To ask the Leader of the House what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on buildings (i) owned and (ii) rented by his office were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each [163953]

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons was established in June 2003 and does not own or rent building space.The Privy Council Office provides the office with accommodation at 2 Carlton Gardens, and it is responsible for all renovation and maintenance projects.

To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many staff his Office employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Office paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 to the most recent date for which figures are available; [158253](2) if he will list the employment agencies which his office has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163811]

The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons was established in June 2003 and the information is set out in the list below.Staff are employed through employment agencies on a temporary basis to cover vacancies during recruitment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the effect of fees charged for the migration of broadband customers on (a) competitiveness in telecommunications and (b) broadband take-up. [162057]

According to Oftel's "International benchmarking study of Internet access (dial-up and broadband)" for October 2003, the percentage growth in broadband subscriber numbers in the UK remains strong. The UK market is more competitive in terms of service providers and infrastructure competition than either France or Germany. Although take-up in the UK is behind other countries benchmarked, this is at least partly explained by the later launch date of broadband in the UK and the availability of unmetered services.These factors along with increasingly competitive broadband prices, present a positive picture for broadband development in the UK and in the six months prior to the study, the UK had reached penetration levels similar to France and was catching up on Germany.In December 2003, Oftel and the incoming Communications Regulator Ofcom agreed a joint draft decision on the regulation of the UK's wholesale broadband access market, which concluded regulatory obligations remained necessary to ensure fair and effective competition. UK individuals and organisations with an interest in the wholesale broadband market were given until 6 February to comment. The EU is also considering the proposals.Oftel and Ofcom also found that BT should be required to provide its Datastream products on a retail minus basis to allow a sufficient margin between the price it charges for its IPStream products and the price charged for the Datastream products. The actual retail minus margin will be set following consultation in the first quarter of 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of computer misuse there were in her Department in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163247]

In 2003 there were four cases of computer misuse notified to the DTI Human Resources and Change Management Conduct and Discipline Team. Three of these cases involved the distribution of inappropriate material and the fourth the accessing of inappropriate internet sites. Disciplinary action was taken in all four cases.Figures for 1997 are not available. 1997 information is not maintained as this is outside the normal retention period for disciplinary cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will give the same rights to house-sharers not living as a couple as is proposed for same-sex couples in the Civil Partnerships Bill. [163519]

The Government will make clear its detailed proposals on introduction of the forthcoming Civil Partnership Bill. The rights of house-sharers are a separate issue to those of same-sex couples who are unable to marry and there are currently no plans for changes to the law in that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been allocated to (a) European regional development fund areas, (b) Frameworks for Regional Employment and Skills Action, (c) Phoenix Fund and (d) regional centres for manufacturing excellence and (e) warm zones in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06 and (iii)) total. [163722]

In accordance with the Spending Review 2002 settlement the Government plan to spend:

£ million
	(a) European Regional Development Fund-ERDF (DTI-related expenditure cover)	Phoenix Fund	(d) Regional centres of manufacturing excellence
2004–05	186.3	25	2.8
2005–06	176.4	25	0
Total	362.7	50	2.8

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what formal relationship there is between the Royal Navy and the Sea Cadet Corps. [163794]

The Royal Navy's formal relationship with the Sea Cadet Corps is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding between its two principal sponsors, the Ministry of Defence and the Sea Cadet Association.Discussions are under way on this memorandum as it is due for review in July this year. resources which partners bring to the table in respect of agreed priorities in the FRESA will vary from region to region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what secondments (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte and Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KPMG have made to her Department since 2001; for what (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from her Department have been made to those firms; and for what (A) periods and (B) tasks. [156927]

Secondments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to involve trade unions in defence industrial policy. [163795]

The Ministry of Defence regularly exchanges views with trade unionists on a range of defence industrial issues. They have welcomed the Defence Industrial Policy that we published in October 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the proposed new aircraft carriers to enter service. [163796]

Our target in-service dates for the two new carriers remain as 2012 and 2015. Estimates for their delivery are being developed progressively during the remainder of the Assessment Phase, taking account of the maturing carrier design. Expected in-service dates will be confirmed when we agree the contracting arrangements for Demonstration and Manufacture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army soldiers are deployed in (a) Iraq and (b) Kosovo; and how many of them have been compulsorily mobilised. [163797]

There are currently some 970 Territorial Army personnel serving in Iraq and 10 in Kosovo who have been compulsorily mobilised. In addition, there are five TA personnel serving in Kosovo who have not.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which former officials of the Department have asked for permission to join (a)PricewaterhousemCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and /(d) KPMG. [156898]

The Rules on Acceptance of Outside Appointments by Crown Servants (the "Business Appointment Rules"), which are set out in section 4.3 of the Civil Service Management Code, require MOD officials within two years of leaving to obtain permission, in the circumstances defined in paragraph 7 of the rules, before taking up new employment.It is not our policy to discuss individual applications. Only the most senior officials, whose applications are considered by the Prime Ministers' Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, are required to inform their former Department when they take up such appointments. This information is published in the Committee's annual report.Since 1 January 2001, four former MOD officials have applied for permission to join PricewaterhouseCoopers; two to join KPMG; and two to join Ernst & Young. All applications were approved unconditionally. No applications have been received to join Deloitte & Touche.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to relocate an infantry brigade from Germany to the United Kingdom [163770]

