To ask the Leader of the House what recent changes there have been in the use of the Welsh language in the conduct of public business by the House; and if he will make a statement. [158026]

The most recent change in the use of the Welsh language in the formal proceedings of the House followed the First Report of the Procedure Committee in 2000–01 (HC 47). On 5 March 2001, the House endorsed the Committee's recommendation that Welsh could be used by Select Committee witnesses giving evidence in Westminster, as well as in Wales.

To ask the Leader of the House if he will make it his policy to have senior Ministers reply to debates in Westminster Hall. [160094]

Since its creation in 1999 Westminster Hall has proved itself a popular and valuable debating chamber covering a wide variety of political issues. Government Departments take into consideration the topic of the debate and the division of ministerial responsibilities when deciding which Minister should respond. It is not necessarily the case that the Minister most suited to responding will be the most senior Minister in any given Department. However, all Ministers who respond to debates in Westminster Hall do so with the full authority of the relevant Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government are taking to improve air quality, with particular reference to use of alternative road fuels. [159326]

Alternative fuels receive considerable support from Government, in the form of significant fuel duty incentives, grants for vehicle conversions under the PowerShift Programme, and reduced rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax for cleaner vehicles. In the December 2003 pre-Budget report, the Chancellor published the Alternative Fuels Framework, which sets out the basis on which support will, in future, be provided for clean, low carbon road transport fuels. In particular, it includes a commitment to provide three-year certainty on duty differentials for all alternative fuels from Budget 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in descending order airlines using British airports by their air safety records. [159313]

The safety of UK airlines is overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority to a high standard. Foreign airlines operating to the United Kingdom are required to be operated in accordance with the minimum safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. They are regulated by aviation authorities of their home states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of changes in grants for people to convert vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas. [159322]

Currently, grants are available for the purchase/conversion of vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas under the Powershift and CleanUp programmes administered by the Energy Saving Trust. In 2003–04 these two programmes provided grants for the purchase/conversion of around 3,000 vehicles. In response to this year's increase in demand for these programmes, the Trust have discussed the appropriate level of Powershift and CleanUp grants for next year with stakeholders, and estimate that a similar number of vehicles will be converted/purchased during 2004–05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking to meet its targets on use of (a) compressed natural gas and (b) hydrogen as road fuels. [159323]

Our plans for encouraging the promotion and use of clean, low carbon vehicles and fuels are set out in the Powering Future Vehicles Strategy, published in July 2002. The Government has no formal targets for the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) or hydrogen as road fuels. But it supports the development and use of these and other clean, low carbon fuels in a number of ways, including through fuel duty differentials and other fiscal incentives, and by means of purchase grants to offset the additional cost of vehicles operating on these fuels. The Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in the Pre-Budget Report in December 2003, for example, that compressed natural gas (CNG) would continue to benefit from the very low fuel duty levels it currently enjoys for at least another three years. We are also currently supporting the trials of three hydrogen-powered buses in London, and subject to the outcome of these trials the Government intends to exempt hydrogen from fuel duty for a limited period in the future to encourage further development and uptake.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost of the planned alteration work to Bardon Signal Box on the Leicester to Burton railway line is. [158609]

This is an operational matter for Network Rail. I have passed this question to Network Rail, for them to respond directly to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each local authority the cost of a bus pass for pensioners. [159349]

Under the Transport Act 2000, all local authorities are required to issue a bus pass free of charge to older and disabled people entitling the holder to local bus travel within their district for at least half the single journey bus fare. However, local authorities are able to offer more generous schemes or alternative schemes to the statutory minimum if they wish. Many local authorities offer alternative travel schemes, which

