To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were in the Territorial Army on 1 January (a) 1997 and (b) 2004. [179379]

The strength of the Territorial Army (TA) on 1 January 2004 was 38,900. This includes 3,320 Mobilised Reservists.The hon. Member will recall from my reply to him on 26 January that I am unable to provide comparable figures for 1 January 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's study of the future of the Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency's estate will be completed. [179380]

Initial conclusions are expected to be reached late in 2004. However, these will be subject to further consideration within the Department, within the context of other on-going estate studies. No announcement is likely before early 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration regarding the introduction of the joint strike fighter. [179382]

Ministers and officials regularly discuss the progress of the Joint Strike Fighter programme with our US partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the Nimrod project. [179383]

The agreement reached with BAE Systems in February 2003, embodied in a formal contract amendment on 23 February this year, has put the Nimrod MRA4 programme on a much sounder footing for the future. Under the restructured contract, design and development and production have been separated as far as possible, to ensure that technology is adequately de-risked before making further commitment to production price and schedule. The MOD, however, has been approving low risk production activities when it makes sense to do so, where these help maintain essential skills and product knowledge as well as preserve schedule.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries members of the UK armed forces are deployed; how many individuals are deployed in each area; on what dates the deployment (a) began and (b) is expected to end; for what purpose the forces were deployed; whether each deployment was at the request of (i) the UN and (ii) another body; and what organisations are in command of UK forces in each area. [177897]

United Kingdom armed forces are deployed overseas on peace-keeping and conflict prevention/resolution operations in the following countries:

	Approx personnel numbers	Year current ops started	UN mission or other
Middle East (Inc Iraq)	9,500	2003	Coalition
Bosnia	800	1996	NATO/UK
Afghanistan area	600	2002	Multinational
Cyprus	410	1964	UN
Kosovo	190	1999	NATO/UK
Georgia	7	1993	UN
Sierra Leone	20	1999	UN
Dem Rep of Congo	5	1999	UN
Ethiopia/ Eritrea	4	2000	UN
Liberia	3	2003	UN

The UK's participation in all of these operations is kept under regular review. Information on other overseas deployments are provided in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 2000–2003, and copies are available in the House of Commons Library (ref: HC1125)UK personnel remain under the ultimate command of the UK at all times. Varying degrees of local command and control are delegated to deployed commanders—including commanders from other UN, Alliance or Coalition members—in order to allow them to complete assigned tasks. In such circumstances, the UK retains a veto over specific missions and tasks given to UK personnel or formations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis, and with what external advice, the site of the Army Medal Office in Droitwich was (a) assessed as being suitable for residential development and (b) valued. [178996]

The land was assessed as suitable for housing based on earlier informal contacts with the Local Planning Authority and a series of inquiries received from, or on behalf of national housebuilders. In the four years preceding the valuation date, five enquiries or re-enquiries were received of this nature. These continued approaches indicated a local demand for building land.The valuation was prepared by Defence Estates 1 own in-house Chartered Surveyors. In making the valuation, due regard was given to knowledge gained from open market residential land transactions, while taking into account the nature of the site at Droitwich.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which UK armed forces are deployed in the British Indian Ocean territories; and what use they make of the US facilities on Diego Garcia. [179697]

There is a small Royal Navy, Royal Marine and Army detachment deployed on Diego Garcia within the British Forces British Indian Ocean territory. Their use of US facilities extends to accommodation, the recreation facilities and some logistic support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dentists there were for every 3,000 members of the armed forces in (a) 1987, (b) 1997 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available. [179227]

The number of dentists for every 3,000 members of the UK regular forces is as follows:

	Number of dentists
1 April 1987	4.16
1 April 1997	4.12
1 April 2004	3.65
All figures are rounded to two decimal places.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the wreckage of flight ZD576 is located. [179587]

The wreckage of light ZD576 is held in secure storage at the Defence Aviation Repair Agency Fleetlands in Hampshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes are planned in the nature of the deployment of British troops in Iraq after 30 June. [179370]

On 30 June, the UK will no longer be an Occupying Power under the terms of the Geneva Conventions in Iraq. The Iraqi Government will increasingly take direct responsibility for security. Prime Minister-designate Dr. Iyad Allawi explained in his letter to the Security Council that he intends to establish appropriate security structures that will allow his Government and Iraqi security forces to progressively assume security responsibility. These structures will include the Prime Minister's Ministerial Committee for National Security which will set a broad framework for security policy and to which he will invite representatives from the multinational force as appropriate.In Multinational Division South-East, British forces will fully support this process. Iraqi local authorities and security forces will take responsibility for local security wherever possible on 30 June, with multinational forces in support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current situation in Iraq. [179377]

