Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Wednesday 31 March 2004

Trade And Industry

Supermarket Code Of Practice

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will respond to the Office of Fair Trading's assessment of the Supermarket Code of Practice. [164073]

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced on 20 February 2004 that it would carry out an audit of the supermarkets' own records to determine whether there is evidence to support complaints about the Code made by various suppliers. When OFT have finalised their assessment, DTI is ready to look closely at the findings and any recommendations for action.

Bacs

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress her Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments.[164327]

The Department's account services provider, Amey BPO Services, have made arrangements to be ready for migration to BACSTEL-IP as and when required by the Bank of England.

Competitiveness Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 326–27W, to the hon. Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood), on the Competitiveness Council, for what reasons no agreement was reached on the regulation for the Community Patent. [164294]

Agreement was not reached because of an unresolved issue over whether translations of the claims of the patent, which are required to be filed in all official languages of the European Union, should be for information only, or whether they should have full legal effect. One view is that a company should not be disadvantaged if it infringes a patent due to a bad translation. At the other end of the spectrum, various delegations believe that giving legal effect to translations would raise costs for everyone and increase uncertainty. The UK is anxious to see a compromise which recognises industry's clear view that excessive translation costs would make a Community Patent of little value compared to existing arrangements.

Entrepreneurship

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to improve the start-up advice available to entrepreneurs. [163314]

The government has a range of services and initiatives in place aimed at helping those thinking of starting a business. A comprehensive range of advice, information and support is delivered through the network of Business Link Operators and its partners. The Businesslink.gov website contains tailored advice and information aimed at those thinking about starting a business. This includes a new online training directory to help people thinking of starting a business, or in their first year of trading, to access training in order to innovate, improve, grow and be more competitive. Steps have also been taken to address concerns expressed by those starting in business about understanding their responsibilities with the publication of the 'No Nonsense Guide to Government rules for setting and running your business'. This brings together in one place all the rules and regulations that affect start-up businesses.

Export Credit Guarantees

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when and where payment was made by the Export Credits Guarantee Department of the agent's commission on the contract the ECGD backed on the sale of bridges to Papua New Guinea; and what percentage of the contract the commission represented. [163537]

ECGD does not pay agent's commission on contracts it supports. However, the element of the contract price which reflects commission payments can be financed by banks within the loans ECGD guarantees.ECGD is normally obliged to treat all information provided by its customers on the payment of agent's commission confidentially, using it to establish that the payment and value of the commission are acceptable.Following our request, the exporter has agreed that ECGD can disclose that it employed a private engineering company to act both as local agent and subcontractor. Commission formed an element of this arrangement and it was payable as work progressed. The commission was financed under the ECGD-guaranteed loan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department covered agent's commission on the contract it supported on the addition of Trains 4 and 5 to the liquified natural gas plant at Bonny Island in Nigeria; what percentage of the contract the commission represented; and what the (a) place and (b) date of payment were. [158313]

ECGD is not covering agent's commission on this contract.

Post Office Closures

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment Post Office Ltd. made prior to the programme of closure of sub-post offices in Wakefield of its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in respect of access to services provided to customers who are (a) blind or visually impaired, (b) wheelchair users, (c) users of electric wheelchairs, (d) deaf, (e) frail due to advanced years, (f) mentally incapacitated or impaired and (g) sufferers from heart conditions, emphysema or other conditions which restrict mobility; and if she will make a statement; [164244](2) what assessment was made during the development of the Post Office Area Plan for Wakefield of the impact of closure of sub-post offices on customer waiting time at the main post office in Wakefield city; [164245](3) what action Post Office Ltd. is taking to reduce customer waiting time at the main post office in Wakefield City. [164246]

These are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to respond direct to the hon. Member.

Small Businesses

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the steps she has taken to encourage small businesses to grow in the United Kingdom. [163310]

The latest Barclays figures on Start-ups and Closures show that there were 384,900 start-ups in England and Wales in the 12 months ending September 2003, an increase of 3 per cent. on the year before.A range of financial support is available to improve SMEs' access to finance, including the Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme, R&D grants, Regional Venture Capital Fund, the Community Development Venture Fund, and Early Growth Funds.OECD's review of EU countries ('Regulation, Productivity and Growth Economic Survey of the United Kingdom' (January 2003) shows the UK has almost the lowest administration cost and fewer regulations for entrepreneurs than any other EU country and that across Europe tax burdens on small business are lowest in the UK. The OECD Economic Survey—the United Kingdom (January 2004) indicates that in the UK economic and administrative regulations inhibiting competition and barriers to trade are among the lowest in the OECD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. [163323]

Government are committed to reducing the regulatory burden on small business, in particular those regulations that act as a barrier to start-up and growth. We are determined to ensure that we only regulate when there is good reason to do so and when the benefits clearly justify the costs. Government have strengthened both the Regulatory Impact Assessment process and the guidance on the small firms impact test. Costs and benefits of proposed regulations are now properly analysed—and published.

Some of the highlights of the specific measures we have introduced to improve the regulatory environment for small business include:

Publishing the Government Action Plan for Small Business reiterating not only the commitment to better regulation but also our commitment to improving the regulatory environment for small firms.

Cutting form-filling and red tape for 700,000 small businesses with the new flat rate VAT scheme as well as abolishing automatic penalties for late filling of VAT which cost businesses £99 million in 1996–07.

Securing agreement across Government that there should be 12 weeks between the making of new regulation and its implementation, thereby allowing small firms more time to adopt and adapt to new regulations.

Publishing the Regulatory Reform Action Plan—setting out over 250 proposals for better regulation and reform. The Action Plan is designed to make it quicker and easier to repeal out of date legislation.

Raising the small company audit exemption threshold to the EU maximum of £5.6 million, saving 219,000 small businesses up to £274 million.

Announcements in the recent budget also highlight Governments commitment to reducing the regulatory burden for small firms.

A further increase in the VAT threshold to £58,000 keeping 5,000 of the smallest businesses out of the VAT system.

Government Departments reporting on their own regulatory performance. The independent Better Regulation Taskforce will publish its own analysis of these reports and Departments regulatory performance will be taken into account in the 2004 spending review.

Regulatory proposals that are likely to impose major new burdens on business will have to be cleared by the Panel for Regulatory Accountability, chaired by the Prime Minister, based on a thorough Regulatory Impact Assessment that has been agreed by the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit.

We have already introduced common commencement dates for employment legislation two days per year in April and October. The Small Business Service will be consulting with Government Departments and small business on extending common commencement dates to other areas of legislation.

Government accepts in principle the benefits to business of moving to direct payment of the Working Tax Credit. This has the potential to reduce the cost of payroll administration benefiting 1.2 million small businesses.

All of these measures are designed to reduce the regulatory burden on small firms but it should be noted that the UK is not over-regulated compared to other countries.

Working Time Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to British businesses of complying with the Working Time Directive in (a) the ceramic sector, (b) construction products, (c) quarry products and (d) all products in total. [164581]

The cost to British business of complying with the Working Time Directive for all industries is estimated to be around £2.5 billion per annum. Estimates for the ceramic, construction and quarrying sectors are not available.

Transport

Aviation

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress was made at the most recent International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting on sustainable aviation. [165168]

The 6^th triennial meeting of the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) was held in Montreal, 2–12 February 2004. Progress was made on a number of issues. The principal achievements were (i) agreement on a new international standard for the minimum NOX performance of new aircraft engine types in the landing and takeoff cycle that is 12 per cent. more stringent than the current standard, coming into effect in 2008, (ii) agreement on the text of a guidance document on the application of the ICAO 'balanced approach' to noise management at airports, (iii) agreement to continue work on two possible avenues for the future participation of aviation in emissions trading at a global level, and (iv) agreement on a stretching programme of work for the period 2004–07, with a particular emphasis on long term goal-setting and the proper examination of trade-offs between different environmental impacts. Progress was also made on various lower-profile technical issues, but there was no progress on the use of charges to address the global environmental impacts of aviation, on which CAEP remains deeply divided.All CAEP decisions are subject to confirmation by the ICAO Council and the full ICAO Assembly, 27 September-7 October 2004.

Bacs

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments. [164324]

The Financial Accounting Services Division (FASD) of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister provides accounting services including banking services to the Department for Transport as a shared service.FASD is discussing with the supplier of its banking services the options for managing the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System (BACS) to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments.

Buses

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of buses he estimates allow full wheelchair access for users. [165150]

An annual survey of vehicle operators carried out by the Department for Transport indicates that approximately 30 per cent. of the 48,000 full size buses operating in Great Britain as Public Service Vehicles, are low floor vehicles offering access for wheelchair users. The percentage operating in any given area will vary but in major cities it is likely to be considerably higher. The current figure for London is around 90 per cent.

These vehicles comprise 6,300 that meet the full wheelchair accessibility requirements of the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000, and a further 7,700 which were manufactured prior to these regulations coming into force, which are low floor vehicles providing a good level of accessibility for wheelchair users.

Disabled Parking Badges

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to introduce new regulations to permit disabled children under two to obtain disabled parking badges. [165173]

We are already working on a number of changes to the Blue Badge Scheme which require secondary legislation. These include extending the Scheme to those children under two whose medical needs require the transport of medical equipment at all times. We expect to consult on draft regulations later this year and to introduce the changes as soon as possible thereafter.

Dvla

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency spent on advertising in (a) the current financial year and (b) 1997; and how much they are planning to spend next year. [164346]

The information requested on Publicity/Marketing costs for 1997, 2003 and 2004 is as follows:

1997–98 some £3.4 million (as published in the Agency's accounts),

2003–04 some £14 million (current forecast), and

2004–05 some £13 million (current forecast).

The figures represent the Agency's spend/forecast on a resource basis for publicity and marketing. Since 1997 the Agency has seen an increase in expenditure in this area due to our commitment to reducing vehicle crime and our delivery of electronic services.Main area of increase for this financial year (2003–04) includes Continuous Registration, Mandatory V5, Vehicle Identity Checks and Fee for a new Registration Document (V62). The forecasts for next financial year (2004–05) include Electronic Vehicle Licensing and Accelerating Issue of Harmonised Registration Certificate.

Heavy Goods/Public Service Vehicles

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside checks were carried out on (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) public service vehicles in each of the last 10 years. [163835]

The number of roadside checks carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (formerly the Vehicle Inspectorate) on heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.

Roadworthiness roadside checks
Vehicle category	HGV motor vehicles	HGV trailers	PSV
2002–03	64,373	21225	20,287
2001–02	56,984	17,699	18,470
2000–01	68,270	22,159	21,160
1999–2000	74,459	24,046	23,516
1998–99	69,718	23,683	20,635
1997–98	85,023	28,096	28,045
1996–97	93,914	32,769	28,809
1995–96	85,523	28,335	23,987
1994–95¹	13,4046	32,053	32,338
1993–94¹	14,5807	32,448	32,645
¹Figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95 include fleet roadworthiness checks. It is not possible to separate out figures for roadside checks only.

Note:

The figures shown exclude emissions-only checks on HGV motor vehicles but include checks on foreign vehicles.

Traffic enforcement examinations
Vehicle category	HGV	PSV
2002–03	106,587	13,900
2001–02	108,917	11,330
2000–01	132,784	15,994
1999–2000	158,067	18,513
1998–99	161,268	18,183
1997–98	192,573	30,436
1996–97	214,924	30435
1995–96	248,674	38,306
1994–95	266,185	38,654
1993–94	307,835	36,981

Note:

The figures include checks on foreign vehicles

Over recent years, VOSA has sought to improve its targeting regime in order to ensure that those who tend to comply with legal requirements are less likely to be stopped and checked, and those who are pre-disposed to ignore legal requirements are more likely to be detected. Greater effort now goes into researching, targeting and stopping/investigating vehicles selectively and this is reflected in the above trend (figures).

Maritime Security

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what new security measures have been introduced by (a) Government and (b) Transec on (i) British ports and (ii) British ships in preparation for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code; [163584](2) how Transec has been working to prepare

(a) ports and (b) United Kingdom flagged ships for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code on 1 July; [163585]

(3) if he will make a statement on the preparedness of British (a) ships and (b) ports for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. [163623]

The Department for Transport's Transport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) in conjunction with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are responsible for introducing the ISPS Code requirements. Operationally TRANSEC is responsible for UK ports and passenger shipping, and MCA is responsible for non-passenger shipping, under a policy framework set by TRANSEC.The UK has developed five port facility Protection Categories, based on traffic type, such as Passenger, Container Ro-Ro, Other Bulk Cargo, and has developed category specific security measures which are designed to reduce any existing vulnerabilities at these port facilities.All of the major UK ports including the passenger operations have been assessed and Port Facility Security Assessment (PFSA) Reports have been prepared. Along with the individual PFSA reports, industry has been provided with category specific Port Facility Security Instructions and Security Standards. These will form the basis of their Port Facility Security Plans. A Port Facility Security Plan template has also been made available to assist companies prepare their plans, which are then submitted for approval.Clear guidelines and deadlines have been issued to industry to submit their Ship Security Plans to TRANSEC for passenger ships, and the MCA for non-passenger ships, for examination and approval. Once a plan has been approved, it must be verified on board the ship prior to issuing an International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC).It is up to individual port facilities and flag vessels to comply with the programme for submission we have set out. TRANSEC and MCA staff are already approving Port Facility Security Plans and issuing International Ship Security Certificates and the Government expect all UK port facilities and flagged ships will comply with the required ISPS standards by the deadline.

Rail Services (Kent)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister regarding the future demand on rail travel in the Kent Thames Gateway during the expected period of the Integrated Kent Franchise. [162502]

The Department and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are in close contact on this issue. The impact of future rail demand in the Thames Gateway area has been taken into account in the Integrated Kent Franchise consultation process.

Port Security

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what percentage of (a) ships and (b) containers are subject to security scanning upon their arrival in British ports; [163581](2) what measures he has taken since 11 September 2001 to improve the level of security scanning of

(a) ships and (b) container freight upon their arrival in British ports; [163582]

(3) what percentage of (a) ships and (b) containers are scanned for harmful material upon arrival in Britain at (i) major and (ii) minor ports. [163583]

As the hon. Member will understand, it is not practice to disclose details of security matters.

Wembley Park Tube Station

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will enter into discussions with Chiltern Railways about its capacity to provide extra rail services in Brent and North West London during the essential engineering work to be carried out to the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines as part of the upgrade of Wembley Park tube station; [164682](2) whether the level of co-operation offered by Chiltern Railways to

(a) Transport for London and (b) London Underground to maintain capacity during closures caused by essential engineering works will have an impact on the renewal of its licence to operate as a train company; [164689]

(3) what statutory responsibilities Chiltern Railways has to co-operate with (a) London Underground Limited, (b) Transport for London and (c) Tube lines in their efforts to maintain rail capacity during the essential engineering work to be carried out to the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines as part of the upgrade of Wembley Park tube station. [164690]

Chiltern Railways has no statutory obligation to provide service cover for the London Underground but are co-operating with Transport for London (TFL) and London Underground Limited (LUL). They have agreed with TfL to run longer trains on the Marylebone-Harrow-Aylesbury route over the weekends 11/12 and 19/20 June to pick up passengers displaced by the works to the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines as part of the upgrade of Wembley Park tube station.

Treasury

Bacs

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments. [164323]

Total international migration¹: citizenship time series 2002–2002–United Kingdom
Thousand
					Commonwealth
	All citizenships	British	Non-British	European Union²	Old³	New	Other foreign⁴
Inflow to UK:
2000	483.4	104.1	379.3	63.1	57.2	90.9	168.1
2001	479.6	106.3	373.3	60.4	67.4	83.9	161.6
2002	512.8	94.6	418.2	62.8	65.6	92.9	196.8
Outflow from UK:
2000	320.7	161.1	159.6	57.0	32.2	14.9	55.5
2001	307.7	159.2	148.5	49.1	32.1	18.6	48.6
2002	359.4	185.7	173.7	51.7	42.3	15.8	63.9
Balance:
2000	+162.8	-57.0	+219.7	+6.1	+25.0	+76.0	+112.6
2001	+171.8	-53.0	+224.8	+11.2	+35.2	+65.4	+113.0
2002	+153.4	-91.1	+244.5	+11.1	+23.4	+77.1	+132.9
¹ Based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey. Includes adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so their migrant status changes;(2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
² Figures for all years show EU as it was constituted on 1 January 1995.
³ Includes estimates of South African citizenship for all years.
⁴ Figures for all years include Hong Kong.

The Office of HM Paymaster General, which provides a banking service to public sector bodies, has issued guidance to all its customers on the implications and importance of preparing for the migration, which must be completed by December 2005. This guidance is being re-inforced through regional presentations to OPG customers.HM Treasury is presently planning its own transition to BACSTEL-IP.Inland Revenue has already taken steps to review and replace its BACSTEL links before the December 2005 deadline. This will involve either the replacement of BACSTEL kit or the transfer of payments to non-BACSTEL links.HM Customs and Excise has been aware for some time of the BACSTEL-IP changes and has already had preliminary meetings with BACS, its sponsoring bank (Bank of England), its current BACS software supplier and various Technical Division representatives.National Savings and Investments has undertaken and completed the assessment of the impact and cost of moving to the new BACSTEL-IP system and has agreed a suitable solution that will be quick and easy to implement. NS&I plan to be 'live' by August 2004.

Emigration

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) emigrants left and (b) immigrants entered the UK in each year since 2000. [163053]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr Eric Forth, dated 31 March 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reply to your request for information on migration into the UK, and out of the UK, for each year since 2000. (163053)

The most recent year for which data are available is 2002. The attached table shows in-migration, out-migration and net migration for the UK, for the years 2000–2002. The table shows migration by citizenship, with British citizens and non-British citizens shown separately.

Lyons Report

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the upfront costs of relocation of Government offices will be included as a capital items within the Government's spending rules; [164726](2) when considering relocation options, what is the maximum permitted payback period for an investment to be approved; [164734](3) what measures of financial return are used to assess the financial viability of any relocation proposal made in the Lyons Report. [164735](4) what proportion of the jobs recommended to be dispersed by the Lyons Report are

(a) full-time and (b) part-time. [164749]

This is a matter for departments' detailed business planning which they will be taking forward as part of the 2004 Spending Review.

Multi-Occupancy Households

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in England and Wales contain two or more persons, excluding students, who do not see themselves as a couple, according to the 2001 Census; how many people are in such households; how many people there are in such households where both are pensioners; and how many people in such households he estimates are related to each other. [163071]

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

Letter from Dennis Roberts to Mr. Edward Leigh, dated 31 March 2004:

The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many households in England and Wales contain two or more persons, excluding students, who do not see themselves as a couple, according to the 2001 Census; how many people are in such households; how many people there are in such households where both are pensioners; and how many people in such households are related to each other. I am replying in his absence.

There were 1,763,170 such households in England and Wales containing 4,616,558 residents. Of these 4,616,558 residents, 183,775 were pensioners living in "All Pensioner" households. This is based on households where none of the residents recorded themselves as part of either a married or a cohabiting couple.

These figures supplied are from a special extract taken from the 2001 Census database.

Information on how many people in such households are related to each other is not currently available from the 2001 Census for England and Wales. ONS expects to be able to derive and publish this information later in the year.

National Insurance Fund

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to reduce the surplus on the National Insurance Fund; and if he will make a statement. [164116]

The National Insurance Fund provides security for state retirement pensions and other contributory benefits, and the Government are determined to continue managing it prudently.

Pfi

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) current and (b) future cost to public funds of each existing (i) private finance initiative and (ii) public private partnership project. [163828]

[holding answer 26 March 2004]: The projected aggregate future payments from public funds for existing PFI projects, are set out in Table C19 'Estimated payments under PFI contracts—April 2004 (signed deals)' in the Financial Statement and BudgetReport (FSBR) 2004. http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/media//1CE4C/bud04_chc_312.pdfFigures on current and future payments for individual existing PFI projects are recorded in individual departmental accounts.Figures on current and future costs of Public Private Partnerships are recorded in individual departmental accounts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) in what proportion of refinanced early private finance initiative projects the Office of Government Commerce has secured its target share of 30 per cent. refinancing gains; what proportion of deals signed since July 2002 contract for a 50/50 share of refinancing gains; and how many and what proportion of refinanced deals have applied the Office of Government Commerce application notes recommended discount rate when measuring and sharing refinancing benefits; [163925](2) how many and what proportion of private finance initiative contracts have been refinanced; and if he will list by Department

(a) the name, date and capital value of each, (b) the expected shareholder returns when the contract was let, (c) the increase in returns from refinancing before payment of refinancing gains to the procuring authority, (d) the refinancing gains paid to the procuring authority, (e) the expected shareholder returns after sharing refinancing gains and (f) the increase in cash terms in the processing authority's maximum termination liability. [163926]

The Government monitor the implementation of the Refinancing Code as part of their wider commitment to safeguard value for money for the taxpayer. Departments and other public bodies are encouraged to make full use of the Refinancing Taskforce, which has been established as a centre of expert advice to assist departments on refinancing issues and transactions.Ten of the 11 private finance initiative projects refinanced after the introduction of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on 30 September 2002 achieved a gain share of 30 per cent. or more for the authority. The revised Standardisation of PFI Contracts (SOPC) came into effect on 30 June 2002 and all projects signed since have been required to provide for a 50/50 share of refinancing gains between authority and contractor.Thirty-nine private finance initiative projects have been refinanced. This accounts for less than 7 per cent. of the total number of PFI projects that have reached Financial Close. The information requested in respect of;

(a) the name, date and capital value of each project

and (d) the refinancing gains paid to the procuring authority are listed as follows where available. The information requested in respect of; (b) the expected shareholder returns when the contract was let, (c) the increase in returns from refinancing before payment of

Project name	Sponsor Department	Funding value (£ million)	Date refinanced	Total refinancing gain (£ million)	Net refinancing share (percentage)	Refinancing share (£ million)
Projects refinanced prior to the entry of the Voluntary Code of Conduct
A69 Carlisle to Newcastle DBFO	DfT	9	1 June 1996	—	¹100	—
Colfox School	DFES	15.6	1 June 1999	1.60	25.0	0.40
Royal Armouries Museum—Refinancing	DCMS	42	1 July 1999	—	0.0	—
Altcourse (Fazackerley) Prison	HO Prison Service	88	1 November 1999	10.75	9.3	1.00
Ashfield (Pucklechurch) Prison	HO Prison Service	30.7	1 January 2000	1.54	0.0	—
Dovegate (Marchington) Prison	HO Prison Service	64	1 January 2000	3.20	0.0	—
Hassockfield (Meadomsley) STC	HO	10	1 January 2000	0.50	0.0	—
Kilmarnock Prison	Scottish Executive	32	1 January 2000	1.60	0.0	—
Lowdham Grange Prison	HO Prison Service	32	1 January 2000	1.60	0.0	—
Sussex Weald and Downs NHST—Graylingwell Hosp. Reprovision—Chichester	DoH	27	1 February 2001	—	¹100.0	—
A l9 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel DBFO	DfT	29	1 March 2001	4.55	33.0	1.50
"Heart of the City" Offices	ODPM	20	1 April 2001	1.00	0.0	—
Parc (Bridgend) Prison	HO Prison Service	74	1 May 2001	1.40	0.0	—
Balfron School	Scottish Executive	16.5	1 June 2001	0.83	5.0	0.04
Dundee Ninewells Psychiatric Services	Scottish Executive	10	1 June 2001	0.50	30.0	0.15
Mearns Primary and St. Ninian's High School	Scottish Executive	12.5	1 June 2001	0.63	50.0	0.31
Newcastle Estate Development	Inland Revenue	163.8	1 June 2001	14.17	60.0	8.50
HM Customs and Excise—IT Infrastructure PFI	C and E	20	1 July 2001	1.00	0.0	—
M1-A1 Link Road (Lofthouse to Bramham)	DfT	214	1 September 2001	10.70	0.0	—
M40 Junctions 1 to 15	DfT	130	1 October 2001	5.48	31.0	1.70
Antarctic Survey Ship	DTI	22	31 December 2001	1.10	0.0	—
North Wiltshire DC—Property Rationalisation	ODPM	7	1 January 2002	0.35	5.0	0.02
Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge	DEFRA	21	1 February 2002	0.80	50.0	0.40
Calderdale Hospital	DoH	65.6	1 May 2002	12.00	30.0	3.60
Joint Services Command and Staff College	MOD	93	1 June 2002	1.27	30.0	0.38
Manchester Inland Revenue Accommodation Project	Inland Revenue	32	1 July 2002	1.60	0.0	—
A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis DBFO	DfT	75	1 September 2002	3.75	0.0	—
A50/A564 Stoke-Derby Link	DfT	21	1 September 2002	1.05	0.0	—
Projects refinanced after the entry of the Voluntary Code of Conduct
Second Severn Crossing	DfT (highways)	331	31 December 2002	63.00	40.0	25.00
Bute Avenue	Wales	45	12 February 2003	8.00	30.0	2.50
Dartford and Gravesham Hospital NHS Trust	DoH	122	25 March 2003	33.13	35.2	11.66
Debden Park School	DFES	17.7	31 March 2003	1.34	30.0	0.40
Hillingdon—Barnhill School	DFES	18.8	1 May 2003	0.94	0.0	—
Cardinal Heenan (VA) School	DFES	7.7	20 May 2003	0.98	50.0	0.49
Central Scotland Family Quarters—Bannockburn	MOD	25	10 June 2003	6.07	30.0	1.82
Haringey Schools	DFES	62.5	11 September 2003	3.00	30.0	0.9
Bridlington Schools	DFES	26	10 September 2003	1.00	30.0	0.30
Brent Jews Free School	DFES	9	22 September 2003	0.80	30.0	0.25
Norwich and Norfolk Health Care NHS Trust	DoH	335	18 December 2003	90.00	32.0	29.10
¹ The benefit of the refinancing gains was transferred to the Procuring Authority at the outset of the project through a reduction in the project costs to match the forecasted level of refinancing gains.

Public Administration Costs

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the figures used to calculate Chart 6.1, Administration costs as a proportion of total spending, on page 135 of the Economic and Fiscal

refinancing gains to the procuring authority, (e) the expected shareholder returns after sharing refinancing gains and (f) the increase in cash terms in the processing authority's maximum termination liability is not held centrally.

Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report 2004; [163588]

(2) what the cost of Government administration has been in each financial year since 1995–96; and what proportion of total spending by Government Departments in each year those figures represent. [163599]

For 1986–87 to 2005–06, the data that underpins Chart 6.1 in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report has been published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 1988–89 to 2003–04, copies of which are in the Library.For financial years 2006–07 and 2007–08, the data that underpins Chart 6.1 reflects announcements on administration costs and Total Managed Expenditure made in Budget 2004.

Public Sector Pay

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average public sector salary is in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) London, (c) the South East, (d) Hampshire, (e) the South West and (f) Wales. [164742]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 31 March 2004:

As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average public sector salary is in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) London, (c) the South East, (d) Hampshire, (e) the South West and (f) Wales.

Average earnings are estimated from the 2003 New Earnings Survey (NES) and are shown in the attached table. These are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for NES tables. The NES does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work. Area figures are provided according to the location of workplaces.

The NES, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in Great Britain. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.

The New Earnings Survey publication criteria ensures that all estimates are undisclosive and of reliable quality. As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the NES are subject to sampling error.

Average gross weekly (£) earnings in the public sector in six areas, as specified—April 2003
Area	Average weekly earnings (£)
London	559.9
South East (excluding London)	477.3
South West	451.9
Wales	441.5
Hampshire	495.4
UK	465.8

Note:

1. Estimates for London, the South East and the South West are for Government Office Regions.

2. Employees are generally classified to the public sector according the classification of their employer in the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR).

Source:

New Earnings Survey, April 2003

Corporation Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional revenue the Treasury will receive as a result of the changes to small company taxation on dividends proposed to take effect in 2004; [151773]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue to be raised in each of the next two financial years from the 19 per cent. minimum rate of corporation tax on distributed profits; and if he will use this revenue to support small businesses; [164562]

The estimated yield from the 19 per cent. minimum rate of corporation tax on distributed profits for the next three financial years is given in Table A1 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report. Alongside the revenue raised by the measure, unincorporated businesses have benefited from lower tax rates by incorporating. Estimates of the impact of the measure, taking into account these savings, are shown in footnote 1 to Table A1.

Constitutional Affairs

Asylum Cases (Legal Assistance)

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was paid in legal assistance in asylum cases in 2003. [164974]

The Legal Services Commission does not differentiate asylum from wider immigration cases and the amount paid by the Commission is calculated by financial year. The total legal aid expenditure for immigration and asylum cases for 2002–03 was £176.2 million. A figure for 2003–04 will not be finalised until after the year-end.

Commercial And Admiralty Courts

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on progress with the programme to provide the Commercial and Admiralty Courts with more suitable accommodation. [164626]

There is widespread support for a new building for the Commercial Court, and we are committed to finding a way to achieve this. I am aware of the contribution that a successful Commercial Court, and our legal system more generally, provides to the City, and therefore the country and economy as a whole.The scoping work to produce an Outline Business Case (OBC) to create a new building for the Commercial Court has been completed by officials in my Department.Further consideration of the options, costs and benefits are being made, and further announcements will be made in due course.

D W Stock

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Legal Services Commission received details of the case relating to a constituent, D. W. Stock; and what the cost to public funds of dealing with the case has been. [164674]

D. W. Stock first applied for public funding on 3 March 2000. A subsequent application for funding was refused, and the appeal against that refusal was delayed. Mr. Stock made an ex gratia application for compensation on 18 May 2002. The cost to public funds of dealing with the case is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Services Commission

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated cost to the Legal Services Commission is of funding Mr. Hamza's appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. [163845]

The Legal Services Commission has not to date granted funding to Mr. Hamza for an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. However, he has a pending appeal to the Funding Review Committee. Disclosure of details relating to Mr. Hamza's case while it is ongoing would constitute a breach of confidentiality.

Magistrates Courts

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals against closure of magistrates courts were lodged in each year since 1997 to date; and how many of these succeeded in each year. [163934]

The number of successful appeals against closure decided by Ministers is as follows:

1997: 2 out of 17;
1998: 1 out of 26;
1999: 1 out of 9;
2000: 1 out of 11;
2001: none out of 12;
2002: none out of 2;
2003: 5 out of 15;

and in 2004 there have been three successful appeals so far and none dismissed. There are two appeals still outstanding.

