To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the Arctic campaign veterans, who do not qualify for the Atlantic Star due to length of service restrictions receive some recognition of their service. [162158]

All armed forces personnel who completed 28 days' operational service were eligible to receive the War Medal 1939–45. This included service on the convoys to Northern Russia. Any service curtailed by death, injury or capture also qualified for the award. There will always be those who fail to meet the qualifying period for a campaign medal for some reason or another. This does not signify that their service is not appreciated nor justify the institution of an alternative award.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what initiatives have been taken by AWE Aldermaston to diversify out of nuclear warhead research, development and production. [161756]

AWE plc maintains a regular dialogue with industry and academia to encourage, within security constraints, beneficial exchanges and collaboration aimed at optimising its ability to meet its core mission of nuclear warhead research, development, production, in-service support and disposal. AWE plc's expertise in nuclear weapons inevitably has wider application; and the performance of core work can result in spin-off technology that has utility in industry and society at large. Beyond this, it is not AWE plc's function within its contract with the MOD to diversify out of the core business it is required to undertake.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2004, Official Report, column 1460–61W on Sea King helicopters, when he will write in reply to the hon. Member for St. Ives. [162219]

It has taken some time to collate the detailed information requested by the hon. Member. The work is now complete and will write to him shortly and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each of the armed forces tested positive for the use of controlled substances in the calendar year 2003 (a) as a proportion of those tested and (b) broken down by substance. [161305]

The number of personnel who tested positive for use of a controlled substance in the year 2003 expressed as a proportion of those tested, and number of substances detected is as follows (the number of drugs identified is greater than the number of individuals who test positive where an individual tests positive for more than one drug):

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the policy of instructing submarine crews to share rollneck jumpers and foul-weather suits was initiated by staff in his Department; and for what reasons; [161827](2) what estimate he has made of the effect on

There is no policy that submarine crews are to share rollneck jumpers and there has been no reduction in the allocation of foul-weather clothing suits. On the contrary, a programme is in place to increase the number of sets of foul-weather clothing suits issued.We have not estimated the savings that might accrue from adopting a policy of sharing personal clothing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total annual cost of his Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159513]

The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. Direct expenditure on these in the financial year 2003–04 was as follows:

To ask the Leader of the House if he will propose the creation of a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament to examine the draft Single European Currency (Referendum) Bill. [160765]

No.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much grant allocation for the civil defence grant he retained in each financial year since 1997; [161377](2) if he will list the

Since 2002–03, £100,000 has been retained at the start of the financial year specifically to be allocated as Discretionary Grant to support special projects and events related to the local authority emergency planning functions that are of benefit to the wider emergency planning community.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information he collects on the percentage of annual staffing costs spent on training in the civil service. [162086]

The bulk of training in the civil service is carried out at Departmental level and information on costs incurred is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the present work programme of Lord Birt. [162371]

The position remains as set out in the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 11 March 2003, Official Report, column 214W.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will instruct the office to maintain centrally expenditure figures for all Government Department websites. [159521]

Individual Government Departments are responsible for the management and content of their websites and as such information regarding expenditure is not held centrally. There are no plans to hold such information centrally at the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact on developing countries of each of the options for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy sugar regime set out in the European Commission's working paper Reforming the European Union's sugar policy. [161504]

The UK Government support the European Commission's view that the extension of the current regime beyond 2006 (the status quo' option) is unsustainable given a range of both internal and external pressures. However, the issues are complex in developmental terms as any change to such a highly distorted regime will bring about losers as well as winners. This complexity is amplified by the divergence of interests among those developing countries with and those without preferential access to the European Union sugar market. DFID is working closely with other Government Departments to examine the implications for developing countries of the three options for reform set out by the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the aid given to UNHCR to assist in the care and resettlement of West African refugees, with particular reference to those in Guinea; and what recent sums have been allocated. [161947]

DFID has recently committed £1.5 million to programmes of assistance to refugees in Guinea. In response to the UN's Consolidated Appeal for Guinea for 2004, we have provided £500,000 to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for care and assistance of Liberian refugees, and £500,000 to UNICEF for a primary health care project aimed at refugees and other vulnerable populations. In addition, we have contributed £500,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2004 Appeal for assistance to vulnerable populations, including refugees, in Guinea.

