To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 21 April; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [168714]

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State and I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 21–22 April 2004.The Council concluded its consideration of proposals to reform four CAP regimes: those for cotton, olive oil, tobacco and hops. Agreement on all four was eventually reached by qualified majority. This was a difficult negotiation but the outcome is highly satisfactory from a UK point of view. Overall, the agreement followed the main principles of last June's reforms with decoupling in hops from 2005 (with the option to delay this until 2006) and partial decoupling in the other three sectors from 2006. The rates vary but that for cotton is 65 per cent., a small increase over the 60 per cent. originally proposed; and in the case of tobacco, the rate will be 100 per cent. in 2010 and thereafter. Although the UK would have supported higher rates in all sectors and an earlier move to full decoupling, this agreement sends positive signals to our trading partners by marking a further step towards a more liberalised and market focused agriculture in the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the Government is taking on the proposal by the Irish Government on new animal transport regulation. [169650]

[holding answer 30 April 2004]: At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 26 April the UK sought shorter journey times, more space for animals during transport and better ventilation. Unfortunately, in this area which we see as vital to ensuring improved welfare, the gap between countries was too great to be bridged.As a result the proposal, which would have improved animal welfare in many areas, has been effectively withdrawn from discussion for the foreseeable future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve the welfare of animals exported from the UK; and if she will make a statement. [167237]

The Government are committed to improving welfare across the EU and was disappointed and frustrated by EU Ministers' failure on 26 April to agree a new regulation on the welfare of animals during transport. The UK, consulting farming, horse and welfare interests, had worked hard to improve the draft proposals but unfortunately it is clear that there are no plans to return to them in the foreseeable future. We will continue to ensure that animals that leave the UK are transported in full accordance with the law. We shall also take every opportunity to press the European Commission and other member states to ensure that the current rules are strictly enforced throughout the expanded EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made towards the introduction of a vaccine for bovine TB. [169652]

[holding answer 30 April 2004]: The timetable for producing an effective vaccine against bovine tuberculosis remains broadly in line with that set out in the Krebs Report 1997.In January 2002, the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB set up a Vaccine Scoping Study Sub-Committee (VSSSC) to advise Defra Ministers on whether a TB vaccination strategy for either cattle or wildlife would be feasible. The VSSSC reported to Ministers in July 2003 (published December 2003). This advised on research requirements, but cautioned that a vaccine (for cattle or badgers) remains a long-term policy option. Many obstacles still have to be overcome.An Inter-Departmental Vaccine Steering Group is working to identify administrative and legal procedures to allow a potential vaccine to be authorised for use. The work of VSSSC will be carried forward by a new Vaccine Programme Advisory Group which is chaired by the Defra TB Vaccine Programme Adviser, Professor Douglas Young.Defra spent over £1 million on bovine TB vaccine research in the financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04, and expect to spend over £1 million this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in her Department's grant-in-aid budget to the Countryside Agency. [168802]

In 2004–05 the Countryside Agency has a grant-in-aid budget of £95 million. In addition to the baseline of £90.5 million, £2.5 million is available for work specifically on modernising rural delivery, following the recommendations of the Rural Delivery Review led by Lord Haskins. A further £2.0 million is available for work under a new access management scheme, which will help local authorities to implement measures to make the most of new rights of access to the countryside.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the change in her Department's grant-in-aid budget to the Countryside Agency on the (a) Agency and (b) Vital Villages Campaign. [168803]

The main part of the Countryside Agency's budget for 2004–05 will be directed towards its strategic priorities, which include demonstrating ways of boosting essential rural services, building thriving communities, managing the countryside in a sustainable way and improving recreation and access in the countryside. The grant-in-aid budget for 2004–05 compares with a growth from £49.0 million in 1999–2000, £52.6 million in 2000–01, £90.8 million in 2001–02, £98.7 million in 2002–03 and a planned £100.0 million in 2003–04. The Agency will be able to continue to make a substantial contribution towards Defra's work for sustainable development in rural areas and deliver on key objectives including:

supporting Rural Transport Partnership officers

funding the second and third years of existing Rural Transport projects

supporting Rural Housing Enablers to secure affordable homes

continuing the core funding for rural community councils and supporting the community development workers

helping all rural communities benefit from funds committed to communities through the Vital Villages grant schemes

maintaining total Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty funding at 2003–04 levels.

Some £14.2 million will be spent in 2004–05 in supporting the Vital Villages programme, although the Countryside Agency has announced the closure of the grant schemes to new applicants. The Agency is targeting its resources on meeting all existing grant commitments under the 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 who will now fund projects previously funded by the Vital Villages Campaign. [168804]

Although the Countryside Agency has announced the closure of the grant schemes to new applicants, the Agency will meet all existing grant commitments under the Vital Villages programme which was established as a three-year pilot programme to test out new approaches to rural areas. Work is under way on how we can share the lessons learnt from the programme with regional and local delivery bodies to target support for rural communities that need help through mainstream programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when and where she announced the decision to abolish funding for the are you doing your bit campaign. [168806]

In 2001–02 following the creation of Defra, most of the campaign's planned funding had to be re-allocated to rural support during the foot and mouth disease outbreak, although some activities continued.Defra's wider focus on sustainable development issues, and continued pressure on resources, led to the closure of the campaign in 2003, although no formal announcement was made at this time.Detailed consideration is being given to the options for future communications activity in this area. Thinking will be informed by the current sustainable development consultation, 'Taking it on', launched 21 April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to (a) the European Commission and (b) her counterparts in the EU accession countries on the ability of those countries to meet EU (i) animal slaughter and (ii) food hygiene regulations by 1 May. [167321]

The Secretary of State and her ministerial team have used every opportunity to stress to the European Commission and to the Secretary of State's counterpart; in the EU Accession Countries the importance of complying with the EU acquis communautaire (the rules and regulations laid down by the European Union), and in particular the veterinary and phytosanitary acquis which covers areas such as food hygiene and animal slaughter. Over the last year, ministerial teams have met with colleagues from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia. The UK has also been offering practical help, for example via the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO).All New member states have undertaken to meet the EU

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable has been set to ensure that EU accession countries fully comply with EU (a) slaughter, (b) food production, (c) processing, (d) labelling, (e) traceability, (f) hygiene and (g) food safety regulations and standards. [167323]