Small Claims

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to simplify procedures in the small claims track. [164439]

I refer my hon. and learned Friend to my reply on 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 49W.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the socio-economic origins of claimants and defendants in actions in the small claims track. [164457]

The Department has conducted several research projects on the small claims track but because of methodological difficulties none has addressed the socio-economic origins of claimants and defendants.

Home Department

Amphetamines

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the oral answer of 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 551, on amphetamines, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of use of methamphetamine hydrochloride and (b) the effects of those trends; [163929](2) what assessment he has made of the effects of

(a) methamphetamine hydrochloride and other amphetamines and (b) cocaine and crack cocaine on the (i) behaviour, (ii) psychosis and (iii) addiction of individuals when taking these drugs and on the length of time that uncharacteristic drug-induced behaviour continues while the drug remains in an individual's system; [163930]

(3) what assessment he has made of the (a) levels and (b) effects of use of (i) methamphetamine, (ii) laevoamphetamine and (iii) dextroamphetamine; [163931]

(4) what assessment he has made of the extent to which amphetamine use leads to violent and aggressive behaviour. [163932]

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps the situation in respect of all controlled drugs under review. Methalamphetamine was considered at the ACMD's Technical Committee meeting on 11 March. Evidence given at the meeting suggested that the level of methalamphetamine use in the UK at present is not a significant problem, and there is no evidence to suggest it is likely to become one in the foreseeable future. The Advisory Council is to further consider the matter at its meeting on 1 April.It was highlighted at the meeting on 11 March that methalamphetamine is a dependent inducing drug that is stronger than normal amphetamine. It has links with the development of mental illness, with users sometimes showing signs of violence, paranoia and anxiety. The effects of the drug last longer than cocaine or crack. The effects of amphetamine are similar to, but generally less severe than for methylamphetamine. Cocaine is a very dependence-inducing drug. Its harms include chest pains which can lead to potentially fatal heart problems. Crack has the same short-lived effects as cocaine but is much stronger. Crack is very addictive and chronic users are likely to suffer from mood swings, paranoia, aggression and mental illnesses.The level of methylamphetamine use in the United Kingdom is not at present significant. In 2003 only 415 grams of methylamphetamine was seized by the police. Laevoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine are two isomers that are used to make amphetamine and are not misused separately. According to the British Crime Survey 2002–03, 1.6 per cent. of the population in England and Wales in the 16 to 59 age group have used amphetamine in the last 12 months.No specific assessment has been carried out of the extent to which amphetamine use leads to violent and aggressive behaviour. The Advisory Council last formally considered amphetamine in November 1995. As stated above, the Advisory Council's Technical Committee considered the harms of methyalamphetamine at its meeting on 11 March.

Animal Experiments

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the efficacy of animal experiments; [163903]

The Home Office has not commissioned or evaluated any formal research on the efficacy of animal experiments. Animal experiments must be judged to be potentially efficacious in order to be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which requires that animals may only be used in scientific procedures where such use is fully justified, where the likely benefits outweigh the costs to the animals involved, and where the procedures are most likely to produce satisfactory results. Also, under the conditions attached to their certificates of designation under the 1986 Act, all places that undertake animal experiments are obliged to have an ethical review process, one of the functions of which is to review the efficacy and conduct of the work undertaken under licence at the establishment. In addition, research councils and charities fund many research projects carried out under the 1986 Act and the work done is reported to and evaluated by them. Other work is funded by pharmaceutical companies and is subject to internal scrutiny within those companies. The safety and efficacy testing needed before people are exposed to new drugs is evaluated by the relevant regulators.

Child Abuse

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on plans to establish regional centres dedicated to high technology investigation of on-line child abuse; [158986](2) if he will make a statement on the level of resources available to gather forensic evidence on on-line child abusers; [158990](3) if he will list the police forces in England and Wales which do not specialise in combating internet child abuse; [158991](4) what funding is available for international cooperation to protect children whose images have been trafficked on-line; [158992](5) what discussions he has undertaken with his US counterparts on increasing US detection of internet child pornography crime; [158993](6) what percentage of internet child pornography detected in the UK has been hosted on websites in the USA; [158994](7) if he will make a statement on the training that police who are not part of specialist units receive on how on-line paedophiles operate. [158995]

The deployment of officers to units dealing with child abuse investigations and their training in forensic investigation skills is a matter for individual chief officers. In addition a number of private companies provide forensic examination services which are regularly utilised by law enforcement agencies. There is no centrally aggregated figure of these resources.

In addition to the on-going support for high tech crime, in December 2002 the Home Office provided a one-off payment of £½ million to the Association of Chief Police Officers to support operations to combat child abuse on the internet. This money has been used in part to provide relevant hardware and software, and also to train 86 individuals within forces in basic forensic analysis this financial year. The Home Office is currently producing tactical guidance for managers of computer crime units within forces which will include advice on running these units and practical guidance on procedures and tools for forensic analysis.

Every police force in England and Wales has a computer crime unit and a child protection/child abuse investigation team which has expertise in the recovery of forensic evidence and network investigation. These skills are utilised in on-line child abuse investigations. Whilst the degree of expertise and training within these units will vary from force to force, all forces have specialists in dealing with such cases.

With regard to training police who are not part of specialist units, there is a module included in the probationary training for all new police officers covering the internet and new technology to raise their awareness of how paedophiles and other criminals can exploit this technology. Centrex are also developing an on-line training package for existing officers. I have also made available £100,000 to facilitate the development of a joint awareness package covering how children and those who exploit them use these technologies. This package will be aimed at all professionals with a role in child protection, including social workers, police and probation officers.

A major consultation on the future of police reform was launched on 4 November 2003 entitled 'Policing: Building Safer Communities Together'. This raised a number of questions including whether there is a need for larger strategic forces, and specialised 'lead' forces to tackle certain issues, such as on-line paedophilia. Responses to the consultation paper are now being considered and we will publish firmer proposals for consultation later this year in relation to these issues.

I understand from figures provided by the Internet Watch Foundation that from the images reported to them in 2003, 55 per cent. of child abuse content is believed to be hosted in the United States. My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, has recently met the Deputy Attorney General and has discussed how we can co-operate to close down illegal sites that are based in the US. There will be a UK/USA working group to take this issue forward bilaterally.

All G8 countries, including the UK and US, adopted a strategy on Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation on the internet in October 2002. The aim of the strategy is to protect children from sexual exploitation on the internet and help make cyberspace a safer environment for all internet users.

A problem for all law enforcement agencies is the identification of children featured in child abuse images. As part of this G8 strategy the UK is leading the development of an international (not restricted to G8 countries) Child Image Database, housed at Interpol. It aims to act as a global repository of images of child abuse with the capacity to carry out automated analysis. It will be a significant tool for international law enforcement contributing to the identification of victims and offenders and analysis of images.

In the UK, where the Internet Watch Foundation discover that child abuse material is produced or hosted overseas, arrangements exist for notifying the relevant law enforcement agency and Internet Service Provider (ISP) concerned.

There are also a variety of funding mechanisms to assist in furthering international co-operation such as through the provision of equipment and training to overseas law enforcement by UK agencies, and the provision of specialist training courses. For example the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and National Crime Squad are hosting a second conference for international law enforcement experts later this month.

Courts (Remand And Tagging)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the effects of courts'(a) secure remand and (b) tagging powers. [159806]

Between April 2002 and January 2004 11,263 juveniles aged 12 to 17 received secure remands and 5,713 juveniles aged 12 to 16 were bailed with a tagging requirement. Tagging has only been available for 17 year olds since 5 January 2004 and we do not yet have figures.Secure remand powers are intended for young people charged with the most serious and persistent offending. Youth Offending Teams' recommendations to courts reflect this approach. In addition, remand review schemes operate to identify any juveniles who would be more suitable for conditional bail on their next court appearance.Tagging for juveniles is currently being evaluated and the findings are due to be published shortly.

Criminal Justice (Greater London)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure that targets for improving the performance of the Criminal Justice System in Greater London are met. [163075]

The London Criminal Justice Board is one of 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards tasked with improving the performance of the Criminal Justice System (CJS).The local boards are responsible for delivery of the CJS Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets. Their key priorities are to improve the delivery of justice by increasing the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice and to improve the level of public confidence in the CJS. Additionally they have targets to ensure the Persistent Young Offender pledge is met and where applicable, including in London, they have a target to reduce street crime.Each local board has set out in delivery plans what their precise targets are and how they intend to achieve them. Progress against these plans are monitored and assessed by teams made up from representatives from across the three CJS Departments—Home Office, Department for Constitutional Affairs and Crown Prosecution Service—and appropriate feedback and support is given.Additionally the National Criminal Justice Board, at its monthly meetings, discusses the performance of local boards and members of the board—Ministers and senior officials—regularly visit local areas to offer support, build good working relationships with board members and challenge boards on poor performance.London also benefits from having a CJS Ministers Group that works with the board to identify and remove any obstacles to improved performance.The board recently reviewed its sub-structures and has now set up 28 borough level Criminal Justice Boards that will allow them to focus attention and resources on those areas that most require them.

Drug Testing And Treatment

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 901W, on drug testing and treatment, (1) if he will break down the number of drug treatment and testing orders issued in the York Petty Sessional Area by bench areas; [161774](2) what the success rate is of drug treatment and testing orders

(a) in England, (b) in the York Petty Sessional Area and (c) in each bench area in the York Petty Sessional Area; [161775]

(3) how many drug treatment and testing orders have been revoked in the York Petty Sessional Area; and what the reasons were for revoking them; [161776]

(4) what the recommended timescale is for moving between the stages of sentence, initial probation appointment, commencement on programme and receiving prescription drugs. [161777]

Information relating to the number of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) made in the York Petty Sessional Area (PSA) broken down by bench areas together with success rates of these orders and the number that have been revoked and reasons for this is not centrally available.Data provided by probation areas to the National Probation Directorate show that in England and Wales between October 2000 and December 2003 18,397 orders were made. 16 per cent. of these were completed successfully, and 34 per cent. remained on the order. In the same period, 11,750 orders terminated, 24 per cent. of which were for successful completion.Completion rates of DTTOs do not necessarily show the whole picture in respect of success of these orders. An evaluation of the three DTTO pilots found that, on average, offenders committed 75 per cent. fewer offences while on the order and reduced their spend on drugs by over 90 per cent. A two-year follow-up reconviction study found that there was a significant reduction in the average number of convictions per year in the two years following the order in all three pilot sites.

In respect of DTTOs, the timescales for first contact with the probation service and treatment provider are determined by the Home Office National Standards for the supervision of offenders in the community. These require that the first appointment with the probation area shall be arranged to take place within one working day of the order being made and contact with the treatment provider shall be arranged to take place within two working days of the order.

No recommendation is made in respect of commencement on any specific programme, nor in respect of prescribing substitute drugs; this is determined on an individual basis following assessment and is dependent upon the treatment needs of the offender. Contact, including treatment, across all requirements of the orders is expected to be on five days per week, for a total of 20 hours per week, for the first 13 weeks of the order.

Graffiti

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those who graffitied were repeat offenders in 2003; and whether common profiles for repeat offenders have been created. [153607]

Statistics are not available to indicate how many of offenders who cause graffiti are repeat offenders. The statistics collected centrally do not include the circumstances of the offence, therefore graffiti offences committed cannot be distinguished from other offences of criminal or malicious damage.

Police

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police officers in each police force in England and Wales are (a) female and (b) from an ethnic minority, broken down by rank. [164215]

The data for 31 March 2003 are shown in the tables. The March 2004 data will be published in the autumn.

Percentage of minority ethnic officers per force, by rank, as at 31 March 2003: England and Wales
	Minority ethnic ranks as percentage of total
Police force	ACPO rank	Chief Superintendent	Superintendent
Avon and Somerset	0	0	0
Bedfordshire	0	0	10
Cambridgeshire	0	0	0
Cheshire	0	0	0
Cleveland	0	0	0
Cumbria	0	0	0
Derbyshire	0	0	0
Devon and Cornwall	0	0	0
Dorset	0	0	0
Durham	0	0	0
Essex	0	0	7
Gloucestershire	0	0	0
Greater Manchester	0	0	2
Hampshire	0	0	0
Hertfordshire	0	0	13
Humberside	0	0	0
Kent	0	0	4
Lancashire	0	0	0
Leicestershire	0	0	11
Lincolnshire	0	0	0
London, City of	0	0	0
Merseyside	0	0	7

Percentage of minority ethnic officers per force, by rank, as at 31 March 2003: England and Wales
	Minority ethnic ranks as percentage of total
Police force	ACPO rank	Chief Superintendent	Superintendent
Metropolitan Police	8	2	3
Norfolk	0	0	0
Northamptonshire	0	0	0
Northumbria	0	0	3
North Yorkshire	0	0	17
Nottinghamshire	0	29	0
South Yorkshire	0	0	0
Staffordshire	0	0	0
Suffolk	0	0	0
Surrey	0	0	0
Sussex	0	0	0
Thames Valley	0	0	6
Warwickshire	0	0	13
West Mercia	0	0	0
West Midlands	0	0	0
West Yorkshire	0	0	0
Wiltshire	0	0	0
Dyfed-Powys	0	0	17
Gwent	0	0	0
North Wales	0	0	0
South Wales	0	13	0
Total of all 43 forces	2	1	2
NCS	0	0	0
National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS)	0	0	0
Central Service secondments	0	4	3
British Transport Police	0	0	0
Total other services	0	2	1
Total police service strength	1	1	2
Total police service strength (excluding BTP)	1	1	2

	Minority ethnic ranks as percentage of total
Police force	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable
Avon and Somerset	0	1	1	2
Bedfordshire	0	2	3	5
Cambridgeshire	0	2	3	3
Cheshire	0	0	0	1
Cleveland	0	1	3	1
Cumbria	0	4	0	0
Derbyshire	9	4	2	3
Devon and Cornwall	0	0	0	1
Dorset	0	2	1	1
Durham	0	0	1	2
Essex	2	2	1	2
Gloucestershire	0	2	2	1
Greater Manchester	2	2	3	3
Hampshire	0	2	1	1
Hertfordshire	4	1	2	2
Humberside	0	2	1	1
Kent	0	0	1	1
Lancashire	0	1	2	3
Leicestershire	5	4	4	5
Lincolnshire	0	1	2	1
London, City of	6	2	2	4
Merseyside	2	1	1	2
Metropolitan Police	2	3	3	6
Norfolk	4	1	0	1
Northamptonshire	11	4	2	3
Northumbria	0	0	1	1
North Yorkshire	7	0	1	1
Nottinghamshire	7	2	2	3
South Yorkshire	0	2	3	3
Staffordshire	0	0	1	2
Suffolk	0	0	1	3
Surrey	0	2	0	3
Sussex	2	1	1	1
Thames Valley	0	3	2	3
Warwickshire	8	0	4	3
West Mercia	3	1	2	1
West Midlands	0	5	5	6
West Yorkshire	2	2	3	3
Wiltshire	0	0	1	1
Dyfed-Powys	0	0	0	1
Gwent	0	0	0	2

	Minority ethnic ranks as percentage of total
Police force	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable
North Wales	0	0	1	0
South Wales	0	2	0	2
Total of all 43 forces	2	2	2	3
NCS	5	0	3	2
National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS)	0	0	4	3
Central Service secondments	3	3	0	4
British Transport Police	3	2	3	4
Total other services	3	2	3	3
Total police service strength	2	2	2	3
Total police service strength (excluding BTP)	2	2	2	3

Note:

This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Percentage of females per force by ranks as at 31 March 2003: England and Wales
Police force	Percentage ACPO ranks female	Percentage Chief Superintendents female	Percentage Superintendents female
Avon and Somerset	0	0	20
Bedfordshire	0	0	30
Cambridgeshire	0	0	0
Cheshire	0	0	14
Cleveland	0	0	9
Cumbria	33	0	0
Derbyshire	0	14	13
Devon and Cornwall	25	0	9
Dorset	33	0	10
Durham	0	0	0
Essex	0	14	21
Gloucestershire	0	0	22
Greater Manchester	0	5	12
Hampshire	0	0	12
Hertfordshire	0	20	6
Humberside	0	0	0
Kent	0	0	12
Lancashire	25	13	15
Leicestershire	25	0	22
Lincolnshire	0	33	0
London, City of	0	0	0
Merseyside	0	0	7
Metropolitan Police	14	4	7
Norfolk	0	0	0
Northamptonshire	0	0	0
Northumbria	0	0	12
North Yorkshire	33	17	0
Nottinghamshire	0	0	6
South Yorkshire	0	15	4
Staffordshire	0	0	15
Suffolk	33	0	0
Surrey	0	0	20
Sussex	0	6	5
Thames Valley	40	20	6
Warwickshire	0	0	13
West Mercia	33	9	9
West Midlands	0	15	0
West Yorkshire	0	18	7
Wiltshire	50	0	13
Dyfed-Powys	0	0	0
Gwent	0	20	0
North Wales	0	0	9
South Wales	0	0	9
Total of all 43 forces	8	6	9
NCS	0	0	6
National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS)	0	0	0
Central Service secondments	0	0	8
British Transport Police	0	0	0
Total other services	0	0	5
Total police service strength	7	6	8
Total police service strength (excluding BTP)	8	6	9

Police force	Percentage Chief Inspector female	Percentage Inspector female	Percentage Sergeant female	Percentage Constable female
Avon and Somerset	21	6	10	18
Bedfordshire	21	7	13	23
Cambridgeshire	8	4	11	20
Cheshire	3	12	14	21
Cleveland	0	7	10	19
Cumbria	8	8	8	25
Derbyshire	0	6	8	21
Devon and Cornwall	9	11	11	21
Dorset	4	8	11	20
Durham	6	9	10	24
Essex	5	9	12	22
Gloucestershire	5	3	12	24
Greater Manchester	13	11	14	21
Hampshire	7	11	15	23
Hertfordshire	11	14	14	24
Humberside	13	7	8	23
Kent	20	11	13	22
Lancashire	12	10	13	22
Leicestershire	15	5	10	19
Lincolnshire	11	7	9	19
London, City of	13	6	8	20
Merseyside	4	11	12	19
Metropolitan Police	6	7	11	19
Norfolk	16	5	11	19
Northamptonshire	0	7	11	23
Northumbria	9	7	10	20
North Yorkshire	0	3	8	21
Nottinghamshire	14	7	11	19
South Yorkshire	6	8	15	22
Staffordshire	4	6	10	23
Suffolk	6	10	8	23
Surrey	10	12	16	24
Sussex	13	13	13	23
Thames Valley	14	12	12	22
Warwickshire	0	6	7	22
West Mercia	16	9	8	22
West Midlands	14	12	15	27
West Yorkshire	4	9	11	22
Wiltshire	0	7	11	24
Dyfed-Powys	0	4	10	20
Gwent	0	10	5	21
North Wales	4	1	10	21
South Wales	4	8	10	20
Total of all 43 forces	8	9	11	21
NCS	14	9	8	12
National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS)	4	5	7	17
Central Service secondments	8	12	15	26
British Transport Police	3	8	7	13
Total other services	8	9	9	14
Total police service strength	8	9	11	21
Total police service strength (excluding BTP)	9	9	11	21

Note:

This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and sums of the constituent items.

Probation Service

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from serving members of the Probation Service in respect of proposals made in the "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives" publication, issued in January; and what cost-benefit analysis has been made of the proposals to introduce a purchaser/provider model for the Probation Service. [159939]

As of 8 March the Home Office has received, in response to the proposals in "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives", 163 representations from serving members of the National Probation Service or from representative groups working within Probation.

The National Offender Management Service implementation team will consider the specific details, including the costs/benefits of the introduction of a purchaser-provider model across Correctional Services.

Study Visas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the range of fees payable for visas to study in the UK is; what the average fee payable is; whether higher fees are payable for visas for longer courses; what fees are charged for visa extensions for students who do not complete their courses on time; and if he will make a statement. [164154]

I have been asked to reply.Students currently pay £36 for a student visa application, irrespective of course length. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration announced the introduction of charging for extensions to stay in the UK on 10 July 2003. The fee for all leave to remain applications including students is £155 with a premium rate of £250 for a same day service.

Wheel Clamping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in the licensing of wheel clampers. [164161]

On current plans the Security Industry Authority propose to commence the licensing of wheel clampers towards the end of 2004. Details of the licensing criteria are currently being finalised and are likely to include an identity check, a criminal records check for relevant previous convictions, and a check on the applicant's professional competence to do the job.

Scotland

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.[157735]

387 parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department from 1 January 2003 to end February 2004, of which 331 were ordinary written and 56 were named day. While records on average processing times are not collected, approximately 75 per cent. of the ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days. Approximately 65 per cent. of the named day questions were answered by the specific date.

Census

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many same-sex couple households there are in Scotland according to the 2001 Census; [163064]

(2) how many households in Scotland contain two or more persons, excluding students, who do not see themselves as a couple, according to the 2001 Census; how many people there are in such households; how many people are in such households where there are pensioners; and how many people he estimates are in such households who are related to each other. [163065]

The Census is a devolved matter in Scotland. However, the Registrar General for Scotland, Mr. Duncan Macniven, will write to the hon. Member setting out the information requested.

Uk Supreme Court

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment has been made by his Department of the possible change in fees in civil cases in Scotland that may be required following the establishment of the UK Supreme Court; [162940](2) what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers about the possible change in fees in civil cases in Scotland that may be required following the establishment of the UK Supreme Court. [162941]

My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs is responsible for the establishment of the UK Supreme Court and will continue to discuss all aspects of its administration, including the development of appropriate funding mechanisms, directly with the Scottish Executive and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

International Development

Iraq

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he had in Iraq on support for ethnic groups. [164507]

In Baghdad and Basra last week I held discussions on a wide range of issues including those affecting ethnic and religious groups. DFID is not providing assistance in support of any specific groups. DFID aims to promote social and political cohesion by increasing the participation of all Iraqis in the democratic process. DFID recently agreed to establish a £5 million political participation fund to assist towards meeting this objective.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on post-war reconstruction and development in Iraq. [164156]

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement I made to the House on 25 March 2004, Official Report, column 66WS, following my visit to Iraq on 22–23 March.

Global Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with European ministers regarding (a) the funding and (b) the administrative structure of the global fund. [164508]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier.

Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. [1645091]

The humanitarian crisis continues to be fuelled by a number of factors including the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Government of Zimbabwe's misguided economic policies, the fast track land programme, and late rains. Up to 8 million Zimbabweans are currently facing food shortages prior to the harvest in April 2004. In addition, the Government of Zimbabwe is increasingly incapable of providing basic social services such as water and sanitation, health and education to its population.The 2004 harvest may provide less than half the food needs of the population, mainly due to lack of seeds, fertilizer and other agricultural inputs. Even with a change in the political climate, the need for a humanitarian response in Zimbabwe will continue at least until the April 2005 harvest, and possibly beyond.

Primary Education (Girls)

10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in providing primary education for girls in developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [164510]

According to the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2003–4, girls' enrolments have increased faster than those of boys over the decade to 2000. The Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) for girls' primary enrolment in developing countries has increased from 73.5 per cent. in 1990, to 78.9 per cent. in 2000. The Gender Parity Index (GPI), which measures the ratio between girls' and boys' enrolments rates, has also improved from 0.89 in 1990 to 0.93 in 2000 for primary education, thereby closing the gap in East Asia and the Pacific. Of the 128 countries for which there is data currently available (including developing countries), 81 countries have achieved gender parity in primary education.In recognition of these statistics, DFID is planning to increase its investment in primary education up to £1 billion over the next five years, and we shall be using the UK Presidencies of the G8 and the EU in 2005 to promote girls' education in Africa.

Cuba

11.

To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, if he will restore bilateral aid to Cuba; and if he will make a statement. [164511]

There has not been a direct UK development programme to Cuba for many years. DFID department does fund a Small Grants Scheme which provides up to £120,000 per annum. The scheme has funded mainly community based, rural projects, working through non government organisations.

There are no plans to initiate a bilateral programme to Cuba.

In July 2003, the EU renewed its common position on Cuba, adopted in December 1996, in light of continued human rights concerns. In line with this Position, the Commission is supporting activities which promote the transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human rights, improve the living standards of the Cuban people, and encourage sustainable economic growth. Currently the European Commission is supporting programmes to a total cost of £10 million. The UK share of these programmes amounts to £1.8 million.

Palestinian Authority

12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he is taking to encourage transparency and accountability in international funding to the Palestinian Authority. [164512]

Substantial progress has been made since 2002 in improving the Palestinian Authority's financial management, oversight of public spending and accountability. This has largely been driven by the Palestinian Finance Minister with donor encouragement but without much direct donor assistance. DFID has helped the World Bank carry out a thorough Country Financial Accountability Assessment, which has set out an agenda for further improvements in these areas. The continuing need for donors to support the Palestinian Authority budget directly will ensure that these areas remain under close scrutiny.

Great Lakes

13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of progress with reconstruction in the Great Lakes region. [164513]

The Great Lakes region is emerging from 10 years of conflict, from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda to five years of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which appalling human rights violations were committed and which involved, amongst others, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. There has been real progress but expectations of progress in reconstruction must be seen in this context.The UN Secretary General is assisting preparations for an International Conference to address all the issues arising from reconstruction within the Great Lakes region. The UK fully supports this and will assist as appropriate.In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a transitional national government was inaugurated in July last year. It brings together the main warring factions in a power-sharing arrangement. This is a major step towards providing an environment in which reconstruction can take place. Its task is to take the country to the first democratic elections in 30 years in 2005–06. It has also started to reconstruct the country but the challenge and needs are huge given the high levels of poverty, dilapidated infrastructure and continuing ethnic tension.

In Rwanda, in the context of the events in 1994 and the reconciliation challenges posed since, progress towards national reconstruction has been remarkable. In order to deal with the large numbers of accused "génocidaires" in prisons throughout Rwanda, the Rwandan Government introduced a traditional system of community justice to handle the lower categories of crime. The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (RDRP), which co-ordinates the demobilisation, reinsertion and reintegration of ex-combatants, has led to the demobilisation of 46,000 soldiers since 1997. 2003 saw the culmination of the transition period marked by a referendum on a new Constitution and the election of a new government—the first pluralistic elections in Rwanda's history. Despite mixed reviews from some election observers, the election process represented a significant milestone in Rwanda's democratic evolution.

Uganda has benefited from a period of relative internal stability since 1986. Significant progress has been made in relation to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The HIV/AIDS MDG was achieved in 1996 and Uganda is on track to meet the income poverty MDG, which requires that only 28 per cent. of the population be living in income poverty by 2015. High economic growth has been achieved over a sustained period through sound economic policies, favourable terms of trade, and the positive effects of rural livelihood diversification. The latest data suggests 38 per cent. of the population currently live below the national poverty line compared to 56 per cent. in 1992. Much of this success has been achieved through the implementation of the Government's Poverty Eradication Action Plan. This is now being revised, and will be the basis for future poverty reduction activities. The current conflict in northern Uganda could negatively affect the progress that has been made. We are monitoring this situation closely.

Burundi's three-year transition from civil war to peace and a democratically elected government is due to be complete in November this year. However, conflict still continues between the government and the FNL, the remaining rebel force. The international community, within which the UK is playing an active part, is helping Burundi achieve the goal of a fully comprehensive ceasefire, prepare for elections, and begin the process of demobilising the combatants and reintegrating the bulk of them into civilian life.

DFID fully supports all the countries of the Great Lakes region in their efforts towards reconstruction, with programmes in 2003–04 of £20 million for the DRC, £37 million for Rwanda, £64.5 million for Uganda and £11.6 million for Burundi.

We are also encouraging the normalisation of regional relations. We have facilitated regular dialogue between Rwanda and Uganda. We have urged the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and DRC to work up good neighbourly relations as the basis for national and regional stability. In this respect, we welcome the signing in New York on 25 September 2003 of a Good Neighbourly Pact, which included commitments by the governments that all support for armed groups should end and that there should be no involvement in any illegal exploitation of natural resources of the DRC.

Water And Sanitation

14.

To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, what representations he has received regarding water and sanitation in the developing world. [164514]

:As Secretary of State for International Development, I receive regular representations regarding water and sanitation in the developing world. I also correspond with other donors, international organisations and individuals involved in water on a regular basis.The bulk of the letters were the result of campaigns launched by non-governmental organisations, namely:

WaterAid's "Flush out Poverty" campaign;

Tear Fund's "Whose Earth" campaign;

World Development Movement's "Pull the plug on it" campaign.

The first two campaigns were aimed at ensuring that the UK government lives up to commitments made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Correspondents called on the UK government to give greater priority to water and sanitation, and to increase the amount of aid spent on sustainable improvements to water and sanitation for the world's poorest people.

The third campaign asked for the water sector not to be included in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations. Other correspondents have also expressed concern at the role of the private sector.

In addition to corresponding with interested parties, I and my officials meet with groups, including Trade Unions such as UNISON, that have a particular interest in water.

Nigeria

15.

To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development, if he will make a statement on his Department's work to encourage Nigeria's trade.[164515]

DFID is committed to supporting Nigeria in strengthening trade policy dialogue in the context of Nigeria's home grown development strategy, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). Recently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has asked DFID to provide a high level briefing on trade and we are responding to this request. In addition, a programme for the promotion of opportunities for the poor in Commodities and Service Markets would also tackle trade concerns by addressing institutional and structural constraints.DFID has to date, provided trade policy support under the Africa Trade and Poverty Programme in 2003 to strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian government to engage in the WTO and EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.Furthermore, the Agency for International Trade Information and Co-operation, which DFID is funding with six other donor countries, provides support to less developed countries and non-resident members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to small and under-resourced missions of developing countries, including Nigeria. The Trade and Investment Access Facility and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law are other support mechanisms co-funded by the UK Government through DFID that are available to less developed countries including Nigeria.