To ask the Prime Minister whether Sir David King currently has to secure approval for media statements he wishes to make. [162372]

No.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on evidential deficiency in the Katharine Gun case. [162136]

The decision to offer no further evidence against Katharine Gun was made by the Crown Prosecution Service as an independent prosecuting authority. It was made solely on legal grounds and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.There was, in the Gun case, a clear prima facie breach of section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989. However, senior treasury counsel advised that there was no longer a realistic prospect of convicting Ms Gun. The Director of Public Prosecutions agreed. The evidential deficiency arose from the prosecution's inability, within the current statutory framework, to disprove the defence of necessity in this case.

To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment she has made of the effects of the new test of reasonableness introduced into the law of consent on the number of convictions of those guilty of rape. [162140]

The Government introduced the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as one of a number of steps to improve the conviction rate for rape. Under the new Act, the test will be whether a person has a reasonable belief that the victim consented taking into account all the circumstances, including any steps he took to ascertain whether the victim consented. The Government believe that this will have an impact on rape trials because the defendant must be certain that there is consent to the sexual activity at the time in question.We expect the Act will to come into force in May.

To ask the Solicitor-General what further plans she has to assist small businesses in combating fraud. [162142]

The Serious Fraud Office will be addressing the Federation of Small Businesses at their conference in Blackpool on 19 March on the subject of 'Preventing fraud in your business'.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government grant went to the new bus interchange at Chorley; and what percentage of the cost this represented. [161531]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1131W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the UK population (a) owned a car 20 years ago and (b) own a car today. [162039]

Surveys show the proportion of households in GB owning one or more cars rising from 60 per cent. in 1981 to 74 per cent. of all households in 2001, the latest year for which this information is published.This corresponds to 27 cars per hundred people in 1981 and 42 cars per hundred people in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the Montague Report on Crossrail. [162075]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the Crossrail project; [162442](2) how much public money will be spent on the Crossrail project; [162448](3) what plans there are for the cost of tickets on Crossrail services; [162456](4) what the total cost of the Crossrail project is expected to be. [162464]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, is currently considering Adrian Montague's detailed advice on Crossrail and will publish his findings in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on numbers of cycle journeys should cycle helmets be made compulsory. [159106]

My Department commissioned research on the effectiveness of cycle helmets, including the relative risk of injury to cyclists with and without helmets, by way of a literature review, and this was published in November 2002 (Road Safety Research Report No. 30), a copy of which was placed in the Library. The conclusion from the review was that helmets have been found to be effective at reducing the incidence and severity of head, brain and upper facial injury, particularly for children. The report also concludes that there is evidence that compulsory helmet wearing may discourage some bicyclists leading to decreased bicycle use.In addition to the periodic monitoring we carry out of the wearing rates for cycling helmets, we plan to initiate further research to explore the possible relationship between cycling casualties and cycling levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the review of operations at Heathrow to establish the practicality and impact of mixed mode operation will include a review of existing noise preferential departure routes. [161368]

The further work announced in "The Future Development of Air Transport White Paper", which includes consideration of how to make the most of Heathrow's existing two runways, may involve review of some existing noise preferential departure routes, but the extent to which this may be necessary will only become clear as the work proceeds. Noise preferential routes may in future need to be reviewed in any event in the light of the "Single Sky" proposals. Any changes which might have a significant effect on the level or distribution of noise and emissions would require prior consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government has for new high speed rail lines. [162469]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) and for Luton, North (Mr. Hopkins) on 9 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1407–08W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries have been recorded as a result of accidents involving motorised scooters in 2003. [162007]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of Network Rail. [162461]

Network Rail is a private company and, subject to its regulatory regime, its future activities are a matter for the company to determine rather than my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) for how long the Government expect to continue subsidising Network Rail; [162462](2) what Government subsidies are given to rail operators, other than those which are given to Network Rail. [162463]

The Strategic Rail Authority provides financial support for passenger and freight operating companies as well as to Network Rail, The Department for Transport also makes grant payments to London and Continental Railways Ltd. in respect of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Full details of this support is set out in the SRA's Annual Report and in National Rail Trends. Copies of these publications are in the Library of the House.Forecast future Government support for the rail industry is set out in the progress report on the "Transport 10 Year Plan" which was published by the Department in December 2002. These forecasts are being reviewed and updated as part of the 2004 spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many powered two-wheeler users involved in accidents were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured during 2003; and if he will make a statement. [161671]

