To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the volume of counterfeit cigarettes being sold on the UK black market. [21861]

HMRC's latest estimate of the size of the UK counterfeit cigarette market is contained in Counterfeit Cigarettes 2004", which is published on the HM Treasury website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what areas his Department has since 1 January 2004 (a) undertaken and (b) begun to undertake full economic life cycle cost analyses. [21884]

Economic appraisals and evaluations of central government policies, programmes and projects, as required by the HM Treasury Green Book guidance, involve analysis of the costs and benefits of policies over time. These are conducted by Departments responsible for front-line public services. The Treasury has not undertaken, or begun to undertake, any of these since January 2004.

Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) for new policies always include a cost-benefit analysis. A list of full RIAs produced by HM Treasury from 1 January 2001 is available on the HMT website. HM Revenue and Customs publish RIAs for Budget measures on their website.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority regarding Equitable Life; and if he will make a statement. [21868]

My officials are in touch with the Financial Services Authority for the purposes of co-operating with the parliamentary ombudsman's investigation into the prudential regulation of Equitable Life.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made, in terms of (a) headcount reductions and (b) cost savings, in achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21293]

Progress was reported in Budget 2005 and in the Spring Departmental Report. Further progress will be reported in the Autumn Performance Report and at aggregate level in the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21322]

The Finance Director for HMRC, who is a member of the Department's Executive Committee, is the appointed Senior Responsible Officer responsible for the overall delivery of the department's Efficiency programme.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the proceeds of gold sales from the UK reserves have been in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the value of that gold at today's prices. [20264]

395 tonnes of gold were sold from the reserves between July 1999 and March 2002. The proceeds in dollars, and further details, can be found on page 27 of Review of the sale of part of the UK gold reserves" published by the Treasury in October 2002 http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media//9EFEF/Gold Reserves.PDF).

At closing market prices on 19 October, the total value of this gold would be approximately £3,358 million.

The programme was part of a prudent restructuring of the foreign currency and gold reserves aimed at achieving a better-balanced portfolio. As a result of the programme a one-off reduction in risk of approximately 30 per cent. was achieved (as measured by Value-at-Risk).

The proceeds from the sales were reinvested in interest bearing foreign currency assets in broadly the same proportions as the foreign currency assets held in the net reserves (40 per cent. dollars; 40 per cent. euros; and 20 per cent. yen) and these have earned returns over this period.

It would be inappropriate to measure gains or losses resulting from fluctuations in market values over a short-term period.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) how regularly he assesses each Department's performance against (a) the efficiency saving targets set out within departmental efficiency technical notes and (b) each public service agreement target and associated indicators; [21864]

(2) how many reports he has received from the Efficiency Unit with regard to each Department's performance against efficiency savings targets as set out in its efficiency technical notes; and if he will publish them. [21870]

Progress against the efficiency targets was reported in Budget 2005. John Oughton, chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce, provides half-yearly reports to the Prime Minister and Chancellor on progress against the efficiency targets. Two such reports have been made to date. These reports will not be published, but departments will publicly report progress in their autumn performance reports.

Departments report on progress against their PSA targets twice-yearly, in their spring departmental reports and autumn performance reports.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many incidents of slippage against departmental efficiency savings, as forecast in efficiency technical notes, have been reported to the Treasury, broken down by Department. [21865]

Budget 2005 reported that the Government are ahead of schedule in meeting the target of £20 billion efficiency gains. Departments will report progress towards their efficiency targets, as forecast in efficiency technical notes, in their autumn performance reports.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) how many investigations have been undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs following complaints relating to the national minimum wage in each of the last five years in (a) total and (b) the (i) hotel, (ii) retail, (iii) care-home, (iv) security and (v) hairdressing sectors; in how many there has been evidence of non-compliance in each case; and how many penalty payments have been awarded; [21659]

(2) how many complaints have been made by workers in the (a) hotel, (b) retail, (c) care home, (d) security and (e) hairdressing sectors in respect of alleged breaches of national minimum wage rules in each of the last five years. [21660]

Sector details are recorded for investigation cases closed during the year. HMRC records details for hotels within the category of hospitality and for care homes within the social care category. Details for security are recorded within the category of security and cleaning. The details held for cases closed for the categories most closely relating to the sectors specified are shown in the following table.

Details by sector of the number of cases where non-compliance was identified and details of the number of penalty notices issued per sector are not available. To provide these statistics would require a disproportionate amount of time and other resource. However, the figures that are provided in the following table show the total number of complaint cases closed in the year where arrears were identified. Also, the total number of penalty notices issued for all complaint cases is shown for each year.

Number of investigations by sector closed by HMRC that were initiated by a complaint about possible non-payment of the minimum wage.

Number of investigations closed by HMRC that were initiated by a complaint about possible non-payment of the minimum wage, and where non-compliance was identified.

Number of investigations closed by HMRC that were initiated by a complaint about possible non-payment of the minimum wage, and where penalty notices were issued during the investigation.

