To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the percentage of electoral registration rate for each local authority in the UK is in descending order; and if she will make a statement. [26409]

I have been asked to reply.

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 11 November 2005

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the percentage electoral registration rate in each Local Authority area. (26409)

The Office for National Statistics is not able to calculate percentage electoral registration rates: the resident population aged 18 and over is not the same as the number of people eligible to vote. However, the Office for National Statistics does on occasion publish comparisons of the resident population of voting age (aged 18 and over) and the number of people who are registered to vote. These comparisons provide the closest available approximations to the information you requested.

The tables, which will be placed in the House of Commons Library, give comparisons between the number of registered electors and the estimated mid-2004 population for local authorities in the UK. Table 1 shows a comparison against parliamentary electorate and Table 2 against local/European electorate. Please note Table 1 refers to Great Britain only as Northern Ireland are unable to provide Parliamentary electorates for local authority areas. In order to give an estimate of the number of electors at the mid-year point, 30 June 2003, a weighted average is taken of the 1 December 2002 and 1 December 2003 electoral data.

The local/European electorate gives a better comparison than parliamentary electorate to resident population as EU citizens are included and UK citizens resident abroad are excluded from the local/European electorate. However, a number of other difficulties remain when comparing these sources. For example not everyone who is usually resident is entitled to vote (foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth, prisoners, etc. are not eligible) and people who have more than one address may register in more than one place. These factors may have a different impact from place to place.

There is inevitably some double counting of the registered electorate (both parliamentary and local/European) as electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or after they have died. This is the main reason some areas show apparent rates in excess of one hundred per cent.

Any comparison of these data with figures for previous years should be made carefully as electoral legislation and other changes (such as EU expansion) can change the size of the electorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list guidelines she has issued on how her Department interacts with public bodies sponsored by her Department. [22599]

My Department's relationship with each of its executive non-departmental public bodies is set out in a Management Statement and Financial Memorandum. That standing document is complemented by a funding agreement, for each Spending Review period, that explains how the Department and the sponsored body will work together and what will be delivered with public expenditure during the period.

Apart from those key control documents, the Department has issued the following guidance bearing on how it interacts with its sponsored bodies:

Serving on the Boards of DCMS Public Bodies (April 2005)—this sets out, for Board members, the respective roles of the Department and the body's Board and executive;

Guidance on Key Appointments Stages for making a Public Appointment (June 2004)—this explains the division of responsibilities between Department and sponsored body during the process of making Board appointments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the progress towards digital switchover. [25943]

Good progress continues to be made. The Government has confirmed the regional timetable for the switchover to digital television and announced support schemes to help the most vulnerable households to make the switch.

Digital UK, an independent, not-for-profit company set up by the broadcasters, commercial multiplex operators and involving the supply chain digital switchover has been launched to co-ordinate the implementation of digital switchover and ensure that consumers have timely and accurate information about switchover.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the remit of the Intellectual Property Forum project announced by the Minister for Creative Industries on 16 June includes consideration of the extension of the term for sound copyright. [21579]

I have been asked to reply.

The remit of the intellectual property forum project does not include consideration of the extension of the term for sound copyright. This will be considered separately, and how it will be done will be announced shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the impact of financing the Olympic Games on the amount of lottery money available for sports other than Olympic sports in the years to 2012. [25025]

holding answer 7 November 2005

We have allowed for up to £1.5 billion to be raised from the lottery, some of which will be raised by new lottery games solely for this purpose. We expect the non-Olympic good causes to receive up to 5 per cent. less in income, as a result of sales diversion, over the eight-year period from 2005 to 2013. In addition, up to £410 million will be redirected from the proceeds of non-Olympic lottery games after 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what costs will be met of those businesses relocating from the Marshgate Lane area to make way for Olympic development; and what criteria will be applied to determine reasonable costs. [25651]

The businesses or parties with an interest in the land to be acquired under a confirmed Compulsory Purchase Order are compensated under the statutory Compensation Code.

They receive the market value of their premises or other land interests. In addition they are entitled to a disturbance payment for either the business' relocation or extinguishment and the reasonable costs of their legal advisors and surveyors. A statutory loss payment can be made to commercial and residential owners/occupiers based on a percentage of market value of their property or interests.

Each party with a compensateable interest is entitled to appoint a chartered surveyor to negotiate the compensation on their behalf with the acquiring authority.

Disputes as to the level of compensation payable are referred to the Lands Tribunal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the operating profit from the 2012 Olympic Games will go to the British Paralympic Association. [25655]

In accordance with the Host City Contract, any surplus from the 2012 Olympic Games will be divided between the National Olympic Committee (20 per cent.), the International Olympic Committee (20 per cent.), and will be used for the general benefit of sport in the host country as may be determined by the Organising Committee for the Games in consultation with the NOC (60 per cent.). This could include funding for disability or Paralympic sport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government has for public transport in London to accommodate the increased number of passengers during the London Olympics in 2012. [25866]

The Olympic Park will be extremely well connected, and will be served by 10 railway lines which will collectively carry up to 240,000 passengers an hour into and out of the Olympic Park. During the games, one train every 15 seconds, or 240 trains an hour, will serve the Olympic Park.

