To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of Airport Passenger Duty on passenger numbers; and what assessment he has made of the merits of adjusting the level of such duty. [224018]

HM Customs and Excise analysis indicates that the price elasticity of demand for changes in Air Passenger Duty (APD) duty rates is low, and air travel has proven relatively unresponsive to changes in price. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a freeze on air passenger duty for the year ahead in his recent Budget report. The Chancellor takes into account a range of social, economic and environmental considerations, including the effects of APD on passenger numbers, when setting levels of taxation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2005, Official Report, column 1402W, on bereavement grants, whether occupational pension schemes are permitted to pay a non-taxable bereavement grant voluntarily on the death of a pensioner member aged over 75. [224677]

Under the current pension tax regime an occupational pension scheme can make a tax-free lump sum payment on a pensioner member's death of up to £2,500. There is no age limit on when this payment can be made.

From 6 April 2006, under the new simplified pension tax regime schemes can continue to pay lump sums on the death of a pensioner member unless the member is aged 75 or over when they die. In these cases survivors benefits must be paid in the form of income. Existing rights to a tax-free lump sum on death at age 75 or over on 6 April next year will be protected. Details are contained in the Inland Revenue Pensions Tax Simplification Technical Note that was published on 16 February 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) if he will instruct the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to provide substantive answers to Questions concerning decennial censuses after consulting the Registrar General; [224047]

(2) whether Treasury Ministers have used their powers under section 2(1) of the Census Act 1920 to control and direct the Registrar General since 1990; [224048]

(3) whether the necessary permission to retain the (a) 1981 and (b) 1991 census records for England and Wales in the Office for National Statistics once they are over 30-years-old has already been granted by the Lord Chancellor. [224049]

I am the Minister responsible for the population census. Day-to-day responsibility rests with the Registrar General, who is also the National Statistician.

All Parliamentary questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer are answered substantively. It has been the practice of successive Administrations for many years to delegate questions concerning the census to the Registrar General for answer by letter. All such letter answers are printed in the Official Report.

The Registrar General undertakes his functions under section 2(1) of the Census Act 1920 and of any Census Order or Regulations made under the 1920 Act. His powers to carry out the census are subject to the control of, and in compliance with, any Ministerial direction by virtue of Section 2(2) of the 1920 Act. The Registrar General has regular meetings with the relevant Minister to discuss census-related issues. The Government's proposals for the 2001 Census were published in a White Paper (The 2001 Census of Population", Cm 4253) in March 1999. Parliamentary authority for the 2001 Census was subsequently given by virtue of the Census Order 2000 (SI 2000/744), the Census Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1473), the Census (Amendment) Order 2000 (SI2000/3249), and the Census (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/3351).

I understand that no application has yet been made by the Registrar General to the Lord Chancellor, under the provisions of section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958, for him to retain the records from the 1981 or 1991 Censuses once they are over 30-years-old.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rationale underlies his policy of not means-testing for receipt of child benefit. [223923]

holding answer 4 April 2005

Child benefit is payable to every family in the UK in respect of each child. The Government believe it is right that society should recognise the importance of family life by providing financial support for every family with a dependent child.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions of long-term employment rates for (a) men and (b) women underpin the Treasury's published figures on long-term fiscal trends. [224669]

As required by the Code for Fiscal Stability", the Treasury publishes illustrative long- term fiscal projections as part of the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (EFSR). The long-term macroeconomic assumptions are stated in Annex A of the EFSR. Regarding long-term employment rates, Annex A of the 2005 EFSR states that:

By assumption, employment is driven entirely by demographic trends. Specifically, with the overall employment rate assumed to remain constant from 2009–10 onwards, changes in employment levels reflect changes in the working-age population" (Budget 2005, page 178).

No specific assumptions regarding the future evolution of male and female employment rates are made.

In addition to the illustrative long-term fiscal projections, the Treasury also publishes the Long-term Public Finance Report (LTPFR) alongside the pre-Budget report. The baseline results of the 2004 LTPFR are also based on the assumption of an unchanged total employment rate beyond the medium term. In addition, the 2004 LTPFR (pages 33–37) presents results based on an alternative approach to projecting employment trends.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of environmental taxes (a) on manufacturing industries' competitiveness and (b) energy prices. [224017]

The Government assesses the impact of environmental taxes against a range of social, economic and environmental factors, including impacts on competitiveness and energy prices, in the annual Budget process. As part of this, the Government have published an independent evaluation by Cambridge Econometrics of the climate change levy. This considers the environmental impact of the levy as well as its impact on the economy and energy prices. Copies are available from the House of Commons Library or the Customs and Excise website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (ECC-Switzerland) on the simplification of inspections and formalities (and working party) met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217256]

I have been asked to reply.

The EEC-Switzerland Facilitation of Controls and Formalities in Goods Transport Joint Committee meets annually in October. It met once under the Italian presidency, and once under the Dutch, both times in Brussels. The European Commission represented the European Community. No UK Government expert was present.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EEC—European Free Trade Association Joint Committee and working parties met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217924]

I have been asked to reply.

There is no Committee with such a title. However, the Joint Committee of the European Economic Area, which is responsible for the ongoing management of the EEA Agreement, met on the following dates during the Italian, Dutch and Irish presidencies: in 2003 on 11 July, 26 September, 7 November, and 5 December. In 2004 it met on 6 February, 19 March, 23 April, 4 June, 9 July, 24 September, 29 October, and 3 December.

