To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to achieve the Government's targets of ending child poverty by 2020, and halving it by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [220884]

The Government set out the steps that Departments across Government are taking to achieve the targets of ending child poverty by 2020 and halving it by 2010 in the Child Poverty Review, published alongside the 2004 Spending Review and available at http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend _sr04/associated_documents/spending_sr04_childpover ty.cfm

To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has received requesting publication of the advice he was given by the Attorney-General in respect of the legality of the Iraq war. [220732]

I have received representations regarding the publication of the Attorney-General's advice on the legality of the Iraq war in the form of parliamentary questions, letters and Freedom of Information requests to my office.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he sought advice on what standard he should apply in determining on 14 March 2003 that Iraq was in material breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1441. [212324]

As Lord Butler noted in his report, in coming to the view that Iraq was in further material breach under Operative paragraph 4 of UNSCR 1441:

the Prime Minister took account both of the overall intelligence picture and of information from a wide range of other sources, including especially UNMOVIC information." (paragraph 385, HC 898)

I also refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh) during my evidence to the Liaison Committee on 8 February 2005.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions his officials have had with the Ministry of Defence regarding recognition for the Arctic Convoy veterans. [220733]

There has been an ongoing consultation with the Ministry of Defence on the recognition of the Arctic Convoy veterans. I held a reception at Downing street on Monday evening for Arctic Convoy veterans and announced that their service is to be recognised by the institution of a new official Emblem, to be worn as a recognised addition to medals.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the (a) documents and (b) other written material he has released to date in response to Freedom of Information requests; and what categories of information requested his Office has refused to release. [220638]

For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. Requests for information are considered on a case by case basis in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. There are no categories of information which the Cabinet Office has refused to release.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 37W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis).

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of what the most pressing global political challenges are. [220372]

In 2005, the most pressing challenges are dealing with the threat from international terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. This year presents an opportunity to make significant progress towards a lasting peace settlement in the Middle East. Last week's London meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority was an important step forward. We need to build on the successful elections in Iraq and Afghanistan to secure a peaceful future for the people of both countries. We will also use our twin presidencies of the G8 and EU to tackle climate change and address the challenge of development in Africa.

To ask the Prime Minister what undertakings he gave to President Assad of Syria in December 2002 about future co-operation between the Government and Syria; and what subsequent discussions he has had on (a) alleged Syrian involvement in Iraq, (b) the presence of Syrian forces in the Lebanon and (c) relations between Syria and Israel. [220880]

I made no undertakings to President Assad about future co-operation between the British and Syrian Governments, and have had no subsequent discussions on the issues raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with ministers in India and Africa on targeting aid more effectively towards areas suffering from high levels of HIV/AIDS. [220744]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have recently discussed HIV/AIDS with Ministers in India, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to help target aid for greatest impact. Following my meeting with the Indian Health Minister in October, we agreed to increase UK support to two highly vulnerable states.

We will have further discussions later today with a number of ministers from countries with high rates of HIV/AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the timetable for the UK to meet the UN target for aid of 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product. [220745]

I held discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the last Spending Review in which it was agreed that total UK official development assistance (oda) will increase from £4 billion this year to almost £6.5 billion by 2007–08, and oda as a proportion of national income will increase from 0.34 per cent. in 2003 to 0.47 per cent. in 2007. The Government wishes to maintain those rates of growth in the overseas aid ratio which on this timetable would rise beyond 0.5 per cent. after 2008 and to 0.7 per cent. by 2013.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the New Partnership for African Development. [220746]

The African Union—New Partnership for Africa's Development (AU-NEPAD), promotes African-led development and mutual accountability with donors. We support the AU-NEPAD politically through our commitments to the G8 Africa Action Plan and Africa Partners' Forum and financially through the UNDP Trust Fund, to which we have contributed £500,000 to date.

One of its key aspects is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), which reviews country performance in economic, political and corporate governance, and socio-economic development. Peer reviews are currently taking place in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Mauritius to which DFID has so far contributed over £400,000. DFID is ready to support the central costs of the APRM through the APRM Trust Fund when it is up and running.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he is taking to boost the economy of the island of St. Helena. [220747]

Measures are on-going, and will feature in talks between the St. Helena Government and a visiting DFID mission this week. Recent steps include a wide-ranging fiscal review, expanding the St. Helena Development Agency and a scheme to attract St. Helenians from overseas back to key island jobs. We are currently considering how best to provide for the island's future access needs. Decisions on this, in consultation with the St. Helena Government, will be announced as soon as it is possible to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Department is providing to encourage economic growth in the Palestinian territories. [220748]

In order to create an internal environment more attractive to private investors the UK is working closely with international partners to provide support to invigorate the Palestinian Authority's (PA) programmes of governance reforms. Specific UK assistance includes support for the PA's budget, a wide-ranging programme of public administration and civil service reform, and support for the civil police. But these developments, in order to be effective, must go hand in hand with the Government of Israel easing the restrictions on the movement of Palestinian people and goods.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote Fairtrade awareness. [220749]

The UK Government has been a major supporter of Fairtrade. Fairtrade sales in the UK are growing each year, reaching £140 million in 2004. By buying Fairtrade products such as coffee, tea, fruit and chocolate shoppers are helping farmers and other producers to earn a decent living and obtain good healthcare and education. Between 2002 and 2005 DFID gave £300,000 to the Fairtrade Foundation to help develop its product range. DFID have just announced a further £750,000 over three years. DFID also gives £164,000 to the Foundation through its Development Awareness programme to raise awareness in the UK of Fairtrade.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on aid to Zimbabwe. [220750]

In view of the poor governance in Zimbabwe and the intransigence of her Government towards constructive dialogue with the international community, most donors, including the UK, have suspended conventional development programmes and now focus on humanitarian and HIV/AIDS programmes. In 2003–04 DFID spent £34 million on such programmes and expect to spend £25 million in the current financial year. The main areas of our support include HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and mitigation and direct support to some 1.5 million of the poorest households in the country, in the form of food, seeds and fertilisers. Funds are channelled through NGOs and United Nations agencies, not through the Government of Zimbabwe.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's work with others to promote vaccination in the developing world. [220751]

DFID works with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and the Vaccine Fund, and has contributed £35 million. DFID provides support to UNICEF and WHO contributing £64 million and £50.2 million respectively in 2003–04. We promote immunisation to the poorest through direct support to country health programmes.

