To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affiairs what procedures exist to prosecute fraudulent farmers who make claims for compensation from the European Union for sheep destroyed during the foot and mouth crisis. [172488]

[holding answer 11 May 2004]: Ordinarily the Investigation Branch of DEFRA would investigate such an allegation and pass the evidence gathered to the Criminal Advisory and Prosecution Division of DEFRA. Prosecution lawyers in that Division would review the evidence and if there were a realistic prospect of conviction and it were also in the public interest to prosecute DEFRA would commence criminal proceedings in the criminal courts.In the event of a conviction the prosecution would seek a compensation and/or confiscation order to compensate the loser for the financial loss and deprive the convicted person of the benefit from the offences proved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies she has undertaken to evaluate the risk of additional transportation of hazardous waste as a result of the closure of hazardous waste treatment centres. [168373]

The Government recognise that with the expected reduction in the number of landfill sites taking hazardous waste from July 2004, hazardous waste could travel further in the short term. Nevertheless, it is recognised that even under the present system significant amounts of special waste travel across the country. In 2002, 42 per cent. of hazardous waste crossed a regional boundary. Government have not commissioned any specific studies to evaluate the forthcoming changes on this specific issue. Clearly in the longer term, the implementation of the Landfill Directive requirements will see an increase in treatment costs, which in turn will provide a greater incentive for hazardous waste minimisation and the use of more sustainable treatment technologies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the health of Britain's wild animals. [169863]

The broad stewardship of wildlife and specific policies on conservation and biodiversity are managed as part of Government's broader remit for the environment. In addition, through the UK Veterinary Surveillance Strategy launched last year, we will develop a better overview and understanding of the health of the health of Britain's wildlife in relation to its impact on public health and other animals.Government, through its developing Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, recognises that there are a number of diseases of livestock where wildlife may act as a reservoir or a source of infection. Government has a role in science, research, intervention in some specific cases, and ensuring advice is available.The Veterinary Surveillance Strategy provides a framework for ensuring the potential risks posed by wildlife to public health (through zoonotic disease) or to farmed livestock (for example from migrating birds) are effectively identified and managed. The Strategy will also cover the impact of disease control policies for farmed livestock on wildlife and certain welfare issues involving the protection from cruelty.Where naturally occurring disease affecting animals in the wild occurs, Government have a role to ensure appropriate action is taken to monitor and manage the situation in accordance with the principles of the animal health and welfare strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 25 March with regard to Jenny Edwards; [172263](2) when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 25 March, with regard to Jenny Edwards. [170703]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied on 10 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 5 April with regard to Mr. Ian Boddison. [172264]

I replied to the right hon. Member on 8 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the production of her Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [171140]

The DEFRA Departmental Report 2004 cost Defra £66,070. This cost was for designing, typesetting and proofing of the report.The Stationary Office Limited handled the printing of the document. They bore the full cost of printing and publishing of the document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 861W, on fisheries, which member states have (a) an historic entitlement and (b) an entitlement without an historic track record to fish within the UK six to 12 miles zone; and whether those entitlements are transferable to any fishing vessel from that nation state. [172459]

France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands have a historical entitlement to fish in the UK six to 12 mile zone. No other member states have access to this zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency have for new water and sewerage infrastructure to serve the Aylesbury area in the context of the draft Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-regional strategy; and what the (i) time scale for and (ii) cost of such works will be. [172162]

I have been asked to reply.The Government are committed to ensuring that all the growth areas are equipped with the water and sewerage services and infrastructure necessary to guarantee the long-term health of these communities. To achieve this, we recognise the importance of involving the respective water undertakers and environmental regulators at an early stage in the development of proposals.The Environment Agency has previously (June 2003) provided companies with draft breakdowns of the indicative housing numbers by sub-region and company area, to assist in draft Water Resource Plans work. But given the varying and quickly evolving extent of information available, the Water Resources Planning Guideline (issued by the Environment Agency to companies on how they should produce their water resources plans) is not prescriptive about how companies should take account of the sustainable communities plan. However, the Environment Agency report

"Securing water supply" (November 2003) states that it will work with companies to understand the implications and that:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any of the Department's (a) present and (b) previous staff are members of the Friends of the Woodcraft Folk. [170753]

There are no records of staff being members of the Friends of the Woodcraft Folk. Staff are not required to register their private interests, such as membership of clubs or societies, unless these bring them into direct conflict with their official duties. In these cases, staff must declare their interest to senior managers, who will determine how best to proceed on a case-by-case basis.DEFRA's staff are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code. This requires them to act with integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity in carrying out their duties and to conduct themselves in such a way as to deserve and retain the confidence of Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions have been held between her officials and Chichester district council about the Woodcraft Folk. [170755]

The only discussions I am aware of relate to a campsite operated by the Woodcraft Folk in Lurgashall for which an approach was made for a camping exemption certificate. DEFRA has responsibility for camping exemption certificates under section 296 of the Public Health Act 1936. There were objections to the application and correspondence was received from the constituency MP and from MPs representing users of the campsite.My officials held a meeting with members of the Woodcraft Folk, Chichester district council and Lurgashall parish council on 9 June 2003 to discuss the Woodcraft Folk's application for a camping exemption certificate.The discussions demonstrated that there were differences of view regarding past usage of the site so I agreed to DEFRA's commissioning an independent mediator to facilitate a further discussion between the Woodcraft Folk and the two councils on 3 and 4 February 2004. In the light of the mediator's report, I agreed to issue a camping exemption certificate to the Woodcraft Folk for one year, subject to further discussion between the parties to resolve outstanding issues.