Beyond this, there will be significant investment in London's transport infrastructure in the lead up to 2012. This investment will bring improvements to London's roads, buses, rail and underground networks, giving added resilience and reliability to the system. Planned improvements include the new £5.2 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link between St. Pancras and Stratford which will open in 2007 and will take passengers into the heart of the Olympic zone in under seven minutes, and over £1 billion a year until 2010 invested in the tube resulting in real improvements—including a 45 per cent. increase in Jubilee line capacity.

Also it should be noted that the games will be held at a time when many Londoners take their summer holidays and use of public transport drops significantly as a result.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to publicise the new Olympic lottery games. [26476]

Camelot Group plc, the national lottery operator, is responsible for publicising the new Olympic lottery games in line with the terms of its licence. My Department supports this at appropriate opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the national lottery regarding the new Olympic scratchcard. [26477]

Licensing of specific national lottery games is the responsibility of the National Lottery Commission (NLC). The Department fully supported efforts by the NLC and Camelot Group plc, the national lottery operator, to make the necessary preparations for a prompt launch of the first Olympic lottery game, the Go for Gold scratchcard, as soon as possible after the IOC decision to award the 2012 Games to London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the likely cost of the television licence in the period covered by the next BBC Charter; and if she will make a statement. [21468]

In line with our commitment set out in the Green Paper: A strong BBC, Independent of Government, we are currently conducting a review of BBC funding to determine the future level of the licence fee. We will announce the outcome in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department from May 1997 up to and including April 2005, broken down by Act. [27589]

No offences have been created by primary legislation introduced by the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish First Minister about the use of dawn raids in asylum cases. [25313]

My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of subjects, including issues which come under the responsibility of the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many call centres were run by his Department and its agencies in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; and how many and what proportion of calls (i) were handled by an adviser, (ii) were received but abandoned and (iii) received an engaged tone. [23304]

The Department of Trade and Industry has one call centre (defined as an operation where 10 or more people work in a structured telephone environment) which was operational in 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–2006.

⁽¹⁾ Information not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on his proposals that a named individual should sign off a company's accounts. [27001]

holding answer 10 November 2005

This proposal reflects widespread agreement following consultation. The European Commission's draft Audit Directive (latest text 2004/0065(COD)) contains a provision requiring the signature of a named individual auditor on each audit report. The Department consulted on this directive in September 2004 and published the results of the consultation in February 2005 (available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-1370.html)

Separately in early 2005, the Audit Quality Forum, which involves UK auditors, their clients and investors, recommended that the lead audit partner should sign his or her own name on each audit report. The March 2005 White Paper "Company Law Reform" contained proposals to this effect, and in July the Department published draft clauses for consultation.

About a dozen consultees commented specifically on this proposal. Most supported it in principle and made suggestions for improvements to clarify the draft clauses. Some of these suggestions have been incorporated in the Company Law Reform Bill that was introduced to Parliament last week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Skills Development Plan. [23861]

Copies of the Skills Development Plan for Department of Trade and Industry will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the prospects for progress in the Doha trade talks. [26974]

The Government is committed to achieving an ambitious, pro-development outcome at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December, which will allow conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda by the end of 2006. While meetings in London and Geneva this week have shown the distance that remains between several WTO Members, there remains a shared commitment to an ambitious result from the round. Hong Kong still has the potential to mark a significant step forward towards an early conclusion of the round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on ECJ case C-127/05, 2005/C 143/26, with particular reference to (a) assessed liabilities ensuing for business and (b) the principle of proportionality in UK legislation. [16661]

I have been asked to reply.

The European Commission has brought infraction proceedings against the United Kingdom for allegedly failing to fulfil its obligations under article 5(1) and (4) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (the framework directive on health and safety) in its implementation of these provisions.

The Government have lodged a defence of our implementation of the directive with the European Court of Justice as being in full compliance with our community law obligations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of his Department. [23440]

The Skills for Life Programme and National Testing information is made available to employees that have identified need. We offer the chance to pursue the Skills for Life Numeracy and Literacy programme at an independent educational establishment such as 'LearnDirect' on day release for employees if they so choose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of new recruits to his Department do not have a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics. [23769]

Recruitment to my Department is competence based and there may not be a specific requirement for new recruits to hold a particular type of qualification. This type of data is not therefore collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods of assessment of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills are used as part of the recruitment process by employees of his Department. [23793]

Recruitment to my Department is competency based. Where literacy and numeracy skills are required, processes are in place to assess these skills through the application process. These include verification of formal qualifications, skills based questions and skills based tasks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the contribution to the City of London's productivity of mobile communications; and if he will make a statement. [27262]

I have no information for the City of London that would allow the assessment of the contribution mobile communications has made to its productivity. The mobile network operator, O2 commissioned a study from the Centre for Economic and Business Research in July 2004 to assess how the contribution of mobile phones to the UK economy was likely to change over the next 10 years. A final report on the regional contribution of mobile communications, provided figures broken down by region. For the South East it found that mobile communications contributes 3.23 per cent. of GDP, which is £1,573 per household per year. It also found that mobile communications accounts for 1.15 per cent. of all jobs in the South East.