Table: Local authorities that in 2001 charged a fee for an alternative concessionary travel scheme in addition to the statutory minimum half fares with a free pass
Name of authority	Annual fee (2001)	Alternative concession
Basildon, Essex	£100	Free travel in district
Bracknell Forest UA	£40	Free travel for those aged 75 or more.
Braintree, Essex	£110	Free travel in district
Brendwood, Essex	£54	Free travel in district
Bridgnorth, Shrops	£30	Free travel in whole county
Colchester, Essex	£159.45	Free travel, plus travel tokens
Darlington UA	£52 or £62	£52 for free travel in urban area, £62 for free travel in all UA
Dartford, Kent	£5	Fee to get flat fare of 20p within borough
East Staffordshire	£10	Free travel
Eden, Cumbria	£5	Free travel in district
Harlow, Essex	£33	Free travel in district
Hertsmere, Herts	£36	Free travel in district
Ipswich, Suffolk	£1	District scheme for 25p flat fare
Maldon, Essex	£150	Free travel
Middles brough UA	£10	Fee for fare reductions
North Wiltshire	£5	For reduced rate travel
Preston, Lancashire	£10	For free travel for those aged 70 or over
Redcar and Cleveland UA	£12	Fee for fare reductions
Sevenoaks, Kent	£20	Fee to get flat fare of 20p
Shrewsbury and Atcham, Shrops.	£115	For free travel in the borough, half fare in the county, also produces a £15 permit for reduced rate travel
Slough UA	£30	Fee to get free travel in UA
South Buckinghamshire	£20	Permit gives free travel from age 70
St Albans, Herts	£57	Free travel in district
Stevenage, Herts	£25	Free travel in district
Stockton on Tees UA	£5	Fee for fare reductions
Suffolk Coastal	£ 13.50	Fee for fare reductions
Telford and The Wrekin UA	£80	Free travel throughout UA, half faro in Shropshire and to some towns beyond
Three Rivers, Herts	£25	Free travel in district
Worcester City	£8	Allows 25p flat fare or 40p return fare
Wyre, Lanes	£5	Reduced rate travel

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) expected in-service delivery date and (b) cost of the computerised MOT test were when the contract was let; and what they are expected to be now. [159594]

The information is as follows:

in the original contract the expected start of roll-out date for the computerised service was May 2002 at a transaction charge per recorded test of £1.07.

the current contract stipulates that roll-out of the service should have started by mid-February 2004 with no increase in transaction charge. The start of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's (VOSA) testing has been delayed following slippage in SBS Software and an independent review of progress has entitle older people to greater travel benefits and in some cases an annual fee is charged for the pass for these alternative schemes. The cost and extent of the alternative pass varies from one local authority to another. Those that charged for the pass for an alternative scheme, following the introduction of the statutory minimum scheme in June 2001, are listed in the following table, which is reproduced from Transport Statistics Bulletin "Concessionary Bus Fares Schemes England 2001", a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. This is currently being updated and the latest information will be published later this year. Other authorities providing an alternative scheme may offer the pass free of charge.

recommended changes to plans to reduce risk and allow for additional testing. In the light of the review team's recommendations VOSA are discussing a revised programme with SBS. Discussions are not yet complete—but on current expectations the service is unlikely to be rolled out until late 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what penalty clauses are available for his Department to invoke should Siemens fail to deliver the computerisation of the MOT test (a) on time, (b) within cost estimates and (c) to the specification. [159595]

This is a PFI contract between my Department's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Siemens Business Services (SBS) and SBS bear the risk of late or unsatisfactory delivery of the service. The contract provides that if MOT Computerisation is not delivered:

on time—SBS would not receive payments under the contract until the computerised service is available to MOT stations and delay would reduce the term of the contract. Therefore SBS would be penalised by extra costs as well as reduced income and profit;

within cost estimates—under the contract SBS would bear the risk of increased development costs. They could also be subject to claims for liquidated and other damages for extra VOSA costs if they are responsible for delays;

to the specification—the system will not be rolled out to MOT stations until it has satisfactorily completed field trials against the specification. SBS would bear the cost of corrective action to meet the specification and of consequent delays and would not receive any payments until the service is operational. Under the contract VOSA can withhold some transaction payments from SBS if the operation of the system does not meet specified minimum service levels.