The Joint Committee is assisted by four sub-committees. Subcommittee I met in 2003 on 1 July, 16 September, 14 October, and 25 November. In 2004 it met on 27 January, 2 March, 30 March, 11 May, 22 June, 14 September, 19 October, and 16 November. Subcommittee II met in 2003 on 2 July, 17 September, 15 October, and 26 November. In 2004 it met 29 January, 4 March, 1 April, 13 May, 24 June, 16 September, 21 October and 18 November. Subcommittee III met in 2003 on 4 July, 19 September, 17 October and 28 November. In 2004 it met on 29 January, 4 March, 1 April, 13 May, 24 June, 16 September, 21 October and 18 November. Subcommittee IV met in 2003 on 3 July, 16 September, 16 October and 27 November. In 2004 it met on 29 January, 4 March, 1 April, 13 May, 24 June, 16 September, 21 October and 18 November.

All meetings took place in Brussels. The European Commission represents the European Community—UK Government experts do not normally attend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with consumer organisations about the future of air traveller financial protection. [224613]

The Department has consulted widely with relevant stakeholders on the future financial protection of air travellers including the Air Transport Users' Council.

The Department, in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority, held two industry stakeholder meetings to inform interested parties, including the Air Transport Users' Council, of the approach being taken to the economic modelling being undertaken to assess the impact of a range of options for the future financial protection of air travellers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the (a) Civil Aviation Authority and (b) management of Nottingham East Midlands airport about the noise and air pollution effects of the two new flight paths over Leicestershire in and out of the airport. [224351]

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has primary responsibility for assessing airspace change proposals, in accordance with Directions and Guidance issued to them by the Secretary of State. Written details of the proposed new routes at Nottingham East Midlands airport (NEMA) were supplied to the Department, along with a detailed environmental assessment, and representatives from the CAA attended meetings with me and with my predecessor on this matter. The management of NEMA also presented the proposals to a meeting of local Members of Parliament, convened by my predecessor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what appointments procedure was followed for the appointment of Mr Rod Eddington as a transport adviser to the Government on aviation. [224163]

The Secretary of State for Transport and the Chancellor have appointed Rod Eddington to advise them on the longer-term impact of transport decisions on the UK's productivity, stability and growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts his Department has for maintenance work to be undertaken by (a) the Trinity House Lighthouse Service, (b) the Northern Lighthouse Board and (c) the Irish Lights; and what the financial value is of each. [224602]

The General Lighthouse Authorities do not have any contracts to undertake maintenance work in the UK or Ireland for the Department for Transport.

Trinity House Lighthouse Service does, however, carry out residual statutory responsibilities for the Colonial Lighthouse Service on behalf of the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the results of his consultation on the proposed new M6 Toll Road between Birmingham and Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [224177]

The Government is considering the response to the consultation and will respond in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency budget was for (a) coastguards, (b) ship inspectors, (c) depots and (d) emergency towing vessels in each year since it was established. [224603]

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's expenditure is set out in the following table:

Percentage

The resource accounts figures include depreciation and capital charge which are not included within the cash accounts outturns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions his Department has set on the £1 billion offered to West Midlands local authorities for new transport schemes. [224734]

My colleague the Minister of State for Transport (Tony McNulty) wrote to the West Midlands Regional Assembly on 9 July 2003 setting out the Secretary of State's response to the West Midlands Area Multi-Modal Study. In that letter, the full text of which is available at http://www.go-wm.gov.uk/MultiModal/mms/wm, he set out the terms under which the Secretary of State would be prepared to consider making available up to £1 billion of capital funding for the West Midlands conurbation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to replace Operation Stack on the M20; and if he will make a statement. [224453]

The Highways Agency is reviewing what improvements may be possible in the short and long term to reduce delays and disruption for travellers. These options include the modified use of Operation Stack, with and without contraflow working on the M20 London bound carriageway, and a possible lorry park for use as a holding area for HGVs waiting to travel to the continent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the numberof journeys affected by Operation Stack on the M20. [224457]

During 2004 Kent police activated Operation Stack on six occasions. Between 27 January and 29 March 2005 it has been necessary to implement Operation Stack on 17 occasions because of the difficulties with the docking facilities in Calais and the effects of industrial action in France.

Kent police do not hold detailed records that show how many vehicles have actually been affected by the implementation of Operation Stack. However, there are approximately 23,000 vehicles per day travelling on the M20 between Junctions 11 and 12 on the coastbound carriageway (Phase one of Operation Stack) and approximately 30,000 vehicles per day travelling between Junctions eight and nine on the coastbound (Phase two of Operation Stack). When Operation Stack is implemented a large proportion of these vehicles would have to alter their route, change their travel plans and may experience a delay to their journey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to extend anti-discrimination legislation to make all public transport accessible to disabled people. [224539]

The Government are committed to an accessible public transport system in which disabled people have the same opportunities to travel as other members of society. We have already introduced regulations under part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to make all new trains, buses and coaches accessible and have announced our proposals for taxis. However, although associated infrastructure is covered, transport services are currently exempt from part 3 of the DDA which covers access to goods, services and facilities. The Government consider that to be an untenable position.

Measures have been included in the Disability Discrimination Bill currently being considered by Parliament to allow for the removal of that exemption through regulations. We have completed consultation on draft regulations which would cover public transport—trains (including light rail, underground and trams), buses, coaches, taxis and private hire—vehicle hire, breakdown services and vehicles used in leisure and tourism transport services. Subject to the passage of the Bill, we intend to lift the exemption for those services in December 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Department for International Development on the setting up of the Transport Knowledge Partnership; and if he will make a statement. [224104]

The Department for Transport has not had discussions with the Department for International Development (DFID) on this issue. The global Transport Knowledge Partnership is an international initiative to increase the capacity of developing countries to share and apply knowledge and information for sustainable transport. DFID supports the initiative and has committed up to £2 million to it over a period of four years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is encouraging the EU to take to further the middle east peace process. [224401]

We continue to work closely with the EU and other Quartet members on middle east peace process issues. The Commission and other EU partners attended the London Meeting on 1 March, and have been active in work to follow up that meeting. We will continue to support the work of the Commission, along with the World Bank and US, in their efforts to assist the Palestinian Authority implement its programme of reforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the transfer of Palestinian towns to the control of the Palestinian authorities. [224406]

