To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recipients of working tax credit and child tax credit there are in Hastings and Rye constituency. [17038]

The average number of in-work families in Hastings and Rye with a 2003–04 finalised tax credit award was 7,300, Of these 6,900 were families with children, while 400 were families without children.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of overpayment of tax credits in the last 12 months. [17056]

Estimates of numbers and values of overpayments or underpayments for 2004–05 awards at 5April 2005 will not be available until after family circumstances and incomes for 2004–05 have been finalised.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response he has made to English Heritage's representations for a 5 per cent. value added tax for all building work. [17050]

I am aware of English Heritage representations and wrote to them on the subject when they raised it with me in 2003. All representations are considered as part of the Budget process.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial incentives he has introduced to encourage innovation in the creative industries. [17051]

The R and D tax credit for SMEs was introduced in 2000 to encourage commercial innovation. The scheme was extended to all companies in 2002, and to date nearly £1.4 billion of Government support has been claimed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on public investment in the new deal and welfare to work measures. [17052]

Since 1997, this Government has invested over £3 billion in New Deal, helping nearly 1.4 million people into work, and contributing to a 600,000 fall in unemployment, and to over 2 million more people in work.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Treasury's reassessment of the beginning of the economic cycle. [17053]

As set out in chapter 4 of the Treasury publication 'Evidence on the UK Economic Cycle' (July 2005), the Treasury's revised judgment, based on new evidence from revised national accounts data, is that the current economic cycle began in the first half of 1997, rather than in 1999. This conclusion is corroborated by other new data and analysis cited in the paper.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress towards an international finance facility [17054]

The IFF is supported by more than 80 countries, including France, Italy, Sweden, Brazil, China, and South Africa, as well as the UN and other international organisations, faith leaders and NGOs.

As a first step towards launching a full IFF, on 9 September the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden launched a pilot IFF for Immunisation (IFFIm). Using the frontloading principles and mechanisms of the main IFF to generate new resources, the IFFIm could save the lives of an estimated five million children before 2015.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of Government net borrowing on projected levels of taxation over the next five years; [17055]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of Government net borrowing on the projected levels of taxation over the next five years. [17058]

Budget 2005 set out the Government's latest projections for tax receipts. Updated estimates will be published in the Pre-Budget Report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of steel prices on the British economy; and if he will make a statement. [17057]

Higher steel prices tend to raise production costs and thus have a small adverse effect on economic activity, though UK exporters may have benefited from the strong world demand that has been driving steel prices. Thanks to the domestic macroeconomic stability that this Government's macroeconomic frameworks have delivered, the UK economy is much better placed than in the past to deal with challenges posed by the global economy, including those arising from high commodity prices.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. [17059]

The merger of Inland Revenue and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) took place successfully on 18 April 2005 through the legal merger of its two predecessor departments.

Since then HMRC has created and implemented a new organisational structure designed to deliver better service to customers, new approaches to compliance, information and resources and efficiency, through economies of scale and transformational change.

The new structure has more focus on HMRC customers and their needs. It requires more collegiate, interactive behaviours, which the organisation is developing. Early customer service benefits include an improved service to individuals through the introduction of a short tax return issued to 1.5 million individuals this year; the removal of over 1 million people with relatively simple affairs from the self assessment net; the reduction, by half, of the number of tax leaflets; and the rewriting of all leaflets and explanatory notes to make them simpler and easier to understand. Benefits to business customers include the phasing out of payment of tax credits by employers saving those businesses around £103 million in the first year. By next March 120,000 businesses will no longer have to administer tax credits for their employers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to reduce child poverty in the UK. [17061]

This Government have committed to halve child poverty by 2010 and to eradicate it in a generation.

Between the mid 1970s and mid 1990s, child poverty more than doubled, and in 1997 child poverty was higher in the UK than anywhere else in the EU. We have already, through the new deal, the minimum wage, through the child tax credit and through public services, lifted more than half a million children out of poverty.

Last summer, the Child Poverty Review set out strategy to lift another 1 million children out of poverty by 2010–11:

helping more people who want to work find work, and making work pay;

providing financial support to help all families with the costs of bringing up children, and giving most help to those who need it most;

building on the success of Sure Start by implementing a 10-Year Strategy for Childcare, with a Children's Centre offering integrated children's services in every community;

and investing in our children's future so that by 2007–08 total funding for schools will be 60 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1996–97.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 5 September regarding a constituent. [17102]

I have done so.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the insurance premium tax; and what steps he is taking to combat fraud in the tax system. [17290]

In the last year a small number of letters have been received by Treasury Ministers about Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) Including representations about non-payment of IPT which have been Investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

HMRC is continuing to develop a risk-based compliance strategy to ensure that the Department's resources are targeted most effectively at key risk areas.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will initiate steps to enable hon. Members (a) to table and (b) to sign early-day motions electronically. [16956]

The Commission would need the authority of a decision by the House in order to make funds available for an extension of electronic tabling of this sort. The present system of tabling questions electronically was introduced following recommendations of the Procedure Committee (Parliamentary Questions, Third Report of Session 2001–02, HC 622, paragraphs 83 to 96). These recommendations were approved by the House on 29 October 2002.

