To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what brief the architects commissioned to produce designs for 21st century schools, as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme, were given with regard to sports and physical activity. [159864]

The exemplar designs allowed for a variety of sites and school sizes for 4 to 11 primary schools, 11 to 18 secondary schools and 4 to 18 all-through school.The design briefs for the exemplar designs included:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultations have been made with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that schools have the capacity to increase sporting activity. [159865]

There have been a number of positive discussions both at official and ministerial level, about how we can ensure synergy of our capital resources in order to maximise them and to deliver the national strategy to improve schools' PE and Sports facilities. Our aim is that following BSF investment all secondary schools will have sports facilities suitable for wider community use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what share of the £5.1 billion capital investment for Building Schools for the Future is allocated for sports and physical activity resources. [159868]

This Government gives great priority to the physical and recreational needs of our children as well as their academic needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which schools which have benefited from the Building Schools for the Future programme open up their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours. [159871]

The Building Schools for the Future programme aims to transform secondary provision over a 10–15 year period starting in 2005–06, subject to future spending decisions. Therefore no schools have yet benefited from the programme. Local authorities to be included in the first wave of projects were announced on 12 February. Over the coming months they will be developing their plans in association with their schools and other local partners. Our aim is that following BSF investment all secondary schools will have sports facilities suitable for wider community use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158157]

The DFES estimates that Strategy and Communications Directorate will, in 2003–04, expend around £4.9 million of its administrative budget on communications staff. £2 million of that will be on Government Information and Communication Service (GICs) staff. Press officers will make up approximately £0.7 million of the GICS cost. There are no press officer costs outside of this.Additionally, policy directorates plan to spend £3.5 million on their communications staff in 2003–04. It would be of disproportionate cost to identify any further GICs costs within this.The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158160]

The DFES Strategy and Communications Directorate (SCD) currently employ 159 staff on communication activities, 54 are members of the Government Information and Communication service (GICs), of whom 23 are press officers. There are no non-GICs press officers. In addition, policy directorates employ a further 121 'other' staff on communications activities.There are two special advisers' to the Secretary of State. The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff in his Department work in (a) the West Midlands and (b) North Staffordshire. [146917]

There are 56 members of staff in my Department who work in the West Midlands. There are no members of my staff employed in North Staffordshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of how much (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) universities spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997. [159846]

My right hon. Friend has made no such estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent estimate he has made of whether the number of (a) permanent and (b) fixed term pupil exclusions related to possession or use of cannabis has been affected by the reclassification of cannabis. [159995]

My Department started to collect data on the reasons for exclusions, including drug-related incidents, from summer term 2003. The first term's data are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department sets as (a) the ideal and (b) the minimum sports facilities for a secondary school. [159866]

Advice on the requirements for accommodation in secondary schools, including sports provision. will be available on the web from 1 April 2004 in Building Bulletin 98: Briefing Framework for Secondary School Projects. This will supersede the current Area Guidelines for Schools and enhance the current area recommendations.The guidance sets out minimum recommended provision and also allows sufficient overall area to allow for further facilities, both indoor and outdoor, appropriate to the priorities of individual schools. Hence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he was consulted prior to the Government's announcement of support for proposals to change the school year; what assessment he has made of the overall impact on the economy of these proposals; and what assessment he has made of the impact on specific sectors of the economy, with particular reference to (a) tourism and (b) transport. [159874]

Proposals for a standard six-term school year have been developed by an independent commission on the school year which was established by the Local Government Association. The Commission included representation from the tourism industry. My right hon. Friend sees merit in the argument in favour of standardising the length of school terms. Decisions on school term dates and holidays however continue to be the responsibility of individual local education authorities or school governing bodies, depending on the category of school

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) specialist schools and (b) non-specialist schools are designated under section 100 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; and how many and what percentage of pupils they have selected in each of the last six years. [155621]

Schools' admission arrangements are determined locally without central consultation or approval. The DfES therefore cannot provide figures on the number of schools which fall into this category (i.e. whose selective admission arrangements pre-dated the 1998 Act).The evidence suggests that just under 6 per cent. of the 685 schools that had specialist status in September 2001 used aptitude as part of their admission arrangements. The following table shows the latest collated information relating to partial selection by specialist schools. Most of these schools were selecting by aptitude

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) budget and (b) estimated cost to date is of the Working Group on 14 to 19 reform. [159638]

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who has (a) been approached by and (b) responded to consultation by the Working Group on 14 to 19 Reform. [159639]