As with any PFI contract VOSA has termination rights in specified circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the Government are planning to focus resources on the provision of a bicycle-friendly road network within its 10 year Transport Plan. [156866]

Local authority investment in cycling has increased by more than a third since 2001—02 and we will continue to encourage such investment. The Department has also obtained reports on highway authority provision for, and promotion of, cycling, with a view to encouraging specific actions to increase cycling levels. The Department's design guidance will also be updated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received from the promoters of the Dibden Bay container port proposal a legally binding undertaking for an environmental mitigation compensation scheme in the vicinity of Dibden Bay. [159499]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government has to address road fuel poverty (a) in remote and rural areas and (b) for disabled drivers. [159324]

Transport and accessibility are vitally important factors in social exclusion in remote and rural areas. The Government's strategy for improving access to jobs and key services for people in remote and deprived areas is set out in the SEU Report "Making the connections" which the DfT is responsible for implementing. The strategy contains 37 key policies, which crucially do not just involve improving transport but changing where and how services are delivered. Sixteen of the policies have already been implemented and a further thirteen policies and initiatives are under way, including a project to improve travel information and journey planning for job seekers.Fuel duty rates and other forms of motoring taxation are a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who takes decisions on a Budget by Budget basis taking a range of economic, social and environmental factors into consideration. Some disabled people, for example, are able to claim an exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty, which can mean a saving of up to £165 a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the Government's message of safer driving with particular reference to using mobile telephones while driving. [156865]

Good progress is being made on the government's message of safer driving, which is taken forward under the THINK! road safety publicity campaign. THINK! uses a range of media channels—TV, radio, press, posters etc.—to provide a national platform to complement regional police and local authority activities. In addition it encourages broader support from private sector partners and works to generate media interest in road safety issues. Current awareness of THINK! stands at 71 per cent. among all drivers and 89 per cent. among male drivers under 35-years-old.The THINK! campaign covers various themes throughout the year. The dangers of driver distraction caused by use of mobiles phones while driving was a key safety message in spring last year. More recently, we ran promotional activity to publicise the new regulations regarding hand held mobile phones introduced in December 2003.Activity included national radio advertising, national press advertising, e-mail information to the top 1,000 UK companies/central and local government departments, a national press release, plus use of Variable Message Signs on motorways. We also produced new guidance, including leaflets, posters and information on the THINK! and DfT websites, for road safety officers in Local Authorities and others.Research carried out for the Department by TNS in February 2004 showed that 96 per cent. of drivers were aware of the new mobile phones law. The research also showed that, there was an increase in the number of drivers claiming to keep their mobile phones switched off while driving, from 17 per cent. in November 2003 to 23 per cent. in February 2004.The Department will continue to re-iterate the dangers of driver distraction surrounding the use of mobile phones, focussing on the simple message "Switch off before you drive off". Radio advertising ran in January 2004 and advertising in cinemas runs from 5 March 2004 for three weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving theory tests were booked in each year since 19 December 2001; and what proportion of such tests was booked online. [159329]

The total number of theory tests booked, and the proportion booked online, since 19 December 2001 when the facility to book via the Driving Standards Agency's website became available are:

	Total number of theory test bookings	Percentage booked online
December 2001	56,460	0.278
2002	1,484,944	9.382
2003	1,486,261	24.497
2004 to date	129,326	39.761

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce statutory regulation on emissions from (a) motorcycles and (b) powered two-wheel vehicles. [159179]

Emissions from new motor cycles and other powered two wheeled machines are already regulated by the Motor Cycles Etc (EC Type Approval) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999 No. 2920) as amended by The Motorcycles Etc. (EC Type Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2003. The former mandates the emissions standards in EU directive 97/24/EC to be met by all new machines entering service from 17 June 2003. The 2003 regulations mandate the more stringent two stage standards in EU directive 2002/51/EC for new motorcycles entering service from 1 July 2004 and from 1 January 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received for changes to be made to the Rules of the Air to limit helicopters and other recreational aircraft from flying over urban areas. [159319]

I receive letters from time to time, from individual members of the public, requesting for reasons of safety, privacy and nuisance that helicopters and light aircraft should be restricted from flying over urban areas.A number of respondents to the consultation in 2000 on "Control of Noise from Civil Aircraft" suggested that the height restrictions specified in Rule 5 (Low Flying) of the Rules of the Air Regulations 1996 should be tightened so as to lessen noise. However, that consultation did not specifically encompass the Rules of the Air regulations, which are primarily safety-related.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the danger and nuisance of (a) helicopters and (b) other recreational aircraft from flying over urban areas. [159877]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today (ref 159319).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department is working with the Treasury to provide greater purchase incentives for smaller, cleaner vehicles. [156867]