I have drawn this exchange to the attention of the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton) as Chairman of the Procedure Committee; my hon. Friend may also wish to approach that Committee directly.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are employed by the House, broken down by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity. [16902]

In September 2005 the number of individual staff, including part-time staff, on the House of Commons staff payroll was 1,698, of whom 921 were male and 777 were female. Information on ethnicity of staff who have declared their ethnicity during survey work over the past two years is:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals were made against business rate valuations in 2004; how many were upheld; and what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time was for a valuation appeal. [16975]

The Valuation Office Agency received 135,387 appeals, against assessments in the 2000 Rating List, between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004. 97,412 appeals received in this period have now been settled and 29,067 of these were upheld, according to the figures available as at 31 August 2005.

The average time taken to settle these appeals by agreement or well founding is 278 days. The average time taken to settle appeals, which went to the Valuation Tribunal Service for a decision, is 373 days.

The maximum time taken to settle these appeals by agreement or well founding is 601 days. The maximum time taken to settle appeals, which went to the Valuation Tribunal Service for a decision, is 575 days.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the (a) Firelink Project and (b) FireControl Project will enable the transfer of Fire and Rescue Service command and control functions to regional level in England. [16952]

The Firelink project will provide a communications conduit from the control room to Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) vehicles which will be integrated with the common control system for all English FRSs provided by the FiReControl project. The FiReControl technology would allow regional command arrangements, but operational command arrangements will remain the responsibility of the chief fire officers of individual fire and rescue services.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the (a) FireControl Project and (b) Firelink Project will provide inter-operable voice communications at gold command level between the Fire and Rescue Service and (i) the Police Service and (ii) the Ambulance Service. [16953]

The Firelink wide area radio system will provide interoperable voice communication between the primary emergency services at gold and silver command levels.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how far out to sea radio coverage will be provided under the Firelink Project; what effect this will have on the proposals for firefighting at sea set out in the document Sea of Change; and if he will make a statement. [16954]

The extent to which Firelink provides coverage at sea will depend on the supplier selected. An announcement about that is envisaged shortly. The Firelink project is not however intended for use with Sea of Change operations. Sea of Change communications will be carried out primarily using VHF marine band frequencies for operations within 30 miles of the shore or by satellite communications for distant operations or on those occasions when VHF proves inadequate. All Sea of Change operations are co-ordinated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency sponsored by the Department for Transport.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to implement the results of the 2001 census in determining funding for county authorities in the South East. [17060]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minster consulted on changes to the local government finance formula grant distribution system during the summer. The use of 2001 census data in the funding formula is included in the proposals that we have consulted on.

We will consider fully all the responses that we received to the consultation before making final decisions on the 2006–07 Local Government Finance Settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the status of proposals for the upgrading of the A1 to motorway status between Dishforth and Barton. [17362]

The Highways Agency is currently analysing the responses received following the public consultation into the A1 Dishforth to Barton upgrade scheme with a view to publishing draft orders early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many emergency telephones are in place on (a) trunk roads and (b) motorways in England and Wales; what the distance in miles between each one is; and if he will make a statement. [17001]

There are about 300 emergency telephones on the all-purpose trunk road network and 6,100 on motorways in England for which the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible. Telephones on two and three lane-motorways are spaced at approximately one mile intervals and at intervals of 0.6 mile on motorways with more than three lanes. Telephones on trunk roads are located where there is an identified need.

On the M42 in the West Midlands, Active Traffic Management will be piloted from December. This includes the use of the hard shoulder as a running lane at busy times and emergency telephones will be installed in refuge areas at 500 metre intervals.

Roads in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly or the relevant local highway authority. Other roads in England that are not part of the trunk road network are the responsibility of the local highway authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) whether the (a) Department and (b) Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's predecessor made representations relating to the English text of EU regulations (i) 3821/85 and (ii) 2135/98 before they were published in the Official Journal; [17518]

(2) what discussions were held between the Vehicle Operators Services Agency and (a) road haulage companies and (b) coach operators prior to the implementation of EU regulation 3821/85. [17522]

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3821/85, requiring various drivers to use a tachograph to record their daily activities, was adopted nearly twenty years ago. Information regarding representations made prior to publication of the regulation, or discussions with industry regarding its implementation, is not readily available.

