To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ratio is of Defence Dental Service dentists to armed forces personnel; and what it was in each year since 1997. (133198)

[holding answer 23 April 2007]: The following table shows the numbers of uniformed Defence Dental Service (DDS) dentists (as at 1 April in each year) against armed forces manning (as at 1 January in each year) from 1997 to 2006. The figures for 2007 have yet to be confirmed. The figures (including ratios) have been rounded to the nearest 10.

In addition, the DDS currently employs 38 full-time and 10 part-time Civilian Dental Practitioners (CDPs). Including the full-time CDPs in the 2006 total would bring the ratio for that year down to 1:680.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary is of each of the staff working in the household of the (a) General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, (b) Commander in Chief Land, (c) Adjutant General and (d) Chief of the General Staff. (134233)

The current salary range for Ministry of Defence staff working in the households of the Chief of General Staff, the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, the Commander in Chief Land and the Adjutant General are shown in the table.

Salary details for those civilian staff that are employed by contractors are being withheld for reasons of commercial confidentiality:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents. (135476)

The following table shows the number of Ministry of Defence civilian staff who have had a period of sickness absence caused by anxiety, depression and stress (Mental and Behavioural Disorders ICD10 category) in the calendar year of 2006 and the percentage of the total staff number this represents. The MOD does not have a specific sickness absence code for stress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 154W, on the International Security Assistance Force, how much the NATO common fund was in each year since 2001. (133166)

NATO Common Funding has been available to the International Security Assistance Force since 2003 only; prior to that all expenditure was borne nationally.

The level of NATO common funding from 2003 is:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the provision of CAT scanners in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. (136640)

[holding answer 14 May 2007]: The Defence Medical Services have had a computerised (Axial) tomography (CT) scanner operational in Iraq since March 2005. Earlier this year it was re-commissioned after being moved from Shaibah logistic base to the Contingent operating base at Basrah. It was working at initial operating capability (IOC) in early February this year, and by the end of that month was at full operational capability (FOC) with the addition of the telemedicine link capability back to the UK. The link enables experts in the UK to advise doctors locally about detailed diagnosis and treatment.

In Afghanistan, a CT scanner was commissioned at Camp Bastion and working at IOC by April this year. It is due to achieve FOC when the telemedicine link capability is completed during May 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in training the Iraqi police. (136649)

At present, approximately 135,000 Iraqi Police Service personnel have been trained and equipped by coalition forces. The emphasis is now on developing capability rather than further increasing numbers, particularly in the key areas of leadership, intelligence and forensics, which will help enable the Iraqi authorities to take responsibility for their own security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes there have been to the level of patrolling by the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf since the seizure of Royal Navy personnel by the Iranians. (136886)

[holding answer 14 May 2007]: Boarding operations were suspended following the seizure of Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel on 23 March 2007. As outlined in my written ministerial statement of 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 21WS, an incremental return to full boarding operations in all areas commenced on 24 April 2007. This process is not yet complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likely effect on development of separating the security and reconstruction roles of the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. (137142)

The UK-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan has a comprehensive approach to security and reconstruction, based on the joint UK plan for Helmand. This comprehensive approach is essential to create the conditions necessary for both security and for long-term development. The PRT includes military and civilian representatives from Estonia, Denmark, the United States and the UK. From the UK, DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU), work together with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to deliver the four strands of the joint UK plan for Helmand; security, governance, social and economic development, and counter-narcotics.

The closely integrated civil/military structure currently used by the UK is widely regarded as a model of good practice to support the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) in establishing a secure environment where reconstruction and development can take place. There are no plans to separate the security and reconstruction roles of the UK PRT and therefore we have not assessed the potential impact of this.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking to increase life expectancy at birth in Africa. (137088)

DFID is working to increase life expectancy through a variety of activities including support for the provision of clean water and sanitation, large-scale immunisation and insecticide-treated bednets programmes and addressing related maternal mortality. Safe hygiene practice and improved access to clean water and sanitation are also vital for reducing child mortality. DFID produced the Water Action Plan in March 2004, and we will double our spending on water and sanitation to £95 million by 2007-08.

