To ask the Leader of the House how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to him 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. [157743]

Ministers have an obligation to Parliament to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their Named Day question on the named day and to endeavour to answer an Ordinary Written question within a working week of it being tabled. Ministers and their Departments should make every effort to ensure that the live load of questions still awaiting a substantive reply should be kept to a minimum at all times.From 1 January 2003 to Friday 27 February 2004:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to his Department of administering Child Benefit was (a) in total and (b) per claimant in the last year for which figures are available. [158077]

Child Benefit is administered by the Child Benefit Office which only became a part of the Inland Revenue on 1 April 2003 so figures for a full year are not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) quantity and (b) monetary value of (i) illegal fuel, (ii) cigarettes and (iii) counterfeit goods seized over the last year in Northern Ireland. [157390]

The latest published seizure figures for illegal fuel in Northern Ireland are contained in HM Customs and Excise Annual Report 2002–03 (HC 52) and for other commodities in the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force, Strategic Response 2002–03, which is available from their website at www.octf.gov.uk

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of real personal disposable income was in each year since 1980; and what the percentage change was in each year compared with the previous year. [157407]

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 recent meetings he has had with representatives of independent brewers. [157688]

Treasury Ministers and officials hold meetings on a regular basis with a wide range of representative bodies. I met the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) on 6 February 2004 and discussions have been held with SIBA on the Customs and Excise document "Small Breweries' Relief: A Call for Evidence" published on 29 July 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to address the different tax treatment of in-house occupational physiotherapy and a contracted service. [157853]

The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes will be considered as part of the normal Budget process. There is currently no specific employment benefit tax relief for the cost of private health care; employees will generally be chargeable on the cost of this treatment, whether provided directly by the employer or via payment to a health provider.Treatment provided by physiotherapists that are registered with the Health Professionals Council is exempt from VAT, whether provided in-house or purchased on a contract basis. This service remains free to patients when provided on the NHS.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what annual records are kept on Government Department purchases from portfolio contract holders by the Office of Government Commerce; and if he will make a statement. [158097]

Portfolio contract holders are required to submit to OGCbuying.solution on a quarterly basis the total value of contract sales arising from purchases made by Central Government, the Ministry of Defence, HM Prison Service and the National Health Service.This information relates to sales totals only, and the OGCbuying.solutions does not receive or keep records of individual purchasing transactions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [157739]

84.4 per cent. of the 3,489 ordinary written questions tabled to the Chancellor of the Exchequer between January 2003 and February 2004 were answered substantively within 10 working days; and in the same period, 70.2 per cent. of the 544 named day questions were answered on the nominated day.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) public finance initiative and (b) public private partnership contracts have been signed for Lancashire projects in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) contract amount and (b) project. [157693]

Information on signed private finance initiative projects is submitted to the Treasury by departments. A spreadsheet of these data, which were last submitted in July 2003, is available from the HM Treasury website at: HYPERLINK http://www.hm http://www.hm.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with representatives of small and medium enterprises on changes to the taxation of small businesses. [157849]

Treasury Ministers meet regularly with business leaders and others to discuss a wide range of subjects, including the taxation of small business, and to consider the role the Government can continue to play in fostering enterprise, improving productivity and ensuring a competitive economy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds would be of making 2 per cent. the highest rate of stamp duty levied above existing thresholds. [157570]

The revenue cost of restructuring stamp duty on property transactions according to the scheme described, which applies a 1 per cent. rate on transactions value above £60,000 and a 2 per cent. rate above £250,000, is estimated to be £1.8 billion in 2004–05. This does not include any allowance for behavioural changes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) the Child Poverty Action Group and (b) other charities regarding (i) the administration of the Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit since 6 April 2003 and (ii) take-up rates of tax credits. [158266]

Officials from the Inland Revenue, HM Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions meet the Child Poverty Action Group and other interest groups regularly to discuss a range of tax credits issues.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds would be of reducing the standard rate of income tax to 21 per cent. [157571]

I refer the hon. Member to table 1.6 "Direct effects of illustrative tax changes" on the Inland Revenue website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table-16.pdf.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current draft agreement between the Inland Revenue and the Thalidomide Trust. [158750]

The tax affairs of the Thalidomide Trust, like those of all taxpayers, are confidential and a matter for the trustees and the Inland Revenue. If the trustees wish to make a statement about any discussions they have had with the Inland Revenue that is for them to decide.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last 12 months on the priorities the Government intend to pursue when the UK assumes the presidencies of the (a) G8 and (b) EU. [156182]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave him on 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 483W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution his Department is making to the development of education in Bangladesh. [157876]

My right hon. Friend approved a grant of £100 million over six years as the UK contribution to a sector-wide programme for primary education in Bangladesh which I was able to announce during my visit to Bangladesh in January. This is the largest single grant that DFID has ever made to Bangladesh. Its purpose is to help increase access to education for 2 to 3 million extra children. In addition. DFID also supports two other Government programmes and a number of education programmes run by NGOs aimed specifically at providing education to hard to reach children who would otherwise miss out, for example working children.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on aid to Haiti. [157877]

