To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the buildings occupied by his departmental and agency staff which require (a)remedial work on and (b)removal of asbestos; what this work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys. [159651]

My Department has 14 buildings that require remedial work and three buildings which require the removal of asbestos. These are:

• Remedial work
• Inner London Sessions House,
• Royal Courts of Justice,
• Technology and Construction Court,
• Bow County Court,
• Clerkenwell County Court,
• Romford County Court,
• Willesden County Court,
• Woolwich County Court,
• Ilford County Court,
• West London County Court,
• Edmonton County Court,
• Brentford County Court,
• Wandsworth County Court,
• Shoreditch County Court

Removal work

• Epsom County Court,
• Swansea Crown Court (Guildhall),
• Selborne House

The remedial works have a budget cost of £150,000 and the removal works a budget cost of £70,000. All remedial and removal works are scheduled to be completed by 31 March 2005. Future asbestos surveys will be funded from existing building maintenance budgets.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of buildings occupied by (a)staff of the Department and (b)staff of the Department's executive agencies have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying asbestos prior to the implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. [159657]

My Department will have had all of its HQ estate buildings surveyed for the purpose of identifying asbestos prior to the full implementation of the CAWR 2002. 72per cent. of the Court Service estate has been surveyed to date with the balance due to be completed in the financial year 2004–05.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what rules are set out regarding costs orders in relation to cases involving children; and if he will make a statement. [158955]

The approach to costs contained in the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 now applies to all family proceedings, including private law proceedings relating to children. The court has discretion to make orders as to whether costs are payable by one party to another, and generally takes the approach that the unsuccessful party will be ordered to pay some or all of the costs of the successful party. The court may, however, make a different order and frequently will consider it appropriate to make no order for costs. In deciding what order, if any, to make about costs the court will consider all the circumstances of the case, including the conduct of the parties.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions he (a)has had and (b)plans to have with representatives of the Greater London Magistrates' Court Association about court provision across London in advance of the formation of the unified courts authority in 2004; and if he will make a statement. [159466]

I have had discussions with representatives from the Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority (GLMCA) about court provision across London on 15 July 2003. Presently I have no further meetings arranged but would be happy to do so if required. Officials from my Department working in the Unified Courts Administration Programme have regular discussions with both the acting Justices' Chief Executive and other senior managers of the GLMCA on all matters including court provision.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many speeches he made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156152]

The Ministerial Team at DCA made 84 policy speeches during this period. Those speeches where a transcript was available can be found on the DCA website at www.dca.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the buildings occupied by his staff which require (a)remedial work on and (b)removal of asbestos; what this work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys. [159654]

A complete asbestos survey of the Wales Office was conducted in 2002. The Wales Office is now compliant with 2002 regulations and no further work is required.The cost of any future surveys or work required would be met from existing maintenance budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of buildings occupied by his staff have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos prior to the implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. [159659]

The Wales Office arranged for a complete asbestos survey in 2002. Subsequently, all the recommendations of the survey have been undertaken, so the Wales Office is compliant with the 2002 regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a forecast for growth for the Welsh economy for the next three years. [157664]

Wales is seeing real economic growth, shown by increasing numbers of jobs; rising employment and falling unemployment; the third highest rise in earnings in Britain in 2002–03 and the progress made in closing the gap on economic inactivity.Furthermore, Welsh GDP grew by 15.6 per cent. between 1997 and 2001Based on this evidence and projections for UK growth Wales' economic growth seems set to continue in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the buildings occupied by his Department's staff, including agencies, which require (a)remedial work on and (b)the removal of asbestos; what that work will cost; what budgets are available for this work for (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005; and what budget is available for future asbestos surveys; [159365](2) what proportion of buildings occupied by

An updated list of the number of DfT properties identified as containing asbestos has been placed in the Libraries of the House. In terms of numbers of properties these represent some 20 per cent. of the total DfT estate but they mostly comprise small operational buildings.The responsibility for taking action to comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos Work Regulations 2002 are delegated to the managers of the individual property centres within the Department. The action taken will depend on the nature of the property centres' occupancy of the buildings, whether or not asbestos has been found, where it is located and its quantity.Although there are a number of buildings which do contain asbestos it does not follow that it poses a risk to staff or visitors because risks vary according to the type of asbestos present and how it is managed. Where asbestos has been found its existence has been entered onto asbestos registers and specialist consultants or contractors handle its management or removal.Comprehensive information on the costs and budgets relating to asbestos surveys and works in each of the identified buildings and the nature of the works involved is not readily available without incurring disproportionate cost. However, we have identified that across the Department at least £204,500 has been allocated to be spent on remedial works and surveys during 2004–05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the compensation arrangements for rail passengers suffering (a)delays and (b)cancellations. [159593]

