To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many Customs and Excise staff were employed in Scotland in each year since 2002; [157866](2) when the last review of staffing numbers and locations was carried out by. HM Customs and Excise; [157867](3) what plans he has to increase the number of Customs and Excise staff employed in Scotland. [157868]

[holding answers 2 March 2004]: The regional distribution of permanent staff (including fixed term) staff in all Government Departments is published annually by the Cabinet Office in Table D of 'Civil Service Statistics', a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.In April 2002 there were 1170 full time equivalent Customs and Excise staff based in Scotland, along with a further 21.5 casual staff.The April 2003 figures are due for publication in the summer.In addition, staff from the national and mobile strike teams of the Law Enforcement business are available to be deployed in Scotland according to the assessed risks and operational needs. Along with detector dog teams and crews of the customs cutter fleet.The national deployment of Customs and Excise staff is reviewed annually, and at other times as necessary. The number of staff deployed in Scotland are determined by current risk and intelligence factors. Resourcing for the next year will be decided by the Department's business managers in accordance with their assessment of operational needs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decision has been reached on the moratorium proposed to him for affording films in pre-production relief from the newly introduced tax liabilities. [160260]

No new tax liabilities have been introduced on film production. A number of tax reliefs exist specifically for film production and remain available for film-makers. These include Section 42 of the Finance (No.2) Act 1992 anti Section 48 of the Finance (No.2) Act 1997. Measures to be included in Finance Bill 2004 prevent tax avoidance through the manipulation of partnership losses. A number of such avoidance schemes were targeted at the film industry.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations his Department has received from (a) the museum and (b) the heritage sector in relation to introducing gift aid tax relief in (i) writing, (ii) meetings and (iii) other forms since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [155988](2) what estimate he has made of the cost to museums of

Ministers and officials from the Treasury and Chancellor's Departments regularly receive a wide range of representations from museums and the heritage sector, including many on the benefits they receive from Gift Aid.In April 2000 the Government made improvements to the Gift Aid scheme, as part of a wider package to make the tax system simpler for charities and their donors and to encourage greater charitable giving. In 2002–03 charities received donations under Gift Aid of £2.3 billion, including tax relief from the Government of £506 million.Under a special exemption introduced in 1989 and imported into Gift Aid as part of a wider reform in 2000, certain heritage and conservation charities are able to claim Gift Aid on membership subscriptions in the same way as they were previously able to claim tax refunds under Deeds of Covenant. Deeds of Covenant lasted for at least three years, meaning that a donor was required to have an ongoing commitment to a charity, but Gift Aid can apply to one-off donations as well.A number of charities eligible for the special exemption are claiming Gift Aid tax refunds under so-called 'day membership' schemes. These schemes do not generate additional giving, but simply reclassify admission fees as donations on which Gift Aid is being claimed.The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report (Cm 6042) that the Government will amend the Gift Aid legislation to ensure that the special exemption applies as it was originally intended and not to these 'day memberships'.This will mean that heritage and conservation charities will continue to benefit from the special exemption where a donor has an ongoing commitment to the charity, such as an annual membership, and these charities—like other fundraising charities—will continue to benefit from Gift Aid on other donations of money.The Government is consulting closely with charities that might be affected, directly and through their associations and representative bodies, on the detail of how the change may best be achieved.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the situation of local authorities who have transferred their housing stock and who have to pay VAT on the service arrangements involved in that transfer. [161043]

A local authority is entitled to recover any VAT incurred on professional services supplied to it in connection with arranging the transfer of housing stock to the private sector. VAT can also be recovered on certain improvement works the purchaser may require the local authority to carry out as a contractual condition of purchase.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, column 1556W, on the Large Business Office, when the Director of Inland Revenue's Large Business Office first asked Inland Revenue's internal auditors to review the accuracy of the Large Business Office's compliance data for 2002–03; when the internal auditors reported their findings; when the relevant commissioner first made known to fellow board members the existence of potentially unreliable reports of the Large Business Office's compliance performance; when the Board received the report on the issues of the 2003 review; when Inland Revenue first alerted the National Audit Office to the existence of previously overstated compliance performance for the Large Business Office in Inland Revenue's annual reports; how many of the Large Business Office's geographic offices were revealed by the 2003 follow-up review to have had at least one Large Business Office caseworker who was not reporting yield in line with departmental guidance; and what proportion of Large Business Office caseworkers were revealed not to be reporting yield in line with departmental guidance.[160095]

The Director of the LBO asked the Internal Audit Office to carry out a review of the 2002–03 figures in April 2003 (after the year end). The IA0 made their report in August 2003.A design fault in the LBO computer system incorrectly invited Inspectors to enter a tax outcome for taxpayer favour adjustments. All taxpayer favour adjustments were recorded in this way. The Board was advised in October 2003 of the overall adjustments required to LBO yield figures. The issue was discussed with NAO at a working level in February 2004 as part of their general audit coverage of the Inland Revenue.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answers of 8 September, 2003, Official Report, column 95–96W, on the ASPIRE Programme and 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 604W, on the Inland Revenue, on what date it became Inland Revenue policy to include in its invitations to tender provision allowing it to undertake a review of the tax affairs of those companies responding; and on what date it was decided to include a provision in the ASPIRE invitation to tender allowing the Inland Revenue to undertake a review of the tax affairs of those companies responding.[160189]

As a Government Department, the Inland Revenue must comply with EU Council Directive 50/92, which came into force in the UK in January 1994 as a Statutory Instrument (Public Services Contract Regulations 1993 (1993: No 3228)). This Statutory Instrument allows a contracting authority to reject a service provider if the latter has not fulfilled obligations relating to payment of taxes under the law of any part of the United Kingdom.Work on drafting the ASPIRE ITT commenced in January 2002 and notification that a review of the tax affairs of bidders would form part of the evaluation was included in a draft version of the ITT issued to the three shortlisted bidders on 31 July 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 811W, on tax compliance, what the very exceptional circumstances are in which Inland Revenue will inform other Government Departments that a potential supplier has poor compliance in its tax affairs; on how many occasions in each year since 1996–97 the Inland Revenue has informed other Government Departments of a potential supplier's poor compliance standing; and which office of the Inland Revenue is responsible for making such reports to other Government Departments.[160013]

Where the Inland Revenue is working on a procurement exercise or is engaged in a contract jointly with another Government Department, the Revenue may withdraw from that joint exercise or contract in the light of tax non-compliance by a supplier. In those exceptional circumstances an explanation to joint procurement partners for the withdrawal would be appropriate but would be limited to a brief general statement and will not include details of non-compliance of the potential supplier. Where necessary, this would be done by the most appropriate Revenue office in the specific instance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Crosby have benefited from the 100 per cent. tax exemption for the purchase of computer and internet equipment.[160443]

We regret that the information is not available to estimate the number of businesses in Crosby which have benefited from the 100 per cent. first year capital allowances for the purchase of information and communication equipment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the threshold for higher rate lax liability would be if it were to cover 6 per cent. of the working age population; and what estimate he has made of tax lost by restricting the higher rate to 6 per cent. of the working age population. [160696]

[holding answer 11 March 2004]: I regret that it would be possible to provide a reliable answer only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2004, Official Report, column 49W, if he will (a) meet the families of the detainees and (b) invite hon. Members representing constituencies in which the detainees families reside to the meeting before the detainees ire brought back to court on 25 March.