Following the publication of its Progress Report in July 2003, the Working Group on 14–19 Reform consulted a wide variety of organisations and individuals, including schools, colleges, higher education institutions, employers and their representative bodies. I understand that, following his appearance at a meeting of the Select Committee on Education and Skills on 3 March, Mike Tomlinson, Chair of the Working Group, will be sending the hon. Member and other Members of the Select Committee details of the 350 organisations and individuals who commented on the Progress Report. I will ensure that this information is also placed in the Library of the House of Commons.The Working Group is currently inviting comments on the recommendations in its Interim Report, which was published on 17 February. It will therefore be in dialogue with key stakeholders to ensure that the concerns of employers; higher education; young people and their parents are carefully considered. It is also holding a series of regional events to make sure those in the front line of education and training delivery have opportunities to comment. The aim is to ensure direct engagement of all these parties in the development of the recommendations of the final report of the Working Group, due in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate has been made of the cost of implementing the proposals of the Working Group on 14 to 19 Reform. [159640]

The Government welcomes the recent publication of the Interim Report of the Working Group on 14–19 Reform. The Working Group will be submitting its final report in the autumn. That final report will include recommendations for the timetable and the way in which proposals should be implemented; the costs and other resource and practical implications of reform; and the further policy and implementation work needed. The Government will decide on the way forward for the 14–19 phase of learning in the light of the recommendations in the final report, including the cost implications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the planned date is for the completion of the Foster inquiry into the funding of British athletics; when its report will be published; how soon after the publication of the report the remainder of the legacy money will be allocated to athletics in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [156891]

The Foster inquiry is due to be completed around the middle of April, with the report to be published shortly afterwards. Legacy funds will be released as soon as is practicable based upon the report's recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives the Government have introduced to promote (a)reading and (b) library usage (i) in England and (ii) at a local level; at what cost; what promotional techniques and media were used; and if she will make a statement. [158966]

In February 2003, DCMS published Framework for the Future, the first-ever national public libraries strategy. "Framework" reflects a 10 year vision to improve public libraries, affirming that reading and learning are at the heart of libraries' modern mission. "Framework" identified many good practice examples in libraries and proposed a strategy to build on this excellence to improve services delivered by all libraries in England. DCMS and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) are taking the strategy forward through a three-year action plan, which is on the MLA website: www.mla.gov.uk.Considerable work has been done in this area. Examples of some of the specific schemes to promote reading include: Book start, which DCMS has funded with £500,000, over the last two financial years, which provides reading books and a libraries card for babies; a Quality Index fiction tool, that is being developed in conjunction with the Audit Commission and Arts Council England to help authorities identify the quality of their stock and a joint DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Fund to which DCMS has contributed £4 million, over two years, for reader development projects. Arts Council England also support a number of reader development programmes through public libraries.Very nearly all of England's over 3,000 libraries have been connected to the internet through the £100 million lottery funded People's Network programme. The early indications are that the People's Network has increased the number and types of people that use our public libraries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many school sports grounds have been sold in each London borough since 1997. [159169]

I have been asked to reply.There are no figures available until October 1998 when we introduced new legislation to stop the indiscriminate sell off of school playing fields. Before October 1998, there was nothing to prevent a local authority selling a school playing field if it wanted to. Local authorities and schools now must obtain the written consent of the Secretary of State before disposing, or changing the use, of school playing fields. Applications to sell school playing fields are approved only where it is clear that any proceeds will be used to improve school sports provision or education facilities.The following table shows the number of approved applications from London boroughs to sell areas of school playing field capable of forming at least a small sports pitch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many television licences have been bought online in each year since the service became available. [158043]

Facilities for paying the television licence fee online have been available since December 1999. The BBC has provided the following information on the number of television licences paid for online in each calendar year since then:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what action her Department is taking to encourage employers to give their workers the opportunity to take exercise (a) at or close to the workplace and (b) in or around the work-day; [159948](2) what her Department's policy is on encouraging employers to allow employees longer lunch breaks to spend time engaged in active recreational activities. [159953]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has an active Sports and Social Club that encourages staff to take part in a range of sporting, fitness and leisure activities: (a) cricket and softball teams practice and compete at various locations at or close to the workplace and staff can exercise at the on-site fitness facility; (b) a flexible working policy operates that allows staff the flexibility to take exercise at times to suit them, either during an extended lunch-break or at the start or end of the working day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the benefit to small farms in Lancashire of the revised Common Agricultural Policy. [153888]

The link between the subsidy paid to farmers and the level of production has been broken. This is known as "decoupling". This means that activities of farmers in the UK will no longer be dictated by subsidy regimes and frees them to farm for what the market wants.By removing incentives for intensification and over-production, and by linking compliance to a range of environmental standards, decoupling will help to reduce damaging environmental impacts.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, outlined in her statement to the House, on 12 February, that in England we have now set out a fair basis for calculating the single payment that will be sustainable in the longer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money from the Common Agricultural Policy has gone into the North-West Region in each of the last five years. [156504]

The figures in the following table represent the amount of money that has gone into the North-West Region from the Common Agricultural Policy in each of the last five years.These are based on the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) year which runs from 16 October to 15 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the benefits for English farmers of an English brand to compete with the Welsh and Scottish brands for beef and lamb. [157705]