Compensation for delays and cancellations to passengers will be paid under the conditions of each train operating company's Passengers Charter. In tendering for the renewal of franchises, the Strategic Rail Authority will ensure that the conditions of the train operator's Passengers Charter are subject to competitive pressure and will be taken into account in the franchise award evaluation criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent to date on the spending commitments set out in the 10-year plan on (a)roads, broken down by (i) strategic, (ii) local and (iii) London (b)railways, (c)London Underground and (d)all other transport; and if he will make a statement. [158235]

Tables A2 and A3 of the Department's 2003 Annual Report (Cm 5907) provide data on transport spending from funds within DfT's Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL). Spending on strategic roads is separately identified under 'Roads (includes Highways Agency)' whilst spending on local authority roads is included within the figures in the 'Transport in London' and 'Local Transport' lines. With the exception of funding for major road schemes in England out side London, it is a matter for local authorities to decide what proportion of their funding allocation is spent on roads. Outturn expenditure on local roads is published in the progress reports, accounts or other corporate documents of individual authorities but is not held centrally. Expenditure on railways, London Underground and other transport is separately identified in the Department's Annual Report.In addition to funding provided from DfT's DEL, local authorities receive revenue funding for transport through ODPM's Formula Spending Share (FSS) process. We estimate that authorities spent approximately £2.76 billion of their FSS allocation on transport in 2001–02 and £2.83 billion in 2002–03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what questions concerning overstretch were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the (a)Royal Navy, (b)Army and (c)RAF; and if he will publish the answers; [160112](2) what questions concerning equipment were asked in the 2003 editions of the Continuous Attitudes Survey for the

Copies of the questions asked in the Services' Continuous Attitude Surveys are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses the Royal Navy Continuous Attitudes Survey received for the consultation round launched in September 2003; and if he will make a statement. [160114]

In September 2003 the administration for the Royal Navy Continuous Attitude Survey (CAS) recorded the following: 2,000 Questionnaires were distributed, 107 were returned 'addressee unknown' and 946 were returned completed.In September 2003 the administration for the Royal Marines CAS recorded the following: 1,027 Questionnaires were distributed. 23 were returned 'addressee unknown' and 409 were returned completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many responses the Army Continuous Attitudes Survey received for the consultation round launched in December 2003; and if he will make a statement. [160115]

The latest Army Serving Personnel Continuous Attitude Survey was distributed in December 2003 to 5,040 individuals. As at 4 March, 2,168 responses had been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a)Ministers and (b)officials in his Department had meetings in the last nine months with BAE personnel to discuss the order for the Second Tranche of Eurofighter Typhoons; when the meetings took place; who attended; and what representations he has received from the other partners in this project on the ordering of Tranche II. [159497]

Ministers and officials have had many meetings with BAE Systems personnel in the last nine months at which the order for the second Tranche of Typhoons has been discussed. Regular meetings have also taken place with our partner nations in the project as part of the ongoing commercial and international negotiations on the same subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a)regular service and (b)Territorial Army personnel are serving overseas. [157851]

Some 36,000 British service personnel are serving overseas, including some 1,200 members of the Territorial Army.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report,columns 11–12W, to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Flook), on Gulf War illness, if he will publish a description of the monitoring tests for depleted uranium to which he refers. [158259]

The tests involve chemical processing of urine samples and analysis using inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This reveals both the total concentration of uranium in the urine and the relative amounts of its two principal isotopes, 238U and 235U. The Depleted Uranium Oversight Board has judged that, taking into account experimental uncertainty, a 238U/235U ratio of 142 or higher indicates the presence of depleted uranium. A pilot exercise will soon be underway to evaluate the logistic arrangements for the testing process and to establish whether urine samples collected over a 24-hour period or single ("spot") samples are more appropriate. If reliable results can be obtained from spot samples, they will be used for the main testing programme as they are more convenient for the donor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been commissioned by his Department into (a)the degree of contamination and (b)the prospects for remedial action at military bases in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) dependent territories abroad. [158903]