⁽¹⁾ Not known

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish the next departmental sustainable action plan. [21997]

The Treasury's next action plan will be published as soon as possible after it has been finalised.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he expects all on-going disputes about tax credit awards and the recovery of overpayments to be resolved. [13702]

I announced at the hearing of the Treasury Sub-committee earlier today that from next month, subject to final testing of the procedures by HMRC, where a claimant disputes the recovery of an overpayment action will be taken to prevent automatic recovery of any outstanding amount owed, until the TCO has looked into the case and made a decision. This will apply both to the cases on hand and to new cases going forward.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suspensions of recovery of overpayments where the overpayment is in dispute have taken place since January. [19136]

holding answer 18 October 2005

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 723W.

From next month, subject to final testing of the procedures by HMRC, where a claimant disputes the recovery of an overpayment action will be taken to prevent automatic recovery of any outstanding amount owed, until the TCO has looked into the case and made a decision. This will apply both to the cases on hand and to new cases going forward.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people over state pension age have requested an estimate of their tax liability for 2006–07. [18628]

HMRC do not provide people with estimates of their tax liability for the coming year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the level of UK tobacco taxation on the volume of cigarette smuggling into the UK. [21863]

HM Revenue and Customs and LSE academics have developed a new economic model of the tobacco market, designed to take full account of the complexities of the modern tobacco market, including the impact of smuggling. The model is published in GES Working Paper No 150 The Demand for Tobacco Products in the UK" December 2004 and is available on HMRC's website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what (a) work his Department's Green Minister has undertaken in the last three months and (b) meetings that Minister has attended in the last 12 months in his official capacity within that role. [18131]

I take very seriously my role of ensuring that the Wales Office takes full account of sustainability issues in all aspects of its work.

On 20 July I spoke at the launch of National Parks Week, referring particularly to the sustainable tourism strategy being developed by the three National Park Authorities together with other partners. Because of its cross-cutting nature, sustainable development is a consideration in most meetings which I attend.

I am a member of the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development in Government (EE(SD)). Although the Government publishes the title, membership and terms of reference of cabinet committees, it has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose details of their proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the meetings his Department has been present at regarding the delivery of sustainable development across Government as coordinated by the Ministerial Sub-committee of Green Ministers. [18132]

Following the General Election in May, the Cabinet Sub-Committee of Green Ministers (ENV(G)) was replaced by the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development in Government (EE(SD)) whose members are departmental Sustainable Development Ministers.

Although the Government publishes the title, membership and terms of reference of cabinet committees, it has been the practice of successive governments not to disclose details of their proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set a timetable for the implementation of those parts of the Richard Commission Report on powers of the National Assembly for Wales that he intends to implement. [20976]

The Government's proposals are contained in the White Paper Better Governance for Wales" which I published on 15 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rates of employee absence in her Department have been in each year since 1997. [21024]

I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based on. The most recent report for the calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November 2004, copies of which are available in the Library. This report and those for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management _of_the_civil_service/conditions_of_service/occupation al_health/publications/index.asp

The Department is fully committed to the management of sickness absence and introduced a new Sickness Absence Management policy on 1 December 2004, which included many of the best practices contained in the Report of the Joint Review by the Ministerial task Force for Health, Safety and Productivity and the Cabinet Office 'Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector' (November 2004), such as;

Welcome back discussions between line managers and staff returning from sickness absence, on each occasion of absence.

Prompts for action sent to managers when staff have accumulated 15 and 30 days sickness absence in a rolling 12 month period.

Dedicated Human Resource professional advice to managers of sickness absence cases.

Occupational Health referral options for managers who are concerned over the performance of their staff.

Defra is supporting the recommendations made in the 'Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector' report, by taking part in a trial of more sensitive arrangements for the use of special/compassionate leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Environment Agency's flood risk maps indicate areas (a) of known flood risk, (b) of potential risk and (c) where further study is required. [20326]

The Environment Agency's Flood Map on the Internet illustrates the areas that could flood in a 1 per cent. (1 in 100) annual probability of flood from rivers and a 0.5 per cent. (1 in 200) probability flood from the sea. This is consistent with the requirements of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Planning Policy Guidance note 25 on Development and Flood Risk. Hence, the flood map shows both areas of known flood risk and potential risk. While it does not identify where further study is required the flood risk maps are subject to a programme of update and refinement. Areas that have previously flooded are shown on a separate historic flood map held by the Environment Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the number of (i) homes and (ii) businesses and (b) land allocated for development at risk from flooding in the East Riding of Yorkshire. [20329]

For part(a) the Environment Agency's assessment is based on those properties found within the Extreme Flood Outline. This is an area with an annual probability of flooding of 0.1 per cent. (or 1 in 1,000 year chance of flooding). The Environment Agency defines the extent of the natural floodplain as if there were no flood defences or manmade structures in place.

East Riding of Yorkshire" has been taken to cover the areas of East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston-Upon-Hull local authorities. There are 146,800 homes and 8,350 businesses. Planning Policy Guidance Note 25, Development and Flood Risk (PPG 25) recommends that when drawing up or revising development plans, local authorities should give priority in allocating sites for development in descending order of flood risk (known as the 'sequential test').

To make these decisions as well informed as possible, the Environment Agency encourages local authorities to carry out a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. This assesses flood risk across the whole local authority area, rather than for an individual development, and enables local planning authorities to understand spatial variations in flood risk. Future development proposals can then be assessed in line with the 'sequential test'.