The transfer of five West Bank cities to Palestinian Authority control is progressing as agreed at Sharm al-Sheikh. The handover of Jericho took place on 16 March, and that of Tulkarem on 21 March. We welcome the transfers and the improved security cooperation between the Israelis and Palestinians.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Prime Minister concerning the expansion of settlements on the West Bank. [224407]

We have frequently made clear to the Israeli Government our view that settlements are illegal under international law. The roadmap requires that Israel freeze settlement expansion and dismantle outposts erected since March 2001. My noble Friend Baroness Symons made representations on this issue to the Israeli ambassador on 23 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the continuing conflict in Darfur on the North-South Sudanese peace deal. [224408]

Full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is vital for peace in the whole of Sudan, including Darfur. However, the full benefits of a peace dividend for Sudan, including progress on debt relief, will not be realised until the conflict in Darfur is resolved. We are therefore pressing the parties in Darfur to negotiate a political settlement, consistent with the CPA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to persuade the Government of Sudan to allow access to conflict-affected populations in Darfur by non-governmental organisations and human rights organisations. [224346]

We regularly discuss with both the Government of Sudan and the rebels the importance of access for all non-governmental organisations throughout Darfur. Our Ambassador raised this matter with the Government on 21 March and I discussed this with the Secretary General of the Sudanese Liberation Movement on 22 March. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary secured access for human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in August 2004. Lack of security is the key factor hampering access throughout Darfur. We have made it clear to the Government and the rebels that they must abide by their commitments under Abuja humanitarian and security protocols and improve the situation in Darfur.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government-funded monitoring of anti-Semitic incitement in (a) the Middle East and (b) Eastern Europe. [224122]

The UK is committed to tackling discrimination and intolerance, including anti-Semitism. Incitement against any community may result in an increase in racial, religious or national tension.

As part of its efforts to combat incitement, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is funding a project with the NGO index on censorship and BBC monitoring, to monitor incidents where the media has been either inciting conflict or raising tension, including on anti-Semitic grounds. The project, which began in 2004 and is expected to run for four years, focuses on four regions, including Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The outputs of the monitoring can serve as early warning of increasing tensions in a given region; and to highlight areas where action is needed by Governments or civil society to tackle hate speech and incitement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made regarding anti-Semitic incitement to the Governments of (a) Iran, (b) Lebanon, (c) Syria and (d) Egypt. [224127]

We remain deeply concerned at continuing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric from senior figures in the Iranian regime. Senior UK officials discussed this most recently with representatives of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on 2 February 2005. We have also pressed the Iranian authorities on many occasions to address international concerns about Iran's links to groups undermining the Middle East Peace Process through violence.

We have raised the issue of anti-Semitism with the Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian authorities in the past, but have not had occasion to do so recently.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the high commission in Gaborone has made to the Botswanan authorities concerning the threatened deportation of Professor Ken Good; and if he will make a statement on (a) academic freedom and (b) respect for human rights in Botswana. [218980]

Professor Good is an Australian national; as such, consular assistance is being provided by the Australian high commission in Pretoria. It is not our practice to offer consular assistance to foreign nationals.

We have made clear to the authorities in Botswana, through our high commission in Gaborone, the importance that we attach to academic freedom and respect for human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 21 February concerning refusal of a visit visa to Miss Sinclair Deona Marie, Case Ref KGN 64392. [223855]

A reply to my right hon. Friend will be sent shortly. I apologise for the delay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the UN and (b) France regarding (i) the security situation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire and (ii) the long-term strength of UN and French peacekeeping forces stationed there. [224486]

The UN Security Council discussed the situation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire on 28 March, including the UN Secretary-General's proposal to reinforce the UN mission there. Council members are now discussing the renewal of the mandates of the UN and French forces in Co(r)te d'Ivoire. We remain in close touch with our French counterparts in Paris, New York and Abidjan and with the UN Secretariat in New York about the security situation and the future mandates of the UN and French forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposed inclusion of weapons of mass destruction clauses in the Cotonou agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific states. [223943]

The Cotonou Agreement covers many aspects of the EU's relationship with the ACP group—trade, aid and political dialogue. The EU has agreed that such mixed agreements should reflect our common interest in non-proliferation of WMD as an issue of political dialogue. The EU has told the African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP) that

financial and technical assistance in the area of counter proliferation of WMD will be financed from instruments other than those intended for the financing of ACP-EC cooperation"

i.e. not from the European Development Fund or other EC thematic development lines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many properties builton occupied and misappropriated Greek Cypriot owned land in the northern part of the island of Cyprus have been purchased by citizens of the United Kingdom. [224357]

The Government does not have access to that information. It is a matter for private individuals, acting upon appropriately qualified legal advice.

However, I welcome this opportunity to give further publicity to the relevant advice on our website (www.fco.gov.uk), to the effect that:

Before purchasing property anywhere in Cyprus you are strongly advised to seek independent qualified legal advice.

Property issues are closely linked to the political situation. The non-recognition of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' and the possibility of a future political settlement in Cyprus could have significant practical or financial implications for those considering buying property in the north. There is also a risk that purchasers would face legal proceedings in the courts of the Republic of Cyprus. Separately, there are specific rules for foreigners purchasing property in the north and you should ensure you are fully aware of these."

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2005, Official Report, column 215W, on departmental structures, how many staff there are in the Presidency Unit within the Europe Directorate; and what the unit's (a) programme budget and (b) staffing budget is in 2005–06. [224316]

The Presidency Team in the European Directorate currently consists of 12 members of staff. A thirteenth is being recruited to reach our full complement to meet projected staffing requirements for the duration of the Presidency. Staffing for the unit is being covered through re-prioritisation but is costed at £438,692 for financial year 2005–06.

