To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures he is taking to improve the pay and conditions of teaching staff in (a) colleges of further education and (b) universities. [105143]

The pay and conditions of staff in further education colleges and higher education institutions are matters for employers and staff. The Government are investing heavily in both sectors and announced in November 1999 increases of £365 million for further education and £295 million for higher education for 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will appoint an ombudsman for further and higher education. [105480]

My right hon. Friend has no plans to establish an Ombudsman for further and higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how standards are being raised in areas not in education action zones. [105601]

The Government are committed to creating a world-class education service. We have made it clear that raising standards is our top priority and are taking practical steps to help schools, teachers and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to improve. To back up this pledge, the Government have provided an additional £19 billion for education over the three years 1999–2000 to 2001–02.New initiatives are being put in place to raise standards in schools and LEAs all across the country. The literacy and numeracy strategies and their stretching targets for 2002 are at the forefront of the nationwide drive to improve standards. Other initiatives include Sure Start for early years, Education Development Plans (EDPs) for LEAs, Excellence in Cities, and the expansion of the number of Specialist and Beacon schools. Both Schools and LEAs are also subject to regular inspections by OFSTED. Success is now being rewarded and failure tackled. We also recognise that teachers are of central importance in the drive to raise standards. We have committed up to a billion pounds over the next two years in modernisation measures aimed at increasing teacher professionalism and morale.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 2000, Official Report, column 148W, on local education authority administration costs, if he will update his reply for the financial year 1998–99. [105671]

The information requested is not yet available. I will write to my hon. Friend when I am able to reply, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he is taking to reduce smoking in his Department. [105804]

The Department for Education and Employment has smoking policies in place which provide a non-smoking working environment. Smoking is restricted to specially designated areas, such as smoking rooms. Literature on giving up smoking is available in our training centres, and DfEE HQ sites have in the past offered further support for staff wishing to give up smoking through a number of health promotion events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many school governor vacancies there are in each local education authority area; and if he will make a statement. [105530]

The Department does not routinely collect information about school governor vacancies, but is aware from recent and current research that the level of vacancies is higher than desirable.School governors have a valuable part to play in raising standards in our schools. The new framework for schools has increased the number of governors to approximately 360,000 (compared with 300,000) previously. Finding governors is a local matter, for schools, local education authorities and other appointing bodies. The Department recognises the need to recruit more school governors and is active in supporting local efforts. In particular, the School Governors' One Stop Shop, supported by the Department, is now recruiting governors with business and management skills in the inner city areas covered by the Government's Excellence in Cities initiative. In addition, the Department has produced general recruitment materials, developed with local education authority (LEA) advice, as well as a leaflet produced jointly with the National Governors Council (NGC) which encourages people from ethnic minorities to become governors. The Department is also following up recommendations of the Education and Employment Committee report on the role of school governors, including guidance to encourage LEAs to fill their governor vacancies according to the contribution people can make rather than their political affiliation and to collect information about governor vacancies and make it available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will give the destination of those who have left the New Deal for 18–24 year olds (a) at the time at which they left the New Deal, (b) 13 weeks after leaving the New Deal and (c) 26 weeks after leaving the New Deal, for each parliamentary constituency in the (i) City of Liverpool and (ii) Wirral. [104615]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 2000 to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), Official Report, columns 148–52W, concerning local education authority administrative costs, if he will publish on a cost per pupil basis the expenditure on administration for each local education authority listed. [105300]

The following table gives for each local education authority in England information on administration expenditure, encompassing central management and administration, and service, strategy and regulation costs, in the form of costs per pupil for the financial year 1997–98.

