Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Wednesday 9 June 2004

Health

Abortions

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were carried out (a) in NHS facilities and (b) in private facilities on residents of South Gloucestershire in the most recent year for which figures are available. [176391]

[holding answer 27 May 2004]: Information about abortions carried out in national health service and private facilities by primary care trust in 2002 can be found in Table 14 of Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2002 which can be found at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0323.htm. A copy of the bulletin has been placed in the Library."NHS agency" abortions are those performed in the independent sector under NHS contract.

Cancer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years.[175329]

The number and percentage of women with suspected breast cancer who saw a specialist at national health service organisations serving the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency within two weeks is shown in the table.

Waiting times for 1st consultant out-patient appointment for suspected breast cancer following urgent GP referral
		Seen within two weeks
	NHS Trust	Percentage Number
1999–2000	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	75.8	25
1999–2000	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	94.0	63
2000–01	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	99.1	111
2000–01	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	100.0	184
2000–02	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	236
2000–02	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	100.0	196
2000–03	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	228
2000–03	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	214
2000–04	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	278

South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust—Waiting times
			Seen within two weeks
Year	Quarter	NHS Trust	Percentage	Number
1999–2000	1	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	19.6	21
1999–2000	2	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	41.4	48

Waiting times for 1st consultant out-patient appointment for suspected breast cancer following urgent GP referral
					Seen within two weeks
	NHS Trust				Percentage	Number
2003–04	Lancashire Trust	Teaching	Hospitals	NHS	100.0	279
Notes:
1. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was formed following the merger of Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
2. Data for 2003–04 are up to Quarter 3.
Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of patients with suspected cancer in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood saw an NHS consultant within two weeks in each of the last seven years. [175335]

The number and percentage of patients with suspected cancer at national health service organisations serving the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency who saw a NHS consultant within two weeks in each of the last seven years is shown in the table.

Waiting times for first consultant out-patient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral
		Seen within two weeks
	NHS trust	Percentage	Number
2000–01	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services	100.0	95
2000–01	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	324
2000–01	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	100.0	320
2000–01	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	158
2001–02	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services	100.0	149
2001–02	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	803
2001–02	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	100.0	406
2001–02	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	291
2002–03	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	1,084
2002–03	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	783
2003–04	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	1,217
2003–04	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	990
Notes:
1. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was formed following the merger of Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
2. Data for 2003–04 are up to Quarter 3.
Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Manchester, Gorton with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years. [167379]

The information requested is shown in the table.

South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust—Waiting times
			Seen within two weeks
Year	Quarter	NHS Trust	Percentage	Number
1999–2000	3	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	96.7	118
1999–2000	4	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	116
2000–01	1	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	137
2000–01	2	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	98.6	137
2000–01	3	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	99.1	105
2000–01	4	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	126
2001–02	1	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	95.0	134
2001–02	2	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	98.9	182
2001–02	3	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	99.0	195
2001–2002	4	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	91.3	168
2002–03	1	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	93.5	129
2002–03	2	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	98.5	193
2002–03	3	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	268
2002–003	4	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	195
2003–04	1	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	99.0	200
2003–04	2	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	99.1	215
2003–04	3	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	223
2003–04	4	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust	100.0	202
Source:
Department of Health form QMCW.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of patients with suspected cancer in Manchester, Blackley saw an NHS consultant within two weeks in each of the last seven years. [175012]

The information is not available in the format requested. The table shows how many and the percentage of suspected cancer patients, seen within two weeks of urgent referral by a general practitioner, both at Christie Hospital National Health Service Trust and at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and its predecessor organisations for each quarter since quarter 1999–2000. Earlier figures are not available.

Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral—Christie Hospital NHS Trust
			Seen within two weeks
	Quarter	NHS Trust	Percentage	Number
2000–01	4	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	95.0	19
2001–02	1	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	83.3	5
	2	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	8
	3	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	3
	4	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	3
2002–03	1	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	83.3	5
	2	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	2
	3	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	85.7	6
	4	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	80.0	4
2003–04	1	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	75.0	3
	2	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	5
	3	Christie Hospital NHS Trust	100.0	3
Source:
DH form QMCW

Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral—Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and predecessor NHS trusts
Seen within two weeks
	Quarter	NHS Trust	Percentage	Number
2000–01	4	Oldham NHS Trust	93.3	167
	4	Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust	99.0	200
	4	North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust	93.9	200

Waiting times for first consultant outpatient appointment for suspected cancer following urgent GP referral—Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and predecessor NHS trusts
			Seen within two weeks
	Quarter	NHS Trust	Percentage	Number
	4	Bury Healthcare NHS Trust	97.1	374
2001–02	1	Oldham VHS Trust	94.80	181
	1	Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust	97.80	224
	1	North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust	94.90	242
	Bury Healthcare NHS Trust	96.10	345
	2	Oldham VHS Trust	96.40	162
	2	Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust	93.00	227
	2	North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust	90.60	298
	2	Bury Healthcare NHS Trust	99.00	385
	3	Oldham VHS Trust	98.90	181
	3	Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust	99.60	235
	3	North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust	94.70	286
	3	Bury Healthcare NHS Trust	99.50	398
	4	Oldham NHS Trust	98.50	197
	4	Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust	99.50	209
	4	North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust	99.70	302
	4	Bury Healthcare NHS Trust	100.00	450
2002–03	1	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	98.80	1,215
	2	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	99.10	1,240
	3	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	98.40	1,325
	4	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	95.80	1,190
2003–04	1	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	92.20	1,214
	2	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	94.90	1,174
	3	Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	97.60	1,276
Source:
DH form QMCW

Children (Common Conditions)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 most common conditions in children are. [173287]

Hospital episode statistics record reasons for hospital admission. The table shows the primary diagnosis for the 10 most common conditions, by broad classification, as cause of admission in the age range 0 to 16 years in 2002–03.

Primary diagnosis by ICD10 relevant diagnosis chapter headings—finished admission episodes by age breakdown 0–16 years.
	Condition	Number
Chapter X	Diseases of the respiratory system (JOO-J99)	179,357
Chapter XVI	Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (POO-P96)	150,402
Chapter XIX	Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (SOO-T98)	139,107
Chapter XI	Diseases of the digestive system (KOO-K93)	135,705
Chapter XVII	Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (QOO-Q99)	74,976	Chapter 1	Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (AOO-B99)	72,213
Chapter II	Neoplasms (COO-D48)	53,782
Chapter VIII	Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (H60-H95)	47,994
Chapter XIV	Diseases of the genitourinary system (NOO-N99)	47,548
Chapter XIII	Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (MOO-M99)	30,091
Notes:
1. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
2. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
3. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital episode statistics, Department of Health.

Dentists

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are registered with an NHS dentist in Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust. [173855]

96,800 patients were registered with a general dental service dentist in the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust area on 31 March 2004.Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentists within 15 months. Registration rates will exclude patients who have not been to their general dental service dentist within the past 15 months and patients who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services.Registrations are included in the area of the dentist. The registration rates for some areas may be affected by some patients receiving their dental treatment in a different area from the one in which they live.NHS dental services are also provided by the community dental service, personal dental service, salaried service of the GDS and hospital dental service. These services do not require the patient to be registered with a dentist before treatment.

Dermatology

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are on waiting lists for secondary dermatology treatment in the North West of England. [175054]

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Diagnostic And Treatment Centres

To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the nearest diagnostic and treatment centre available for use by residents in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood is located. [175331]

There are two national health service treatment centres within the Liverpool area close to Blackpool and Fleetwood. One is at Clatterbridge, part of Wirral NHS Trust and the other is at Aintree, part of Aintree NHS Trust. Both opened in 2003 and provide care for orthopaedics and other mixed specialty patients.

Food Labelling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to introduce a system of food labelling which is more easily understood by consumers. [176403]

To help achieve clearer and more informative food labelling, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has adopted an action plan on food labelling, tackling the issues identified by consumers as priority concerns. Progress on implementation of this plan is discussed regularly at open meetings hosted by the FSA.

Food Supplements Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health last met Consumers for Health Choice and other stakeholders to discuss their concerns about the Food Supplements Directive; what actions arose from that meeting; and what progress has subsequently been made in addressing the issues raised; [176534](2) when he next expects that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health will meet Consumers for Health Choice and other stakeholders to discuss interpretation and implementation in the UK of the Food Supplements Directive; [176535](3) when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health last met Commissioner Byrne to discuss the Food Supplements Directive; what was agreed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement. [176537]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 27 May 2004, Official Report, column 1835W.

Free Eye Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior citizens in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have access to free eye tests. [175337]

Data for the number of sight tests by constituency or by the number of senior citizens are not collected centrally.The total number of sight tests paid for by Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority in the year 2002–03 for those aged 60 and over was 189,100. Sight tests cannot be equated to the number of patients.

Gm Micro-Organisms

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 May, Official Report, column 25, on GM micro-organisms, (1) whether a date has been set for the proposed Working Group of the Standing Committee to discuss issues relating to the labelling of products produced with genetically modified micro-organisms prior to the next Standing Committee in June; by whom the United Kingdom will be represented in those discussions; what specific policy objectives will be pursued in those discussions; and if he will make a statement; [177160](2) if he will list those organisations that responded to the recent consultation exercise undertaken by his Department and the Food Standards Agency in relation to the traceability and labelling regulations; what specific information has been

(a) requested and (b) sought about the impact of the regulations on the fermentation industry and those of its products which are made with but do not contain genetically modified micro-organisms; and if he will make a statement;. [177162]

(3) whether his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) commented on the Statement of the Council and the Commission of 28 February 2003 in relation to the labelling of products made with but not containing genetically modified micro-organisms; [177163]

(4) whether he intends to make it his policy for the current discussions in Standing Committee that products produced with genetically modified micro-organisms, but which do not contain any GM material, should not need to be labelled under the provisions of the new traceability and labelling regulations;. [177161]

(5) what guidance he gives to industry about whether products made with but not containing genetically modified micro-organisms are within the scope of those elements of the new traceability and labelling regulations which require labelling of products as genetically modified; and if he will make a statement. [177164]

The Commission has not set a date for the proposed genetic modification (GM) working group of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health and therefore no agenda or papers for the meeting are available yet.The Government's position on GM labelling is that the relevant legislation should be practical, proportionate and enforceable. The Government will continue to maintain this position in discussions on the labelling of GM products, which fall within the scope of the European Commission GM food and feed regulation (No. 1829/ 2003).The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation exercise on the new EC GM regulations will end on 25 June. Responses to the consultation will be made publicly available in due course. Comment on the impact of the regulations from all stakeholders, including the fermentation industry, has been requested to contribute to the regulatory impact assessment.The Commission has indicated in a statement to the European Parliament dated 25 March 2003 that a decision on the labelling of products from genetically modified micro-organisms will be made no later than 7 November 2005. The FSA has raised the issue regarding the labelling of these products and asked for clarification on their statuswith the EC in bi-lateral meetings.The FSA and DEFRA have published draft guidance notes on the new EC GM regulations. This includes information on the labelling of products from genetically modified micro-organisms. This information is based on the current position of the EC and is consistent with information provided to other Member States.

Health Service Premises

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health clinics have been modernised in (a) Chorley South Ribble Primary Care Trust and (b) Lancashire since 1997 [172075]

This information is not gathered centrally. Health clinics are most often held in general practice settings. For information relating to the number of general practitioner practices that have been replaced or refurbished since 2000–01, the latest available data, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 39W.

Health Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been allocated to health in Manchester, Blackley in each of the last seven years. [175009]

The information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure per weighted head in the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area, which includes the constituency of Manchester, Blackley, has increased from £582.33 in 1997–98 to £992.61 in 2002–03 (the latest year available). This does not represent the total expenditure per head as an element of health expenditure cannot be identified by SHA area.

Eye Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior citizens in Manchester, Blackley have access to free eye tests. [175010]

Data for the number of sight tests by constituency or by the number of senior citizens are not collected centrally.

In 2002–03, the total number of national health service sight tests paid for by the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority for patients aged 60 and over was 189,900. Sight tests cannot be equated to the numbers of patients.

Heart Surgery

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of Blackpool, North and Fleetwood awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [175334]

This information is not collected centrally.

Heart Disease/Cancer Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been spent on (a) heart disease and (b) cancer care in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood in each of the last five years. [175330]

The information requested is not collected centrally. Allocations of funding for particular treatments are matters for the local primary care trust.

Hepatitis C

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he will publish his Department's strategy on hepatitis C; [173191](2) when he will launch his Department's awareness campaign on hepatitis C; at what targets it is directed; and what the budget is for the campaign. [173192]

The Department intends to publish a hepatitis C action plan including an awareness campaign to assist implementation of the consultation paper, "Hepatitis C Strategy for England" in the next few months.

Immigrant Medical Inspections

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what authority Hillingdon Primary Care Trust has to use NHS resources for the medical inspection of immigrants. [156848]

The authority for national health service bodies to incur expenditure on medical inspection of immigrants is in sections 1–3 of the National Health Service Act 1977.The Secretary of State's duties under the Act are delegated to primary care trusts.

Malnutrition

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 168W, on malnutrition (1) what measures and strategies are in place to manage, monitor and screen patients for under nutrition; and if he will make a statement; [175931](2) for which specific groups nutritional screening is recommended; and if he will make a statement. [175932]

Measures and strategies are in place to manage, monitor and screen patients for under-nutrition in hospitals, residential care and the wider community. Food and nutrition is one of eight benchmark areas aimed at ensuring that patients are screened on admission, and that appropriate action is taken according to nutritional needs. Nutritional screening is recommended for the care of specific groups, such as those highlighted in the national service frameworks for older people, diabetes and renal. Nutritional screening is also part of locally determined services.

Maternity Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide (a) mortality and (b) morbidity statistics for (i) normal vaginal deliveries, (ii) Caesarean sections and (iii) other deliveries in the last five years. [173734]

The Department does not collect the information in the format requested. However, the table, taken from the latest report on the confidential inquiries into maternal deaths (CEMD) in the United Kingdom, shows the direct and indirect maternal deaths and mortality rates per 100,000 maternities reported to registrars and the CEMD; United Kingdom for each triennium since 1988.

		Triennium
	1988–90	1991–93	1994–96	1997–99
Maternal deaths known to registrars general
Number	172	150	175	142
Rate	7.3	¹6.5	²8.0	³6.7
Direct deaths known to inquiry
Number	145	128	134	106
Rate	6.2	5.5	6.1	5.0
Indirect deaths known to inquiry
Number	93	100	134	136
Rate	4.0	4.3	6.1	6.4
Total known to inquiry
Number	238	228	268	242
Rate	10.1	9.8	12.2	11.4
Total maternities
Number	2,347,529	2,317,328	2,197,640	2,123,614
¹ Final Office for National Statistics revised figures for 1991–93: the rate available at the time for the publication of the 1991–93 report was 6.0.
²England and Wales figures for 1994 now include underlying cause and mentions (ICD9 630–676)
³The rate for 1994–96 in the previous report was 7.4.

Information about morbidity in mothers may be found in table 27, and selected complications by delivery onset method and delivery method can be found in table 28 of "National Health Service Maternity Statistics, England: 2002–03", which can be found at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0410.htm. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library.

Me

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to help ME sufferers in Lancashire. [172076]

The information requested is not collected centrally. Allocation of funding for particular treatments are matters for the local primary care trust.

Mental Health

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are available to his Department relating to the numbers of (a) primary school age children and (b) secondary school age children assessed as needing support from child and adolescent mental health services in each year since 2001; and what proportion of these children are in mainstream education. [177514]

The information requested is not collected centrally. A survey by the Office for National Statistics, "Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in Great Britain, ONS 1999", found that among five to 10-year-olds, 10 per cent. of boys and 6 per cent. of girls had a mental disorder. In the 11 to 15-year-old age group, the proportion of children with any type of mental disorder was 13 per cent. for boys and 10 per cent. for girls. Mental disorders can range from clinically significant conduct disorders; emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression, to hyperactivity.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason numbers of (a) emergency ambulances, (b) rapid response vehicles and (c) treat and refer vehicles in the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service were out of action for parts of the period from 26 to 28 March. [176925]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: The information is not collected centrally.

Mesothelioma

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans a treatment package for mesothelioma sufferers; and if he will make a statement. [174800]

[holding answer 25 May 2004]: We are currently considering referring pemetrexed disodium (Alimta), for the treatment of mesothelioma, as a topic for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.We continue to keep a close eye on clinical trials to determine when the development of clinical guidelines on mesothelioma might be appropriate. The national health service is providing infrastructure and service support costs for two mesothelioma trials currently under way through the national cancer research network.A lung cancer advisory group has also recently been established to support the development and delivery of high quality services for lung cancer patients. One of the key areas that this group will address is the management of the increasing incidence of mesothelioma.

Mortality Ratios

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the standardised mortality ratios of each hospital trust were in the last year for which figures are available, listed in descending order; what the national average was; and if he will make a statement. [174757]

There is no single "standardised mortality ratio" for hospitals, nor yet full agreement as to how one should be defined.The Dr. Foster organisation has devised its own ratio which was published in

The Sunday Times. It is an indicator devised for use by that organisation and the Department of Health does not produce any similar measure.

Nhs Equality Adviser

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what powers the NHS Equality Adviser will have to promote greater equality throughout the service; [172605](2) whether the NHS Equality Adviser will have powers and duties in relation to facilities in joint use by the NHS and local authority care departments; [172615](3) what powers and duties the NHS Equality Adviser will have in relation to companies and organisations supplying private medical services and care to patients in the NHS; [172617](4) how the NHS Equality Adviser will interact with the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights; [172606](5) whether the Equality Adviser to be appointed in the NHS will have the same powers and duties in respect of each of the six strands of equality to be protected by the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights; [172607](6) whether the NHS Equality Adviser will have powers to commence discrimination proceedings in court on behalf of

(a) employees and (b) patients in the NHS; [172618]

(7) what enforcement powers the NHS Equality Adviser will have in respect of breaches of equality laws; [172619]

(8) how the NHS Equality Adviser will safeguard the rights of patients; [172608]

(9) what the remit will be of the NHS Equality Adviser; [172609]

(10) whether the NHS Equality Adviser will have responsibility for children's equality issues in the health service (a) before and (b) after the appointment of a Children's Commissioner. [172620]

The Department of Health is in the process of recruiting a National Director for Equality and Human Rights to spearhead a major programme to promote equality and human rights throughout the health and social care system. The remit involves championing and leading action to promote equality within the system and engaging in a dialogue with key stakeholders including service users and their representatives. It will also involve working with colleagues in the Department, other Government Departments and in other health and social care bodies at a national level to address equality issues and promote a human rights culture.The Director will assist the Department in complying with its legal duties in relation to promoting equality. The legal powers to enforce equality laws rests with the relevant equality commissions, namely the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission. The Director will not exercise powers in relation to facilities in joint use by the national health service and local authority care departments or companies and of organisations supplying private medical services and care to patients in the NHS.The Director will provide strategic leadership and champion the rights of patients from all sections of our diverse communities. Responsibilities for children's issues in the health service lies with the Department for Education and Skills.The Director will have the same responsibilities in respect of the six strands of equality to be protected by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and will work constructively with the new commission as is currently the case between the Department of Health and the existing equality commissions.

Nhs Land (Sale Profits)

To ask the Secretary State for Health who will receive the profits of sale of NHS land for housing where a foundation trust is in existence. [177470]

A national health service foundation trust may retain the profits of sale of its land subject to demonstrating that these will be used to further its public interest mandate.

In-patient waiting lists by provider-Preston area
			Patients waiting for admission by month waiting
	Unit name	Total	0–2¹	3–5¹	6–8¹	9–11¹	12–14¹	15–17¹	+¹
1996–97	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	4,137	2,352	1,445	1,000	18	15	3
1996–97	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	1,857	1,079	463	249		66	0	0
1997–98	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	8,500	4,079	1,969	1,334	787	257	74	0
1997–98	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	2,121	1,299	537	183	102	0	0
1998–99	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	7,602	4,154	1,729	1,043	544	132	0	0
1998–99	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	2,051	1,126	527	248	132	17	1
1999–2000	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	7,025	4,110	1,701	853	359	2	0	0
1999–2000	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	1,967	1,228	453	186	90	10	0
2000–01	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	8,926	5,559	1,987	1,002	378	0	0	0
2001–02	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	8,891	5,565	2,055	995	276	0	0	0
March 2003	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	8,445	5,473	2,096	711	165	0	0	0
March 2004	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	8,275	5,527	2,123	625	0	0	0	0
Not seen
Source:
Department of Health KHO7

Out-patient waiting lists by provider-Preston area
		GP referred to consultant waiting list in weeks
	Name	Not seen 13 to 25	Not seen 26 plus
1996–97	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	281	19
1996–97	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	941	13
1997–98	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	761	110
1997–98	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	1,113	235
1998–99	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	1,563	443
1998–99	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	1,503	714

Nhs Staff (Salaries)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary for NHS administrative and clerical staff was in each year since 1997. [175357]

No information on the earnings of national health staff was collected centrally in 1997. The estimated average basic pay of administrative and clerical staff on national pay rates between 1998 and 2003 is shown in the table.