UK is working alongside the French and Swedish Governments to raise $4 billion through an International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) and is seeking support of other OECD Governments. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State pledged $1.8 billion over 15 years to the IFFIm. DFID works with research and development organisations (such as the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI)) to promote new vaccines.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has funded (a) alternative employment for workers in the poppy industry and (b) the purchase of poppy crops in Afghanistan since 1997. [220783]

As a counterbalance to the elimination of the illicit opium economy in Afghanistan, opportunities to pursue alternative licit livelihoods for existing and potential poppy growers must be developed. DFID works through the National Priority Programmes of the Afghan Government and with a range of NGOs to provide both agricultural and non-agricultural inputs and technical support to give farmers alternative livelihood opportunities in poor rural areas.

DFID funds targeted alternative livelihood programmes in Badakhshan and Eastern Hazarajat. In Badakhshan, DFID is also funding a Cash for Work" programme in order to generate increased minimum wage employment through labour-intensive public works. This is designed to provide up to 500,000 person days of employment for those previously generating income from growing poppy crops. We are in discussion with the Government of Afghanistan and others to identify opportunities to provide similar support in other key poppy growing provinces.

DFID has not, as part of its programme, purchased any poppy crops in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which countries he is giving resources devoted to the prevention of avian influenza. [220881]

As part of a DFID/World Bank funded programme, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) is providing technical support to the Chinese authorities on a range of health risks including avian flu.

No specific support to deal with avian flu is being provided to countries in South East Asia. DFID is in close contact with the World Health Organisation in affected countries and country offices are considering specific support for expanded public education and surveillance activities on a country-by-country basis. To date, only Cambodia has submitted a request for DFID support and this is under consideration.

DFID officials are to meet staff of the HPA next week to discuss potential gaps in the international response.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a further statement on UK assistance to Guyana following the floods on 26 December 2004, with specific regard to (a) food relief, (b) replacing accommodation and (c) restarting public services. [220699]

holding answer 8 March 2005

As reported in my statement of 10 February 2005, DFID has provided £287,000 to the immediate flood response in Guyana. Since that statement we have provided an additional £30,000 in materials. Through the UK's contribution to the European Commission (EC), we have provided £185,000 out of the €1.7 million provided by the EC as immediate relief.

The UK has tried to ensure that our support goes to areas not otherwise covered by other members of the international community. The World Food Programme and the Red Cross met immediate food needs, and were funded by others from the international community.

The UN, through the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), is currently undertaking an assessment of the impact of the floods on Guyana's economy and on people's livelihoods. These assessments have been tried and tested in many regional disasters. The assessment will indicate longer term food security needs, as well as reconstruction needs. To date there has not been an identified need to replace accommodation. The priority has been to clean flood affected accommodation, as well as schools and health centres, to make all such places useable again. The Government's cleaning programme is being supported by the UN.

Some schools are still unable to operate as normal. Those affected were used as shelters for displaced people, and they are currently waiting to be reached by the Government cleaning programme. Of the public utilities only the provision of piped water was affected. Pumping stations and distribution networks were severely affected in many areas. This service is now getting back to normal. The management improvements at Guyana Water Incorporated" provided through the water reform programme ensured an effective response to the flood situation. This programme was funded by DFID and others to improve the supply of potable water. There are sufficient resources in place, and sufficient capacity, to undertake the necessary ongoing repairs. Oxfam have been working very closely with the water utility to ensure the supply of potable water during and after the crisis.

The Guyanese Drainage and Irrigation Board, supported by UN sourced experts, have identified a set of emergency works to be undertaken on the water management system damaged by the floods. This work is urgent as there are fears that this system was compromised by the floods, and might fail in the main May/June rains. DFID are now in the process of finalising assistance to support implementation of these emergency restoration works. In conjunction with United Nations Development Programme we are funding the cost of a Dutch expert to assist the Government of Guyana in overseeing the emergency rehabilitation of the water management system.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development

(1) what discussions he has had with the Jammu Kashmir Government concerning what financial or material assistance is needed following the recent severe weather there; [219762]

(2) what assistance his Department has offered to the Jammu Kashmir Government following the recent severe weather there. [219764]

We have not received, nor do we expect to receive, a request from the Government of India (GoI) for assistance in responding to the recent severe weather in Jammu and Kashmir. All external assistance to India is co-ordinated by the GoI. The GoI has considerable experience and capacity in responding to natural disasters, and adheres to a clear policy not to request external humanitarian assistance in such circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid Malawi will be given by his Department in 2005; and how much was given in 2004. [220345]

In the financial year 2005–06, DFID plans to provide £60 million of aid to Malawi through its bilateral country programme. The equivalent figure for the financial year 2004–05 is expected to be £55 million. In addition, Malawi will benefit from aid from multilateral and international organisations including the European Union, the World Bank and the United Nations, which are in part financed by DFID, but for which figures are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the proposed Middle East donors conference in June; and whether he plans to establish an international fund under the aegis of the UN to finance the cost of resettlement and compensation for Palestinian refugees, as proposed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Resolution 1156 (1998). [220354]

At the March 1 London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority (PA), the international community committed to holding a Consultative Group of international donors by the end of June. The UK looks forward to participating fully and pledging further support to the PA. As the prospects increase for a return to the Roadmap and a move towards final status negotiations, the international community will need to look afresh at plans to meet the costs of resettlement and compensation for refugees. A review of Resolution 1156 may be a good starting point.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he takes to ensure that all aid from the UK, including that distributed via multilateral donors, is fully aligned with the priorities of recipient countries. [220772]

International commitments made at Monterrey (2002), Rome (2003) and the recent High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Paris require both bilateral and multilateral donors to use their assistance in support of countries' own priorities. DFID's country programmes are governed by Country Assistance Plans, which are agreed with partners and demonstrate how DFID will support their own poverty reduction plans. On 2 March, I published a new policy paper Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: Rethinking Conditionality", which emphasises our commitment to partner country leadership in setting their developing policies, and states that we will not seek to influence policy choices by use of aid conditions. DFID works closely with multilateral agencies, at both headquarters and country level, to ensure their procedures and practice promote alignment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what assessment he has made of the number of individuals in Southend who did not complete 2001 Census returns; [220586]

(2) how many prosecutions there have been of individuals in Southend for non-completion of the 2001 Census. [220587]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 9 March 2005

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions on non-completion of the 2001 Census in Southend. (220586 & 220587)

In answer to your first question; in Southend, 10,230 persons were added to the Census in order to account for the individuals who did not complete 2001 Census returns.