[holding answer 26 March 2004]: There are no infantry brigades stationed in Germany and we have no plans to change our force levels there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq. [163775]

The security situation in Iraq remains difficult, with crime a particular problem. The vast majority of terrorist attacks against Iraqi and Coalition security forces and civilians continue to occur to the North and West of Baghdad. Much of the country is calm, however, and normal life is resuming without incident. Around 75,000 Iraqi police are now on duty and more are being trained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken in each of the cases where successful claims for compensation have been paid to Iraqis alleging injury by UK forces; and if he will make a statement. [148005]

[holding answer 19 January 2004]: 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 how many soldiers serving in Iraq have been treated for stress; and if he will make a statement. [162596]

Stress may cause a wide-range of medical conditions. As at 25 March 2004, 120 members of the United Kingdom armed forces had been evacuated from Iraq for psychiatric reasons. We do not record centrally whether individual cases are stress-related.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many objects were dropped by aircraft on the range at Kilve Bend in Somerset in the last five years. [161874]

The range at Kilve Bend, part of the Lilstock Royal Navy Range, served until 1995 as a practice bombing range for fixed-wing aircraft using inert ordinance. It was redesignated as a helicopter gunnery range that year and nothing has been dropped by aircraft on the range since.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department gives to the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait; and if he will make a statement. [157452]

The UK currently fills one staff officer post in the Humanitarian Operations Centre and is in the process of filling a second.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are involved in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden; what progress has been made in the search; and if he will make a statement. [164384]

The United Kingdom continues to support the objectives of Operation Enduring Freedom, the US-led coalition operation against international terrorism and its continuing search for the leadership of Al Qaida. All UK forces in the theatre are involved in helping to stabilise Afghanistan to ensure it does not again become a haven for terrorists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the radioactive items held at RAF Stafford, indicating in each case (a) the length of time held and (b) the purpose of holding them. [163972]

It will take some time to collate the information requested.I will, therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money was spent on (a) research, (b) staffing costs, (c) printing and publication, (d) distribution and (e) other costs for Sanctuary magazine No. 32, 2003; and how much was paid to DCCS Media. [163546]

All research for Sanctuary magazine is carried out by MOD staff, for whom production of the publication is part of their normal duties. Consequently, there are no separate staffing or research costs. The printing and publication costs for the 2003 edition were some £27,000, with the distribution costing £1,500. All costs were met from the budget of the Defence Estates Agency, with no direct payment being made to DCCS media.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in London are in receipt of a war disablement pension; and how many of those receive the war pensioners' mobility supplement. [163749]

According to the Veterans Agency Computer System, as at 31 December 2003, there were 8,710 ongoing war disablement pensioners with a recorded address in the Government Office Region of London.Of these, 820 were receiving the war pensioners' mobility supplement.Please note that all figures are rounded to the nearest five.

To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the recommendations of the Lyons Report, when a Cabinet Committee on relocation will be set up; who will chair it; and who its members will be. [164585]

I shall announce shortly the arrangements for following up this aspect of Sir Michael Lyons's report.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the employment agencies which his office has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163808]

Since April 2000, my office has used four employment agencies to supply temporary staff to fill vacancies in IT, correspondence, secretarial and administrative support. These are Adecco, Excel Josephine Sammons Agency and Susan Hamilton Agency. Information for the years before 2000 is not held centrally.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer from the Leader of the House to the hon. Member for New Forest, East on 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1673, on prime ministerial and Royal representation at the 60^th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Rome on 4 June, what action he proposes to take. [162080]

There are no plans for a Member of the Royal Family or me to attend the 60^th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Rome on 4 June. While we acknowledge this as a significant event in the course of the war, understand that any ceremony is likely to be a Rome Municipality event rather than a State one. However, it is hoped that a Member of the Royal Family will represent Her Majesty at the commemoration event of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in May.

To ask the Prime Minister if, during his forthcoming visit to Libya, he will discuss the future detention of Abdul Bassett al Megrahi. [163724]

I discussed a wide range of issues with Colonel Qadhafi including international and regional security issues and the Middle East Peace Process.The terms under which Abdelbaset Al Megrahi is serving his prison sentence were briefly discussed.

To ask the Prime Minister how many Labour Party events have been held at (a) Number 10 and (b) Number 11 Downing Street since 1997; and how much was paid for the use of the venue in each case. [164386]

As was the practice under previous administrations, I have hosted a number of political events at Downing Street. The costs of these were met by the Labour Party.

