asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 7 July (

The work of civil servants changes to meet the priorities of Ministers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What role civil servants may play in the referendum campaigns on devolution.

The Government have today issued guidance to civil servants on their role and conduct during the devolution referendum campaigns. The guidance provides a generic set of principles which individual departments can incorporate into guidance tailored to their particular needs and situations. It stresses that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code, and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the Civil Service and to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament, and are also available from the Vote Office.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the decision of the Bank of England on 10 July to increase interest rates.

The Chancellor set out the Government's view on the Bank of England's recent decision to increase interest rates in the other place on 10 July (Official Report, col. 1056). He explained that the Bank of England agreed with him that if a cycle of boom and bust is to be prevented, inflationary pressures in the economy must be brought under control.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What financial subvention was given by taxpayers in the last financial year, to the countries in the United Kingdom in the following order: (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland, and what these figures mean in per capita terms.

Figures analysing government expenditure by country in the UK are published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1997–98, Cm 3601. The following figures taken from table 7.1 give identified general government expenditure per head in each country for 1995–96, the latest year for which figures are available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide further information on the figures in Table 4 of the jobseeker's allowance summary statistics (Office of National Statistics, 22 May 1997), on people not in receipt of contributory jobseeker's allowance; in particular whether they will comment on those entered in the nil column, how many of these were denied income-based jobseeker's allowance because of sufficiency of means, and how many for other reasons and what those reasons were.

It is not possible to disaggregate the numbers without entitlement to a jobseeker's allowance in the categories requested. Those in the "nil" column will have been entitled to national insurance credits. There will have been a further proportion who made no claim for income-based jobseekeer's allowance, but numbers in this category are not available. The jobseeker's allowance payments system (JSAPS) gives a breakdown of the reasons for an actual award of income-based jobseeker's allowance ceasing. When conversion is completed in October 1997, and all cases have been transferred to JSAPS, the QSE will have information on all terminated income-based jobseeker's allowance claims.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people of pensionable age do not receive a full state pension because of inadequate contribution records, what proportion of those affected are women, and what would be the total net cost to public funds of paying a full state pension to everyone of the relevant age.

The Government are committed to reviewing all the main areas of insecurity affecting pensioners. The key objectives of the review will be that pensioners should have an adequate income in retirement, that they should share fairly in rising national prosperity, and that public finances should be both sustainable and affordable.It is estimated that the number of people who do not receive a full category A basic state pension is 3.5 million; 91 per cent. of whom are women. Of these around 2 million women receive pensions based wholly or partly on their husband's contributions. Many of these are likely to have elected to pay contributions at a reduced rate that did not earn them entitlement to their own pension.The net cost of paying the full category A basic state pension to all people over State Pension age regardless of their contribution record is estimated to be £4.2 billion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the increased disregard for lone parents on family credit is to be restricted to those with more than one child.

The Government are committed to developing a national childcare strategy which will plan provision to match requirements of the modern labour market and provide the genuine help needed by parents to balance the demands of family and working life.The childcare disregard is being increased to reflect the higher costs incurred by those who pay for childcare for more than one child.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to ensure that asylum policy in the United Kingdom fully accords with their determination to make human rights central to foreign policy.

The Government are determined to ensure that the United Kingdom's asylum policy is fully in keeping with its commitment to human rights both at home and abroad.All asylum applications are assessed on their individual merits in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Those meeting the criteria for recognition as a refugee are granted asylum.In addition, exceptional leave to remain may be granted in cases where a person does not qualify for asylum under the Convention but there are, nevertheless, compelling humanitarian reasons for not enforcing the removal of that person from the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What evidence the Charity Commission has found of a lack of a clear distinction between the work of the Scarman Trust (formerly the Charter 88 Trust) and others, and which those others are.