A Small Grants Scheme finances development activities in basic sanitation, HIV/AIDS and rural livelihoods. Haiti also benefits from projects financed by the DFID Civil Society Challenge Fund.The UK's main support to Haiti is provided through the European Union. The UK finances approximately 13 per cent. of the European Development Fund budget (Haiti's allocation under the latest EOF is frozen pending political progress). The UK also provides support to Haiti through its membership of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank; the latter resumed lending to Haiti in 2003.DFID will consider the imminent United Nations Flash Appeal when launched.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has held with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the involvement of UK companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [157878]

I have raised the issue with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and we will be discussing it further later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to increase aid to India. [157879]

DFID provided £161 million of bilateral development assistance to India in 2002–03. In the New Delhi Declaration of January 2002 the two Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, looked forward to expenditure of over £300 million. We are making progress towards this budget and expect to be able to disburse some £200 million in 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the significance for developing countries of completing the Doha trade round. [157880]

The benefits of the Doha round for developing countries will depend on the final outcome at the conclusion of the negotiations. This was originally scheduled for January 2005 but it is unlikely with the collapse of the WTO ministerial at Cancun that this deadline will be met. It is widely acknowledge that multilateral trade reform can have significant benefits for developing countries. For example, the World Bank estimates that eliminating all barriers to trade in goods would generate an extra US$250 billion to US$620 billion in global income, up to half of which would go to developing countries. In terms of poverty reduction, this could lift over 300 million people out of poverty by 2015.Nonetheless, while the reforms may lead to aggregate gains in a country's economic welfare, they inevitably create losers. As well as undertaking studies on the effects of trade reform on livelihoods and food security of the poor segments of the population in developing countries, DFID is working with a number of developing country partners and through the multilateral system to link the trade agenda within countries' own development strategies. The intention is to ensure that liberalisation is accompanied by other policies to help maximise the economic opportunities for all and mitigate adverse impacts on poor households.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the extent is of collaboration with other EU donors to ensure that humanitarian aid to Uganda is effective. [157881]

DFID works closely with other European Union partners and the European Commission to ensure that humanitarian assistance provided to northern Uganda is as effective as possible. European Union Heads of Mission and technical advisers based in Kampala meet regularly to consider the latest developments on the ground and to coordinate assistance to all affected areas. On a number of occasions EU donors have made joint assessment visits to the north. The DFID office in Uganda stays in close touch with the European Community Humanitarian Office for East Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya.Collaboration between EU member states is part of wider arrangements for coordination of humanitarian assistance to northern Uganda. In this context EU member states, as a group, work particularly closely with UN agencies and other donors.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda; and what action he is taking to address it. [157614]

The humanitarian impact of the conflict in northern Uganda is severe. About 1.4 million people have been displaced across the region. Over the past 18 years, more than 20,000 children have been abducted by the brutal Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).While the conflict persists, we will continue to play a strong role in addressing its humanitarian consequences. Over the last year we have provided £8.4 million of humanitarian assistance, which has been channelled through the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the Uganda Red Cross Society. In addition, we are supporting a number of programmes responding to the plight of children affected by the conflict. With our help, UNICEF and Save the Children Fund are improving the conditions for the large number of unaccompanied children who are sleeping in town centres at night to avoid abduction. We are helping to re-integrate ex-LRA child combatants with their families and local communities.Along with other colleagues in the donor community including UN agencies and NGOs, we continue to monitor and assess the humanitarian impact of the situation and to consider what more we can do to assist those affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's budget will be spent in Commonwealth countries in 2003–04; and what percentage change upon the budget for 1998–99 this represents. [157882]

Of the proportion of the DFID programme which goes to specific geographical destinations, Commonwealth countries received £624 million (65 per cent.) in 1998–99 and £877 million (59 per cent.) in 2002–03. This is a 40 per cent. increase in cash terms. Figures for 2003–04 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking to tackle HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. [157883]

DFID recognises that HIV/AIDS is a terrible human catastrophe and is one of the most important development challenges facing Africa. The UK is the second largest bilateral donor of HIV/AIDS assistance in the world. In 2002–03 UK spend to address HIV/AIDS and sexual health globally amounted to over £270 million. This Department has HIV/AIDS investments in most of our 16 focus countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, indirect support is being provided to address HIV/AIDS through budget support. We have committed over £25 million to support the International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa (IPAA) initiative—a regional; Africa-led initiative, and $280 million over 8 years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We will make reducing the vulnerability of poor people to HIV and to the impact of AIDS a priority for the extra resources the UK will be providing to Africa in 2006.Considerable additional financial support continues to be provided through institutions such as WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, and NGOs and civil society organisations in a coherent effort to combat the disease and support those already living with it.But we are committed to doing more. The Government has published a Call for Action on HIV/AIDS. This is the first stage in an intensified effort on HIV/AIDS, and a new UK strategy will be published later in the year. The Call for Action highlights the need for: better funding, better donor co-ordination, better HIV/AIDS programmes and stronger political support. The UK has pushed for HIV to be a focus issue for the Africa Partners Forum. HIV remains a high order issue for the G8 Africa Action Plan. The UK will prioritise HIV/AIDS and Africa during the UK Presidency of the G8 in 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's contribution to the global campaign to tackle AIDS. [157885]