An Interim Iraqi Government has been chosen and stands ready to assume full sovereignty and authority on 30 June. This marks the end of occupation governed by the Geneva Convention. Details of the political process have been set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1546, which acknowledges the continued role of the multinational force in supporting the Iraqi Government. The UN Electoral Commission is preparing for full elections to the Transitional Assembly before the end of January 2005.In my visit to Iraq last week, I was able to see for myself the contribution personnel from the United Kingdom are making to Iraq's future. For example, they have trained some 8,000 police in the south. In Baghdad a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence team is helping the Iraqi Minister for Defence set up and develop his department, and officers from the New Iraqi Army are due shortly to begin training at Sandhurst. After 30 June, responsibility for security will pass to the Iraqi Government. The United Kingdom is fully committed to this process and the transition has already started—for example, control of the Iraqi Coastal Defence Forces, which were trained by UK personnel, was passed to the Iraqis on 12 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance British forces have provided to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission regarding military cemeteries and memorials in Iraq. [178605]

British forces have provided security, general clearance and maintenance assistance at cemeteries and memorials in southern Iraq.The present climate is not conducive to the commencement of any major CWGC projects in Iraq. However, the situation will be re-assessed after the new interim Government of Iraq has assumed its responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the names are of those individuals reported to have been killed or injured as a result of action by Armed Forces personnel in Iraq in whose cases the commanding officer of the regiment concerned decided there was no case to answer. [179011]

I am withholding the names of alleged Iraqi victims of abuse at the hands of UK soldiers, where these individuals are still living, in accordance with Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Information on the numbers of cases where the commanding officer decided there was no case to answer is currently being collated from unit records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of (a) dysentery and (b) similar conditions were reported by British Forces serving in Iraq in the year ending 31 March. [176374]

For the year ending 31 March 2004, 50 suspected cases of dysentery were reported. Central records of similar disorders are not held, and it would not be possible to calculate these except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of official vehicles used by his Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas. [172769]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1538W. The Government have signed up to various targets for improving the performance of its own vehicle fleet, details of which, together with reports on each Department's progress towards these targets, are available at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk.The Ministry of Defence's Ministerial vehicles are provided by the Government Car Service (GCS). Detailed information on the breakdown of the GCS vehicle fleet is being provided separately.The MOD's non-operational fleet, which might be regarded as the official vehicle fleet, is supplied under the terms of contracts for service provision and is not owned by the Department. It is not therefore possible to provide a breakdown of vehicles used by fuel type.The MOD also operates a large range of operational vehicle fleets. When procuring new operational vehicles MOD ensures compliance with current domestic and EU legislation and the current NATO Single Fuel Policy. Since the acceptance and implementation of this policy by the UK in 1991, all operational vehicles procured will run on diesel or kerosene type fuels. For older vehicles, conversion programmes have been undertaken where this represents a cost-effective option for the remaining life of the fleet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking to improve the procurement process for equipment for the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [179369]

Following a comprehensive review of the Defence Procurement Agency's performance a package of measures have been put in place to re-invigorate the Smart Acquisition measures introduced from 1998.This work includes strengthening the Corporate Governance within the DPA, improving key acquisition processes—including greater early investment in projects to reduce risk, making better use of available skills, knowledge and experience and building on the Department's relationship with key suppliers.This work complements changes to transform the acquisition processes of the Defence Logistics Organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the support given by the armed forces to remembrance and other events at Commonwealth War Graves Commission and similar sites in (a) France and (b) Belgium; and what such events have taken place in the last year. [178589]

There were just over 1,900 UK Armed Forces personnel in Normandy for the commemorative events that took place between Saturday 5 and Monday 7 June.Support for other events is routinely arranged by our Defence Attaches, including the Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and the 75

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) soldiers and (b) ex-soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment have been (i) investigated and (ii) prosecuted in regard to fraudulent claims for payment associated with resettlement in each year since 2000. [175724]

Information relating to fraudulent resettlement claims since 2000 by serving soldiers will take further time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House. The investigation of ex-soldiers is a matter for the appropriate civil police authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers belonging to the Royal Irish Regiment received payments as part of their resettlement on leaving the Army in 2003; and what the average amount was. [175725]

