To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002–03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was. [155927]

In the Session 2002–03, the Wales Office took 10 sitting days, on average, to provide a substantive reply to parliamentary ordinary written questions.The greatest number of days taken to answer an ordinary written question was 58 sitting days. In this instance providing a substantive answer required considerable research with colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales and the department for Trade and Industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. 157745]

Local bus and light rail passenger journeys by area and mode:
	2000–01	2001–02		2002–03		2000–01 to 2002–03
	Millions	Millions	Percentage change	Millions	Percentage change	Percentage change
England	3,880	3,930	1.3	4,037	2.7	4.0
(i) bus	3,756	3,798	1.1	3,897	2.6	3.8
(ii) light rail	124	132	6.5	141	6.8	13.7
London	1,412	1,494	5.8	1,606	7.5	13.7
(i) bus	1,359	1,434	5.5	1,542	7.5	13.5
(ii) light rail	53	60	13.2	64	6.7	20.8
Outside London	2,468	2,436	-1.3	2,432	-0.1	-1.5
(i) bus	2,397	2,364	-1.4	2,355	-0.4	-1.8
(ii) light rail	71	72	1.4	77	7.0	8.5

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the cost of bad weather disruption to transport in London in each of the last five years. [156520]

No assessment has been made by the Department about the cost of bad weather disruption to transport in London over the last five years. Responsibility for ensuring London Underground is not adversely affected by bad weather now rests with Transport for London following its transfer last July. Transport for London and London boroughs are also responsible for ensuring London's road network is not unduly disrupted.

Since 1 January 2003:

(a) 336 (ordinary written questions) 67.5 per cent. answered within 10 sitting days.

(b) 38 (Named Days) 60.5 per cent. were answered on the specified date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to UK businesses of flight delays between London and Washington due to terrorism alerts in recent months. [156072]

None. Aviation security is kept under review at all times and measures are adjusted from time to time. Delays and occasional cancellations may sometimes be necessary but the first priority is always the safety of the travelling public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made (a) in London and (b) outside London in achieving the Ten-year Plan targets for growth of more than 12 per cent.by 2010 compared with 2000 in the use of (i) bus services and (ii) light rail. 156176]

The Department has a PSA target of 12 per cent. growth in patronage on local public transport (bus and light rail) in England by 2010–11 compared with 2000–01. We are on track for achieving this national target, with bus and light rail patronage growing by 4 per cent. in the first two years of the period, to 2002–03. Progress is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will make changes to the ownership of Cross London Rail Links to manage the Crossrail scheme; [156077](2) whether he will promote a Hybrid Bill to achieve powers for the realisation of Crossrail; [156078](3) when the Montague Report on Crossrail will be published; and when he will respond to the Report. [156079]

My right hon. Friend has now received advice from Adrian Montague which he is studying closely and whose findings will be published. It covers a very wide range of issues, including governance arrangements and possible legislation. My right hon. Friend will respond to the report in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many EU member states have yet to ratify the Montreal Convention. [157128]

For legal reasons it is intended that ratification of the Montreal Convention by the European Community and by individual EU member states should be synchronised. The Commission is pressing member states to finalise their internal ratification procedures as soon as possible. The UK is ready to ratify the Convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve rail safety. [156082]

The Health and Safety Commission and Executive (HSC/E), as the regulator for railway health and safety, work with the industry to improve health and safety on the railways. Details about the work of the HSE are contained in its annual report on the safety record of the railways in Great Britain, copies of which are available in the House Libraries. Two recent key measures to improve rail safety are the fitment of the Train Protection and Warning System which was completed during 2003 and the continuing removal of Mark 1 rolling stock from the network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) villages and (b) towns in Lancashire have been served by rural bus services in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [157294]

The information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what training (a) has been and (b) is intended to be provided for magistrates and judges on issues of food crime, with particular reference to cases involving illegally imported meat; [155687](2) what advice and guidance his Department has issued to magistrates and judges concerning cases of food crime, with particular reference to cases involving illegally imported meat.[155688]

I have been asked to reply.In 2003, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs produced a case study on illegal imports that was included in the Magistrates' Association training CD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether animal welfare agencies and charities have access to lists of (a) convicted animal rights abusers and (b) those banned from animal ownership. [155680]

Animal welfare organisations do not have direct access to details of those people who have been convicted of animal cruelty or those 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. No decisions have been taken as to whether or not those welfare organisations who currently undertake enforcement work would be able to obtain full access to the database.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much beef was imported in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin. [155333]

The attached table shows the level of beef meat and meat products imported into the UK for the years 1998–2002 broken down by the country of despatch.The data is subject to a degree of statistical error. The overall level of errors is low, but these errors have a much greater proportional effect on countries with small values or volumes of trade. Therefore, care is needed when interpreting the data.