All the new member states have agreed to comply with the acquis communautaire (the rules and regulations laid down by the European Union) by the 1 May 2004 and bring their national rules fully into line with the EU's food and veterinary laws (chapters 1 and 7 of the Accession negotiations), except where they have been granted Transition Periods. The new member states' Accession Treaty, signed in April 2003, granted Transition Periods of up to three years for animal byproduct establishments and agri-food establishments. These have recently been refined with both some deletions and short-term additions (3–12 months).Some Transition Periods are inevitable, and have been a feature of every Accession, including our own. They permit Accession to take place on a specific date and are exceptional, time-limited, and tightly controlled and monitored by both national authorities in the countries concerned and by the European Commission. Transition premises have to be named and listed; all must be 100 per cent. EU compliant by the end of 2007 at the latest. There are currently a total of 1006 Transition Periods for the 10 Accession countries. Crucially, products from transition establishments cannot enter the Single Market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on farm income levels for farmers in Heywood and Middleton in the past five years. [168435]

Due to the small number of farms in Heywood and Middleton, there is no robust data available on farm incomes for farmers in that area over the last five years. Net farm income for farms in the EU North Region and for England over the last five years are show in the table.

Net farm income
	Eu North Region	England
1998–99	8.272	10,359
1999–2000	8,659	7,981
2000–01	12,456	9,886
2000–02	16,457	13,558
2002–03	18,512	16,435
Source:
Farm Business Survey

Net farm income is the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and to the tenant-type capital of the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average level of farm income for farmers is Burnley was in the past five years. [168303]

Due to the small number of farms in Burnley, there is no robust data available on farm incomes for farmers in that area over the last five years. Net farm income for farms in the EU North Region and for England over the last five years are show in the following table.

Net farm income
	EU North Region	England
1998–99	8,272	10,359
1999–2000	8,659	7,981
2000–01	12,456	9,886

Net farm income
	EU North Region	England
2001–02	16,457	13,558
2002–03	18,512	16,435
Source:
Farm Business Survey

Net farm income is the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and to the tenant-type capital of the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on (i) wildlife and (ii) the environment of exposure to harmful chemicals. [168563]

The Department has commissioned and evaluated significant research programmes on the effect of harmful chemicals on wildlife and the environment. Some of them have focused on specific chemicals such as pesticides; groups of chemicals with similar effects such as endocrine disrupters; or targeted environmental media such as air, water, soil etc. The Department also funds research into the possible impacts on the environment of using veterinary medicines on animals and fish. The results of Defra funded research are published in the peer-reviewed scientific press and most can be found on our website www.defra.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list, with the penalties imposed, the cases since 1994 of illegal food imports where prosecution succeeded. [169651]

[holding answer 30 April 2004]: Figures for prosecutions for illegal imports are not held centrally.HM Customs and Excise have had responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on products of animal origin from 11 April 2003. Since then they have brought two prosecutions in 2004 under the Customs and Excise Management Act for illegal imports, both of which were successful. In each case the defendant was fined and costs were awarded against them.There have been a number of other prosecutions related to illegal imports since 2000 but not all were tried as offences under illegal imports legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make representations to the European Union to issue a protected geographical indication for the Colchester Native Oyster. [167290]

Registering a food name under the EU Protected Food Name scheme is one way in which producers can add value to their produce. We are sympathetic to this proposal and the Government are keen to encourage more applications under the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy of the rights of way section of her Department is regarding answering the telephone to members of the public on (a) 01173–728–379, (b) 01173–728–957 and (c) other numbers. [169379]

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the difficulties he experienced in getting through to officials in the rights of way branch at Temple Quay House in Bristol on 26 April. The building was experiencing intermittent problems with incoming calls on that day, which is why several attempts had to be made before he was successful.In normal circumstances telephones are answered promptly. The rights of way branch has a "group pickup" facility, which links all the telephones in the team, and enables them to take each other's calls when colleagues are absent or away from their desk. This is what happened when the successful call was responded to by a member of the team.In addition these telephones have a voicemail facility so that callers can leave a message if they wish to, should there be no response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the history of the request to close the footpath at Cuillan Close, Rise Park; when her Department expects to compete the paperwork necessary to allow Nottingham City Council to close the footpath; and if she will make a statement. [169380]

Nottingham City Council applied on 20 October 2003 to have the area around the footpath designated under Schedule 6 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Following an examination of the evidence provided in the second round of applications for designation, I announced my intention to designate 20 areas, including this one, on 9 February. Since the announcement, Officials at Defra have prepared the detailed digital maps necessary for the legal process and consulted the relevant local authorities about them.I have laid the order that designates this area of Nottingham, along with areas in Brighton and Hove, Leeds, York, Middlesbrough, Oldham, Swale, Wirral and the London Borough of Hillingdon. It will come into effect on 25 May.The local authorities concerned can now proceed to consider whether to make orders to divert or extinguish rights of way for the purpose of crime prevention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria were used in designating severely disadvantaged areas. [168031]

The severely disadvantaged areas in the uplands (then termed less favoured areas) were first designated following the physical, economic and demographic assessment laid down in Article 3(4) of Council Directive 75/268. In 1999, this Article was replaced by Article 19 of Council Regulation 1257/1999 (the so-called rural development Regulation). They are characterised by land of poor productivity which is difficult to cultivate and mainly suitable for extensive livestock farming; and by a risk of land abandonment, which could impair the conservation of the countryside and the viability of communities in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on what support schemes farmers in severely disadvantaged areas will be able to apply for. [168033]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 271W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths and serious injuries have been sustained on the section of the A19 which runs through the Easington constituency in the last 10 years. [170119]

The available information relates to local authority areas. The number of deaths and serious injuries sustained in reported injury road accidents on the section of the A19 in the Easington local authority area for the years 1993 to 2002 are shown in the table below. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituencies will become available in the summer and I shall write to my hon. Friend with figures Easington and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Fatal and Serious Casualties on the A19 within Easington (LA area): 1993–2002
Year	Killed	Serious
1993	3	4
1994	3	8
1995	2	7
1996	1	10
1997	2	2
1998	1	1
1999	1	2
2000	2	5
2001	1	8
2002	2	4

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new cycle lanes have been provided using public funds in Battersea since 1997. [169767]

