To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's priorities for the Agriculture and Fisheries Council will be during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement. [209551]

The overall Council Agenda for 2004–06 is set out in the Multi-Annual Strategic Programme and the UK-Luxembourg Annual Operating Programme (AOP) for 2005, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The agenda for the UK Presidency will be determined, to a large extent, by the agenda we inherit from the Luxembourg Presidency and their progress on the dossiers identified in the Multi-Annual Strategic Programme and the Annual Operating Programme.

Consistent with the Government's priorities of promoting better regulation, sustainable development and economic reform in the EU, the key priorities in the agriculture sector in 2005 will be: to contribute to progress of the WTO development round, particularly through reform of the sugar sector; and make progress on the Rural Development regulation and the regulation on CAP financing, if these have not been concluded beforehand.

The Council is also likely to be dealing with dossiers on organic farming, fruit and vegetables, flax and hemp, wine, avian influenza, aquaculture health, welfare of broiler hens, BSE, animal by-products, forest law enforcement, fisheries conservation, third country fisheries agreements, simplification of fisheries legislation, improvements to fisheries control and inspection, the European Fisheries Fund and the setting of total allowable catches and quotas for the fishing industry in 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the safety from animal rights activists of agricultural landowners who have their details published on the Department's website when applying for a temporary closure of right to roam land during the shooting season. [210254]

Personal details of applicants are not published on the Countryside Agency's website.

Shooting often proceeds without difficulty on access land without any formal restriction being put in place. Where an application is made for this or any other reason and a restriction is granted, the location and nature of the restriction and the reason for it appears on the Countryside Agency's www.openaccess.gov.uk website, so that members of the public wishing to check in advance about the possible existence of restrictions over an area of access land are able to do so.

The land manager has the further option to post local notices drawing attention to the restriction. A model site notice is issued with the direction imposing the restriction—but the decision as to whether to post the notice lies with the land manager.

If animal rights activists or others set out to disrupt lawful activities on access land or to intimidate those taking parts in shoots, Part V of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 provides clear scope for immediate action by the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for her assessment that the UK would not be able to achieve the Government's original target of a 20 per cent. carbon dioxide reduction by 2010; and if she will make a statement. [211026]

While the projections published by DTI in November 2004 confirmed that, on the basis of existing policy measures, we were on track to go well beyond our Kyoto Protocol commitment, they also showed that we were only likely to achieve a 14 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.

The shortfall is because projected emissions were higher than previous estimates due mainly to lower nuclear generation, higher electricity demand and higher coal generation and because the measures to reduce emissions were in aggregate expected to deliver less than originally anticipated. The current review of the UK's Climate Change Programme will consider what additional measures are needed to close the gap.

A copy of the DTI exercise to update energy and emissions projections is at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/projections.pdf

A copy of the addendum to the November report is at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/uep_addendum.pdf

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the reasoning and methodology the Government employed in determining that a UK target for carbon dioxide reduction of 20 per cent. was achievable. [211027]

The UK's 3rd National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets out the reasoning and methodology employed by the Government in determining that a UK target for carbon dioxide reduction of 20 per cent. was achievable.

A copy is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/3nc/default.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) the effects on the welfare of hens of enriched battery cages and (ii) the economic effects of switchingto alternative systems; and if she will make a statement. [210201]

Defra research into the welfare aspects of enriched cages is on-going. Details of current and past projects and reports can be found on the Defra website.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared during implementation of Council Directive 99/74/EC concerning the welfare of laying hens. To help formulate our thinking for the next review of the Directive, we will be taking into account the latest scientific and veterinary information on the different systems of laying hens production as well as environmental, political, social and economic factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the state of the UK's coral reefs; and what future changes she expects to see due to climate change. [209279]

holding answer 20 January 2005

The UK has a small number of known cold-water coral reefs. The best studied of these is the Darwin Mounds some 150 km off the north-west coast of Scotland. When last surveyed in 2000, there was evidence of damage from bottom trawling. The UK sought, and was granted in 2003, emergency European Commission measures to restrict this type of fishing and so avoid further damage to the reef. The emergency measures were made permanent in 2004. It is hoped that surveys in 2005 will enable the condition of other possible reefs to be checked.

It is not certain what the full effects of global warming will be on the seas of the UK although it seems unlikely that warming of the seas will be great enough to affect cold-water corals in the short to medium future. Deep-water reefs are less likely to be affected.

The rise in CO₂ in the atmosphere is likely to cause a rise in acidity of surface waters, and affect the amount of calcium carbonate used by coral reefs for growth in shallow waters. How these predicted effects in shallower waters will affect deeper waters is not known, but any decreases in amounts of available calcium carbonate will not be beneficial to coral reefs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what level the (a) UK and (b) English population of the cormorant would need to fall (i) in the breeding season and (ii) in winter for the Government to decide that it was no longer meeting its obligations for this species under the EU Birds Directive. [209811]

The Government's obligation under the Birds Directive is to ensure that measures taken under the directive do not worsen the initial status of the species protected. The directive was made in 1979 and although no accurate figures for wintering or breeding cormorant numbers are available for this date, it is generally accepted from monitoring of trends that wintering numbers in Britain have increased around four-fold since that date. These are our legal obligations. However, we have no intention of allowing the cormorant population to be reduced to anything approaching this level and the current policy, which aims to resolve cormorant/fishery conflicts at problem sites, will balance the interests of fisheries with the sustainable conservation status of the cormorant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the quantity of (a) unapproved and (b) experimental GM material entering (i) animal feed and (ii) food intended for human consumption. [210879]

Importers and suppliers of food and feed have the responsibility for ensuring that only GM material approved under relevant EU legislation are imported into the EU and supplied through the food and feed chain. Our information is that importers and suppliers take these responsibilities seriously and that the quantity (if any) of unapproved GM material in the food and feed supply chain will be very low.