Both the East Riding of Yorkshire and the City of Hull councils have begun to develop a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and have been in initial consultation with the Environment Agency.

In the meantime the Environment Agency is providing them with advice and information to assist the process, and continuing to comment on land allocations and individual planning applications in respect of flood risk, through their role as a planning consultee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on the (a) access to and (b) cost of insurance for people living in areas designated as at risk from flooding, with particular reference to Beverley and Holderness. [20330]

The Government continues to work with the insurance industry with a mutual aim of continuing affordable domestic flood cover into the future.

The insurance industry is a competitive and commercial one and makes decisions based on risk, indications from the Association of British Insurers suggest that flood insurance cover remains broadly available to households in areas at risk of flooding, in accordance with their Statement of Principles on this. Premium charges are a matter for individual insurers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial impact on property-owners of flood risk designation in (a) England and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire since the latest flood maps were published. [20362]

We have not carried out any such formal assessment. Flood risk mapping is an important part of the Government's strategy on public awareness, to ensure that the risk from flooding is better understood by all concerned. It is important that people living and working in the floodplains should know about the probabilities of flooding so they can take informed decisions about precautionary action. Similarly those responsible for development planning decisions and emergency planning also need this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will carry out an investigation into whether a member of her Department leaked a copy of the recent report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection. [21153]

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has no plans to carry out an investigation into whether anyone from Government leaked a copy of the recent report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection (RCEP). The RCEP is an independent body and, as such, it is for them to decide how best to deal with the leak.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are planned to improve the environmental performance of products and services within the framework of the Government's sustainable development strategy with particular reference to improved product design. [21507]

In the Sustainable Development Strategy, published in March, the Government stated its commitment to establish a new Sustainable Design Forum, that will bring together Government, business and the design community to explore and promote ways to embed sustainability in products and design thinking.

Since then Defra and DTI have been closely involved in developing proposals for the Sustainable Design Forum, as members of a Steering Group that includes representatives from the Design Council, the RSA, Forum for the Future and the Design Business Association. An interim consultants' report on the Forum's possible structure and terms of reference was presented to the Steering Group and published on the Design Council website in July.

Currently, the Steering Group is working with the consultants in refining these proposals and agreeing the way forward, with a view to establishing the Sustainable Design Forum early in the new year.

The adoption of the Framework Directive for the Eco-design of Energy Using Products (EUP) on 6 July this year will provide a streamlined and effective route for setting EU-wide environmental requirements for traded goods. The UK, via the Government's Market Transformation Programme, will work proactively with the Commission and other member states to influence and speed the delivery of measures under EUP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that private landowners in the Thames Gateway maintain effective flood defences within their property. [21068]

Responsibility for maintaining flood defences rests primarily with individual property owners. However the Environment Agency has a general supervisory duty related to flood defence and can in some circumstances use default powers to maintain and repair such defences.

As part of a new strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England the Government are looking at ways in which we can encourage individual property owners to adopt measures to improve resilience and resistance to flooding.

In respect of new developments in the Thames Gateway, planning authorities will be guided by the advice contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 on development and flood risk, which provides that current and future flood risk should be taken into account when making planning decisions. The Government plan to consult soon on a revised version of this guidance which will strengthen and clarify how planning authorities should take account of flood risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the establishment of a pilot scheme in the south-west on water affordability. [19634]

The south-west affordability pilot study will assess the combined effect of benefits checks, water efficiency measures and metering on low income households. It will target, and assess the effectiveness of, water affordability assistance to lower income households in the south-west region.

The invitations to tender for the south-west pilot study were issued on 8 September. On 11 October we received tenders for the contracts being let for the pilot study. I understand that the timetable, at present, would see the contracts let in October and that the pilot study should be running by early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any arrests have been made following the reports of fraud at the Adjutant-General's office; and if he will make a statement. [20880]

No arrests have been made, but in order to avoid prejudice to an ongoing police investigation I am unable to comment further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the delivery schedule for the Airbus A400M; and what the (a) cost and (b) payment terms per unit are. [19437]

The in-service date of the A400M (defined as acceptance into service of the seventh aircraft) is 2011. We expect delivery of the final (25th) aircraft in 2015. I am withholding the unit costs, as this information is commercially sensitive. There are five stage payments per aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the limitations of the Automatic Flight Control System fitted to Chinook ZA721, which crashed on 27 February 1987, applied to the Chinook HC2 on its introduction to service. [20790]

It has not been possible to locate a copy of the documentation relating to the Chinook HC1 that would have been in force in February 1987. However, the limitations on the Automatic Flight Control System on the Chinook HC 2 on introduction to service were the same as those that were in force in July 1987, with one exception. On the HC1 the Radar altitude hold was not cleared for use, the HC2 release to service did permit use of the Radar Altimeter hold, for

... use in hovering and low airspeed manoeuvres only, at heights between 75 and 1500ft Above Ground Level. The use of this mode when carrying under slung loads is prohibited."

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long the existing air-to-air refuelling tankers will remain in service; and what the fuel carrying capacity of the tankers is. [19544]

The current RAF air-to-air refuelling fleet is made up of Tristar and VC10 aircraft. On current plans these aircraft will all reach their out-of-service dates towards the middle of the next decade.