The Charity Commission investigated the complaint about the report entitled The Untouchables, which was incorrectly ascribed to the Scarman Trust. This raised questions about links between the charity and three other organisations: the Democratic Audit of the University of Essex, Charter 88, and Charter 88 Publications Limited. It was also found that a number of other publications have been produced by the charity in association with the Democratic Audit.Whilst occasioning some confusion, such a collaborative approach to the achievement of a charity's objects is not unusual and does not in itself give rise to any particular cause for concern. I understand that the charity is taking steps to ensure that it maintains a proper independence from Charter 88.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What effect there has been on the processing of applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom following the transfer of casework staff within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to the Document Reception Centre.

The transfer has resulted in a speedier processing of valid applications both through the provision of comprehensive information to the caseworker and the initiation in May 1997 of a process and "fast track" decision taking there. Under the new system the caseworker who decides on the validity of an application also decides at the same time the merits of the application where possible. As a result, in June, of 5,707 applications passed as valid, 1,417 (25 per cent.) were also decided. Such decisions are therefore taken within days of the application being received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they have not implemented a numbering system to give queuing priority to those applicants or persons enquiring at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Lunar House who are not processed on that day so that they can be given an ordered preference on the next or subsequent day; whether they intend to implement such a system; and, if so, when.

The Public Enquiry Office (PEO) at Lunar House has experienced an increase in callers over the past 12 months of over 20 per cent., which equates to a total of between 850 and over 1,000 callers each day.The PEO has the accommodation and staffing resources to consider applications for between 650 and 700 callers each day. As a result, a large number of callers cannot get their cases completed on the day of their visit. This also makes it impractical to offer queuing priority to those whose cases cannot be completed on the day of their visit. However, every caller who visits the PEO receives advice on their application and the opportunity to leave their application to be dealt with by post. Alternative facilities are being developed for the quick handling of postal enquiries with the aim of freeing the service to those callers who need it urgently.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps the Home Office is taking to speed up the processing of applications for further leave to remain by bona-fide foreign businessmen, investors and work-permit holders who need to travel abroad and who cannot do so while the Home Office retains their passports pending approval of their application.

Through the introduction of team working, additional staff resources from five other groups are now available to assist the processing of applications for further leave to remain by business people and investors. This has already resulted in the delays being reduced from eight months to a current maximum of four months. The position is expected to improve over the coming months. Where it is not possible to resolve an application before a business person needs to travel, a travel extension of three months may be granted if the application is valid and in-time. Work permit holders, whose permission to work has been extended, may have their passports stamped at ports on production of the relevant documentary evidence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What effect there has been on the processing of applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom following the closure of some of the Public Enquiry Offices outside London, and the restriction of access given to solicitors, their clerks or agents, bona-fide immigration administration practitioners and members of the public, to the Public Enquiry Office at Lunar House.

There has been no significant effect on the processing of applications arising from the closure of the limited facilities at Norwich and Harwich. The large increase in callers to the Lunar House Public Enquiry Office—far in excess of the small number of callers who used to use Norwich and Harwich—has necessitated changes aimed at preserving as far as possible the service given to personal callers. A representative may only present one application for a client and the number of representatives dealt with in any day has to be restricted depending on the number of personal callers. Alternative postal services involving "fast track" decision taking are being developed to compensate for restrictions on both representatives and personal callers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Williams of Mostyn on 9 July (

Under the terms of the Casework Programme contract, progress towards full implementation is in six phases. Work is currently proceeding on the fourth of these phases (design and development of the supporting infrastructure), which is planned to be completed by 31 October. Implementation begins in the fifth phase (system acceptance and pilot review) and is expected to have reached an intermediate stage in the Croydon offices by 30 April next year: this will mark the end of the fifth phase. The final phase, during which implementation in Croydon will be completed and the availability of the system will be extended to the Nationality Directorate in Liverpool and certain other Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Immigration Service locations, is planned to end on 31 October next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which departments are involved and will be consulted in the review announced on 22 May of detailed criteria governing the export of conventional arms worldwide.

