To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government support for fruit farming. [174422]

Defra funds a substantial research and development programme of benefit to fruit farmers. Growers are also eligible for assistance under the England Rural Development Programme, for the first time, soft fruit will attract support as a result of CAP reform.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government measures to protect fish stocks in UK waters. [174423]

There are a range of national and EU measures to protect stocks in our waters. The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit has made far-reaching recommendations for further measures. We are studying the report and will respond fully by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from small-scale egg producers about recent changes to regulations, including those about egg stamping; and if she will make a statement. [174414]

Defra has received an estimated 3,150 inquiries on the Registration of Laying Flocks Order and the Egg Marketing Regulations—by far the majority of these inquiries were from producers wanting to know how to comply with the changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs if she will make a statement on (a) urban and (b) rural air quality in 2003. [174406]

The Government's annual Air Quality Headline Indicator, published on 28 April 2004, estimates:

(a) an areas in 2003, air pollution was recorded as moderate or higher on 50 days on average per site, compared with 20 days in 2002

(b) In rural areas, the figure for 2003 was 61 days on average per site, compared with 30 in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the safety of imported chickens from South East Asia since the recent outbreaks of avian influenza; and if she will make a statement. [173681]

Under EU rules, imports of live poultry are not permitted from any of the countries in Asia where highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed. This was the case even before the disease outbreaks, as none of these countries had been approved by the European Commission to export live poultry to the EU. Similarly, with the exception of Thailand, imports of meat from the affected countries are not authorised.The risk of the avian influenza virus spreading to other birds through meat is low. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, the European Commission took action on 23 January to ban imports from Thailand of fresh and frozen poultry meat unless accompanied by certification confirming that it was from birds slaughtered before 1 January 2004. In addition, cooked poultry meat that had not been heat treated to at least 70°C, was also banned. The UK took immediate action to implement these measures in domestic law.The Food Standards Agency advice is that eating chicken is not considered a risk to consumers. This is because the risk to people from Avian Influenza arises from close contact with live chickens that have the disease, and not through eating chicken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further steps she will take to promote the export of beef. [174421]

Beef exports are currently limited by the requirements of the Date Based Export Scheme. In the light of last week's positive opinions from the European Food Safety Authority, and taking account of any decision to replace the UK's over-30 months rule by testing, we will continue to work with the EU Commission to ensure that controls on UK beef exports are eased as far as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has received on the hazards that can be caused by beekeeping. [173089]

The Department has received no such representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been conducted by or for her Department on bioremediation using genetically modified organisms. [173118]

The Department has recently published research that specifically examines the potential use of genetically modified organisms in bioremediation (final report available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-1–5–142.htm). The report concludes that genetic modification offers some possible benefits in this area, but that, as with all GMOs, a thorough evaluation of the potential risks is required. This evaluation needs to be carried out in the context of the contaminated environment in which bioremediation is applied and the possible alternative approaches to bioremediation.We have also commissioned research on bioremediation in general, some of which has considered the use of genetically modified organisms (for a full list see http://www.defra.gov.uk/research/Project_Data_projects.asp?M=KWS&V=bioremediation &SCOPE=0).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of repeated intradermal skin tests on the ability of the test to detect bovine TB infection in individual cattle. [172530]

There is often a trade-off between test sensitivity and specificity. The skin test used in GB has been fine tuned to optimise specificity (i.e. keep false positives to a minimum) while retaining a good sensitivity (i.e. probability of identifying infected herds). However, because of the dynamics of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis—the causative organism for bovine tuberculosis) transmission and the time it takes to mount a detectable immune response to the intradermal injection of tuberculin, the skin test cannot be relied upon to detect every animal infected with M. bovis at the time of the disclosing test. This phenomenon is not unique to the tuberculin test and, in fact, this is quite normal for any immunological test.For these reasons, it is well accepted that the tuberculin tests are more suited to the detection of infected herds rather than the detection of infected individual cattle, i.e. a small proportion of infected animals in reactor herds may escape detection when the herd is first tested (false negatives). In order to increase the sensitivity of the skin test and detect any animals in the early stages of infection, reactor herds are re-tested at 60 day intervals until no further reactor animals are found and restrictions can be lifted. Reactor herds are then re-tested 6 and 18 months after the lifting of restrictions. Additionally, if infection has been confirmed in the herd by post mortem examination or culture, a more severe interpretation of test readings is applied. This further enhances the ability of the test to detect any residual infection after the initial screening. In other words, the imperfect sensitivity of the skin test is compensated for by the application of short-interval testing and severe interpretation.Defra has also sponsored experimental work at the Institute of Animal Health (Compton), to look into the effects of repeat skin testing. The main finding of this experiment was that repeat testing at 56-day intervals before experimental infection of calves with