Although budget allocations are yet to be finalised, the budget for programme spend is currently projected to be £6,732,000 in 2005–06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2005, Official Report, column 216W, on departmental structures, what the (a) remit, (b) programme budget and (c) staffing budget for 2005–06 are of (i) the EU Economic Reform and Analysis Unit, (ii) the Agenda 2007 Unit, (iii) the International Trade Team and (iv) the EU Forward Planning Unit. [224317]

The Economic Reform and Agenda 2007 Units are principally charged with winning support among our EU partners for UK views on, respectively, European economic reform and the EU's future financing negotiations (Agenda 2007). These two units and the Forward Planning Unit are also responsible, between them, for the UK's bilateral relations with Ireland and with the five new EU member states from central Europe. The Forward Planning Unit is, in addition, responsible for relations with the EU institutions. The International Trade Team's principal task is winning support among EU and World Trade Organisation partners for the UK's international trade policy objectives. All four units work closely with other Government Departments.

Staffing levels in the different units vary as staff arrive and depart and they are moved to priority work. But the current staffing budgets for the units, based on average grade costs, are:

£

None of the units currently has a free-standing programme budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 592W, on the EU presidency, what public-facing activities the Government plan to undertake in relation to the UK presidency of the EU. [224635]

The Government are committed to informing and involving the public on the Government's policies and issues relating to the UK presidency of the EU.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office plan to be involved in a range of public communication activities during the presidency including the presidency website, regional advertising, leaflets, public discussions and media relations. These activities are currently in the planning stages but all UK presidency events will be listed on the official website.

Other Government Departments are responsible for organising their own communication activities relating to their policies during the presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 592W, on the EU presidency, if he will make a statement on the types of public information that the Government intend to provide in relation to the UK presidency of the EU. [224636]

The Government are committed to providing public information during our presidency. We plan to provide information relating to the presidency and its priorities through the official website (including documents, statements and speeches), as well as more proactive communication such as advertising, leaflets and media relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 592W, on the EU presidency, which team within his Department's Europe Directorate will be responsible for the budget for provision of public information on the UK presidency of the EU. [224637]

A dedicated resource unit within the presidency team of the EU Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been set up with responsibility for managing the FCO's presidency budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 592W, on the EU presidency, if he will break down the costs of the UK presidency of the EU by activity. [224638]

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 21 March in which I said that final figures are not yet available for 2005–06. However, using provisional allocations where necessary, spending over the 18-month planning period and the 6-month operational period of the presidency currently breaks down as follows:

£

There may be some variation in final spending patterns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2005, Official Report, column 592W, on the EU presidency, what the budget was for public-facing activities for the previous UK presidency of the EU. [224639]

Expenditure for public-facing activities for the previous UK presidency of the EU in 1998 is recorded as being £521,359.35.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors informed his choice for the question in the referendum on the EU Constitution. [214335]

The question was drafted bearing in mind the Electoral Commission's published guidelines, which are designed to ensure that a question is intelligible. The Electoral Commission's published views on the noble Lord, Lord Blackwell's Private Member's Bill of July 2004 were also taken into account. The wording of the question was agreed collectively at ministerial level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect, when compared with existing rules, of the new qualified majority voting rules contained within the EU Constitutional Treaty on the ability of the UK Government to prevent EU legislation being passed. [224270]

The Government do not believe the new voting arrangements in the EU Constitutional Treaty represent a significant change in the UK or other member states' powers. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Commentary on the Treaty (Cm 6459) provides a detailed analysis in the changes in voting rules which would be introduced by the EU Constitutional Treaty if it were to come into force. In addition, the treaty would give national parliaments a direct say in the EU's law-making procedures for the first time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes to the qualified majority voting rules of the EU within the Constitutional Treaty in terms of Coleman's measure of the power to block legislation. [224272]

None. The implications of the new voting rules were fully and properly assessed with regard to UK interests, including the UK interest in the effective operation of the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy that failure by (a) the UK, (b) France and (c) the Netherlands to ratify the Constitution for Europe should lead to a presumption that that State (i)would and (ii) should withdraw from the European Union. [224273]

No. That will depend on each member state.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Central Office of Information regarding public information on the Constitution for Europe. [224313]

In line with normal government practice, the Central Office of Information has been commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to work with them on their on-going communications work on the EU and the proposed EU Constitutional Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2005, Official Report, column 219W, on the European Constitution, what the (a) civil service grades and (b) job description are of the 14 members of the EU Constitution team within his Department's Europe Directorate. [224314]

Further to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Mr. Hopkins) on 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 220W, following normal recruitment procedures there are now 15 staff in the EU Constitution Team. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office grades are:

1D7; 2D6; 1C5; 4C4; 3B3; 2A2; 2Al.

The team consists of a Team Leader, a Policy and Communications Manager, a Bill Manager, an officer responsible for communications strategy, three officers responsible for communications, publications and policy, an officer responsible for the EU Bill, an officer responsible for Parliament, an officer responsible for regional visits and media and an officer responsible for polling. There are four support officers at the Band A grade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2005, Official Report, column 219W, on the European Constitution, how he intends to estimate public demand for distribution of the text of the EU Constitutional Treaty; and what assessment he has made of the cost of such a distribution. [224315]

The text of the EU Constitutional Treaty and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Commentary on the Treaty are available free at www.europe.gov.uk. The full text and commentary have also been made available to all central libraries in the UK, and are available to members of the public on request from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. No assessment has yet been made of demand for further distribution and related costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding the progress being made in EU national Parliaments towards ratification of the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe. [224402]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I continue to have informal discussions with his EU counterparts on the progress being made in EU national Parliaments towards ratification of the EU constitutional treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what forthcoming publications relating to the EU constitution are planned by his Department. [224634]

Decisions have not yet been made on forthcoming publications on the EU constitutional treaty. Current publications relating to the treaty include the Guide to the EU and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Commentary on the Treaty and are available at www.europe.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Council has taken decisions by majority vote since 1997. [224640]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the promotion of a free press overseas. [224687]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continues to work both bilaterally and with our international partners to promote freedom of expression. We do this through lobbying on individual cases and wider human rights issues, and through projects supported through the Global Opportunities Fund.