The promotion of cycling in London is a matter for the Mayor of London and Transport for London. This strategy is delivered, in part, by the individual Boroughs such as Wandsworth. The Mayor's policies on cycling can be found in his Transport Strategy at the following link:http://www.London.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/transport/index.jsp

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he received the final report by Halcrow on the lane rental pilot in Camden and Middlesbrough; and on what date it will be made public. [170653]

I expect to receive the final report on the lane rental pilots around the end of June. Copies of the report would be placed in the Libraries of the House shortly afterwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the risk of obstruction to the Port of London from the London array wind farm; and what representations he has received on the issue from the maritime industry. [168263]

The developer of the London Array wind farm in seeking consent for the project must make a thorough assessment of the potential impact of the proposed installation on navigation and ports. The developer must demonstrate to my satisfaction in the case of a Coast Protection Act 1949 consent or that of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the case of an Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 that their development, in combination with others that may be in the vicinity, does not present a danger or significant obstruction to navigation. In reaching that decision either Secretary of State will take advice from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and, in the case of the London Array, the Port of London Authority. Any person or organisation who has an interest in the matter may make representations to the relevant Minister and these will be taken into account in the decision making process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation he has (a) undertaken and (b) planned with maritime groups about the impact of offshore wind farms on marine navigation. [168264]

My Department is consulting the shipping and ports industries on the potential cumulative impact on navigational safety of wind farms being developed on the sites for which The Crown Estate has offered leases. In the light of the outcome of this exercise, developers are able to apply to The Crown Estate, between 1 September to 31 December 2004, to adjust the location of their proposed wind farm. In addition, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is consulting on a revised publication giving guidance on the navigational safety issues which developers shall need to take into account in seeking consent for their projects. This consultation is closing on 7 June 2004 with a view to publishing the revised guidance later this summer.Officials from my Department together with officials from the Department of Trade and Industry met representatives of the shipping and ports industries on 28 January 2004. Also one of my officials was present when they met the Energy Minister on 16 March 2004 where they were given an assurance that offshore wind farms would not be sited where they present a danger to navigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding obstruction to shipping lanes from wind farms. [168261]

There have been numerous discussions between Departments at ministerial and official level in regard to the obstruction of shipping. The safety of shipping is of paramount importance. Wind farms which would present a significant obstruction or danger to navigation will not receive the development consents from Government which are necessary before projects can be constructed. This Department and the Department of Trade and Industry consult the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and others on navigational safety matters in deciding whether to grant consent for offshore wind farm projects.The proposed location of an offshore wind farm may require shipping which passes through those waters to re-route around the installation. Where such new patterns of ship traffic could be established without a detrimental effect on the safety of navigation, such a possibility would be considered on a case-by-case basis as part of the assessment of whether consent should be given to the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2004 to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight, Official Report, column 982W, on rail services (a) what information he collects and (b) if he will make a statement on the punctuality and reliability of trains destined for Portsmouth harbour. [171208]

Performance statistics by Train Operating Company (TOC) are published in the Strategic Rail Authority's quarterly "National Rail Trend", copies of which are in the Library of the House. The SRA does not hold performance data below TOC level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Heywood and Middleton is since 1997. [168546]

The available information relates to local authority areas. In the Rochdale local authority area (which includes the constituency of Heywood and Middleton) there were 16 fatal casualties in 1997 and 11 fatal casualties in 2002. The number of people seriously injured in road accidents increased from 83 in 1997 to 84 in 2002, a rise of 1 per cent. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituencies will become available in the summer and I shall write to my hon. Friend with figures for Heywood and Middleton and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Stalybridge and Hyde has been since 1997. [168731]

The available information relates to local authority areas. In the Tameside local authority area (which includes the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency) there were four fatal casualties in 1997 and four fatal casualties in 2002. The numbers of people seriously injured in road accidents reduced from 117 in 1997 to 85 in 2002, a fall of 27 per cent. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituencies will become available in the summer and I shall write to my hon. Friend with figures for Stalybridge and Hyde and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people died in road traffic accidents in Wigan in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003. [169341]

In the Wigan local authority area there were 10 fatal casualties in 1997 and nine fatal casualties in 2002, the latest year for which information is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were seriously injured in road traffic accidents in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003. [169342]

The number of people seriously injured in reported injury road accidents in Great Britain was 42,984 in 1997 and 35,976 in 2002, the last year for which information is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make an announcement concerning the Government's decision on the upgrading of the A358 and the A303 following the decision to be made by the Regional Assembly on 30 April. [170110]

I will be considering the Regional Assembly's comments together with the views of the Statutory Environmental Bodies and others before I decide on the route option. I will announce a decision once I have fully considered all of the issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average duration of utility works involving occupation of the highway was in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003. [170650]

Based on monitoring work carried out for my Department, the average duration of utility works for the period referred to was as follows:

	Days
2001 (April to December)	5.94
2002	5.70

Accurate figures are not available for the period before April 2001 and final figures for 2003 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of congestion on local authority roads in each year since 2000 was caused by (a) street works carried out by utilities and (b) street works carried out by or on behalf of highway authorities. [170651]

The Department does not hold figures centrally for the proportion of congestion caused by utility and highway authority works respectively on local authority roads

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are installed in Staffordshire, including Stoke-on-Trent. [169226]

The Staffordshire Safety Camera Partnership has 217 fixed site speed camera installations and no red light cameras. They currently operate no mobile camera units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many peak-time train services serving Petts Wood, Orpington and St. Mary Cray there are (a) at present and (b) proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority in the Integrated Kent Franchise consultation document. [169818]

Services in the morning peak to London (trains arriving at a London terminus between 07:00 and 09:59):

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions were made by the Strategic Rail Authority in the Integrated Kent Franchise document about (a) current and (b) future capacity in the peak-hour services between Petts Wood, Orpington, St. Mary Cray and London. [169819]

Estimates of seats provided in the three-hour peak based on analysis (if current scheduled South Eastern Trains service and estimates for the proposed service, based on the best current information about future train formations and vehicle types, are as follows:

	(a) Current	(b) Future
Petts Wood	16,400	9,200
Orpington	17,800	17,600
St. Mary Cray	8,600	9,300
Note:
Numbers are approximate and subject to possible change.