To ask the Leader of the House how many employees in his Office took early retirement, and at what total cost, in the last financial year. [172186]

In the last financial year no staff in my office have taken early retirement.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the United States Administration, and with whom, on the cases of abuse that have taken place against Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [173075]

To ask the Prime Minister what changes to the (a) political and (b) military strategy in Iraq are being considered by the (i) UK Government and (ii) US Administration as a consequence of the International Committee for the Red Cross report in February 2004. [173219]

Both President Bush and I have made clear that any abuse of human rights, torture or maltreatment of civilians in Iraq is wholly unacceptable and all cases will be dealt with.

To ask The Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on his intentions for future funding for the children's fund. [172723]

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Budget statement that the children's fund will be continued to 2008 to allow a smooth transition to new children's trusts, which will be focused on preventative work and developed and delivered with the full engagement of the voluntary sector.

To ask The Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the distributional impact of the tax burden projections contained in the Financial Statement and Budget Report. [172724]

The tax projections are based on macroeconomic assumptions set out in the Budget 2004 report. Estimating the distributional impact would require many more assumptions, which are unnecessary for our projections.

To ask The Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he held with international Finance Ministers on tackling world debt at the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. [172725]

At the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank, the Chancellor had various discussions with Finance Ministers. In addition to continuing to support countries in making progress through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, it was recognised that there was an urgent need to support countries as they emerge from conflict and progress towards participation in the initiative.It was also recognised that it was important to take forward work on the debt sustainability framework that the IMF and World Bank have proposed, in order to support long-term debt sustainability for poor countries.However, debt relief alone is not sufficient. All HIPC countries will need additional aid to meet the millennium development goals (MDGS). That is why the UK's proposal for an international finance facility is so important. It can provide the much-needed substantial increase in resources—in the form of grants, concessional loans, or further debt relief—needed to attain the MDGS.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what preparations he is making for discussions at the forthcoming meeting of the G7 Finance Ministers on tackling world debt. [172732]

At the meeting of the G7 Finance Ministers, the Chancellor will be calling for the full implementation of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative, including additional relief to be provided to countries that have suffered economic shocks, in a full and timely manner. The Chancellor will also be calling for the HIPC initiative to be extended to ensure that eligible countries—many of which are in the process of exiting from conflict—are able to benefit from debt relief.However, debt relief alone is not sufficient. All HIPC countries will need additional aid to meet the millennium development goals (MDGS.) The Chancellor will press the UK's proposal for an international finance facility, demonstrating that it can provide the much-needed substantial increase in aid—in the form of grants, concessional loans, or further debt relief—needed to attain the MDGS.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations he has had with EU partners since 1 April regarding the international finance facility. [172726]

The IFF proposal was discussed at the 8 April conference on Financing for Development which the Chancellor co-hosted with French Finance Minister Sarkozy, attended by representatives from over 55 countries including many of our EU partners. At the conference France reiterated its strong support for the initiative. We continue to build on this support with other EU countries in other fora.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the international finance facility as a result of spring meetings with the IMF and World Bank. [172727]

Good progress has been made in taking forward the IFF proposal at the Spring Meetings with a number of countries expressing their support. Following the developing country statement at the 8 April conference, both the G24 and African Governors endorsed the IFF and called on donors to implement the proposal. The World Bank's interim paper on Financing Modalities found that the IFF is technically feasible and concluded that frontloading of aid holds considerable attractions. Communiqués looked forward to reviewing the on-going joint World Bank and IMF work on aid effectiveness, absorptive capacity and, results-based measurement mechanisms, such as an IFF, at the Annual Meetings in September 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic instruments are available to him to moderate the rise in house prices. [172730]

In Budget 2003, the Chancellor noted that a reduction in housing market volatility would enhance macro-economic stability. He asked Kate Barker to review housing supply in the UK, and David Miles to review the UK mortgage market.At the time of Budget 2004, both reviews presented their final reports. The Government have welcomed their analysis and recommendations for action.As recommended in the Barker Review, the Government are implementing a programme of change to the planning system and to the delivery of development, consulting with stakeholders as necessary. The Government accept the case for releasing more resources to boost housing supply, improve affordability and lock in macro-economic stability, and will make a start in the forthcoming Spending Review.The Government endorse David Miles' conclusion that urgent reform is desirable to make the UK mortgage market work better for consumers in a number of areas. The FSA has in train reforms in the mortgage market, which will move to statutory regulation on 31 October. The Chancellor has asked the FSA to consider and report on the further reforms proposed by David Miles.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning his proposed increase in fuel duty. [172731]

Treasury Ministers receive a wide range of representations about all areas of taxation policy, both in the run-up to and after the Chancellor's annual Budget statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) consultation papers and (b) other documents issued by the Financial Services Authority in each of the last five years, broken down by number of pages. [172901]

The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. The Chairman of the FSA has offered to write to the hon. Member shortly, addressing the matters raised. Every FSA consultation paper can be found by year of publication on the FSA's website, together with other FSA documents.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on implementation of the EU Insurance Mediation Directive (a) in this country and (b) elsewhere in the EU; [172839](2) what new regulations will be required on insurance brokers in order for them to meet Financial Services Authority guidelines for the introduction of the Insurance Mediation Directive; [172938](3) if he will reduce the fee structure for the Insurance Mediation Directive; [172840](4) on what date the Financial Services Authority required authorisation of brokers under the Insurance Mediation Directive and whether this is common to all EU countries; [172937](5) what assessment he has made of the impact on the number of insurance brokers of the introduction of the Insurance Mediation Directive. [172939]