In Nigeria we are providing £20 million to rebuild routine immunisation services and a further £80 million for malaria control. In Tanzania we continue to provide support for the social marketing of bednets as part of the national Insecticide-Treated Net Programme, and in Sierra Leone we are designing a new long-term Child Survival and Maternal Health Programme with the World Bank and national partners. In Malawi we are contributing £100 million over six years to the Government’s essential health and human resource programme, and significant progress has been made on child survival through immunisation and malaria programmes. Similarly in Zambia we are major donors to the National Strategic Health Plan, which includes a focus on improving child health through expanded vaccination, curative care and improving access to services. In Kenya we are supporting a sector-wide approach for the long-term strengthening of the health system and improved service delivery. We have funded the development of a number of plans in human resources, procurement and financial management. We are also concentrating much support on the prevention of malaria, the major cause of mortality in children in Kenya. By the end of 2007 we will have spent more than £45 million on insecticide-treated bednets and distributed 11 million nets, saving approximately 167,000 lives. DFID is indirectly supporting South Africa’s efforts to reverse under-five mortality rates through the £30 million, five-year HIV/AIDS Multi-Sectoral Support Programme (MSP). Our support to the Maternal Child and Women Health Unit in the Department of Health supports research in the area of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), the development of fertility options policy, and research on barriers to antiretroviral uptake among children and pregnant women.

DFID continues to provide strong support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM), and also played a central role in the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) which issued its first bonds in November 2006. This will disburse $4 billion over the next 10 years and is estimated will save 10 million lives, including five million children before 2015. DFID also recently pledged long-term support to UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility, starting with a £15 million contribution in 2007, to ensure poor countries benefit from lower prices for drugs to treat AIDS, TB and malaria.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on (a) reducing the level of poverty in Haiti and (b) cancelling Haiti's international debt; and if he will make a statement. (136408)

Recognising that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, DFID provides support through the wider international community's efforts to help lift Haiti out of poverty. Last year Haiti became a member of the Caribbean Development bank and in recognition of this DFID increased its contribution to the bank's low-interest poverty-focused funds to just over £23 million, £3 million of which was earmarked to projects in Haiti. DFID officials recently met with four senior officials from the Haitian Central bank and the Ministry of Finance to discuss the type of poverty-reducing support and projects they would like the bank to provide in the future.

Most recently we have placed a DFID staff member in the Canadian Development Agency based in Port-au-Prince. The objective of this post is to improve the effectiveness of the international community's development assistance to Haiti, to coordinate the UK response to any humanitarian disaster and to facilitate the integration of disaster risk reduction activities into development and humanitarian programmes. The latter is key to reducing poverty in the long term as Haiti is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, such as floods, which hit the poor the hardest.

We believe we will have greatest impact on the international development effort in Haiti by helping to improve the effectiveness of the large amounts of foreign aid that are already available. Much of this comes from regional and international institutions such as the World Bank, European Commission, United Nations and Inter-American Development bank, of which the UK contributes sizeable shares to each. The weakness of Haiti's institutions, including the administration, and the country's history of turbulence means it is vital that all donors coordinate their activities and align their assistance behind the Government's own objectives for reducing poverty.

The UK supports debt cancellation for Haiti as soon as possible. Haiti began to receive interim debt relief under the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in November last year. Its debt service payments have therefore already been considerably reduced. Haiti is now making progress towards completion point of the HIPC initiative when it will receive $140 million worth of debt cancellation (in 2005 net present value terms). At HIPC completion point, Haiti will also qualify for 100 per cent. debt cancellation at the World Bank and IMF under the multilateral debt relief initiative (MDRI) worth a further $243 million (in 2005 net present value terms), as well as additional debt cancellation at the Inter-American Development bank (IADB).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of Iranians deported from Iran to Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the humanitarian implications of these deportations. (137089)

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) figures, between 21 April and 9 May a total of 54,187 unregistered Afghan refugees have been deported through the crossing points of Islam Qala (Herat province)—19,311—and Zaranj (Nimroz province)—34,876. An additional estimated total of 487 families have arrived in the Farah province.

The deportations are taking place as part of a concerted drive by the Iranian authorities to curb illegal migration from Afghanistan to Iran. As such it can be anticipated that they will continue for several more months. The current deportation exercise seems to be concentrating on Iran’s south-eastern provinces, notably Sistan Baluchistan. To date UNHCR has not identified any significant incidence of registered refugees being deported from Iran.

UNHCR reports that in general, the local authorities in Zaranj (Nimroz province) and Islam Qala (Herat province) are coping adequately with the influx. Sizeable deportations through these border crossings have been a regular occurrence for many years. The deportees are being accommodated in public buildings and tents. Water, sanitation facilities, and food are being provided.

