To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the regulation of the sale, storage and use of ammonium nitrate products. [165829]

The potential hazards of ammonium nitrate (AN) are well-known and well-documented. The Government has already taken a number of measures to tighten controls in the general climate of heightened security, We need to balance the risks of potential misuse associated with AN against its clear and proven benefits in supporting food output in this country.The Government has been working with the fertiliser industry to ensure the safe supply of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser. We have endorsed Industry Guidelines which advise producers and sellers of AN fertiliser to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ban the use of ammonium nitrate fertilisers for agricultural purposes. [166212]

There are no current plans to ban the use of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertilisers. The Government have already taken a number of measures to tighten controls on AN in the general climate of heightened security We need to balance the risks and potential misuse associated with AN against its clear and proven benefits in supporting food output in this country. Further measures will be taken if necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to control the sale of ammonium nitrate; and if she will make a statement. [165836]

The potential hazards of AN are well-known and well-documented. The Government has already taken a number of measures to tighten controls in the general climate of heightened security. We need to balance the risks of potential misuse associated with AN against its clear and proven benefits in supporting food output in this country.The Government has been working with the fertiliser industry to control the supply of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser. We have endorsed Industry Guidelines which advise producers and sellers of AN fertiliser to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of each county was covered by ancient woodland in (a) 1983, (b) 1993 and (c) 2003. [165750]

An initial inventory of ancient woodland was undertaken in the 1980s. Some counties have been fully resurveyed since then, and some sites newly added or deleted. To update the inventory country-wide, English Nature has begun a 10 county pilot project using digital boundaries and aerial photography. This pilot will be complete in June 2004. The following table provides the best data available at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department carries out routine monitoring of feral cats to ascertain the incidence of TB in this population. [158009]

There is no routine monitoring by Defra of feral cats to ascertain the incidence of TB in this population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of establishing the experimental badger research facility in Weybridge; and what the status of the unit is. [159118]

The cost of establishing the badger facility was about £350,000. The facility contains a colony of animals, known to be uninfected with bovine TB, living in their natural environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent assessment is of the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy on the cost of the average family's weekly food purchases. [162949]

The consumer cost of the CAP can be estimated by examining the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural food products. Our latest provisional estimates for 2002 show a cost of the Common Agricultural Policy to a notional family of four due to higher food prices at approximately £4 to £4.50 per week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provisions are in place to enable mistakes following the initial registration of common land to be rectified. [168651]

The provisions of the Commons Registration Act 1965, and subsequent regulations which set out the detailed registration procedures, make only very limited provision for an amendment to the registers to be made to resolve minor clerical errors or omissions. Additionally, in certain cases, errors may be rectified by the High Court. The Common Land Policy Statement, published in July 2002, contains an outline proposal to make further provision in new legislation for the correction of errors. It is also intended that the scope of this provision will be wider than before. Although we hope to bring forward measures as soon as Parliamentary time permits, I can give no guarantee at this stage either about the timing of legislation, or its scope.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the expenditure of her Department and its predecessors was for the constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey between (a) 1992 and 1997, (b) 1997 and 2001 and (c) 2001 and 2004. [159491]

Expenditure information is not currently held by the Department on a constituency basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However Defra is investigating whether it would be feasible to provide data on this basis readily in the future and if so, when it would be able to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what statutory powers she has to ban the sale of electric shock dog collars; [163525](2) how many electric shock dog collars were sold in the last year for which figures are available; [163526](3) what representations she has received in the last three months regarding the

Defra is currently reviewing the legislation relating to the welfare of captive and domestic animals with the intention of introducing an Animal Welfare Bill into Parliament in the fourth legislative session. It is intended that any new legislation should include a power for the Secretary of State to prohibit or restrict the sale and use of certain devices used on animals. Any proposal to prohibit or restrict the sale and use of any device should be based on scientific evidence. As there is currently no such evidence available in respect of electronic training devices for animal, it is not currently proposed that any restrictions should be put in place.Figures for the sale of electronic training devices for animals are not held centrally. The Department has received occasional representations from members of the public and organisations both opposed to and in support of the use of these devices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will represent the UK Government at the meeting of the European Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on 26 and 27 April. [167171]