The fuel carrying capacity of these aircraft is as follows:

These figures include fuel used to fly the tanker aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members, and what percentage, of the Territorial Army are available to be deployed. [17661]

As at 1 September 2005 some 12,000 members of the Territorial Army (TA) were available to be deployed, representing 34 percent. of the total strength.

The right hon. and learned Member will note that the figure of 12,000 is reached by the exclusion of (among others) personnel who:

have not completed their mandatory training and/or are in the process of being discharged (approximately 11, 500 personnel)

are currently mobilised and deployed and/or have exceeded the statutory limits on mobilised service (Section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 limits mobilisation to a total of 12 months in every 36) (approximately 8,100 personnel)

are members of the University Officer Training Corps (approximately 4,000 personnel)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a release of material contaminated by brucella viruses has occurred at his Department's facilities over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [21550]

There has been no release of any material contaminated with the brucella bacteria at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory facilities in the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed by the Defence Export Services Organisation in the UK, broken down by job title. [19474]

On 1 April 2005, the Defence Export Services Organisation had 375 United Kingdom based staff in post. This total comprised:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the overseas offices of the Defence Export Services Organisation are situated; when each office was established; how many staff are employed in each; and what the cost of each (a) was for 2004–05 and (b) is projected to be for 2005–06. [19475]

Defence Supply Secretaries employed by the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) have offices in the countries listed in the table. DESO staff are also employed in support of specific defence export projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and their numbers are shown in the table; the costs of those offices are met by the customer government, and I am withholding the information as its release would be likely to prejudice relations with those governments.

⁽²⁾ Post closed in 2004–05.

⁽³⁾ Cost met by customer government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence

(1) whether the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency will be based at the Whittington Barracks at Lichfield; whether the Army Training Regiment will remain at Lichfield; and if he will make a statement; [18659]

(2) if he will make a statement on the future use of Whittington Barracks in Lichfield. [18660]

The future of Whittington Barracks is subject to two outstanding studies. One concerns the co-location of elements of the Defence Medical Educational Training Agency into the site. The other is a study into the capacity requirements for Phase 1 soldier training, which seeks to determine the most economical use of the existing Phase 1 training real estate in the long term. Both of these studies are now due to report in February 2006 and no decisions will be made before that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the time scale is for the fitting of the DS30 Mark 2 Automatic 30mm Naval Gun to each of the remaining 13 Type-23 frigates. [19984]

On current plans all Type 23 Frigates will be fitted with the DS30 Mark 2 Automatic 30mm Naval Gun, to replace existing DS30B guns. The new system will be fitted progressively during appropriate planned upkeep or maintenance periods from the end of 2006 onwards. Precise time scales for each vessel have not yet been finalised, although the roll-out programme is expected to be completed by 2014.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which missiles the Eurofighter will be equipped. [19439]

The UK's Eurofighter Typhoon will be equipped initially with the ASRAAM short range and AMRAAM medium range air to air missiles. Integration of subsequent weapons is being considered under the Typhoon Future Capability Programme; these include the Meteor air to air missile, Storm Shadow cruise missile and Brimstone air to ground missile.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the delivery schedule is for the Eurofighter; and what the (a) cost and (b) payment terms per unit are. [19444]

Eurofighter Typhoon deliveries to the UK started in 2003 and will continue until 2013 under current contracts. The rate of delivery over this period is between 11 and 21 aircraft per year.

The unit production cost for Typhoon published in Major Projects Report 2004 was £49.1 million.

The precise contractual arrangements for the Typhoon programme are commercially sensitive and are agreed between the four partner nations and contracted via the international procurement agency in Munich. However, in line with normal Ministry of Defence practice, interim payments are made against the achievement of technical and programme milestones, with a retention being paid on final delivery and acceptance of the aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in acquiring F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the new aircraft carriers. [19445]

In conjunction with the US and the other international partners within the Joint Strike Fighter programme, we are negotiating the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding for the co-operative production, support and follow on development phase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists have been (a) mobilised, (b) killed and (c) decommissioned due to injury in Iraq in each year since March 2003. [21137]

holding answer 24 October 2005

The number of reservists mobilised to support Operation Telic by year since March 2003 is:

21 October 2005⁽⁴⁾ As at

In the time available it has not been possible to distinguish between those actually serving in Iraq and those supporting Operation Telic in other countries including the UK. In addition, a small number have been mobilised more than once to support the operation. The figures include volunteer, regular and sponsored reservists.

The number of reservists who have died on operations in Iraq by year since March 2003 is:

21 October 2005⁽⁵⁾ As at

No Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marine Reserve or Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reservists have been medically discharged as a result of injuries received in Iraq.

Army information systems do not record where injuries occurred which led to a medical discharge. In order to answer the question a review of individual medical records would have to be undertaken and this could not be completed without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation has been paid to reservists injured in Iraq since March 2003; and under which scheme. [21138]

holding answer 24 October 2005

Records are not kept in a way in which common law compensation paid to reservists can be separately identified. Common law compensation including costs of £413,398 has however been paid to service personnel in respect of injuries sustained during Operation Telic since March 2003.

In addition, the Veterans Agency administers two no-fault compensation schemes. The War Pension Scheme (WPS) provided compensation for illness or injury due to service in the armed forces up to 6 April 2005 whereas the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) has been in operation since that date.