The UK has the largest insurance industry in Europe. Implementing the IMD is a key step in completing the single market in financial services, and will enhance consumer protection in an important sector of financial business. The UK market for selling insurance is competitive with many players giving customers wide choice, and this will continue in the new regime. Already thousands of firms have applied to the FSA for authorisation for the new regime.The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the FSA to publish a cost-benefit analysis of its proposed rules and guidance. The FSA has published cost benefit analysis in each of its consultation papers, which includes analysis of the market impact on firms. These state that regulation might result in some reduction in the number of firms selling insurance. In particular they stated that some businesses for whom selling insurance was a marginal activity may withdraw from the market once subject to statutory regulation. However there will be thousands of firms in the market providing consumers with a wide choice. The FSA have estimated that around 20,000 new firms will come into regulation as a result of mortgage and general insurance regulation and the vast majority of these will be involved in general insurance business.The Government have consulted widely on the regulatory regime, publishing a public consultation document including draft regulations and a draft regulatory impact assessment in October 2002. Following analysis of the responses to the consultation, Parliament approved legislation on 24 June 2003. The activities to be regulated are: introducing, proposing or carrying out other work preparatory to the conclusion of contracts of insurance; assisting in the administration and performance of such contracts, in particular in the event of a claim; and concluding contracts of insurance. In drawing up its rules for insurance mediation, the FSA has carried out extensive public consultation on its rules. Further information is available from the FSA's website, www.fsa.gov.uk.FSA regulation of insurance brokers will commence from 14 January 2005. This date is two years from the publication of the directive in the

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in tourism-related jobs in Bootle on the latest date for which figures are available. [173145]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers have sought to divert or withhold the proportion of their contribution going to military expenditure in the last three years. [167871]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations entitled 'peace tax returns' have been received by the Treasury. [167872]

We have no central record of the number of representations received entitled 'peace tax returns'.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current unneeded surplus is in the national insurance fund. [172728]

I refer the hon. Member to table two on page six of the report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2004 and the Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2004 (CM6117).Any surplus contributions are used to buy gilts on behalf of the fund.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Association of British Insurers in the last 12 months in relation to the service provided by Norwich Union to its policy holders. [173223]

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings, as provided for under Exemption 7(b) of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information". Treasury meetings are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code, as appropriate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates the cost would be to the Exchequer under its proposed reform of pension taxation of imposing no annual limit on pension savings in the year 2006–07 and each of the subsequent three years. [172126]

The annual allowance protects against large payments being made into a tax privileged pension scheme that might then be removed from the scheme without the imposition of tax. So there would therefore be a cost attached to having no annual allowance under the proposed simplified pension regime—even if the lifetime allowance were retained.The size of this cost depends upon behavioural effects and any estimate of cost would inevitably be very broad-brush. However, given the potential additional pension savings from those in the top 1 per cent. of the earnings distribution, plus the possibility of the additional scope for tax avoidance or evasion, the cost to the Exchequer could be up to several hundred million pounds over this period.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made in discussions at a European level about the stability and growth pact. [172729]

The Government continue to emphasise the need for a prudent interpretation of the stability and growth pact, taking into account the economic cycle, sustainability and the important role of public investment.The Government published alongside Budget 2004 a discussion paper comparing our British fiscal framework with the rules of the European Union's stability and growth pact, examining the principles, based on our experience, which should guide the evolution of fiscal policy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Stockton South have benefited from the 100 per cent. tax exemption for the purchase of computer and internet equipment. [171467]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Djanogly) on 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1505W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce VAT on devices which improve safety in the home. [171886]

Member states are permitted only to introduce reduced rates of VAT from the prescribed list of goods and services as set out in Annex H of the EC Sixth VAT Directive. There is no general provision in Annex H for devices which improve safety in the home.But Annex H does allow a reduced rate for certain works to housing and the Government have used this to introduce a reduced rate of VAT for the grant-funded installation of certain security measures (for example window and door-locks and smoke alarms), when installed at the same time as energy saving materials or central heating systems also paid for by a qualifying grant. Qualifying grants are targeted at people aged 60 or over and those receiving specified benefits, so the related reduced rate is similarly well targeted at those who need help most.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether all the documents relating to the murder of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP in 1922 are now in the public domain; and if he will make a statement. [170548]

Records kept by several Government Departments relating to the murder of Field Marshall Sir Henry Wilson in London in June 1922 are available for public inspection in the National Archives. A search of the National Archives' electronic catalogue did not reveal any documents unavailable for public inspection.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether all official documents relating to Rudolf Hess are now in the public domain; and if he will make a statement. [170549]

A search of the National Archives' electronic catalogue provides details of records relating to the career of Rudolf Hess originating from several Government Departments and now kept at Kew. All of this material appears to be available for public consultation. Since Mr. Hess did not die until 1987, it is quite possible that more material relating to him is still held in Government Departments, in accordance with the 30-year rule and other provisions of the Public Records Acts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which documents relating to the late Duke of Windsor are withheld from public inspection in the Public Records Office, broken down by category; and if he will make a statement. [170541]

Many public records relating to the Duke of Windsor, including some concerning his career after the Abdication in December 1936, were made available to the public for the first time on 30 January 2003. Further information about these and other records relating to the Duke kept at the National Archives can be obtained from its electronic catalogue on the internet at http://catalogue.pro.gov.uk. A search of the catalogue has not revealed any reference to the Duke's career which is not available for public consultation.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether all the documents relating to the death of the late Duke of Kent in 1942, with particular reference to the itinerary of his final projected journey, are now in the public domain and available for inspection; and if he will make a statement. [170544]

The National Archives holds some correspondence and papers relating to the Duke of Kent's fatal air crash in Caithness in August 1942, mainly among the Air Ministry records. It is not aware of any significant body of material concerning this matter in other public archives.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which documents referring to personalities and events relating to the conflict in Ireland between 1919 and 1923 are withheld from inspection at the Public Records Office; and if he will make a statement. [170545]