£
Average basic pay
1998	11,700
1999	12,200
2000	13,100
2001	13,600
2002	14,200
2003	14,700
Source:
The annual NHS staff earnings survey in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. The figures for 2001 and 2003 are based on the previous year's average adjusted in line with the appropriate pay agreement.

The information in this answer relates only to England. The earnings of HNS Staff in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

Nhs Waiting Lists

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times in the last seven years for residents of Blackpool, North and Fleetwood. [175336]

Information on waiting times for the national health service organisations which serve Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency are shown in the tables.

Out-patient waiting lists by provider-Preston area
		GP referral to consultant waiting list in weeks
	Name	Not seen 13 to 25	Not seen 26 plus
1999–2000	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	1,039	284
1999–2000	Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust	855	187
2000–01	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	1,904	287
2001–02	Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	1,653
Source:
Department of Health QM08

		Not seen	Not seen	Not seen	Not seen
Date	Name	13–17	17–21	21–26	26+
March 2003	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	819	157	0	0
March 2004	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	686	0	0	0
Note:
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was established 1 August 2002 from the acute services of Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. For 2001 and 2002, data for both trusts was reported under Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

In-patient waiting lists by provider-Blackpool area
			Patients waiting, for admission by month waiting
	Name	Total	0–2¹	3–5¹	6–8¹	9–11¹	12–14¹	15–17¹	18 +¹
1996–97	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	36	33	3	0	0	0	0	0
1996–97	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	8,393	4,764	1,986	1,025	493	108	14	3
1997–98	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services	20	20	0	0	0	0	0	0
1997–98	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	9,866	5,428	2,109	1,341	673	228	87	0
1998–99	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	13	13	0	0	0	0	0	0
1998–99	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	8,290	5,135	1,793	803	336	148	75	0
1999–2000	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	13	12	1	0	0	0	0	0
1999–2000	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	8,134	4,851	1,756	816	399	194	118	0
2000–01	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	12	12	0	0	0	0	0	0
2000–01	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	7,791	4,561	1,896	825	361	112	36	0
2001–02	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	12	12	0	0	0	0	0	0
2001–02	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	7,772	3,913	1,975	1,088	607	189	0	0
2002–03	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	7,306	4,091	1,841	967	407	0	0	0
2003–04	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	6,853	4,296	1,844	713	0	0	0	0
Not seen
Source:
Department of Health KHO7

Out-patient waiting lists by provider-Blackpool area
		GP referral to consultant waitinglist in weeks
	Name	Not seen 13 to 25	Not seen 26 plus
1996–97	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	1,414	0
1997–98	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	86	0
1997–98	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	254	259
1998–99	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	82	0
1998–99	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	853	185
1999–2000	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	4	0
1999–2000	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	695	238
2000–01	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	37	0
2000–01	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	743	199
2001–02	Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust	50	0
2001–02	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	701	0
Source:
Department of Health QM08

		Not seen	Not seen	Not seen	Not seen
	Name	13 to 17	17 to 21	21 to 26	26 plus
2002–03	Blackpool PCT	13	7	0	0
2002–03	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	478	198	0	0
2003–04	Blackpool PCT	4	0	0	0
2003–04	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust	185	0	0	0
Note:
Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust was formed from the merger of Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services NHS Trust and Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust in April 2002

Obesity Awareness And Solutions Trust

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's recent rejection of a Section 64 Grant Application by the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust. [171407]

The Department has supported the work of The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust (TOAST) for two years (2001–02 to 2002–03) through the Department's Section 64 Grant Scheme.Due to an administrative oversight, they did not apply for funding for 2003–04 but made an application for 2004–05 for three years. A large number of applications were received for funding from April 2004 which resulted in intense competition for limited funds. This has resulted in a number of applications being rejected, including the applications from TOAST.

Playing Safe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been carried out into the effectiveness of www.playingsafe.co.uk in altering the sexual behaviour of young people; [175797](2) what the total cost has been to public funds of www.playingsafe.co.uk. [175798]

The website www.playingsafely.co.uk supports the Government's "Sex Lottery" sexual health campaign, which aims to raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and promote safer sex among young adults. The website has had over 1.5 million visitors and a recent online survey to evaluate its success showed that 87 per cent., of users said the site had increased their knowledge of STIs.The total cost to public funds of the website since its launch (December 2002 to May 2004) is £119,000.

Public Meetings

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the guidance given to NHS organisations concerning arrangements for holding meetings in public. [172345]

The contents of the Health Service Circular on open board meetings (HSC 1998/ 999) are currently being reviewed. Revised guidance will be issued in due course.

School Vending Machines

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills on the implications for healthy eating of the use of vending machines in schools. [176126]

[holding answer 27 May 2004]: My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills meet regularly on a range of issues, including healthy eating in schools. There are a number of pieces of work currently under way that are considering the implications of vending machines, which will feed into the Public Health White Paper to be published in autumn:

The healthier vending machine project is currently being piloted as part of the food in schools programme, which is jointly led by the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills.

The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is working with other Ministers—including myself—to develop a "Healthy Living Blueprint", to bring a whole school approach to food and nutrition.

The Department has been working with other Government Departments on "Choosing a Better Diet" which forms part of the overall "Choosing Health?" consultation.

Sexual Health

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of sexually transmitted infections were reported in people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years in each year since 2000, broken down by (i) disease and (ii) sex; [176928](2) what the prevalence rate of reported cases of sexually transmitted infections in people aged

(a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years was in each year since 2000, broken down by (i) disease and (ii) sex. [176929]

I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Workington (Tony Cunningham) and for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) on 25 May 2004, Official Report, columns 1610–11W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by sex. [176930]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Workington (Tony Cunningham) and for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) on 7 June 2004, Official Report, columns 34–36W.

Smoking

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of the impact of people smoking on television and in films upon young people's decision on whether or not to start smoking. [176288]

[holding answer 27 May 2004]: The Government are taking steps to reduce the impact of smoking on young people. The glamourising of tobacco products through advertising, promotion and sponsorship as well as through their depiction in the media is linked to smoking rates.That is why the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 provides for a comprehensive ban on advertising of tobacco products. There is also an Office of Communications code covering the portrayal of smoking in television programmes. This code specifically requires that the portrayal of smoking should be avoided in children's programmes, and included only when there is a strong editorial case for inclusion. In other programmes likely to be widely seen by young people, smoking should be included only where context or dramatic veracity requires it. In such programmes smoking should not be prominently featured as a normal and attractive activity.The independent British Board of Film Classification is currently undertaking a consultation exercise to update its guidelines on granting classifications for films which can be seen by children. The consultation seeks comments on whether smoking in a film should have an impact on classification and what that impact should be. The new guidelines will be published at the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact the NHS smoking cessation services have had on the number of people who have stopped smoking in each year since 1999. [176103]

[holding answer 29 May 2004]: The number of people who have stopped smoking at the four week follow-up stage in each year since 1999 is given in the table.

Number successfully quitting smoking at four week follow-up (based on self-report) of those setting a quit date in 1999–2000, 2000–01,2001–02,2002–03 and April to December 2003— England
	Numbers
1999–2000	5,761
2000–01	64,554
2001–02	119,834
2002–03	124,082
Total April to December 2003	112,174
Total April 1999 to December 2003	426,405

Note:

1. In 1999–2000 smoking cessation services were set up in Health Action Zones (HAZ), with services rolled out across the NHS to all health authorities in 2000–01.

2. Data for 2003 are provisional.

Social Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the time taken for Criminal Records Bureau checks to be completed in respect of social care workers; and what representations he has received about problems caused by delays in this regard. [173951]

I have been asked to reply.The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) continually assesses its performance against its published service levels across all sectors and employment categories. I am unable to provide my hon. Friend with an answer to his specific question relating to the completion of checks for social care workers, because the Criminal Records Bureau's computer system does not hold this information centrally.However, since June 2003 the CRB has been issuing on average 93 per cent. of all Standard and Enhanced Disclosures within two and four weeks respectively, against published service standards of 90 per cent. The bureau is processing over 50,000 Disclosures per week. On 12 May, the CRB issued its four millionth Disclosure.The CRB has received a number of representations from individuals and organisations across all groups about the effects of delays in completing Disclosures. Again, the bureau does not currently record centrally the number of representations received from or concerning social care workers. The bureau aims to resolve any issues in the shortest time possible in order to minimise disruption to people who require the clearance to occupy an employment position.In addition, and in accordance with the Agency's Framework Document, the CRB has both formal and informal consultative arrangements for all employment sectors to help identify and resolve emerging issues affecting the delivery of the Disclosure service.

Teenage Pregnancy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent statistics are for teenage pregnancy. [172160]

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

Letter from John Pullinger to Jim Cunningham, dated 9 June 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the most recent statistics are for teenage pregnancy. I am replying in his absence. (172160)

The most recent complete year for which provisional figures for teenage pregnancy are available is 2001. Final figures will be published later this year.

Provisional estimates for the first two quarters of 2002 based on incomplete abortion data were published in May 2004 and are available on the National Statistics website at:

http://www.nationalstatistics.gov.uk/downloads/ theme_health/hsq22_vl.pdf

Constitutional Affairs

Electoral Registration

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many electors were on the electoral roll for the constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey in each year since 1997. [177727]

Based on figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in respect of the annual register of electors this information is as follows:

	Electors
1997	64,628
1998	65,189
1999	65,304
2000	65,594
2001	66,020
2002	63,142
2003	62,341

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many constituents were on the electoral roll for Chesham and Amersham in each year since 1992. [177920]

Based on figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in respect of the annual register of electors this information is as follows:

	Electors
1992	70,926
1993	70,747
1994	71,020
1995	69,242
1996	69,660
1997	70,084
1998	71,010
1999	69,991
2000	69,748
2001 (February)	69,189
2001 (December)	69,350
2002	69,354
2003	69,360

Honorary Qcs

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will end the practice of awarding honorary QCs. [177144]

My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State will, following his written statement of 26 May, make a further announcement on the future of the award of Queen's Counsel honoris causa, having discussed the issues with the Bar Councils and Law Societies in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Postal Voting

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the combined electorate of the four all-postal regions for the purpose of the European Parliamentary election on 10 June is; how many ballot papers in those elections reached the Post Office (a) on or before 1 June and (b) on each day subsequently; and how many ballot papers were delivered other than by the Post Office (i) on or before 1 June and (ii) on each subsequent day.[l77744]

As at December 2003, the combined electorate of the North East, East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Number and North West regions was 14,083,004. Elections are not run by central Government. However, from discussions with returning officers, the relevant printing firms and the Royal Mail, we understand that 99.24 per cent. of ballot papers were with the Royal Mail or had been hand delivered by local authorities by midnight on 1 June. Those few batches which were not collected by midnight on 1 June were picked up by the Royal Mail at around 5.10am on 2 June. Small-scale problems which have necessitated the reprinting or issuing of new ballot papers after this date have been dealt with on a local level and figures are not held centrally. New ballot papers issued due to an elector reporting the original paper lost or spoilt are again administered at a local level and no figures are kept centrally.

Public Defenders

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost to the Legal Services Commission of employing its own lawyers through the Public Defenders Pilot Scheme was in the latest period for which figures are available. [176557]

The cost to the Legal Services Commission (including national insurance contributions and overtime payments) for all legal staff employed in the Public Defender Service for the financial year 2003–04 was £1,727,928.00. The staff costs for fully qualified lawyers were £1,271,531.64.

Culture, Media And Sport

Tourism (Bootle)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the work of regional development agencies in developing tourism in Bootle. [177713]

The North West Development Agency (NWDA) is working closely with The Mersey Partnership (TMP), the nominated Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Merseyside. DMOs are effectively mini tourist boards that will ensure a strong visitor and market focus to all that is done within the region, and aim to strengthen the connection that exists within the region between businesses and other organisations that make up the tourism sector.During 2003–04 TMP received £320,000 from the NWDA's marketing image budget for tourism and investment campaigns to promote Merseyside. £419,000 was also provided from the NWDA's tourism budget for a variety of projects.

In addition the NWDA's Merseyside area office has supported a programme for the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park, which covers an area from Southport to Wirral. The NWDA is also investing £268,348 from the Environmental Regeneration Programme to Sefton council to create New Public Realm along Stanley road in Bootle town centre. The new works will provide Bootle with an identity, which will encourage future investment in the area.

Trade And Industry

Coalminers' Compensation

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to solicitors under the Claims Handling Agreement involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [176616]

As of 26 May 2004 the total cost paid to solicitors for respiratory disease claims is £271.1 million and for vibration white finger claims the total cost is £82.3 million.

Commission For Equality And Human Rights

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights will have the (a) capacity and (b) competence to (i) deal with and (ii) give due weight to the full range of issues for which it will be responsible. [176490]

As set out in the White Paper, "Fairness for All", the Government will ensure that the Commission for Equality and Human Rights is led by a Board that reflects the communities it serves and understands their needs, has strong strategic capabilities, and is supported by skilled and expert staff. The CEHR will develop its priorities in close consultation with its stakeholders, reinforced by a statutory duty to consult on its strategic plan. This transparent process will ensure a balanced approach to prioritisation in which the full range of relevant issues is given due weight. The Government is committed to ensuring that the CEHR is adequately resourced.

Container Terminals (Southampton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect upon trade of recent decisions on container terminals at Southampton. [177198]

None.

Crown Post Offices

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff have been transferred or made redundant from Crown post offices in each of the last 12 months; and of the former how many have been transferred under TUPE. [177746]

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

Economic Regeneration

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on each Priority Area for Economic Regeneration in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 by (i) her Department and (ii) the relevant regional development agency; and how much is budgeted to be spent in (A) 2004–05 and (B) 2005–06. [173780]

[holding answer 17 May 2004]: I understand that the term "Priority Area for Economic Regeneration" is used in the Regional Planning Guidance 9. The criteria for designating such areas include: above average unemployment levels, high levels of social deprivation, low skill levels, dependence on declining industries, derelict urban fabric, peripherality and insularity. The Areas are not intended to be covered by a Single Regeneration Scheme and projects within these areas are potentially eligible for funding from a number of different sources. The Department does not collect information on total expenditure in relation to all these areas and such information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Farm Export Subsidies

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what date she expects EU export subsidies on farm products to end. [177485]

I have been asked to replyA precise date for the ending of all forms of export subsidy on agricultural products remains a matter for negotiation within the WTO.

Farnborough Airshow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support her Department is giving to the organisers of the Farnborough Airshow taking place from 19 to 25 July; and whether this includes assistance to enable overseas visitors to attend. [177500]

The Department for Trade and Industry is not providing any financial support to the organisers of the Farnborough Airshow. We will provide financial support to enable overseas visitors to attend the Airshow.

Ministerial Visits

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list visits made by each Minister in the Department between December 2003 and April 2004, broken down by (a) date, (b) constituency visited and (c) cost. [171561]

Between December 2003 and April 2004 DTI Ministers undertook the following domestic visits:

Date	Constituency visited	Cost for Minister (£)
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
5 December 2003	Bristol, North, Monmouth and Cardiff, Central	179
Minister for Industry, Regions and Deputy Minister for Women and Equality
9 December 2003	Morley and	406

Date	Constituency visited	Cost for Minister (£)
	Rothwell,Bradford, North, Leeds, Central
11 December 2003	The Wrekin	200
16 December 2003	Kingswood Bristol, East Yeovil	303
5 January 2004	Redditch Meriden Birmingham, Yardley Warwick and Leamington	315
13 January 2004	Newham	¹—
29 January 2004	Dudley, South Birmingham, Ladywood	286
11 February 2004	Cheadle	350
25 February 2004	Hyndburn Lancaster and Wyre Preston	210
10 March 2004	Eastbourne	31
15 March 2004	Wolverhampton, South- West Wolverhampton, North-East	368
22 March 2004	Oxford, East	437
25 March 2004	West Bromwich	170
1 April 2004	Ilford, North	¹—
2 April 2004	Birmingham, Edgbaston	120
16 April 2004	Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend	505
20 April 2004	Ellesmere Port and Neston	365
22 April 2004	Meriden	150
27 April 2004	West Ham Bethnal Green and Bow Cities of London and Westminster	¹—
Minister for Energy, e Commerce and Postal Services
6 January 2004	Fylde and Blackburn	283
19 January 2004	Newbury	147
11 February 2004	Bristol, East,
	Bristol, West and
	Bristol, North-West
25 February 2004	North-West Cambridgeshire and Peterborough	80
15 March 2004	Mansfield and City of York	179
17 March 2004	North Warwickshire	167
22 March 2004	South Swindon	102
1 April 2004	Luton, South	31
Minister for Trade
15 January 2004	Stratford-on-Avon	75
5 February 2004	Bosworth	85
3 March 2004	Broxtowe	126
9 March 2004	Glasgow, Kelvin Glasgow, Govan Glasgow, Maryhill	557
11 March 2004	Cambridge	108
24 April 2003	Blaby	466
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business and Enterprise
21 April 2004	Tewkesbury	150
26 April 2004	Meriden Birmingham, Edgbaston Stoke-on- Trent, North	109
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation
12 January 2004	Harrogate and Knaresborough	231
20 January 2004	Sheffield, Central	191
30 January 2004	Runcorn East, Liverpool Central Wirral, South	327
5 February 2004	Cambridge	¹—
19 February 2004	Croydon, South	6.00
20 February 2004	Southampton, Test	85
4 March 2004	Northampton, South and Cambridge	¹—
1 April 2004	Canterbury	¹—
30 April 2004	Edinburgh, South and East Kilbride	388

Date	Constituency visited	Cost for Minister (£)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Competition and Consumers
15 January 2004	Gateshead, East and Washington, West	135
12 February 2004	Warwick and Leamington	59
13 February 2004	Leeds, Central	0
27 February 2004	Liverpool, Riverside	245
9 March 2004	Edinburgh, North and Leith	285
11 March 2004	Birmingham	141
22 March 2004	Sheffield, Central	181
30 April 2004	Bradford, South	0
¹ Costs for these visits are included in normal office running costs.

In respect of overseas visits, the Government publish on an annual basis the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Information for 2003–4 is currently being collected and will be published as soon as it is ready.

Post Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) Postwatch on quality of service. [176560]

The Department has regular discussions with both Royal Mail and Postwatch on a variety of topics including Royal Mail's quality of service.Royal Mail's top priority is to improve its quality of service performance. It has drawn up detailed plans to tackle the recent problems and Ministers have Allan Leighton's personal assurance that these will be implemented vigorously. We are confident that the management is committed and determined to put things right.

Regional Development Agencies

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to reduce the administrative load on regional development agencies. [174698]

We have to strike the right balance between giving England's Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) the freedom they need to operate effectively and ensuring that public money is spent sensibly and without undue risks. We are continually improving arrangements for funding and tasking RDAs and monitoring their performance.As noted in a recent report by the National Audit Office, "Success in the Regions", much has been done to streamline funding arrangements for the RDAs, for example the introduction of the single budgetary framework in April 2002, which has allowed the RDAs much greater spending flexibility.The NAO report made 10 recommendations to streamline processes and enable the RDAs to get on with the business of encouraging economic development while providing Departments with the information and levels of public accountability that they need. Working with the RDAs and other Departments, the Department of Trade and Industry is working to implement all of these recommendations, including the NAO's main recommendation, simplification of the RDAs' tasking framework to achieve closer alignment with the Regional Economic Strategies produced by the RDAs and relevant Public Service Agreement targets. Action has already been completed on some recommendations, for example, Government offices' reports to the DTI on the RDAs' performance now take place every six months as recommended.