The humanitarian situation in the Farah province is of more concern. A recent joint mission of UNHCR, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to Farah, established that families are being deported through an unofficial crossing point at Shaghali in the Farah province. They are currently being housed in temporary construction sites. It has been agreed that UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) will provide initial assistance to the deportees of one month’s food rations, non-food items, and family kits. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is also undertaking a mission to the border areas to collect information from the deportees on human rights and protection issues and to compile a report.

While DFID is not directly engaged in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees in the Herat, Nimroz and Farah provinces, we are in close contact with UN agencies, and continue to monitor the situation closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reconsider his Department’s decision and use his discretion not to slaughter the bull Shambo, part of the herd of sacred cattle at the Hindu temple of Skanda Vale; what his policy is on the enforcement of animal welfare legislation towards cattle in Hindu herds maintained at Hindu temples; and if he will make a statement. (136672)

[holding answer 14 May 2007]: The herd my hon. Friend refers to is located in Wales. This is a devolved issue and is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) instructions are issued to staff in his Department and (b) technical procedures are in place to shut down computers at night. (136095)

DEFRA places a high importance on energy efficiency measures and seeks to make savings wherever possible.

(a) Instructions to staff have been provided in a number of ways. As part of our ‘big switch’ energy efficiency campaign at the start of 2006, we combined online and poster messaging to inform and change staff behaviour to make sure all computers and other electrical equipment is switched off. Seasonal messages are broadcast on DEFRA’s intranet to ensure staff turn off equipment over holiday periods. Information and instructions on energy saving measures appear on DEFRA’s intranet and there are stickers on computer screens reminding staff to switch off their monitors.

(b) DEFRA is currently working on installing ‘night watchman’ technology with IBM, which will provide an automatic shut down operation for computers at a set time every evening. Energy saving measures are in place on printers which switch to standby mode after a 20-minute period of inactivity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) destination and (b) purpose was of each overseas visit outside the European Union undertaken by staff in his Department in each of the last three months. (133312)

From information held centrally, the core-Department’s overseas visits outside the European Union in the last three months are listed as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the guidelines under which his Department sets a reduced time limit for initial responses to public consultations. (136424)

DEFRA adheres to the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation. In line with that, except in exceptional circumstances, all written consultations last for a period of at least 12 weeks.

The Cabinet Office Code sets out the following reasons why a consultation may last for a period of less than 12 weeks: timetables are set out in statute; they are governed by EU or other international processes; they are tied to the Budget or other annual financial cycles; they are about measures where there is a health and safety or security dimension; or some other urgent requirement for the introduction of new measures. In addition, where re-consultation takes place on the basis of amendments made in the light of earlier consultation, a shorter period may also be appropriate. In DEFRA, proposals for a consultation period of less than 12 weeks are dealt with on a case by case basis and require approval by Ministers.

DEFRA Ministers take the code very seriously and only give permission for a reduced consultation period where there is a clear case for doing so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account is taken of membership of former agricultural assistance schemes in the criteria for qualification for the environmental (a) entry, (b) organic and (c) higher level stewardship schemes; how many applicants for environmental stewardship were members of former schemes; how much was allocated to (i) environmental stewardship and (ii) former such schemes in 2006-07; how many farmers were members of (1) environmental stewardship and (2) former such schemes in 2006-07; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for environmental stewardship to meet demand. (135749)

Since October 2006, Environmental Stewardship is administered by Natural England on behalf of DEFRA. The terms and conditions are set out in the respective handbooks for the schemes. Membership of a former scheme is not part of the qualifying criteria and all applications are considered against the entry requirements.

The Government are, however, anxious to encourage those who have been delivering significant environmental benefits under earlier schemes to continue to do so within the opportunities now available. Members of former schemes may also be more aware of the potential of the current schemes and hence more likely to apply. The applications database does not record information about previous scheme membership.

The Rural Development Programme for the period 2006 to 2013 more than doubles the previous funding available for agri-environment schemes to £2.9 billion, and will allow for substantial additional uptake. During 2006-07 the following expenditure was committed to agri-environment schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents. (135461)

The absence data are taken from the Departments sick absence management report as at 31 March 2007 and cover the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. They include staff whose sickness started prior to this period, and those who were still sick at the end of the period.

