associations and DCMS sponsored bodies attended a recent meeting arranged by the Department with Inland Revenue officials to discuss the implementation of the proposed changes: Association of Independent Museums, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions Ltd, Chatham Historic Dockyards Trust, ECSITE-UK, English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces, Millennium Commission, Museums Association, National Maritime Museum, North of England Zoological Society, Visitor Attractions Forum, Zoological Society London.The Government are consulting closely with charities that might be affected by changes to the Gift Aid legislation announced in the Pre-Budget Report, through their associations and representative bodies, on the detail of how the change may be best achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the ministerial visits (a) she and (b) her Ministers have made in the last 12 months. [145600]

I am arranging for a list of visits made by DCMS Ministers in the past 12 months to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she received concerning the campaign to retain Wagon-Lits railway carriage 2757 in the UK prior to its purchase by Dutch interests; and when, and how, the matter was first raised with her Department. [155992]

[holding answer 23 February 2004]: My right hon Friend the Secretary of State did not receive any representations concerning the campaign to retain the Wagon-Lits railway carriage 2757 in the UK prior to its purchase by Dutch interests in November 2003. The first representation received by the Secretary of State was a letter from the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth), on behalf of a constituent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising. [155518]

The department's expenditure on recruitment advertising in 2002–03 and 2003–04 to date is shown as follows. Equivalent information for 2001–02 is no longer available.2002–03: £59,922

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from motorsport interests in connection with the cessation of tobacco advertising. [153036]

I have received one representation from the motorsport industry relating to the ban, seeking clarification of the EU Directive. It is not a matter for DCMS and I have referred the query to the Department of Health.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is Home Office policy to resist applications for adjournments of asylum cases where applicants prima facie fall within the amnesty. [152464]

Home Office policy, generally, is not to oppose applications for adjournments of asylum appeals when asked for a view by Adjudicators in cases where applicants may fall for consideration under the indefinite leave to remain exercise announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 24 October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to make provision for children who are not offered temporary residence but whose parents are; [144614](2) what factors underlay the decision to grant non-British citizens longer stays in the UK than their children. [144613]

It is our usual policy to grant dependent children leave to enter or remain in line with that of other parents or carers. As all applications are considered on their individual merits, there may from time to time be cases where a different period of leave is granted. There is no category of temporary residence under the Immigration Rules and there are no plans to introduce one.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were resident in Glasgow in the last year for which figures are available. [153730]

The information is not available in the form requested.Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers currently in the UK are either in receipt of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or from local authorities, or are supporting themselves. Statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of NASS support are unavailable.The table gives quarterly data on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in Glasgow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to track the outcomes of unaccompanied children returned under the new pilots to ensure that the return is in the best interests of the child; and what he will do if the assessment of the child's circumstances suggests that removal places him or her at risk. [155401]

The returns programme is still in the early stages of development. The programme will include a monitoring and evaluation strategy. A child/young person will only be returned under the programme after an individual assessment has been made on their suitability for return. This assessment will be made in partnership with local authority Social Service Departments and will include a judgment as to whether a return is in the child's best interests and whether the child/young person faces any risk on return.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current backlog of cases is at each directorate of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [142926]

At the end of December 2003, the latest date for which published data are available, the number of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision had continued to fall, to 24,500, the lowest level for a decade, and 40 per cent. lower than at the end of December 2002 (41,300). The number of initial decisions continues to exceed the level of applications. The speed of decision making is at record levels with initial decisions made and served within two months on 80 per cent. of applications¹ received in April to September 2003.In October 2001 my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a package of measures to improve the asylum process. Part of this package was to reduce the number of outstanding asylum cases to a steady state of work in progress. In order to do this the immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) expanded their capacity to process asylum appeals from 4,000 to 6,000 asylum appeals a month by November 2002. These increases, added to other successes in reducing the asylum intake, have meant that the number of outstanding asylum appeals is now reducing down to frictional levels.A record 81,725 appeals were determined by adjudicators in 2003, more than a quarter (27 per cent.) higher than in 2002 (64,405). The number of appeals determined by adjudicators in Q4 2003 was 22 per cent. higher than Q4 2002 (from 16,615 to 20,285). As a result, the number of asylum appeals lodged with the Home Office which had not been sent to 12,000, 60 per cent. lower than at the end of December 2002 (30,000). A proportion of asylum appeals lodged do not result in appeal bundles being sent to the IAA.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports in the care of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for the processing of applications have been (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last five years. [148498]