The FCO's Freedom of Expression Panel, which I chair, includes representatives of NGOs, academic experts and legal and media professionals. It meets regularly to provide expert advice and guidance to the FCO. The panel has sub-groups working on hate speech; safety and risk management for media professionals; public sector broadcasting laws and imprisoned journalists/writers. Further details of FCO work on this subject can be found in the FCO's Annual Report on Human Rights 2004 (Command Paper Cm 6364), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, and which can be found on the FCO website, www.fco.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Administration regarding the European Union's Galileo navigation system. [223951]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the US Administration regarding Galileo. However officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments are regularly in touch with their US counterparts on Galileo—contacts were particularly frequent in the run-up to the EU-US Agreement on Galileo of June last year. The Department for Transport is the lead Government Department for Galileo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Iran. [224404]

Our policy towards Iran remains one of constructive, but critical and conditional, engagement. The European Union has made clear that the development of its relations with Iran is possible only on the basis of action by Iran to address political concerns, in areas such as its nuclear programme, human rights record, approach to terrorism, and attitude to the middle east peace process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account was taken of Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the appointment of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. [220813]

Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention would not apply to the establishment of the Iraq Special Tribunal (IST) or any appointment of the IST because it was established by the Iraqi Governing Council and not by an Occupying Power. It is part of the Iraqi criminal justice system and comprises of Iraqi judges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Northern Ireland Office regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters. [224598]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli authorities on the plans of the IsraeliGovernment to build more homes on the West Bank. [224051]

We have made frequent representations to the Israeli government expressing our concern over continued settlement activity. We have made clear our view that settlements are illegal under international law. The Roadmap requires that Israel freeze all settlement expansion and dismantle outposts erected since March 2001. Most recently my right hon. and noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, met the Israeli Ambassador in London on 23 March. Baroness Symons expressed our concern at Israel's plans to build 3,500 more homes between the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the political impact on (a) Jordan, (b) Syria, (c) Israel, (d) Palestine and (e) Iran of the recent conflict in Iraq. [223942]

We closely monitor the political situation in the Middle East. The fall of Saddam Hussein's regime removed the threat he posed to Iraq's neighbours.

For Syria, the conflict gave rise to the movement of numbers of Iraqis across Syria's borders. There is evidence that some Syrian extremists have travelled to Iraq to take part in the insurgency. Syria appears to be the principal route for insurgents entering Iraq and continues to support former Iraqi regime elements who are based in Syria. We have repeatedly raised our concerns about these issues with the Syrian Government, and will continue to do so.

For Iran, the removal of Saddam's Government has created an opportunity to re-establish Iran/Iraq relations on a more positive footing. A stable and prosperous Iraq is in the best interests of Iran as well as the wider region. We have encouraged Iran to play a constructive role and to support Iraqi efforts to preserve security. We have made clear our concern at the alleged links between elements of the Iranian regime and armed groups in Iraq who have sought to undermine the rule of law.

For Jordan, the conflict gave rise to the movement of numbers of Iraqis across Jordan's borders. Since the conflict ended, Jordan has provided political support and practical assistance to Iraq.

The conflict has had less direct effect on Israel and Palestine, although a source of funds for some Palestinian groups has dried up with the removal of Saddam Hussein. In recent months the Israeli and Palestinian focus has been directed internally towards the Palestinian elections and disengagement.

Successful elections were held in Iraq on 30 January. The formation of a democratically elected Iraqi Government should have a further positive impact on stability in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programmes his Department is undertaking to promote political reform in the Middle East. [224128]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's main programme tool for supporting reform in the Middle East is the Engaging with the Islamic World programme under the Global Opportunities Fund. It currently supports 44 programmes in the Middle East and North Africa region. From this financial year we are doubling the programme's budget to £8.5 million. We also have a number of other programmes, such as the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, sponsored themed visits and scholarships, which contribute to our policy of supporting regionally-led reform.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the work of the EU on (a) governmental transparency and (b) anti-corruption mechanisms in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement. [224628]

My Department has made no specific assessment of the work of the EU on governmental transparency and anti-corruption mechanisms in the Middle East. But the UK's national contribution to the 10-year Review of the Barcelona Process argues that theEU and Mediterranean Partner countries should set long-term governance targets in order, among other things, to promote greater transparency in policy making and to counter corruption across the EuroMed region. We believe that such targets should be incorporated into the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans with Mediterranean Partner countries. And we will continue to press the EU to incorporate the principles of the EU Strategic Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East as it develops its relations with other countries in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received concerning the state of health of Mr. Nick Baker who is in prison in Japan; andwhat discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with Japanese officials concerning Mr. Baker's case. [224449]

Our embassy in Japan and the Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are monitoring Mr. Baker's case closely, including his state of health. Embassy officials have discussed health issues with Mr. Baker during consular visits and raised them with Japanese officials where necessary. For reasons of consular confidentiality we cannot reveal detailed information about Mr. Baker's health.

The FCO is also monitoring Mr. Baker's appeal against his conviction, which is continuing in the Japanese courts. Embassy officials raise Mr Baker's case with the Japanese authorities whenever appropriate.

