To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which recommendations from the report of the Independent Review of Avian Quarantine have been implemented. [69413]

The Government and the Devolved Administrations published their response to the Independent Review of UK Avian Quarantine on19 April. This is available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/avianquarantine/pov-strategy/index.htm

The Government and the Devolved Administrations either accept, or accept in principle, 29 of the 32 recommendations. However, some of the responses are preliminary, pending further consultation with stakeholders or the completion of further studies. For many of the recommendations, the European Commission would be responsible for taking forward any necessary action. Two of the recommendations require further consideration, and one recommendation regarding pet birds has been rejected. These are detailed in the Government response.

There is currently an EU ban on imports of captive wild birds, which is due to expire on 31 July. A decision on whether to extend the ban will be taken at the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health in June.

The key elements of the Government response are currently being implemented and will be in place before imports resume. In addition, all approved quarantine premises will need to be reassessed against revised standards before they can accept any birds into quarantine.

In April 2005 the European Commission requested the European Food Safety Authority to carry out a review of the animal health and welfare aspects of imports of captive wild birds, which is due to report in October 2006. This will inform EU policy and we await their opinion with interest.

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

(1) what response he has made to the advice from the Science Advisory Council on bovine tuberculosis; [54634]

(2) when he will answer question 54634 tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South on 24 February 2006. [69666]

Science Advisory Council (SAC) advice on bovine TB was taken into consideration by the Chief Scientific Advisor when formulating his guidance to Ministers on new measures to tackle the disease, announced on 15 December 2005.

Further advice was provided on 20 December 2005, following the publication of interim results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT).

Defra provided the SAC with an update on bovine TB activity at a meeting on 12 January 2006.Draft minutes of the meeting are available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/how/advisory06a.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will expand the farm management questionnaire in the Case Control Study 2005 (CCS 2005) to include more farmers and landowners in the survey and to add additional animal health officers as participating bodies. [68654]

Data collection for the Case Control Study 2005 (CCS 2005) has been completed. The study was put in place at the request of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) to gather data on TB risk factors.

CCS 2005 was designed to be a one-year study only, in order to collect data in time for analysis and reporting by the ISG. The ISG's work is due to conclude in March 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the (a) operation and (b) profitability of the dairy market; and if he will make a statement. [66106]

The Department has not made an assessment of the operation or profitability of the dairy market. However, the Milk Development Council publishes a report on an annual basis which examines dairy supply chain margins. The last report covering 2004-05 showed that dairy supply chain margins did not change significantly from the year before. Dairy farm income rose slightly as a result of marginally higher farmgate prices and the payment of thedairy premium. Processor margins varied during the period. Retail margins generally continued to increase (a Europe-wide phenomenon).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the pattern of volume output in the milk year and (b) levels of profit derived at each stage of the dairy food chain. [66110]

Final calculations about milk production are still being made, but although it appears that wholesale milk production was lower in 2005-06 than 2004-05, it is too early to tell whether this is a long term trend or has been caused by weather, restructuring etc. The UK is more often under quota than over it and it must be remembered that quota is a limit on production and not a target.

The Department has not made an assessment of the operation or profitability of the dairy market. However, the Milk Development Council publishes a report on an annual basis which examines dairy supply chain margins. The last report covering 2004-05 showed that dairy supply chain margins did not change significantly from the year before. Dairy farm income rose slightly as a result of marginally higher farmgate prices and the payment of the dairy premium. Processor margins varied during the period. Retail margins generally continued to increase (a Europe-wide phenomenon).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on milk price (a) regulation and (b) indexing. [66111]

We believe the market must determine prices. Provided competition law is respected, the Government cannot and do not get involved in price negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to establish a regulator of the dairy market. [66112]

The Government supported the conclusion of the Environment, Rood and Rural Affairs Committee in 2004 that there was no compelling evidence in favour of setting up a regulatory body to oversee the dairy industry. It is difficult to see how a regulator could determine a fair price other than by reference to a market price. A price regulator would almost certainly be incompatible with EU competition law and with the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to West Lancashire constituency the effects in West Lancashire of changes to his Department's policies since 1997. [64236]

Since the Department was established in 2001, we have put in place a considerable programme of reforms and improvements. For example, action on sustainable development, climate change and energy, sustainable consumption and production, natural resource protection, sustainable rural communities, and a sustainable farming and food sector. A summary of achievements relating to these policy areas can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/achievements.htm. I am confident that the West Lancashire constituency will have benefited from these.

In particular, the West Lancashire constituency has benefited from funding through the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund as well as the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant to deliver household waste recycling levels that are currently well above the national average. Singly, or in partnership with other Lancashire authorities, West Lancashire has received more than £7 million to support progress in this area in the last three years.