To date, over 500 Land Quality Assessments (LQA) have been prepared across the Defence estate since 1995 to identify the degree and extent of contaminated land, predominantly in the United Kingdom, but also in dependent territories such as Gibraltar and Cyprus. LQA identify potentially contaminative site activities. Studies are prioritised, e.g. on sites in proximity to vulnerable aquifers, or where contamination is known or suspected. This process determines remedial options.Current Ministry of Defence policy is to undertake remediation of contaminated land where there is significant risk to human health or the environment and it is practical or necessary to remove all contamination from a site. This may be confined to the removal of radioactive contamination or other defence specific contaminants, wherein the MOD's environmental specialists (or specialist consultants) and the environmental regulators work closely together to establish the extent to which the land is to be decontaminated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what studies his Department has commissioned on the levels of (a)toxic and (b)other pollution at military bases in the UK; and what publications his Department has issued in this respect since May 1997; [158904](2) how many locations there are where there is recorded contamination

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [158195]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to work with the governments of (a)Kazakhstan, (b)Turkmenistan, (c)Tajikistan and (d)Pakistan to stabilise wheat prices in Afghanistan; and what assessment he has made of the impact of wheat prices on stability within Afghanistan. [159503]

We are working with the Afghan Government to assist them to build good relationships with all their neighbouring countries on a range of issues. To this end the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration was signed in December 2002 between the Afghan Government and the six countries with which they share a common border. Discussions within this group encompass a range of issues, including trade.Since the fall of the Taliban the cost of wheat in Afghanistan has fallen, partly due to aid agencies bringing in much needed food aid but also as a result of the break in the drought, which led to an 80 per cent., increase in the harvest. Discussions took place last year between my department, the Afghan Government and the aid agencies regarding the impact of wheat prices on the country. At that time it was noted that local purchase of wheat by aid agencies would increase its price and while this might have a positive impact for farmers it would also increase the market price for ordinary Afghans. The outcome of the discussions was a plan for WFP to procure 10,000 metric tons of wheat locally in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much bilateral aid the UK gave to (a)Armenia, (b)Azerbaijan and (c)Georgia in 2003. [160082]

The UK gave the following bilateral aid in 2003:

(a)Armenia: £1,933,221

(b)Azerbaijan: £182,730

(c)Georgia: £2,092,989

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are being taken to reduce the use of child soldiers in Burundi. [159040]

The UK condemns unequivocally the use of child soldiers. We work closely with others in the international community including the UN to end the use of child soldiers. This includes support for a UNICEF programme to improve advocacy on the situation of children affected by armed conflict at all levels. The UK is also supporting a UN Security Council resolution on Children and Armed Conflict (currently under discussion) which calls on all parties to, inter alia, produce time-bound action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.We are working actively within the international community to achieve a full peace settlement in Burundi and the implementation of a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme. We have committed US $25 million for the Multi-Country Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme for the Great Lakes Region. A national child soldier reintegration project has begun to implement activities and to date 400 child soldiers have been demobilised. Funds from this will be used in Burundi for a special project managed by UNICEF to demobilise child soldiers and reintegrate them into their home communities.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payment will be made to those who will sit on the Commission for Africa; and how this will be funded. [159380]

Commissioners will not receive payment for sitting on the Commission for Africa. Travel and subsistence costs incurred on Commission work will be reimbursed from the budget allocated to the Commission by the Department for International Development.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how in much aid was given by the Government to Jamaica in each year since 1992, expressed in real terms. [159751]

UK bilateral aid provided to Jamaica since 1992 is as follows:

(Real terms 2002–03 = 100.00 total gross public expenditure)
	£ million
1992–93	6.395
1993–94	7.959
1994–95	4.213
1995–96	12.042
1996–97	11.215
1997–98	3.573
1998–99	11.130
1999–2000	9.710
2000–01	8.945
2001–02	9.263
2002–03	10.708

The UK also provided aid to Jamaica through the multilateral agencies over this period. The imputed multilateral share is as follows:

	£ million
1992	1.0
1993	0.3
1994	3.7
1995	4.1
1996	6.2
1997	7.6
1998	9.9
1999	0.0
2000	4.5
2001	5.1

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress Uzbekistan has made towards meeting the human rights goals set out by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. [159845]

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is currently reviewing Uzbekistan's progress towards seven benchmarks for political and economic reform set out in the EBRD Strategy for Uzbekistan of March 2003. These include provisions in the area of human rights.A mission of EBRD Directors recently visited Uzbekistan to review developments. They held discussions with the government, local and international NGOs, donors, local business and diplomatic community. The mission noted that some progress has been made on human rights, but much remains to be done. Detailed conclusions from the mission and the next steps for EBRD will be discussed by the full Board later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Common Funding Formula will be introduced; what the reasons are for the delay in introducing it; and if he will make a statement. [157454]