Renewable Energy

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to help United Kingdom firms supply the Chinese market for renewable energy. [173456]

The Department of Trade and Industry maintains close contact with the Chinese authorities with regard to energy matters, and including renewable energy. This contact is managed day-to-day through the commercial sections of the British diplomatic posts in China, and export and trade promoters of UK Trade and Investment and of the DTI's New and Renewable Energy Programme.We are currently working with the Chinese to assist with their design and drafting of regulations to increase their use of renewable energy over the coming years. In close co-operation with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), we received a delegation of Chinese law makers in March, for a programme of meetings when they were able to discuss the issues involved with UK Government Departments and with UK industry. In May we sent a specialist who works with our Distributed Generation Working Group, and a Trade Promoter of the DTI's New and Renewable Energy Programme, to Beijing to join a working group developing the drafting of these regulations, which are expected to come into force next year.We will continue to support this initiative, and also to promote contact between companies and industry bodies of our two countries. We have commissioned the development of a website designed specifically to make available information on renewable energy capabilities and opportunities in each country. This website is nearing completion, and can now be viewed on www.ukchinarenewables.co.uk. We understand that a UK specialist wind energy company is once again going to engage in training Chinese companies in the development of wind energy, in June; at least partially as a result of our trade promotional activities. And we are preparing to sponsor a presence by UK industry at a wind energy conference and exhibition in Beijing at the end of October.We work with the services of UK Trade and Industry, which makes available to firms a range of market information and market research, and provides assistance with participation in trade missions, exhibitions, and conferences. In addition, we make focused market information available to UK firms that are active in the supply of goods and services for renewable energy, and we lead participation in some further trade events within China, brief a number of Chinese trade delegations visiting this country, and accompany some to meet and to visit UK companies. The website mentioned above is an example of making market information more readily available to UK companies. The last trade delegation that we led to China was to exhibit at an environmental exhibition in Beijing in December. That initiative was organised in conjunction also with a JEMU environmental trade mission to three provinces, and with the UK themed workshop "Think UK", arranged by the British embassy and UK industrial sponsors. Several UK renewable energy firms participated in that workshop, and achieved prominence at a senior level as a result. The next Renewable Energy trade mission that we are planning is the Wind Energy exhibition and conference in Beijing at the end of October. Meanwhile we continue to work with individual UK companies that are developing business opportunities.I attended and spoke at the "China Day" event at the International Renewable Energy Conference in Bonn on 2 June at the invitation of Mr. Zhang Guo Bao, the Chinese Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Research And Development

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many applications for research and development grants there have been under (a) the Smart scheme, (b) the grant scheme and (c) regional competitions; [175953](2) what the

(a) success rate for applications and (b) value of the average award are for research and development grants under (i) the Smart scheme, (ii) the grant scheme and (iii) regional competitions; [175954]

(3) what the timetable is for the next regional competitions for research and development grants; [175955]

(4) what the total value is of research and development grants paid out under (a) the Smart scheme, (b) the grant scheme and (c) regional competitions. [175956]

The first regional competition deadline for Grant for Research and Development is 28 May 2004. The dates of further competitions will be decided subsequently. Given that we are still accepting applications within this competition round, I am unable to provide figures on the number of applications received under the competitive environment. We have yet to make any offers under the current competition round.The following table covers the number of applications for and the number of offers made under Smart and Grant for Research and Development for the past three years.

	Smart¹		Grant for R and D¹
	Number of applications²	Number of offers²	Number of applications²	Number of offers²
2001–02	1,134	777
2002–03	1,556	1,142
2003–04	651	618	805	389

¹ Following a review of the Department's business support, Grant for Research and Development was introduced on 1 June 2003 to replace and enhance the Smart scheme. Smart remained open to applications up until 31 August 2003 to allow applicants the opportunity to adjust to the new product. Grant for Research and Development has proved just as popular as its predecessor so

regional competitions for the grants nave been introduced to ensure that expenditure on the product remains under control and to ensure that those research and development projects which best meet the grant selection criteria are supported.

² Included Technology Reviews and Studies, which closed to applications on 31 May 2003 and replaced by the Investigating an Innovative Idea pilot on 1 June 2003.

The following table provides information on the average grant under the `research and 'development' elements of Smart and Grant for Research and Development, taken on figures from the last three years, and how this compares to the maximum grant available.

				£
	Feasibility/Research		Development
	Average grant	Maximum grant	Average grant	Maximum grant
Smart	41,905	45,000	97,359	150,000
Grant for R and D	62,674	75,000	123,550	200,000

The expenditure on Smart in 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 was £23.7 million, £32.1 million and £42.8 million respectively. The expenditure on Grant for Research and Development in 2003–04 (the product was launched on 1 June 2003) was –3.1 million.

Small Businesses

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department takes to help small UK businesses recover money which is owed to them by large multi-national companies. [176832]

Where contracts are governed by UK law, businesses may use the Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation (as amended) to claim interest and compensation on late paid debts.This Government have always recognised that late payment of debts can have serious effects on the cash flow of smaller companies, which is why we had a manifesto commitment to introduce a Late Payment Act to allow small businesses to:

claim interest on late payment from other business or public sector bodies;

allow creditors to claim a fixed sum of compensation to cover debt recovery costs should late payment happen.

The Government also established the Better Payment Practice Group whose website lists the payment record of companies.

The package of measures has had a positive effect on payment times. The Grant Thornton European Business Survey showed that the average time taken in the UK to settle accounts in 1997 was 49 days. By 2002 this had fallen to 41 days. By comparison, the average settlement time in our European neighbours was 50 days. A recent survey by the REL Consultancy Group looked at average days payable outstanding (DPO) and concluded that UK companies' payment performance is 33.6 days against 42.4 days for Europe as a whole.

Because of concerns that suppliers would not utilise the legislation for fear of reprisals or boycotts, I have also undertaken as Minister to write, in cases where invoices are not disputed, on be half of small businesses to the managing directors of companies to convey their complaint and seek an explanation and appropriate action. I urge all Members of Parliament to do the same on behalf of constituents.

Defence

Absence Without Leave

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks have been reported absent without leave in each of the last five years; of those, how many served in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [176112]

[holding answer 8 June 2004]:. Figures for the number of trained personnel who are recorded as going/being absent without leave are given in the tables. No officers in the Naval Service or the RAF went absent during the last five years. Figures for the Army are unable to be broken down into officers and other ranks as the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the same reason, it is not possible to break down the figures to show any who may have served in Iraq.

Navy
Calendar year	Total number reported AWOL¹
1999	35
2000	50
2001	85
2002	90
2003	115

Royal Marines
Calendar year	Total number reported AWOL¹
1999	15
2000	20
2001	15
2002	20
2003	15

Army
Financial year	Total number reported AWOL¹
1998–99	1,400
1999–2000	1,665
2000–01	1,850
2001–02	1,655
2002–03	1,685

RAF
Financial year	Total number reported AWOL¹
1998–99	20
1999–2000	20
2000–01	20
2001–02	15
2002–03	25
¹Rounded to the nearest 5.

Recording of absence differs between the Naval Service, the Army and the RAF, which means that the figures are not directly comparable on a tri-Service basis. Additionally, the Naval Service changed the basis of their reporting in 2001. The Naval Service and the Army record multiple periods of absence by the same person. The RAF registers an individual once, regardless of how many times they are absent within a financial year.

Afghanistan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his current estimate is of the number of civilians killed in Afghanistan by the activities of (a) UK, (b) United States and (c) other military forces not indigenous to Afghanistan since October 2002; and what methods are used to assess the cause of deaths and injuries to civilians in Afghanistan by foreign military activities. [176904]

The Ministry of Defence is aware of no Afghan civilian deaths relating to the activities of the United Kingdom's forces serving in Afghanistan since October 2002. I cannot speak for the forces of other individual nations, but I can say the coalition makes every effort to minimise the impact of military action on the Afghan population. As I explained in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 6 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1104–5W, there are no reliable means of ascertaining the number of civilians killed during combat operations in Afghanistan.

Astute Submarine

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the anticipated order is for the Astute Class Submarine programme; and what the anticipated phasing of the order is. [175576]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: There are three Astute Class Submarines currently on contract with BAE Systems. Further orders for the Astute Class Submarine are being considered and an announcement will be made at the appropriate time.

Departmental Administration Budget

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008, announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331. [176505]

The Ministry of Defence has a vigorous programme in place to drive down overheads and release resources to the front line. The real terms reduction in administration costs of 5 per cent. or more (against a 2005–06 baseline) will be a central feature of all Departments' public spending settlements to be announced in detail later this year.

Diego Garcia

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United Kingdom has transferred persons detained in custody in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq to Diego Garcia since October 2001; and whether the UK has given permission to the United States to do so. [175068]

No.

Fast Jet Pilots

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the RAF's future requirement for fast jet pilots. [176479]

The future requirement for Royal Air Force manpower, including fast jet pilots, is kept under regular review to take account of various factors including changing commitments, Defence Planning Assumptions and the introduction of new aircraft types and equipment. The RAF's fast jet force remains an important part of the United Kingdom's military capability.

Gender Pay Gap

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) Southampton, (b) Eastleigh, (c) Winchester and (d) Romsey. [171625]

The Ministry of Defence, in common with all other Government Departments, conducted an equal pay audit following the publication of the report by the Equal Opportunities Commission Equal Pay Task Force, Just Pay, in March 2001. The outcome of the audit, including an initial action plan, was submitted to the Cabinet Office in April 2003. Further work has been conducted over the last year. This work did not address particular units but nevertheless demonstrated that MOD's pay system treats men and women on an equal basis. The Ministry of Defence intends to place a copy of its action plan in the Library of the House as soon as it has concluded discussions with the Cabinet Office.

Harriers Gr9

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish all or part of the investment appraisal upon which he decided to roll forward the Harriers GR9 to RAF Cottesmore. [177014]

The decision that Harrier Air Depth maintenance support work should roll forward to RAF Cottesmore as the centre of gravity for logistic support, was taken following he results of a comprehensive Investment Appraisal (LA) which fully supported the decision by a clear margin over the other option. All key stakeholders within the Ministry of Defence, including the Chief Executive of Defence Aviation Repair Agency and the RAF were involved in the LA.It is not appropriate to release the LA at this time, as it forms the first phase of other work to decide the location of centres of gravity for logistic support for other air platforms. This further work is still under ministerial consideration.

Human Rights Act

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued to military personnel on the application to them of the Human Rights Act 1998 (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad. [176325]

The guidance and training given to military personnel reflects the importance placed on their acting within the law, whether in the United Kingdom or abroad. Personnel are also informed of their own rights under the law.

International Committee Of The Red Cross

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was informed by his officials at their meeting in April that the concerns raised by the ICRC in their interim report were being investigated. [173453]

The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged at the meeting with Ministry of Defence Officials that they were already aware that their concerns raised in the interim report were being addressed.

Iraq

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which provisions of the Geneva Conventions will cease to apply in Iraq following the handover of sovereignty on 30 June. [177584]

Those parts of the Geneva Convention that set out the rights and responsibilities of an Occupying Power will no longer be relevant when the Iraqi Interim Government assumes authority on 1 July.

Military Personnel (Afghanistan)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the incidence of (a) rape and (b) other sexual abuse of Afghan women by international military personnel serving in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [176056]

The Ministry of Defence has not received any such reports, although I am aware of the concerns expressed in a March 2004 Human Rights Watch report regarding the use of "culturally insensitive" methods during coalition operations in South and South-East Afghanistan. While I cannot speak for the forces of other nations, I understand no United Kingdom military personnel have been accused of committing any form of sexual offence in Afghanistan. Were any to be so, they would be dealt with under the relevant British military discipline procedures and, depending on the offence, the criminal law.

Osama Bin Laden

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK forces in Afghanistan have been given the authority to kill Osama bin Laden. [176827]

The Rules of Engagement for United Kingdom forces in Afghanistan ensure that they remain within international law, which requires that the use of force is limited to that which is necessary and proportionate, depending on the circumstances in which they find themselves.

Recruitment (Army)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits have applied to join the Army in the past year; and how many of those have been (a) judged suitable, (b) accepted for training and (c) deferred. [177145]

The number of new recruits who have applied to join the Army in the past year (training year 2003–2004), have been judged suitable, accepted for training and deferred are detailed as follows.

Training year—2003–04
	Number of new recruits
Applicants	35,224
Judged suitable/job offer	18,133
Accepted for training	13,783
Deferred¹	10,099
¹Deferrals include those who are deferred for medical reasons, for fitness and as a result of the Principal Selection officer interview held at the end of attendance at a Recruit Selection Centre

It should be noted that those deferred will normally reapply at a later stage, hence the figures for those deferred and accepted for training will not equate to the job offer figure in year.

Road Traffic Accidents (Service Personnel)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the circumstances were of the death of Major James Stenner and Sergeant Norman Patterson in a road traffic accident in Baghdad on 1 January; what rank of officer was responsible for their travel arrangements; who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash; and what the investigation concluded about levels of alcohol in the blood of the deceased. [176333]

These questions will be examined as part of the Board of Inquiry process and at the forthcoming Coroner's Inquests. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to comment at this stage.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total (a) capital and (b) running costs to the department of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [176746]

CINC FLEET does not manage costs on the basis of platform types but on functions. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary does not therefore have a distinct, identifiable budget. We do however, maintain the following indicative figures for planning purposes for the costs to FLEET and the Warship Support Agency (WSA).

Direct Running Costs to MOD	£ million
FLEET	125
WSA	73
Capital Charges
FLEET (depreciation and cost of Capital)	116
WSA (depreciation, cost of Capital and stock disposal)	11

Service Personnel (Suicides)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in each of the three Services have committed suicide in each of the last three years; how many of those who died served in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [176110]

[holding answer 9 June 2004]: In the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003, there were 39 suicide and open verdict deaths recorded by a coroner (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or the Procurator Fiscal (Scotland) among UK armed forces personnel. Three of these deaths were among personnel who had served on Operation Telic during the period 10 January 2003 and 20 December 2003 (the latest date for which fully validated Operation Telic deployment data are available). During the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003, there were a further 21 deaths for which we are awaiting a verdict, of which three are for personnel who have served on Operation Telic.A breakdown of the suicides and open verdict deaths by year of occurrence is given in the following table:

Suicides and open verdict deaths in UK armed forces, 2001–03
Year of death	Number	Number who had served on Operation Telic
2001	11	n/a
2002	15	n/a
2003	13	3
Total	39	3
n/a = not applicable.

Shipbuilding

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the current naval shipbuilding programme is phased to allow stable levels of employment particularly in the key design engineering sector. [175574]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: MOD and DTI officials and representatives from the shipbuilding industry meet on a monthly basis to discuss the future naval shipbuilding programme. These meetings are being taken forward in a positive and constructive manner.The recent Defence White Paper (Essay 7—Making Defence Industrial Policy Work for the Armed Forces and UK Industry) sets out that the long-term solution to skills shortages in the defence industry involves a stable equipment programme against which future resource requirements can be planned.We are making particular progress in this sector, where we have commissioned one of the largest programmes of military shipbuilding for many years. In partnership with industry we are comparing our resource requirements against capacity and evaluating the options to reprofile our demand for resources. In this way we can look at ways of avoiding unhelpful peaks and troughs.

Un Operations

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has given to British forces in Iraq to ensure that they (a) fully abide by international law enforcement standards and (b) only use force in line with the principles of necessity and proportionality. [166935]

Training on those aspects of international humanitarian law relevant to law enforcement activities undertaken during operations is provided to personnel on entering the armed forces and refined as appropriate during courses given subsequently in the course of their careers. There are no agreed international law enforcement standards applicable to military forces, but the practices adopted by UK military personnel in Iraq are consistent with the UN Basic Principles for the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.All use of force is governed by UK Forces' Rules Of Engagement (ROE). The ROE take into account the UK's obligations under national and international law of which necessity and proportionality are fundamental principles.

Home Department

All Saints Churchyard, Brightlingsea

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the application to close All Saints Churchyard, Brightlingsea, in Essex. [174272]

[holding answer 18 May 2004]: The hon. Member will be aware that the initial application was made on the basis that the churchyard was full. However the results of the recent technical survey have indicated that a limited amount of space is still available for further burials. In line with agreed practice, the application to close All Saints Churchyard does not fall to be considered until this space has been filled.

Asylum And Immigration Applications (Sudan)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum and (b) immigration applications he has received from residents of Sudan in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [174832]

The available information relating to the number of asylum applications, excluding dependants, that have been received and decisions on applications for an extension of leave to remain or settlement from nationals of Sudan are given in the tables.Detailed statistics on immigration control are published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002" (cm 6053), obtained from the Library, the Stationery Office and via the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/commandpubsl.html.Information on asylum applications is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin `Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Applications¹ received for asylum the United Kingdom excluding dependants, Sudan, 1999 to 2003
	Number of principal applicants
1999²	280
2000²	415
2001³	390
2002⁴	655
2003⁴	930
¹ Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
¹ May exclude some cases lodged at local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000.
¹ Provisional figures.
¹ Revised figures.

Grants and refusals on applications for leave to remain¹ or settlement from nationals of Sudan, 1998–2002
	Number of decisions
	Total grants of extension	Grants of settlement ²	Total refusals of extension or settlement
1998	560	120	50
1999	530	270	20
2000	590	810	30
2001	510	280	35
2002	545	210	50
¹ Excludes dependants of principal applicants, asylum related decisions, the outcome of appeals and withdrawn applications.
² Excludes "in line" dependants and the outcome of appeals.

Asylum Intake Reduction Sub-Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who the members of the Asylum Intake Reduction sub-committee are; and if he will make a statement; [174386](2) if he will publish the minutes of the Asylum Intake Reduction sub-committee; and if he will make a statement; [174387](3) on what dates the Asylum Intake Reduction sub-committee has met; and if he will make a statement. [174389]

[holding answer 20 May 2004]: The Asylum Intake Reduction/Secure Borders sub-programme board is one of several sub-programme boards designed to assist and oversee delivery of the Public Service Agreement on Asylum and Immigration which is jointly owned by the Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The sub-programme boards report to a Joint Programme Board. The Asylum Intake Reduction/Secure Borders sub-programme board is chaired by the Senior Director, Operations of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. The members are relevant senior officials from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and UK visas.The sub-programme board meets monthly. Its minutes contain strategic information in relation to border security and the deployment of resources which is internal to the Government and is not appropriate for wider circulation. Publication of the minutes could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion and essential policy analysis as detailed in part 2, section 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Asylum Seekers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on returning failed asylum seekers to Iraq. [174079]

We seek to remove all failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants wherever possible. All asylum and human rights claims are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Should a claim be refused and any appeal before the independent Immigration Appellant Authority be unsuccessful, it means for that individual it is safe to return.We have reached agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns to Iraq. We are working to finalise the practicalities of the enforced return programme, which we will implement as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.In addition since July last year the Home Office has been facilitating, without incident, the return of small numbers of Iraqi citizens who want to return home through the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme operated on our behalf by the International Organisation for Migration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of asylum seekers who have failed the appeal process (a) in the UK and (b) in Leeds. [174247]

The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Information on asylum appeals are published quarterly, copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.

Bichard Inquiry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Bichard Inquiry is expected to report. [172956]

Sir Michael Bichard has indicated that he intends to deliver his final report to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in June. It will be published as soon as possible.

Bribery/Corruption

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mutual legal assistance requests have been made to other jurisdictions with respect to allegations of overseas bribery; to which jurisdictions; and on what dates. [174029]

The United Kingdom is committed to assist its international partners in the fight against bribery and corruption and has signed the UN Convention Against Corruption. The UK Central Authority (UKCA) in the Home Office has processed a number of cases related to this area of criminality. However, the more detailed statistics sought by the hon member are not available as UKCA does not currently collate them in a manner that can produce data according to offence type.

Cannabis Seeds

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the purposes for which cultivation of cannabis seeds is licensed by his Department; [174242](2) if he will make it his policy to require purchasers of cannabis seeds only to cultivate such seeds for lawful, licensable purposes; and if he will make a statement; [174243](3) if he will describe the licensing regime for the cultivation of cannabis seeds. [174244]

The seeds of the cannabis plant are not subject to control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The possession, sale and the use of the seeds for culinary and similar purposes are therefore not subject to restriction. This follows the provisions of international law—UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961—on which our law is based. The Convention specifically exempts cultivation of cannabis seed production which is classed as an industrial purpose.It is not considered practicable or desirable to bring the seeds or their users under control. The protection afforded by Section 6 of the Act which prohibits cannabis cultivation without a licence is deemed sufficient. Such unlawful production would be a criminal offence the maximum penalty for which is fourteen years imprisonment.In common with certain other substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, cannabis is subject to designation under Section 7. The effect of this in relation to cultivation is to restrict licensing to activities connected with research or other special purposes. Such research can be either medical or scientific. Cultivation is subject to security conditions assessed on the basis of the individual circumstances and to record keeping requirements. The research has to be recognised as serious by the medical or scientific communities.The only other special purpose of any significance where licensing has been permitted is the cultivation of cannabis for the production of industrial hemp (used in animal bedding, specialised building products and other materials). In this case only cannabis seeds of a very low psycho-active content are used (as prescribed under EU regulation). Otherwise the only other activities which have been acknowledged as special are cultivation for

Number of persons¹ proceeded against for certain motoring offences, England and Wales 1993–2002
	Driving or causing or permitting another person to drive other than in accordance with a licence²	Driving while disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence	Using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks
1993	23,482	26,125	265,549
1994	23,362	27,284	258,709
1995	22,886	27,698	265,598
1996	22,640	26,186	247,113
1997	24,004	26,135	236,616
1998	24,159	26,940	232,862

seed production and education where cultivation has been used in illustrating the long history of the use of hemp products.