To ask the Prime Minister what the requirements are on officials in his Office to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his officials. [164705]

The rules on the disclosure of interests are set out in section 4.3 of the Civil Service Management Code

To ask the Solicitor-General which non-governmental (a) experts and (b) lawyers advised her Department on the legality of war in Iraq; how much each received in public funds; and if she will make a statement. [161700]

[holding answer 22 March 2004]: No non-governmental experts or lawyers were instructed to advise the Law Officers on whether the war in Iraq was lawful.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many people specialise in combating overseas bribery in the (a) Crown Prosecution Service and (b) Serious Fraud Office.[163489]

Prosecutions under part 12 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2002 are undertaken by corruption specialists within CPS Casework Directorate.Taking account of part-time workers, there were 60.3 senior prosecutors within CPS Casework Directorate at 1 March 2004, all of whom have experience of either corruption prosecutions, international work or both.In view of the very small number of cases so far referred to CPS Casework Directorate, no prosecutor currently specialises exclusively in dealing with overseas corruption.All SFO lawyers and investigators are required to have a thorough knowledge of fraud related offences, including corruption and the offences falling under part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. However, the Serious Fraud Office does not allocate its staff resource to a particular type of crime or case. Each case referred to the SFO is assessed on its individual merits, including allegations of bribery by UK citizens or companies overseas. As such there are no staff members whose role is solely the investigation and prosecution of overseas bribery.

To ask the Solicitor-General when she will write to the hon. Member for Ceredigion with a substantive answer to the question tabled by him on 13 October 2003, reference 132362. [161918]

A reply was sent following prorogation and a copy placed in the Library. An additional copy has been sent to the hon. Member.

To ask the Solicitor-General what youth matters she has considered recently.[148038]

I have considered a wide range of youth matters recently, including persistent young offenders, the street crime initiative, anti-social behaviour orders, sexual offences against children and protection of child witnesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the Chinese Government on (a) removing the death sentence imposed on the Buddhist religious leader. Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche and (b) allowing a fair retrial in the presence of international impartial observers. [164343]

I raised the case with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing on 17 December 2003. He replied that Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche had had a fair and public trial and been sentenced in accordance with Chinese law. His case was also recently raised at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue session held in Dublin on 26–27 February 2004.We and our EU partners have raised in a series of demarches with the Chinese authorities our serious concerns about the way in which the trial was conducted and the lack of transparency. The latest EU demarche took place in Beijing on 4 February. In response, Mr. Wang Min, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche was in good health and being held in Chuandong prison, Sichuan province.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the Chinese arms embargo. [163806]

The European Council on 12 December 2003 invited the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) to re-examine the EU Arms Embargo on China. The GAERC met on 26 January 2004 and decided to remit the issue to the relevant working groups for detailed examination. The issue will revert to a future GAERC.The Government welcome the review and Ministers are currently considering the UK's position. In the meantime we will continue fully to implement the Arms Embargo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) his Chinese counterpart and (b) the Chinese Ambassador to the Court of St. James regarding the use of Chinese airspace and refuelling facilities in respect of the transport of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile technology (i) to and (ii) from North Korea. [162223]

We regularly discuss, at both ministerial and official level, a range of non-proliferation issues with the Government of China. Such discussions include the proliferation activities of North Korea, which are a matter of mutual concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 16 February 2004, with regard to Irene Clare Garner. [163302]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 24 March 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact on transparency and fairness of providing international observers at forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in (a) South Africa, (b) Malawi, (c) the Philippines, (d) Indonesia, (e) Botswana, (f) Ireland, (g) Niger, (h) the United States of America, (i) Namibia, (j) Malaysia, (k) Mozambique, (l) Sudan and (m) Ghana; and if he will make a statement. [163232]

The Government support the presence of international election observers as they help promote fair and democratic elections. They provide an independent and neutral appraisal and, although the recommendations are not legally binding, they provide objective guidance for the government in question. Furthermore, the international presence enhances public confidence in the election process, helping to strengthen the respect for human rights and to prevent tension and violence.It is generally the case that international missions are sent to observe elections at the invitation of the government of the country in question. Currently, the EU has a mission in Indonesia and in Sri Lanka and will shortly be deploying a mission to Malawi. The OSCE is planning election observation missions to the USA and to Ireland. UK observers participate in all of these missions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much embassy and high commission land has been sold in each year since 1998; and what the value was in pounds sterling. [163830]

The value and areas of land that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has sold since 1998 are as follows:

Financial year	Area sold square metre	Sale proceeds(£000)
1998–99	9,400	383
1999–2000	142,454.4	18,652
2000–01	—	—
2001–02	11,881	20,041
2002–03	19,132.6	1,787
2003–04	1,500	112

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) high commissions and (b) embassies from which land has been sold in each year since 1998. [163831]

In each year since 1998 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has sold land at the following posts:

	Post
2001–02	British High Commission, Singapore
2001–02	British High Commission, Valletta
2002–03	British High Commission, Pretoria
1998–99	British High Commission, Quito
1999–2000	British Embassy, Dublin
2001–02	British Embassy, Kiev
2002–03	British Consulate-General, Alexandria
2003–04	British Embassy, Kiev

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to impose trade sanctions on Iran; and if he will make a statement. [163536]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to impose trade sanctions on Iran, a country with which we have normal diplomatic relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, for each month since it was established, the total income from oil revenues paid into the development fund for Iraq. [163083]

Information on the amount of Iraqi oil produced each month from May 2003 to January 2004 inclusive is given in the following table. Information on the amount paid for the oil is not publicly available. However, as of 5 March 2004, a total of US $6.18 billion of oil proceeds had been received by the Development Fund for Iraq. This in formation is available through the Coalition Provisional Authority website at www.cpairaq.org/budget/DFI introl.html.

