7. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the possible devolution of responsibility for criminal justice in Northern Ireland. (161985)

The Government stand by the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the St. Andrews Agreement. We will be ready to deliver the completion of devolution in May 2008, if the Assembly so requests.

8. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had on the Sesame Street in Northern Ireland initiative; and if he will make a statement. (161986)

I have not had any discussions about Sesame Tree, the Northern Ireland version of Sesame Street.

None the less, it is an exciting project that I am pleased to endorse.

10. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on plans to introduce police community support officers in Northern Ireland. (161988)

PCSOs will have an important role to play alongside regular police officers and other support staff, in making communities safer and providing public reassurance.

The precise date for the introduction of PCSOs is yet to be decided.

11. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border relations. (161989)

I am sure that hon. Members will agree that the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland has never been stronger and that co-operation across a wide range of issues has never been more effective.

13. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border relations. (161991)

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Braintree.

12. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the activities of dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. (161990)

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay) and the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries).

14. To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on reservist numbers in Northern Ireland. (161992)

The PSNI establishment currently includes 680 full-time reserve officers and 634 part-time reserve officers.

The chief constable announced on 21 September that following a review he has concluded that the security situation requires him to retain a complement of 381 full-time reserve officers in order to secure the police estate and to provide protection and security in the external police environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance report. (164866)

The Northern Ireland Office's autumn performance report is scheduled to be published on 13 December 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the public inquiry led by Lord Saville into the events in Londonderry in January 1972 to announce its findings. (163528)

The preparation of the inquiry report is a matter for the tribunal. Due to the vast amount of evidence that must be considered it is difficult at this stage to be precise about when the report will be presented to me, although I am advised that further time beyond the end of this calendar year will be required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on which dates the Child Support Agency (CSA) office in Falkirk requested from the Child Support Agency in Bolton the case files on cases NST/06/NP717772D and NST/321015478395 on Mr. M. N. of Aylesbury; and when he expects the CSA in Bolton to respond to those requests. (163481)

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 14 November 2007:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which dates the Child Support Agency (CSA) office in Falkirk requested from the Child Support Agency in Bolton the case files on cases NST/06/NP717772D and NST/32105478395 on Mr M. N. of Aylesbury; and when he expects the CSA in Bolton to respond to those requests. [163481]

As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he will take to bring forward measures to provide legal protection for older people against discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities; and if he will make a statement. (162604)

As part of its recent consultation on proposals for an Equality Bill, the Government sought views on whether there is a case for introducing legislation to prohibit harmful age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services.

We have received a significant number of responses and our analysis of these is informing the development and finalisation of our policy proposals. The Government will publish a response to the consultation in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of people in Forest of Dean constituency claiming incapacity benefit in respect of (a) mental and (b) physical impairments. (162857)

The available information is in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of the Pathways to Work programme has been; what the cost for each participant securing (a) employment and (b) sustained employment has been; and what the projected cost of the national roll out of the Pathways to Work programme is. (162681)

To April 2007, we have spent £271 million on our Pathways to Work programme, covering 40. per cent of the country. We estimate that the cost per job in Jobcentre Plus-led Pathways areas is around £2,500. Comparable information on cost per sustained job in Jobcentre Plus-led Pathways areas is not available. We are rolling out Pathways to Work nationally to the remaining 60 per cent. of the country, through the private and voluntary sector, with £531 million available for provider contracts over three years. In total we expect a nationally rolled out Pathways to Work programme to cost around £400 million per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what change there has been in levels of pensioner poverty measured by poverty levels before housing costs since 1997. (161934)

Specific information regarding low income is available in ‘Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2005-06 (Revised)’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.

Between 1996-97 and 2005-06, the number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income before housing costs fell by 0.2 million, from 2.4 million to 2.2 million.

As around two-thirds of pensioners own their own home outright, and so derive value from their housing without paying rent or mortgage interest, we consider that measuring pensioner incomes after housing costs better reflects pensioners' living standards relative to other groups. On an after housing costs basis the number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income fell by 1.1 million, from 2.9 million in 1996-97 to 1.8 million in 2005-06.

The figures quoted are for the UK for 2005-06 and for Great Britain for 1996-97. Data are not available on a UK basis for 1996-97.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (163988)

The latest full-time equivalent headcount for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport can be found in the quarterly work force statistics published by ONS (www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pse0907.pdf) The forecast full-time equivalent headcount for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is not yet available as the work force forward projections are still being finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in his Department are working on the 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. (164543)

My Department currently has two members of staff supporting my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) in his role as the Prime Minister's World Cup ambassador.