[holding answer 22 April 2004]: I will be representing the UK Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fishing restrictions apply to vessels not registered in the UK within (a) three mile, (b) six mile and (c) 12 mile limits from the UK coast; and what distinction is made between non UK-registered vessels with and without an historic entitlement. [167325]

[holding answer 22 April 2004]: Only UK fishing vessels are allowed to fish in the zero to six mile zone around UK waters. Certain member states with historical catch records in UK waters can fish in the six to 12 mile zone. No distinction is made between non UK registered vessels with and without a historical entitlement. Access is granted on the basis of member states' historic fishing activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the additional volume of food industry waste that is disposed of in landfill, the sewage system or otherwise as a result of the ban on swill feeding and (b) the change this represents in terms of the risk of spread of communicable animal diseases; and if she will make a statement. [165941]

The disposal of catering waste to landfill is a longstanding practice and only 1.4 per cent. of the national pig herd was swill fed. The increase in the amount of catering waste going to landfill following the ban on 93 swill users for about 82,000 pigs was therefore very small compared to the total amount of catering waste generated from the 260,000 restaurants and other catering outlets across the UK, which as a matter of course, currently goes to landfill.It is not possible to give a definitive picture of the disposal methods for the relatively small amount of catering waste that was formerly fed to pigs but it is not considered to be ending up down sewers as has been suggested. There are day-to-day problems with blockages to drains and sewers which are dealt with by the various authorities, but the main stream of catering waste is collectable and is not in a form that can be easily disposed of down the sewer.In common with all methods of disposing of animal by-products disposal to landfill does carry some risks to animal health. Among the measures in place to minimise such risks landfill operators work to specific conditions of their licence or permit including covering waste with inert material and maintaining a strict pest control programme.No comparative risk assessment has been made of the risks of swill feeding and landfill when exotic diseases are absent from the national herd. However, when a disease such as foot and mouth is present, the level of virus circulating increases the risk from swill feeding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Liverpool, Walton have benefited from the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. [166955]

Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 7,290 households in Liverpool, Walton received assistance from the Scheme, which is now marketed as Warm Front.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an evaluation of the Pesticide Voluntary Initiative. [168082]

Progress with the Voluntary Initiative on pesticides is reviewed regularly and Government report their broad conclusions in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report. In Budget 2004 the Government confirmed their view that, provided the initiative is fully implemented, the Voluntary Initiative should be the most effective way of reducing the environmental impacts of pesticide use. However, to cover the potential case that the Voluntary Initiative might fail to deliver the required environmental benefits within a reasonable timescale, the Government continue to keep the options for a tax or economic instrument under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 1996–97, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department. [158187]

Defra was created in June 2001 so information for Defra can only be given from that date.Given the structure of the Human Resources function within the Department prior to 1 April 2004 the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost. From 1 April this year recruitment and selection activity will be undertaken by a central HR Resource Centre.Recruitment procedures used to bring in staff to Defra may vary depending on several factors including the number, grades and/or locations of vacancies and any specialisms involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the requirements are on officials in her Department to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for her departmental officials. [164711]

The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirements for civil servants declaring any conflicts of interest.Arrangements in Defra for declaring conflicts of interest are set out in the interim Defra Staff Handbook which is derived from the Civil Service Management Code. Officials are required to inform Human Resources, via their line manager, of any conflicts of interest. Details are recorded centrally within Human Resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to mark and celebrate St. George's Day. [167864]

As a Department, Defra has made no plans to mark St. George's Day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the farm at Heddon View was a specialised establishment equipped for the treatment of swill; and whether there were animals there. [166755]

Premises at Heddon View were approved to process catering waste into swill. There were no animals on the processing premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Mr. Bobby Waugh transferred swill for processing to the farm at Heddon View. [166756]

