My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made the following Ministerial Statement.The energy White Paper first annual report will be published shortly after the Easter Recess. This will allow the Government to report on a full year from the launch of the White Paper in February 2003, as we are legally required to do by the Sustainable Energy Act 2003, as well as to capture some key energy statistics for the relevant period. Given the importance of energy efficiency to delivery of the energy White Paper objectives, the Government intend to publish the energy efficiency implementation plan at the same time as the annual report. The Government also envisage simultaneous publication of the fuel poverty strategy implementation plan and the CHP strategy.

My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.I have been informed by the chairman of the independent regulator of National Health Service foundation trusts that applications for the first wave of NHS foundation trust status will be considered in two groups. This reflects the complexity of a number of applicants and the rigorous approach to assessment that the regulator is adopting.Subject to assessment criteria being met, the first group will be considered for authorisation from 1 April 2004 and the second group of 12 from 1 July 2004.

The Child Trust Funds Bill will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access at the age of 18 when they begin their adult life to a stock of assets which they can invest in their future. The child trust fund will also help children and their parents to understand the benefits of saving and investment and how to engage with financial institutions.The Government are today publishing draft child trust fund regulations. These draft regulations will be of particular interest to potential providers of the child trust fund.The draft regulations include the requirements for a stakeholder child trust fund account. Every child trust fund provider will make a stakeholder account available as one of the investment options. A stakeholder child trust fund account will have its charges capped at 1.5 per cent per year, and providers will be required to accept all contributions of £10 and above. No charges will apply to transfers between different types of accounts, including from stakeholder to non-stakeholder, and between providers.The Government's decision on the charge cap is in the best interests of consumers, as it encourages as wide a selection of providers as possible to offer child trust fund accounts. A large number of providers will encourage competition and ensure the best value for consumers. The Government will continue to monitor that the level of the charge cap best meets the interests of consumers.The decision was evidence-based and considered the particular characteristics of the child trust fund. The economics of the child trust fund are very different from other financial products, such as the stakeholder pensions. In particular, child trust fund accounts will be smaller in terms of the average size of funds compared to pensions and will have a lower minimum contribution level than other stakeholder products.The evidence on which the decision for the cap was based included the report commissioned by the Government from Deloitte, which looked at the trade-offs of different charge caps for providers and consumers. Deloitte's report will be published later this year, at the same time as its report on the other products in the stakeholder suite.The minimum contribution for the stakeholder account has been set to ensure the child trust fund is accessible to all savers, including those who cannot commit to regular contributions. Providers will be free to accept lower contributions if they wish and it is expected that competition among providers could drive down the minimum amounts accepted.The Government will continue to work with the Financial Services Authority on the development of an appropriate regulatory regime.Copies of the draft regulations together with an explanatory commentary are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Libraries of the House.

The 2001 Census national report (part 2) for England and Wales is being published and laid before Parliament today by the Office for National Statistics. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. The report is also available on the National Statistics website.This follows the publication of the national report (part 1) in May 2003. These two documents are prepared under Section 4(1) of the Census Act 1920.The printed national report (part 2) contains tables on migration and on travel-to-work and workplace populations as well as new tables on members of the Armed Forces and on same-sex couples. The report is accompanied by a CD that includes all tables contained in either part of the national report at regional and local authority level. Copies are being provided free of charge to all local authorities.

On 8 December 2003 the UN General Assembly in Resolution ES-10/14 requested the International Court of Justice to urgently render an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. In response to the request, the International Court of Justice has invited UN member states, Palestine, and certain international organisations to contribute written and/or oral statements to the court if they wish to do so. On 30 January the UK submitted a national written statement to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.As we have repeatedly made clear, here and elsewhere, the UK considers the building by Israel of a fence, or wall, in the West Bank to be unlawful. The UK's written statement submitted to the court recalls that we voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/13, adopted on 21 October 2003, which demands that Israel stop and reverse construction of the wall in the occupied Palestinian territory. I regret that Israel has not complied with the General Assembly's demand. We recognise Israel's legitimate security concerns. The latest, horrifying suicide bombing in Jerusalem on 29 January only too clearly shows the continuing threat faced by Israel from terrorists. But building the fence on occupied land only complicates efforts to make progress towards a comprehensive peace settlement.Despite our view on the illegalities of the fence, we argued against this question being referred to the International Court of Justice. This approach is one shared by all members of the European Union including all accession states. This is being communicated by the Irish presidency to the court. The UK has also submitted a detailed written statement to the court arguing that the court ought to exercise its discretion to decline to give an opinion. Our arguments are about the use of the court's advisory jurisdiction. We believe that it is inappropriate to embroil the court in a heavily political bilateral dispute. We also believe the court should not be engaged where the consent of both parties has not been given. An opinion is not necessary to assist the General Assembly in reaching a view on the fence. Nor, in the absence of participation from one side, will the court have all the facts before it.Submissions to the International Court of Justice are confidential until the court decides to make them public. We expect the court will make the written statements submitted to it public at the start of the oral proceedings, due to begin on 23 February. At that stage, we will place a copy in the Library of the House.