Under the Nitrates Directive, around 80 per cent. of the West Lancashire constituency was designated as an Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) in 2002; currently about 55 per cent. of England is designated. Farmers in NVZs are required to follow an action programme aimed at reducing the risk of nitrates loss; for example by limiting the amount of nitrogen applied on the farm during the year and by not applying manure or fertilisers during certain times of the year.

Since 2003, local authority performance on street cleanliness has been measured through best value performance indicator BV199. This assesses the percentage of survey sites in each local authority area with unacceptable levels of litter and detritus. In 2003-04 West Lancashire scored 18.2 per cent. against a national average of21.2 per cent., and in 2004-05 19 per cent. against a national average of 18.1 per cent. These results are for West Lancashire district, comprising the constituencies of West Lancashire and South Ribble. Data are not available at the constituency level.

In March 2005 we announced that Lancashire would be one of eight rural pathfinders in England. The pathfinder initiative is a key part of the Government's Rural Strategy and reflects the Government's commitment to devolve decision making and resources to the local level. The Lancashire rural pathfinder is helping to ensure greater co-ordination of rural delivery programmes, including testing new and innovative methods to bring about improvements in the delivery of services to rural communities and businesses.

Lancashire has also proved to be a fertile ground for our Defra's Project Based Schemes which are generally available to farmers to help them develop new business opportunities and widen the skills they already possess. For example, Farmer Ted's Farm Park, located at Worral House Farm just outside Southport, was opened in 2003 with the help of funding from the Rural Enterprise Scheme. In the first 18 months it received over 38,000 visitors including 480 school trips. The attraction also contributes to the local economy by employing 10 full-time and 30 part-time employees.

The RPA will be releasing details of payments made under the new Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in due course. It will publish an annual figure for payments to each recipient under the SPS drawn from its financial records. The information will be extracted and published on the RPA website later this year.

Indicators of environmental quality for West Lancashire district are given as follows, they are for water quality and waste and recycling. Data for other indicators are available only either at regional and/or national level and not local level, or for individual monitoring sites not within the area local to West Lancashire. For some indicators data for 1997 are not available and the nearest year for which data are available has been given.

Water quality data are from the "e-Digest of environmental statistics" on Defra's website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/index.htm. The BVPI data are from the Audit Commission's website at: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision-previous.asp.

Defra provides a range of comprehensive statistical information. This is available on the Department's website at: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/default.asp

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price of farm land in England was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005. [67330]

In 1997 the average price for agricultural land was £6,448 per hectare. Data for 2005 are not yet available, the most recent figures available are for 2004. In 2004 the average price per hectare for agricultural land was £7,786. Please note that figures for 2004 are provisional estimates and could be subject to change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to prevent the import of fur from domestic animals from China. [67828]

I have been asked to reply.

The Government have sought to establish the facts about the extent of the alleged trade in domestic cat and dog fur in the UK. We have found no evidence that such fur is being imported into this country in significant volumes. The Government have also been working to establish a scientific test to make it possible to ascertain reliably from what species of animal any given fur sample has come.

We firmly believe that action on this issue should and would best be taken at EU level as a harmonised approach would have greater impact, enhance animal-welfare standards within the EU itself and avoid obstacles to the operation of the single market. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supported calls for the European Commission to investigate these allegations when the Agriculture and Fisheries Council met in May 2005.

In January 2006, the Commission published its Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals, which proposes action in the course of 2006 to address public concerns on the trading of cat and dog fur and derived products. On 20 February, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Kyprianou stated at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council that the Commission was planning to publish a proposal on the import of cat and dog fur within the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the relationship between the levels of imports of milk and the purchase of milk from domestic producers. [66928]

The Government have made no such assessment. The UK does not import significant quantities of liquid milk.

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

(1) if he will list the reservoirs which have been closed and built over since 1997; [66449]

(2) what statutory requirements must be complied with in order to close and re-develop reservoirs. [66489]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reservoirs have been closed in the last 15 years. [66967]

The Department does not hold information on the number of reservoirs closed or built over, either in respect of water company reservoirs or those in other ownership.

The closure and discontinuance of reservoirs subject to the Reservoirs Act 1975 has to be carried out under the supervision of specialist engineers appointed to operate under the Act. Redevelopment of the site would require planning permission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total running costs of the Rural Payments Agency and its predecessor were in each of the last three years. [63772]

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an Executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was formed on 16 October 2001. The previous three years' costs therefore only relate to RPA.