The UK is the second largest bilateral donor of HIV/AIDS assistance to developing countries. Our bilateral funding has increased seven-fold, from £38 million in 1997–98 to more than £270 million in 2002–03. The UK was instrumental in setting up the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and has committed US$ 280 million over seven years to ensure it has long term stability of funding. The Government published its Call for Action on HIV/AIDS on World AIDS Day, which emphasises the UK's commitment to AIDS and highlights the need for stronger political direction; better funding; better donor coordination and better HIV/AIDS programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on development assistance to Ethiopia. [157884]

As I saw during my recent visit, the problems facing Ethiopia are immense. Almost one half of its 70 million people live below the national poverty line. Hunger, HIV/AIDS and the need to provide basic services pose enormous challenges.The time is right for the international community to play a much larger role in helping Ethiopia meet these challenges. This is what the UK intends to do. On current plans, UK development assistance will increase from £19 million this financial year to £57 million in 2005–06. This will include substantial direct budget support. We will also support the Ethiopian Government's own plans to tackle the roots of hunger.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides support to governments actively to develop employee ownership of business units programmes. [157794]

DFID provides support to governments both directly and indirectly to develop programmes that promote employee ownership of business units. In South Africa, for example, DFID is providing a range of assistance to Government to support employee ownership of privatised enterprises. This has included assistance to the Department of Public Enterprises to incorporate employee share ownership schemes in its programme to divest the state-owned forestry company's holdings. DFID is also providing support to the Government of Serbia to implement its privatisation programme, which allows for employees to bid for up to 30 per cent. of the shares in the companies.DFID also contributes indirectly to promoting employee ownership of business through its membership of major international financial institutions such as the World Bank. Group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which actively promote employee share ownership in restructuring and privatisation programmes in a number of countries. DFID has not received requests from governments to help develop employee ownership of existing business units in the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department provides to governments undertaking privatisation programmes to enable employees to buy and run businesses. [157795]

Few governments have as a policy objective privatisation programmes aimed specifically at enabling employees to buy and run businesses. However, DFID provides extensive support to governments to develop the micro, small and medium enterprise sector. Our support includes assistance to governments to improve the legal and regulatory framework for enterprise; the development of financial institutions to increase the availability of finance needed to establish and operate businesses, and programmes to strengthen local management skills and business support services. These support programmes encourage and enable all entrepreneurs in the community to buy and run businesses, including employees of state-owned enterprises.In China, for example, DFID's support to the enterprise sector combines support for state-owned enterprise reform with an enterprise development programme to promote the development of small, private businesses. This programme includes consulting and training services and a credit guarantee scheme to increase bank finance for small enterprise and is open to employees of state-owned enterprises and to the wider entrepreneurial community.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the airline travel policy for the directors of (a) CDC and (b) Actis is in respect of (i) European and (ii) inter-continental flights. [157826]

The existing CDC airline travel policy will apply to both CDC and Actis and covers all staff, including directors.Economy class travel will be used for all flights of less than six hours duration, while business class travel is allowed for flights of over six hours duration or for overnight flights. First class travel may only be used in special circumstances such as intra-continental travel where business class is not available and is subject to prior approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total cost of the reorganisation of CDC and Actis. [157828]

Our estimate of total costs of the reorganisation of CDC is £11.5 million. This is made up as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance has been given to Chad to deal with displaced people from Darfur, Sudan. [158593]

The United Nations estimates that there are 110,000 Sudanese refugees in Eastern Chad, displaced by the fighting in the Darfur region of Sudan.We contributed £1 million to UN High Commissioner for Refugees' work in Chad in October last year. We are currently considering some further contributions to international agencies working with Sudanese refugees.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what GM crops are being grown in developing countries; and what the advantages over the comparable non-GM crops are of these crops, as cited in peer-reviewed research. [156804]

The bulk of GM crop production in developing countries is commercial. Of the six countries responsible for 99 per cent. of global crop production by area in 2003, four were developing countries: Argentina (21 per cent.), Brazil (4 per cent.), China (4 per cent.) and South Africa (1 per cent.). Almost all of Argentina's soybean production is now GM, while GM cotton now accounts for 58 per cent. of China's total cotton area¹. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications publication "Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2003" provides more information.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.GM technology has the potential to provide commercial farmers in developing countries with new opportunities to increase the yield or quality of their crops. In particular, GM technology may enable farmers to protect their crops from environmental stresses and attacks from pathogens and insects.GM technology also has the potential to improve the yield and quality of smallholder crops, where the emphasis is on increasing production without the need for increased inputs.Decisions about the use of GM crops are, of course, a matter for developing country Governments to take.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contracts have been placed by (a) the United States of America, (b) the United Kingdom and (c) other countries and institutions for the clearing of unexploded ordnance in Iraq; what the values of these contracts are; whom they are with; what the requirements are for which the contractors are being paid; whether sub-contracting to do the actual clearance work is provided for in the main contracts; what relationship is expected between the contractors and military forces stationed in the country, non-governmental organisations and Iraqis; and if he will make a statement. [157138]