As now, the key factor is not overall train capacity, but how much spare capacity is available by the time services arrive at these stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the passenger usage data for (a) Petts Wood, (b) Orpington and (c) St. Mary Cray that the Strategic Rail Authority used in their consultation document on the Integrated Kent Franchise, broken down by (i) passengers buying season tickets and those not and (ii) passengers taking fast peak-hour trains to London and those taking slow, stopping trains in the peak period. [169820]

This information is not available in the format requested. Ticket information suggests that the average number of passenger journeys to and from these stations per day is:

	Season	Ordinary	Total
Petts Wood	3,972	1,814	5,786
Orpington	6,914	4,697	11,611
St. Mary Cray	1,975	1,278	3,253

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 62-63W, on the Transport Energy Best Practice Programme what proportion of (a) freight vehicle kilometres and (b) freight tonne kilometres these companies account for, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by vehicle type. [169908]

The Department does not currently hold the detailed data necessary to answer this question. However the 5 per cent. of freight transport companies mentioned in the answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 62-63W, on the Transport Energy Best Practice Programme, referred to a representative cross-section of the industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been given to the Transport Energy Best Practice programme, broken down by year. [170017]

The following funding has been provided to the Transport Energy Best Practice programme:

	£ million
2002–03	1.57
2003–04	2.67
2004–05 (forecast)	2.48

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rural bus services in Preston are supported by rural bus grants. [169687]

Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) is paid to local transport authorities. In the case of Preston, this is Lancashire County Council. It is for the authority to decide which services should be supported with the grant. We understand from the county council that, while Preston is mainly urban, there are 11 rural bus services commencing or terminating in Preston that are currently supported by RBSG.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Preston since 1997. [169688]

Since 1997, three lengths of bus lane have been created in Preston, at Fishergate, Church Street and Ringway, with a total length of 900 metres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effect of investment in railway improvements over the next 10 years upon residents of Preston. [169689]

Residents of Preston will benefit from the new TransPennine Express franchise, which commenced in February. The franchise secures investment of around £260m, which will include the introduction of a new fleet of 100 mph diesel trains leading to increased capacity, improved service quality and performance across the region. A new northern franchise, which will include local and regional services through Preston, is out for tender. Work continues on the West Coast Main Line upgrade, which will see reduction in journey times along the route and increases in service frequency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new cycle lanes have been provided using public funds in Preston since 1997. [169690]

A total of 3.8 km of on-road cycle lanes and 5.6 km of off-road cycle tracks has been provided in Preston since 1997. A further 6.6 km of off-road cycle path, including 3.8 km of improved canal towpath are due to open this summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Preston has been since 1997. [169691]

In the Preston local authority area there were nine deaths in road accidents in 1997 and two deaths in 2002, the latest year for which information is available. The number of serious injuries in road accidents fell by 2 per cent. from 156 in 1997 to 153 in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of tyres on vehicles he estimates are of energy efficient types, broken down by vehicle type. [169906]

There is no established definition or standard for energy efficient tyres. It is not possible, therefore, to estimate the proportion of energy efficient tyres currently being used on vehicles. We understand that tyres generally are becoming more energy efficient as manufacturers are incorporating energy efficient design features along with new technology. The major tyre manufacturers all sell a range of tyres, some of which are more energy efficient than others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tyres have been purchased in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) size and (b) type. [169907]

The most recent information the Department for Transport has on the numbers of new tyres purchased as replacements in the United Kingdom for the years indicated is shown in the table. The data is grouped by vehicle type or use rather than by tyre size and tyre type due to the large number of sizes available in the marketplace currently. Data for 2003 is not yet available. Further information may be available from the trade associations: The British Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association.

Number of replacement tyres purchased in the United Kingdom
	Car tyres	Utility vehicles and off road 4x4	Heavy vehicle tyres	Tyres for other vehicles
1998	20,202,648	899,279	3,013,782	772,071
1999	19,593,786	1,026,430	2,712,016	820,698
2000	18,804,523	917,094	2,659,233	845,153
2001	20,663,690	946,271	3,260,337	187,174
2002	20,874,277	1,014,894	3,595,930	192,937

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) energy efficient tyres and (b) normal tyres cost on average to purchase, broken down by size. [169909]

As stated in my earlier answer (ref 169906), there is no formal definition of an energy efficient tyre. However our information suggests that, for trucks, the more energy efficient tyres cost around 5 per cent. more than normal or low energy efficiency tyres. For passenger car tyres, we understand there is no significant difference in the costs between products from the same manufacturer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 63W, on fuel efficient tyres, if he will estimate the reduction in emissions that would result from all freight vehicles switching to these tyres. [169910]

If all freight vehicles in the UK achieved a saving of 7 per cent. in fuel consumption, this would reduce emissions by around half a million tonnes of carbon. However, as I explained in my earlier answer (ref 169906), we do not know how many trucks are already fitted with he most energy efficient tyres so we cannot estimate the effect on emissions of all freight vehicles changing to use these types of tyres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 63W, on fuel efficient tyres, what the average distance it is estimated these tyres will last; and what the figure for ordinary tyres is. [169911]

The Department is not aware of any independently verified figures quantifying the difference in tyre life between more and less energy efficient tyres. As I stated in my answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 63W, there is some evidence that the tread wear rate for current energy efficient tyres can be inferior to those of standard tyres. However, this is not quantified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to publicise the use of energy efficient tyres. [170018]

As I stated in my answer of 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 62-63W, through the TransportEnergy Best Practice programme, my Department has recently published a free leaflet describing trials of energy efficient tyres fitted to trucks. These trials have also been reported in the last two editions of the programme's free newsletter, "Freight Future", which is distributed to hauliers via trade journals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was given to (a) Essex and (b) Kent police traffic divisions in respect of their work on the M25 in each of the last three years; how many (i) officers and (ii) units were deployed following the road traffic accident in the vicinity of junctions 29 and 31 on 17 March; for how long they were deployed; and if he will make a statement. [163255]

[holding answer 23 March 2004]: Forces do not receive funding specifically for road policing. The police funding formula, on which general grants for police authorities are based, does take into account traffic management needs. It is a matter for the Chief Constable and Police Authority to decide how to allocate the available resources within any given force area.Road and traffic expenditure by Essex and Kent Constabularies is not directly comparable. The Chief Constable for Essex police informs me that their Road Policing Units respond to all Essex's roads, not just the motorway, and that total expenditure on road policing is estimated to be £14 million per annum in each of the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people driving without requisite insurance cover. [169071]