A total of 74 soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment received payments of Individual Resettlement Training Cost grants on leaving the Army in 2003. The average amount paid was £454.29.There are associated travel and subsistence costs but this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of how many General Service medals with Canal Zone clasps have been issued to date. [179378]

As at last Friday 18 June the four single Service medal offices had between them cleared 9,709 cases out of the 39,666 applications so far received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place with the US on using UK sites for anti-ballistic missile interceptor sites. [179206]

[holding answer 17 June 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1616W to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued to UK service personnel on whether the use of hoods on detainees constitutes inhuman treatment for the purposes of the UN Convention Against Torture. [173019]

[holding answer 13 May 2004]: The directive issued by the Chief of Joint Operations to the Commander of British Forces in Iraq covers methods that may be used when obscuring vision, and circumstances in which these methods may be applied. Hoods will not be used when apprehending or detaining Iraqi citizens in Iraq.Although the armed forces do not generally hood detainees, the MOD does not believe that the use of hoods on apprehended persons amounts to torture or inhuman treatment for the purposes of the UN Convention in all circumstances. There are occasions on which we believe its use to be appropriate, for example, the temporary obscuring of vision by hooding or other methods to prevent persons who have been apprehended from recognising their locations or other apprehended persons. We do not believe that the use of hoods is acceptable during questioning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in producing a comprehensive document outlining his Department's support for armed forces veterans. [179381]

In March 2003 the Ministry of Defence launched the 'Strategy for Veterans'. This was the result of work which aimed to establish a structured relationship between key deliverers of services to veterans across government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. It also established a strategic framework to assist all areas of Government to develop policies and activities affecting United Kingdom veterans. The document outlines three principal areas of activity: optimising arrangements for transition from Service to civilian life; ensuring that appropriate help is given to those veterans who need it; and increasing the recognition of veterans and their achievements by the wider society.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the (a) powers and (b) duties of his Chief Adviser on Delivery. [179819]

As Chief Adviser on Delivery, Professor Michael Barber advises me on delivery of the Government's public service priorities, including the joint Cabinet Office/Treasury Public Service Agreement target:

'Improve public services by working with departments to help them meet their PSA targets, consistently with the fiscal rules.'

To ask the Prime Minister when Saddam Hussein is to be handed over to the Iraqi authorities. [178252]

Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi has confirmed that criminal proceedings will be brought against Saddam Hussein and President Bush has confirmed the intention of the US to pass Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi authorities to face criminal prosecution. The Iraqi authorities and the US are in discussions about the transfer.

To ask the Prime Minister how many lord lieutenants and deputy lieutenants in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Lancashire were (i) Masons and (ii) members of political parties in the last 10 years. [179286]

The information requested is not held centrally. Lord lieutenants and deputy lieutenants are of course aware that their role is essentially non-political and impartial.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Minister without Portfolio. [179817]

Details of the responsibilities for the Minister without Portfolio can be found in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions took place in his recent meetings with the US President concerning US military activities on Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands; and if he will make a statement. [179699]

I regularly discuss a wide range of issues with President Bush. As with previous administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public all the details of discussions with foreign Governments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many D-Day veterans benifited from Lottery and Government money to revisit the beaches. [179515]

The National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative includes the Heroes Return scheme, which provides Lottery funding to help Second World War veterans arrange commemorative visits to the overseas areas where British Armed Forces served in the Second World War. Through Heroes Return, over £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department provided to the D-day 60^th Anniversary events and commemorations. [179183]

The Department did not assist directly in the commemorations, but funding has been made available through the National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative to ensure that all generations of UK residents can commemorate the momentous events that led to the end of the Second World War. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State first announced our intention to provide Lottery support in this area last October.The Veterans Reunited initiative has three strands: Their Past, Your Future, focusing on activities for schools and young people; Heroes Return, focusing on overseas visits for veterans and their carers; and Home Front Recall, providing funding for events and activities in the UK. The initiative has an overall budget of over £25 million and will continue making awards until the end of 2005.Through Heroes Return, over. £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.One of the elements of Their Past, Your Future was a competition with opportunities for schools to win visits to the D-Day commemorations. The first prize winners were Abbey Grange School in Leeds and a party of pupils and teachers joined the official 60

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the turnover was for bookmakers on greyhound racing in 2003. [179234]