The Government provides a number of incentives to encourage the purchase and use of clean, low carbon vehicles. The Vehicle Excise Duty regime, for example, is structured so that those who choose the cleanest, most fuel efficient vehicles can save themselves up to £110 a year (or up to £165 if they choose a fully electric car). The new company car tax system introduced in April 2002 provides very large incentives to encourage the purchase of clean, fuel-efficient cars. Early evidence suggests that it has already had a significant impact in the company car market. And, under the Government's Power Shift programme, which is administered by the Energy Saving Trust, purchase grants are available to incentivise the market for clean, low carbon vehicles and technologies. Officials in my Department work closely with their colleagues in the Treasury and Inland Revenue on these and other transport taxation issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hybrid petrol/electric cars were sold in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [159314]

The following table, based on vehicle registration data, sets out the number of hybrid electric cars sold since 2001—the earliest year for which this data is available.

	Number of cars sold
2001	568
2002	281
2003	373

The Government support the take-up of clean, low carbon vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, primarily through purchase grants and fiscal incentives, including the CO

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government financial support is available to post buses. [159032]

Local authorities are able to use the Department's Rural Bus Subsidy Grant to support post bus services. These services may also be eligible to claim Bus Service Operator's Grant from the Department. Post bus projects have been awarded funding under our Rural Bus Challenge competition. I understand that the Countryside Agency has also provided funding to support post buses. In addition of course local authorities may use resources from the Revenue Support Grant for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the viability of a new railway station in Gloucester. [159792]

The Strategic Rail Authority is looking into the business case for and operational implications of a new parkway station near Gloucester. A report on the work is due to be completed shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government have taken to give accredited recovery vehicles (a) higher priority in congested traffic and (b) permission to run on the hard shoulder as set out at paragraph 3.143, of the White Paper, "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". [159409]

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: Following discussion between the emergency services, officials from the Department for Transport and the Highways Agency and representatives of vehicle rescue and recovery operators, in November 2003 the Association of Chief Police Officers produced agreed guidance on use of the hard shoulder. The guidance makes clear that general use of the hard shoulder by recovery vehicles would not be appropriate where traffic is free flowing or where congestion has been caused by an unplanned incident. Where the latter has occurred, priority must be given to the emergency services. However, it identified certain circumstances where recovery services could be permitted to use the hard shoulder, for example where drivers or passengers of broken down vehicles are considered to be at risk and traffic is stationary or very slow moving for an extended period. Authority for such use is granted on a case by case basis by the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries there have been in road accidents in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough in each of the last five years. [158660]

The information requested is shown in the following table.

Killed and seriously injured road casualties by London borough: 1998–2002
Casualties
	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Barking
Killed	3	7	6	3	9
Seriously injured	126	99	107	108	92
Barnet
Killed	10	16	8	13	14
Seriously injured	268	247	249	234	249
Bexley
Killed	7	7	5	8	8
Seriously injured	136	145	130	127	114
Brent
Killed	12	11	14	10	5
Seriously injured	229	216	200	176	176
Bromley
Killed	10	14	10	9	9
Seriously injured	239	216	178	187	215

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents took place in 2003 where interference by children distracting bus drivers was a contributory factor to the accidents. [159033]

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities use pre-wetted salt when road salting, broken down by Highways Agency area. [159345]

This information is not collated centrally. Local authorities decide upon their de-icing techniques and the materials they will use in the light of local climatic conditions and the nature of their highway network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) UK and (b) foreign ships failed port side inspections in the UK in each of the last five years; and how many people have been employed to undertake port side inspections in each of the last five years. [158949]

The number of ships which failed port side inspections in each of the last 5 years was as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to protect UK merchant ships from piracy and armed attacks. [158950]

My Department has taken the following actions in recent years to counter piracy, and to raise awareness among the international community.

Ensured that the topic is covered in the biannual meetings of the UK National Maritime Security Committee. This provides a forum for senior staff in the UK maritime industry and trade associations to consider action to tackle the problem.