UK imports of beef meat/products, 1998–2002
Thousand
Country	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Irish Republic	76	97	113	135	160
Brazil	43	59	66	74	72
Netherlands	12	14	13	17	20
Argentina	11	10	10	6	24
Uruguay	13	10	9	9	15
Botswana	6	6	6	11	6
Australia	10	8	6	6	5
Germany	5	3	5	12	9
Namibia	6	7	6	9	7
France	4	8	6	7	7
Zimbabwe	7	7	6	5	0
Denmark	1	3	3	3	4
Belgium/Luxembourg	1	2	2	3	5
Italy	1	1	2	5	4
New Zealand	6	2	1	1	0
Others	6	4	5	4	4
Grand Total	208	240	257	306	343
source:
HM Customs and Excise
Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities and Food) Consultancy
Trade & IT, ESD, DEFRA

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking in conjunction with other governments to aid the protection of endangered species. [155255]

We are taking action in many ways, particularly through our active participation in the multilateral environmental agreements which help safeguard endangered species, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, the Convention on Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We are also joining with other Governments to fund numerous conservation projects. Good examples include the Global Tiger Forum, the Great Ape Survival Project and a wide range of Darwin Initiative projects which are helping to protect endangered species.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what evidence she has from peer-reviewed research of increased yields of GM crops over non-GM crops grown in developing countries [156127](2) if she will

[holding answer 26 February 2004]: It is for developing countries to make their own assessment of the potential benefits of GM crops. The Government want to help ensure that if developing countries do use GM products they do so safely, appropriately and effectively to bring real benefits to their people. To assist developing countries make their own informed decisions on the possible use of GM technology the UK supports and has ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a multilateral agreement which provides a common global basis for risk assessment, decision-making and information exchange on GM crops and other products. Of course, GM technology is only one possible tool, not a panacea.A recently published report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics contains a number of case studies detailing the actual and potential benefits of GM crops for developing countries. These are not necessarily related to yield increases but may, for example, involve reduced farmer inputs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many wild ponies there were on moors in each year since 2000. [156564]

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) total budget and (b) budget for administration were for the Integrated Administration and Control System panel for financial year 2002–03. [156508]

The Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) Appeal Procedure in England is demand led and throughput determines the level of expenditure. The costs of administering the IACS Appeal Procedure are met from the overall administration costs of the Rural Payments Agency.The IACS Panel convenes to consider cases that have progressed to the second stage of the Appeal Procedure. Each Panel is made up of three independent members who are drawn from a pool of 16. Members are paid a day and half's fee for each Panel Hearing that they attend together with their travelling expenses.In 2002–03 three IACS Panel Hearings were held to consider five appeals. The daily fee at that time was £149.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Market Towns Initiative. [155949]

An initial assessment of the Market Towns Initiative was undertaken at the end of the first year, in the summer of 2002 and is available at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Publications/articles/Publication tcm2–13687.aspDefra and the Countryside Agency are now in the process of carrying out a full assessment which will identify the achievements of the 227 towns taking part in the initiative and any difficulties that have been experienced. A final report will be available in June this year.An evaluation of the Market Towns Initiative will also be carried out as part of the Rural Policy Evaluation Framework which will cover a range of key policy and programme based areas. The process and timetable for the framework evaluation will be finalised shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her news release of 16 July 2003, on radioactive waste management, if she will make a statement on (a) the progress in making NIREX an independent body and (b) the work undertaken so far by Katharine Bryan. [152700]

[holding answer 3 February 2004]: The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) has been set up to recommend the best option, or combination of options, for the long-term management of the UK's higher activity radioactive wastes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced on 16 July 2003 that Katharine Bryan had been appointed as Chair of CoRWM. Katharine subsequently left the Committee on 11 December 2003 to take up a post as Chief Executive of the Water Service, Department for Regional Development (Northern Ireland). She was succeeded as Chair of CoRWM by Gordon MacKerron, an existing member of the Committee. CoRWM continues to work with the aim of delivering its recommendations by around the end of 2005, building on the foundations laid by Katharine Bryan. The 16 July 2003 announcement also said that Government would be looking at the best way of making Nirex independent of industry and under greater Government control. Despite initial hope that we could resolve this matter during the course of 2003, our considerations are still ongoing and we shall make a statement as soon as we are able.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [155529]

As Defra was created in June 2001 information prior to this date is unavailable.Given the current structure of the HR function within the Department the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce historic payments under the Common Agricultural Policy in place of single farm payments. [156505]

No. As my right hon. Friend told the House on 12 February, in England we will introduce the new decoupled single payment from next year on a flat rate basis within a transition period lasting until 2012.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to raise the Civil Service normal retirement age to 65; and if he will make a statement. [156577]

In line with all employers in the public and private sector, the Government believe that the Civil Service should be allowed to determine retirement age policy with regard to its business needs while giving staff as much choice as possible about when they retire. Departments and agencies are free to set the normal retirement age for their own staff subject only to the requirement that the minimum age at which civil servants can retire with full superannuation benefits is 60.The normal retirement age for the Senior Civil Service is 60. However, Heads of Departments and Agency Chief Executives have the flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond 60 if they judge it to be in the public interest and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the letter from the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency referred to in his answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1569W, on Government cars, for which Departments the Government Car Service drivers were working at the time of each of the speeding offences identified; and whether any of the offences took place while Ministers were passengers. [157186]

The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to achieve the Government's targets of (a) ending child poverty by 2020, (b) halving it by 2010 and (c) reducing it by a quarter by 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [154371]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 12 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1590–91W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) budget and (b) aims of the live music task force are; and if she will make a statement. [157783]