The figures for 2003 are not yet available. In 2002, 609 Two-Wheeled Motor Vehicle users were killed and 6,891 seriously injured. These statistics have been published in "Road Casualties Great Britain 2002—Annual Report", a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many (a) solely state-financed and (b) public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible have been launched in each region in each of the last 10 years; [160965](2) how much was spent by

An analysis of transport spending (including current spending) is published in Chapter 8 of Public Expenditure and Statistical Analysis (PESA) 2003 on the Treasury website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media//C6E3A7pesa_03_indexed.pdf.In respect of road projects, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) on 11 March 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what publicity campaigns his Department has planned to encourage more people to use public transport. [162038]

Publicity campaigns to encourage use of public transport are generally taken forward by individual transport operators. The Department has focused on the provision of better transport information and in increasing consumer choice in our publicity campaigns. We have promoted "traveline", a public information number giving route and timetable information for journeys by bus, coach, train, tram, ferry and metro and will shortly be launching and promoting "Transport Direct" an interactive journey planner covering all major forms of transport.Last September, the Department, together with the Department for Education, also announced a school travel campaign aimed at tackling congestion around the school run. This involves substantial funding to allow local authorities to recruit school travel advisers and publication of an 'Action Plan' to help schools promote safe and healthy travel to school. In addition, we have also worked with consumer and lifestyle press to stimulate publicity on school travel, encouraging alternatives to the use of the car.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the stations at which selective door opening is permitted (a) under grandfather rights and (b) since privatisation; [161528](2) for what reasons stations at which selective door opening is permitted under grandfather rights for certain types of rolling stock cannot be extended to other rolling stock fitted with a suitable door control mechanism; [161529](3) for what reasons new trains fitted with selective door opening systems are only permitted to use these if the driver cabs are fitted with GPS. [161530](4) for what reasons train drivers are required to use GPS in addition to visual checks to establish their location on station platforms.[161773]

The Strategic Rail Authority is preparing a list of stations where selective door opening is permitted, a copy of which will be placed in the House Library shortly. All cases of selective door opening have been introduced since privatisation.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that rolling stock fitted with selective door opening is permitted to stop at stations with short platforms, provided the train operator sets out how the risks associated with selective door opening usage will be managed.The HSE does not require that train operators using selective door opening make use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). However, I understand that, on there own initiative, South Central Trains and South East Trains are currently using GPS technology in automatic selective door opening pilot trials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries there were in road traffic accidents in (i) North East Lincolnshire, (ii) North Lincolnshire and (iii) Lincolnshire in each year since 1997.[162580]

The information requested is in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require Safety Camera Partnerships to release funding for local road safety projects, with particular reference to the police-led BikeSafe initiative; and if he will make a statement. [161656]

Receipts from speed camera fines in areas participating in the safety camera cost recovery scheme may be used only on the installation and operation of approved safety camera installations. BikeSafe is not exclusively a speed or safety camera related issue and therefore falls outside the remit of the cost recovery scheme. The rules of the scheme are kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his oral answer of 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 615 and the answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 993W, on speed cameras, if he will make a statement on the use that has been made of the revenue from speed cameras in Southend. [160795]

[holding answer 12 March 2004]: Receipts from speed camera fines in areas participating in the safety camera cost recovery scheme may be used only on the installation and operation of approved safety camera installations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of fees from speed cameras in Suffolk was reinvested in road safety measures in each of the last five years. [161229]

Suffolk has been participating in the safety camera cost recovery scheme since April 2003. Receipts from safety camera fines resulting in areas participating in the scheme may be used only for the installation and operation of approved safety camera installations, with other investment in road safety measures being funded within local authorities and national road programmes. Fine receipts beyond the costs of safety camera installations are passed to the Consolidated Fund. Before Suffolk joined the cost recovery scheme in April 2003, all fine revenue from camera activity was passed to the Consolidated Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were receiving funding from the Carers Grant (a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [161929]

I have been asked to reply.The Carers Grant, which was introduced in 1999–2000, gives money to local councils to support them in providing short breaks for carers. Data are not available for the first year of the grant. Figures for 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2002–03 have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department (a) in 1997 and (b) since 2002–03, broken down by each category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [162395]