Following consultation with schools, which will be undertaken within the next few months, we aim to implement the Common Funding Formula in April 2005.The decision to delay the implementation date for the introduction of new arrangements for funding schools was taken after very careful consideration of the issues and in particular the need to ensure that schools have sufficient opportunity to comment on the proposed outcomes. The consultation was due to commence in autumn 2003 but delays, including those related to the collation of verified data needed for this process, meant this would have provided very little time not only for schools to consider the details for this major change in schools funding but also for any issues arising to be fully considered.The revised timetable offers the opportunity to take account of refinements needed as a result of the consultation process and of any changes which may be necessary in the future as a result of recommendations made by the Post-Primary Review Working Group and also the CCEA Review of the Curriculum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether (a)Lottery money and (b)public funds have been used, directly or indirectly, to send fencers representing the Republic of Ireland to (i) competitions in (A) Italy and (B) Germany, (ii) world championships and (iii) training camps in Eastern Europe. [158318]

Both (a)Lottery money and (b)public funds, have been used to fund fencers who have represented the Republic of Ireland in (i) competitions in (A) Italy and (B) Germany, (ii) world championships and (iii) training camps in Eastern Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding the sport of fencing has received in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [158319]

The sport of fencing has received the following Exchequer funding:

	£
1999–2000	3,500
2000–01	3,500
2001–02	3,500
2002–03	7,525
2003–04	14,300

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fencers are on the Talented Athlete Next Generation programme in Northern Ireland. [158320]

There are five fencers on the Talented Athlete Next Generation Programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fencers from Northern Ireland in receipt of United Kingdom Talented Athlete Funding have competed for a country other than the United Kingdom. [158321]

There are no fencers in receipt of United Kingdom Talented Athlete funding that have competed for a country other than the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much (a)lottery funding and (b)public funds have been allocated to Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [158322]

The Sports Council is responsible for the distribution of funding for sport in Northern Ireland. The total amount of (a)public funds and (b)lottery funding allocated by the Sports Council in each of the last five years is as follows:

	£
Public funds
1999–2000	2,406,970
2000–01	4,423,988
2001–02	3,536,324
2002–03	5,276,074
2003–041	7,472,075
Total	23,115,431
Lottery Funding
1999–2000	7,218,436
2000–01	7,585,022
2001–02	8,254,768
2002–03	7,300,142
2003–042	5,111,326
Total	35,469,694
1Estimated to 31 March 2004
21 April 2003 to 31 January 2004

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact the phasing out of de-rating on manufacturing industries will have on (a)revenue, (b)profitability, (c)costs and (d)employment within the industry; and if he will make a statement. [157272]

Our assessment on the likely impact of the phasing out of industrial de-rating on the manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland (NI) came from a variety of different sources; for example, studies by DTZ Pieda, Invest NI as well as evidence presented during the public consultation exercise in 2002 by the Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Finance and Personnel Assembly Committees, the CBI and local economists. The policy paper published in April last year included the Regulatory Impact Assessment, New TSN and Equality Impact Assessments. All this evidence was summarised, analysed and considered objectively and the various options were discussed openly with representatives of the business community before a final decision was made.In terms of revenue, the estimated long-term yield from the rating of the manufacturing sector is around £55 million a year and I refer you to my earlier answer of 23 February 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the (a)Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and (b)Department of Social Development to modernise the provision of Money Advice; and if he will make a statement. [157271]

The Consumer Strategy for Northern Ireland was published in March 2002. As a result, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment commissioned research into the provision of a suitable framework for the delivery of effective money advice in Northern Ireland. This is now being taken forward within the context of the Department for Social Development's Information and Advice strategy, which is scheduled to be published for consultation in May 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage pay award to Northern Ireland senior civil servants was which came into effect on 1 April 2003. [158634]

The 2003 increase in pay bill cost for Senior Civil Servants in the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration was 5.37 per cent. The amount received by an individual depended on performance ranking and position on the payband. A separate pay system exists for the Senior Civil Service with increases made on the basis of recommendations made by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body. Unlike other staff groups the Senior Civil Service pay award process does not involve negotiations with trade unions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many public leisure facilities in Northern Ireland are equipped with sunbeds; what his Department's policy is on the provision of sunbeds in public leisure facilities in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to phase out the use of sunbeds in public leisure facilities in Northern Ireland. [156949]