Figures for the number of staff in the Department include all staff that have been employed by us during the year 2006-07 including those who have subsequently left us as they all had the potential to contribute to sick absence figures.

The Department uses the International Classification of Diseases version nine, set out by the World Health Organisation to record sick absences. The group for recording stress is 'Depression, Anxiety and Other Mental Health Issues' and does include mental health illnesses other than stress for example: psychoneurosis, schizophrenia, anxiety, nerves, and depression.

The Department has recently moved to a new resource management system. This new system enables us to capture information relating to absences for "stress". The new system was fully operational for all the Department's staff from April 2007. In the future this will enable us to report key information against this absence reason in a more accurate manner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people who have been refused initial payments from the Financial Assistance Scheme on the grounds of the de minimis rule will now have payments made to them retrospectively; and what his latest estimate is of the value of such payments. (135124)

1,076 people affected by the Financial Assistance Scheme’s de minimis rule will be eligible for increased payments following the proposed new rules on assistance payments. Increases will apply retrospectively and arrears will be paid back to when the member’s entitlement began. The value of such payments is not currently available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the process will be for making payments from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme to those who have lost pension savings; and if he will make a statement. (135131)

As a result of the extension to FAS announced in the 2007 Budget Speech, the FAS Operational Unit will, over the coming months, re-examine all members who have already been assessed to ensure they can be paid as soon as the necessary legislation is in force. Newly eligible members under the FAS extension will also be paid as soon as possible once legislation has come into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of incapacity benefit claimants receive benefit after (a) self assessment, (b) GP referral and (c) independent medical assessment. (131827)

A person's entitlement to incapacity benefit is informed by the personal capability assessment (PCA). The PCA provides an assessment of the limitations of functional capacity arising from physical and/or mental health conditions.

The PCA is an evidence gathering process, in which evidence is gathered until it is possible to give robust advice that a person satisfies the benefit entitlement threshold.

A person can be accepted as satisfying the threshold, without a medical examination, if they have an exempt condition, indicating a severe degree of disability; or self-report a degree of functional limitation that is consistent and compatible with their condition.

If neither of these applies, the person is called for a face-to-face medical examination. Legislation provides that no person will be disallowed benefits without being offered a medical examination.

For incapacity benefit claims beginning between January and March 2005, of those claimants who completed the PCA process, 24 per cent. were awarded benefit after completing a questionnaire, but without having to attend a medical examination, and 12 per cent. were awarded benefit on GP evidence alone, without being required to fill in a questionnaire or attend a medical examination.

63 per cent of claimants attended a medical examination. However, not all of these were awarded benefit following the medical.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of incapacity benefit were subject to a personal capability assessment in 2005-06. (136149)

The information is not available in the format requested.

The number of personal capability assessment medical examinations carried out by Atos Origin Medical Services in the calendar year 2005 was 479,474. In 2006 the number was 497,260. It should be noted that people in receipt of incapacity benefit may have undergone more than one medical examination during this period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cotswold of 27 March 2007, Official Report, column 1496W, on independent living funds, what action was taken as a result of the theft; whether those whose personal data were stolen were informed; how many people's personal data were on the tape; whether those whose personal data were stolen have since been victims of identity fraud; when the theft was discovered and how long after the theft occurred the discovery was made; what type of personal data were stolen; and if he will make a statement. (134150)

Following the incident last year, the trustees of the ILFs immediately instigated a full end-to-end review of IT security, as a precautionary measure. This review was carried out in consultation with experts in the field of IT and data security.

All those whose personal data were contained on the stolen tape were informed of the incident in writing. The ILFs also set up a telephone help line to help customers who had additional queries.

The stolen tape contained the personal data of approximately 30,000 people, including all current customers of the ILFs, as well as ILF staff and a number of former customers of the funds, whose details are retained in line with strict data retention policies.

To date, there has been no evidence to suggest that anyone has been the victim of identity fraud as a consequence of this incident.

The theft, which involved a forced entry to a data transport and storage contractor's van, while the tape was in transit to the ILFs' office, occurred on 21 September 2006 and was discovered, reported to the police and notified to the ILFs' management in less than two hours.

The exact amount of personal data stolen varied from person to person but the range of data included names, addresses, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and bank account details.

After receiving advice from a range of security professionals, the date of this incident was not made public. There was no information in the public domain to link the incident to the ILFs and to release the date of the incident then could have increased the risk of an attempt to access the data on the stolen tape.