The branding of lamb and beef is a matter for the industry under the auspices of the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX). Defra strongly support the steps being taken by EBLEX to launch a marketing strategy for English beef and lamb.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list London buildings leased by her Department; what the total cost of such leases was in the latest year for which information is available; how many staff work in each building; and what the nature of their employment is. [156599]

The Department leases the following London buildings for use by its civil servants and Ministers, where we are the sole occupier:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs what help her Department gives to the setting-up of farmers' markets in England. [156110]

Defra makes provision under the England Rural Development Programme for grants for projects promoting farmers' markets. Within the last year we awarded £100,256 to the National Association of Farmers' Markets (NAFM—now known as the National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association) to raise the profile of farmers' markets across England and to increase public awareness of them. NAFM also received funding from Defra under the Agriculture Development Scheme for the publication of information booklets and to help producers develop their knowledge of sales and marketing; and to help NAFM develop its certification programme for accrediting farmers' markets. The Countryside Agency, which we grant aid, also provided start-up funding to NAFM. In addition, in November 2002, my noble Friend, the Lord Whitty wrote to all Local Authorities outlining the benefits farmers' markets bring and the role they play in bringing urban and rural communities together. They offer an excellent outlet for farmers to sell their produce direct to consumers and the Department is keen to encourage their development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much land in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Europe is used for (i) grazing and (ii) growing food for animals; and what the figures were 10 years ago. [156835]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ban electric shopping scooters from rights of way; and if she will make a statement. [159258]

We have no plans to ban electric shopping scooters. Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides that anyone driving a mechanically propelled vehicle off-road or on a road that is a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway without lawful authority is guilty of an offence. However, where an invalid carriage is being used in accordance with the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988, section 20(1)(b) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person Act 1970 provides an exemption for such vehicles. It specifically excludes the section 34 offences from applying to invalid carriages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [158247]

There are no central records of the number of staff employed on a temporary basis through employment agencies. Departmental accounts show payments to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff and consultants as follows: 2001–02—£27.03 million; 2002–03—£19.6 million; 2003/end of February 2004—£14.7 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the Government are giving to the Afghan Government in reforming the civil service in Afghanistan. [159890]

DFID has provided technical assistance to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, Office of the President, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development and the Ministry of Health. We also provided support last year for ministerial expenses.We have also committed funds to the Second Emergency Public Administration Programme, which is to be managed and co-funded by the World Bank. This programme will provide further support to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission: it will also provide technical assistance to a number of key Ministries for the preparation and implementation of the Priority Reform and Restructuring process. We also plan to support the establishment of an effective Cabinet Secretariat.All of these initiatives aim to help the Afghan Government work towards a merit-based, effective, well-structured civil service that can deliver the services the Afghan people need.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money his Department has provided in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 to tackle HIV/AIDS in Burma. [157475]

DFID's funding to tackle HIV/AIDS in Burma totalled £2.86 million in 2002–03 and is expected to total £2.84 million in 2003–04. The money is given to a UN Administered fund supported by DFID and three other donors for work on HIV/AIDS in Burma. Operational management is by a Technical Working Group chaired by UNAIDS. The Fund supports the work of international and national non-government organisations, UN agencies, and the Government's National Aids Programme.Our work to tackle HIV/AIDS is essential to preventing the humanitarian situation in Burma worsening considerably and it is in line with the EU Common Position.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response the Government has made to the document "Human Security: Placing Development at the Heart of the EU's External Relations" produced by the Irish EU Presidency Project. [158951]

The Government have not made any formal response to the "Placing Development at the Heart of the European Union's External Relations" document, produced by the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations. However we welcome many of the ideas in the report, such as the focus on multilateralism and on HIV/AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultations the Government has had with the Irish Government about their proposals for international development in the recent Irish EU Presidency project document "Human Security: Placing Development at the Heart of the EU's External Relations". [158952]

The Government have not had any specific consultations with the Irish Presidency about the "Placing Development at the Heart of the European Union's External Relations" produced by the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations. We welcome many of the ideas in the report, such as the focus on multilateralism and on HIV/AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money has been provided to Haiti in the last two years as part of multilateral programmes including those funded by (a) the European Union and (b) the World Bank. [159144]

The data on how much British money has been provided to Haiti in the last two years as part of multilateral programmes is not available.The last available data is for 2001, where the UK's imputed multilateral share was £4.0 million, of which £1.8 million was through the European Union, and £0.1 million was through the World Bank.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to reassess its policy on the provision of bilateral aid to Haiti. [159160]

DFID has no immediate plans to reassess its present policy on bilateral development assistance to Haiti. DFID will continue to provide direct funds to Haiti through the Small Grants Scheme and the Civil Society Challenge Fund. It will also continue to provide support to Haiti through contributions to international agencies working there.Given the current crisis, DFID has sent a two person team to Haiti to assess the humanitarian situation and discuss needs with humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations agencies that will shortly be launching a consolidated Flash Appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much direct British Government aid has gone to (a) non-government organisations and (b) other civil society groups working in Haiti in the past three years; what other sums have been provided to Haiti; and to whom. [159161]