Council Regulation (EC) No. 2135/98 amended the earlier regulation. Again, records relating to negotiation of this regulation are not readily available. However, apparent discrepancies (relating to the retention of records by the driver) between the English and other texts have come to light subsequently. Officials have raised these discrepancies with the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prohibitions have been issued by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency for breaches of EU Regulation 3821/85 since commencement. [17519]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) was formed on 1 April 2003. VOSA have issued the following number of prohibitions for breaches of EU Regulation 3821/85:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from drivers and operators of heavy vehicles about the implementation of EU Regulation 3821/85. [17521]

The Department for Transport and its agencies receive a large number of queries each year about the application of this 1985 European regulation (which requires many heavy vehicles to be fitted with a device to record driving hours and specifies how records should be used). These queries are largely of a technical nature.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to advise heavy vehicle drivers and operators that the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency uses the French text of EU Regulation 3821/85 (as amended), in preference to the English text, when enforcing the requirement for coach and lorry drivers to produce tachograph discs at roadside checks. [17713]

Discrepancies between the English and French texts of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3821/85 (as amended) occurred during translation. The resulting English text suggested, incorrectly, that requirements for drivers to be able to produce records were less stringent than had previously been the case. However, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and DfT have consistently taken the line that, in fact, there has been no change in this requirement. This interpretation is reflected in DfT/VOSA guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Government of the Republic of Ireland regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters. [16115]

We have received no representations from the Irish Government on this matter. However, in March we secured a commitment from the Irish Government to renegotiate the 1985 Agreement which sets out the funding arrangements for the Commissioners of Lights and the provision of navigational aids for the whole of the island of Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow left-hand drive limousines to be issued with a certificate of initial fitness so that they can be certified as passenger service vehicles. [17762]

Left-hand drive limousines are already allowed to be issued with a certificate of initial fitness if they conform with the requirements of the Public Service Vehicles (conditions of fitness, equipment, use and certification) Regulations 1981. However, most are unlikely to qualify due to other aspects of their design.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the costs incurred by the Highways Agency in making alterations to Junction 14 of the M5. [17023]

The latest cost of the works to Junction 14 on the M5 is £781,327, which includes final payments for the engineering works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of road fatalities in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency in each of the last 10 years; what the average for London boroughs was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [16991]

The information requested is in the following table.

Fatalities in personal injury road accidents: 1995–2004

⁽¹⁾ Based on 2004 boundaries.

⁽²⁾ Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government are taking to make parents aware of the opportunities that exist for girls in science and engineering. [16355]

The Department has a £6.9 million contract with the UK Resource Centre for Women (UKRC), to promote SET (science, engineering, technology) skills for women. The UKRC is affiliated with, and provides guidance to, (Joint Innovation) JIVE Partners, an organisation which has delivered staff training to over 400 careers professionals and is now working with teachers. The importance of involvement with parents is stressed within this training. JIVE's newly published How To Guide on Careers Advice (SET for Girls) also stresses the involvement of parents in careers events and organised activities.

DTI is supporting the science, engineering, technology and maths network (SETNET) for the next three years with funding in excess of £10 million. Through its work with schools, SETNET comes into regular contact with parents, for example through family learning days and careers roadshows. SETNET runs the Science Engineering Ambassadors (SEAs) scheme, in which young scientists act as role models for school students.

SEAs work with parents to give them the information they need to encourage their children (of both genders and all ethnic backgrounds) to look at the opportunities available to them. There are now nearly 11,000 ambassadors, of which over 50 per cent. are under 35 and 38 per cent. are women.

The computer club for girls initiative (CC4G) is supported by DfES. It is run within schools and aims to transform the attitudes of girls towards technology-related careers. Parents have to give their consent to this extra curricular activity and are kept informed of their children's progress.

DTI also sponsors the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The RAEng is currently extending its extra-curricula support for girls in science and engineering. The HEADSTART scheme creates opportunities for girls to attend summer schools at universities. Making these all-girls events removes a potential barrier to access for some faith groups. Parents are directly involved at the start and finish of this scheme. Another new scheme (the London Engineering Project (LEP)) will take curriculum enrichment into inner-city schools where care will be taken to make all events gender appropriate in terms of choice of engineering theme, approaches and materials. Encouraging active parent participation will be a key element for LEP. The BA CREST Award scheme offers girls (and boys) opportunities to take part directly in scientific research and engineering projects. This scheme includes a range of presentations and events through which parents are encouraged to keep up-to-date with their children's work.

In addition, the DTI supports initiatives such as the WISE Campaign (Women Into Science and Engineering). WISE have produced a booklet entitled "Engineering Equals" which includes advice for parents, and includes action lists, places to visit, and reading material to encourage girls into science, engineering and technology. WISE's work with girls also brings them into direct contact with parents, e.g. through residential courses where the parents are invited in on the last day to hear what their daughters have learned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have registered in (a) Huddersfield, (b) Yorkshire and (c) England in each of the last five years. [16293]

DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for Huddersfield parliamentary constituency, Yorkshire¹ and England are shown as follows for 2000 to 2004. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.