The following departments are involved in the review of the detailed criteria used in considering licence applications to export conventional arms:

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Ministry of Defence
• Department of Trade and Industry
• Department for International Development
• HM Customs and Excise
• HM Treasury
• Export Credits Guarantee Department
• Cabinet Office

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are content that prior check-in facilities intended as part of the Heathrow Express system at Paddington will not increase the risks of terrorist attacks and hoaxes at the station; what studies have been done to ascertain that the risk is not increased, by whom, and at whose expense; and whether the police are content with these arrangements.

The threat to transport operations change and are kept under constant review by government agencies. Security systems are being designed into the new facilities at Paddington to ensure, as far as possible, that any risks which are likely to arise can be adequately managed. My department, the operator, the British Transport Police and Railtrack are all involved in the development of the security system and it will be our objective to establish a system where all parties are content. As usual the cost of assessing threat and risk falls to government; the cost of installing and running the system will fall to the operator.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to reduce London Transport's costs in managing its bus franchises and encouraging better quality bus operations.

The Government is committed to improving bus services in London and has recently set tough new quality of service targets for London Transport Buses. How they manage their operations in order to meet their financial and quality targets is a matter for them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have consulted, or intend in the near future to consult, all the fishermen's organisations in Scotland about the future of the common fisheries policy.

Fisheries Ministers met UK industry representatives on 15 July 1997 for high level talks on the future of the fishing industry. We shall consult fishermen's organisations more widely on reform of the common fisheries policy in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many hectares of forestry land have been sold by Forest Enterprise since 1989 and how much was realised from these sales.

The Forestry Commission has sold 73,000 hectares of forest land since 1989, realising £83 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:By what percentage the area of the United Kingdom planted with (a) conifers and (b) broadleaves has increased since 1977.

The areas of coniferous woodland and broadleaved woodland have both increased by nearly 20 per cent. since 1977.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current annual expenditure on the Woodland Grant Scheme and the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme respectively.

Grants paid last year under the Woodland Grant Scheme amounted to £31.6 million while payments under the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme amounted to £5.8 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is correct that under the Woodland Grant Scheme, full grant is only paid where trees are planted at a density of 2,250 trees per hectare.

To receive the full rate of planting grant under the Woodland Grant Scheme, the Forestry Commission will usually expect applicants to plant at least 2,250 trees per hectare. For broadleaved trees, a density of 1.100 trees per hectare may be acceptable in certain circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made with research on the possible use of varieties of birch in commercial forestry in this country.

The Forestry Commission has asked the Timber Research and Development Association to investigate how modern technology has expanded the range of use for birch timber. The results of this investigation will be used to plan a research programme to help select appropriate varieties for planting. In the meantime, as part of a continuing project to improve the quality of birch in Britain, the Commission has established research plots of seedlings grown from seed collected from high quality stands in northern Britain. In addition, the Highland Birchwoods Initiative was set up in 1992 with the main aims of restoring and extending the birchwoods in the Highlands and promoting the positive management of birchwoods for conservation, amenity and sustainable utilisation of timber and other products.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the countries of the world in which Her Majesty's Armed Forces are serving, showing the numbers in each case.

According to available records, on 1 April this year there were 45,139 UK Service personnel serving overseas in the following countries and dependent territories:

• Ascension Island
• Australia
• Austria
• Algeria
• Angola
• Antigua
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Belgium
• Botswana
• British Virgin Islands
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Canada
• Colombia
• Congo
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Diego Garcia
• Egypt
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islands
• France
• Former Yugoslavia
• Gabon
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lithuania
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Pakistan
• Portugal
• Oman
• Republic of Ireland
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• South Georgia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• Ukraine
• United States
• Zaire
• Zimbabwe

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether additional costs have arisen, and further costs are expected to arise, from temporary accommodation for the Joint Services Combined Staff College, from refurbishing the original accommodation at Greenwich, and from moving the reactor and reactor training away from Greenwich.