There is a considerable amount of material relating to the conflict in Ireland during this period, mainly but not exclusively among the historical records of the Cabinet Office, the War Office, the Colonial Office and the Home Office, now kept at the National Archives. It is not possible to supply a definitive answer concerning the availability of all this material without incurring disproportionate cost, but initial searches in the National Archives' electronic catalogue indicate that only a very few of the relevant files are not now open to public inspection.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which documents relating to the Irish plenipotentiaries who negotiated the Treaty of 1921 with the United Kingdom Government are withheld from pubic inspection in the Public Records Office; and if he will make a statement. [170546]

There is a full official record of the negotiations between the British Government and the Irish plenipotentiaries, which resulted in the Treaty of 6 December 1921, among the Cabinet Office records now kept at the National Archives, in particular series CAB 21, CAB 24, CAB 27 and CAB 43. These records are open for public consultation.The Royal Irish Constabulary's file on Michael Collins, one of the leading plenipotentiaries, covering the period 1916–1920, is also publicly available (reference: CO 904/196).

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which documents that relate to Anthony Blunt are withheld from public inspection in the Public Record Office, broken down by category; and if he will make a statement. [170547]

An initial search of the electronic catalogue relating to public records kept by the National Archives does not reveal any records relating to Anthony Blunt which are not open to public inspection. However, since he remained a prominent public figure until his death in 1983, it is quite possible that some material relating to him held by Government Departments has yet to be transferred to the National Archives, in accordance with the 30-year rule and other provisions of the Public Records Acts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the role of the British-Irish Council is in monitoring and co-ordinating the implementation of the provisions of the Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. [168815]

The British-Irish Council does not have a role in monitoring and co-ordinating the implementation of the provision of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. This is a matter for the Council of Europe and each of the Charter's ratified signatories. (Out of the BIC Members, only the UK and Ireland are members of the Council of Europe, and the UK is the only ratified signatory to the Charter.)The British-Irish Council however has a sectoral working group looking at Indigenous, Minority and Lesser-Used Languages, led by the Welsh Assembly Government. The work of the BIC in this area will complement current UK initiatives in respect of the Charter.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 25 March with regard to Mr. Martin Rathfelder. [172259]

The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor wrote to the right hon. Member on 4 May in response to his letter of 25 March.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the dispute with the Bar over legal aid in criminal trials. [169800]

Very high cost criminal cases (VHCCCs) represent around 1 per cent. of all Crown court cases but take up (currently) around 51 per cent. of Crown court expenditure (£250–300 million). Over the last three years the percentage increase in the cost of the most expensive 1,000 criminal cases in each year has been 14 per cent. The new contracting scheme, which now applies to all these cases, introduces greater control and works on the basis of fixed rates for both barristers and solicitors. Cases are paid for as each stage is completed. That is an advantage from the lawyer's point of view over the former system where cases are on average paid two years after their start.The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and I are concerned about the refusal by barristers to take on some very high cost criminal cases (VHCCCs) under the contracting regime which now applies to all cases. We have therefore set up a Review Committee with the Bar and Law Society to examine the VHCCC regime and report by 28 May 2004. The committee also includes the Legal Services Commission, the Treasury and the Crown Prosecution Service. I am pleased to note that the Chairman of the Bar has written to his members to help ensure that the essential public interest priorities are met pending the outcome of the review.The VHCCC Review Committee met for the first time on 26 April, under the chairmanship of Ian Magee CB (Second Permanent Secretary at the Department of Constitutional Affairs, and Chief Executive, Operations with responsibility for legal aid). There was a useful exchange of views between the Bar, the Law Society, my Department and the Crown Prosecution Service and a programme of rapid work has been agreed, which should enable a full report to be prepared by 28 May.The Review Committee's terms of reference are:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) patients and (b) patients' families have received legal aid support for disputes with NHS trusts in the last five years. [166692]

The information requested is not directly available. The Legal Services Commission's computer systems do not record the status of the person receiving legal aid nor do they indicate who the dispute is against. However, the Commission is able to provide figures for the number of funding certificates where the Commission has granted Legal Representation for actual or potential clinical negligence proceedings. The figures are not necessarily reflective of the number of individuals involved:

	Number
1998–99	7,867
1999–2000	7,375
2000–01	7,329
2001–02	7,309
2002–03	6,307

The Commission has figures for the pre-representation legal advice and assistance stage only from April 2001. These are as follows—again the figures are not necessarily reflective of the number of individuals involved:

To ask the Solicitor-General which areas will be covered by the new anti-social behaviour prosecutors; and what mechanisms are in place for spreading best practice in combating antisocial behaviour. [172930]

The twelve Areas covered by the new anti-social behaviour prosecutors are: Northumbria, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, Merseyside, Manchester, West Mercia, Birmingham, South Wales, Avon and Somerset, Sussex, Kent and London (North Sector).The specialist prosecutors will be responsible for prosecuting anti-social behaviour cases and seeking orders on conviction.Best practice is shared on a regular basis via a central project team and a dedicated Crown Prosecution Service intranet bulletin board. The expert prosecutors will be holding regular meetings with the Attorney General where they will circulate local good practice and feed back practitioner impact.Those CPS Areas not included in the scope of the current project have now appointed lead anti-social behaviour prosecutors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding for tourism has been made available to each regional development agency (RDA) in the current year; and how much of this funding each RDA passed on (a) to its regional tourist board, (b) to local authorities, (c) to local and regional businesses and (d) for use for marketing. [172389]

In 2004–05, the RDAs will receive £3.6 million specifically for tourism as follows:

	Amount (£)
Advantage West Midlands	252,000
East of England Development Agency	543,000
East Midlands Development Agency	252,000
North West Development Agency	713,000
One North East	333,000
South East Development Agency	744,000
South West Regional Development Agency	403,000
Yorkshire Forward	360,000