As the Department which leads on consular cases overseas, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers continue to make representations to the Egyptian Government where appropriate and are maintaining contact with the men's families.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the current arrangements for access to bail for defendants awaiting trial in Northern Ireland. [159554]

Applicants for bail have prompt access to the Magistrates' Courts and to the High Court for bail applications. First applications to the High Court are frequently heard within 24 hours of receipt. Second and subsequent applications are normally listed for hearing within 48 hours. Saturday hearings for first bail applications in scheduled offence cases were introduced in January 2004.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many times the Privy Council met in 2003; and how many Privy Counsellors were present on each occasion.

The Privy Council met 14 times in 2003. The date of each Meeting and the number of Privy Counsellors that were present at each one are set out as follows.

Date	Number of Privy Counsellors
2003
27 February	4
20 March	5
8 May	4
13 May	3
21 May	3
12 June	4
13 June	3
26 June	3
17 July	4
8 October	4
14 October	3
13 November	4
20 November	3
10 December	6

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments have been made to British Airways for the setting up of a call centre in Belfast; and whether such payments are still being made. [160220]

British Airways operates a contact BA call centre in central Belfast which was expanded in 1998 with an offer of selective financial assistance from the then NI Industrial Development Board (IDB) totalling £512,000 for the creation of 65 new jobs.On 18 February 2004, British Airways announced that the Belfast call centre would create a further 48 new jobs. This latest expansion has not attracted selective financial assistance from Invest NI (the successor body to IDB).Owing to a policy of commercial confidentiality on information relating to specific companies, it would be inappropriate to disclose information about the amounts actually paid to British Airways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government has to introduce a Charity Commission in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [159854]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon), on 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1657W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many properties, broken down by categories of use, will be affected by the proposal to derate businesses in the province; and how much money will be raised by each of the proposed steps until full derating is reached in 2011. [159957]

The potential yield from the phasing out of industrial derating is included in table 1 below and the number of properties, broken down by categories of use, that will be affected by the proposal to phase out industrial derating for manufacturing business in Northern Ireland is included in table 2.

The Potential Yield From the Phasing Out of Industrial Derating
	Rate liability (percentage)	Estimated total yield £ million
2005–06	15	8
2006–07	25	14
2007–08	35	19
2008–09	50	27
2009–10	75	41
2010–11	75	41
2011–12	100	55

Non Domestic Properties defined as Industrial1 for Industrial Derating
Property description	Number of properties
Factories	4,458
Workshops and stores	552
Quarries, Sandpits, & Mines	150
Other	13
Total	5,173

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many requests for extradition of terrorist suspects from the Irish Republic have been (a) made and (b) granted in each year since 1997.[159556]

There have been no requests for the extradition of terrorist suspects from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland since 1997, and therefore none granted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Crosby since 1997. [160547]

Crosby is included in the Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP) area. The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) is the local transport authority responsible for improving public transport in Merseyside including, for example, implementing bus priority measures. The PTE has recorded that it has delivered or is planning to deliver 37km of bus lanes in Merseyside between 1998–99 and 2005—06—including 5.9km of bus lanes in Sefton. These figures do not take into account other bus priority measures such as Quality Bus Corridors/showcase routes or other schemes, which may incorporate bus priority measures.It is not possible to provide data from before 1998–99 nor is it possible to identify separately how many km of bus lanes the PTE has delivered or is planning to deliver in Crosby. It is ultimately a matter for local transport authorities to decide how to distribute the annual capital allocation received from the Government for spending on local transport in their areas, in line with local priorities and in order to achieve the objectives set out in their LTPs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 4 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. D. McDowell. [159988]

I replied to my right hon. Friend yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products. [159147]

Environmentally sustainable procurement strategies have driven innovation in this Department in the following areas:

It is Government policy to use recycled paper and this Department has developed a Recycled Printing Papers Framework to meet the requirements of the Waste Strategy Initiative. Since the Framework started in August 2000, the success can be measured in terms of awareness, quality, availability and price advantage, demonstrated in savings to Government of £1.8 million, growth in the market place and improvements in supply and quality. There are now more than 25 Government Departments and agencies using the Framework.

It is now a contractual provision within the Department to use legal and sustainable timber for all central furniture and property management contracts. Certification to this effect is required for all furniture supplied. A decision has also been taken to discontinue use of natural wood veneers on ranges of furniture where alternative finishes are available.

The Department's catalogue of core stationery items clearly identifies "green" products. All toner cartridges are recycled.

The Department's IT disposal contract offers surplus equipment to schools under a Home Office scheme. Any equipment where this is not appropriate is disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

All the Department's personal and laptop computers have power saving software which puts the hardware into power saving mode after approximately 20 minutes of inactivity. In addition, a rolling program is in place to refresh hardware: this has recently included the replacement of monitors with flat screen technology which has a much lower power consumption and heat output. All PC, laptop and network printer hardware also complies with EU energy saving and electrical regulation.

The Department has encouraged its main suppliers of furniture, stationery and office machinery to aim for ISO 14001 certification. Most have now received accreditation with the remainder expected to achieve it in 2004.

The Department carries out an annual environmental audit of suppliers of goods, irrespective of whether they have an ISO 14001 accreditation. The audits are carried out internally by trained staff. Example s of good practice are shared with other suppliers where possible.

