To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of parents used (a) after school clubs and (b) extended school provision in each of the last four years. (209396)

Information is not collected centrally on the number and percentage of parents who use after school clubs or any elements of the extended school provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) public and (b) private sector child care places there are in (i) Leeds Metropolitan District and (ii) Leeds West constituency. (209214)

The information is not available in the form requested.

Since 2003 Ofsted has been responsible for the registration and inspection of child care providers. The table shows the number of places registered with Ofsted at 31 March 2008 for Leeds local authority.

Data from the 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey on the number and proportion of child care providers in England by type of ownership are only available at national level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the level of provision of formal childcare during school holidays in each of the last four years. (209397)

Information is not available in the form requested.

The estimated number of childcare providers in operation, from the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey, is shown in Table 1.

There were 6,386 holiday clubs in 2006, an increase of 130 from the corresponding number of 2,781 in 2003. Other types of childcare providers were asked whether they were also open in school holidays. Table 2 shows the proportion of childcare providers who said that they were open in holidays, for each year available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the Personnel Security Standard expected of all external contractors before they are allowed access to his Department's information assets is. (209283)

All external contractors are required to meet the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard as a minimum. Dependent on the nature and protective marking of the information assets to which they will have access, contractors will also be required to have undergone a CRB check or national security vetting clearance as per Cabinet Office guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on education in (a) publicly-run and (b) privately-run young offender institutions in each year since 1997. (208560)

The information requested is as follows:

(a) Since the transfer of responsibility for offender learning and skills in 2001 from the Home Office to the Department for Education and Skills (now DCSF and DIUS) the following amounts were spent on education in publicly run young offender institutions:

(b) HMP YOI Ashfield is the only privately run YOI. It is not possible to give the amount that is spent on education as the contract is for a given price per place and does not extract the amount for education as a separate figure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much money was spent per young offender on education in young offender institutions in each year since 1997. (208565)

Youth Justice Board figures indicate that around £8,100 was spent on education for each juvenile young offender in young offender institutions in 2006/07.

Figures for the previous year’s spend on education per young offender are not routinely disaggregated and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on how many occasions the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners has (a) visited schools and colleges in Leicester and (b) met teachers and local education officials from Leicester since May 2005. (209448)

My noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners has not visited any schools or colleges in Leicester since May 2005. However, he has met with local authority officials from Leicester city council on one occasion since May 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the evidential basis in research is for the early learning goals for literacy in the early years foundation stage. (209398)

The early learning goals relating to literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage are the same as those which ware developed for the Foundation Stage in 2000 by experts in the National Strategies and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, with advice from a wide range of academics and professionals outside Government. More recent research and data evidence supports the view that children's early development and experience of early learning has a long term impact on their outcomes. For example, the Review found that by the age of five the majority of children have little, if any, difficulty in grasping key features of phonics and children who received good early teaching in literacy make better progress than those who did not. An Ofsted survey following the Rose review showed that children enjoyed learning about phonics around the age of five and gained satisfaction in putting their learning into practice in their reading and writing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what research he has commissioned on the developmental appropriateness of the early years foundation stage; and when he plans to publish the findings; (209419)

I have had a great deal of discussion, and received a range of representations on, the early learning goals in the Early Years Foundation Stage, including about their developmental appropriateness. The early learning goals are developmental milestones for children at the end of the EYFS, most of whom are aged five and over. The very strong consensus is that the majority of the goals are pitched appropriately, but some representations have questioned two specific goals on aspects of early literacy.

These particular two goals are already included in the Foundation Stage currently used in early years settings. We know that around a third of children already achieve even the two goals which some representations have questioned, and that children who develop well in the Foundation Stage go on to do well in primary school. We need to make sure every child has the chance for a good start in life, and to develop and learn through enjoying active play.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities achieved the expected level in each key stage examination in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; (206222)

The information is as follows.

PQ 206225—Information on how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities were entered for (a) no, (b) one, (c) two, (d) three, (e) four and (f) five GCSEs in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF.

PQ 206226—Information on how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities moved schools in the 12 months before the sitting of their GCSEs in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF.

PQ 206227—Information on how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities passed a GGSE at grade A* to F in (a) English, (b) science and (c) mathematics in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DSCF.

Information relating to the following PQs is collected centrally but can be provided only at disproportionate costs:

PQ 206222—Information on how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities achieved the expected level in each key stage examination in each of the last five years.