VAT registrations 2000–04

⁽³⁾ The Government office region of Yorkshire and the Humber excluding North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire unitary authorities.

Source:

Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats

VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the maximum length of time is which it should take for a caseworker to be assigned by the Commission for Racial Equality when a complaint of a potentially discriminatory pay system is raised with them. [15511]

I have been asked to reply.

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) does not have a target for the time it should take to assign a caseworker when a complaint of a potentially discriminatory pay system is raised with it. It prioritises cases on the basis of its own assessment of their urgency and then deals with them as quickly as the available resources will allow. The CRE has recently completed a consultation exercise on proposals aimed at improving the service it provides to the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints regarding the time it takes to assign a caseworker by the Commission for Racial Equality there have been in each of the past five years. [15512]

I have been asked to reply.

This information is not available. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) does not maintain a record of the number of complaints received about the time it takes to assign a caseworker. Where the complaint is covered by the Race Relations Act 1976, the CRE is bound by law to consider all applications for assistance in cases of alleged discrimination.

Although the amount of assistance given varies depending on the nature of the case, everyone who applies will get some advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many projects have applied to operate in the UK as part of the eContentplus programme; in which projects the Government is participating; and if he will making a statement. [16840]

The eContentplus programme has only just issued its first call for proposals, and so there are no figures available as yet. Information for the eContent programme, which preceded eContentplus, may be of interest. It shows that in the four years of the its operation the programme attracted 71 UK participants, representing 10.3 per cent. of the total. The Government, directly or through one of its agencies, was a participant in eight of the projects, including ePATENT (the Patent Office), EULIS (Her Majesty's Land Registry), EUROREGIOMAP (Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland), @RETE (British Tourist Authority), ELCA2 (Environment Agency), EUROROADS (Ordnance Survey), EEARTH (National Environment Research Council), and DIAS (Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils).

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses have registered in each London borough in each of the last five years. [16946]

DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for each London borough are shown as follows for 2000 to 2004. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.

VAT registrations 2000–04

Source:

Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994–2004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats

VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations have been established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of his Department. [15196]

DTI has responsibility for the following entities with a regional remit which have been established since May 1997:

Bodies:

Eight Regional Development Agencies viz

Advantage West Midlands

East Midlands Development Agency

East of England Development Agency

North West Development Agency

One North West

South West England Development Agency

South West of England Regional Development Agency

Yorkshire Forward

Task Forces:

The MG Rover Task Force

Offices:

The Employment Tribunals Service has opened an office in Watford

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will grant a test licence for the WarnTone system to alert traffic to emergency vehicles. [16855]

The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Ofcom is the independent regulator for the communications sector, deriving its main powers and duties directly from statute rather than by delegation from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and accountable to Parliament in its own right. Accordingly, my officials have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member and to send me a copy of his response. Copies of the chief executive's letter will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of young people carrying firearms. [16716]

Young people's attitudes to guns can only be changed by everyone—Government, local authorities, police and communities—working together.

We are supporting local communities in fighting against gun crime through our small grant programme, the Connected Fund. We are also supporting anti-gun crime campaigns such as "Don't Trigger" which was launched on 3 October.

We have tightened the law on controls on firearms including putting in place a five year minimum sentence for those convicted of possession of an illegal firearm. The Violent Crime Reduction Bill includes a proposal for a ban on the sale, manufacture and import of realistic looking imitation firearms and a new offence of using another person to hide or carry a dangerous weapon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of an identity card will be; and if he will make a statement. [18588]

It will be affordable to set a charge of £30 at current prices for a stand-alone ID card which is valid for 10 years. This will be affordable within current Home Office spending plans.

This figure has been arrived at following careful scrutiny of the costs of the ID cards scheme over the summer by the Home Office, in full consultation with Treasury and other Government Departments.

We are unable to release the precise costs for individual aspects of the scheme because this information is commercially sensitive and could affect the Department's ability to secure value for money from the market. However, independent analysis in a report from KPMG, a summary of which will be published shortly, has concluded that the costing methodology is robust and appropriate for this stage of development.

We are also developing plans to roll the scheme out faster using registration with the criminal records bureau as well as passport application to enrol people into the ID cards scheme. This would lead to faster issuing of the card and improved outcomes and budget savings for the criminal records bureau.

We remain confident that further significant savings to Government and the private sector will be identified as plans are developed. In particular, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality, East (Mr. McNulty) now chairs a cross-departmental ministerial committee to identify transformational benefits and efficiencies which the ID cards scheme can deliver to other Government Departments.

Our current best estimate of the average unit cost of the combined passport and ID card package is £93; around 70 per cent. of these costs would be incurred anyway because of the worldwide move to biometric passports. We expect that most people will still choose to get their ID card alongside their new biometric passport as this will be the most convenient way to participate in the scheme and will give people the full benefits of having the most secure travel documentation.