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has evaluated on the specificity and sensitivity of the Bovigam gamma in interferon test; and what conclusions she has drawn. [172550]

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has reviewed 13 papers reporting gamma-interferon (γ-IFN) field trials in Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, Italy, Spain and USA. Eight papers gave 20 estimates of sensitivity (80 per cent. were in the range 71–94 per cent.) and 8 papers gave 22 estimates of specificity (80 per cent. were in the range 89–99 per cent.). These estimates for sensitivity are similar to those for the skin test as practiced in the UK, but the estimates for specificity are lower. If the γ-IFN test were used at the same time or shortly after the skin test and animals positive to either test were removed, the combined tests would have a greater sensitivity than the skin test alone. If used with the defined, more specific, antigens developed by VLA, the gamma interferon test can in certain circumstances identify uninfected animals that are positive to the skin test.The γ-IFN assay is widely considered to be at least as sensitive as the skin tests and, in addition, will detect a proportion of infected cattle that fail to react to the skin tests. This is thought to be because the γ-IFN test detects infection at an earlier stage than the skin test does, although there is also evidence that the two tests detect slightly different populations of tuberculouses cattle. However, the γ-IFN test is hardly ever used for mass TB screening on its own. This is because the test is relatively expensive, it does not detect all skin test-positive infected animals, it tends to be less specific than the SICCT (the single intradermal comparative cervical test, which is the version of the skin test used in the UK and Ireland) and, the SICCT, it is unlikely to detect infected animals that are negative to the tuberculin test due to a depressed immune response to tuberculin (this can occur in cattle with advanced TB). The need to process samples within 24–30 hours of collection also poses some logistical problems for mass screening.In contrast, it has been postulated that the use of the γ-IFN test in tandem with the skin test could allow the removal of more (but not necessarily all) infected cattle from particular breakdown herds than the skin test alone. If this is correct, use of the two tests in quick succession should speed up the elimination of infection from infected herds. Under this premise, the European Commission approved the γ-IFN test in 2002 for use as an ancillary test in animals that fail to respond to the skin test and it now complements the skin tests in cattle herds with intractable, confirmed infection in many EU member states. It is worth noting that most of these member states use a version of the skin test different to that used in the UK and Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of specificity and sensitivity she has concluded might be applied to control bovine TB in cattle herds which (a) are subject to repeated and persistent bovine TB breakdowns, (b) are subject to a first TB breakdown and which are also in a TB hotspot, (c) are subject to a first TB breakdown and which are not in a TB hotspot, (d) have not been subject to TB breakdowns and which are in a TB hotspot and (e) have not been subject to TB breakdowns and which are not in a TB hotspot. [172551]

Sensitivity and specificity of tests for bovine TB in cattle have relative rather than absolute meanings as it is not possible to conclusively demonstrate that an animal with no sign of TB is not in the early stages of infection. In addition, it is possible to increase the sensitivity and decrease the specificity by lowering the reading above which the test is declared positive (as occurs with standard and severe interpretations of the skin test).The Divisional Veterinary Managers (DVMs) have the discretion to remove cattle from herds that are not skin test positive—they are generally termed Dangerous Contacts. The DVMs use their epidemiological judgment to vary the criteria used to remove animals in cases

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the predictive models used in other countries to assess the feasibility of controlling bovine TB using the Bovigam gamma interferon test. [172552]

Other countries with a bovine TB problem comparable to Great Britain's—New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland—have used the interferon test, but there are no published predictive models for its use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum (a) specificity and (b) sensitivity achieved by the Bovigam gammas interferon test in experiments conducted in the UK is; and under what conditions these results were achieved. [172553]

Specificity and sensitivity must be quoted together as they are inversely related, and they suffer from the lack of an absolute measure of whether an animal is infected. In the UK, the gamma interferon (γ-IFN) test has been used without the skin test only in laboratory studies.No large-scale validation of the γ-IFN test has been carried out in GB. The ongoing field trial sponsored by Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales and the Midlands aims to measure the cost effectiveness of using the γ-IFN in infected herds in conjunction with the single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT) and provide some data on the γ-IFN test sensitivity under GB conditions. There are also plans in train to assess the specificity of the γ-IFN test in areas of GB with little or no incidence of TB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum (i) sensitivity and (ii) specificity is of the comparative intradermal tuberculin test in the UK. [172554]