PQ 206224—Information on how many and what percentage of children looked after by local authorities achieved five or more GCSEs at grade C or above in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans are in place to provide schools with funding to ensure children engage in a minimum of two hours of exercise per week. (209195)

The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People will be investing £782 million over 2008-11 to offer five hours of PE and sport per week for all young people aged 5-16, and three hours for those aged 16-19.

School Sport Partnerships—which include all maintained schools in England—receive funding to raise participation levels in PE and sport.

The 2006/07 school sport survey showed that 86 per cent. of 5-16 year olds participated in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport per week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to expand Sure Start projects to areas that do not have access to this service. (209611)

As of 6 June 2008 there are 2,907 designated Sure Start Children’s Centres providing access to services for over 2.27 million children and their families. There will be 3,500 centres by 2010, a children’s centre for every community in England offering permanent universal provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare places are (a) available and (b) planned under the Sure Start programme in Leeds West constituency. (209212)

Sure Start Children's Centres offer a range of services to children under five and their families including, in the most disadvantaged areas, integrated early learning and childcare. There are forty seven designated children's centres in Leeds, seven of which are located in the Leeds West constituency. Whilst we understand that all seven of these centres offer childcare, information is not held centrally about the number of childcare places in each centre. Further centres will be developed in Leeds so that by 2010 there will be a centre for every community. Details are not yet available on their precise location or the range of services that will be provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of the proposed eco-town locations would involve development on land classed as green wedges or green gaps. (207557)

Designations of green wedges and green gaps may be held locally in old style local plans or unitary development plans that may have been brought forward into the new system of local development frameworks as ‘saved policies’. This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government against which criteria the application for an eco-town at Kingston-upon-Soar in Nottinghamshire was assessed; in which of these areas the application was deemed inadequate; and if she will make a statement. (207908)

The application for an eco-town at Kingston-upon-Soar in Nottinghamshire was assessed against the criteria set out in the ‘Eco-towns Prospectus’, published last July, and copies are available in the Library of the House. An initial summary of the issues for this location and the other shortlisted locations is set out in the consultation document ‘Eco-towns—Living a greener future’.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of proposals for eco-towns in (a) Leicestershire and (b) England, (1) what the open consultation procedure will entail; how local residents will be involved in the consultation process; and by what means local residents will be contacted; (208243)

The consultation process in respect of the proposals for eco-towns shortlisted in ‘Eco-towns—Living a greener future’, including Leicester, will vary according to the location and the status of the schemes being developed. Bidders are publicising further details of schemes locally and holding consultation events to involve residents and stakeholders, with input from local authorities who are also holding public events. As part of this they will also be identifying key stakeholders, and we would expect these to include local authorities, regional bodies, the Highways Agency, Natural England and Environment Agency.

In terms of the arrangements for consulting on the proposal in Leicester, I understand that the promoters are holding a series of consultation events and exhibitions on their proposals during June. They have also set up a consultation website and produced themed papers to support the events.

The Department will also be commissioning exhibition and consultation events about the eco-towns concept, the purpose of eco-towns and a national programme going forward, and this will include local people, local authorities and other stakeholders . The next key step for us in the process will be the publication in July—for further consultation—a draft planning policy statement and a draft Sustainability Appraisal on the locations, which will set out more detail for each location. When we publish the final shortlist of locations with potential to be an eco-town, individual schemes will need to come forward with planning applications and this will provide opportunity for further consultation with the public and stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it remains Government policy that the home condition report should be a component of the home information pack. (207394)

The home condition report remains an authorised part of the HIP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many qualified and registered home inspectors are in practice; and how many are in training. (207397)

Our latest estimate is that there are 822 accredited home inspectors, and 6,756 people registered for training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of qualified and registered home inspectors which would be needed if every home information pack contained a home condition report. (207398)

We estimated, in July 2006 that up to 7,500 home inspectors would have been required if every home information pack contained a home condition report (HCR). This estimate was based on the assumption that many will not work full-time on preparing HCRs, and on the state of the housing market at the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps the Government are planning to make it easier for buyers and sellers of leasehold homes and their agents to obtain information about service charges and other matters relating to the management of the property; (207392)

As set out in the written ministerial statement made on the 8 May, Official Report, columns 37-39WS, we have established a working group of key industry and consumer representatives to develop proposals on the type and form of information to be required in a home information pack for a leasehold property. The working group will also report on establishing good practice for managing agents and landlords in the provision of leasehold information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department has provided for local authority capacity building; what definition she uses of capacity building; and which bodies received the funding in the latest period for which figures are available. (208093)

Capacity building support is provided to enhance and develop authorities confidence leadership and skills to advance improvement and efficiency, as well as developing their capacity to learn, co-operate and share their knowledge and expertise about what works and how. It is ultimately about supporting authorities working with their local partners to deliver better outcomes, improve the quality of life in places and provide better public services. In December 2007, central and local government agreed and published the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy (NIES). The document can be found at:

www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/efficiency

This strategy explains how central and local government will work together to transform and improve services and to build local leadership capacity.