Mr. Waugh transported catering waste to the farm at Heddon View for processing into swill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of trees (a) had full crowns, (b) had slight defoliation, (c) had moderate defoliation, (d) had severe defoliation and (e) were dead in the latest survey conducted on behalf of her Department into tree health in the UK, broken down by region. [165741]

The latest survey was conducted jointly by the Forestry Commission and the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland between June and September 2003. The UK data, in the format reported internationally, are given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the reasons why the Vital Villages Programme is being ended. [167970]

The Countryside Agency established the Vital Villages Programme in 2001 in response to the Rural White Paper. It was a time-limited programme designed to demonstrate what communities could achieve. The Countryside Agency has met its three-year target to help rural communities to help themselves and demonstrate good practice.In 2004–05 the Countryside Agency is targeting its resources on meeting all existing grant commitments under the Vital Villages programme and helping communities benefit from the funds already committed to them. It will also work to share the lessons learnt with regional and local delivery bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has undertaken of the effectiveness of the Vital Villages programme. [167971]

The Countryside Agency's Vital Villages programme has been independently monitored and evaluated over the past three years through six-monthly monitoring and annual evaluation reports. In addition, the Countryside Agency is undertaking impact evaluations of the Parish Plan and Community Service grant schemes, with reports due by the end of September. The Rural Transport Partnership scheme has also been evaluated and a summary note will be published shortly.The Countryside Agency has produced several publications drawing on these reports to share the successful lessons and the effectiveness of the schemes, namely:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average it has taken in the last 12 months for grandparents who become responsible for their grandchildren to be awarded child benefit for those grandchildren by the Child Benefit Centre once they have notified the centre of these new responsibilities. [168583]

The information requested is not available as we do not keep separate records for grandparents and other claimants.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the system of targets and bonuses in the Financial Ombudsman Service on the quality of its work. [168903]

None. The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent body. Responsibility for managing the work of the Financial Ombudsman Service is a matter for them.I understand from the ombudsman service that quality assurance is embedded in the control processes of the service. Appropriate checks are made, in the first instance, at management level and the Board of the Financial Ombudsman Service receives monthly reports on service quality, timeliness and productivity. The most important quality check however lies in the ability of either party to a dispute to request that an ombudsman decide the outcome rather than consenting to the outcome proposed by an adjudicator. Only 10 per cent. of cases are required to be decided by an ombudsman.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) industry and (b) the public on the system of targets and bonuses in the Financial Ombudsman Service. [168901]

None. The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent body. The staff employed by it are not civil servants, and the arrangements for managing and paying their staff are matters for the Financial Ombudsman Service and its Board.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has conducted into the system of targets and bonuses in the Financial Ombudsman Service. [168902]

None. The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent body. Responsibility for monitoring the level of service is a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service itself.I understand from the Financial Ombudsman Service that the Board of the Financial Ombudsman Service receives monthly reports on customer satisfaction research, and these have shown over the past 12 months overall satisfaction rates of between 75 per cent. and 88 per cent. The Financial Ombudsman Service also published in March 2004 research on what firms think about their service; the research showed that the vast majority of firms were satisfied with the fairness of decisions and with the process.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the next version of the National Asset Register to be published. [169114]

The Government is considering the arrangements for publishing the next version of the National Asset Register and will make an announcement shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much, on average, it costs the Government to respond to a parliamentary question. [169139]

As at April 2003, the average cost of answering a written parliamentary question and an oral parliamentary question was £138 and £322 respectively.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecast is of the expenditure on the childcare element of the working tax credit in 2004–05. [168366]

The level of childcare support provided through the childcare element of Working Tax Credit in 2003–04 is estimated to be over £700 million.No separate forecast has been made for 2004–05.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Heywood and Middleton have received child tax credit. [168517]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Stalybridge and Hyde have received child tax credit. [168765]

I refer my hon. Friends to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Heywood and Middleton have benefited from the 100 per cent. tax exemption for the purchase of computer and internet equipment. [168518]

The information is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Stalybridge and Hyde have benefited from the 100 per cent. tax exemption for the purchase of computers and internet equipment. [168764]