This money is ring-fenced for the Regional Tourist Boards until the end of 2005–06. Those regions which no longer work with an RTB have sought the Department's approval to pass the money to other designated tourism delivery bodies. The RDAs will determine what objectives and targets the RTBs or other organisations should meet in return for the funds, working as appropriate with local authorities and businesses.In the North East, ONE has taken over the core functions of the former Northumbria Tourist Board, and will retain the funding on the basis that it is ring-fenced for this purpose. In the North West, the NWDA has established four destination management organisations to take over the role of the former NW Tourist Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been carried out of the effectiveness of abolishing the Disabled Facilities Grant means test for children in Northern Ireland. [172874]

The abolition of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) means-test for parents of children with disabilities came into effect from 16 February 2004. It is therefore too early for any assessment of effectiveness to be carried out. The working group which was set up to look at the matter considered the potential impact of the abolition in terms of cost to the Government and numbers who could be helped by the abolition. It was estimated that 25–30 applications for DFG are withdrawn each year due to the high contribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) homeless and (b) other people living rough there are in Northern Ireland. [171798]

The exact number of people "living rough" is unknown. However, a survey early this year estimated that between 20 and 30 people who frequently use Housing Executive funded Outreach services could be regarded as "living rough". The survey did not, however, attempt to determine whether they were statutorily homeless or not. This is a very small percentage compared the number of households on the Housing Executive's waiting list registered as homeless which at 31 March 2004 stood at 5,287.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the status of the Safe Sports Grounds funding made available for essential health and safety work to stadia in Northern Ireland; and how much funding has been made available (a) in each of the past three years and (b) since January for this purpose. [170249]

The Interim Safe Sports Grounds Scheme ended in March 2003 and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland is currently planning development of a new Sports Grounds Development Programme, the main purpose of which is to address the long-term health and safety deficiencies of major sports grounds in Northern Ireland. Government funding made available for the health and safety work to Northern Ireland stadia in each of the last three financial years.

	£ million
Financial year	Amount made available
2001–02	0.5
2002–03	1
2003–04	Nil

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farms in Scotland, 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. [169878]

This is a devolved matter within the responsibility of the Scottish Executive, who are advised by the Food Standards Agency. However, the following table from the Food Standards Agency shows the number of farms in Scotland, their location and area of land covered by restrictions on the movement of sheep as a result of the residual radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. There have been no restrictions on land use as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

Restrictions in Scotland at 30 April 2004
	Number
Number of Farms	14
Land Area (hectares)	16,300
Location	1—
1South West and Central Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his latest estimate is of the amount spent by his Department on official entertainment in each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05. [169103]

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.Since that date the Office has spent the following on hospitality and entertainment:

	£000
1999–2000	110,638
2000–01	41,638
2001–02	25,789
2002–03	41,782
2003–042	25,969
1Part-year cost.
2Estimate.
Note:	Expenditure for 2004–05 is expected to be of a similar order to 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of the breach of the air exclusion zone around the Chapel Cross nuclear plant this year; and what steps have been taken to improve air security around the plant. [171650]

I have been asked to reply.My officials have discussed this matter with the Ministry of Defence, who have confirmed that no breach of the air exclusion zone at the Chapel Cross nuclear power station has taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's expenditure on (a) fixed and (b) mobile telephones was in each of the last five years. [165967]

The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.Since that date the Office has spend the following on telephone costs.

£000
	Fixed lines	Mobile telephones
1999–2000	136,622	16,760
2000–01	85,483	14,275
2001–02	86,697	11,850
2002–03	81,756	7,216
2003–042	82,131	6,646
1Part-year costs.
2Estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department plans to contribute financially to the establishment of the second phase of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [167617]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 10 May 2004. Official Report, column 31W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Transport Police officers have been assaulted while on duty in each year since 1997. [171902]

The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on officers assaulted while on duty in each year since 1997:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what research his Department has conducted into car-sharing schemes; and if he will place copies of such research findings in the Library; [172290](2) what plans his Department has to provide guidance for local transport plans relating to car-sharing schemes. [172291]

Research into the effectiveness of car sharing and other travel plan measures was published in 2002 in "Making Travel Plans Work: Research Report", copies of which were placed in the Library.Last year, the Department commissioned research into the influence of soft factors on travel demand. The final report, which will include a chapter on car sharing, is expected to be completed shortly and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.Following a commitment made in the Government's Response to the Motorist's Forum Report on car sharing and car clubs on 3 December 2002,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the locations of high occupancy vehicle lanes are; and how long each lane is. [172293]

There are high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes operating in two local authorities in England: two lengths of HOV lane in Leeds totalling 1.5 km and four lengths totalling 1.9 km in South Gloucester.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has collated on the effectiveness of high occupancy vehicle lanes. [172294]

The HOV lanes on Stanningley Road in Leeds are included as one of the case studies in the Bus Partnership Forum's Resource Pack "Bus Priority—The Way Ahead" published by the Department in September 2003. This reports the results of an evaluation of the HOV lanes carried out by Leeds City Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the construction of the A46 dual carriageway improvement between Newark and Widmerpool in Nottinghamshire to begin. [171518]

The future programme depends on funding and how quickly the various statutory processes can be completed but we currently expect that start of works will be in 2007 with the road opening to traffic in 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the construction of the A453 dual carriageway improvement between Clifton in Nottinghamshire and Kegworth to begin. [171519]

The future programme depends on funding and how quickly the various statutory processes can be completed but we currently expect that start of works will be in 2008–09 with the road opening to traffic in 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the proposed Western Section (Oxford to Bedford) of the East-West Rail route. [172170]