The information is as follows:(a) The Live Music Forum does not have an allocated budget, as its work is essentially advisory.(b) The Forum's aims are to: take forward the commitment made by the Government during the passage of the Licensing Act 2003, to maximise the take-up of reforms in that Act relating to the performance of live music; promote the performance of live music generally; monitor and evaluate the impact of the 2003 Act on the performance of live music; and make recommendations for further action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what responsibilities her Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if she will make a statement. [156855]

Sport is a devolved matter. This is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects the auditing of Individual Learning Account learning providers to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [156404]

The Department's Compliance Unit expects to have completed the majority of its Individual Learning Account (ILA) claim validation checks by late summer 2004. Of those registered, learning providers subject to review 68 are currently with the police. It is not possible to assess the time it will take for the police to complete their investigations.The Department remains committed to making payments to learning providers where ILA claims are properly validated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many claims from Individual Learning Account learning providers have (a) been audited with evidence of fraud discovered, (b) been audited without fraud being discovered and received any outstanding payments and (c) not yet been audited; and if he will make a statement. [156405]

Since closure of the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme reviews carried out by the Department have resulted in: (a) evidence of potential fraud being found in connection with 159 registered learning providers of which 68 are with the police; (b) investigations and validation checks completed enabling 352 learning providers to be cleared or closed with the Department making payments of £1.1 million to 33 learning providers; and (c) 278 learning providers with whom the Department is still carrying out investigation and validation work by seeking further evidence, reviewing such evidence or negotiating a settlement.In addition, as at 24 February 2004, 186 learning providers have made claims following the ruling on ILAs by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. 119 claims from learning providers have been reviewed. Of those reviewed, 40 claims could not be validated and payments of £147,920 are being made to 79 providers. A further 67 claims from providers are in process of being validated.The Department will continue to pursue those providers that have wrongfully claimed from the public purse and where appropriate seek repayment. Where there is evidence of potential fraud, providers are referred to the police. In cases where claims are properly validated, the Department has in place arrangements to pay the outstanding claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the ability of local education authorities to assist schools in improving their financial management skills. [157070]

We have made no specific and separate assessment. However, we continue to work closely with LEAs to provide financial management support for schools. The National College for School Leadership and KPMG have provided a workshop programme for head teachers and governors. By the end of March 2004, we expect that leaders from just over 1,000 schools identified by their LEAs will have attended. Consultancy support from KPMG is also available to participating schools that need it, and an extensive website provides financial management advice to all LEAs and schools. LEAs have worked closely with the Department to provide consistent financial reporting data, allowing schools to benchmark their financial situation with other similar schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average annual fee is for a student studying to be a medical practitioner from (a) the UK, (b) another country in the European Union and (c) a country outside the European Union. [155877]

The fees for medical students from:

(a) England and Wales are £1,125 (maximum) in 2003/04;

(b) Elsewhere in the European Union—likewise £1,125 (maximum) in 2003/4; and

(c) Countries outside the European Union are generally around £7,000 to £18,000 per year, depending on the institution and the type of course.

Students under (a) and (b) have their fees paid for them by the Department of Health from the fifth year of the course onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information his Department collates on the relationship between an individual's first secondary school attended and the likelihood of attending university by the age of (a) 20, (b) 25 and (c) 30 years of age; and if he will make a statement. [155622]

[holding answer 25 February 2004]: Cohort 8 of the Youth Cohort Survey (YCS) provides the most recent data for participation in higher education at ages 18 to 19 and 20 to 21 by an individual's secondary school type (pre 16).

Percentage
School type	Participation rate at 18 to 19	Participation rate at 20 to 21
State	25	41
Independent	52	82
Source:
Youth Cohort Study: Cohort 8, Sweep 2 (1998) and 3 (2000).

Research published by the Department in 2003: "An Econometric Analysis of the Demand for Higher Education" by Gayle, V. Berridge, D. and Davies, R. B. (DfES Research Report 472) uses data from cohort 9 of the YCS and shows that after controlling for the effects of GCSE and A level attainment, a number of factors (including Year 11 schooling) have statistically significant effects on the likelihood of an individual attending university at age 18.The report can be accessed on the Department's research publications website: www.dfes.gov.uk/research

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) cost in the last financial year and (b) purpose is of the Sector Skills Agency; and if he will make a statement. [156588]

The Sector Skills Development Agency total expenditure for the year 2002–03, its first year of operation, was £15.95 million.The Sector Skills Development Agency is responsible for developing a network of Sector Skills Councils, the Skills for Business network whose mission is to promote world-leading skills and productivity performance in all business sectors in all regions and nations of the UK.I am very encouraged by the progress being made by the Agency in establishing a high quality Skills for Business network. 11 Sector Skills Councils have now been licensed and there are plans to license a further 12 Sector Skills Councils by the summer 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills with how many graduates who were in receipt of income contingent loans the Student Loans Company has lost contact since graduation; and what proportion of the total this represents. [155453]

Data from the Student Loans Company indicate that it is currently attempting to trace 3,400 borrowers. This represents 0.4 per cent. of the total number of borrowers who will have entered liability to repay up to and including April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown by expenditure category of the £2 billion annual Government spending on student loans referred to in Note 82 on Page 16 of the Explanatory Notes for the Higher Education Bill [155455]