I am also publishing today a research report 'Identity Cards: an assessment of awareness and demand for the Identity Cards Scheme' which demonstrates strong public support for the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in developing the Impact Nominal Index; and if he will make a statement. [16476]

Significant progress has been made in developing the Impact Nominal Index. The operational capability is expected to be delivered in December 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the promotion of recent changes to the Payroll Giving Grants programme. [17246]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 1784W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money seized as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was invested in (a) Southend and (b) Essex police in each year of its operation; and if he will make a statement. [16591]

Information is not available in the form requested. The police asset recovery incentivisation scheme came into operation in 2004–05. Under the scheme Essex police received £29,387 on the basis of its performance in that year. Incentive payments based on performance in 2005–06 will be made in 2006–07. In addition, in 2004–05 two Essex based community groups received around £20,000 from the Connected Fund for anti-gun crime and knife crime initiatives. The Connected Fund was funded from confiscated proceeds of crime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the use of polygraph tests in historical sex abuse investigations. [16479]

Evidence relating to the credibility of a witness from a lie-detector has not been admitted in the courts. The main reason is that there have been concerns about the accuracy of such tests. This led the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure to conclude in 1981 that the machine's

"lack of certainty from an evidential point of view"

told against its introduction in this country.

However, since 2003 the probation service has been piloting the use of polygraph examination with convicted sex offenders. The purpose is to test compliance with license conditions, risk management plans and treatment. Information from the examination can be shared with the police and other agencies. To date over 200 offenders have volunteered to be tested. During the course of examination many offenders have disclosed further information which has been useful in confirming the risk assessment or revising the risk management plan. If information were to be divulged in a polygraph test that could help in the investigation of an unsolved crime, this would, of course, be passed to the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the level of (a) alcohol misuse and (b) abuse of illegal drugs in 2004–05. [16731]

The Home Office has not made any recent comparative analysis between drug and alcohol misuse.

However, the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England and accompanying Interim Analysis set out a broad assessment of the scope and extent of harms caused by alcohol.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 visas have been granted to religious representatives; what mechanisms are in place for the co-ordination of information between countries in this matter; and if he will make a statement. [16074]

I have been asked to reply.

Figures are not available for Minister of Religion visa applications prior to 1998. The number of visas issued under the entry clearance category 'Ministers of Religion' from 1998 on an annual basis is as follows:

While every effort is made to ensure that statistics are correct, the complexity of UKvisas global business, including technical failures and inconsistencies in data means 100 per cent. accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

The total number of applications issued and refused may not always equal the total of applications received. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Applications can be carried forward from one year to another before being resolved. They may be withdrawn during processing, but still count as an application received. In these circumstances, delays can and do occur between the application being received and the decision being taken.

There are no specific mechanisms to share data on visa applicants with foreign governments or law enforcement agencies in any particular category of the Immigration Rules. However, if the need to share data or information arises on individual applications, UKvisas will consider doing so if such action complies with the principles and terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to deal with (a) gun and (b) knife crime. [16717]

We are working with communities, other Government Departments, local authorities and law enforcement agencies to combat gun and knife crime.

We are supporting local initiatives through funding from recycled criminal assets. £2 million was allocated to support work related to gun crime for 2004–05 and a further £2 million for 2005–06. Some of this is being allocated to small community initiatives through our connected fund. To date, 119 projects have been supported in two rounds of the fund, with a third currently under way.

We are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other agencies to improve intelligence-gathering, examine links between drugs and gun crime, reduce the supply and availability of firearms, develop effective police operations, and expand the use of the national firearms forensic intelligence database .

On knife crime, the Government support the work of the police for example through dedicated, intelligence-led operations, such as Operation Blunt in London, and we are developing proposals with the Association of Chief Police Officers for a nation-wide knife amnesty similar to some campaigns currently being run by the Metropolitan police.

The Department of Education and Skills introduced the Safer Schools Partnerships scheme in spring 2002. More than 400 police officers are now based in schools to reduce victimisation, criminality and antisocial behaviour.

We are introducing new measures on gun and knife crime in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, currently before Parliament, which will raise the age for purchasing a knife to 18, ban the sale, manufacture and import of realistic imitation firearms, give head teachers powers to search pupils for weapons, and introduce a new offence of using another person to hide or carry a gun or knife.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in 2004–05, when an unpaid adviser undertook travel on public business and claimed expenses, broken down by (a) name of adviser, (b) dates and destinations of travel and (c) cost to public funds. [17282]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2 February 2005, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA54.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions since 1 January 2004 when Ministers wishing to be absent from the UK have sought his written approval; and whether his approval was given in each case. [17280]

Correspondence between Ministers relates to internal discussion and advice and is therefore not disclosed.