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received on assistance to small voluntary organisations with obtaining Criminal Records Bureau checks on volunteers; and if he will make a statement; [174667](2) what assessment he has made of the effect on small voluntary organisations of delays in obtaining Criminal Records Bureau checks on volunteers; and if he will make a statement. [174669]

The Department has received a range of representations from the voluntary sector. We encourage dialogue with voluntary organisations in order to address issues relevant to the sector—both through the Voluntary and Community Service Working Group, which regularly brings together representatives of a variety of interests, and other standing consultative bodies; and on other, ad hoc, occasions. Currently, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is reviewing the network of umbrella registered bodies through which smaller organisations may submit applications, in order to ensure that coverage is sufficient to meet the need. We are anxious also to continue to pursue discussions with the sector about other, cost-effective, means by which voluntary organisations might access the CRB.Specific information is not available about the length of time the CRB takes to process applications from voluntary organisations. It is the normal practice of the CRB to process applications on a chronological basis, according to date of receipt, irrespective of the sector. Information is routinely collected about the CRB's overall performance against its service standards. Since June 2003, the CRB has been issuing on average 93 per cent. of all Standard and Enhanced Disclosures within two and four weeks respectively, against published service standards of 90 per cent. The CRB's aim is constantly to strive to make further improvements to the service that it provides.

Dangerous Driving

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted in each of the last 10 years for driving (a) under age, (b) without a licence, (c) while excluded and (d) without insurance. [169070]

The information requested is contained in the table:

Number of persons¹ proceeded against, for certain motoring offences, England and Wales 1993–2002
	Driving or causing or permitting another person to drive other than in accordance with a licence ²	Driving while disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence	Using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks
1999	23,202	28,401	226,021
2000³	24,421	28,714	228,329
2001	24,599	31,130	227,570
2002	24,338	33,388	242,188
¹Data are on the principal offence basis and exclude companies, local authorities etc.
² Includes offences of driving under age and without licence.
³ Excludes Staffordshire.

Offences of driving under age and without a licence are included along with other similar offences in the group 'Driving, or causing or permitting another person to drive other than in accordance with a licence' and cannot be separately identified. Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Date Rape Drugs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the (a) types and (b) effects of date rape drugs; [174467](2) what advice he has given to

(a) police forces and (b) club operators on date rape drugs; [174468]

(3) what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned on the illegal use of date rape drugs; and if he will make a statement. [174471]

We take the issue of drug assisted sexual assault and allegations of it very seriously. Penalties for this crime were recently increased in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to a maximum of 10 years. It is an offence to administer a stupefying substance with the intent of overpowering the victim to engage him or her in sexual activity.There are potentially very many drugs. Any drug that causes a degree of sedation could potentially be used in a case of 'drug rape'. Drugs which are currently tested for by the Forensic Science Service where 'drug rape' is alleged include: Gammahydroxybutyrate (or GHB) and the benzodiazepine family of drugs such as temazepam and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). The sedative effects of drugs are likely to be increased when mixed with alcohol.This issue is one where there is much public concern with very little evidence of the prevalence of the crime. An average 450 allegations of this type are investigated by the Forensic Science Service annually. Of these only between 1 and 2 per cent. show any sign of an unexplained sedative drug.It is important that any allegation of sexual assault is investigated and the victim is supported by appropriate services whether or not drugs are involved.An Action Plan was launched in July 2002 to implement the recommendations of the HMCPSI/ HMIC joint investigation into the investigation and prosecution of cases involving allegations of rape. This includes 'drug rape' and work with the Association of Chief Police Officers has seen improved guidance to the police. This includes a joint police and Crown Prosecution Service training package and the Joint Operational Police Instructions (JOPI) which were published in June 2003. The "Core Investigative Doctrine" and the "Sexual Offences Investigation Manual of Guidance" are also currently being updated by Centrex.The Safer Clubbing Guidance is to be updated later this year and will specifically contain guidance on the prevention of, and provision of information on, drug assisted sexual assault. This guidance is distributed to licensed premises, the police, licensing authorities and the local authority via Drug Action Teams.

Deepcut Barracks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many potential witnesses were (a) contacted and (b) interviewed by MoD police detective constables seconded to the Surrey police for the duration of the investigations into deaths at Deepcut Army barracks. [174753]

Surrey police informs me that two Ministry of Defence police officers seconded to Surrey police undertook a range of tasks, which included contacting and interviewing witnesses. Surrey police also informs me that it is unable to identify the numbers involved without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Deportee Prisoners

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportees remained in English prisons after completing their sentences for a period of more than three months on the most recent date for which information is available. [174841]

[holding answer 24 May 2004]: Information on the number of people who were detained in Prison establishments awaiting deportation after completion of a criminal sentence is not available.Work is ongoing to improve the quality of data held on those people detained under Immigration Act powers in Prison Service establishments.

Domestic Violence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women have been convicted of domestic violence during the last 12 months for which figures are available. [174491]

Offences involving domestic violence are not identifiable on the Home Office Court Proceedings database as no specific statute covers such offences.

Prosecutions brought might range from common assault to homicide depending on the level of violence, and as the circumstances of the offences for which prosecutions are brought are not collected centrally, offences involving domestic violence cannot be distinguished from other offences within these categories.

Dr Harold Shipman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 1298W, on Dr. Harold Shipman, whether the entire body was disposed of; who authorised the disposal; what method was used for disposal; and if he will make a statement. [171993]

The body of Harold Shipman has been released to his family by the coroner. Once a coroner's inquiries have been completed and the release authorised, the decision on disposal is a private matter for the family of the deceased.

Guantanamo Bay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 24 May, Official Report, column 1413W, on Guantanamo Bay, on how many occasions officers carrying out interviews informed the relevant authorities of complaints made by detainees alleging treatment by US forces contrary to the terms of the Geneva Convention. [176845]

[Holding answer 7 June, 2004]: Some of the detainees questioned by UK intelligence personnel have complained about their treatment in detention. All complaints made by detainees interviewed by British Intelligence officers were passed onto the US authorities, who are responsible for the treatment of those detained in Guantanamo Bay.

Immigration And Nationality Directorate (Staffing)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff employed in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have (a) resigned and (b) requested a transfer to another department in (i) the last six months and (ii) each of the last 10 years. [174384]

[holding answer 20 May 2004]: Information on the number of staff requesting a transfer to another department is not available but the number of staff resigning and transferring in each of the last 10 years and the last six months, is contained in the table.

	Resignation	Transfer to other Government Department
1994–95	108	13
1995–96	98	12
1996–97	126	15
1997–98	193	23
1998–99	146	33
1999–2000	125	16
2000–01	244	24
2001–02	333	107
2002–03	334	108
2003–04	439	115
1 October 2003–31 March 2004	207	68

Over the period these figures indicate an annual resignation rate of around 3 per cent. which is generally in line with figures for the Civil Service (Civil Service Statistics 2002).

Mayor Of London (Meetings)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates (a) he and (b) his predecessor held official meetings with the Mayor of London since July 2000; and what the subject of each meeting was. [171438]

[holding answer 10 May 2004]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has regular meetings with the Mayor of London at which issues of mutual concern such as crime, policing and security are discussed.

Metropolitan Police

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilians were employed by the Metropolitan police in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by borough; and what percentage of the total of those employed by the Metropolitan police force are civilians. [176712]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: There are no statistics published centrally on the number of police staff at borough level. The total number of police staff (includes community support officers and traffic wardens) in the Metropolitan police on 31 March 2003 was 12,558. This represented 31 per cent. of the total of those employed by the Metropolitan police.

Minors (Heathrow Airport)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accompanied minors have arrived at London Heathrow Airport in each year from 1997 to 2003 inclusive without a passport or identity documents seeking entry into the UK. [174778]

Information on the number of accompanied minors who have arrived at Heathrow Airport without a passport or identity documents seeking entry into the UK is not currently collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied minors have arrived at London Heathrow airport in each year from 1997 to 2003 inclusive seeking admission to the UK without the necessary visa or legal entitlement to entry. [174779]

Information on the number of unaccompanied minors who have arrived at Heathrow airport seeking admission to the UK without the necessary visa or legal entitlement to entry is not currently collected.The results of Operation Paladin Child on unaccompanied children arriving at Heathrow airport were announced on 17 May. This operation ran between August 2003-November 2003 and was initiated by the Metropolitan Police Child Protection Command, with the co-operation of the Immigration Service, NSPCC and Hillingdon Social Services.

In total 1,738 unaccompanied minors were granted leave to enter in the three month study of whom 30 per cent. were risk assessed and referred to social services. The operation was a valuable exercise in determining the nature of child migration to the UK and has not uncovered evidence of child trafficking at Heathrow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied minors have arrived at London Heathrow airport in each year from 1997 to 2003 inclusive seeking refugee status in the UK. [174780]

Data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children that arrive at specific ports of entry are not collated centrally (additionally some unaccompanied minors may arrive in the UK and subsequently apply for asylum in country). This information could therefore be obtained only from individual case files at disproportionate cost.The table presents data on asylum applications from unaccompanied children broken down by year and location of application.

Unaccompanied ^1,2,3 children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, 1997 to 2003.
	Total	Applied at port	Applied in country
1997⁴	1,100	670	430
1998⁴	3,035	1,085	1,955
1999⁴	3,350	1,500	1,850
2000⁴	2,735	1,395	1,340
2001⁴	3,470	1,645	1,820
2002^5,6	6,200	1,240	4,955
2003^5,6	2,800	555	2,245
¹Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
²Unaccompanied at point of arrival, aged (or if no proof) determined to be 17 or under and not known to be joining a relative or guardian in the United Kingdom.
³Figures exclude disputed age cases.
⁴May excluded some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices.
⁵Not comparable with manual counts data prior to 2002.
⁶Provisional figures.

Information on applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children and other asylum statistics are published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK Are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

New Hall Prison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls aged under 18 were in custody at New Hall Prison on each (a) visit date and (b) publication date relating to the Chief Inspector of Prisons' recent report. [172614]

During the inspect ion by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons at New Hall prison between 10 and 14 November 2003, the number of juveniles held on F wing was as follows. (Note: these numbers include all those classified as juveniles, i.e. all those serving a Detention and Training Order, any remanded young women under 18 and all section 91s):

10 November 2003–42
11 November 2003–43
12 November 2003–43
13 November 2003–43
14 November 2003–42.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners were mentally ill during their detention in New Hall women's prison during (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [172652]

The available data for New Hall cover the period from 12 May 2003 to 26 April 2004. During that time there were 709 referrals for mental health assessments. Of these, 29 were diagnosed as having a "severe and enduring mental health problem" of a sort which generally requires specialist treatment. A further 345 of the referrals involved mental health issues linked to substance misuse and their problems were addressed in a variety of ways: psychology sessions, psychiatric nurse sessions, group and/or specialist sessions such as anger management, self-harm management, trauma/abuse counselling.

Parenting Courses

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is available for parenting education courses within the prison system. [174789]

[holding answer 21 May 2004]: Most prisons and Young Offender Institutions, and all juvenile establishments, offer courses in family literacy and parenting programmes. These form part of a Social and Life Skills programme which is accredited through the Open College Network. Some establishments also deliver family learning as part of their visits programme.In addition, many parenting and family relationship courses have been introduced into prisons by voluntary or community-based organisations. We encourage providers to embed literacy and numeracy into these courses so offenders can achieve basic skills qualifications as well as gain important life skills in communications and parenting.

Police

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Stoke-on-Trent North has been since 1997. [177645]

Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position al the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.The Stoke-on-Trent North constituency is part of the Stoke-on-Trent Basic Command Unit (BCU). In March 2002 Stoke-on-Trent Division was 365 officers. The force has not provided any BCU data for March 2003. The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (John Giffard) and within the Stoke-on-Trent BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

At the end of December 2003 Staffordshire police had record strength of 2,253, which is 42 more officers than in March 1997.

Prison Governors

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison Governors in England and Wales are women; and if he will list the prisons. [174492]

There are 33 female senior operational managers in charge of Public Sector Prison Service establishments in England and Wales out of a total of 128 establishments. The establishments concerned are:

Establishments with Female Senior Operational Managers in Charge

Askham Grange
Blundeston
Brockhill
Buckley Hall
Bullingdon
Canterbury
Dartmoor
Dover
Everthorpe
Ford
Foston Hall
Haslar
Haverigg
Hewell Grange
Highdown
Edmunds Hill
Hindley
Huntercombe
Lancaster Farms
Lincoln
Littlehey
Liverpool
Maidstone
Moorland
New Hall
Onley
Rochester
Stafford
Stocken
Thorn Cross
Weare
Whatton
Winchester

Prisoners

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners (a) were dyslexic, (b) autistic and (c) had eating disorders on the latest date for which figures are available. [174960]

Information is not collected centrally about the number and percentage of prisoners who are dyslexic, autistic or have eating disorders. Past research suggests that the proportion of prisoners suffering from dyslexia could range from four to over 17 per cent. A new prison dyslexia project, currently under way in Yorkshire and Humberside, is designed to provide an authoritative answer to the question of the incidence of dyslexia and related learning disabilities among the prison population. This report is expected at the end of the summer.In a survey of mental ill health in the prison population undertaken by the Office for National Statistics in 1997, 6 per cent. of women prisoners reported having been diagnosed at some time in their lives with anorexia and 14 per cent. with bulimia.It is possible that Autistic Spectrum Disorders among the prison population may be under-diagnosed. The Prison Service, Prison Health and the Youth Justice Board have jointly appointed a Programme Manager for Juvenile Health This appointment is expected to lead, among other things, to a greater understanding of the nature and prevalence of all conditions—including autism—in the juvenile population. This in turn should lead to better diagnosis and assessment in individual cases and improved commissioning of appropriate services.

Prisons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many basic skills (a) entry level, (b) level 2 and,(c) level 3 places are available to prisoners at each (i) Prison Service establishment and (ii) privately run establishment. [174289]

We do not record this level of detail centrally. The number of basic skills places available to prisoners at entry level, level 1 and level 2 is informed by need, which is identified at induction and initial assessment. Each establishment is required to meet challenging targets at each of these levels. We are providing more money for prisons this year in order to generate additional capacity. The overall target for 2003–04 and 2004–05 and achievement for 2003–04 are given in the table.

	Target	Achievement
2003–04¹	36,631 (all levels) of which:	46,517 (127%) of which:
	7,749 (entry)	13,431
	14,462 (level 1)	18,905
	14,420 (level 2)	14,181
2004–05	56,000 (all levels) of which:
	16,970 (entry)
	23,430 (level 1)
	15,600 (level 2)
¹ Provisional

Level 2 is equivalent to a GCSE grade A

^* -D. Prisoners have the opportunity to progress to higher levels through distance learning, for example through the Open University.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Prison Service definition is of purposeful activity for prisoners. [174343]

The purposeful activity measure is made up of 29 categories of activity undertaken by prisoners broadly comprising work, education, training, programmes to tackle offending behaviour, resettlement activity and physical education. Prisons report the total weekly purposeful activity hours they deliver by these categories of activity.

Purposeful activities
Activity group	Activities include:
Education
Induction assessment	Basic skills screening assessments
Basic and Key Skills up to Level 2	All education categories can include private study or 'homework' by prisoners where this can be validated and an audit trail maintained
Education leading to accreditation	Education activity where prisoners are working towards a recognized qualification (but excluding education leading to basic skills qualifications categorised above)
Skills training leading to recognized national accreditation	Vocational construction and industrial training courses, e.g. industrial cleaning, catering, motor mechanics, office skills, hairdressing, painting, construction, electrical
Physical education	PE where physical education officers teach and supervise prisoners
Other education	Not categorised elsewhere, including library use of more than 30 minutes
Work
Prison maintenance work	Support to works and maintenance staff around the prison
Wing cleaning work	Cleaning work on wings
Other prison cleaning and orderly work	Cleaning and orderly work around the prison other than on domestic wings
Industries/production workshops (PES workshops on Regime Monitoring system)	Employment in production or industrial workshops such as textiles tailors, laundries, plastics, woodwork contract services etc. (Any workshop that is predominately production based)
Agricultural business	Employment in prison farms, market gardens
Gardens amenity	Employment on prison gardens
Kitchen	Preparation or serving of food in prison kitchens, hotplate/serveries or messes
Other occupations	Employment not categorised elsewhere (e.g. clothing exchange store workers, administrative clerks, barbers, paid community work)
Resettlement
Induction	Prison induction courses
Maintaining safe and secure environment	Primary objective of activity relates to institutional behaviour, e.g. suicide awareness, anti-bullying
Sentence planning, parole interviews, other assessments with the prisoner not categorized elsewhere	Activity to define the composition of prisoner regimes
Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBPs)	KPI accredited courses
Non accredited OBPs	Any other programmes not categorised elsewhere
Tackling substance abuse	Interviews, assessments, individual or grouped drug or alcohol programmes, including CARATS assessments
IDPR	Inmate Development and Pre-Release training
Other resettlement and offending behaviour activity not covered	Probation, personal officer, PLU officer work. Job club and other employment advice. Accommodation advice or information. Specialist work, including probation or CAB
Family, social	Visits, earned community visits, compassionate licence
Temporary release on resettlement licence	Count up to eight hours per day if the time has not been categorized elsewhere
Other purposeful activities
Health education clinics and promotion	Including, for example, well-man clinics and cancer awareness sessions but excluding medical treatment
Voluntary work	Including sessions with external agencies not covered elsewhere
Other facility licence not covered elsewhere
Chaplaincy	All faith religious activities including services, classes, pastoral visits and organised prayers
Recreational sporting activities	Activities organised in addition to the establishment PE programme and supervised by non-PE staff

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed and by whom in the delivery of Counselling Assessment, Referral, Advice and Through-care services in each (a) Prison Service establishment and (b) privately run establishment. [174345]

Information on the number of counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare service (CARATs) workers is not collected routinely and may be subject to change. A table showing a survey of prisons conducted in January 2004 has been placed in the Library.

The following table shows a fuller description of all the activities that are drawn together to constitute the overall purposeful activity measure:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Northern Irish prisoners held in prisons in England and Wales have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [174487]

In 2001, 18 prisoners were transferred from prisons in England and Wales to prisons in Northern Ireland; 10 prisoners were transferred in 2002. Because of population pressures in Northern Ireland only one prisoner was transferred in 2003. Nevertheless, applications are processed in the normal way and prisoners are transferred when a space becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the open prisons in England and Wales for (a) males inmates and (b) female inmates. [174489]

The following prisons in England and Wales had open units for male inmates on 31 March 2004; Ford, Grendon/Spring Hill, Hewell Grange, Hollesley Bay, Kirkham, Leyhill, Moorland Open, North Sea Camp, Standford Hill, Sudbury, Thorn Cross, Usk/Prescoed and Wealstun.The following prisons in England and Wales had open units for female inmates on 31 March 2004; Askham Grange and East Sutton Park.

Probation Hostels

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of places in probation hostels in England and Wales were occupied by persons on bail in (a) 1991 and (b) 2003. [172269]

A report published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation in 1993, "Approved Probation and Bail Hostels—Report of a Thematic Inspection" confirmed that of the population resident in approved hostels during 1991–92:

69 per cent. were on bail

25 per cent. were on probation

6 per cent. were under supervision on release from custody.

No published data are yet available on the percentage of places in approved probation and bail hostels (approved premises) in England and Wales occupied by persons on bail in 2003.

Racial Harassment (Manchester)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times powers preventing racial harassment introduced since 1997 have been used in Manchester, Central. [174278]

[holding answer 20 May 2004]: Figures for the number of prosecutions in Manchester, Central for this type of offence are not centrally available. Greater Manchester police figures for harassment offences (published by the Home Office under the requirements of S95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991) show a total of 2,075 recorded offences of this type in the Greater Manchester police area over the period 1999–2000 to 2001–02.

Recidivism

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of detention and training orders in preventing recidivism among young offenders. [172297]

The Detention and Training Order (DTO) has been the main custodial sentence for young people aged 12 to 17 since April 2000.The first two years' operation of the DTO was the subject of research commissioned by the Youth Justice Board. This found some signs that supervisors were playing a very significant role in getting young offenders to address their offending behaviour. It is too early to assess the overall effectiveness of the sentence in preventing recidivism but we do expect shortly to be able to publish the first national reconviction figures.