On the basis of information from the insurance industry and other sources, we estimate that there are 1.25 million persons driving without compulsory insurance against third party risks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated total annual cost to the UK economy was of dealing with the drug problem in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what factors the calculation includes. [168725]

Total direct annual Government expenditure on preventing and tackling drug misuse is as follows:

	Total direct annual Government expenditure
2000–01	695
2001–02	870
2002–03	1,026
2003–04	1,244
2004–05	1,344

These total figures reflect the cross Government spend on the four core strands of the Drug Strategy: protecting young people, reducing supply, safe guarding communities and treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his draft identity card bill. [167853]

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary published the draft Identity Cards Bill on 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 34WS, as part of a document explaining the need for legislation entitled `Legislation on Identity Cards: A Consultation' (CM 6178).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of people who have five points or more on their driving licence. [169446]

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the cost, per unit, of establishing manned UK customs points in countries other than the UK. [169966]

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 19 April 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's reasons are for the proportional increase in social infrastructure and services investment and the corresponding proportional decrease in economic infrastructure and services investment since 1997. [168879]

The goal of the Department for International Development (DFID) is to eliminate poverty. DFID seeks to do this by focusing on achieving the targets agreed at the Millennium Summit, the so-called Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). DFID works with developing country Governments and other donors to achieve these goals.Around a third of DFID's total expenditure is allocated to specific sectors. In recent years, expenditure on social infrastructure and services (by which we usually mean education, health, population and reproductive health, water supply and sanitation, government and civil society, employment and housing) has been significantly higher than that on economic infrastructure and services (for example, transport and storage, communications, energy, banking and financial services, and business). In large part, this is because DFID believes that investment in these sectors will have a greater impact on achieving the MDGs. In 2002, the latest year for which these data are available, there was a large jump in expenditure for the first group, which was not matched for scale in the second one. This was mainly due to a number of large contributions to global health funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid has be offered to North Korea as a result of the Ryongchon incident; and whether this offer has been accepted. [169775]

Relief supplies that arrived shortly after the train crash were sent from a Red Cross disaster preparedness warehouse, funded by the Department for International Development. Last year DFID provided £200,000 of support to the North Korean Red Cross's disaster preparedness activities, which included the provision of pre-positioned disaster relief supplies. A further £200,000 is committed for 2004–05.DFID has also set aside £56,000 for support to affected households through the International Federation of the Red Cross, having judged this assistance to be the most effective way to meet the unmet needs. Initial appeals for support are well covered, and while the UK was ready to fund the replenishing of disaster relief supplies, the European Commission has pledged 200,000 Euros for this purpose. The UK's share of this pledge is approximately 38,000 Euros (£25,500).DFID will consider further appeals as part of its continuing programme of humanitarian assistance to North Korea.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial commitments are planned for St. Helena. [170216]

DFID will continue to maintain substantial support for St. Helena. This will include budgetary assistance, to include a subsidy for the island's shipping service, plus funding for various development projects and the filling of key posts. A joint DFID/FCO team is currently visiting the island to negotiate proposals for our assistance over the three-year UK period 2004–05 to 2006–07. In addition, as I reported in a written statement to this House on 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 1WS, DFID is exploring options for maintaining future access arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the United Kingdom will make to the new United Nations appeal for the Darfur Region of Western Sudan. [169324]

The United Nations has appealed for around $115 million for the humanitarian response in Darfur, Sudan. I am considering our response and we are likely to contribute. I have set aside £10 million from our contingency reserve for our ongoing humanitarian response in Darfur, in recognition of the severity of the situation and the need to work avert a humanitarian catastrophe. This is in addition to the £9.5 million that DFID committed last financial year through the UN, Red Cross and international non-governmental organisations in response to this crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken to meet the UK's obligations arising from the agreement at the World Education Forum in Dakar in April 2000 to achieve primary education for all children by 2015. [170218]

Universal Primary Education by 2015 is the top priority of DFID's education programme and we are working closely with our international partners to achieve this. DFID is targeting countries with a high proportion of children out-of-school, such as Ethiopia, India and Bangladesh, and regions with a high number of countries with chronic levels of out-of-school children, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Progress has been made in many countries with global enrolment in primary education increasing from 596 million in 1990 to 648 million children in 2000. However, with over 100 million children still not currently enrolled in primary education, much still remains to be done.In recognition of this, DFID has invested over £820 million in education in developing countries since 1997. DFID is increasing this investment and are planning to spend £1 billion from 2004–2008. In addition, DFID is providing £12 million to the World Bank Fast-Track Initiative Catalytic Fund for education. This will go to help a specific group of developing countries that need a quick injection of money to get their education systems up and running.DFID is collaborating with a variety of partners to accelerate progress on girls' education, as girls are much more likely to be out-of-school than boys (over 50 per cent). DFID is working with the UN Girls' Education Initiative to ensure stronger collaboration and coordination among donors at the global and the national level. At the country level, DFID continues to prioritise support to those governments that give priority to primary education. For example, we are supporting the Kenyan Government, who have recently abolished school fees at primary level, to provide enough school places to keep up with demand and ensure that quality sustained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the new academic fellowship scheme says in section 3.9 of the scheme document that a guarantee of a permanent position is an absolute condition of the award, and also insists in section 3.5 that those who have been promised a permanent position are considered to have achieved the aims of the scheme already and are not eligible. [167130]