The East-West Rail Consortium (a group of local authorities along the route, working in partnership with the regional assembly and the regional development agencies) has now put forward an updated business case for the Bedford to to Bletchley section of the East West Rail Link. This proposal involves upgrading and re-opening the line between Oxford and Bedford. Officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are considering the updated business case, particularly in light of the potential impact of the scheme on the delivery of the Sustainable Communities Plan. The Strategic Rail Authority is also considering the Bedford to Bletchley business case. Any appraisal will need to be considered against other priorities — and in the context of the financial constraints on the industry at the present time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an announcement of his decision on the Light Rapid Transit project between Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth. [172376]

A decision will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which management consultants undertook work for (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) London Underground in respect of the London Underground Public Private Partnership; and if he will list the total payments in each management consultancy company. [171222]

During procurement of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) the Department and London Underground made joint use of external advisers wherever possible to keep costs to a minimum. Management consultants used on the PPP were PricewaterhouseCoopers, Arthur Andersen, PA Consulting, KPMG, Hornagold & Hills and Ernst & Young. The value of work done by individual consultants and advisers is commercially confidential. London Underground's total expenditure for all external advice on the PPP— including management consultancy legal, financial, engineering and operational advice— was £103.5 million. The Department had separately spent £1.5 million on external advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the testing of the MOT computerisation system by VOSA and Siemens Business Systems. [172132]

Siemens Business Services have fully completed four cycles of Main System Test and are in the process of completing a fifth. Trial stage 1 (VOSA Acceptance Testing) is due to begin on 21 June 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made with the planned two-month volunteer MOT trial at 50 garages. [172133]

Trials at 45 stations are due to begin on 2 August 2004.Volunteers have been sought and applicants are being sifted. Those who have been selected to conduct these initial trials will be notified shortly

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the MOT computerisation programme will be installed in 1,000 MOT garages as planned; when the service is due to go live; and when it will be rolled out to other MOT garages. [172134]

The service is due to be rolled out and trialled in 1,000 MOT stations from, 27 September 2004 onwards. These stations will trial the service in parallel with, operating the current test administration protocols.The service is due to be rolled out to all MOT stations, and go live, from 29 November 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the planned series of MOT computerisation seminars will take place; and what these seminars are planned to do. [172135]

VOSA runs a series of national MOT seminars each year. The subject of the 2004 round of seminars was MOT Computerisation; they took place between January and April. The seminars facilitate two-way communications between VOSA and the trade on issues relating to MOT testing. No further seminars are planned before roll-out starts to all stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is for (a) increasing the productivity and (b) cutting the costs of (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies. [172182]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 10 May 2004, Official Report, columns 148–49W. The Department for Transport has been working on proposals to meet the Chancellor's efficiency target. These proposals will be finalised as part of the 2004 Spending Review.

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 Wirral South. [172693]

Merseyrail which operates local services in Wirral, South is a consistently high performer. Residents of Wirral, South will also benefit from the West Coast Main Line upgrade and the new TransPennine Express franchise to make fast inter-city journeys out of Liverpool. The TransPennine Express franchise, which commenced in February secures investment of around £260 million, 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.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many crimes of a sexual nature were committed on the railways in each year since 1997. [171910]

The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on how many crimes of a sexual nature were committed on the railways in each year since 1997:

Total number of offences recorded
	England and Wales	Scotland
1997–98	719	37
1998–99	1,185	29
1999–2000	1,079	34
2000–01	1,009	31
2001–02	1,020	34
2002–03	1,003	29
2003–04	1,120	36

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many arrests have been made by the British Transport Police on railway property in each year since 1997. [171911]

The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on arrests made on railway property in each year since 1999; information is not readily available for earlier than 1999.

	Total number of arrests
1999–2000	6,393
2000–01	6,788
2001–02	7,049
2002–03	7,434
2003–04	8,151

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many arrests have been made by the British Transport Police in each year since 1997 for suspected crimes committed on property other than the railways. [171912]

The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on arrests made for crimes committed on property other than the railways since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many stations are not served by at least one train in each direction on one or more weekdays each week; [171941](2) which stations are not served by trains on

The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost because it would involve very detailed analysis of the National Rail Timetable, table by table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals have been banned from travelling on the railways in each year since 1997. [171905]

The British Transport Police (BTP) has only had the power to apply for ASBOs (antisocial behaviour orders) since December 2003. Since then the BTP have successfully applied for 52 orders. There are also presently 30 suspects who have football banning orders that stop people from travelling on the railway on certain match days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the numbers of (i) rural bus services and (ii) rural bus passengers during the last five years. [172518]

We monitor annually the number of services supported by local authorities with funds provided under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) scheme and the number of passenger journeys made on these services. In 1998, the year the grant was introduced, it provided 850 new and enhanced services, rising to over 2,100 services in 2002–03. In 2002–03 26 million passenger journeys were supported in England through RBSG.We have commissioned research into the impact of the Department's two funding streams for rural bus services, RBSG and the Rural Bus Challenge. A report is on the Department's website

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding has been provided for rural bus services in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [172519]

The following table shows specific rural bus funding provided by Government since 1998 the year each of the funding schemes concerned were introduced:

				£ million
	Countryside Agency grants1	Rural Bus Challenge2	Rural Bus Subsidy Grant	Total
1998–99	2.3	11.4	24.1	37.8
1999–2000	3.3	16.8	32.0	52.1
2000–01	4.8	21.2	32.3	58.2
2001–02	7.5	20.5	41.2	69.2
2002–03	13.5	20.0	47.3	80.8
2003–04	35	20.3	48.4	103.7
1 Countryside Agency Grants 1998–2000 Rural Transport Partnership (RTF) and Rural Transport Development Fund, since 2001 RTF and Parish Transport Grant.
2 Rural Bus Challenge funding awarded for projects typically lasting 2–3 years

In addition local transport authorities use some of their general funding to subsidise socially necessary local bus services in rural areas, and Bus Service Operators Grant is paid to bus operators and community transport providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the expected level of subsidy for rural bus services for future years. [172520]