In the UK release of experimental GM material is closely controlled and strict precautions taken to prevent it from entering the food or feed chain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will require British Greyhound Racing Board members' (a) kennels and (b) tracks to be licensed by local authorities; and if she will make a statement. [210411]

Under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, the Secretary of State will be able to introduce secondary legislation regulating certain activities, and the welfare of racing greyhounds is a possible area for regulation. No decisions have yet been taken as to the level of regulation that should apply. Dogs in the care of man, which includes racing greyhounds, would also be protected by the welfare and cruelty provisions in the Bill.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the establishment of central-local partnerships in relation to antisocial behaviour; and what their (a) terms of reference and (b) membership will be. [210758]

The last Central Local Partnership (CLP) meeting agreed to set up a CLP sub-group on Crime. Antisocial behaviour issues could be covered under this new sub-group. Terms of Reference and membership are yet to be decided.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential to achieve the objectives of (a) lower fuel bills and (b) lower carbon emissions through amending Part L of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [210655]

The most recent assessment is contained in the consultation document published last July by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. That document contains proposals to raise the standards in Part L this year in line with the commitments in the Energy White Paper. As normal, the proposals aim to achieve substantial improvements consistent with Better Regulation policy, cost-effectiveness, design flexibility and the avoidance of excessive technical risks.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to ban the use of oil tanks and oil heating systems in flood plains and coastal areas believed to be at risk from flooding in respect of (a) new housing and (b) existing housing; what representations he has received regarding this from the Environment Agency; and if he will make a statement. [210631]

There are currently no plans to prohibit the use of oil tanks and oil heating systems in areas which are at risk from flooding and, to date, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from the Environment Agency concerning this issue.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which projects in the Eddisbury constituency under the Living Spaces programme have (a) applied for funds, (b) been supported with funds, (c) been refused funds and (d) have applications pending that were submitted before the 21 July 2004 deadline. [210283]

Five projects in the Eddisbury constituency have applied for funding from the Living Spaces programme. Four projects have been approved and awarded funding. They are:

The Nantwich Embankment Environmental Improvement Scheme project which has been awarded a grant of £40,000.

The Nursery Road Recreation Ground Revitalisation project which has been awarded a grant of £82,275.

The Comberbach Recreation Area project (phase 1) which has been awarded a grant of £25,000.

The Moulton Children's Playing Field Trust Improvements project which has been awarded a grant of £25,000.

The fifth group has had its initial application approved and has since worked up their plans with the help of a trained Living Spaces enabler. Once Living Spaces receives a final recommendation from the enabler a decision on funding will be taken. This project is:

The Comberbach Recreation Area project (phase 2) which has applied for a grant of £25,000.

To date, no applications from groups in the Eddisbury constituency have been refused funds from the Living Spaces programme.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister

(1) whether the Building Research Establishment standards of (a) EcoHomes and (b) BREAM will be applied in the construction of new homes in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-region as part of the sustainable communities plan; [210226]

(2) what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the proposed new housing in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-region has high standards of energy efficiency and thermal insulation. [210228]

The Government are not in a position to impose mandatory environmental standards specific to housing in the Milton Keynes South Midlands sub-region as the boundaries of the growth areas do not have any legal status. Furthermore, to set such mandatory standards could potentially lead to perverse consequences, by providing a disincentive to development in the growth areas relative to other areas.

However, the Government are keen to promote the construction of sustainable and energy efficient housing in the growth areas and believes that local delivery vehicles (LDVs) have an important role to play in promoting all aspects of sustainable development. Draft guidance has been circulated to the LDVs in the newer growth areas which identifies achievement of high quality design and higher environmental performance as being among their main objectives.

More generally, the Government are keen to promote environmentally sustainable and energy efficient housing throughout the country. In line with the commitments made in the Energy White Paper and at the Better Building Conference work is in train on bringing the next major revision of the building regulations energy efficiency provisions into effect this year and to publish a Sustainable Buildings Code that will encourage energy efficiency standards above those in the regulations and address sustainability more widely. For publicly funded housing, the Housing Corporation is already recommending that social housing schemes should achieve an EcoHomes rating of very good" from April 2005 with the good" rating as an essential condition for a project to receive a grant.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister

(1) if he will make a statement on the legal status of the unelected regional structures that have been established in the north-west region; [210197]

(2) what the legal status is of the North West regional chamber; and if he will make a statement. [210920]

The North West Regional Assembly is an unincorporated association designated by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister under section 8 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 as the regional chamber for the North West Regional Development Agency. Further to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the North West Regional Assembly has been designated by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister as the Regional Planning Body for the region.