In the CSR04 period (2005-06 - 2007-08), £150 million was allocated to local authorities, either directly or through partnerships, to fund capacity building. Additionally, £148 million Revenue Support Grant top-slice was provided to LGA central bodies to strengthen the capacity of local government.

In the CSR07 period, (2008-09 - 2010-11) up to £384 million has been provided to help fund capacity building. This includes 114 million of top-sliced Revenue Support Grant provided to the LGA central bodies and £270 million of support from Communities and Local Government.

Capacity building support is aimed at all counties, single-tier and district councils, as well as fire and rescue authorities. Other local bodies such as national parks authorities can also benefit from the programme. Since 2004, roughly 300 bodies have received funding for capacity building. A full list has been deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding will be allocated to local authorities through the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme in 2008-09. (208104)

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 April 2008, Official Report, column 2107W to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles).

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was given to each local authority through the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme in each year that the scheme has been in operation. (208105)

To date, local authorities in England have received £149,704,135 for 2005-06 and £384,751,482 for 2006-07 under the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme.

I announced provisional additional payments of £13,509,463 for 2005-06 and £37,348,549 for 2006-07, as well as provisional allocations of £246,075,319 for 2007-08, on 2 April. We gave local authorities a period to raise queries on these provisional allocations, finishing on 16 May. I intend to announce the final allocations as soon as possible.

Decisions on public spending in 2011-12 will be made as part of the next spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 16 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1798-99W, on local government: pensions, if she will publish figures for the total cost broken down in each year for individual constituent local authority pension scheme groupings within the broader Local Government Pension Scheme. (208081)

The information requested is shown in the following table. These data represent the actual amount of contributions paid by employers participating in the Local Government Pension Scheme based on SF3 annual returns submitted to Communities and Local Government by Scheme administering authorities in England. Statistical data relating to the LGPS from 1999-2000 onwards can be found at:

http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/pensions.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether transitional relief in the 2010 business rates revaluation will be funded by the public purse. (208102)

The Local Government Act 2003 made transitional relief schemes a permanent feature of non-domestic (business) rates revaluations, and requires such schemes to be designed to be financed from other business rates payers, so that the gross income from the revalued lists remains the same overall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will answer questions 201301, 201302 and 201303, tabled on 21 April 2008, on the My Choice Homebuy Scheme. (209315)

I have now replied to the hon. Member's questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in the project to digitise the proposed documents for Iraq’s National Library and Archives. (208222)

The Department has funded the British Library’s initiative to digitise materials in its collection as part of its continuing contribution to the reconstruction of the collection of the Iraq National Library and Archive (INLA). At the request of Dr. Saad Eskander, director of the INLA, the Library is in the process of digitising approximately 450 historical maps of Iraq and around 20,000 pages of archival records from the India Office Records which relate to Iraq. Over 200 maps have been completed and delivered to Dr. Eskander already and it is expected that the project will be completed by the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the 23rd Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2006-07, HC 488 on the Office Accommodation of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its sponsored bodies, how many posts identified for relocation (a) have been relocated and (b) will be relocated by the end of (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010. (208212)

To date, 661 posts from DCMS sponsored bodies have relocated already.

Current projections are that:

(i) a total of 795 posts in sponsored bodies will have relocated by the end of 2008;

(ii) a total of 855 posts in sponsored bodies will have relocated by the end of 2009; and

(iii) a total of 967 posts in sponsored bodies will have relocated by the end of 2010.

The DCMS has no plans to relocate posts. The planned target of 967 relocated posts exceeds by over 50 per cent. the Department’s agreed target of 600 relocated posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on (a) sport, (b) heritage, (c) arts and (d) tourism in each of the last five years, expressed as a percentage of its Request for Resources in each year. (208265)

[holding answer 4 June 2008]: The information is as follows.

2006-07 was used as the final year as the Department does not yet have audited outturn figures for 2007-08.