Information under the WPS is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. There have been no awards of compensation made to reservists injured in Iraq under the AFCS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department has monitored the health of reservists in Iraq since March 2003; and if he will make a statement. [21139]

holding answer 24 October 2005

The health of reservists serving in Iraq is monitored through the system of routine provision of healthcare that is provided for all members of the armed forces on operations. Under the Reserve Forces Act 1996, the overarching principle of mobilized service is that reservists have the same levels of access to medical and healthcare as regular forces, wherever they are serving on operations overseas.

Our policy is that upon mobilization every reservist is given a full medical and dental examination prior to their acceptance into full-time service. The provision of healthcare continues throughout the period of full-time service through to when they return from operations for demobilization. At this point they receive a further medical examination and information about the availability of post-mobilization physical and mental health support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average weekly expenditure by the Government on military operations in Iraq have been over the last three months; and if he will make a statement. [21215]

The Ministry of Defence cannot provide figures for the cost of operations in Iraq for the last three months because our stocktaking and audit activity to ensure robust and reliable figures is undertaken on an annual basis. In addition, expenditure varies with troop numbers and activities and could not sensibly be broken down on a meaningful weekly basis over such a short period of time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made by the investigation into the death of Private Matthew Bevan at Pirbright barracks in June. [21524]

Primacy of jurisdiction for the investigation into sudden deaths in the UK rests with the appropriate civilian police force. The investigation into the death of Private Matthew Bevan is a matter for the Surrey police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total strength is of the Territorial Army; how many members of the Territorial Army (a) collected their bounty and (b) voluntarily left the service in each month since April 2003; and if he will make a statement. [18299]

As at 1 September 2005, the strength of the Territorial Army (TA) was some 35,500 personnel, including those currently mobilised and deployed but excluding those who are undertaking full-time reserve service. Some 23,550 TA personnel collected their bounty in the financial year 2004–05. The following table details the numbers of TA personnel who have voluntarily left the service in each month since April 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) planned and (b) actual strength of all arms of the Territorial Army has been in each year from 1998 to 2005. [18301]

The planned and actual strength of all arms of the Territorial Army (TA) at the start of each financial year from 1998 to 2005 can be found in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the case of Mr. Peter Hall, seeking compensation for internment in the Far East. [20157]

The Veterans Agency is responsible for deciding claims under the Ex-Gratia Payment Scheme for Former Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees. Mr. Peter Hall's claim was rejected because he was unable to show that he met the necessary birthlink criterion, which requires former civilian internees who were British at the time of internment to have been born, or have had a parent or grandparent born, in the UK.

However, on 7 July 2005, considering the application for judicial review brought by Mrs. Diana Elias, the High Court found that the birth link criterion had resulted in unlawful indirect racial discrimination. After careful consideration, the Ministry of Defence decided to appeal against that decision to the Court of Appeal. Until these legal proceedings have been concluded, that part of the scheme relating to civilian internees has been suspended.

Should the High Court judgment be upheld, the Department would have to change the eligibility criteria and cases so far rejected would be reviewed in that light.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. [20133]

The information requested is not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely change in demand on the British Forces Post Office during the Christmas period; and if he will make a statement. [20555]

The British Forces Post Office has planned for a surge in demand over the Christmas period based on the experience of previous years and taking into account the number of service personnel deployed on operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the performance of the British Forces Post Office against its targets in 2004–05. [20556]

The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) is a Defence Agency. It presented its Annual Report and Accounts for 2004–2005 to Parliament before the summer recess, and a copy is held in the Library of the House. The Annual Report articulated BFPO's performance for 2004–05, measured against six Key Target areas, sub-divided into 16 performance indicators. The BFPO met the targets set for all six Key Target areas, which was a creditable performance by the Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the change in demand on (a) the British Forces Post Office and (b) the Defence Courier Service arising from current operations. [20571]

The prime focus of British Forces Post Office (BFPO) is to ensure continued support to the Defence community wherever individuals are based including on Operation Telic. Assessments of demand, based on both historical data and future planned operations, are constantly updated to ensure that resources are available to meet the anticipated demands both for the delivery of Protectively Marked Material by the Defence Courier Service, and for all other mail through BFPO. This is normal business for BFPO, and BFPO has met its performance targets in these key areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) soldiers and (b) other army personnel took part in the 2005 survey of bullying in the Royal Highland Fusiliers; and if he will place a copy of the report of the survey in the Library. [21530]

There has not been a survey specifically related to bullying in which members of 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers have taken part in 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made by the investigation of the death of Fusilier Stuart Henderson in the Eskopi garrison in Cyprus on 24 September. [21522]

Inquiries into the death of Fusilier Stuart Henderson have not yet been completed. In these circumstances it would be inappropriate to comment further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army (a) officers and (b) other ranks have been mobilised for service overseas within six months of completing their basic training in each of the last five years. [17652]

The information requested is set out in the following table. It should be noted that the figures represent those personnel mobilised in support of operations both overseas and in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make available a full copy of the final advice to Ministers concerning the selection of a contractor for the Type 45 Destroyer programme. [18579]

