To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department spent on lawyers in each year since 1997; how many (a) actions, (b) settlements and (c) court cases there were in each year and what the costs of each settlement were. [206457]

The Department incurred the following costs in each financial year since 1997.

⁽¹⁾ To December 2004.

The column headed "Total cost" shows the total annual cost to the Department of services relating to litigation in courts and tribunals (including services which did not result in the issue of proceedings).

The Treasury Solicitor's Department's charges for services relating to litigation (which form by far the greatest part of the annual total) include the cost of(a) lawyers (including solicitors and counsel) and other staff, (b) services and disbursements not attributable to the cost of lawyers (such as court fees) and (c) for the years up to 2001–02, costs and damages paid to other parties in litigation by the Department.

The column headed "No. of files worked on by TSD" shows the number of "files" worked on by the Treasury Solicitor's Department in each year. On receipt of instructions from the Department, a "file" is opened by the Treasury Solicitor's Department to provide a reference for billing purposes. Such a "file" will usually correspond with a court case (or action), but this is not always so. For example, a number of cases may be dealt with under one "file" reference; or there may be a "file" for a claim which is resolved before the issue of court proceedings. Many of the "files" will have been worked on in more than one year. If so, the "file" is included in each of the relevant years.

A breakdown of this information to give details of the number of cases, how many of these were settled or proceeded to a full hearing, and the legal costs of each case on an annual basis could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Department's own lawyers do not conduct any litigation on behalf of the Department. The costs to the Department of their services have been disregarded in this answer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is the policy of the Department to retain for the benefit of future (a) historians and (b) applicants under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the same (i) complete categories of files, (ii) numbers of files and (iii) representative examples of files from categories of files destroyed as had been preserved prior to the passage of that Act. [203328]

In accordance with the Public Records Act 1958 S.3, the selection of records of enduring historical value for permanent preservation at The National Archives (TNA) will continue to take place in Department for Education and Skills under the guidance and supervision of TNA staff. The Department will also comply with the Code of Practice on Records Management, issued by the Lord Chancellor under S.46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which underlines the importance of having clear selection policies and disposal schedules in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

(1) how many departmental files have been destroyed in each of the past five years; [203329]

(2) when she will reply to the question tabled on 3 December 2004, by the hon. Member for New Forest East, ref 203329. [208327]

In accordance with its selection policies and disposal schedules, the Department for Education and Skills has destroyed the following number of files in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes have been promulgated in each of the past five years to the guidelines or other criteria for the retention or destruction of departmental files. [203330]

Since 1999, the Department has periodically reviewed and produced schedules, for the disposal of records which are specific to its administrative activities, for both existing and new work. It also disposes of its records in accordance with over twenty guidance notes produced by The National Archives (TNA) over the last five years, covering disposal schedules, managing records in the electronic environment, as well as overarching records management guidance. Further details of this guidance can be found on TNA's website at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/advice

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many claims of disability discrimination in higher education and further education have been made in England in each year since 2002 (a) in total and (b) broken down by county court; and if she will make a statement. [208111]

My Department remains fully committed to the work we are all taking forward across Government to improve the rights of disabled people. Clearly education plays an important part in removing the barriers to participation in society and we will continue to ensure that it does so. Compliance with the DDA is made clear to all our delivery partners.

We do not collect this information centrally and it is not a contractual obligation which we place on our delivery partners. To collect such information would require putting in place systems whereby each FE/HE institution would need to complete regular returns, which would add both bureaucratic and financial burdens. To conduct a one-off exercise to respond to your question would incur disproportionate costs as we would need to approach all FE/HE institutions directly for the information.

We have, however, asked the DRC for information on the number of cases they have been involved with and they have informed us that since 2002 they have funded five post-16 cases which have been issued in the county court. Four were resolved before hearing and one is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to provide professional training for teachers on how to tackle homophobic bullying. [208313]

May I refer the hon. Gentleman to my previous answers of 11 January 2005 and 20 December 2004, with particular reference to the following measures we are taking: guidance for schools entitled "Stand Up for Us: Challenging Homophobia in Schools" and the publication of the research report "Homophobia, Sexual Orientation and Schools: a review and implications for action". "Stand Up for Us" was produced by National Health Schools Standard colleagues with support form both the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health and is specifically designed to inform teachers on how to deal with issues surrounding homophobic bullying. The research report, which was produced by the Thomas Coram Unit, will be used to inform future developments in our work with schools. The Key Stage 3 behaviour and attendance strategy includes a training module on preventing bullying—including homophobic bullying—and schools can access additional support from their local Behaviour and Attendance Consultant.

Might I also highlight the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month in February 2005. A website has been developed to support this which will suggest activities and events for schools and colleges and offers teachers specific lesson plans and assembly suggestions to encourage and support schools in marking LGBT History Month. It will also provide an online notice board of events and link to current news relevant LGBT History Month. See more at http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk

The activities above all support teaching staff in countering homophobic bullying. We aim to provide them with the tools they need to convey the message to their pupils that homophobic bullying, like any other form of bullying, cannot be tolerated and that we must challenge homophobic language and attitudes wherever we find them.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the new Part P of Building Regulations on the number of deaths caused by substandard electrical work; and if he will make a statement. [202119]

The Part P Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) published on 22 July 2004 indicates that the annual average number of electrical fatalities in dwellings between 1990 and 1999 was 43. The number of fatalities that will be avoided each year by introducing Part P of the Building Regulations is estimated to be eight. The RIA also indicates that over the same period there were around 2900 injuries each year requiring hospital treatment, and that the number that will be avoided is 548.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the previous experience of each member of the community housing task force, with particular reference to experience in (a) the private sector and (b) council house administration. [207020]

A copy of the information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many copies of the document Creating Better Places and Lives have been printed by his Department; what the costs of (a) design, (b) printing and (c) distribution were; and how many copies were posted unsolicited to individuals and organisations. [208231]

The publication to which I think the hon. Member is referring is "Creating better places to live—a guide to the planning system in England".