Information dating back to 1998 for each of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's (IND's) buildings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. For the period 1 April 2003 to 31 January 2004, IND processed 451,974 applications. For the same period, 694 Loss of Passport Letters were issued. This represents 0.15 per cent. of applications received.A range of measures including the setting up of secure handling areas and the early return of sponsors' passports have been put in place to improve IND's ability to find and return documents at the time of requests.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum length of time is that a child has been detained in (a) Dungavel, (b) Tinsley House and (c) Oakington. [151865]

[holding answer 29 January 2004]: Information on the maximum length of stay of people resident in Immigration Service Removal Centres is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.Information on the number of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers at 27 December 2003 is due to be published on 24 February in the Asylum Statistics: 4th Quarter 2003 publication on the Home Office website: www homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was imposed in fines on (a) airlines and (b) other carriers for transporting illegal immigrants in the last year for which figures are available. [155958]

Separate records are not kept of charges relating to air carriers only.During 2003 the total demanded of all carriers under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 and under Section 40 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 was £7.55 million. These charges relate to persons arriving in the United Kingdom without the required documents. Such charges may arise where persons arrive with genuine passports but do not have the required visa, where they arrive with forged documents or impersonate the rightful holder of a document or where they arrive with no document. In the majority of cases the persons concerned are classified as inadequately documented passengers. rather than illegal entrants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the benchmark street price for cannabis used when calculating the value of seizures by his Department was in each of the last five years; what changes have been made to this figure in the last six months; and what the reasons for those changes were. [155559]

According to data collected by the National Criminal Intelligence Service the UK average street price for cannabis has been as follows over the last five years.

£ per ounce
As at December	Herbal Cannabis	Cannabis Resin
1999	89	100
2000	82	85
2001	80	77
2002	83	81
2003	72	66

In August 2003 the figures were £74 and £66. We are not aware of any other changes in recent months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central dated (a) 16 September 2003 re: Mrs. MG, references P014031/3 and G 1057225/2 and (b) 29 October 2003 re: Mrs. FA, references 0/988549 and A544430. [154487]

[holding answer 12 February 2004]: The information is as follows:

I wrote to my hon. Friend on 12 February 2004.

The Immigration and National Directorate (IND) wrote to my hon. Friend on 19 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to reduce levels of youth crime in the London Borough of Havering. [154854]

The Government are supporting a wide programme to tackle youth crime in all areas to prevent children being drawn into crime in the first place, with more targeted initiatives focusing on those young people most at risk, supported by effective youth justice interventions to reduce reoffending.The programme in Havering sees a number of agencies, including the Youth Offending Team, the police, education, health, housing, community safety, and the youth service working together to reduce youth crime in the borough, by supporting a range of preventative and diversionary schemes. Specific programmes include the Positive Activities for Young People programme targeting young people during the school holidays; the London Connexions Truck which visits venues on a two-week basis to provide intensive outreach work with young people at risk; the introduction of a Youth Inclusion and Support Panel to target those eight to 13-year-olds most at risk of both offending and anti-social behaviour; a dedicated outreach worker to provide drugs awareness and education information to young people; and the local "U" Project. working with year 11 school leavers who are not in education, training or employment.There is also a clear focus on reducing reoffending by young people, including through the expansion of the Intensive Supervisions and Surveillance Programme which is targeted at the more persistent young offenders in order to tackle their offending behaviour.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the crime and disorder steering groups that include hon. Members; and if he will make a statement on the involvement of hon. Members on crime and disorder groups. 154314]

We recognise that hon. and right hon. Members are in a unique position to reflect community concerns as a result of their dealings with their local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.At a national level, there are two key groups that engage Ministers, who are Members of this House and another place, and drive forward the Government's crime reduction agenda. These groups are CJS(CR) and my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister's regular stocktakes.The Ministerial Committee on the Criminal Justice System Sub-Committee on Crime Reduction (CJS(CR)) oversees the Government's programme to reduce crime. In addition, the Prime Minister has regular stocktakes with Ministers, officials and stakeholders to consider the pressing issues relating to crime reduction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines his Department has issued to police forces on the use of (a) criminal pattern analysis and (b) comparative case analysis. [1546351