My officials are discussing with the Football Association how we can work together to take forward the 2018 FIFA World Cup bid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on problem gambling of (a) slot machines and (b) fixed odds betting terminals following the conclusion of the Gambling Commission’s problem gambling prevalence study; and if he will make a statement. (163643)

The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 showed that 14 per cent. of the adult population used a slot machine in the past year and of these 2.6 per cent. were problem gamblers. 3 per cent. of the adult population used a Fixed Odd Betting Terminal in the past year and of these 11.2 per cent. were problem gamblers. The overall prevalence of problem gambling in the past year remained unchanged since 1999 at 0.6 per cent. of the adult population.

The Gambling Commission is planning a programme of secondary analysis of the prevalence survey data which will look specifically at some of the risk factors associated with problem gambling. The research will be commissioned shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from bingo clubs and adult gaming centre operators on levels of trade since (a) September 2007 and (b) the commencement of relevant provisions of the Gambling Act 2005. (163644)

Ministers and officials hold regular meetings with key stakeholders from the gambling industry, including the Bingo Association, Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) and the British Amusement Caterer Trade Association (BACTA), the main trade body representing gaming machine manufacturers, suppliers and arcades, including adult gaming centres.

These meetings have continued since the Gambling Act came into force on 1 September 2007, and have included representations relating to trading conditions. Ministers and officials have also received correspondence on this subject from the Bingo Association and a number of hon. Members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the evidential basis was for the decision to ban section (a) 16 and (b) 21 machines from adult gaming centres and bingo halls; how many section (i) 16 and (ii) 21 machines were in use in the UK in August 2007; and how many (A) bingo clubs and (B) betting offices were licensed in September (1) 2005, (2) 2006 and (3) 2007. (163645)

The Government never accepted that the legal provisions concerning amusements with prizes and low stake and prize gaming (in section 16 of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 and section 21 of the Gaming Act 1968 respectively), were intended by Parliament to authorise gaming by machine.

Prior to 1 September 2007, where section 16 or 21 equipment operated, it was offered outside the 1968 Act regime which regulated gaming machines, and with greater stake and prize limits than was otherwise permitted for gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls in Great Britain.

The Department has consistently made its position clear to the industry, both during the passage of the Gambling Bill and during the subsequent implementation of the Gambling Act. Under the Gambling Act, all machines purportedly offered under either section 16 or section 21 are classified as gaming machines. They are subject to the same limits on stakes and prizes, numbers, and locations as other gaming machines, there are no special categories created for such equipment, and they do not attract grandfather rights. This position has existed since the Gambling Act came into force on 1 September 2007.

The Gambling Commission’s annual report for 2006-07 states that the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) estimated that there were 17,500 section 16/21 machines in 2006, the latest figures available.

Information about the number of bingo halls operating in March of each of the last three years is available in the Gambling Commission’s annual reports which can be accessed at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. In March 2005 there were 678 such bingo halls, in March 2006, 657 and in March 2007, 634.

Under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, betting offices had to apply for a bookmaker’s permit from a magistrates court. Under the Gambling Act, a betting office needs to apply for a general betting operating licence from the Gambling Commission.

The latest available figures, published by DCMS in 2003, indicated that there were 8,800 betting office licences in Great Britain. Now that the Gambling Act is in force, responsibility for collating figures on betting office licences has transferred to the Gambling Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many placements have been granted under the Young Graduates for Museums and Galleries programme; and which institutions have provided these placements; (163515)

[holding answer 12 November 2007]: Young Graduates for Museums and Galleries (YGMG) is an internship programme run by the British Museum for gifted and talented students from non-traditional and diverse backgrounds aged 16 to 18 years old. 30 young people participated in the programme in 2005, 25 young people participated in 2006 and 40 young people participated in 2007. Six institutions are involved: the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Portrait Gallery, the Petrie Museum, Tate and Royal Air Force Museum. The Natural History Museum has also recently joined the programme for 2008.

My Department provided £7,000 towards the publication of a research report in 2005. No other financial or administrative support has been provided to the Young Graduates for Museums and Galleries programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many 2012 scholarships were awarded in each of the last three years; and what the average award value has been. (164239)

The number of TASS 2012 Scholarships awarded in each of the last three academic years and the average award value is shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people who regularly use sports facilities in England live in Wales. (164074)

Information on the number of people living in Wales but using sports facilities in England is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourist information centres there were in London on (a) 1 June 1992, (b) 1 June 1997, (c) 1 June 2002 and (d) 1 June 2007; and if he will make a statement. (162577)

Information is not kept for the precise dates requested. There are currently 14 recognised tourist information centres (TICs) in London, including Swanley. Additionally, the new City of London Centre opening this month hopes to be recognised next year. There were 20 recognised TICs in 1998 and 14 in 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 18 October 2007, Official Report, column 1217W, on UK Sport’s overseas conferences, what UK Sport’s involvement is with the Legacy Lives 2008 Conference taking place in Barbados in January 2008; and what the cost to the public purse of its involvement is estimated to be. (163747)

UK Sport is an International Partner of the Legacy Lives 2008 Conference. As the UK agency for World Class Events UK Sport is providing £30,000 to support the 2008 Conference.