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.I am very pleased to announce to the House that the Ministry of Defence has reached agreement with RMPA Services Plc to redevelop and operate Colchester Garrison. This PFI contract will provide effective services to the Army for 35 years and is worth approximately £2 billion through the life of the project.This is an arrangement which is beneficial to both parties and we shall shortly see work on the new barracks starting on the ground. The result will be a fully serviced and modern garrison for a modern Army, with living and working accommodation that is among the best, demonstrating our commitment to providing our Armed Forces with facilities that are up to date and appropriate for the 21st century. I expect approximately 190 Civil Service posts to transfer to the contractor and these will be handled in accordance with existing legislation, We do not envisage any redundancies arising out of this transfer.

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.We are making an important administrative change to the recruitment and re-engagement procedures for the Volunteer Reserve Forces. From 1 April this year, new recruits to the Volunteer Reserve Forces and applicants for re-engagement will be required to agree to their unit contacting their employer about their membership. The purpose of contacting employers is to ensure that they are aware of those employees who are members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces and to provide information about training and call-out liabilities.As a safeguard, reservists will have a right to submit cases to their commanding officers if they believe that they have particular reasons for not having their membership of the Volunteer Reserve Forces disclosed. Cases will be considered on their merits.This change to our administrative procedures will enable employers to be in a better position to plan for the absence of employees who are reservists and to be better informed about their rights and obligations. It builds on our policy of recognising that the effectiveness of the reserves ultimately depends on a three-way relationship between the Ministry of Defence, the reservists themselves and their employers.

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.Further to my Answer to the honourable Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) of 21 January 2004 (Col. 1244W), the proposals set out in the Treasury and Inland Revenue document,

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.First, may I say that our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy?It is too early to speculate about the cause of the fire. Investigations are already under way in Scotland and we will be looking very closely at their findings and considering the implications for England and Wales.The cornerstone of our policy remains the prevention of fire. When fires do occur, simple precautions such as keeping fire doors closed and installing smoke alarms can play a vital role in reducing death and injury. Integrated risk management plans will make sure that more work is done by the fire and rescue service to prevent fires in the first place, by identifying those people in the community most at risk and targeting resources more effectively.Sprinklers can also play an important role in suppressing fires where they have broken out, though it is too early to conclude that if the Rosepark Nursing Home had been fitted with a sprinkler system, any loss of life could have been prevented.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been actively investigating the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. The results of this work, which is being undertaken on our behalf by the Building Research Establishment, are being fed into the review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations (England & Wales), which is currently under way. A report of the work will shortly be published, enabling those involved with fire safety in buildings to gain a more comprehensive understanding of residential sprinkler systems. However, the tragic incident at the weekend indicates that sprinklers may have a role to play in protecting vulnerable groups such as homes for children, homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.In relation to existing premises, including residential care homes, an employer is required under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to undertake a risk assessment in order to safeguard the safety from fire not only of his employees but of all people on his premises affected by his work. This assessment can include the provision of sprinklers within the building. This requirement will be extended by the proposed Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to include most premises to which the public have access, and the duty imposed upon the employer will he extended to include any person who is responsible for managing the premises.In the mean time our community fire safety programme continues to educate people about the risks associated with fire and the measures which can mitigate against its occurrence. This programme has already been effective in reducing fire deaths and injuries from accidental fires.

The fourth and final report by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Enforcement Service Delivery, entitled The move to a regulated enforcement industry: transitional issues has been published in November 2003 and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I am pleased to announce that the advisory group has now fulfilled its original terms of reference. The group is therefore disbanded. I am grateful for the valuable contribution provided by the members of the advisory group throughout the four reports to my department. Proposals for legislation will follow in due course.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture. Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.On 5 December 2002 I placed the independent review of BBC News 24 by Richard Lambert in the Libraries of both Houses, together with a letter setting out my response.In response to the review, I attached two further conditions to the approvals of BBC News 24. These required the governors to publish their response to the Lambert report by the end of March 2003, and to promulgate revised commitments for the service, taking account of Richard Lambert's recommendations, by the end of May 2003.In addition, I was minded to attach a third condition requiring the governors to report more fully on the delivery of News 24 in the BBC's annual reports. I stated that I would reconsider the intention in the light of the BBC's formal response and subsequent 2003 annual report.I have judged that these two documents provide enough information and demonstrate sufficient improvements to remove the need for a further condition on the approval.