With regard to your second question, no individuals in Southend have been prosecuted for non-completion of the 2001 Census. The total number of prosecutions for non-completion of the 2001 Census in England and Wales was 39.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what the statutory penalties are for refusing to complete a decennial population census form for England and Wales; and how many successful prosecutions there were for that offence in connection with the censuses for (a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001; [220592]

(2) what the statutory penalties are for unlawfully disclosing personal information from closed decennial population censuses for England and Wales; and how many successful prosecutions there have been for that offence since 1990. [220593]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Taylor, dated 9 March 2005

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (i) what the statutory penalties are for refusing to complete a decennial population census form for England and Wales; and how many successful prosecutions there were for that offence in connection with the censuses for(a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001 and (ii) what the statutory penalties are for unlawfully disclosing personal information from closed decennial population censuses for England and Wales, and how many successful prosecutions there have been for that offence since 1990. (220592, 220593)

The penalty for failing to complete a census form is prescribed by Section 8(1) of the Census Act 1920 which states that on summary conviction a person shall be liable for a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

The maximum fine of level 3 on the standard scale under the Criminal Justice Act 1982 was £1,000 at the time of the 2001 Census.

The numbers of successful prosecutions for failing to complete a census form in England and Wales were 692 in 1981, 342 in 1991 and 38 in 2001.

The statutory penalty for unlawfully disclosing personal census information is prescribed by Section 8 (5) of the Census Act 1920 as amended by the Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991 which states that(a) on summary conviction a person shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both; (b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

Since 1990 there has been one prosecution for unlawful disclosure of personal census information.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people aged 100 years and over live in the UK. [220496]

Based on the latest estimates prepared for the interim 2003-based national population projections, there were approximately 8,400 people aged 100 years and over living in the United Kingdom in the middle of 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who emigrated from the UK in each year since 1990; what percentage of those people he estimates were between the ages of 18 and 30; and if he will make a statement. [220670]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ashok Kumar, dated 9 March 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding the number of people emigrating from the United Kingdom since 1990, and the percentage of these who were aged between 18 and 30. (220670)

Estimates of emigration from the UK are shown in the attached table. The figures are based on the most comprehensive estimate of migration produced by the Office for National Statistics,Total International Migration (TIM).

TIM estimates are based on data from a number of sources. Some of the source data are grouped into the following broad age groups: under 15; 15–24; 25–44; 45–59/64; and 60/65 and over. As a result, we are only able to provide TIM estimates of emigration for the aforementioned age groups. Furthermore, TIM estimates produced using the current methodology are only available from 1991 onwards.

Total International Migration (TIM)estimates of emigration for all ages and for specific age groups—Time series 1991 to 2002—United Kingdom⁽¹⁾

⁽¹⁾ Total International Migration (TIM) estimates for 1991–2002 are based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). These include adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so that their migrant status changes; (2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

⁽²⁾ The percentage column expresses the TIM emigration estimate for the specified age range as a proportion of the TIM emigration estimate for all ages.

Source:

ONS, Home Office, Irish Central Statistics Office

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) telephone calls, (b) e-mails, (c) letters and (d) personal visits were recorded on an average working day at the Inland Revenue office in Alexandra House, Salisbury in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by subject; and if he will make a statement. [219777]

1,100 telephone calls were received by Inland Revenue in Alexander House, Salisbury, in January 2005 (approx 55 calls per working day).

There is no facility for e-mails to be received from customers at this location.

3,440 letters from customers were received in Dorset Area, in which Salisbury office is included, in January 2005 (approx 172 per working day). It is not possible to provide a breakdown by subject.

There were 10,305 personal callers (approx 48 per working day) at the Inquiry Centre for the 12 months to 31 December 2004 as follows:

Salisbury IREC callers 12 months to 31 December 2004

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 724W, on the Licensing Act, if he will list the grounds on which a justice's licence may be revoked by licensing justices; and if he will make a statement. [220513]

I have been asked to reply.

Under the Licensing Act 1964 any person or the police may ask the licensing justices to revoke a licence at any time. The licensing justices may revoke a justices' licence at any licensing sessions (other than at sessions at which an application for renewal of the licence falls). The power is exercisable on any ground on which the justices might refuse to renew a justices' licence, namely that the licensee is disqualified under the Act or is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on official Ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997. [214957]

The information requested is not available. Expenditure on these items is not accounted for separately.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in each region of the UK that were more than £10,000 in debt in each month since January 1990; and if he will make a statement. [220677]

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

Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ashok Kumar, dated 9 March 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the number of individuals in each region of the UK that were more than £10,000 in debt. (220677)

The information requested is not available.

The only information available is national data on debt per person. Annual data from 1997 was recently given in a reply to a Parliamentary Question from Dr Vincent Cable MP (214789, Hansard of 7 February 2005, Column 1241W).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) the gross domestic product (GDP), (b) his estimate of the output gap, (c) total public spending, (d) public spending per capita and (e) public spending as a proportion of regional GDP were for each English region, in each of the last five years. [220075]

The information is as follows:

www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/regionalGVA.pdf).(a) Gross value added (GVA), a measure closely related to GDP (which is not available on a regional basis), for each English region for the calendar years 1999 to 2003 is published on the ONS website (

(b) The output gap is currently only available on a national basis so regional figures do not exist.