We have no plans to undertake a further assessment specific to the City of London.

The mobile phone sector contributes to both the UK GDP and Government finances. According to research by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), mobile contributed £22.9 billion to UK GDP in 2003, 2.3 per cent. of total GDP. Mobile network operator, O2 commissioned a study from CEBR in July 2004 that assessed how the contribution of mobile phones to the UK economy was likely to change over the next 10 years. The report shows how the mobile phone sector now contributes as much to GDP as the total oil and gas extraction industry.

The research shows that the mobile sector is making a major contribution to national productivity both through sustaining a high level of productivity in the sector itself and through enabling higher productivity in the rest of the economy but no specific figures are available specifically for the City of London, although the City probably has the highest concentration of mobile telecommunications use in the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills concerning the Work and Families Bill. [25094]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly speaks to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on a variety of subjects. There have been no specific meetings to discuss the Work and Families Bill.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births there were to women resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area at (a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locations in each year since 2000. [26373]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Rosie Cooper, dated 11 November 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your request for the number of births to women resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority at(a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locations in each year since 2000. (26373)

The table below relates to babies born in England and Wales to women usually resident in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area at the time of the birth. Figures are presented for categories(a) and (b) combined, (c) and (d). Information is not available centrally on which of these institutions are mid-wife led units, so these are not listed separately.

Hospitals where more than 30 live births took place over the period 2000 to 2004 have been shown individually; the remaining ones have been aggregated in the 'Other hospitals' sub-total. Births in the 'Elsewhere' category are mainly those occurring on the way to hospital or at a private residence which is not that of the mother.

Live births by place of occurrence for women resident in Cheshire and Merseyside SHA area 2000–04

⁽²⁾ There were 115 hospitals/units in the 'Other' category where there was at least one birth in the period 2000 to 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of carrying goods above the duty free allowance in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [26361]

HMRC records do not differentiate between criminal offences concerned with duty-free and duty-paid goods, nor do they distinguish between men and women. However, the consolidated figures for all prosecutions for smuggling of alcohol or tobacco for the years between 1993 and 2000 are:

⁽³⁾ Figures relate to those sentenced for tobacco offence only.

⁽⁴⁾ Figures include those sentenced or convicted for fraudulent evasion as well as those guilty of smuggling.

The figures for 2004–05 will be published later this year in the HMRC Annual Report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many items confiscated by customs officers as a result of the driver carrying goods above the duty free allowance are disposed of; and if he will make a statement. [26363]

Vehicles seized by HM Revenue and Customs when the duty-free allowances are exceeded (or when alcohol and tobacco products are seized from travellers from elsewhere in the European Community) are either sold or, if in poor condition, scrapped in accordance with current environmental requirements. The proceeds from sale are passed to the Treasury. Confiscated alcohol is separated out from packaging and converted into fertilizer or animal feed. Tobacco is shredded and converted into fuel pellets.

Wherever possible, all packaging is recycled.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs concerning policy changes for the repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th EC directives; [27003]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) inward investment into the UK and (b) the UK hotel industry of changes to VAT collection under the 8th and 13th EC directives; [27004]

(3) if he will make a statement on the proposed policy changes for repayment under the 8th and 13th EC directives that will come into effect on 1 January 2006; and what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of these changes on (a) UK companies and (b) non-EU companies. [27053]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been receiving an increasing number of claims for repayment of VAT under the 8th and 13th EC VAT Directives which have not been supported by all the required documentation, including valid VAT invoices. HMRC have found that the previous controls for dealing with such claims are not sufficiently robust and are being abused. HMRC have therefore decided that they must tighten their procedures and have recently reminded businesses that claims must be supported by all the required documentation, and about what details a valid VAT invoice must contain. These rules apply equally to all businesses and are no different to the rules that apply domestically for businesses seeking to recover VAT incurred on their purchases.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government's tax policy on film production in England. [26341]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government's tax policy on film production; and if he will make a statement. [25970]

The Government recognises the cultural and economic contribution that the film industry makes and the role that tax incentives play in encouraging the production of culturally British films. The Government launched a consultation, "Reform of Film Tax Incentives" in July 2005, which closed in October 2005. The responses that we received are being carefully considered.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress with the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. [26340]

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to my answer on 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 54W to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the spare capacity in the Inland Revenue's computer systems. [26596]

As part of the normal course of their business both former Departments (Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise) together with their IT Partners conducted on-going reviews of their IT systems' capacity. These reviews have continued following the integration of the two Departments in April 2005 to create HMRC. HMRC is using the opportunity of the integration to conduct a widespread review of the capacity of the IT systems, to identify opportunities for rationalisation and efficiency savings, taking into account past trends and known future work.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the IT projects costing over £1 million in use in his Department and introduced since 1997 have been scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee; and if he will list them. [26598]