Participated in several IMO regional Missions and Seminars, presenting UK government actions and chairing working groups and syndicates. These seminars have played an important role in raising awareness of the incidence and impact of piracy and armed robbery at sea. Often the work is to make the regions where the "pirates" are based accept that there is a problem.

Jointly, with the FCO, provided the UK financial support for the IMO programme of Missions and Seminars, including funding the participation of two Metropolitan police officers with expertise in investigating acts of piracy.

Jointly, with the Metropolitan police, prepared an IMO draft Code of Practice on the investigation of acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea DfT Chaired the IMO Correspondence and Drafting Groups and the Code has now been issued as an IMO circular (MSC Circular 984) and this was adopted at the MO General Assembly in November 2001.

DfT has also produced an IMO draft paper on the problem of "Phantom" (stolen) ships and this has also been issued as an IMO Circular and adopted at the IMO General Assembly.

Produced and ensured the widespread availability of the Marine Guidance Note (MGN 241) advising UK ship operators and seafarers on steps to protect against attack by pirates/armed robbers at sea. This advice was issued in November 2002.

Taken the lead in promoting the inclusion of piracy in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual resolution on the oceans.

Raised the topic in bilateral meetings with officials and ministers from overseas countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of fees from speed cameras in Essex was reinvested in road safety measures in each of the last five years. [158786]

Essex has been participating in the safety camera cost recovery scheme since April 2000. Receipts from safety camera fines resulting in areas participating in the scheme may be applied solely to the installation and operation of approved safety camera installations. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 53W, to the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron) for details of the receipts received by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership. Other investment in road safety measures is funded within local authorities I and national road programmes. Before the setting up of the safety camera cost recovery scheme in April 2000, fine revenue from camera activity in Essex accrued in whole to the Consolidated Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 343 W, if he will list the partners in each partnership. [159636]

The partners comprise the relevant police authorities, highway authorities and magistrates courts committees, and for some partnerships local health authorities also.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 2001–02. (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [158246]

The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002. Due to Machinery of Government changes information on temporary staff working in DfT(C) is only available from December 2002. At any one time the Department employs approximately 47 temps through employment agencies which represents approximately 2. per cent. of the total staff employed. For the period December 2002 to March 2003 the total cost paid to employment agencies was £277,855 and £793,542 for the period April 2003 to January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate whether Network Rail's planned activities in respect of clearing trackside vegetation in the Westerleigh area are (a) consistent with Network Rail's environmental policy and (b) no more than is required for safety purposes. [158908]

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. I have passed this question to Network Rail, for them to respond directly to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car owners failed to pay for car tax discs in each year since 1997. [159315]

Vehicle excise duty evasion is measured by roadside surveys. The last two were carried out in 1999 and 2002. The best estimate of total unlicensed stock in GB in 1999 was 1.52 million vehicles and in 2002 1.76 million vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the capacity of the combined heat and power unit run by her Department is: [154208](2) when she last conducted an environmental audit on the combined heat and power unit run by her Department; [154209](3 )what assessment she has made of

Defra currently operates one combined heat and power system on its estate. This is at its Weybridge site occupied by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.The capacity of the system is 1 megawatt, it was installed in 2000 and to date no environmental audit has been conducted on it. While no assessment has yet been made on its sustainability it is proving effective being very reliable and producing electrical power for the site at a cost per unit of 0.709p per kwh. A study is currently underway to review its efficiency.Since the plant has been in use no damage has been caused to information technology equipment nor stationery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total Government expenditure on agriculture was in each of the last five years; and what proportion of each total required payments under the Common Agricultural Policy. [155889]

Total public expenditure on agriculture and EU receipts under the CAP over the past five years are provided in the table. The increase in expenditure in 2001–02 was due to the foot and mouth crisis.