The Department treats very seriously any suspicion of misuse of computer systems by staff and takes firm action in any cases that arise. All such cases, if proven, result in disciplinary action being taken against the offender leading to either a disciplinary penalty or dismissal.Data relating to 1997 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Tables provided as follows detail the number of cases formally investigated and proven by category for 2002–03 and 2003–04. All these cases have resulted in, or are in the process of having disciplinary action taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on reducing his Department's sickness absence rate; what baseline figure was used to assess his Department's compliance with its Public Service Agreement target on reducing sickness rates; what the rate was in each of the last seven years; and if he will make a statement. [162388]

The Department for Work and Pensions has a Service Delivery Agreement for reducing sickness absence. This is nine days over the year to December 2004 and 8.5 days over the year to December 2005, as interim targets towards the key indicator of eight days to 2006. The Department is committed to increasing its level of attendance to meet this challenge.To secure improvements the Department has launched a managing attendance strategy that combines a policy drawn from recognised best practice, with initiatives targeting specific areas. The initiatives include the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list information technology contracts in his Department with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been. [146196]

This question covers periods prior to the establishment in June 2001 of the Department for Work and Pensions, formed from the Employment Service (ES) and the Department for Social Security (DSS).This information relates to contractual arrangements made by the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as the former ES and DSS.On the question of de-bugging, the view is that no system is completely free of "bugs". However, the Department deals with these according to priority, working in partnership with private sector providers to eradicate on an on-going basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his policy that a person who has been offered a job subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks is available for work for the purpose of Jobseeker's Allowance. [162213]

Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) provides financial support to jobseekers during periods of unemployment. The main conditions for receiving JSA therefore concentrate on the requirement to be actively seeking and available for work.A customer who has been offered employment, and is awaiting the outcome of Criminal Records Bureau checks, must continue to satisfy these and other conditions of entitlement in order to receive JSA. Customers can however restrict their availability for the period in question by making themselves available for temporary work only, pending the result of the check.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of people in employment and aged between (a) 18 and 25, (b) 25 and 40, (c) 40 and 55 and (d) 55 and 65 are in active membership of an occupational pension scheme; [161207](2) what proportion of those aged between 18 and 65 in employment are in active membership of occupational pension schemes. [161228]

The information available is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of current member-nominated trustees of occupational pension schemes are (a) in receipt of pension benefits from that scheme, (b) managers employed by the company sponsoring the scheme and (c) trade union representatives. [161208]

According to the Employers' Pension Provision survey 2000, about 6 per cent. of pension scheme trustees are in receipt of a pension from the scheme. The remaining information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those aged between 18 and 65 in employment are in active membership of occupational pension schemes where the employer makes a contribution beyond that in respect of any national insurance rebates. [161227]

Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is given in Table 5.22 of Employers Pension Provision Survey 2000 (DWP Research Report No. 163), a copy of which is available in the Library.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners pursuant to his answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1633W, on parish priest salaries, how many parish priests were employed in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04. [162473]

In 1997 there were 9,243 clergy in post in parishes. In 2002 the equivalent figure was 8,503. Figures for 2003 will be available shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships were awarded in each of the last three years, broken down by country of origin of students. [161945]

Numbers of Chevening scholarships awarded in the last three years have been: 2,285 in 2000–01, 2,284 in 2001–02, 2,390 in 2002–03. In each year the scholars were drawn from more than 150 countries, territories and regions. I will send the breakdown by country to the hon. Member, and I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to enable students who are exiled from their own country to be able to bid for Chevening scholarships. [161946]

While candidates for Chevening scholarships are normally required to apply in their countries of origin and to return there after completing their studies, we would not exclude applications from candidates who are outside their countries of origin. All applications are considered on their merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Colombian Government fulfils its duty to provide secure working conditions for national and international human rights and humanitarian organisations in Colombia. [160001]

We fully support the work of national and international NGOs and humanitarian organisations in Colombia. The London Declaration of July 2003 and Conclusions on Colombia at the most recent meeting of the European General Affairs and External Relations Council in January 2004 both highlight the vital role played by civil society in that country. We have also funded four human rights defender posts in areas of Colombia worst affected by the conflict. Their work is vital in ensuring that human rights and humanitarian organisations have secure working conditions. Our embassy in Bogota is in regular contact with the offices of the Vice-President and the Human Rights Ombudsman, and regularly raises with both of them specific cases of threats to, and harassment of, NGOs working in Colombia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the statement by the Colombian President, on the activities of the lawyers' collective, Jose Alvear Restrepo. [160002]