The cost of the design (design, artwork and photography) for this publication was £20,135.17, and the cost of printing was £18,000 for 100,000 copies.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister distributed 7,260 copies of the guide by post to interested parties at a cost of £1,170. A further 500 copies were sent to each of the nine Government Offices for the Regions.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff in his Department were employed to deal with Freedom of Information Act 2000 issues in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004; and how many staff are budgeted to deal with Freedom of Information Act 2000 issues in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006. [205046]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created in 2002 and provided a common Freedom of Information (FOI) service to both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Transport until 2003. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has employed the following numbers of full-time equivalent staff to deal with Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) issues: three in 2002, five in 2003, and seven in 2004. This includes two staff involved in project management and support for the FOI Implementation project in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 and 2006, 5.5 full-time equivalent staff are budgeted to deal with FOI and EIR issues.

Beyond those staff directly involved in the ongoing implementation and application of FOI within a Department, it is difficult to identify precisely the number of officials who will be dealing with Freedom of Information issues from 1 January 2005, since it is potentially part of every civil servant's role to respond to Freedom of Information requests.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hectares were classified as (a) urban and (b) suburban in each year since 1990, broken down by region. [208222]

Available data from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's definition of 1991 and 2001 Urban Settlements provide a comparable classification of urban land use with an associated population of 1,000 or more. There are no estimates available for suburban land.

The following table shows urban land use in hectares broken down by region in England.

Source:

1991 and 2001 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Urban Settlements definition

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the grants made through the Living Spaces programme broken down by local authority area; and what (a) the value of the grant, (b) the title of the scheme and (c) the objective of each scheme was in each case. [208232]

703 grants have been made through the Living Spaces programme since it was launched in May 2003. The information requested for each project is set out in the table which has been placed in the Library. This information will be made available in due course on the Living Spaces website: www.living-spaces.org.uk

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures have been taken to encourage dual or multiple use of mobile telephone masts. [207993]

Planning Policy Guidance Note 8, "Telecommunications" (PPG8), makes clear the expectation that developers should provide evidence to local planning authorities that they have carefully considered the use of existing masts, buildings and other structures before seeking to erect any new mast, regardless of size. The authority may be justified in refusing prior approval or planning permissions if it considers the evidence regarding the consideration of such alternative sites is not satisfactory.

Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister meet regularly with the Mobile Operators Association to discuss a range of issues including the operators' progress in meeting their ten commitments which includes a commitment on site sharing. The UK network operators have established a cross-industry Site Share Working Group and have developed a database to facilitate the exchange of information on site sharing opportunities. The Association also sends statistics relating to site sharing to the Planning Minister every quarter.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister

(1) when his Department received the Inspector's Report on the proposed motorway services areas at Great Hazes, Great Wood and Junction 8/9 on the M4; [208263]

(2) when he expects to give his decision on the proposed motorway service areas at Junction 8/9, Great Wood and Great Hazes on the M4, references APP/CO305/A/96/266283, APP/TO355/V/01/1073114 and APP/TO305/A/011070069. [208264]

The Inspector's report into six proposals for motorway service areas at Great Hazes, Great Wood and Junction 8/9 on the M4, New Barn Farm on the M25, and Mount Hill Farm and Burtley Wood on the M40 was received by the Office on 12 January 2005.

Consideration will now be given to the Inspector's report, and his recommendations, and decisions will be issued as soon as that consideration is completed. However, given the very recent receipt of the report in the Office, it is not possible at this stage to give an indication of when those decisions will be made. I am happy to write to the hon. Member when we have a clearer indication of a timeframe for decision.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the balance in the use of neighbourhood renewal funds in Islington is between the most deprived and the least deprived wards in the borough; whether it is his policy that such funds should be primarily targeted at areas of deprivation; and what discussions he plans to have with the borough council about this issue. [208242]

Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) was announced in 2000 to provide £900 million over three years to 88 of the most deprived areas of the country as measured by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2000. Decisions about where and how the money is spent are taken locally based on Local Strategic Partnerships' knowledge and understanding of local need.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not collect information on the allocation of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) to specific wards, and could only provide it at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the meetings that have taken place between (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department and representatives of (i) Tesco, (ii) Asda, (iii) Sainsburys and (iv) Morrisons about Planning Policy Statement 6 (Town Centres) over the last 12 months. [207037]

I and officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister met the British Retail Consortium in May 2004. Among those present were representatives of Tesco and Asda. This meeting discussed a range of issues including draft Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6). In addition officials have met representatives of three of the companies to discuss PPS6, on the following dates: Asda—April 2004 and July 2004, Sainsburys—May 2004, Tesco—September 2004.

Officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister made a series of presentations to a range of stakeholder groups during the consultation period on PPS6. Representatives of Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys did attend a number of these group events. In addition, during the course of Government business Ministers and their officials regularly attend conferences, seminars and events on retail planning matters at which representatives of these companies are present and general matters of policy are discussed.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many gyms are available to staff in the Department; and what the cost of providing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [204374]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has four gym facilities available for use by its staff within buildings managed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and access to six others in buildings managed by others.

The net annual running cost of these in 2003–04 was £142,000. Of this £123,000 (87 per cent.) was for the operation of a fitness centre for firefighters and other trainees at the Fire Service College (FSC) that is also open to members of the public and FSC staff via a membership scheme. The balance was for fitness facilities in the Government Office for the South East and The Planning Inspectorate, which is an Agency of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

A one-off cost of £86,000 was incurred for moving the fitness centre in the Government Office for the South East, as part of a building refurbishment scheme. All figures exclude VAT.

Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for the buildings occupied by Government Offices, they carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it a requirement for all new dwellings in his proposed sustainable communities to (a) be fitted with photovoltaic cells and (b) have separation of drinking water from grey water. [208351]

Minimum performance requirements for dwellings are conveyed through the Building Regulations. These are functional rather than prescriptive to enable compliance in practical and cost-effective ways, and to leave open the possibilities for innovation. It would therefore be inappropriate to prescribe particular technologies such as grey water and photovoltaic cells.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is reviewing the Building Regulations energy efficiency requirements, and amendment proposals were published for consultation in July 2004. The proposals include setting minimum performance standards at levels much higher than at present and providing new technical guidance on low and zero carbon systems. The aim is to encourage builders to take more account of the benefits of low and zero carbon systems without being prescriptive. The responses to the consultation will be taken into account in developing the final amendment provisions which we aim to publish this summer.

Water conservation is being considered under a review of Part G of the Building Regulations which currently deals with hygiene matters. As in the case of energy, water conservation requirements are likely to be in functional terms. However, the supporting guidance is likely to include a suggestion that a separate water supply should be made to toilets. This will enable toilets to be supplied with grey water rather than use drinking water.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the effects on flood risk elsewhere of the construction of sustainable communities east of London. [208354]

Designing communities that minimise as far as possible the probability and consequences of flooding is an important part of building sustainable communities in the Thames Gateway.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 (PPG25) applies in the Thames Gateway as elsewhere. It looks to regional and local planning authorities to ensure that flood risk is properly taken into account in regional spatial strategies, local development frameworks and plans for individual developments to reduce the risk of flooding and the damage which floods cause.

The Thames Gateway London Partnership is currently undertaking a strategic flood risk assessment that will help the 11 boroughs in the east London part of the Thames Gateway take account of flood risk as part of their planning processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely (a) set up costs and (b) annual administration costs of the proposed accreditation scheme under the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. [206553]

holding answer 21 December 2004

There are several examples of effective accreditation schemes already in existence. It may well be that we will be able to use an existing scheme rather than set up a new one. Issues around the costs of such as scheme will be discussed with the industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy Industry Stakeholder Group is likely to comprise; and when he envisages that it will hold its first meeting. [206554]

holding answer 21 December 2004

We aim to establish stakeholder groups with particular areas of focus early in the new year, and will want to make sure that all sectors of the alcohol industry are represented.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) domestic burglary, (b) criminal damage, (c) drug offences, (d) robbery, (e) vehicle theft and (f) violence against the person were recorded in Bedford and Kempston in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003. [207225]

The information requested is not available centrally.

Bedford is a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. Data at CDRP level has only been published from 1999/2000 onwards. The latest figures for six key offences for 2003/04 can be found at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/cdrptabs.pdf

More detailed statistics at CDRP level are available for 2002–03 on the new Home Office website:

http://www.crimestatistics.org.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans to civilianise the post of custody sergeant; and what consultation his Department has conducted with interested parties. [206684]

holding answer 21 December 2004

Clauses 111 and 112 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, currently before Parliament, proposes that chief officers of police may appoint a staff custody officer in the role of custody officer as set out in Part IV of the Police and Criminal evidence Act 1984.

The proposal to appoint staff custody officers was contained in the public consultation document "Policing: Modernising Police Powers to Meet Community Needs" published on 12 August 2004. Some 141 responses were received to the exercise, with a number of respondents commenting on the specific area of designated police staff carrying out the function of custody officer. There was strong support for the measure as well as concern about the ability of non-police officers being used in this post.

We intend to build on the successes already identified in the use of police staff through the workforce modernisation programme. Meetings have taken place with stakeholders at both ministerial and official level. Further meetings are planned early in the new year to discuss this and other areas of police powers contained in the Bill. We will use these meetings to consider how best to introduce the role of staff custody officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget has been allocated to the National Asylum Support Forum in each of the last two years; and how many staff have been employed by the Forum in each year. [201898]

The Forum is a regular meeting at which representatives from key stakeholder groups discuss current and future issues in Asylum Support. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate's costs of contributing to this are met from within their overall budget. It is not, therefore, possible to give information on staffing. No specific budget is allocated to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department

(1) what remedy is available for a young person whose parents are mistakenly informed by the police that he has been spoken to about his conduct, on the basis that his name and address have been given by another individual to the police; [204810]

(2) what standard of proof is required, and upon whom, when there is a question about whether a young person whose parents have been informed in writing that he has been spoken to by the police about his conduct, asserts that he was not the individual spoken to; [204811]