Supporting Legacy Lives is part of an ongoing strategy to promote greater knowledge and debate about the legacy benefits that arise from public investment in major sporting events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with the BBFC on the criteria used by video games manufacturers to select the video games submitted to the BBFC for classification. (164068)

[holding answer 13 November 2007]: No. The criteria are set out in the Video Recordings Act. It is for the publishers and the Pan European Games Information system to ensure that games which lose their exemption are referred to the BBFC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had any discussions with his European counterparts on the adoption of a compulsory system for the classification of video games. (164069)

[holding answer 13 November 2007]: I have had no such discussions. However, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Lord Falconer of Thoroton and my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) represented the UK at the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union held on 12 and 13 June where violent video games were discussed. A statement setting out the outcome of the council's discussions was laid in Parliament on 27 June.

In the UK, there is a statutory system in place for games that feature gross violence and/or material of a sexual nature.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps she is taking to ensure that Government funding for voluntary women's groups is provided on a long-term basis; and if she will make a statement. (162232)

The Third Sector Review, published in July by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, outlines the commitment by Government to pass on the flexibility and certainty of three year funding to third sector organisations they fund as the norm rather than the exception. Additionally the Office funds a number of Third Sector organisations to represent their voice to Government and one of those is the Women's Resource Centre; which provides voice and advocacy on behalf of the women's voluntary and community sector.

I recognise this is an issue for many smaller organisations who often struggle to provide much needed support.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics (1) whether (a) an up-to-date budget, (b) the monthly cashflow and (c) a breakdown of contingency funds allocated to specific projects is made available to members of the Olympic Board at each board meeting; (162085)

[holding answers 12 and 13 November 2007]: The Olympic Board has received monthly updates on (a) the budget and (b) cashflow of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), and will continue to do so.

Contingency (c) is a matter for the Ministerial Funders Group. However, the Olympic Board has been given details of the £360 million contingency allocated to the ODA in June 2007.

The Olympic Board will receive further details of the ODA’s budget and scope, within the £9.3 billion funding package, once it has been considered by the Ministerial Funders Group. I expect to provide Parliament with a more detailed breakdown of the budget and scope early in the new year.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she expects to be able to provide estimated overall costs for the planned (a) Spitalbrook site and (b) alternative site for Olympic canoeing facilities, with reference to the answer of 24 October 2007, Official Report, column 369W, on Olympic Games: Greater London. (162274)

[holding answer 12 November 2007]: The overall cost for the Olympic canoeing facilities will be announced once contractual negotiations have concluded, which we expect to be in early 2009 as planned. In the meantime, both sites continue to be considered as a venue for Games events, with a formal announcement on the site decision expected in early 2008. The project remains on track to complete the venue for test events in 2011.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on organising conferences to be held by his Department and its agencies that were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. (164231)

I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 30 October 2007, Official Report, column 1183W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. (163971)

The latest information of full-time equivalent headcount and plans for 2008-09 is published in the HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 and is available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/A/2/annual_report07.pdf

There is no set target for 2009-10 at present.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of deaths in (a) the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St. Ives, (b) Cornwall and (c) the UK were suicides in each of the last 10 years. (163279)

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 14 November 2007:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what percentage of deaths in (a) the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St. Ives, (b) Cornwall and (c) the UK were suicides in each of the last 10 years. (163279)

The table below provides the percentage of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, in (a) St. Ives parliamentary constituency, (b) Cornwall county and (c) the UK, for 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target. (162319)

The projects that comprised DEFRA's efficiency portfolio are set out in our Efficiency Technical Note. This was published on the HM Treasury website in December 2005 at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/busplan/spending-review/pdf/efficiencynote-0511.pdf.

Progress against our SR04 targets is reported in our departmental report. The most recent (2007) is at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/2007/2007-deptreport.pdf.

We laid a copy of our departmental report before Parliament on 17 May 2007, Official Report, column 45WS and placed copies in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps will be taken by the Marine Consents and Environment Unit to safeguard the environment when it determines the application by Wightlink to modify existing fenders, ramps and linkspan bridges on the Lymington to Yarmouth route; (162083)

[holding answer 12 November 2007]: The licensing duties of the Marine Consents and Environment Unit are now exercised by the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) on behalf of the Secretary of State. Applications have been made to the MFA by Wightlink Ltd under both the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) and the Coast Protection Act 1949 (CPA) to undertake works to modify the piles, fendering and access links concerned with the operation of their ferry service between Lymington and Yarmouth.