None of the following IT projects costing over £1 million is believed to have been scrutinised by the PAC (Public Accounts Committee). The projects are:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many IT projects which cost over £1 million and were introduced since 1997 are in use in his Department. [26599]

Five IT projects which cost over £1 million have been undertaken by the Treasury since 1997; three are IT systems software and two provide IT service infrastructure. All five are still in use.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the public sector pension deficit is if calculated using a discount rate based on index linked gilts; and what rate was used for the calculation. [26224]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 36W on pensions, what discount rate was used to calculate the deficit; what the estimate of the deficit would be if a discount rate of 2.5 per cent. were used; and what assumptions underlay the calculation of the deficit with particular reference to life expectancy; [27117]

(2) pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 360W, on pensions, what the public sector pension deficit would be if the discount rate used was equivalent to that of a 25-year gilt. [27118]

The deficits and surpluses of funded statutory public service pension schemes such as the local government pension scheme, and those of funded pension schemes in the wider public sector, are not calculated centrally. Discount rates within the range specified by FRS 17 will be used for their individual accounts according to the circumstances of the scheme. To recalculate the liabilities of individual funds would involve disproportionate costs.

Most public service pensions schemes are unfunded and funding deficits do not arise. However, information on the liabilities of unfunded schemes is collected and held centrally. The total liabilities of unfunded pension schemes as at 31 March 2004 are estimated to be £460 billion.

This figure is based largely on pension scheme resource accounts for 2003–04, which used a discount rate of 3.5 per cent. real for that year. Assumptions used were consistent with those the latest actuarial analysis of each scheme's experience. Significant allowance was made for future improvement in mortality, drawing on national population projections and mortality studies undertaken by the actuarial profession.

Government do not as a matter of course re-calculate liabilities published in audited accounts to show what they would have been had discounting assumptions been different from those that were in fact used. However, for the purposes of this question, based on the information held on the liabilities of unfunded public service schemes, the Government Actuary's Department have estimated:

31 March 2004.(a) Using a discount rate of 2.5 per cent. per annum net of price inflation, the total liabilities of unfunded schemes would have been around £560 billion as at

31 March 2004, the total liabilities of unfunded public service schemes would have been around £630 billion as at 31 March 2004.(b) Using a discount rate of 1.9 per cent. per annum net of price inflation, which was the market yield on the FTSE index of longer-dated index linked gilts as at

31 March 2004 with duration to redemption closest to 25 years, the total liabilities of unfunded schemes would have been around £650 billion as at 31 March 2004.(c) Using a discount rate of 1.7 per cent. per annum net of price inflation, the yield published by the Debt Management Office for the index-linked gilt in issue on

The discount rate used to express the net present value of public service pension liabilities does not affect future government cash expenditure on pension payments to former public servants and their dependants.

Projections of cash expenditure on unfunded public service pensions as a proportion of GDP are published alongside the pre-Budget report in the Long-term Public Finance Report as part of Government strategy to monitor the long-term sustainability of public expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list private finance initiative (PFI) contracts which were originally off-balance sheet, but which the Government has taken on-balance sheet at a later date; and how much new public debt each contract represents. [26228]

The specific balance sheet treatment of private finance initiative contracts is not determined by the Government, but through the application of established independent accounting standards by the respective independent audit bodies for the public authority—the National Audit Office, the Audit Commission or the audit bodies of the devolved administrations. The balance sheet treatment of private finance initiative contracts, including any changes, is reflected in the audited accounts of the procuring authority.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the projected savings over the next 50 years from (a) the December 2004 proposed reforms of public service pensions and (b) the revised proposals for public service pensions announced on 18 October. [27050]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil on 25 October 2005, Official Report, columns 313–14W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the tax revenue was from shellfishing in Morecambe Bay in each year since 2000–01. [27396]

Statistical information on tax revenue at this level of detail is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which specialist teams working on complicated tax credit cases at the Tax Credit Office, were referred to in correspondence of 4 October between the Tax Credit Office and the hon. Member for Birkenhead regarding the tax credits of his constituent of Corporation Road, Birkenhead; and what the size of each is. [21147]

holding answer 24 October 2005

The specialist team referred to in the Tax Credit Office's letter to the right hon. Gentleman is a technical advice team. Team members provide technical advice and support to TCO staff. The team consists of around 12 full-time equivalent staff.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Valuation Office Agency in each year since 1997; and what the estimated established staff for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07 is. [26931]

The numbers of full-time equivalent staff, employed by the Valuation Office Agency, in each year since 1997, are shown in the table. Staff numbers rose to a peak of 5,416 in August 2005 to support the council tax revaluation. The estimate of established staff for(a) 2005 to 2006 is 4,800 and although the final figure is yet to be determined for (b) 2006 to 2007 it is expected to be approximately 4,300.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent in total on its computer assisted mass appraisal system. [26932]

Approximately £10 million has been spent on procuring and developing the automated valuation model, which is a key component of a computer assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers (a) staff and (b) contractors of the Valuation Office Agency have to forcibly inspect a property for a council tax valuation in circumstances where the resident refuses entry to the (i) inside of the premises and (ii) land surrounding the property. [26933]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of the vehicle excise duty was in each year since 1976. [26295]

DVLA publish a leaflet (V149) each year detailing current vehicle excise duty rates. I have arranged for copies of these leaflets going back to 1976 to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on improvements to A roads in the UK since 1997; and if he will list the transport budgets for each region for 2005–06. [27686]

The Department does not retain records of how much the Highways Agency or local authorities have spent specifically on 'A' roads in the UK since 1992.