The requested information is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many defendants in cases brought by HM Customs and Excise have had to pay the costs of the criminal receivership of their assets when they have been acquitted where the case against them was withdrawn in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [168079]

HM Customs and Excise do not collect the information requested centrally. However, court appointed receivers in Customs cases have identified the following 14 cases where defendants have borne the fees of a receiver in circumstances in which they were acquitted or were not convicted for any reason:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the rules regarding the setting-up of discretionary trusts; and if he will make a statement. [168048]

Setting up discretionary trusts is a matter for the would-be settlers. If they proceed, however, they may in due course have to notify the Inland Revenue for inheritance tax purposes and to pay any tax due. We have no plans to change these rules.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in each year since 1997 in Stalybridge and Hyde. [168763]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the proposed incinerator tax was not referred to in December's pre-budget report. [167759]

The Government announced in PBR 2002 that it would commission a study into the environmental and health effects of all waste management and disposal options. It remains the Government's intention to consider the case for using economic instruments for incineration in light of this work, taking account of the views of stakeholders.PBR 2003 noted that the first of two stages of this work was being reviewed, with the aim of publishing the complete study in the spring.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in Heywood and Middleton qualified for the 10 pence rate of income tax in each year since its introduction. [168516]

All income taxpayers benefit from the 10 pence starting rate. The Survey of Personal Incomes estimates there are about 8,000 and 9,000 state retirement pension age taxpayers in the Heywood and Middleton constituency in 2000–01 and 2001–02 respectively. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in Stalybridge and Hyde qualified for the 10p rate of income tax in each year since its introduction. [168766]

All income taxpayers benefit from the 10p starting rate. The Survey of Personal Incomes estimates there are about 3,000 state retirement pension age taxpayers in the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency in 2001–02. A reliable answer cannot be given for 2000–01 because in the Survey of Personal Incomes the sample size of pensioners living in this constituency is relatively small compared to other constituencies. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the location is of each of the national insurance call centres; how many people work at each; how many complaints were received concerning each one in 2003; and if he will make a statement.[168558]

Longbenton Contact Centre which is located at Benton Park View, Longbenton, Newcastle upon Tyne is the only Contact Centre dedicated to handling calls concerning national insurance contributions. It is the first point of contact by telephone for most unsolicited queries relating to national insurance contributions.Presently there are 441 staff employed in Longbenton Contact Centre. In 2003, 58 complaints were received.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the extra cost of re-engineering a new car for LPG is entered on the P11D form for company cars in a similar way to luxury items. [167731]

The extra cost of converting a new car to run on LPG after it is first registered does not have to be entered on the P11D form for company cars.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to set a timetable for the UK to reach the target of spending 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on overseas aid. [166996]

We remain committed to the UN target and will continue to make progress towards 0.7 per cent. as the fiscal climate permits. The 2004 Spending Review is an opportunity to consider plans for development spending beyond 2005–06, alongside other priorities and pressures, but at this time it is not possible to predict the outcome of the Spending Review. In his Budget 2004 speech, the Chancellor announced that this Government will not freeze or cut the international development aid budget, but rather increase it. This is part of the Government's continuing commitment to increasing development aid. By 2005–06 the UK's aid budget will have grown by 93 per cent. in real term to 0.4 per cent. the largest ever increase in UK development funding. This will be double the current (2002) G7 average of 0.2 per cent. and well above the current (2002) average of 0.23 per cent. for countries on the OECD Development Assistance Committee. As our record shows, we are serious about making progress towards 0.7 per cent.However, there is an urgent need for additional funds now if we are to make progress on meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The reality is that we will not raise the $ 50 billion needed every year to meet the MDGs unless every bilateral donor reaches 0.7 per cent. immediately. If even just two or three of the biggest bilateral donors fail to reach 0.7 per cent. now, we will fail to raise the funds required. That is why the Government has proposed an International Finance Facility (IFF) in order to deliver these resources. The IFF provides a realistic and feasible way of front-loading aid to meet the immediate need.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 15 March 2004 concerning a constituent, ref. P03/15023/2004. [168886]