The UK has highlighted the vital role of NGOs in Colombia on many occasions, including in the London Declaration of July 2003, and successive conclusions of the European General Affairs and External Relations Council. Such statements call on the Colombian Government to respect the work of civil society and to provide adequate protection and security for those working in such organisations. Regarding the Colectivo de Abogados Jose Alvear Restrepo (CDAJAR), we have great respect for the work of this organisation. The Deputy Head of Mission at our embassy in Bogota last called on them on 4 March 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 19 January with regard to Mrs. M. Sam. [161806]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 16 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Small Business and Enterprise from the hon. and learned Member for Harborough dated 4 August 2003 on behalf of Mr. G. Costello of Oadby, which was forwarded to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade by the Department of Trade and Industry on 5 August 2003. [162351]

A reply has now been sent to the hon. and learned Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent surveys have been conducted into the refugee situation in Guinea; what conclusions he has drawn; and if he will make a statement. [161948]

The UN Organisation for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Government of Guinea have recently carried out a survey of refugees around the GuineanIvorian border. The UN OCHA has recommended that the humanitarian agencies and Guinean Government produce a co-ordinated assessment of the entire refugee problem. The findings from this should inform a wider strategy for refugees and lead to the creation of a National Humanitarian Action Plan.The UK has committed £1.5 million to Guinea through the Consolidated Appeal Process, split between the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the United Nations Children Fund and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Law Officers have taken to secure the strengthening of international law relating to justifiable intervention in tyrannical regimes; and if he will make a statement. [162137]

The Law Officers have taken no recent steps in this area, which is primarily the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.Under international law, force may be used provided that its use is in exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence as recognised in Article 51 of the UN Charter; or is authorised by the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter; or—in exceptional circumstances—is the only way to avert an overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe.The Government put forward proposals in 1999 to assist the Security Council in reaching decisions on when intervention is justified on humanitarian grounds. Although agreement was not reached in the Security Council at that time, we have continued to take an active part in an international debate on this issue and regularly discuss it with partners. There have been many other contributions to this debate, notably by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty in its report "The Responsibility to Protect".In this context, we welcome the UN Secretary-General's decision to set up a High Level Panel to review how the UN can respond more effectively to threats to international peace and security, including considering whether any institutional changes are required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people employed by private security companies (a) on behalf of the coalition in Iraq and (b) by the United Kingdom in Iraq. [161989]

Around 215 people are employed by private security companies on behalf of the Government in Iraq. We have not estimated the number of people employed by private security companies on behalf of the coalition as a whole in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the employment practices are of the Veterinary directorate in Iraq; whether known opponents of the former regime are excluded for political reasons; and if he will make a statement. [162209]

The employment practices of the Iraqi veterinary directorate in the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture are a matter for the Iraqi Minister of Agriculture.We have used our influence, however, to ensure that there are safeguards in law for Iraqi employees. The Transitional Administrative Law agreed by the Iraqi Governing Council on 8 March 2004 enshrines the equality of all Iraqis and forbids discrimination on the basis of gender, nationality, religion or origin. It also establishes the right to form and join trade unions and the right to demonstrate and to strike peaceably. We are discussing with representatives from the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions how the Government can best help the growth of the Trades Union Movement in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to maximise UN involvement in (a) the administration of Iraq and (b) the development of constitutional arrangements for an autonomous Kurdish region within an overall federal solution. [162191]

United Nation's Security Council Resolutions 1483 and 1511 envisaged a major role for the UN in building a secure future for Iraq. In particular, they mandated the UN to co-ordinate humanitarian and reconstruction assistance and to work with the Coalition Provisional Authority and the people of Iraq in developing new representative systems of government. We strongly support the re-engagement of the UN in Iraq and stand ready with our coalition partners to provide security for UN personnel and premises. We believe the UN has a vital role to play in helping to forge a consensus among Iraqis on the best way to establish an Interim Government after 30 June 2004 and in preparing for elections in early 2005.Federal issues are a matter for Iraqis to decide, including the degree of UN involvement. They will do so in the Transitional National Assembly to be elected in early 2005 and in a referendum on the draft constitution due later that year. The Transitional Administrative Law agreed by the Iraqi Governing Council on March 8 2004 recognises the administrative and legislative functions of the Kurdistan Regional Government. It also enshrines the principle that any federal system will not be based on ethnic or sectarian lines. But it leaves the final form of any federal structure to Iraqi democratic institutions to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why there is no UK embassy in Kyrgyzstan; and if he will make a statement. [162393]