This information is not collected by the Department; but I understand that the British Greyhound Racing Board estimate that the total turnover of on and off-course betting in 2003 was about £3 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in her Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175742]

I have been unable to recover information about helicopter trips taken by Ministers in this Department before the General Election in 2001. Since then there has been one helicopter journey made by me on 20 September 2003. The journey was from Tirana to Butrint in Albania and back again. The approximate distance was 99 miles each way, so 198 miles in total.None of the other Ministers have made journeys by helicopter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles were removed by local authorities in Greater London in each year since 1997, broken down by borough. [176708]

[holding answer 7 June 2004]: Statistics for abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed were first compiled in the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2000–01. Results for authorities in London are available for 2000–01 and 2001–02. Results for 2002–03 are supplemented by results from the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey 2002–03.Numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed by each London borough and Waste Collection Authority are listed as follows:

	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Barking and Dagenham	2,761	n/a	3,201
Barnet	3,287	4,431	3,940
Bexley	1,356	1,776	2,391
Brent	3,471	4,115	4,184
Bromley	3,895	4,215	3,129
Camden	1,629	1,897	1,676
City of London	n/a	n/a	158
Croydon	2,878	4,376	4,200

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage change in the number of abandoned vehicles in England and Wales was in each year since 1997–98. [177057]

Figures for numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed in England were first collected in the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2000–01. Results for 2002–03 are supplemented by the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey for 2002–03.Figures for 2001–02 showed an increase of 28 per cent. from 2000–01.Figures for 2002–03 showed an increase of 8 per cent. from 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish, by payment area, the compensation paid to farmers for each bovine TB breakdown for each of the last three years. [178785]

TB compensation paid to farmers in relation to cattle for England, Scotland and Wales for the period 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 is detailed in the following table. A more detailed breakdown is available only at disproportionate cost.

£
Payment area	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
England	6,933,629	23,576,532	24,093,542
Scotland	45,788	226,570	538,449
Wales	2,264,024	8,137,810	9,782,904
Total compensation paid to farmers in Great Britain	9,243,441	31,940,912	34,414,895

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with British trawlermen who are fishing or who aim to fish off the disputed waters of Western Sahara. [179297]

The UK Government has had no discussions with British trawlermen about fishing in the waters of Western Sahara and is not aware of any existing or anticipated fishing activities in that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Government of Ecuador to ensure that the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands is not adversely affected by activities of fishermen protesting against quotas. [179171]

I have been asked to reply.Our Ambassador in Quito has made clear our concerns for the safety of foreign scientists to the Ecuadorean authorities, including the Minister of the Environment. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, through its Darwin Initiative is funding two UK organisations to carry out biodiversity conservation research projects on the Galapagos Islands and is in close communication with them regarding any security concerns. At present, neither project personnel or project work have been adversely affected by the protests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) location and (b) capacity is of each site presently licensed for (i) hazardous and (ii) contaminated waste, broken down by region; which sites will continue to be licensed for such waste after the implementation of the EU Landfill Directive; and which sites (A) are and (B) will be licensed to take contaminated soil. [176384]

The location of each site presently licensed for hazardous waste is set out in a table which I have placed in the library (table 1). These are the sites for which operators submitted a conditioning plan to the Environment Agency on 16 July 2002, outlining their proposals for meeting the requirements of the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002. From 16 July 2004, when the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste ends, the majority of these sites will revert to a non-hazardous classification.Sites whose operators have applied for permits for their respective sites to receive hazardous waste after the implementation of the EU Landfill Directive are set out in two further tables which I have placed in the Library (tables 2 and 3).The 22 applications listed in table 2 are for permits to become merchant or in-house landfills for hazardous waste. The identity of two of the in-house landfills in table 2 cannot be revealed for reasons of national security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Environment Agency has to encourage the cement and lime industry to become major operators of hazardous waste incinerators; and whether the Agency has considered plans to locate an incinerator at Lostock Gralam in Cheshire. [176824]

The Environment Agency takes no part in the commercial decisions of industry to undertake specific activities and is not aware of any applications from the cement and lime industry to operate hazardous waste incinerators. Several cement and lime operators are permitted to incinerate hazardous wastes as substitutes for conventional fuels used in the cement-making process, such as coal and petroleum coke. This is only permitted where the operator can demonstrate to the Agency's satisfaction that no net detriment to the environment results in comparison with the use of conventional fuels alone.The Agency has not received an application for an incinerator at Lostock Gralam in Cheshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans she has put in place to deal with hazardous waste following the forthcoming ban on co-disposal, with particular reference to warehousing and other storage facilities. [177496]