There is often a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test and no test is 100 per cent. sensitive and 100 per cent. specific. When used as a routine screening test in GB, the single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT) is designed to maximise specificity while retaining a good sensitivity.Statistical analysis of TB testing data suggests that the maximum sensitivity of disclosing tests is 90 per cent. and the maximum sensitivity of subsequent (short-interval) tests is 70 per cent. The average specificity of the disclosing test in low-incidence districts of Great Britain is between 99.98 per cent. and 99.99 per cent.When used in herds with confirmed TB, the cut off point of the test is shifted to increase sensitivity at the expense of specificity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many studies the Government have funded in the last 15 years into the specificity and sensitivity of the Bovigam gamma interferon test; which research establishments conducted each study; what the conclusions of each study were, with reference to specificity and sensitivity; when the results of each study were drawn to the attention of (a) the chief veterinary officers and (b) Ministers; and where and when the results were published. [172556]

The Bovigam test became commercially available around 1991. Since then, field research in a number of countries, including Britain, has confirmed the test to be a valuable ancillary test to the skin test. We have not conducted studies designed to look particularly at the specificity and sensitivity of the Bovigam test in the UK. However, there are nine current research projects which are looking at the development of more Mycobacterium bovis specific gamma interferon antigens or on the validation of the ones already trialled.Further details of these can be found in Annex 2 of the paper presented to the TB Forum on Gamma Interferon (TBF62) available on line at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/forum/papers/tbf62.htm.Work is continuing in the form of the policy pilot field trial. In addition, a number of peer-reviewed papers have been published in academic journals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of combinations of specificity and sensitivity applied in countries which have a bovine TB problem, in their use of the Bovigam gamma interferon test. [172565]

The performance of the gamma interferon (γ-IFN) test (Bovigam) has been assessed by many authors in trials carried out in several countries with bovine tuberculosis (TB) problems. This research has been carefully evaluated by Defra and scientists from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.In these trials, the sensitivity of the test has ranged between 55.4 and 100 per cent. and the specificity between 70.0 and 99.6 per cent. However, these results are influenced by the characteristics of the cattle populations in which the studies were carried out, the prevalence of cross-reacting organisms, the cut-off point

used to interpret the γ-IFN test and the criteria used to establish the

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has undertaken a cost and benefit analysis of the use of the Bovigam gamma interferon test. [172568]

No large-scale validation of the gamma interferon (γ-IFN) test has been carried out in GB. Although the γ-IFN test is now used in several countries, experimental data is lacking on the cost-effectiveness of using γ-IFN in infected herds in conjunction with the single intradermal comparative cervical test. Desk studies have estimated that significant savings will need to accrue from the use of the γ-IFN before it becomes cost-effective in GB. The on-going field trial sponsored by Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales and the Midlands aims to resolve this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice the Central Scientific Laboratory has provided to her Department on the (a) specificity and (b) sensitivity of the Bovigam gamma interferon test; and what advice it has provided on the applicability of the test as a bovine TB control measure; [172999](2) what recent discussions her Department and its agencies have had with Central Science Laboratory on the practical application of its Bovigam gamma interferon test for bovine TB in cattle. [172555]

No discussions have taken place with the Central Science Laboratory on the subject of the Bovigam gamma interferon test. The Bovigam test was developed by Commonwealth Serological Laboratories Veterinary Ltd., Australia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the procurement of British-produced food by public bodies. [173682]

A key objective of the Government's public sector food procurement initiative is to increase the amount of locally produced food purchased by public sector bodies. This cannot be done by restricting business to UK suppliers because the European Treaty prohibits discrimination on the basis of nationality. However, the legal and policy framework for procurement does allow public bodies to create a competitive environment that will encourage more UK producers to bid for public sector business.Public bodies are being advised to structure contract requirements so that small and local suppliers have the capacity and opportunity to compete and a realistic chance of being successful. One example is to specify more fresh seasonal produce. We are also asking food service companies to develop opportunities for local producers to become, part of their supply chains.The scope for applying these measures will vary depending on the size and particular requirements of each public sector contract. Public bodies have an overarching duty to secure value for money and so will have to ensure that the measures they adopt to encourage more supplies of local food are proportionate and justified. Nevertheless, the Government are confident that more local produce could be supplied to the public sector through the intelligent application of procurement practice.More information on this initiative is given on Defra's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/index.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Coastal Defence Strategy. [174417]

Assuming the question is about the River Arun to Pagham Harbour Coastal Defence Strategy, the Department anticipates receiving submission of the Executive Summary some time in June this year. A complete submission of all documentation is anticipated within the next three months. Defra would anticipate making a response within about three months if the documentation is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the final draft of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy; how long farmers will have to comply with the requirements of the mid-term review from the date of publication; and if she will make a statement. [174271]

On 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 1220, my right hon. Friend reported to the House on the political agreement that had been reached that morning on the Commission's proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. That agreement was subsequently given legal effect in Council Regulations 1782/2003, 1783/2003, 1784/2003, 1785/2003, 1786/2003, 1787/2003, and 1788/2003. Member states and individual farmers, where applicable, will have to comply with the requirements of those Regulations until such time as the Regulations are amended or repealed. Some provisions are already in place, for example those relating to the new Dairy Premium Scheme, but most will apply from 1 January 2005, when the new Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is introduced, and some, for example, on the Farm Advisory System, will not apply until later years. Details on these provisions appear on the Department's website (www.defra.gov.uk) and further information will be sent to farmers over the coming months in the lead up to the first application period for the SPS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the amount spent by her Department on official entertainment in each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05. [169004]

The information for Defra is as follows:

	£
2001–02	1239,000
2002–03	1450,000
2003–04	1428,000
1 Outturn.
2 Provisional outturn.