(3) what opportunity is given to a young person to show that he is not the person who was spoken to about his conduct by the police before it is recorded that his parents have been notified that he has been spoken to about his conduct; [204812]

(4) what police record is kept when a young person has been spoken to by police about his conduct and a letter is sent to his parents; [204858]

(5) what steps are taken against a young person whose parents have been notified on one occasion that he has been spoken to by police, if he is spoken to by police again; [204859]

(6) what action police officers should take to verify the name and address of a young person before they write to his parents to say that he has been spoken to about his conduct; [204860]

(7) what the status is of records kept by police that a young person has been spoken to by police and a letter sent to his parents where no verification of the individual's name and address have taken place; [204861]

(8) if he will recommend to police forces that, when asking for a young person's name and address in advance of sending a letter about his conduct to his parents, the individual's date of birth is also noted; [204862]

(9) if he will introduce a policy that a young person who is spoken to by police about his conduct is taken home to his parents before details are recorded. [204863]

holding answer 14 December 2004

The processes used by police forces to check the identity of a young person vary from case to case but will include asking to see any identification they may have on them, taking them home, cross-checking with any peers present at the time or asking their parents to attend the police station after arrest. The individual may also be known to the officer dealing with them. Relatively few young people give false details to the police; where there is doubt the police will make every effort to establish the correct details.

The processes used by police forces to record details of contacts with young people vary from force to force and will also depend upon the circumstances of the incident itself. Not every contact is recorded as that may be inappropriate.

In the case of street bail, the police will write to the parents of the young person concerned asking them to attend with their child at an appropriate time. Again, if it becomes clear that the young person is not the one involved in the matter under investigation, police will make every effort to locate the correct person.

Where the police decide to administer a reprimand or final warning, both of which count as a youth justice disposal, they are required first to make certain that the young person did commit the offence; including their having admitted this to the officer. The police then write to the young person, and their parents if the young person is under 16, asking them to attend at a police station for the reprimand or warning. If for any reason the wrong person has been written to the process will be discontinued with no action recorded against them, and separate attempts made to establish the true identity of the offender.

There are no current plans to change the way in which individual forces interact with young people as their policies will reflect local community concerns and protocols. However Clause 107 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill will allow the photographing of suspects elsewhere than at a police station. This will provide a safeguard against misidentification.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it a requirement for sentencing in all road traffic cases where a fatality has occurred to be made at the Crown court. [201253]

All current offences that include a fatality as an element are indictable only and dealt with in the Crown court. The current review of road traffic offences addresses the adequacy of the current law in respect of the often tragic consequences of bad driving, including the appropriate venue for trial. This work is reaching a conclusion and we aim to publish the consultation paper shortly. We are also responding to the recommendation of the Transport Committee's report "Traffic Law and Its Enforcement" that more cases should be dealt with in the Crown court. The Government are currently preparing its response to the Select Committee and aims to present this in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reassess the need for short custodial sentences, including custody plus, where there is no evidence of a deterrent effect or rehabilitative value. [204476]

The Criminal Justice Act 2003 introduced Custody Plus, which reforms the structure of short prison sentences. Custody Plus will involve a short custodial sentence followed by supervision and rehabilitation in the community.

At present most offenders released into the community after short sentences receive no supervision or support. Under Custody Plus, time spent in custody will be one part of an overall sentence plan, managed by a single offender manager, who will be responsible for ensuring appropriate interventions in order to prevent reoffending.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers on behalf of the House of Commons Commission in the last three years. [207832]

The Freedom of Information Act does not make specific categories of information available, but places a general duty on public authorities to provide information, subject to specified exemptions. The House of Commons is a public authority within the terms of the Act, and written requests for information will be handled in accordance with the terms of the Act. The Act does not apply to parliamentary questions and answers, and I therefore do not expect any significant change in the Commission's practice in answering oral or written parliamentary questions as a result of the coming into force of the Act.

To ask the Prime Minister which speakers will be invited to the planned meeting of FTSE 100 leaders at Downing street on the European Constitution; what the projected cost of this meeting is; and which (a) Ministers and (b) outside organisations will be in attendance. [207109]

No such meeting is currently planned.

To ask the Prime Minister

(1) what discussions he has had with the US Administration concerning the tactics used in the siege of Fallujah; and if he will make a statement; [207797]

(2) what discussions he has had with the US (a) President and (b) Defence Secretary on the creation of a free fire zone in Fallujah. [207798]

The Government and UK Military Commanders are engaged in constant dialogue with the US Government on a range of operations in Iraq. Disclosing details would endanger those operations.

To ask the Prime Minister whether a senior Cabinet Minister will attend the non-proliferation treaty meeting to be held in London in spring 2005. [208229]

There is no non-proliferation treaty meeting in London this spring. However there will be an International Conference on Nuclear Security, which will be held in London between 16 and 18 March.