There is no central register of facilities, including sunbeds, provided at public leisure centres and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.District councils have statutory responsibility for the provision of facilities for recreational, social, physical and cultural activities in their areas. The decision whether or not to provide sunbeds in public leisure centres is a matter for each council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what margin of error is applied in Northern Ireland to measure demand for Ulster Scots. [159539]

The 1999 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (NILT) sought to identify the percentage of the Northern Ireland population that spoke Ulster Scots. The questions used in this survey have a margin of error for all sample estimates within the parameters of ±3 per cent.An example is shown as follows:

	(%) speakUlster Scots	Standard error of (%)	95% Confidence limits
All	2.0	0.30	1.4–2.6
Gender
Men	2.7	0.56	1.6–3.8
Women	1.4	0.28	0.9–1.9
Age
18–24	0.8	0.64	0–2.1
25–34	1.6	0.67	0.3–2.9
35–44	2.0	0.66	0.7–3.3
45–54	2.0	0.75	0.5–3.5
55–64	1.7	0.82	0.1–3.3
65+	2.9	0.83	1.3–4.5
Religion
Catholics	1.2	0.35	0.5–1.9
Protestants	2.1	0.43	1.3–2.9
No religion	3.4	1.19	1.1–5.7

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attitudinal surveys he has received from bodies other than the Department of Education to measure the demand for the Ulster Scots language and culture in Northern Ireland; and from whom. [159561]

I am aware of three exercises that have been carried out that might be termed attitudinal surveys to measure the demand for Ulster-Scots. These are:

Questions in the 1999 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (NILT),

Questions in the 2000 and 2001 Omnibus survey (RES) and

A research report undertaken in 2002 by Dunne, Dawson and Morgan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list for each licensing authority in England (a)the cost of and (b)the expenditure on liquor and entertainment licensing in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and for each prospective licensing authority and for England what estimate she has made of the annual (i) cost of and (ii) income from liquor and entertainment licensing after implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. [159876]

No figures are kept centrally for the annual cost of, and the annual expenditure on, liquor and entertainment licensing by local authority area. Local authorities have no current responsibility for liquor licensing and fee income goes to the courts. The new arrangements under the Licensing Act 2003 will integrate six existing licensing regimes: liquor, public entertainment, theatre, cinema, late night refreshment and night cafe licensing. We estimate that the income from all these regimes collectively is about £36.8 million annually for England and Wales, if renewal fee income is spread across the period of the renewal (which varies). We estimate that the actual cost of the six regimes to the courts and local authorities involved is approximately £69.3 million annually. Estimates of future expenditure under the new arrangements set out in the Licensing Act 2003 are currently being considered. No final decisions have yet been taken about fee levels and these will affect total income. Fee levels will be set so as to permit full recovery of the costs of administration, inspection and enforcement associated with the licensing regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timetable is for the transfer of licensing powers from magistrates to local authorities; when she intends to publish national guidance relating to the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. [159989]

We will be laying the draft Guidance before both Houses for approval shortly. The start of the transitional period, during which existing licence holders may apply to the licensing authorities to convert their existing licences to new premises licences and club premises certificates, is expected to be approximately six months after the date on which Parliament approves the Guidance. During this period of six months, licensing authorities will prepare and publish their statements of licensing policy. The transitional period is expected to last for nine months and, as a result, the Licensing Act is expected to be fully implemented by mid 2005.

£ million
Nature of scheme	PFI credits allocated	Recipient authorities
Community facilities (as part of wider schools projects, e.g. leisure facilities, theatre, library)	126.594	Sheffield borough council, Liverpool City council, Telford and Wrekin borough council, Croydon (London borough), South Tyneside council
Sports/Leisure	60.097	Brent council, Wolverhampton City council, Redbridge (London borough), Shepway district council, Rotherham borough council
Libraries/Archives	67.277	Oldham borough council, Cambridgeshire district council, Newcastle City council, Liverpool City council, Rochdale borough council
Theatre	9.8	Bournemouth borough council
Total	2163.768	16 PFI schemes
1All joint funded with DfES.
2This figure is higher than £150 million PFI credits allocated within the 2003–04 to 2005–06 spending review as some additional credits were rolled over from the previous financial year. These were not allocated to one scheme in particular but were added to the overall sum available for allocation to new schemes during the 2003–04 to 2005–06 spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to issue joint guidance with the Department for Education and Skills on the ideal specification for sports facilities for a secondary school. [159952]

At present, Sport England publishes detailed guidance on developing sports facilities on school sites. The guidance deals with the inception, construction, and management of these facilities.The Department will continue to work closely with the Department for Education and Skills and Sport England to consider what further steps should be taken to ensure that secondary schools are given appropriate guidance on the provision of sports facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding was given to village halls by the National Lottery in each year since its inception. [159676]