The Department (in collaboration with ODPM ) has awarded a contract for an electronic environmental management system (EMS) which is now being rolled out to other Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effect of investment in railway improvements over the next 10 years upon residents of Crosby. [160548]

Merseytravel Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) is responsible for improving services and facilities for passengers on the Merseyrail network. Network Rail is responsible for maintaining and renewing the infrastructure and will be renewing one mile of track at Blundellsands and Crosby in 2005–06.The PTE has plans for a number of improvements over the next 10 years. These include upgrading the car park at Blundellsands and Crosby and making the station fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; investigating the provision of a dedicated car park at Hall Road station; providing a lift at Waterloo station to improve accessibility; and upgrading the car park, improving access to the ticket office and improving bus turnaround at Formby station. The waiting room at Formby is being refurbished through the Strategic Rail Authority's Modern Facilities at Stations Programme. In addition, Merseyrail rolling stock will be fully refurbished by the end of 2004. The refurbishment includes the provision of CCTV. dedicated wheelchair spaces and cycle racks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rural bus services in Crosby are supported by rural bus grants. [160546]

Rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG) is paid to local transport authorities; in the case of Crosby this is the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (PTE). It is for the authority to decide which services should be supported with the grant. We understand from the PTE that no rural bus services in Crosby are provided by RBSG. The Merseyside PTE provide support for certain rural bus services in Crosby through their main revenue support funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with local authorities regarding local authority charging for waste collection and disposal. [159037]

In its response to the Strategy Unit report, the Government undertook to carry out further work before making a decision on whether to enable local authorities to implement direct or variable charging for waste collection and disposal. Officials have met representatives of local authorities and the Local Government Association as part of this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to demonstrate to local authorities the potential benefits of (a) increasing recycling and (b) reducing waste. [159004]

The Government's Waste Strategy 2000 set out a vision of sustainable waste management incorporating a shift away from reliance on landfill and towards waste reduction, re-use and recycling. In doing so, it explored the environmental, economic and social benefits arising from such a shift. The Strategy Unit's 2001 report, Waste not, want not, reiterated these arguments.Part of the role of Defra's Waste Implementation Programme is to ensure that local authorities understand the benefits of more sustainable waste management. This is being pursued on an individual basis with local authorities, through regional conferences, and via the programme's national messages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department disseminates best practice in sustainable waste management to local authorities. [159005]

The Defra Waste Implementation Programme's Local Authority Support Unit has been established to provide advice and a range of tools to enable local authorities to meet and, where possible, exceed their statutory targets.The Unit has already identified a number of areas where local authorities need additional support. In response the Unit is producing a range of tools, case studies and best practice.These will cover such areas as contract development and service procurement, strategy development, collection of bulky goods, estates recycling, kerbside capture rates and best recycling and re-use practice at civic amenity sites.These and other tools and services developed in response to local authority needs will be disseminated through a dedicated local authority support website for waste recycling activities, to be launched in May 2004.Tools and support will also be targeted specifically to individual local authorities which will most benefit from assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fees were paid in the last year to WS Atkins for the management of the Action Energy programme; and whether the fees paid covered work done to improve the energy efficiency of (a) UK buildings and (b) industrial processes. [155047]

In July 2002 Defra transferred the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme to the Carbon Trust who relaunched it as their own Action Energy programme. Action Energy is the UK's main energy efficiency information, advice and research programme for organisations in the business and public sectors.The Carbon Trust is a private company grant funded by Defra to lead on energy efficiency for the business and public sector and support the development of a low carbon economy in the UK. Contracts held by the Carbon Trust are a matter for the Carbon Trust Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the forthcoming EU legislation on the disposal and recycling of batteries to be introduced in the United Kingdom. [157526]

The timetable for implementation of the draft Directive for Member States is unclear. The Directive will be negotiated through the co-decision process. As such, much will depend on whether agreement is reached after First or Second Reading, or following conciliation. The draft Directive is expected to receive its First Reading in the European Parliament on 19 April 2004. The negotiation process may however be delayed by European Enlargement in May 2004 and European Parliament elections in June 2004.Once the Directive is in place the UK Government will have 18 months to transpose it into domestic law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has collated on the use of electronic tags in cattle; and what progress she has made towards implementing such a system. [159484]

The Department has considered research results on the use of electronic identification both at a European level and small scale trials within the United Kingdom. We have also recently launched a pilot project on a minimum of 50 commercial sheep farms to assess how industry can make best use of electronic identification and to identify any issues that may arise. All these findings will be taken into account in the development of electronic identification for livestock. However, until the European Union agrees harmonised technical standards and implementation guidelines, the Government is unable to promote the widespread use of this technology given the current lack of standardisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial incentives she has considered in the development of the Government's Combined Heat and Power Strategy Paper; and if she will make a statement. [159211]

The measures to support CHP announced in the Energy White Paper, taken together with the measures we have previously introduced and detailed in the draft CHP Strategy, will significantly help CHP. These include:

exemption from the climate change levy for fuel inputs and electricity outputs from Good Quality CHP;

the £50 million Community Energy programme promoting community heating;

eligibility for Enhanced Capital Allowances; and

a reduction in VAT to 5 per cent. for certain grant funded domestic micro-CHP installations.

We will set out the full range of support measures in the Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010, which we intend to publish after the Easter Recess.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last visited a combined heat and power plant; and if she will make a statement. [159212]

Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Combined Heat and Power Association and members of the industry and have visited a number of CHP schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what forecast she has made of the price of milk per litre in the first three years after the Common Agricultural Policy mid-term review takes effect. [156441]

If milk prices fully reflected the reductions in intervention prices for butter and skimmed milk powder in the period 2004–07, there would be a decrease of 4.5 pence per litre, assuming current exchange rates. The Commission in its economic assessment of the reform proposals concluded that prices would not fall to the full extent of any support price cuts. Colman and Harvey in their recent study for the Dairy Supply Chain Forum concluded that the average farm gate price in the UK could fall to just above 15 pence per litre. However, the effects of these lower prices on farm incomes will be, at least in part, offset by the introduction of direct payments. Furthermore, decoupling should lead to some improvement in prices and incomes as farmers produce for the market, rather than subsidy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [158169]

There are 60 staff employed in the Communications Directorate of the Department as professional communicators, 41 of which are members of the Government Information and Communications Service.The Directorate has 21 Press Officers. The remainder of the staff are employed in marketing, internal communications, new media, strategic planning publications and print.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.The number of staff who work in the communications field across the Department could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers.(ii) special advisers and (iii) others.[158201]

Information on expenditure is not kept in the categories requested in the question and could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.The total cost of staff and related expenditure for Defra Communications Directorate for 2003–04 is estimated to be £5.2 million. This includes the cost of staff in both communications professional grades and other categories. Within this figure the cost for operating the Press Office is estimated to be 1.5 million for the year.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 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies have contracts for furniture provision for her Department; and what measures have been implemented to ensure that when a product contains wood, it can be shown to come from legal and sustainable sources. [158103]

The following companies have furniture supply contracts with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its executive agencies:

• Carleton
• Walls 2 Workstations
• Viking
• Project Office Furniture
• Hallways
• Matthews Office Furniture

Purchasing centres in Defra and its executive agencies have been issued with guidance, including a model specification clause and contract condition, that explains how to seek to acquire timber and wood products from legal and sustainable sources.Defra's main furniture supplier, Carleton, is certified as operating a chain of custody system that meets the standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Certified products provide assurance that the timber used is from legal and sustainable sources. The Department monitors the value of certified wooden furniture purchased as part of its duty to report its timber purchases.Defra is organising the creation of a central point of expertise on timber that will review the guidance given to all central departments and assess the extent to which certification schemes provide assurance that the Government contract requirements for legal and sustainable timber are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of (a) the levels and (b) the environmental implications of emissions from diesel trains. [155414]