RPA's gross running costs for these years were as follows:

Further details are given in the accounts for these years (HC 940, HC 1009 and HC 82 respectively).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the job description is of each member of the senior management team of the Rural Payments Agency; and if he will make a statement. [66700]

The Chief Executive and other Directors make up the senior management team of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). In addition to the functions of the Chief Executive as Chief Accounting Officer, there are currently five Directors who work to individual performance-related objectives supporting the Agency's key performance targets. These cover RPA's Operations, Information Systems, Business Development, Finance and Resources and the provision of Legal Services. Their aims and objectives are outlined in the RPA's Annual Report and Accounts, last year's copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many outside contracts worth over £100,000 the Rural Payments Agency has awarded since 2001, broken down by (a) value, (b) recipient and (c) tender process. [66701]

RPA acquires high value goods and services—where the value exceeds the EU directive threshold—either by tendering via OJEU and letting its own contracts, or by using contracts previously advertised by the OGC or other Government Departments.

The details of contracts worth over £100,000 the Rural Payments Agency has directly awarded since 2001 have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what staff turnover within the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [66702]

The following table shows all starters and leavers by year commencing 1 April since 2001. "Leavers" includes those individuals who left on redundancy terms as part of the downsizing of RPA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff there were within the Rural Payments Agency in each year since 2001, broken down by grade. [66703]

The following table shows the average number of staff by grade employed by the Rural Payments Agency in each year commencing 1 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the delivery of the single payment scheme and progress towards meeting the Government's target of 96 per cent. of payments to be made by the end of March. [58352]

120,367 applications were received for the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). By the end of26 April 52,922 claims (44.10 per cent.) had been paid.

The remaining claims will be paid as soon as legally possible following the positive action set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's written statement on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 104WS, and the written statement on 19 April 2006, Official Report, column 13WS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Rural Payments Agency on the efficiency and accuracy of its computer systems; and whether the Agency has allocated the correct payments for each farm. [60484]

My right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State and my noble Friend Lord Bach, had regular meetings with the acting chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) at which a range of issues surrounding the performance of the Agency were discussed. By the end of Wednesday 26 April, 52,922 claims (44.10 per cent.) had been paid under the single payment scheme. The RPA will consider any representations made by farmers about the accuracy of those or other payments made by the Agency and take corrective action where appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many eligible farmers in Beverley and Holderness are awaiting payment of outstanding single farm moneys due to them; what percentage of eligible farmers had received their full entitlement to the single farm payment as at 31 March 2006; and if he will make a statement. [63506]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in Devon received payments under the Single Payment Scheme by 28 March; and how many are still to receive it. [63632]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made with payments to farmers in the East Midlands under the Single Payment Scheme. [66635]

120,367 applications were received for the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). By the end of 26 April, 52,922 claims (44.10 per cent.) had been paid.

The Rural Payments Agency does not have data available on a regional basis, as the scheme is not administered in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the 2006 single farm payment application form was passed to the Plain English Campaign for editing before its despatch to farmers. [66174]

The 2006 version of the single payment scheme handbook and guidance for England was not submitted to the Plain English Campaign for editing; however it was edited by the Central Office of Information. The application form was not.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances he will (a) make advance single farm scheme payments (SFSP) to farmers whose 2005 claims have been delayed for payment beyond 31 March 2006 and (b) pay interest on those SFSP claims which have been unreasonably delayed. [66175]

The vast majority of farmers will have received either a full or partial single payment scheme (SPS) payment by 30 June 2006. As with predecessor schemes there will be some complex claims that will not be paid before 30 June.

The issue of interest payments or compensation does not arise as the EU regulations governing the scheme provide for a payment window that runs until 30 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of single farm payments have been paid with respect to the financial year 2005-06. [66334]

holding answer 27 April 2006

120,367 applications were received for the Single Payment Scheme. By close of business on 26 April 2006 some 52,922 claims to the 2005 Single Payment Scheme, representing 44.10 per cent. of total claimants had been paid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payments awards in (a) Beverley and Holderness and (b) England have been terminated following the return of (i) an incomplete and (ii) a late application; and if he will make a statement. [66527]

1,171 applications to the Single Payment Scheme 2005 were rejected due to 10 June 2005. (a) an incomplete application or (b) being received after the final deadline of

The Single Payment Scheme is not administered on a regional basis; therefore the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) does not hold information specific to the Beverley and Holdnerness constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many small businesses his Department estimates will be declared bankrupt as a result of the late payment of claims under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme. [66710]

My noble Friend Lord Bach, met the British Bankers' Association and other representatives of the major lending banks on 30 March 2006 to discuss the situation of farmers awaiting payment under the Single Payment Scheme. The banks re-emphasised on that occasion that

"no viable business is being refused additional financial support and, as a result, no viable businesses are failing because of uncertainty about the payments timetable".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact that delays within the 2005 Single Payment Scheme will have on the ability of the Rural Payments Agency to deliver the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. [66744]

holding answer 27 April 2006

The full impact of the timing of 2005 Single Payment Scheme on the timetable for the 2006 scheme will not become clear until the vast majority of payments have been made and any corrective action identified. However, preparation for the 2006 scheme is well under way, with the vast majority of 2005 scheme claimants having received a claim form for this year's scheme. Business processes and IT systems required to process 2006 scheme claims are being developed and deployed on an iterative basis, and data capture of 2006 scheme claims will commence shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in (a) Lancaster and Wyre constituency and (b) Lancashire have received a single farm payment. [68096]

holding answer 3 May 2006

120,367 applications were received for the single payment scheme. By the end of Wednesday 26 April 52,922 claims (44.10 per cent.) had been paid.