Grants awarded by the Community Fund to projects involving community building
	Applications	Amount requested (£)	Awards	Amount awarded (£)	Success rate (Percentage)
1995–96	250	11,983,973.00	31	1,194,336.00	12
1996–97	230	11,552,453.00	23	1,013,664.00	10
1997–98	702	60,412,623.00	175	9,266,546.00	25
1998–99	503	42,409,794.00	314	23,993,258.00	62
1999–2000	523	56,379,485.00	306	27,828,022.00	59
2000–01	497	66,603,473.00	196	21,292,221.00	39
2001–02	435	59,909,111.00	158	17,085,082.00	36
2002–03	457	58,776,770.00	142	14,420,027.00	31
2003-	179	39,278,168.00	64	5,850,851.00	36
Total	3,776	407,305,850.00	1,409	121,944,007.00	37
Awards for all	4,510	17,202,623.00	3,100	11,763,805.00	69
Grand total	8,286	424,508,473.00	4,509	133,707,812.00	54

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department's £150 million of PFI credits for the spending review period 2003–04 to 2005–06 are being allocated. [159951]

DCMS is using its allocation of £150 million PFI credits for the spending review of 2003–04 to 2005–06 to support 16 PFI schemes in the following areas:

Since the introduction of the 1998 Lottery Act and changes to policy directions, we have encouraged distributors to work together to make Lottery funding more accessible and to support projects aimed at developing communities. Village halls and other community buildings encourage community spirit and help ensure the survival of many local interest groups.There is currently no specific funding strand for village halls although many community buildings have benefited from National Lottery grants. The Community Fund is the main Lottery funder of community buildings and the following table shows the awards it has granted to community buildings since the start of the Lottery. In a stand alone programme, the Millennium Commission also awarded over £65.8 million to village halls and a breakdown is shown in the second table below. (This figure does not include urban community centres and includes the monies given to village halls as enhancement grants in 2003.) Other Lottery distributors have also awarded grants to village halls although these figures cannot be separately identified and displayed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total annual cost of her Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159517]

The total annual cost in 2003–04, covering all 12 of the Department's websites and that of the Royal Parks Agency, was £62,000 including VAT.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to have senior Ministers reply to debates in Westminster Hall. [159612]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1234W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 27 February 2004, Official Report, column 588W, on Business Link, what the value is of the contracts offered by the Small Business Service to (a)BL Derbyshire, (b)BL Tees Valley and (c)BL Bedfordshire; and if she will make a statement. [158878]

The value of the Business Link Operator (BLO) Core Service Funding allocation for 2003–04 is as follows.

VAT registrations
Number			Rate per 10,000 resident adults
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
United Kingdom	184,035	174,620	175,800	39	37	37
London	37,760	34,385	33,490	67	59	57
Inner London	20,955	18,820	18,195	96	82	78
City of London	1,460	1,110	1,015	2,345	1,653	1,428
Camden	2,260	1,910	1,910	142	112	110
Hackney	1,230	1,035	1,025	81	65	63
Hammersmith and Fulham	1,250	1,205	1,100	94	85	75
Haringey	985	910	840	58	51	46

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to make available the independent audit reports of Business Link operators. [157225]

The independent audit reports of Business Link Operators are commercially restricted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Business Link Operators have been required to undergo a business performance review. [157226]

Further to the five Business Link Operators named given to the hon. Member on 27 February 2004, Official Report,columns 588–89W, the following Business Link Operators have also been required to undergo a Business Performance Review:

BL Leicestershire

BL Northamptonshire Chamber Business Enterprise (Manchester)

BL South Yorkshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have been registered in (a)London and (b)Wales, broken down by local authority, in each of the past three years. [158037]

[holding answer 3 March 2004]:The official measure of business start-up activity in the UK is VAT registrations. However, businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of the estimated 3.8 million enterprises in the UK were registered for VAT in 2002.Value Added Tax (VAT) registration data are available up to 2002. Data for 2003 will not be available until autumn 2004.VAT registration rates per 10,000 resident adults (aged 16 and over) are shown to allow fair comparisons between areas. The numbers and rates of business registering for VAT in each London borough and Welsh unitary authority, in each calendar year are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to the US Administration about (a)requirements to produce US defense equipment in the USA, (b)restrictions on foreign content in defence exports with military sales support, (c)technology export controls and (d)limits on control of US subsidiaries by UK companies; and what the outcome of such representations has been. [157050]