The North West Regional Development Agency is a body corporate established under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) housing associations, (b) the Housing Corporation and (c) banks about the effects of a right to buy for housing association tenants on the (a) financial projections and (b) business plans of registered social landlords and their funders. [210625]

There have been no such discussions about the extension of the right-to-buy for housing association tenants.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many objections have been made to his Department by residents living within the Greater London area to the siting of mobile telephone masts within their borough; and if he will make a statement. [211053]

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government intend to launch a public awareness campaign in advance of digital switchover; and if she will make a statement. [209606]

holding answer 19 January 2005

The responsibility for communicating the switchover process and ensuring that everyone gets all the right information well in advance will primarily be one for Switchco", broadcasters and the supply chain. The Government will continue to take responsibility for communicating its switchover policy, and we have been running, since November, a campaign to help raise awareness of digital switchover through the mainstream media, which will continue until March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government funded the recent Henley Centre publication Has the National Lottery helped the UK. [211066]

The Government did not fund the recent Henley Centre publication. The research was commissioned and published by the Camelot group.

The report concludes that the National Lottery has produced significant social and economic benefits within the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the TV Licensing Enforcement Unit does not pursue pensioners over the age of seventy-five years who are entitled to a free TV licence. [209652]

People aged 75 or over are entitled to a free television licence but are not exempt from the television licensing requirements. However, the BBC has indicated that TV Licensing carries out extensive public awareness campaigns to inform over-75s of their entitlement, that inquiry letters sent to unlicensed addresses include information on the concession and that inquiry officers carrying out home visits are specifically trained to assist over-75s in applying for free licences.

To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts 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 Public Accounts Commission in the last three years. [207833]

The Public Accounts Commission already pursues a policy of maximum transparency and openness in its proceedings. It has achieved this both by meeting in public and by publishing a wide range of material about its activities, including regular reports to the House. I am not aware of any examples in the last three years of information which has been refused in response to a parliamentary question but which would be provided under the Freedom of Information Act.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of additional 16 to 19-year-olds in Hartlepool that will be entitled to childbenefit if the Child Benefit Bill receives Royal Assent. [210646]

If the Child Benefit Bill receives Royal Assent it will enable the Government to extend child benefit to the families of unwaged trainees on Government Supported Training and the families of 19-year-olds in full-time education or training finishing a course.

In relation to the number of families who may gain from the extension of child benefit for unwaged trainees, there were approximately 4,750 young people aged 16–19 on unwaged Government Supported Training courses in Tees Valley Local Learning and Skills Council in 2003–04.

There is insufficient data to estimate the number of families who would gain from the extension of child benefit to over 19-year-olds finishing their courses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 session, broken down by Act. [206874]

The following provisions created criminal offences in primary legislation sponsored by HM Treasury in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 sessions:

Finance Act 2003

Section 17(5)—Being supplied with goods or services in contravention of paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 11 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 (Power to require security and production of evidence).

Section 94—Delay or obstruction of officer inspecting premises.

Section 95—Fraudulent evasion of tax.

Schedule 13, paragraph 53—Falsification, concealment, destruction or disposal of documents.

Child Trust Funds Act 2004

Section 18—Disclosure of information held in exercise of child trust fund functions.

Finance Act 2004

Schedule 1, paragraph 5—Possession, sale etc. of unstamped containers containing liquor.

Schedule 1, paragraph 6—Use of premises for sale of liquor in or from unstamped containers.

Schedule 1, paragraph 7—Sale of liquor following conviction for offence under paragraph 6.

National Insurance Contributions and Statutory Payments Act 2004

Section 7—Falsification, concealment, destruction or disposal of documents delivered or made available under section 110ZA of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (Class 1, 1A, 78or 2 contributions: powers to call for documents etc).

Section 8—as for section 7 above, but in respect of Northern Ireland.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what the running costs of the Department were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile telephones and (f) televisions; [206681]

(2) how much has been spent by his Department on lighting in each year since 1997. [205866]

In respect of water costs for all years and electricity costs for the years up to 2002–03, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given by the then Financial Secretary (Ruth Kelly) to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 14 July 2004, Official Report, column 1134W. For the Treasury, the costs of electricity, gas, telephones (including mobile telephones) and television licences for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are given in the following table. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost of lighting from total electricity costs. Information in respect of the earlier years, and the cost of mobile telephones disaggregated from total telephone costs, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

£000

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions were funded in 2004 through European Communities' Medium Term Financial Assistance funds within the special reserve for borrowing and lending Activities. [207128]

In 2004, one action was carried out through the European Communities' Medium Term Financial Assistance funds: a loan disbursement of €10.0 million (£7.0 million¹ ) to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Details of the borrowing and lending activities conducted by the European Communities are published every six months in reports from the Commission on guarantees covered by the general budget. The reports are deposited in the Library of the House.

¹ Converted at the average annual rate for 2003 of £1=€1.4320

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the quantity of illegal drugs (a) produced in Africa and (b) exported from Africa to Europe or the UK in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [210061]

The detailed estimates requested are not held by this department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The broad position is that drug production in Africa is limited to cannabis cultivation. There is no evidence of any significant production of heroin or cocaine.