The Rural Payments Agency does not have data available on a regional basis, as the scheme is not administered in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many telephone advice lines his Department and its non-departmental public bodies support; how many telephone advisers each employs; and how much funding is provided to each by (a) his Department and its non-departmental public bodies, (b) other Government Departments, (c) the private sector and (d) the voluntary sector. [66588]

Defra and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) currently provide 33 telephone advice lines. No funding is provided by other Government Departments, the private sector or the voluntary sector. The number of telephone advisers employed varies according to the level of business demand. It is not possible to ascertain the amount of funding Defra and its NDPBs provide without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Department has undertaken on intelligent water metering. [67895]

The Department has not undertaken research into intelligent water metering, but research has been carried out by the industry and the Department has taken a keen interest in this. The Water Saving Group is considering a broad range of topics relating to metering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) EU foreign nationals and (b) non-EU foreign nationals have been employed in his Department in each of the last five years; what vetting procedures are in place for each category of staff; and whether these include liaison with foreign law enforcement agencies. [68015]

The Wales Office draws its staff from other bodies, namely the National Assembly for Wales and Department of Constitutional Affairs. Staff have already been vetted by their employing bodies before moving to the Wales Office. The Wales Office does not hold information about the nationality of its employees centrally, and obtaining this information could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in his Department. [68979]

Staff serving in the Wales Office are either on loan from the National Assembly for Wales or employed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Their retirement age is agreed with their home departments rather than by the Wales Office. The Wales Office has a number of staff who have opted to work beyond normal retirement age.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the staff in his Department is (a) male, (b) female and (c) disabled, broken down by grade. [68981]

The Wales Office publishes information about the gender and grading of staff in its annual departmental report, which is available in the House Library.

The Wales Office has a small number of staff with disabilities. For privacy reasons the numbers are confidential, in line with guidance issued by the Cabinet Office, which states that Departments are not required to provide figures on the number of disabled staff where it is less than five in the department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of his private office staff is (a) male, (b) female and (c) disabled. [68980]

The gender split of my private office staff is as follows:

(a) 42.9 per cent. of the staff are male

(b) 57.1 per cent. of the staff are female

The Wales Office has a small number of staff with disabilities. For privacy reason the numbers are confidential, in line with guidance issued by the Cabinet Office, which states that Departments are not required to provide figures on the number of disabled staff where it is less than five in the department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the commitment in the White Paper on the future of aviation to bear down on aircraft noise, what target decibel level his Department has set for aircraft noise. [69852]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) on 8 May 2006, Official Report, column 15W about the steps we are taking to bear down on aircraft noise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger bus journeys were taken by residents of Doncaster, North in (a) 1984, (b) 1994 and (c) 2004. [68406]

The information requested is not available for Doncaster, North. The number of passenger bus journeys per person per year in Yorkshire and Humberside are listed in the following table for (a)1985-06, (b)1994 and (c) 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total public spending (a) per head of the population and (b) per passenger was on bus services (i) including and (ii) excluding funding for concessionary travel in (A) London, (B) each of the English Passenger Transport Executive areas and (C) the rest of England in each of the last 10 years. [68660]

holding answer 8 May 2006

The information requested is shown in the following tables (figures are not available for 1995-96).

In addition, operators of local bus services receive Bus Service Operators Grant from this Department. This is paid direct to operators and is not attributed to a specific area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to West Lancashire constituency the effects in West Lancashire of changes to his Department's policies since 1997. [64239]

Capital funding for local transport in the West Lancashire constituency is allocated to the Lancashire county council. The funding provided to Lancashire county council since 1997 is shown in the following table. It is for Lancashire county council to determine how that allocation is spent, in line with the priorities detailed in their local transport plan.

The Government are also investing £87 billion per week nationally to improve the railways, which will benefit those in West Lancashire. TransPennine Express, who operate services in West Lancashire, have invested £250 million in a fleet of 51 new trains. Passengers are already travelling on these trains and the full fleet is expected to be operating by the end of January 2007.