Respect And The National Black Police Association

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much public funding (a) went last year and (b) will go (i) this year and (ii) next year to (A) RESPECT in the Prison Service and (B) the National Black Police Association; and if he will make a statement. [175050]

The information requested is as follows:

(A) Funding for RESPECT

During 2003–04, the RESPECT Network received £453,000 from the Prison Service For 2004–05, the Network have forecast a spend of £400,000. RESPECT'S funding request for 2005–06 has not yet ban submitted.

(B) Funding for the National Black Police Association

For 2003–04, the Home Office provided grant in aid of £81,214 and funding of nearly £40,000 for one member of staff employed by the National Black Police Association (NBPA). The NBPA's funding request for 2004–05 is currently under consideration. Funding for 2005–06 will be considered at the end of this financial year.

RESPECT has proven to be a valuable support network for its members throughout the Prison Service. Encouragingly, the Network now has 3,663 members and provides a free-phone support line with trained volunteers drawn from its membership which provides an additional source of support to any member of staff who may have been a victim of racism.The National Black Police Association plays an important role in helping the Police Service become more aware of the various issues facing black officers and to recruit, retain and progress more minority ethnic officers. Through its links with communities, it also helps increase trust and confidence of those communities in the Police Service.

Section 44 Funding

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the racial equality councils that have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in securing section 44 funding; and which racial equality councils cover areas in which British National Party candidates are standing in this year's local government elections. [174770]

For the lists of successful and unsuccessful applications, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) on 18 May 2004, Official Report, column 862WThe Commission for Racial Equality is collating the other information requested and I have asked its chair to write to my hon. Friend on this matter as soon as possible.

Secure Estate (Wales)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children from (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales reside in the secure estate in Wales. [171994]

On 6 May 2004, there were 26 young people from Wales and two from England in the juvenile secure estate in Wales. There were none from Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Surrey Police Service

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future role of the Surrey police service in undertaking the coroner's assistant duty; and what estimate he has made of the annual (a) cost to the Surrey police service of undertaking the coroner's assistant duty and (b) number of hours that Surrey police spend on coroner's assistant duties. [174754]

As announced in "Reforming the Coroner and Death Certification Service, a Position Paper", which we published on 1 March, we propose that the existing responsibility undertaken by the police in Surrey and elsewhere to provide officers to support coroners should in future be transferred to a new national coroner service. Meanwhile, the agreement is that the present levels of staffing arid support are to be maintained.I understand from Surrey police that they have 12 staff working 20,000 hours a year on coroner's officer duties. The annual cost is around £355,000.

Deputy Prime Minister

Housing Transfers

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the asset value of council housing stock transferred to registered social landlords in each of the last three years. [177005]

The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The value of a housing transfer is through its tenanted market value rather than on an asset basis. The tenanted market value reflects the income the Registered Social Landlord is likely to receive less the estimated expenditure necessary on repair and improvement works, maintenance and supervision and management over a 30-year period.

New Deal For Communities

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) job title and (b) annual salary is of each employee of each New Deal for Communities partnership. [160344]

A list of job titles and the total number of staff falling within salary bands from £0 to £10,000 upwards has been made available in the Library of the House. A few partnerships have declined to give this information for data protection reasons.

The staff listed are funded through management and administration budgets. Overall, partnerships may only spend up to 10 per cent. of their 10-year budget total on management and administration during the life of their programme.

Some partnerships run schemes and projects internally and so have higher staffing numbers. Other NDC partnerships contract out work to external people/organisations and in consequence their staffing numbers are lower.

Planning (Crime And Disorder Assessments)

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when crime and disorder impact assessments under planning regulations will begin. [177728]

There is no statutory requirement for each planning application to be accompanied by a crime and disorder impact assessment. However, such an assessment is encouraged in "Safer Places: the Planning System and crime prevention", which was published on 26 April. This good practice guidance, which will accompany the forthcoming Planning Policy Statement 1, provides advice on effective methods of implementing crime prevention measures and securing community safety through the planning system.

Rough Sleepers

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of rough sleepers in (a) London and (b) England for each year since 1997. [177053]

Figures on the number of rough sleepers are not available for 1997. The following table shows the year on year progress made since 1998, when the baseline figure against which the Rough Sleepers Unit's target for reducing rough sleepers was set.

	London	Rest of England	Total	Overall reduction (percentage)
June 1998	621	1,230	1,851	—
June 1999	635	998	1,633	11.8
June 2000	546	634	1,180	36.3
June 2001	357	346	703	62.0
November 2001	264	268	532	71.3
June 2002	321	275	596	67.8
June 2003	267	237	504	72.8

On 3 December 2001, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that the target to reduce rough sleeping by at least two thirds from the baseline estimate had been met. This two-third reduction in rough sleeping has not only been sustained, but has been reduced further.The Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue to work closely with local authorities, voluntary sector agencies and others in sustaining the reduction.

Environment, Food And Rural Affairs

Aquaculture

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from Norwegian companies and operators engaged in aquaculture in the UK as to the continued viability of their operations in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [176627]

None.

Bananas

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what pressure the Department has brought to seek a positive outcome in the World Trade Organisation discussions on bananas in order to protect Caribbean banana producers. [176077]

As part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) settlement with the USA and Ecuador reached in 2001, the EU is committed to the removal of quota restrictions on banana imports by the end of 2005. Further WTO negotiations will be needed to determine how the existing quotas are converted into tariffs.The UK recognises the importance of the banana trade to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) exporters. We firmly believe that the inevitable changes to the banana regime must be phased at a rate that allows their economies to adjust.Defra and European Commission officials met earlier this year to discuss the matter. Further representations will be made as necessary when the Commission seeks a mandate from member states for proposals on a tariff-only import regime to submit to the WTO.As a separate issue, the existing waiver under WTO rules allowing the EU to provide tariff preferences for the ACP countries expires in 2007 and is to be replaced by the development of Economic Partnership Agreements. The terms for these are currently under negotiation. The UK is taking a close interest.

Dog Ownership

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the merits of introducing a life ban on dog ownership for people convicted of serious cruelty to dogs; and if she will make a statement. [176769]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: Under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill we are considering the penalties which are available to the courts. We are also looking at ways of ensuring that an order banning a convicted person from keeping animals is effective and cannot be circumvented.

Farm Subsidies

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland received agricultural support payments collectively totalling more than (i) 500,000, (ii) 1 million and (iii) 1.5 million euros in the most recent year for which records are available. [172482]

The number of farms in England receiving agricultural support payments collectively totalling more than 500,000, 1 million and 1.5 million euros are set out in the table. These figures have been taken from European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund 2003 financial year (16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003).The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved Assemblies.

Euros¹	Number of farms
More than 500,000	78
More than 1 million	10
More than 1.5 million	12
¹The records are recorded in sterling. An exchange rate of 0.652 euros to the £ was used to convert the sterling values.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland received total agricultural production subsidy payments exceeding (i) 50,000, (ii) 75,000, (iii) 100,000, (iv) 125,000, (v) 150,000, (vi) 175,000, (vii) 200,000, (viii) 250,000 and (ix) 300,000 euros for the most recent year for which records are available. [172483]

The number and proportion of farms in England receiving agricultural production subsidy payments is broken down into the requested bands in the following table. These figures have been taken from European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund 2003 financial year (16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003).The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved Assemblies.

Euros¹	Number of farms	Proportion (percentage)
Exceeding 50,000	3,564	2,90
Exceeding 75,000	1,854	1.51
Exceeding 100,000	980	0.80
Exceeding 125,000	610	0.50
Exceeding 150,000	381	0.31
Exceeding 175,000	251	0.20
Exceeding 200,000	243	0.20
Exceeding 250,000	117	0.10
Exceeding 300,000	199	0.16
¹The records are recorded in sterling. An exchange rate of 0.652 euros to the £ was used to convert the sterling values.

Flora And Fauna Extinctions

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of species of (a) plants and (b) animals that have become extinct in the UK in the last 25 sears. [165260]

By its very nature, extinction is very difficult to demonstrate. However, based on available information, five species of plants (one of which has been reintroduced) and eight species of animals (including four species of invertebrates) appear to have become extinct in the United Kingdom during the last 25 years.

Nirex

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the reasons for the delay in announcing the future responsibilities of Nirex. [177228]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Government are considering the best means of making Nirex independent of industry and subject to greater Government control, as we announced in July 2003. The options for this need to be considered and discussed with Nirex itself and its industry shareholders. The Government will announce the outcome of the Nirex review once it has been completed.

Pesticides

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of approved pesticides in the United Kingdom are known to use possible (a) carcinogens, (b) mutagens and (c) allergens. [177434]

It is not possible for me to provide information on the number of pesticides classified as carcinogens or mutagens because this information is not held centrally and to attempt to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.There are approximately 500 out of a total of 3,849 approved pesticide products that are classified as "skin sensitizers". These products are only approved for sale to professional users and carry a requirement to use protective equipment to reduce skin contact when handling the product.

Pigswill

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which membership-based organisations responded to the consultation document that preceded the ban on swill feeding to pigs; and if she will summarise their responses. [175796]

A copy of the list of the membership-based organisations that responded to the consultation document and relevant summaries of their responses has been placed in the Library of the House.

Protected Bird Species

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which protected species of bird may be taken under licence in England; how many licences were issued by her Department in the last two years to take protected bird species, broken down by (a) species and (b) the number of birds taken under each licence; and what (i) the location where the action can take place and (ii) the reason why each licence was issued in each case. [176836]

All species of wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, however section 16 of the Act gives powers to the Secretary of State to issue licences which may be, to any degree, general or specific, subject to there being no satisfactory alternative.The Department compiles derogation reports under the European Community Directive on the Conservation of Birds (79/409/EEC) on an annual basis for the United Kingdom. The report details the species, the number of licences issued, the purpose or reason for each licence issued in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by Government Departments and agencies.Reports for the calendar years, 2001 and 2002 are publicly available documents and have been lodged with the House Libraries. The report for 2003 is currently being compiled and will be made available as soon as it has been completed and submitted to the European Commission.The reports do not record details of the location where the action has taken place in view of concerns for confidentiality and identifying individuals' residence.

Waste Disposal

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is Government policy that the disposal of all (a) intermediate-level waste and (b) high-level waste should be the responsibility of Nirex. [177227]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: Government have established the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) to recommend the best form of long-term management for the UK's higher activity radioactive waste. Government will decide policy for such management, and the means by which it is to be delivered, in light of CoRWM's recommendations.

Water Voles

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she intends to take to extend full protection to the water vole under section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). [173945]

Every five years the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) advises Government on which animals should be legally protected by listing on Schedule 5 (not schedule 9) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. JNCC reported to Government with its recommendations in September 2002, which included full protection for this species. The next stage is for Government to conduct a public consultation based on these recommendations. This will take place in June 2004. Following this consultation, the Secretary of State will decide on the changes to be made to the schedules and these will be implemented by Statutory Instrument.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Afghanistan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the tonnage of the forthcoming opium harvest in Afghanistan. [176903]

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan. The most recent survey, published in October 2003, showed that the level of opium cultivation in 2003 was 80,000 hectares and production was 3,600 tonnes. The UNODC is in the process of assessing the 2004 harvest in conjunction with the Afghan government. Its report will be published in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Afghanistan about the reform of the country's criminal justice system. [177112]

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised this when he visited Afghanistan in May 2004 in the context of tackling drugs crime in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources are provided by (a) his Department and (b) the European Union to reconstruct and rehabilitate detention and prison facilities in Afghanistan. [177115]

Italy leads international assistance for Afghanistan on judicial reform, including penal reform, and Germany leads assistance on reform of the police. Neither the UK nor the European Commission is involved in funding reconstruction or rehabilitation of prison or detention facilities in Afghanistan. We do not have information on projects which may be funded by other countries.More widely, the UK has since the war in Afghanistan supported Penal Reform International to undertake work on capacity-building within the penal sector, including staff training. The UK has also contributed £1 million to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) programme for judicial reform. The European Commission is working with Italy in the justice sector to help refurbish the district judicial system (courts) and train local staff.

East Timor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of East Timor about the rights of opposition parties. [177421]

The Government have not made any representation to the Government of East Timor about the rights of opposition parties. East Timor is a democratic society with universal suffrage and a multiparty system. The right to establish and participate in political parties is enshrined in East Timor's constitution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's financial contribution to the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor is. [177428]

The UK contributed £215,847 to the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) in FY 2003–04. This brings our total contribution to the CAVR since it was established in January 2002 to £580,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the United Nations to continue to monitor security in East Timor, with particular reference to the activities of Islamic militant groups operating in the region. [177430]

The UN monitors the security situation in East Timor very closely. In May this year, the UN Mission in Support of East Timor, with a continued peacekeeping element, was extended for a further six months as part of a one-year consolidation phase. This is to ensure that the emerging institutions in East Timor, including the security forces, develop the capacity to maintain security and stability in East Timor.

Iraq

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was informed of President Bush's plan to demolish Abu Ghraib prison. [177207]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary was informed on Tuesday 24 May 2004. President Bush announced the US offer, subject to the approval of the Iraqi Government, to fund the construction of a modern maximum security prison in Iraq to replace Abu Ghraib prison, which could then be demolished, or turned into a memorial. The demolition of the prison had been proposed by members of the Iraqi Governing Council earlier in the month. The Foreign Secretary was made aware of this proposal on 13 May when it was reported by our post in Baghdad.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether British companies have bid for contracts to build prisons in Iraq. [177209]

British companies are not required to report details to the Government of their bids for contracts for the reconstruction process in Iraq. Nor is there a central organisation that collects and publishes such information.However, we are aware that Parsons Delaware Inc. US, the winner of the $900 million Program Management Office Design-Build prime contract for work associated with Security and Justice projects, has awarded sub-contracts to Pell Frischmann, a UK consulting engineering company, and TPS Consult, a UK design engineering company. Some of the work under this prime contract will include the design and construction of prisons.I am also aware that AMEC, in joint venture with their US partner FLUOR, tendered unsuccessfully for this prime contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the appointees to the Interim Iraqi Government, with their (a) designations and (b) gender. [177729]

The following is a list of the Iraqi Interim Government—those marked with an asterisk denote female Ministers, who number six in total, including the new post of Minister of State for Women.

President—Sheikh Ghazi al Yawr
Deputy President—Dr. Ibrahim Jaafari
Deputy President—Dr. Rowsch Shaways
Prime Minister—Dr. lyad Allawi
Deputy Prime Minister—Dr. Barham Salih
Minister for Defence—Hazem Sha'alan
Minister for Interior—Falah al-Nakib
Minister for Finance—Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdi
Minister for Foreign Affairs—Hoshyar Zebari
Minister for Oil—Thamir Ghadban
Minister for Trade—Mohammed al-Jibouri
Minister for Education—Sami Mudhafer
Minister for Planning and Development—Dr. Mehdi al-Hafidh
Minister for Electricity—Dr. Aiham a1-Sammarae
^*Minister for Agriculture—Dr. Sawsan al-Sharify
Minister for Communications—Dr. Mohammed al-Hakim
Minister for Justice—Dr. Malek Dohan al-Hassan
Minister for Health—Dr. Ala'adin Alwan
Minister for Housing and Construction—Dr Omar al-Damluji
^*Minister for Municipalities and Public Works—Nasreen Berwari
Minister for Water Resources—Latif Rashid
Minister for Transportation—Louay Hatem al-Eris
Minister for Industry and Minerals—Dr. Hachem al-Hassani
^*Minister for Labour and Social Affairs—Leyla Abdul Latif
Minister for Higher Education—Dr. Taher al-Bakaa
^*Minister for Environment—Dr. Mishkat Moumin
Minister for Science and Technology—Rashad Mandan Omar
^*Minister for Displacement and Migration—Pascale Isho Warda
Minister for Youth and Sports—Ali Fa'iq al-Ghabban
Minister for Culture—Mufeed al-Jaza'iri
Minister for Human Rights—Baktiar Amin
Minister of State for Provinces—Watt Abdul Latif
^*Minister of State for Women—Narmin Othman
Minister of State—Adnan al Janabi
Minister of State—Dr. Qasim Daoud
Minister of State—Dr. Mamu Farman Othman.

Nhs

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether under the proposed EU constitution the NHS would be subject to competition directives. [176701]

The draft EU Constitutional Treaty will not change the way in which competition rules apply to NHS bodies. Under existing Treaty provisions, competition articles apply only to "undertakings"—persons or bodies engaged in economic activity. This means that whilst the social provision of healthcare is not an economic activity as such, competition rules can apply to NHS bodies when they are involved in "economic activity", for example, when they are contracting out healthcare provision.

Pakistan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the treatment of Christians in Pakistan; and what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Pakistan on the protection of Christians from attack by the Muslim extremists, with particular reference to the case of Javaid Anjum. [177442]

Cases of religious persecution against the Christian population in Pakistan are viewed seriously by the British Government and we make our views on the treatment of religious minorities known to the Government of Pakistan on all possible occasions. On 31 May the EU submitted a demarche to the Pakistani government. This raised specific human rights concerns in Pakistan including the case of Javaid Anjum.

Sudan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being provided to the Nuba people from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool. [173654]

To date, more than £2.8 million has been allocated from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool towards the security of the Nuba people, through support to the Joint Military Commission International Monitoring Unit responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Nuba Mountains Ceasefire Agreement. The Department for International Development also funds local peace building initiatives and support to basic education in the Nuba Mountains.

House Of Commons Commission

Gunpowder Plot

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans he has made for the House to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. [176637]

Officials of both Houses are planning an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot; their proposals were considered and approved by the House of Commons Commission in March this year. The exhibition will be held in Westminster Hall between July and December 2005 and will provide a serious, dispassionate and sensitive introduction to the plot, close to where the events took place. It will seek to raise public interest in parliamentary history, and to increase engagement with the work of Parliament. It is likely to be one of a number of related activities organised by other institutions in London.

House Staff (Mental Health)

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many people have left employment in the House of Commons Service because of (a) stress, (b) anxiety, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997. [176217]

Information on reasons for leaving the House of Commons Service is not collated centrally, and is not available in the form requested. However, some limited information is available for the period 1 June 2002 to 26 May 2004. During this period, out of 549 leavers overall, three members of staff were medically retired on grounds of stress or depression. These cases were not related to the work that was carried out by the employees: two of them were directly linked to an underlying medical condition.The House operates a full occupational health service, and individuals who may be suffering from stress are referred to them as soon as possible. The details of each case are subject to normal medical confidentiality. The House's welfare officers are also available to help staff who feel under stress.

Prime Minister

British Olympic Hockey Team

To ask the Prime Minister how many members of the British Olympic hockey team of 1988 have received honours. [177726]

Three members of the British Olympic hockey team of 1988 have received honours. The captain, Richard Dodds, received the OBE in 1989. Sean Kerly received an MBE in 1993 and Stephen Martin received an MBE in 1994.

Iraq

To ask the Prime Minister what role the British Government will play in helping the Iraqi people to establish security and policing institutions. [176558]

The UK has made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Iraqi security forces and as Iraqi capacity and command capability builds, responsibility for security will be progressively handed over.Over 100 British police officers are involved in training, mentoring and advisory roles with the Iraqi Police Service in Baghdad, across the south of Iraq and at the Jordan International Police Training Academy.The UK has also made a significant contribution to efforts to establish the new Iraqi armed forces through mentoring and training within the Iraqi armed forces, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team. The UK is also leading the effort to establish a new Iraqi Coastal Defence Force based out of Umm Qasr to be fully operational by 1 October 2004.UK forces in Multi National Division (South-East) have raised, trained and equipped five battalions of the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps (ICDC) which are now operational, with a sixth battalion in training.Post 30 June, the UK will continue to assist in an advisory, training anti mentoring role across all areas of Security Sector Reform including the armed forces and the Iraqi Police Service to ensure continued progression in Security Sector Reform.

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the Prime Minister whether a Harm Test was carried out by the Openness Team on the policy of citing exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in not providing information in answer to questions 174254 to 174256, 174258 to 174261, 174311 to 174313 and 174315. [177991]

The exemptions were applied on the basis set out in the answers I gave to the hon. Member on 25 May.

Water Action Plan

To ask the Prime Minister what progress in relation to the Water Action Plan agreed at last year's G8 summit in Evian he expects to report at the forthcoming Sea Island summit, with particular reference to the commitment to making political priorities of (a) safe drinking water and (b) basic sanitation. [177483]

The UK agreed a Water Action Plan in March 2004 which supports the implementation of the G8 Water Action Plan to deliver safe drinking water and better sanitation.We are supporting countries who are committed to making safe drinking water and basic sanitation a priority through international programmes such as the Global Water Partnership and the EU Water Initiative and through our bilateral aid budget, spending overall around £90 million each year on programmes to improve access to water and sanitation in developing countries.