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: The following table summarises the immediate destinations of young people who leave the New Deal in each of the constituencies named. In addition to those recorded as leaving for unsubsidised employment, we know that many of those recorded as leaving for unknown destinations will have found work without notifying the Employment Service. A recent survey found that of those leaving for unknown destinations from the Gateway stage of New Deal, 57 per cent. entered paid employment.We do not hold information on the destinations of young people 13 and 26 weeks after leaving New Deal. Our figures for sustained jobs cover those who leave for a job and do not return to claim JSA within 13 weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent guidance he has issued to further education colleges on the use of agency staff; and what plans he has to evaluate the impact of the use of agency staff on (a) the quality, reliability and professional development of staff and (b) on student retention and achievement. [104848]

My right hon. Friend has no plans to evaluate the use of agency staff in the further education sector. Further education colleges are independent and consequently the teaching, internal organisation and management are the responsibility of the college management.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applicants for medical schools, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, were (a) accepted and (b) rejected; how many qualified; and how many took up positions in NHS hospitals. [104577]

The available data for applicants in the three most recent years are given in the table. Not all those applicants who failed to obtain a place will necessarily have been rejected; some may have declined their offers, withdrawn from the scheme or opted for a year out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed (i) in his predecessor Departments in 1979 and (ii) in his Department in 1999. [104016]

The number of men and women employed by the Department in each of the standard age groups is:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress the Civil Service has made towards the target that all civil servants will be working in organisations recognised as Investors in People by the year 2000. [106129]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that have been created in the Greater London area as a result of the New Deal. [104794]

New Deal is not a job creation scheme; rather it is designed to help unemployed people improve their skills and compete effectively for vacancies. The latest figures to the end of October 1999 show that this policy is working; over 21,000 young people, and 5,800 long term unemployed people aged 25 and over, have gained jobs through the New Deal in the Greater London area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children achieved one, two or three level 5s in last year's SATs; and how many achieved level 6 in each subject. [105561]

The information requested is given in the following table. The answers were derived from a provisional matching of the 1999 National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stages 2 and 3.

Some 88 per cent. of Civil Servants now work in organisations recognised as Investors in People. This is a significant achievement by all concerned and Departments and Agencies should be congratulated on their progress. The Investors in People Standard is an important element of the Civil Service reform agenda and this achievement demonstrates the commitment of the Service. I would refer hon. Members to the report "Investors in People in Government Departments and Agencies" which I have placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is the number and value of contracts let by her Department since May 1997 to external consultants and advisers for the management of competitive tendering processes. [103607]

Since May 1997, my Department has let 15 contracts with external consultants and advisers for the management of competitive tendering processes. The total value of those contracts is £601,694.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many House of Commons Clerks have been appointed in the last five years, indicating the number and percentage broken down by (a) gender and (b) ethnic origin. [104532]

[holding answer 13 January 2000]: Since the beginning of 1995, there have been 17 external recruits to the grade of Assistant Clerk and Senior Clerk, including faststream entrants, in the Department of the Clerk of the House. The table sets out the breakdown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason the figures for compensation paid by the Police Authority indicated at the foot of claims against the Chief Constable were omitted from this year's Annual report; and if he will instruct the Police Authority to provide this information to all recipients of their annual report. [103822]

A graph showing the amounts of compensation paid during 1998–99 was mistakenly omitted from the 1998–99 Police Authority Annual Report and not detected at final proof reading. This information will be provided to anyone requesting it and will be displayed on the Police Authority website at http://www.pani.org.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the (a) cost of compensation and (b) legal costs incurred as a result of claims against the Chief Constable, including the costs of the Crown Solicitor's Office, in each year from 1985 to date. [103823]

The information requested is not readily available prior to April 1997. The following table shows the compensation paid and the costs incurred from April 1997 to March 1999. Figures for the current financial year are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what written guidance on the Human Rights Act 1998 has been prepared by the Northern Ireland Office; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [103826]

No specific written guidance on the Human Rights Act has been prepared by the Northern Ireland Office. The various forms of guidance that have been produced by the Home Office and the Cabinet Office are adequate for staff in the Northern Ireland Office and its associated public bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which individual in the Northern Ireland Office has been tasked with responsibility for implementing the Human Rights Act 1998. [103827]

It is not appropriate for me to name individual officers. The Human Rights Unit in the Northern Ireland Office is responsible for co-ordinating the Department's preparations for the implementation of the Act, under the direction of senior officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements have been made to prepare non-departmental public bodies for the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998. [103833]