The figure of £2 billion in Note 82 on Page 16 of the Explanatory Notes for the Higher Education Bill refers to the annual cash cost to the Government of issuing student loans.In financial year 2002–03, the amount lent to England and Wales domiciled borrowers in student loans was £2,293 million, of which £2,278 million was in respect of income contingent loans, and £15 million was in respect of mortgage style loans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2004, Official Report, column 1033W, on TeacherNet, what proportion of the cost was incurred by (a) the consultation process, (b) consultancy work by information technology experts and (c) marketing and publicity. [156120]

My Department met the consultation, marketing and publicity costs from within its own staffing resources, reserving the amount as previously notified for website production by web experts. The number of visits to the site last week made it the 41st most popular on the whole of the TeacherNet website

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people in the working age population in the North West Region with no qualifications. [156491]

The White Paper, "21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential", published in July last year, set out a number of measures to raise the skills levels of adults including the introduction of a new entitlement to free tuition for those studying for their first full level 2 qualification.We intend that the level 2 entitlement will apply to those in the workforce of working age who do not already have a full level 2 qualification and who commit to trying to achieve one. To complement this, the Adult Learning Grant (ALG) will offer an allowance of up to £30 a week to help adults with the costs of learning. Lancashire is one of the 10 pilot areas for the ALG scheme. We have also put in place a strategy to ensure that low-skilled adults receive high quality information, advice and guidance to help them choose the most appropriate course.The Skills for Life Strategy aims to transform people's attitude to literacy and numeracy, and significantly to improve the country's skills levels. In the North West, the target for the combined local LSCs is to improve the skills of 106,000 people by the end of 2004. At July 2003, we estimate that we were on track and 73,000 people in the region had improved their skills. In addition, there has been Skills for Life work carried out by Jobcentre Plus and the Prison Service in the North West.To help raise the skills levels of those already in employment, we are running 12 Employer Training Pilots, including one in Greater Manchester, to encourage employers to invest in skills and qualifications, particularly for low skilled trainees. The Pilots are testing out a package of financial support measures to improve access to training and enable employees to develop basic skills and NVQ level 2 qualifications.We are also working to engage employers in activity to address the basic skills needs of their employees. This includes working with Business in the Community (BITC) who have an adviser in each region, including the North West, who is able to meet and discuss basic skills with employers. BITC are also working with a number of major companies in the North West on developing programmes to address basic skills. In addition, a group of Employer Champions has been established, who will act as advocates for basic skills with other employers. Champions are represented in the North West by the North West Regional Development Agency, Liverpool City Council, and Airbags International.We recognise that there is a strong regional dimension to the skills problem. Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs) will be set up in each region to help ensure that the work of different agencies involved in delivering the aims of the Skills Strategy are better co-ordinated and delivered in a way that connects with the needs of employers at regional, local and sectoral levels. Key Partners in the RSPs include the Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus, the Skills for Business Network, and the Small Business Service. We will be talking to the North West Development Agency and their partners about their plans to set up the Partnership in the North West over the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the role of trade union learning representatives in improving skill levels in the workplace; and if he will make a statement. [156632]

Union Learning Representatives are a key component of the Government's new Skills Strategy. In developing the Strategy, we consulted widely and met with trade union representatives on a number of occasions to discuss the vital role that unions and their learning representatives have to play. The TUC is, of course, a key member of the Skills Alliance which will bring together Government, employers and trade unions to oversee the future development and delivery of the Skills Strategy.Earlier evaluations of the Union Learning Fund and Union Learning Representatives have provided evidence that they have been very effective in helping to encourage workers to improve their skills, particularly workers with low skills and those with literacy and numeracy problems—the very people who so often miss out on learning opportunities.Analysis of the profile of learners engaged by Union Learning Representatives suggests that they have been very successful in engaging non-traditional learners including older males, people in minority ethnic groups and shift workers. Data for performance management information for 2002–03 confirm that some 19 per cent. of learners from current ULF projects come from ethnic minority backgrounds and 19 per cent. of learners are aged 51 and over (almost 60 per cent. are aged 41 and over).There are currently around 6,500 Union Learning Representatives. Their new statutory rights, which came into force at the end of April 2003, will help their numbers to grow and we look forward to seeing a national network of over 22,000 trained Union Learning Representatives in place by 2010, helping over 250,000 workers a year into learning.Regular evaluation of the Union Learning Fund, which includes data on Union Learning Representatives, has taken place up to 2002 and copies of the reports are available in the House of Commons Library. Further longitudinal evaluation, with the aim of measuring the impact of both ULF and ULRs in improving skills levels in the workplace, is commencing from April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responsibilities his Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if he will make a statement. [156856]

The Department has no responsibilities in relation to the Scottish football industry.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many drug-related deaths there were in people aged under (a) 21, (b) 30 and (c) 40 years in (i) the North West and (ii) Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available. [157089]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures operate in cases where it is discovered that an overpayment of child tax credit has been made; and whether notification of the position is sent to the recipient of the tax credit. [153465]

The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?" sets out the Inland Revenue's approach when adjusting an award to avoid paying too much tax credit over the year or to recover an overpayment identified after the tax year has ended.A revised award notice is sent to claimants when a change is processed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the evidential basis was for his Department's decision to maintain the £30,000 turnover test for sub-contractors to receive gross payments under the Construction Industry Scheme; and what advice he received from the Inland Revenue on this matter during the recent review of the scheme. [156681]