(c) Total public spending by region that can be identified as benefiting a particular region for 1998–99 to 2002–03 is published in table 8.1 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2004 (Cm6201). Public spending can be split into that which can be identified as benefiting a particular region and that which is for the benefit of the UK as a whole, for example defence spending. Therefore, the figures in PESA 2004 do not represent total England public spending, which is not available by region.

(d) Total identifiable public spending by region, for the same years, on a per capita basis is shown in table 8.2 of PESA 2004 (Cm6201).

(e) Public spending as a proportion of GVA (GDP) is not available as GVA is produced on a calendar year basis whereas identifiable public spending is produced according to financial years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax policy staff were transferred from Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise to the Treasury in each of the last three years; and what their (a) general areas of work, (b) grades and (c) work programmes were in each case. [220380]

Fifteen staff in 2002–03, and 13 in 2003–04, came to HM Treasury on loan or secondment from the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, entering a variety of Treasury teams, primarily those related to tax or Ministerial support.

During 2004–05, following the O'Donnell review of the Revenue Departments, HM Treasury has taken lead responsibility and accountability for tax policy development, with support from Revenue and Customs who lead on policy maintenance. So far in 2004–05, 81 staff have come in on loan from Revenue and Customs to the Treasury's Budget and Public Finances Directorate as a result of this change, to ensure the right balance of skills and expertise within the new tax teams. Details of numbers and grades are set out in the table as follows:

HM Treasury inward loans and secondments

⁽³⁾ new tax teams

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost of making student loan repayments for graduates tax-deductible. [220919]

No such estimate has been made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to which Department of the Inland Revenue hon. Members should write in respect of representations relating to the desirability of remitting overpayments of tax credit caused by incorrect award notices. [220870]

holding answer 8 March 2005

For constituents in Great Britain, hon. Members should write to the Overpayments Team, Tax Credit Office, Preston, PR1 OSB. For constituents in Northern Ireland, hon. Members should write to the Overpayments Team, Tax Credit Office, Dorchester House, 52–58 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7WF.

The Inland Revenue's approach to tax credits overpayments is explained in their Code of Practice 26, What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?". The Department also provides form TC846, Request to reconsider recovery of tax credits", which claimants can use to explain why they think they should not be expected to pay back their overpayment. Both the Code of Practice and the form are available on the Department's website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the findings from the collection of evidence from road traffic accidents affecting badgers in relation to the study of bovine TB. [219781]

The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) advises that the findings of the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) study should not be disclosed at present to avoid either encouraging illegal action against badgers or deterring participation in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). However, information on the location of badgers where TB is diagnosed is released to divisional veterinary managers to inform the measures they take with respect to disease control in cattle in the vicinity.

The ISG has been analysing the data from the RTA study in conjunction with data from badgers culled in the RBCT and will soon be advising Defra on the results and their interpretation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the UK National Allocation Plan for allocating carbon allowances to be approved by the European Commission. [219890]

We recognise that UK operators wish to begin full participation in the scheme as soon as possible. The Government are continuing their dialogue with the Commission with a view to finding a solution which addresses the concerns of both sides and which will enable allocation as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the breeding population of cormorants (a) in England and (b) on inland waters in England. [214689]

The latest estimate of breeding cormorants in the UK and Ireland is provided by the Seabird 2000 survey. These data indicate that there are 3,145 breeding pairs of cormorants in England (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). This includes the majority of the estimated 1,646 breeding pairs of cormorants at inland colonies in the UK.

UK coastal colonies are dispersed more widely, with many birds breeding in Wales and Scotland. However, many of the coastal breeding birds from all parts of the UK, and their progeny, move onto inland fisheries in England and Wales in the winter and these, together with significant immigration of wintering birds from the continent, give rise to elevated numbers inland during winter. The winter cormorant population in the UK has increased four fold in the last 25 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library the correspondence she has had with the EU Commission regarding the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. [219889]

The Government do not intend to publish correspondence we have had with the European Commission on the UK National Allocation Plan, as discussions with the Commission on the total number of allowances to be allocated are continuing, with a view to finding a solution which addresses the concerns of both sides as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of common agricultural policy production subsidies in the EU, including those retained under the national envelope system; and what assessment she has made of the impact that they have on the agricultural markets of developing nations. [217418]

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development produce an estimate of the level of subsidy provided to agricultural producers in OECD countries, the Producer Support Estimate (PSE). The latest estimate, in Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: At a Glance, 2004", puts the EU's PSE at €108 billion or approximately 37 per cent. of output. This estimate covers all direct payments to producers under the common agricultural policy (and national schemes) including those under agri-environment measures. It also covers gross transfers to producers as a result of market price support.

Defra has not made an assessment of the impact of the CAP on developing countries' agricultural markets. However there are a number of published studies which consider the effects of developed countries' agricultural policy on developing countries. One such estimate is presented in the World Bank report Global Economic Prospects and the Developing Countries, 2002". This puts the annual benefits to developing countries (in 2015) from liberalisation of agriculture and food policies in high income countries at $99 billion (when dynamic productivity gains are included). It is important to note that developing countries are not all affected in the same way: for example the effect depends on whether the country is a net exporter or net importer of highly protected agricultural products. In addition, the magnitude of an estimate will depend, in part, on the modelling methodology used to generate it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received since May 2003 in response to the challenge by the US in the World Trade Organisation to the EU's precautionary approach to GM foods and farming; what steps the Government is taking in response to the challenge; and if she will make a statement. [220262]

In May 2003, the USA, Argentina and Canada filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation against the procedures regulating the import and marketing of GMOs in the European Union. The focus of the complaints is that the EU has allegedly not been operating its own approvals system for GM products since 1998. It is alleged that this is more trade restrictive than is required to achieve the desired level of public health protection, that it is not based on proper scientific criteria, and that it unfairly discriminates between GMO and non-GMO products. The case is made against the European Commission, not individual member states, but it specifically cites Austria, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Greece.

The Department has received correspondence from stakeholders and the public in relation to this WTO case, in the main supporting the EU regulatory position. The UK Government has also raised this issue in meetings with the US administration.