The Consultation Document placed in the Library of the House on 5 March 1996 indicated that the cost of establishing the necessary interim accommodation for the Joint Services' Command and Staff College was some £11.45 million. The work is currently on course for completion by September 1997, on time and at a cost of under £10 million. When Greenwich accommodation is vacated, the Government, as the outgoing occupant, are obliged to fund dilapidations rather than refurbishment. Such costs would also have been incurred had MoD remained at Greenwich. Investment appraisals over a 14-year period have shown that the costs of decommissioning JASON are more than counterbalanced by the savings attributable to the relocation of the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology to HMS "Sultan", instead of maintaining it, and JASON, at Greenwich.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would now be the cost of developing appropriate accommodation for the Joint Services Combined Staff College (JSCSC) at the present JSCSC property at Greenwich Palace and in the immediate neighbourhood.

I am advised that, when the various options for the future Joint Services' Command and Staff College were considered in early 1995, (the Consultative Document published in January 1995 refers), the Greenwich-based option at £256.0 million Net Present Value over 25 years (subsequently revised to £253.9 million, both in 1994–95 prices), was some 25 per cent. higher than the Camberley option, which then became the basis for the Public Sector Comparator in the PFI competition. A detailed reassessment of the cost of a Greenwich option would be time-consuming and costly and could not be justified at this stage. However, using an index for general defence inflation to uprate the £253.9 million to current costs gives a figure of approximately £289.4 million. Under this option the teaching and single living accommodation would have been at Greenwich, but married accommodation at Biggin Hill and possibly even Chatham would have been needed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Strategic Defence Review will include a re-examination of the decision to build a new £500 million home for the Joint Services Combined Staff College in a green-field site in South Oxfordshire.

The provision of a new JSCSC by means of a competitive PFI procurement is one of the MoD's highest priorities. The requirement for high quality Command and Staff training and the importance we attach to increasing the opportunities for joint training will not be affected by the Strategic Defence Review. Since their selection as preferred bidders in February, negotiations have continued with Defence Management regarding their proposals for a permanent JSCSC at Shrivenham. A contract will be placed as soon as negotiations can be satisfactorily completed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total amount of plutonium currently deployed in the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons.

I am withholding the information requested in accordance with the Code of Practice on Open Government, Exemption 1.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures they are taking to ensure that meat products imported from the European Union are of the same high standard as that presently adopted in the United Kingdom; and if these meat products are not of the same standard, what measures they will take to encourage the attainment of such standards by European Union exporters of meat products into the United Kingdom market.

All consignments of meat products imported into the UK from other member states must have been produced in accordance with harmonised Community rules laid down in Council Directive 77/99/EEC (as amended). As regards fresh meat, the harmonised rules are laid down in Council Directive 64/443 (as amended).My right honourable friend announced on 5 June that the Government were opening consultations on proposals which would mean that the requirement in the Specified Bovine Material Order to remove and dispose of specified tissues would apply not only to carcases of bovine animals which have died or been slaughtered in the United Kingdom but also to bovine material which has been imported into the UK and to imported products containing or derived from such material. The timing of implementation of the proposed measures will be considered in the light of progress in discussions in the Agriculture Council this week on EU-wide controls on specified risk materials in cattle, sheep and goats.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they hold statistics of chemical contamination incidents involving foodstuffs and, if so, whether these statistics are available to the public.

The department compiles annual reports on all such incidents reported to it. These reports are available to enquirers, free of charge. The latest report by the department's Incident Response Team, entitled Food Protection 1996. has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much money each country of the EU gives or receives annually under the common agricultural policy and how they expect these figures to change over the next two years.

Member states contribute to the EU budget as a whole, and not to any particular part. The CAP currently accounts for about half of EU budget expenditure. As an indicator of contributions and receipts in 1996, the table below shows by member state, in column (a) percentage gross contribution to the EU, in column (b) percentage distribution of common agricultural policy receipts, and in column (c) the sterling equivalent (£ million) of CAP receipts. Developments over the next two years will depend on a variety of factors, including the weather, trade flows, changes in the animal health situation, and decisions to be taken by the Council of Ministers, and cannot be predicted.