Iraqi oil production (million barrels per day)	Net production
May 2003	0.28
June 2003	0.44
July 2003	0.70
August 2003	1.11
September 2003	1.41
October 2003	1.58
November 2003	1.92
December 2003	1.97
January 2004	2.04
1 Estimated Iragi oil supply net of re-injected crude oil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration about the Israeli wall. [163834]

We are in regular contact with the US Administration, at all levels, about the situation in the Middle East including the Israeli security barrier.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions since 1 January 2003 his Department has quoted an official from a foreign Government in the title of a press release. [163660]

My Press Office has checked its database for all press releases issued since January 2003. No quotes from foreign government officials have been found in any of the titles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Canadian Government on seal culling in that country; and if he will make a statement. [163618]

We last made formal representations to the Canadian Government in 1999. The Canadian authorities are fully aware of our views. We do not accept the need for any seal cull, but if one does take place it should be sustainable and based on a precautionary principle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his officials have had with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka about the needs of Muslims in Sri Lanka. [163363]

In their contacts with representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officials from the British high commission in Sri Lanka regularly raise concerns regarding community relations in LTTE-held areas including the situation of the Muslim community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to stop the displacement of Muslims in Sri Lanka. [163364]

The forced displacement in the past of large numbers of the Muslim community in parts of North and East Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is one of the many regrettable aspects of the conflict. A large number of Muslims remain internally displaced. Their reintegration and that of other internally displaced people will be a major issue for a permanent peace agreement to address. We are not aware of any significant recent displacements of Muslims although relations between Muslim, Tamil and Sinhalese communities in eastern Sri Lanka remains an issue of concern. The Government, through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, are currently funding work by local NGOs to develop early warning mechanisms to prevent local disputes in the east from escalating.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in the Sudan peace talks. [163978]

The current round of peace talks had been due to adjourn on 16 March but have now been extended until 31 March 2004. The First-Vice President and the Chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement continue to discuss the outstanding issues. We remain hopeful that a framework agreement will be finalised soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the fighting between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Lord's Resistance Army in Southern Sudan. [163981]

We are aware of recent reports of skirmishes between the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in southern Sudan but have no confirmed details.However, we recognise that Sudan has a potentially significant role to play in the resolution of the conflict in northern Uganda and are encouraged by recent efforts at cooperation between the two countries. We continue to emphasise this through our Embassy in Khartoum and in ministerial exchanges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the Government of Chad in the conflict in Darfur. [163979]

We welcome the Government of Chad's readiness to help the parties to the conflict to find a solution to Darfur's problems, and its continued support to the 110,000 Sudanese refugees whom they are currently hosting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Administration on the situation in Darfur. [163980]

We are in daily contact with the US Administration about the situation in Darfur and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development spoke to the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development about Darfur on 10 March 2004. We are working closely with the US to get the parties to re-establish a ceasefire, preferably with international monitoring, to permit humanitarian access to all those in need, and to resume talks to find a peaceful solution to Darfur's problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance is issued to British embassies and high commissions abroad on appropriate support to (a) visiting Government Ministers, (b) visiting select committees, (c) select committee members travelling individually and (d) visiting hon. Members; and if he will publish the guidelines in full. [163468]

Guidance on handling visiting select committees, individual MPs and opposition front bench Members is available to all Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff, at home and abroad, on the FCO intranet. I have placed copies of the relevant guidance in the Library of the House. The FCO does not issue specific guidance on what level of support should be provided for visiting Government Ministers or select committee members travelling individually.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his Australian counterpart a mutual prisoner exchange scheme; and if he will make a statement. [163548]

There is already a mutual prisoner exchange scheme in place. Australia acceded to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (CECTSP) in January 2003. The Council of Europe Convention is a multilateral agreement. As of March 2004, the convention has 54 signatories including the UK. HM Prison Service is currently aware of five British nationals in Australia who are seeking to transfer back to the UK.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which former officials of the Office have asked for permission to join (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KPMG. [156912]

All civil servants are subject to the business appointment rules, which set out the circumstances in which they must seek permission to accept outside appointments within two years of leaving the Service. A copy of the rules is available in the Libraries of the House. Information about appointments taken up by the most senior staff is published in the annual reports of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. The next annual report will be published shortly.In respect of permissions requested since 2001 there has been a single application under the Business Appointments rules from a former Cabinet Office employee wishing to join KPMG. This application was approved.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people (a) have so far been employed and (b) it is planned will be employed on the DirectGov project;[161834](2) what the cost has been of the establishment of the DirectGov service; what the running costs of the service will be; and if he will make a statement; [161852](3) what plans his Department has to expand the DirectGov service; what the cost implications of those plans are; what assessment he has made of how greater efficiency in the provision of Government services could be gained through DirectGov; and if he will make a statement. [161853]

DirectGov is the Government's new online service, currently accessible via the UK Online website. Directgov is designed around the needs of the user, making it much easier to find and access Government information and services electronically. The DirectGov site will be expanded over the coming months in both structure and content, taking stakeholder and user feedback into consideration.Currently the existing UK Online team of 39 staff within the Office of the e-envoy manage the project and have a combined programme and infrastructure budget of £4.4 million. The future budget and staffing of DirectGov will— be decided in conjunction with the site expansion.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans there are to co-ordinate the Office for National Statistics citizen information project, the Home Office identification cards database plan and the NHS health records spine. [163155]

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what secondments (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) KPMG have made to the Office since 2001; for what (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from the Office have been made to those firms: and for what (A) periods and (B) tasks. [156926]

The Government are committed to developing a modern, flexible, outward-focused civil service that works in partnership with all sectors of society. Interchange is a key tool in meeting that commitment. Secondments are encouraged as part of the interchange programme, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. Before an interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises. In all cases agreement is reached with the parent organisation on the salary reimbursed by the Cabinet Office to ensure it falls in the civil service pay range appropriate to the post.The following table gives the number of secondees from 2001 from each of the organisations named in the question.