Our allocations for local transport capital investment for 2005–06 to regions (excluding London) are set out in the following table. This covers expenditure on local authority major transport schemes, integrated transport block and local road capital maintenance funding.

2005–06: Local authority -- £ million

⁽⁵⁾ Schemes costing more than £5 million which have been fully approved for funding.

⁽⁶⁾ Improvement schemes costing less than £5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to consult people in East Sussex affected by the proposed A21 upgrade. [27687]

Public consultation on the proposed upgrade of the A21 from Pembury to Hastings was carried out in 2002–03. The consultation included specific proposals for the Flimwell to Robertsbridge section. The Highways Agency and East Sussex county council held further consultation during February/March 2004 for the A21 Baldslow Link at Hastings, which included proposals for the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road. There are no immediate plans to carry out public consultation on specific proposals for the section between Robertsbridge and Baldslow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve air links in the South West of England. [26460]

The Air Transport White Paper supports the growth of regional airports to serve local and regional demand, and includes a range of measures designed to facilitate their development.

Airports throughout the South West are engaging with airlines with a view to building on the significant increase in scheduled services from the region that has taken place in recent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what types of aircraft used by civilian airlines are banned from UK airspace. [26449]

There are no aircraft types currently banned from UK airspace.

Any airline from outside the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland which wishes to pick up or put down passengers or cargo in the UK requires a permit from the Secretary of State for Transport. It is a condition of the permit that the airline's aircraft should be operated in accordance with international safety standards. Any individual aircraft that does not meet those standards would be refused a permit.

In addition, it is a condition of the permit that aircraft meet the environmental standards in Annex 16 to the Chicago Convention. Aircraft unable to meet the current ICAO noise certification requirements (Chapter 3 of Annex 16, Volume 1 or better) are not permitted unless there are exceptional circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) if he is satisfied that the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority has a sufficient number of qualified safety experts among its managerial staff; [24084]

(2) how many safety experts were employed by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004. [24085]

The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority (CTSA) is not a body that directly employs safety experts. It has, however, access to safety experts employed by the Health and Safety Executive and the Kent Fire and Rescue Service, some of whom spend a significant proportion of their time on CTSA work, and from similar organisations in France.

It also has access to safety expertise in other British and French organisations. The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority's Annual Report indicates the bodies that have provided advice during the year covered by the report.

The time spent by safety experts on CTSA work in any year will depend on the needs of the Authority for advice and assistance in that year. I am satisfied that the CTSA has adequate access to qualified safety experts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the results were of bi-national exercises to test emergency procedures held on (a) 15 April 2004 at Folkestone Fire Station (UK COMEX), (b) 30 June 2004 on the French side of service tunnel (VALEX) and (c) 19 September 2004 in the UK led annual exercise BINAT 15; and if he will place reports of these results in the Library. [24089]

The results of these exercises, which are to test emergency procedures, are summarised in the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority Annual Report 2004–05 at paragraph 53. Given that the full reports, which are agreed between the French and British emergency response organisations and Eurotunnel, detail the preparedness of the organisations concerned in respect of emergency situations including those arising from terrorist attack, it is not proposed to make them public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what assessment he has made of whether the reliability rate of the crossover doors in the channel tunnel is at levels deemed reasonable by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority; [24090]

(2) if he will make a statement on the instances of the monthly target failure rate of 5 per cent. of crossover doors in the channel tunnel being exceeded. [24091]

In the year from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005, the reliability rates of the crossover doors have been better than the figure regarded as acceptable by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority (a 5 per cent. probability that the doors would fail when required to operate). The failure rates have been, on average, lower than this, at 3.7 per cent. on the UK side and 4.7 per cent. on the French side of the tunnel. A programme of modification of the doors, which is under way, is leading to a further improvement in the situation.

The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority's Annual Report for 2004–05 notes that there have been occasions when the target monthly failure rate has been exceeded, but points out the limited number of operations and the fact that overall, the failure rate is lower than the target and is decreasing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the running times of trains from Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough to Paddington before and after the Crossrail construction. [23121]

The following estimated table describes journey times to Paddington. Many passengers who travel beyond Paddington will have shorter overall journey times as Crossrail will run directly to central London interchange stations avoiding the need for some people to change trains at all, and providing others with alternative interchange opportunities.

⁽⁷⁾ Crossrail does not run as far as Twyford

⁽⁸⁾ The residual services are planned to be complementary to Crossrail services and also run on the slow lines. The figures exclude services that, as at present, operate on the fast lines. A comparison including fast line services cannot be made at this stage not least because of the current franchise-letting process for the Great Western line.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the effectiveness of the cycling demonstration towns. [26522]

The Department is working closely with our expert advisory body, Cycling England, to agree a robust monitoring framework in each of the six cycling demonstration towns.