Cards Project

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project entitled (i) Directorate of Roads in Kosovo and (ii) Pristina to Skopje Road Rehabilitation in Kosovo; [163874](2) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects for

(a) strategic management support to public utility service providers and (b) river gauging and rehabilitation of ash dumps in Mitrovica in Kosovo; and what assessment he has made of the projects; [163868]

(3) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS regional co-operation and integration projects on (i) institution building and (ii) integrated border management; [163919]

(4) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the CARDS Institution Building projects (i) on the Implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in State Institutions in Croatia, (ii) to improve accountability and efficiency in public procurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, (iii) entitled Introduction of modern practices in the tax and customs administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and (iv) entitled Support for procurement competition and statistics in Albania that were financed by EU development assistance in 2002; [163937]

(5) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project on the Nikola Tesla A3 thermal power plant in Serbia;[163997]

(6) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects (i) for local community development in Albania, (ii) for transport sector investment capacity-building measures in Serbia and (iii) for the reconstruction of the Sloboda Bridge in Serbia; [163869]

(7) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects (a) for the return of refugees and displaced persons to (i) Bosnia and Herzegovina and (ii) Croatia, (b) to provide support to civil society and to strengthen non-governmental organisations in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (c) to provide support to environmental NGOs in Croatia, (d) to develop civil society and NGO capacity in Albania, (e) to assist in institutional capacity-building to strengthen environmental protection in Serbia and (f) for sewerage and waste water feasibility and treatment in Montenegro; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163910]

(8) what assessment he has made of the 2002 CARDS projects on (a) technical assistance to the electricity sector and emergency rehabilitation of electricity

distribution systems in Montenegro, (b) for an energy efficiency agency and an energy regulatory agency in Serbia and (c) for generation, transmission and consultancy in respect of energy in Serbia; [163911]

(9) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects (i) on vocational education and training in Serbia, (ii) on vocational training and educational mobility in Croatia, (iii) to support vocational education and training reform in Albania and (iv) for agricultural and agro-processing credit, the strengthening of public veterinary services and agricultural statistics and the Policy Advisory Unit in Kosovo; [163870]

(10) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects for (a) the development of a comprehensive environmental regulatory framework, (b) water resources management and (c) solid waste management in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and what assessment he has made of the projects; [163999]

(11) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS Tempus projects in (i) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (ii) Albania, (iii) Croatia, (iv) Montenegro, (v) Serbia and (vi) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; [163871]

(12) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the CARDS institution building projects on (i) public administration reform in Montenegro, (ii) general and health reforms in (A) Kosovo and (B) Serbia, (iii) the development of financial controls, debt management and customs systems in Croatia and (iv) the strategy and capacity building for regional development in Croatia that were financed by EU development assistance in 2002; [163917]

(13) what his Department's contribution was to the 2002 CARDS projects (a) for the design of a secure landfill site for hazardous waste in Albania, (b) on pollution abatement and control at Ballski Refinery in Albania and (c) on environment legislation and awareness training in Albania; and what assessment he has made of the project; [163918]

(14) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in, (b) the effectiveness of and (c) the countries benefiting from the 2002 CARDS Regional Cooperation and Integration Project on (i) regional infrastructure and (ii) democratic stabilisation; [163872]

(15) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS projects on (i) road and railway rehabilitation in Montenegro and (ii) access roads to ethnic minority enclaves in Kosovo; [163873]

(16) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 CARDS project to provide assistance to energy production transmission and distribution networks in Kosovo; [163876]

(17) what his Department's contribution to the 2002 CARDS projects for (a) a strategy for environmental law and (b) a waste management and water information system in Croatia was; and what assessment he has made of the projects. [164000]

The Department is involved in projects implemented under the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme by contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to CARDS and by participating in the Management Committee established to define country strategies and oversee the programme. In addition proposals for spending in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are approved by the Governing Board of the European Agency for Reconstruction, on which the Department is also represented. Implementation of specific projects (including procurement, which is governed by EC procurement rules) is the responsibility of the Commission.When considering Commission funding proposals, the Department took a wide range of factors into consideration, including likely impact, cost-effectiveness and value for money. Many of the 2002 projects are in the early stages of implementation. An assessment of the projects will only be possible once they have been completed. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment.

Departmental Buildings

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on buildings (i) owned and (ii) rented by his Department were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each. [163943]

The following projects have been carried out on DFID buildings over the period in question:

1 Palace Street, London (leased):

(a) Refurbishment project over the period 2000–01 to 2001–02, total cost £27 million

(b) Maintenance and repair works to exterior of building, in accordance with requirements of lease, 2003–04, cost £1.2 million

(c) Refurbishment/replacement of lifts, 2003–04, cost £350,000.

20 Victoria Street, London (leased):

(a) Refurbishment of building over the period 2001–02, total cost £1.2 million

Abercrombie House, East Kilbride (freehold):

(a) Refurbishment project over the period 2002–03 to date (due for completion late 2004), total cost £16 million.

Departmental Officials

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which former officials of the Department have asked for permission to join (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KPMG. [156908]

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 are published in the annual reports of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. The next annual report will be published shortly. There have been no such requests for permission from former DFID staff to join any of the listed organisations.

Eu Development Assistance

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if he will make a statement on the commitment of EU development assistance to (a) the Chernobyl Shelter, (b) energy in Russia, (c) nuclear safety, (d) central Asia and (e) Azerbaijan in 2002; [163860](2) if he will make a statement on the EU development assistance expenditure on institution building in

(a) Russia, (b) Mongolia, (c) Armenia and (d) Ukraine in 2002; [163864]

(3) what his Department's involvement was in the development assistance project in (a) Ukraine, (b) Russia and (c) Georgia in 2002; and what assessment he has made of each project. [163878]

EU development assistance in these areas is provided through the Tacis programme. The Department is involved in projects implemented under Tacis contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to Tacis and by participating in the Management Committee established to define strategy and oversee the programme. Implementation of specific projects (including procurement, which is governed by EC procurement rules) is the responsibility of the Commission.When considering Commission funding proposals, DFID took a wide range of factors into consideration, including likely impact, cost-effectiveness and value for money. Many of the 2002 projects are in the early stages of implementation. An assessment of the projects will only be possible once they have been completed. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 EU Development Assistance project entitled Support to the Regional Offices of the International Criminal Court for ex-Yugoslavia in (i) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (ii) Croatia (iii) Kosovo and (iv) Serbia; [163936](2) what results were achieved by the EU project for Kosovo on legal aid in civil matters in 2002; [164010](3) if he will make a statement on

(a) the nature of the micro-projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were financed by EU Development Assistance in 2002, (b) the effectiveness of the projects and (c) his Department's involvement in the projects; [164019]

(4) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 EU development assistance projects entitled (i) Aptitude to supervise and implement the rights of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and (ii) Stability Pact and the Roma—use your vote with wisdom, in (A) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (B) Croatia, (C) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (D) the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, (E) Romania and (F) Bulgaria; [164024]

(5) what the total expenditure of EU Development Assistance on the Judicial Reform project in Albania was in 2002; what his Department's involvement in the project was; and what assessment he has made of its value for money; [164001]

(6) what assessment he has made of the value for money of the EU's rehabilitation and equipping of judicial buildings project in 2002; [164011]

(7) what his Department's involvement in the EU's 2002 project to support the judiciary in Serbia was; [164012]

(8) if he will provide a breakdown by programme of the expenditure of EU Development Assistance on the Police and Organised Crime project in Albania in 2002; which of his Department's officials were involved in it; and if he will assess the results of the project; [164002]

(9) what assessment he has made of the results of the 2002 EU development assistance project towards a mutually tolerant society with all the ethnic groups in Kosovo; [164013]

(10) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 2002 EU Development Assistance Project to prevent torture in (a) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (b) Serbia, (c) Bulgaria, (d) Hungary, (e) Poland and (f) Russia; [164018]

(11) what assessment he has made of the results achieved by the 2002 EU development assistance project to improve indigenous multiculturalism through education in (a) Croatia, (b) Serbia, (c) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (d) Kosovo, (e) Bulgaria, (f)Poland, (g) Ukraine, (h) Russia, (i) Georgia and (j) Armenia;[164014]

(12) if he will list the results of the EU project on the administration of justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002; and what his Department's role in achieving them was; [164005]

(13) what the stated purpose of the 2002 EU modernisation of justice project in Croatia was; what his Department's involvement in the project was; and what assessment he has made of its value for money; [164007]

(14) what assessment he has made of the 2002 EU development assistance project to improve the rights of Roma in the Western Balkans; [164015]

(15) what assessment he has made of the results achieved by the 2002 EU development assistance project to reinforce the participation of minorities in local government in Bosnia and Herzegovina; [164016]

(16) how his Department contributed in 2002 to the EU's fight against crime project in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; and what assessment he has made of its value for money;[164008]

(17) how his Department contributed in 2002 to the EU's promotion of inter-ethnic relations project in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; and what assessment he has made of its value for money; [164009]

(18) what assessment he has made of the results achieved by the 2002 EU Development Assistance Project to promote inter-ethnic relations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia; [164017]

(19) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's and (b) other countries' involvement in the EU Development Assistance project in 2002 on Policing in Bosnia and Herzegovina; [164004]

(20) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the EU Development Assistance projects in 2002 to rehabilitate victims of torture in (i) Kosovo, (ii) Bosnia and Herzegovina and (iii) Albania; [164030]

(21) if he will make a statement on (a) his Department's involvement in and (b) the effectiveness of the 2002 EU development assistance projects entitled (i) Support to the Electoral Observation Mission of the OSCE/ODIHR in the Western Balkans, (ii) Implementation instruments for the national strategies for Roma minorities in the Western Balkans, (iii) Support to the Accession Process in the Council of Europe and in the regional development of the democratic institutions in the Western Balkans and (iv) Respect of the Post-accession engagements in the Council of Europe and Developing and Monitoring Democratic Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [164025]

For those projects implemented under the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme, the Department is involved through contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to CARDS and by participating in the Management Committee established to define country strategies and oversee the programme. In addition proposals for CARDS projects in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are approved by the Governing Board of the European Agency for Reconstruction, on which the Department is also represented. For those projects implemented under the European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy, a similar oversight role is played by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Implementation of specific projects (including procurement, which is governed by EC procurement rules) is the responsibility of the Commission.When considering Commission funding proposals, the Department took a wide range of factors into consideration, including likely impact, cost-effectiveness and value for money. Many of the 2002 projects are in the early stages of implementation. An assessment of the projects, and production of final spending figures, will only be possible once they have been completed. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on EU development assistance to rural development in Mongolia in 2002. [164003]

EU development assistance to Mongolia is mainly channelled through the Technical Assistance to Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) programme. Since 1994, Mongolia has been allocated EUR 50 million for various programme activities, one of which is rural development. In 2000–01 an Integrated Crop and Livestock Production project began. This project is still being implemented with a budget of EUR 2,899,520 for 2002–05.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the stated objectives of the EU project entitled Police and Organised Crime in Croatia in 2002 was; what his Department's involvement in the project was; and what assessment he has made of its value for money. [164006]

This project is implemented under the EU Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme and the Department is involved through contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to CARDS and by participating in the Management Committee established to define country strategies and oversee the programme.In addition the project is being implemented under a Twinning arrangement, and the Home Office has successfully bid for Phase 1 of the project in 2003 under the CARDS 2002 programme and the project is due to begin this year. The general objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the Croatian Ministry of the Interior for the fight against organised crime and terrorism. The project purpose (of Phase 1, and Phase 2 under CARDS 2003) is to set up a complete Criminal Intelligence System, with all the necessary arrangements, equipment, facilities, and procedures used for the receipt, storage, interagency exchange or dissemination, and analysis of criminal intelligence information.When considering Commission funding proposals, the Department takes a wide range of factors into consideration, including likely impact, cost-effectiveness and value for money. This particular project is still at an early stage of development and so it is not yet possible to assess its value for money. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment.

Hiv/Aids (Africa)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of (a) teachers, (b) nurses and (c) front-line health sector staff other than nurses that are likely to die from HIV/AIDS and related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 10 years. [164423]

In sub-Saharan Africa HIV/AIDS is killing people in the prime of their working lives and weakening the ability of many countries to fill key public service posts needed to maintain essential service delivery. The problem is compounded by the increased demand for HIV/AIDS services (treatment, care and prevention) that must be met by a diminishing workforce.

We are, however, still at an early stage of understanding the direct extent of the impact on frontline health and education personnel as a result of death and illness from HIV/AIDS. The data available has limitations in terms of consistency and comparability.

The Department for International Development is working with development partners to assist Ministries of Education in assessing the impact of HIV/AIDS on teachers and in developing educational and management plans to mitigate those impacts. We have supported the preparation of impact assessment studies on the education systems in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. We are working as a member of the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Education and HIV/AIDS, to train education planners on HIV/AIDS through a programme of workshops under the leadership of the World Bank. We are further supporting the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning to carry out research on the impact of HIV/AIDS on education in sub-Saharan Africa. DFID also supports the work of the United Nations Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance (CHGA), which is currently undertaking research to map the implications of capacity losses from HIV/AIDS for the maintenance of state structures and economic development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The research will specifically investigate the implications of HIV/AIDS on service provision in the public and private sector. It will report its findings to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan in 2005. One study by CHGA estimates that 10–15 per cent. of health service staff in Mozambique could die from HIV/AIDS between 2002 and 2010. This would have very damaging consequences for an already extremely weak and under-staffed health system.

The UK's new strategy on HIV/AIDS is being developed in consultation with stakeholders. The strategy, which will be published in July, will emphasise the importance of assisting countries to develop both short-term "emergency" solutions to address the current shortage of health and education personnel, and to take a longer-term view of human resource planning and management in the light of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Indoor Air Pollution

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (1) overseas aid the Government provides for projects to eliminate or reduce indoor air pollution; [164064](2) if he will list the overseas aid projects supported by the Government which are aimed at eliminating or reducing indoor air pollution; [164065](3) what assessment he has made of the impact of indoor air pollution on health in the world's poorest countries. [164066]

The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises the hazards of indoor air pollution from cooking on poorly designed wood, dung and coal burning stoves—the main source of cooking and heating for half the global population. Women are disproportionately affected because the burden of cooking tends to fall on them. In addition, high levels of indoor smoke pollution can have a particularly bad effect on the health of small children, increasing mortality from pneumonia.DFID is working to develop a multi-sector approach to this issue, that takes account of appropriate stove technologies and the behavioural changes required to reduce women and children's exposure to indoor smoke from biomass fuels.As part of our China programme, DFID is supporting the environmentally sustainable and efficient use of locally available sources of fuel in poor rural areas, whilst working to reduce associated health hazards and improve livelihoods, by co-financing a substantial World Bank managed project on indoor air pollution. This project addresses both technology design and product marketing, and seeks to raise awareness of the effect on health. Earlier DFID-supported research work introduced stove improvements to countries in Africa.DFID is also supporting the Intermediate Technology Development Group ( ITDG), which is a key player in this area. ITDG's November 2003 report: "Smoke: the Killer in the Kitchen", which addressed the impact of indoor air pollution on health in developing

	£
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) core support	2,000,000
Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) core support	1,048,455
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) core support	600,000
Demining Advice BARIC Consultants (commercial company)	120,113
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) core support	500,000
Research AEA/SERCO (commercial company)	24,823
Research and Knowledge—QINETIQ 2002–2004 (commercial company)	288,392
Ottawa Sponsorship Programme (to assist participants from poorer countries attend international meetings on implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty).	16,660
Angola—Halo Trust mine clearance	117,650
Afghanistan—UNMAS demining	2,000,000
Iraq—Mines Advisory Group (MAG) demining	1,000,000
Iraq—UNMAS demining	4,000,000
N Caucasus—UNICEF mine risk education, victim support	60,000

Additionally the UK share of EC funded mine action programmes for the calendar year 2003 is estimated at approximately 8.5 Million Euros. The final figure will be available in June 2004.

Poverty (Africa)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) families and (b) children in each country in sub-Saharan Africa are living in poverty; and if he will make a statement. [164300]

Officially reported figures are unavailable for the number of families and children in sub-Saharan Africa living in poverty. The World Bank has however published figures for the number of people living below US$1 a day in Sub-Saharan Africa. They estimate that in 2000, 323 million people (adults and children) or 49 per cent. of people in sub-Saharan Africa survived on less than US$1 a day. This is an increase of 82 million on 1990

countries, was, in part, the result of DFID-funded work under the Knowledge and Research (KaR) programme. DFID also supports two other ITDG research projects:

Smoke, health and household energy; and,

Finding ways of scaling up effective and sustainable means of reducing the problem of kitchen smoke.

DFID is looking forward to signing off a Partnership Programme Agreement with ITDG in April 2004.

Further details of DFID-supported research work can be found on DFID's Energy Website, which provides information on all research and development projects in the energy sector supported by DFID's Engineering KaR programme [www.dfid-kar-energy.org.uk]. Projects R8021, R8345 and R7368 are the most relevant, but others also touch on the subject.

Mine Clearance

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which organisations the Government gave money for mine clearance in 2003–04; and how much was given in each case. [164325]

I attach the following table showing the actual spend by DFID for Humanitarian Mine Action in 2003–2004. These programmes cover demining programmes, contributions to the various United Nations Organisations that cover mine action and programmes covering research and the provision of knowledge.figures. The following table details figures available for poverty levels in individual countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Income Poverty and Population $1 a day poverty line
	Percentage of population below¹	Year of survey	Number of People below (Millions)²
Burundi	58.4	1998	4.1
Cameroon	33.4	1996	5.1
Cote d'Ivoire	12.3	1995	2.0
Ethiopia	81.9	1999–2000	53.9
Gambia	59.3	1998	0.8
Ghana	44.8	1999	8.8
Kenya	23.0	1997	7.1
Malawi	41.7	1997–1998	4.4
Mozambique	37.9	1996	6.8
Nigeria	70.2	1997	91.2
Senegal	26.3	1995	2.6
South Africa	2	1995	—
Uganda	82.2	1996	18.7

¹ The percentage of population living below the commonly used international $1 a day standard, measured in 1993 international prices and adjusted for local currency using purchasing power parities.

² The number of people living below the $1 a day standard, measured in 1993 international prices and adjusted for local currency using purchasing power parities.

Source:

The Department for International Development's Report on Statistics for International Development 1998–99 to 2002–03.

Information on the number of children in sub-Saharan Africa living in poverty is not available from official international sources. However, a UNICEF sponsored research project produced data for children living in absolute poverty in 21 African countries. The results of the study are set out in the following table.

Absolute Poverty Among Children³: country data
	Child (18)population (000s) (2000)	Percentage in absolute poverty
Benin	3,360	74.7
Burkina Faso	6,457	84.0
Cameroon	7,453	54.3
Central African Republic	1,844	65.4
Cote d'Ivore	7,943	47.3
Ethiopia	32,456	94.0
Ghana	9,303	47.0
Guinea	4,145	71.1
Kenya	15,705	J35.8
Malawi	6,002	74.6
Mozambique	9,231	76.3
Namibia	884	69.8
Nigeria	59,108	52.6
Rwanda	3,941	86.9
Senegal	4,804	39.4
South Africa	17,589	24.3
Tanzania	18,258	78.1
Togo	2,310	61.9
Uganda	13,062	85.4
Zambia	5,571	56.8
Zimbabwe	6,645	45.3
¹UNICEF have defined absolute poverty as: "a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only income but also access to social services".

Source:

UNICEF sponsored research paper "Child Poverty in the Developing World" by David Gordon et al, The Policy Press 2003

These figures show the unacceptable levels of poverty affecting millions of children and their families in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are committed to reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and to assisting countries to make progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, including halving the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day by 2015. The Department for International Development's bilateral programme in sub-Saharan Africa will increase to £1 billion by 2005–2006, (up from around £650 million a year in 2002).

Secondments

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what secondments (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) KPMG has made to his Department since 2001; for what (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from his Department have been made to those firms; and for what (A) periods and (B) tasks. [156931]

Secondments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. The Department for International Development has not engaged in any secondment activity with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young and KPMG since 2001.

St Helena

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's budget will be directed to St. Helena in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [163530]

DFID's assistance to St. Helena in the coming Financial Year, as part of a new three-year package, will be discussed with the island Government in St. Helena next month. DFID provisionally expect to disburse around £11 million in the present Financial Year, representing under 1 per cent. of total DFID expenditure. This includes funding, which we intend to maintain, in support of the island's annual recurrent budget and dedicated shipping service.

Training Courses

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support (a) his Department and (b) UK educational institutions have given to develop courses for African educational institutions in respect of (i) teacher training courses, (ii) training of health professionals, (iii) distance learning courses and (iv) other courses; and if he will make a statement. [164422]

The existence of high quality teacher training institution's and infrastructures is central to the delivery of Education For All in Africa. Likewise, well-educated health professionals are critically important for the delivery of programmes designed to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Appropriate distance education programmes, delivered in part through if the use of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), can help to provide courses and resources to teachers and health professionals who would not otherwise have access to them.DFID is therefore committed to providing support to African Governments and educators to help them to develop sustainable and relevant programmes that will deliver such training. We do this both through the substantial budgetary support that we provide for African Governmets, and also through more focused programmes of technical assistance. The Department for International Development is committed to spending over £1 bilion for education in the next three to five years, including a substantial investment in Africa. Furthermore the £7 million Prime Minister's Imfundo initiative (www.imfundo.org) is working in eight African countries to use ICTs to deliver enhanced educational programmes in association with partners drawn from the private sector, civil society and academic institutions, and focuses particularly on teacher training. We are also working closely with colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills, to help ensure that best UK practice in educational training can be shared with our partner governments in Africa.Other relevant initiatives supported by DFID include £2 million support for the African Virtual University (www.avu.org) which delivers distance based university level courses across Africa, and £l million a year funding for the Commonwealth of Learning (www. col.org), an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.The UK Higher Education Institutions are independent and autonomous bodies, and as such no central record is kept of the number and range of distance learning courses suitable for delivery in Africa, or indeed elsewhere. The Higher Education and Research Opportunities (HERO) website (www.hero.ac.uk) has details of courses available at UK Higher Education Institutions, including those delivered by distance learning. However, many UK institutions do indeed provide support for capacity building and course development in the fields of education and health. DFID has, for example, supported specific distance-learning initiatives between African and British universities in these fields through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and organisations such as The British Council also help to co-ordinate such collaborative activities.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Study Visas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money overseas students applying for a visa to study in the UK are required to show that they have available to support themselves while they are in the UK. [164155]

There is no set amount of money that overseas students need to show that they have available in order to gain entry clearance to study in the UK. The Immigration Rules state that students must be able to show that they have sufficient funds to pay for their course and accommodate themselves without working or help from public funds. There are two exceptions to this. A student can meet some of his/her costs through earnings from employment if that employment is either at a publicly funded institution of further or higher education which is itself providing and guaranteeing the employment or a sandwich course placement which the college or university can guarantee will be available to the student.As a rough guideline the British Council estimates student living costs (excluding fees) for 2002–03 as £768 per calendar month (£6,912 per academic year, which is a nine month period) for a course in London and £600 per calendar month (£5,400 per academic year) for a course outside London. Offer letters from educational establishments often contain an estimated cost for living expenses and the Entry Clearance Officer can also use these figures as a guide.

Aquila Al-Hashemi

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will release in part or in full the police report into the killing of Aquila Al-Hashemi. [163412]

After the assassination of Iraqi Governing Council member Dr Aquila Al-Hashemi in September 2003, an investigation was launched by the Iraqi police with assistance from the Coalition, into her death. Once the investigation is complete it will be for the Iraqi police to decide whether the report is released in part or in full.

Asset Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) high commissions, (b) embassies, (c) buildings and (d) land being considered for sale. [164207]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) maintains a pro-active role in the management of its estate. Consideration of prospective sales is continual and we have no definitive list of future sales. In order to preserve the FCO's ability to obtain best value for any individual sale we cannot release general information about possible future sales in advance of individual assets being placed on the market. I am withholding this information under exemption 13 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) high commissions, (b) embassies, (c) buildings and (d) land which have been sold since 1997. [164206]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) on 26 January 2004, Official Report, columns 56–58W and to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1148W, which listed the sales of residential accommodation and land.Since 1997 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also sold the following office accommodation:

	Sold office accommodation
1998–99	British Embassy Bogota
	British Embassy Casablanca
1999–00	British Embassy Bonn
2000–01	British Consulate Malaga
	British Consulate Seville
2001–02	British High Commission Mbabane
2002–03	British Consulate Naples
	British Embassy Tirana
2003–04	British High Commission Capetown

Bacs

To ask the Secretary of State of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments. [164315]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has already installed BACSTEL-IP. The system has been tested and is planned to be in use from April 2004.

Bbc

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's grant was to (a) the BBC World Service and (b) BBC World Television in each of the last three years; what the turnover was of each; and what proportion of (i) programmes broadcast and (ii) the budget of each service was devoted to educational programming.[164150]

Figures for the grant in aid paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the BBC World Service and for the BBC World Service's turnover in the last three financial years are:

£million
Financial year	Grant in aid	World service broadcasting turnover
2003–04	¹220	³224.2
2002–03	²201	205.7
2001–02	187.9	192.9
¹ Budget.
² Outturn.
³ Forecast.

The proportions of BBC World Service programmes and of its budget devoted to educational programmes over the same period have been:

	Percentage
Financial year	Programmes	Budget
2003–04	¹0.7	¹1.3
2002–03	0.7	1.4
2001–02	0.8	1.6
¹Estimated.

In addition, the BBC World Service funds the BBC 'LearnEnglish' website, which generates traffic of over four million page impressions per month; and for the Chinese English language market it jointly runs with the British Council the 'In2English' which generates significant traffic.BBC World Television is commercially funded by advertising and distribution revenue and is financially separate from the BBC World Service. It would not fall to me to comment on the allocation of funds within BBC World Television or on the content of its programming.

Egypt

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) verdict and (b) sentence of imprisonment on three British nationals in the Egyptian State Security Court on 25 March 2004: what consular support is being provided to those concerned; and what diplomatic representations are being made in their case.[164775]

[holding answer 30 March 2004]: We will not be in a position to consider making any statement relating to the judge's decision until we have received a transcript of his summation. Our Consular officials in Cairo will continue to monitor the men's welfare and make regular consular visits. I assure the hon. Member that we will continue to do all that we properly can to assist the men and provide information and support to their relatives in the United Kingdom. We will continue to make diplomatic representations to the Egyptian Government, where appropriate, about any concerns we may have with this case, including representations about the allegations made by the men that they were tortured and mistreated in the initial days of their detention.

Eritrea

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he will make to the Government of Eritrea concerning (a) the arrest of nine evangelical Christians in Asmara on 17 March and the arrest of a further six evangelical Christians in Asmara on 18 March, (b) the arrest of 10 evangelical Christians from the Full Gospel Church in Aba Shwale district, Asmara, on 23 February and (c) the continuing detention of 46 evangelical Christians arrested at the Hallelujah Church in Asmara in mid-February; [164636](2) what representations he will make to the Government of Eritrea concerning the torture of evangelical Christians in prisons. [164637]

We continue to be concerned about restrictions on religious freedom in Eritrea and raise the issue with the Eritrean Government regularly. I discussed my concerns with President Isaias in Asmara on 15 January. Our ambassador was able to raise the cases highlighted in the Compass Direct report with the Eritrean Government on 29 March.

Eu-Africa Meeting

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries will participate in the EU-Africa meeting in Dublin on 1 April 2004. [164906]

Four countries will attend the EU-Africa meeting on 1 April 2004. Mozambique and South Africa will be attending for the African Union. Ireland and the Netherlands will be attending for the European Union. The AU and EU Commissions will also be represented.

India

TO ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures have been taken since the publication of the Department's Human Rights Report 2003 to tackle discriminatory practices against the Dalit community in India. [163880]

Since the publication of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights report in September 2003 the Government have continued to raise the subject of Dalits with the Indian Government and with officials. I raised the subject of Dalits with Deputy Prime Minister Advani on my recent visit to India (5–9 January). I met representatives of the Dalit Solidarity Network earlier This month to update myself on the situation.The Department for International Development continues to support projects in India for the poorest groups, including Dalits.

Nepal

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what authority a British embassy official in Nepal made a statement on 21 December 2003 that the British Government had agreed to supply two short-take-off-and-landing planes to the Royal Nepalese Army; whether the Government have agreed to give two short-take-off-and-landing aircraft to the Royal Nepalese Army; and if he will make a statement. [164909]

As part of our wider programme of support under Global Conflict Prevention funding, the Government are planning for the supply of two STOL aircraft to Nepal. The final decision will be confirmed after the departmental minute has been laid before Parliament.In December 2003 a member of staff at the British embassy Kathmandu used previously agreed lines to respond to a press inquiry about the planned supply.

Search And Rescue

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) equipment, (b) personnel and (c) other assistance his Department provides to other countries for search and rescue operations involving UK citizens who have gone missing; and if he will make a statement. [164297]

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Consular staff provide all the assistance they properly can to the families of missing British nationals. They help the families liaise with the local authorities and keep them up to date on developments in searches. Search and rescue operations are usually managed by the host authorities who often meet the costs. If the host authorities will not meet the costs, these would fall to the family of the missing individual or his or her insurance company.

Sri Lanka

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government about the inclusion of the Sri Lankan Muslim community in peace talks. [163366]

I last has discussion about the Sri Lanka Muslim community with the Sri Lankan Minister for Constitutional Affairs Professor G.L.Peiris on 18 September 2003. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss this issue in their contacts with the Sri Lankan Government and the leaders of the Muslim community.

Sudan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the case of Razaz Abaker, sentenced to 100 lashes for alleged adultery in Sudan.[164029]

Though we respect Muslims' views of Shar'ia law, we believe that the application of extreme corporal punishments is incompatible with international human rights law. In Razaz Abaker's case we are particularly concerned that there was no opportunity for appeal.Such cases are raised on a regular basis with the Government of Sudan, both bilaterally and through the EU-Sudan dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the United States, (b) Norway and (c) other EU countries on a peacekeeping force for Sudan. [164493]

We are in close contact with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations about plans for a Peace Support Operation in Sudan. We have also discussed the matter with the United States, Norway and other EU member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the comments made by Mukesh Kapila, the United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Sudan on the humanitarian and human rights situation in Darfur; [164780](2) what assessment he has made of the implications for international peace and security of the situation in Darfur, Western Sudan. [164826]

We are very concerned about the humanitarian and human rights situation in Darfur. We are appealing to the parties to ensure the protection of the civilian population and to allow unhindered humanitarian access to those in need.We are also concerned about the implications of the situation in Darfur for international peace and security and are working hard to get the parties to stop fighting. The Government of Sudan and the opposition groups have now agreed to attend ceasefire talks in Chad. We hope that these talks will start shortly. This is an important first step in resolving the crisis in Darfur.