We consider that due to the length of time since the incident, the risk now of the data being compromised is low. Accordingly, the date of the incident has now been made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to ensure that all employees working on building sites have a proper understanding of the risks and dangers involved and the steps that can be taken to prevent injury. (135555)

[holding answer 3 May 2007]: It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that any of their employees who work on construction sites have been provided with comprehensible and relevant information about the risks involved and the preventative and protective measures needed to prevent injury or ill health.

There are also legal duties under the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 on those in control of construction work to ensure that any worker carrying out construction work is competent or under the supervision of a competent person.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes comprehensive guidance and information to help employers discharge their duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured on building sites in each of the last 10 years. (135556)

[holding answer 3 May 2007]: The latest available figures cover the period 1996-97 to 2005-06 and are set out in the following tables¹:

¹ Figures for 2006-07 will have been published by autumn 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to ensure that health and safety legislation is properly transmitted to all parts of the building workforce. (135557)

[holding answer 3 May 2007]: It is responsibility of employers to ensure that they are fully aware of the requirements of health and safety legislation and that they provide every worker carrying out construction work under their control with any information and training which they need for the work to be carried out safely and without risk to health.

There are also duties under the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 on those in charge of notifiable construction projects to have arrangements in place to engage with construction workers to co-operate effectively in promoting and developing measures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of construction workers on that site.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes comprehensive guidance information targeted at everyone involved in the construction industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants there have been on the New Deal 50 plus in each month since it was created; and how many of these were completing the course for the (a) first, (b) second, (c) third and (d) fourth or more time. (136980)

New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme and participants receive advice and support to help them return to employment.

The available information on the number of participants on New Deal 50 plus, and the number of times they have participated, is in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants on the New Deal 50 plus programme left the scheme for sustainable employment in each month since the programme was created. (136981)

A measure of employment sustainability is not available for people who have found work through the New Deal 50 plus programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents on the new deal (a) are in work-based training and (b) he expects to be placed in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time work. (134430)

Lone parents on the new deal for lone parents (NDLP) programme can access work-based training through new deal for young people or new deal 25 plus contracts. They can also be referred to training through other contracted and non-contracted provision. Information on the number of lone parents on work-based training is not available.

Since the programme started in October 1998, new deal for lone parents has been successful in helping more than 482,000 lone parents into work. Information is not available on whether these lone parents have entered full or part-time work and projections are not made on whether lone parents entering work through the programme will enter full or part-time work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 113-4WS, on occupational pensions, what the evidential basis is for his estimate that providing benefits of 80 per cent. of core pension rights to members of affected pension schemes will cost £8 billion in cash terms and £1.9 billion in net present value terms. (135116)

In order to determine the likely cost of the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), data were collected on the numbers and characteristics of 380 affected pension schemes and specific data were collected on some 1,300 members of a smaller number of these schemes expected to be representative of the overall eligible membership. These sample data have then been fed into an actuarial model developed by the Government Actuary’s Department to generate detailed time profiles of costs.

The actuarial model calculates the amount of pension that would be paid in each year to each individual in the sample, reflecting the design of the FAS. The key pieces of information used to calculate these costs are: age, retirement age, accrued pension, percentage of pension lost and the likely longevity of eligible members and any survivors. The results, in terms of likely cash flow in each year, are scaled up to the level of the total assumed numbers of affected scheme members.

The main assumptions used in the calculations, based on the best available evidence are as follows:

125,000 eligible pensioner and non-pensioner members;

an average funding level of schemes in respect of non-pensioner members of 30 per cent. to 35 per cent.;

an average accrued pension for non-pensioner members of £3,300 per year; and

longevity estimates from standard tables from the UK actuarial profession’s Continuous Mortality Investigation, based on the longevity experienced by pensioners whose pensions are secured with insurance companies.

12. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Railways for All Accessibility Strategy. (136914)

The strategy was launched in March 2006. It provides £370 million of funding to improve accessibility at stations up to 2015 and around £6 million a year from a small schemes fund for train operators and others to bid for on a match fund basis.

13. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of rural and branch railway lines. (136915)

The Government recognise the importance of local railway lines to the communities they serve and seek to support their development, primarily through the implementation of the Community Rail Development Strategy. The Department has recently published a review of progress we have made in implementing this strategy.

15. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the growth of railway usage has been in the UK compared to other EU countries in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (136917)

Over the last five years, passenger kilometres have increased by 13 per cent. in Great Britain. This compares with a decline of 1 per cent. in Germany and Italy, and an increase of 7 per cent. in France. Together these four countries accounted for close to 70 per cent. of the total rail volume across the 25 pre-2007 EU states.

14. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to apply public service obligations to UK regional air services following the EU-US agreement on transatlantic air travel. (136916)

The Government's guidance on the protection of regional air access to London published in December 2005 sets out how we will interpret the criteria for imposing public service obligations set out in European Regulations. It is for Devolved Administrations or regional bodies to apply for and make the economic case for a PSO.

16. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the capacity of junction 16 on the M4 per day; and what change he expects there to be to future capacity. (136918)

A specific study would be required to determine the absolute capacity of junction 16. However, existing peak hour congestion problems indicate that it is running at or above capacity at certain times.

Junction 16 is being improved to increase capacity to cater for the additional traffic expected to be generated by the Wichelstowe development.

17. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the economic and environmental impact of the system of allocating landing slots at airports and alternatives to it. (136919)

The Government commissioned a study in 2006 on alternative ways of allocating landing slots from new capacity at airports. The report of the study is available on the Department's website.

18. To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the procedures for awarding franchises on the east coast main line. [R] (136920)

Bids are evaluated in accordance with the European Foundation for Quality Management principles and consider the evidence contained in the bid and that available more widely to the Department.

The franchise will be awarded to the bidder that provides best operational and financial deliverability and value for money to the taxpayer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase spending on railways in the north-west; and if he will make a statement. (136921)

Rail services in the north-west have improved substantially as a result of investment in the west coast main line upgrade and the new high-speed trains which now operate on the route. Future rail investment in this and other regions will be the subject of the high-level output specification for rail which the Government will publish in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the disposition of the British Transport Police. (136651)

Following the Department’s review of the British Transport Police (BTP) last year, the Secretary of State decided that BTP should remain as a national, specialist police force for the railways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost (a) was of establishing and (b) has been of maintaining each site. (135731)

The Department for Transport maintains 62 public-facing websites, including those run by the Executive agencies. 43 of these sites have been identified for rationalisation or closure as part of the website rationalisation programme under the Transformational Government Agenda.

Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing unique visitor numbers, costs of establishing each site and maintenance costs for the Department for Transport websites.

Unique visitor data are not provided for all sites as the statistical software used on those sites does not produce this level of detail, only providing page requests rather than visitor data.

Where setup costs are not available this is because the site was established several years ago and the information is no longer available without incurring disproportionate costs.

Where annual maintenance costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has only recently been available and maintenance costs are only applicable for the current financial year; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's first estimate was of the total contribution to be made from the departmental budget towards the costs of hosting the Olympic games; and what his Department's current estimate is of that cost. (133292)

The key transport projects integral to the Olympic bid and supported by the Department stand on their own merits and had been approved prior to the bid's submission. Following the announcement of a full budget for the delivery of the Olympics in March, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is considering how that budget should be delivered in the context of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people took sick leave for stress in his Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents. (135464)

The number of individuals who took sick leave for stress in the Department for Transport and its agencies during the calendar year 2006 is 1,061. This represents 5.3 per cent. of the total staff.

Some agencies have also included, in the figures, absences due to anxiety, nervous debility, neurosis and emotional upset.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents occurred involving drivers taking the Driving Standards Authority driving test when they were (a) reversing around a corner, (b) performing a three-point turn, (c) parallel parking and (d) performing an emergency stop in the last period for which figures are available. (137014)

During the financial year 2006-07, the Driving Standards Agency recorded:

(a) 14 accidents on the reversing around a corner exercise;

(b) Seven accidents on the three-point turn exercise;

(c) Four parallel parking accidents and

(d) 17 emergency stop accidents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many instances of people found to be impersonating candidates in driving tests there were in each of the last five years. (134798)

Since records began in 2004, there have been 70 convictions for offences arising from driving test impersonations and a further 79 individuals received cautions. These figures are broken down as follows:

Because of the time required to bring cases to court a further 96 court cases are currently pending and 502 investigations are ongoing. The typical time taken to pursue a case from the initial allegation to a conviction and sentence is about two years.