We regret that financial constraints currently prevent the opening of an embassy in Kyrgyzstan. However, we still hope to appoint a locally-engaged member of staff from our embassy in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to the DflD office in Bishkek.We have had to contend with competing demands across the Former Soviet Union where we have sought to expand operations in virtually all aspects of mission activity, including counter-narcotics co-operation, good governance, and aid. This increased activity has severely stretched our budgets.In the meantime, we will continue to give our ambassador and his staff in Almaty all the help and support we can to complement the sterling efforts they are making.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what date the Citizen Information Project feasibility study was submitted to Ministers; when he expects the Office for National Statistics to publish the full text of the study; what the reason is for the delay in publication; and if he will make a statement; [162391](2) what form public consultation on the Citizen Information Project proposals will take; and on what timescale. [162392]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the General Registrar for England and Wales, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in Chorley since 1997. [161447]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers there are with an income of less than (a) £5,000, (b) £10,000, (c) £15,000, (d) £20,000, (e) 23,000 and (f) £30,500. [161985]

I refer my right hon. Friend to table 2.5 on the Inland Revenue website http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table-25.pdf.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average first-time earner's tax liability was in each of their first three years of paying income tax over the last five years. [161986](2) what the total income tax proceeds from first-time earners was in the last fiscal year for which figures are available. [161987]

I regret that the information requested is not available.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when his Department expects to publish the monitoring report on application of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information for 2003; and what plans he has to publicise the report on its publication. [161178]

The Government hope to be in a position to publish the monitoring report for the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information for the year 2003 by August 2004.As in previous years, the publication of the monitoring report will be publicised by way of an announcement in both Houses together with a press release and will be available in full on the Department for Constitutional Affairs' website.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) if he will make it his policy to bring forward amendments to the Data Protection Act 1998 (a) to prevent the Information Commissioner from profiting from the actions of bogus collectors and (b) to enable the Information Commissioner to take legal action against unauthorised collections; [159790](2) pursuant to his answers of 3 March 2004, references 157599 and 157589, how many of the successful legal actions were

The Commissioner does not profit from the actions of bogus collectors. His office is funded by government grant. It is a requirement of the Data Protection Act 1998 that all fees and other sums received by him in the exercise of his functions under the Act shall be paid to the Secretary of State, who in turn is required to pay them into the Consolidated Fund.There are no current plans to amend the 1998 Act to enable the Commissioner to take legal action against unauthorised collectors, but the matter will be kept under review. The prosecuting authority depends on the type of legal action pursued and can be the Office of Fair Trading, Local Trading Standards Department or the Police.I understand that there have to date been five successful legal actions initiated against these companies: four civil and one criminal. In the civil actions, the Office of Fair Trading has obtained final injunctions against companies and individuals under the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations. It has also obtained written assurances (in lieu of court action) from 14 other individuals and companies that they would no longer be involved with the publication of misleading advertisements about data protection notification services. The criminal action involved a prosecution initiated by Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Service against a company and its director under section 14 of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Fines totalling £3,500 were imposed, plus £850 in prosecution costs.Section 16 of the 1998 Act sets out the "registrable particulars" which must be included in a valid application for notification. The Commissioner's own application form asks data controllers to indicate whether they consider that they are exempt but have decided to notify voluntarily. As this question is not mandatory, the Commissioner would not and could not refuse to accept an application simply because the question had not been answered. The applications submitted by the agencies do not include this non-mandatory question.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the fines officers working in the pilot enforcement programmes in (a) Cambridgeshire, (b) Cheshire, (c) Cumbria, (d)Devon and Cornwall, (e)Gloucester and (f) South Yorkshire implementing the Courts Act 2003 have been informed about the procedures covering vulnerable situations set out on page nine of the National Standards for Enforcement Agents issued by the Lord Chancellor's Department in April 2002. [161785]

All Fines Officers in the local pilots areas have been recruited from existing staff, to whom the National Standards for Enforcement Agents was issued in May 2002. This guidance, together with general guidance ("Transfer of responsibility for warrant execution: Guidance notes", chapter 7 "Vulnerable people") issued by the then Lord Chancellor's Department in March 2001, will also be drawn to the attention of any new recruits—including fines officers, court clerks and enforcement agents, as part of their induction training. It is also included in follow-up training.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of the Department's legal aid budget has been spent in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years. [161891]