There has been a specialised taxation scheme for the construction industry since the 1970s to regulate an industry with a long history of poor compliance on taxation matters. The original scheme required a deduction to be made from payments unless the subcontractor could meet certain standards, which allowed him to be paid gross. However, this system failed to limit the numbers receiving gross payment.The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) was introduced in Finance Act 1995 and implemented from August 1999. It tightened up the criteria for gaining a gross payment certificate by requiring all subcontractors applying for gross payment status to demonstrate a minimum level of turnover. This approach proved successful and safeguarded monies that were previously at risk to the Exchequer under its predecessor.The current review of CIS followed industry complaints about its cumbersome processes. The Chancellor announced, in Budget 2003 that the CIS would be replaced by a new system that will relieve some of the industry's administrative burden.The Inland Revenue has consulted extensively with industry representatives on the detail of the new scheme, including the criteria for gross payment status. Alternatives to the turnover test were suggested by the

Gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in Scotland in 2003
£ per week
	Male		Female		All
Area	Mean	Median	Mean	Median	Mean	Median
Scotland	483.7	409.5	372.4	323.8	436.8	373.1
Local Authorities
Aberdeen City	591.4	507.8	417.7	363.9	524.7	441.1
Aberdeenshire	479.3	418.5	336.9	292.2	422.2	367.4
Angus	1—	1—	344.1	298.6	398.3	335.9
Argyll & Bute	400.1	375.6	1—	1—	381.2	358.0
Scottish Borders, The	1—	1—	1—	1—	355.6	299.9
Dumfries & Galloway	407.6	358.1	1—	1—	381.6	322.5
Dundee City	482.4	421.9	376.0	336.0	436.8	392.4
East Ayrshire	1—	1—	1—	1—	425.7	380.3
East Lothian	1—	1—	1—	1—	394.8	365.2
Edinburgh, City of	509.0	426.8	409.2	352.0	467.0	393.5

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) male, (b) female and (c) all workers in (i) Scotland and (ii) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland the (A) weekly median earnings and (B) distribution of earnings for those earning (1) under the point below which 10 per cent, of earners fall and (2) the above point above which 10 per cent, of earners exceed. [156220]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by what rate real GDP grew in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) Denmark, (d) Sweden, (e) Finland, (f) Germany, (h) the Netherlands, (i) Belgium, (k) Luxembourg, (l) France, (m) Spain, (n) Portugal, (o) Italy, (p) Austria, (q) Greece, (r) the area now forming the euro-12, (s) the EU 15 and (t) the United States for each year since 1992; [157182](2) what the average real terms annual rate of growth in GDP was in

The statistics requested are available in the OECD Economic Outlook, December 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, following the introduction of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme, he will take steps to ensure that no fuels used in power stations for the generation of electricity are subject to duties or taxes. [156101]

The EU emissions trading scheme is expected to be running from January 2005, and the Government will take account of its impact on the existing tax system.Decisions on taxation are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process, taking account of the Government's economic, social and environmental objectives.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the instances of borrowing by private organisations since 1997–98 on which the Government have given a guarantee of any form; and what the amounts concerned were in each case. [156212]

All of the Government's contingent liabilities, including guarantees, which meet the reporting criteria set out in "Government Accounting chapter 26" will have been set out in annual Supplementary Statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund accounts.In addition, Departments' resource accounts prepared since 1999–2000 accounted for probable contingent liabilities in line with the relevant accounting standard. Thus they include those liabilities which are probable but which are not reportable to Parliament. From 2002–03, Departments have also had to disclose remote contingent liabilities where they meet the reporting criteria set out in "Government Accounting", as well as following FRS12.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to assess the proportion of private sector employees who received computers as a result of employer-provided home computer initiatives in each year since 1997; [157204](2) if he will assess the impact of the £500 annual exemption from the taxable benefit on loaned computers introduced in the Finance Act 1999. [157205]

The Office for National Statistics have included extra questions in their quarterly internet access survey to assess consumer awareness and take up of Home Computing Initiatives (HCI) which use the annual tax exemption on loaned computers. Industry partners are also conducting tracking which the Office of the e-Envoy and the Department of Trade and Industry will use as part of their overall assessment. The impact of HCI schemes on levels of home computer penetration and internet access will also be monitored on an ongoing basis.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised through inheritance tax in each of the last 20 years. [156780]

Receipts of Inheritance Tax (including Capital Transfer Tax where appropriate) for 1983–84 to 2002–03 are published in Table 1.2 of Inland Revenue Statistics at the following website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the changes in inheritance tax thresholds where the limit had been uplifted by inflation since 1997; [156795](2) if he will list the changes in inheritance tax thresholds since 1974. [156796]

Inheritance Tax Thresholds since the financial year 1988–89 are shown in the following table.