Taiwan And China

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of human rights in (a)Taiwan and(b)China.[164369]

We are concerned at the use of the death penalty in Taiwan, but have no other major concerns about human rights there.We have serious concerns about a wide range of human rights issues in mainland China including: the extensive use of the death penalty; the continuing harassment of political dissidents, religious practitioners. and adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual movement; the situation in Tibet; severe restrictions on freedoms of speech, association and religion.We believe, however, that the best way to improve the situation "on the ground" is to engage critically with, rather than isolate, China. We do this through the biannual UK China Human Rights Dialogue. We raise our concerns through ministerial contacts and public statements. We also raise our concerns through EU mechanisms.A more detailed assessment of our concerns and activities can be found in the most recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Annual Human Rights Report for 2003 which was presented to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in September last year. The report is also available on the FCQ website at www.fco.gov.uk/humanrightsreport2003.

Temporary Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the employment agencies which his Department has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available.[163823]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently has an agreement with three agencies to provide us with temporary agency staff. These are:

Manpower
Hays
Select

Prior to our signing of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Framework Agreement on the employment of Agency and Temporary Staff in July 2003, no central records were maintained. To compile such a list retrospectively would incur disproportionate costs.

Tristan Da Cunha

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department played in allowing rock-hopper penguins to be removed from 'Tristan da Cunha for onward transport to zoos in the Far East. [148592]

The Tristan da Cunha Island Council was responsible for the decision in May 2003 to allow 146 Rockhopper penguins to be taken from an estimated population of 50,000 birds on Nightingale Island (part of the Tristan group). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was informed and confirmed that these birds were not subject to any international law prohibiting their collection. The capture of the birds was witnessed by the Administrator, Tristan da Cunha, to ensure that adequate standards of care and transportation were observed.

Typhoons Sale

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department is playing in the potential sale of Typhoons to Singapore. [164209]

As is common with other important British commercial contracts, our High Commissioner and his colleagues in Singapore are actively involved in promoting the sale of Typhoon aircraft to the Singapore armed forces.My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the sale of Typhoon aircraft with Singaporean Ministers during his official trip to Singapore in January 2003.

Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what context Zimbabwe was raised at the recent 22 March General Affairs Council meeting; and what action was decided should be taken with regard to that country. [164954]

Zimbabwe was not on the agenda for the General Affairs Council meeting on 22 March. The previous meeting of the Council, in February, issued conclusions on Zimbabwe following the EU's decision to continue and extend its targeted measures for a further year. I welcomed the renewal of the measures and pointed out that the decision had sent a clear message that the EU wanted an end to repression and economic catastrophe in Zimbabwe and a return to democratic government and the rule of law.

Culture, Media And Sport

Substance Abuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had on ensuring consistent testing and punishment for substance abuse across all sports in the UK. [164834]

It is a matter for UK Sport, the UK's national anti-doping agency, and sport's governing bodies to carry out a robust and consistent in-and-out of competition drug testing programme.UK Sport is currently in discussion with sport's national governing bodies and other sporting organisations to incorporate the World Anti-Doping Code into the UK's national anti-doping policy in time for this summer's Olympic Games in Athens. The code will standardise drug-testing programmes, including sanctions, across all sports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will make greater resources available for research and development in the field of substance abuse in sport. [164835]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds UK Sport to act, among other things, as the UK's national anti-doping agency. It is a matter for UK Sport as the UK's national anti-doping agency to decide on the budget that is allocated from their grant in aid for research and development of drug-free sport.In 2003–04, UK Sport's grant in aid is £23.48 million of which £2 million will be spent on drug-free sport. No monies were allocated specifically to research and development because the World Anti-Doping Agency both undertakes significant research into performance enhancing substances and methods and shares its findings with national anti-doping organisations and the sporting community. UK Sport has allocated £50,000 for research and development in 2004–05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whit educational work her Department has undertaken to inform (a) athletes and (b) the general population about the dangers of substance abuse in sport; [164836](2) if she will outline her Department's educational work in informing

(a) athletes and (b) the general population about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs. [164838]

The UK, through its national anti-doping agency, UK Sport, is at the forefront of delivering comprehensive and imaginative educational programmes to help athletes train and compete free from performance enhancing substances and methods.Information is readily available to athletes and their support personnel, sport's national governing bodies, and the wider public on all aspects of the UK's dope testing programme. The education programme includes a variety of delivery methods including booklets, posters and leaflets, through to audience-specific workshops and seminars.

UK Sport offers comprehensive information via their website and e-mail service including the unparalleled Drug Information Database which helps British athletes to find out information about UK-licensed medications and substances at any time and from any place. For athletes without access to the Internet and e-mail, there is a free-phone drug information line.

During the summer, UK Sport is launching a European Commission-funded project called "Start Clean" which aims to build awareness and appreciation of the importance of drug-free sport in 13 to 17-year olds across the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will increase the resources available for educating people about substance abuse in sport. [164952]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds UK Sport to act, among other things, as the UK's national anti-doping agency. It is a matter for UK Sport as the UK's national anti-doping agency to decide on the budget that is allocated from their grant-in-aid to educate athletes to train and compete free from performance enhancing substances and methods.In 2003–04, UK Sport's grant-in-aid is £23.48 million of which £2 million will be spent on drug-free sport. Of this, £53,125 will be spent specifically on education programmes for athletes and athlete support personnel. This is in addition to the World Anti-Doping Agency expenditure on education programmes to eradicate doping from sport. UK Sport will allocate around £150,000 for drug-free sport education in 2004–05.

Bbc (Commercial Advertising)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made as part of the Charter renewal process of the (a) extent, (b) methods and (c) purpose of commercial advertising by the BBC. [163959]

[holding answer 26 March 2004]: Subject to one certain outcome—that it will maintain a strong BBC, independent of Government—the Charter Review will cover all aspects of the BBC's role, structure and function, including the promotion of its own products and services. We will make the conclusions—together with the evidence on which they are based—available in due course.

Community Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the total value of funding made available to voluntary groups by the Community Fund and utilised for the employment of paid employees. [164634]

The total value of funding made available to voluntary and community organisations by the Community Fund was £2.6 billion as at 31 March 2003. It is not possible to identify the value of funding utilised for the employment of paid employees as the Community Fund does not collect this data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what value of the Community Fund has been set aside exclusively for local groups in the Wakefield area; if she will list the total distribution from this sum to date; and if she will make a statement. [164635]

Fair share is an initiative designed by the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund to make Lottery funding more readily available to disadvantaged communities in 77 local areas, which so far have not received their fair share of Lottery funding. Wakefield is one of these 77 areas. The Fair Share initiative was launched in the spring of 2002 and will run until March 2005. The Fair Share target amount for Wakefield for this period is £4,765,000. To date under the Fair Share initiative £3,070,429 has been awarded to 23 projects in Wakefield, which is 64 per cent. of the total allocated amount.

Digital Television

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of households in Taunton have not converted from analogue to digital television. [164557]

At present, information on digital take-up is not available with this level of detail. However, according to Ofcom, by 31 December 2003, digital television take-up across the UK was 50.2 per cent.We expect information on regional take-up figures of digital television to be available soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people over (a) 60, (b) 70 and (c) 80 she estimates have access to digital television; and if she will make a statement. [164764]

The information is not available. However, Growth from Knowledge (Gfk) a research company which produces research on the adoption of digital television for both this Department and the DTI estimates that at the turn of the year, 34 per cent. of over-55 households in the C2DE bracket in Great Britain had access to digital television, while 41 per cent. of households in the same age group in the ABC1 bracket had such access.

Funding (Redbridge)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was allocated from the New Opportunities Fund to the (a) Ilford North constituency and (b) London borough of Redbridge in each of the last five years. [164882]

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 New Opportunities Fund (and other Lottery Distribution bodies).

The figures are the most recent figures available.

£
	Ilford North	Redbridge
1999	4,000	897,644
2000	6,401	55,993
2001	45,877	1,517,962
2002	85,759	704,491
2003	206,748	865,850

Grants

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants were made available to (a) the Greater London Authority and (b) each London borough from her Department in each of the last four financial years. [163102]

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides a grant of £1.9 million per year to the Greater London Authority for the promotion of London to tourists as a destination in its own right and as a gateway to the rest of the UK and for the improvement of tourism amenities and facilities.Other grants are allocated by the Department on a national level so it is not possible to give the amount available to each London borough.

National Lottery

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery funding has been distributed to causes in Taunton in each year since 1997. [164559]

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.The figures for 2004 are the most recent figures available.

Lottery funding in Taunton
	Number
1997	107,838
1998	45,954
1999	83,958
2000	108,000
2001	98,049
2002	96,096
2003	130,195
2004	8,016

Public Bodies

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and sport what the (a) resource budget, (b) administration coats and (c) staff numbers were for 2003 of the (i) British Tourist Authority, (ii) English Tourism Council, (iii) Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, (iv) Community Fund, (v) Football Licensing Authority, (vi) Horserace Betting Levy Board, (vii) Horserace Totalisator Board, (viii) Millennium Commission, (ix) New Opportunities Fund, (x) UK Sport, (xi) Culture North East, (xii) East Midlands Cultural Consortium, (xiii) Living East (East of England Cultural Consortium), (xiv) North West Cultural Consortium, (xv) South East Cultural Consortium, (xvi) South West Regional Cultural Consortium, (xvii) West Midlands Life Cultural Consortium, (xviii) Working Group on Human Remains, (xix) Yorkshire Cultural Consortium, (xx) Music Industry Forum and (xxi) Viewers' Panel. [164022]

Resource budgets for 2003–04 including provision for current and capital expenditure and non-cash costs (depreciation and cost of capital charges) are shown in the following table:

Organisation	Resource budget(£000)	Average staff numbers as at 31 March 2003
British Tourist Authority(Visit Britain)	52,485	484
English Tourism Council	0	59
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment	3,846	31.7
Community Fund	0	493
Football Licensing Authority	1,128	15
Horserace Betting Levy Board	0	126
Horserace Totalisator Board	0	3,902
Millennium Commission	0	68
New Opportunities Fund	0	287
UK Sport	28,050	77

Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies are funded by grant-in-aid and are not subject to administration costs limits. Details of their staff costs and other operating costs are published in their respective annual reports and accounts. Copies of these may be obtained from the Library of the House.The Community Fund, the Millennium Commission and the New Opportunities Fund distribute National Lottery proceeds only, receiving no Exchequer funds, and recover their administration costs from the National Lottery Distribution Fund.The Horserace Betting Levy Board and the Horserace Totalisator Board are funded by levies and commercial betting operations respectively.With effect from 1 April 2003,the English Tourism Council (ETC) was merged with the British Tourist Authority (BTA) to form Visit Britain. The ETC continues as a legal entity with a new remit as the

£
Applicant	Project title	HLF award
London boroughs of Barnet and Brent	London, Welsh Harp	420,000
London borough of Bromley	Chalking Up London's Downs	50,000
Cambridgeshire county council	Devil's Dyke Restoration Project	305,000
Staffordshire county council	Saving Cannock Chase	522,000
Carmarthenshire county council	Llyn Llech Owain Country Park	229,500
Denbighshire Countryside Service	Heather and Hillforts/Y Grug a'r Caerau—PPG	50,000
Doncaster Metropolitan borough council	Cusworth Hall and Park Restoration Project	180,500
Doncaster Metropolitan borough council	Cusworth Hall and Park Restoration Project	4,819,000
Kent county council	Brewers Wood and Randall Wood, Kent—Acquisition	91,800
SE London Green Chain Project	Heritage on Your Doorstep—Green Chain Project	47,100
Cornwall county council	Helford River—Capturing Hearts and Minds	89,700
North Cornwall district council	Atlantic Coasts and Valleys	25,700
North Somerset council	Land at Uphill	22,600
Cornwall county council	Geevor Tin Mine Heritage Centre Phase I	291,000
Borough of Poole	North Canford Heath, Whites Land—Acquisition	423,500

England Marketing Advisory Board (EMAB) to provide strategic guidance to VisitBritain and Ministers on the domestic marketing of England.

The Regional Cultural Consortiums are currently Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies. All of their costs, including administration costs are met from the Department's resource budget for 'Research and Other Surveys'. For 2003–04 the budget for Regional Cultural Consortiums is £1,600,000 (2002–03 outturn: £840,826). In 2003 they did not directly employ any staff. In 2004–05 they will become Executive NDPBs.

The Working Group on Human Remains, Music Industry Forum and the Viewers Panel have completed their work. They had no resource budget and did not employ any staff. Their administration costs were included within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's administration costs which are published in the Resource Accounts. Copies may be obtained from the Library of the House.

Regional Assemblies

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role regional assemblies will have in the distribution of Lottery funds. [164549]

Lottery funds are given out by Lottery distributors who operate at arms length, independently of central and local government. That same principle would apply to regional Government. However the Government proposes giving regional assemblies, where these are created, a role in the appointment of the relevant regional arts council and regional sports board, which are the regional awards committees of Arts Council England and Sport England respectively, both of which are Lottery distributors.

Sites Of Special Scientific Interest

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants have been made from Lottery funding to local authorities for sites of special scientific interest.[164973]

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded 26 grants to 24 projects totalling £11,238,600 to local authorities for projects that include Sites of Special Scientific Interest.The table contains the specific local authority, the name of the actual project and the award in each case.

£
Applicant	Project title	HLF award
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority	Caeau Ty Mawr, Brecon—Acquisition	15,000
Rotherham Metropolitan borough council	Fuelling A Revolution—Canklow Wood	101,000
Sedgemoor district council	Brean Down Fort—Repairs and Stabilisation	431,400
Sefton Metropolitan borough council	Southport Pier—Restoration and Access	1,700,000
Shropshire county council	Snailbeach Leadmine Restoration Project	136,300
South Hams district council	South Devon AONB 'Changes and Challenges'	62,500
South Hams district council	South Devon AONB 'Changes and Challenges'	749,500
Southampton city council	Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre, Southampton—Displays	83,600
Gloucester CC Archaeology Service	Painswick Beacon Restoration Project	50,000
Surrey county council	Basingstoke Canal Woodham Backpumping Scheme	295,000
Wyre Countryside Service	Fleetwood Promenade: Coastal Interpretation and Access	46,900
		11,238,600

Sporting Opportunities (Children)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1292W, (1) what assessment has been made of the activities of pupils who do not take part in, or are not offered, two hours of high quality physical education per week in Phase 1 Partnership schools; [164467](2) what steps have been taken to assess the two hour high quality physical education per week participation rates of young people in Phase 1 Partnership schools. [164469]

Data collected from Phase 1 School Sport Partnership schools indicate that 61 per cent. of pupils are spending at least two hours per week on high-quality PE and sport, within and beyond the curriculum.The results from the survey of all School Sport Partnerships will be published in April. All Partnerships will receive a report, allowing them to compare their performance with the national average and to address gaps in their provision at a local level.

Environment, Food And Rural Affairs

Agriculture And Fisheries Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 22 and 23 March; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [163938]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and 1 represented the UK at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 22–23 March. Ministers with agriculture and fisheries responsibilities for Scotland and Northern Ireland were also present.The Council marked with a period of silence its respect for the victims of the Madrid bombs.The main item of business was a discussion on the Commission's proposals for a regulation to reduce the level of small cetacean bycatch. Many member states were concerned about the resource implications of the proposal, both for the fishing industry and government. In discussion we dropped our request for exemptions from mandatory use of acoustic deterrent devices ("pingers") in the 0–6 nautical mile zone and in ICES Area VIId. We argued against exemptions for under 12 metre vessels to have to use "pingers" on fishing nets and for those under 15 metres to be exempt from observer requirements. We thought only smaller vessels should be exempted but most other Member States supported the proposal. We were pleased that the Regulation offers flexibility for those member states which already have robust bycatch data to design appropriate monitoring schemes alongside provisions for mandatory monitoring schemes for those that do not. A requirement has been included in the Regulation for pilot projects to monitor the effects of "pinger" usage and to observe bycatch on under 15 metres vessels. These pilot schemes have to be designed to deliver good quality scientific data which will be used to review the Regulation after two years' experience. The Regulation also provides for the progressive phasing out of drift nets in the Baltic, which will culminate in a total ban on January 2008. Taken as a whole the package is an important advance in the protection of small cetaceans.A regulation was also adopted to protect permanently an area of cold water coral reefs off the north west of Scotland (known as the Darwin Mounds) from the impact of damaging fishing activities.The only agriculture business was further discussion of the Commission's proposals for reform of the olive oil, cotton, tobacco and hops regimes, together with some technical amendment of existing regulations to accommodate the new Member States joining the EU in May this year. The Presidency acknowledged that several delegations were not in a position to conclude negotiations at this Council and announced an additional Council on 19–20 April in Luxembourg to deal specifically with this package. Discussion concentrated on cotton, olive oil and tobacco and largely re-confirmed existing positions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stressed the case for the Commission's proposal of 100 per cent. decoupling in the tobacco sector and joined those arguing for a higher level of decoupling than that proposed for cotton.

Under other business, Commissioner Byrne reported on a recent visit to the USA, Commissioner Fischler reported on progress in EU/Mercosur trade talks and Austria raised a point on harmonisation of approval procedures for pesticides.

Animal Welfare

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures she uses to balance her responsibilities for protecting human health with those for protecting and promoting animal welfare. [158816]

Since the Department's creation in June 2001, we have placed sustainability at the heart of our actions to protect and ensure a better quality of life for both humans and livestock. Our policies for food, health, the environment and animals can only prosper and endure if they are fully integrated so that they don't undermine each other. The elements of protecting human health and protecting and promoting animal welfare are complementary. By improving animal welfare, the risk of disease in animals, including diseases transmissible to humans, is reduced.An outline Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain was published in July 2003. It aims to improve the health and welfare of kept animals, and protect public health from animal disease. It sets out the principles that will help inform Government decisions, which include the need to be guided by the precautionary principle.Policy on the control of zoonoses is a collaborative process involving Defra, DoH, and, in the case of foodborne zoonoses, the FSA. Arrangements currently in place support the level of collaboration necessary to ensure the protection of human health, animal health and animal welfare.

Badgers/Bovine Tb

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how wildlife surveyors distinguish between primary and secondary badger setts; and what effect a preponderance of unrecognised secondary setts has on the estimation of badger populations;[158374](2) how wildlife surveyors distinguish between primary and secondary badger setts; and what effect a preponderance of unrecognised secondary setts has on the estimation of badger populations. [158498]

Ecologists have tried to classify setts according to size and function. The normal convention in ecological badger surveys is to recognise four categories of setts: main, subsidiary, annex and outlier, although there are other methods of surveying. Defra Wildlife Unit staff distinguish maid setts on the basis of a number of factors including the number of holes, activity, latrine location, topography and relationship to other larger setts; secondary or other' setts are those not fitting the description of main setts.Population estimates may be based on the number of main setts, with an estimated average number of badgers for a social group being applied per main sett. This approach relies upon accurate identification of main setts, and would not be affected by any other type of sett being missed; however if a main sett were misclassified e.g. as a subsidiary sett, it would affect the population estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conclusions her Department has reached on whether the proportion of diseased badgers in road traffic accidents is representative of the incidence of the disease in the badger population as a whole. [158806]

The road traffic accident (RTA) survey has been designed to establish whether the incidence of bovine TB in badgers collected from road verges and other locations is representative of the prevalence of the disease in the badger population in that area. A first analysis, using the information from carcases collected so far, is expected to be completed in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the proposed levy to fund compensation payments in respect of slaughtered TB reactors will be imposed on (a) a per head and (b) a per farm basis; and whether it will apply to (i) dairy producers and (ii) beef producers; [158368](2) whether the proposed levy to fund compensation payments in respect of slaughtered TB reactors will be imposed on a

(a) per head and (b) per farm basis; and whether it will apply to (i) dairy producers and (ii) beef producers. [158571]

The levy which we have in mind would be raised on a per head basis, on all the animals susceptible to any disease covered by the levy fund. Different rates of levy would be set for different categories of animals, in line with the categories which are set for the compensation regime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what responsibility her Department has for mitigating losses incurred by farmers arising from disease reservoirs over which they have no control; [158413](2) whether it is her policy to compensate farmers for all losses incurred due to diseases whose main reservoir is in wildlife. [158757]

The Government will pay compensation to farmers and other keepers, when livestock is slaughtered for the purpose of disease control under Section 31 or Section 32 of the Animal Health Act 1981. No compensation is payable for consequential losses. Farmers, like other businesses, need to take into account any risks to their business, including the risk of disease posed by wildlife.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the predicted doubling of the incidence of TB in cattle qualifies technically for the description epidemic. [158801]

Yes. The occurrence of TB is at a level in excess of what might be expected, given the previous low incidence established during the 1970s and 1980s.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there are plans to train lay personnel to carry out live TB testing in cattle. [158803]

Last year the Government consulted on a proposal to permit fully trained and competent lay personnel to carry out TB testing of cattle. We are currently considering the way forward following the analysis of the responses to the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether budget allocation has been made for the purpose of gaining public acceptance of large-scale badger culling. [158804]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her objective that bovine TB should be eradicated using current control methods. [158807]

The Government recognise that eradication of bovine TB is unlikely to be achieved in the next 10 years using current control methods. The public consultation on a revised TB strategy for Great Britain is looking at what might be achieved in this time scale. A desirable outcome would be to achieve Officially Tuberculosis Free status, as defined in EU Directive 64/ 432/EEC. Our priority in the shorter term must be to prevent the spread of the disease from areas of GB where incidence is high to areas where it is low.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the clean ring strategy adopted from 1982 to 1985 led to a reduction in the incidence of TB in (a) badgers and (b) cattle; and what the incidence of bovine TB was outside the clean ring target areas during that period. [158808]

The information requested is as follows:

(a) Badgers recolonising areas cleared under the clean ring strategy had similar levels of TB infection to the badgers removed; there was a reduction in the rate of cattle TB breakdowns. The Krebs Report considered this and said 'whilst removal operations may have had an effect on the prevalence of TB in badgers and on herd breakdowns, other factors may also have influenced these. In the absence of scientific controls, it is not possible to separate out the effects of badger removal from these confounding factors'.

(b) There is no known specific assessment of the incidence of bovine TB outside the clean ring target areas during the period 1982 to 1985. The table illustrates the level across Great Britain.

Incidence of tuberculosis as disclosed by tuberculin tests 1982 to 1985 in Great Britain
		Reactors slaughtered		Herds with reactors
	Herds tested	Number	As a percentage of cattle in herds tested	Number	As a percentage of herds tested
1982	48,343	569	0.016	308	0.637
1983	44,830	621	0.019	322	0.718
1984	45,285	660	0.019	350	0.773
1985	43,826	699	0.021	341	0.778

Source:

Report of the Chief Veterinary Officer 1984 and 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her best estimate is of the total costs of bovine TB for each of the years from 2004–05 to 2012–13, based on the assumptions used for the graph on page 23 of her consultation document, "Preparing for a new GB strategy on Bovine Tuberculosis", but in the absence of a significant wildlife reservoir. [158810]

It is not possible to estimate this figure. To do so would require knowledge of the quantitative contribution of wildlife to the causation of TB in cattle, a fact not currently known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the current objective of badger TB vaccine research is to (a) achieve a high level of immunity in the badger population and (b) reduce bacterial shedding by badgers which have succumbed to the disease. [158811]

A vaccine targeted at badgers would not be required to protect individual badgers against TB, but would need to reduce the transmission to cattle. Thus a vaccine that reduces the severity of the disease and/or reduces shedding of the bacteria from infected badgers by inducing protective immunity could have the desired effect. This is the current objective of badger TB vaccine research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department will bear the market authorisation costs for a new animal TB vaccine; and whether she will be seeking a commercial partner to bring the vaccine into use. [158812]

There are no plans to develop a generic animal vaccine at present. However Defra is funding research into the development of specific badger and cattle vaccines and associated diagnostic tests.In particular. Defra is organising a workshop aimed at progressing badger vaccine development from the current research to delivery of a licensed product (BCG based vaccine) to badgers in the field. This will ensure Industry is engaged early enough for manufacturing, licensing and marketing issues to be understood and taken on board. The workshop should clarify timescales, costs and the roles for various partners, and possible models for engagement between Government, Industry and beneficiaries in the development of a badger vaccine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 522W, on badgers, whether the gassing of badgers is deemed by her Department to be inhumane when preceded by the administration of an efficient anaesthetic gas. [158813]

The gassing of badgers in their setts is not regarded as an acceptable method of killing them because of the difficulty of ensuring the correct concentration of gas throughout the sett, using the methods of delivery and gas combinations that are currently available; this applies whether the gas is intended to bring about anaesthesia or death.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the benefits of unrestricted, natural growth in the badger population. [158814]

The Department has not made any such assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2004, Official Report, column 1365W, on badgers, what lessons have been learned from the four badger clearance areas to which she refers. [158815]

The Krebs Report considered this and said

"a reduction in the incidence of TB in cattle in areas after badger clearances would be compelling evidence that the badgers had been responsible for TB in the cattle if alternative explanations could be eliminated".

The Government accepted the Report's recommendation that a field trial be established to investigate this issue further, and set up the Randomised Badger Culling Trial in 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many applications for section 10 licences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 permitting the killing of badgers for the express purpose of preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property have been (a) made and (b) approved in respect of listed buildings or other listed sites in each year that the Act has been in force; [159116](2) how many applications for section 10 licences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 permitting the killing of badgers have been

(a) made by (i) farmers and (ii) other private landowners and (b) issued for the express purpose of preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property in each year that the Act has been in force[159117]

When members of the public approach my Department with a badger problem, most come seeking our advice on how they can resolve their problem. Only a small number have a clear idea of what action they want to take. Because of this it is not possible to distinguish between applications on the basis of whether the applicant wanted to kill the badgers, relocate them or simply close a problem sett. Thus, we cannot provide figures for part (a)of these questions.

With regard to the number of licences issued to kill badgers for the purpose of preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property in respect of listed buildings or other listed sites; our computerised system does not specifically record whether a building or other site is listed. Therefore we are unable to provide figures for this. We are however unaware or any such licences issued between 2001 and 2003.

The number of licences issued permitting the killing of badgers for the express purpose of preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property in each year that the Act has been in force and for which there are computer records available, are as follows:

2001: 0
2002: 1
2003: 0

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which clauses of the Berne Convention relate to the mass culling of badgers for the purpose of disease control. [159127]

No Article of the Bern Convention does so in such precise terms. Article 9, however, provides for 'exceptions', including for the purposes of being in the interest of public health and safety, the prevention of serious damage to livestock and research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 6 February 2004, Official Report, column 1109W, what the period is between the administration of each test to which badgers are subject before release; and what the statistical probability is of detecting an infected badger by the application of three tests.[159143]

The minimum interval between indirect (Brock) ELISA tests should be 4 weeks.An animal which has had three negative test results has a 2.7 per cent. risk of being infected if it comes from a population with a background prevalence of infection of 10 per cent.—We cannot be definitive when the background prevalence is subject to fluctuation.Progress is being made in improving assays to detect antibodies against

M. bovis infection in badgers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answers of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 218W, and 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 482W, on bovine TB, in how many cases when traps were damaged it was judged that the traps had been recently occupied by badgers. [159145]

No judgment was made or records kept as to whether traps damaged by anti-trial protesters contained trapped badgers at the time they were damaged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answers of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 218W and 29 January, Official Report, column 482W, on badgers, in how many instances her departmental officials reported the loss or damage of badger traps to the police; and what investigations were made as a result. [159155]

Badger culling operations are planned in close liaison with the respective police authorities. Varying reporting arrangements for trap damage are agreed with the different police forces who investigate and record such crime according to their assessment of the local situation.Defra does not receive information on the outcome of police investigations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 215W, on badgers, what aspects affecting the routes of transmission of M. bovis (a) from cattle to cattle, and (b) between badgers and cattle, remain to be fully understood. [159214]

In relation to cattle to cattle transmission the rate at which cattle excrete M. bovis varies, and the effect of age, breed, productive and health status of the animal and time since infection are not fully understood. If transmission is by the respiratory route the relative importance of proximity, ventilation and dust remains to be determined. It may be that cow to calf transmission by milk ingestion is possible: if so, how often this occurs is not known.It has not yet been established whether cattle to badger transmission occurs and, if it does, how often in comparison with re-activation of latent infection in badger populations.In relation to badger to cattle transmission variation in the rate at which badgers excrete

M. bovis, and the effect of age, breed and health status of the animal and time since infection is not understood. Additionally the relative importance of contamination of pasture, feed stores and silos, feed troughs, water troughs and streams and how and why the risk is discontinuous in space and time, so that some farms can escape disease for many years while neighbours are apparently infected several times a year is yet to be established.

Defra has a number of research projects in place to investigate more fully the factors associated with M. bovis transmission between animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 215W, on badgers, whether her objective of containing the geographical spread of TB in cattle also encompassed a reduction in the incidence of TB in cattle in those geographical areas where it has already been detected.[159215]

The objective of surveillance and control activity is to reduce the incidence of TB wherever it is found.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 213W, on badgers, whether the number of field officers employed are sufficient to maintain trapping frequency in proactive areas, in accordance with the protocols set out for the Krebs trials. [159216]

yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 821W, what assessment she has made of whether badger culling programme designs and execution need to be improved in order to reduce perturbation. [159281]

The amount of perturbation is a factor of the degree of culling, and the number of badgers surviving it. The more or, conversely, the less effective a badger culling programme is, the less the perturbation effect may be. To make the sort of assessment the hon. Member suggests would require a study designed to quantify accurately the effects on the levels of perturbation that different culling programmes would have. Given the number of replicates that would be required, at varying levels of culling efficiency and badger density, this would be difficult to achieve.

Common Fisheries Policy

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment her Department has made of the obstacles to the UK (a) withdrawing from the Common Fisheries Policy and (b) creating an alternative structure for UK fisheries management; [163847](2) what assessment her Department has made of the legal steps that would be required for the UK to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy. [163848]

Withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) would only be achievable by a complex renegotiation of European Union treaties with other member states.The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit concludes that sustainable fisheries management is most likely to be achieved inside a reformed and regionalised CFP—and the way we carry forward their recommendations will be an integral part of the CFP reforms we agreed in December 2002.One of these reforms was provision for the establishment of trans-national Regional Advisory Councils (RACs). These will bring together fishermen, scientists and all with an interest in the fish stocks and their exploitation to help develop ways forward to which all parties can subscribe. The industry and other organisations in the UK are at the forefront of action to establish RACs, and a Council Decision is likely to be adopted next month which will allow interested parties to take forward their proposals quickly. We believe RACs to be a groundbreaking change for the CFP—they will help develop more effective consultation and a strong regional focus.