I have done so.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the Inland Revenue has provided in relation to the provision of statutory sick pay for temporary workers; and what the legal basis is upon which that advice has been made. [151834]

The Inland Revenue has published guidance on the position of temporary workers in booklet CA 30 which is also available via the internet.Inland Revenue guidance is based on the legislative provisions surrounding the SSP scheme and specifically on Part 11 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; Sections 45 and 51 of the Employment Act 2002; The Statutory Sick Pay (General) Regulations 1982; The Social Security (Categorisation of Earners) Regulations 1978 and The Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been made to the Inland Revenue in relation to its advice on the provision of statutory sick pay for temporary workers. [151835]

The Inland Revenue have received a number of representations on this subject from both employer representative groups and from individual employers. The Inland Revenue is always happy to enter into discussions with employers over the format, content and application of published guidance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recipients of tax credits in Scotland have been overpaid and issued with demands for lump sum repayments by (a) letter and (b) telephone. [164607]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 394–95W. By 29 March 2004 the Inland Revenue had sent 379 letters to claimants in Scotland, of which 67 had been followed up by a telephone call.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were in receipt of (a) war pension and (b) war widow's pension in 1997; and how many there are in each category now. [165379]

As at 31 March 1997, there were 264,595 war disablement pensions and 59,025 war widows pensions in payment. As at 31 December 2003, there were 205,090 war disablement pensions and 45,755 war widow/ers pensions in payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Apache helicopters (a) are based and (b) will be based at AAC Dishforth; [165091](2) what assessment he has made of the maintenance condition of the Apache helicopters based at AAC Dishforth; [165090](3) what funding has been allocated for the maintenance of Apache helicopters at AAC Dishforth. [165092]

There are currently 12 WAH-64 Apache aircraft based at Dishforth Station. A further four will be located at Dishforth within the next few months, bringing the total to 16.All Apache helicopters held at Dishforth are consistently maintained to a high level. Their airworthiness condition is formally assessed by Army aircraft engineers before each flight, and is constantly monitored by aircrew during flight.The funding allocated in financial year 2004–05 for spares maintenance support for WAH-64 Apache aircraft at Dishforth Station totals some £450,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the positioning of the British armed forces throughout the world; what size forces are in each place; and what their operational status is. [165547]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Mr. Soames) on 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 15W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many local employees are forecast to be employed as a consequence of the increased concentration of Royal Naval facilities in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire over the next five years, based on current plans. [165294]

Studies which may result in further rationalisation and concentration of Royal Navy facilities in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire over the next five years are at only the preliminary stage and it is too early to predict how this might affect local employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of maintaining Finningley Airport in each of the last five years of ownership by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [165710]

RAF Finningley was closed on 31 March 1996 and was sold in 1999. Cost information prior to closure is no longer. available. However, the cost of maintaining the site during the disposal process is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medical personnel are based at (a) AAC Dishforth, (b) RAF Leeming, (c) RAF Linton on Ouse and (d) Alanbrooke Barracks, broken down by service, rank and specialisation. [165094]

The following medical personnel are based at each base:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances a transfer of military goods is classed as eligible for Crown Immunity rather than constituting a disposal sale; and if he will make a statement. [164907]

[holding answer 31 March 2004]: Letters of Crown Immunity are sought for the export of strategically controlled goods for exhibition overseas, for demonstration to foreign Governments and in connection with the repair or modification of Crown owned equipment. It is no longer the practice of the MOD's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) to undertake the export of surplus goods it has sold in this manner. The purchasing customer will take ownership of the goods in the UK and arrange their export under licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department has taken 1 implement the recommendation of Sir Anthony Hammond about writing notes of ministerial meetings and telephone conversations. [156376]