As announced in the 2003 Budget, Rural Bus Subsidy Grant will continue until April 2006. Allocations to local authorities for 2005–06 will be announced in due course. Decisions on the grant beyond that year, and on the future of the Rural Bus Challenge scheme, will be announced following completion of the current review of bus subsidies and the Government's Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the risk relating to explosives remaining on the SS Richard Montgomery in the Thames from the possible operation of Shell Haven Port; and if he will make a statement. [172560]

The main Yantlet shipping channel is over 2 km from the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, and is separated by the extensive Nore Sands sandbank. This whole area lies within Port of London Authority jurisdiction, and they have undertaken a risk assessment of the whole London Gateway Project. This suggests that there would be no additional risk from vessel movements which could not be handled by the Vessel Traffic Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many special advisers and political advisers were employed by his Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997. [171962]

The following table states the numbers of special advisers employed in the Department for Transport and its predecessors since 1997.

	Title of Department	Number of special advisers in post
2004	Department for Transport	1
2003	Department for Transport	2
2002	Department for Transport	2
2001	Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions	2
2000	Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions	1
1999	Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions	1
1998	Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions	2
1997	Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions	2

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cameras at legacy sites meet the Government's criteria for the siting of speed cameras; and if he will make a statement. [171892]

These safety camera sites were established before the current criteria for location of new safety cameras, under the guidance contained in the 1992 Circular 'Use of technology for traffic enforcement: Guidance on deployment', which asked highway authorities to base sites on systematic analysis of accident statistics, but did not set quantified criteria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money raised through speed cameras has been returned to the Treasury in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [171893]

Safety Camera Partnerships operating within the cost recovery scheme returned £6,281,051 of their receipts resulting from fixed penalty fines to the Treasury in 2001–02. The figures for 2002–03 will be available shortly. All fine receipts resulting from safety cameras operated outside the cost recovery scheme accrue to the Treasury. I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary that information on the amount of these receipts relating to convictions from safety cameras is not separately identifiable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many legacy camera sites maintained cameras with film in them on 31 March. [171921]

Any safety camera housing may have a camera operating in it at any time, deployment of cameras around safety camera sites is a police operational matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to contribute financially to the establishment of the second phase of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [167619]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Agri-Environment on 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 31W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action the Department is taking to implement the aid and assistance work it is undertaking with regard to the Second Primary Education Development Programme in Bangladesh in other countries (a) within South East Asia and (b) in the rest of the developing world. [172501]

The Second Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP2) in Bangladesh is distinctive in that it is part of a sector wide programme supported by all donors. It thus replaces all previous separate education projects funded by donors. It is Government led, with donor inputs coordinated by a joint donor office headed by the lead donor, the Asian development bank. DFID is one of the largest donors having approved £100 million over six years. The programme is focused on improving access and quality in primary education.PEDP2 is in the early stages of implementation. As the programme progresses we will disseminate lessons learnt to other parts of South East Asia and other developing countries where primary education is a priority sector. Harmonised support for sector wide programmes in education is DFID's preferred way of working and similar programmes are currently running, or being developed in, many of the over 30 developing countries, mostly in South Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa, where DFID supports primary education for all children.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of EU sanctions on Burma. [171692]

The EU Common Position was strengthened last year, in response to the violent attack on and subsequent detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD). DFID considers that the effect of EU measures do have a real impact on the military regime. They signal how seriously the EU takes the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) breaches of international standards of behaviour and helps to provide support for the pro-democracy forces.The EU Common Position aims to apply targeted sanctions against the regime to persuade the SPDC of the need for political progress, but as far as is possible, to avoid measures which hurt the ordinary Burmese people.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the latest under five mortality rate is in (a) Pakistan and (b) India. [172455]

The World Bank 2003 Development Indicators records the following for under five mortality:

(a) 109 per 1,000 live births in Pakistan in 2001, and

(b) 93 per 1,000 live births in India in 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the budget is for the Commission for Africa, broken down by (a) staffing costs, (b) consultancy costs, (c) communication costs, (d) expenses and (e) other available budget headings. [172562]

The budget for the Commission for Africa will not be finally agreed until Commissioners have drawn up their work plans in consultation with the Commission for Africa Secretariat. This will take place over the coming month. Following these discussions the overall budget may increase and the allocation between budget headings change. The current breakdown over 14 months is:

(a) staffing costs (including salaries, staff travel, training and office costs): £1,115,000;

(b) consultancy costs: currently there is no budget heading covering consultancies, but we plan to use the £700,000 originally earmarked for Commissioners' staff for this purpose;

(c) communication costs: currently there is no budget heading covering communication costs, though we have allocated £20,000 for the production of the final report;

(d) expenses: staff travel is included within the staffing costs budget heading. The allocation for Commissioners' travelling expenses is £144,000;

(e) Consultation meetings across Africa and elsewhere on the work of the Commission: £1,200,000;

(f) Commission meeting costs (venue hire, meal booking, press conference costs, transcription, vehicle hire, security): £240,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how many people the Commission for Africa will employ when it is fully staffed; [172563](2) how many people the Commission for Africa employs. [172561]

The Secretariat to the Commission for Africa currently consists of 14 full-time members of staff and is looking to recruit up to six more people over the next month, which will bring the staff total to 20. More staff may be recruited over the coming year to undertake expert analysis.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcomes were of the discussions that the Minister had with President Kabila, Vice President Ruberwa, Vice President Bemba and Foreign Minister Ghonda on his recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. [172503]

I visited the DRC recently to discuss the transition process with the President and Vice-Presidents. We agreed that the TNG and the international community needed to focus on making the transition work by addressing the critical security issues and establishing the necessary stable environment for the elections planned for next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the (a) crockery, (b) cutlery and (c) glassware procured by his Department over the last five years is of British manufacture. [170803]