Lower limit of slice of chargeable capital (£000)
	Rates of tax—40%
15 March 1988 to 5 April 1989	110
6 April 1989 to 5 April 1990	118
6 April 1990 to 5 April 1991	128
6 April 1991 to 9 March 1992	140
10 March 1992 to 5 April 1995	150
6 April 1995 to 5 April 1996	154
6 April 1996 to 5 April 1997	200
6 April 1997 to 5 April 1998	215
6 April 1998 to 5 April 1999	223
6 April 1999 to 5 April 2000	231
6 April 2000 to 5 April 2001	234
6 April 2001 to 5 April 2002	242
6 April 2002 to 5 April 2003	250
From 6 April 2003	255

Prior to 1988–89, different rates of tax were charged in respect of multiple thresholds. Details of all chargeable tax bands relating to Inheritance Tax and its predecessors from November 1974 to March 1988 are given in Appendix A.6, page 99, of Inland Revenue Statistics 1987, a copy of which is available in the Library.Since 1997–98, the threshold has been indexed by the rate of inflation in each year except for 2002–03, when the indexed threshold would have been £247,000 rather than £250,000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2004, Official Report, columns 569–70W, what the names were in each case of the individuals forming the Inland Revenue team which met, as part of the market making exercise for Project Aspire, with (a) EDS, (b) IBM, (c) CGEY, (d) CSC, (e) Accenture, (f) Fujitsu Services, (g) CMG Logica and (h) PWC Consulting. [156518]

John Yard, the Director of Business Services; Don Brown, the Aspire Project Director and Ian Pretty, Head of Aspire Stakeholder Relations formed the Inland Revenue team which met with EDS, IBM, CGEY, CSC. Accenture, Fujitsu Services, CMG Logica and PWC Consulting.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when (a) Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB, Chairman of Inland Revenue, (b) Mr. Timothy Flesher CB, former Commissioner of Inland Revenue, (c) Mr. Gabriel Maklouf, former Director of Inland Revenue International Division and (d) Mr. Graham Dean, former Inland Revenue employee, was informed that Lord Butler of Brockwell had joined the advisory board of IBM UK; and what action each of them took upon receipt of this information. [156519]

Lord Butler's appointments are not a matter on which any action by the Inland Revenue is appropriate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died from (a) cancer and (b) coronary heart disease in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West in the last year for which figures are available; and what this represented for each 1,000 of population. [156499]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much capital spending by the private sector there has been or is projected on Private Finance Initiative or associated schemes, using the same departmental analysis as Table C18 of the Budget Report 2003, in each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06, separately distinguishing expenditure on assets that have been or will be accounted for (a) on-balance sheet and (b) off-balance sheet to the public sector client. [156159]

The value of capital spending by the private sector under signed PFI schemes, listed by Department and by year, is available from the PFI signed projects list on the HM Treasury website. A total of 563 PFI transactions reached financial close by 4 April 2003, with a total capital value of £35.5 billion. The estimated capital value of signed PFI contracts where capital assets are accounted for on departmental balance sheets is £20.2 billion. This represents 57 per cent, of the total estimated capital value.Projections of capital spending under signed projects and projects at preferred bidder to 2005–06 are published in Tables C18 and C19 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 2003.PFI contracts where the assets concerned are on departmental balance sheets are reported in departmental accounts, together with disclosure of information relating to any contracts assessed as off balance sheet.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the (a) net asset value and (b) annual profitability of the Royal Mint; and if he will make a statement. [156764]

The Royal Mint's net asset value (total assets less current liabilities) as at 31 March 2003 was £63,278,000. Its operating profit (before exceptional items) for the year 2002–03 was £1,285,000.During 2003–04 to date there has been a small growth in the Mint's net asset value. The Mint forecast a modest improvement in profitability for 2003–04. This has been achieved largely through cost reductions, particularly in terms of employment costs.The 2003–04 Accounts of the Royal Mint Trading Fund together with a Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General will be prepared, and laid before Parliament, pursuant to section 4(6) of the Government Trading Funds Act 1973. Until then it would be inappropriate to provide an interim estimate based on unaudited accounts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what interim conclusions he has reached on the Savings Gateway project; and when he will report conclusions to Parliament. [157051]

The Saving Gateway pilot final evaluation is due in early 2005. No substantial conclusions can be drawn until we receive the full research findings, however indicators so far are good. The latest interim evaluation report showed that 1,478 accounts had been opened (the maximum was 1,500) and the participants were mostly drawn from young families with children. By the end of August 2003, the amount saved was £150,000, and there was little evidence that people had transferred money from existing savings accounts or borrowed to save. This report is available on the HM Treasury website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to re-examine the introduction of a Savings Advice Gateway. [157054]

The Saving Gateway is being piloted in five locations, four of which are being run in conjunction with the Community Finance and Learning Initiative (CFLI), which is led by the DfES. Part of the remit of the community organisations involved in the CFLI is to provide advice and support to the Saving Gateway participants. The impact of the CFLI is being evaluated alongside the Saving Gateway evaluation. Final evaluation for the Saving Gateway is due in early 2005 and the DfES research findings are due to be published shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances a person who pays tax under PAYE is also required to fill in a self-assessment form. [156395]

A person paying tax under PAYE is also required to fill in a self-assessment return if they are:

• A company director
• An employee paying higher rate tax
• An employee with more complex tax affairs
• A pensioner with more complex tax affairs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definitions of (a) employed and (b) self-employed are used by the Inland Revenue for the purpose of a self-assessment form for income tax. [156396]