Financial year	Total public expenditure on agriculture £million	EU receipts under the CAP £million	EU receipts under the CAP as a proportion of total public expenditure on agriculture Percentage
April 1998 to 31 March 1999	3,482	2,941.7	84.5
April 1999 to 31 March 2000	3,161	2,674.4	84.6
April 2000 to 31 March 2001	3,042	2,534.8	83.3
April 2001 to 31 March 2002	4,663.9	2,320.3	49.75
April 2002 to 31 March 2003	3,119.2	2,619.2	84
Source:
The total public expenditure figures provided in the table have been taken from the relevant Agriculture in the United Kingdom publications and the EU receipts from the relevant Annual Report and Accounts of the Intervention Board and Rural Payments Agency (founded October 2001).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the pilot project using detector dogs to find illegal animal products will be concluded. [158831]

[holding answer 4 March 2004]: The pilot using detector dogs began in September 2002 and ran for six months to end March 2003.

Net farm income by country and type of farm
Average net farm income per farm, (£per farm)
	Accounting years ending on average in February
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–021	2002–031	2003–042
At current prices
England
Dairy	9.4	14.0	30.7	18.3	20.5
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas)	5.3	5.8	7.9	18.0	19.0
Cattle and sheep (lowland)	0.5	-0.4	—	5.8	4.5
Cereals	11.7	6.2	4.1	12.1	32.0
General cropping	8.0	18.4	17.9	14.5	43.5
Pigs and poultry	-4.4	32.6	21.5	49.5	57.5
Mixed	5.5	7.5	5.4	13.3	19.5
Wales
Dairy	14.2	12.3	29.6	18.6	18.5
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas)	3.1	3.7	1.7	12.5	17.0
Cattle and sheep (low land)	0.6	0.7	2.2	9.1	8.5
Scotland
Dairy	1.9	13.6	33.1	5.1	9.0
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas)	2.7	5.6	5.8	13.3	16.5
Cereals	10.6	0.7	-0.6	-1.6	17.5
General cropping	3.6	8.4	8.0	-1.9	19.0
Mixed	3.6	5.9	12.6	9.5	24.0
Northern Ireland
Dairy	7.0	14.6	17.5	6.5	13.0
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas)	-1.6	0.7	4.0	4.6	6.0
United Kingdom
Dairy	9.0	13.9	27.9	14.9	17.5

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the farm-gate value of cows' milk produced by the dairy herd in England was in the last year for which figures are available. [157936]

Defra collects farm-gate price information for England and Wales. As the figures are based on data supplied by the purchasers of raw milk, as opposed to the producers, we are unable to provide a regional breakdown of price or differentiate milk produced on farms located in England and Wales.We have estimated the farm gate value of cow's milk by the dairy herd in England and Wales for 2003 to be £2,034 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which problems English farmers face affect farmers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differently. [156111]

The following table illustrates variations in Net Farm Income between the four UK countries. It highlights a welcome overall recent upward trend in Net Farm Incomes in each of the four countries. One of the most important drivers of UK farm incomes has been and will continue to be the exchange rate which has had a positive impact on all countries within the UK in recent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) other EU member states regarding proposals to reduce cetacean by-catch in the past year. [155945]

The importance of reducing dolphin and other small cetacean by-catch has been raised by the UK at ministerial level with the Fisheries Commissioner on a number of occasions and bilaterally with France. In particular, the UK has pressed in February 2003 for the introduction of a observer programme across the EU to broaden the information available about which fisheries, and which vessels, are involved in the dolphin by-catch problem.Following this, the Commission published, on 24 July 2003, a draft Council regulation concerning the incidental by-catch of cetaceans in fisheries. Discussions on this proposal are currently taking place at official level and will come to a future Council of Minister's meeting for adoption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to place observers on UK fishing vessels to examine the causes of the cetacean by-catch. [155947]

As part of Defra-funded research, the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) has in recent years placed observers on UK vessels in a number of fisheries to monitor small cetacean by-catch.As part of a new five year Defra-funded contract which started in 2003, SMRU has continued to place observers on UK vessels in the offshore bass fishery and plans to monitor other pelagic trawl fisheries and selected gillnet fisheries. This work is intended to provide improved estimates of annual by-catch levels of harbour porpoise and common dolphins, and to improve our understanding of how, where and why such events occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the costs of the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative in each year from 2000–01 to 2005–06 (planned); and if she will make a statement. [156600]

The Rural White Paper stated that £37 million over three years (2001–04) would be made available to fund regeneration in market towns. This funding has been delivered through

(a) the Regional Development Agencies (£32 million) and matched with funding from partners; and

(b) the Countryside Agency (£5 million) for work on Health Checks for individual Towns, the Beacon Towns Network, and the Best Practice Programme.