Northern Ireland

Cctv

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the levels of criminal activity in areas of Northern Ireland that are now covered by CCTV compared to the levels before that coverage commenced. [176630]

There are currently 19 town centre CCTV systems installed across Northern Ireland for the purposes of tackling crime and antisocial behaviour. In addition some 32 CCTV cameras have been installed at interface areas in Belfast to deal with incidents of public disorder.

The former Police Authority for Northern Ireland who handled the allocation of funding for most of the town centre schemes in Northern Ireland required each individual scheme to arrange an evaluation of their performance in the two years after the CCTV system became operational. All evaluations received to date, indicate that in the areas where CCTV was in operation, crime was reduced or, the rate of increase was slower than other areas and the level of detection of crime increased. In some areas the level of reported crime increased as the cameras witnessed crimes not normally reported, though this was usually combined with an increase in detection.

Wider research from other parts of the UK has established that CCTV is an effective crime reduction tool, particularly where it is used in conjunction with other crime reduction initiatives.

The network of CCTV cameras at interface locations in North and East Belfast has proved very effective not only in terms of effecting non-confrontational arrests but also in allowing police to deploy resources in a better informed manner. Accordingly, the cameras have helped maintain a relative calm at interface locations.

Electoral Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been made available, and from what sources, to the Electoral Office for the production and distribution of Electoral Identity Cards. [176961]

The funding, made available by the Northern Ireland Office, for the production and distribution of the Electoral Identity Card is as follows:

		£ million
	Budget	Spend
2002–03	1.78	1.16
2003–04	1	0.83
Total	2.78	1.99

The spend to date in the current financial year—2004–05—is £41,000. The budget is £100,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Electoral Office is taking to ensure that those in residential care in Northern Ireland are not disenfranchised through the omission of their names from the electoral register. [176969]

This issue is an operational matter and is, therefore, the responsibility of the Chief Electoral Officer. He will be writing to the hon. Lady in due course.A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Fisheries

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the £1.5 million set aside for the Cod Recovery Programme Transitional Aid (Tie-Up) Scheme 2004 has been allocated to vessel owners in Northern Ireland; what amount has been set aside for appeals; what the timescale is for those appeals; and who has been appointed to hear them. [176988]

To date the total amount allocated to vessel owners under the Temporary Cessation (Tie-up) Scheme has been £1,228,729.37. No funding provision has been made for appeals. A four-stage appeals procedure, including final appeal to an independent panel appointed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, is available. Appeals will be progressed as promptly as possible, taking account of the circumstances of the particular case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vessel owners have accepted grants under the terms of the Northern Ireland Fishing Vessel Decommissioning Scheme 2003; how many have been offered grants under the terms of this scheme and refused that offer; and how many have been offered grants under the terms of this scheme and declined but have subsequently been successful in an application for transitional aid during Cod Closure in 2004. [176989]

The information is as follows:

Fishing Vessel Decommissioning Scheme 2003
	Number
Owners accepting offers of grant under scheme	19
Owners refusing offers of grant under scheme	11
Owners refusing offers of grant under scheme who have been successful under the2004 transitional aid scheme	8

Health Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of expenditure resulting from litter, in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by council area. [176849]

This information is not collected centrally. The Chief Executive of the Environment and Heritage Service has asked district councils to provide the information requested. It is expected that it will take several weeks to gather this information and I shall write to the hon. Lady once it is collated. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Mot Appointments

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many drivers are awaiting MOT test appointments, broken down by area. [176852]

The total number of customers who have received vehicle test appointments for the period June to September 2004 is 57,955. The total number of unprocessed applications for MOT appointments is calculated at 7,510. The following table provides a breakdown by centre and month.

Test centre	June	July	August	September	Grand total	Postal applications not yet processed
Armagh	1,018	476	629	—	2,123	650
Ballymena	2,670	1,867	—	—	4,537	0
Belfast	2,459	1,978	1,155	—	5,592	620
Coleraine	2,471	1,376	56	—	3,903	0
Cookstown	1,932	1,129	671	—	3,732	310
Craigavon	2,210	1,431	293	201	4,135	1,330
Downpatrick	2,499	1,620	294	—	4,413	0
Enniskillen	1,520	1,163	20	—	2,703	0
Larne	1,232	884	260	—	2,376	0
Lisburn	2,088	1,206	427	2	3,723	1,110
Mallusk	1,958	1,197	192	—	3,347	1,470
Londonderry	1,978	1,406	—	—	3,384	0
Newry	2,068	1,382	709	144	4,303	1,280
Newtownards	3,869	2,443	751	—	7,063	740
Omagh	1,779	833	9	—	2,621	0
Grand total	31,751	20,391	5,466	347	57,955	7,510

Planning Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Planning Service has taken over the past five years to ensure that planning permissions are adhered to during the construction of buildings in each local government district. [176304]

It is not Planning Service practice routinely to inspect all development after planning permission is granted and where inspections are carried out priority would be given to controversial proposals.However, where Planning Service establishes or is advised that there is a breach of condition attached to a planning permission, action will be taken to regularise the breach where appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for planning permission have been submitted to the Planning Service in Northern Ireland in each local government district in each of the last five years; and how many of these applicants have subsequently been advised to submit retrospective planning applications following rejection of the initial application. [176305]

Planning Service's current records have only been kept by council area since 2000. The number of planning applications submitted to Planning Service during the last four years is set out in the table.

Council area	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Antrim	824	825	1,064	1,489
Ards	986	1,052	1,247	1,201
Armagh	1,162	1,322	1,258	1,502
Ballymena	870	908	1,164	1,538
Ballymoney	503	568	641	869
Banbridge	872	963	1,325	1,664
Belfast	2,332	2,573	2,361	2,624
Carrickfergus	298	302	313	354
Castlereagh	556	576	572	583
Coleraine	838	1,023	1,030	1,225
Cookstown	761	737	845	1,140

Council area	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Craigavon	1,011	973	1,147	1,211
Derry	923	932	951	1,072
Down	1,256	1,322	1,541	1,346
Dungannon	1,128	1,182	1,345	1,491
Fermanagh	1,338	1,292	1,564	1,947
Larne	364	362	369	432
Limavady	458	464	542	705
Lisburn	1,160	1,339	1,487	1,658
Magherafelt	812	973	1,118	1,544
Moyle	366	437	424	505
Newry and Mourne	1,954	2,066	2,368	3,148
Newtownabbey	567	662	688	660
North
Down	726	758	758	871
Omagh	1,042	1,037	1,103	1,412
Strabane	584	633	686	869
Totals	23,691	25,281	27,911	33,060

It is not Planning Service's policy to advise applicants to submit retrospective planning applications following rejection of the initial application. In addition, Planning Service does not record separate information on retrospective planning applications. As this information is not routinely collected, it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many enforcement actions have been undertaken by the Planning Service in Northern Ireland over the past five years in each local government district; and what the results were in each case. [176306]

Although statistical records have been maintained by the Planning Service since 1999, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of enforcement statistics by local government district. Additionally, the recorded data do not hold individual records of the results in each case, and this information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.Presented below is the total number of enforcement cases for each year since 1999 and the number of Enforcement Notices issued.

	Cases investigated	Enforcement Notices issued
2003	1,876	56
2002	1,665	40
2001	3,800	50
2000	3,500	54
1999	2,678	82

Playgroups (South Down)

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effects of the withdrawal of funding from the Special European Union Programmes Body on playgroups in the South Down area; and whether he is taking steps to restore this funding. [177502]

No funding from the SEUPB to playgroups in the South Down area has been withdrawn. SEUPB assists playgroups primarily through NIPPA under Measure 2.5 of the PEACE II Programme. All projects assisted under this measure will be able to benefit fully from their allocations although some projects are now coming to an end. We are currently assessing the impact of this on early years provision across Northern Ireland and how this can be addressed.

Police Reserve

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the conditions of employment are for members of the (a) full-time and (b) part-time Reserve of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [176539]

The following regulations set out the conditions of employment for members of the (a) full-time Reserve and (b) part-time Reserve:

Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve (Full-Time) (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Regulations 1996.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve (Full-Time) (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Regulations 2002.

Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve (Part-Time) (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Regulations 1996.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve (Part-Time) Regulations 2004 (which includes provisions relating to members appointed prior to 8 February 2004.)

Police Reserve Trainee Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004.

In addition, the Police (Recruitment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2001, as amended, contain provisions relating to prohibited business interests for police Reserve trainees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hours per month members of the part-time Reserve of the Police Service of Northern Ireland are required to work to qualify for validation of training; and if he will make a statement. [176540]

The PSNI are providing foundation training in three different packages to suit the circumstances of individual Reserve trainees. Validation is not directly related to the number of hours worked but to a series of knowledge and skills-based exercises which members must complete to the required standard.

Police Trophies

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether an official record exists of (a) competition trophies and (b) other items belonging to the Ulster Special Constabulary at the time of their disbandment; and where those items are located. [176331]

The Police Service of Northern Ireland have advised me that a small number of Ulster Special Constabulary competition trophies are kept as part of the police museum collection. No other official records exist.

Power-Sharing Agreements

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has discussed with representatives of Lisburn district council power-sharing agreements. [176329]

There have been no discussions with representatives of Lisburn city council about power sharing arrangements. Under current legislation the Government have power to intervene in the internal affairs of a council only if it is failing to fulfil its statutory functions. Power sharing arrangements are essentially an internal matter for district councils.The issue of governance arrangements in district councils has been raised during recent consultation on the Review of Public Administration and that it will be addressed when firm proposals on the Review are published for consultation in the autumn.

River Mourne/River Foyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the daily fish counts for (a) June and (b) July 2003 were at Sion Mills on the River Mourne in West Tyrone. [176883]

The counts for June and July 2003 are detailed as follows:

Date	Fish count
June 2003
1^St	19
2^nd	20
3^rd	16
4^th	7
5^th	6
6^th	5
7^th	15
8^th	20
9^th	37
10^th	16
11^th	19
12^th	46
13^th	84
14^th	185
15^th	535
16^th	904
17^th	402
18^th	105
19^th	394
20^th	494
21^st	77
22^nd	25
23^rd	58
24^th	51
25^th	49

Date	Fish count
26^th	72
27^th	618
28^th	278
29^th	175
30^th	51
Total for June 2003	4,783
July 2003
1^st	44
2^nd	36
3^rd	63
4^th	1
5^th	3
6^th	6
7^th	10
8^th	9
9^th	20
10^th	43
11^th	612
12^th	681
13^th	58
14^th	24
15^th	23
16^th	31
17^th	22
18^th	95
19^th	345
20^th	171
21^st	157
22^nd	59
23^rd	29
24^th	42
25^th	25
26^th	29
27^th	22
28^th	38
29^th	103
30^th	6
31^st	30
Total for July 2003	2,837

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the daily river height for (a) June and (b) July 2003 was at Sion Mills on the River Mourne in West Tyrone. [176884]

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Rivers Agency does not have a gauging station in Sion Mills and therefore actual data on river height has been obtained from the Agency's Drumnabuoy House River Flow Gauging Station on the River Mourne near Strabane, approximately 3 km downstream of the weir in Sion Mills. This records water levels at 15-minute intervals.Recorded water levels in June and July 2003 were in the range 2.71 metres above Ordnance Datum (OD) Belfast on 16 July to 4.28 metres OD on 10 June. On 48 of the 61 days in question the levels were below the average daily level of 3.32 m OD for this section of the River (as measured over the last 21 years).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what progress has been made with regard to the buy-out of salmon net licences in the Foyle Estuary; and if he will make a statement; [176886](2) what reports he has received of plans for the buy-out of salmon net licences on the River Foyle; and if he will make a statement. [176885]

There are currently no plans to buy out salmon nets on the Foyle Estuary. The stocks of salmon returning to the Foyle catchment are managed effectively by the Loughs Agency to ensure that spawning escapement targets are achieved each year. The effectiveness of the conservation and protection regulations introduced by the Loughs Agency are continually kept under review using data collected from fish counters, population surveys and catch returns. The Loughs Agency manages the stocks with the objective of achieving maximum sustainable productivity, and has achieved adult returns in excess of conservation limits for the past number of years.

Veterinary Nursing

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on the funding of Veterinary Nursing NVQ training levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland. [177400]

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), provides veterinary nursing training programmes leading to NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland.Participants taking veterinary nursing programmes on a further education basis are charged programme fees and must also enrol with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and pay examination fees.Approved veterinary training practices are eligible to apply for support under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme. This covers the above fees and provides financial support to the veterinary training practice. To date only one training practice with two trainees has availed of Modern Apprenticeship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how further education training courses for veterinary nursing are funded in Northern Ireland. [177448]

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), provides veterinary nursing training programmes leading to NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland.Participants taking veterinary nursing programmes on a further education basis are charged programme fees that were initially benchmarked against the fees for similar programmes in the UK and increased in line with inflation since 1999.In addition, participants must also enrol with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and pay examination fees.Approved veterinary training practices are eligible to apply for support under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme. This covers the above fees and provides financial support to the veterinary training practice. To date, only one training practice with two trainees has availed of Modern Apprenticeship.

Education And Skills

Adult Learning Inspectorate

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what responsibility the Adult Learning Inspectorate has to report on the exercise of the duty of care; what care standards inspectors will use when examining training regimes in army barracks; and in what form these standards are available in the public domain. [177476]

These are matters for the Adult Learning Inspectorate. David Sherlock, the Chief Inspector, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Adult Literacy

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people achieved (a) a Certificate in Adult Literacy (Entry Level), (b) a Certificate in Adult Literacy (level 1) and (c) a Certificate in Adult Literacy (level 2) in each year since 2000. [177383]

Information on the number of learners achieving Certificates in Adult Literacy through LSC funded FE providers are presented as follows. The Certificate in Adult Literacy, accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, was introduced during the 2001/02 teaching year. Prior to this, not all literacy qualifications were based on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and accredited by national awarding bodies.

Learners achieving literacy qualifications, 2000/01 to 2002/03— through LSC funded further education providers
	Learners achieving (thousand)
Qualification/level	2000/01	2001/02	2002/03
Certificate in Adult Literacy (QCA accredited)
Entry level	—	0.2	11.1
level 1	—	0.3	8.1
level 2	—	0.1	3.4
Total		0.6	22.6
Transitional qualifications¹
Up to level 2	21.6	21.6	—
Overall total	21.6	22.2	22.6
¹ Literacy qualifications certificated by national awarding bodies.

Where individual learners progress and achieve qualifications at different levels, they may be counted in more than one of the categories in the table.

Apprenticeship Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on apprenticeship schemes supported by the Department. [176483]

There are currently over 255,000 apprenticeships supported by the Department, the highest number ever and more than three times as many as in 1997.1n order to ensure that the initiative meets the evolving needs of the economy we have decided to make some changes. Our overall aim is to build up a coherent ladder of high quality vocational opportunities responsive to the needs of young people, older workers and business.

On 10 May the Government announced its intention to put in place a family of apprenticeship programmes to suit a variety of needs from aged 14 upwards. These will include: Junior Apprenticeships for 14 to 16-year-olds, a pre-apprenticeship route within the existing Entry to Employment programme, Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 2, Advanced Apprenticeships at NVQ Level 3 and a strengthened progression route into higher education, including vocational Foundation Degrees. In addition we are developing Apprenticeships for Adults in those sectors with the greatest need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residents of Blackpool North and Fleetwood have undertaken apprenticeships in each of the last five years. [176208]

The information requested is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Nor is the information available on a consistent geographical basis over the last five years. However, the following table shows the number of starts on apprenticeships (formerly known as Advanced Modern Apprenticeships) and apprenticeships at level two (formerly known as Foundation Modern Apprenticeships) in the Lancashire LSC area between April 2001 and the end of July 2003, as well as the number of starts from April 1998 to March 2001 in the two TECs that amalgamated into Lancashire LSC—ELTEC and LAWTEC.

Time period¹	TEC/LSC	Advanced MA	Foundation MA
April 1998 to March 1999	ELTEC	1,000	400
	LAWTEC	1,600	100
April 1999 to March 2000	ELTEC	800	1,100
	LAWTEC	1,900	1,800
April 2000 to March 2001	ELTEC	900	1,300
	LAWTEC	1,800	2,100
April 2001 to July 2002	Lancashire LSC	1,900	4,100
August 2002 to July 2003	Lancashire LSC	1,500	3,300
¹TECs reported the figures years. LSC reports figures in academic years. The first LSC 'year' was 16 months in order to bring the financial year into line with academic years.
Source
TEC Management Information
LSC Individualised Learner Record

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what additional funding will be earmarked for apprenticeships for people aged over 25 years in financial year 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [177013]

We and the LSC are working with SSCs and key partners towards initial trials of apprenticeships for adults in a small number of sectors in England starting later this year, funded in 2004–05 by the LSC with other agencies. Funds for expansion of apprenticeships for adults in 2005–06 and beyond will be subject to post-spending review allocations.

Armed Forces Training Establishments

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the inspection charge to be levied upon the Ministry of Defence under section 56(4) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 for the inspection and oversight of armed forces training establishments; [176319](2) under what circumstances a training provider may limit the power of the Adult Learning Inspectorate to publish its findings as it considers appropriate; [176320](3) what assurances have been given by the Ministry of Defence that inspectors attached to the Adult Learning Inspectorate will have all the powers available to them under section 57(2) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, with particular reference to

(a) the right of entry to army barracks and (b) the right to access documents; [176321]

(4) what assurances have been given by the Ministry of Defence that military orders will be issued to surrender personnel accused of obstructing an inspector acting under the authority of the Adult Learning Inspectorate; [176322]

(5) what the composition is of the Board of the Adult Learning Inspectorate; what the qualifications of each board member are; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which those qualifications enable the Inspectorate to examine duty of care issues in military establishments. [176323]

These are matters for the Adult Learning Inspectorate. David Sherlock, the Chief Inspector, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Bullying

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the level of bullying in schools in the Vale of York, with particular reference to those within the City of York. [176688]

Data on bullying are not collected centrally and there is no reliable basis for an estimate of prevalence. However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools to tackle the problem. Our guidance pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' and the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. In November 2003 I launched our anti-bullying Charter for schools, which schools are now signing. It is accompanied by a summary of effective practice to help schools review and enhance their anti-bullying policies. The Charter was launched at the first of a series of regional conferences which have been running since November 2003 and culminate with a final conference in June. These conferences are an opportunity for schools and other partners to share good practice on this issue. Details of the conferences can be accessed online at www.teachernet.gov.uk/antibullying.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he is taking to tackle bullying in schools; what guidance his Department has issued to teachers and schools about the prevention of bullying; and if he will publish his guidance. [176689]

Bullying is a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk. Schools should treat bullying seriously and take steps to combat it promptly and firmly whenever and wherever it occurs. From September 1999, head teachers of maintained schools have been under a duty to draw up measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils.In December 2000 we launched a guidance pack for schools with an accompanying video aimed at pupils. The pack is entitled 'Bullying: don't suffer in silence'. In September 2002 an updated version of this document was issued.There is also a new public information film, 'Tell Someone', to raise awareness and encourage children to tell someone if they are being bullied, and an anti-bullying website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying, which contains the text of the updated pack. The Department has also funded an expansion of the Parentline Plus free helpline for the parents of bullying victims (0808 800 2222). The key message of the strategy is that pupils should be able to report bullying to someone they trust and not suffer in silence.We have launched an anti-bullying 'Charter for Action' which all schools are encouraged to sign and which offers a series of practical suggestions for tackling bullying. The anti-bullying Charter went into every maintained school in England on 19 January 2004. Like all the rest of our anti-bullying guidance, this is published and in the public domain. For further information on the Department's work to counter bullying in schools can be found on our website at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying.A further measure has been the 'Make The Difference' campaign, a series of anti-bullying conferences, one in each government office region. Eight have taken place, the last is on 14 June. These conferences allow head teachers in each region to share effective practise and benefit from leading national practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on the level of bullying in the Vale of York. [176690]

We are unable to provide a breakdown of representations on the level of bullying in the Vale of York. We receive representations from individual parents about incidents of bullying but we do not analyse these by LEA.However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools to tackle the problem. Our guidance pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence' and the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. In November 2003 I launched our anti-bullying Charter for schools, which schools are now signing. It is accompanied by a summary of effective practice to help schools review and enhance their anti-bullying policies. The Charter was launched at the first or a series of regional conferences which have been running since November 2003 and culminate with a final conference in June. These conferences are an opportunity for schools and other partners to share good practice on this issue. Details of the conferences can be accessed online at www.teachernet.gov.uk/antibullying.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much central funding was available to schools in the Vale of York in each of the past three years for programmes to combat bullying. [176691]

The Department does not disaggregate the money made available to schools for behaviour improvement. Within these budgets schools themselves make decisions on how much money to devote to anti-bullying work.