The Academic Fellowships are a direct response to the Roberts Review on "The supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills". This report pointed to a lack of a clear career path for researchers and one of the primary aims of the scheme is to provide a transition between postdoctoral positions and academic posts. Government believes that a goal of a permanent academic post is necessary to improve recruitment and retention by providing the individual with a clear career trajectory and allowing for development needs to be addressed.The statements to which my hon. Friend refers are not intended to be contradictory. The guarantee of a permanent position to be provided at the end of the five-year fellowship award (section 3.9) is a requirement on the host institution in order to provide a career path for the academic fellow. An award will not be made to an HEI without this guarantee being made.The statement at section 3.5, however, refers to the eligibility of the individual candidate. We do not believe that it is appropriate that someone with a permanent position, or the promise of one, should undertake a further five years of training towards an academic position. A previous promise by an HEI to provide a permanent position to a researcher shows an existing commitment to the individual and therefore further support through the academic fellowships scheme is unnecessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evaluation has been made of the ideal skills mix of the Board of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC); what the selection criteria are for members of the board how and by whom appointments are made; what contribution CCLRC has made to implementation of the recommendations of the North West Science and Daresbury development group; what input CCLRC has made to the North West Science Strategy; and what targets and milestones have been set by CCLRC to progress the strategy. [168584]

A number of evaluations have been made of the template for Council membership in recent years, but, in terms of skills, the basic mix of academic user and industry representation has remained unchanged. Last year the number of members was increased to include a greater number of independent industry or user representatives. We intend to keep the template more generally under review. The Minister for Science makes all appointments to the Council on my behalf in accordance with the requirements of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This is a competitive process overseen by a panel with independent members who recommend candidates who best fit the advertised role and person specification, drawn up in the light of CCLRC's assessment of its needs for expertise.The CCLRC and the OST have invested £6 million and £8 million respectively, to progress the Energy Recovery LINAC project, providing the underpinning technology and design for a Fourth Generation Light Source (4GLS). This activity is based mainly at the CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory. CCLRC collaborated closely with the North West universities regarding the recently announced PPARC/CCLRC-supported Cockcroft Institute for Accelerator Science, also to be located at Daresbury. As a result, the CCLRC will co-locate its related accelerator science and technology research activity with the Cockcroft Institute. The results of a CCLRC/North West Development Agency joint-funded analysis of the opportunities for commercial exploitation of Daresbury Laboratory research, and the options for a proposed mixed-economy Daresbury Campus, have now been received. The latter activity will involve the North West Universities and industrial partners with the CCLRC, and the participants are seeking to establish a new "North West Science Partnership" by summer 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) has set for the commercial exploitation of intellectual property to stimulate regional growth in the North West; what CCLRC's vision is for collaboration with the North West Science Council; and how the CCLRC intends to work with the North West Regional Development Agency to generate regional economic growth. [168630]

CCLRC seeks actively to develop exploitation routes for its research via its totally owned commercial exploitation company, CLIK, which was established in April 2002. Five new CLIK-generated high technology companies are already in the final stages of formation, three of which are based on research and associated technologies developed at the CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory. The CLIK business plan is based on the formation of three new CCLRC spin-out companies per year for each of the next five years.CCLRC has interacted closely with the activities of the North West Science Council (NWSC) since its inception. The Director of the Daresbury Laboratory has been a member throughout this period, and he and his staff also maintain close relations with the NWDA. This has led already to the construction of two new NWDA-supported high technology buildings immediately adjacent to the DL site, on land previously owned by CCLRC, in order to provide easily accessible space for new high technology, spin-out companies and associated business support advisers. The CCLRC/NWDA interaction has also already led to the successful implementation of a number of major new joint-funded projects, which are or will be based at the DL/NWDA Campus including SUPERSTEM, the Energy Recovery Linac project and the new Cockcroft Accelerator Science Centre. Opportunities for new nanotechnology/nanoscience activities and also a new Centre for Instrumentation are also currently being explored.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the associated backup costs for wind penetration of (a) 10 per cent., (b) 15 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent.; and what the assumptions are underpinning these estimates. [169778]

Estimates of the back-up costs of renewables, including wind power, were made in the report "Quantifying the System Costs of Additional Renewables in 2020" commissioned from consultants ILEX as part of the analysis for the February 2003 Energy White Paper. The report is available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/ 080scar_report_v2_0.pdf.The report considered the additional costs associated with increasing the proportion of renewables generation to 20 per cent. and 30 per cent. by 2020.Table 12 of the report indicates that the back-up costs of wind power, in terms of generating capacity and system balancing would be of the order of £6 to £7 per MWh of wind generation. Details of the assumptions used and the analysis applied are contained in the report.Estimates have not been made for lower penetrations of renewables. However, the report indicates that backup costs associated with wind are less than £1 per MWh higher in scenarios where renewables reach 30 per cent. of generation, compared with scenarios where renewables reach 20 per cent. of generation.Under the electricity trading arrangements, generators have strong financial incentives to deliver the power they have contracted to sell to electricity suppliers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the backup costs for electricity generated from (a) wind energy and (b) nuclear power. [169779]

Estimates of the back-up costs of renewables, including wind power, were made in the report "Quantifying the System Costs of Additional Renewables in 2020" commissioned from consultants ILEX as part of the analysis for the February 2003 Energy White Paper. The report is available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/080scar_rcport_v2_0.pdf.Table 12 of the report indicates that the back-up costs of wind power, in terms of generating capacity and system balancing would be of the order of £6 to £7 per MWh of wind generation in 2020. Details of the assumptions used and the analysis applied are contained in the report.Estimates of the back-up costs of nuclear power have not been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Energywatch's budget was in each year since it was created, how many calls it received from consumers in each year; and what assessment she has made of Energywatch's ability to help gas and electricity consumers. [168872]

The information is as follows:

	Expenditure (£ million)	complaints	Non-Complaint inquiries
2000–01	17.62	277,705	n/a
2001–02	318.99	472,362	106,015
2002–03	511.97	109,230	70,856
2003–04	612.39	72,079	90,000
2004–05	713 29	—	—
1 Transitional funding
2 Complaints to OFGEM, Gas Consumers' Council and Energywatch
3 Includes £8.1 million transitional funding
4 Excludes February and March 2002, for which no data are available
5 Includes £0.29 million transitional funding
6 Includes £0.29 million transitional funding
7 Budget. Includes £0.29 million transitional funding

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured as a result of accidents and incidents involving fireworks in the last five years. [169795]

The firework injury statistics for 2003 are not yet available. The statistics for the previous four years are as follows:

	(a) Deaths	(b) Injuries
2002	0	1,017
2001	0	1,362
2000	2	972
1999	0	1,056

The figures in the table are based on the total number of people treated t hospital casualty departments in Great Britain during a 4 week period around bonfire night.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list (a) the official meetings she has had with the Mayor of London since July 2000 and (b) the dates and subject of each meeting. [170571]