Seizure patterns and intelligence indicate the increasing use of west Africa as a transit point for cocaine and heroin to Europe and the UK.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what policies the Government are pursuing to increase household incomes in areas with the lowest household incomes. [210444]

Through the child and working tax credits and the pension credit the Government have significantly improved financial support for working age and pensioner households on low incomes. As a result of tax and benefit reforms since 1997, by April 2005:

families with children in the poorest fifth of the population will be, on average, £3,000 a year better off; and

the poorest 10 per cent. of pensioner households will be, on average, £2,170 a year better off

The Government have also invested over £1.6 billion since 1997 in neighbourhood renewal programmes for the most deprived areas of the country, and has introduced employment programmes providing additional support for jobseekers in the poorest areas.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers in the Nottingham, North constituency have benefited from the lower 10 per cent. starting rate of income tax. [211006]

All income taxpayers benefit from the 10 per cent. starting rate. Estimates of the number of taxpayers in each constituency within the UK will be published as National Statistics on the Inland Revenue website in February 2005.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the ministerial engagements (a) out of London and (b) in London that he has cancelled since 1 January 2004. [209222]

Details of cancelled engagements are not retained centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have benefited from the national minimum wage in the Nottingham, North constituency. [211011]

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

Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 25 January 2005

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people have benefited from the national minimum wage in Nottingham North Parliamentary Constituency. I am replying in his absence. (211011)

Estimates for the number of jobs paid below the minimum wage for Parliamentary Constituencies are not available. However, the Office for National Statistics calculates estimates of the number of jobs paid less than national minimum wage rates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions. A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles and data can be found on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837&Pos=l&ColRank=l&Rank=272

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the Savings Gateway pilot. [210438]

The last of the initial pilot Saving Gateway accounts matured in November last year and the evaluation team at the Personal Finance Research Centre at Bristol University are in the final phases of collecting the data and interpreting the evidence for their final report to HM Treasury.

The interim evaluation, published on the HM Treasury website in October 2003, finds that matching can provide an important new dimension to Government support for saving. We will build upon this evidence-base in the new larger £15 million pilot which was announced in the 2004 pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been made about the tax credits system in each financial year since its inception, (a) via hon. Members and (b) direct from constituents; how many cases have been referred by hon. Members to the Inland Revenue for investigation; and if he will make a statement. [209042]

holding answer 17 January 2005

At the end of March 2004 6 million families were benefiting from tax credits and the Inland Revenue had received 32,000 written complaints in relation to tax credits. It is not possible to split this figure by those received via hon. Members and those received direct from constituents.

All complaints made to hon. Members are referred to the Inland Revenue for investigation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what the total expenditure on (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit was in each year that these schemes have been in operation; [210055]

(2) what proportion of the budget for (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit has been spent on administration in each year that each scheme has been in operation. [210058]

Child and working tax credits were introduced in April 2003.

For the year ended 31 March 2004, the total expenditure on these tax credits, and the costs of managing and paying them, appear on pages 103–4 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for that year.

This can be found on the Inland Revenue website, at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/pdfs/report2004.pdf.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) how many people were overpaid (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit during 2003–04; [210331]

(2) how many families received (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit recovery notices during 2003–04. [210332]

For the number of tax credits overpayments, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 November 2004, Official Report, columns 946–48W.

Overpayments of tax credits are established after the end of the tax year, when final income and circumstances for the previous year are known and the award can be finalised. Where an award of tax credits has ceased and there remains an overpayment to be recovered, the Inland Revenue issues claimants with a 'Notice to Pay'. A small number of these notices were issued to recover tax credits in 2003–04, where awards were terminated on the grounds of no entitlement. To the end of March 2004, around 3,000 had been issued.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what the average amount of compensation for errors paid by the Inland Revenue to claimants of tax credits was between April 2003 and December 2004; [211022]

(2) how many of the compensation payments made for errors to tax credits claimants between April 2003 and December 2004, were for (a) £0-£25, (b) £25-£50, (c) £50-£100, (d) £100-£150, (e) £150-£200, (f) £250-£300, (g) £300-£350, (h) £350-£400, (i) £400-£450 and (j) £450-£500. [211023]

The circumstances in which the Inland Revenue will make compensation payments to its customers are explained In the Department's Code of Practice 1 Putting things right when we make mistakes" which is available at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk. The Department will pay compensation for reasonable costs incurred as a direct result of their mistakes or delays and to recognise worry and distress caused by those mistakes or delays.

For the average amount of compensation authorised by the Inland Revenue to claimants of tax credits in 2003–04 I refer my right hon. Friend to paragraph 2.15 in the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General attached to the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2004.

The average amount of compensation paid in the period 1 April to 31 December 2004 was £63.

The detailed information sought by the right hon. Gentleman relating to compensation payments for errors between April 2003 and December 2004 is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Mr. Fitzgerald and Ms Johnson of Rock Ferry, constituents of the right hon. Member for Birkenhead, will receive their tax credits. [211034]

The Inland Revenue wrote to my right hon. Friend's constituents on 24 January 2005.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions his Department has given concerning the closure by the Royal Bank of Scotland of bank accounts used by terrorists. [210753]

HM Treasury has given no instructions to the Royal Bank of Scotland to close bank accounts used by terrorists.

From time to time the Bank of England, on HM Treasury's instructions, directs all UK financial institutions to freeze funds (not close accounts) belonging to an individual or entity listed by the UN Security Council, associated EC Regulations or domestic legislation on countering terrorist finance. All organisations and individuals whose assets have been frozen in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions, associated EC Regulations and domestic legislation are listed, by HM Treasury instruction, on the Bank of England's Financial Sanctions website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether VAT is charged on trade union membership subscription. [211003]

VAT is not charged on trade union membership subscriptions.

Trade union" in VAT legislation has the meaning assigned to it by section 1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the honourable Member for the Isle of Wight dated 26 October 2004 concerning John Havies. [211021]

The hon. Gentleman's letter was received on 29 October, unfortunately, due to an administrative error, it was overlooked for which I apologise. It has now become apparent that the hon. Gentleman's concerns are the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and his letter is being transferred to them with a request that they respond as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to publish the results of her consultation on changes to the law on the rights of home workers. [210209]

We aim to issue a Government response to the consultation on the Discussion Document on Employment Status in relation to Statutory Employment Rights this year. This review has been considering the position of diverse groups of working individuals, including the clergy, agency workers and home workers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of purchases made on the internet in 2004 where the goods (a) never arrived and (b) were of inferior standard to those advertised. [210011]

I have no estimates of purchases made last year on the internet.