DFID is supporting de-mining and the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Iraq both through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the UN.DFID has signed contracts with the NGO Mines Advisory Group for work northern Iraq (£781,639) and southern Iraq (£1,201,263). These contracts cover direct de-mining activities utilising a combination of expatriate staff and locally recruited de-miners.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to encourage IT firms to ensure that all their sub-contractors in developing countries provided decent working conditions for their employees; and if he will make a statement. [157354]

The Government's commitment to supporting improvements in labour standards is firmly based on the International Labour Organisations' Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the core labour standards that it incorporates. The Government calls on IT firms and other businesses sourcing goods from developing countries to follow the OECD Guidelines for National Enterprise, which set out principles for responsible business conduct including labour standards.Effective and well-judged implementation of labour standards can play an important part in the reduction of global poverty by promoting broad based economic, social and political development. The Government supports initiatives that promote corporate social responsibility in ways that reduce poverty and support growth. The Department for International Development is providing practical support to the development of socially responsible business practice through the Ethical Trading initiative. This is an alliance of business, trade unions and non-governmental organisations committed to improving working conditions in the supply chains of its corporate members. DFID helped to establish the ETI in 1998 and our current partnership is worth £1,300,000 over three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to assist economic development in the Middle East. [157756]

Promoting economic growth that benefits all people in a sustainable way is one of four objectives of our Regional Assistance Plan for the Middle East and North Africa. It is also a primary objective of our Interim Country Assistance Plan for Iraq. Copies of both papers been placed in the Library of the House of Commons. We are working with the European Commission to help improve the effectiveness of their programmes in the region, for example by funding studies to help them strengthen trade links and private sector development. We strongly support European Investment Bank efforts to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, which are engines of growth in the region.In Iraq, we are providing technical expertise in economic transition to the Coalition Provisional Authority, strengthening economic management capacity within Iraqi ministries, and supporting the development of small and medium. sized enterprises. We also provide bilateral assistance to Yemen and Palestine, some of which has a specific focus on economic development. Most recently, we have been working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Treasury to help develop plans for the G8 group of countries and the EC to further promote economic development in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the scale of the movement of refugees from North Korea to China since 1995. [157545]

There is no accurate figure of the number of North Koreans in China because they tend to remain hidden for fear of discovery and repatriation to North Korea. Estimates vary greatly. The Ministry of Reunification in South Korea estimates that there are 10,000 long-term migrants in China. Some NGO groups estimate there are 300,000 North Koreans in China, based on surveys of villages in the border region.The Chinese Government says that, by United Nations definitions, North Koreans who enter China illegally are economic migrants, not refugees. The UK regularly raises the question of North Korean border crossers at our biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his policy on development aid to North Korea. [157553]

The Department for International Development (DFID) does not give development assistance to North Korea; nor do we have any plans to start a bilateral programme there. DFID policy is to focus its human and financial resources on a manageable number of key country programmes where the UK has comparative advantage and expertise.Since 1997, DFID has provided £3,298,000 in humanitarian assistance to North Korea. Most recently, DFID approved a grant of £1,023,000 to support UNICEF's work in 2004, in primary health care (including provision of essential medical supplies such as vaccinations) and improvements to the water and sanitation systems. In 2002–03 DFID provided £200,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross for its flood prevention work, and in 2001–02 the Federation also received £75,000 for emergency assistance to flood victims and £800,000 to support the health care system through the distribution of drugs and basic medical equipment. In the same year, DFID channelled £1,200,000 through the United Nations Children Fund to support its primary health care programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of energy supplies in North Korea; and what steps his Department is taking to improve them. [157554]

Insufficient energy supplies impact on the humanitarian crisis in North Korea. Power shortages prevent effective operation of water pumping stations, thereby reducing the overall supply of water. The diminishing supplies of fuel wood compounds this problem as families are unable to boil water before use, which in turn increases the prevalence of water borne diseases and diarrhoea and malnutrition worde. Fuel wood is also used for heating and cooking.Nevertheless, energy is only one factor in the overall humanitarian crisis in North Korea, and the Department for International Development seeks to target its assistance in a way that will have the greatest impact. DFID is currently supporting the strengthening of water and sanitation, health care and disaster mitigation. This approach is in accordance with our assessment of the situation and follows discussions with the United Nations Resident Representative for North Korea.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much emergency (a) medical and (b) food aid was provided by the United Kingdom to North Korea in each of the last 10 years. [157555]

The financial figures available go back as far as 1996 when the United Kingdom gave £23,907 to Save the Children and the World Food Programme (WFP) for a nutrition assessment, £100,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for the procurement and distribution of food for those still dependent on food aid following the 1995 flood, and another £100,000 for supplementary food for flood victims. The WFP also received £100,000 for supplementary food and project management costs for flood victims.In 1997 we provided £80,000 to the IFRC for relief to provinces affected by floods following a tidal wave, and a further £495,000 for supplementary food needs for 139,000 beneficiaries.In 1999 the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £131,459 to a pilot project run by CONCERN to increase food security and channelled £200,000 through World Vision to improve food security and promote sound agricultural practices, £120,000 through Save the Children to improve nutrition and early childhood development at national and village level, £158,437 through Oxfam to treat the public water supply in order to reduce the prevalence of water-born diseases and £625,000 to the United Nations Development Programme for its Geographic Information System and policy reform work including a micro-credit system.In 2000, DFID provided £50,000 to the IFRC for emergency assistance to storm victims.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of food supplies in North Korea; and what steps his Department is taking to improve them. [157557]