In determining applications for marine works, the MFA undertakes a rigorous scientific assessment of the potential environmental risks including, where such works lie in or close to a Natura 2000 site, whether they are likely to have a significant effect on the integrity of the conservation assets of that site. Natural England (NE) has advised that the works for which these applications have been made constitute part of a ‘plan or project’ in the context of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994 and, having regard to the potential impact of the operation of larger replacement ferry vessels, it is their view that a formal ‘Appropriate Assessment' (AA) should be carried out for the scheme.

Wightlink Ltd. has questioned NE's position and the MFA is currently considering this advice in consultation with a range of stakeholders. This includes other competent authorities that may be required to undertake an AA in exercising their statutory powers in respect of the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with Government guidelines when entering records on the Flycapture Database so that those records are harmonised and the resulting published tables provide an accurate comparison of local authority performance. (162023)

Since the Flycapture database was set up in 2004, DEFRA has funded a data co-ordinator to help and encourage local authorities in England to register and to submit regular and accurate monthly returns.

DEFRA and the Environment Agency have produced guidance on how to submit returns accurately and when certain activity could be classed as fly-tipping. The data co-ordinator offers support to Flycapture data co-ordinators within local authorities, and visits authorities to help resolve problems and validate data.

DEFRA has also held a number of workshops with local authorities, and holds regular Flycapture support group meetings at which good practice and knowledge is shared.

The aim of this work is to ensure that, after a local authority has made the decision that an incident is a fly-tip, its size, waste type and location are recorded on Flycapture in the same way across all local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what enforcement and reporting systems exist for worked ivory in the UK; what assessment he has made of the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the system; and if he will make a statement. (162046)

Legal trade in ivory specimens is monitored and controlled in the UK through the issue of CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species) permits. Seizures of illegal ivory are reported to CITES through the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS). Enforcement action against traders who are falsely claiming to trade under the derogation for antique worked items is a matter for the police. DEFRA officials work closely with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), and in particular, the Metropolitan police to ensure that items of worked ivory are what they are claimed to be. Regular checks are also made on the internet to monitor and check sales of ivory.

The NWCU is currently preparing a comprehensive intelligence dossier on all wildlife crime which will be used by all police forces and my officials to target the worst areas of criminality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what methods of registration and licensing exist for importers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers dealing in (a) raw, (b) semi-worked and (c) worked ivory products, in accordance with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14) on domestic ivory trade controls; and if he will make a statement. (162047)

EU regulations implementing CITES include no legal powers to register importers, manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers. Instead we have a system which controls the trade (i.e. movement) of ivory specimens through the issue of CITES permits. Each application is considered on its own merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to respond to the ivory trade questionnaire issued by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat in relation to the Action Plan for the control of trade in elephant ivory, pursuant to Decision 13.26 (Rev. CoP14) of CITES. (162048)

CITES is implemented in the UK through the EU wildlife trade regulations. EU member states have therefore agreed that a combined EU response will be prepared by the European Commission and agreed by member states in response to the CITES ivory trade questionnaire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to require manufacturers of plastic containers to rationalise the types of plastic they use and to specify its type; and if he will make a statement. (162980)

[holding answer 12 November 2007]: DEFRA has no plans to require manufacturers to rationalise the types of plastic they use, or make the marking of plastic packaging mandatory.

In relation to packaging, forcing producers to use specific materials would amount to a restriction of trade and would contravene the single market provisions in the EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. However, the Directive requires producers to minimise packaging, use recyclable materials and to take steps to ensure that these are recycled as far as possible once they have become waste. While virtually all plastic packaging is technically recyclable, in some cases this is not economically viable.

A European Commission Decision (97/129/EC) provides for numbering and abbreviations to identify the different packaging materials, including plastics. While the marking system is voluntary, where packaging is marked, producers are required to use the markings indicated in the Directive. We would encourage manufacturers to use these markings where possible, to aid the process of sorting and recycling of plastic packaging waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Highways Agency expects to publish its options appraisal for improving the capacity of the A14 around Kettering. (163843)

[holding answer 13 November 2007]: The Highways Agency is currently re-evaluating several options in line with latest appraisal guidance. I expect a report back on this work in 2008 and we will then discuss its conclusions with regional stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions have been made by the Highways Agency about the number of new dwellings which would need to be built in Kettering to trigger the introduction of demand management measures for access to and from the A14 around Kettering. (163844)