The UK Government has expressed its disappointment that this action has been taken by the USA and we are working with our EU partners to defend the case and find a solution. As with any WTO dispute we will be bound by the ruling, which will be reached after due consideration of the evidence. The UK agrees with the European Commission that existing EU legislation on GMOs is compatible with trade rules and that significant progress has recently been made in dealing with applications under the legislation for placing GM products on the market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent approval given by the European Commission for the marketing of two GM maize varieties. [220820]

There has been no recent approval given by the EU for the marketing of GM maize. The last approval under the Deliberate Release Directive was issued in October last year for Monsanto's GM maize NK603.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action is being taken to limit the increase of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. [220647]

The Government set out its policy on reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol in its publication Climate Change: The UK Programme" (CM 4913) in 2000. This publication contains a set of flexible measures covering a range of different sectors—including transport, agriculture, business and households.

Details of the reductions in greenhouse gas levels achieved so far, the main measures already in place and future options under consideration to achieve further reductions in greenhouse gas levels are contained in the 2004 Review of the UK Climate Change Programme Consultation Paper" (PB 10372). A revised Climate Change Programme will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

(1) if she will estimate the cost of setting up a border inspection post for the entry of horses to the UK by sea; [218711 ] [0]

(2) whether there is a border inspection post for the entry of horses by sea into the UK; and if she will make a statement. [218716]

There are no border inspection posts at seaports approved to inspect horses imported from countries outside the European Union.

Port operators, carriers or agents are free to provide such facilities based on commercial need: facilities are not provided by Government. Defra does not have access to figures relating to the costs of setting up a border inspection post for imports of live horses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 933W, on agriculture, on what basis the decision was made that 20 per cent. of the budget of the National Bee Unit should be reduced from 2008; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposed reduction on the UK beekeeping industry. [220455]

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 944W, which cited the Department's Activity Baseline Review as the basis for the decision to reduce expenditure with the National Bee Unit from 2008. The review considered all of the Department's activities and the resources allocated to them.

As we have always made clear, the changes we propose depend on satisfactory progress with our evaluation of the shook swarm technique for the control of European foul brood. We are in continuing discussions with the beekeeping associations about encouraging the wider use of this technique and managing the risks involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the official residences for which her Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the occupants of each make towards running costs; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment was in 2003–04. [213560]

The Department is responsible for one official residence, an apartment at Admiralty House, London, which is occupied by the Secretary of State.

Since Admiralty House is Government owned, running costs are paid by the Department to the Cabinet Office. Current annual running costs of £195,000 are paid in respect of rent and a service charge, which covers costs for utilities (including electricity and gas) security, facilities management and general maintenance. The Secretary of State does not contribute directly towards these costs but does pay a related personal 'tax' charge. The telephone charges are included within the Department's general telephone expenditure.

Since the Department was created in June 2001, we have not been advised of any capital or refurbishment expenditure. Any such expenditure is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office who would re-charge the Department through the service charge.

The Department incurs no expenditure on flowers and plants, wine and entertaining or food.

There are no domestic or maintenance staff employed by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers are available to her Department to close Rigby House Farm waste tip on the grounds of (a) emission of smells and (b) rodent problems; and what powers (i) her Department and (ii) the Environment Agency has to require the operators to compensate people living in the area for nuisance caused by the tip. [219757]

Rigby House Farm landfill site currently operates under a waste management licence issued by the Environment Agency under the provisions of part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the 1990 Act).

Section 38 of the 1990 Act provides the Environment Agency with the power to suspend a licence or revoke a licence in part, or in its entirety. This power is exercisable where it appears to the agency that the continuation of the activities authorised by the licence would cause pollution of the environment, or harm to human health, or would be seriously detrimental to the amenities of the locality. There are no powers under the 1990 Act to compensate people living in the area for any nuisance caused.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) water companies and (b) Water UK on the potential for greater use being made of reed beds to try to overcome sewerage problems; and if she will make a statement. [220696]

Defra supports the appropriate use of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) such as reed beds, but recognises that, at present, barriers to the implementation, adoption and maintenance of SUDS exist. In order to address these problems, Defra is a member of the The National SUDS Working Group" (NSWG), of which representatives of water companies and Water UK are also members. Regular meetings of this group are held facilitating discussion between all parties interested in the implementation of SUDS. In July 2004 the NSWG published an Interim Code of Practice (ICOP) for SUDS. The aim of the ICOP is to provide a strategic approach to the allocation of responsibilities for the maintenance of sustainable drainage systems.

The new strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management that Defra has just finished consulting on, looks at ways of better coordinating the various responsibilities for urban drainage, including SUDS. A technical annex to this consultation explores in more depth, the specific options and proposals that have been made to government by stakeholders (such as water companies and Water UK) to encourage and facilitate implementation of more sustainable surface water drainage systems in the future.

Further information can be found at:

http://www.ciria.org/suds/icop.htm

www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy.htm

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy/suds.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has in respect of single farm payments for those who had historic commoners' rights on the basis of the number of animals grazed over recent years, with particular reference to those who are classed as commoners, but who have chosen not to graze animals for a considerable period of time. [219819]

The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is open to applications from farmers who meet the scheme conditions. A farmer is someone who carries out an 'agricultural activity' as defined in the EC legislation. A commoner who is a farmer, may seek to establish SPS entitlements on a notional share of the eligible area of the common where he or she has rights to graze. On most commons in England, the notional share will be calculated in proportion to the commoner's right to graze the land, as registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965. It will be up to an individual to decide whether or not he or she will apply for the scheme. All applications will be included in the normal inspection arrangements, including checks to determine whether the applicant is a farmer.

Full details concerning the operation of the scheme on common land were published in our February update available on our website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many heating installations have been carried out in each constituency in England under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last three years. [218686]

holding answer 28 February 2005

Between April 2002 and January 2005 approximately 174,000 heating installations have been carried out in England under the Warm Front Scheme.