Emissions from diesel trains are calculated and reported in the UK's National Atmospheric Emission Inventory produced in the Defra research programme. All UK emissions data are available on the internet: http://www.naei.org.uk.The main pollutants emitted from the combustion of diesel fuels are carbon dioxide (CO2—a greenhouse gas), oxides of nitrogen (NO

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Environment Council on 2 March; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [159173]

I attended the Environment Council on 2 March 2004, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.The Council agreed by consensus a set of Conclusions as the contribution by Environment ministers to the Spring European Council. We were pleased with the priorities reflected in the Conclusions. They included rapid implementation of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan, a proposal that the Commission should report annually to Spring council on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, and called on the Community and member states to consider mid and long-term emissions reduction strategies, including targets, in preparation for the 11th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change in November 2005. We called on the Commission, in preparing its review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy by the end of 2004, to incorporate the external dimension of sustainable development so as to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments.We held a short policy debate on the proposal for a Regulation on shipments of waste. Replying to a series of questions from the Irish Presidency to all the delegations, I indicated that any measures aimed to prevent `eco-dumping' should work through establishing community-wide standards and preserve the internal market; that in handling mixed 'green waste', the UK would support a proportionate, risk-based approach, aligned to the OECD Decision on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations; and that the `take-back'requirements of the Regulation should not be applied to 'green waste'.The Commission gave a progress report on the proposal for a Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). We were informed that further work is being done on assessing the impact of the proposals. There are to be policy debates in both the Competitiveness and Environment Councils, in May and June respectively. We were also updated on the progress of negotiations on the proposal for a Directive to amend the EU emissions trading scheme in respect of the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms. Although work remains to be done, the Presidency remained hopeful that an agreement could be reached which would also receive the early support of the European Parliament.There was a brief report back from the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity/1

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to establish specialist environmental prosecutors to deal with environmental crime; and if she will make a statement. [154966]

[holding answer 23 February 2004]: The Government have no plans to establish specialist environmental prosecutors to deal with environmental crime. Responsibility for prosecutions for environmental crime rests with the Crown Prosecution service, the courts, the police, local authorities, HM Customs and Excise and with agencies of Government including the Environment Agency, Countryside Agency and English Nature.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the research which (a) has been and (b) will be undertaken to measure the effect of EU producer responsibility legislation on design of environmental targets in the UK. [157983]

Producer responsibility Directives include the Packaging, End of Life Vehicles (ELV), and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives. The WEEE and ELV Directives contain provisions on product design that are expected to increase the recyclability of vehicles and electrical and electronic equipment when they are transposed later this year.The Packaging Directive is implemented in England and Wales by (i) the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) ("the packaging Regulations") and the parallel instruments in the devolved administrations; and (ii) the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003. The Producer Responsibility Obligations provide incentives to minimise packaging as the amount of packaging waste producers have to recover and recycle is determined, in part, by the amount of packaging they handle. Therefore businesses can save money if they reduce the amount of packaging they handle.The Government recently commissioned a study on the impact of the Essential Requirements Regulations, which can be viewed at: www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/packagingfinalreport.pdf. The report highlights a number of instances where packaging has been minimised as a result of the Essential Requirements Regulations. For example one large retailer has reduced the weight of plastic packaging on a range of cosmetic products saving around 30 tonnes of plastic per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names and addresses of (a) individuals and (b) limited companies who receive more than £10,000 in direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy; and if she will make a statement. [160169]

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is bound by commercial confidentiality in its dealings with its customers, whether sole tracers or farmers or corporations, breach of which by disclosing information relating to the affairs of individual traders or farmers or corporations would expose the RPA to the liability of legal proceedings in court.In relation to individual farmers or traders, information which is of a personal nature, such as individual payments to such persons, is personal data which is protected from voluntary disclosure under the Data Protection Act 1998. While the RPA can release global figures relating to payments, which do not identify individual persons, including corporations, it is unable to release individual figures without incurring the liabilities under the two principles referred to.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of flood defence barriers along the River Severn. [155088]

The Environment Agency's initial assessment is that the use of demountable and portable defences along the River Severn in early February was a success. The Agency estimates that around 200 properties were protected from serious flooding. A full assessment will be available in May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made pursuant to its fuel poverty strategy to secure an increase in the number of training places for (a) gas fitters and (b) installers of (i) central heating systems and (ii) energy efficiency measures. [157162]

Defra has worked together with the Department for Education and Skills, Transco and the Gas and Water Industry National Training Organisation to fund training for 485 gas engineers to work on the Warm Front scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the conclusions of the Review of Marine Consents. [157185]

[holding answer 27 February 2004]: The Review is being led by my right hon. Friend the Lord Rooker, Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Government are considering a range of options for reform of the current consenting regime. An announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the legal advice her Department uses to determine eligibility for payment under the over-30-months scheme when cattle are presented for slaughter without an official tag but with other supporting documents; and how many claims previously regarded as ineligible for want of tags have been accepted since this advice. [159486]

When cattle are presented for slaughter at a designated abattoir the Rural Payments Agency must be satisfied of the origin of the animal. There is a risk that without an ear tag an animal might have been substituted. However, provided that there is some clear and unequivocal identification on the animal itself which directly links with the animal's official documentation it may be concluded that an animal can be satisfactorily identified.Sixty six animals initially regarded as ineligible because of a missing official tag have since been accepted onto the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the Environment Agency has not implemented a minimum standard for the amount of ozone-depleting substances recovered from each refrigerator. [154777]

Two of the principal aims of the Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS) Regulation (EC 2037/2000) are to prevent the release of existing ODS and ensure their recovery.When setting performance standards the Environment Agency must have regard to the ODS Regulations and the criteria set out in Waste Management Paper No4 (WMP4). Licence conditions must be necessary, enforceable, unambiguous and comprehensive. The standard set by the Agency is based on the emission loss to the atmosphere from the process based on throughput, and the percentage loss through attachment to residual metal, plastic, foam and oil. The ODS Regulations do not require minimum recovery; only that releases are prevented and ODS recovered. The Environment Agency considers that the performance standards set meet these requirements.Setting a minimum standard of ODS recovered would be problematic when assessed against the aforementioned criteria and the fact that fridges accepted at the facilities do not contain an average or an assumed amount of ODS, as carried out by certain other standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of chlorofluorocarbons is extracted from recovered refrigerators in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU member states. [154778]

To calculate the percentage of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) from recovered refrigerators the average recovered CFCs per fridge for R11 and R12 needs to be used, which for 2003 in England and Wales are 186.13g and 50.5g respectively, and the average amount of CFCs contained in a refrigerator.However, there is currently no agreed figure for an average amount of CFCs in a refrigerator across member states, primarily because of the variation in size and volume of units. Therefore it is not possible to assess and compare the percentage of CFCs with any confidence. It is for this reason that the performance standards set in the UK work on the basis of emissions lost in the process and those lost through attachment to residual metal, plastic, foam and oil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent information she has received from the Environment Agency on the management of Technetium-99 radioactive wastes at Sellafield. [156639]