I have been asked to reply.Ministerial colleagues and I expressed concerns last year about legislative proposals before Congress to impose further restrictions on overseas procurements to meet the United States' defense requirements. The legislation subsequently enacted did not include the proposals of most concern to us. Steps are regularly taken to press the case for United Kingdom companies to receive fair access to programmes for the supply of US-sourced equipment for third parties under foreign military sales arrangements. The licensing of US technology for export to the UK has been discussed with the US Administration in the Context of proposals for a UK waiver from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.On this I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 December 2003,

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 54W, on Iraqi oil, if she will list, by month, (a)the volume of Iraqi oil sold since May 2003, (b)the amount paid for the oil and (c)the amount received by the Development Fund for Iraq; and if she will make a statement. [158145]

[holding answer 9 March 2004]:Information on the amount of Iraqi oil produced each month is given in Table 1 as follows. Information on the amount paid for the oil is not publicly available. As of 4 March 2004, US $6.15 billion of oil proceeds had been received by the Development Fund for Iraq. This information is available through the CPA website at www.cpa-iraq.org/budget/DFI_introl.html

Table 1: Iraqi oil production
Million barrels per day
	Net production1
May 2003	0.28
June 2003	0.44
July 2003	0.70
August 2003	1.11
September 2003	1.41
October 2003	1.58
November 2003	1.92
December 2003	1.97
January 2004	2.04
1Estimated Iraqi oil supply net of re-injected crude oil.
Source:
International Energy Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report,column 54W, on Iraqi oil, on what basis Iraqi oil has been sold other than on a spot basis; to whom the oil has been sold; and if she will make a statement. [158146]

[holding answer 9 March 2004]:Iraqi oil is sold by two other means, in addition to that sold on a spot basis.The first is through tendered cargoes by which "parcels" of crude are advertised for sale and for which sealed priced bids are made. The second is through long-term agreements whereby certain regular buyers of Iraqi oil agree to buy a given volume of Iraqi oil at a pre-agreed sale price. These buyers may also be offered additional volumes at the same price should there be excess production.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts for reconstruction projects in Iraq have been awarded to each British company to have won such a contract; and what the total value is of such contracts. [159003]

Because of the large number of different organisations involved it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a clear picture of the total volume of contracts awarded, and the cumulative value of these contracts. Numerous British companies have been awarded contracts and sub-contracts for the reconstruction process in Iraq but some have asked us not to publicise their success because of issues of commercial confidentiality. As such, we are not able to put a value on the contracts awarded and the fact that many are involved in partnership with American, Iraqi and other companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what relationship she envisages between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Nirex. [159023]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced that the Government are giving consideration to the future of Nirex. It will only be possible to set out definitively the relationship between Nirex and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority once this consideration has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department is taking to attract corporate investment in regional venture capital funds. [157210]

In order to enable Fund Managers to attract private sector investors, the Government subordinated its investment position in the Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs). This has allowed around £74 million of Government investment to lever an additional £176 million from private sector investors, some of whom were corporate investors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report,column 1628W, to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on the Regional Venture Capital Fund, what the regional breakdown by (a)number and (b)value is of the regional venture capital fund investments; and what proportion of the funds have been drawn down in each region. [157000]

As at 31 January 2004, the nine Regional Venture Capital Funds had made 112 investments in 87 small businesses, totalling over £21 million. Details of the numbers of investments made in each region are contained in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she plans to help those who receive spam to block spam e-mails from their systems. [159749]

Effective blocking and filtering are a key part of the solution to spam. My Department is looking at ways of building up a stronger dialogue with internet service providers and other stakeholders about the deployment of network based spam blocking and filtering systems, and the education of users about the steps they can take to avoid spam. Our most recent initiative was the launch last year of an online source of information on e-security. This resource draws together a range of tools, advice and guidance on core areas of information security, including spam, and is aimed particularly at smaller businesses. New content is currently being added to this site which can be found at www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk/informationsecurity.The Government believe that the problem of spam needs to be tackled in the longer term by a combination of regulation, international cooperation, industry

L/A/Financial year	Number of offers	Total grant offered	Total project costs	Jobs to be created	Jobs Sfgd
1996–97	29	1,198,000	9,160,899	274	116
1997–98	9	249,000	2,541,360	70	15
1998–99	14	959,500	7,878,023	217	84
1999–2000	7	929,000	10,619,376	117	293
2000–01	5	920,000	9,466,448	226	20
2001–02	3	380,000	3,329,350	82	18
2002–03	0	0	0	0	0
2003–04	1	249,000	2,369,000	77	0
Total	68	4,884,500	45,364,456	1,063	546

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work is being done to improve the quality of regulatory impact assessments carried out in her Department. [155324]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what central Government support the small business sector has received in the constituency of Rochdale in each year since 1996. [157506]

The constituency of Rochdale has benefited from the following funding from central Government.