It should be noted that Defra only came into being in 2001. An estimate is not provided for 2004–05 since specific budgets are not set for this type of expenditure.The figures include expenditure on official entertainment made in accordance with the principles set out in "Government Accounting" and can range from tea and biscuits to catering for major events at which the Department—at official or ministerial level—discusses a range of issues from high-level policy issues to highly technical, legal and scientific issues. All such expenditure is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Government funding was allocated to the protection and welfare of animals in 2003–04, broken down by budget heading. [169945]

In 2003–04 a total of £9.2 million was spent on the protection and welfare of animals. This can be broken down as follows:

	Amount
Research (£ million)	3.6
Enforcement (£ million)	12.5
Administration (£ million)	2.2
Scheme (£000)	2900
1 This does not include the cost of enforcement by local authorities.
2 This figure includes items such as contracts with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) to support and promote animal welfare.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the contribution made by hunt kennels to the disposal of farm animal carcases. [174206]

No formal assessment has been made. Hunt kennels play a useful role in disposal of fallen stock in some areas. However, overall the quantity of material collected is relatively low, and the type of material collected limited, when compared to that collected by the fallen stock collection and disposal industry as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many litres of liquid milk were imported into the UK from EU countries in each of the last five years, broken down by country of origin. [172935]

The following table shows UK imports of liquid milk from the EU 15 member states in each of the last five years to 2003, broken down by country of despatch.

UK imports of liquid milk from EU 15 countries, 1999–2003
Thousand litres
Country	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	Grand total
Irish Republic	60,342	60,199	54,835	26,233	135,719	337,328
Denmark	30,334	25,166	9,421	795	425	66,140
Germany	17,078	19,531	11,196	5,629	3,888	57,323
France	13,288	8,514	9,667	10,299	8,600	50,368
Belgium	6,786	6,922	3,811	2,345	3,759	23,624
Netherlands	3,620	462	919	2,198	1,027	8,227
Austria	2,844	1,355	—	—	—	4,200
Italy	114	214	91	101	70	590
Portugal	—	0	—	—	40	40
Spain	23	14	—	—	—	37
Sweden	1	—	—	—	—	—	1
EU 15 total	134,431	122,378	89,940	47,600	153,527	547,877

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been (a) allocated to and (b) spent on advertising fitness and exercise initiatives in each year since 1997. [174593]

The Department has not allocated any specific funding to advertising fitness and exercise initiatives since 1997. However, Sport England has earmarked £250,000 from their budget this financial year to test a campaign in the North East region aimed at changing people's attitude to physical activity. The campaign will be launched on 11 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery money has been distributed in each year from 1997 to date to the (a) Arts Council England, (b) Arts Council of Northern Ireland, (c) Arts Council of Wales, (d) Award for All (England) Joint Scheme, (e) Community Fund, (f) Heritage Lottery Fund, (g) Millennium Commission, (h) New Opportunities Fund, (i) Scottish Arts Council, (j) Scottish Screen, (k) Sport England, (l) Sport Scotland, (m) Sports Council for Northern Ireland, (n) Sports Council for Wales, (o) UK Film Council and (p) UK Sport. [174342]

The information is shown in the following tables.

£
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
Arts Council of England	297,674,958.58	234,629,859.32	201,058,663.29
Film Council	—	—	16,056,392.23
Arts Council of Northern Ireland	10,489,555.03	9,023,485.26	8,167,170.78
Scottish Arts Council	32,276,810.09	26,608,478.86	24,245,201.60
Arts Council of Wales	17,972,111.62	14,661,626.17	13,398,079.06
Community Fund	366,204,936.20	304,414,393.21	275,486,728.98
Heritage Lottery Fund	370,693,625.32	315,021,565.87	287,593,028.02
Millennium Commission	402,696,027.65	397,144,837.84	349,839,026.64
New Opportunities Fund	1,553,847.62	236,630,592.46	302,559,277.80
Sport England	307,000,691.38	255,901,294.48	210,867,545.58
Sports Council for Northern Ireland	10,126,712.03	8,316,253.51	7,162,640.35
Scottish Sports Council	32,853,648.26	27,439,225.26	23,584,603.19
UK Sport	—	—	18,932,242.63
Sports Council for Wales	18,173,106.37	15,053,130.74	12,624,633.25
Scottish Screen	—	—	—