The Government and the Environment Agency are monitoring closely waste industry plans for the provision of treatment and disposal capacity, and the response of waste producers. For example, a recent survey of the chemical industry, as reported to the Hazardous Waste Forum, shows that waste producers in that sector do not envisage difficulty in meeting the Landfill Directive requirements. Waste producers should ensure that they are meeting in full the requirements of their duty of care and avoid the need for warehousing or storage of waste over and above that which normally occurs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department is taking to encourage the development of (a) ground source and (b) air source heat pumps. [176760]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Trade and Industry (Mr. Stephen Timms) on 10 June 2004, Official Report, column 564W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which body is responsible for (a) decontamination and (b) preventing the leachate if a closed landfill site begins to leak contaminants into the water supply or environment. [174587]

Under the provisions of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000, enacted in January 2004, the quality of a public, potable water supply to a consumer's premises (up to the tap) is the responsibility of the relevant water undertaker for that location. This includes responsibility for decontamination.If a closed landfill site begins to leak contaminants into the water supply in England and Wales, responsibility for the overall process of preventing the leachate is divided. The Environment Agency is responsible for 'investigating' the incident. The body (or person) who causes or knowingly permits the pollution of controlled waters is responsible for 'remedying' the pollution. The Environment Agency in turn is responsible for 'ensuring' that the body (or person) who caused or knowingly permitted the pollution takes remedial action. The Agency has powers to prosecute the perpetrator of the pollution in these circumstances.The Drinking Water Inspectorate investigates incidents affecting drinking water quality. Local authorities are required to monitor the quality of private water supplies, namely those not provided by a water undertaker.Responsibility for the aftercare and maintenance of closed landfill sites, including the prevention of environmental pollution, will depend on the legislation that was in force at the time the landfill site ceased operations. Sites that closed before the implementation of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were subject to a different regime to the one currently in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Castle Point, of 24 May 2004, Official Report, column 1292W, on landfill sites, how many offences were identified for each year from 2000 to 2003; and what the (a) highest, (b) average and (c) lowest fine was in each year. [178703]

The Environment Agency's data in the following table on landfill pollution charges relates to events which were categorised having a major (category 1), significant (category 2) or minor (category 3) environmental impact. No environmental

Landfill pollution charges
	Total charges	Enforcement notices	Cautions	Prosecutions	Total fines (£)	Highest fine (£)	Lowest fine (£)	Average fine (£)
2000	5	0	0	15	36,000	20,000	2,000	9,000
2001	19	0	4	215	15,500	8,000	7,500	7,750
2002	20	1	5	315	103,250	15,000	6,000	10,325
2003	29	0	10	419	30,000	10,000	1,000	3,333
1 Five convictions (four fines, one conditional discharge).
2 Two convictions (both with fines), 13 acquittals.
3 10 convictions (all with fines), five acquittals.
4 15 convictions (nine fines, three absolute discharges, three no evidence offered), four acquittals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on a pesticides tax. [179595]

A Voluntary Initiative to reduce the environmental damage caused by the agricultural use of pesticides has been in place since April 2001. In Budget 2004 the Government confirmed the view that the initiative will be effective in reducing the environmental pollution associated with pesticides provided that it is fully implemented. However, to cover the possibility that the initiative might not deliver the required environmental benefits within a reasonable time scale, the Government have kept the options for a tax or economic instrument under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which decisions by his Department were challenged by judicial review in session (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000; and in how many cases the (i) Department's decision was upheld by the court, (ii) court found for the applicant, (iii) Department submitted to the judgment and (iv) Department appealed successfully against the decision; [158466](2) which decisions by his Department were challenged by judicial review in the session 2002–03; and in how many cases the

There are no central records containing the information sought. This could be obtained only by consulting individual case files and would involve disproportionate cost. There are no central records containing the information sought. This could be obtained only by consulting individual case files and would involve disproportionate cost. The Administrative Court's records are organised by reference to the subject matter of judicial review claims, not the government department concerned. They contain the following information for immigration and impact (category 4) incidents included in the previous answer have not beet included, as the offences did not involve the release of pollutants.asylum claims, which make up more than 90 per cent. of the judicial review cases brought against the Home Office.