When the announcement of the funding was made, it was envisaged that 100 towns would benefit from this funding. I am pleased to report that, through the innovative methods used in each of the regions, currently 227 towns are receiving support.Future funding is being reviewed as part of the Modernising Rural Delivery process. At the same time Defra is working with the Countryside Agency to assess the outcomes from the initiative, with a report due in June, and are in discussion with the Regional Development Agencies on evaluation of the initiative in the regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultations with groups representing people with disabilities she had before issuing her consultation document, Use of Mechanically Propelled Vehicles on Rights of Way. [159259]

Last December I met a number of groups representing people with disabilities, under the banner Countryside For All, to discuss rights of way issues. We will look carefully at the responses from such groups to our consultation document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent responses from groups representing people with disabilities she has had on her consultation document, Use of Mechanically Propelled Vehicles on Rights of Way. [159261]

By 4 March we had had responses from the Kent branch of the National Federation of the Blind; the Access Group for Kent and Canterbury; and County Mobility in Cheshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for section 34(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. [159694]

I made a written Ministerial statement to the House on 9 December 2003, Official Report, column 81WS. The Government will not be implementing section 34A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. New proposals have been put forward in the Government consultation paper, "Use of mechanically propelled vehicles on Rights of Way".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she issued the Departmental Circular on Traffic Regulation Orders described in Proposal 1 of her consultation on the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on rights of way. [159273]

We will issue the Departmental Circular shortly. The Circular will explain the range of powers available to regulate the use of mechanically propelled vehicles, including the power to make traffic regulation orders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in developing an effective treatment against highly resistant varroa mites. [157781]

Recent experience both on the European Continent and in North America has shown that there is a spread of resistance to most medicament treatments applied to control the varroa mite. Misuse of proprietary products or use of illegal treatments has been found to be the cause of resistance in most cases.In the UK, resistance to the two pyrethroid-based varroacides, Apistan and Bayvarol, was first detected in Devon in 2001. Resistance was detected early through the monitoring programme conducted by the Central Science Laboratory's (CSL) National Bee Unit. This enabled action to be taken prior to the widespread colony collapse which has been experienced in other countries. Continued monitoring by beekeepers and CSL demonstrates that resistance is still localised. In many parts of the UK pyrethroids retain their high efficacy.The introduction to the UK market in 2003 of Apiguard. a non-pyrethroid-based treatment for varroa, now means that beekeepers are able to apply this product to their colonies, ideally as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to combating pyrethroid-resistant mites.Measures funded by Defra to protect bee health include training and technical advice to beekeepers in order to help them become more self-reliant through improved bee husbandry, in particular dealing with varroa. Defra is also currently funding research investigating the use of entomopathogenic fungi as possible microbial control agents of varroa.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the members of the Commission for Africa were chosen. [159379]

The members of the Commission for Africa have been personally invited to participate by the Prime Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Commission for Africa will take evidence in Africa. 159381]

Yes. The Commission will be seeking evidence from African institutions, civil society and citizens including through seminars, participation in debates and commentary on work in progress. Commissioners such as Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel of South Africa and K.Y. Amoako (Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission on Africa) will also bring African perspectives to the debate.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what representations his Department has received from (a) the UN, (b) the EU and (c) NGO sources on channelling more aid money towards fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa on the basis that HIV/AIDS rates in sub- Saharan Africa were stabilising; [156423](2) what representations his Department has received from