Consumers are protected by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 which stipulate that unless the parties have agreed otherwise, the supplier must deliver the goods within 30 days; and that if the goods are unavailable the consumer must be informed and reimbursed. Consumers purchasing goods over the value of £100 by credit card in the UK are protected by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if the seller fails to honour the contract consumers may claim costs from the credit card company.

Also, advertising material on websites must not be misleading and goods supplied must be as described and of satisfactory quality. Trading Standards or the Office of Fair Trading can, where appropriate, take action against suppliers breaching these requirements.

The Home Office launched a website to combat fraud over the internet. The 'e-tailing mini site' forms part of the Crime Reduction Website and includes information to help on-line consumers protect themselves from fraud.

Government is also involved in the development of Project Endurance, an initiative that will launch an internet security public awareness campaign in spring this year. The project is an alliance of public and private sector, which brings together a number of UK Government Departments and law enforcement organisations with a number of high-profile private sector companies. This campaign is to be targeted at micro businesses and consumers, primarily aimed at helping these users gain confidence in using the internet.

We will continue to monitor and review the effectiveness of these many different initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to ensure that United Kingdom registered companies apply operational standards in operating subsidiaries located abroad which are compatible with legislation on environmental and social protection that applies in the United Kingdom. [205898]

UK companies that operate overseas are subject to the laws applicable in those countries which will take account of the particular circumstances and practices of each host country. We encourage companies to apply high standards of corporate behaviour by addressing their environmental and social impacts wherever they operate, including adhering to relevant internationally agreed norms and initiatives. In line with this, we promote the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which recommend standards of responsible business conduct for businesses operating in or from the 37 adhering countries and will be writing to the FTSE 100 companies to raise awareness of these expectations. We have also set out our approach to encouraging environmentally and socially responsible practice internationally in our draft international strategic framework on Corporate Social Responsibility.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the running costs of the Cabinet Office were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) electricity, (b) water, (c) gas, (d) telephones, (e) mobile phones and (f) televisions. [206667]

It is not possible to provide information for all the Cabinet Office Estate for running costs since 1997 as these costs are not held centrally and are not separately identifiable on the Department's accounting system. It cannot therefore be readily retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which individuals other than Ministers have had the use of Government cars provided for ministerial use in each year since 2000. [210420]

holding answer 24 January 2005

The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive Mr.Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what definition her Office uses of the term social justice in Cabinet Office documents. [204279]

As far as I am aware the Cabinet Office has not used the term social justice in any of its documents.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average waiting time was for the determination of an application for permission to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, at the latest date for which figures are available. [210892]

Latest provisional information taken from the IRIS database of the Immigration Appellate Authority indicates that applications for permission to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, promulgated within the period 1 October 2004 to 31 December 2004, took an average time of 15.5 weeks to process from receipt to determination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the composition is of the monies being re-allocated from her Department to local authorities as part of the re-allocation from Government Departments to reduce the council tax in the next financial year. [207312]

In his pre-Budget report on 2 December the Chancellor announced a total of more than £600 million in additional revenue support grant and specific formula grant over and above Spending Review plans for 2005–06, including the £100 million children's safeguarding grant to local authorities. It also included a further £25 million from general underspends within my Department's programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged 16 to 18 years in receipt of an education maintenance allowance there are in each educational institution in Tower Hamlets. [209647]

Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and been paid EMA is available at local authority level. As at 14 January 2005 1,898 young people in the Tower Hamlets local education authority area had received an EMA payment.

A table showing how many young people are receiving EMA in individual educational institutions in Tower Hamlets is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to continue payment of education maintenance allowance to juveniles in custody aged 16 years and over. [210498]

The payment of EMA to young people in detention was trialled in some pilot areas including Stoke-on-Trent. Experience from the pilots was used to inform the design of the national scheme.

Under the national scheme EMA is not available to young people in custody aged 16 years and over. The reason is that EMA is an incentive to support young people with the costs of their learning, and for those in custody these costs are already met. Connexions services and other agencies promote EMA as part of a range of services and support to help young people leaving custody return to learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged between 16 and 18 years resident in Stoke-on-Trent have been in receipt of education maintenance allowances in each of the last three years. [210861]

The following list gives the number of students aged 16 to 18 years who were resident in Stoke-on-Trent and received an education maintenance allowance in each of the last three academic years when the pilot operated in this local education authority area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged 16 to 18 years in each institution in Stoke-on-Trent were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in each of the past five years. [210862]

The Department did not collect data about the number of students aged 16 to 18 in each institution in Stoke-on-Trent who were in receipt of education maintenance allowance during the pilot stage.