The FCO remains in touch with Mr. Baker and his family and will inform them of any developments in his case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Expert Group Report, submitted to the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, INFCIRC/640, 22 February; and whether he plans to adopt its recommendations in United Kingdom submissions to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May in New York. [224003]

The report represents a preliminary assessment of the options for strengthening the proliferation resistance of the civil nuclear fuel cycle, while assuring supply of fuel for peaceful civil nuclear purposes: We believe it is a valuable contribution to the debate. We will, as the report recommends, be investigating the practicality, feasibility and usefulness of the approaches it sets out. We will continue to take an active part in the debate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral answer of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 805, on Iran, which part of Article 2 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty allows the United Kingdom to hold nuclear weapons. [224044]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, in answer to my hon. Friend's oral question of 1 March, stated that the United Kingdom was allowed to hold nuclear weapons under Article 2 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that non-nuclear weapon states were defined as such by Article IV of the Treaty. The correct position on the definitions of the articles and our obligations under the treaty articles is set out in my reply to my hon. Friend on 15 March 2005, Official Report, columns 222–23W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom has made representations to any non-nuclear weapons states in respect of the development or operation of (a) spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, (b) uranium enrichment plants and (c) separated plutonium stores. [224045]

The UK, as a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), upholds the inalienable right of non-nuclear weapon states to thepeaceful use of nuclear energy under Article IV of the Treaty, in conformity with Articles I and II of the Treaty. The UK also seeks to uphold, and is committed to, all other Articles of the Treaty. It actively participates in and promotes, in the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other relevant for a such as the G8, compliance with the international nuclear non-proliferation obligations set out in the NPT and other international instruments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether Syria's recent troop deployment is compliant with United Nations Security Council resolution 1559; and if he will make a statement. [224125]

The ongoing redeployment of Syrian troops to the Beka'a Valley and withdrawal of some to Syria is a first step in the implementation of UNSCR 1559. Among other terms, the resolution requires all Syrian forces, including intelligence and security personnel, to withdraw from Lebanon. The Government notes the undertaking made by Syrian Foreign Minister Shara'a's letters of 29 March 2005 to the UN Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council to withdraw all Syrian troops from Lebanon by May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the possibility of limiting uranium enrichment and reprocessing plants to countries that already have the facilities. [223320]

The Government is committed to ensuring that sensitive nuclear items, such as enrichment and reprocessing plants, which have clear proliferation potential, are not exported to states that may seek to use them for weapons purposes.

Recognising this, the UK is committed to strengthening the Nuclear Suppliers Group Guidelines, which control the export of such equipment, with a series of tough criteria that a recipient state must adhere to in order to receive such transfers. This will provide suppliers of nuclear items with adequate assurances that transferred items will not be used for non-peaceful purposes. The criteria are relevant whether or not the recipient state is in possession of equipment and reprocessing facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the (a) UN, (b) Polisaro Front and (c) Government of Morocco on holding a referendum on the future of the Western Sahara. [224597]

UK officials hold regular discussions with the parties to the Western Sahara dispute and UN officials. These focus on ensuring that the UN process leads to a fair and lasting solution to this dispute that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has concluded his discussions with ministerial colleagues on the provision of written ministerial statements prior to and following all Council of Ministers' meetings to provide details of the meeting's agenda and its outcomes; and if he will make a statement. [224109]

After consultation with ministerial colleagues, I made proposals to provide written ministerial statements prior to and following all Council of Ministers meetings to the chairs of the Commons European Scrutiny and Lords EU Select Committees. The proposals were generally well-received.

I am now in the process of reporting back the Committees' views to ministerial colleagues. I will announce any new initiative for reporting on Council of Ministers meetings by way of a written ministerial statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter dated 16 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to John Gilburn. [224361]

I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 3 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance the Department plans to give to those on low incomes to obtain the necessary equipment in advance of digital switchover. [224098]

As the Charter Review Green Paper makes clear, the vast majority of citizens will need only a source of good information to help them through switchover. However, we are working with the BBC and others to assess the scope of measures required to ensure the interests of the most vulnerable customers are protected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the application of the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 to alcohol wholesalers who rent their business space. [224368]

Under the 2003 Act, sales of alcohol which are made to traders for the purposes of their trade, including another wholesaler, or to holders of club premises certificates, premises licences or personal licences, or premises users who have given temporary event notices for the purpose of making sales authorised by these permissions or notices, are not licensable. However a sale, not in the class above, made to a member of the public, even if in wholesale quantities, will become a licensable activity under the 2003 Act when it is fully operational. A premises licence would therefore be required for the premises where the alcohol is stored prior to despatch if any of the alcohol is to be dispatched to the public, whether or not the business space was rented. In addition under the 2003 Act no supply of alcohol, in retail or wholesale quantities to the public, may be made unless it is made or authorised by a person who holds a personal licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many other public and Government advisory appointments are held by the new Chair of UK Sport. [223695]

holding answer 24 March 2005

Sue Campbell has since 2000 been a specialist adviser to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as a part-time unremunerated appointment. She holds no other public appointments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been granted to the Yorkshire Tourism Board in each year since 1996. [224593]

In 2004–05 Yorkshire Forward provided funding to the Yorkshire Tourist Board of £503,258 to cover its core operational costs.

In 2003–04 the final figure for core operational costs was £685,466.

In addition to core funding, Yorkshire Forward provided funding to the Yorkshire Tourist Board of £217,437 in 2003–04 and £2,360,161 in 2004–05. This was for a range of services including marketing, e-tourism and data.

For the previous years figures I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 21 October 2004, Official Report, column 823W.

To ask the Solicitor-General what recent discussions she has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on breaches of antisocial behaviour orders in North Yorkshire. [224193]

I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave on 24 March 2005, Official Report, column 999.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effect of the actions and policies of the Law Officers' Department on Blackpool, South constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. [215749]

Since 1997 the Government has embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained at a constituency level but I can provide information on Lancashire as a whole. The introduction of the statutory charging scheme in June 2004 has already brought benefits in reducing the number of cases which fall out of the system after charge. The figures have fallen from 23.4 per cent. in 2002–03 to 17.2 per cent. in 2004–05 to date.