Asylum, October 2002 to November 2003
	Number
Claims received	2,693
Claims allowed	36

Non-Asylum Immigration Cases, October 2002 to November 2003
	Number
Claims received	272
Claims allowed	2

Asylum, October 1997 to September 2000
	Number
Claims received	5,748
Claims allowed	1685
1which is 11.9 per cent. of the total

Non-Asylum, Immigration Cases, October 1997 to September 2000
	Number
Claims received	1,117
Claims allowed	150
1which is 4.5 per cent. of the total

These figures show that in the period in question of the immigration judicial review cases brought against the Home Office only 10.7 per cent. were successful.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in (a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland have been given a drug treatment and testing order in each year for which figures are available who otherwise would have received a prison sentence of over six months. [174852]

Information about how many offenders in England and Wales and Scotland given a drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) who would otherwise have received a prison sentence of over six months is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug treatment and testing orders were made in Crosby in 2003–04. [177937]

According to data from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, 60 drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) were commenced within the area covered by Sefton Drug Action Team in 2003–04, of which five related to residents of Crosby.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the sentencing guidelines for electoral fraud to strengthen their deterrent effect. [179222]

I have been asked to reply.My Department does not issue or review sentencing guidelines. That is a matter for the Sentencing Guidelines Council. However, I will keep this matter under review and if it appears that guidelines are necessary I may ask the Sentencing Guidelines Council to consider the issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his targets are for improving the information and communication technology (ICT) skills base of staff within (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; and what method he uses to certify the competence levels achieved by stall receiving training in ICT. [173713]

Through the formal performance and development reporting process line managers would normally assess the competencies of staff in using information and communication technology (ICT) to carry out their work.The target for the Home Office and its agencies (excluding non-departmental public bodies) is for all staff to obtain the standard competency level in the computer systems that they use regularly (e.g. Word processing).The Home Office has developed a strategy that identifies the skills required and creates opportunities for staff to develop and make best use of the technology available to them. Across the Home Office and its agencies we have defined IT competencies that are aligned with European standards, such as the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). This is the internationally recognised qualification used in over 125 European countries, which enables people to demonstrate their competence in computer skills.As part of the rollout of new PC software across the Home Office and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate the Home Office intends to provide access to electronic learning tools for all core computer systems.Furthermore the Home Office will also provide opportunities for staff to gain advanced level competencies and qualification through the British Computer Society and the internationally recognised Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total funding of the National Criminal Intelligence Service has been in each year since its inception; and how many (a) directly employed staff, (b) contracted in staff and (c) seconded officers it had in each year. [177469]

[holding answer 9 June 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Mr. Brady) on 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 1699W.I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 15 June 2004,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation hostels are operational in England and Wales; how many places were available in probation hostels in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of those places were occupied by (a) bailees and (b) convicted sex offenders. [172267]

There are 100 approved premises in England and Wales. During March 2004 2,198 places were available. No central data are available on the number of places occupied by bailees or those convicted of sexual offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost per square metre of providing office and storage space for the National Probation Service in Central London was in 2003. [177734]

[holding answer 10 June 2004]: The cost of providing office and storage space in 2002–03 for the London Probation Area was £11,726,000, equivalent to £223 per square metre.With effect from 2003–04, all costs across the whole of the National Probation Estate were paid centrally and pooled. The national average cost per square metre was set at £180.The London Probation Area had their grant reduced by £1,734,000 in recognition of the fact that their costs have been reduced as a consequence of the national pooling arrangement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the police have been called to secure training centres in each of the last five years; and for what reasons. [176780]

Police attendance's at secure training centres (STCs) are not individually recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of residents in probation hostels are convicted sex offenders. [172395]

We do not maintain a central record of the number of residents in approved premises who have been convicted of sexual offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were on the sex offenders' register on 1 May. [177815]

The 2003–04 Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements annual reports, which will provide statistics on the number of registered sex offenders living in the community on 31 March 2004, will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will change his policy of charging victim care charities market rents for office space created for agencies working closely with the criminal justice system in new magistrates courts. [179008]

I have been asked to reply.Magistrates courts are expected to provide office space at no cost for 'Support Care Staff' for the use of referring to papers and conducting occasional interviews while at the courthouse. Agreement on the provision of accommodation is reached on this basis. Should the requirement of victim care charities exceed this agreement, negotiations are made locally. However, the launch of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) in April 2005 will provide an opportunity to assess all current estates, contracts and maintenance arrangements and