[holding answer 13 November 2007]: The Highways Agency is investigating possible low-cost improvements to the A14 around Kettering with a view to assisting the delivery of growth in the short/medium term. This includes demand management measures which will complement Northamptonshire’s Transport Strategy for Growth. This study is due to report early next year when we will be able to relate its findings to housing numbers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to upgrade the A42 to motorway. (163339)

The future of the A42 corridor was examined as part of the West Midlands to East Midlands Multi Modal Study which recommended the upgrade of the road to full motorway and widening. The A42 has been identified as a Trunk Road of Regional importance, and it is therefore for the East Midlands Regional Assembly to consider and recommend to the Secretary of State their priorities for funding of improvements in the Region through the Regional Funding Allocation (RFA).

The current RFA allocates schemes up to 2016. The improvement to the A42 was not prioritised by the Region for delivery during that period. The status of the scheme would be reconsidered by the Region as part of any further rounds of the RFA process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries occurred on the A262 between Goudhurst and Cranbrook in each of the last 10 years. (164130)

There were no fatal accidents recorded on the A262 between the junction with North Road at Goudhurst and the junction with the A229 at Cranbrook during the past 10 years. The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one serious injury on the above stretch of the A262 in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what her policy is on whether mobility scooters should only be available after approval has been sought from a general practitioner; (163107)

The Department for Transport does not currently believe that general practitioners should be responsible for approving the use of mobility scooters by members of the public. However, we are currently reviewing the future registration, training and fitness to drive requirements of mobility scooter users in England and will be announcing our plans in this area in early 2008. All options, including the possible introduction of compulsory training, are being considered as part of this process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to reply to the letter of 26 September from the hon. Member for Beaconsfield. (163943)

I replied to the hon. Member’s letter dated 26 September on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport on 18 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to reply to the letter of 18 September from the hon. Member for Beaconsfield. (163946)

The Department has no record of receiving a letter dated 18 September from the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to exempt motorcycles from future proposals to introduce (a) road pricing and (b) congestion charges. (162060)

Several local authorities are developing plans for local pricing schemes, but it is too soon to know whether they will decide to charge motorcycles or exempt them as in London. As proposals emerge from local authorities the Government will consider whether it needs to set any central rules or offer guidance on discounts and exemptions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response she has made to the Foresight report on Tackling Obesities: Future Choices in relation to the role of transport policy in the development of obesogenic environments. (163743)

Officials from the Department for Transport were involved in development of the Foresight report. We agree that a built environment which encourages active travel is important.

The primary responsibility for ensuring local networks are conducive to walking and cycling rests with local authorities. The Department provides guidance and advice such as ‘Manual for Streets’, which we published in March this year. Our aim, through the manual, is to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles in residential street design by assigning a higher priority to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. The manual is aimed at all practitioners involved in the planning, design, approval and provision of residential streets.

We recognise the wider benefits including the health benefits of promoting active travel. We will continue to work with other Government Departments such as Department for Children, Schools and Families where we are working together to promote sustainable travel to school and with local authorities to ensure that the environment is structured to encourage active travel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new railway station or halt openings or re-openings have occurred in the last 10 years; what the date of each was; and what the estimated population hinterland was in each case. (163625)

Stations opened or reopened on the national rail network since November 1997 are listed in the table. The population hinterland of each is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated to accessibility improvements at Shipley railway station under the Access for All programme. (163836)

Shipley station has been targeted to receive an estimated £3,054,000 investment under the Access for All Main Programme.

This will see the installation a new footbridge and lifts to platforms 3 and 4, as well as new lifts to the existing footbridge connecting platforms 1 and 2; thus creating an accessible route into the station and between platforms. These works are currently targeted for completion during spring 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of transport infrastructure needs in Hertfordshire; and if she will make a statement. (163423)

The local highway and planning authority, Hertfordshire county council, has the responsibility for assessing the infrastructure needs in Hertfordshire in conjunction with the development of their local transport plan (LTP). They have recently reported good progress against their LTP targets and I expect them to continue to reassess the transport infrastructure needs of the county against these indicators and in line with published proposals for future growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of individual voluntary arrangements were made (a) pre-bankruptcy and (b) post-bankruptcy in each year since the introduction of the Enterprise Act 2002; and if he will make a statement. (164228)

The personal insolvency provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 came into force on 1 April 2004. The number of IVAs since then is set out in the following table:

I do not intend to make a statement on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many citizens’ juries were arranged for his Department for each year between 1997 and June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens’ jury; and what the cost was of each. (163602)

The narrowing of the scope of the right hon. Member’s previous question by removing the reference to agencies does not alter my reply to the right hon. Member of 30 October 2007, Official Report column 1323W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of the implementation of the EU Reform Treaty on the control of UK oil reserves. (162653)

Article 176a of the Treaty does provide for the EU to help manage the functioning of integrated European energy markets, but does not seek to move control of any nation’s energy resources to the EU. A key passage included in Article 176 reads:

“Such measures shall not affect a member state’s right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy resources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply...”