In September 2001 the Environment Agency published its proposed decision on the future regulation of technetium-99 (Tc-99) discharges from Sellafield into the Irish sea. In December 2002, the Secretaries of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and for Health published their decision not to exercise their powers under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 to direct the Agency in respect to its proposed decision. The Agency's decision was, therefore, implemented in full. It contained a number of elements including a requirement to work towards the abatement of Tc-99 discharges through "MAC Diversion". This technique came into operation in middle of last year. The Agency also required research to be carried out into the use of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP) to abate Tc-99 discharges still further. A plant-scale trial using TPP was carried out towards the end of last year. The results of the trial are currently being evaluated by the Agency and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. We look forward to hearing their conclusions, which are expected in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the possible rise in sea level in the Thames Estuary as a result of (a) climate change and (b) other factors in the next (i) 25, (ii) 50 and (iii) 75 year terms; and what research her Department has (A) carried out and (B) commissioned into the subject. [154230]

The Thames Barrier was originally constructed to accommodate an 8mm per year increase in sea level, which at the time of design was extrapolated from tidal records through the Estuary. This, in principle, provides protection against a one in a 1000 year tidal surge up to 2030. Current guidance from DEFRA suggests an increase in relative sea level of up to 6mm per year is built into plans for future flood defences.The 6mm per year figure is intended to accommodate the impact of climate change on sea level; that is thermal expansion of the oceans and ice melt of coastal ice-sheets, as well as long-term regional land subsidence.Currently the Environment Agency is undertaking work to consider flood risk management options for the estuary up until 2100 under the project, Thames Estuary 2100. This will also involve making a full assessment of the risks associated with climate induced sea level, including potential changes in North Sea surges.Predictions for the next 100 years will be developed using UK Climate Impact Programme research combined with trends inferred from the project's investigation into absolute ground level changes. This research is currently scheduled to be completed by September 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what construction and refurbishment her Department is undertaking; at what locations; and what measures are being implemented to ensure that all timber used (a) on the construction sites and (b) in the final projects will come from legal and sustainable sources. [158102]

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its executive agencies are undertaking the following construction and refurbishment projects valued at over £100,000:

New technical buildings for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge;

New farm buildings for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge;

New lifts for the Rural Payments Agency, Carlisle;

Office redevelopment in Whitehall, London;

Office refurbishment in Millbank, London.

Procurement centres in Defra and its executive agencies have been issued with guidance, including a model specification clause and contract condition, which explains how to seek to acquire timber and wood products from legal and sustainable sources. Contractors for the projects listed above are required to supply timber from legal and sustainable sources. Building site supervisors are instructed to monitor compliance with these contract requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sites, broken down by region, are licensable for disposal of toxic waste; what the most recent return of annual disposal of toxic waste is; and whether each site will be licensable after the EU directives on toxic waste disposal have been fully implemented. [155105]

[holding answer 23 February 2004]: I have placed a list, compiled by the Environment Agency, in the Library. This list identifies all the facilities, in alphabetical order, that had hazardous waste consigned to them in the year 2002 in England and Wales. Disposal, recovery, treatment and transfer stations are included. Sites where wastes were disposed of on the site of production are not included. The location and total quantity of hazardous waste received in 2002 are given. Most, if not all, of the non-landfill sites on this list will continue to be licensed to take hazardous waste in the future.In terms of the impact of the Landfill Directive, the Agency are considering applications for hazardous waste landfills from operators wishing to continue to accept hazardous waste after the ban on co-disposal (of hazardous and non-hazardous waste) comes into force in July this year in accordance with the EU Landfill Directive. In addition, other landfill sites, classified as non-hazardous, may opt to accept stable non-reactive waste in separately constructed cells. Both these issues are being kept under regular review. Not all hazardous wastes are toxic and the Landfill Directive specifically bans hazardous wastes that are explosive, corrosive, oxidising or flammable from being disposed of to landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 494W, on US vessels, what discussions took place with (a) the US authorities and (b) the US Marine Administration before the departure of the vessels; what requests were made; what replies to these requests were received; and if she will make a statement. [153328]

The Environment Agency had a number of discussions with the US Marine Administration (MARAD) and the US Environmental Protection Agency prior to the departure of the vessels regarding the export of the vessels to the U K.The Agency encouraged contact between MARAD and Hartlepool borough council in late September regarding the matter of planning permission for the Graythorp facility. At about the same time, the Agency spoke to the United States' Environmental Protection Agency about this matter. In October and prior to the departure of the vessels the Environment Agency, on several occasions in telephone calls and emails, advised MARAD to keep the vessels in the US until they were satisfied that all necessary arrangements were in place. No formal response was received.The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency had discussions with both MARAD and the US Coastguard regarding the safety of the vessels. their planned route and their towing arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work she has commissioned into (a) the value to communities of village and community halls and (b) the repair and renovation needs of village and community halls. [159675]

I have discussed this issue with ACRE, The Village Halls Forum and other stakeholders, and Defra is about to commission research on the repair and renovation needs of village halls and on the value of the activities that take place in village halls to the communities they serve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what instructions her Department issued to Warm Front scheme managers on the publication on their websites of monthly statistical data relating to works carried out under the scheme. [154679]

[holding answer 27 February 2004]: Both Warm Front Scheme Managers have been asked to provide details on their websites of the number of measures installed in each quarter. That information is now available for the current financial year from 1 April to 31 December 2003.Annual data from the start of the scheme in June 2000 will be available on their websites shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to alert producers of hazardous waste to their obligations under the Landfill Directive. [156410]

The Department has taken the following actions:

conducted six rounds of public consultation on aspects of the Landfill Directive, three of which dealt specifically (although not exclusively) with hazardous waste issues;

set up the Hazardous Waste Forum and the Landfill Directive Implementation Group—whose membership includes representatives of hazardous waste producers such as the -CBI and the Chemical Industries Association;

published the Hazardous Waste Forum action plan on the reduction and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste;

assisted in the issue of guidance material by the Environment Agency, including technical guidance on assessing and classifying hazardous waste;

organised seminars and took part in those organised by others (e.g. the Environmental Services Association and the Chemical Industries Association);

arranged bilateral meetings with a wide range of industry and other interests;

commissioned research and other projects (either direct or though the Hazardous Waste Forum or the Environment Agency).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what limitations on (a) volume and (b) duration apply to on-site storage by producers of hazardous materials before such materials are classified as waste. [156431]