More locally, the West of Lancashire community rail partnership, which was established in 2000, has already been involved with the recent refurbishment of Parbold railway station, the development of a new interchange at Burscough Bridge and the introduction of a new Sunday service at Gathurst station and later evening service from Manchester to Southport.

The public performance measure for Northern Rail (2004-05), which covers punctuality and reliability, shows that 85 per cent. of trains arrived within five minutes of their designated time, against a national average of 84 per cent. These figures show an improvement in Northern Rail's performance since 2003-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many departmental staff work on (a) rail, (b) road, (c) aviation, (d) river, (e) walking, (f) cycling and (g) light rail related matters. [56607]

Actual and planned numbers of staff working in the central Department and its Agencies are set out in the Department's Annual Report 2005(c. 6527). It is not possible to disaggregate staff numbers in the central Department by mode other than at disproportionate cost, since significant numbers work cross-modally or in units which are themselves cross-modal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the revised European directive on driving licences; and if he will make a statement. [69641]

Driver licensing arrangements in the UK and in all other member states are currently governed by the second EU driver licensing directive (Directive 91/439/EEC). New proposals have been under negotiation since December 2003.

On 27 March, the Council of Transport Ministers announced that it had reached political agreement on a text for a proposed third Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences. That text has now to be considered by the European Parliament before it can be adopted.

The Government abstained from the vote in Council on 27 March, because we are disappointed that it has been impossible to secure amendments to achieve better and more flexible arrangements for staged access by young motorcycle riders to the larger machines.

We believe that our present practice on licensing motorcycle riders, which insists on compulsory basic training and testing for all, is effective. We shall seek to work with motorcycle and road safety interests to devise as good as possible a way of retaining its benefits within the new EU framework.

Although the Government abstained because of its disappointment over staged access to motorcycles for young riders, it did not oppose, because it welcomes most of the remainder of the agreed text.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the award of an open GNER contract to Grand Central, with particular reference to the ability of GNER (a) to achieve the objective of more trains between London and Leeds and (b) to pay the Government the amount required under its franchise agreement. [68414]

Network Rail has been required by the Office of Rail Regulation to undertake further timetabling work to establish how many additional GNER Leeds-London trains can be accommodated in addition to the additional Grand Central and Hull Trains services for which ORR recently granted access rights. The GNER franchise agreement contains a commitment to pursue a half-hourly service to Leeds. The financial provisions of the GNER franchise agreement does not include the additional Leeds services in the agreed premium payments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) he has and (b) his Ministers have had with (i) airport operators, (ii) aircraft operators and associated companies and (iii) the travel industry to discuss (A) night flights and (B) the expansion of Heathrow in the past two years; and if he will place in the Library the minutes of those meetings. [69834]

Ministers have met with a wide range of such bodies over the past two years. Issues relating to night flights and the expansion of Heathrow will have been discussed in the course of many of these meetings, along with other aviation issues. The matters discussed at such meetings are often confidential for commercial or other reasons, and it would not be appropriate to place the minutes in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many level crossings there are in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales. [69619]

Information on the number of level crossings is recorded by Network Rail zone not by parliamentary constituency. Data on the number of crossings in each zone are contained in the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Safety annual report for 2004, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many days the MOT computer system has worked without a technical problem occurring since its formal live date. [69552]

The MOT computerisation system was rolled out between 18 April 2005 and 29 March 2006. The supported service is available to garages between the hours of 6am to 10pm daily, 365 days of the year. Technical problems that have occurred have never impacted all garages and, save one recent incident, have not lasted a complete day. Supported service availability to the end of April 2006, is 99.37 per cent. (accuracy measured on a minute basis). Over the same period, the number of days without any technical problem occurring was 350 days (93 per cent.).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on the new MOT computer system. [69553]

Expenditure on the MOT computerisation programme was £24 million from the inception of the project to the commencement of roll out (18 April 2005). This includes VOSA internal project costs and payments to Siemens Business Systems. Expenditure to the completion of roll out to all testing stations is £32.1 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of how many litres of petrol are purchased in a year for use in (a) road haulage, (b) private cars and (c) city buses. [69748]

Consumption of road fuel by weight is published by the Department in "Transport Statistics Great Britain" (see TGSB 2005, Table 3.1 Petroleum Consumption: by transport mode and fuel type). Figures can be converted from tonnes to litres by dividing the weight of the fuel by the density of the fuel (0.000736 tonnes per litre for petrol and 0.000832 tonnes per litre for diesel). No petrol (motor spirit) is consumed by buses or heavy goods vehicles as these vehicles have diesel engines. A copy of the TGSB 2005 is available in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the rail franchise contracts that are expected to be awarded before the end of 2008. [67270]