A Witness Care Unit has been established at Blackpool in furtherance of the No Witness No Justice initiative. This is already having an impact on the number of ineffective trials, particularly in the Crown court.

Lancashire has one of 14 specialist antisocial behaviour prosecutors in the country. The CPS work closely with other agencies to address antisocial behaviour and 37 orders on conviction were granted in Lancashire between November 2004 and February 2005.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [214701]

Since 1997 the Government has embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained at a constituency level but I can provide information on Lancashire as a whole. The introduction of the statutory charging scheme in June 2004 has already brought benefits in reducing the number of cases which fall out of the system after charge. The figures have fallen from 23.4 per cent. in 2002–03 to 17.2 per cent. in 2004–05 to date.

Three new witness care units have been established in Lancashire, one of which is situated in Burnley. These units are already making a contribution towards the reduction in the percentage of ineffective trials, particularly in the Crown court.

Lancashire has one of 14 specialist antisocial behaviour prosecutors in the country. The CPS work closely with other agencies to address antisocial behaviour and 37 orders on conviction were granted in Lancashire between November 2004 and February 2005. Burnley is one of two new action areas within Lancashire and the specialist prosecutor will be establishing close working relationships with the relevant crime and disorder reduction partnerships, and with Burnley council's community safety department to determine how the CPS can contribute more to reducing antisocial behaviour in the area.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Folkestone and Hythe constituency, the effects on Folkestone and Hythe of the Law Officers' Department policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [216027]

Since 1997 the Government have embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained on a constituency level. For Kent as a whole the statutory charging scheme was introduced in May 2004. This has had a significant impact on the number of cases which fall out of the criminal justice system after charge with an improvement from 18.3 per cent. in 2002–03 to 15.4 per cent. in 2004–05 to date.

Within Kent there are nine Witness Care Units, the introduction of which should have an impact on the numbers of ineffective trials in both the magistrates courts and the Crown court.

Kent has one of 14 specialist antisocial behaviour prosecutors. The prosecutor contributes substantially tointer-agency working and 21 Orders on conviction were granted in Kent between November 2004 and February 2005.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Kingston upon Hull North constituency, the effects on Kingston upon Hull North of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [211806]

Since 1997 the Government has embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained at constituency level, but within the Humberside area, the introduction of statutory charging in August 2004 has already had an impact, reducing the level of cases which fall out of the system after charge. The current figures for the year to date are 13.3 per cent. as against 17.9 per cent. in 2002–03.

The CPS is also working with other agencies in this area to tackle antisocial behaviour. Between November 2004 and February 2005 16 antisocial behaviour orders on conviction have been granted in Humberside.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Maidenhead constituency, the effects on Maidenhead of the Law Officers' Department policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [216028]

Since 1997 the Government have embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained on a constituency level, but within Thames Valley the statutory charging scheme was adopted in September 2004. This has already had an impact on the number of cases which fall out of the system after charge with an improvement from 29.9 per cent. in 2002–03 to 25.7 per cent. in the current year to date.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, the effects on Preseli Pembrokeshire of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [211317]

Since 1997 the Government has embarked on a programme of reform in the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent.

Statistics are not maintained at a constituency level, but within the Dyfed Powys area, the introduction of a statutory charging scheme has already had an impact on the number of cases falling out of the criminal justice system after charge. There has been a reduction from 21.2 per cent. to 17.3 per cent. since 2002–03.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the impact of the Coastal Action Zone initiative in East Lincolnshire; and if he will make a statement. [224489]

My right hon. Friend the Lord Rooker was involved in the formal launch of the Coastal Action Zone (CAZ) at Whitehall in December 2004.

I understand that since then the CAZ members have been considering priorities and potential activities. Officials from the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) are involved in these discussions. It is very much early days. No impact assessment has been made by the Government but GOEM continue to follow developments with interest.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the planned (a) capital and (b) resource budget for his Department is for 2011–12. [223430]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) on 4 April 2005, Official Report, column 1170W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many regulations have been repealed by his Department since 1st October 2004. [224617]

33 Regulations or Orders classified as general have been wholly revoked and five have been partially revoked.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many divorced spouses given a share of a retired firefighter's pension in each of the last three years did not receive it because they were under the qualifying pension age; and how much this saved the pension fund in immediate payments in each year. [224239]

The firefighters' pensions scheme is administered by individual Fire and Rescue Authorities, so this information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to announce a decision on the selection of a contractor for the Firelink radio system. [224237]

The announcement is expected in June 2005.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how long after receipt of the best and final offer submission from the bidding contractors he would expect to wait before making a decision on the selection of a contractor for the Firelink radio system. [224238]

Upon receipt the best and final offer submissions will be evaluated with a final decision expected in June 2005.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many acres of vacant, dormant, unused and under-utilised land are owned by his Department; and if he will estimate the number of homes that could be built on the land if it was made available. [219681]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has six unused sites which total 1.8 acres. Of these:

One site (0.07 acre) is subject to a Planning Obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and is therefore not available for development.

One site (0.038 acre) is considered too small to have development potential.

Two sites (total 0.42 acre) which are close to each other are surrounded on three sides by roads and motorways. The local authority position is that the land forms a special landscaped area and that development would not be appropriate.

Two sites (total 1.25 acres) are on either side of a motorway. These have development potential and this is being explored.

There has been no estimate made of the number of homes that could be built on these sites.