All procurement decisions are taken on grounds of value for money. Crockery, cutlery and glassware for our staff restaurants are purchased by our catering contractors, who have operated our current London staff restaurant for 2½years. All of the crockery and cutlery purchased was manufactured in Great Britain. Glassware is of French origin. Information regarding procurement by our previous contractors is not readily available and could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees in his Department took early retirement, and at what total cost, in the last financial year. [172176]

In the last financial year there were 19 early retirements from DFID. One retirement was on medical grounds with the remainder on compulsory terms.The total cost of these early retirements will be £1,609,274.97 of which £935,024.79 was paid during 2003–04.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department's overseas offices offer to UK-based recruitment agencies in the recruitment of education workers from overseas; and how many staff in his Department were involved in offering such assistance on the latest date for which figures are available. [171500]

DFID overseas offices have not offered such assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received concerning the adequacy of firefighting outfits used by Iraqi firefighters; what assessment he has made of the asbestos-lined suit they use; what plans he has to provide urgent and direct aid to upgrade the quality of the firefighters' outfit; and if he will make a statement. [172278]

DFID has received no information on, nor undertaken any assessment of, the adequacy of Iraqi fire fighters' suits. Our plans for assistance to Iraq do not include the upgrading of fire fighters' suits.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what arrangements are in place for accountability of the Coalition Development Fund for Iraq; what demands for accountability have been made by the Independent Monitoring Board; what the policy is of (a) the UK Government and (b) the Coalition Provisional Authority on each demand; what has happened to the £7.6 billion surplus from the oil-for-food programme which was transferred to the Coalition Development Fund; and if he will make a statement. [172280]

All funds in the Development Fund for Iraq are subject to audit by the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB), created under UN Security Council Resolution 1483. The role of the Board is to ensure that the Development Fund for Iraq is used in a transparent manner for the benefit of the people of Iraq, and that export sales of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas from Iraq are made consistent with prevailing international market best practices. The Board consists of representatives of the UN, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.DFID is unaware of any specific demands for accountability from the IAMB. As recorded in the statement following their 23 April meeting (www.iamb.info) the IAMB continue to work closely with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and others in the achievement of their objectives.Surplus funds received from the oil-for-food programme, above those required to complete existing contracts, are paid into the Development Fund for Iraq. Like other funds, including oil revenues, seized and vested assets, their allocation is decided by the CPA Programme Review Board. These allocations are then subject to IAMB oversight.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Iraq. [172295]

In spite of continuing security problems, there is no widespread humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Iraqi Ministries, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, NGOs and Iraqi citizens have been working together to assist people affected by the recent fighting in Falluja, and have made preparations for the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance, if required, in other parts of Iraq. An Emergency Co-ordination Group has been established to ensure the effective coordination of emergency assistance in Iraq. Its membership includes UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and NGOs.US$32 billion in grants and soft loans was pledged for the reconstruction of Iraq at the Madrid Donors' Conference in October last year. DFID has committed £278 million to humanitarian and reconstruction work in Iraq since the beginning of 2003. Over the last year, Iraqi Ministries, together with the Coalition Provisional Authority and aid agencies, have made significant progress in restoring essential services, maintaining the Public Distribution System for food rations, reopening hospitals and schools and beginning the process of longer-term reconstruction.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received about the current humanitarian situation in Iraq. [172465]

I receive representations from many sources about assistance to Iraq. Since the 2003 conflict, most of Iraq's requirements have been for reconstruction rather than for immediate humanitarian assistance. At the Madrid Donors' Conference in October last year, the Government pledged a total of £544 million in assistance to Iraq for the three years from April 2003. DFID has so far committed £278 million in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq since March 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the ratio is of girls to boys enrolled in primary school in (a) Pakistan and (b) India. [172456]Mr. Gareth Thomas: The World Bank 2003 Development Indicators record the following for the ratio of girls to boys enrolled in primary school:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons there has been slippage on his Department's public service agreement target to increase the tuberculosis case detection rate above 70 per cent. [172452]

The target to detect 70 per cent. of (smear positive) Tuberculosis (TB) cases globally by 2005 was set by the World Health Assembly and forms the basis for DFID's public service agreement target. Much progress has been made. In 2002 an estimated 37 per cent. of estimated new smear positive cases were notified under the internationally recommended control strategy for TB (DOTS), an increase from 27 per cent. in 2001 and halfway towards the 2005 target.However, even with these encouraging recent trends at current progress the case detection rate will only be 50 per cent. by 2005. Concerted international action is needed to overcome challenges to scale up effective TB programmes in high burden countries, including strengthening political commitment, health systems, human resource capacity, primary health care provision, private sector and corporate sector contributions and working with poverty reduction strategies. DFID is committed to playing its role in accelerating progress towards the 2005 target as an active member of the Stop TB partnership.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what the latest tuberculosis cure treatment rate is in each of the countries covered by his Public Service Agreement target. [172454]

The cure rates for tuberculosis in 2001, measured by Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) treatment success rate in countries where DFID has a Public Service Agreement are listed in the 2004 World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Control report. Figures for 2002 are not yet available.

country	Internationally recommended control strategy for TB (DOTS) treatment success rate (Percentage)
Africa
Ethiopia	76
Democratic Republic of Congo	77
Ghana	42
Kenya	80
Malawi	70
Mozambique	77
Nigeria	79
Rwanda	161
Sierra Leone	80
South Africa	65
Lesotho	71
Sudan	80
Tanzania	81
Uganda	56
Zambia	75
Zimbabwe	71
Asia
Bangladesh	84
China	96
Pakistan	77
India	85
1 in 2000–01 figure not yet known