Bureaucracy

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action has been taken in response to each recommendation in the report "Trust in the Future"—Bureaucracy Busting Task Force Report published in November 2002. [177374]

The implementation of the recommendations in this report is a matter for the LSC. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House library.Following the publication last month of their final report, "Extending Trust" the Bureaucracy Task Force has wound up. Last year we established a formal gatekeeper group for the learning and skills sector, the Bureaucracy Review Group, chaired by Sir Andrew Foster and this group is taking work to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy forward. The group is reviewing the key drivers in the learning and skills sector delivery systems and considering all new and changing initiatives before they impact on providers so it can assess their likely impact and seek changes that will remove existing unnecessary burdens and ensure new ones are not created.

Centres Of Vocational Excellence

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure on Centres of Vocational Excellence has been in each year since 1997. [176218]

The Learning and Skills Council has made excellent progress in establishing a network of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). We aim to have a network of 400 CoVEs by March 2006. To date 262 centres have been established, which provide high quality training in a wide range of vocational specialisms to help meet employers' skills needs.The programme started in April 2001. Expenditure in each year is:

	£ million
Financial year	Total expenditure
2001–02	1.8
2002–03	40
2003–04	78
Total	119.8

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what cross-departmental coordination there has been between the Learning Skills Council and the regional development agencies in the creation and administration of the centres of vocational excellence. [176902]

The LSC has actively sought to engage Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in CoVE development at both strategic and operational levels.The RDAs contribute to future development of CoVEs through membership of the LSC's national CoVE Technical Steering Group, and all have been involved in planning and implementation of the programme at a regional level through their representation on regional CoVE advisory groups. RDAs are key to ensuring that CoVEs focus on meeting regional skills priorities and that regional CoVE development is coherent with regional economic strategies.

Computer File Formats

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's policy is in respect of the computer file formats used for the (a) distribution and (b) archiving of publicly available documents. [173355]

The Department for Education and Skills adhere to the current Government guidelines for publishing documents on www.dfes.gov.uk and other departmental websites. Where possible, documents are provided in as many formats as possible to allow different users and systems access to the information.Documents are available in the following formats:

Most commonly

HTML (web pages)
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf)
Microsoft Word (.doc)
Rich Text Format (.rtf).

Also used where appropriate

Microsoft Excel (.xls)
Comma Separated Variables (.csv)
Microsoft Powerpoint (.ppt)
Plain Text (.txt).

Out-of-date documents and pages on the DfES website are archived so they can be retrieved if needed. Publications that have been superseded by other information are noted as such.

Drug And Alcohol Misuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of pupils being caught with (a) drugs and (b) alcohol on school premises were recorded in each year since 1997. [176622]

The requested information is not held centrally.

Education Funding (Brighton And Hove)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the funding per pupil was in the Brighton and Hove Local Education Authority in each year since 1997–98. [176575]

The tables as follows show total funding per pupil in Brighton and Hove since 1997–98.

Funding per pupil aged 3–19 Real terms at 2002–03 prices Brighton and Hove
			£
	Grants¹	EFS/SSA²	Total funding
1997–98	120	2,860	2,980
1998–99	70	2,950	3,020
1999–00	160	2,980	3,140
2000–01	350	3,030	3,390
2001–02	440	3,100	3,530
2002–03	580	3,030	3,610
2003–04	530	3,140	3,670
2004–05	¹—	3,250	¹—
¹Not available

There have been changes to the structure of Education Formula Spending (EPS) and Standard Spending Assessments (SSA) which make them incomparable over time—for example several large transfers from SSA/EFS to grant funding. Only total funding per pupil (including SSA/EFS and grants) is comparable between years. The pensions transfers to EFS and LSC in 2003–04 and 2004–05 are excluded from EFS and total funding figures to enable comparison between years.

Language Training

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that non-English speaking spouses of UK citizens are given access to language training; and if he will make a statement. [176279]

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision is a key part of Skills for Life: the Government's national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy. This provision is free to eligible learners and is widely available through further education colleges. A spouse of a UK citizen is eligible for Learning and Skills Council further education funding if they have been both married and resident in the UK for one year. These arrangements only apply to spouses from outside the European Union.

Learning And Skills Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has received in each of the last three years on Merseyside; how much funding the LSC will receive in the next three years; and if he will express the figures in (i) whole numbers and (ii) the percentage annual increase or decrease in funding over those periods. [177262]

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Lady with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

Non-Vocational Adult Learning Courses (Funding)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding was made available to support non-vocational adult learning courses (a) in this financial year and (b) in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement. [177569]

I have set out separately in the following tables the figures for expenditure and numbers of learners in (i) adult and community learning and adult education courses run through local education authorities; (ii) learndirect; and (iii) Skills for Life. Together these equate most closely to non-vocational adult learning courses.In the Skills Strategy White Paper, "21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential", Government reiterated and strengthened their commitment to adult and community learning We will help adults improve their basic skills in literacy, language and numeracy. We are also committed to safeguarding a varied range of learning opportunities for personal fulfilment, community development and active citizenship.

Adult education classes
Financial year	Funding (£ million)¹
2000–01	145
2001–02	153
2002–03	183
2003–04	206
2004–05	207.4
¹ Annual expenditure, by financial year, on adult and community learning run through local education authorities. The figures for 2002–03 and 2003–04 include the budgets for Neighbourhood Learning and family learning, starting from a nil base in 2001–02.

learndirect
Academic year	Funding (£million)
2000/01	49
2001/02	134
2002/03	171
2003/04	164
2004/05	164

Skills for Life
Academic year	Funding (£ million)¹
2000/01	165
2001/02	306
2002/03	409
2003/04	419
2004/05	430
¹ Annual expenditure by academic year, on adult basic skills. The figures for 2003/04 and 2004/05 are estimated figures rolled forward for inflation.

School Standards

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were classified as failing in each year since 1996–97 in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough. [177041]

This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Secondary Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools are located in the 2000 most deprived local authority wards; and how many of these have specialist school status. [176897]

There are 974 maintained secondary schools (excluding special schools and middle-deemed secondary schools) in the 2000 most deprived local authority wards, based on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation released in 2000. Of these, 384 are operational as specialist schools.

Sector Skills Councils

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) set up and (b) estimated running costs in the first year of operation are of each sector skills council. [177379]

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are private sector organisations. With one exception they are companies limited by guarantee. Their structures and costs are determined by the specific sectors they serve and vary significantly.We do not have detailed information about individual SSC costs. The Government, through the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), will provides up to £400,000 towards the start up of each SSC and once licensed £4,000,000 towards their running costs for the first three years. These funds are not intended to cover all the costs of an SSC and each is expected to generate significant additional funding from their sector and elsewhere.

Teachers' Tv

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether further education lecturers will be included in Teachers' TV at its launch; and if he will make a statement. [177004]

The Department has undertaken a feasibility study and pilot for Teachers' TV and will make a decision on a channel launch shortly. As part of this work, we have looked at how the channel could support the needs of people in both Early Years and the Further Education sector, as well as people who work in schools. If the channel proceeds it will have some programmes aimed at meeting the needs of FE lecturers.

Truancy (Penalty Notices)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times head teachers and education welfare officers have enforced their right to

Location	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
(a) Al Tyne Crossing, Newcastle	81,700	83,000	86,100	83,200	81,900	89,000
(b) North East of West Road A1 Interchange	79,200	81,000	84,400	77,500	86,400	87,400
(c) and (d) North East of Stamfordham Road A1 Interchange	73,400	76,000	78,000	78,000	70,300	—
(e) South West of North Gosforth Al Interchange	57,000	59,100	61,000	59,900	62,500	64,900
(f) South of A1/A19 Interchange North of Newcastle	46,600	47,700	48,300	48,300	49,400	49,400

issue on-the-spot fines to parents of pupils who truant; and what the total revenue gained from payment of such fines is. [176799]

This initiative commenced on 27 February 2004 and information about the number of penalty notices issued for truancy or the revenue gained from payment of such fines is not collected centrally.

Veterinary Nursing Training (Funding)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) for what reasons some learning and skills councils decline to fund veterinary nursing NVQ training; [177211](2) which local learning and skills councils fund veterinary nurse training through work-based learning funding; [177212](3) what the policy of the Learning and Skills Councils is on the funding of Veterinary Nursing NVQ training levels 2 and 3; [177399](4) how further education training courses for veterinary nursing are funded in England. [177447]

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the planning and funding of further education and work-based learning for young people in England and decides whether it will fund individual qualifications through its national funding methodology. As the information requested relates to the LSC's operational responsibilities, the LSC's Chief Executive, Mark Haysom, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Transport

A1

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the traffic volumes at (a) the Al Tyne crossing Newcastle, (b) the West Road Al Interchange, (c) the Stainfordham Road A1 Interchange, (d) the Ponteland Road Al Interchange, (e) the North Gosforth A1 Interchange and (f) the A1/A19 Interchange north of Newcastle have been in each year since 1997. [176225]

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes at those locations nearest to (a) the A1 Tyne Crossing Newcastle, (b) the West Road A1 Interchange, (c) the Stamfordham Road A1 Interchange, (d) the Ponteland Road A1 Interchange, (e) the North Gosforth A1 Interchange, and (f) the A1/ A19 Interchange north of Newcastle in each year since 1997, where figures are available, are given in the table. Figures for 2003 have not yet been published.

A595

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the preparation and design of the Lillyhall to Parton improvement on the A595 in West Cumbria; when comments on the draft orders will be considered; whether the scheme can be amended as a result; and if he will make a statement. [177100]

I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer of 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 545W. Since then, work has concentrated on preparing the draft orders under the Highways Act, and the accompanying Environmental Statement. This work is largely complete and these documents will be published later this year. This will mark the beginning of statutory procedures, during which time the public and those directly affected will have the opportunity to make representations to the Secretaries of State on the proposals. If necessary, a public inquiry will be held before an independent inspector to hear representations. Following the public inquiry, the inspector can recommend to the Secretaries of State that the draft orders be amended in the light of the public inquiry findings. On-going scheme progress would depend on the extent and scale of any such amendments and could require the re-publication of draft orders and another public inquiry.

Bus/Cycle Lanes (Bury, North)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total number of (a) bus lanes and (b) cycle lanes designated on roads in Bury, North constituency in each of the last 10 years. [176700]

The number of bus lanes and cycle lanes designated on roads in Bury, North constituency in each of the last 10 years are tabled as follows:

	Number of cycle lanes	Number of bus lanes
1995	0	0
1996	2	1
1997	2	0
1998	1	0
1999	2	0
2000	0	0
2001	1	0
2002	3	0
2003	0	0
2004	1	0
Cumulative total	12	1

Freshford Station

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what meetings (a) he and (b) his ministerial colleagues and officials (i) have held and (ii) plan to hold with representatives of (A) Network Rail, (B) the Health and Safety Executive and (C) other interested parties, with regard to Freshford station near Bath; and if he will make a statement; [177497](2) what assessment he has made of

(a) the safety and accessibility of the station platform at Freshford station, Bath, (b) progress with the proposed changes to the platform and (c) the likely completion date of the changes; and if he will make a statement. [177498]

Ministers and officials have had no meetings with interested parties regarding Freshford station. However, the Government's independent health and safety rail regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI), has had a continued dialogue with Network Rail about their plans to raise a section of the platform at Freshford station near Bath. I understand that Network Rail will shortly provide further information to HMRI on plans to manage the risks from the operation of this scheme. This information will include how train operators plan to align train doors with the raised section of the platform. Once this information is received, HMRI anticipates being able to make a decision on Network Rail's proposal within a matter of days.

Parking

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many parking attendants (a) are employed and (b) were employed in 1999–2000 by local authorities (i) directly and (ii) indirectly through contractors. [177660]

Statistics on the number of parking attendants employed by local authorities are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) health visitors and (b) general practitioners are subject to parking restrictions while undertaking their professional duties; what rationale underlies his policy in this area; and if he will make a statement. [177613]

Parking controls are determined by local traffic authorities taking into account local circumstances, including the need to ensure safety, relieve congestion and manage the space available for parking. Everyone is required to have regard to parking controls. Giving blanket exemptions from controls is likely to undermine their effectiveness.Local schemes may provide for dispensations for those whose duties necessarily take them into areas where parking controls are in force. For example, the Association of London Government runs the London-wide Health Emergency Badge scheme which confers parking privileges, such as free parking at meters and the ability to park on yellow lines, to doctors, nurses, midwives and health visitors who are engaged in urgent or emergency health care away from their normal base. Local authorities outside London have their own arrangements for dispensations. The need to cater for the requirements of community health care visitors is an issue which my Department draws to the attention of authorities outside London applying for decriminalised parking enforcement powers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effects of decriminalisation of illegal parking, with particular reference to the use of private contractors by local authorities for enforcement of parking regulations; and if he will make a statement. [177662]

Research into the impact of decriminalised parking enforcement was carried out shortly after its introduction in the London boroughs of Bexley, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Westminster and outside London in the cities of Oxford and Winchester. In the case of Hammersmith and Fulham and Winchester, the parking attendants were directly employed by the authorities. In the other three cases, parking attendants were employed by contractors undertaking enforcement on behalf of the authorities. In all five cases, it was concluded that the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement had led to improved compliance with parking regulations. Further details of the research may be found in the following Transport Research Laboratory reports:

"Special Parking Areas in London TRL Report 279 1997"

"The Special Parking Area in the District of Winchester TRL Report 333 1998"

he Special Parking Area in Oxford TRL Report 405 1999."

Road Safety

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total number of (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Bury, North constituency in each of the last 10 years. [176699]

The available information relates to local authority areas. The number of (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of the Bury local authority area in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, are shown in the table. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituencies will become available in the summer when I shall write to my hon. Friend with figures for Bury, North and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

	Killed	Serious
1993	14	79
1994	8	90
1995	10	73
1996	3	68
1997	14	60
1998	6	29
1999	2	49
2000	10	40
2001	3	51
2002	8	53
All	78	592

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Manchester, Central has been since 1997. [177694]

The available information relates to local authority areas. In the Manchester local authority area there were 32 deaths in road accidents in 1997 and 15 deaths in 2002, the latest year for which information is available. The number of serious injuries rose by 3 per cent. from 244 in 1997 to 252 in 2002. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituency will become

Emissions
		1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Benzene
Road vehicles-petrol	Ktonnes	22.4	19.4	16.6	5.1	4.8	4.2
Road vehicles-DERV	Ktonnes	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Other sources	Ktonnes	12.5	11.3	10.8	9.7	9.6	9.0
Total	Ktonnes	35.1	30.9	27.6	15.1	14.6	13.5
1,3-Butadiene

available in the summer, and I shall write to my hon. Friend with figures for Manchester, Central and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Traffic Levels

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the projected growth by 2010 from the 1990 base level of (a) car, (b) freight and (c) total traffic for the EU, broken down by country. [176037]

The information requested is not available. The Department for Transport's projections for growth of road traffic in England, between 1990 and 2010, based on the National Transport Model, are set out in the table.

	With 10 year plan^1,2 Index 1990 =100
Cars and taxis	134–140
Goods vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes gvw)	119
Light goods vehicles	169–170
Buses and coaches	122
All motor traffic	136–142
¹ The range reflects key uncertainties in the modelling relating to forecasts of factors that influence travel, such as how people's choices are influenced by income growth and changes in the relative costs of each mode. In some cases both ends of the range produce the same forecast.
² Growth between 1990 and 1993 is based on Great Britain data.

Transport (Manchester, Central)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the expected effect of investment railway improvements over the next 10 years upon residents in Manchester, Central. [177697]

Residents of Manchester, Central will benefit from the new TransPennine Express franchise, which commenced in February. The franchise 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. A new northern franchise, which will include local and regional services through Manchester, has been tendered competitively. Work continues on the West Coast Main Line upgrade, which will see a reduction in journey times on services to/from Manchester and an increase in service frequency.

Vehicle Emissions

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the common carcinogens emitted from petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK; and what tonnage of each was emitted in each year since 1997. [177479]

The information requested is as follows:

Emissions
		1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Road vehicles-petrol	Ktonnes	4.3	3.7	3.1	2.6	2.1	1.7
Road vehicles-DERV	Ktonnes	1.7	1.5	1.4	1.2	1.1	1.0
Other sources	Ktonnes	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.0	0.9
Total	Ktonnes	7.2	6.3	5.7	4.8	4.2	3.7
Benzo[a]pyrene ¹
Road vehicles-petrol	Kg	854	628	469	351	273	218
Road vehicles-DERV	Kg	464	422	386	348	317	291
Other sources²	Kg	9,898	8,692	7,778	5,993	6,694	5,866
Total²	Kg	11,215	9,742	8,634	6,692	7,284	6,375
Dioxins3 and Furans
Road vehicles-petrol	Grammes-TEQ	11.1	8.2	5.4	4.6	3.8	3.0
Road vehicles-DERV	Grammes-TEQ	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5
Other sources²	Grammes-TEQ	453.3	386.9	368.4	313.4	314.7	307.0
Total²	Grammes-TEQ	464.8	395.5	374.3	318.4	318.9	310.5
¹Benzo[a]pyrene is one compound from the "polycyclic aromatichydrocarbon" (PAH) group. The carcinogenic potency of these PAH's vary, and so Benzo[a]pyrene is used as an indicator for the PAH group.
² Excludes emissions from natural fires
³Dioxins and Furans are groups of compounds with different toxic potencies. Consequently, it is more representative to express the emissions in terms of "Toxic Equivalents" (TEQs). International Equivalents (I-TEQ) are used for these data.

Treasury

Departmental Annual Reports

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department issues on the content of departmental annual reports. [177602]

A copy of the guidance for the 2004 departmental reports is available in the House of Commons Library.

Labour Statistics

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Bootle over the last seven years. [177714]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Joe Benton, dated 9 June 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (177714)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, the LFS sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of unemployment in the Bootle Constituency.

ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas including parliamentary constituencies.

The table gives total JSA claimants claiming for over 12 months and those aged 18 to 24-years-old claiming for over 12 months for the Bootle constituency. The figures are annual averages for each year since 1997. The data are not seasonally adjusted.

	All ages	18–24 years
1997	1,932	377
1998	1,406	254
1999	1,078	54
2000	912	16

	All ages	18–24 years
2001	754	10
2002	693	14
2003	622	20
Note:
Computerised claims only.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in each year since 1997 in Stoke-on-Trent, North. [177638]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Ms Joan Walley, dated 9 June 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (177638)

ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA) for local areas including parliamentary constituencies.

The table gives the annual average number of JSA claimants for the Stoke-on-Trent North constituency for each year since 1997.

	Number
1997	1,750
1998	1,554
1999	1,669
2000	1,396
2001	1,367
2002	1,330
2003	1,281

Tax Returns (Penalty Notices)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many penalty notices have been issued by the Inland Revenue to taxpayers for filing late tax returns which have subsequently been found to have been filed on time in each of the last five years. [177281]

This information is not available.

Unemployment

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the unemployment rates for the 55-plus age group in (a) Greater London and (b) each Greater London borough in each of the last five years. [177058]

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

Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 9 June 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. I am replying in his absence. (177058)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation de finitions.

The attached table 1, gives unemployment rates for the 5 5-plus age group in Greater London covering the twelve month periods ending in February 1997, and each February from 2000 to 2003. Comparable information is currently not available for other years. The LFS sample size is too small to give reliable information about unemployment in each Greater London borough.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.

ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas including Greater London Boroughs. Table 2 gives the annual average number of JSA claimants for the age group 55 plus as a proportion of the resident population aged 55 to retirement age (55 to 64 for males, 55 to 59 for females) in Greater London and each Borough in Greater London for each year from 1999 to 2003. The data are not seasonally adjusted.

Table 1: Unemployment rate¹ for the 55-plus age group in Greater London—12 months ending February in 1997 and each February from 2000 to 2003
	Percentage
1997	9.3
2000	6.2
2001	5.7
2002	5.0
¹This is the percentage of the economically active population aged 16 and over who are unemployed.
Note:
Economically active population refers to those who are either unemployed or in employment.
Source:
ONS—Labour Force Survey.