It is clear from this that the UK and other EU nations will continue to have control over their indigenous energy resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 3 May 2007, Official Report, column 186W, on Iran: export credits guarantees, what conclusions have been reached on the applicability of UN Security Council Resolution 1747 to the provision of export credits to Iran; and if he will make a statement. (163949)

The Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) of Member States of the European Union have not reached a common understanding of the applicability of UNSCR 1747 to the provision of export credit guarantees. Each ECA determines its cover policy as described in the answer [2857] provided on 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 49W on Iran, Export Credit Guarantees. No applications for cover for Iran are being processed by ECGD while the market is under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of pensioner householders were defined as being in fuel poverty in Stroud constituency in each of the last 10 years. (163575)

In 2003 the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset (available online at http://www.fuelpoverty indicator.org.uk/) estimates that there are approximately 2,700 fuel poor households in Stroud. There is no split available for whether these are pensioner households or not.

Nationally 47 per cent. of households that are fuel poor have a household compositions of “couple, no dependent child(ren), aged 60 or over” or “one person aged 60 or over”. These data are available from the “Detailed Breakdown of Fuel Poverty in England in 2004; Version 1, April 2004” available online at:

http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29687.pdf

There are no timeline data available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on the costs of UK manufacturing industry investment of increased use of industrial robots; (163877)

No recent assessment has been made. Officials are liaising with the Engineering and Machinery Alliance and the British Automation and Robot Association about the role of robotics in improving productivity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people in Scotland earn the minimum wage; what percentage of the population in work this figure represents; and if he will make a statement. (163526)

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings estimates that in April 2007 there were around 70,000 employee jobs in Scotland paid a rate within 5p of the relevant national minimum wage rate. In April 2007 this was £5.35 for those aged 22 or over, £4.45 for those aged 18 to 21 and £3.30 for those aged 16 to 17. This represents approximately 3 per cent. of Scottish employee jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the Government’s policy on proposals by the European Union to cut the cost of mobile telephone calls throughout the EU. (163545)

The aim of the UK Government in negotiating the Mobile Roaming Regulation was to strike a balance, introducing changes that would benefit all mobile phone users, without distorting the market or stifling competition and innovation in the mobile phone industry.

Our view was that roaming prices were indeed higher than could be justified, and the question was how—not whether—to address the problem. But we had severe misgivings about the nature of the solution initially proposed by the Commission, which would have had a serious effect on competition (particularly on smaller players) and could have led to increases in domestic call rates.

We worked closely with business and our European partners to find a solution which was good for consumers and which supported a viable and competitive market. We welcome that result. UK consumers are already reaping the benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects his Department to approve the first pre-authorisation consent for new nuclear power stations. (163000)

Following a request from the Government, the regulators (the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency) developed a process for generic design assessment of new nuclear reactor designs, which they are carrying out on a contingent basis pending the outcome of the consultation on the future of nuclear power. The regulators published their guidance on the Generic Design Assessment process in January 2007.

The regulators estimate that performing generic design assessments for a competitive number of reactor designs could take around three and a half years, running until around 2010-11. Greater clarity on the time needed for the generic design assessment process should become available as the process unfolds. The time needed will also depend on the number of designs that are assessed concurrently.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any proposed designs for new nuclear power stations have been received by his Department for generic design assessment. (162999)

The consultation document “The Future of Nuclear Power”, published on 23 May 2007 invited vendors of nuclear reactor designs who are interested in having their designs assessed through the Generic Design Assessment process to write to the regulators’ Joint Programme Office by 22 June 2007.

By this date, the regulators had received four applications for Generic Design Assessment.