The Foreign Secretary, who would normally have attended this conference, is unable to do so because of previous engagements. In his absence his Minister of State, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, will represent him.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) whether he plans to offer alternative funding assistance to credit unions to replace funding withdrawn due to state aid regulations; [207975]

(2) what recent representations he has received on state aid regulations in relation to credit unions; [207976]

(3) what assessment he has made of the impact of new state aid regulations on (a) newly-formed and (b) established credit unions. [207994]

In late 2003, the Government became aware that the European Commission took the view that Government funding of credit unions potentially constituted state aid. The Government have kept in close contact with the credit union sector on this issue and is currently working to gain approval of a scheme whereby funding of credit unions is permissible under state aid rules.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the economic benefits that would arise from the creation of a free trade area including the US and the EU. [208078]

The benefits from trade liberalisation are greatest if barriers are reduced on a multilateral basis.

Complementary to pursuing a successful outcome to the Doha Development Round of WTO negotiations, the Government supports strengthened economic cooperation between the EU and the US, focusing particularly on non-tariff barriers such as regulations and standards.

The OECD is currently analysing the economic benefits of closer transatlantic economic integration with initial results due in the spring.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the EU Trade Commissioner regarding the creation of a free trade area between the EU and the US. [208317]

The Treasury and other Government Departments have regular contacts with the Commission on issues related to EU-US economic co-operation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of average real personal disposable income was in each year since 1975; and what the percentage change was in each year. [207773]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Michael Meacher, dated January 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the level of average real personal disposable income per head (207773).

The information available is shown in the attached table. The data is presented as annual values for 1975 to 2003. Annual data for 2004 are not published until March.

The households series used for these data are for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined: separate estimates are not available.

⁽²⁾ The real household disposable income per head series is currently measured in the prices of year 2001. The current prices series for household disposable income is re-valued by the households and NPISH final consumption deflator.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which (a) military facilities and (b) defence contractors he has visited since he took office in 1997, excluding the Dockyards in Rosyth. [203936]

Since 1997 Treasury Ministers have had a number of meetings with defence contractors, visited a number of military facilities and have met the Chiefs of Staff on a number of occasions to discuss defence matters.

However to provide the full detailed information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the benefits to the economy of the State Opening of Parliament. [208234]

The State Opening of Parliament is not motivated by economic considerations. Any economic effects arising from it are likely to be extremely small.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a decision will be made on the appeal submitted by Mr. Keith Morris of Paignton on 23 October 2004 against an alleged overpayment of tax credits. [207837]

The Inland Revenue replied to the hon. Gentleman about his constituent on 11 January 2005 having written to Mr. Morris on 6 January.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about the merits of implementing banking sector reforms that (a) increase independence of banks from the State, (b) ensure confidentiality of accounts and (c) remove restrictions on cash transactions; [208133]

(2) what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Uzbekistan about the merits of (a) removing restrictions on convertibility, (b) relaxing restrictions on circulation of the national currency, (c) allowing market mechanisms to determine the exchange rate and (d) permitting gradual devaluation of the Som. [208134]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has taken in respect of the UK commitment to train 20,000 African Union troops over the next five years. [207056]

The Ministry of Defence is organising this training in two different ways. First, by direct action, for example through British military training teams deployed to Africa, conducting specific training for Peace Support Operations (PSO) and training prior to actual PSO deployments, as well as through UK-based regular professional training modules offered to African officers. Second, indirectly through our support to the development of international training centres of excellence. Examples are the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana, the Peace Support Training Centre in Kenya, the Tactical Peace Support Training Centre in Bloemfontein, South Africa and the Jaji Peacekeeping Training Wing in Nigeria. Helping to build such training centres, as well as the training of trainers, has a major multiplier effect and is in line with the UK and wider international policy for the development of African PSO capacity over the longer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decisions on the recent infantry re-organisation were finalised. [208326]

The decisions announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence last year, 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 195, were approved by the Army Board at its meeting on 14 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the British military contribution to date to assist in the tsunami relief operation; on what dates military units were deployed; and what their destinations were. [208116]

The Ministry of Defence, along with other Government Departments, has reacted quickly in responding to this disaster, with the focus being on assisting the UN through DfID, with whom we are working very closely, and providing direct relief where appropriate.

The following military assets have been assigned to assist in the relief operation in the Indian Ocean:

The frigate HMS Chatham (which carries two Lynx helicopters) was redirected to the area on 30 December, arriving on 3 January and the support ship RFA Diligence, already in the region, joined Chatham off Sri Lanka on 5 January. These vessels have undertaken a number of relief tasks, including assistance to the town of Baticoloa in the east of Sri Lanka, and provision of engineers to the Maldives to assist with refurbishment of generators and desalination equipment. Chatham and Diligence have worked closely with an Observation Liaison and Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) which deployed to Colombo on 31 December, part of which also deployed to the Maldives on 6 January.

Royal Air Force C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft have also been assisting in the aid operation since 31 December, through the delivery of UN infrastructure equipment and medical and other relief supplies into the worst affected areas.

A further OLRT deployed to Indonesia on 2 January, including to the Banda Aceh region. MOD liaison officers are deployed with the US, Australian and Indonesian military headquarters in the region.

The Indonesian Government have accepted an offer of additional technical support in the form of two helicopters from the Gurkha Garrison in Brunei. These two Bell 212s are planned to deploy to the area on 12 January.