Owing to the environment of secrecy restrictions on agencies operating there, it is difficult to be certain of figures regarding the situation in North Korea. A joint study between the Government and the United Nations Children's Fund showed that 42 per cent. suffer from chronic, or stunting malnutrition and 9 per cent. of the population suffer acute malnutrition (compared with 16 per cent. of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that the North Korean food output falls short of need by 944 thousand tonnes.While significant improvements in nutrition rates have been observed through food aid and improved harvests, the international response has been marked by breaks in supply that leave aid beneficiaries vulnerable. Following a recent delay, food distribution has restarted and all but 600,000 core beneficiaries will receive cereal rations up until June.It is important to tackle the problem of malnutrition through a balanced approach to its causes. Both DFID and the European Commission Humanitarian Office, are concerned that food aid currently accounts for 90 to 95 per cent. of requested assistance, while poor water and sanitation increases the prevalence of water-born diseases and diarrhoea, which in turn worsens malnutrition. A significant proportion of the population of 22 million have poor quality water and sanitation and only 52 per cent. have access to safe drinking water.DFID has recently agreed to provide £1.023 million in support of UNICEF's work in water, sanitation and primary health care (e.g. vaccinations and other essential medical supplies).The European Commission is funding targeted food aid through the WFP and other organisations. In January it agreed to give 5 million Euros. The UK contributed £3,338,000 to this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Government of North Korea about its plans to install (a) broadband, (b) internet technology and (c) mobile phone networks. [157550]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport rules apply to passengers transporting guns on air journeys (a) departing from, (b) arriving at and (c) passing through British airports. [157607]

Passengers must surrender firearms or any dangerous articles before entering the restricted zone (RZ) of the airport and cannot regain possession of them in circumstances which would enable them or others to take them onto an aircraft or undermine the security of the airport. Thus departing passengers must surrender any firearms they wish to transport to airport or airline staff prior to undergoing security screening and entering the RZ. Arriving passengers are handed back firearms upon completion of their journey in the presence of a Customs Official or police officer. Transit and transfer passengers do not regain possession of their weapons in the RZ.HM Customs and Excise are responsible for the checking of firearms licenses and certificates at the airport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government are contributing towards improving Chorley Railway Station. [157716]

Chorley Station is benefiting from £137,000 of grant through the "Rail Passenger Partnership" scheme administered by the Strategic Rail Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many aircraft movements there were in each period from November to October since 1980 at Heathrow. [157409]

The available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by his Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant. [156204]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right. hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Raynsford) on 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 750W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the net cost to hauliers of the introduction of the Lorry Road User Charge; and if he will make a statement. [157040]

The Government have established a Lorry Road User Charge sub-group of the Road Haulage Forum, through which it conducts a dialogue with representatives of the haulage industry on a wide range of issues relating to the development and introduction of a charging scheme.The Government have made clear their intention that the Lorry Road User Charge will be broadly revenue neutral for the UK haulage industry. That position has not changed. The extra revenue raised through the charge will be offset by reductions in fuel duty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further developments are planned to improve the (a) safety and (b) capacity of (i) junctions and (ii) carriageways on the M1 between junctions 15 and 16 to cope with the increase in traffic use arising from the Milton Keynes/Northampton sustainable communities plan. [157441]

We have no current plans for major improvements to this section of the M1. Following publication of the draft Milton Keynes and South Midlands (MKSM) Sub-Regional Strategy, the Highways Agency, together with the three affected Regional Assemblies, looked at strategic transport impacts of the growth proposals on the highway network. Their report has been put in the Library for the public examination of the MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy which begins on 23 March 2004. We will respond to the findings of the public examination in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons carriageway closures are in place between junction 1 and junction 2 of the Ml motorway; when this stretch of motorway was last subject to carriageway closures; and for what reasons these works and those previously undertaken were not carried out at the same time. [157924]

The M1 between junctions 1 and 2 is currently being resurfaced because the road surface is coming to the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. The opportunity is also being taken to carry out other major repairs to the infrastructure along this stretch of the motorway.This section was last subject to significant carriageway closures at the end of for essential repairs to lighting columns and for advance drainage works in preparation for the current resurfacing scheme. A period of time was needed on this project between drainage works and resurfacing to allow the ground to dry out and settle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the purpose of the planned four-lane M6. [157717]

The West Midlands to North West Multi-Modal Study produced a long-term strategy for the M6 corridor aimed at improving road, rail and other public transport links within the corridor over the next 20 to 30 years. The study clearly demonstrated that some road widening is a necessary component of a strategy aimed at tackling congestion on the M6 motorway. The Secretary of State confirmed his support for the study's recommendation, including widening the motorway from dual 3 to dual 4 lanes between junctions 11a and 19, in his announcement of December 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speeches he made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156149]