Table 2: Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 55 and over in the London boroughs
		Percentage of population ²
Annual averages	1999	2000	2001	2002 ¹	2003 ¹
Barking and Dagenham	2.5	2.2	1.9	2.1	2.4
Barnet	2.2	1.8	1.6	1.9	2.0
Bexley	1.9	1.4	1.3	1.4	1.7
Brent	3.8	2.9	2.4	2.4	2.6
Bromley	1.7	1.4	1.3	1.5	1.6
Camden	4.6	3.7	3.2	3.6	3.6
City of London	2.5	1.8	1.7	1.5	1.7
Croydon	2.8	2.4	2.1	2.2	2.1
Ealing	2.7	2.1	1.8	2.0	2.1

Table 2: Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 55 and over in the London boroughs
		Percentage of population ²
Annual averages	1999	2000	2001	2002 ¹	2003 ¹
Enfield	3.2	2.7	2.3	2.3	2.4
Greenwich	3.5	3.4	2.9	3.2	3.1
Hackney	5.8	4.5	3.5	3.6	4.1
Hammersmith and Fulham	4.3	3.8	3.0	3.2	3.4
Haringey	5.2	4.6	3.6	3.3	3.4
Harrow	2.5	1.9	1.5	1.6	1.7
Havering	1.7	1.6	1.2	1.4	1.5
Hillingdon	1.7	1.3	1.2	1.4	1.8
Hounslow	1.8	1.3	1.0	1.5	1.5
Islington	5.7	4.3	3.7	3.7	4.1
Kensington and Chelsea	2.7	2.3	1.7	1.8	2.1
Kingston-upon-Thames	2.0	1.6	1.1	1.3	1.5
Lambeth	5.5	5.0	4.5	4.5	4.5
Lewisham	4.4	3.9	3.4	3.3	3.5
Merton	2.7	2.0	1.7	2.1	2.5
Newham	4.2	3.5	2.9	2.6	2.6
Redbridge	2.3	2.1	1.6	1.7	1.7
Richmond-upon-Thames	2.0	1.7	1.4	1.7	1.9
Southwark	4.6	4.3	3.7	3.9	4.3
Sutton	1.7	1.4	1.1	1.6	1.7
Tower Hamlets	5.5	4.9	3.9	3.6	3.7
Waltham Forest	3.4	3.0	2.6	2.8	3.1
Wandsworth	3.8	3.4	2.9	2.9	3.0
Westminster, City of	3.4	2.9	2.5	2.5	2.6
¹ Based on the 2001 resident population.
² Claimant count figures as the percentage of the resident population aged 55 to retirement age
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Administrative system Claimant count proportions using mid—2002.

Working Tax Credit

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what amount of funding his Department has budgeted to cover the childcare element of working tax credit in 2003–04 and 2004–05; and if he will make a statement; [177516](2) how many families or women with a child under the age of

(a) one year and (b) six months are in receipt of the childcare element of the working tax credit; and if he will make a statement; [177519]

(3) what estimate has been made of the take-up rate of the childcare element of working tax credit as a percentage of those families and single parents who are eligible to receive it since the benefit was introduced; and if he will make a statement. [177520]

For the cost of the childcare element of the working tax credit, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to her on 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 866W.About 25,000 families with a child under one were benefiting from the childcare element at 5 April 2004, of which 5,000 had a child aged under six months. These are estimates based on a sample of cases and should be treated with caution. Also, they exclude such families who had not claimed tax credits, or had not notified the Inland Revenue of the young child or of the childcare costs, by 5 April 2004—they have three months to claim and benefit in full. They also exclude families whose initial claim, or change of circumstance, was being processed at that date.Estimates of the take-up rate requested would have to be based on household survey data. These surveys contain too few sample cases to produce reliable estimates.

Work And Pensions

National Insurance Numbers

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers (a) have been issued in each year since 1992, (b) have been extinguished in each year since 1992 and (c) have been current in each year since 1992. [177533]

The information is as follows:

	Total allocated	Total deleted	Increase per year
1992¹	9,765,000	21,000	9,744,000
1993¹	3,292,000	19,000	3,273,000
1994	1,057,000	15,000	1,042,000
1995	1,008,000	16,000	992,000
1996²	979,000	55,000	924,000
1997²	1,018,000	58,000	960,000
1998²	1,027,000	38,000	989,000
1999²	1,023,000	61,000	962,000
2000²	996,000	182,000	814,000
2001	928,000	100,000	828,000
2002	1,082,000	4,000	1,078,000
2003	1,142,000	4,000	1,138,000
Up to 30 April 2004	411,000	1,000	410,000
¹The allocation of Child Reference Numbers (CRN's) commenced in May 1992. From that date to February 1993 Child Benefit Branch allocated NINO's for all children hence the large number of created records during this period.
² High number of deletions due to Data Cleaning Project which targeted duplicate NINO's/invalid NINO's.
Note:
These figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Health And Safety Executive

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the Health and Safety Executive's employees based in offices outside London travel to work by car; and how many HSE offices have green travel plans in place. [176720]

The information about travel to work is not available.There are no green travel plans in place at present for any of HSE's offices. A green travel plan for HSE's London Headquarters will be published shortly. A plan will be put in place at HSE's Merseyside Centre when HSE moves to its new PFI building next year. Further travel plans for HSE field offices will be implemented thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the capital cost is of the new headquarters of the Health and Safety Executive in Bootle; what the anticipated revenue costs in its first full year of operation are; and what the current building's annual revenue costs are in Bootle. [176721]

The capital cost of the new headquarters of the Health and Safety Executive in Bootle, procured under the Private Finance Initiative, is £58.3 million (2003 prices) comprising £57 million on construction which is being met by the contractor and £1.3 million land purchase. The anticipated revenue costs in its first full year of operation from 2005 are £7.4 million (2005 prices). The annual revenue costs of current buildings in Bootle are £4.4 million (2004 prices).

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Health and Safety Executive North West region spent on casual staff in the region in financial year 2003–04. [176723]

Expenditure on agency staff in the financial year 2003–04 in the North West Division was £143,352.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals the Health and Safety Executive will be bringing forward to introduce workplace-based parking charges. [176726]

The Health and Safety Executive has no current proposals to introduce workplace-based parking charges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make the Health and Safety Executive deputising allowance and day subsistence allowances inflation-proof; and what these allowances are (a) per hour and (b) per day at present. [176727]

It is not the Health and Safety Executive's policy to directly link deputising allowance and day subsistence to inflation.Deputising allowance is paid at a rate of 6 per cent. of the maximum of the pay range for the relevant higher job band, converted to an hourly rate. Pay range maxima are subject to annual negotiation with HSE Trade Unions. The rate of inflation influences the negotiations.Day subsistence is a flat rate allowance based on the levels of average expenditure incurred by members of staff when they are away from their office on official business. These rates are reviewed annually with HSE Trade Unions.The rate payable depends on the duration of absence:

£4.90 for over 5 hours

£9.30 for over 10 hours

£14.20 for over 12 hours.

Household Incomes

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of median income (a) before and (b) after housing costs (i) on the old equivalence scale and (ii) on the proposed new equivalence scale in the latest year for which figures are available. [177557]

The information is in the following table.

Number of children below various thresholds of contemporary income in 2002–03
	Number (million)
McClements Equivalisation (60 per cent. median)
Before Housing Costs	2.6
After Housing Costs	3.6
OECD Equivalisation (60 per cent. median)
Before Housing Costs	2.9
Notes:
1. The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) presents statistics on the proportion of children in low income households on both the McClements and modified OECD equalisation scales.

2. The modified OECD equivalence scale focuses on income before housing costs. We are adopting this income equalisation scale for the new long-term child poverty measure from 2004–05 so we can credibly benchmark our performance internationally.

3. The existing PSA to reduce by a quarter the number of children living in low income by 2004–05 uses the McClements Equivalence scale, and reports both before and after housing costs.

4. The Government recognises the continuing interest in results for income after housing costs. HBAI, a National Statistics publication, will continue to publish results both for income before housing costs, and for income alter housing costs. These will also continue to be published in "Opportunity for all". Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

Source:

Family Resources Survey.

Pensioners (Benefits)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners not claiming each means-tested benefit for which they are eligible, broken down by (a) benefit and (b) Government region. [177526]

The information is not available in the format requested as estimates by government region are not available.The latest national estimates of the number of pensioners in Great Britain who are eligible, but not receiving income related benefits relate to financial year 2001–02. These cover the minimum income guarantee, housing benefit and council tax benefit and are published in the DWP report entitled "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2001–02". A copy of the publication is held in the Library.

Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many schemes with insufficient assets to secure their guaranteed minimum pensions have expressed an interest to (a) his Department and (b) other Government bodies in having their state pension fully reinstated; how many schemes have been treated as qualifying for this; how many schemes have had their state benefits reinstated; and how many members of these schemes have received their reinstated benefits. [177559]

A member of a contracted-out defined benefit occupational pension scheme that winds up with insufficient resources to secure accrued benefits in full may have their state scheme rights restored by a process known as "deemed buyback", operated by the Inland Revenue. In order to qualify both the scheme and the member must meet certain conditions.To date, the Inland Revenue have had 59 schemes express an interest in "deemed buyback". Of these schemes, 33 have formally requested calculations and the Inland Revenue have agreed that all 33 schemes meet the qualifying conditions. Eight of these have been issued with the calculations necessary to allow the scheme to determine whether each member meets the criteria. The Inland Revenue are working with the remaining 25 schemes to finalise the required details before calculations can be issued.

It is individual scheme members who qualify for "deemed buyback" and it is the decision of the member whether to have their state scheme rights re-instated.

Trustees use the calculations issued by the Inland Revenue as part of the process to determine whether individuals can apply for "deemed buyback". As yet no-one is receiving reinstated benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority expects to have in place a fully developed risk model that targets schemes where funds may be at risk as recommended by the Committee of Public Accounts in its 15th Report of 2002–03. [177254]

In the light of the recommendations of the Committee of Public Accounts, the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) has been seeking, within the framework of its statutory powers and obligations, to refocus its resources on issues that present a real risk to members' benefits. In October 2003, Opra published revised guidance to scheme professionals on the reporting of breaches: statutory whistleblowers (scheme auditors and actuaries) are now expected to consider the nature and impact of any breach they identify before deciding whether or not to make a report to the authority. In May 2004, Opra also issued revised guidance to non-statutory whistleblowers. Copies of Opra's latest guidance to both statutory and non-statutory whistleblowers (Opra Note 1 and Opra Note 6, respectively) are available in the Library.On 11 February, the Government published the Pensions Bill 2004, which proposes to replace Opra with a new regulatory body—The Pensions Regulator—from April 2005.The Bill provides that the Pensions Regulator, in accordance with the recommendations of the 15th Report of 2002—03 of the Committee of Public Accounts will have statutory objectives to protect the benefits of members of work-based pension schemes and to promote, and improve the understanding of, the good administration of such schemes. The proposals contained within the Pensions Bill will enable the Pensions Regulator to target its resources on the areas that pose the greatest risk to members' benefits.The new Pensions Regulator will begin operating its risk model from the organisation's inception, and will develop it as its information base improves. To prepare the ground, the Department is currently working with Opra to identify the information and analysis needed to give effect to a fully risk-focused approach as quickly as possible.

Road Accidents

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his Department's progress in reviewing the Road Traffic Accident Fixed Costs Scheme in order to consider its extension to the employers' liability insurance market. [176976]

The Department of Constitutional Affairs leads on the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Fixed Costs Scheme. The Civil Justice Council will conduct the formal evaluation of this scheme at the end of 2005.The Government have built on the momentum generated by the RTA Fixed Costs Scheme and has been working towards getting stakeholder agreement on fixed success fees for Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) cases run under Conditional Fee Agreements. It is hoped that this agreement will be implemented by October 2004.Discussions with stakeholders will continue to consider fixed legal costs for ELCI claims.

Work-focused Interviews booked—Integrated offices
Calendar year	Jobseeker	Lone parent	Sick and disabled	Carers	Other
2001	20,450	1,310	4,090	360	1,080
2002	131,610	10,500	28,710	3,460	6,600
2003	390,880	37,960	84,380	10,110	15,370
2004	88,980	9,310	19,040	2,210	3,050
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Database (to February 2004)

Work-focused Interviews attended—Integrated offices
Calendar year	Jobseeker	Lone parent	Sick and disabled	Carers	Other
2001	19,510	1,280	3,970	440	1,040
2002	121,570	9,730	25,620	3,210	5,950
2003	356,470	34,950	75,890	9,350	13,930
2004	79,860	8,550	17,180	1,790	2,740
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Database (to February 2004).

Lone parent work-focused interviews-Non-integrated offices and stock
Calender year	Booked New/Repeat	Attended Stock	Total	New/Repeat	Stock	Total
2001	68,560	36,260	104,820	58,290	25,790	84,090
2002	130,140	100,600	230,740	117,220	76,860	194,080
2003	178,410	182,930	361,340	159,610	161,300	320,910
Source:
NDLP evaluation database (data to December 2003).

Lorry Loader Cranes

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety regulations and guidance are in place governing the operation of lorry loader cranes. [176763]

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 all apply to the operation of lorry loader cranes. The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 also apply if the crane is being used in a place where construction activities are taking place, and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 apply if the crane is being used in any other workplace. All of these Regulations are supported by guidance and, where relevant, approved codes of practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents there were in each of the last five years involving lorry loader cranes. [176764]

Work-Focused Interviews

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants have (a) been invited to attend work-focused interviews and (b) attended work-focused interviews in each year for which figures are available, broken down by category of claimant. [177535]

Work-focused interviews are conducted nationally for lone parents as part of the lone parent work-focused interview regime and in integrated offices for all customer groups.The information requested is in the following tables by calendar year:

Incidents involving lorry loader cranes have only been separately available since 2001–02. The available statistics are set out in the table.

Table 1: The number of injuries involving lorry loader cranes, as reported to HSE and local authorities, 2001–02 to 2002–03
	Employee	Self employed	Public
	fatal injuries
2001–02	1	—	1
2002–03¹	2	1	1
	Non-fatal injuries
2001–02	484	7	4
2002–03¹	462	12	3
¹ Provisional

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Government plan to increase the current health and safety requirements for those who operate lorry loader cranes; and if he will make a statement. [176765]

The Government have no plans at present to increase current health and safety requirements for those operating lorry loader cranes.

Ministerial Meetings

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the official meetings his predecessor had with the Mayor of London since July 2000 to discuss pension issues in London; and what the (a) dates and (b) subject of each meeting was. [174349]

There is no record of my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Edinburgh Central (Mr. Darling), holding any official meetings with the Mayor of London between July 2000 and May 2002.

Public Swimming Pools

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to introduce legislation to improve health and safety standards at public swimming pools. [177123]

There are no plans to introduce additional legislation. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcement of health and safety legislation in Great Britain. In the autumn of 2003, it revised and republished the guidance on 'Managing health and safety in swimming pools'. The revision brings the guidance up-to-date with changes in health and safety law and new developments in equipment and facilities. This guidance provides practical advice on how to comply with the law relating to health and safety in swimming pools.

Stakeholder Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses with more than five employees that are complying with legislation to provide workers with access to a stakeholder pension. [167507]

Estimates of compliance levels since the introduction of stakeholder pensions have been based on cumulative quarterly data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) that have now become out of date. More recent data from the 2003 Employers Pension Provision Survey and from the DTI Small Business Service has enabled us to update our estimate of the level of compliance with the requirement for employers with five or more staff to offer their workers access to a stakeholder pension scheme. On the basis of these we estimate the level of compliance as just over 80 per cent.We will continue to work with employers so they are aware of the important role they play in helping their employees provide for their retirement. The Government believe that everyone should have the best information, support and opportunity to enable them to make informed choices about how they work and save to achieve their desired retirement income. The workplace is an important focal point for such activity. We will therefore work with employers to make it easier for them to promote good schemes in the workplace, to extend the issue of combined forecasts of state and private pension entitlement and to establish the best ways of ensuring that their employees have access to a decent standard of pension information.

Vulnerable Customers (Payments By Cheque)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 11 May 2004, Official Report, columns 6–7WS, on vulnerable customers (payments by cheque), whether claimants who report late or missing payments will automatically be informed that emergency payments can be made to them both inside and outside of post office opening hours. [177436]

We will ensure that people get the money they are entitled to. Where a cheque payment does not arrive by the due payday, the customer should initially contact the office, which normally pays their benefit or pension. Arrangements for replacement payments will vary depending upon the individual circumstances and needs of each customer.Paying by cheque is a well-established method of payment that the Department has used successfully since 1968. We already have procedures in place for dealing with missing payments. We will ensure they continue to meet the needs of those customers paid by cheque.Customers reporting non-receipt of a cheque will be provided with all information and guidance they need about collection and cashing of replacement payments where this is appropriate.

Wales

Dentistry

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with National Assembly for Wales Secretaries on funding for dentistry in Wales. [177364]

Health care in Wales, including dentistry, is a matter that I frequently discuss in my regular meetings with the Assembly First Minister.

Tax Credits

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the take-up of tax credits in Wales. [177365]

The take-up of tax credits has been successful in Wales. There were 245,000 families in Wales receiving tax credits on 5 April this year, and this includes almost 228,000 families with around 400,000 children.

Nhs Waiting Times

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales about progress in reducing NHS waiting times. [177366]

I regularly meet the Assembly First Minister and the health service in Wales is one of the topics that we frequently discuss.

Departmental Secondments

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years. [175369]

There have been no inward secondments to the Wales Office from the private and academic sectors during the last three years.

Ministerial Visits

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in his Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175733]

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House.Since the establishment of the Wales Office in 1999, my predecessor and I have made a total of two helicopter flights:

in 2002, my predecessor had 30-minute flight from Cardiff to Swansea during an official visit to Wales of Commissioner Prodi; and

in 2003, I had a 15-minute demonstration flight as part of a ministerial visit to a Cardiff based helicopter company.

National Assembly

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost of the Welsh Assembly to the public purse was estimated to be at the commencement of the project. [174033]

The Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to the Government of Wales Bill estimated that the additional running costs to the Assembly would be £15 to £20 million more than the costs of running the Welsh Office.There has been no increase in the block grant to Wales to meet the additional costs of devolution.Any additional administrative costs arising from devolution are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Smoking Ban

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Health Secretary in the National Assembly for Wales on introducing a ban on smoking in public places in Wales. [177362]

My hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with colleagues across Government and with the Assembly about a number of issues, including those relating to smoking.

Welsh Language

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his policy to propose that Welsh be awarded official language status within the European Union. [177367]

At home they say Welsh is the language of Heaven. But I am afraid I have to disappoint the hon. Gentleman and tell him that there are no plans to make Welsh an official language of the European Union.

Minister For Women

Directorships (Ftse 100)

To ask the Minister for Women what plans she has for introducing (a) legislation and (b) other initiatives to encourage the appointment of more women as (a) executive directors and (b) non-executive directors to the boards of FTSE 100 companies; and if she will make a statement. [175927]

Board appointments are a matter for companies and their nomination committees and shareholders. The Government recognises the need for all board members to be recruited on merit.The Higgs Review drew attention to the importance of a rigorous selection process. As a consequence, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC)'s Combined Code, issued in July 2003 contains revised principles and provisions in this area.Following publication of the Higgs and Tyson reports, a series of roundtable meetings were organised by my Department in partnership with several leading companies. This took forward discussion with Chairs, Chief Executives and senior figures from business, to raise awareness about the business case for greater diversity on boards and to gather examples of good practice.We have also commissioned research to assess the current representation of directors from diverse backgrounds on FTSE 100 boards. This research has now been completed and will inform our thinking in this are which is one to which my right hon. Friend and I attach great importance.

Volume 422: debated on Wednesday 9 June 2004

Written Answers To Questions

Health

Abortions

Cancer

Children (Common Conditions)

Dentists

Dermatology

Diagnostic And Treatment Centres

Food Labelling

Food Supplements Directive

Free Eye Tests

Gm Micro-Organisms

Health Service Premises

Health Services

Eye Tests

Heart Surgery

Heart Disease/Cancer Care

Hepatitis C

Immigrant Medical Inspections

Malnutrition

Maternity Services

Me

Mental Health

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Mesothelioma

Mortality Ratios

Nhs Equality Adviser

Nhs Land (Sale Profits)

Nhs Staff (Salaries)

Nhs Waiting Lists

Obesity Awareness And Solutions Trust

Playing Safe

Public Meetings

School Vending Machines

Sexual Health

Smoking

Social Care

Teenage Pregnancy

Constitutional Affairs

Electoral Registration

Honorary Qcs

Postal Voting

Public Defenders

Culture, Media And Sport

Tourism (Bootle)

Trade And Industry

Coalminers' Compensation

Commission For Equality And Human Rights

Container Terminals (Southampton)

Crown Post Offices

Economic Regeneration

Farm Export Subsidies

Farnborough Airshow

Ministerial Visits

Post Services

Regional Development Agencies

Renewable Energy

Research And Development

Small Businesses

Defence

Absence Without Leave

Afghanistan

Astute Submarine

Departmental Administration Budget

Diego Garcia

Fast Jet Pilots

Gender Pay Gap

Harriers Gr9

Human Rights Act

International Committee Of The Red Cross

Iraq

Military Personnel (Afghanistan)

Osama Bin Laden

Recruitment (Army)

Road Traffic Accidents (Service Personnel)

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Service Personnel (Suicides)

Shipbuilding