In Financial Years 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03, DFID has provided a total of £409,375 in direct British aid to Haiti. This amount includes all disbursements to non-government organisations and civil society groups through the Small Grants Scheme and the Civil Society Challenge Fund. The organisations which have made use of these funds are:

• Fraternité Notre Dame
• Plan International
• Concern
• Save the Children
• Catholic Relief Services
• Action Aid
• Oxfam
• CARE
• Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
• Médecins du Monde

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice his Department gives to British aid workers in Nepal on the Government's policy towards (a) the Government of Nepal and (b) Maoist rebels against the Government of Nepal. [160175]

DFID seeks to ensure that our assistance does not undermine the Nepal Government's capacity and, where possible, helps to develop it. DFID's new Country Assistance Plan to Nepal will be launched in country in April. It provides support to the Nepal Government with economic and social reform, particularly to improve delivery of basic services to poor people and to address discrimination on grounds of gender and caste. The programme also seeks to deliver development benefits to poor people in rural areas through a variety of channels.Many DFID funded programmes work directly or indirectly with the Nepal Government. It is important that they are run in the field with operational neutrality including the areas that have a strong Maoist presence. Programmes seek to ensure that developmental benefits reach the poor, and to ensure that our assistance is not used for any military, political or sectarian purposes. Our programmes are run transparently and are open to inspection by all.DFID has had a leading role in creating a multi-donor set of Basic Operating Guidelines, which reflect this advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the safety of British aid workers in Nepal. [160176]

Both the Foreign Secretary and I attach high priority to the safety of British aid workers in Nepal and this issue has been the subject of regular discussions and correspondence on the government's policy towards the conflict.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to ensure the safety of British aid workers in Nepal. [160177]

DFID gives the issue of staff safety in Nepal the highest priority. In 2002 we established a Risk Management Office (RMO) to provide risk assessment and crisis management expertise, as well as to provide training, support and advice to all staff associated with our programmes and projects. Since then the RMO has delivered training to over 300 field staff to help them to continue to work in remote and conflict affected parts of the country. The RMO undertakes risk assessments on a regular basis, the results of which are fed back to field managers. Field staff have also received assurances that DFID will support their decisions at any time to withdraw from an area because of concerns about their personal safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the levels of food shortages in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. [159225]

The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that the North Korean food output falls short of need by 944,000 tonnes, but due to the environment of secrecy and restrictions on agencies operating there, it is difficult to be certain of figures regarding the situation in North Korea. It is the case that around a quarter of the population of 22 million require food aid to meet the recommended daily calorie intake. This leaves many recipients, particularly children, the elderly and the sick, vulnerable to breaks in the supply of assistance.The World Food Programme has recently re-started cereal distributions following a stall in February brought about by a lack of contributions. It estimates however, that 1.5 million vulnerable people are still likely to go without assistance until the end of March when further contributions are expected. Beyond March, 600,000 core beneficiaries may still not receive cereal rations at least until June.It is important to tackle the problem of malnutrition through a balanced approach to its causes. Both my Department and the European Commission Humanitarian Office, are concerned that food aid currently accounts for 90 per cent. 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 the United Nations Children's Fund for its work in water, sanitation and primary health care (e.g. vaccinations and other essential medical supplies) in North Korea.The European Commission is funding targeted food aid through the World Food Programme and other organisations. In January it agreed to give €5 million. The United Kingdom's share of European Community assistance is approximately £680,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the levels of food shortages in Somalia. [159227]

According to a recent report from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), cereals availability across Somalia from the most recent harvest is higher than average, totalling 287,000 tonnes; total food aid requirements are lower than average at 70,000 tonnes (of which 18,000 tonnes have been pledged).The Somalia Food Security Assessment Unit is highlighting serious drought-related food insecurity in the north (in the Sool Plateau, Lower Nugaal, and Togdheer), and in central Somali regions. Most of southern Somalia is free from major food shortages, although some groups remain vulnerable, as indicated by high rates of malnutrition.In response to nutritional difficulties in Somalia, the UK is providing £480,000 to International Medical Corps for health and nutritional services, and has also given £300,000 to UNICEF for a nutrition project.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the requirement for aid supplies for the Darfur region of Sudan. [159226]

Access for humanitarian workers is now beginning to open up in Darfur. Some assessments of needs are now possible, in limited areas. We know from initial reports that immediate needs include shelter, water, health and food assistance.We have contributed over £6 million to the crisis in Darfur, through United Nations (UN) agencies and international non-governmental organisations. We have also provided four humanitarian affairs officers to assist the UN response for three months. Three of these will be based in Darfur and will, among other things, undertake assessments of humanitarian needs.We are urging all the parties involved to re-establish a ceasefire, preferably with international monitoring, permit humanitarian access to all those in need, and resume talks to find a peaceful solution to Darfur's problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the influx of Sudanese refugees into Chad. [159228]