The Secretary of State has made speeches on a range of transport issues, many of which are available on the departmental website at www.dft.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the PowerShift project; and if he will make a statement. [157925]

The PowerShift programme, which provides grants to encourage the purchase of low emission vehicles, has had its most successful year to date in 2003–04, with all the funding being fully committed. It estimated that the programme will support the purchase/conversion of 4,200 vehicles in 2003–04 compared with a total of 2,139 in 2002–03 (figures from the Energy Saving Trust).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the status of the PowerShift project is; how many new applications have been processed this year; how many new applications are being dealt with; and if he will make a statement. [157926]

The PowerShift programme will begin accepting applications for 2004–05 shortly. The Energy Saving Trust expects to process applications for 4,200 vehicles in 2003–04. We expect applications to continue at a high level next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the draft regulations implementing the Road Transport Directive. [158225]

We expect to publish the draft regulations implementing the Road Transport Directive by the end of May. My officials are currently analysing responses from our consultation exercise and the results of this will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many challenges there have been to speed camera fines in the last 12 months. [148941]

I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary that information is not held centrally on the number of people prosecuted for speeding offences who elect to challenge a fixed penalty notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs were of (a) purchasing and (b) operating speed cameras in Essex in each of the last six (i) financial and (ii) calendar years for which figures are available. [152476]

We do not hold information centrally on the costs of local and police authorities' camera operations prior to the establishment of the Safety Camera Programme in April 2000. The information on the costs of the Essex Partnership for 2000–01 and 2001–02, which is compiled by financial year, is in the following table. Capital expenditure includes the purchase of camera equipment. Revenue expenditure covers the cost of administration of the prosecution process by conditional offer fixed penalty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if will take steps to remove speed cameras from non-hazardous sections of road. [156503]

The rules of the Safety Camera Programme require Partnerships to place cameras at sites or on routes with a history of speed related accidents, to review their sites regularly and to adjust enforcement strategies accordingly.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the Ministers who have travelled to Big Conversation meetings in ministerial cars. [158124]

I refer the honourable Gentleman to answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 113W. Guidance on the use of official cars is set out in "Travel by Ministers". Detailed information relating to the use of cars by individual Ministers is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals will be tested as a result of the proposed EU REACH legislation on chemicals; and if she will set out the basis for her estimate. [155857]

the EU proposal on REACH requires information to be gathered on chemicals in order to provide the basis for protecting human health and the environment. This information may come front a number of sources, one of which is animal testing. The Commission has estimated that this draft regulation will require data to be gathered on approximately 30,000 chemicals. Of these, 20,000 are thought to be produced or imported in quantities of less than 10 tonnes. At this tonnage the current Commission proposal requires 25 animals per chemical. It should be remembered that in most cases the tests are expected to demonstrate that the chemical concerned is safe and therefore involves no threat to humans or animals.the Commission proposal would require further data as tonnage increases to reflect the greater potential human and environmental exposure. Under a worst case scenario over 1,500 animals may be needed per chemical for those produced at over 1,000 tonnes (estimated from the testing requirements of the Regulation and OECD guidelines). The tests performed need to comply with the relevant requirements for the protection of laboratory animals set out in directive 86/609/EEC where, among other things, methods used must be refined in such a way as to minimise the amount of suffering caused to the animals concerned. Further, the chemical industry already has some of this data and there are other sources of information such as modelling of data and grouping of chemicals to read-across data from one chemical to another, all of which will reduce the amount of new testing that will be required. If recent experience from a major testing programme in the USA were to be duplicated in Europe, the number of new animal tests that will need to be undertaken will be significantly lower than the number given above.It is an overall objective, for the UK government, in negotiating this Regulation. to ensure that animal testing is kept to the minimum necessary to protect human health and the environment. One of the ways we aim to do this is by applying an intelligent approach to testing.

to ask the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs what progress has been made with the renegotiation of the December fisheries council; and whether the issue of the impact of force majeure on days at sea has been addressed. [157068]

The Government has been pressing the European Commission to bring forward urgently amendments to the haddock permit scheme agreed at the December Fisheries council. expect to receive a proposal from the commission for such changes in the next few days. We expect to receive a proposal from the Commission for such changes in the next few days. We have also pressed the Commission to add a force majeure provision to the measure for limiting fishing effort. We understand that the Commission are sympathetic to inserting such a provision into the legislation.

To ask the Secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1558W, on Animal By-products Regulations, what assessment has been made of whether adequate protection from rodents and birds might be achieved using suitable netting instead of solid walls in intermediate reception centres. [156614]

One of the requirements of the Regulation is that Intermediate Plants must have appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects, rodents and birds. While netting may offer adequate protection against birds, it is not clear how it could offer sufficient protection against insects and rodents. However, we are prepared to consider in individual circumstances if an operator can demonstrate that it does offer such protection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will respond to the Farm Animal Welfare Council report of June 2003 on welfare at slaughter; and if she will make a statement. [155936]

We expect to issue shortly for public consultation our draft response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter or killing. The public consultation exercise will be widely publicised. Allowing time for comments to be considered, we expect to issue the final response document around the middle of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position her Department is taking in discussions within the European Union on maximum journey times for animals destined for slaughter. [156343]