The following franchise contracts are expected to be awarded before 1 January 2009: South Western, East Midlands, West Midland and Cross Country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the passenger growth on the (a) Plymouth to Bristol, (b) Plymouth to Birmingham, (c) Plymouth to London and (d) Exeter to Waterloo railway lines was in each year between 1994 and 2005. [63431]

Information for years prior to 2002 is not available in the form requested. The figures for years from 2002 onwards are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) how many (a) members of departmental staff and (b) external consultants were employed to research and write the North East regional planning assessment for the railway; [68876]

(2) what the total cost was of (a) preparing and (b) producing the North East regional planning assessment. [68877]

The preparation and writing of the draft North East regional planning assessment (RPA) was carried out by a single consultancy firm procured by the Strategic Rail Authority at a fee cost of £224,997 (including VAT). Data for the exact number of consultants employed are not available.

A number of SRA, and subsequently Department for Transport (DfT) staff supported the development and production of the published RPA, but were not solely dedicated to this task. SRA and DfT staff costs for the RPA work alone are therefore not available. However, it is estimated that around 15 per cent. of a full-time DfT post (plus formerly 25 per cent. of a full-time SRA post) was spent supporting this work, with additional administrative support.

The total cost to date of publication of the RPA by the Department is £6,903 (including VAT).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) whether the meetings of each regional transport (a) board and (b) forum are open to the public; [69548]

(2) if he will list the members of each regional transport (a) board and (b) forum; [69549]

(3) to whom the regional transport board or forum is accountable in each of the English regions. [69550]

It is for individual regions to consider what structures to put in place to consider transport matters. The membership, meeting arrangements and accountability of these bodies are also matters for individual regions, but will generally depend on their allotted functions, which may vary; for example developing the draft regional transport strategy or preparing advice on regional funding allocations and providing a consultation mechanism for these processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle accidents occurred on A roads in (a) Hampshire and (b) England in each year since 1990; and how many (i) fatalities and (ii) serious injuries there were as a result in each year. [69675]

The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police on A roads in (a) Hampshire (excluding the unitary authorities of Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight) and (b) England and the resulting fatalities and serious injuries in each year from 1990 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle accidents have occurred on motorways in each year since 1990; and how many (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries occurred as a result in each year. [69676]

The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police on motorways in Great Britain and resulting fatalities and serious injuries in each year from 1990 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the table.

This information has been published in annual publication series "Road Casualties Great Britain", which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) local road major schemes and (b) local public transport schemes were remitted to the regions and are now being considered for approval. [68099]

holding answer 3 May 2006

The following schemes were remitted to the regions in December 2004 for advice on their priority for funding:

(i) Schemes seeking Provisional Approval under the Local Transport Plan programme:

(a) local road major schemes

South East Manchester Relief Road

A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme, Lincolnshire

A509 Isham to Wellingborough Improvement Scheme, Northamptonshire

A47 Earl Shilton Bypass, Leicestershire

East Kent Access Phase 2, Kent

Rotherwas Access Road, Herefordshire

A41 Expressway/All Saints Way Junction Improvement, West Midlands

A452 Chester Road Access Improvement, West Midlands

A142 Ely Southern Bypass, Cambridgeshire

A5225 Wigan Gateway

A228 Colts Hill, Kent

A31 Hickley Corner, Surrey

A415 Marcham Bypass, Oxfordshire

A41 Expressway/A4031 All Saints Junction Improvement, Sandwell

A457 Dudley Road Traffic Management Stage 2

Westbury Bypass, Wiltshire

Beverley Integrated Transport System, East Riding of Yorkshire

(b) local public transport schemes

Manchester Yellow Bus

Rochdale Bus Station

Altrincham Bus Station

Aylesbury Public Transport Scheme

Birmingham New Street Station

Coventry Rapid Transit

West Midlands Urban Traffic Control

Bradford Interchange

East Riding Beverley Integrated Transport scheme

(ii) Schemes which had previously received Provisional Approval under the Local Transport Plan programme:

(a) local road major schemes

A1056 Tyneside Northern Gateway, North Tyneside

Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor, Darlington

A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link Road, Durham

Wigan Inner Relief Route

A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass, Cheshire

Ashton Northern Bypass Stage 2, Tameside

A57 Glossup Spur, Tameside

Hall Lane Area Improvements, Liverpool

Kiln Lane Link Road, Surrey

M4 Junction 11 and Mereoak Roundabout, Reading

A24 Ashington to Southwater, West Sussex

A24 Horsham to Capel, West Sussex

(b) local public transport schemes

Manchester JETTS Quality Bus Corridor

Leigh-Salford-Manchester Quality Bus Corridors

Warrington Bus Interchange

Leeds A65 Kirkstall Road Quality Bus Corridor

Advice submitted by the regions in January 2006 covers both the remitted schemes listed and other schemes considered for funding within Regional Funding Allocations. We will be responding to the regions' recommendations in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what age the Government ceases to exempt motorists with disabilities from road tax. [69753]

Exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is available to motorists in receipt of certain mobility allowances; the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) and war pensioners mobility supplement (WPMS). There is no age limit as long as the motorist is in receipt of a qualifying allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the subsidies paid to each (a) passenger transport authority and (b) other county council and transport authority area in each of the past ten years. [60025]

The largest subsidy is the Revenue Support Grant, which is provided to all local authorities to assist in their delivery of services. Services supported by this grant include, for example, procurement of public transport services and routine maintenance of highways. As RSG is provided as a 'single pot' it is not possible to identify the amount used by each passenger transport authority or local transport authority specifically on transport.

Local transport authorities receive subsidy for capital investment through supported capital in the local transport settlement for integrated transport and highways maintenance, and through direct grant in respect of major schemes. A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the total allocations. Most authorities have also received Rural Bus Subsidy Grant since 1998, which is shown in the second table that has also been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Smaller subsidies to local authorities include the Rural and Urban Bus Challenge Grant and Kickstart. Information on these grants is available in the Library of the House. Information on rail grants is contained in the strategic rail authority's annual reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the Christmas Day Trading Act 2004; and what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act. [69634]

The public consultation during 2003 showed 97 per cent of respondents in favour of maintaining the special nature of Christmas Day. The Department has received no representations about the operation of the Act and we have no plans to revisit this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of whether British companies have been involved in corruption in Kenya. [68228]

The UK takes a firm stand on combating corruption in international trade. The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 includes provisions on bribery and corruption. The UK also ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in February 2006. There have so far been no cases brought to our attention under the legislation alleging that UK companies have been involved in corrupt practices in Kenya.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the UK's international trade with developed countries. [68475]

holding answer 8 May 2006

The Government's approach to international trade is set out in the 2004 trade and investment White Paper: "Making globalisation a force for the good". We are committed to a global trading system that is fair as well as free. The UK's trade (imports and exports) in goods and services with OECD countries totals around £490 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken since his written ministerial statement of27 January 2005, Official Report, columns 33-4WS, on domestic dog and cat fur (alleged imports), to investigate the alleged import of domestic cat and dog fur into the UK. [68077]

The Government have sought to establish the facts about the extent of the alleged trade in domestic cat and dog fur in the UK. We have found no evidence that such fur is being imported into this country in significant volumes. The Government have also been working to establish a scientific test to make it possible to ascertain reliably from what species of animal any given fur sample has come.

We firmly believe that action on this issue should and would best be taken at EU level as a harmonised approach would have greater impact, enhance animal-welfare standards within the EU itself and avoid obstacles to the operation of the single market. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supported calls for the European Commission to investigate these allegations when the Agriculture and Fisheries Council met in May 2005.

In January 2006, the Commission published its Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals, which proposes action in the course of 2006 to address public concerns on the trading of cat and dog fur and derived products. On 20 February, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Kyprianou stated at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council that the Commission was planning to publish a proposal on the import of cat and dog fur within the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of UK energy imports of (a) gas, (b) oil and (c) electricity was in each of the last five years. [69684]

Energy value balances produced by the DTI show the following values for imported gas, oil, and electricity. Further information on the methodology used to produce the value balances is contained in Chapter 1 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, copies of which are available in the House Library or on the DTI website at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/filel9257.pdf.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent to which export subsidies are given by EU member state governments to support their domestic manufacturing industry. [68739]

Direct export subsidies are illegal under the state aid rules which apply under the treaty of Rome. These rules are enforced by the European Commission and reports on the action it takes against member states who breach them are published onits website at: http://europa.eu.int/coinm/competition/state_aid/scoreboard/

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government plan to challenge export subsidies given to manufacturers by other EU member state governments; and if he will make a statement. [68740]

Direct export subsidies are always illegal. Only the European Commission can take action against illegal subsidies. If the Government had any evidence of such subsidies we would bring this to the attention of the Commission at once. It also open to any UK company in possession of such evidence to complain direct to the Commission.