Crown Prosecution Service case outcomes
	2001		2002		2003
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Magistrates courts
Finalised of which	1,373,426	—	1,411,903	—	1,485,408	—
Pre-charge advice	45,580	—	57,505	—	117,172	—
Non-criminal proceedings	11,063	—	9,221	—	15,337	—
Case outcomes
Discontinuances (including bind overs)	198,908	16.2	197,940	15.7	181,423	14.3
Warrants etc.	73,790	6.0	78,758	6.3	73,432	5.8
Committals discharged	766	0.1	931	0.1	1,693	0.1
Dismissals no case to answer	1,632	0.1	1,722	0.1	2,575	0.2
Dismissals after trial	14,645	1.2	15,458	1.2	15,852	1.3
Total unsuccessful outcomes	289,741	23.5	294,809	23.4	274,975	21.7
Guilty pleas	786,380	63.9	803,859	63.9	799,354	63.2
Proofs in absence	117,882	9.6	119,659	9.5	144,521	11.4

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service. [168311]

I would refer the hon. Member to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Annual Report.The CPS is the principal public prosecuting authority for England and Wales, handling criminal cases investigated by the police.The following table provides some key figures on the volume of cases handled by the service in 2003 and in the two preceding years; and the outcome of those cases.While these figures support the view that the CPS makes a valuable contribution to the delivery of justice, the Service has set itself further challenging targets for 2004–05. In this year, it will seek to build on its success and reduce the proportion of unsuccessful outcomes by 11 per cent. as compared with the levels seen in 2001–02. This will contribute to the achievement of the wider criminal justice system target of bringing 1.2 million offences to justice in 2005–06. The CPS will also contribute to the reduction in the numbers of ineffective trials to 18.5 per cent. in the Crown court and 24.5 per cent. in the magistrates court.To achieve these targets, the main priority for the CPS in 2004–05 is to introduce the statutory charging scheme, where prosecutors will determine the charges to be preferred in the more serious cases. This follows the success of pilots in 2002–03 and of the shadow charging scheme in 2003–04. The CPS will also take a leading role in introducing the "no witness, no justice" arrangements to provide much better information and support to witnesses throughout their involvement in the criminal justice system.These activities are designed to move the CPS towards achieving its vision of being a world-class, independent prosecuting authority that delivers a valued public service.

To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she is taking to increase the number of lawyers in Merseyside Crown Prosecution Service. [170340]

CPS Merseyside currently has the equivalent of 82.74 full-time lawyers. The figures for 2001 to 2003 are 71.3, 78.3 and 79.6 respectively.CPS Merseyside is actively recruiting prosecutors and, in addition to national advertising campaigns, advertisements have been placed in the regional and local press in the north west and in legal and minority ethnic publications. CPS Merseyside also uses continuous online recruitment via the internet. Candidates can apply at any time and, if they meet the minimum standards, can be called for interview very quickly.Through the CPS Law Scholarship Scheme, CPS Merseyside has three former caseworkers who are now legal trainees, two of whom will qualify as lawyers before the end of the year and will be eligible to apply for posts as crown prosecutors.

To ask the Solicitor-General (1) if she will list members of the Bexley Criminal Justice Board; if she will list the (a) dates and (b) attendees of meetings held in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement; [179564](2) what representations she has received for the transfer of responsibility for Bexley from the Croydon Prosecution Service Office to the City Office; and if she will make a statement; [179565](3) what assessment she has made of the discharge committals, discontinuance and ineffective trial rates in

I understand that the hon. Member has now received my letter which answers these points. For the benefit of Members, I will place a copy of that letter in the Library.

To ask the Solicitor-General how much the production of the Law Officers' Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [171148]