As set out in the self assessment tax return guide, a taxpayer who receives a self assessment return, has to complete the employment pages if he or she is an employee, or office holder, or director, or agency worker or receiving benefits from a former employer. A taxpayer has to complete the self employed pages if he or she carried on a trade, profession or vocation as a self employed person in the UK or abroad.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 21 to 30, (ii) 31 to 40, (iii) 41 to 50 and (iv) 51 to 60 years have been unemployed for (A) less than one month, (B) less than three months, (C) less than six months, (D) six to 12 months and (E) over 12 months; [156088](2) how many people aged

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the vacancy taken up by Miss Ann Grinstead as a non-executive Director of the Valuation Office Agency was advertised; where the vacancy was advertised; how many applications were received by the Valuation Office for the vacancy; how many candidates were shortlisted; and who the Chairman and the members of the interview panel charged with selecting the successful applicant were. [156615]

Miss Grinstead was appointed an external member of the Valuation Office Agency Management Board with effect from 1 April 2002. The post was filled through the Cabinet Office's Public Appointments list which maintained a list of people interested in appointments of this nature rather than through advertisement. The names of 43 people who had notified their interest were considered, four were short listed and approached, and Miss Grinstead was interviewed for suitability by the Chief Executive of the Agency, Mr. Michael Johns, the Agency's Director of Business Resources, Mrs. Wheatcroft, and the Inland Revenue's sponsor of the Agency at that time, Mr. David Park.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of the negotiations on the island of Cyprus' future. [157108]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards a settlement in Cyprus. [157147]

Following the UN Secretary General's 4 February invitation to the parties, and the procedural agreement subsequently reached in New York on 13 February, substantive talks resumed in Nicosia on 19 February.These talks, under UN auspices and on the basis of the UN Secretary-General's plan, aim to reach agreement on a settlement that will be put to the two Cypriot communities in separate simultaneous referendums on 21 April.The settlement would take effect on the day after it had been approved, thus enabling a united Cyprus to join the European Union on 1 May.Initial reports of progress are encouraging. The timetable is tight, and both sides are arguing for changes to the plan on some substantive points. But we hope that the constructive spirit shown by the parties in New York will enable them to reach agreement to their mutual benefit. The UK will continue to give its full support to the UN Secretary-General and to the parties in order to help realise this historic opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the initiative by Spain to challenge the extension of the European franchise to people of Gibraltar, to limit the franchise to European Union citizens in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar and to exclude Commonwealth citizens. [156455]

We are confident that the European Parliament (Representation) Act is consistent with our EU obligations. A statement by the Commission on 29 October 2003 confirmed that:

"the UK has organised the extension of voting rights to residents in Gibraltar within the margins of discretion presently given to member states; by the EU law".

We have received no official notification that Spain intends to pursue this case to the European Court of Justice. We would defend any such case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 924W, to the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), when Israel first tested a nuclear explosive device. [151868]

Israel has never announced it has tested a nuclear explosive device.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking to encourage the Sri Lankan authorities to give full protection to religious minorities in Sri Lanka. [154625]

We are concerned about reports of discrimination against religious minorities in Sri Lanka and regularly raise this, and other human rights issues, with the Sri Lankan Government. On 27 January 2004, our High Commissioner in Colombo discussed our concerns about a possible Anti-conversion Bill with the Minister for Hindu Affairs. We will continue to look to the Government of Sri Lanka to protect the rights to freedom of religion enshrined in the Sri Lankan constitution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government have made to the global non-proliferation and counter-proliferation initiative President Bush announced on 11 February. [155862]

The Government welcome moves to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to strengthen, and achieve universal adherence to, the Treaties and Conventions against such proliferation.I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made on 25 February by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement made by the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes) in Standing Committee on 27 January 2004, Official Report, columns 446–47, how many failed asylum seekers have left the UK in each year since 1999; what the evidential basis was for the Minister's assertion that Migration Watch UK's assumptions are spurious; what steps are being taken to ensure recent increases in work permit numbers are short-term; what proportion of the estimated population increase between (a) 2001 to 2026, (b) 2003 to 2026 and (c) 2002 to 2031 is attributable to net immigration; and to what less than 0.3 per cent. refers. [156086]

[holding answer 25 February 2004]: The following table contains the number of asylum seekers who have been removed from the UK in each year since 1999, including those departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons departing under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. The figures do not include those who have departed voluntarily under their own means without informing the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of applications for (a) naturalisation and (b) citizenship that will be made between January and the implementation of the sections of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 that require knowledge of life in the UK and language. [156163]

New applications for all types of citizenship have increased since the publication of the final report of the "Life in the UK" Advisory Group in September 2003. Current trends indicate that application rates, which have fallen slightly since 1 January, will continue at the present level until the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Forecast figures are not routinely published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places are available in residential drug treatment services in England; and how many were available in each of the previous five years. [153714]

I have been asked to reply.The Department does not collect annual figures centrally on the number of places available in residential drug treatment in England.However, as part of the consultation exercise leading up to the implementation of the National Minimum Care Standards, a survey was commissioned by the Department at the end of 2000 to establish the number of places within the residential drugs and alcohol sector collectively. This survey showed that at the end of 2000 there were approximately 3,100 residential care places in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of residential treatment for sex offenders in the community. [155956]

We are actively considering the need for, and feasibility of, such facilities as part of a national accommodation strategy for offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students have been sent down from (a) the current intake and (b) each of the preceding three intakes to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [156969]