Computer Misuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of computer misuse there were in her Department in 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163253]

The Department does not maintain a central list of all cases of computer misuse because these are generally handled through the line management chain or local Personnel Units.The IT Directorate provides information in cases of suspected computer misuse. There were no cases of formal disciplinary action within the Department during 2003.The Department seeks to ensure that all users of computer systems are fully aware of their responsibilities and legal obligations. This is done by a variety of methods such as through system training programmes, published user guides and usage policies together with general security policy guidance and advice. This material is subject to regular review and is easily accessible through the Departmental Intranet. Regular Office Notices also provide reminders of key points.

Eu Sugar Regime

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the UK Government's position on reform of the EU sugar regime. [162903]

The Government have already made clear that they share the European Commission's view that extension of the present regime beyond 2006 is not sustainable. We have also said that we are looking for a market based approach in line with major CAP reforms achieved in June 2003 across most other sectors.However, sugar reform raises a complex set of issues, including implications for developing countries, and we are still considering the best way ahead, taking account of the views received in our consultation exercise which closed on 16 January and which we are still assessing.

Fallen Stock

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what provisions she has made for the disposal of fallen sheep during the current lambing season, in the absence of the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme; [158741](2) what advice she gives to farmers who are banned from burying fallen stock on their land by the Animal By-Products Regulation 1774/2002/EC and who have no other means of disposal. [158746]

The Government are not obliged to provide a National scheme under the Animal By-Products Regulations, nor is one an essential prerequisite to farmers being able to dispose of their livestock in a legitimate manner.Farmers are expected to make use of existing local outlets for the disposal of fallen, stock i.e. knacker yards, hunt kennels and maggot farms, use on-farm incinerators or make arrangements directly with rendering or incineration plants. However, we have asked local authorities to look sympathetically at individual cases where farmers have made every effort to comply but have faced genuine difficulties in doing so.

Farm Incomes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects real total income from farming to return to the level of 1995; and if she will make a statement. [162876]

Total income from farming in the UK is estimated to be £3.2 billion in 2003, having increased for the third year in a row. In real terms this is 28 per cent. above the 2002 level and 77 per cent. above the low point in 2000. It remains 50 per cent. below the peak in 1995.Total income from farming in 1995 was exceptionally high due primarily to the combined effects of currency movements the UK's exit from the Exchange Rate Mechanism and favourable world commodity prices.Government policy is to facilitate the right economic framework to enable farmers to succeed, compete successfully internationally and have a profitable future.The Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, was published on 12 December 2002. The strategy provides a clear and strategic long-term direction towards a more sustainable future. The Government will work in partnership with industry and other stakeholders to implement the strategy, providing the leadership to allow farmers to flourish by their own efforts and to become better connected to markets and consumer requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she proposes to take to maintain the growth in net farm income for (a) dairy, (b) cereals, (c) cattle and sheep (less favoured areas) and (d) cattle and sheep (lowland); and when she expects each to reach, in real terms, the levels of 1995–96.[162878]

In the year ending February 2004, net farm income in England is expected to have increased on dairy farms, cereal farms and cattle and sheep farms (less favoured areas) in comparison to the previous year. Incomes on lowland cattle and sheep farms are expected to have been broadly unchanged. The increases in incomes are mainly a reflection of higher market prices and support payments in that year which, in turn, are mainly a result of market forces and movements in currency exchange rates.The level of net farm income in 1995–6 was exceptionally high due primarily to the combined effects of currency movements following the UK's exit from the exchange rate mechanism and favourable world commodity prices.Government policy is to facilitate the right economic framework to enable farmers to succeed, compete successfully internationally and have a profitable future.The Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, was published on 12 December 2002. The strategy provides a clear and strategic long-term direction towards a more sustainable future. The Government will work in partnership with industry and other stakeholders to implement the strategy, providing the leadership to allow farmers to flourish by their own efforts and to become better connected to markets and consumer requirements.

Farm Payments

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of whether a significant proportion of the single farm payment will become capitalised in agricultural land values; and if she will make a statement; [160166](2) what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the single farm payment on rent levels for agricultural land; and if she will make a statement. [160167]

Defra will publish shortly an analysis of the economic impact on the English farming industry of the decoupling of CAP direct payment and the decision to allocate entitlement on the basis set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's Statement to the House on 12 February.

Feline Tb

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she has issued to private veterinary surgeons on the (a) detection and (b) reporting of domestic cats infected with M. bovis. [159122]

There is no advice issued by Defra to private veterinary surgeons on the detection and reporting of domestic cats infected with M. bovis. TB in cats is not notifiable to the Divisional Veterinary Manager, although it is good practice to do so.As set out in the consultation document launched by my Department last 9 February, we are proposing an amendment to the Tuberculosis (England and Wales) Order 1984, which will make the isolation of

M. bovis notifiable in any mammal other than humans.

Horticulture

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in developing proposals to alter the Horticultural Development Council Order 1986 (as amended). [163634]

The Horticultural Development Council has discussed the levy rate for non-agaricus mushrooms with Defra officials and this is now being considered as part of the statutory review of the Council. Any change to the levy rate will require an amendment to the Horticultural Development Council Order 1986 (as amended). As part of the review we will consider any other proposals for change to the Order including suggestions from the Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Horticultural Development Council and (b) the Mushroom Growers Association about introducing a differential levy rate for non-agaricus (exotic) mushroom growers. [163678]

The Horticultural Development Council has discussed the levy rate for exotic mushrooms with Defra officials. The possibility of a differential levy rate is being considered as part of the current statutory review of the Council and the Mushroom Growers' Association (together with other industry bodies) will be consulted on any firm proposals for change.

Milk

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the code of practice between supermarkets and suppliers on the supply and sale of milk. [162654]

The operation of the code has recently been reviewed by the Office of Fair Trading. Their report, publis235hed on 20 February, can be found on their website at: http://www.oft.gov.uk/News/Press + releases/2004/28–04 .htm.

Rights Of Way

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will extend the period of consultation on motor propelled vehicles and rights of way. [162926]

No. We have allowed a period for submitting responses that is longer than the 12 weeks recommended in the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation and there has been a very healthy response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pieces of correspondence she received on motor propelled vehicles and rights of way when the consultation period finishes. [162927]

Once I have had a proper opportunity to consider all the comments made on the proposals, I will publish a formal response to the consultation including an analysis of the numbers of responses received.At this stage, we estimate we have approximately 13,000 formal responses, letters, emails and other written contributions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what, and how many, representations she has received from (a) the Country Land and Business Association and (b) those declaring themselves as members of the Association about the use of modern motorised vehicles on rights of way; and if she will make a statement. [163086]

Once I have had a proper opportunity to consider all the comments made on the proposals, I will publish a formal response to the consultation, which will include a comprehensive analysis of the responses to the consultation.The Country Land and Business Association has submitted a formal response to the consultation. 3,500 postcards from members of the association, supporting the Government's proposals.

Rural Payments Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what value of payments (a) have been made and (b) remain unpaid by the Rural Payments Agency to farmers in the North West, broken down by county. [156494]

The following table shows the number and total value of claims paid to farmers in the North West broken down by county. These figures represent the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund 2003 accounting year which runs from 16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003.The figures for the number and value of unpaid payments could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

£
County¹	Number of claims paid	Total amount
Cheshire	2,110	16,210,308.85
Cumbria	4,852	72,822,877.45
Greater Manchester	560	4,320,959.33
Lancashire	2,639	23,156,928.16
Merseyside	188	2,762,820.68
Total	10,349	119,273,894.47
¹The county split is in line with NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics)regional analysis.

Severely Disadvantaged Areas

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her assessment is of the impact on tourism in severely disadvantaged areas of the payment regime in those areas. [161538]

Shellfish

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many shellfish beds have been recommended for closure since 2001, due to the monitoring of toxins in shellfish producing atypical results; and if she will make a statement. [163235]

I have been asked to reply.I am advised by the Food Standards Agency, that since April 2001, of the 395 classified shellfish beds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, some 60 beds have, at various times, had temporary restrictions in place due to shellfish samples producing atypical positive results for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins.

Sites Of Special Scientific Interest

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list local authority owned sites of special scientific interest which are in an English Nature management scheme to restore their features. [163664]

English Nature has initiated proceedings on four management schemes under section 28J of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended. In each case, a voluntary management agreement was reached with English Nature, before it was necessary to formally serve notice of the schemes. None of these concerned SSSI land owned or managed by local authorities.English Nature may enter into voluntary management agreements with any owner or occupier of SSSI land. According to English Nature, management agreements have been entered into with local authorities on 204 separate SSSI units covering 4,734 hectares of SSSI land. I will write to my hon. Friend with further details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list sites of special scientific interest owned by local authorities which are in (a) favourable and (b) unfavourable condition; and which are improving in line with the Public Service Agreement target. [163665]

The exact extent of each local authority's SSSI holding has not yet been completely defined. Overall, English Nature estimate that local authorities own or manage at least 47,000 hectares (ha) of SSSI land. Many local authorities do not have digital mapping data for their own landholdings against which English Nature can compare their comprehensive data on SSSI boundaries and condition.Drawing on English Nature's Site Information System (ENSIS), and working with the Association of Local Government Ecologists, English Nature has identified details of 32,000 ha of SSSI land owned or managed by 256 local authorities. Of these 32,000 ha, according to the last condition assessments completed on the land, approximately 19,400 ha is in favourable condition, 6,900 ha is in recovering condition, and 5,700 ha is in unfavourable no change or declining condition. I will write to the hon. Member with further details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list local authorities which own land designated as sites of special scientific interest, broken down by size of holding. [163666]

I refer my hon. Friend to my previous answer concerning the difficulties faced by English Nature in assembling details of local authority SSSI land holdings. According to English Nature's Sites Information System (ENSIS), 256 local authorities own SSSI land. Of these, 10 local authorities own over 1,000 hectares (ha), six local authorities own over 500 ha, and 44 local authorities own over 100 ha. Details of those local authorities owning more than 1,000 ha and more than 500 ha of SSSI land are provided as follows. I will write to my hon. Friend with further details.

Hectares of SSSI land owned/managed—over 1,000 ha Local authority name:

Barrow Borough Council
Corporation of London
Devon County Council

East Devon District Council
Exeter City Council
Maldon District Council
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Northumberland County Council
Staffordshire County Council
Teignbridge District Council

Hectares of SSSI land owned/managed—over 500 ha Local authority name:

Birmingham City Council
Essex County Council
Hampshire County Council

		Of which:			Of which:
	(a)Employed	Fixed term appointee	Casual	(b) Had on establishment	Fixed term appointee	Casual
1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999	12	—	—	185	—	—
1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000	13	1	1	198	1	1
1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001	22	3	1	220	4	2
1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002	60	2	33	279	5	35
1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003	22	—	11	252	—	13
1 January 2004 to 25 March 2004	14	—	12	259	—	23

Note:

The figures are given on head count basis.

Northern Ireland

Hospital Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) acute services and (b) care for the elderly as a result of the funding shortfall within the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust. [164574]

The Department is aware that there have been additional service pressures placed on the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust as a result of funding issues, but at this stage the Trust expects to achieve a break-even position for 2003–04.In recognition of the demands placed on the Trust, during 2003–04 an extra £1 million funding was made available to support Acute Services and the Elderly Programme of Care in the North Down and Ards area. Further work is also being carried out on re-balancing funding allocations, with a subsequent consultation exercise planned to take place in May 2004.In the longer term, developments at the Ulster Hospital, including the current major re-development programme, are expected to address the equity gap. The Department continues to monitor the position and has been assured that all reasonable steps are being taken to address pressures on local community and hospital services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to address the funding shortfall within (a) the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald and (b) the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust. [164575]

Poole Borough Council
Surrey County Council
Waverly Borough Council

Vets

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinarians the Department (a) employed and (b) had on establishment in each of the last five years for which records are available. [163529]

The total number of vets the State Veterinary Service (a) employed and (b) had on establishment is shown in the table below.

Equity in resource allocation to localities such as that covered by the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust is a matter for the Board concerned. In 2003–04, the Eastern Board has allocated £0.7 million specifically to address the equity issue in North Down and Ards. In addition, a further £1 million funding was made available to support Acute services and the Elderly Programme of Care. The Eastern Board will continue to address the issue of equity within its resource constraints.On-going developments at the Ulster Hospital are expected to close the equity gap in Acute services over a number of years. In addition, a review of the formula currently used to allocate resources to HSS Boards, due for consultation in May 2004, may alter the equity position to some extent at locality level. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety will continue to work closely with the Eastern Board on this matter.

Hotels

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hotel beds were available in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what his estimates are for the occupation rates of hotel bedrooms in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [164067]

The hotel figures detailed as follows are prepared by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) Quality Assurance advisory staff at the time of the statutory inspection. These figures are published monthly in the Accommodation Survey in relation to Bed Occupancy.The total number of hotel bed spaces available in Northern Ireland is detailed as follows.

	Bed spaces per year
1999	11,163
2000	11,317
2001	11,927
2002	13,310
2003	13,247

The hotel bedroom occupancy rates in Northern Ireland for the last five years are as detailed in the following table. These figures have been taken from the NITB's Research Department's hotel occupancy report.

	Percentage occupancy rates
	Bedrooms	Bed spaces
1999	53	34
2000	53	33
2001	53	33
2002	53	34
2003	56	37

Housing

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the time taken to release payments for discretionary grants by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Southern Division. [164610]

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which has an overall grants budget of £41.13 million in the 2003–04 financial year, aims to make payments within six weeks of a request for inspection provided that all the relevant invoices, guarantees and certificates have been received. In the south area 89.7 per cent. of payments are made within six weeks against a target of 90 per cent.

Manufacturing Workforce

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the workforce in Northern Ireland was employed in manufacturing during the last five years; and what the equivalent figure was for the whole of the United Kingdom. [164057]

Estimates of the percentage of employee jobs in Manufacturing in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom between December 1998 and December 2003 are provided in the following table:

Percentage of employee jobs in manufacturing in Northern Ireland and the UK
Seasonally adjusted—December of each year	Northern Ireland	United Kingdom
1998	17.3	16.7
1999	16.6	15.8
2000	16.0	15.1
2001	15.0	14.3
2002	14.3	13.8
2003	13.5	13.4

Source:

Quarterly Employment Survey, DETI; Office for National Statistics.

Defence

Bowman Radio System

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private sector companies are training Army personnel to use Bowman radios; and what the value of the contract is. [162840]

As prime contractor for the Bowman tactical communication system, General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd. has sub-contracted the conversion training of around 75,000 personnel from all three services to Westland Helicopters Ltd. Training delivery and distributed learning is led by Westland and supported by Outstart and Vosper Thornycroft UK Ltd. Conversion training began on time in July 2003 and, to date, almost 3,500 personnel have completed their individual training.The prime contract with General Dynamics United Kingdom Ltd. was awarded competitively. I am withholding details about the value of the contract under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

Brimstone Missile

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons there was a delay in the provision of trials aircraft for the development of the Brimstone missile. [162641]

The delay was due to a later than planned delivery of a trials aircraft from the Tornado upgrade programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention that the Brimstone missile will supplant the use of the RBL755 cluster bomb in the anti-armour role; and if he will make a statement. [162642]

Brimstone is an advanced air-launched anti-armour weapon designed to defeat modem and future main battle tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles by precision attack. It is intended that the Brimstone missile will replace the RBL755 in the anti-armour role.

Computer Misuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163248]

In 1997 and 2003, the following instances of computer misuse were recorded across the Ministry of Defence.

	1997	2003
Unauthorised access to computer material
Incidents	2	2
Disciplined	1	1
Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences
Incidents	7	0
Disciplined	1	0
Unauthorised modification of computer material
Incidents	0	0
Disciplined	0	0

It should be noted that in 1997 these incidents were not reported to a central focal point, as has since been required, and that details of disciplinary action taken are only collated once the action concerned has been completed. The above figures are the most accurate that can be made readily available under current reporting arrangements, and additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Cost Reduction Reviews

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cost reduction reviews are under way in his Department; what the approximate cost of each of these reviews is; and how much has been spent on consultancy support to each review. [164216]

The Ministry of Defence is constantly looking at ways to reduce costs and improve performance. Such work is conducted at all levels in the organisation, including as individual management activity, corporate level studies and as part of pan-Government initiatives such as Sir Peter Gershon's Efficiency Review. Where appropriate, this work draws on consultancy support. Details of the number and cost of such reviews under way at any one time are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment Agencies

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the employment agencies which his Department has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163817]

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

Equipment Programmes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which current equipment programmes have been delayed owing to insufficient funding for them within his Department's budget. [162644]

Many factors might cause the Ministry of Defence to make adjustments to its equipment-related spending plans, either for the current financial year or beyond.These include the need to: reflect changes in priority between different military capabilities; ensure coherence between projects; take advantage of emerging technologies; deal with technical or commercial issues; as well as to ensure that the Department remains within its allocated resources. Changes to the timing of individual projects are very often due to a combination of these factors.

Financial Information

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) fixed assets registers, (b) balance sheets and (c) operating cost statements maintained by his Department's management groupings for financial years 1999–2000 to 2002–03; [164668](2) if he will place in the Library copies of the cash flow statements maintained by his Department's management groupings for financial years 1999–2000 to 2002–03; [164639](3) if he will place in the Library copies of the statements of recognised gains and losses maintained by his Department's management groupings for financial years 1999–2000 to 2002–03. [164640]

I refer the hon. Member to my letters Ref: D/Min(AF)/AI 2185N/03/L) dated 21 April 2003 and D/Min(AF)/AI 4656/04/C) dated 30 March 2004, to the hon. Member for Essex North (Mr. Jenkin) for financial years 1999–2000 to 2001–02, of which copies have been placed in the Library of the House. I will write to the hon. Member to provide the corresponding information for financial year 2002–03 and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Interpreters

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is regarding the use of non-military interpreters; what training is provided for non-military interpreters before deployment; and if he will make a statement. [161282]

Both civilian and military interpreters are employed on operations as requirements demand. Civilian interpreters include Ministry of Defence personnel and nationals from the region. Those taken on locally generally assist with low-level communication with the local population.MOD civilians employed on operations are trained in essential skills appropriate to the theatre in which they are deployed and the role that they are to perform. Typical training includes first aid, environmental health, and operational, chemical and biological, cultural, and mine awareness. Like their military colleagues, they also receive pre-deployment medical and dental examinations and, where necessary, vaccinations against diseases.

Iraq

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2004, reference 153466, what surveys of public perceptions of the Ministry of Defence, the armed forces and their equipment have taken place since the start of military action in Iraq; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys were; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; and if he will make a statement. [158270]

I will 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 many soldiers have been (a) killed in Iraq, (b) injured seriously enough to warrant a return from Iraq and (c) injured but stayed in Iraq to continue service, broken down by soldiers based in (i) Wales, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland. [158891]

As at 25 March, 58 United Kingdom military personnel had been killed while deployed on Operation TELIC in Iraq. We record centrally only those casualties that have been medically evacuated to the United Kingdom. As at 25 March the total was 2,381. Casualties' countries of origin are not recorded centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ministry of Defence civilian staff have been used in the reconstruction of Iraq; and if he will make a statement.[158892]

As at 21 March 2004, 67 Ministry of Defence civilians were deployed in Iraq supporting the reconstruction of the country in a number of roles including policy advice, interpreting, contracting and administrative support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Welsh regiments have served in Iraq since the beginning of hostilities: which regiments are presently in Iraq; and what amount of leave was given to each regiment during their tour of duty abroad. [158893]

The Queens Dragoon Guards served in Iraq from March to June 2003. Personnel were entitled to two weeks leave at the end of their tour of duty in accordance with post operational tour leave guidelines issued at the time.The 1

^st Battalion Royal Regiment of Wales was deployed to Iraq in December 2003 and on current planning is due to serve until June 2004. Personnel will generally be entitled to 14 days leave during their tour of duty, and four weeks post-operational tour leave on return to the United Kingdom. This is in accordance with the operational welfare package policy for service in an operational area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals are being held by UK forces in Iraq; and what the average length of detention is. [148577]

Article 78 of the IV Geneva Convention (1949) allows the United Kingdom as the Occupying Power to intern people where it considers it necessary for imperative reasons of security. Internees will continue to be held until such time as they are no longer considered a threat to Coalition Forces.As at 24 March 2004, the UK held 81 internees in Iraq. Of those currently held, the average length of internment is around four and a half months.

Lost Armaments

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps will be taken to find the missiles lost in the Bristol Channel in 2001; [161878]

(2) what help is being given to QinetiQ to help find the missile lost in the Bristol Channel; [161877]

(3) how many armaments were lost in the Bristol Channel and the Severn estuary in the last five years; [161876]

(4) what the total number of (a) man hours and (b) resources were spent on looking for the missile lost in the Bristol Channel in the last five years; [161875]

(5) what the role of the range at Weston-super-Mare will be following the loss of missiles from it in 2003. [161873]

The Ministry of Defence has no record of missiles being lost in the Bristol Channel or Severn Estuary in either 2001 or 2003. We are aware of only one incident of armaments being lost in the Bristol Channel or Severn estuary in the last five years. In March 2002, a pallet of munitions was lost at the St. Thomas' Head range near Weston-super-Mare, which is operated by QinetiQ. The pallet is presumed to have been swept away by very strong spring tides. The pallet contained eight anti tank bar mines (with the fuses removed) and 20 warheads which had been removed from Swingfire missiles.Extensive searches have been undertaken by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, HM Coastguard, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy Southern Diving Group (SDG) and QinetiQ. The pallet has not, however, been located.The SDG conducted two searches of the range area, consuming around 160 man-hours in March 2002 and about 220 man-hours in October 2002. QinetiQ carried out searches on foot and by boat and helicopter, expending a total of more than 110 man-hours. The RAF consumed a total of 15 man-hours on the task, including transit to and from the search area. The MOD does not have details of the resources consumed by either the Avon and Somerset Constabulary or HM Coastguard.Use of the St. Thomas' Head range continues to be covered by the Long Term Partnering Agreement that has been negotiated with QinetiQ for the delivery of a long term test and evaluation capability to the MOD.

Military Gifts

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the decision-making process is for granting military gifts under the global conflict prevention fund. [164908]

The gifting of military equipment is permissible under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) where it is considered essential to the success of an agreed strategy and endorsed by Pool officials on the relevant strategy Steering Team or Ministers. Gifts over £100,000 require a Departmental Minute to be laid before both Houses, under the normal 14 working days rule, before a final decision is taken. An export licence, or export licence waiver, is sought as appropriate. Potentially lethal military equipment (such as weapons and ammunition) can only be gifted through the GCPP with the approval of Ministers.

Mines

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a decision has been made on the disposal of (a) Mk 7 and (b) L3A1 anti-vehicle mines. [163207]

The total stock of Mk 7 and L3A1 anti-vehicle mines was earmarked for disposal on 10 January 2003. These mines are being disposed of through a contract with QinetiQ. There are still stocks awaiting physical disposal.

Mod Properties

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many residential properties owned by his Department are currently empty in the Greater Portsmouth area. [164623]

In the Greater Portsmouth area nearly all the family housing used by the Ministry of Defence is owned by Annington Homes. Some 389 quarters are currently empty and within this figure 46 are in the course of disposal, 57 await modernisation, some 131 are held for future unit deployments and 94 are pre-allocated for Service families. The remainder are available to let.

Naafi Shops

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the price of goods available to British forces in NAAFI shops overseas, with particular reference to Iraq, compared with NAAFI shops in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [164179]

NAAFI pricing policy is routinely reviewed by the Ministry of Defence in the forum of the NAAFI Council, which is the body that provides strategic direction to NAAFI under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Personnel.NAAFI prices in Iraq are set at a level that, depending on the products involved, match either local competition (e.g. in the stores serving American and Dutch troops), prices charged by NAAFI in Germany, (which are in the main substantially cheaper than in the United Kingdom), or at the same prices as in Spar shops in the UK.

Personnel Outflow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have left (a) the Highlanders, (b) the Black Watch, (c) the Royal Scots, (d) the Royal Highland Fusiliers, (e) the King's Own Scottish Borderers, (f) the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (g) the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, (h) Scots Guards and (i) F Company Scots Guards in each of the last five years owing to exit codes (i) 9.398, (ii) 9.403, (iii) 9.404, (iv) 9.405, (v) 9.411, (vi) 9.413, (vii) 9.414 and (viii) PVR.[164717]

It will take some time to collate data about the outflow of personnel under the Queen's Regulations listed for all the requested Regiments. I will therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Postal Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his policy towards postal services for forces on operations overseas. [164197]

Postal services for HM Forces on overseas operations form part of the overall Operational Welfare Package (OWP). The postal element of this consists of free Forces Air Letters ("Blueys") and their electronic equivalent, the "e-Bluey", and airmail letters and packets up to 2kg at a subsidised rate equivalent to UK inland first class postage. When operational circumstances permit, a surface parcel service is also made available at a subsidised rate.In addition to these comprehensive arrangements, an exceptional extension to the service for Iraq only was provided from 17 April 2003 to enable families of deployed personnel to post airmail letters and packets up to 2kg free of charge. The free packet service was introduced in recognition of the particularly austere conditions faced by personnel in Iraq and of the fact that parts of the OWP were not available to them. Since the entire OWP will be available from April, I advised the House in my Written Statement of 27 February 2004,

Official Report, columns 69–70WS, that this temporary free postal service would be discontinued with effect from 8 April 2004, to bring provisions in Iraq into line with those for other operational theatres.

Raf Strike Command

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the advantages of moving RAF Strike Command from High Wycombe to Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [164304]

The study into the possible collocation of the RAF Headquarters is still at an early stage. The study team will consider the relative merits of all the options and will report their findings in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate to he has made of the cost savings of moving RAF Strike Command from High Wycombe to Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [164305]

The study into the possible collocation of the RAF Headquarters is still at an early stage, therefore no estimate of potential cost savings has yet been made for any of the options under consideration.

Sanctuary Magazine

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target audience is of Sanctuary magazine; and what its circulation is. [163545]

Sanctuary Magazine exists to communicate and promote the Ministry of Defence's conservation policy, with the target audience being MOD staff who need to be aware of the broad conservation agenda (including MOD Conservation Groups); external bodies with a need to know about MOD's conservation efforts; and targeted to members of the general public who may wish to be made aware of our conservation challenges and the work MOD does to address them.

25,000 copies of the 2003 edition of Sanctuary were printed. 50 per cent. were distributed internally within MOD and 50 per cent. were distributed to a range of external stakeholders (including members of both Houses) and members of the general public.

Search And Rescue Radar Equipment

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft available to his Department are fitted with synthetic aperture radar equipment for use in search and rescue operations, broken down by type; and if he will make a statement. [164296]

None. Synthetic aperture radar will be fitted to the Nimrod MRA4,18 of which are currently due to enter service in 2009. This capability is, however, unlikely to be used in search and rescue operations, as MOD platforms engaged in such operations are already equipped with other, more appropriate, technologies.

Site Decontamination/Stores Write-Offs

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent in each year since 1997 on (a) site decontamination and (b) stores write-offs. [164218]

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

Staff Relocation Costs

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent in each year since 1997 on re-location of Ministry of Defence staff. [164219]

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

Swan Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward this building of (a) the Joint Casualty Treatment Ship and (b) the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project to fill the workload gap at Swan Hunter Wallsend. [156559]

The Joint Casualty Treatment Ship project is currently in its Assessment phase and the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project is in its Concept phase. A range of options for meeting these two requirements is still therefore under consideration. As part of that work, in line with Defence Industrial Policy, the Department considers a wide range of issues including loading in the UK's shipyards. On current plans, it is not, however, expected that any build contracts for these projects will be placed before the middle of the second half of this decade.

Unmarried Partners

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether unmarried partners are eligible for Defence Housing Executive married quarters if they are in a recognised relationship; and if he will make a statement. [163627]

[holding answer 30 March 2004]: The Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations govern the allocation of married quarters to serving personnel. They do not allow cohabitation with a partner who is not a legal spouse.However, this policy is currently under review and when a conclusion is reached the House will be advised.

Works Projects

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the radiological decontamination works at Aldershot, pursuant to project 5067. [163969]

Work was undertaken between October 2001 and March 2002 to remove radiological contamination from the former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers' site in Aldershot following a Land Quality assessment and surveys undertaken by Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Radiological Protection Services. The work was limited to the removal of detectable radium above the regulatory limit.When contamination was first identified, the local authority, local inhabitants and the media were made aware of the project, and they were kept informed of progress. The site was also fenced and warning signs erected. Tenders were only invited from contractors with an established reputation in radiological decontamination and the work followed current best practice including on the minimisation of waste transferred to licensed landfill sites and to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., Drigg. I can confirm that the project was completed on 8 March 2002.

Cabinet Office

Office Of The E-Envoy

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what total expenditure has been on the Office of the e-Envoy in (a) the last 12 months and (b) since it was established. [160023]

The total expenditure for the Office of the e-Envoy over the last 12 months to the end of February 2004 was £17.2 million.The costs for each financial year are detailed in the table:

	Costs (£000)
2000–01	15,003
2001–02	20,716
2002–03	15,649

Note:

Figures for the financial year 2003–04 are not yet available

The Office of the e-Envoy was established in September 1999. Expenditure was posted to the same user analysis codes as CITU (Cabinet-Office IT Unit) and therefore cannot be separately identified until April 2000.

Regulatory Impact Unit

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total expenditure (a) in the past 12 months and (b) since its inception was on the Regulatory Impact Unit; and if he will make a statement. [160037]

The total expenditure for the Regulatory Impact Unit over the last 12 months to the end of February 2004 was £3.1 million.The costs for each financial year are detailed as follows:

	Costs (£000)
1997–98	1,598
1998–99	1,811
1999–2000	1,973
2000–01	2,324
2001–02	2,502
2002–03	2,981

Note:

Figures for Financial year 2003–04 are not yet available.

Strategy Unit

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the total expenditure of the Strategy Unit was (a) in the past 12 months and (b) since it was established; [160027](2) what the expenditure has been on each review that has been conducted by the Strategy Unit since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [160030]

The total expenditure for the Strategy Unit over the 12 months to the end of February 2004 was £5.0 million.The costs for each financial year are detailed as follows:

June 2002 to March 2003: £l6,126k

Figures for financial year 2003–04 are not yet available.