We do collect this data for the national scheme whichbegan in September 2004. The list gives those institutions in the Stoke-on-Trent local education authority area, and the number of students in each who have received education maintenance allowance as part of the national scheme, as at 6 January 2005. The total figure excludes students who are resident in the Stoke-on-Trent LEA area but who study in institutions outside this LEA area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what groups are being consulted on whether e-learning credits are to be extended beyond 2005–06; and when a decision will be made. [210182]

Electronic learning credits are a valuable resource for schools that improve significantly access to, and stimulate the use of, high quality digital content for learning and teaching. £30 million was made available in 2002–03 and £100 million in each of 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06. Since no commitment was made to continue funding beyond 2005–06 (as a specific ring-fenced allocation or otherwise) we are taking account of the views of head teachers, teachers, school governors, the Curriculum Online Content Advisory Board, Becta (the British Educational Technology and Communications Agency), the relevant trade associations as well as direct representations from the content developers and suppliers. Following consideration of these views and representations, a decision will be made as soon as possible as to whether and in what form funding for electronic learning credits might be extended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the need for (a) level 1 and (b) level 2 further education courses in the London borough of Brent. [210478]

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was established in 2001 to plan and fund post-16 education and training. This is therefore a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many independent schools there are in the pre-registration category; how many have had (a) one visit and (b) two allotted visits; and how many are faith schools, broken down by faith. [210849]

There are 148 provisionally registered schools in the transitional phase of registration. 123 have had one visit and 25 have had both of their allottedvisits. 76 are faith schools, 41 being Muslim, 30Christian Brethren, four Evangelical Christian and one Jewish.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will instruct learning and skills councils not to restrict the number of training providers contracting with them which offer courses leading to the same qualification. [210675]

Contracting with training providers is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council and Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list her ministerial engagements out of London in February. [209732]

holding answer 24 January 2005

The following is a list of the Secretary of State's planned ministerial engagements out of London in February 2005. These engagements are subject to change due to parliamentary commitments and final confirmation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Maidenhead on 18 December 2004, reference 204405. [210484]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 79W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the questionstabled by the hon. Member for Maidenhead on 21 December 2004, reference (a) 207312 and (b) 207313. [210998]

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for School Standards has today replied to PQ207312. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 24 January 2005, Official Report, columns 70–71W, for the reply to PQ 207313.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the implications of the Tomlinson Report for the number of places needed in 16–19 education. [210188]

The increased availability of personalised learning programmes to meet 14–19 year olds' needs, aptitudes and aspirations will raise participation and achievement in learning at 16–19. The Department's Five Year Strategy sets out our estimate that over the next five years we will need some 100,000 new 16–19 places, although the increase in demand will vary from place to place. That means we will need more school and college sixth forms and more apprenticeships and other vocational opportunities to give young people more choice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils have been permanently excluded from schools in (a) the West Suffolk parliamentary constituency and (b) the county of Suffolk in each year since 1997. [210697]

The available information is given in the table.

Exclusions data for 2000/01, 2001/02 and 2002/03 are known to have been under-reported by some schools. The Department carried out a checking exercise, but this was at LEA level only. As a result this information is not available at parliamentary constituency level for the three most recent years.

Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools: number and percentage of permanently excluded pupils 1997/98 to 2002/03⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

n/a=Not available.

⁽¹⁾Includes middle schools as deemed.

⁽²⁾Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.

⁽³⁾The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils, excluding dually registered pupils.

Source:

Annual Schools Census

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the increase in the number of places needed in 16 to 19-year-olds' education set out in her Department's five-year strategy is attributable to (a) increased participation rates and (b) the number of 16 to 19-year-olds in the period. [210948]

We expect around 100,000 growth in the number of first time entrants in maintained schools and 16–18 FE between 2003/04 and 2008/09 as outlined in our five year strategy. We expect the 100,000 increase to be attributable to both demographic changes which account for 40 per cent. of the growth and policies to boost participation accounting for 60 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to introduce a moratorium on the sale of school playing fields. [210374]

holding answer 24 January 2005

We have no plans to introduce a moratorium on the sale of school playing fields. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires local authorities and schools to obtain the written consent of the Secretary of State before they can dispose of any part of a school's playing field. Applications to sell school playing fields are only approved where it is clear that they meet the needs of local schools and their communities and that any proceeds are used to improve school sports provision or educational facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence in secondary schools. [209731]

holding answer 24 January 2005

Although violence in schools is rare the Government takes the issue very seriously. We are determined to help schools create an environment that reduces the risk to an absolute minimum. To achieve that we have:

given every secondary school access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and expert advice from behaviour management consultants;

funded extra support for schools facing the greatest challenges through our Behaviour Improvement Programme;

made it clear that head teachers may permanently exclude pupils for violence even where this is a first offence;

provided £120 million for school security improvements since 1997;

issued a School Police Protocol to help schools develop effective relationships with the police; and

based over 300 police officers in schools.

In addition we are:

developing specific violence prevention materials through our Violence Reduction in Schools project;

developing curriculum materials to help secondary schools develop pupils' social, emotional and behavioural skills; and

consulting on new proposals on keeping knives out of schools, including searching suspect pupils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size is of (a) maintained school sixth forms and (b) sixth form colleges in each (i) local education authority and (ii)learning and skills council area. [210174]

The requested information relating to maintained school sixth forms has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

The number of learners and size of sixth form colleges is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the retention rate for (a) maintained school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) other further education colleges was in each local education authority in the most recent period for which figures are available. [210179]

Information on retention rates in maintained school sixth forms is not available. Retention rates in sixth form colleges and other further education colleges are a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the reasons for higher participation rates in full-time education and training of pupils from maintained schools with sixth forms. [210187]

The report The Influence of the School in the decision to participate in learning post-16" indicated a number of reasons why the provision of a sixth form within a school might be an important influence on the decision of young people to participate in post-16 education and training:

(i) Schools with sixth forms have a ready made post-16 route and pupils are more channelled in their choices and decisions." Such schools often actively promoting post-16 academic routes, compared to other forms of post-16 participation which were much less clearly promoted. In schools with no sixth form there was a greater element of choice and decisions were aimed more generally at providing students with opportunities that more adequately addressed their needs.