No recruits have been sent down from the groups of trainees taken into the Police College on 8 February 2004, 4 January 2003, 23 November 2003 or 19 October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will establish an occupational pension rescue package for the former employees of Ballast plc following the company's liquidation; and if be will make a statement. [156685]

The Government remains sympathetic to all those people who will not receive the pension they worked so hard to build up for their future retirement. Ministers have been meeting those affected by pension losses in order to understand their plight and to listen to suggestions regarding assistance ahead of the Pension Protection Fund's introduction.We are examining closely all the suggestions that have been put to us but, given all these workers' anxieties, which we understand, we owe it to those affected to do that without raising their expectations.They must know that we have been absolutely straight with them all along. If it is not possible to do anything, as might ultimately be the case, they need to know that that has been the position from the outset. At the same time, we should not prematurely close off the opportunity of assistance if we can identify a proper basis on which it can be done.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are receiving benefits into post of ice card accounts, broken down by (a) Child Benefit, (b) veterans agency payments, (c) pensions and (d) Jobcentre Plus payments. [156057]

[holding answer 26 February 2004]: All the information is not available in the format requested.Information available for the latest available date of 24 January 2004 is given as follows from IAD Information CentreThe number of Post Office Card Accounts receiving payments of State Pension and Pension Credit is 125,205.The number of Post Office Card Accounts receiving payments from Jobcentre Plus is 140,854.Child Benefit accounts are now the responsibility of Inland Revenue. War Pension accounts are now the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and are not included in these figures.As many customers have already supplied their account details it is expected that the figures for Direct Payment into bank or building society accounts and Post Office card accounts will quickly rise, as customers existing methods of payment expire, and they move over to payment being made direct into their nominated account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans he has to provide support to citizens of EU accession states working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1 May onwards; [156789](2) what plans he has to provide support for families of citizens of EU accession stales working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1 May onwards; [156791](3) what plans he has to allow citizens of EU accession states to claim, from 1 May onwards,

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when citizens of EU accession states working in the UK will be entitled to claim (a) Housing Benefit, (b) Child Benefit, (c) Income Support, (d) Jobseeker's Allowance and (e) Working Tax Credit. [156935]

Our intention is to introduce legislation so that the accession state nationals who are in the UK but who cannot find work, or will not work, will not have access to Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. After 12 months of working legally without interruption, citizens of EU accession states will be entitled to the full range of UK benefits. Tax credits and Child Benefit will be available to those citizens of EU accession states who are working legally in the UK; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit may also be available to those workers on low income.Incapacity Benefit and contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance are contributory benefits. People who have not lived and worked in the UK will not have paid National Insurance contributions and therefore will not normally have entitlement to these benefits.For Disability Living Allowance and Carers Allowance, a person must have been resident for 26 out of the previous 52 weeks. However, time spent in another EEA or EU country may in some cases be treated as a period in the UK for the purpose of determining entitlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are claiming pension credit in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (b) each ward in the County of Denbighshire; how many pensioners he estimates are entitled to claim pension credit but have not done so in each case; and what the average amount claimed by pensioners in the Vale of Clwyd is. [156042]

The information is not available in the form requested. Numbers of Pension Credit recipients and average levels of award for (a) the Vale of Clwyd and (b) Denbighshire are given in the table. Numbers of recipients are not currently available at ward level. Estimates of the number of eligible households are not available at constituency, local authority area or ward level. However, we estimate that there are approximately 250,000 pensioner households in Wales likely to be eligible for Pension Credit.

Pension Credit recipients in Vale of Clwyd and Denbighshire, 31 January 2004
	Households	Individuals	Average weekly award per household (£)
Vale of Clwyd	3,965	4,900	44.96
Parliamentary constituency
Denbighshire	4,810	5,920	44.66
Notes:
1. Numbers of recipients have been rounded to the nearest five.
2. Average weekly awards have been rounded to the nearest penny.
3. Numbers of recipients exclude small numbers of clerical cases. At 31 January there were approximately 400 such cases in Wales.
4. Average weekly awards refer to the amount received by households, which may be a single person or a couple.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the pensioner population is in (a) the East Midlands and (b) England. [155638]

[pursuant to his reply, 23 February 2004, c. 320W]:

The figures requested are in the following table.
	Pensioner population
East Midlands	784,000
England	9,119,000
Note:
1. The figures are from the mid-year population figures, 2002
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand
'Pensioner' is defined as those over state pension age
Source:
Office for National Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Pensions Bill will affect people in Northern Ireland; and whether there will be any assistance to those who have lost out in pension schemes in the past. [156099]

Pensions legislation is a devolved matter to Northern Ireland. The provisions of the Pensions Bill therefore generally extend only to Great Britain. The exceptions to this are set out in clause 246, which specifies the provisions that also extend to Northern Ireland. These include those establishing the two new Non-Departmental Public Bodies, The Pensions Regulator and the Board of the Pension Protection Fund, which—as currently with the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority and the Pensions Compensation Board—will operate throughout the United Kingdom, but with functions relating to Northern Ireland conferred by Northern Ireland legislation.Clause 247 allows provision corresponding to the Pensions Bill to be made for Northern Ireland by Order in Council subject to negative resolution.