Seconded from	(i) period of secondment (months)	Management Unit
(a) PricewaterhouseCoopers	12	Performance and Innovation Unit
(3 individuals)	12	Performance and Innovation Unit
	11	Prime Minister's Delivery Unit
(b) Deloitte & Touche	6	Office of Public Service Reform
(2 individuals)	12	Shareholder Executive
(c) Ernst & Young	n/a	n/a
(nil)
(d) KPMG	17	Performance and Innovation Unit
(4 individuals)	16	Office of the e-Envoy
	14	Office of the e-Envoy
	24	Prime Minister's Delivery Unit

Seconded to	(A)Period of secondment (months)
(a) PricewaterhouseCoopers (nil)	n/a
(b)	Deloitte & Touche (1 individual) 24
(c) Ernst & Young (nil)	n/a
(d) KPMG (nil)	n/a

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research has been carried out into the role of the red double decker as a tourist attraction in London. [164145]

Tourism and transport policy in London is the responsibility of the Mayor and the Greater London Authority (GLA). The GLA have advised me that the phased replacement of the red double-decker "Routemaster" buses is being carried out to improve efficiency, safety, security and accessibility. I also understand that the Mayor is, however, well aware of the iconic significance of the red double-decker for London and is actively looking at ways that a limited number can be kept on central London streets in the long term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the employment agencies which her Department has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163814]

The following employment agencies have been used to supply temporary staff for each financial year:

	Employment agency
1997–98	Hays Accountancy
	FSS Financial
	Reed
	Barclay Simpson
1998–99	Hays Accountancy
	FSS Financial
	Barclay Simpson
	Reed
1999–2000	Hays Accountancy
	Reed
	Josephine Sammons
2000–01	Hays Accountancy
	Barclay Simpson
	Oldfield Ellis Associates Ltd
	Josephine Sammons
2001–02	Hays Accountancy
	Adecco
	Oldfield Ellis Associates Ltd
	Josephine Sammons
	Accountancy Additions
2002–03	Lawson Bishop
	Adecco
	Accountancy Additions
	Josephine Sammons
2003–04	Lawson Bishop
	Adecco
	Accountancy Additions
	Josephine Sammons

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been allocated in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) in total to playing fields and community green spaces. [163653]

The joint Sport England and New Opportunities Fund (NOF) programme 'Active England' will provide over £108 million to create new and improved community sports facilities in England. It is anticipated that a number of the applications made for Active England funding will be for playing fields.During the past three years, the Sport England Playing Fields and Community Green Spaces programme, which formed part of the NOF £130 million Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities initiative, has invested £19,429,648 into 227 projects providing new or improved playing fields for community access. Of these 216 are now complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been spent on public library (a) buildings and (b) books in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire in each year since 1997. [163742]

Other than the information contained within the Annual Public Library Statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), and available in the Library of the House, data of this kind is not held centrally.

£
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Expenditure on library premises
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	6,141,184
Derbyshire	855,560	1,035,674	1,053,910	1,027,767	1,204,009
Expenditure on books
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	6,399,848
Derbyshire	908,850	963,742	919;176	911,430	918,985

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery expenditure has been allocated to sporting projects in (a) the East Midlands and (b) West Derbyshire in each of the past five years, broken down by Lottery distributor. [163743]

The information shown in the table is broken down by calendar year. It is derived from information supplied to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the Lottery Distribution bodies. It refers to the constituency of West Derbyshire, and the whole of the East Midlands region.

£
	West Derbyshire		East Midlands
	Sport England	UK sport	Sport England	UK sport
1995	108,199	0	6,263,431	0
1996	2,500	0	3,681,775	0
1997	615,500	0	11,146,998	0
1998	914,215	0	33,631,371	0
1999	462,728	417,557	4,139,890	3,216,703
2000	1,457,173	0	28,322,216	5,179,090
2001	1,992,653	0	30,407,031	8,397,200
2002	553,762	0	12,708,685	0
2003	0	0	10,033,598	527,700

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the commitment of EU development assistance to the EU/European Bank for Reconstruction and Development investment preparation facility in 2002. [163862]

The EU/EBRD Investment Preparation Facility (IPF), which ran until the end of 2003, was part of the EC regular Tacis budget. The facility essentially

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will undertake an assessment of (a) the benefits of establishing credit unions in Iraq and (b) changing existing banking legislation to that end. [163353]

DFID has no plans to undertake an assessment of the benefits of establishing credit unions in Iraq, nor of changes to the existing banking legislation.We recognise the need to increase the availability of finance to small businesses in Iraq. For this reason DFID is providing a grant of US$15 million to the International Finance Corporation in support of its US$200 million Small Business Finance Facility. This facility will provide funds for loans to small businesses, and technical assistance to develop the skills of Iraqi banks in making such loans.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what income status Iraq has for aid purposes. [163617]