It is not possible to disaggregate the figures by individual review.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many projects undertaken by the Strategy Unit since its creation have impacted directly on the South West; and what assessment he has made of their effect on that region. [164564]

The Strategy Unit carries out a range of functions:

long-term strategic reviews of major areas of policy;

studies of cross-cutting policy issues;

work with departments to promote strategic thinking and improve policy-making across Whitehall; and

work to improve the quality and standards of Government social research.

A full list of SU projects is available on its website: www.strategy.gov.ukNo assessment of the regional impact of the unit's work has been carried out.

House Of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on the parliamentary estate were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each. [163952]

It is not possible to make a useful distinction between renovation and maintenance, as many projects contain elements of both, and some involve new works as well. The projects undertaken on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last five years are listed as follows:

1999–2000

rationalisation of water services;
repairs to river wall: Speaker's Steps;
New Palace Yard perimeter wall restoration;
lift machinery renewal;
electrical equipment renewal;
overhaul Central Lobby chandelier;
oil painting conservation;
asbestos removal from plant rooms;
stone cleaning—Picture Corridor South;
restoration of grained ceilings;
restoration of Committee Room 10 and installation of air conditioning;
Smoking Room conservation

2000–01

Crypt Chapel ceiling conservation;
repairs to river wall;
Royal Court stone restoration;
stone cleaning—Picture Corridor North;
various roof repairs;
asbestos removal from plant rooms;
oils, prints, watercolours and statues conservation;
rationalisation of water services;
various roof repairs;
lift machinery renewal;
stone cleaning—Picture Corridor East;
underground car park escalator machinery renewal;
restoration of Committee Rooms 4, 5 and 6 and installation of air conditioning;
Old Palace Yard restoration Phase I;
restoration of Committee Rooms 1, 2 and 3 and installation of air conditioning;
major refurbishment of Norman Shaw South building;
St. Stephen's Tower: refurbishment of offices;
Commons Court: refurbishment of offices;
Old Palace Yard restoration Phase II.

2002–03

various roof repairs;
stone restoration: Commons Court and Commons Inner Court;
lift machinery renewal;
pinnacle repairs: Palace of Westminster;
Palace boiler and chiller plant modernisation;
Palace basement plant room modernisation and asbestos removal;

restoration of Speaker's Green;
restoration of Committee Rooms 7, 8, and 9 and installation of air conditioning;
Old Palace Yard restoration Phase III;
major refurbishment of Norman Shaw South building;
Plaid Cymru and SNP offices: modernisation.

2003–04

Palace boiler and chiller plant modernisation;
roof and gutters repair: Westminster Hall;
various roof repairs: Palace of Westminster;
stone restoration: Commons Court and Commons Inner Courts;
modernisation of basement plant rooms and asbestos removal;
encaustic tile restoration: St. Stephens Hall;
bronze window repairs;
restoration of Committee Rooms 15 and 16 and installation of air conditioning;
restoration of Speaker's Green.

The costs of individual projects are difficult to assign annually, as many extend over several financial years. Over the last five years, the average annual cost, in cash terms, to the House of Commons of new works, renovation and maintenance on the Parliamentary Estate, excluding Portcullis House, has been approximately £23 million.

Prime Minister

Correspondence

To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the letter of 20 March from Radomir Putnikovic, Vice-president of the Serb National Unity Congress, on Kosovo. [164937]

I have asked my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. MacShane) to reply on my behalf.

British Prisoners (Egypt)

To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet the families of Ian Nisbet, Reza Pankhurst and Maajid Nawaz, along with their hon. Members, following the verdict on 25 March. [164841]

I have asked my noble and right hon. Friend the Minister of Stale at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean) to meet with the families and their hon. Members on my behalf.

Tibet

To ask the Prime Minister what his diary commitments are for the dates when the Dalai Lama will be visiting the UK. [165237]

I have nothing further to add to my answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1375W.

Work And Pensions

Council Tax (Pensioners)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the cost will be in each of the next five years of providing the £100 payment announced in the Budget Statement to pensioners aged 70 years and over to assist with council tax; and what the cost would be in each of those years if the payment were to be made to all those aged 65 years and over; [164229](2) if he will make a statement on

(a) how and (b) when the £100 payment announced in the Budget Statement to pensioners to assist with council tax will be made.[164230]

We are looking at the most cost-effective and efficient way to deliver payments.It is intended that a single one-off payment is made in 2004–05. However, the costs of providing a £100 payment to all households containing a person aged 70 or over and to all households containing a person aged 65 or over in each of the next five years are shown in the table.

£ million
	Household aged 70+	Household aged 65+
2004–05	430	660
2005–06	430	640
2006–07	430	630
2007–08	440	620
2008–09	460	620

Notes:

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million and are given in 2004–05 prices.

2. Figures for 65+ households include the cost of 70+ households.

3. Figures exclude cases in residential care or nursing homes.

4. It is assumed that the £100 is not increased in line with prices.

Source:

Estimate based on DWP administrative data and 2002 based population forecasts from the government actuary's department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of pensioners in Scotland who will receive the £100 payment to help with council tax bills, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area. [164471]

The latest available data showing households in Scotland with at least one occupant aged 70 or over broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area are in the tables. We expect the 2004–05 figures to be similar.

Households in Scotland with at least one occupant aged 70 or over by parliamentary constituency
Parliamentary Constituency	Number of households
Aberdeen Central	5,320
Aberdeen North	4,995
Aberdeen South	6,665
Airdrie and Shotts	5,380
Angus	6,850
Argyll and Bute	5,715
Ayr	7,430
Banff and Buchan	6,055
Caithness Sunderland and Easter Ross	4,605

Households in Scotland with at least one occupant aged 70 or over by parliamentary constituency
Parliamentary constituency	Number of households
Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley	7,360
Central Fife	5,990
Clydebank and Milngavie	6,165
Clydesdale	6,515
Coatbridge and Chryston	5,025
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	3,790
Cunninghame North	6,505
Cunninghame South	4,590
Dumbarton	5,295
Dumfries	7,585
Dundee East	6,195
Dundee West	5,810
Dunfermline East	5,705
Dunfermline West	5,095
East Kilbride	6,605
East Lothian	6,850
Eastwood	6,995
Edinburgh Central	4,510
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	6,500
Edinburgh North and Leigh	4,370
Edinburgh Pentlands	5,715
Edinburgh South	5,645
Edinburgh West	7,285
Falkirk East	5,915
Falkirk West	5,715
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	7,015
Glasgow Anniesland	5,380
Glasgow Baillieston	3,915
Glasgow Cathcart	3,715
Glasgow Govan	2,665
Glasgow Kelvin	2,690
Glasgow Maryhill	3,190
Glasgow Pollok	4,750
Glasgow Rutherglen	4,905
Glasgow Shettleston	2,935
Glasgow Springburn	3,760
Gordon	5,785
Greenock and Inverclyde	4,395
Hamilton North and Bellshill	4,920
Hamilton South	4,240
Inverness East Nairn and Lochaber	7,195
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	6,635
Kirkcaldy	6,345
Linlithgow	5,025
Livingston	4,205
Midlothian	5,075
Moray	6,690
Motherwell and Wishaw	6,105
North East Fife	7,075
North Tayside	7,860
Ochil	5,635
Orkney and Shetland	3,205
Paisley North	4,355
Paisley South	5,180
Perth	7,255
Ross Skye and Inverness West	5,960
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	5,615
Stirling	5,730
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	6,465
Tweeddale Ettrick and Lauderdale	5,710
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	5,530
Western Renfrewshire	4,345
Western Isles	2,605
Scotland	394,820

Notes:

1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest five.

2. Any residence found to have four or more occupants is not included in these figures as it is assumed to be Residentaial Care Nursing Home.

source;

IAD Information Centre, WFP data Winter 2002–03 100 per cent. Sample.

Households in Scotland with at least one occupant aged 70 or over by local authority
Local authority	Number of households
Aberdeenshire	16,650
Angus	10,065
Argyll and Bute	7,635
City of Aberdeen	16,980
City of Dundee	12,015
City of Edinburgh	32,540
City of Glasgow	33,515
Clackmannanshire	3,790
Dumfries and Galloway	14,600
East Ayrshire	10,105
East Dumbartonshire	8,815
East Lothian	8,340
East Renfrewshire	6,995
Falkirk	11,630
Fife	30,215
Highland	17,760
Inverclyde	5,900
Midlothian	6,205
Moray	7,415
North Ayrshire	11,090
North Lanarkshire	23,295
Orkney Islands	1,705
Perthshire and Kinross	12,660
Renfrewshire	12,375
Scottish Borders	10,195
Shetland Isles	1,500
South Ayrshire	11,320
South Lanarkshire	23,405
Stirling	6,810
West Dumbartonshire	7,460
West Lothian	9,225
Western Isles	2,605
Scotland	394,820

Source

IAD Information Centre, WFP data Winter 2002–2003 100 percent. sample.

Civil Service Jobs

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which posts will be lost in his Department under the Chancellor of the Exchequer's plan to reduce numbers of civil servants; and what assessment he has made of proposals to cut 30,000 jobs. [163177]

[holding answer 25 March 2004]: The Department has been developing plans for a reduction of up to 18,000 posts since 2002. This is now part of a four-year plan to reduce the number of posts by 30,000. This will reflect the new business model being rolled-out in Jobcentre Plus including more front-line staff conducting work-focused interviews; a Pension Transformation Programme and reductions in staffing in the Pension Service; the introduction of Child Support reform; and savings in "back office" functions in HR, finance and IT support.The detail of how reductions will be allocated and profiled between businesses and corporate services will be developed in the normal way through our business planning processes and in discussion with the trade unions. We will provide further detail after the Spending Review settlement.

National Insurance Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to use the surplus in the National Insurance Fund to increase state pensions. [164117]

We are committed to ensuring that the basic state pension remains the foundation for income in retirement, paid for from the National Insurance Fund with a guarantee to increase it by at least 2.5 per cent. a year. We will continue to manage the fund prudently to achieve that objective.

National Minimum Wage

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) families and (b) children in (i) the UK and (ii) the Wrekin he estimates have been lifted out of poverty by the minimum wage. [164053]

The information is not available.The national minimum wage, together with tax credits, has helped to make work pay, with guaranteed minimum incomes for those in employment. From October 2004, when the minimum wage increases to £4.85 per hour, a single earner couple with one child, working full time (35 hours per week) on a minimum wage will have an income of £252 per week.

Pension Credit

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Government Office for the South West Region were eligible for Pension Credit on the latest date for which figures are available; how many eligible pensioners in Taunton were claiming Pension Credit on. the latest date for which figures are available; and how many pensioners in Taunton were claiming the minimum income guarantee prior to the introduction of Pension Credit. [164661]

We estimate that there are approximately 300,000 pensioner households in the South West Government Office Region likely to be eligible for Pension Credit, equivalent to approximately 350,000 individuals. As at 29 February there where 3,870 households in the Taunton constituency, comprising approximately 4,615 individuals, receiving Pension Credit. As at 3 October 2003 there were 2,840 households in Taunton, comprising approximately 3,275 individuals, receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee.

Notes:

1. Estimates of numbers eligible are rounded to the nearest 50,000.

2. Numbers of recipients have been rounded to the nearest five.

3. Numbers of recipients of pension credit exclude small numbers of clerical cases.

Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Government will make it their policy to restore parity between the state pension available to British citizens resident overseas and that available to UK residents. [164592]

The UK state pension is payable in all countries abroad to those who are entitled to it. It is uprated in the normal way for UK pensioners living overseas where there is a legal requirement or a reciprocal social security agreement to do so.The Government are focusing their resources on helping poorer pensioners in the UK and has no plans to unfreeze UK state pensions paid overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the additional payment of £100 for those over 70 announced in the Budget will be paid to pensioners in Northern Ireland. [164388]

We anticipate that payments will be made in the same way for people in Northern Ireland as for the rest of the United Kingdom. We are looking at the most cost-effective and efficient way to deliver payments.

Redundancies/Redeployment

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many (a) redundancies and (b) redeployments he plans to make in (i) his Department, (ii) Jobcentre Plus, (iii) the Child Support Agency, (iv) the Pension Service, (v) the Disability and Carers Service, (vi) the DWP Corporate Centre and (vii) the Appeals Service in each of the next four years; how many will be front-line staff; and if he will make a statement; [163294](2) what estimate has been made of the savings which are likely to be made through the redundancy programme in his Department in each of the next four years; and if he will make a statement; [163297](3) to what areas of his Department he plans to redeploy staff in the next four years; how many of these will be front-line positions; and if he will make a statement. [163298]

The Department has been developing plans for a reduction of up to 18,000 posts since 2002. This is now part of a four-year plan to reduce the number of posts by 30,000. This will reflect the new business model being rolled-out in Jobcentre Plus including more front-line staff conducting work-focused interviews; a Pension Transformation Programme and reductions in staffing in The Pension Service; the introduction of Child Support reform; and savings in "back office" functions in HR, finance and IT support.The detail of how reductions will be allocated and profiled between businesses and corporate services will be developed in the normal way through our business planning processes and in discussion with the trade unions. We will provide further detail after the Spending Review settlement.

Sure Start Maternity Grant

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Stroud have (a) applied for and (b) obtained the Sure Start maternity grant. [164166]

The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.

Sure Start Maternity Grants for Gloucestershire Social Fund
District/Jobcentre Plus District
	Applications	Awards
2000–01	1,449	1,146
2001–02	1,723	1,335
2002–03	2,150	1,696
2003–04 (to February)	2,089	1,599

Notes:

1. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Stroud parliamentary constituency is part of Gloucestershire Jobcentre Plus District, which was previously Gloucestershire Social Fund District.

2. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. The very small numbers of cases for 1999–2000 have been excluded for data protection reasons.

3. Data for 2003–04 is for April 2003 to February 2004 only.

4. Data is given for all applications and awards, irrespective of whether the application was made by the mother or her partner.

Source:

DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start Maternity Grants were awarded in north Tyneside in each of the last seven years. [164374]

The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.

Sure Start Maternity Grants awards for the area covered by Newcastle and North Tyneside Jobcentre Plus District and Northumberland Jobcentre Plus District
	Awards
2000–01	2,842
2001–02	3,096
2002–03	3,626
2003–04 (to February)	3,139

Notes:

1. Data are not available by local authority. North Tyneside local authority is part of Newcastle and North Tyneside Jobcentre Plus District, which was formed in January 2003 when Wallsend and North Shield sites were transferred from Northumbria Social Fund District to Newcastle Social Fund District. The remainder of Northumbria became Northumberland Jobcentre Plus District. Prior to the boundary change, North Tyneside was partly in Newcastle Social Fund District and partly in Northumbria Social Fund District. For comparison purposes, data are given for the area covered by the Newcastle and North Tyneside Jobcentre Plus District and the Northumberland Jobcentre Plus District.

2. Data for 2003–04 is for April 2003 to February 2004 only.

3. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. They replaced Maternity Payments.

Source:

DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Winter Payments

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the £100 announced in the Budget Statement to pensioners aged 65 years and over; and if he will make a statement. [164953]

The estimated cost of extending the £100 one-off payment to all households containing a person aged 65 or over is £230 million.

Notes:

1. Figure is rounded to the nearest £10 million and is given in 2004–05 prices.

2. Figures exclude cases in residential care or nursing homes.

Source:

Estimate based on DWP administrative data and 2002 based population forecasts front the government actuary's department.

Deputy Prime Minister

Bailiffs

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what procedure certificates are issued authorising private companies to act as bailiffs on behalf of local authorities; and how many companies have (a) been refused certification and (b) had certification withdrawn in the past year. [164096]

I have been asked to reply.Certificates are not issued to private companies. Certificates can only be issued to individuals who fulfil the requirements of the Distress for Rent Rules 1988. Statistics are not kept for the number of refusals of certificates. Nine individuals have had their certificate cancelled by a county court judge in the past year.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to record the (a) number and (b) nature of complaints against bailiffs employed by local authorities. [164097]

None. This is a matter for local authorities and the bailiffs they employ.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on ensuring that the activities of bailiffs employed by local authorities are in compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998. [164098]

The former Lord Chancellor's Department published 'National Standards for Enforcement Agents' in April 2002.

Civil Parish (Lancashire)

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether the order confirming the creation of the Civil Parish of St. Annes, Lancashire has (a) been drafted and (b) approved by Ministers; whether he expects that the Civil Parish will be an entity by 1 April; and if his will make a statement on the order making procedure for the creation of the Parish; [164978](2) when he expects to make the order confirming the creation of the Civil Parish of St. Annes, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [164979]

Having received a valid petition, and before making an Older for the creation of a new parish, the Government first consult interested parties on a draft Order, after which the Order, which is not subject to parliamentary procedure, is made.

Following consultation on a draft Order for the creation of the parish of St. Annes, we have decided to defer the making of the Order, to allow Fylde borough council to make the necessary electoral and warding arrangements.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to make the Order later this year to come into effect on 1 April 2005.

Council Tax

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list, in order of cost by billing authority, the average household council tax level for 2004–05. [164464]

The information requested is available in the Library of the House.

Department-Sponsored Bodies

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) total budget,(b) funding from his Department, (c) administration budget and (d) staff cost to his Department of the (i) Go North East—Corus Task Group and (ii) Review of the Planning Inspectorate was in financial years (A) 2002–03 and (B) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement on the (1) current and (2) future work of each body. [163638]

The information is as follows.

(i) GO North East—Corus Task Group

(a-d) No specific budget has been allocated by the Office for either administration costs or programme costs for this work.

(1) ONE NorthEast (the Regional Development Agency for the North East) in 2000 was asked to lead a Task Group to make a strategic response to the job reductions on Teesside announced by Corus at that time. This group completed its work in 2002. In response to the group's announcements in March and April 2003 on the future of its UK operations and the Teesside steel making facilities, ONE NorthEast reassembled the Task Group to work with the company to help to secure steel manufacturing at Teesside. The group has so far supported

Work to help the development of a business plan for Teesside Cast Products.

Examining a diversification strategy for the supply chain.

A study of the potential for use of any land and premises released.

(2) The group will continue for the foreseeable future, at least until the future of the Teesside steel making operations is settled.

(ii) The Review of the Planning Inspectorate

(a-d) The Review of the Planning Inspectorate was carried out by officials within the of the Deputy Prime Minister, with advice from consultants, directed by a Review Project Board of key stakeholders. The decision to undertake a review of the Inspectorate was made in July 2002. The administration costs to the Office in 2002–03 were £22,150 none of which were pay costs; and in 2003–04 were £144,420 of which £84,700 were pay costs.

(1) The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) plays an essential role in the planning and other land-use related processes in England and Wales, handling plaoning appeals, development plans and other casework under planning, housing, environment and other relevant legislation. In doing so, it also plays an important part in the achievement of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister PSA targets and the delivery of its sustainable communities programme.

(2) The review demonstrated that PINS has performed well in carrying out its duties, at a time when the volume of planning appeals is increasing. The review makes a number of recommendations on how its business processes might be improved to meet this demand more effectively and to help enable it to play its full part in delivering the Government's programme of planning reform.

The review was completed in October 2003, and the Review Report, together with an Action Plan, was published in February 2004.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) total budget, (b) funding from his Department,(c) administration budget and (d) staff cost to his Department of (i) Regional Housing Boards, (ii) the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee, (iii) the Community Housing Task Force and (iv) the Home Ownership Task Force were in financial years (A) 2002–03 and (B) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement on the (1) current and (2) future work of each body. [163639]

The information requested is as follows:(i)

Regional Housing Boards

(a-d) There were no identifiable budgets for the Regional Housing Board.

(1) The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received the first Strategies in July 2003 and accepted the broad thrust of the Boards' recommendations for 2004–05 and 2005–06.

(2) Each Board has been asked to develop their Strategy with a view to producing an updated version in early 2005 in order to advise Ministers on how allocations for 2006–07 and 2007–08 should be made.

One of the recommendations in the Barker Review was that Regional Housing Boards and Regional Planning Bodies be merged. The Government intend consulting with key stakeholders to consider how these bodies can be merged, and will come forward with proposals by the summer with a view to implementing them in 2005.

(ii) The Building Regulations Advisory Committee

(a-d) The Building Regulations Advisory Committee do not receive Government funding other than the internal costs to the Office of sponsoring this body.

(1) The Building Regulations Advisory Committee was set up under the Building Act 1984 to advise the Secretary of State on the exercise of his power to make building regulations, and on other subjects connected with building regulations. It is currently assisting the Office with reviews of a number of parts the building regulations, including a review of Part B (Fire Safety) and Part C (Conservation of fuel and power).

(2) In the coming year, the Committee will be assisting with new studies, including one on the potential for action through the building regulations to promote economy in the use of water and a review of the application to dwellings of Part M (Access to and use of buildings).

(iii) The Community' Housing Task Force

(a-d) The administrative budget for the Community Housing Task Force for 2002–03 was £1,064,200 of which £568,800 were staff costs. For 2003–04 the administrative budget was £927,600 of which £620,600 were staff costs.

(1) The Community Housing Task Force is working with 165 local authorities, their tenants and broader stakeholders providing support, advice and building capacity to enable delivery of robust Option Appraisals by July 2005. The Government Offices for the Regions are responsible for assessing and signing off the Options Appraisals submitted. The Options Appraisal process sets out how local stock owning housing authorities together with their tenants will deliver Decent Homes by 2010 considering the various stock investment routes available to them.

(2) No change is envisaged in the Community Housing Taskforce's key role in working with local authorities and tenants in delivering decent homes. However, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the joint working between the Taskforce and Government Offices, the Department is currently considering integrating the Taskforce within the Government Office network.

(iv) Home Ownership Task Force

(a-d) The Office provided no direct funding specifically for the Home Ownership Task Force. However, in 2003–04 staff costs of £13,000 were incurred by ODPM in servicing the secretariat.

(1) The Home Ownership Task Force was established by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister in the Sustainable Communities Plan to look at the whole range of programmes aimed at helping social tenants and others into home ownership. The Task Force's work is now complete and its final report "A home of my own" was published on 13 November 2003. Copies of the report and executive summary are available on the Housing Corporation's website at www. housingcorp.gov.uk.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) total budget, (b) funding from his Department, (c) administration budget and (d) staff cost to his Department for the (i) Property Advisory Group, (ii) Residential Property Tribunal Service, (iii) Community Forum and (iv) London Youth Crime Task Force was in financial years (A) 2002–03 and (B) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement on the (1) current and (2) future work of each body. [163641]

The information requested is as follows:(i)

The Property Advisory Group

(a-d) The Property Advisory Group did not have its own budget, but was funded from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister administrative resources. In 2002–03, total administrative costs were £49,570, of

which staff costs was £40,557. For the period April to July 2003. the equivalent figures were £23,653 and £14,033.

(1) The Property Advisory Group was wound up in July 2003 following an internal review of arrangements for consulting the property sector. The successor body is the Property Consultative Group.

(ii) Residential Property Tribunal Service

(a-d) The Residential Property Tribunal Service total budget for 2002–03 was £7,624,000 of which £7,530,000 was funding by the Office. Of this £1,934,000 was the administration budget all of which were staff costs. The total budget for 2002–03 was £7,822,000 of which £7,722,000 was funding by the Office. Of this £2,247,000 was the administration budget all of which were staff costs.

(1) The Residential Property Tribunal Service (RPTS) determines:

disputes relating to enfranchisement or service charges;

variations of leases previously dealt with at court;

disputes about the new 'right to manage' provision.

(2) The RPTS will also be conferred with additional jurisdictions, including determining breaches of a lease. Provisions in the Housing Bill currently before Parliament also propose to confer new jurisdiction on the RPTS to hear appeals on local authority notices on the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System under Part 1, licensing decisions in respect of Houses in Multiple Occupation and other residential properties under Parts 2 and 3, and the making and content of Management Orders under Part 4 of the Bill.

(iii) The Community' Forum

(a-d) The Community Forum do not receive Government funding other than internal costs to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of sponsoring this body. The total ODPM annual budget for the Forum is £150,000 all of which is staff costs.

(1) The National Community Forum was established in January 2002 to advise the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) and provide a national focus for community involvement.

The Key Objectives of the Forum are:

to act as a sounding board for the NRU by providing a community perspective on Government programmes;

to develop new ideas to help make relevant policy and programmes more effective;

to increase people's understanding of the role of the community in the delivery of neighbourhood renewal.

Alongside the Forum's broader task of advising the NRU on the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, work is carried out in smaller groups, which focus members' energy according to their interests and experience. These groups deal with individual topics, which are structured around the following five central themes:

Tackling the barriers that the benefits system can create for community engagement.

The relationship between Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs), Local democracy and Community Networks.

Challenging the mindsets and structural barriers that prevent the engagement of different sectors of the community in neighbourhood renewal.

Participation in community development by Young People.

The impact of the 2004 Spending Review on engagement of the community sector.

(2) In the coming year the Forum will continue with its task of advising the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and its work in smaller groups on individual topics.

(iv) The London Youth Crime Task Force

This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary whose Department funds the Task Force.

Gypsies/Travellers

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when his review of Gypsy and Traveller community provision will be published. [164459]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's review of Gypsy and Traveller accommodation policy will be completed by the summer.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs to (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall local authorities by the eviction of Gypsies and Travellers in the last three years. [164791]

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

Housing

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to publish a full analysis of the responses to his consultation paper, "Empty Homes: temporary management, lasting solutions".[164652]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will publish an analysis of the responses to the consultation paper, along with our proposals for taking this matter forward, as soon as it is practicable to do so.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many respondents to his consultation paper, "Empty Homes: temporary management, lasting solutions", (a) supported and (b) opposed each of the four options for the new mechanism to bring private sector empty homes back into use. [164653]

Respondents to the consultation paper were asked to indicate which option, or combination of options, they preferred in respect of a proposed power to enable local authorities to take temporary management control of empty homes. The options were as follows:

Option 1—Leasing to remain a voluntary option;
Option 2—Empty Homes Management Orders linked to the physical condition of properties;
Option 3—Empty Homes Management Orders linked to housing need;
Option 4—Empty Homes Management Orders linked to the physical condition of properties and housing need.

Of the 134 responses received to the consultation paper, 115 answered this question. The responses, according to the options preferred, are summarised as follows:

Option 1—one respondent
Option 2–11 respondents
Option 3–19 respondents
Option 4–30 respondents
Options 2 and 3–42 respondents

Options 3 and 4—three respondents
Options 2,3,4—four respondents
Options 1,2,3,4—one respondent

In addition, four respondents said that they preferred none of the options.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of the responses to his consultation paper, "Empty Homes: temporary management, lasting solutions".[164654]

Copies of the responses to the consultation paper have been made available in the Library of the Houses.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the respondents to his consultation paper, "Empty Homes: Temporary Management, Lasting Solutions". [164655]

Where respondents to the consultation paper provided their name and (where appropriate) the name of the organisation they represented, the information is listed as follows.

Respondents to consultation paper "Empty Homes: Temporary Management, Lasting Solutions"

Pat Smith, Sevenoaks District Council
Karen Cregan, Spelthorne, Borough Council
Isobel Panton, Kennet District Council
Gordon Partridge, Breckland District Council
Tim Clarke, Ipswich Borough Council
Elicia Kimber, South Oxfordshire District Council
Rachel Shalan, Herts, Beds and Bucks Empty Homes Forum
Nigel Kersey, CPRE London
Elizabeth Wrigley, Core Connections
Pardeep Singh, Leicester County Council
John Littlemore, Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council
Bradford District Tenants and Residents Federation
Steve Hawksworth, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council
Jo and Jonathan Ellis
Gwyneth Taylor, Local Government Association
Alison Whiteley, Rushmoor Borough Council
S. J. Melinek
Lisa Wilson, Gateshead Council
Paul Thomson, Bolton At Home
Sadhu Chahal, Swindon Borough Council
Helen Turner, London Borough of Barnet
Tiffany Kearton, Westminster Housing Co-Op
David Firth, Selby District Council
Jim Nolan, Epping Forest District Council
Tara Bradley, Homeless Link
Emma Kumar, Brighton and Hove District Council
Paul Copeland, Wandsworth Council
Dominic Towey, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Sue Questier, Hunts District Council
Nick Davies, London Borough of Brent
Craig Jane, Horizon Housing Group
Sarah Johnson, Colchester Borough Council
Tess Donovan, South Gloucester Council
Joanne Murray, Short-Life Housing
Michael Yeo, Torbay Council
Helen Carlyle, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Helen Caves, Coventry Council
Steven Mcgovern, Mid Sussex District Council
Vicki Dubury, Thanet Council
Jack Dromey, Transport and General Workers Union
Bill Field, Liverpool Council
Martin Parsons, Bromley Council
David Ireland, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Richard Farr, Brentwood Borough Council
Dr. Mark Kleinman, Greater London Authority
Allison Hudson, Stroud District Council
Jane Mcevoy, Luton Borough Council
Peter Bolton King, National Association of Estate Agents
Nick Caprara, London Borough of Harrow
Stephen Edmonds, Darlington Borough Council
David Gibbens, Exeter City Council
Christine Jacobs, London Borough of Lambeth
Dave Chetwyn, Institute of Historic Building Conservation
Ruth Newman, London Borough of Camden
Ian Radcliffe, Corby Borough Council
Carl Price, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Deborah Garvie, Shelter
Anastacia Mulenga, Association of London Government
Pat Taylor, Worthing Borough Council
Liz King, Yorkshire And Humberside Empty Properties Forum
Phil Garland, Swale Borough Council
Anna Ring, British Property Federation
Andrew Dench, Housing Corporation
Richard Price, National Federation of Residential Landlords
Val Dobbs, East Lindsey District Council
Jackie Bennett, Council of Mortgage Lenders
Lorraine Edmondson, Northampton Borough Council
Martin Calvert, Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Paul Stamp, City of York Council
Keith Broxup, Southwark Council
Stephen Clarke, Haringey Council
Richard Parkin, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
James Johnson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Tracey Slater, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Paul Smith, Phoenix Community Housing Co-Operative
Billy Hughes, New Forest District Council
Joanne Craik, South Holland District Council
Phil Toal, Sunderland Housing Group
Dave Adams, Portsmouth City Council
Harry Quarrell, Wycombe District Council
Maggie Jones, Unison
Jenny Harris, National Housing Federation
Jane Mcinerney, London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames
Louise Waring, Royal Town Planning Institute
Derek Welsh, Sunderland City Council
Dan Lucas, Nottingham City Council
Simon Latham, London Borough of Sutton
Bob Osborne, Salford City Council
Alan Savery, Borough of Basingstoke and Deane
Vicki Harris
Jeff Maslen, London Borough of Hillingdon
Dave Carter, London Borough of Enfield
Rachel Shalan, Mid Beds District Council

Erika Grunert, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Lanek Banga, London Borough of Newham
Alison Harrison
Vicki Dubury, Kent Empty Property Officer Forum
Duncan Stone, Guildford Borough Council
Helen Page, Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council
Oliver Foster, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Phil Baker, Hull County Council
Sarah May
James Macdonald, Sanford Housing Co-Op
Cathy Hadfield, Kerner District Council
Cllr Elizabeth Cartwright, East Hampshire District Council
Sue Cullip, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Mark Gibson, Chartered Institute of Housing
Peter Gaimster, Sussex Empty Homes Forum
Mary Cooch
Andrew Griffiths, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Wasyl Wolczuk, Gloucester City Council
Rob Pearce, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Keith Gunner, Southampton City Council
Anthony Spencer, Westminster Housing Co-operative
Susan Horrobin, Dover District Council
Graham Rosenberg
Alex Dinsdale, Countryside Alliance
Sarah Ingamells, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
Claire James, Herefordshire Council
Edmee Elias, London Borough of Croydon
Michael Walsh, Birmingham City Council
Alison Thomas, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Chris Galley, Sheffield Metropolitan District Council
Trevor Sennett
Jeremy Mason, Derby City Council
Keith Gunner and Julia Potter, Strategic Officers
Housing Group and Empty Property Forum
Mary Stribling, Eastleigh Borough Council
Peter Gaimster, Eastbourne Borough Council
Nick Caprara, National Association of Empty
Property Practitioners
City of Westminster
Empty Homes Agency.