At the 24 February Agriculture Council the Secretary of State confirmed the Government's preference for replacing the long distance transport of animals for slaughter with a trade in meat. Until that can he achieved journey times for slaughter animals should be reduced, taking account of animal husbandry and geography.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the levels of antibiotics being fed to animal; and what the figures were 10 years ago. [156874]

There are no comprehensive figures available on the usage of veterinary antibiotics in the UK. However since 1998 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published figures on the annual UK sales of all veterinary antimicrobial products from 1993 onwards. These have been published in a series of five reports, the most recent of which, published in November 2003, details reported sales between 1998 and 2002. All of these reports are available on the VMD website (www.vmd.gov.uk) or as hard copy direct from the VMD. It is generally accepted that the pattern of reported sales veterinary antimicrobials directly relates to the pattern of their usage in the UK.Due to a change in the methodology VMD used to calculate these figures, reported sales before 1998 are not directly comparable with those after 1998. However taken as a whole these figures provide a baseline of sales of antimicrobials over a 10-year reporting period. They show that over the last 10 years the total reported sales of therapeutic antimicrobials have remained broadly constant (ranging between 392 tonnes and 495 tonnes of active ingredient) except for a peak in 1996 (553 tonnes). Total reported sales in 2002 amounted to 457 tonnes of active ingredient, a slight reduction from 2001 (459 tonnes) and 2000 (462 tonnes).Reported sales of antimicrobial growth promoters have reduced from their peak of 122 tonnes in 1995 to between 23 tonnes (1999) and 46 tonnes (1998) of active ingredient over the last five years. (It is known that there are some missing data for some years so changes may not be as significant as they appear.) This reduction probably partly reflects a reduction since 1999 in the number of active ingredients authorised for use as antimicrobial growth promoters. Reported sales in 2002 amounted to 27 tonnes compared to 43 tonnes in 2001.

To ask the secretary of state Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation prohibits (i) a farmer and (ii) any other from (A) purchasing, (B) transporting, (C) owning and (D) being legally responsible for the welfare of farm animals in circumstances where they have previous convictions for mistreating farm animals; and if she will make a statement. [157101]

section 3 of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 allows a court to disqualify a person convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal from having custody of any animal for such a period as it thinks fit. This can mean a lifetime ban from keeping animals. This legislation applies equally to farmers and other persons responsible for looking after animals.Article 9 and Schedule 12 of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997, as amended, set down the conditions under which authorisations may be granted for the transport of animals. In considering whether an applicant is a fit person to hold an authorisation the minister may have regard to any relevant circumstances, including any offences involving animal welfare.We are considering a new system of three tiers of offences under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill. The most serious offence would refer to those involved in the fighting of animals, the second would maintain the current offence of cruelty, whilst the third would impose a statutory duty to promote the welfare of animals kept by man. In addition. We intend to increase the effectiveness of the courts' power to disqualify.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will lift the six-day rule which applies to auction marts and slaughterhouses. [156883]

Livestock moving to auction markets and slaughterhouses do not trigger a six-day standstill on arrival.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many calves have been refused passports because they have not been registered within 27 days in each of the last three years. [156043]

The number of passports refused over the last three years because of late registration has been:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what projections she has made of the future population of (a) dolphins and (b) porpoises within (i) British waters and (ii)European Union waters; and if she will make a statement. [156213]

The Secretary of State has made no projections to date on the future populations of dolphins and porpoises in British and Union waters.However, the Government is supporting new survey work to he undertaken in 2004–05 by a consortium of international researchers, co-ordinated by the sea Mammal Research Unit, on the distribution and abundance of small cetaceans —particularly harbour

To ask the Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) dolphin and (b) porpoise populations within (i) British waters and (ii)European Union waters; what the estimate was for these species 20 years ago; and if she will make a statement. [156214]

Obtaining population estimates for cetaceans is difficult. There is a wide margin of error around most abundance estimates and the geographical limits of most biological populations of dolphin species are not known.To date, major surveys of cetacean distribution or abundance have not been Carried out at regular intervals. The following table gives figures from the 2002 report of the Advisory Committee on Ecosystems of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) illustrating the latest information on the populations and abundance of small cetaceans occurring in UK waters. The populations are given in terms of ICES areas or geographical locality. A map showing the ICES areas has been placed in the Libraries of the House.A consortium of international researchers, co-ordinated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, is planning to carry out a survey of the distribution and abundance of small cetacean— particularly harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)—in 2004–05. The survey area is intended to cover the shelf waters of the Atlantic margin, the North Sea and adjacent waters. International funding is being sought in support of this work and the UK has already pledged £275,000 towards it.Reliable estimates for dolphin abundance in British and European Union waters in 1984 are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department is making on its revision of the Country Code; and whether the revised code will require dogs to be kept on a short fixed lead (a) near livestock and (b) during the bird breeding season on land to which the statutory rights of access to open country under the countryside and rights of way act 2000 applies. [156767]