Percentages are based on the final provision for Request for Resource 1 of the year in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of applications to the War Pension Scheme have been refused since 2001; and what percentage of applications to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been refused since 2005. (200936)

This information is not currently available but it is planned to publish in July 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many compensation claims were rejected where the standard of proof was a consideration in the decision in each year since 2005. (205133)

The standard of proof is used in the consideration of all awards and rejections of claims made under the Armed Forces Compensation scheme and this is based on the balance of probabilities. A total of 1,650 compensation claims have been rejected between the scheme's introduction on 6 April 2005 and 31 December 2007. The figures quoted include all rejected first claims under AFCS. They also include cases of automatic consideration of entitlement to AFCS, where the individual is medically discharged. In many cases medical discharge results from injury or illness totally unconnected with service. The rejections for each financial year since 2005-06 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are located outside the United Kingdom. (208758)

There were 27,500 UK Regular Forces personnel located outside the United Kingdom as at 1 October 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average length of time was to determine disability allowances for (i) service personnel and (ii) veterans in each of the last five years. (203986)

Each claim under either the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or the War Pension Scheme (WPS) is assessed on an individual basis against the medical evidence gathered to support such an assessment. The availability of that medical information directly affects the processing times. Data are not readily available to determine the shortest and longest length of time taken to determine disability allowances under either scheme. To try and create such information would incur disproportionate effort and costs. However the average clearance times for processing total disability related claims (rejections and awards), under each scheme in working days are shown in the following table. The rise in the clearance times for AFCS between 2006-07 and 2007-08 reflects the increase in AFCS claims and the requirement to consider a worsening condition under AFCS. Worsening is where service after the AFCS introduction date may have caused or aggravated a condition being claimed under the WPS scheme.

In view of the increased number of claims and the requirement to consider a worsening condition additional resources have been added to the AFCS team.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operational tours the (a) 2nd and (b) 4th Battalion The Rifles completed in the last five years; and what operational duties are scheduled for each battalion. (209393)

The battalions in question operationally deployed, in the last five years, are as follows:

In addition, the 2nd Battalion The Rifles is currently deployed to Kosovo as part of the UK commitment to the NATO/EU shared pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force (ORF).

Announcements on future deployments will be made in the usual way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy will be on UK armed forces participating in operations where allied forces use cluster bombs after the signing of the treaty to ban their use; and if he will make a statement. (208349)

The Convention on Cluster Munitions, as adopted by the UK and 108 other states in Dublin on Friday 30 May 2008, does not alter our ability to work with coalition partners on operations involving states who are not signatories to the agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on sending mail overseas in each year since 2001, broken down by delivery company. (208513)

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the resumption of the Royal Tournament; and if he will make a statement. (208875)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to reinstate the Royal Tournament; and what assessment he has made of the impact of its discontinuation. (209870)

The recently published National Recognition of the Armed Forces Study by my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) made 40 recommendations to enhance public awareness and appreciation of the armed forces. Recommendation 7 highlights the “very special opportunity” that the Royal Tournament offers for this, but also recognises that “in view of the current pressure on our armed forces it would not be practicable to revive it at the present time”.

Mr Davies goes on to recommend that the MOD examines on an annual basis, and “in light of pressure from overseas deployments”, the possibility of launching a modern equivalent to the Royal Tournament; and as with all 40 recommendations, we will respond in detail to this proposal later in the year.

In the meantime, we continue to support and promote events ranging from the Edinburgh Tattoo to ship visits to specific commemorations such as the recent 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, in order to maintain the armed forces’ profile among the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans have received late payments of (a) war pensions and (b) compensation in each year for which records are available. (203211)

The SPVA deal with each case based on the specifics of that case. In considering claims under both schemes medical evidence of the condition(s) claimed, prognosis for recovery or ending disability and evidence of the link to service is required. Depending on the complexity and needs of the individual cases, gaining sufficient information in order to properly inform the correct decision can take a varying amount of time.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 6 November 2007 to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire North East, Official Report, column 861W, on Admiralty House, what the cost of (a) cleaning, (b) minor works and (c) refurbishment of the official ministerial residence in Admiralty House formerly occupied by the right hon. Member for Ashfield has been since he vacated the residence. (195002)

No cleaning, minor works or refurbishment costs have been incurred on the flat formerly occupied by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield, which has remained unoccupied.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 February 1008, Official Report, column 685W, on Admiralty House: empty property, what the cost of (a) cleaning, (b) minor works and (c) refurbishment of the official ministerial residence in Admiralty House formerly occupied by the right hon. Member for Derby South was prior to its occupancy by the former Lord Chancellor. (195005)

A cost of £119 was incurred for a general clean and no minor works or refurbishment costs were incurred prior to the allocation of the flat to the former Lord Chancellor.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (a) all staff and (b) staff at senior civil service level in his Department in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made. (207471)

The table shows how much was awarded in end-of-year performance bonuses by the Cabinet Office to (a) all staff and (b) staff at a senior civil service level in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many bonuses were awarded.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many residential properties the Cabinet Office owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months. (192995)

Two residential flats at Admiralty House are currently vacant. One of these has been vacant for longer than six months and the other has been vacant for longer than 12 months.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Cabinet Office's and its agencies' green transport plans were introduced; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such plan. (209244)

The Cabinet Office is committed to promoting sustainable travel and reducing carbon emissions through its business travel.