Despite its current low income levels, Iraq is classified by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as a Lower Middle-Income Country. Aid to Iraq is counted by the DAC as Official Development Assistance.The World Bank estimates Iraq's per capita GDP in 2003 to have been between US$480 to $630; i.e. low enough to put it in the low income category. GDP is however expected to grow rapidly over the coming years. GDP per head was as high as US$3,600 in the early 1980s.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he. will respond to the recommendations of the International Development Committee Report on Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [163916]

DFID responded to the recommendations of the International Development Select Committee report into the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza on the 16 March. The IDC will be publishing DFID's response on Tuesday 30 March and copies will be available from the Vote Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding pollution of water sources in the (a) West Bank and (b) Gaza Strip by Israeli settlements. [163555]

DFID is working with the Palestinian Water Authority to help improve the understanding, and protection of the West Bank and Gaza's water resources. This is important in helping to improve access to safe drinking water. Data have shown that pollution of water sources from Palestinian villages and towns is the highest by volume, but pollution from Israeli settlements is higher per capita. The Government have not made any specific representations to the Israeli Government on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the cost of projects funded by the UK directly or through the EU in the Occupied Territories which have been damaged by Israeli military operations; and if he will make a statement. [163646]

The total value of damaged projects funded by the EU (either bilaterally by member States or by the European Commission) is £26.5 million. Approximately one-sixth of this is projects solely funded by the EC. UK bilateral funding is largely technical cooperation. Physical damage caused by Israeli military operations has been minimal, and comprises damage to a few project vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) families and (b) children in each British Overseas Territory are living in poverty; and if he will make a statement.[164340]

This detailed information requested is not available, as it is not collected on a regular basis by the Overseas Territories and to do so would be highly resource intensive for their Governments. However, research published recently by the Caribbean Development Bank suggests that, while there is some poverty in the UK Caribbean Overseas Territories as elsewhere, there is little that is extreme by global standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to bring forward legislation to make the wearing of bicycle helmets compulsory on (a) A roads, (b) B roads and (c) on public footpaths. [163377]

Our position on compulsion has been that at current wearing rates it would cause enforcement difficulties and could have an effect on cycling levels. But the Government will keep its policies in this as in all areas under review in the light of discussion in Parliament and elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek information about the advantages and disadvantages of compulsory cycle helmet use in (a) the USA, (b) Australia, (c) Canada and (d) New Zealand. [163408]

We have commissioned research which, while not the main focus, has considered the effect of compulsion overseas. The Transport Research Laboratory report on cycle helmet wearing relating to 1999 included a literature review of the effects of compulsion, in association with promotional initiatives. overseas. Case studies showed that helmet wearing increased substantially in the USA and Australia. In Australia there was a reported 70 per cent. decrease in cyclist head injuries. The review did not contain any information on the implications for cycling levels.An independent review commissioned by the Department on the effectiveness of cycle helmets, and published at the end of November 2002, conducted a further literature review on the effect of compulsion overseas. It found that there was a significant rise in the wearing rate following compulsion in provinces and states in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. There was also a known marked decrease in casualties, confirmed for Australia (70 per cent.), and also New Zealand (30 per cent.). However only Australia monitored the cycling level pre and post legislation and they saw a drop in the amount of cycling following compulsion. The conclusion was that compulsion significantly raises the wearing rate of helmets and does reduce casualties. However this is at the expense of lowering the amount of cycling.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the tender specification for the East London Line extension project will reach the commercial market by the end of this financial year. [156994]

The Strategic Rail Authority has now put its procurement proposals to the Department. The proposals raise a range of important issues that we will need to consider carefully, in the context of the forthcoming spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the employment agencies which his Department and its predecessors have used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163819]

The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002 following Machinery of Government changes. Its predecessors were DoT, DETR and DTLR. To produce information on these Departments would involve disproportionate cost. Hence the information provided here covers financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04 only.The Department for Transport currently has a framework agreement with three employment agencies for supply of temporary administrative and secretarial staff below senior civil service. These are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much has been given to UK companies in EU freight facilities grants in each of the last three years; and how many UK companies benefited in each year; [162994](2) what the criteria are for UK companies to qualify for EU freight facilities grants; [162995](3) for what purposes UK companies operating in Sussex have benefited from EU freight facilities grants in the last three years. [162996]

The freight facilities grant programme is a UK scheme rather than an EU one. But there are some EU programmes that have similar effect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea. [162970]

The UK signed the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (the HNS Convention), subject to ratification, in October 1996 as a sign of intent to proceed to ratification. The necessary enabling legislation was incorporated into the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997. Certain areas of the Convention are inconsistent with equivalent provisions that exist under EU Council Regulation 44/ 2001. Until this conflict was resolved by means of EU Council Decision (2002/971/EC) of 18 November 2002, the UK was not authorised to ratify the Convention.My Department has recently conducted the first phase of public consultation on the implementation and ratification of the HNS Convention. The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed and work has commenced on the preparation of the draft legislation required to implement the Convention. The next stage will be a public consultation on the draft legislation, this should take place early this summer with a view to obtaining parliamentary approval in the autumn and ratification of the Convention before the end of the year.The HNS Convention will not enter into force until 18 months after the date on which at least 12 States are party to the Convention and certain thresholds relating to quantities of hazardous and noxious substances imported by those States have been reached. There are currently four States party to the HNS Convention: Angola, Morocco, the Russian Federation and Tonga.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many initial annual test failures of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles there were in each of the last 10 years; and what the most common grounds were on which the tests were failed. [163840]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency is responsible for the annual testing of lorries, buses and coaches at its 92 test stations across the country and at specially approved operators' premises. The number of initial annual test failures for heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles in each of the past 10 years is given in the table.