I met the Mayor of London on 8 November 2001, the subject of the meeting was regeneration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Minister of State (Energy, e-Commerce and Postal Services) next plans to visit Japan. [170993]

I am due to visit Japan on 16-19 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many members of the Panel for Regulatory Accountability have worked in the private sector; and in what capacity. [168447]

I have been asked to reply.Membership consists of myself as Chair, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng). All current members of the Panel for Regulatory Accountability have worked in the private sector. Biographies are available at: http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect of recent trends in investment in renewable energy upon the residents of Wigan. [169365]

Recent trends in renewable energy investment have been very encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass.However, as far as I am aware this has not translated into new or proposed capacity in the Wigan area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the recent trends in investment in renewable energy and the effect of those trends upon residents of Preston. [169686]

Recent trends in renewable energy investment have been very encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass.However, as far as I am aware this has not translated into new or proposed capacity in the Preston area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on renewable energy targets and their achievement; and if she will make a statement. [169753]

The Government's renewable energy target is that renewable energy sources will supply 10 per cent. of our electricity by 2010. The target is challenging as we are starting from a low base; provisional figures suggest that in 2003, 2 per cent. of electricity was generated from sources eligible for the Renewables Obligation. However, the target is achievable. As the SEPN annual report published earlier this week indicates, we have made an encouraging start.We have received many representations from stakeholders regarding the targets, and we have listened to them. An example of this is our plan to increase the level of the Renewables Obligation (RO) in the period after 2010, so that it reaches 15.4 per cent. by 2015–16. By increasing the Obligation in these years, this will greatly assist investor confidence and in particular help with the financing of new projects needed to deliver output by 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to license ultra-wideband wireless networks. [169295]

The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as the independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the proposal for wind turbines in the Thames Estuary; and if she will make a statement. [169750]

On 16 March I met representatives from the Chamber of Shipping, Trinity House, the Port of London Authority and the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association for a general discussion on a number of navigation related issues in relation to the 15 proposed Round 2 offshore wind farms, 4 of which are planned in the Thames Estuary. To date my Department has not received any development consent applications for a Round 2 wind farm. Before developers can submit applications they must undertake a full environmental impact assessment including a navigational risk assessment in consultation with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and other shipping interests. To ensure that all views on consent applications are taken into account, at the time developers submit applications for consent to my department they must advertise the project in both national and local press so that any person can make representations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. All representations are then taken into consideration before a decision is made on whether to give consent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies have been conducted by (a) central Government and (b) the South West Regional Development Agency of potential (i) fossil fuel savings and (ii) additional fossil fuel use if the proposed Winkleigh Biomass Project is completed and running at full capacity; and with what results. [169460]

[holding answer 29 April 2004]: No such studies have been commissioned or undertaken by the DTI. The developer as part of the application process did undertake an initial assessment of the fossil fuel savings from such a plant. And as part of the assessment process the assessors took into account the estimates made by the proposers.No such studies have been commissioned or undertaken by the South West Regional Development Agency either. Further detail will be found in the planned Environmental Impact Assessment, which will include an evaluation of potential road traffic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the target date is for the implementation of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan; and if he will make a statement. [168215]

The publication date for the Plan has not yet been finalised. Work on the Draft Plan is now well advanced. If the Draft Plan passes through its final stages within the normal time scale, the target for publication is late autumn.These final stages include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to enhance the services available at Bangor hospital; and if he will make a statement. [169655]

Bangor hospital currently offers GP inpatient services, a minor injuries service and a wide range of other secondary, intermediate and primary care services. Social care and voluntary sector services are also provided at the hospital. Work is ongoing to develop further the services provided, including the introduction of an advanced digital imaging system that, in addition to improving the quality of the x-ray service, will further enhance the hospital's minor injuries service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in implementing those aspects of the British-Irish Joint Declaration that deal with security normalisation. [166228]

The Joint Declaration, which was published by both Governments on 1 May last year, gave a commitment to the complete normalisation of security over a two-year period, in the context of an enabling environment.The Prime Minister announced in a statement on 1 May 2003 that the Government would on some aspects of normalisation, push on and do what we can. Since then two towers at Cloghoge and Tievecrum were demolished in June and the Chief Constable announced on 11 February that Clooney Army base in Londonderry would be closed and sold and the Army would vacate the joint Police/Army base at Aughnacloy.Any further steps will only be taken in light of the threat and the Chief Constable's advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals were awaiting placement in housing executive properties, broken down by area, in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [169658]

The information is not readily available in the format requested.The following table shows the numbers of households at 31 March 2004 requiring social housing (Housing Executive and Housing Association) broken down by the applicant's stated preference of Housing Executive District Office area.The waiting list is not static as households move on and off the list during the course of the year. The trend in demand for social sector accommodation continues to rise steadily. The increases in demand are most pronounced in urban areas and in the east of the province.

Number of households on the waiting list at 31 March 2004
Housing executive district	Number
Belfast 1	926
Belfast 2	1,479
Belfast 3	839
Belfast 4	801
Belfast 5	647
Belfast 6	1,001
Belfast 7	1,746
Antrim	709
Ballycastle	225
Ballymena	1,032
Ballymoney	286
Carrickfergus	839
Coleraine	855
Larne	370
Newtownabbey 1	631
Newtownabbey 2	662
Armagh	559
Banbridge	410
Dungannon	517
Fermanagh	734
Lurgan	659
Newry	1,301
Portadown	413
Bangor	1,488
Castlereagh	984
Downpatrick	919
Lisburn Antrim Street	1,362
Lisburn Dairy Farm	514
Newtownards	1,174
Cookstown	230
Limavady	337
Londonderry 1	623
Londonderry 2	457
Londonderry 3	531
Magherafelt	356
Omagh	370
Strabane	529
Total	27,515

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the numbers of dentists working for the NHS in Northern Ireland. [169931]

The Department has put in place a comprehensive work force planning mechanism that reviews, on an annual basis, supply and demand issues across all HPSS professional groups. The first report on the dental staff group has been completed and its findings did not indicate any general recruitment difficulties with this group. Nevertheless, the position will be kept under review through the Department's work force planning process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [157740]