The definition of waste in force in the United Kingdom is the definition in Article 1(a) of the Waste Framework Directive (as amended). It provides that waste means, …"any substance or object … which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard."It rests in the first place with the producer of a substance to decide whether it is being discarded as waste. The Environment Agency is designated as a competent authority for the purposes of the Directive and is responsible for the application of its controls to substances discarded as waste.Whether or not substances, such as hazardous materials, are discarded as waste is a matter which must be determined on the facts of the case and the interpretation of the law is a matter for the Courts. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued several judgments on the interpretation of the definition of waste and the meaning of "discard". ECJ judgments are binding on member states and their -competent authorities".There are no specific limits on

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce measures to compensate households who suffer noise and smells from landfill sites. [157260]

There are no plans to introduce a compensation scheme. Measures are already in place to control noise and smells from landfill sites.The EU Waste Framework Directive requires member states to put in place necessary measures to ensure that controlled waste is recovered or disposed of without harm to human health and the environment. This is done in the UK by means of a Waste Management licence which is issued and regulated by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency has a range of enforcement tools which it can use to ensure licence conditions are met.Also, in order to obtain such a licence for a landfill site, planning permission would be needed which should address the issue of likely nuisance to local residents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to have senior Ministers reply to debates in Westminster Hall. [159619]

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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 the presence of asbestos prior to implementation of the control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. [159371]

All of the buildings occupied by, and which are the direct responsibility of the Cabinet Office, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Central Office of Information have been surveyed for the purpose of identifying the presence of asbestos. The respective landlords for buildings occupied but not controlled by the Cabinet Office, are responsible for the control of any asbestos present.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures are followed when a breach of the Civil Service Code is suspected; and who is responsible for their oversight. [161044]

Departmental Staff Handbooks, which incorporate the Civil Service Code, define the standards of conduct required of civil servants within individual departments, the penalties they may incur if they fall short of them, and the arrangements for raising breaches or concerns under the Civil Service Code.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent at the Emergency Planning College at Easingwold on new classrooms and accommodation over the past two years; and how much was spent on new training equipment in the same period. [158982]

Work Started in August 2003 on a £7 million programme to replace the Emergency Planning College's student residential accommodation, training and seminar rooms, library, research facilities and integral IT and audio-visual training equipment. The programme will provide a modern learning environment for the new courses that the college will deliver from September 2004 onwards.Owing to the planned demolition of the old classroom block to make way for the new building, the college has limited expenditure on new training equipment in the past two years to £10,000, the minimum necessary to sustain teaching in temporary accommodation.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of statutory instruments introduced by his Department in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2002–03 had the European Union as their legislative source. [160050]

None of the statutory instruments introduced by the Cabinet Office in 1996–97 or 2002–03 had the European Union as their legislative source.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the transfer of the Defence Fire Service to a public private partnership would re quire parliamentary approval. [159637]

[holding answer 8 March 2004]: The Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP) is seeking the most cost effective and viable solution for the provision of airfield support services, including wider fire services, without compromising operational capability and/or safety. No decision has yet been made about the outcome of this project and we will only do so following full and careful consideration of all the options. Although we are moving towards this point, I am not yet in a position to say exactly when this will be.If a Public Private Partnership were to be chosen as the preferred way ahead for ASSP, the Secretary of State would retain his position as the Fire Authority and no change in legislation would be required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the final provision and outturn for Request for Resources 1 Provision of Defence Capability, were in cash terms, for financial years (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [161037]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force trained strength were deployed on operations and other military tasks for each quarter for (i) each calendar year from 1997 to 2001 and (ii) 2003. [161036]

Information has only been collected in the form requested since the beginning of financial year 2001–02. Figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 were published in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03 (HC1125). Comparable figures for the first three quarters of 2003/04 are:

Percentage
	April to June	2003–04 July to September	October to December
Royal Navy (incl. Marines)	18.7	12.8	14.0
Army	46.9	23.2	22.9
Air Force	16.5	13.0	12.9

These percentages do not include personnel preparing for operations or recovering from operations.Similar information on the percentage of trained strength committed to operations in 2000–01 was published in the December 2001 answer given on 10 December 2001 to the hon. Member for Yeovil (

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which documents are held by his Department written by (a) P. H. Pearse, (b) Thomas J. Clarke, (c) Thomas Macdonagh, (d) Edward Daly, (e) William Pearse, (f) Michael O'Hanrahan, (g) Joseph Mary Plunkett, (h) John MacBride, (i) Sean Heuston, (j) Michael Mallin, (k) Eamonn Ceannt, (1) Con Colbert, (m) Thomas Kent, (n) Sean MacDiarmada, (o) James Connolly and (p) Sir Roger Casement. [156303]

I am not aware of any documents held by the Ministry of Defence written by those listed. However, a full answer could be given only after detailed research covering a large number of documents, which would involve disproportionate cost. The National Archives at Kew holds records (primarily in class W071) relating to these individuals which were formerly held by MOD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the military base at Mount Pleasant on the Falkland Islands. [160245]

Mount Pleasant Complex is the base for the majority of British military forces in support of the mission of Commander British Forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the Ministry of Defence is playing in the 300th anniversary of British rule in Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [158264]

I refer my hon. Friend to the Statement made to the House on 27 November 2003 (columns 224–225) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi men have died while being held in British military custody in Iraq: what the cause of death was in each case; and if he will make a statement. [158033]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 4 December 2003. (Official Report, column 127W) to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen).Cause of death is not something for investigating Royal Military Police personnel to determine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the investigation into the death, in British custody, of Baha Mousa, in Iraq; when the investigation is likely to be completed; and whether the findings will be made public. [146515]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1050W. The result of the investigation will be made public in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold an independent public inquiry into the deaths of the six Royal Military police officers from the Colchester garrison who were killed in Iraq. [151785]

The Royal Military Police's Special Investigations Branch is conducting a thorough investigation into the deaths of the soldiers. The conduct of such investigations is independent of the Army's chain of command. When the investigation has been completed a full report will be given to the families concerned. I will make public as many of its findings as possible, subject to operational and other security constraints.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the cost is of the use of members of the armed forces for covert surveillance on upland estates as part of Operation Artemis; [154733](2) how many army units will take part in covert surveillance on upland estates as part of Operation Artemis; [154734](3) what impact the deployment of members of the armed forces for covert surveillance on upland estates will have on the British Army's military obligations overseas. [154735]

None. No requests for assistance have been received from Civil Police for such assistance this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of UK operations during the war in Iraq Operation Telic represents. [151576]

Operation Telic is the on-going UK contribution to coalition military operations in Iraq, not a fraction of it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) has been spent and (b) investment is planned on research and design of unmanned aerial vehicles. [158510]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 November 2003, (Official Report, column 183W). The figures provided do not differentiate between "research" and "research and design" and the two terms are to be taken as synonymous in this context.The Ministry of Defence considers that UAVs have the potential to make significant contributions to future operations and is in the process of assembling its future research programme in support of the development of UAV-based capabilities. The investment plans are still subject to refinement and confirmation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether unmanned aerial vehicles will operate with (a) air squadrons and (b) the fleet air arm. [158514]