The duty to issue a code of conduct for the guidance of persons visiting the countryside lies statutorily with the Countryside Agency. The agency has been consulting widely on proposals for updating the code, which was last revised in 1981. The agency aims to publish a new code in the summer, which will include general guidance on legal responsibilities regarding dogs. The code will not introduce any new responsibilities.The Countryside and Rights of Way act 2000 itself requires people exercising the new right of access to keep dogs on short leads when in the vicinity of livestock, and on all access land between 1 March and 31 July. The Act also provides for local restrictions on dogs, including bans, where necessary, and allows landowners to exclude dogs for up to six weeks in any one year from fields or enclosures where lambing is taking place and for up to five years from land managed for the breeding and shooting of grouse.The Countryside Agency has been seeking views on meeting its obligations under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to provide guidance for people using the new right of access and for people with an interest in land to which the new right applies. Information about the statutory requirements relating to dogs will be included in communications with the public when the new right of access is introduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many equines were slaughtered for human consumption in England in each year since 2000, broken down by type; [156566](2) how many tonnes of horsemeat were

the information requested is given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs (1) which EU Directive or Regulation requires horse traceability for disease surveillance purposes; [156655](2) what recent discussions she has had with the EU about disease surveillance in horses. [156656]

There is currently no requirement in Eropean legislation for a horse traceability system for disease surveillance purposes, but both the Government and the horse industry consider that there is a need for a national equine database. Defra is therefore working with the industry to set up such a database that will help to implement the horse passports requirements, and underpin economic and animal health and welfare strategies for the horse and its role within the rural economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to the Department of implementing the minimum values Legislation was in each of the last three years. [156663]

The cost to the Department of horse and pony export licensing (commonly referred to as the minimum values legislation) in England during the last three financial years was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the establishment of a single agency to address legal and illegal imports of food. [155392]

In its response to the Reports of the Foot and Mouth Disease inquiries in November 2002, The Government said that there was a case for a single agency to oversee all aspects of the management of the legal trade in imported foodstuffs, but that we would first aim to secure a step change in the co-ordination and delivery of local authority inspection of imported foodstuffs and products of animal origin within one year. We will review the first year's program with the step change project, which has been co-ordinated by the Food Standards Agency and in the light of that consider the case for an agency later in the Spring.Responsibility for anti-smuggling checks on illegal imports of food was transferred to HM Customs and Excise in April 2003. The Government have no plans for changes in those responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of local authorities in the detection of illegal meat imports that have evaded customs and border inspections. [155394]

Local authorities have made and continue to make seizures of products of animal origin inland. Central records do not differentiate between legitimate imports which now fail to meet relevant regulations, shipments that have entered the EU through other member states and any that may have evaded customs and border inspections in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will report to parliament on the progress of the illegal meat strategy. [1553911]

Progress against the Government's action plan on illegal imports in 2002–03 is reported in the Annual Review of controls on imports of Animal Products. Copies have been placed in House Libraries.The 2003–04 Action Plan is appended to the Review, and we are working with HM Customs and other responsible parties to implement it. Progress will be reported in the second annual report which will be published in early summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the sufficiency of resources allocated to HM Customs and Excise to address illegal meat imports and of how they compare with those of its equivalent in other European countries. [155847]

We have almost doubled the amount of funding available to HMCE in 04/05 to put more resources into addressing illegal imports of meat, fish, plants, and their products. We do not have details of what resources other EU countries have in place but know that the UK is viewed as being more advanced in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in tackling the import of illegal meat. [156488]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for policy issues relating to imports of products of animal origin and plant and plant products.HM Customs and Excise are responsible for enforcement at points of entry to the UK and local authorities are responsible for enforcement inland.We continue to liaise closely with HM Customs and Excise and the Food Standards Agency to ensure a coherent approach in tackling illegal imports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the Ad Hoc Ministerial Group 23 will consult organisations outside Government when undertaking the review of step change; [155396]

The Ministerial Committee on Illegal Imports (Misc 23) was established by the Prime Minister in july 2003 to Co-ordinate policy on imports of animals, plants, fish and their products. It is composed of the following members:

• Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Chair)
• Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Economic Secretary
• Minister of State, Home Office (Beverley Hughes)
• Minister of State, Department for Transport
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Health (Melanie Johnson)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh)
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Phil Hope)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many knackeries were licensed in the UK in each year since 2000; [156661](2) how many hunt kennels were licensed in the UK in each year since 2000 [156662]

Prior to the Animal By-Products Regulations 2003, which came into force on 1 July 2003, Knackers' Yards required approval under the Animal By-Products Order 1999. Hunt Kennels required registration under the Order.In June 2003. before the Animal By-Products Order was revoked, there were 73 approved Knackers' Yards and 293 registered Hunt Kennels. We do not have a breakdown of how many were approved in each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to prevent unauthorised off-road motor cycling. [158090]

The Forestry Commission and Countryside Council for Wales are jointly organising the Wales Off-road Motorcycle Conference to take place on 6 may. The Conference will consider how best to curtail unlawful off road motorcycling and how to develop, as an alternative, facilities for motorcycling as a managed outdoor recreational activity.In addition, the Government have published a consultation paper setting out its proposals for tackling the problems that can arise through the use of motorcycles and other mechanically propelled vehicles on public rights of way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to her Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what precentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157516]