A DFID Humanitarian Adviser visited Chad between 7 and 12 February. He visited refugees at the border with Sudan, who have fled from the fighting in Darfur in Western Sudan. The present location of refugees along the border is unsafe. New camps are being set up away from the border, where refugees will be safe from attack. Our Adviser visited one of these new relocation camps at Forchana. Other relocation camps are at Touloum and Kounoungu. Eight thousand refugees have been moved to the new camps to date.The general condition of the approximately 110,000 refugees is poor. Around Tine, Medecins Sans Frontieres established that 27 per cent. of children were malnourished, whereas around Adre only quite low levels of malnutrition were detected. Lack of food, shelter, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are the main risks.There is an effective humanitarian response in place led by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), with significant contributions from non-governmental emergency relief organisations. The UK is one of the major contributors to this effort with an early £1 million contribution to UNHCR in October last year.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the relocation of civil service posts to the regions and nations of the UK. [159456]

Sir Michael Lyons is currently leading an independent review of the scope to relocate civil servants and other public sector workers. Sir Michael will make recommendations to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I understand that this will be shortly.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Strategy Unit expects to publish its alcohol harm reduction strategy. [159808]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) on 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 619.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the progress made by the Better Regulation Task Force; and if he will make a statement. [159575]

The Better Regulation Task Force provides an important contribution to the Government's work on better regulation.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of (a) the establishment and (b) the maintenance since its establishment of the Better Regulation Task Force. [159573]

The Better Regulation Task Force was established in 1997. Before July 1999, the cost of the Task Force was met from within the budget of the Regulatory Impact Unit in the Cabinet Office. It is not possible to identify specific costs for the Task Force within this overall budget.Since July 1999, the Task Force has been supported by a dedicated support team. The costs of this, and the expenses of Task Force members, now amount to around £0.5 million per annum.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received on the Better Regulation Task Force; and if he will make a statement. [159580]

The Better Regulation Task Force makes an important contribution to the Government's work on better regulation. I have discussed the work of the Task Force at a number of recent meetings including the seminar for MPs on better regulation held in January and the conference for independent regulators hosted by the NAO in October 2003.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received regarding Civil Service recruitment; and if he will make a statement. [160036]

Under the Civil Service Order in Council 1995, individual government departments and agencies have delegated authority for the recruitment of staff to the Home Civil Service.The Cabinet Office has responsibility for the central framework of conditions, as set out in the Civil Service Management Code. As such, the Cabinet Office continues to receive representations from stakeholders and interested parties regarding recruitment to the Civil Service.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Cabinet Office is taking to ensure that Government Departments purchase computers from firms which ensure that their sub-contractors in developing countries respect workers' rights and provide decent working conditions; and if he will make a statement. [157355]

I have been asked to reply.Each Government Department is responsible for its own procurement decisions, within the framework of the Government's procurement policy, based on value for money, and the EU procurement rules. The information required from, or obligations placed on, suppliers should be relevant to the subject matter and performance of the particular contract and consistent with the requirements of the EU procurement directives, where applicable, and the EU Treaty. This applies to social, employment and ethical issues—whether it is in relation to the supplier itself or to any potential sub-contractors.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to review the nationality restrictions on Crown employment; and if he will make a statement. [160021]

The Government supports Andrew Dismore's Crown Employment (Nationality) Bill which is currently listed for Second Reading on 14 May.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to change the level of expenditure on the Government Information and Communication Service. [159334]

Members of the GICS work across government.Individual departments are responsible for their own expenditure on Communications.Within the Cabinet Office, funding for existing GICS central functions will be maintained at current levels, pending the transfer of responsibilities to the new Permanent Secretary of Government Communications, whose appointment was recommended by the independent Phillis Review of Government Communications.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what resources have been allocated for the Regulatory Impact Assessment process for each year between 1998 and 2006. [160134]

Information on the total resources allocated to the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) process across Government are not held centrally. Each department is responsible for producing robust RIAs to assess the impact of proposals that are likely to have an effect on business, charities and the voluntary sector which consider all available options including non-regulatory alternatives.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are employed in the Regulatory Impact Unit. [160035]

As at the 1 March 2004, 63 staff were working in the Regulatory Impact Unit.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the impact of the Regulatory Impact Unit; and if he will make a statement. [160038]

The Regulatory Impact Unit works with other Government Departments, agencies and regulators to promote the better regulation agenda. The work of the Unit covers the private and public sectors, domestic and European issues.In its assessments of the UK's performance in the area of regulatory reform the OECD has said that the UK is "at the forefront of regulatory reform" and "has almost the lowest administration cost and fewer regulations for entrepreneurs than any other EU country".