We expect Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be a joint capability for the joint battlespace. By integrating them into the emerging military command and control digitised network they will support Network Enabled Capability (NEC). At this stage we envisage them operating primarily within the land environment but we are exploring the wider operational utility of UAV systems in the joint battlespace, including the maritime environment, through the Joint the UAV Experimentation Programme (JUEP). And under the Future Offensive Air System programme we expect to look at a potential mix of platforms, including Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), to meet our future strike capability from around the end of the next decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who will be responsible for providing the European Commission with information on the UK's national strategy on growth in the broadband and third-generation mobile sectors prior to the next meeting of the Inter-Governmental Conference; and if she will make a statement. [156463]

The Department of Trade and Industry supplied the European Commission with information on the UK's national strategy on growth in the broadband and third-generation mobile sectors on 19 December 2003.The UK was a late starter in relation to broadband, but with 3.2 million subscriptions to date and growing by some 40,000 per week the market is now exhibiting strong growth. Our target remains for the UK to have the most extensive and competitive broadband market in the G7 by 2005. We are already ahead of our European G7 neighbours in both the competitiveness and extensiveness of our broadband market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many conferences and seminars the Department has cancelled since June 2001; and what the cost of these cancellations was; [160557](2) how many

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) conferences and (b) seminars were convened by her Department in each year since 1997; what the costs were of each event; and how many were cancelled. [161146]

The Department does not maintain a central register of conferences and seminars held and is therefore unable to provide the numbers and costs requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department is taking to prepare (a) businesses and (b) service providers for the implementation of the parts of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which come into effect later this year. [160691]

[holding answer 11 March 2004]: My Department is working with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that

Table 2 2.3 Average annual domestic electricity bills1 in 2003 for selected towns and cities in the UK and average unit costs2
Pence per kWh and pounds
Payment type		Credit		Direct debit		Prepayment
Town/city3	Bill range4	Unit cost	Bill	Unit cost	Bill	Unit cost	Bill
Aberdeen	Largest	8.52	281	8.09	267	9.03	298
	Average	8.33	275	7.85	259	8.42	278
	Smallest	6.79	224	6.76	223	7.36	243
Belfast	Averages5	9.85	325	9.55	315	9.70	320
Birmingham	Largest	7.39	244	7.15	236	8.00	264
	Average	7.21	238	6.91	228	7.70	254
	Smallest	6.21	205	6.45	213	7.12	235
Canterbury	largest	8.45	279	7.97	263	8.52	281
	average	7.30	241	6.94	229	7.39	244
	smallest	6.48	214	6.24	206	6.64	219
Cardiff	largest	8.82	291	8.42	278	9.94	328
	average	8.58	283	8.18	270	9.12	301
	smallest	7.61	251	7.21	238	8.33	275
Edinburgh	largest	9.09	300	8.42	278	9.15	302
	average	8.06	266	7.82	258	8.52	281
	smallest	7.55	249	7.33	242	8.12	268

information is available from a variety of sources such as free information packs, videos, websites and conferences.This will complement the Open4All campaign being undertaken by the Disability Rights Commission. The Small Business Service will update its No-Nonsense Guide available to small business through Business Link Operators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the current price levels for electricity supplied to domestic customers are, broken down by supplier; and what the average electricity bill was for each region in the last year for which figures are available. [157901]

Current price levels for domestic electricity supply by supplier are dependent on a number of factors, including the nature of the tariff which the customer has chosen; whether the customer is with their home supplier or has switched; how the customer chooses to make their payments (direct debit is usually cheaper than both standard credit and prepayment meter options); and on levels of consumption. Customers are able to make comparisons via the Energywatch website for tariffs in their own areas.DTI conducts a survey of domestic electricity suppliers that collects data on their tariffs and customer numbers. This data is provided on the assurance that it will not be possible to identify individual companies from the results published. Therefore, average prices broken down by supplier cannot be provided, although regional averages can. These figures are used to produce average electricity comparisons for cities in the UK regions published in the Quarterly Energy Prices publication and on DTI's website at www.dti.gov.uk/ energy/inform/energy_prices/index.shtml. The relevant table is reproduced as follows:

Table 2.2.3 Average annual domestic electricity bills1 in 2003 for selected towns and cities in the UK and average unit costs2
Pence per kWh and pounds
Payment type		Credit		Direct debit		Prepayment
Town/city3	Bill range4	Unit cost	Bill	Unit cost	Bill	Unit cost	Bill
Ipswich	largest	7.48	247	7.09	234	8.18	270
Average	6.85	226	6.58	217	7.24	239
Smallest	6.15	203	5.85	193	6.67	220
Leeds	largest	8.52	281	7.36	243	8.36	276
Average	7.24	239	6.94	229	7.70	254
Smallest	6.70	221	6 04	199	7.15	236
Liverpool	largest	8.21	271	8.12	268	9.03	298
Average	7.91	261	7.67	253	8.12	268
Smallest	6.79	224	6.58	217	7.52	248
London	largest	7.70	254	7.70	254	8.42	278
Average	7.55	249	7.30	241	7.67	253
Smallest	6.55	216	6.24	206	7.33	242
Manchester	largest	8.00	264	7.27	240	8.97	296
Average	7.12	235	6.82	225	7.64	252
Smallest	6.52	215	6.27	207	6.91	228
Newcastle	largest	9.45	312	8.94	295	8.61	284
Average	7.58	250	7.33	242	8.15	269
Largest	6.67	220	6.21	205	7.06	233
Nottingham	largest	7.24	239	7.15	236	8.52	281
Average	6.91	228	6.55	216	7.48	247
Largest	6.48	214	6.15	203	6.94	229
Plymouth	largest	8.39	277	8.33	275	9.18	303
Average	8.15	269	7.85	259	8.15	269
Smallest	7.30	241	6.94	229	7.82	258
Southampton	largest	8.67	286	8.21	271	8.61	284
Average	7.73	255	7.27	240	8.27	273
Smallest	6.64	219	6.48	214	7.03	232
UK	largest	9.85	325	9.58	316	9.94	328
Average	7.58	250	7.21	238	8.05	266
Smallest	6.15	203	5.85	193	6.64	219

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations she has conducted with (a) trade associations and (b) the British Ceramic Confederation on the national allocation plan of the Emissions Trading Scheme; and if she will make a statement. [160233]

As part of the Government's consultation, DTI and Defra officials have held a series of meetings with trade associations and other interested stakeholders to discuss the UK's draft National Allocation Plan for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. This included a meeting with the British Ceramic Confederation on 27 February 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from industry on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [158848]