Employees are encouraged to only undertake business travel if there are no suitable and practical alternatives available, such as videoconferencing facilities. If travel is unavoidable, employees are encouraged to travel by public transport. Any unavoidable air travel is currently offset as part of Cabinet Office contribution to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund. An interest free loan is available for purchasing bicycles/equipment and/or a season ticket for public transport. Generally, there is no car parking provision for staff. However, some parking is available for disabled use, ministerial/senior official and operational vehicles. Any further initiatives will be considered as part of Cabinet Office membership of the Civil Service Travel Group.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the number of workers in employment who were born outside the UK in each metropolitan authority or unitary authority in the North East in each year between 2001 and 2007. (206720)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 6 June 2008:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the numbers of workers in employment who were born outside the UK in each metropolitan authority or unitary authority in the North East in each year between 2001 and 2007. [206720]

The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics on migrant workers for local areas from the Annual Population survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born outside the UK, age 16 or over, and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis. It means, for example, that some people who are UK nationals will be included in the total. Those in employment are defined following International Labour Organisation definitions.

Table 1, attached, shows estimates of the total number of persons employed who were born outside the UK, for each local authority in the North East. Estimates are obtained for the 12 month periods ending in February, for 2001 to 2004, from the annual LFS. For time series comparisons, the APS estimates from 2005 to 2007 are provided covering the 12 month periods ending in March. The most recently released estimate is also included, which covers the 12 month period ending in September 2007.

As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he and his officials have had with the Attorney General's office on initiatives to combat online fraud. (207355)

Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the gross value added was in (a) London and (b) each region on the latest date for which figures are available. (208824)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 6 June 2008:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the difference in gross value added (GVA) between London and the rest of the UK. (208824)

The Office for National Statistics publishes regional GVA using official statistical geographies known as Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS). NUTS1 data cover the Government Office Regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

GVA for the NUTS1 regions for 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), each region’s percentage share of the UK’s GVA, GVA per head and GVA per head indices are shown in the table below.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome of the Ninth Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was; and if he will make a statement. (208252)

The ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held in Bonn, Germany from 17-30 May 2008. I represented the UK Government at the high level ministerial segment from 28-30 May. During this period I also held bilateral discussions with other Ministers, met representatives of UK stakeholders and attended side-events run by the UK-funded Darwin Initiative and by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

During the high level segment I announced new additional voluntary commitments by the UK Government to further CBD objectives. These include a £100,000 contribution to the preparation and production of the Third Global Biodiversity Outlook, and a further £100,000 contribution to the global study on The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity, the initial findings of which were presented during the high level segment.

The COP adopted decisions on over 25 issues that included establishing an intersessional process to review the 2010 biodiversity target and use the findings to develop a new target or series of targets beyond 2010 for consideration by COP 10. Other key outcomes included:

A decision on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources (ABS) that agreed a process for three further intersessional ABS Open Ended Working Groups, together with a number of Ad Hoc Technical Experts Groups (AHTEGs), to ensure that the negotiating mandate for the international regime is concluded as soon as possible before COP 10 in 2010.

A decision on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity that agreed scientific criteria for identifying ecological or biologically significant marine areas in need of protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

A decision on Biodiversity and Climate Change that secured a process for the CBD to contribute biodiversity expertise to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Action Plan, including Reduced Emissions from Deforestation (REDD) in the form of a meeting of technical experts that the UK will part fund.

A decision that created an effective moratorium on Ocean Fertilisation activities which attempt to manipulate marine ecosystems to increase the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with an exception for controlled research studies.

A decision that strengthened activities in the implementation of the Forestry Programme of Work including strengthening forest law enforcement and governance, increasing the links between forests and climate change mitigation, and adopting a precautionary approach to the release of GM trees.

A decision on the Agricultural Programme of Work including language on promoting the sustainable use of biofuels and developing sound policy frameworks as well as follow up intersessional work on this issue.