Business Link Core Funding1
	SBS Core Funding for Business Link for North Manchester (£)
2003–04	2,868,225
2002–03	2,925,330
2001–02	2,661,103
1Business Link for North Manchester includes four other local authority areas in addition to Rochdale.

The Cabinet Office published updated guidance on regulatory impact assessments (RIA) in January 2003, which built on lessons learnt since the system of RIA was first introduced in 1998. The Department is promoting the application of the guidance to help improve the quality of RIAs produced by this Department

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the termination by the Austrian Government of the TETRA contract for the ADONIS nationwide radio communication network in June 2003; and what factors will be taken into account when a decision is made on the Firelink contract in the United Kingdom. [156979]

The decision by the Austrian Government to terminate their TETRA contract is entirely a matter for them.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for placing the contract for the Firelink project. The evaluation criteria for the Firelink procurement will take into account the operational requirements and commercial aspects set out in the invitation to submit proposals. The successful bidder would also have to comply with all relevant UK planning, environmental and safely regulations.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants in his Department are directors of companies. [159343]

The rules on civil servants and directorships are set out in paragraph 4.3.9 of The Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.Details of any civil servants who may hold an outside directorship will be held on an individual's personnel file. Such information is not held recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent representations he has received regarding the need for legislation to protect the independence of the civil service; [159577](2) what progress has been made on the Government's commitment to bring forward legislation to protect the impartiality of the Civil Service in this parliamentary session; [159578](3) what recent representations he has received on establishing a Civil Service commission in statute. [159581]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement of 21 January 2004, Official Report,columns 1341–349. In addition, the Public Administration Select Committee published its proposals for a Civil Service Bill on 5 January 2004. I am also aware of the debate that took place on this issue in the other place on 5 March 2004, Official Report,columns 889–934.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the annual change in the number of Civil Service employees was in each year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [159579]

The information requested is published annually in Civil Service Statistics, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House and at www .civil-service. gov.uk/statistics

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received regarding Civil Service training; and if he will make a statement. [160020]

The Cabinet Office receives representations from a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties regarding Civil Service training including the Civil Service Trade Unions. The Centre for Management and Policy Studies which includes The Civil Service College is constantly seeking feedback on its courses with a view to ensure that Civil Service training meets the needs of the future of the Civil Service.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new training methods have been put in place at the Emergency Planning College at Easingwold over the past two years. [158981]

A review of Emergency Planning College courses, their content and delivery methods was initiated in May 2003.Changes resulting from this review, including new courses, will begin to take effect from September 2004.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 2 March 2004, Official Report,column 764W, on Government services, what estimate each Government Department has provided on the amount of money expected to be saved by providing services through electronic means by 2005. [160018]

Departments are required to develop business cases for major e-service projects. The Efficiency Review led by Sir Peter Gershon is working with departments to consider how electronic services could be used to deliver additional savings.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the Office of the e-Envoy on the delivery of Government services online; and if he will make a statement; [160024](2) what assessment he has made of the progress of the Office of the e-Envoy; and if he will make a statement. [160022]

In 2002 the Information Age Partnership commissioned a major assessment of the UK's performance across the e-agenda leading to the publication of an independent international benchmarking report, 'The world's most effective policies for the e-economy'. The benchmarking results showed that the UK had made particularly strong progress with low internet access prices and high embedding of ICT in education. The report also found that UK's 'e-government readiness'—defined as the preparedness of government to engage and drive the e-agenda, and particularly deliver e-government—was a strength relative to G7 nations. The Office of the e-Envoy is working with departments towards the target of achieving 100 per cent. of services online by 2005 with key services achieving high levels of use. 68 per cent. of government services are now available electronically.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a)special advisers and (b)staff in total are employed in the Office of the e-Envoy. [160025]

No special advisers are employed in the Office of the e-Envoy. On 1 March 2004 there were 102 staff in post in the office of the e-Envoy.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the impact of Policy Hub; and if he will make a statement. [160033]

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) on 6 January 2004, Official Report,column 158.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total expenditure has been (a)in the past 12 months and (b)since the inception on Policy Hub; and if he will make a statement. [160034]