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what means his Department judges the cost–effectiveness of Government websites as an information tool. [159522]

The provision and ongoing delivery of Government websites, is the responsibility of individual Government Departments and authorities.The Cabinet Office has published the Guidelines for UK Government websites, containing a substantial range of best practice on the building of websites, their management, their content, effective procurement and the evaluation of their reliability in delivering information to the citizen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amount has been spent on Ministry of Defence advertising in the (a) UK, (b) Wales and (c) England since the beginning of hostilities in Iraq. [158890]

This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the plans (a) agreed to by his Department and (b) being discussed by his Department with regard to the use of British armed forces and personnel during expansion of NATO operations in Afghanistan; [158834](2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the expansion of NATO operations in Afghanistan on the number of

[holding answer 8 March 2004]: The expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will be carried out under a comprehensive NATO operational plan currently being prepared by the Alliance. This will assess troop requirements both in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan. Decisions on the United Kingdom's military contribution to the international forces there will depend on the requirements of the operational plan and upon our determination to build on the success of the ISAF by offering to lead its expansion in Northern Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of each (a) Typhoon, (b) joint strike fighter, (c) A200M and (d) advanced jet trainer. [156132]

Unit production costs (UPC) for major equipment programmes, such as Typhoon, where these are practical to construct, can be found within the information given in the Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report (MPR). Those figures are estimated in accordance to methodology agreed with the National Audit Office (NAO). The NAO published their report on MPR 2003 on 23 January 2004 and copies are available in the Library of the House.The cost per unit of Typhoon as stated in MPR 2003 is £56.8 million.The unit production cost for the Joint Strike Fighter will not be agreed until after the completion of the current negotiations on the Production and Sustainment Phase Memorandum of Understanding. However, the estimated UPC of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft is around $50 million on current planning assumptions.At part

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has examined evidence of birth defects among babies born to service families whose members were deployed in Iraq in 2003 and who were inoculated for anthrax, with particular reference to those serving in the 33 Field Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [159420]

[holding answer 8 March 2004]: The Health Protection Agency, which is a Special Health Authority accountable to the Secretary of State for Health, has confirmed that the anthrax vaccine has been used for many years and there has never been any indication that it could lead to congenital problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's civilian jobs are in Scotland, broken down by location. [159305]

Information about the number of jobs is not available, only staff numbers. There were 6,510 civilian staff employed in Scotland as at 1 January 2004 (rounded to the nearest 10). This figure is for full–time equivalent, permanent, industrial and non–industrial staff, excluding Trading Funds, Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and those on career breaks, long term sick leave, secondments etc. Reliable data are not available below Government Office Region level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the evidence of the Permanent Secretary to the Committee of Public Accounts on 21 January, which foreign contractor, after winning a defence contract, refused to supply the goods; for what reasons; and whether others have done so in the last two years. [159085]

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: In respect of the evidence given by the Permanent Secretary to the Committee of Public Accounts on 21 January, I presume my hon. Friend refers to the contract for the supply of ammunition for Underslung Grenade Launchers. In this case, there was no known instance of the contractor (RUAG) refusing to meet the contract, though deliveries of ammunition were suspended by the Swiss Government during the major hostilities in Iraq.As regards identifying any other foreign contractors who have refused to meet defence contracts in the last two years, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations and discussions he has had on the Irish Government's recent support for a pardon for those soldiers wrongly executed during the First World War as part of the 90^th anniversary of the outbreak of the war; [157168](2) if he will make it his policy to consult the Irish Government prior to the anniversary of the start of the First World War on the possible pardon of soldiers who were wrongly executed during the First World War; [157169](3) what plans he has to grant pardons to the soldiers in the British Army who were executed in the First World War to mark the 90

This matter was fully examined during the detailed review led by my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. John Reid), which was completed in 1998, and reported to the House, 24 July 1998, Official Report, columns 1372–86. As a result, those who were executed have been recognised as victims of the War.An initial meeting at official level has been held at the request of the Irish Government on the subject of a possible pardon for Irish soldiers executed during the First World War and further contact is expected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of the Royal Military Police were involved in the (a) arrest and (b) detention of the six Iraqis who have died in British custody in Iraq. [147707]

We do not release details of units who are involved in any incident that the SIB have investigated, unless the case is referred for court martial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many casualties witnessed by UK forces in Iraq have been reported; and if he will make a statement. [148003]

[holding answer 19 January 2004]: If United Kingdom forces witness an incident in which they are not directly involved and civilian or military personnel are injured they assist medically if necessary and endeavour to report it to the appropriate authority. We do not record the number of casualties witnessed in such incidents centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops have been evacuated from Iraq for treatment of medical problems not related to wounds or injuries. [148293]

There have been 1,109 medical evacuations of British military personnel from Iraq between May 2003 and February 2004. Of these some 460 were evacuated for treatment of medical problems not related to wounds or injuries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the signing of liability waivers by Iraqi civilians who receive compensation payments from the UK for UK actions in Iraq; [151618](2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the text of the liability waivers presented to Iraqi families receiving compensation from the UK for harm caused by UK forces; and if he will make a statement. [154675]