In partnership with Department of Health, we are investigating how we can fully measure the resulting health benefits of increasing cycling levels in these towns.

A finalised monitoring programme will be agreed with each cycling town by 31 March 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place with cyclists on the making of public transport accessible to those using bicycles. [26528]

My predecessor, the hon. Member for Staffordshire Moorlands (Charlotte Atkins) met with the CTC (Cyclist Touring Club) in December 2004 and discussed a range of cycling issues including bike and rail; and I was delighted to present the Association of Train Operating Companies Rail Cycle Awards on 8 November which recognises integrated bike and rail innovations.

In August 2004 the Department and the Countryside Agency published "Bike and Rail: a good practice guide" highlighting good practice and encouraging a partnership approach between train operators, local authorities and cycle groups. The Strategic Rail Authority published their Cycling Policy in November last year. Copies of both these publications have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department has made of the cost of road wear by foreign lorries operating in England; and if he will make a statement. [27524]

The Department has not made an estimate of this cost in recent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the usage figures have been for each light rail scheme currently in operation in each year since they commenced operation. [27505]

The following tables show the figures requested.

Passenger journeys per year for modern light rail systems in England -- Million

Million

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the need to increase vehicle capacity of junctions 6 and 7 of the M3. [27503]

As part of their ongoing Local Plan Review process, Basingstoke and Deane borough council assessed the capacity of the M3 in the Basingstoke area, including junctions 6 and 7. This assessment was discussed with Hampshire county council and the Highways Agency. Agreement was reached in principle on the need to accommodate traffic resulting from the Local Plan proposals by a combination of management measures and capacity increases.

The Highways Agency will review the situation when the outcome of the Local Plan Review becomes clearer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when directive 2001/43/EC on quiet tyres will be transposed into UK law. [27587]

The directive was transposed into UK law by Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 1835, made on 12 July 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average percentage change in annual rail fares over the previous year was in each year between 1997 and 2004; and if he will make a statement. [26945]

Regulated fares were limited to an average annual increase equal to inflation until 1998, 1 per cent. less than inflation from 1999 until 2003, and by 1 per cent. above inflation from 2004 onwards. Information on both regulated and unregulated fares levels is collated by the Office of Rail Regulation and published in their publication "National Rail Trends".

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) Network Rail and (b) the British Transport Police in preventing trespassing onto railway lines (i) in England and (ii) in the Kettering constituency; and what further steps are planned. [23189]

No assessments have been made by the Secretary of State. The primary responsibility for preventing trespass on the national rail network lies with Network Rail, who work closely with the British Transport Police, others in the rail industry and the wider community.

Network Rail will write directly to my hon. Friend about work to prevent trespassing on the network in Kettering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what elements of the European Railway Safety Directive (2004/49/EC) remain to be implemented by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. [24083]

The requirements of the European Railway Safety Directive (2004/49/EC) on the independent investigation of accidents and incidents, including their application to the UK section of the Channel Tunnel, have been transposed in the UK by The Railways (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations 2005.

The remaining elements of the Directive cover the development and management of safety, safety certification of railway undertakings and safety authorisation of infrastructure managers, and the appointment and functions of Safety Authorities. These are being transposed to the Channel Tunnel by a binational Regulation of the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission (which will be given effect in the UK by Statutory Instrument). The Intergovernmental Commission aims to complete its transposition by the Directive's deadline of 30 April 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what assessment he has made of the implications for safety of over-crowding on trains along (a) the Hastings to London Victoria and (b) Brighton to London Victoria lines; and what steps he plans to take to reduce the impact of overcrowding on train services; [25437]

(2) what estimate he has made of the volume of passengers using peak time train services along the (a) Brighton to London Victoria and (b) Hastings to London Victoria line in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement; [25441]

(3) what assessment he has made of the over-crowding on trains along (a) the Hastings to London Victoria and (b) Brighton to London Victoria lines; and if he will make a statement. [25472]

holding answer 7 November 2005

Crowding on all London passenger services, including between Hastings-London Victoria and Brighton-London Victoria are measured against Passengers in Excess of Capacity Rules (PIXC) rules. This is against the number of seats on longer-distance services and against total capacity (seats plus, standing) for services where the first stop that passengers alight (or last stop where passengers board) is not more than 20 minutes from the terminal station. This allows for the scheduled stops within the 20 minute threshold at Clapham Junction and East Croydon in both directions.

The latest available count data (2004) show that all morning and evening peak Brighton to Victoria and Hastings to Victoria services are within their official passenger capacities, except for the 1632 Victoria to Brighton service. The Train Operating Company has allocated less carriages to the 1632 Victoria to Brighton train in order to provide longer trains to meet the greater passenger demand in the high peak period after 1700. However, an alternative service between Victoria and Brighton is scheduled shortly after this service at 1636, and this does provide spare capacity.