A table showing a breakdown of the number of heating installations in each financial year, by constituency, will be made available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what installation and plant will be (a) exempted and (b) derogated from the requirements of the waste incineration directive regulations; and if she will make a statement. [219537]

Articles 3(4) and 3(5) of the waste incineration directive provide definition respectively of the incineration plant" and co-incineration plant" covered by that directive. However, Article 2(2) of that directive excludes from the directive's scope (i) plants treating only certain wastes listed there, and (ii) experimental plants.

Article 6(4) of the directive enables competent authorities to set, for plant subject to the directive's requirements, operating conditions different to those set out in Articles 6(1), 6(2) and 6(3) provided the directive's requirements are met. These provisions are relatively complex, but are explained in draft Guidance on Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste prepared by the Department and the Welsh Assembly Government and available on the Defra website. This publication also incorporates the text of the directive itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what category of installations and plant that burn waste will not be covered by the waste incineration directive when it comes into force. [219538]

Article 2(2) of the waste incineration directive excludes from that directive's scope:

(a) plants treating only the following wastes:

(i) vegetable waste from agriculture and forestry;

(ii) vegetable waste from the food processing industry, if the heat generated is recovered;

(iii) fibrous vegetable waste from virgin pulp production and from production of paper from pulp, if it is co-incinerated at the place of production and the heat generated is recovered;

(iv) wood waste with the exception of wood waste which may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals as a result of treatment with wood-preservatives or coating, and which includes in particular such wood waste originating from construction and demolition waste;

(v) cork waste;

(vi) radioactive waste;

(vii) animal carcasses as regulated by Council Directive 90/667/EEC without prejudice to its future amendments;

(viii) waste resulting from the exploration for, and the exploitation of, oil and gas resources from off-shore installations and incinerated on board the installation;

(b) experimental plants used for research, development and testing in order to improve the incineration process and which treat less than 50 tonnes of waste per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether incineration by (a) asphalting companies, (b) cement manufacturers, (c) chemical firms, (d) merchant incinerators, (e) power generators and (f) steel industries will be subject to regulation under the waste incineration directive. [219539]

If these activities incorporate (i) plant dedicated to the thermal treatment of wastes, with or without recovery of the combustion heat generated, or (ii) plant which uses wastes as a regular or additional fuel or in which waste is thermally treated for the purpose of disposal, that plant will be subject to the requirements of the waste incineration directive unless any of the exclusions in Article 2(2) of that directive applies. The text of the directive is incorporated in draft Guidance on Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste prepared by my Department and the Welsh Assembly Government and available on the Defra website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for each of the Merseyside local authorities the proportion of household waste re-cycled in the last three years for which figures are available. [220540]

The proportion (percentage)¹ of household waste sent for recycling or composting for each of the Merseyside local authorities in the last three years is presented in the following table:

⁽⁴⁾ All figures are rounded

Source:

Best Value Performance Indicator Data (BVPI 82a and b)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public funding has been allocated to facilitating the visit of the International Olympic Committee evaluation team to London in February. [216080]

The bid company London 2012 oversaw all the arrangements for the Evaluation Commission's visit to London in February. The majority of the London 2012's funding comes from my Department and the London Development Agency, with a substantial element coming from private sponsorship and fundraising activities. I understand from London 2012 that £530,000 of costs are directly attributable to the visit. This figure is largely associated with the production cost of the three days of presentations, plus hiring hotel venue space and providing technical support. A further £150,000 was spent on preparations ahead of the visit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the total cost of (a) promoting and (b) hosting the 2012 Olympics in London. [216003]

The information requested is as follows:

(a) The bid company London 2012 is responsible for the majority of the promotional work for the Bid. The budget for Marketing and Communications within London 2012's budget is £7.45 million. The Government and the London Development Agency also jointly fund and manage a budget of £10 million to finance activities that support the Bid.

(b) The cost of hosting the 2012 Olympics is £1.5 billion, which covers the operational and organisational costs of staging the Games for the period from 2005 until 2014. This will be met almost entirely from broadcast rights, sponsorship and ticket sales.

The costs were reported to Parliament in the usual way, and were reported in the Culture, Media and Sport report A London Olympic Bid for 2012", which was published on 23 January 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's estimate is of the cost to the British art market of the European Union's Directive 2001/84/EC, Artist's Resale Right Directive, if (a) royalty collection is made compulsory and (b) the royalty rate is set at five per cent. [217663]

I have been asked to reply.

(a) Based on figures provided by the art market it is estimated that the cost of transactions would be reduced from approximately £38 per artwork if the right is managed by individual artists to approximately £28 per artwork if the right is administered by a single collecting agency. The Patent Office has asked in its present consultation for views on whether collective management of resale royalties should be made compulsory.

(b) The directive provides an option for increasing the royalty rate paid on the first €50,000 of the sales price from 4 per cent. to 5 per cent. The UK is not currently proposing to use this option and therefore no estimate of costs based on this rate has been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's estimate is of the proportion of art sales that may be diverted from the United Kingdom following implementation of European Union Directive 2001/84/EC, Artist's Resale Right Directive. [217665]

I have been asked to reply.

A number of factors influence the choice of location of a sale, including the location at which the highest price will be achieved and seller's fees. It seems likely that for many sales the cost of relocating would exceed any saving on royalty and would prevent diversion. In addition, based on figures provided by the art market for the 2001–02 season, the total value of the market was £4,227 million and of this £442 million (approximately 10 per cent.) worth of these sales would attract a royalty payment if the right was applied to works by living and deceased artists. If the right was applied only to works by living artists £64.8 million (less than 2 per cent.) worth of the total value of sales would attract a royalty payment. The Patent Office has asked interested parties during the present consultation for any information which would help complete the partial impact assessment, and will be commissioning further economic analysis during the consultation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Heritage Lottery funding was awarded in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in 2004–05; and how many projects were awarded funding. [220184]

The total amount of Heritage Lottery funding that was awarded in(a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in 2004–05 was £35,765,038 and the number of projects was 117.