Local Government Finance

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new spending obligations his Department has passed to local government in Somerset since 1997; to what extent these new responsibilities have been supported by an increase in central government grant; and if he will make a statement. [164672]

The Government are committed to fully funding any new responsibilities it places on local government through the New Burdens principle. The Government do not hold information on the extent of new responsibilities in Somerset since 1997. However Somerset has benefited from the 30 per cent. real term increase in overall Government grant for local authorities since 1997, which has enabled local authorities to comply with new responsibilities while continuing to improve services. This grant increase provides funding for the cost pressures and new burdens on local government including those identified with the Local Government Association in the context of the relevant Spending Review.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of external debt was in each local authority in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall in each of the last seven years; and what the cost of servicing the debt was in each year. [164793]

The level of external debt in each local authority in Devon and Cornwall in each of the last seven years is in the following table. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Level of external debt in Devon and Cornwall by local authority at 31 March
£ million
	1997	2000	2001	2002	2003
Devon	243	309	332	340	368
East Devon	0	1	2	4	6
Exeter	14	13	10	0	0
Mid Devon	5	4	5	5	5
North Devon	12	7	2	0	2
South Hams	12	9	0	0	0

External interest payments in Devon and Cornwall by local authority
£ million
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04¹
Devon	22.0	15.5	14.4	13.4	13.4	13.4	17.3
East Devon	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Exeter	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.8	1.6	0.0	0.0
Mid Devon	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
North Devon	1.0	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.0	0.0	0.0
South Hams	1.0	0.9	0.8	1.4	0.0	0.0	0.0
Teignbridge	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1
Torridge	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4
West Devon	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.0
Caradon	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.4
Carrick	0.0	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
Cornwall	10.3	10.5	10.8	11.3	11.6	12.0	12.9
Kerrier	1.7	1.8	1.3	1.3	0.7	0.5	0.5
North Cornwall	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Penwith	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Restormel	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.3
¹Budgeted figures.

Sources:

1997–98 to 2002–03 ODPM Revenue Summary Returns.

2003–04 ODPM Budget Estimate Returns.

Regional Assemblies

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the contract for the "Your Say" campaign was put out for tender; how many tenders were received; what the selection criteria were for awarding the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when the contract will terminate. [164804]

The contract for the Elected Regional Assemblies information campaign was put out to tender on 22 August 2003. Three tenders were received. The selection criteria were best value for money, an understanding of the brief, and the quality of the proposals and the strength of the team from the agency. The contract was awarded in mid September 2003 and will be terminated six to eight weeks before the referendums are held.

Level of external debt in Devon and Cornwall by local authority at 31 March
£ million
	1997	2000	2001	2002	2003
Teinbridge	5	2	4	0	0
Torridge	2	4	5	6	6
West Devon	4	3	3	3	2
Caradon	6	7	7	7	6
Carrick	5	4	4	4	4
Cornwall	133	170	175	200	211
Kerrier	18	13	11	6	6
North Cornwall	3	1	1	1	1
Penwith	0	0	0	0	2
Restormel	5	6	6	14	8

Source:

ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns.

It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those which have undertaken capital investment and that long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is currently regulated through the issue of credit approvals and, from 1 April 2004, will be subject to the Prudential System.

Figures for external interest payments in each local authority in Devon and Cornwall in each of the last seven years are shown in the following table.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what means, and at what cost, (a) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North East, (b) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North West,(c) Your Say: A New Opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) Your Say: Business and Jobs, (e) Your Say: Assembly Powers and Responsibilities and (f) Your Say: Housing, Planning and Transport are being distributed. [164805]

They are being distributed by Government Offices in the regions at various public events and are available upon request. They are also on the "Your Say" websites. To date, the only costs incurred in distribution have been to cover delivery to events and postage.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many copies of (a) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North East,(b) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North West, (c) Your Say: A New Opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) Your Say: Business and Jobs,(e) Your Say: Assembly Powers and Responsibilities and (f) Your Say: Housing, Planning and Transport he intends to distribute; and when he intends to terminate their distribution. [164806]

These leaflets and fact sheets, part of the "Your Say" campaign, are designed to inform people in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, about the Government's plans to give them an opportunity to vote on whether or not they want to have Elected Regional Assemblies.They are being distributed by the Government Offices in the regions at various public events and to individuals or groups upon request. They may also be downloaded from the "Your Say" websites:

www.yoursay-northeast.odpm.gov.uk,
www.yoursaynorthwest.odpm.gov.uk, and
www.yoursay-yorksandhumber.odpm.gov.uk.

Distribution will be in accordance with Section 125(3) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.

The number of leaflets and fact sheets to be distributed is not fixed. It will be based on demand and the need to ensure that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister discharge the responsibility to inform the public. All the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister communication activity is in line with the Civil Service Code.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister to whom (a) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North East, (b) Your Say: A New Opportunity for the North West,(c) Your Say: A New Opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) Your Say: Business and Jobs, (e) Your Say: Assembly Powers and Responsibilities and (f) Your Say: Housing, Planning and Transport are being distributed. [164807]

These leaflets, part of the "Your Say" campaign, are designed to inform people in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, about the Government's plans to give them an opportunity to vote on whether or not they want to have Elected Regional Assemblies.The leaflets are being distributed by the Government Offices at events and hearings and are available on request. The leaflets and fact-sheets are available on the "Your Say" websites:

www.yoursay-northwest.odpm.go.uk
www.yoursay-northeast.odpm.gov.uk
www.yoursay-yorksandhumber.odpm.gov.uk

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the proposed regional assemblies in (a) the North West, (b) the North East and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber will have borrowing powers. [163715]

The borrowing powers of elected regional assemblies were set out in Chapter 5 of the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions", published in May 2002 (Cm 5511).In summary, the White Paper states that regional assemblies' capital expenditure will generally be funded by central Government grant. But there may be circumstances in which an assembly wishes to borrow to raise money for capital expenditure in addition to that provided by central Government. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister propose to give regional assemblies borrowing powers subject to set limits to fund capital expenditure where they can afford to finance it from their revenue budgets. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also propose to give them temporary borrowing powers for cash management purposes.

Right To Buy

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homes have been purchased under the right-to-buy scheme in each of the last five years. [164202]

The right-to-buy sales figures for England for the last five complete financial years are in the following table.

	England
1998–99	40,272
1999–2000	54,251
2000–01	52,380
2001–02	51,968
2002–03	63,394

Robson Brown

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the printed material produced by Robson Brown for his Department in the past 12 months; and if he will place a copy of each item in the Library. [164803]

In the last 12 months Robson Brown have produced the following printed items:

A new opportunity for the North East,
A new opportunity for the North West and,
A new opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber.
The "Your Say" brand identity guidelines,
note pads,
letterhead,
press notice templates,
leaflet holders, and "Your Say" stickers.

Robson Brown have also designed the three fact sheets:

Business and Jobs,
Assembly Powers and Responsibilities, and
Housing and Transport.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be making copies of the leaflets and the fact sheets available in the Library of the House.

Health

Alcohol

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in arranging a meeting between healthcare professionals and the alcohol industry to discuss health warnings on alcohol products. [162715]

The Government's alcohol harm reduction strategy for England charges the Department of Health and the Home Office with consulting the alcohol industry on die introduction of a voluntary social responsibility scheme. The strategy recommends that, as part of this scheme, the drinks industry should be strongly encouraged to display information on sensible drinking and on the unit content of drinks. We look forward to working with the industry and other key stakeholders on this voluntary social responsibility scheme.

Alzheimer's Disease

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to issue advice to local authorities on the funding of care for those with Alzheimer's disease. [164259]

We have no plans to issue specific guidance to local authorities for the funding of care for individuals with Alzheimer's.

Bacs

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments. [164314]

The Department has recently purchased BACSTEL-IP software. The software has been successfully tested and we anticipate moving our payments to BACSTEL-IP shortly.

Care Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England are being charged for personal care in (a) care homes and (b) the community. [164276]

The estimate for the cost of introducing free personal care was prepared by Department of Health economists using a variety of data and assumptions. An explanatory note is available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make future provision of nursing care given outside hospital free at the point of use; and if he will make a statement. [164277]

Since the introduction of national health service-funded nursing care in October 2001, people should have access to nursing care from a registered nurse, funded by the NHS, in all settings outside hospital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to review the level of top-up fees paid by residents of care homes; and if he will make a statement. [164288]

Generally, care home residents may not top-up their fees from their own resources if they are supported by the local council. The only exceptions are where individuals either are in receipt of the 12 weeks property disregard or have accessed the deferred payment scheme. Some supported care home residents may choose to pay for extras that are not part of their agreed care plan using their own resources. There are no current plans to review the level of top-up fees paid by residents.

"Choosing Health"? Consultation Events

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the public is aware of the choosing health consultation events; what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) hosting and (b) advertising such events; and whether the costs will be met by his Department. [160657]

The "Choosing Health"? consultation will be supported by events across the country, organised by the national health service and local authorities, by regional directors of public health with Government offices of the regions, and by the Department of Health and other Government Departments at national level. The consultation process will be managed within existing budgets by the organisation leading the event. Some events will be shaped by initial responses to the consultation, so it is not possible to estimate costs.We anticipate that other organisations who choose to engage in the debate will also run events, nationally and locally, and encourage their members and contacts to take part.Organisations will use existing forums for discussion as well as special arrangements for the consultation.Activities can be publicised on the Department's "Choosing Health"? website, which can be found at www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations. It will be for organisers to determine whether any additional action is needed to promote individual events, for example, targeting key groups or stakeholders.

Clinical Trials

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage the publication of all the results of clinical trials. [164817]

I refer the hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 10 March 2004, Official Report, column 1598W.

Dentistry

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average income is of (a) NHS and (b) private sector dentists. [158180]

The average gross fee income of a general dental service (GDS) dentist for national health service work in 2002–03 was £98,000 in England. Gross fee income of a NHS dentist includes both their personal remuneration as well as business expenses such as staff salaries, laboratory charges and dental consumables.The income distribution is very wide reflecting the large differences in the amount of GDS work done by individual dentists. Principal GDS dentists do not have a standard working week. They are self employed and choose the amount of GDS work they do. Most dentists will have other income either from private dentistry or from other NHS work. Almost one-quarter of GDS dentists had gross fee income of less than £40,000 in 2002–03; these dentists will have spent only a small proportion of their week doing GDS work.To produce an income estimate for dentists with a reasonable commitment to the GDS, dentists with gross fee income of less than £55,600 may be excluded. This gives average gross fee income for dentists with a reasonable GDS commitment of £137,000 in 2002–03. The excluded dentists with gross fee income of less than £55,600 will have spent about two days a week or less doing GDS work.Taking into account estimated expenses, average net fee income of a GDS dentist with a reasonable GDS commitment was around £61,000 in 2002–03. The average GDS net fee income for all dentists including the lowest GDS earners was about £43,000 in 2002–03.In addition dentists receive other payments such as commitment payments which increase average net income by about £2,000 in 2002–03. So total net income from the GDS averaged about £63,000 for dentists with a reasonable GDS commitment whilst the average net income from the GDS for all dentists including the low GDS earners was about £45,000.Income of dentists working solely privately is not available. Inland Revenue information for 2001–02 shows that for GDS dentists' average gross income for all self employed work in Great Britain was 163,000 gross or 71,000 net of expenses. This average covers both full-time and part-time dentists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of dentists to population is in each of the primary care trusts in England. [162018]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) England are not registered with a dentist. [162871]

The following table shows the total population, the number of people registered with a dentist under general dental service (GDS) arrangements and, by deduction, the numbers who are not so registered for South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, the North East and England. Jarrow constituency is covered by South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Number of people not registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist at 31 January 2004
	South Tyneside¹	Tyne and Wear²	North East³	England
Registered GDS patients	86,000	578,000	1,122,000	22,849,000
Population	153,000	1,076,000	2,513,000	48,968,000
Difference	67,000	498,000	1,391,000	26,119,000
¹ Figures cover South Tyneside PCT.
² Figures represent the following PCTs: Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland Teaching.
³ The North East is covered by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and County Durham and Tees Valley SNA.

Registrations under GDS arrangements cover patients who have been to a general dental service dentist within the past 15 months. They exclude patients who choose to attend occasionally or who have not been to a dentist during the past fifteen months. Patients are able to receive dental treatment without the need for registration from other national health service dental services such as dental access centres, through personal dental services or community dental services. Registrations are included in the area of the dentist. Patients may choose to have their dental services in a different PCT area from the one in which they live.

Departmental Communications

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others; [158166](2) what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on

(a) Government Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers.(ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158198]

The Department currently employs 126 staff in its communications directorate.57 of these are Government Information and Communication Service staff, of whom 22 are press officers and 35 are employed in marketing communications, web and staff communications activities.There are 70 other communications staff in the wider Department employed in public health campaigns, national health service and Departmental events and visits, marketing (including print and distribution) and support staff.The total expenditure on communications directorate staff is £4.09 million, broken down as follows:

£2.63 million for Government information and communication service staff, of which £1.06 million is for press officers and £1.46 million for other staff.

The special advisers code of conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

Drug Rehabilitation Treatment (Prisons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what types of treatment are generally available in prisons for each form of drug addiction; and if he will make a statement.[164247]

A comprehensive range of drug treatment is available to address the differing needs of drug misusers. The general health examination/ assessment a prisoner receives on first reception into custody aims to identify past and present drug usage and engagement with community drugs teams. A clinical decision is then reached about the next steps in the management of each individual prisoner. This can be either detoxification or substitute prescribing, as a prelude to a broader based drug treatment programme.Counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare (CARAT) service is available in every establishment. CARAT workers, together with healthcare staff where possible, assess a prisoner's treatment needs and devise a care plan based on level of need and time in custody. CARAT provides case management and lower level interventions and is available in all establishments. Intensive rehabilitation programmes are provided through a range of 60 accredited drug rehabilitation programmes, including four therapeutic communities.

Drug Testing

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review procedures for testing drugs. [163901]

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency operates a medicines testing scheme to assess the quality of medicines found on the United Kingdom market.A review is planned of the current level of sampling used within this scheme.

Fertility Treatment

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many licensed fertility clinics have failed inspection by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in each of the last five years; [163157](2) what plans the Government have to change the rules governing the use of eggs from aborted female foetuses in

(a) licensed fertility treatments and (b) research;[163159]

(3) what studies the Government have commissioned into the long-term effects of invitro fertilisation on (a) women and (b) children born as a result of the treatment; [163160]

(4) what measures are in place to ensure that human embryos created under a licence issued by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority are not allowed to develop beyond the 14-day statutory time limit; [163163]

(5) what plans he has to require licensed fertility clinics to reimburse the NHS for the cost of treatment arising from multiple births following fertility treatment; [163230]

(6) how many members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have declared opposition to destructive embryo research. [163231]

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 provides a regulatory framework for the provision of treatment involving in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and human embryo research. These activities are licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Inspection of licensed establishments is the cornerstone of the HFEA's work to ensure compliance with Act, the HFEA's code of practice and the conditions upon which the establishment's licence has been granted.It is not a simple matter of an establishment either "passing or failing" a HFEA inspection. Licensed establishments are expected to operate to set standards and regular inspections take place to ensure these standards are maintained. Where an inspection team considers that an establishment needs to make improvement in a certain area of its operation, a HFEA licence committee that considers the inspection report may decide to attach additional conditions to the licence, with a deadline for implementing improvements if necessary. Failure to comply with the conditions of a licence would be considered by a licence committee and could lead to the revocation of the licence. Were practice to be found of so poor a standard that patients were placed at risk, a licence committee would, as a matter of urgency, consider suspension of the licence and, if necessary, revocation.The HFEA code of practice sets out standards of conduct and practice that licensed establishments are expected to observe. The new edition of the code, which came into force on 1 March 2004, limits the number of eggs or embryos that can be placed in a woman under age 40, in any one treatment cycle, to a maximum of two. The purpose of this is to limit, as far as possible, multiple pregnancies, which can have a significant medical and social impact on the resulting children and their families, as well as having cost implications for the national health service for the care of the mother and babies. This guidance is supported by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guideline on fertility treatment which also recommends that ovarian stimulation should not be offered where the female patient has no fertility problems herself to prevent the risk of a multiple pregnancy. Together these measures should reduce the number of multiple births.There are no plans to require licensed treatment clinics, a number of which operate within the NHS, to reimburse the health service for costs resulting from the care of multiple pregnancies and births.The Government have not commissioned any research into the long term effects of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). However, the HFEA has been working with the Medical Research Council to determine what follow-up studies may be needed to assess both the treatments used and any long-term health implications for patients and children born as a result of fertility treatments, including IVF.When considering applications for embryo research, members of the HFEA are required to reach decisions on the basis of a fair and impartial assessment of the facts. The HFEA only licences embryo research to take place in circumstances specified by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and in accordance with the requirements of the Act. No HFEA members have expressed objection to the principles in the Act.Compliance with the prohibition in section 3(4) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 on the keeping or using in treatment or research of embryos beyond the 14 day limit is monitored though the HFEA inspection process.Section 3A of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 prohibits the use in fertility treatment of eggs taken from aborted fetuses. There are no plans to change this. Under the Human Tissue Bill storage of fetal tissue for research purposes would be subject to licensing by the Human Tissue Authority.

Health Development Agency (Crosby)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the effect on residents of Crosby of the Health Development Agency. [160437]

The work of the Health Development Agency (HDA) is focussed on service delivery that supports the whole of the region's public health development.Crosby has a number of electoral wards assessed as being in the worst 25 per cent. in England for multiple deprivation. The HDA manages the national healthy school standard, which is part of the Government's national strategy to reduce health inequalities for children. The regional management of the programme is delivered in partnership with Sefton local education authority. In Crosby, 15 out of the 28 schools are included in the (Sefton) national health schools standard programme.The North West HDA organised the largest ever regional public health conference in March 2004 to address the problem of obesity. Over 300 regional public health professionals, including representatives from health services responsible for Crosby, will learn of the latest obesity data for the region and will collaboratively plan a regional obesity action plan. The workshop will draw together best practice from across the region and in addition to the HDA guidance on obesity, this will provide the basis for local and regional work to tackle obesity in the coming years. The North West HDA is currently working with the North West public health observatory and the regional cancer registries to review the main causes of cancer related deaths across the region.The HDA, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and the North West Public Health Observatory, is currently completing a regional report "Alcohol: A Situational Analysis for the North West".

Healthy Eating Campaign/Living Centres

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to mount a public health information campaign with the aim of (a) decreasing meat consumption and (b) increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. [164223]

No plans have been made for a health information campaign aimed at decreasing meat consumption. The Department recommends a balanced diet, which can include meat. The Department's "five-a-day" programme aims to raise public awareness of the health benefits of eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day and what counts towards "five-a-day". This is supported by a range of information materials, including booklets, posters and leaflets. There is also a "five-a-day" logo for use on promotional materials and on food packets to help consumers choose a diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) in total to healthy living centres. [163654]

The Department allocates no funding directly to Healthy Living Centres (HLCs). The New Opportunities Fund has committed a total of £204 million to the HLC programme in England and expects all committed funds to have been expended by 2009.

Hiv/Aids

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on (a) publicity and health advice and (b) treatment of HIV/AIDS in each of the last three years. [163687]

A total of £223.5 million was allocated to the national health service in England in 2001–02 for the treatment and care of people with HIV. £55 million was allocated for local HIV prevention in 2001–02. These sums were added to the general NHS baselines in 2002–03 and are no longer separately identified.In addition to these NHS allocations, the Department of Health centrally funds national targeted HIV prevention and health promotion campaigns. Expenditure on this national work for the past three years is shown in the table.

	£ million¹
2001–02	3.60
2002–03	3.80
2003–04	4.35
¹ Figures include expenditure on national telephone helpline provision (including substance misuse and alcohol advice lines).

Immigrant Medical Inspections

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what circulars, guidance and memoranda of understanding he has issued which clarify accountability for services concerned with preventing the importation of infectious disease. [156850]

The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979, the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979, and the Public Health (International Trains) Regulations 1994 set out a number of requirements intended to control the importation of infectious disease. Implementation of the regulations is generally a matter for local authorities, with medical input provided by the national health service."Instructions to Medical Inspectors", issued by the Department in 1992, sets out the procedures to be followed by medical inspectors responsible for medical examinations of prospective entrants to the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971. This was supplemented by a letter from the Department in January 2003, which asked that the attention of medical inspectors be drawn to section 133 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (this section provides a basis for medical inspectors to pass information about those they have examined to others in the NHS).

Liver Disease

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England with hepatitis C who are not being treated; and if he will make a statement. [162069]

The Department does not hold information centrally about the number of patients with hepatitis C not receiving treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of services for treating liver disease in (a) England and (b) each region. [162070]

The University of Southampton has recently carried out a survey of health care services for hepatitis C in the United Kingdom on behalf of the British Association for the Study of the Liver, the British Society for Gastroenterology (Liver Section) and the British Liver Trust.

Mental Health Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require records, audited by his Department to be kept of the use of control and restraint on mental health patients. [163559]

The Department does not currently keep any central statistical record of the use of control and restraint. Information about the use of control and restraint is collected in a number of ways. Individual authorities are required to have clear policies on the use of restraint which include provision of a review of each incident of restraint, and its application audited and reported to hospital managers (Chapter 19.14 of the Mental Health Code of Practice).'Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health Inpatient Settings' was issued by the National Institute for Mental Health in England in February 2004. This guidance makes clear recommendations to services. It states that clinical audit should be an integral part of service culture in order to monitor service responsiveness to the various aspects of patient care.The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be publishing guidance later this year relating to management of violence.

The National Patient Safety Agency has developed a national reporting and learning system to promote comprehensive national learning about patient safety incidents. This includes reporting of patient safety incidents involving control and restraint. This information will permit feedback to be provided on services and issues to be identified.

From 1 January 2004, the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC), as part of its programme of monitoring vulnerable patient groups, has asked providers of acute mental health services to notify every occasion when a detained patient sustains an injury which requires medical intervention as a consequence of an incident of restraint. Following notification, the MHAC will seek to arrange for a commissioner to visit the patient concerned and, during the visit collect information regarding the handling of the incident using a specifically designed commission visiting questionnaire. Providers also receive a short report of the commissioner's findings with recommendations for action where applicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to create an ethnically more diverse workforce in mental health services. [163560]

The need for services to be appropriate and responsive to the communities they serve is laid out in the consultation document, `Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action' (October 2004). To support this, the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) will be developing work to address the cultural capability of organisations, and staff within them, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for those who use services. The importance of this issue is also highlighted in 'Mental Health Services—Workforce Design and Development: Best Practice Guidance (2003).Linked to 'Improving Working Lives', we have the national 'Positively Diverse' programme to support employers in working towards creating an ethnically more diverse workforce across the whole National Health Service, including mental health services.The development of black and minority ethnic staff networks at local (trust) and regional levels has also been actively encouraged with seed funding being provided by the Department. In 2002–03, 120 black and minority ethnic staff networks received seed funding through 'Positively Diverse'. All have agreed to report back on good practices, particularly related to the effect on recruitment and retention of staff from black and minority ethnic heritage. The Positively Diverse programme will also be developed within NIMHE to address these issues within the organisation.Further work is being considered in the light of the 'Delivering Race Equality' consultation responses and the David Bennett Inquiry recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce cultural awareness training for all mental health staff along the lines proposed by the independent inquiry into the death of David Bennett. [163563]

The National Institute of Mental Health in England's (NIMHE) national workforce programme is developing a set of shared capabilities that all staff should possess as part of their education and training. One of these is to respect diversity and to provide care and interventions in ways that respect and value diversity including age, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.Further work is being considered in the light of the Delivering Race Equality consultation responses and the David Bennett Inquiry recommendations. Very early discussions have taken place between the Sainsbury Centre and the NIMHE to develop work in this area, building on existing good practice.

Opinion Sampling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [162757]

A list of the Department's expenditure incurred on focus groups and opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04 can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Over-Prescription

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to reduce the waste arising from the over-prescribing of medicines. [163734]

The Department is concerned about wastage from over-prescribing of medicines and has introduced a number of initiatives to address this. These include; the medicines management collaborative schemes, that demonstrate innovation and good practice in medicines management and the joint medicines partnership task force, that encourages the involvement of patients in their treatment decisions and repeat dispensing which enables the pharmacist to check whether patients still need the medicines prescribed for them. Improved prescribing and medicines management is also being encouraged through the quality and outcomes framework, within the new general practitioner contracts. In hospitals, too, action has been taken to reduce waste, including through the re-use of patients' own medicines and dispensing for discharge.For the future, the new community pharmacy contractual framework is expected to incorporate services, such as medicines use review, which will support quality prescribing and reduce waste.

Sex Education

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement by the Chief Medical Officer that there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of sex and relationships education. [162493]

Effective sex and relationships education (SRE) is essential if young people are to make responsible and well informed decisions about their lives. It should teach young people to understand human sexuality and to respect themselves and others. It enables young people to mature, to build up confidence and self-esteem and understand the reasons for delaying sexual activity.The position with regard to SRE in the Chief Medical Officer's Update is informed by high quality reviews of the international evidence. The most recent of these (Swann, C., Bowe, K., McCormick, G., and Kosmin, M. (2003) Evidence-Based briefing paper on teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Health Development Agency) considered the evidence from all high quality systematic and other reviews and meta-analyses published since 1996. They concluded that 'good' evidence (for example, drawn from high quality reviews) exists for the effectiveness of 'school-based sex education', particularly linked to contraceptive services (measured against knowledge, attitudes, delaying sexual activity and/or reducing pregnancy rates). In contrast, there was no good evidence for the effectiveness of abstinence based education (which focuses only on promoting sexual abstinence).The Health Development Agency was asked by the Department to undertake a review of the research evidence underpinning the teenage pregnancy strategy. They reviewed systematic reviews, meta-analyses and literature reviews of what works to prevent teenage pregnancy, which have been published since 1996. To be included reviews needed to meet strict quality criteria. This document was endorsed by an expert reference group and was subject to external peer review.

Sunbeds

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the (a) benefits and (b) risks to health of the use of sunbeds. [163892]

The Department has not made an assessment of whether there are any benefits to health from the use of sunbeds. Reports on the effects of ultra-violet radiation (UVR) from the National Radiological Protection Board, the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection and the British Medical Association conclude that there is no direct evidence that sunbed exposure causes skin cancer.By far the greatest source of UVR exposure is the sun. That is why we have taken measures to encourage the public to protect themselves and their children from the risks of unsafe exposure to the sun.The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for operators and customers of all solaria, including sunbeds. The advice is that people under 16 years old should not use sunbeds and that a limit of 20 sessions per year should be observed. This advice was developed after consultation with leading experts.

Teenage Cancer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital beds are allocated for the treatment of teenage and young adult patients with cancer. [163889]

Information is not collected on the number of beds designated for cancer patients. These beds will be included in the overall total of general and acute beds. Information on the average daily number of beds for each national health service trust is published annually on the Department's website at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/ index.htm.

Vcjd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the impact of changes to the levels of funding for vCJD surveillance in 2004–05. [163895]

The Department will be providing funding of £2,005,594 for 2004–05. This represents an increase of 6.5 per cent. over the funding for 2003–04.

Waiting Times (Crosby)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS waiting times for heart surgery in Crosby. [160431]

In March 1997 there were 138 people waiting nine months and 40 people waiting over 12 months for heart surgery at the Cardiothoracic Centre—Liverpool national health service trust. The latest available figures show that in January 2004 there were no people waiting nine months and over for surgery.

Education And Skills

Careers Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the future of the careers service in Essex; and if he will make a statement. [163650]

My Department has received four representations about the future of the careers service in Essex—part of Essex Careers Business Partnership (ECBP). Concerns were raised regarding a short fall in the ECBP pension fund and how the future service provided to young people in that locality would be affected.Pension liabilities, how they are funded and what pension entitlements staff are legally entitled to, are matters for the directors of ECBP and the trustees of the pension scheme. The Department cannot take on the liabilities of private organisations. The Department's primary concern is to maintain continuity of service to young people in England.