Ultimately the responsibility for the day-to-day safety and welfare of passengers using the railway rests with the Train Operating Companies. Focus is being given to improve timetabling, infrastructure maintenance and renewals and other factors that can impact on reliable delivery of train services, which will in turn impact on crowding levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place to assess the level of investment required in the infrastructure of the railways to ensure its safe operation against the commercial requirements of those operating the franchises. [26515]

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 it is for Network Rail and the train operators to ensure that they operate their undertakings to reduce risks "so far as is reasonably practicable" and to ensure that safety benefits are taken into account in their investment plans. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for ensuring that train operators comply with appropriate health and safety law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on the number of additional deaths and serious injuries on roads each year of turning back the clocks in October. [27094]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 514W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the use of stone mastic asphalt materials for road resurfacing; and if he will make a statement. [28029]

The use of stone mastic asphalt materials (SMA) for road resurfacing was assessed by the Highways Agency in the 1990s. As a result of concern regarding the loss of surface texture required for high-speed skid resistance, its use was prohibited as a surfacing on trunk roads including motorways in England. Proprietary materials based on SMA, known as 'thin surfacings', have been developed to address the surface texture concern and these are now widely used on the trunk road and motorway network. The Department, on behalf of the UK Roads Board has commissioned best practice guidance for local authorities on how and where thin surfacings and SMA can be applied. The results of this research will be available early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average frequency of (a) train and (b) bus services in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [25652]

Data are not available in the form requested.

The National Travel Survey asks respondents about the frequency of services from their nearest railway station and their nearest bus stop. Results for households in England in 2004 are given in the table.

Frequency of train and bus services from nearest railway station or bus stop—England, 2004

⁽⁹⁾ Frequent services are defined as at least one train per hour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many licensed asbestos contractors have had their licences revoked in each year since 2000. [23577]

Since 2000 one licensed asbestos contractor has had their licence revoked. The revocation took place in February 2005.

Although only one licence has been revoked since 2000, revocation proceedings have been initiated on several occasions. The revocation process was not concluded previously as the licences expired before the revocation decision was reached and the applicants either did not reapply for a licence or their licence renewal application was refused.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many field inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive are (a) trained, (b) equipped and (c) authorised to inspect on-site enclosures during asbestos removal work. [23578]

As at 28 October 2005, 40 personnel employed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (i.e. inspectors, specialists and scientists) are trained, equipped and authorised to inspect and enter live asbestos enclosures during asbestos removal work. Of these 40, 33 are general and specialist field inspectors, and seven are scientific personnel.

The majority of asbestos work is inspected by operational inspectors in the Construction Division (CD) of HSE's Field Operations Directorate. Most inspections do not require enclosure entry as the work activity can be observed through viewing panels incorporated into the structure of the enclosure. The majority of CD's 124 operational inspectors have been trained to inspect asbestos removal work without entering enclosures. Of these 124, 18 are currently nominated, trained, equipped and authorised to enter enclosures, but only when necessary to secure compliance or collect evidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many premises the Health and Safety Executive estimates will be covered by the requirements in the Management of Asbestos in Building Regulations. [23579]

Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 places duties on those responsible for maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises to manage the risk from any asbestos in those premises.

The Health and Safety Executive estimates that 500,000 commercial, industrial and public buildings, plus the common areas of some 4 million rented residential premises, are likely to contain asbestos.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many licensed asbestos contractors have had enforcement action taken against them for dry stripping in each year since 2000. [23583]

Due to the way in which this information is stored, it is not possible to identify easily the enforcement action for uncontrolled dry stripping taken against licensed asbestos contractors. The following table indicates the level of enforcement activity since 2000 against licensed contractors and the number of occasions uncontrolled dry stripping was identified as a matter of concern by inspectors. The Health and Safety Executive's policy is to consider enforcement action when uncontrolled dry stripping is encountered. As such, either prohibition notices, or consideration of prosecution, would have occurred in the majority of these occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Health and Safety Executive has taken to ensure that client organisations understand the requirement to wet strip asbestos-containing materials. [23585]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has provided guidance to client organisations on the need for wet stripping of asbestos-containing materials in its 2002 publication 'A comprehensive guide to Managing Asbestos in premises' (HSG 227)—ISBN 0717623815, which is available in the Library.

This guidance, together with other advice for clients, is promoted through HSE's on-going asbestos campaign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Health and Safety Executive has taken to ensure that licensed asbestos contractors (a) understand and (b) comply with the requirement to wet strip asbestos-containing materials. [23586]

Before contractors are granted a licence to work with asbestos, they must demonstrate to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that they have sound knowledge of the relevant legislation and related guidance and that they have the necessary competence to do the work safely, so that the health of their employees, or others who may be affected by the work, is not endangered. The applicant's knowledge includes their having an understanding of and the competence to apply controlled asbestos removal techniques.