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions a Minister's spouse or partner accompanied a Minister on (a) domestic and (b) overseas official duties during 2004–05, broken down by (i) name of Minister, (ii) dates of travel and (iii) cost to public funds. [17281]

The information requested is not held centrally. The cost of spouses or partners accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the overall cost of Ministers' visits overseas, which is published on an annual basis. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Leader of the House if his Department will commemorate the 350th anniversary of the death of Oliver Cromwell. [17082]

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) the Foreign Secretary on securing EU funding for (i) Wales and (ii) West Wales and the Valleys; what assessment he has made of the likelihood of securing budgetary agreement on EU funding for Wales before Christmas; and if he will make a statement. [17011]

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues of importance to Wales, including the current negotiations on the EU structural funds programme from 2007 to 2013.

I am acutely aware of the importance of timing if Wales is to continue to benefit from the higher level of European aid. Negotiations on the EU Structural and Cohesion Fund are closely linked to the wider discussions on the financial perspective for the EU for the same period. The UK presidency is taking forward the discussions on future financing and is committed to preparing the future financing dossier for the December council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Moray constituency and (ii) the Highland Region was for the most recent year for which figures are available. [14855]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Dundee East constituency, (ii) Tayside and (iii) the City of Dundee was for the most recent year for which figures are available. [14879]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in (i) Banff and Buchan and (ii) the North East of Scotland was for the most recent year for which figures are available. [14889]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total spending by his Department on (a) staff, (b) accommodation and (c) procurement in Perth and North Perthshire was for the most recent year for which figures are available. [14913]

The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans for the Drill Hall, Broad Street, Seaford. [17322]

The Drill Hall is currently used by No 2 Seaford Platoon, Sussex Army Cadet Force. Options for the future of this building are being reviewed. No decisions have been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will take to assure the safety of Annajoy David Da-Bora and her daughter, when they travel to Spain on 27 July following court decisions in Spain and London. [15046]

Our consular staff cannot guarantee the safety and/or personal security of British nationals abroad. If Mrs. Da-Bora has concerns for her personal safety, she should make them known to the Spanish police who are the responsible authority for the protection of individuals in Spain. Our staff are ready to provide appropriate consular assistance to Mrs. Da-Bora and to accompany her if she wishes to call on the Spanish police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the websites that come under his Department's responsibility; what the cost was of each in the last year for which figures are available; and how many visitors there were to each site in that year. [15904]

Websites, which come under the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), fall into two categories; those, which are hosted on the FCO web platform, and those developed and hosted independently either by the post or the Department.

The running cost of the FCO web platform (not including staff costs), encompassing all platform websites for financial year 2004–05 was £588,000. Development costs for the web platform, including the design and build of the EU presidency, G8 presidency, Arabic and freedom of information sites, was £750,000. Across the platform as a whole the average monthly page impressions during 2004 were 7,604,166. Average monthly visits are estimated to be 2,534,722. Details of all websites hosted on the FCO Web Platform have been deposited in the Library of the House.

Platform websites: the number of page views are given for those sites where data is available for 2004. In some cases average page views for 2005 have been given to give an indication of traffic volumes.

Independent websites

⁽⁴⁾ Data not available.

⁽⁵⁾ Pageviews.

⁽⁶⁾ Average hits per day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the EU Trade Commissioner regarding the promotion of the EU Constitution. [15747]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the treatment of British citizens held in Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. [15822]

There are no British Citizens held at Guantanamo Bay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list countries assessed to be nuclear capable according to open source material; and if he will make a statement. [16703]

For the purposes of this answer 'nuclear capable' is taken to refer to countries capable of producing fissile material for nuclear weapons, other than the five nuclear weapons states recognised by the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and the other states which have carried out nuclear test explosions (India and Pakistan).

To produce fissile material, a state must master enrichment or reprocessing technology. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has listed the following non-nuclear weapons states (NNWS) as having enrichment plants, including pilot plants: Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Iran, Japan, and the Netherlands. It has also listed the following NNWS as possessing chemical reprocessing plants, including pilot plants: the DRPK, Germany, Italy and Japan. Israel is also widely assumed to possess reprocessing facilities.

Possession of enrichment or reprocessing facilities does not imply an intention to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. But nor does the lack of such facilities mean that a country could not acquire them in the future. A number of other states would be capable of constructing enrichment or reprocessing facilities if they chose to do so.

This is why the NPT remains such an important instrument. It enshrines the principle that, with the exception of the nuclear weapon states, who are bound by the disarmament principles of Article VI, States Party to the Treaty will not manufacture

or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons and will allow any nuclear material that they do possess to be subject to IAEA safeguards.