We have received numerous representations from companies, trade associations and other business organisations about the Government's proposals for implementing the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the principal guidelines were for the national allocation of emission allowances; and if she will make a statement on the overall transparency of the process. [158849]

I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 19 January 2004, Official Report, columns 53–54WS, about the publication of a consultation paper on a draft National Allocation Plan for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) which sets out the Government's proposals for allocating allowances under the scheme.The Government have conducted two consultations on the UK's draft National Allocation Plan and has involved businesses that will be covered by the EU ETS and other interested stakeholders at every stage of the preparations. Business and interested stakeholders will have a further opportunity to comment before the final allocation decision is taken in October 2004. Information on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme can be found on the DTI and Defra ebsites:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much matched EU funding was made available by her Department in each year since 1997, broken down by nation of the United Kingdom. [160109]

[holding answer 9 March 2004]: Details of funds distributed by DTI to match European Structural Funds are not recorded centrally, and could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Since the devolution arrangements for Scotland and Wales were established in 1999, with responsibility for the financing of European Structural Funds transferred to the devolved Administrations, DTI match funding has been restricted to England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she has taken to encourage internet service providers to take action to contact child pornography websites. [158998]

The Government support the work of the Internet Watch Foundation, which was established by the internet industry in consultation with Government. The Internet Watch Foundation works in partnership with internet service providers, telecommunications companies, mobile operators, software providers, police and Government, to minimise the availability of illegal internet content, particularly child abuse images. Their Internet Hotline deals with reports of potentially illegal internet content, such as websites, newsgroups and online groups that contain: images of child abuse anywhere in the world; adult material that potentially breaches the Obscene Publications Act in the UK; and criminally racist material in the UK.One measure of the success of this self-regulatory approach is that less than 2 per cent. of the illegal content reported to the IWF relates to material hosted in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when Ofgem will publish the outcome of its consultation on transmission investment and renewable generation. [156618]

I understand that Ofgem expects to publish the outcome of this consultation in April, together with a proposed timetable for taking work forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in the Normanton constituency live within a mile of a post office following the Post Office closure programme by Post Office Ltd.; and if she will make a statement. [159604]

Post Office Ltd. is committed to ensuring that at the end of the urban reinvention programme nationally 95 per cent. of the urban population will still live within one mile of a post office and the majority within half a mile. This information is not collected, however, for each constituency.In the case of Normanton constituency four offices are to close under Post Office Ltd.'s urban reinvention programme. All have alternative offices within 1 mile.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products. [159146]

I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 10 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1542–543W.Within the framework of this overall approach, DTI is contributing towards encouraging environmental innovation through public procurement in a number of ways, including:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2004, Official Report, column 1180W, on radioactive waste, what her policy is on making Nirex independent of the industry. [160680]

The review of Nirex announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 July 2003 is not yet complete. Government decisions on Nirex will be informed by the outcome of the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the reasons underlying the percentage target for energy from renewable sources. [161006]

The Government's energy policy sets out four main goals:

In line with the royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's (RCEP's) recommendation, to work towards cutting emissions of carbon dioxide by some 60 per cent. by around 2050,

To maintain the reliability of energy supplies.

To promote competitive energy markets in the UK and beyond.

To ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

Renewable forms of energy will play a key role in helping us to meet these goals. In January 2000, the Government announced their intention to set a target of 10 per cent. of UK electricity from renewables by 2010, subject to the costs being acceptable to the consumer. The target was set at a level considered to be challenging and yet achievable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with (a) the utility companies, (b) ministerial colleagues and (c) local regeneration agencies on undergrounding power lines in the Thames Gateway. [160005]

The Department of Trade and Industry is fully committed to regeneration and growth in the Thames Gateway and are aware that it contains an unusual concentration of overhead power lines. My officials have been working closely with ODPM, other Government Departments and the local regeneration agencies to consider whether some of these might be undergrounded or re-routed. They have also had meetings with the utility company responsible for most of the lines involved and with developers working in the Gateway. Ministers have been kept regularly informed of progress and have had discussions with counterparts in other Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost of undergrounding power lines in the Thames Gateway; and what resources she has made available to help with the cost of undergrounding power lines in the major development sites in the Thames Gateway. [160006]

Discussions regarding estimates of the costs of undergrounding some sections of the power lines in the Thames Gateway have been taking place between developers working in the Gateway and the utility companies involved. These discussions are continuing. The Department of Trade and Industry has no provision for the cost of undergrounding lines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her strategy is for undergrounding power cables on the major development sites in the Thames Gateway. [160007]

Undergrounding is one of the options being considered for power lines in the Thames Gateway. Others include re-routeing and keeping lines in situ. The developers working on the major sites in the Gateway are preparing an analysis of those sections of line where they consider undergrounding to be important. As soon as this is available it will be discussed with the various Government bodies involved and the relevant utility companies. This approach will enable a more strategic view to be taken across the Gateway than an approach based on ad hoc consideration of the position on individual sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will investigate how far away wind turbines are required to be sited from houses in (a) Denmark, (b) Germany and (c) the United States to avoid the risk of ill effects on their inhabitants, and then report to Parliament the implications for the United Kingdom. [159896]

[holding answer 11 March 2004]: We are investigating availability of the information requested with the International Energy Agency and will provide a response once received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures his Department is taking to prepare education institutions for the implementation of the parts of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which come into effect later this year. [160690]

[holding answer 11 March 2004]: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) makes provision in Part 2 about discrimination in the employment field; in Part 3 about discrimination by providers of goods, facilities and services to the public or a section of the public; in Part 4 about discrimination in the education field (Chapter 1 deals with schools and Chapter 2 with Further and Higher Education); and Part 5 about public transport.The DDA will shortly be amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 ("the 2003 Regulations") coming into force on I October 2004. These Regulations largely implement the requirements of the disability strand of the Employment Directive (Directive 2000/78/EC). Substantial amendments are made to Part 2 of the DDA, and also in one area of Part 3, namely that of employment services. The 2003 Regulations do not, however, implement the Directive's requirements in relation to qualifications, vocational guidance and vocational training insofar as those requirements impact on areas covered by Part 4 of the DDA. Separate Regulations implementing the Directive in relation to Part 4 will be made by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in due course. Therefore, with regard to the 2003 Regulations, educational institutions, as providers of education, will not be affected by the changes which come into force on 1 October 2004.The DDA was amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA), which largely addresses the requirements of the Employment Directive in relation to vocational training in education institutions. The next amendment under SENDA, in relation to education, is not due for implementation until 2005 when a duty in further and higher education regarding 'premises' comes into force. At this point only the implementation of the DDA Part 3 affecting premises of service providers (but excluding education institutions) will remain. DIES will consult on any proposed changes needed to bring the Employment Directive fully into effect, but will not bring those amendments in before the final SENDA provisions are implemented in 2005.The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for taking measures to prepare employers for the changes under part 2 of the DDA.