Further, small deployments of niche capabilities such as logistics planners and engineers have also taken place in response to DflD and OLRT requests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many items of electrical equipment were used by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) cost and (b) number of each type of item. [205734]

The Department has a large and diverse estate of some 1,681 properties containing substantial amounts of electrical items from computers to plant and equipment. To provide the annual numbers and costs details for all these items would take a significant amount of time as they are not separately recorded and would be at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type. [207685]

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer given to him today (UIN ref 205734) as the same circumstances apply to providing the information on electrical equipment owned by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. [206763]

Documents are stored either close to where they are used or by an off-site storage contractor. Material of no value as a record is disposed of, preferably by recycling, as soon as it is no longer required. Documents that form part of the official record are stored until they reach the end of their retention periods or they are selected for permanent preservation and transferred to The National Archives. When they are no longer required, official records are disposed of by shredding or other appropriate means and paper is recycled where practicable. Retention periods are determined on the basis of business need and guidance issued by The National Archives. Further details can be found at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/.

The Department's policy on the storage and disposal of records has not changed in the past 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been prosecuted for failure to provide correct addresses for their driving licences in each year since 1990. [207468]

holding answer 10 January 2005

Any penalties subsequently imposed by courts for other offences may incorporate a penalty for non-notification, but the court statistics only record the prime offence(s). There are no statistics available for this specific offence of failure to notify changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage and deletion of e-mails; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. [206762]

The Department continues to implement well established policies and procedures for the review and disposal of files in accordance with its administrative needs and the Public Records Act.

E-mail messages that form part of the official record are saved for as long as business needs require and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures. Further e-mail guidance can be found at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/electronicrecords/advice/pdf/managing_emails.pdf

The Department's staff are encouraged to limit the amount of e-mail held in electronic mailboxes and to dispose of e-mail in accordance with the policy. This policy has not changed in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on entertainment by his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) food, (b) alcohol, (c) staff and (d) accommodation. [204354]

The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002 and as a result the information provided only relates to the years from 2002–03 onwards.

The Department does not keep separate records on spend on entertainment broken down between food, alcohol, staff and accommodation. For information on the costs of entertainment incurred by the central Department during 2002–03 and 2003–04, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 12W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the remit of the Experimental Regional Transport Board for (a) the South East of England and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber is. [208044]

The terms of reference for the experimental boards are set out in the annex to the report "Evaluation of Experimental Regional Transport Boards" which was published on 22 December 2004. http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_localtrans/documents/page/dft_localtrans_033632.hcsp

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs were of setting up the Experimental Regional Transport Board for (a) the South East of England and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber. [208049]

No record was kept of the time that those involved devoted to the work of the experimental boards. The costs were effectively absorbed by their various employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to instruct vessels to secure safe anchorage (a) within harbour limits and (b) outside harbour limits. [208155]

The Marine Safety Act 2003 gives the Secretary of State the power to instruct a vessel to secure safe anchorage if in his opinion an accident has occurred to or in the ship, the accident has created a risk to safety or a risk of pollution by a hazardous substance and the instruction is necessary to remove or reduce the risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors determine his Department's policy towards the setting of harbour limits. [208156]

Changes to existing harbour limits or proposals for new limits are applied for by existing or candidate harbour authorities by way of harbour orders under the Harbours Act 1964. The Secretary of State will consider the applications on the merits of each case and after public consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to determine harbour limits in England. [208158]

Harbour limits have been set in local legislation applying to individual harbours authorities. Changes to limits, or the setting of new limits, are made by way of harbour orders submitted under the Harbours Act 1964 to the Secretary of State for determination, and promoted by existing or potential harbour authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely (a) start and (b) completion date for construction of the extension of the Midland Metro light rapid transit system from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill; and if he will make a statement. [207588]

No assessment has been made. I understand from the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Centro, who are the promoters of the scheme, that they expect the construction to start mid 2007 and to be completed in 2010. This is, however, subject to powers for the extension being confirmed by Parliament and to our consideration of a final business case, which is expected to be submitted in the spring. Although the Department announced on 20 December 2004 that the Secretary of State had decided to make an Order under the Transport and Works Act giving powers for the scheme, the Order will need to be subject to special parliamentary procedure before it can come into force, as it involves the compulsory purchase of open space without other land being offered in exchange. It is expected that the Order will be laid before Parliament later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what ministerial visits are planned for each Minister in his Department in the next six months; and if he will make a statement. [207303]

The Secretary of State and other Ministers in the Department for Transport expect to undertake a number of visits on Departmental business in the next six months. It is not intended to publish details of these in advance as this would create an increased security risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many press officers are employed in the Department. [206529]

The number of full-time equivalent press officers employed in DfT on l April 2004, broken down between the central department and the agencies, is:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vessels have run aground around the UK coastline in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available. [208157]

The following numbers of groundings—broken down between fishing vessels and merchant vessels (of >=100 gt)—in UK coastal waters were reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch as occurring in each of the years from 1994 to 2003:

For the purposes of this answer "the UK coastline" is defined as UK territorial waters (i.e. 12 mile limit).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to ensure that waterways and canals which are navigable are not subject to development other than for transport purposes. [208171]

Last year my Department, along with Defra and ODPM, published a guide to planning for freight on inland waterways. This is designed to help policy makers and planners, bodies responsible for the management of the waterways, carriers and other bodies to understand how good planning can support and encourage the use of inland waterways for freight transport.