It is not possible to make available a full copy of the final advice provided to Ministers as to do so would be prejudicial to the provision of full and frank advice to Ministers and could prejudice the commercial interests of the companies involved. I will, however, send the hon. Member a copy of a summary of the information held on this issue and certain papers included with the final advice to Ministers that have recently been made available in response to a request for information. I will place copies of the documents in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to upgrade the weaponry on the Warrior armoured personnel carrier. [19440]

A programme has been established to investigate potential options for improving the lethality of the Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the BAE Systems built vessel Mounts Bay will be given lead ship status in the Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) project. [20390]

As a result of delays to the Swan Hunter programme, Mounts Bay, built by BAE Systems, was the first of the four LSD(A)s to undergo sea trials and is expected to be the first of the four ships to be delivered. In this context she can be defined as the lead ship; however, Largs Bay, built by Swan Hunter, remains the First of Class vessel and as such is the benchmark against which the performance of the other three vessels will be judged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the meetings with non-governmental organisations and individuals which (a) he and (b) each minister in his Department has attended in his official capacity over the last three months. [17842]

Ministers meet many individuals and organisations and attend many functions relating to Government business, and as part of the process of policy development. To provide the detailed information requested would incur disproportionate cost. The daily on the record briefing by the Prime Minister's official spokesman regularly provides details of Ministers' public engagements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has issued advice to regional development agencies about the use of public money for concept statues or sculptures. [20972]

holding answer 25 October 2005

No. It is for England's Regional Development Agencies to address the economic development and regeneration needs of their regions, in the way that does most for the regions. The Regional Development Agency can make a grant, provided it is consistent with its statutory purposes and the strategic priorities set out in the regional economic strategies of the regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2005, Official Report, column 1077W, on transport, after advice has been taken from Eastern region on its priorities for transport investment, when he expects a final decision to be made on the dualling of the A11 in Suffolk. [22169]

We expect to receive the eastern region's advice on its priorities for investment in transport, housing and economic development at the end of January 2006, and to respond during the spring. It is not possible to say how far our response will include final decisions on specific schemes until we have seen and assessed the advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken by public authorities against barge drivers or owners as a result of bridge strikes on the Thames in the last 20 years. [22031]

Since 1995 there have been 10 recorded instance of motorised barges, or dumb barges under tow, striking a bridge in the Port of London Authority area of jurisdiction. Of these one master was successfully prosecuted under S108 of the Port of London Act; two masters were issued formal written reprimands by the Harbour Master; three investigations resulted in amendments to regulations and/or company operating instructions; in two cases enforcement action was not considered appropriate. One incident remains under investigation. In seven cases, the masters were qualified Watermen or Lightermen. In the three other incidents, the master held either a national Boat Masters Licence or a STCW certificate. Of the 10 incidents all bar one were classified as minor/slight". The Battersea Road Bridge incident, currently under investigation, is classified as Serious".

Only 10 years of data are currently available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the resources available to older drivers to assess their competence to continue to drive. [22490]

There are 16 mobility centres in the UK which provide advice, through assessment, on the driving competence of older people and disabled people, including the Department for Transport's own Mobility Advice and Vehicle Information Service (MAVIS). The Department for Transport provides funding support for the 11 mobility centres based in England. These centres provide advice where a medical condition has been identified that may affect driving competence, or where concern has been expressed about competence to drive. They also provide advice, information and assessment to any older or disabled drivers who contact them. In addition, many local authorities, through their Road Safety Officers, have developed initiatives to provide advice on competence to drive. Some of these schemes give advice through leaflets, while several provide an on-road driving assessment and report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason warning signs advising motorists of lane closures on 17 August on the M1 in the vicinity of junction 29 were only posted on the northbound carriageway itself and not on the southbound carriageway. [21539]

The opposite carriageway is not signed when working on the other side.

On the night in question lanes 1, 2 and 3 were closed on the northbound carriageway between junctions 29 and 30 to enable lane 2 to be resurfaced as part of the Junction 29 to 30 major resurfacing scheme. The northbound traffic was using the hard shoulder throughout the works.

Variable Message Signs (VMS) on the northbound carriageway south of Junction 28 were activated to advise motorists to expect delays on approaching the overnight works since there was only one traffic lane running through the works.

On the southbound carriageway, the hard shoulder and lane 1 were closed over a length of approximately 200 metres for minor works. These works were complete before 00.15 hours and the traffic management was not on for a significant length of time. There were therefore no traffic queues on the southbound carriageway and no reason to activate the VMS to advise motorists to expect congestion on approaching these minor works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken on the safety implications of using the hard shoulder as a running lane. [20344]

The Highways Agency undertook research into the safety implications of using the hard shoulder as a running lane before including proposals for a pilot in Strategic Roads 2010", its response to the 10-year Transport Plan. The research included reviews of international experience and the Agency's own experience of using the hard shoulder as a running lane during motorway maintenance. It concluded that with appropriate monitoring, control systems and operating procedures safety levels can be maintained.

As part of the Active Traffic Management (ATM) project, being implemented between junctions 3A and 7 of the M42, extensive safety evaluation and research has been carried out prior to the consideration and use of the hard shoulder as a running lane. This pilot is scheduled to introduce controlled use of the hard shoulder as a running lane by March 2007, with the primary objective of ensuring that safety is not compromised. There is also extensive monitoring to establish the before and after effects of the pilot.