A decision on Protected Areas which provided for the enhanced management of existing protected areas and the establishment of additional ones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of the Act on CO₂ Public Engagement Campaign. (207721)

[holding answer 2 June 2008]: The Government’s “ACT ON CO₂” campaign aims to increase awareness and understanding of the relationship between climate change and CO₂ and encourages genuine sustained behaviour change. The estimated cost of DEFRA’s core ACT ON CO₂ campaign in 2007-08 was £5.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of levels of emission of bio-aerosols from open windrow composting sites in the last period for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of implications for (a) human and (b) animal health of such emissions; and what guidelines his Department issues to planning authorities on applications for new open windrow composting sites. (207158)

[holding answer 22 May 2008]: There are no estimates of emissions of bioaerosols from open windrow composting sites for any period.

In 2004 DEFRA published an independent study, “Review of the Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management”, which concluded that on the evidence from studies so far, the treatment of municipal solid waste has at most a minor effect on health particularly when compared with other health risks associated with ordinary day-to-day living. In relation to composting, the study acknowledges that this an area where there has been less work and the science is less certain than for other waste management activities. The report is available on DEFRA’s website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/research/health/pdf/health-report.pdf

This is the most up to date source of information on open windrow composting sites.

Good site management is important in minimising risks to the environment and health from composting facilities. In 2005, the Composting Association published the Composting Industry Code of Practice, which brings together legislative requirements and good management practice to support the professional operation of composting facilities.

The Environment Agency has taken a position that there will be a presumption against permitting (and to object to any application) of any new composting process (or modification to an existing process) where the boundary of the facility is within 250 m of a workplace or the boundary of a dwelling, unless the application is accompanied by a site-specific risk assessment, based on clear, independent scientific evidence which show that the bio-aerosol levels are and can be maintained at appropriate levels at the dwelling or workplace.

In addition, Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 10 and companion guide provides guidance on waste planning. Environment Agency’s position indicates that any application with 250 m would need a detailed risk assessment showing how bioaerosol emissions would be managed and reduced at sensitive receptors. Clearly open windrow composting would not allow sufficient management of emissions so would not be acceptable close to a dwelling or workplace.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to reduce the administrative burden associated with the implementation of the integrated pollution prevention control regulation. (206297)

The pollution prevention and control regime was implemented through the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations (England and Wales) 2000. The PPC regulations transposed several EU directives into domestic legislation.

In England and Wales the PPC regulations were superseded on 6 April 2008 by the Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations 2007 (England and Wales). These new regulations bring together the PPC and Waste Management Licensing Regulations into one new regulatory system.

My Department has issued a comprehensive guidance package which is designed to provide those operating and regulating PPC activities under the EP regulations with information on the permitting procedure.

For the 400 or so installations regulated by local authorities, a revised, one-stop General Guidance Manual has been published to accompany the introduction of the EP regulations.

My Department will continue to look for opportunities to simplify the regulation of these installations, consistent with securing the environmental protection objectives of the legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of waste (a) produced and (b) recycled in the (i) agriculture, (ii) mining and quarrying, (iii) sewage sludge, (iv) dredged materials, (v) household, (vi) commercial, (vii) industrial and (viii) construction and demolition sectors in each year since 1997. (205736)

The available data for the requested waste streams are shown in the tables. Note that the geographical basis varies according to how the data are collected. Estimates for agriculture, household, commercial, industrial, construction and demolition sectors are for England. UK estimates only are available for dredgings and mining and quarrying wastes. Figures for sewage sludge relate to England and Wales.

Estimates for 1998 and 2003 only cover material which are classified as waste following the incorporation of agricultural waste under the Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006. Agricultural waste excludes manure and slurry where they are applied to land as fertiliser for the benefit of agriculture on clearly identified parcels of land and where storage is limited to the needs of those spreading operations.

Farmers have several management options available to them including storage of waste on site for up to 12 months, recovery or disposal at a permitted waste facility, or registration with the Environment Agency for an appropriate waste management permit or exemption for on-farm recovery. There is little information available on the recycling and other management of agricultural waste.

Agricultural waste arisings are estimated using Agricultural Census data on the numbers of livestock and crop areas multiplied by unit waste arisings (per hectare or per head) which are based on a variety of sources. Therefore, these figures are only broad estimate of agricultural waste arisings.

Production of mineral waste from UK mines and quarries is connected, in particular, to the extraction of coal, slate, china clay and ball clay because of high amounts of waste per tonne of mineral extracted, and with extraction of aggregates because of the scale of that sector of the industry. It includes material that is moved to gain access to the mineral resource, as well as mineral deposits that are uneconomic and processing wastes remaining after primary processing of minerals. The vast majority of these materials are non-hazardous and inert, and are managed by the operator at the place of operation.

There are no definitive statistics available regarding mineral waste management, as individual mines and quarries will manage wastes according to local conditions.