The public authorities for which the Northern Ireland Office is responsible have been alerted to the requirements of the Act, and will be provided with appropriate training. An inter-departmental working group has been established to monitor progress being made by individual public bodies in preparing for the Act and to identify any issues on which a joint approach would be most effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional resources have been made available to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for consultation on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. [103835]

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is defined as a non departmental public body and is funded by means of a grant in aid. The Commission's grant in aid for each of its first three years is £750,000. This figure represents the Government's considered judgment as to the amount of funding that would be needed in order to allow the Commission to discharge its functions effectively.No additional resources have been made available to the Commission for its consultation exercise on the scope for defining a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The Bill of Rights exercise has always been part of the Commission's remit as set out in statute. It was taken into account when the original grant in aid was determined and the Government therefore expect it to be funded within the allocated resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay the designation order specifying which additional public bodies are to be obliged to develop equality schemes in order to comply with section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and which bodies external to the public service he consulted when determining which organisations to designate under the proposed designation order. [103813]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: In compiling the designation order, the Secretary of State consulted with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. This consultation raised a number of queries that are still receiving attention. When these have been resolved, the Secretary of State will be in a position to lay the designation order before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he took in response to the report of the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, presented to the United Nations in 1998. [103819]

[holding answer 17 January 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Marjorie Mowlam), then Secretary of State, met Mr. Param Cumaraswamy, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers on 14 April 1999 to discuss the issues which he raised in his report presented to the United Nations in 1998. A copy of the statement that she issued afterwards is available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are (a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105312]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in regulating the use of (a) jet-skis and (b) other powered water craft. [103179]

The responsibility for the management of jet-skis and other powered watercraft is primarily for local authorities. Local byelaws, either inland or on the coast, give authorities the power to regulate such craft, for instance by imposing strict speed limits which result in the exclusion of many watercraft from specific areas. Speed limits already apply in some areas, such as parts of the Broads.The Review of Byelaw Powers for the Coast recommended, among other things, that local authorities should be given a new power to create exclusive bathing zones and more general powers to regulate activities on the coast which affect the wider environment, such as the use of personal watercraft. We shall be looking for an opportunity to introduce legislation where it is needed to implement the Review's recommendations. In the meantime, we have published a voluntary code of best and safe practice for leisure craft users, and we are exploring options for a voluntary boat registration and identification scheme, which would include jet-skis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is offered as the level of transport supplementary grant for local authorities for 2000–01. [104229]

£13.519 million in transport supplementary grant (TSG) has been allocated in the 2000–01 local transport capital settlement. This funding is given for a number of existing local authority major road scheme commitments.In previous years TSG was used for the capital maintenance of bridges and principal road carriageways. From 2000–01 onwards this will now be funded exclusively in the form of borrowing approvals, for which local authorities receive revenue support grant (RSG) each year to meet the cost of repayment. The total allocation within the 2000–01 settlement for capital bridge and carriageway maintenance is £301 million, representing a 24 per cent. increase over 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the latest estimate by the Civil Aviation Authority of the statistical probability in a year of a ground fatality occurring as a result of aircraft crashing on take-off or landing at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted. [104634]

The Civil Aviation Authority has identified two landing or take-off accidents within the United Kingdom during the last 40 years in which there were fatalities on the ground. These took place at Gatwick and Dunsfold and involved, respectively, two and six such fatalities. The Authority estimates that some 18.2 million aircraft movements took place at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted over the same period. Because of the very small number of accidents involving ground fatalities it is not possible to produce a statistically meaningful estimate for individual airports.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much was realised by the sale of Gleneagles Hotel. [104830]

The Gleneagles Hotel, the Caledonian Hotel (Edinburgh) and the North British Hotel (Edinburgh) were sold together by the British Railways Board in 1981 by means of a company sale. Two thirds of the shares were sold for £13.5 million and the rest were sold later for £6.1 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with (a) Railtrack and (b) Midland Mainline regarding the upgrading of the track between Nottingham and London. [104894]