Having granted a licence, HSE expects the licence holder to comply with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 and the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 as amended. In order to monitor the performance of licence holders, inspectors carry out a programme of site visits. If, during these visits, inspectors encounter work being carried out without using proper controls, such as wet injection, then they will take appropriate action to achieve compliance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measure of council tax inflation the Department uses for its long-term projections of benefit expenditure. [22405]

HM Treasury's long-term assumption for council tax inflation is that it is rising in line with average earnings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to measure fraud and error in those benefits that are not regularly monitored. [23180]

Measurement of fraud and error in benefits is complex and expensive, therefore the Department concentrates on those benefits with the highest level of risk. We carry out continuous measurement of loss through fraud and error in jobseeker's allowance, income support, pension credit and housing benefit and we conduct reviews of other benefits. For example a national benefit review of disability living allowance was conducted in 2004 and the results published in July 2005 as "Fraud, Error and other Incorrectness in disability living allowance", which is available in the Library.

We are committed to continuing these reviews, and over the next few years we will be carrying out a series on other benefits which have a high level of expenditure and potential risk of loss. We envisage that this will enable us to publish a more accurate figure for loss through fraud and error.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many inspectors the Department has employed for the investigation of benefit fraud in each of the last 10 years. [27638]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraud investigators are in post; and what the equivalent figures were in the previous two years. [16588]

The available information is in the table.

DWP fraud investigators

Note:

Information is not available in the above format prior to 2004.

Source:

Fraud Business Report (latest figure available from quarter ending June 2005).

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency have (a) applied for and (b) received the disability living allowance in each year since 1997. [23886]

The administration of disability living allowance and attendance allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Edward Davey, dated 11 November 2005

The Secretary of State has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, to reply to your question concerning how many people in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency have(a) applied for and (b) received the disability living allowance in each year since 1997.

The information requested at part(a) of your question is unavailable. This information is not retained at any geographical level other than for Great Britain and therefore cannot be produced.

The information requested at part(b) of your question is as follows:

Disability living allowance for Kingston and Surbiton parliamentary constituency as at May in each year from1997 to 2005 -- Thousand

Notes:

1. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital or abroad for prolonged periods.

2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.

3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.

4. "-" Nil or negligible.

5. "." Not applicable.

6. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Source:

DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study for totals and 5 per cent. samples for detail/long time series.

I hope this is helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the quarterly off-flows from (a) incapacity benefit and (b) severe disability allowance for each quarter from February 2003 to the latest available date, broken down by (i) Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) reason for termination. [24327]

holding answer 3 November 2005

The information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many carbon monoxide poisoning incidents have occurred in public places in each of the last 10 years. [14788]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the safe installation, maintenance and use of gas systems in domestic and commercial premises. It maintains statistics on gas-related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning only in domestic premises. It also maintains statistics on work related poisonings reported to it, which may arise from exposure to substances including CO.

However, HSE has no responsibility for other domestic use of fossil fuels, such as coal, wood or oil, which can also be sources of CO poisoning. It also has no responsibility for air quality in public places.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions payments have been made under the authority of the Chief Executive or the Deputy Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency but without their personal written authorisation; how much these payments have amounted to; for what reasons they were made; and if he will make a statement. [2009]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member separately.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. David Laws

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions payments have been made under the authority of the Chief Executive or the Deputy Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency but without their personal written authorisation; how much these payments have amounted to; for what reasons they were made.

All payments made by officers of the Child Support Agency are made under the authority of the Chief Executive as the Accounting Officer for the Agency. There are delegated authority levels and controls in place throughout the Agency to support these arrangements. In certain exceptional circumstances, the personal written authorisation of the Chief Executive or his Deputy is required before payment of redress can be made.

I hope you find this useful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many formal complaints his Department has received from West Lancashire about the Child Support Agency. [27667]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Members for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) and for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 279W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to ensure that health and safety measures are properly enforced in relation to agency workers in the construction industry; and who bears the responsibility of ensuring that health and safety laws are observed in cases where such workers are employed by composite companies rather than directly by the company carrying out the construction work. [16546]

The Government, through the Health and Safety Executive, enforces health and safety legislation through a combination of enforcement and advisory techniques such as site inspection and the publication of guidance. Health and safety legislation affords protection to both direct employees and those employed through agencies.

A construction company employing agency workers is subject to the general duties contained in sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). Section 2 HSWA places a general duty on all employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees. Where a worker is not employed directly by the company carrying out work on site, section 3 HSWA imposes a duty on employers such as that company to ensure, in so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of those other than his employees, such as that worker. Responsibilities regarding the sharing of information about risks and their control between hirers, employment agencies and workers are clarified in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Additionally, in construction, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 impose duties on principal contractors to manage and co-ordinate all construction activity whether undertaken by their employees, subcontractors, the self-employed or agency workers. The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations) 1996 also imposes a duty to safeguard construction site health and safety on any person, whether they are the employer or not, who is in control of workers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

(1) what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to correspondence from members of the public; [21917]

(2) what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to hon. Members' correspondence. [21908]

Every effort is made to handle all correspondence effectively and efficiently. All correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is handled in accordance with the principles set out in 'Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments'. The same principles apply when handling correspondence from members of the public.

Information relating to the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence is published on an annual basis. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns. 137–40WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case. [22580]

Current formal consultations are listed as follows.