Following the coming into force of EU Directive 2006/21/EC on the management of waste from the extractive industries (the Mining Waste Directive) on 1 May 2006, mineral waste has to be defined by reference to, and regulated in accordance with, this directive. The Mining Waste Directive has now been transposed into national law. Mine waste facilities will be subject to the new provisions by 2012.

Disposal by dumping at sea, which previously accounted for about one quarter of production, was banned in 1998 by regulations implementing the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) states that sludge should be re-used whenever appropriate and that disposal routes should minimise the adverse effects on the environment. Recycling to farmland is the current main disposal route (73 per cent. in 2005, up from 59 per cent. in 2000), followed by incineration (18 per cent. down from 22 per cent.). Disposal to landfill has significantly decreased in recent years (6 per cent. down to 0.5 per cent.) and use in land restoration/reclamation has increased (6 per cent. from 0 per cent.).

Dredged materials are disposed of at sea in line with international obligations under the OSPAR and London Conventions.

Data from the first two quarters of 2007-08 indicate an increase in household recycling rate from 31 per cent. between April 2006 and March 2007, to 33 per cent. between October 2006 and September 2007.

Household waste includes household collection rounds (‘bin’ waste), other household collections such as bulky waste collections, waste from services such as litter collections, waste from civic amenity sites and wastes separately collected for recycling or composting through bring/drop off schemes, kerbside schemes and at civic amenity sites. Household recycling covers materials sent for recycling, composting or reuse by local authorities as well as those collected from household sources by ‘private/voluntary’ organisations. It excludes material which was collected for recycling from household sources but actually rejected at collection or at the gate of a recycling reprocessor. It includes residual waste from the household stream which was diverted for recycling by sorting or further treatment.

Recycling tonnages include estimates on the management of waste to unknown or unrecorded routes and a proportion of waste being sent to transfer and treatment processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Belarus. (207959)

The Government continues to have serious concerns about the lack of respect for human rights in Belarus and monitors the situation closely. The Government's assessment of the situation in Belarus can be found in our latest annual Human Rights report, available at:

www.fco.gov.uk

We will continue to work with our EU and US partners to raise our concerns and push for improvement.

The recent crackdown on civil society is worrying. We are particularly concerned by the Belarusian government's actions against protesters involved in the demonstrations on 25 March and 26 April and the severe sentencing of two more political prisoners, Sergei Parsyukevich and Andrei Kim on 22 April and 23 April for their participation in demonstrations in January 2008. The recent re-arrest of five individuals recognised by the EU as political prisoners soon after their release is also very worrying.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of states with a majority Muslim population that are likely to become democracies within the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement. (207735)

We have not made a recent estimate but in his speech—“The Democratic Imperative”—in Oxford on 8 February, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary argued that

“we should back demands among citizens for more freedom and power over their lives—whether that is reforming established democracies or supporting transitions to democracy; from Botswana to Indonesia, there are striking examples of successful representative democracies that demonstrate how universal values can be applied to diverse cultural, social and economic contexts.”

We support democratic processes in all states and work through the UN and the EU to extend the implementation of democratic rights through multilateral processes. Through the Human Rights and Democracy programme fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office works with all governments and civil society to promote better electoral processes, the role of civil society and the freedom of expression.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the European Union to agree new sanctions on (a) Iranian oil and gas and (b) the Iranian financial sector. (207812)

We are pressing for a new EU Common Position to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1803, including a provision on increased vigilance over the activities of Iranian financial institutions. We are pursuing additional EU listings of entities and individuals based on the previous EU Common Position. We are also discussing a range of possible EU measures which would go beyond the scope of Security Council resolutions should Iran continue to fail to implement its international obligations. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has signalled, this could include a ban on investment in Iranian liquefied natural gas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the contribution of recent mediations of the Arab League to peace and stability in Lebanon. (207831)

The announcement of an agreement for Lebanon, ‘the Doha Accord’, on 21 May and the subsequent election of President Suleiman on 25 May are important steps forward for Lebanon. The UK pays tribute to Qatar and the Arab League whose efforts, both in Beirut and Doha, did so much to make the agreement possible. It is now important for Lebanon's future peace and stability that the agreement is implemented. We will continue to support the government and people of Lebanon over this important period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the work of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission on a settlement for the Abyei region of Sudan. (208190)

Following the fighting of 14-21 May in Abyei, the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC), chaired by Sir Derek Plumbly, has been engaging with all the parties. There was an extraordinary plenary meeting of the AEC in Khartoum on 25 May to discuss Abyei. An AEC Working Group visited the area on 28 May to assess the situation and to urge both sides to resolve the conflict in Abyei.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on progress on the formation and integration of joint integrated units in Sudan under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. (208191)