(ii) Careers advice in schools with sixth forms was found to be qualitatively different from that in 11 to 16 schools." Pupils attending 11 to 16 schools were more positive about the careers education they had received and often exposed to a rich network of information, guidance and advice from diverse sources. Pupils in schools with sixth forms felt their advice and guidance to be less impartial than those in schools with no sixth form. Schools with sixth forms tended to have a strong academic tradition and a focus on university entrance, and an expectation that students would continue in full-time education post-16 which may not be the right decision for the young people concerned.

(iii) There was a greater tendency in schools with a sixth form to provide post-16 advice and guidance which is more closely related to academic sixth form provision." Knowledge about post-16 provision in schools and colleges tended to be strongest among pupils in schools with sixth forms and weakest in schools with no sixth forms. The opposite was true about knowledge of post-16 training and labour markets.

Other important influential issues of the school in the decision of young people to participate in learning post-16" were the socio-economic environment of the school, and the schools' culture, ethos and leadership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and (b) others about the effects of partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) in school dinners; and if she will make a statement. [210429]

The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health, or any others, on this issue.

However, this Department works closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), who provide information to the public and Government on food safety, nutrition and diet. We have a formal agreement with FSA which requires them to inform us, without delay, of any information on food safety, nutrition and diet that requires us to take action.

This Department together with the Department of Health, Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and the FSA, have jointly provided £1.1 million that will be used over the next three years to improve school meals. We will be revising both primary and secondary school meal standards, to reduce the consumption of fat, as well as salt and sugar and increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables.

In our guidance, 'Healthy School Lunches', we advisethat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be used wherever possible. www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to discuss with his EU colleagues the range of sanctions in place against Zimbabwe. [210398]

The EU's targeted measures against Zimbabwe run until 18 February 2005. We see no evidence that Zimbabwe has addressed the EU's concerns on human rights and democracy. We therefore believe that sanctions should remain in place, and are discussing this with EU partners now.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the level of violence in Iraq has risen since Christmas. [210400]

Since Christmas we have seen a number of attacks designed to disrupt election operations. Both the Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission and the Iraqi Government have made clear their determination that the elections go ahead on time. The UK, with its allies in the Multi-National Force will continue to support the Iraqi authorities to that end.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the openness of the Iraqi electoral process will be assured; who has overall responsibility for the process of the 30 January elections; who appointed them; what their qualifications are for the role; whether the names of would-be candidates who have not been allowed to stand will be disclosed; whether reasons will be given for their ineligibility; who will monitor the polls and undertake the count; who the returning officers will be; whether there will be independent monitoring of the elections; and if he will make a statement. [207220]

The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) is responsible for planning, organising and supervising the electoral process. The IECI is headed by nine Commissioners. The Commissioners were nominated by the UN following a rigorous selection procedure and approved by Prime Minister Allawi. None of the commissioners had any direct experience of managing an electoral process with the exception of a non-voting commissioner. Carlos Valenzuela of the UN. Valenzuela has extensive experience of conducting elections in post-conflict environments.

No prospective candidates were rejected by the IECI. The elections will be observed by national election monitors that have been trained by international organisations. In addition, an international mission to assess the elections is being organised by the Canadian Electoral Commission. The IECI is responsible for co-ordinating the return of ballot papers, the counting process and tabulation of results. The official result will be announced around 20 days after the election but a probable share of seats for the Transitional National Assembly will be announced within a week of the election.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are in place to ensure that no non-Iraqis cast votes, or arrange for votes to be included in the poll count, in the Iraqi elections on 30 January; and if he will make a statement. [207249]

Only Iraqi citizens that appear on the electoral roll are eligible to vote. The electoral roll was compiled from the Public Distribution System used to allocate food rations. On polling day, voters will be checked against the voter register before being allowed to enter the polling station to cast their vote. Election monitors working for the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) will supervise polling stations.

Iraqis living outside Iraq will also be able to cast their votes. The IECI asked the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to put in place arrangements for voting in 14 countries (including the UK). In order to register to vote, Iraqis will be required to provide evidence of their eligibility. Voters must have been born in Iraq or have a father who was born there. Arrangements for monitoring out of country voting are currently being developed by the IECI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of an independent inquiry into the number of (a) Iraqi military personnel and (b) Iraqi civilians killed or injured by the activities of coalition forces in Iraq since 19 March 2003; and if he will make a statement. [209234]

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained in his written statement to Parliament on 17 November 2004, Official Report, columns 92–95WS, we believe that the Iraqi authorities remain in the best position to record casualties in their country.