My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with Railtrack or Midland Main Line. However, I understand that Railtrack and Midland Main Line are currently discussing plans to improve the Midland Main Line.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to make a decision on the new charging regime proposed by the Environment Agency. [105079]

The Environment Agency is currently consulting on its charging proposals for 2000–01. I expect to receive formal proposals from the Agency next month and to take decisions on them before the start of the new financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for changes in the law relating to ports. [105185]

We are considering options for legislation in respect of ports, including matters arising from both the Review of the Pilotage Act, published in July 1998 and from our Review of Trust Ports which has now produced the Guide to Good Governance that I launched earlier this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors were taken into account, other than indices for local deprivation, when deciding which London authorities would be invited to submit delivery plans for Round 2 of the New Deal for Communities. [105166]

In addition to information drawn from the Index of Local Deprivation, we applied a regional quota. That quota was used to balance our twin goals of spreading the impact of the new approach we are piloting under the New Deal for Communities as widely as possible, and focusing help and support on the areas of greatest need. On that basis, six of the 22 local authority districts eligible to participate in Round 2 are in London. The only other criteria we applied was that local authority areas in London eligible to participate in Round 1 of the programme, should not be eligible under Round 2.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors will be taken into account when choosing which local authorities will be invited to submit delivery plans for Round 3 of the New Deal for Communities. [105165]

The targeting of regeneration funds, including those of the New Deal for Communities, will be considered in our cross cutting review of Government interventions in deprived areas and the forthcoming spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set minimum standards of facility provision at town centre railway stations in relation to (a) CCTV and (b) park and ride. [105547]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 251W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will investigate the extent of the availability of special offer tickets offered by rail companies. [105548]

APEX fares and other concessionary fares are not regulated by the Franchise Director and are offered by train companies at their discretion. We do not maintain records of unregulated fares which are on offer, but I understand that some train operators have reduced the number of concessions offered because of increased demand for services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to respond to the Crowe report; and if he will make a statement. [105329]

I refer my hon. Friend to the letter my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning, sent on 23 November about the South East Regional Planning Guidance Panel Report. The principles that will underpin our consideration of the Panel's recommendations are set out in that letter. We hope to announce the changes we propose to the draft RPG, as put forward by SERPLAN, soon. Parliament will, of course, be informed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times the Countryside Traffic Measures Group has met since July 1998. [105279]

I understand that the Countryside Agency's Countryside Traffic Measures Group has met on three occasions since 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the consultant's study into the viability of Eurostar services north of London; if he will publish the consultant's report; and when he will make a statement on the report. [105486]

The consultants' report is currently being considered by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Transport, who will make a statement soon. The report will be published at the same time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the level of public expenditure, in each of the last 10 years, in each EU member state, on (a) railways and (b) roads. [105188]

Details of public investment in British railways and roads in each of the 10 years 1988–89 to 1997–98 are shown in Table 1.16 of the Government Statistical Office's publication Transport Statistics Great Britain 1999 Edition. We do not have the requested information in relation to other EU member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what regulations govern the practice of placing passengers' luggage in corridors outside cabins on cruise ships; and if he will make a statement. [105186]

In the case of a UK flag ship, there are general provisions in the Merchant, Shipping and Fishing (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997 No. 2962) about providing and maintaining a safe environment for persons aboard ship. There are also relevant provisions in the Merchant Shipping (Safe Movement on Board Ship) Regulations 1988 (SI 1988 No. 1641); for example regulation 4 provides that "the employer and master shall ensure that safe means of access is provided and maintained to any place on the ship to which a person may be expected to go". Such provisions are enforceable on UK ships wherever they may be and could cover matters such as a safety hazard caused by luggage in corridors. In the case of a non-UK ship, the requirements will depend on the provisions in the regulations of the state where the ship is registered. As the UK requirements implement provisions contained in the International Labour Organisation Convention 147, they may also be enforced on a non-UK ship while in a UK port.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many railway passenger fatalities there were in each EU member state in the last 10 years. [105189]