There are separate budgets for legal aid in England and Wales (which is managed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs) and Northern Ireland (which is managed by the Northern Ireland Court Service). During the years 1998–99 to 2001–02 expenditure on legal aid was as follows.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many posts have been advertised by the Northern Ireland Court Service in the last five years; and how many were reserved, broken down by grade equivalent in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. [160334]

Posts advertised in the last five years may be broken down as follows:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs who in the Northern Ireland Court Service has responsibility for determining whether posts should be reserved. [160335]

The Human Resource Manager is responsible for determining whether posts within the Northern Ireland Court Service should be reserved.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the grade equivalent in the Northern Ireland Civil Service is of post of audit manager for the Northern Ireland Court Service as advertised in competition PB/1/04. [160336]

The equivalent grade of audit manager in the Northern Ireland Civil Service is Deputy Principal.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what grounds it is stated that the post of audit manager for the Northern Ireland Court Service is a reserved post from which Irish nationals are excluded in competition PB/1/04. [160337]

The post of audit manager in the Northern Ireland Court Service is reserved in accordance with the Civil Service Nationality Rules on the grounds, inter alia, that the post involves significant contact with the judiciary and access to sensitive information—for example, the personal records of the judiciary.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs according to what guidance the Northern Ireland Court Service reserves posts; and if he will place a copy of that guidance in the Library. [160339]

Posts in the Northern Ireland Court Service are designated as reserved or non-reserved in accordance with the Civil Service Nationality Rules—Guidance on Checking Eligibility. The guidance may be located at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/civilservice/nationality/contents.asp.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total annual cost of his Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159516]

The information requested is listed as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was given by (a) the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, (b) the Rural Enterprise Scheme and (c) landfill tax to village halls in each of their years of operation. [159677]

Only very partial information is available. I list such information as we have:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she is required to take into account the application of the precautionary principle in assessing the need to make orders under section 29 of the Animal Health Act 1981 to reduce the risk to human health of any disease or organism carried in animals. [157948]

Although there is no universally accepted definition, the Government are committed to using the precautionary principle, which is included in the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The precautionary principle is one of 10 principles that guide the Government's approach to sustainable development, on which Defra takes the lead. The outline Animal Health and Welfare Strategy issued last July also confirmed that all Government decisions on animal health and welfare should be guided by the precautionary principle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2004, Official Report, column 380W on badgers, what numerical value she attributes to the phrase a few kilometres; and whether badgers forage from setts a few kilometres outside Krebs areas into farms within those areas and evade trapping. [157947]

It is difficult to attach a numerical value to the distance travelled by foraging badgers as it will vary considerably. Badgers normally forage within their social group territory limits, and the distance they travel to do so will depend on the size of the territory, which will be determined by the availability of food and the quality of the habitat.It is possible that badgers from social groups occupying setts outside Randomised Badger Culling Trial areas could forage on farms within them. If they did, they might or might not be captured during trapping operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which badger lobby groups are representative of broader public opinion. [158289]

The recent review of badger licensing procedures was subject of a public consultation to ensure that everyone with an interest in badgers had the opportunity to contribute their views. Furthermore, as part of this exercise, the Department surveyed the views and experiences of 300 randomly selected people who had applied for a licence under the Protection of Badgers Act, 1992 in the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of badgers killed in road traffic accidents in each of the last five years; and what measures are being taken to reduce the rate. [158329]

There are no figures currently available for the number of badgers killed each year on roads. The most widely quoted estimate, of 50,000 animals each year¹, relates to the 1980s, but road casualties are probably broadly similar today.A four-year pilot project (called 'Mammals on Roads') is currently under way. This aims to carry out a national road kill survey of selected mammal species (including badgers), calibrating road kill numbers with species abundance in various habitats and assessing the power of the survey to detect population change. In the project's June 2003 newsletter, it is reported that in 2001 and 2002 approximately four dead badgers were reported for every 1,000 miles of road surveyed. For more information on the project visit the Tracking Mammals Partnership website at: www.jncc.gov.uk/species/mammals/trackingmammals.Advice and guidelines for road builders on how to minimise road casualties are given in the Highways Agency publication:"Design manual for roads and bridges" Volume 10— Environmental Design and Management, Section 4— Nature Conservation, HA 59/92—Mitigating against effects on badgers.The manual is available online at: www.official-documents.co.uk/document/deps/ha/dmrb/index.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of whether TB-diseased badgers bathing in cattle water troughs is a mechanism of TB transmission. [158336]