This answer does not include information pertaining to Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the latest estimate is of the deficit or surplus in each local authority pension scheme. [224674]

As at 31 March 2001, the most recent date for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has full actuarial valuation data for the Local Government Pension Scheme, pension funds in England and Wales held assets some £6.3 billion less than their liabilities. The results of the actuarial valuation carried out for each local authority pension fund as at 31 March 2004 are not yet available.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) Traveller migration to the UK, (b) demand for Traveller sites and (c) unauthorised encampments of the introduction of changes in the law of trespass in the Irish Republic. [223936]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's bi-annual Count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans in England, and the annual count of Traveller families in the Republic of Ireland carried out by the Irish Government, do not indicate that there has been a significant population shift since the introduction of the legislative changes in the Republic, which took effect in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she will publish the data for the number of accidents at work involving employees of her Department; and if she will make a statement. [222585]

The Department for Education and Skills does not currently publish accident data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provisions her Department makes to assist children with autism in schools. [224088]

It is for individual schools to decide how best to make provision for children with autism. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice advises schools and local education authorities (LEAs) that children's needs should be assessed individually and that provision should address the particular needs of the individual child. It gives advice to schools on making provision for children with SEN, including those with autism.

The Department for Education and Skills, together with the Department of Health, has issued good practice guidance on making provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders which aims to raise awareness of autism. Nine of the 11 SEN regional partnerships have working groups focusing on improving provision for children with autism in their areas, using the good practice guidance. The regional partnerships have also been producing other autism guidance, including guidance on delivering the curriculum for children with autism in secondary schools, a transition toolkit for children with autism moving from primary to secondary school, and guidance for learning support assistants.

Over recent years many LEAs have used available funding to support in-service training on autism. As part of the Government's SEN strategy, published last year, the Department is working with the Teacher Training Agency to develop proposals for improving training in relation to SEN, including autism. An inclusion development programme is also being developed to strengthen the evidence base about what works in educating children with autism and build a consensus about how to implement good practice most effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with autism there were in schools in Norfolk in each month since January 2002, broken down by (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [224096]

Information on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and their primary need was collected in the Annual Schools' Census for the first time in January 2004 for pupils at School Action Plus and those with a statement of SEN. In Norfolk local education authority maintained primary schools reported having approximately 310 pupils and maintained secondary schools reported 130 pupils whose primary need was autistic spectrum disorder.

The purpose of the data collection is to inform policy and planning, to study trends and to monitor the outcomes of initiatives and interventions on pupils with different types of SEN, not to classify individuals, or assigning children by type of need. We are aware that some schools had difficulty in identifying a child's primary need and where appropriate their secondary need. Also professionals from education and health fields may classify some children differently; and the levels of identification of SEN are varied between local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role the Children's Commissioner for England will play in improving children's health services; and what information sources will be available to the Commissioner to assess children's health services. [223559]

The Children's Commissioner's remit is as set out in the Children Act 2004. He will promote awareness of the views and interests of children and young people; working as an independent champion, with a strategic role which gives him wide scope and influence in advancing their interests. As part of this function, he may choose to consider or research any matter, relating to the interests of children, including the improvement of children's health services. He also has an inquiry function which means that when he considers that the case of an individual child raises questions of relevance to children generally, he may hold an inquiry into that case.

He is independent of Government and if he chooses to deal with health services, it will be up to him how he exercises this duty and what arrangements he will make. As in all his work, whether the Commissioner holds an inquiry or considers an issue, he will exercise impartiality at all times.

The Government look forward to supporting the Children's Commissioner whenever they can to aid him in his work. We will make available to him any information that we are permitted to, in order to help him discharge his functions. This will include anything related to health services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Capital Modernisation Fund computer-learning centres have been established in Crosby. [223944]

This information has been supplied by Ufl who took over responsibility for administration and development of Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) funded UK online centres in April 2003.

There are two UK online centres in Crosby and third on the border between Waterloo and Crosby. See details as follows:

College Road Library

College Road

Crosby

Merseyside

L23 3DP

0151 924 5287

11 UK online workstations

Crosby Connect Learning Centre

Crosby Library and Civic Hall

Crosby Road North

Waterloo

Merseyside

L22 0LQ

0151 257 6408

10 UK online workstations

3TC—Merseyside Third Sector

Technology Centre

16 Crosby Road North

Waterloo

Merseyside

L22 0NY

0151 285 4010

18 UK online workstations (plus 38 additional workstations not funded by CMF)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were undergoing training in the construction industry in each year from 1975 to 2004. [223896]

This information cannot be provided as the cost of gathering the information is disproportionate. However if the hon. Member wishes to write to me I may be able to provide information about specific types of training over some or all of the period in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire of 9 February, on an alleged breach of the Civil Service Code. [224095]

holding answer 4 April 2005

A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 31 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many EU (a) regulations and (b) directives covering matters within the responsibility of her Department have been repealed since 1 April 2004. [224574]

No EU regulations or directives covering matters within the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills have been repealed since 1 April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many regulations have been repealed by her Department since 1 April 2004. [224575]

15 regulations have been repealed by the Department for Education and Skills since 1 April 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to support access to mainstream inclusive education for disabled people. [224540]

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 amended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to cover the provision of education. The 2001 Act required local authorities (LAs) and schools not to discriminate against disabled people in their access to education for reasons relating to their disability. It also required LAs and schools to plan to increase progressively, and over time, access to schools by disabled pupils and prospective pupils.

The Government's SEN Strategy: Removing Barriers to achievement" is providing support to help schools and LAs implement these duties through the development of guidance and practical tools. These tools explain how they can make reasonable adjustments to their policies and practice to prevent discrimination, and how they can review and revise their accessibility strategies and plans.

The Department is also making available £300 million through the Schools Access Initiative between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2006 to cover the first accessibility planning period. This funding is intended to support projects to improve the accessibility of mainstream schools to disabled pupils. It is for LAs to decide the schools at which projects are to be undertaken. We are encouraging schools and LAs to consider access as part of all capital building plans, including through the Building Schools for the Future programme and the recently announced 15 year capital investment programme for Primary Schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Learning and Skills Council funding is planned for education business links for 2005–06; and how much was made available in 2004–05. [223666]

Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding to support education business links activities is a matter for the LSC. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.