Initial annual test failures: 1993–94 to 2002–03
	Vehicle category HGV motor vehicles	HGV trailer	PSV
2002–03	198,016	68,871	22,672
2001–02	182,826	70,193	22,074
2000–01	177,777	64,793	20,711
1999–2000	167,842	59,456	19,496
1998–99	175,944	59,998	21,353
1997–98	175,925	56,921	20,647
1996–97	164,273	51,179	21,010
1995–96	156,429	47,586	21,368
1994–95	152,070	47,228	22,407
1993–94	155,342	48,030	24,821

The most common defects found that resulted in an initial annual test failure for HGV motor vehicles are headlamp aim and service brake performance. For HGV trailers, the most common defects found are service brake and parking brake performance. For PSVs the most common defects are headlamp aim and body (interior). Examples of the latter include seat condition, passenger grab rails, fire extinguishers and provision of first aid kit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many PG9s were issued to (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles in each of the past 10 years; and what the most common grounds were on which they were issued. [163841]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency issues prohibitions (PG9s) to vehicles which have significant defects. Prohibitions may be issued to vehicles examined during the course of VOSA's roadside enforcement activities (including vehicles seen on operators' premises) or at the time of presentation for annual test. Depending on the severity of the defect, the prohibition notice may come into force immediately or be delayed from coming into force for up to 10 days from the date of inspection.The number of prohibitions issued (immediate and delayed) to heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles from 1995––96 to 2002–03 is shown in the table. Figures are not available before 1995–96.

Prohibitions issued: 1995–96 to 2002–03
	Vehicle category HGV motor vehicle	HGV trailer	PSV
2002–03	18,276	6,913	3,919
2001–02	17,343	5,164	3,666
2000–01	17,669	5,116	3,764
1999–2000	18,012	4,989	3,783
1998–99	17,320	5,094	3,509
1997–98	19,686	5,625	4,481
1996–97	21,970	6,797	5,259
1995–96	19,009	5,702	4,585

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage drivers to switch off their engines while being held at full-length level crossing gates. [163967]

The impacts of switching off and restarting engines after a short period of time are complex and not consistent for different pollutants, such action could actually increase the overall emission level of certain types of pollutant. The effect on vehicle emissions will be dependent on factors such as the type of engine, its state of maintenance and the length of time for which the engine is switched off. It is therefore not considered appropriate to recommend engine switch-off at level crossings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what responsibility (a) his Department and (b) Transec will have for maritime security under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code; [163578](2) what responsibility he will have for maritime security under the terms of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. [163579]

The Department for Transport is the Designated Authority to oversee the implementation and compliance of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code in the United Kingdom.Reporting directly to the Secretary of State, the Department for Transport's Transport Security Directorate (Transec) has the policy lead and is responsible for introducing the ISPS Code requirements to approximately 600 UK port facilities and over 600 UK flagged ships by the deadline of the I July 2004. Operationally Transec is responsible for UK ports and passenger shipping, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has been delegated responsibility for non-passenger shipping, under a policy framework set by Transec.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the size of the British merchant fleet was (a) in 1980, (b) in 1990 and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available; and what plans he has to support the merchant fleet. [163535]

The size of the British registered trading fleet (including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) of vessels 500 gross tons and over, in these years was as follows.

End year	Thousand Wt.
1980	42,308
1990	7,446
2003	19,719

The Government's shipping policy to support the merchant fleet is outlined in the White Paper "British Shipping: Charting a new course". An update of the current status of the 33 actions from 'Charting' has been placed in the Libraries of the House in accordance with the answer of 24 February 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the International Maritime Organisation about international action to combat piracy. [163343]

The United Kingdom, as a permanent member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), has taken a leading role in addressing the issue of action to combat piracy. Over the past five years the United Kingdom has provided expert assistance in support of several IMO counter piracy missions and seminars to piracy 'hotspot' areas.The United Kingdom is in the process of implementing IMO requirements for all ships to have internationally agreed security measures in place by July 2004 which will help to protect them from piracy attacks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what losses were incurred by (a) British-flagged and (b) British-managed ships owing to acts of piracy in each of the last 10 years. [163344]

There was no loss of life as a result of piracy attacks on the British Fleet from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2003.During the same period, there were a total of 64 recorded piracy attacks on British registered ships.There are no available figures for British-managed ships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the future trends of piracy against British vessels. [163345]

The Department works closely with operators of British vessels, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the International Maritime Bureau and with the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that trends of piracy are monitored and acted upon. This work is carried out in cooperation with IMO member states and the United Kingdom has played a leading role in providing expertise and other resources to help combat acts of piracy worldwide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met representatives of (a) ship owners and (b) maritime trade unions to discuss piracy. [163346]