There is no evidence that badgers bathe in cattle water troughs, although ongoing research by the Central Science Laboratory indicates that they may drink from them. This research, which will report to Defra in December 2005, will indicate the relative frequency with which badgers visit cattle water troughs, and at what times of year, as a first step towards identifying their role in the risk of transmission of M. bovis from badgers to cattle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of disease in the wild (a) badger and (b) deer population she classes as tolerable. [158339]

It is not currently known what level of infection in either badgers or deer constitutes a threat to their welfare, or a risk to cattle. Consequently, it is not possible to identify a 'tolerable' level in these terms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what new advice she will give to farmers on the (a) design and (b) positioning of cattle feed troughs following discovery that badgers can access troughs previously thought inaccessible. [157934]

Changes in trough design might be appropriate. Recent work has established that badgers are capable of climbing into feed troughs set at 115cm above ground level, at which height they are inaccessible to cattle. It is also difficult to position troughs so that only cattle can access them, unless they are inside badger-proof buildings. Possibly troughs could be suspended from the ceilings of buildings to deny access by badgers. However, the purpose of many troughs is to provide supplementary feed to cattle at pasture, so badgers are likely to be able to access them wherever they are positioned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the costs of reducing TB in the wildlife reservoir to a level where it is no longer epidemiologically significant. [157937]

We have not made any estimate of the cost of reducing TB in the wildlife reservoir to a level where it is no longer epidemiologically significant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate was of the total number of badgers which would be killed during the full implementation of the Krebs trials. [157942]

The Krebs Report suggested that some 12,500 badgers might be taken during a five-year trial, based on the assumption that average badger density is around 5/km². The second report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB stated that this figure was likely to be an overestimate, based on experience from the Randomised Culling Trial up to that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incidences have occurred of multiple TB breakdowns in cattle herds on farms neighbouring badger sanctuaries. [158290]

We have insufficient information to answer the question. Defra does not keep a record of the location of badger sanctuaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the closed season adopted in the Krebs trials affected the success rate of the trapping operation. [158292]

In its first report (published July 1998), the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB recommended the introduction of a closed season in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, and advised: "Although a closed season from 1 February to 30 April will delay the reactive response to some positive herd tests carried out in the winter, we are confident that the scientific rigour of the trial will be maintained". The Government accepted the Group's recommendation.It is not possible to assess the impact that the closed season has had on the success rate of the trapping operation, as there are no control data with which to draw a comparison.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of whether radical changes in farming practices would affect the carrying capacity of the badger habitat, with particular reference to (a) reduction in livestock farming and (b) crops. [158293]

We are not aware of any such assessment having been undertaken.In the report "Changes in the British badger population, 1988 to 1997"

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 523W, on badgers, whether the quantification of bird remains in badger dung takes into account the limited seasonal availability to badgers of ground nesting birds; and whether the proportion of bird remains found in fresh badger dung is different between March and June. [158588]

The quantification of bird remains in the diet of the badger mentioned in the answer of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 523W, does not specifically take into account the seasonality of bird remains in the dung of the badger. The data concerned were collated from already published studies, many of which did not contain sufficient detail to enable such an analysis. Furthermore, it is difficult to come to conclusions regarding the seasonality of bird predation from examining remains in dung as this method cannot differentiate between predation and the scavenging of carcasses.Defra is currently funding research on badger predation on ground nesting birds. The project involves a review of current knowledge and intensive field investigations to assess the extent of predation by badgers. The project, which is being undertaken by the Central Science Laboratory, will report its findings in March 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, columns 216–17W, on bovine TB, what the approval requirements are which farmers must meet in order to qualify for multiple pick-up authorisation. [158590]

The conditions under which multiple pick-ups may take place are set out in Annex B of the General Licences for the Movement of Cattle. The licence can be found on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/movements/documents/ default. htm.An inspection is carried out to ensure that the requirements of the licence can be met. The inspection is carried out either by animal health officers, veterinary officers, temporary veterinary inspectors or local veterinary inspectors and is at Defra's expense.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she collates on the prevalence of bovine TB in other countries where there is a significant dairy or beef industry. [158600]

Defra has access to the official TB prevalence data routinely submitted by other countries to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and other organisations with an interest in this field.