	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Arts Council of England	201,707,450.45	207,764,719.59	177,936,423.27	161,048,185.71
Film Council	33,257,300.98	36,272,468.66	32,444,398.13	28,365,460.42
Arts Council of Northern Ireland	9,236,419.17	9,208,707.25	8,543,017.15	7,135,487.05
Scottish Arts Council	20,944,373.78	23,451,472.10	20,747,939.29	18,157,194.45
Arts Council of Wales	14,679,682.54	15,153,183.90	13,416,816.74	11,648,213.52
Community Fund	295,433,473.86	296,124,518.56	250,408,130.69	223,828,328.31
Heritage Lottery Fund	321,858,529.67	320,101,846.34	291,159,343.35	246,378,592.73
Millennium Commission	345,092,502.45	123,760,547.94	21,355,335.16	6,254,496.64
New Opportunities Fund	243 244,793.24	479,770,400.23	418,289,289.56	457,523,040.78
Sport England	226,930,617.00	228,025,901.28	193,744,834.69	170,745,796.93
Sports Council for Northern Ireland	7,709,283.55	8,004,236.17	7,197,218.30	6,321,925.77
Scottish Sports Council	25,850,263.08	25,739,278.08	23,337,098.97	19,758,355.46
UK Sport	24,010,153.18	25,614,739.83	21,461,040.01	19,985,883.40
Sports Council for Wales	13,910,716.32	14,171,442.54	12,585,730.80	10,521,925.89
Scottish Screen	5,577,636.68	3,368,609.38	2,845,832.59	2,563,477.41

The figures are the income to each distributor in each year as derived from the lottery games and the income accrued on balances held.Awards for All (England) is a joint scheme under which Sport England, Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund contribute money to single joint pot. The Awards for All (England) budget is, as such, part of the figures in the table, not additional.The Awards for All budget in each year was as in the following table.

	£ million
2000–01	39.872
2001–02	40.787
2002–03	45.026
2003–04	43.282

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant in aid funding was given to the (a) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites, (b) Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection, (c) Advisory Council on Libraries, (d) Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, (e) Spoliation Advisory Panel, (f), Treasure Valuation Committee, (g) Working Group on Human Remains, (h) Advisory Group on Illicit Trade, (i) Live Music Forum, (j) Review of BBC's Digital Television Services and (k) Review of BBC's Digital Radio Services in 2002–03; what the administration costs of each were in that year; and what the projected grant in aid (i) is for each in 2003–04 and (ii) will be for each in (A) 2004–05 and (B) 2005–06. [173705]

English Heritage administers the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites out of its core grant in aid. The role of the secretariat passed from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with the successful passage of the National Heritage Act 2002 and has not formed part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's administration costs since then.The actual and forecast cost of support to the Committee, which includes travel and subsistence and expenses for board members, is as follows:

(a) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
	£000
2002–03	<1
2003–04	5
2004–05	1
2005–06	1

The other Advisory Committees, Groups and Reviews

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) port facilitiy security officers and (b) airport security officers would be counted as category 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Bill. [170069]

The Bill provides that a harbour authority within the meaning of section 46(1) of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 and an airport operator within the meaning of section 82(1) of the Airports Act 1986 would be considered as category 2 responders. It will be for them to decide on how they carry out their requirements subject to any guidance issued under the provisions of the Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department and associated agencies have initially withheld their salaries from official departmental and parliamentary publications and subsequently disclosed this information in each year since 1997. [172085]

Since the Department was formed in May 2002 there have been no officials who have initially withheld their salaries from official departmental and parliamentary publications and subsequently disclosed this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas visits have been made by management at the Driving Standards Agency in each year since 1997; and what the total cost of these visits is. [174182]

In April 2003, the Driving Standards Agency introduced an electronic system for the payment of staff travel and subsistence. This shows that during 2003–04, members of the agency's corporate management team made 28 overseas visits, at a cost of some £30,000.Before April 2003, travel expense claims were dealt with as paper transactions and it is not possible for the agency to identify the information easily.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects on Post Offices of setting up electronic vehicle licensing channels. [174173]

It is estimated that up to 30 per cent. of the eligible population will migrate from re-licensing at Post Office branches to electronic vehicle licensing channels by 2006–07, with this figure increasing to 35 per cent. by 2010–11. This equates to approximately 13 million fewer relicensing transactions at Post Offices in 2006–07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the average period of the maintenance and renewals contracts let by Network Rail is; [173726](2) what criteria are used by Network Rail to determine whether maintenance and renewals work should be undertaken in-house; [173727](3) how much was spent by Network Rail on maintenance and renewals work