My Department also keeps in close touch with the water freight industry, and works to encourage proper consideration of the risks and benefits for developments that might affect the potential for waterborne freight.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of departmental staff are based in London. [208058]

All of the Department's staff are based in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings the Minister for Sport has recently attended regarding the future of the Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone; and if she will make a statement. [205051]

I attended several meetings last year where the Formula One racing at Silverstone was discussed. I am pleased that the British Racing Drivers Club have secured the future of the British Grand Prix for the next five years.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers on behalf of the Speaker's Committee in the last three years. [207778]

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to categories of information that the Speaker's Committee had declined to provide in written parliamentary answers in the last three years. I am not aware of any occasion when such a situation has arisen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what his Department's policy is on chlamydia screening for men; and if he will make a statement; [208093]

(2) if he will arrange for chlamydia screening for women to be followed up by advice for their partners on access to appropriate treatment for men; and if he will make a statement. [208099]

The Department's policy for chlamydia screening for men is to promote greater uptake through the national chlamydia screening programme. The national chlamydia screening programme targets sexually active men and women under 25, who are most at risk of infection. It provides a co-ordinated framework for screening which includes testing, treatment, health promotion, partner notification and contact tracing.

The Department has also commissioned the Men's Health Forum to oversee the "Men and Chlamydia" project, which aims to increase men's awareness of chlamydia, promote safer sex and encourage men to seek testing and treatment. Young men and women are also targeted with information about chlamydia through our national sexual health media campaigns, including a major new campaign to be launched later this year, as announced through the White Paper.

The Public Health White Paper, "Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier" included a commitment to accelerate the roll-out of the national chlamydia screening programme, with the goal of making this available across the country by March 2007, backed by investment of £80 million to achieve this aim.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many conferences were (a) attended by officials from his Department, (b) cancelled by and (c) facilitated by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the (i) cost to the Department and (ii) location was in each case. [205756]

This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) will reply to the letter of 15 November 2004 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [207979]

The letter was answered on 11 December 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the abolition of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health. [206909]

The abolition of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) will contribute to the £500 million savings that will result from the review of all the Department's arm's length bodies. These savings will be re-invested in frontline services—this includes patients' forums. We are currently consulting patients' forums and other key stakeholders about the arrangements that will be put in place to support patients' forums once the CPPIH has been abolished.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the change in the timing of the publication of the new NHS dental patients charges regime. [206687]

holding answer 21 December 2004

We need to give careful consideration to all aspects of the system reform which we are undertaking. As indicated in the written statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 6–8WS, we will move to full implementation by April 2006. As part of these plans, we will publish new regulations for dental charging for consultation in the summer of 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in (a) West Derbyshire constituency and (b) Derbyshire in each of the last seven years. [207446]

The earliest available information (1998) is shown in the table. For the West Derbyshire constituency area, there are three primary care trusts (PCTs)—Amber Valley PCT, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT and High Peaks and Dales PCT. Subtotals for these PCTs are also recorded.

Number of general and personal dental service dentists in the Derbyshire area by PCT at September each year, 1998 to 2004

Source:

Dental Practice Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have applied to become NHS dentists in (a) West Derbyshire constituency and (b) Derbyshire in each of the last seven years. [207447]

The information shown in the table shows dentists starting work in the Derbyshire, area for the first time in the general (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS).

The number of GDS and PDS dentists starting work is shown by primary care trust (PCT) at September each year for the years 1998 to 2004. This is the earliest available data.

For West Derbyshire constituency area, there are three PCTs: Amber Valley PCT, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT, and High Peaks and Dales PCT. Subtotals for these PCTs are recorded in the table.

Number of general and personal dental service dentists who joined PCTs in the Derbyshire area in the 12 months to September each year, 1998 to 2004

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what forecast his Department has made of the number of dental practices transferring to a Personal Dental Services contract by December 2005; and if he will make a statement. [206720]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 7 December 2004, Official Report, column 1029, from the Minister of State for Health, the hon. Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton),

(1) whether the 2,500 dentists and 1,000 personal dental services (PDS) sites include (a) the original PDS pilot sites, (b) PDS applications and (c) community dental services; [206887]

(2) how many personal dental services contract applications are (a) pending and (b) were completed in each of the last 12 months. [206688]

holding answer 2 December 2004

As at 16 December 2004, the Department was processing 502 expressions of interest in making a proposal for a personal dental service (PDS) scheme and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health had approved a further 109 PDS proposals that are not yet in operation.

During 2004, 802 PDS schemes became operational. Information is not held centrally on in which month in 2004 the schemes went live.

There are now some 3,500 dentists in 1,300 sites working under PDS arrangements. These figures include the original remuneration field sites managed by the NHS Modernisation Agency under the Options for Change programme, but exclude PDS applications and community dental services. We expect interest in PDS to continue to grow until, with implementation of the new contractual arrangements for national health service dentistry, the benefits of PDS are available to all NHS dentists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of travel within the UK for the Department was in each year since 1997; and how much of this was spent on (a) hire cars, (b) helicopter hire, (c) hotel accommodation and (d) subsistence. [206471]

The Department's total spend on travel within the United Kingdom since 1997 is shown in table 1.

Table 1 -- £

⁽³⁾ The cost of hire cars is included in these amounts, but is not available separately. There has been no expenditure on helicopters.

The Department's spend on day and night subsistence within the UK is shown in table 2.

Table 2 -- £

⁽⁴⁾ Expenditure on subsistence includes hotel accommodation, but this is not separately available.

All travel complied with the requirements of the "Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers" and the "Civil Service Management Code".