We monitor closely the formation and integration of the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs), which were established under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to improve security in disputed areas between north and south Sudan. The JIUs are made up of equal numbers of the Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. We are encouraging donors to provide resources to the JIUs in order to improve their effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has raised the issue of Abyei with the other international guarantors of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement; and if he will make a statement. (208192)

Since the fighting in Abyei broke out on 14 May, we have discussed Abyei frequently with the other international guarantors of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). We support the work of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission as a suitable international body to monitor the implementation of the CPA and to broker a resolution for the dispute over Abyei.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role played by the UN force in Abyei in trying to bring peace to that area of Sudan; and what representations he has made to the UN to bolster the effectiveness of that force. (207923)

Observers from the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) were in Abyei during the fighting of 14-21 May and UNMIS senior officers played a supporting role in the brokering of a ceasefire. UNMIS has restricted movement within the Abyei region. The UK worked with UN Security Council partners to ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 1812, which renews the UNMIS mandate, makes reference to Abyei and calls on the parties to allow unrestricted access and operations in the disputed area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides on the facilities each NHS accident and emergency department should have. (208423)

The services it is appropriate for any national health service organisation to provide is a matter for local, not central decision. What is key is that patients have timely access to high quality, safe care, as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much compensation has been awarded by his Department to its staff since May 1997; and what the reason for compensation was in each case. (206160)

The Department awards compensation to staff for a variety of reasons. The total value associated with each reason and the period this covers are presented in the following table. Figures are not available prior to 1 October 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Newcastle City Overview and Scrutiny Committee has asked him to consider (a) the transfer of the Sir Martin Roth Unit, Newcastle General Hospital to Prudhoe and (b) the closure, and partial transfer to Prudhoe, of the Nuffield Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne. (206723)

The North East strategic health authority reports that a joint committee of the Newcastle City Overview and Scrutiny Committee is considering these transfers. However, referral has not yet been made to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 April 2008, Official Report, column 1990W, on medical records: disclosure of information, where each of the NHS care records service registers are held; whether each is held electronically; whether each is accessible through the internet or N3; what security measures are in place to protect them; and on how many occasions they have been illegally accessed. (207657)

The National Electronic (‘spine’) Database of Patient Information that forms the core of the national health service care records service (NHS CRS) is hosted in secure data centres. The location of data centres is not made public to avoid compromising security arrangements and potential criminal exploitation of the information they hold.

Data centres must conform to the British Standards Institution information security management code of practice, referred to internationally as ISO17799:2005 and

ISO27001:2005, and must meet strict standards in terms of both the structure of, and control of physical access to, the buildings. There is a contractual requirement for staff employed in data centres to be security cleared. Regular review arrangements exist to ensure compliance with the relevant standards, and other contractual information security requirements.

To date there have been no identified breaches of the physical security at any of the ‘spine’ data centres, and no identified cases where unauthorised access to the database has been gained electronically from outside the NHS.

All patient-identifiable data transmitted to, from and via the spine travels exclusively over the N3 secure electronic network, which is protected using various network security controls and encryption. Access requires the use of a smartcard with a linked username and alphanumeric pass code. Smartcards are issued by a NHS CRS registration authority only when satisfactory evidence of identity and residence is provided in person by NHS staff.

Regular reviews of the end-to-end security infrastructure are undertaken to identify where industry best practice has changed or technologies improved so that these can be incorporated into the overall system.

In addition, the NHS maintains an effective liaison with the United Kingdom's information security authorities and others for the sharing of relevant advice and guidance on known information security threats and vulnerabilities.

Together these safeguards provide high levels of security assurance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average waiting times were for (a) adult, (b) adolescent and (c) child psychiatry in each mental health trust in the North East in each year between 2002 and 2007; and how many people were on waiting lists in each category in each year. (206719)

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts have (a) completed mapping and reviewing of all person-identifiable data flows, (b) made movements of data secure and (c) identified risk areas in data security. (207116)

Effective information governance is the responsibility of individual national health service bodies. The NHS chief executive received assurances on 31 March from all trust chief executives that they had identified data security risk areas and were either meeting appropriate security standards or were actively managing risks whilst necessary improvements are made.

Information is not held centrally on which trusts have completed work on mapping and reviewing all person-identifiable data flows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the weighted capitation formula figure is for each primary care trust in England in terms of (a) per capita target and (b) per capita allocation for 2008-09. (206721)

The following table provides the target allocation per head and the allocation per head of unweighted population for all primary care trusts (PCTs) in England for 2008-09.