Information about railway passenger fatalities is published by the European Commission in "Transport in Figures". The latest readily available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statutory obligations local authorities have to provide street lighting. [105341]

Highway Authorities provide lighting under powers given by the Highways Act 1980. There are no statutory obligations for local authorities to provide street lighting.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the (a) budgeted and (b) outturn investment by Railtrack in each year since its creation. [105703]

[holding answer 18 January 2000]: Railtrack's budgets for investment are a commercial matter for the company.The table provides details of Railtrack's outturn infrastructure expenditure in each financial year since 1996–97, when it was privatised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce which company has been chosen to operate the new voucher scheme for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [106372]

On 7 January, the Home Office awarded a contract for the operation of the new voucher scheme to Sodexho Pass International.The voucher scheme will form an essential part of the new arrangements for supporting asylum seekers which were included in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and will come into operation on 1 April 2000. The provision of vouchers supplemented by a small weekly cash allowance will enable asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs while reducing the incentive to economic migration inherent in a fully cash based system of support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to lay the subordinate legislation to be made under the Data Protection Act 1998. [106373]

I intend to lay in draft next week the subordinate legislation subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. I shall publish on Thursday 20 January a draft of the Data Protection (Notification and Notification Fees) Regulations on the Internet at www.homeoffice.gov.uk and place copies in the Library. I intend to lay these Regulations and the other subordinate legislation subject to the negative resolution procedure in good time before the Data Protection Act 1998 comes into force on 1 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers were (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted for selling contraband tobacco in each year since 1996. [104632]

Data on arrests are not collected centrally by individual offence.The Home Office Court Proceedings Database does not hold information on the employment status of individuals or the characteristics of defendants who are not individuals. Nor does it hold information about the characteristics of individual cases apart from those that are evident from the description of the offence with which the defendant has been charged.Retailers selling contraband tobacco can be prosecuted under section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (either subsection (1) or (2); Common Law (cheating the revenue) and section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 (conspiracy to evade excise duty). Such cases cannot be identified separately from the many other offences prosecuted under this legislation, which will include beer, wine and spirits, for example, as well as tobacco.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors to each of the London prisons were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of seeking to take illegal drugs into a prison in 1999. [104459]

Figures for the number of visitors to London prisons who were charged with, or convicted of seeking to take illegal drugs into a prison in 1999 are not recorded by the Prison Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates at each of the London prisons were put on a governor's report in 1999. [104463]

Adjudication statistics refer to charges rather than individuals and the available information, for January to November 1999, is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many strip-searches of inmates took place in each of the London prisons in each of the last 12 months. [104462]

Prisons are not required to maintain statistics of the number of strip searches carried out. Strip searching is an essential element in maintaining security and good order in prisons. It is not possible to record every occasion on which it takes place, as at present this would have to be done manually. This would pose an unacceptable administrative burden, achievable only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were being held in London prisons for alleged immigration offences on 1 January. [104461]

The available information is for 30 November 1999 and relates to the number of persons held in London prisons under the Immigration Act 1971. On that date, there were 59 males and 25 females held in London prisons under the Immigration Act 1971.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates held in London prisons attempted (a) to commit suicide and (b) to cause self-inflicted injuries in 1999. [104460]

The information requested is given in the table, which covers the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates at each of the London prisons were charged with being in possession of illegal drugs while in prison in 1999. [104458]

The number of offences of possession considered at adjudication is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to equalise the length of service required to qualify for a police long-service medal with periods which apply in respect of the fire and ambulance services. [104502]

The respective qualifying periods for the long-service award—Police (22 years), Fire Service (20 years) and Ambulance Service (20 years) are directly related to conditions of employment. I am not aware of any suggestion by the Police Service that there should be any change to the qualifying period for their long-service medal. I have, therefore, no plans at present to make any such change.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce Holocaust denial legislation; and if he will make a statement. [104504]