The hon. Member may find further information on IAEA assessments at http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Safeguards/sv.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on the transfer of powers from the EU to national Governments; and which powers he has identified as best run at national level. [16088]

Any changes in the division of competences between the EU and member states would require negotiation and agreement of a new Treaty by all 25 member states. The Government's focus during the UK presidency of the EU is on taking forward a wider debate about the future direction of the EU, rather then looking once again at its institutional architecture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has made to the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the formation of a British football team for the 2012 London Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [16912]

Ultimately, this is a matter for FIFA, the four home nations' football associations, and the organisers of the Olympic tournament. However, the Secretary of State has discussed the issue of a Great British football team for the Olympics with the Football Association of England on a number of occasions.

The Government believe that a GB Olympic football team at a 2012 London Olympics could be very exciting for football fans and discussions between the various parties continue. The Government also believe this should not affect the rights of the four home nations to compete separately in international football tournaments—an important part of our footballing tradition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the outcome of the independent investigation into potential conflicts of interest at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; what changes have been implemented following the investigations; and if she will make a statement. [16939]

When the report by AHL Ltd. on "Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, audit of conflicts of interest" was published in June 2004 (HC 678), the Department and the Commission (CABE) announced that we had accepted all of the report's 28 recommendations. These have all been implemented as set out in the following table:

This updates the table (CAB33(a) ) published in the ODPM Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee's report, "The Role and Effectiveness of CABE", Fifth Report of Session 2004–05, HC 59, March 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance she has issued on whether the grant of a Royal Charter for UK Sport affects the ability of its staff to engage in party political activities or activities that could reasonably be construed as party political; and if she will make a statement. [17368]

UK Sport's management statement and its associated financial memorandum require UK Sport to have a code of conduct for staff and to comply with the Cabinet Office's guidance on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). This states that NDPBs' rules of conduct should cover political activity.

The UK Sport staff handbook indicates that rules on staff participation in political activities are regulated by the guidelines and principles contained in the civil service management code. The Cabinet Office also produced guidance for civil servants prior to the general election 2005, which UK Sport circulated to all staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she intends to implement paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper, "Better Governance for Wales" (Cm 6582), in respect of any Bill she introduces in the current Session of Parliament. [14949]

I intend to implement the Government's policy as stated in paragraph 3.12 of the White Paper "Better Governance for Wales" Cm 6582. My Department is in discussion with the Assembly Government on the issue concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to encourage and promote the use of synthetic phonics teaching for primary school children; and if she will make a statement. [16539]

Every child has an entitlement to structured phonics teaching as part of the literacy curriculum. The Primary National Strategy (PNS) promotes an approach to phonics that is fundamentally synthetic, and has provided materials and training to support teachers and early years practitioners in delivering this. Schools are free to select the phonics programme that best suits their needs. However, we expect that the selected programme would at least match the quality, standards and expectations in PNS materials.

Jim Rose, a former senior Ofsted inspector with significant expertise in primary education, is currently carrying out an independent review of best practice in the teaching of early reading, including the place of phonics. His findings, expected in early 2006, will further inform PNS approaches. The Department has also instigated Early Reading Development Pilots aimed at examining how children's learning outcomes can be enhanced through a systematic and fast paced approach to the teaching of phonics, and to identify effective models of support to schools and ways of enhancing parental involvement. These pilots begin in 200 schools and early years settings this autumn and use a programme of phonics based on the PNS "Playing with Sounds" materials. Findings will complement Jim Rose's work, with early findings informing his review, and will feed into a review of the PNS framework for teaching literacy and the Early Development and Learning Framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

(1) if she will make a statement on the availability of adult education classes in England; [17745]

(2) how much the Government spent on adult education in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [17746]

(3) what plans she has to increase the availability of adult education; and if she will make a statement. [17747]

The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). We ensure adult learning provision is provided through the funding from the LSC to further education colleges, local authorities and other providers. The LSC was established in 2001 bringing the planning and funding of post-16 education together under one body. Local LSC's agree delivery plans with local providers, ensuring that the local needs of individuals and employers are met.

In 2005/06 we have emphasised our priorities for further education which guarantee a place in education or training for all young people and a focus on support for adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. In 2005/06 total funding for FE will increase by 4.4 per cent. compared to 2004/05. Funding for non-vocational learning opportunities for adults, through the adult and community learning budget has also increased. In 2004/05 nationally we provided over £207 million to the Learning and Skills Council in support of this learning. This has risen to £210 million in 2005/06.

In 2001–02 the Learning and Skills Council spent £2,236 million on adult programmes including FE, work based learning, adult and community learning and other programmes. This increased to £2,427 million in 2002–03 and to £2,866 million in 2003–04. Figures for adult education for the years prior to 2001 are not comparable as the budget was split between a range of different organisations. The departmental annual report sets out total expenditure on further education, adult training and skills and lifelong learning for this period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what statistics the Government (a) collect and (b) are planning to collect on children affected by bereavement. [16572]

The Government do not collect statistics relating to children affected by bereavement and currently have no plans to do so. Research-based estimates suggest that around 14,600 children suffer bereavement each year (in England and Wales)¹ and that children have a 6 per cent. chance of suffering parental bereavement by the age of 16 ² .