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list primary care trusts in England which do not have DXA bone density scanning facilities, broken down by region. [207571]

There are over 120 hospitals in England that have at least one bone density scanner but the Department does not maintain a central record of which primary care trusts (PCTs) have dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry bone scanning facilities. PCTs will arrange for use of these scanners or alternatively buy in the service from mobile service providers as and when required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type. [207687]

The Department has a total of 11,719 electronic items on its asset register. This is broken down into:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to protect children against hyperactive behaviour which may be caused by colourings (a) tartrazine (E102), (b) sunset yellow (E110), (c) camoisine (E122), (d) pancean 4R (E124) and (e) sodium benzoale (E211); and if he will make a statement. [206892]

These substances were the subject of a Government-funded study to investigate the possible link with hyperactive behaviour. The committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment assessed the outcome of this work and concluded that it was difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding the significance of the results, but that this was still an area of significant scientific uncertainty that warranted further investigation. A new study with improved experimental design is under way and is due to finish in March 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Food Labelling (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 require the mandatory labelling of homemade cakes, biscuits and jams sold in aid of charity; and if he will make a statement. [201008]

The Food Labelling (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 do not apply to non pre-packed food, including that sold in aid of charity. Pre-packed food is subject to these new regulations. Many charities will continue to rely on a general exemption from this and other labelling legislation for food pre-packed for direct sale.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to take steps to restrict the amount of (a) salt and (b) fat in hospital food. [206815]

Public procurement of food through the national health service offers an opportunity to demonstrate best practice in influencing access to healthier foods. We have made a commitment in the Government's White Paper, "Choosing Health", to develop nutritional standards for all foods provided by the NHS, increasing access to a range of healthier foods and taking account of the different formats of provision including restaurant, fast food and vending. Planning for the implementation of this is under way and more details will be available in 2005, when the Government publishes its delivery plan for the White Paper.

The Department has already engaged the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency in discussions to reduce the salt content in processed foods supplied to NHS trusts and a salt reduction plan has been drawn up. Work to reduce fat will build on this approach.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of identity fraud in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people who received treatment on the NHS to which they were not entitled and (b) total cost of this treatment in each year. [206198]

No estimates have been made of the cost to the National Health Service of identity fraud and would not be easy to make. Figures are not collected centrally on the number of people who receive NHS treatment but are not entitled to do so, or the cost of that treatment. However, the Government take the issue seriously and issued new guidance to the NHS trusts in 2004 to prevent abuse of the NHS by people not entitled to free NHS hospital treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) how many claims were made alleging that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was acquired as a result of clinical negligence in each quarter since 1997; [201833]

(2) what cost in each year since 1997 was incurred by the NHS as a result of claims where it was alleged that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was acquired as a result of clinical negligence; [201834]

(3) what estimate he has made of the percentage of claims which have been settled since 1997, where it was alleged that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was acquired as a result of clinical negligence. [201835]

The National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHS LA) administers the clinical negligence scheme for trusts (CNST) in England. The CNST provides indemnity against claims for clinical negligence for its members. CNST data held by the NHS LA are shown in the tables.

Table 1. Percentage of closed/settled claims since 1997 where the cause is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Table 2. Payments made each year since 1997, where one of the causes is MRSA and the number of claims where the cause is shown as MRSA by incident year since 1997

Notes:

1. Claims may still be made for incidents relating to 2001–02 and later years.

2. There is no direct correlation between the columns as:

(i) claims may be successfully defended, so although a claim is made there may be no payment made against that claim.

(ii) the year of incident may be earlier than year of payment.

3. Claims may be for a number of incidents, not solely MRSA. Therefore, the level of payment made will not only relate to MRSA. MRSA may be only a small element of the claim.

4. Before 2002, lower value CNST claims were handled locally, so data will not be on the NHS LA database. These values were determined with the NHS LA on a trust by trust basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA and how many deaths arising there from there were at the (a) Sunderland Royal Hospital, (b) Durham University Hospital, (c) Hartlepool University Hospital, (d) North Tees Hospital and (e) James Cook Hospital—South Tees in each of the last five years. [204764]

Information on methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections (bacteraemias) has only been collected since April 2001 and is collected by national health service trust rather than by hospital. The data for the relevant trusts are shown in the table.

The mandatory MRSA bloodstream surveillance does not collect information on deaths.

Source:

Health Protection Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives there were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each primary care trust in each year since 1997, on a (i) headcount and (ii) whole-time equivalent basis. [207627]

The number of midwives employed directly by primary care trusts is very small. Most are employed by other national health service organisations. Information on the number of midwives employed by each NHS organisation, in each year since September 1997, has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when figures for the percentage of adults in each region with no natural teeth in 2003 will be available. [207671]

The general household survey results were published on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk/ghs/ on 16 December 2004.

The table shows the percentage of adults with no natural teeth by Government office region. The percentage of adults in England with no natural teeth has fallen from 14 per cent., in the 1995 general household survey to 9 per cent., in the 2003 survey.

Percentage of adults with no natural teeth by Government office region

Source:

Office for National Statistics—2003 general household survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what elements of hospital cleanliness were assessed in the process of compiling the 2004 Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) scores for hospital cleanliness; how the elements assessed differed from those used to compile the PEAT hospital cleanliness scores in previous years; for what reasons these changes were introduced; and what further plans he has to change the PEAT hospital cleanliness assessment procedure. [205864]