Heritage Lottery Fund—London April 2004 to February 2005

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what priorities she has set for lottery funding. [220835]

Priorities for lottery funding are as set out in lottery legislation and policy directions. These include the need to ensure that all parts of the UK have access to lottery funding. Each distributor has been given appropriate directions which they are required to publish in their annual reports and accounts (copies are available in the Library of the House).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to amend the criteria for lottery awards to ensure that poorer areas receive a higher level of award. [220836]

Individual lottery distributors set their own criteria on awards independently of Government, taking into account national lottery legislation and policy and financial directions to them. These policy directions require them to ensure that all parts of the UK have access to lottery funding. The arts, sports and heritage distributors have also been directed to take account of the scope for reducing economic and social deprivation at the same time as ensuring benefits for the arts, sport and heritage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase and broaden the impact of culture and sport to (a) enrich individual lives, (b) strengthen communities and (c) improve the places where people live, now and for future generations. [219970]

The Public Service Agreement target that underpins the Department's communities Strategic Priority is 'to increase significantly the take-up of cultural and sporting opportunities by new users aged 20 and above from priority groups'.

Information on the Department's performance against this Public Service Agreement target was published on 22 December 2004 in the DCMS autumn Performance Report (Cm 6435). Copies of the report are available in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) Executive agencies within the remit of her Department have regional offices based on the Government offices for the regions' regional structure; and when the regional offices were established in each case. [219902]

DCMS non-departmental public bodies which have regional offices based on the Government offices for the regions and the years in which those offices were established are:

Sport England (1996)

Arts Council England (2002)

English Heritage (1999)

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (2001–04)

Big Lottery Fund (1995)¹

Heritage Lottery Fund (2002–03)

The Department does not have any Executive agencies with regional offices.

¹ The Big Lottery Fund has been the operating name of the administratively merged New Opportunities Fund and Community Fund since June 2004. The Community Fund was the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board which established regional offices in 1995.

The UK Film Council does not have regional offices though it does invest in a network of partner agencies called Regional Screen Agencies which were established between 2002 and 2004. These are independent companies with their own boards and management structures entirely independent of the UK Film Council. They derive only part of their income from UK Film Council investment (in some cases less than half) and their remits are broader than that of the UK Film Council, including for example engagement with computer games and/or radio as well as film.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government have established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of her Department. [219912]

The only regional bodies for which DCMS is responsible which the Government have established since May 1997 are the Regional Cultural Consortiums for the eight regions outside Greater London.

The Department is not responsible for any other regional institutions, taskforces, panels, offices or organisations that the Government have established since May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many candidates applied for the post of Chair of UK Sport; how many were interviewed; and what criteria were used to select the appointee. [220560]

holding answer 7 March 2005

47 applications were received for the post of Chair of UK Sport and 10 candidates were interviewed. The selection panel assessed candidates against the criteria given in the role specification, which stated:

UK Sport is looking for someone with a passion for success at high performance sport, who can establish a position of leadership in the search for that success at national level;"

and that the successful candidate would:

Have experience of business, financial and resource management.

Be able to win the respect of, negotiate with, and influence senior members of the Government and other key external stakeholders.

Have a proven track record of building and growing partnerships together with partnership working at the highest level.

Be able to promote the organisation and possess highly developed communication and representational skills and be skilled at chairing meetings.

Have strong interpersonal relations skills and be able to demonstrate a track record of leading and motivating people and building effective teams.

Be able to demonstrate strategic thinking, creativity and political awareness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who interviewed the candidates for Chair of UK Sport; and what role she played in the appointment. [220561]

holding answer 7 March 2005

Candidates were interviewed by Nicola Roche, Director of Sport at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Professor Eric Saunders, Chair of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland; Nigel Walker, a former international athlete and Head of Sport at BBC Wales; and David Chesterton CB, an independent assessor as required by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

I was involved at three key stages. I approved the role specification and project plan; I approved the shortlist for interview; and I made a decision on whom to recommend to the Prime Minister for appointment from those candidates considered by the selection panel to be 'above the line'.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Chair of UK Sport is allowed to hold other public appointments; and what rules govern her conduct. [220562]

holding answer 7 March 2005

There is no barrier to prevent individuals from holding more than one public appointment. An individual is also permitted to act as an adviser to Government Departments while holding a public appointment, provided there is no conflict of interest. The Chair's conduct in office is governed by the Cabinet Office publication Guidance on Codes of Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies and by UK Sport's own publication Chair: Competency Framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policies his Department has in place for supporting employees with cancer. [218587]

The Ministry of Defence has a comprehensive range of policies to support civilian employees with serious long-term illnesses, including cancer, these include:

Confidential advice from a member of the Occupational Welfare Service;

Time off for medical appointments and treatment;

Reasonable adjustments to hours of work and the nature of their duties;

Early involvement and support from our Occupational Health experts;

Sick absence at six months at full pay, six months at half pay, and sick pay at pension rate;

Gradual rehabilitation including reduced hours and duties;

A comprehensive suite of Work/Life policies;

Additional sick absence provision to cover absences not related to the original illness;

Support of applications for medical retirement and access to early payments under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme;

Line managers and colleagues are encouraged to keep in touch with those who are unwell.

We will also look sympathetically on any request received on an individual basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been recruited by Scottish Infantry regiments in each of the last 10 years from (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the UK and (c) outside the UK. [220169]

The information requested is shown in the table:

Nationality (at birth)

⁽⁵⁾ non-zero value, less than 5.

Note:

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.

Figures do not include Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS), Gurkhas or mobilised reservists. The information relates to the flows of UK Trained Regular Army personnel in the Scottish Regiments, regardless of whether they serve away from the main body of the Regiment.

Nationality data are not available before 1996 so totals are given for 1994 and 1995 with part data available for 1996.

Soldiers joining the infantry are not allocated to a particular regiment until completion of training at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick). Therefore the table includes those soldiers who joined the Scottish Regiments on completion of training.