[holding answer 26 February 2004]: The Ministry of Defence follows the central "Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers" which makes clear that good record management procedures are necessary not least to ensure accountability and provide an audit trail. Among the records covered by the guidance are Ministers' meetings and telephone conversations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each near miss incident involving RAF aircraft and United Kingdom nuclear installations reported to his Department in each year since 2000; and if he will place copies of the report on each incident in the Library. [165158]

Restricted areas for aircraft have existed around nuclear facilities for many years. In the aftermath of 9/11 the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revisited this policy, issuing an amendment to Article 85 of the Air Navigation Order, and now major nuclear installations have a restricted area of two nautical mile radiusThe number of alleged breaches of restricted areas involving RAF aircraft and United Kingdom nuclear installations reported to the Ministry of Defence in each year since 2000 is detailed in the following table. The Ministry of Defence, Defence Flying Complaints Investigation Team carried out investigations on each occasion and concluded that five of these were found to have infringed restricted areas. I will shortly place copies of all reports of the investigations in the Library, with all personal data redacted in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 25 March, Official Report, column 941W, on self-harm, what target he has set for the completion of the feasibility stage of the project to collate data centrally on incidents of self-harm in the services; what the targets are for completion of the project; and if he will make a statement. [165755]

The Ministry of Defence continues to look at the identification and recording of self-harm incidents, of reporting systems and of analysis within the services. A feasibility report is due by the end of the summer. Its conclusions will determine future work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent in each year since 1997 on redundancy payments for (a) administrative staff and (b) industrial staff. [164217]

Information on redundancy payments for administrative and industrial staff are not held separately The Department does not hold records centrally for redundancy payments and the information will need to be collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member when the information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the requirements are on officials in his Department to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his departmental officials. [164703]

The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirement for civil servants declaring any conflict of interest.The Code is amplified by further MOD policy guidance to staff on personal conduct, outside interests and appointments, and the receipt of gifts, rewards and hospitality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the implications for former soldiers called before the Saville Inquiry of the recent judgment in the case involving the Bank of England and BCCI. [165112]

The judgment has implications across Government and these are being given full and careful consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will resist any attempt to secure the release of confidential exchanges between former soldiers called before the Saville Inquiry and their legal advisers. [165113]

That is a matter for the independent lawyers who advise the soldiers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has held with the First Minister about the future of the Scottish white fish industry. [167033]

My right hon. Friend and the First Minister discuss a wide range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has held with Royal Mail regarding postal services in Scotland. [167034]

The Scotland Office is in regular contact, at both official and ministerial levels, with Royal Mail and other key stakeholders involved in the delivery of postal services in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the future of the Post Office network in Scotland. [167036]

The Government recognise the important role that Post Offices play in the lives of people throughout Scotland, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure a viable Post Office network for the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many pensioners in Scotland he estimates will benefit from the £100 payment announced in the Budget. [167035]

Around 395,000 pensioner households in Scotland will benefit from the £100 payment, for those aged over 70, announced in the Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the future of the Barnett Formula. [167037]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on prospects for the Scottish economy [167038]

Prospects for the Scottish economy are good. The labour market continues to perform robustly with employment close to a historic high and unemployment around its lowest level since the 1970s. Growth figures have recently been revised upwards to better reflect real changes in the economy. Interest rates and inflation are historically low. Business surveys are pointing to a continued strengthening of business activity in Scotland in both services and manufacturing and independent forecasters predict that growth will be above-trend in 2004 and 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the most recent discussions he has held on future shipbuilding in Scotland. [167040]

1 recently met representatives from BAE Systems during a tour of their shipbuilding facilities at Scotstoun and Govan.From these discussions, there was a sense that the prospects for Scottish shipbuilding are encouraging. The yards on the Clyde have healthy order books, and the industry will continue to create and support thousands of jobs in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will n take a statement on the level of employment in Glasgow. [167041]

There are 242,000 people in employment in Glasgow City. The labour market in Glasgow has improved markedly since 1997 as evidenced by the fall in the number of people out of work and claiming benefit. At March 2004 there were 18,000 claimants compared to 29,000 in 1997, a fall of 38 per cent. However, the Government are aware that the challenge remains to further increase employment in Glasgow. We are working hard to do so with a range of policy measures including the New Deal and the Working Tax Credit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the issue of long-term prisoners convicted of international crime. [167039]

My right hon. Friend has not had any such discussions. Matters concerning prisoners in Scotland are devolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to other Government Departments in order to secure the movement of public sector jobs to Scotland following the publication of the Lyons Review. [167032]

I have made quite clear to other Government Departments the advantages Scotland offers as a location for public sector employers and have encouraged them to consider Scotland when reviewing location plans.