Guidance on how to complain to the Commission can be found at http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/droit_com/index_en.htm#aides

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on negotiations between the European Commission and the United States authorities regarding tariffs applied to hotelware. [67157]

Negotiations between the European Commission and the US authorities on tariffs applied to hotel ware form part of the Doha development agenda negotiations on non-agricultural market access.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has received on subsidies available in Italy. [68742]

The Department's main source of information on state aid granted in all member states including Italy is the European Commission's twice yearly scoreboard for global information on state aid granted in other member states: http:/Veuropa.eu.int/coinni/competition/state_aid/scoreboaiW2005/autuinn_en.pdf

Information on aid schemes and individual aids in all member states which have been notified to and approved by the European Commission can also be found on the Commission's website:

http://europa.eu.int/conini/competition/stateaid/register/

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions Ministers of State in his Department stayed overnight in (a) five star, (b) four star and (c) three star hotels on foreign visits in each of the last three years. [69000]

This information is not readily available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

However, under the terms of the ministerial code and travel by Ministers, when travelling on official business, Ministers are expected to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much interest has accrued from balances kept on Post Office card accounts since its inception; to which organisation these balances accrue; and if he will make a statement. [69893]

Any interest accrued from balances on Post Office card accounts is shared between Post Office Ltd. and its suppliers of the card accounts. This sum helps to offset some of the costs of operating the card account. Details of the amount of interest that accrues is commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions Shell has had with his Department on the Sakhalin II oil and gas project. [68586]

DTI and UK Trade and Investment (and the latter's predecessor, Trade Partners UK) have had a number of meetings with Shell at which Sakhalin II has been discussed. However, most of the meetings relating to Sakhalin II since May 2001 have taken place in the context of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's (ECGD) due diligence and have been with Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC), in which Shell Sakhalin Holdings B.V. is the major shareholder, rather than with Shell itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department use when assessing whether to support the Sakhalin II oil and gas project. [68588]

The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has published its Case Impact Analysis Process, which sets out the criteria that it uses to assess the environmental and social impacts of projects. This can be found on its website at www.ecgd.gov.uk/ecgd_case_impact_analysis_ process_ may2004.doc.

In addition to the environmental and social impacts, in assessing the Sakhalin II project ECGD will need to consider the financial, commercial and legal aspects of the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of Statutory Instrument number (a) 2001/2673, (b) 2001/2660, (c) 2001/4010, (d) 2002/3128, (e) 2003/3319 and (f) 2003/1656. [69633]

The Government are proud of their record on employment regulation. This has given the UK a skilled and flexible work force. We have given people decent rights at work without jeopardising their prospects for employment. Both employers and employees have rights and responsibilities towards each other and we strive to find the right balance and consult closely on all our regulations.

The Regulations behind the above statutory instruments are as follows:

SI 2001/2673

The Regulations behind Statutory Instrument 2001/2673 amended the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 and came into force on 1 October 2001. They increased the adult minimum wage rate from £3.70 to £4.10 an hour and the rate for workers aged 18-21 (inclusive) from £3.20 to £3.50 an hour. They also made a number of other amendments relating to the level of the accommodation offset and workers taking part in accredited training. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is responsible for enforcing compliance with the national minimum wage legislation.

SI 2001/2660

SI 2001/2660 introduced two technical changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to implement the Burden of Proof Directive—97/80/EC—the aim of which was to ensure that victims of sex discrimination are provided with effective access to justice, and in doing so promote equal treatment. This Directive applied to the employment field only. These regulations are enforceable through the Employment Tribunal system.

SI 2001/4010

SI 2001/4010 extended parental leave entitlement for parents of disabled children under 18 from 13 weeks' parental leave to 18 weeks' leave which can be taken up to their child's 1815 December 1999. These parents were able to take their parental leave until 31 March 2001. SI 1999/3312, which SI 2001/4010 amended, is enforceable through the employment tribunals system.^(th) birthday. SI 2001/4010 also extended the right to parental leave to parents of children under 5 on

SI 2002/3128

SI 2002/3128 introduced measures to protect young workers and provide fair minimum standards which ensure that young people are protected from excess working time leading to fatigue, risks to health and safety and possible damage to their education. These Regulations are enforceable and I have not been made aware of any difficulties with their operation.

SI 2003/3319

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (Statutory Instruments 2003/3319) govern the private recruitment industry in the UK and seek to protect those using the job-finding services provided by employment agencies. It is enforced by the DTIs Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate. The Inspectorate can prosecute an agency found to be in breach of the legislation and can also apply for a Prohibition Order preventing an individual from operating as an agency or employment business for up to 10 years. The EAS has a helpline; the number is 0845 955 5105.

SI 2003/1656

SI 2003/1656 amended the Equal Pay Act 1970 in three respects to reflect requirements of European Community law, specifically Article 141 of the Treaty of Rome (equal pay), as applied in a number of recent cases before the European Court of Justice and the domestic courts. It extended the previous two-year limit on the period over which an employment tribunal could award back pay in successful equal pay cases, extended the six-month time limit within which a woman must bring an equal pay claim before an employment tribunal in specific, limited cases, and introduced a new rule that enables equal pay claims to be brought during the period of a stable employment relationship or within six months of it ending. These Regulations are enforceable through the Employment Tribunal system.