[holding answers 30 January 2004 and 12 February 2004]: Iraqi civilians who receive compensation payments from the United Kingdom do not sign liability waivers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK (a) military and (b) civilian personnel have been (i) killed and (ii) injured in Iraq since 19 March 2003. [151619]

[holding answer 30 January 2004]: Since 19 March 2003, 58 United Kingdom service personnel have died while deployed on operations in Iraq. One civilian, a member of the Defence Fire Service, has died in the same period.During major combat operations, from 19 March to 1 May 2003, UK forces suffered 155 battle casualties. Since then we have recorded centrally only those ill or injured personnel who have required medical evacuation to the UK. There have been 1,109 medical evacuations of British military personnel to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contamination has occurred from depleted uranium ordnance in Iraq; whether this has arisen from (a) toxicity, (b) ionising radiation and (c) other aspects associated with the ordnance; whether human safety measures in this connection have been put in place; and if he will make a statement. [157137]

DU is a "weakly radioactive substance" and its chemical toxicity is similar to that posed by other heavy metals such as lead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the conclusions of each of the boards of inquiry from operations in Iraq which were outstanding on 31 October 2003 but which have since reported. [157151]

[holding answer 5 March 2004]: Further to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 3W, I can confirm that the only Board of Inquiry to report since 31 October 2003, is that concerning the death of Marine Maddison on 30 March 2003. The Board of Inquiry concluded that Marine Maddison's death was as a result of a tragic friendly fire incident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when DU information cards Ref F Med 1018 were first issued to troops in Iraq; on what advice it was deemed necessary to issue such warnings, and from whom; and if he will make a statement. [159691]

The depleted uranium (DU) information card F MED 1018 was introduced on 26 March 2003. It is issued as a standard administrative procedure to those returning from Operation Telic in Iraq to confirm that they have been deployed in a theatre where DU munitions have been used and to remind them of their eligibility for a voluntary biological monitoring test to measure uranium in the urine. It is therefore not a warning card, but is intended to inform personnel about one of the tests available in line with the Ministry of Defence operational health policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects his Department's research into theatre ballistic missile defence to be able to report interim results and conclusions to (a) him and (b) Parliament; and what theatre ballistic missile defence is available to UK forces now. [157052]

I expect to receive a report on the Ministry of Defence's three-year research programme into Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence this summer, but due to its classification, there are no plans to publish the report. I shall keep Parliament informed in the usual way, once I have had a chance to consider the report. Defence against theatre ballistic missiles comprises a number of components, including steps to prevent and counter proliferation, diplomatic measures, deterrence and passive and active defence. Passive defence may involve the dispersal of forces and the provision of protective equipment against nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. Within a coalition force, allied partners provide the active defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002–03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary question for ordinary written answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a question was. [155920]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Defence Ministers aim to answer ordinary written questions within five sitting days whenever possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has (a) received and (b) made about the Stonehenge Project Land Train route and dispersed visitor centre access scheme; whether the Larkhill Garrison Commander has made representations about the planned route; and if he will make a statement. [156724]

[holding answer 27 February 2004]: The Ministry of Defence has received a very small number of representations about the scheme, from local Councillors and from residents living close by. No formal representations have been made by MOD as the proposals are currently being discussed by officials from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, English Heritage, the National Trust and Ministry of Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) HMS Roebuck, (b) HMS Whirlwind and (c) HMS Wakeful served in the Suez Canal Zone for four months in each year from 1953 to 1955; whether veterans who served on those ships have an entitlement to the Suez Canal Zone Clasp; and how many veterans of the three ships have received the Canal Zone Clasps. [157477]

Although records indicate that the ships were present in the Mediterranean and/or Gulf of Suez areas at intervals between October 1951 and October 1954, it has yet to be established whether they meet the qualifying criteria of 30 days continuous service in the Canal Zone area that is necessary to qualify for the award of the Naval General Service Medal with 'Canal Zone' clasp. Only once a ship's eligibility has been established will it be possible to assess each veteran's application to ascertain their individual eligibility. No medals or clasps have yet been issued to veterans of HMS Roebuck, HMS Whirlwind or HMS Wakeful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Suez Canal Zone medals have been awarded to date in each Lancashire constituency. [157563]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 634W. Over 4,400 medals and Canal Zone clasps have now been despatched to eligible veterans and their families throughout the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many campaign medals for those who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 have been issued since the decision was made to make this award. [156832]

As at 20 February 2004 a total of 4,086 Naval General Service Medals 1915–62 and General Service Medals 1918–62 with the clasp Canal Zone, plus a further 321 clasps without medals, where the claimants had already received the medal with an appropriate clasp for other military campaign service had been despatched.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints his Department has received from ex-service personnel and their families who have applied for the campaign medal for those ex-service personnel who served in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954 about delays in the processing of their claims. [156928]