Following assessment of the applications by the Government, all four were found to have met the criteria set down in the consultation document and as a result, the regulators (the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency) agreed to assess all four designs in the initial stage of the generic design assessment process. A press notice setting out the outcome of the Government’s assessment of applications was released on 5 July 2007. This, along with the letters of application sent by the vendors, and their letters of endorsement from operators, can be found on the BERR website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department plans to publish a formal response to the recently concluded consultation on the future of nuclear power; and if his Department will publish a list of all respondents to the consultation. (162998)

I plan to publish a response to the consultation around the turn of the year. I will also publish on my Department’s website all responses to the consultation, except where the respondents asked for their responses to remain confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with Royal Mail on the provision of a free postcode database for use by charities. (163912)

My Department has not had any discussions with Royal Mail on the provision of a free postcode database for use by charities. The Postal Address File is owned and managed by Royal Mail. Under the Postal Services Act 2000 and a condition of its licence, Royal Mail is required to maintain and make the PAF available to any person who wishes to use it on such terms as are reasonable. Postcomm is responsible for enforcing this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people served by English postal sorting offices reside in Wales. (164075)

This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total budget is for each regional development agency for (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. (164158)

The regional development agencies' allocated budgets for 2007-08 are set out in the following table. The Department has also given them indicative budgets for 2008-09 to 2010-11 to enable them to produce corporate plans for approval in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the share of the UK’s primary energy consumption generated from renewable sources using the European Commission’s method of calculation; and on what assumptions this estimate is based. (162873)

According to statistics published by Eurostat in September 2007, gross inland consumption of energy in the United Kingdom in 2005 was 232,259 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent of which renewables accounted for 4,055 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent or 1.7 per cent. The corresponding percentage for 2004 was 1.5. The 2005 percentage for the 27 member states of the EU taken together was 6.7. The definitions used for these “primary fuel input” percentages are as follows.

“Gross inland consumption of energy is a measure of the energy inputs to the economy, calculated as total indigenous energy production plus energy imports minus energy exports, plus net withdrawals from existing stocks. Renewable energy is similarly measured in primary fuel input terms.”

Eurostat have also published (in October 2007) statistics that show the percentage of final energy consumption covered by renewable energy. For the UK in 2005 this was 1.3 per cent. up from 1.2 per cent. in 2004 and compares with 8.3 per cent. for the 27 member states of the EU taken together in 2005. The definitions used for these final consumption percentages are as follows.

“The share of final energy consumption attributable to renewables is the sum of the following three elements:

the final consumption of renewables for heat production (including the final consumption of district heat from renewables)

gross electricity generation from renewables

liquid biofuels used for transport

divided by the final energy consumption (industry, transport and other sectors) of all energy sources, including consumption by the energy industries and distribution losses for energy and heat production.”

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses within the Copeland area have declared bankruptcy in each of the last five financial years. (163003)

Table 1 shows the number of bankruptcies in Copeland for the last five calendar years derived from postcodes provided by bankrupt individuals (financial year information cannot be provided in the time available).

The "business bankruptcies" shown are all those cases where the bankrupt individual was classified as being self-employed/trading; it is not possible to further split these by size of business. Cases presented on the petition of the debtor (the business) are also shown separately from those presented on the petition of a creditor.

Classifying bankrupts into geographic areas is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a district is thus as reliable as the postcode information provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses within Copeland have ceased trading within (a) 12 months and (b) three years of starting to trade in the last five years. (163026)

Data on the number of all small businesses that cease trading are not available.

However, data on the number of businesses of all sizes that cease trading one and three years after registering for VAT are available. Due to low absolute numbers of businesses de-registering for VAT for Copeland local authority, the data are combined with those for Barrow-in-Furness local authority to give a more robust estimate.

The following tables show the number of businesses that de-registered for VAT within one and three years of registration, for Copeland local authority and Barrow-in-Furness local authority combined, by year of registration for the latest five years worth of available data.

VAT registration and de-registration data for 2006 will be published on 14 November 2007. Survival data will not be produced again until 2009.

Since the registration rate exceeded the de-registration rate throughout the period, the stock of VAT registered businesses in Copeland local authority rose by 9 per cent. between the start of 2001 and the start of 2006 and the stock for Copeland and Barrow-in-Furness combined rose by 7 per cent.

VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (41 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what system is used to monitor the armed forces level of fuel reserves and fuel consumption in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. (162571)

In both Iraq and Afghanistan, bulk fuel storage tanks are dipped on a daily basis to measure the volumes of fuel held. This is reported upwards through routine reports and returns.

In Iraq, in order to take account of fuel expansion in hot weather, bulk fuel meters are used at fuel inlets and outlets as an additional measure to monitor fuel levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the average number of days of service personnel's rest and recreation mid-way through an operational tour which has been lost due to circumstances outside the control of the individual concerned in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (162261)

This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, operational circumstances such as medical evacuations do cause delays from time to time. Significant effort is made by the permanent joint head quarters and commanders in the theatres to ensure that delays experienced by personnel proceeding on their rest and recuperation are kept to a minimum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the effectiveness and efficiency of (a) Hunt Class and (b) River Class patrol vessels are measured; what the principal differences are between them; and if he will make a statement. (163374)

The River and Hunt Class vessels provide different capabilities. The River Class are Offshore Patrol Vessels that are leased by the Department, primarily to meet its remit to DEFRA for providing Fishery Protection in UK waters. The Hunt Class, however, are Mine Counter-measure Vessels that, prior to the introduction of the River Class, were used to meet the Department’s requirement to carry out Fishery Protection duties.