Documents have previously been made available which outline some of the research that has been carried out to support the safety aspects of hard shoulder running.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to implement the conclusions of the Tyneside area multi-modal study. [21017]

The Secretary of State's response to the conclusions of the Tyneside area multi-modal study is set out in the letter to the north east assembly of 9 July 2003 has been placed in the Libraries. Since this announcement, the Highways Agency has continued to develop proposals to improve the junctions on the A19 as recommended by the study. However, further progress on these specific schemes will be dependent on the advice the region provides to the Secretary of State on its transport priorities as part of the regional funding allocation process. The Highways Agency has also continued to develop proposals to reduce congestion on the A1 through Tyneside, but further progress will be subject to complementary work by local authorities in developing a strategy to reduce travel demand in future years. The Tyne and Wear local authorities have included a congestion strategy in their local transport plan for 2006–11 and the Tyne and Wear authorities have bid for Government financial support through the transport innovation fund to help with further development of their demand management options. We expect to announce the successful bids under this initiative by the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers (a) died and (b) were seriously injured while travelling on rail services provided by C2C Rail Ltd and its predecessors in each year from 1976. [19994]

Information on rail passenger fatalities and injuries is held by the Health and Safety Executive only on a national and regional basis, not by line or train operator.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the Thames Estuary fishing industry of the proposed dredging of the Estuary as part of the Thames Port development. [21602]

The matters considered by the Secretary of State are set out in his minded view letter of 20 July 2005 to the applicant for the proposed port. Paragraphs 31 and 66 of that letter and paragraph 15.2.12 of the inspector's report address the question of the likely impact on the fishing industry in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he received during the public inquiry into the Thames Port proposal on the impact of the proposed work on (a) biodiversity and (b) the fishing industry, with particular reference to dredging in the Thames. [21603]

Evidence on potential impacts of the proposed port on biodiversity and on the fishing industry from dredging in the Thames was provided to the public inquiry which was held into the proposed port and on which the inspector reported to the Secretary of State. A significant amount of evidence on these topics was contained in the environmental statement and other submissions provided by the applicant. Evidence was also provided in submissions from a number of organisations and individuals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of section 175 of the Transport Act 2000. [20112]

No regulations have been made under section 175 of the Transport Act 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the possible effects of the funding settlement for future financial years for adult community learning on (a) course fees, (b) the choice of courses available, (c) the number of places available and (d) the competitiveness of the UK's skills-based economy. [21380]

We announced on 21 October that we would safeguard £210 million for learning for personal and community development in 2006/07. On(a) we aim to increase fees in line with our wider fees policy for Further Education which is to work with the sector to establish with individuals and employers that they should pay at least 50 per cent. of course costs by the end of the decade, with safeguards for disadvantaged learners. On (b) there will continue to be a wide range of courses for adults. On (c) we should maintain the number of places in learning for personal and community development funded from the safeguarded budget. On (d) I would not expect any direct impact on the competitiveness of the UK's skills based economy from this type of learning but these courses do have wider benefits both to the individual and to society.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will to reply to the letter to her dated 30 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Nazia Parveen. [19511]

My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families expects to be able to respond to the right hon. Member's letter of 30 August by 26 October. I understand my hon. Friend has received an interim reply explaining that it was necessary to obtain further information for a full reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether (a) she or (b) other Ministers in her Department use an automated signing machine or stamp for ministerial correspondence. [20507]

Guidance on handling ministerial correspondence is set out in Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments" copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Automated signatures may be used in exceptional circumstances, for example when dealing with campaign correspondence, however all replies to ministerial correspondence are cleared by Ministers before being issued. Other than that all correspondence is signed by hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the working age population in the Braintree constituency hold a qualification at degree level or above. [21381]

From the 2004/05 Annual Local Labour Force Survey, the percentage of the working age population in the Braintree constituency that hold a qualification at degree level or above is 21.2 per cent. This compares with 20.1 per cent. for Essex and 25.9 per cent. for England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on rebranding in (a) her Department and (b) related agencies in each of the last five years. [18079]

Spend on rebranding for my Department and related agencies in the last five years, is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) revenue and (b) capital funding for (i) maintained schools, (ii) maintained faith schools and (iii) academies came from public sources in (A) 2004–05 and (B) 2005–06. [16393]

The proportion of revenue funding from public sources to all maintained schools and academies is estimated to be in excess of 97 per cent., both for 2004–05 and 2005–06. The balance of up to 3 per cent. includes the following categories of income:(a) facilities and services (b) catering (c) supply teacher insurance claims and other insurance claims (d) income from contributions to visits and similar activities.

No records are kept centrally which distinguish between faith and non-faith schools. The proportion of capital expenditure from public sources to all maintained schools and academies is estimated to approach 100 per cent., except as noted below. On Academy start up, private sector sponsors contribute up to around £2 million towards an average cost of £25 million. Public sources generally contribute 90 per cent. of Voluntary Aided Schools, with sponsors contributing the remaining 10 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to change Government funding for (a) Havering college and (b) Havering sixth form college. [20798]

On the 21 October I made an announcement, setting out the Government's strategic direction for the learning and skills sector for the coming period. My main purpose for doing so is to ensure the 2006–07 funding allocations process begin with a clear and concise message on the priorities and principles that will underpin funding over the next two years.