In recent months the Ministry of Defence has received over 34,000 applications for the new Canal Zone medal. In addition, the medal offices and secretariat branches which deal with this subject have received several hundred letters and an unquantifiable number of telephone calls from veterans or their families asking for some indication of the progress of their claim. Fewer than 50 letters or calls could be described as 'complaints' and once the situation has been explained to them the majority of correspondents have been satisfied with the response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for what reason it is not proposed to arm the new Type 45 destroyers with Tomahawk cruise missiles; [158139](2) how many Tomahawk cruise missiles he estimates could be mounted on a Type 45 destroyer. [158140]

[holding answer 4 March 2004]: The principal role of the Type 45 destroyer will be Anti-Air Warfare. There is currently no requirement for the Type 45 to be fitted with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM). If a requirement for TLAM arises in future, the Type 45 has been designed with substantial space and weight margins to enable its capability to be upgraded through life. We currently estimate that up to 16 TLAM missiles could be mounted on a Type 45 Destroyer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to include (a) Tomahawk cruise missiles and (b) a larger-calibre turret gun in the armament of the Type 45 destroyer fleet. [158142]

[holding answer 4 March 2004]: There is currently no requirement to fit Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles or a larger calibre gun to Type 45 destroyers. Should such a requirement arise, these modifications could be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to allow old war graves to be relocated; and if he will make a statement. [157317]

Only in exceptional circumstances, where the long-term security of a war grave is at risk and all other measures to ensure non-disturbance have been exhausted, will the Commonwealth War Graves Commission apply to the Home Office for an exhumation order. Once granted, the grave is transferred to the nearest Commission maintained war grave plot or cemetery.This position is confirmed in the recent Government Consultation Paper on Burial Law and Policy in the 21

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the occasions between November 1990 and May 1997 when legal advice given by the Attorney-General to the Government was made public. [158713]

I am aware of two occasions on which Law Officers' advice was disclosed between November 1990 and May 1997. In both cases disclosure was made for the purposes of judicial proceedings. In 1993, Law Officers' advice relevant to the subject matter of the Scott Inquiry was disclosed to it. The advice was published in an annex to the inquiry report. Law Officers' advice on the 1988 Merchant Shipping Act was disclosed to the other parties in the course of the Factortame litigation in which Spanish fisherman were seeking damages from the Government for a breach of Community law.On 15 February 1993 the views of the Law Officers were disclosed in the debate on the Maastricht Treaty. However, the Government of the day refused to disclose the full advice.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will publish the factual evidence on which the Attorney-General's view on the legal basis for the use of force in Iraq, expressed in his answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report [Lords], columns WA2–3, was based; and if she will make a statement. [156108]

[holding answer 25 February 2004]: No. This information is covered by legal professional privilege and the convention against disclosure of Law Officers' advice outside Government, mentioned in paragraph 24 of the Ministerial Code. This is consistent with paragraphs 2 and 4d of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The Attorney-General made a statement in Parliament on 17 March 2003 setting out his view of the legal basis for the use of force against Iraq. On the same date, the Foreign Secretary submitted a memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee which gave further detail of the legal position.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the occasions on which the Attorney-General formally submitted an opinion on the legality of the use of force against Iraq prior to 18 March 2003; and if she will make a statement. [156250]

[holding answer 25 February 2004]: No. There is a long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, that whether the Law Officers have advised on a particular matter, and the substance of any advice, is not disclosed outside Government. This is consistent with paragraphs 2 and 4d of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The Attorney-General made a statement in Parliament on 17 March 2003 setting out his view of the legal basis for the use of force against Iraq. On the same date, the Foreign Secretary submitted a memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee which gave further detail of the legal position.

To ask the Solicitor-General if the Attorney-General will review the cases of children separated from their parents following evidence from Professor Sir Roy Meadow used in family court judgments. [144467]

[holding answer 16 December 2003]: I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Children on 23 February 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a new high speed rail link to the north of England and Scotland from London. [159438]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Commission for Integrated Transport report on highspeed rail. [159443]

Consideration of the case for a North South High Speed Line must be for the longer term. The current priority for the Strategic Rail Authority and the rail industry is to improve the performance of the existing railway network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to facilitate the introduction of bus quality contracts outside London. [159444]

As I announced on 4 February, we are taking steps to improve the potential effectiveness of the bus quality contract provisions in the Transport Act 2000. We are about to consult stakeholders on the proposal to reduce the 21-month implementation period to a shorter minimum period in the range 6–15 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on expansion of small airports in South East England. [159445]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the White Paper "The Future of Air Transport", which makes it clear that smaller airports have an important role to play in relieving pressure on the main South East airports, particularly in the period before a new runway is built in the South East. We support their further development in principle, subject to consideration of relevant environmental, surface access and airspace constraints. Any development proposals will need to be decided locally through the planning system.