The principal differences between the two Classes are listed in the table as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of uparmouring one US Force Protection Inc's Cougar vehicle to create the finished Mastiff vehicle. (162563)

The full integration cost of converting a Cougar vehicle into a Mastiff is £308,000 excluding VAT. This includes armour, electronic counter measures, communications system, weapons station, miscellaneous internal fitments and stowage, situational awareness system and design and developments costs. The cost of the armour element, which includes procurement of materials, machining and fitting, is £70,000, excluding VAT.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much Defence Estate (Thetford) has billed in liability charges for charity events held on his Department's property since April 2005; (163022)

It is not possible to separately identify liability charges billed by each Defence Estates (DE) office from other charges for events without incurring disproportionate cost in each case.

DE Aldershot has made no decisions to waive liability charges for charity events since 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) prison conditions and (b) prisoners' rights for Cypriots held in the Sovereign Base Areas; and if he will make a statement. (163125)

Sovereign Base Area (SBA) prison conditions and prisoners' rights are governed by the SBA Prisons Ordinance 1971 and the associated Prison (General) Regulations 2005. In support of these regulations, the SBA Administration keeps all matters relating to the SBA prison under constant review.

In 2004, the SBA Administration commissioned HM Chief Inspector of Prisons to conduct a review of the SBA prison facility. Of the subsequent recommendations, the vast majority were accepted and have been implemented. For the small number that could not be implemented, primarily for reasons of practicality, the SBA Administration has introduced other measures to comply with the spirit of the recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his Department’s budget for conferences is in 2007-08; (162636)

The MOD does not have a central budget for conferences. The cost of conferences, including the hiring of external venues, is borne by individual units; therefore the information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances of damage to the axles and leaf springs to the Mastiff vehicle have been recorded by his Department in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007. (162562)

Records show that there have been no instances of damage of this type to Mastiff vehicles in Iraq over this period.

Mastiff vehicles were first deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. Since being deployed, there have been 10 instances of damage to the axles and leaf springs of that vehicle. An upgrade to the suspension system has now significantly reduced the number of incidents of damage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters in the (a) Army Air Corps, (b) Fleet Air Arm and (c) RAF are currently (i) in service and (ii) fit for purpose. (162575)

The number of helicopters utilised by the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force which are in the Forward Fleet and considered Fit for Purpose are detailed in the following table. Forward Fleet aircraft are those that are available to the Front Line Command for operational and training purposes (i.e. those not in depth maintenance). Aircraft defined as Fit for Purpose are those considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date.

The figures shown are the average for the month of September 2007. The number of helicopters Fit for Purpose will vary from day to day due, primarily, to routine maintenance requirements. Operational capability is measured in terms of flying hours rather than the number of airframes available.

These figures do not include the six RAF Merlin helicopters recently acquired from Denmark or the eight RAF Chinook Mark 3 helicopters that are being converted to a Battlefield Support role, as announced by the Secretary of State on 30 March 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to conclude his review of military airfields; and if he will make a statement. (162966)

As my predecessor told the hon. Member on 23 October 2006, Official Report, column 1530W, there will not be a single report on the outcome of the defence airfield review. The work is being taken forward through a series of business cases assessing the best configuration of airfields both operationally and in value for money terms, for a number of future aircraft types. I will inform the House of these individual studies when they complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) budget and (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled. (163618)

The information requested, including expenditure for last year, can be found in the supplementary document to the MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, a copy of which is available on the MOD website at the following link. Information on budgets for this year is a matter for the body in question.

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4C8D6BF8-0805-4F46-9A63-8CFC40660008/0/MOD_non_departmental_publicbodies.pdf

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drugs tests on reservist army personnel were (a) carried out and (b) produced positive results in (i) January to June 2006, (ii) July to December 2006 and (iii) January to June 2007, broken down by (A) cocaine positive, (B) cocaine only positive, (C) cannabis positive, (D) cannabis only positive, (E) ecstasy positive and (F) ecstasy only positive. (162162)

The following tables give the number of drug tests on Territorial Army personnel showing positive results for cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy, and combinations of those drugs with others for the periods requested:

These results do not include Territorial Army personnel serving with regular forces, who are tested alongside their regular colleagues and their test results recorded as part of the overall unit results.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the length of the school day is in each academy school; and if he will make a statement. (163565)

The Department does not collect these data.