This issue and the closely-related issue of research into the impact of child bereavement was considered at some length by the former Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families (The right hon. Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge)). It was concluded that a considerable body of research in this area was already being developed, and that it would not be appropriate to decide on any new data collection until current work being undertaken by researchers had been completed.

¹ Lowton & Higginson (2002) "Early bereavement: what factors influence children's responses to death?" London: Kings College London, University of London

² Harrison & Harrington (2001) cited in Childhood Bereavement Network Briefing Paper: Children and Bereavement

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of skilled construction workers in London, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) age. [12019]

The numbers of construction workers in London, and those who hold qualifications at level 2 or higher, are as follows:

Construction workers (London)

Note:

Estimates of less than 10,000 are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a higher degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Source:

Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey (ALALFS) in 2003/04

Estimates are given by Learning Skills Council Area rather than by constituency because sample sizes are not large enough to give reliable estimates at constituency level.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are being established to identify and define the skills that employers need to raise productivity in all major sectors of the economy. Construction is one of four sectors pioneering new Sector Skills Agreements to deliver on this agenda.

Construction was highlighted as a priority curriculum area in "Success for All: Our Vision for the Future" the Government's strategy for reforming further education and training published in November 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education will reply to the letter dated 21 July regarding funding provisions for further education from the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme. [17520]

I have today responded to the hon. Member's letter of 21 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full. [14953]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2248W, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

(1) if she will make a statement on the future of the Double Award Science GCSE; [17432]

(2) if she will make a statement on the planned changes to the Key Stage 4 Science Curriculum from 2006; [17433]

(3) what consultation was carried out with respect to the introduction of the new programme of study for science GCSEs from 2006; [17434]

(4) how many students her Department estimates will be taught courses leading to (a) GCSE Science, (b) GCSE Additional Science, (c) GCSE Additional Applied Science, (d) GCSE Biology, (e) GCSE Chemistry and (f) GCSE Physics under the new programmes of study to be made available in 2006–07. [17435]

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the National Foundation for Educational Research carried out widespread consultation on proposals to introduce a revised programme of study at Key Stage 4. The science and science education communities and a sample of schools, colleges and universities were included in the consultation. The majority of respondents supported the changes.

The new programme of study for science at Key Stage 4 will maintain the breadth, depth and challenge of the current curriculum, while catering for a wide range of students' interests and aptitudes and encouraging more students to study more science.

The current Double Award Science GCSE will not be available after summer 2008. Awarding bodies will be offering a range of options, with Science and Additional Science being the closest equivalent to it.

The Government does not make forward projections of take up for individual examinations. However, we expect that at least 80 per cent. of students should do at least two science GCSEs and propose to give young people an entitlement to study leading to at least two science GCSEs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the (i) role and (ii) effectiveness of sector skills councils; and if she will make a statement. [15501]

Working with the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and Devolved Administrations, the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has established a performance monitoring and evaluation framework. This has set out a series of performance measures and indicators related to their policy objectives (set down within the Skills for Business performance scorecard).

Using this framework, an annual programme of evaluation work was developed. The evaluation programme consists of four core projects;

Survey of employers—this has consulted a nationally representative sample of 13,500 employers across the United Kingdom.

Survey of stakeholders, including officials of Government Departments, educationalists and representatives of Government agencies such as the Learning and Skills Council, Regional Development Agencies, Scottish Further Education Funding Council, Education and Learning Wales.

Qualitative work, with selected SSCs and the SSDA and a range of stakeholders.

Summary and Overview project analysing the full range of evaluation information and pulling it together into one overall assessment, which constitutes the overview report.

Key findings from the first and second phase of evaluation are available on the SSDA website (http://www.ssda.org.uk/ssda/default.aspx?page=41)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment her Department has made of where the UK has skills shortages; and what steps it has taken to rectify such shortages. [16557]

The Learning and Skills Council in England conducts a National Employers Skills Survey to identify skill shortages and skill gaps to inform their planning and public funding of post 16 education and training. The Government has also established the Skills for Business Network and Regional Skills Partnerships. Skills for Business comprises the Sector Skills Development Agency and 24 licensed Sector Skills Councils to provide employer-led strategic action to meet each sector's skills and business needs. Each SSC is tasked with producing a wide-ranging Sector Skills Agreement beginning with an assessment of the sector's long-term, medium and short-term needs and progressing to a final agreement with key partners and agencies signed up to secure the necessary skills supply. Regional Skills Partnerships bring together the planning and funding agencies within a region to address identified priorities. Although separate training arrangements apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all three devolved administrations will work to implement Sector Skills Agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in each London borough in each of the last eight years. [16947]

The information requested is only available from 2000–01 onwards and is contained within the following table:

Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs1, 2 -- £