Holocaust denial is a very difficult area in which to legislate. It is not easy to strike a balance between outlawing such offensive statements while ensuring that freedom of speech is not unduly restricted.Therefore, while the Government are following carefully the current debates on this issue within the Jewish community and elsewhere, we have no immediate plan to introduce legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has held on the question of legislation relating to corporate manslaughter; and how soon he will introduce such legislation. [104598]

We are currently considering the conclusions of the inter-departmental working group of officials which has been examining the recommendations made in the Law Commission's report no. 237 "Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter". The Law Commission's report included a recommendation that there should be a new offence of corporate killing.We will be consulting our colleagues shortly and then expect to publish our conclusions for consultation. We will also be considering the prospects for future legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if validated figures for the total number of police officers per police force and in total at the end of October 1999 are available; and if he will make a statement. [104728]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 December 1999, Official Report, column 145W.We collect police strength information only on a six monthly basis in order to reduce administrative burdens on the police. Police strength figures as at October 1999 will not therefore be requested from forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving police officers there were on 30 June and 31 December in each of the years 1992 to 1999 for which figures are available. [104465]

Information on police numbers is set out in the table. From 1995, this information has been collected only twice yearly, in March and September.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the former Prison Service Director of Security has had access to the criteria for the competition for the operation of HMP Manchester and HMP Blakenhurst; and if he will make a statement; [104737](2) if members of the Prison Service Management Board have had access to the criteria for the competition for the design, construction, management and financing of HMP Peterborough and HMP Ashford; and if he will make a statement. [104738]

The competitions for Blakenhurst, Manchester, Peterborough and Ashford prisons have not yet started and the evaluation criteria for those competitions have not yet been developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rules govern senior employees of the Prison Service taking new employment with private companies which have contracts with or are seeking contracts with the Prison Service; how the rules have operated in relation to the former Director of Security; and if he will make a statement. [104739]

The rules governing business appointments were last revised by the Cabinet Office in 1996 in the light of recommendations made by the Nolan Committee. The rules require senior civil servants in certain categories or other civil servants who have had official dealings with their prospective employer to report offers of appointment. Approval is required for the initial appointment and any further appointment within two years of leaving Crown employment. These rules have been applied in relation to the former Prison Service Director of Security who made an application on 7 January 2000. In compliance with these rules, the advice of the Cabinet Office is being obtained before her application can be responded to.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Home Office business appointment rules apply to members of the Prison Service Management Board; and if he will make a statement. [104735]

All members of the Prison Service Management Board are subject to the rules on business appointments which have been issued by the Cabinet Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if members of the Prison Service Management Board had access to the deliberations of the evaluation panel reports of the bids for HMP Doncaster; and if he will make a statement. [104736]

The members of the Prison Service Management Board received copies of the evaluation report of the bids for Doncaster prison in October 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, in how many and what percentage of either-way cases in which (a) magistrates declined jurisdiction and (b) defendants elected to go to the higher court, defendants pleaded (i) guilty and (ii) not guilty; and if he will make a statement. [104731]

No regular statistics are collected on this. However, there is some information available from the baseline data collected by the Home Office in 1998 for the evaluation of the pilot schemes to reduce delay in the criminal justice system. In a sample of nearly 1,000 triable either way cases dealt with in the Crown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of (a) police officers and (b) police civilian staff (i) per Metropolitan police division and (ii) in total at the end of each of the last eight years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [104729]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, in what percentage of all either-way cases defendants elected for jury trial; and if he will make a statement. [104734]

Figures provided by the Attorney General's Department, which relate to prosecutions by the Crown Prosecution Service, are given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, in how many and what percentage of summary-only cases defendants pleaded (i) guilty and (ii) not guilty. [104733]

The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, in how many and what percentage of indictable-only cases defendants pleaded (i) guilty and (ii) not guilty. [104732]

The information is contained in the table:

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan police informs me that the total number of police officers per Metropolitan police division as at 31 December for each of the last eight years is provided in the tables. Figures may not be strictly comparable year on year as a result of boundary and organisational changes. A comparable breakdown of police civilian staff figures is not available. The figures for civilians in the table refer to Area totals.