Since 2004, some 293 people have been arrested for 729 offences arising from driving test impersonations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps would need to be taken to amend the requirements of the Driving Standards Authority driving test. (137015)

As announced in February in our review of the Government’s “Road Safety Strategy”, I have asked the Driving Standards Agency to undertake a fundamental review of the way people learn to drive as part of our efforts to reduce road traffic casualties. This will include ensuring that the driving test provides an effective and efficient coverage of the syllabus and demonstrates that a candidate has the required level of competence.

In Great Britain the requirements for the driving test, both the theory and practical elements, are set out in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 (as amended). Any proposed changes will be subject to public consultation before decisions are reached and amending regulations laid in Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much British funding has been made available for the Galileo global positioning system. (134359)

The European Union (EU) and member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) jointly fund the design and development programme for Galileo. To date the UK's subscription to the ESA element of the programme has been €142 million.

The EU’s contribution to the design and development programme is made from the EC budget and is estimated by the Commission to be €790 million. The UK's contribution to the EC budget is around 17 per cent. of the total, before the UK receives any abatement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultation he has carried out with disability groups on the new classification of mobility scooters as vehicles rather than invalid carriages and the impact of such classification on their use on the highways and footpaths; (136364)

[holding answer 8 May 2007]: The Department for Transport considers that the change in the classification of mobility vehicles is purely a customs and excise issue, which will not affect road traffic legislation.

Consultation with disability groups on the new classification has not been carried out as it is not considered that it will impact on the ability of scooter users to travel on highways or footpaths.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is taking to ensure foreign lorries on roads in the UK comply with UK and EU safety regulations. (134717)

The Department’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has a specific responsibility to help ensure that all commercial vehicles and drivers comply with the law, irrespective of whether their operating base is in the UK, or elsewhere.

However, in recognition of the concern that a greater proportion of vehicles and drivers on international journeys break the rules, last year we provided for VOSA to increase the level of roadside enforcement resources they have available in the south-east. This enabled VOSA to double the number of enforcement checks on potentially non-compliant vehicles during the last financial year, and will enable them to increase the number of checks by a further 20 per cent. in the current financial year. VOSA is extending the work of the South East International Transport Pilot nationally.

In addition to providing for a greater level of enforcement activity in the south-east, we also intend to introduce regulations at the earliest opportunity that will enable both the police and VOSA to issue fixed penalties and take a deposit from offenders on-the-spot in any case where they do not have a satisfactory address in the UK.

Enforcement officers will, in future, also be able to immobilise a vehicle in any case where the offender is likely to refuse to pay a deposit, or to drive away in contravention of any prohibition which has been issued, either in respect of the driver, or in any case where the vehicle has been deemed unfit to continue with its journey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to reduce congestion on the northbound carriageways of the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 26. (137137)

The M1 junction 21-30 improvement scheme, which includes the northbound carriageways between junctions 25 and 26, will reduce congestion. The scheme will also improve safety and journey time reliability. Subject to satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes, construction is anticipated to begin between junctions 25 and 28 at the end of 2007 with completion expected in 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made in introducing regulations to allow the issuing of temporary badges for drivers with a temporary mobility impairment. (137342)

The Department is currently conducting a full strategic review of the Blue Badge Scheme, which will consider the issue of temporary badges. We aim to report our findings in September 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to review the planning process for sea-port expansion. (137344)

The Government will shortly be publishing their proposals for reform of the planning system, including that for major infrastructure developments such as the largest ports.

The Marine Bill White Paper issued in March by the Secretary of State, DEFRA, outlined our proposals for a new marine planning system and the setting up of a new body, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO will, among other roles, administer marine licensing including proposals for harbour development below the category of major port projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) economic and (b) environmental impact his Department expects the ending of the tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel to have on (i) the South East, (ii) East Anglia, (iii) London and (iv) England; (136667)

The operation of the Blackwall Tunnel is the responsibility of Transport for London. They consulted the Highways Agency in January on the decision to terminate the tidal flow system. The Highways Agency was satisfied that the traffic impact on the Strategic Road Network would be negligible.

Since the decision to end the tidal flow system is an operational matter for Transport for London, no assessment of the economic and environmental impact has been made by the Department for Transport or the Highways Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much grant from the Transport Innovation Fund has been given to Transport for London to fund the study of road tolls at Greenwich; (136664)

The Department has not provided specific policy or analytical support to Transport for London (TfL) in relation to Greenwich, however it has published guidance that is available to any local traffic authority that might wish to consider road pricing in their area on how to appraise the impacts of potential schemes.