An independent inquiry is highly unlikely to be able to gain better access and provide more accurate information on casualties than the Iraqi Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which period is covered by the Iraqi Ministry of Health data for casualties which the Government are using as their estimate of casualties. [209380]

The Iraqi Minister of Health released a statement on 29 October 2004 in which he quoted statistics covering the period of 5 April 2004 to 5 October 2004. These statistics, which are compiled by some 180 hospitals, show that 3,853 Iraqis were killed and 15,517 were injured during this period. We continue to believe that this is the most reliable data available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the price in dollars of 20 litres of (a) kerosene and (b) petrol was in Baghdad in January (i) 2000 and (ii) 2005. [210253]

holding answer of 24 January 2005

Official prices for kerosene and benzene (petrol) have not changed since 1999. Using an exchange rate of 1Iraqi Dinar (ID)=0.0008$ on 01 January 2000 and 1ID=0.00068$ on 01 January 2005, 20 litres of kerosene cost 16 cents in January 2000 and 14 cents in January 2005. 20 litres of benzene cost 32 cents in 2000 and 27 cents in 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission relating to the dissemination of information to British citizens living abroad who are entitled to vote in UK elections. [210401]

Officials from my department have been in regular communication with the Electoral Commission in support of their efforts to publicise information to British citizens living abroad who are entitled to vote in UK elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policies are for taking forward the peace process in Israel and the Palestinian territories. [210402]

Our policy, as made clear during my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to Washington on 11–12 November, has been to support Palestinian presidential elections, the improvement of Palestinian infrastructure, and Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan. We remain committed to the road map. We are working to ensure that the London meeting on 1 March, which aims to support Palestinian institution building, contributes to progress on the road map.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the middle east peace process. [210403]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to French Foreign Minister Barnier on 15 January regarding the middle east peace process, specifically to discuss the London meeting on 1 March on strengthening the Palestinian Authority. The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Barnier agreed that the London conference should contribute to progress on the road map.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of recent ministerial visits to Kashmir. [210405]

During my recent visit to Pakistan, I did not visit Pakistan-administered Kashmir. However, I did discuss India/Pakistan relations and Kashmir with Prime Minister Aziz and Foreign Minister Kasuri. I assured them that the United Kingdom fully supported the ongoing dialogue between Pakistan and India. My right hon. Friend Mr. Blunkett and my hon. Friend Mr. O'Brien visited Pakistan-administered Kashmir in February 2004 and December 2003 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the size of the poppy harvest in Afghanistan has been in each year since 2000. [209283]

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan. It has reported levels of cultivation and production since 1999 as follows:

The UNODC figures for 1999, 2000 and 2001 were recorded under the Taliban regime. The low level of cultivation and low production figure in 2001 reflect the Taliban ban on opium cultivation; the ban did not however address the underlying causes of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, which was enforced with a mix of threat and bribery and drove up the price of opium, benefiting those with opium stockpiles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance was issued to British consular staff and others visiting (a) Guantanamo Bay and (b) other places of detention overseas on measures to guard against allegations that they may have implicitly condoned torture and ill treatment or encouraged prisoners to make false confessions; and what plans he has to issue further guidance. [209047]

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff visited the British nationals at Guantanamo Bay to check on their welfare. The staff concerned were aware of the importance of the human rights of the detainees and of the need to report information about this. The visits have been reported to Parliament, to the detainees' families and to Ministers.

UK intelligence personnel also visited Guantanamo to interview detainees to gather information that might prove valuable in the protection of the UK and its citizens. These officials were also aware of the importance of the human rights of the detainees.

In May 2004, the Permanent Under-Secretary of the FCO issued guidance to all staff on reporting torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This guidance was then included in the FCO Human Rights Guidelines which are available to all staff on the FCO intranet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Egypt regarding their response to the killing of Christians in El-Kosheh in January 2000. [209564]

The sectarian violence in El-Kosheh in January 2001, which left 20 Christians and one Muslim dead, was deeply concerning. We have followed the case closely and made our concerns known at the time, including visiting the area. We were initially encouraged that the Prosecutor-General persistently sought judicial review of early judgments in the case. However we are disappointed that, due to the Court of Cassation's ruling last year, the legal process is now at an end.

We regularly raise human rights issues with the Egyptian authorities. Most recently we raised our concerns about the requirement to specify religious affiliation on identity cards, which is a concern for minority religious groups. In January 2005 we raised the individual cases of Heidi Salib, Wafaa Constantine and William Shaiboub.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Eritrea concerning the arrest of 60 members of the Ream Charismatic Church in Asmara. [209703]

We raise the issue of religious freedom with the Eritrean Government regularly. Our Charge" d'Affaires raised this case on 18 January and I raised the issue with President Isaias, in Asmara, during my visit there in January last year. We will continue to make clear our concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what penalty clauses have been included in his Department's contract with the Geronimo PR agency to be effective if the agency fails to achieve the required coverage for the EU and the proposed EU constitution. [210949]

The presence of penalty clauses is the same as for any other standard Central Office of Information contract in line with contracts issued by other Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the names are of the employees of the Geronimo agency who (a) presented the company's proposal to the Department and (b) will work on his Department's account. [210950]

The release of the names of the individuals at Geronimo PR is a matter for that company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the contract between his Department and the Geronimo PR agency. [210951]

The contract between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Geronimo will follow the standard Central Office of Information framework agreement with all of their roster agencies. Further details are commercially sensitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list agencies which (a) tendered for and (b) were shortlisted for the contract to promote the EU and the proposed constitution. [210952]

(a) Geronimo PR, Grayling, Weber Shandwick and Harrison Cowley.

(b) Geronimo PR, Grayling, Weber Shandwick and Harrison Cowley.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has planned with US officials to discuss the status of British nationals held at Guantanamo Bay. [206224]

I refer my hon. Friend to the Statement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the House on 11 January 2005, Official Report, columns 173–74.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK residents with indefinite leave to remain in the UK are held at Guantanamo Bay; and what their names are. [209375]

We are aware of five. In accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998, we are not in a position to give their names.