Officers join their Arm/Service at the beginning of the third term of their military training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and therefore the table shows those who joined the Scottish Regiments on completion of training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many domiciled Scots have joined the (a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Royal Navy in each of the last 10 years. [220170]

Data on the number of domiciled" Scots for the three Services are not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pension rights the three men recently convicted of abuse of Iraqi civilians will have; and if he will make a statement. [219795]

The Armed Forces Pension Scheme has a provision to reduce the award of pension benefits in exceptional cases of severe misconduct. However, in common with other contracted out occupational pension schemes within the public sector, the Scheme will be obliged to award pensions at least equivalent to the minimum amount they would be entitled to if they had contributed to, and subsequently received benefits under the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme.

Personal data such as an individual's pension entitlement is a matter between employer and employee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) trained strength and (b) establishment is of each of the parachute regiments. [219050]

The information requested is shown in the table.

Strength and establishment of the Three Battalions of the Parachute Regiment as at 1 January 2005

Notes:

1. The figures quoted are as at 1 January 2005 and are for UK Regular Trained Army Officers and Soldiers only and therefore exclude TA, Mobilised Reserves, Full-Time Reserve Service, Gurkhas and Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

2. The Establishment figures include only the infantry posts and exclude attached personnel of other Arms and Services such as chefs, clerks etc.

3. The strength figures do not include officers and soldiers in the Parachute Regiment serving outside the battalion, or personnel from other cap badges attached to the battalion. The officer element excludes personnel with the rank of colonel and above.

4. We cannot be precise about the strength in each battalion as the means by which these data are collected does not allow for separate attribution. The split is derived from an estimate based on the strength by Unit Identity Number.

5. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the male to female ratio is in the Royal Air Force. [212361]

At 1 January 2005, the ratio of male to female personnel was 7.3:1, as 12 per cent. of the total strength was female.

Figures on strength by gender are published monthly in Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 1 Strength, Intake and Outflow of UK Regular Forces".

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits to the Royal Air Force there have been per year on average over the past five years. [212362]

The intake from civil life to the regular RAF for the past five years is as follows:

Notes:

1. Figures show all intake to UK Regular Forces including re-enlistments and rejoined Reservists.

2. Figures are for UK Regular Forces (including both trained and untrained personnel) and therefore exclude Full-Time Reserve Service personnel and mobilised Reservists.

3. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Air Force's recruitment targets were met in the financial year 2003–04. [212366]

No. The table shows that against the set targets, 93 per cent. of officers and non-commissioned aircrew and 89 per cent. of other ranks were recruited and entered training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for recruitment to the Royal Air Force. [212380]

Recruiting will continue to ensure the future Royal Air Force has the correct balance of skills and experience. However, the Service is reducing its recruitment targets by some 4,000 (to around 6,000 in total) over the next three financial years as part of the RAF manpower drawdown, announced by my right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Armed Forces on 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 103WS, in order to minimise redundancies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the policing arrangements are at RAF Menwith Hill; how many people have been arrested there; and what discussions the local police have had with demonstrators on peaceful protest. [220211]

The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) exercise full constabulary powers, in an armed and unarmed capacity, at RAF Menwith Hill. MDP also contribute to the effective safety and security of the station, its residents, employees, and passing members of the public, by carrying out external patrols and joint Counter Terrorist Unit armed patrols with North Yorkshire police, to prevent unauthorised entry and interference with the station and its mission, reducing the potential for unlawful activity.

In the last three years (March to February) the MDP have made the following arrests:

2002–03 10 arrests involving 7 people

2003–04 3 arrests involving 2 people

2004–05 29 arrests involving 5 people

Larger organised demonstrations involve communication between the police, the demonstration organisers and other interested parties in the community; with North Yorkshire police taking the lead outside the establishment. Close liaison with the organisers is maintained and meetings based on intelligence led strategies are held to ensure effective co-operation and enable peaceful protest.

MDP liaise with the organisers of the smaller more regular demonstrations, when those demonstrations take place. A supervisory officer in charge of the police officers present at the demonstration, conducts a briefing to protesters, detailing the intentions of the police to allow a lawful and safe demonstration, while ensuring that others in the area are permitted to go about their lawful activities without interference. The briefing also advises that where unlawful activity takes place appropriate police action will be taken. Any concerns raised by the protesters are, wherever possible examined and resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many additional hirings from private sector landlords his Department expects to take on in the first year of his policy to house Armed Forces personnel of the same sex living together in partnerships in service accommodation. [218021]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 24 February 2005, Official Report, column 806W.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether Lord Irvine was involved in (a) framing, (b) drafting and (c) drawing up the parliamentary answer given by the Attorney-General on 17 March 2003 on Iraq. [220626]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General, to the hon. Gentleman for Stone (Mr. Cash), on 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1074W.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when he expects to announce what public monies will be made available to assist promotion of the forthcoming referendum vote on the EU constitution; and whether expenditure will be granted to both sides of the debate. [220654]

Under the terms of the European Union Bill the Electoral Commission is given powers to encourage voting at the referendum. It will be for the Electoral Commission in due course to present an estimate for the cost of that activity to the Speaker's Committee.

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 provides for the Electoral Commission to designate one permitted participant to represent those campaigning for each outcome of the question. Where the Electoral Commission have made such designations, each designated organisation will be eligible for the following forms of assistance:

a grant of up to £600,000 determined by the Electoral Commission;

the sending of referendum addresses free of charge;

the use of public rooms free of charge for holding public meetings;

referendum campaign broadcasts.

The same level of financial and non-cash assistance will be available to each designated organisation.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will undertake research to assess what the implications would be of the introduction of a minimum turn-out threshold for the referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union. [220715]

The Government have no plans to undertake research on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned into the differences of performance levels between further education colleges in the North and in the South noted in the Ofsted reports, Why colleges succeed, and Why colleges fail, published in November 2004; and if she will make a statement. [218483]

My Department has not commissioned any further research into the differing performance levels of further education colleges in the North and those in the South beyond the analysis provided in the recent Ofsted reports. The Government's strategy is designed to raise standards across the sector and to address poor performance wherever it is found. The strategy includes leadership and workforce development, improved approaches to learning and teaching, and recruitment of lecturers in shortage areas. These were areas pointed out by Ofsted in their report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned into the relationship between the quality of individual schools and further education colleges and the level of diversity in local education provision for 16 to 19-year-olds; and if she will make a statement. [218484]