These are operational matters for Network Rail. Details of contracts issued by Network Rail are commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the rail projects which have involved the establishment of enhanced Companies (EnCos) since the publication of the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan. [171402]

None, because Enhancement Companies (EnCos) proved to be an unnecessarily complex method of involving the private sector. The preferred method now is by means of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), specially formed to take forward an infrastructure upgrade. A number of SPVs are currently under development, including that for the Chiltern Line upgrade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the impact on his target to increase passenger volumes on the railway of the policy adopted by the Government and the Strategic Rail Authority's to thin rail services. [174073]

No specific assessment has been made by the Department in this area. However, the SRA's Capacity Utilisation Policy aims to make the best use of capacity on the rail network. In some instances this involves taking lightly used services out of the timetable in order to increase the resilience and reliability of the network and the services that use it. A reliable rail service is a key factor that people consider when deciding whether or not to travel by rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of (a) regular commuter journeys on the railways and (b) long-distance non-commuter journeys. [174078]

Advice from the Strategic Rail Authority on the value for money case for investment to enhance passenger rail services includes assessment of the economic impact of the proposal on all rail passengers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents took place in bus lanes in the last year for which figures are available. [175086]

The following table shows the numbers of accidents that took place in bus lanes in 2002, the latest year for which data are available.

	Number
Fatal	6
Serious	142
Slight	864
Total	1,012

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many legacy cameras have been removed in each year since 2001. [171922]

Safety Camera Partnerships are asked to review their sites on a regular basis and will take decisions on which sites should be taken out of operation on either a temporary or permanent basis.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make an announcement about the re-appointment of His Honour Viscount Colville of Culross QC, His Honour Colin Kolbert and His Honour John Jeremy Fordham as assistant surveillance commissioners, under section 63 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [175341]

In accordance with Section 63 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, I have agreed to re-appoint His Honour Viscount Colville of Culross QC, His Honour Colin Kolbert and His Honour John Jeremy Fordham as Assistant Surveillance Commissioners from 1 May 2004 until 30 April 2007 to assist the Chief Surveillance Commissioner in his duties. The remit of each Assistant Surveillance Commissioner covers the whole of the United Kingdom so that any Assistant Surveillance Commissioner can act in jurisdictions other than his or her own.His Honour Viscount Colville of Culross QC, His Honour Colin Kolbert and His Honour John Jeremy Fordham have served as Assistant Surveillance Commissioners since 1 May 2001.Assistant Surveillance Commissioners are appointed under Section 63 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Since the authorisation of intrusive surveillance operations forms a key component of the Government's response to serious and organised crime, I attach considerable importance to these appointments, and I am delighted that they have accepted their re-appointment. In conjunction with Sir Andrew Leggatt, their substantial judicial experience, particularly of the criminal justice system, will provide independent oversight of surveillance operations, which although operationally important, must also be subject to stringent safeguards.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will use the British Presidency of the UN Security Council in October to ensure that the Security Council has a detailed discussion on climate change as a global security issue, using the full diplomatic resources of the UK to increase the urgency and effectiveness of global action to combat dangerous climate change; and if he will make a statement; [173306](2) if he will make it his policy to include global climate change on the agenda of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2005, in Malta; [173307](3) if he will make it his policy to include climate change on the agenda for the British Presidency of the EU in 2005. [173311]

As I said in my speech at the launch of the Climate Group on 27 April, climate change is the most important long-term challenge the world faces. We will therefore pursue every opportunity to raise this issue with other nations through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change process, during the UK Presidency of the EU and in other fora where this can help to further effective international action on climate change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for West Worcestershire will receive a response to his letter of 31 March. [174746]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions and Deputy Minister for Women and Equality replied on 13 May 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress of the consultation on the implementation of the End of Life Vehicles Directive. [174407]

Public consultation on the draft End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2004, to transpose the remaining provisions (Articles 5 and 7) of the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, closed on 30 March. 65 responses were received and are being assessed. The Regulations will be presented to Parliament shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the number and types of UK companies (a) exporting goods to, (b) exporting services to and (c) investing capital in The Gambia since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [173441]

The total number of UK companies exporting goods, services and investing capital in The Gambia since 1997 is difficult to determine because of the poor records held and maintained by the Gambian authorities, including the Registrar General of Companies, the Department for Trade, Customs and Excise and the Gambian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Nevertheless, from enquiries made by and records held at the British High Commission in Banjul, the number of known such companies is 29. However, UK companies are not required to notify the High Commission or UK Trade and Investment that they are doing business in or with The Gambia, and consequently the list cannot be considered to be exhaustive or complete. The majority on the list are small companies operating in the service industry but also include multinationals such as British American Tobacco and Shell. Furthermore, many UK individuals, as opposed to companies, have businesses in The Gambia such as bars and restaurants.An indication of the volume of trade between the UK and The Gambia is shown in the following import/export statistics:

£ million
	UK export	UK import
1997	19.2	3.1
1998	14.4	2.9
1999	16.7	2.8
2000	14.4.	3.5
2001	18.5	7.7
2002	16.4	4.0
2003	18.96	2.77

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Post Office is taking to minimise identity thefts within its areas of responsibility. [173054]

Royal Mail has a duty under condition 8 of its licence issued by the postal services regulator Postcomm to protect the integrity of mail. Security issues are taken very seriously and Royal Mail's security team is dedicated to maintaining standards through specific procedures, practices and investigations. To divulge the details of these security activities would inevitably compromise their effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the current strategic reserve of (a) crude oil and (b) oil products is in the U.K. [174108]

The UK does not have a strategic reserve. It meets its international stocking obligations by imposing compulsory oil stocking obligations on commercial companies. These amount to 67½ days of average daily consumption for refiners and 48½ days of average daily consumption for non-refiners. As at the end of February 2004, the UK held stocks of crude oil and petroleum products equivalent to almost 76 days of average daily consumption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the current position on UK stocks of (a) crude oil and (b) main oil products in relation to average daily consumption. [174111]

As at the end of February 2004, the UK held stocks of crude oil and petroleum products equivalent to almost 76 days of average daily consumption. This is some eight days in excess of our EU stockholding obligations of 67½ days worth of average daily consumption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what commercial training or experience is required for each grade of staff of UK Trade and Investment. [172113]

[holding answer 13 May 2004]: Commercial training or experience is not a specific requirement for UK Trade and Investment staff prior to recruitment. However, the organisation is committed to offering its staff a career structure in which continuous training and development opportunities are offered to enhance professionalism. All staff undertake induction courses and relevant training to enable them to meet business objectives.UK Trade and Investment's international trade advisers (based in Business Links) and locally engaged staff overseas also undertake associated commercial training to gain the knowledge and skills relevant to their role. Many international trade advisers and locally engaged staff have practical business experience. Staff are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to work in the private sector and in our commercial posts overseas. Those within the organisation who are from the public sector also benefit from the knowledge, skills and expertise of the private sector business experts working alongside them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many registered businesses were registered for VAT in (a) the UK, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) England in each year since 1996–97 [174067]

Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 115,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in the last quarter of 2003. The latest yearly figures show 465,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003. This represents a 19 per cent. increase on the year before.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the effect on bird life of additional wind turbines under construction and planned. [174405]

Over the years, there have been a large number of studies carried out in the UK of the impact of wind farms on wildlife and in particular birds. Those studies suggest that there is a small risk of bird strikes from the operation of wind turbines, as long as they are properly sited.Work related to the study of birds is continuing, with DTI funded studies being carried out by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) to look at the distribution and main flight paths of seabirds including migratory, feeding/roosting patterns and their behavioural response to wind farms.

£000
	1 Project or Sector Aid	2 Programme Aid	3 Technical Cooperation	4 Aid and Trade Provision	5 Grants Other Aid in Kind	6 Humanitarian Assistance	7 DFID Debt Relief	8 Total DFID Programme
(i) Africa
1987–98	36,134	74,934	130,816	7,648	60,866	24,195	10,419	345,013
1998–99	49,565	125,234	144,272	9,195	63,430	46,251	8,019	445,966
1999–2000	90,617	132,140	163,345	2,652	66,325	32,001	7,513	494,593
2000–01	104,141	245,857	165,340	626	64,308	63,425	6,992	650,690
2001–02	147,860	161,948	177,567	519	48,971	42,755	6,390	586,010
2002–03	135,330	151,208	213,177	-1,052	92,160	153,980	5,414	750,218
(ii) Central Africa (Great Lakes)
1997–98	20	—	2,111	—	9,095	4,984	—	16,211
1998–99	20	—	991	—	2,184	4,473	—	7,669
1999–2000	19	—	1,307	—	1,463	5,736	—	8,527

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) financial aid and (b) aid in kind his Department has delivered to (i) Africa, (ii) Central Africa, (iii) Uganda, (iv) Rwanda, (v) Burundi and (vi) the Democratic Republic of Congo in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [173812]

The amount of bilateral development assistance DFID has given to Africa and the other specified region/countries is given in the following table. Financial aid (excluding the Aid and Trade Provision) comprises all expenditure in columns 1 and 2, and Aid in Kind forms part of the expenditure in column 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the Department's high-risk bilateral projects, referred to on page 189 of the 2004 Departmental Report, which are evaluated as (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful. [174113]