The issue of piracy is regularly discussed by officials in the Department with representatives of the UK maritime industry and its trade bodies; in particular the Chamber of Shipping. This is done directly or under the auspices of the National Maritime Security Committee which meets bi-annually. Similarly, meetings are held with representatives of maritime trade unions the most recent of which was with representatives of NUMAST in September 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed sea piracy with the Secretary of State for Defence. [163347]

The Secretary of State has regular meetings with his ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues relevant to the business of his Department. In addition, his officials are engaged in discussions on piracy with other Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and external bodies, including the International Maritime Organisation and the International Maritime Bureau.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he estimates that the costs of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, Dartford will have been met through toll fees. [163832]

The financial break-even date was met on 31 March 2002. The legislation governing the Dartford Crossing (which includes the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge) allowed for tolls to be charged for a year after the financial break-even date to help build up a maintenance fund for the Crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the toll is to be removed from the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, Dartford. [163833]

The power to charge a toll for the use of the Dartford Crossing (which includes the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge) expired on 31 March 2003.Following a study and a public consultation, a road user charge under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000 was introduced on 1 April 2003 to help manage traffic at the Crossing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority on improving the service on the Hastings to London line; what assessment he has made of the (a) punctuality and (b) frequency of trains departing stations south of Tunbridge Wells; and if he will make a statement. [164385]

The Strategic Rail Authority is currently consulting widely on its proposals for the train specification for the new Integrated Kent Franchise, which includes the route between Hastings and London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much (a) was spent in 2003–04 and (b) is planned to be spent in 2004–05 on improving the process of scanning of ships and containers upon their arrival in British ports; [163580](2) how much his Department has spent on enhancing container security

My Departments Transport Security Directorate (Transec) is responsible for developing, overseeing the implementation of, and ensuring industry compliance with, Counter Terrorist security policy for the UK's major transport modes.However, in the UK the cost of meeting these security requirements falls to industry. The "user pays" principle has been maintained throughout the country's history of regulating transport security and costs are ultimately passed on to customers.It is not therefore, possible to give an indication of costs because they are not held centrally. However, as part of the implementation process of the IMO's new maritime security regime, Transec is conducting an Regulatory Impact Assessment, which will, when complete provide a broad picture of the costs associated with meeting the UK's new security requirements. The RIA will include consideration of the cost of enhancing the security of ports handling containers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras there are in England and Wales; and how many are covered by the special schemes introduced in 2002 to facilitate investment in safety cameras. [150646]

Information from the 35 Safety Camera Partnerships currently operating, covering 38 of the 43 police authorities in England and Wales, indicates that there are currently 5,O40 fixed and mobile camera locations, of which 432 are for detecting motorists going through red traffic lights. This data is currently being audited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras (a) there are and (b) there have been in each of the last five years in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire. [150925]

The numbers of approved speed cameras sites operated by local Partnerships under the Safety Camera Programme for the areas covered by the Government Office for the East Midlands are as follows.

	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–041
Derbyshire	Prior to the area's joining the Programme	53	76	84
Leicestershire	Prior to the area's joining the Programme	Prior to the area's joining the Programme	71	81
Lincolnshire	36	37	56	54
Northamptonshire	13	28	30	35
Nottinghamshire2	15	16	52	52
1Figures up to the end of September 2003 (latest figures submitted)
2Nottingham City in early years; Nottinghamshire latterly

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 1004W, on speed cameras, how much of the income generated by speed cameras in the Lancashire Safety Camera Partnership area in 2003–04 is returned to the partnership to cover the costs of their camera activity; and where the remainder of the income is spent. [151290]

A maximum of £4.6 million of netted off fine receipts resulting from fixed penalties for speeding and red light offences has been approved to be passed to the Lancashire Safety Camera Partnership to cover the costs of its approved safety camera activity in 2003–04. The actual figure, which may be less but cannot be more, will be contained in the 2003–04 accounts. Any surplus of fixed penalties over the Partnership's approved expenditure is surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the latest accounts of each safety camera partnership. [158217]

Local authorities and police forces within individual safety camera partnerships make available for public scrutiny their accounts on an annual basis. These can be viewed by local arrangement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve the visibility of speed camera warning signs on the trunk road network. [163624]

[holding answer 26 March 2004]: The "Handbook of rules and guidance for the operation of the national road safety programme for England and Wales, October 2003", a copy of which is in the Library of the House, sets out the standards for signing, marking, visibility and conspicuity of safety cameras. The Handbook also requires Safety Camera Partnerships regularly to review camera sites, to ensure for example that cameras are not obscured by foliage growth. The types of signs that may be used are contained in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. There are no current plans to alter these signing requirements. If there is a concern about the visibility of particular camera sites, the local Safety Camera Partnership would welcome comments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many static speed cameras there are in (a) North East Lincolnshire, (b) North Lincolnshire and (c) Lincolnshire. [162579]

North East Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire fall within the Humberside Safety Camera Partnership which has no fixed safety camera sites. The Lincolnshire Safety Camera Partnership has 59 fixed speed camera sites.