DFID has received no representations to channel more aid assistance towards fighting malaria on the basis that HIV/AIDS rates are stabilising in Africa, or, any specific representations about trends in HIV/AIDS rates. The global UNAIDS epidemic update of December 2003 (available at www.unaids.org) records that among some populations in sub-Saharan Africa, for example in Zambia, and groups, for example, pregnant women, HIV rates are stabilising. However, UNAID's overall conclusions are that we are not witnessing a decline in sub-Saharan Africa's epidemic. Even if prevalence rates stabilise it may not mean that infection rates have dropped. Rather, it may mean that a persistently high number of new infections is offset by an increasing number of deaths. In such cases it will still be necessary to fully support prevention programmes, while scaling up provision for treatment and care. In terms of African countries where the UK's support is predominantly through budget support, decisions on the balance of investment between different public health priorities are for country governments to makeDFID has contributed £48 million over the period September 1999 to March 2004 to Roll Back Malaria who operate globally but with priority given to sub-Saharan Africa where the burden is highest. We have committed $280 million over eight years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with countries affected by malaria on the economic impact on (a) public services and (b) the stability of their societies. [157792]

Malaria is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in many poor countries, limiting social and economic development. The UK, as part of an international effort, is committed to reducing the impact of malaria. We support the Roll Back Malaria partnership, and look to it to inform us on the impact of malaria in developing countries

£000
Financial year	Technical co-operation	Project or sector aid	Grants/other aid in kind	Humanitarian assistance	Total DFID programme
1999–2000	11,119	2,092	1,636	—	14,847
2000–01	13.686	2,742	1,267	—	17,695
2001–02	18.750	1,805	659	2,201	23,414
2002–03	24.599	2,038	1.156	94	27,887

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the (a) economic and (b) social impact of malaria on developing countries. [157793]

Malaria is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in many developing countries, limiting economic and social development. It is understood to be both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty. Annual economic growth in countries with high malaria transmission is lower than in countries without malaria and in some African countries it penalises economic growth by up to 1.3 per cent. per year. This leads to substantial differences in GDP between countries and severely restrains the economic growth of the entire region.The social impact of malaria includes the loss of earnings, human pain and suffering. It hampers children's social development and educational opportunities. The disease affects individual and household decision-making in ways that have a negative impact on economic productivity and growth.As part of an international effort, the UK is committed to reducing the impact of malaria. We provide support through global partnerships such as Roll Back Malaria and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria as well as supporting country programmes (projects, support to health sectors and general budget support).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many speeches he made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156151]

I have made a number of speeches on a wide range of domestic and international issues. Copies of speeches, where available, can be found on the Departmental website at www.dfid.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department gave to Nepal in each year since 2000: how much aid it plans to give in 2004; and if he will break down the total in each case by category. [158855]

UK bilateral aid to Nepal since 2000 is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-governmental organisations based in the UK are financially supported by his Department to work in Nepal. [R] [158856]

We are supporting three projects in Nepal under our Civil Society Challenge Fund. These are:

Agency	Project	Budget 2004–05
Handicap International	Handicap in Development	85,000
Minority Rights Group	Promoting rights	28,218
Nepal Leprosy Trust	Problems of Stigma	84,000

In addition we are also providing £56.26 million in strategic support to 15 major UK based non-governmental organisations in the form of Partnership Programme Agreements. A number of these organisations currently support activities in Nepal, including VSO who have 29 volunteers working in the Nepalese education sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 1996–97, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department. [158186]

DFID currently undertakes all its recruitment in-house, and does not therefore delegate or contract out any of its recruitment procedures.No figures are available for the cost of recruitment of civil servants for DFID for the financial years since 1996–97. To obtain this information would incur a disproportionate cost to DFID.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained under United Kingdom anti-terrorism legislation since 11 September 2001; how many are in detention; how many of the total number detained have been charged; and how many are Muslims in each case. [156754]

16 people have been certified and detained under Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security (ATCS) Act, of whom 14 remain in detention. Anonymised details are provided at the Home Office website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/atcsa_detainees.html

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the introduction of identity cards will protect people from identity fraud and theft. [157005]

The incorporation of advanced biometric information into identity documents and the development of an electronic national identity register were announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in his statement on a national identity cards scheme on 11 November. These measures would provide a unique link between the identity card and the person to whom it was issued. They would also protect people from identity fraud and theft by:

(a) helping to ensure that fraudsters could not set up multiple identities:

(b) providing United Kingdom residents with an easy and secure way of proving their identity;

(c) allowing Government Departments who provide a public service and authorised private sector organisations to identify with whom they are dealing.