The high-risk projects referred to on page 189 of DFID's Departmental Report are listed on the tables below. Each DFID project is given a score ranging from 1 to 5 based on the likelihood of achieving their intended objectives. Table (a) relates to projects scored 1 and 2, table (b) relates to projects scored 3 to 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will publish his assessment of the reasons for the decline referred to on page 190 of the 2004 Departmental Report on the number of low-risk departmental projects evaluated as successful. [174118]

The number of low risk projects judged as likely to be successful was reported as 75 per cent. in DFID's Departmental Report, against a baseline of 81 per cent. This increased to 78 per cent. in the first quarter figures for 2004.The figure gives a forecast of success for projects of £1 million or more that have been in operation for at least two years. It fluctuates on a quarterly basis because it is recording work in progress and is a 12-month snapshot view on a particular date reflecting those projects that meet the above criteria. The decline was caused by a small number of successful projects ending and therefore graduating from the scoring system.We will continue to report both the underlying data, and our assessment of it, in our Autumn Performance Report and in the annual Departmental Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will publish the outcome of the rolling programme of efficiency reviews referred to on page 190 of the Departmental Report 2004. [174112]

In addition to the information in DFID's Departmental Report, DFID will make a report covering all aspects of DFID's efficiency programmes available on our public website in the autumn. This will incorporate plans under development in response to the Government's Efficiency Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons the Service Delivery Agreement target to provide 100 per cent. capacity to receive and process electronic applications from UK offices by 2003 has not been met. [174139]

As indicated in Annex 3 of DFID's 2004 Departmental Report, the introduction of a Human Resource (HR) Integrated Management System in DFID has initially focused on the payroll and data base elements. Now that these modules have been successfully introduced complimentary e-recruitment systems will be considered and introduced in 2004. The facility to receive full details of vacancies and return application forms on line already exists through the civil service recruitment gateway and DFID websites.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the trauma caused to children in Iraq from (a) the coalition invasion and (b) the continuing violence; and what assistance his Department is providing to mitigate trauma in Iraqi children. [174374]

DFID's support for the health sector in Iraq, including psychosocial support, is being channelled through the multi-donor Trust Fund managed by the United Nations. The work of the UN in this area will focus on the provision of technical assistance for the development of mental health and psychosocial support services at the primary level. DFID has made an initial contribution of £30 million to the UN Trust Fund.DFID has not undertaken an assessment of the levels of trauma suffered by children in Iraq, but such an evaluation is planned by the UN as part of the World Health Organisation's mental health plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will publish the evidence base referred to on page 189 of the 2004 Departmental Report that aims to underpin pro-poor UK/EU trade negotiating positions. [174114]

The evidence based referred to is not a single document but includes the numerous pieces of research already published, commissioned or in the pipeline. DFID is putting together a research matrix detailing issue specific research projects funded by the Department to inform the development of pro-poor trade policies, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman very shortly with more details.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was given to Yemen in each of the last five years; and what plans he has to increase such aid. [R] [173746]

Total aid from all donors to Yemen in each of the last five years for which OECD DAC figures are available was:

	$ million
	Amount
1998	370
1999	458
2000	265
2001	461
2002	584

DFID has provided the following aid to Yemen in each of the last five financial years:

	£ million
Financial year	Amount
1999–2000	1.49
2000–01	2.73
2001–02	2.58
2002–03	5.44
2003–04	16.55
1 Estimate

The amount for 2000–01 includes a one off payment of £1.52 million for pensions, and for 2002–03 a one off payment of £3.16 million for Paris Club debt relief.DFID's share of European Community (EC) spending in Yemen from 1997–2001 was around £7 million; we have also contributed through the World Bank and the United Nations (UN).The aid framework for DFID's programme in Yemen is increasing to £5.9 million for 2004–05 and £9.9 million for 2005–06. I will be considering allocations for future years in the light of the Government's Spending Review later this year, and progress with the Yemeni Government's use of our existing aid. The UK is also arguing for an increase in EC spending in Yemen, as the only low income country in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how far advanced Government plans are to ensure that police, ambulance and fire services communications systems are able to be used underground. [174679]

The fire service and the British Transport Police already have radio communication facilities in the London Underground. Work commissioned by the Home Office has confirmed the feasibility of extending the new Airwave radio system to the London Underground. The implementation phase is currently under discussion. The new underground system is scoped to accommodate police, ambulance and fire requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was raised from speed cameras located at motorway construction and repair sites during 2002–03. [169940]

Information on the amount of revenue generated by speed cameras or camera location is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from (a) police authorities, (b) fire and rescue authorities and (c) health service trusts concerning the administrative costs of dealing with the paperwork generated by the contravention by their vehicles on emergency calls of speed limits captured on speed cameras. [173809]

None.We are, however, aware of the difficulties which may arise. Home Office officials have already had very useful discussions with the Department of Health and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) with the aim of minimising the, level of bureaucracy involved.