Devon Lea

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was given to schools in the Devon local education authority area from the Capital Modernisation Fund in each of the last seven years. [164785]

The Department for Education and Skills does not hold this information centrally. Capital Modernisation Fund is allocated by projects and not by area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students living in the Devon local education authority area have benefited from New Opportunities bursaries since the scheme was set up. [164789]

Information about Opportunity Bursaries is held at the level of institutions that provide higher education provision. Apart from that, it is not possible to extract from the data the number of awards for students in any given area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what investment there has been in (a) sport and (b) music in schools in Devon Local Education Authority in each of the last seven years. [164794]

The information is not held centrally. Within the context of the statutory National Curriculum, where music is compulsory for pupils aged 5–14, and Physical Education (PE) is compulsory for pupils aged 5–16, it is for individual schools to use their budgets as they judge appropriate.The Government are investing more than £1 billion in England to transform PE, school sport and club links. The funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to increase the percentage of 5–16 year olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.The Department is providing £1,746,299 to support the delivery of three School Sport Partnerships in the Devon LEA area. The partnerships include 18 secondary and 114 primary schools and provide enhanced sports opportunities for all young people and ensure that their pupils spend a minimum of two hours a week on high quality PE and School Sport.Furthermore, £3,953,000 is also being provided to to schools in the Devon LEA area specifically to enhance PE and school sport facilities through the New Opportunities Fund.The Music Standards Fund (MSF) supports Local Education Authority Music Services, which provide activities including workshops, festivals, small group and ensemble tuition and curriculum support. Since 1999, the following MSF payments have been made to Devon LEA Music Service:

in 2003–04: £656,400
in 2002–03: £818,604
in 2001–02: £697,600
in 2000–01: £203,000 plus £121,050
in 1999–00: £124,000 plus £5,047

A total of £646,400 has been allocated for 2004–05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) teaching assistants, (b) teachers and (c) teaching vacancies there were in schools in Devon Local Education Authority in each of the last seven years. [164796]

The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants, regular teachers and full-time teacher vacancies in maintained schools in the former Devon Local Education Authority area in each January between 1997 and 2003.

	Teaching assistants	Teachers	Teacher vacancies
1997	810	7,700	26
1998	960	7,800	24
1999	1,090	7,890	16
2000	1,250	8,060	59
2001	1,930	8,210	57
2002	2,220	8,430	25
2003	2,670	8,450	6

Sources:

Annual School Census and the annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies(618G)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of local education authority funding is per pupil in Devon for 2004–05; and what the amount spent was in 1996–97. [164798]

The estimated total level of revenue funding per pupil (age 3 to 19) for Devon for 2004–05 is £3,630. Devon's Net Current Expenditure on preprimary, primary, special and secondary pupils in

Maintained primary and secondary schools: average class size¹1997–2000
Position in January each year
	1997		1998		1999		2000
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
London	27.1	21.7	27.2	21.7	27.3	21.8	27.3	22.0
Inner London	26.3	22.4	26.5	22.3	26.7	22.6	26.9	22.3
City of London	26.0	0.0	24.8	0.0	24.7	0.0	26.3	0.0
Camden	27.1	20.3	27.0	19.5	26.8	20.2	27.1	19.8
Hackney	26.1	22.3	25.7	23.6	26.4	23.5	26.6	23.9
Hammersmith and Fulham	25.3	22.6	25.9	22.8	26.1	22.4	26.3	23.0
Haringey	26.9	21.6	27.3	21.6	27.3	21.3	27.7	21.3
Islington	26.6	24.0	27.1	23.9	26.9	23.6	27.1	23.1
Kensington and Chelsea	25.3	20.2	25.5	21.0	25.8	21.5	26.2	21.1
Lambeth	25.2	21.9	25.9	22.4	26.0	22.3	26.2	21.5
Lewisham	26.1	20.7	26.1	20.6	26.4	21.6	26.8	21.1
Newham	27.9	24.5	28.3	24.5	28.3	24.4	28.4	24.0
Southwark	26.4	24.4	26.6	22.4	26.8	23.2	26.7	23.4
Tower Hamlets	26.2	24.0	26.6	24.0	26.7	23.5	26.8	23.4
Wandsworth	25.8	22.0	25.6	22.2	26.0	22.8	26.1	22.4
Westminster	24.2	21.5	24.5	21.6	25.4	22.3	25.6	22.2
Outer London	27.5	21.4	27.6	21.4	27.5	21.5	27.4	21.8
Barking and Dagenham	27.0	20.8	27.0	21.9	27.2	21.9	27.0	21.7
Barnet	26.2	19.8	26.7	20.5	26.9	20.2	27.1	20.2
Bexley	28.8	21.8	29.1	21.9	28.3	21.4	28.3	22.2
Brent	26.5	20.5	26.5	20.2	27.2	20.0	27.4	20.5
Bromley	28.5	20.4	28.6	20.6	27.9	21.1	27.7	20.8
Croydon	28.3	22.2	28.2	22.0	28.0	22.6	27.8	22.9
Ealing	27.1	22.4	27.3	22.2	27.1	22.4	26.9	22.1
Enfield	29.1	20.7	29.0	20.6	28.9	20.9	28.7	21.3
Greenwich	26.0	22.5	25.8	21.6	26.2	21.8	25.9	22.8
Harrow	27.5	22.9	27.5	23.5	27.3	23.4	27.4	23.7
Havering	27.9	21.8	28.0	21.7	28.2	22.7	27.9	22.1
Hillingdon	27.2	21.1	27.3	20.3	26.7	20.7	26.4	20.7
Hounslow	26.8	21.1	26.9	21.6	27.0	21.6	27.1	21.5
Kingston-upon-Thames	29.4	20.2	29.0	21.0	29.3	21.0	28.1	20.9
Merton	27.3	22.7	27.8	22.9	27.2	22.4	26.7	24.1
Redbridge	28.4	21.0	28.6	20.9	28.5	20.9	28.5	21.4
Richmond-upon-Thames	27.2	24.0	27.0	24.1	27.3	23.4	26.7	24.6
Sutton	28.1	20.7	27.8	20.7	27.9	21.2	27.4	21.6
Waltham Forest	26.6	23.6	26.8	22.9	27.0	23.5	27.0	23.4
¹ One teacher classes

1996–97 was £2,220, as recorded by the authority on its RO1 form. The figures are not directly comparable since the former reflects the total provision made available to the authority whereas the latter reflects what the authority actually spent within schools. 2004–05 funding figures are based OP pupil numbers used in the Education Formula Spending Share calculation. Expenditure figures are calculated using pupil numbers from the annual school census adjusted to the appropriate financial year.

Education (Greater London)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools was in each year since 1997 in (i) Greater London and (ii) each Greater London borough. [163728]

The information requested is shown in the table.Information on class sizes will be updated with provisional 2004 data at the end of April.

Maintained primary and secondary schools: average class size ¹ 2001–03
Position in January each year
	2001		2002		2003
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
London	27.0	22.1	26.9	22.1	26.9	21.9
Inner London	26.8	22.4	26.6	22.5	26.6	22.6
City of London	27.6	0.0	n/a	9.9	24.5	0.0
Camden	27.2	20.1	26.9	19.8	26.6	20.0
Hackney	26.2	23.7	26.5	23.4	26.8	22.7
Hammersmith and Fulham	25.9	22.9	25.3	22.5	25.6	22.6
Haringey	27.8	22.1	27.7	22.3	27.7	22.0
Islington	26.6	23.3	26.6	23.3	26.3	23.8
Kensington and Chelsea	26.3	21.2	26.1	21.2	26.0	21.4
Lambeth	26.1	21.7	26.3	20.9	26.1	21.8
Lewisham	26.8	21.6	26.8	21.9	26.6	22.2
Newham	28.3	23.8	28.0	24.0	27.9	23.8
Southwark	26.7	23.7	26.1	23.9	26.0	24.0
Tower Hamlets	26.6	22.9	26.3	23.5	26.8	23.7
Wandsworth	26.0	21.8	25.7	23.0	26.0	22.2
Westminster	25.5	22.0	24.5	21.9	25.5	21.3
Outer London	27.1	21.9	27.0	21.9	27.0	21.7
Barking and Dagenham	26.6	21.5	26.4	21.9	26.3	21.7
Barnet	27.0	20.4	27.1	20.7	27.1	20.0
Bexley	28.0	22.9	27.6	22.5	27.7	22.7
Brent	27.3	22.2	27.1	21.5	27.6	21.3
Bromley	27.4	21.6	27.7	21.3	27.3	21.5
Croydon	27.6	23.0	27.4	23.3	27.1	22.7
Ealing	26.8	22.3	26.6	22.8	26.5	21.9
Enfield	28.4	21.0	28.2	21.5	28.0	21.1
Greenwich	25.7	21.9	25.6	22.4	26.0	22.1
Harrow	26.9	24.1	26.8	23.7	26.4	22.9
Havering	27.3	22.3	27.1	21.8	27.1	21.7
Hillingdon	26.7	21.2	26.8	21.2	26.7	21.0
Hounslow	26.3	21.6	26.9	21.1	26.7	21.3
Kingston-upon-Thames	28.1	20.9	28.1	21.8	28.0	21.8
Merton	26.2	23.7	25.4	22.7	25.4	23.5
Redbridge	28.2	21.6	28.3	20.6	28.0	21.0
Richmond-upon-Thames	26.7	24.6	26.5	23.9	26.5	24.1
Sutton	27.1	21.3	27.2	22.1	27.7	21.0
Waltham Forest	26.8	22.2	26.4	22.6	26.6	22.7
¹One teacher classes
n/a = not available

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary school and (b) secondary school teachers there were per pupil of the relevant age group in Greater London, broken

Maintained primary and secondary schools¹pupil: teacher ratios²—Greater London 1997 to 2000 position in January each year
	1997		1998		1999		2000
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
London	21.9	15.9	22.2	16.0	22.3	16.1	22.3	16.5
Inner London	20.8	15.3	21.2	15.5	21.3	15.8	21.5	15.9
City of London	13.9	0.0	14.3	0.0	14.1	0.0	14.3	0.0
Camden	20.0	14.3	20.2	14.6	20.5	15.2	21.0	15.6
Hackney	19.5	14.9	19.6	14.5	19.7	15.7	20.1	15.5
Hammersmith and Fulham	20.5	17.4	21.0	17.5	21.4	17.5	21.1	18.1
Haringey	21.1	14.6	21.8	14.7	21.5	15.4	22.5	15.5
Islington	21.1	15.7	22.3	16.0	21.6	16.0	21.4	15.9
Kensington and Chelsea	17.7	12.9	18.4	13.4	19.1	14.3	19.4	14.0
Lambeth	19.8	15.0	20.4	14.7	20.5	15.5	20.4	15.2
Lewisham	20.6	15.2	20.7	15.6	20.9	15.7	21.5	15.6
Newham	24.3	16.3	24.4	16.3	25.4	16.4	24.7	16.6
Southwark	21.8	15.8	22.0	15.9	22.0	15.8	22.5	16.2
Tower Hamlets	20.7	15.9	20.8	15.8	20.7	16.0	21.0	16.3
Wandsworth	20.5	15.5	21.2	15.7	21.1	16.1	21.1	16.1
Westminster	18.6	14.9	19.0	15.2	18.6	15.0	18.9	15.1
Outer London	22.5	16.1	22.8	16.2	22.9	16.3	22.8	16.7
Barking and Dagenham	22.7	15.7	23.1	15.8	23.2	16.0	22.9	16.3
Barnet	21.3	14.8	21.4	15.2	21.5	15.3	21.3	15.4
Bexley	24.8	17.4	25.3	17.4	24.5	17.2	24.6	17.6

down by local education authority, in each year since 1997. [163731]

The information requested is given in the table.

Maintained primary and secondary schools ¹ pupil:teacher ratios ²—Greater London 1997 to 2000 position in January each year
	1997		1998		1999		2000
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
London	21.9	15.9	22.2	16.0	22.3	16.1	22.3	16.5
Inner London	20.8	15.3	21.2	15.5	21.3	15.8	21.5	15.9
Brent	21.9	15.2	21.5	15.0	21.9	15.0	22.0	15.8
Bromley	24.4	16.3	24.8	16.4	24.3	16.6	24.2	17.2
Croydon	23.0	16.2	23.3	16.4	23.5	16.4	23.2	16.9
Ealing	22.5	16.4	22.8	16.9	22.9	16.7	22.8	17.1
Enfield	23.2	15.9	22.8	15.8	23.2	15.9	22.7	16.3
Greenwich	21.1	16.0	21.4	16.3	21.9	16.3	21.4	16.6
Harrow	20.7	15.5	21.5	15.9	21.6	15.9	22.3	16.8
Havering	23.8	16.3	24.2	16.4	24.4	16.6	24.2	16.6
Hillingdon	22.6	16.2	23.4	15.8	23.2	16.3	23.1	16.4
Hounslow	21.5	15.8	21.8	16.2	22.0	16.5	21.9	17.2
Kingston upon Thames	23.9	16.6	24.1	16.4	24.3	16.7	24.1	17.1
Merton	21.7	17.2	22.0	17.0	22.6	17.6	22.1	17.8
Redbridge	22.9	16.5	23.0	16.7	23.0	16.7	23.3	16.8
Richmond upon Thames	21.7	17.0	22.2	16.6	22.4	16.2	22.5	17.9
Sutton	23.9	16.8	23.8	17.0	23.5	17.0	23.1	17.6
Waltham Forest	21.7	15.6	22.4	15.6	22.8	15.7	22.5	16.0
¹Includes middle schools as deemed.
² The within school pupil:teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total full time equivalent number of pupils on roll in schools by the total full time equivalent number of teachers with qualified teacher status regularly employed in schools.

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

Maintained primary and secondary schools ¹ pupil:teacher ratios ²—Greater London 2001 to 2003, position in January each year
	2001		2002		2003
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
London	22.5	16.6	22.4	16.6	23.3	16.9
Inner London	21.9	15.9	21.6	16.0	22.6	16.2
City of London	14.7	0.0		0.0	16.7	0.0
Camden	20.9	15.3	20.3	16.0	21.4	14.8
Hackney	21.8	17.1	21.3	16.9	23.5	16.3
Hammersmith and Fulham	21.1	17.5	21.8	17.0	23.2	18.0
Haringey	22.8	15.8	22.7	15.6	23.8	15.3
Islington	22.2	15.9	21.2	16.1	22.7	16.2
Kensington and Chelsea	20.6	15.2	18.9	14.9	20.8	16.9
Lambeth	20.8	15.4	20.7	15.8	21.4	16.2
Lewisham	21.3	15.8	21.3	15.9	20.6	15.4
Newham	24.5	15.8	23.8	16.5	24.9	16.7
Southwark	22.5	16.4	22.0	15.9	22.8	17.1
Tower Hamlets	21.7	16.1	21.7	16.1	22.9	16.2
Wandsworth	21.0	15.8	20.3	16.3	21.4	16.4
Westminster	20.5	15.0	21.4	15.1	22.1	15.6
Outer London	22.9	16.9	22.9	16.8	23.7	17.2
Barking and Dagenham	23.6	16.8	23.6	16.6	24.1	17.4
Barnet	22.2	15.9	22.2	15.7	22.7	15.4
Bexley	24.5	17.8	23.8	17.9	25.1	18.7
Brent	22.3	16.0	21.9	15.7	23.6	16.3
Bromley	23.6	17.1	23.4	17.3	23.7	17.6
Croydon	23.1	17.3	22.8	17.4	22.8	17.3
Ealing	23.1	17.6	23.8	17.8	24.8	17.6
Enfield	22.9	16.3	22.6	16.3	23.6	17.2
Greenwich	21.4	16.0	21.5	15.2	22.8	16.4
Harrow	21.9	17.0	22.7	16.7	23.8	17.3
Havering	23.7	17.2	23.7	17.3	24.2	17.5
Hillingdon	24.0	17.0	24.4	17.3	25.5	18.5
Hounslow	22.2	16.9	22.8	16.8	23.7	17.4
Kingston upon Thames	22.6	16.9	23.8	17.2	23.2	17.1
Merton	21.9	18.0	21.5	17.9	22.7	18.1
Redbridge	23.4	16.7	23.1	16.6	23.2	16.9
Richmond upon Thames	21.9	18.4	21.7	18.3	21.9	17.6
Button	22.9	17.6	23.4	17.7	24.7	17.7
Waltham Forest	23.0	15.8	23.0	16.7	24.5	16.8
¹Includes middle schools as deemed
² The within school pupil:teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total full-time equivalent number of pupils on roll in schools by the total full time equivalent number of teachers with qualified teacher status regularly employed in schools.
³ not available

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

The underlying pupil and teacher figures were published on 25 September 2003 in the statistical volume, "Statistics of Education, Schools in England 2003", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The table is also available on the statistics section of the DfES website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000417/index.shtml

Education (North Tyneside)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was given to schools in North Tyneside local education authority from the Capital Modernisation Fund in each of the last seven years. [164376]

The Department of Education and Skills does not hold this information centrally. Capital Modernisation Fund is allocated by projects and not by area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils achieved at least (a) one and (b) five GCSE grades A^* to C in North Tyneside local education authority in each of the last seven years. [164378]

Information on pupils achievement at GCSE/GNVQ are detailed in the following table:

Percentage of 15 year old pupils¹in North Tyneside LEA
Academic year	Achieved at least one A^-C*	Achieved at least 5 A^-C*
1997	66.7	42.7
1998	67.4	44.5
1999	69.2	43.4
2000	70.2	45.2
2001	70.9	46.6
2002	72.9	48.0
2003	71.1	48.2
¹Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August

Free School Meals (Grammar Schools)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils were eligible for free school meals in maintained grammar schools in England, broken down by those aged (a) 11 to 18 years, (b) 11 to 15 years and (c) 16 to 18 years. [162726]

The requested information is given in the table.

Grammar schools: Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals
As at January 2003–England
	Grammar schools¹
Pupils aged³	Number of pupils²	Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals²	Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals²
11 to 15	110,730	2,550	2.3
16 to 18	39,910	610	1.5
11 to 18	150,640	3,160	2.1
¹ Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
² Includes pupils with sole and dual (main) registration.
³ Age as at 31 August 2002.

Source:

Annual Schools' Census

Further Education Institutions

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Central London Learning and Skills Council about the withdrawal of Westminster Kingsway College Further Education College from Battersea. [163482]

None. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his earlier question on 18 March 2004, Official Report, column 467W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which further education institutions owned buildings (a) immediately following incorporation in 1993 and (b) in 2003. [163520]

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) hold data on which further education institutions owned buildings immediately following incorporation and the numbers of disposals and acquisitions up to and including 2003. This is a matter for the LSC. Mark Haysom the Council's Chief Executive will write directly to my hon. Friend. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Internet

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have access to (a) the internet and (b) broadband. [164800]

As at April 2002 over 99 per cent. of schools in England had access to the internet.As at December 2003 49 per cent. of schools (98 per cent. of secondary schools and 41 per cent. of primary schools) have access to broadband. The Government's target is to connect all schools to broadband by 2006.

Learning And Skills Councils

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which functions of learning and skills councils would be transferred to regional assemblies. [164547]

In our White Paper 'Your Region, Your Choice' we set out proposals for each Assembly to appoint two members to the Board of each local Learning and Skills Council(LSC) in its region, and for the national LSC to consult Assemblies on its guidance to the local LSCs. We also propose that local LSCs will be required to have regard to Assembly strategies, including in drawing up their spending plans; and to consult the relevant Assembly about their local plans.

Looked-After Children

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many year 11 looked-after children (a) did not sit any examinations, (b) obtained no qualifications, (c) obtained one GCSE or GNVQ and (d) obtained at least five GCSEs (or equivalent) grades A^* to C broken down by local authority, in each year since 1994; and what the equivalent figures were for all children. [158067]

The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Middle Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities have (a) middle schools, (b) planned re-organisation that revives middle schools and (c) signified their agreement to his plans for middle schools. [164499]

The following local education authorities have middle schools:

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Devon, Dorset, Harrow, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Kirklees, Leicestershire, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norfolk, North Tyneside, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Poole, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Worcestershire.

The Isles of Scilly, Hammersmith and Fulham, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield, and Surrey also have individual "all-through" schools, which cater for primary and secondary pupils, and are classified as middle schools under the 1996 Education ActThe Department has not been informed of any planned reorganisations which would involve the introduction of new middle school provision.The Secretary of State has no plans for middle schools. The organisation of school provision is a local matter. Local education authorities have overall responsibility for ensuring that there are sufficient schools to meet local needs and final decisions on proposals to change the pattern of provision would be made by the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or schools adjudicator.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's policy is on the viability of middle schools within his plans for secondary education. [164500]

The organisation of school provision, including the viability of schools, is a local matter. The Department does not promote a particular organisational model since this depends on the needs and circumstances of an area. Our plans for transforming secondary education remain fixed on improving teaching and learning supported by a drive for building strong school leadership teams; specialism and collaboration; reforming the school workforce and developing partnerships beyond the classroom. Whatever the pattern of local school provision, our aim is that all schools should be equipped to personalise learning to ensure high expectations for all, based on a sound knowledge and understanding of each child's learning needs.

Pay

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce the pay gap in the higher education sector. [164769]

As the employers, higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for pay in higher education. However, we do recognise that Government funding plays a part in what institutions can pay their staff.We have invested nearly £330 million from 2001–02 to 2003–04 through the Rewarding and Developing Staff (RDS) initiative to help HEIs increase their human resource capability. One of the six priority areas that HEIs need to address in their human resource strategies is the development of equal opportunity targets, including ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.RDS sits within the broader context of Government funding in higher education. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are allocating almost £6 billion of grants for 2004–05, a 9.3 per cent. increase on 2003£04. Within that, funding for teaching is increasing by 5.6 per cent. The 2004 Spending Review settlement, announced on 17 March, will allow investment in the sector to continue to grow in real terms.

Primary School Age

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Gloucestershire were of primary school age on the latest date for which figures are available. [164111]

[holding answer 29 March 2004]: The mid-2002 population estimate¹ for children aged 5 to 11 in Gloucestershire is 49,300². The estimate¹ for those aged 1 to 4 is 25,800³.

¹These estimates will not match the age groups in primary and nursery schools exactly.

² The figure for children aged 5 to 11 includes some children aged 5 who were not of compulsory school age at the start of the summer term, and some children aged 11 with birthdays in July and August who have completed their primary schooling.

³ Annual population estimates at LEA level are not published in more detail than the 1 to 4 age group.

Qualifications

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils in (a) Blackpool and (b) Lancashire local education authorities left school with no qualifications in each year since 1997. [164553]

Information on pupils leaving school is not available, however, the percentage of 15 year old pupils that failed to achieve a pass at GCSE or GNVQ are detailed in the following table:

Percentage of 15 year old pupils¹achieving no passes in GCSE/GNVQ
Percentage
Academic Year	Blackpool²	Lancashire
1998	6.9	5.1
1999	7.3	4.6
2000	6.3	4.3
2001	6.7	4.2
2002	4.9	4.0
2003	6.0	4.6
¹Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
²Due to local government reorganisation figures are not available for Blackpool for 1997.

Remodelling Change Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of whether the Government is on target to meet the commitments identified in paragraph 15 on page 4, Appendix 1 on page 28 and in the tat le on page 29 in, Raising standards and tackling workload: a national agreement, for schools' Remodelling Change Programme; and if he will make a statement. [164458]

The Government is committed to sustaining school workforce reforms. The manifesto commitment to 10,000 extra teachers during the life of the Parliament has already been exceeded; and there were 36,000 more support staff in post in January 2003, compared with January 2001. In October 2003, the Secretary of State announced a package of measures that will restore stability to the school funding system, including the introduction of a 4 per cent. minimum per pupil guarantee for schools.In addition, the National Remodelling Team, working with the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group and a network of dedicated LEA advisers, has developed advice and support for schools in managing the reforms effectively, including through the provision of training for support staff. Many schools are also currently involved in a tailored change management process.

Salisbury College

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement about (a) the funding situation and (b) staffing prospects at Salisbury College. [163674]

The Department allocates funds to the Learning and Skills Council for the provision of education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector. The Department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for individual colleges. It is for the Learning and Skills Council to determine for itself the right level of investment in institutions from the funds allocated to it for learning participation. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member providing details of the funding situation of Salisbury College. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.Colleges are independent corporations and, as such, employment issues are an internal matter for the college.

School Nurses

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school nurses there are, broken down by education authority. [164814]

The following table gives the number of full-time equivalent number of matrons, nurses and other medical staff in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England broken down by local education authority at January 2003, the latest information available.

Special schools in England	Number
England	1,538
North East	28
Darlington	0
Durham	1
Gateshead	3
Hartlepool	0
Middlesbrough	4
Newcastle upon Tyne	0

Special schools in England	Number
North Tyneside	5
Northumberland	3
Redcar and Cleveland	1
South Tyneside	5
Stockton-on-Tees	1
Sunderland	6
North West	187
Blackburn with Darwen	0
Blackpool	2
Bolton	8
Bury	9
Cheshire	16
Cumbria	10
Halton	3
Knowsley	2
Lancashire	14
Liverpool	6
Manchester	20
Oldham	55
Rochdale	2
Salford	0
Sefton	2
St. Helens	4
Stockport	3
Tameside	16
Trafford	3
Warrington	4
Wigan	2
Wirral	5
Yorkshire and The Humber	115
Barnsley	5
Bradford	9
Calderdale	4
Doncaster	9
East Riding of Yorkshire	9
Kingston Upon Hull, City of	3
Kirklees	6
Leeds	20
North East Lincolnshire	8
North Lincolnshire	4
North Yorkshire	11
Rotherham	6
Sheffield	5
Wakefield	12
York	4
East Midlands	84
Derby	11
Derbyshire	18
Leicester	22
Leicestershire	5
Lincolnshire	7
Northamptonshire	10
Nottingham	2
Nottinghamshire	9
Rutland	0
West Midlands	112
Birmingham	30
Coventry	3
Dudley	6
Herefordshire	0
Sandwell	2
Shropshire	15
Solihull	10
Staffordshire	4
Stoke-on-Trent	0
Telford and Wrekin	5
Walsall	3
Warwickshire	20
Wolverhampton	2
Worcestershire	13

Special schools in England	Number
East of England	132
Bedfordshire	11
Cambridgeshire	12
Essex	31
Hertfordshire	48
Luton	13
Norfolk	8
Peterborough	1
Southend-on-Sea	4
Suffolk	4
Thurrock	1
London	375
Inner London	73
Camden	2
City of London	0
Hackney	2
Hammersmith and Fulham	2
Haringey	27
Islington	4
Kensington and Chelsea	0
Lambeth	4
Lewisham	7
Newham	6
Southwark	0
Tower Hamlets	0
Wandsworth	19
Westminster	1
Outer London	302
Barking and Dagenham	1
Barnet	16
Bexley	4
Brent	32
Bromley	10
Croydon	12
Baling	24
Enfield	34
Greenwich	19
Harrow	41
Havering	3
Hillingdon	57
Hounslow	26
Kingston upon Thames	0
Merton	3
Redbridge	5
Richmond upon Thames	5
Sutton	2
Waltham Forest	8
South East	427
Bracknell Forest	2
Brighton and Hove	4
Buckinghamshire	189
East Sussex	26
Hampshire	52
Isle of Wight	4
Kent	36
Medway	4
Milton Keynes	11
Oxfordshire	13
Portsmouth	6
Reading	7
Slough	6
Southampton	6
Surrey	20
West Berkshire	2
West Sussex	37
Windsor and Maidenhead	2
Wokingham	2

Special schools in England	Number
South West	77
Bath and North East Somerset	2
Bournemouth	1
Bristol, City of	2
Cornwall	6
Devon	6
Dorset	4
Gloucestershire	13
Isles of Scilly	0
North Somerset	6
Plymouth	2
Poole	2
Somerset	16
South Gloucestershire	1
Swindon	6
Torbay	1
Wiltshire	8

Source:

Annual Schools' Census.

Schools (Absenteeism)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many fixed penalty notices have been issued in relation to condoned absenteeism of pupils; and if he will make a statement. [164463]

This measure only commenced on 27 February 2004. Information about the number of penalty notices issued for truancy is not available at present.

Teachers Pension Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many female teachers were making a contribution of 6 per cent. to the teachers'pension scheme between 1972 and 1988; and if he will make a statement. [164465]

The table shows the number of female teachers who were in pensionable employment in the Teachers'Pension Scheme (England and Wales) in each of the years between 1972 and 1988 inclusive.

	Female teachers
1972	263,000
1973	290,000
1974	300,000
1975	316,000
1976	331,000
1977	331,000
1978	335,000
1979	346,000
1980	351,000
1981	351,000
1982	344,000
1983	344,000
1984	342,000
1985	343,000
1986	347,000
1987	364,000
1988	356,000

Source:

Database of Teachers' Records

All members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (IPS) pay the same main scheme contribution of 6 per cent. The TPS has options for individual scheme members to pay, on a voluntary basis, a higher contribution in order to purchase additional benefits within the scheme.

The TPS is a group scheme where the cost of scheme benefits is shared between employers and employees, with the greater part being met by employers. All TPS employers pay the same contribution rate which is currently 13.5 per cent. Between 1972 and 1988, the scheme has provided automatic family benefits for married male teachers and female teachers with a financially dependent husband. In 1088, the scheme was extended to provide automatic family benefits cover for all married teachers.

Teaching Assistants

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants were employed in (a) Blackpool and (b) Lancashire local education authorities in each year since 1997. [164552]

The following table gives the numbers of full time equivalent teaching assistants in maintained schools in Blackpool and Lancashire local education authorities for each year between 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available.

	Former Lancashire	Lancashire	Blackpool
1997	1,780	—	—
1998	2,000	—	—
1999	—	1,670	190
2000	—	1,830	220
2001	—	2,190	290
2002	—	1,960	190
2003	—	3,130	390

Source:

Annual Schools'Census

Undergraduates

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduates were at universities in England in each academic year since 1997. [161612]

The available information is given in the table.

Undergraduate enrolments to English HE institutions¹
Academic year	Numbers
1997–98	1,172,877
1998–99	1,195,620
1999–2000	1,198,003
2000–01	1,229,549
2001–02	1,263,498
2002–03	1,328,625
¹ Figures include enrolments to the Open University.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduates dropped out of undergraduate studies in each year since 1997. [162036]

The latest available figures giving non-completion rates for students starting full-time first degree courses in the UK are as follows:

Non-completion for students starting full-time first degree courses in the UK
Students starting courses in:	¹Non-completion rate (percentage)
2000–01	16
1999–2000	17
1998–99	17
1997–98	17
¹ Non-completion is regarded as those who do not gain a qualification from their original course or from any other course and do not transfer to another institution.

Source:

HEFCE Performance Indicators

Figures published in 2003 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the UK as a whole has one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.

Volume 419: debated on Wednesday 31 March 2004

Written Answers To Questions

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