The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) is available from 2008-09 to support packages that address local congestion problems by combining investment in public transport with demand management, including road pricing. Pump priming money has been awarded to 10 areas to support the development of business cases. TfL has not received pump priming support and was not eligible to apply but may bid for substantive TIF along with other local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives her Department is taking to promote tourism in the UK to overseas visitors coming to the UK for the Grand Prix. (136233)

DCMS provides funding for VisitBritain to market Britain overseas and promote England domestically. In partnership with other public sector agencies, VisitBritain seeks to ensure that travellers to Britain enjoy an experience that encourages not only repeat visits but also further exploration of the country. VisitBritain’s website contains a dedicated sport area which markets attractions that can be enjoyed by the sports tourist, including material specifically aimed at international tourists visiting the Grand Prix.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport recently met the Chief Executive of VisitBritain to discuss how effective marketing can maximise the tourism benefits of major sports events held in this country, in the context of the forthcoming Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of (a) local authority licensing fees and (b) Gambling Commission fees have been set by her Department, under the Gambling Act. (136687)

Licensing authorities are responsible for setting the fees for each type of gambling premises on a cost recovery basis. These must not exceed the fee maximum published in The Gambling Act (Premises Licence Fees) (England and Wales) regulations 2005 No. 479.

The Gambling Commission fees are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to provide a two-month compliance extension to operators seeking a premises licence under the terms of the Gambling Act 2006; and if she will make a statement. (137027)

It remains the Government’s intention to bring the Gambling Act 2005 fully into force on 1 September 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent research she has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on the implications for (i) local authorities and (ii) operators of the non-implementation of the mandatory and default conditions under the Gambling Act 2006. (137028)

No research of this nature has been initiated or evaluated by the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her timetable is for the introduction of the (a) mandatory and (b) default conditions under the Gambling Act 2006; and if she will make a statement. (137029)

The Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 were debated in the House of Commons on 26 March and the House of Lords on 3 May 2007. The regulations have now been made and come into force on 21 May 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much national lottery-funded money has yet to be allocated by the National Heritage Memorial Fund; what that figure was in August 2006; how much the fund (a) received from the lottery in 2006 and (b) expects to receive in 2007; and what the investment returns for the fund from lottery funding were in (i) August 2006 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available. (137013)

The following table shows the National Heritage Memorial Fund’s (NHMF’s) income from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) for the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07; for August 2006 alone, and estimated figures, based on the Department’s latest income projections, for 2007-08.

The NHMF provides my Department with data on the level of unpaid lottery commitments at the final day of each quarter of the financial year. The closest figure to August 2006 that we have available is September 2006.

On 30 September 2006 the NHMF’s balance in the NLDF was £722,554,821. Its forward commitments including both contractually binding and ‘in principle’ commitments totalled £1,107,819,235. It was therefore over-committed on its NLDF balance by £385,264,414.

On 31 March 2007 the NHMF’s balance was £660,163,116. Its forward commitments, including both contractually binding and ‘in principle’ commitments totalled £1,084,000,000. It was therefore over-committed by £424,000,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many landscaping contracts have been awarded as part of the preparation for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games programme; and if she will make a statement; (136287)

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has to date appointed one contract for the EDAW Consortium to lead landscape design for the Olympic Park. In the coming months, further contracts will start to be procured relating to the following areas:

hard and soft landscaping;

wetlands;

soil drainage and irrigation;

towpaths and footpaths; and

infrastructure such as lighting, fencing and street furniture.

As is consistent with other non-departmental public bodies, the ODA will be publishing its expenditure figures in its annual report, which will be publicly available before the summer recess.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library the regulatory impact assessment for implementation of administered incentive pricing; and if he will make a statement. (136084)

The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers.

Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in Gloucestershire were declared bankrupt in each year since 1997. (136765)

Regional insolvency statistics are only available on the basis of the locations of Official Receivers offices, each of which covers a group of county courts where the cases are heard and the courts having jurisdiction over these. It is not possible to provide bankruptcy statistics by constituency, county or Government Office Region. The following table provides the bankruptcy order statistics considered to be closest to those of interest in courts with insolvency jurisdiction which themselves fall within Gloucestershire but they should not be treated as reliable estimates for the administrative geography requested.