To ask the Advocate-General what international human rights issues she has considered since 16 March 2004. [167046]

As Advocate-General for Scotland my main involvement with human rights issues is in relation to those enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. My functions under the Scotland Act include considering whether

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much central Government support per head of population was given to each local authority in each year since 1997. [168431]

The available information has been made available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of charity shops on town centres. [165356]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not undertaken such a study.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much aid has been received by the Eastern Region from EU sources in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) aid category and (b) area receiving aid. [167077]

The only EU funding source the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), one of the European Structural Funds. The Eastern region has benefited in the last 10 years from three of the Structural Funds, which are the ERDF, the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). (The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the ESF and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs for EAGGF.) The detailed figures are tabled as follows.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) private and (b) council housing starts there were in England in (i) 1992, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 2001; and what the latest figures are. [165377]

The figures for England are tabled as follows:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Burnley since 1997. [168312]

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Burnley transferred its housing stock to Burnley and Padiham Community Housing in 2000 for £22.4 million. Burnley's allocation of £2.5 million for 2003–04 has been supplemented by the announcement of £68 million to be made available to the East Lancashire, Elevate, Housing Market Renewal pathfinder project between 2003–04 and 2005–06.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Heywood and Middleton since 1997. [168432]

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Rochdale's allocations in the period 1997 to 2003–04 have risen by over 450 per cent., and have been supplemented by the announcement of £53.5 million to be made available to the Oldham/Rochdale Housing Market Renewal pathfinder project between 2003–04 and 2005–06.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Stalybridge and Hyde since 1997. [168774]

Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. Tameside transferred its housing stock to New Charter Housing in 2000 for £127.5 million. Tameside's allocation for housing in 2003–04 was £3.6 million.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of electronic application to land searches and registration on the speed of housing market transactions; and what further improvements in the speed of these transactions will result from the introduction of sellers' packs. [168376]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 23 April 2004. For electronic searches of land registers to be possible, local authorities must first have set up electronic Local Land and Property Gazetteers (LLPGs). Such gazetteers form an integral part of local e-government, and the benefits arising from them have not been separately estimated or assessed. The overall savings from local e-government, and in particular achieving the Prime Minister's target of all priority services being electronically enabled by 2005, were estimated by local authorities them;elves in 2003 as being about £80 million per annum by 2005–06. As well as efficiency savings, there will be significant benefits to authorities' customers, through improvement of service delivery including quicker land charge searches.Electronic processing of local land search inquiries offers the prospect of securing search information in minutes and hours rather than days and weeks. To maximise the benefits for housing transactions, local search and other information that is important to home buying and selling decisions needs to be available at the start of the transaction process. Home information packs will secure this. They will enable buyers and sellers to negotiate from an informed position and help them commit more quickly to the transaction. This will increase certainty, reduce failure and wasted costs, and help shorten the overall transaction timescale.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities raised the level of council tax by 10 per cent. or more when setting the rate for 2004–05. [167236]

The following authorities increased their Band D council tax by 10 per cent. or more between 2003–04 and 2004–05:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the yield from uniform non-domestic rates was for each year since its introduction; and what the yield would have been for each year if the rate had been set at (a) RPI plus half per cent. and (b) RPI plus 1 per cent. [168888]

The information requested is in the following table.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will monitor the practice of developers seeking planning permission to pull down houses in order to open up access to land that was previously undevelopable. [168097]

A specific planning application to demolish a house is generally not required. This is because planning permission to carry out demolition is granted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. However, where access to land has been opened up by the demolition of