The information is not available in the form requested.However, from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003, 3134 Parliamentary Questions were tabled to the Northern Ireland Office.From 1 May 2003 to 31 December 2003, the 11 Departments of the NI administration answered 986 Ordinary Written questions of which 79 per cent. were responded to within a working week of the question being tabled. Of the 65 Named Day questions tabled in the same period 80 per cent. were answered by the specified date. The corresponding information in respect of the Northern Ireland Office is not currently available on the same basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in dealing with prostate cancer in Northern Ireland in the past two years. [169933]

Patients with prostate cancer may be treated either by the regional urology service at the Belfast City hospital or by the Cancer Units at Antrim, Altnagelvin, Craigavon and Ulster hospitals. Strong linkages have been developed between these units in recent years.Funding has recently been made available for the appointment of an additional urology consultant, with a special interest in uro-oncology, to be recruited jointly between BCH and the Ulster hospitals, and for the appointment of an additional consultant urologist at Craigavon Area hospital. A number of specialist nurses have also been appointed at BCH, the Ulster hospital and elsewhere. Altnagelvin, the Ulster and BCH have developed nurse-led fast track assessment clinics with direct access to urology consultants. Craigavon also plans to introduce this service to help ensure prompt access to investigations and treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many farms in Northern Ireland, comprising what land areas and in what locations, have restrictions applied to them in respect of land use as a result of the residual radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. [169876]

It is estimated that 153 farms in Northern Ireland located in three small hill areas at Glenwherry in Co. Antrim and Belraugh and Glenshane in Co. Londonderry had controls applied to the movement and slaughter of sheep as a result of the residual radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The three areas extended to some 21,612 acres (8,752 hectares).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the requirements are on officials in his Department to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his departmental officials. [164704]

The requirements placed upon officials employed in NI Departments and the Northern Ireland Office are set out in the Conduct Sections of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code (Home Civil Service). These requirements place responsibility on officials to declare to senior management, as appropriate and when necessary, their current interests. The declaration must include the likelihood of possible conflicts of interest and, where appropriate, seek approval before proceeding with a particular course of action. The contents of the respective Codes are drawn to the attention of officials as part of induction programmes.While there is no register of interests maintained centrally in respect of officials working in the NI departments or in the Northern Ireland Office, three NI departments, because of the specialised nature of their business and the interaction with the private sector and non-departmental public bodies, have established departmental registers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effect the ending of academic selection for entry to secondary schools as recommended by the Costello Report would have on the Two Tier Dickson system in use in Craigavon; and if he will make a statement. [170458]

Schools and school managing authorities, working together in local areas, will develop new post-primary arrangements that best provide for the needs of all pupils and take account of local wishes, needs and circumstances. A two-tier system could continue to operate provided all pupils have access to the Entitlement Framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of using independent hospitals outside Northern Ireland to reduce local waiting lists. [169699]

Health and Social Services Boards purchase services from independent hospitals as an appropriate short-term measure to allow patients to receive their treatment more quickly. During 2002–03 and 2003–04, 628 patients were transferred to various independent hospitals outside Northern Ireland as part of a range of initiatives to reduce waiting lists and waiting times.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will support pilot schemes to promote water conservation among low income households and vulnerable people in order to reduce the impact of water charging. [168642]

The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Lady in response to this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to improve water efficiency in (a) low income households, (b) domestic premises, (c) small businesses and (d) public sector offices; and if he will make a statement. [168930]

The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further research has been undertaken following the Northern Ireland Audit Office report into water efficiency in 2001; and if he will make a statement on water efficiency targets in Northern Ireland. [168931]

The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each Civil Service grade within his Department, the total number of staff employed and set out the number employed by (a) gender, (b) ethnic group (c) registered disabled and (d) age group. [166401]

Data on staffing levels in the Civil Service is collected by the Cabinet Office and published in the Civil Service Statistics. A copy of the Civil Service Statistics, 2002 is available in the Library, and at www.civil-service.gsi.gov.uk/statistics. The 2003 edition will be published in summer 2004.The Wales Office Departmental Report 2003 (Cm 5928) provides data on staff numbers for the Wales Office for year 2002–03. Tables 5.7 and 5.8 of this publication show staff numbers with disabilities. A copy of the Wales Office Departmental Report 2003 can be obtained from the Library of the House.Information on numbers of staff employed by age group is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to update computer (a) hardware and (b) software standard packages used in his Department. [166374]

The Wales Office IT is provided as part of the DCA's corporate network. There are no plans to update the existing hardware. Our PFI supplier will, as part of their contractual commitment, update software, including operating systems, office automation and applications, within the next 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales Secretaries about the use of Private Finance Initiative by North Wales Police in respect of (a) refurbishment and replacement of police stations and (b) generally. [170321]

My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet with Assembly Secretaries to discuss matters affecting Wales.The allocation of Private Finance Initiative credit approvals rests with the Home Office. Police projects in Wales also need approval from flu National Assembly who fund annual service charges through their revenue grant. Decisions on which projects to support are entirely for the Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the requirements are on his officials to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his departmental officials. [164697]

The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirement for civil servants declaring any conflict of interest.Any such declarations are retained on file.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the work of regional development agencies in developing tourism in Manchester, Gorton. [167346]

The North West Development Agency (NWDA) is working closely with Marketing Manchester, the nominated Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Manchester. The new DMOs are, in effect, smaller versions of tourist boards. They aim to ensure a strong visitor and market focus to all that is done within the region and strengthen the connection between businesses and other organisations in the tourism sector.During 2003–04 Marketing Manchester received £695,000 from the NWDA's marketing image budget for tourism and investment campaigns to promote Manchester. £203,000 was also provided from the agency's tourism budget for a variety of tourism development projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Adult Community Learning Budget is for each English local authority area, expressed (a) in cash terms and (b) per head of population. [169645]

[holding answer 29 April 2004]: I have set out in the following table the total budget as set by central Government for adult and community learning run through local education authorities in England.The information requested concerning the adult and community budget for each English local authority area expressed

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support (a) his Department and (b) UK educational institutions have given to developing 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. [165705]

UK Government support for courses for African education institutions in respect of teacher training, training for health professionals, distance learning courses and other courses, is provided by the Department for International Development and I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 31 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1444–45W.There is no central record of the support UK higher education institutions provide for developing courses for education institutions.