The Law Officers' Departmental Report 2004 was presented to Parliament on 30 April 2004.The Stationery Office (TSO) provided the Law Officers' Departments with 240 copies of the Report, at a cost of £5,160. Other costs of printing further copies are met directly by TSO as the publisher, and do not fall to the Government.The Law Officers' Departments will send a small number of copies free of charge to other Government Departments and to members of the public on request.The Departmental Report is being made available on the Law Officers' Departmental websites and is on sale at TSO at a cover price of £12.25.There has been insufficient time since publication for TSO to provide any meaningful information on the number of reports sold at cover price.The Crown Prosecution Service also published an Annual Report from the Director of Public Prosecutions to the Attorney-General. The 2002–03 Annual Report from the Director of Public Prosecutions to the Attorney-General cost the Crown Prosecution Service £35740.80 to produce 4,000 copies. Copies of the Annual Report were distributed throughout the Crown Prosecution Service's 42 geographical Areas in England and Wales. In addition, copies of the Annual Report were sent by the Director, the Chief Executive and others at CPS Headquarters, to other Government Departments and criminal justice system partners. Free copies of the Annual Report will also have been distributed to key members of the community in local Areas, visitors to Crown Prosecution Service offices and as part of publicity or careers campaigns in our Areas.The most recent report published by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate covered the period 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2002. It was published on 5 February 2003. Publication of the report was handled by TSO who met the costs of printing and publication. Information about those costs is not available to HMCPSI. The company used its commercial judgment as to the total number of copies printed.TSO supplied 650 copies to HMCPSI at a cost of £11,580.40—a small number remain in stock. The rest were distributed free of charge. The majority were distributed within the Crown Prosecution Service, Government Departments, other organisations and individuals associated with the criminal justice system such as the judiciary and Chief Constables. Copies were also sent to national media organisations, several academic institutions and other individuals with an interest in the CPS. Additionally, the report is available for download free of charge from the HMCPSI website. HMCPSI does not record how many times or by whom the report has been downloaded.It is estimated that 260 copies were sold at cover price (£15.70) by TSO. None were sold by HMCPSI.The cost of producing the Serious Fraud Office Annual Report 2002–03 was £31,243: 2,200 copies were printed. Of these 350 were retained by The Stationery Office limited for sale mostly to a subscription list, at a cover price of £13.60: 186 were sold. The remaining 1,850 copies were used by the SFO throughout the year.Complementary copies were sent by the SFO on the publication date to police organisations and selected Government authorities and judicial bodies in the UK and overseas and to appropriate educational establishments and members of the press.Sufficient copies are held in stock for distribution throughout the year.

To ask the Solicitor-General what definition the Government use of the crime of genocide. [179539]

By virtue of section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 it is an offence under the law of England and Wales for a person to commit genocide. "Genocide" is defined in section 50(1) of the 2001 Act by reference to the definition of genocide in Article 6 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, done at Rome on 17 July 1998. Article 6 of the ICC Statute, which is set out in Schedule 8 to the 2001 Act, states that "genocide" means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) killing members of the group;

(b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Equivalent provision is made in relation to Northern Ireland by section 58 of the 2001 Act and in relation to Scotland by section 1 of the International Criminal Court (Scotland) Act 2001.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the level of unemployment was in each year since 1997 in the parliamentary constituency of Rochdale, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity; [178550](2) if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, and I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit notes in circulation; and that steps he is taking to make counterfeiting more difficult. [179221]

The Bank of England, which produces and issues most UK banknotes, records the number of counterfeit notes discovered in circulation. In recent years, this number has remained at a very small fraction of 1 per cent. of the total number of notes in circulation.The Bank ensures that its notes are designed to discourage counterfeiters. The current series of notes in circulation have certain security features, which not only make it difficult to counterfeit notes, but also make it easy to determine whether or not a note is genuine.To assist the public with identifying counterfeit notes, a leaflet entitled "Know your Banknotes" is available upon request or downloadable from the Bank's website. This describes the identity and security features of current notes, and provides advice on how to check for counterfeits.When notes are introduced or withdrawn from circulation, this is advertised prominently in the national and local press and via posters and leaflets. This also minimises the risk of counterfeits of old series notes being passed and accepted.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether death certificates issued in other EU countries are admissible in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [179571]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the General Registrar for England and Wales, who has been asked to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in (a) St Helens South, (b) St Helens, (c) Merseyside and (d) the North West in each year since 2001. [178113]

Total number of employees1, and annual change in number—Areas as shown, 2000, 2001 and 2002
	Number of employees			Change	Change
Workplace location	2000	2001	2002	2000–012	2001–022
St Helen's South	34,900	42,000	44,700	7,100	2,800
St Helen's unitary authority	56,100	63,400	67,200	7,300	3,800
Merseyside	503,100	526,800	550,300	23,700	23,500
North West	2,846,000	2,894,700	2,974,100	48,700	79,400
1Employee jobs only, not self-employed jobs
2 The change figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred separately from rounded levels for individual years
Source:
Annual Business Inquiry (ABI)