In addition, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published Priorities for Success"—a document that sets out the funding strategy for the next two years in more detail. This document is available on the LSC's website.

Although more funding will be going into the sector, we will focus public funding even more strongly on key priorities of raising participation and achievement for 16–19 year olds and driving down the skills deficit in the adult workforce and continue to rebalance the contributions of the state, individuals and employers to the costs of learning.

The Chancellor announced in the 2004 spending review settlement for education and skills in April 2004, that there will be over £1 billion of additional investment in the learning and skills sector by 2007–08. We will not know what this will mean for regional and local budgets until allocations are made by the National LSC Office, following receipt of the grant letter from my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the research on further education (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned by (i) her Department and (ii) the Learning and Skills Council in each year since 2001. [20818]

The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will bring further education lecturers' pay into line with that of teachers; and if she will make a statement. [20313]

Further education colleges and sixth form colleges are autonomous bodies, which negotiate pay and conditions with staff and their unions without Government involvement either nationally or locally. The Government have no plans to impose a national pay structure on further education colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make an assessment of the merits of ring-fencing Learning and Skills Council funds for lecturers' pay; and if she will make a statement. [20333]

We have worked hard with the LSC to simplify funding arrangements including reducing the number of separate budgets for further education. This has reduced bureaucracy and has made college funding more simple and transparent. We would be reluctant to reverse this process, which has been welcomed by colleges and their staff. Success for All", the strategy for reforming further education and training, makes clear that the Government's approach to pay is to enable local flexibility to meet local needs and to encourage a clear link between pay and individual performance. FE colleges and sixth form colleges are autonomous bodies, which negotiate pay and conditions with staff and their unions without Government involvement either nationally or locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of secondary school pupils achieved level 5 and above at key stage 3 in (a) reading, (b) writing, (c) mathematics and (d) reading, writing and mathematics combined in (i) 2002, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2004. [17705]

The requested information, including the data for 2005, is shown in the following table.

Key stage 3 results 2002–05

Notes:

1. Reading and writing results were not collected in 2002. Reading and writing was assessed in a single paper prior to and including 2002 therefore the results could not be reported separately until 2003.

2. The reading, writing and mathematics combined figure for 2003 is unavailable. These figures are held separately and cannot be matched reliably enough to give an accurate national result.

3. Figures are for all schools in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the relative attainment at key stage 3 between (a) boys and girls and (b) those eligible and ineligible for freeschool meals since the launch of the key stage 3 strategy. [19198]

Information on the attainment of pupils in key stage 3 tests by characteristics are published on the Department's website. Figures for 2004 are available at:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000564/index.shtml

Figures for 2002 and 2003 are available at:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000448/index.shtml

A gender breakdown of the 2001 figures is available at:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000344/index.shtml

The 2001 figures cannot be broken down into those eligible and ineligible for free school meals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated in 2005–06 to helping children who run away from care homes; and what steps are being taken to tackle the problem. [21031]

The Department of Health published 'Children Missing from Care and Home—a guide to good practice' in November 2002, in tandem with the Social Exclusion Unit's report Young Runaways". This was issued, along with Circular LAC (2002)17 under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, making the guidance a requirement for local authorities. This guidance requires that protocols about the management of 'missing from care incidents' are drawn up with the police and that a senior manager is appointed to monitor these and that there should be regular reports to council members with responsibility for corporate parenting" on patterns of children going missing from care.

This guidance supports the requirements that are set out in the Children's Homes Regulations 2002 and the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 and their related national minimum standards, that all homes and fostering services should have explicit procedures to follow when children in their care may be missing or absent.

Information about costs incurred by local authorities or other agencies in responding to incidents when children go missing from care is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 962W on national vocational qualifications; how many national vocational qualifications were awarded (a) in food preparation and cooking and (b) without the nutrition element in each of the last five years. [21165]

The numbers of National Vocational Qualifications awarded in Food Preparation and Cooking in each of the last five years are set out in the following table.

National vocational qualifications awarded in food preparation and cooking

Source:

National Information System for Vocational Qualifications

It is not possible to identify qualifications awarded in food preparation and cooking without the nutrition element.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas students attended universities in England in 2004–05; and how much they contributed to the income of these universities. [19315]

The latest available information is given in the table. Figures for 2004/5 will not be available until January 2006.

⁽⁶⁾ Postgraduate and undergraduate students. Rounded to the nearest 100.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the decision in R. v. Leonard Cheshire Foundation (2002) H.R.L.R.30 on the applicability of the Human Rights Act 1998 to privately-run children's homes. [20734]

This case relates to adults who expected to live out the remainder of their lives in a particular residential care home. Although sometimes older children in particular are placed in a children's home until such time as they are ready for a move to independence, for most children such placements are made on a much shorter-term basis.

Before placing a child in a children's home, local authorities need to take a clear view of the stability and viability of the home, and its ability to provide care to meet the child's individual needs for the required period of time. I would expect a local authority placing a child in a children's home to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the child's human rights are protected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from her Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members. [20142]

The information requested is not collected.