To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the report and recommendations of the Review Body on Senior Salaries on the Greater London Authority. [107864]

The Review Body on Senior Salaries report on the initial pay, expenses, pensions and severance arrangements for the Mayor of London and members of the London Assembly is published today. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. The Prime Minister and I are grateful to the Chairman and Members of the Review Body for their work.The main recommendations of the Review Body with regard to pay are:

Salary	£
Mayor	84,385
Deputy Mayor	51,743
Assembly member	34,438

The Review Body recommended that pay levels should be uprated annually beginning on 1 April 2000 by the same percentage as the average of the movements in the mid-points of the nine senior civil service pay bands below permanent secretary and that an independent review of pay levels should take place in 2002 and then at intervals of three years.The Review Body also recommended that a Mayor of London, Deputy Mayor or an Assembly member who is also an MP, an MEP or a salaried Office-Holder in the House of Lords should receive an abated salary in respect of his or her GLA role equal to one third of the relevant GLA salary; the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Assembly members' pension arrangements should be provided through the Local Government Pension Scheme; and that severance payments should be made only to the Deputy Mayor, and only if he or she loses that role other than at an election. The Review Body also expressed the view that members of the Authority should receive travel and subsistence payments similar to those available to staff of the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.The Government have decided to accept the Review Body's recommendations on pay, expenses, pensions and severance arrangements in full. We recognise that it has been extremely difficult to evaluate the weight of responsibilities for unique positions which do not yet exist. In particular, the Review Body concluded that there was currently insufficient evidence about additional responsibilities of the Chair of the Assembly and of membership of a functional body to reach a view on whether there should be additional remuneration for these roles.The Government acknowledge the uncertainties, and have therefore decided to invite the Review Body to carry out an early review of remuneration and pensions. This review would begin nine months after the new Authority became fully operational. It would therefore progress on a basis of fact and experience rather than on the inevitable current basis of anticipation of roles and responsibilities. The statutory guidance on ethical standards, issued under section 66 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, will require the Authority to have due regard to the SSRB's recommendations in deciding future salaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to address the concerns of game managers and pigeon fanciers with respect to predation of game birds and racing pigeons by birds of prey; and if he will make a statement. [108604]

The issues arising from the recovery of some bird of prey populations and their impact on game bird and moorland management and on racing pigeons have been addressed by the UK Raptor Working Group.This group, jointly chaired by my Department and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and comprising experts from the fields of bird conservation, game management and pigeon racing, has funded significant research and considered information from a wide range of sources including leading authorities and relevant specialists. The group has now agreed a package of recommendations and submitted its final report to UK Ministers. Copies are available in the House Libraries.I welcome the publication of these recommendations and hope they will help provide an integrated solution to the problems presented by birds of prey to game bird managers and pigeon fanciers. Implementation of these recommendations will of course be a matter for the devolved administrations and I will be asking English Nature for advice with respect to implementation in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the use of his powers under the Water Industry Act 1999. [108816]

We have today published "Water Industry Act 1999: Delivering the Government's Objectives", which will be available in the Library of the House, or from the Department's website (www.environment.detr.gov.uk).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many schemes in the targeted programme of trunk road improvements will start in 2000–01. [108704]

A start will be made in 2000–01 on 13 of the 37 schemes in the targeted programme of improvements announced in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England"—six more than previously planned. The acceleration of six schemes by bringing their starts forward from 2001–02 reflects our commitment to modernising the country's transport system. All the schemes in the targeted programme were assessed using the New Approach to Appraisal against our criteria of safety, environmental impact, economy, accessibility and integration.The full list of starts now planned for 2000–01 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with the secondary legislation setting out detailed arrangements for the Greater London Authority elections. [108703]

I intend to lay a number of orders and the elections rules to give effect to the following decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies spent in total on extra bonuses above usual payments for staff working over the New Year period; what were the (a) maximum and (b) minimum bonuses paid; how many people received the (i) maximum and (ii) minimum payments; and if he will make a statement. [104666]

The total spent in DETR(Central), its agencies and associated bodies is not yet known as some payments have still to be processed. The figures in the table are provisional and are based on the additional costs incurred above the usual overtime and on call payments over the New Year period (31 December to 3 January):

	£
DETR(Central)	3,513.35
MCA	429.45
HSE	15,727.00
Total	19,669.80

About half of this relates to on call payments for staff on standby at home. Those staff who attended worked, in general, in emergency planning rooms, IT divisions, Press Office, Private Office and building maintenance and security divisions.In addition to this, in DETR(C) some special bonuses will be paid to staff who made a particular contribution at this time. As at 31 January, four payments have been made totalling £1,400. The following agencies did not have any staff working over the New Year period: the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the Rent Service, and the Vehicle Certification Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what measurements have been taken of discharges of materials harmful to bathing water quality from the River Ribble into the Irish sea over the last (a) 12 months, (b) 24 months and (c) 36 months; [106365](2) at what points along the River Ribble water quality has been tested; and what the results of these tests have been, for

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: Water quality has been extensively tested at many points and at various times along the River Ribble and elsewhere as part of the comprehensive programme of studies into problems with compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive along the Fylde coast. The main purpose of the programme has been to determine the inputs of faecal contamination to the area, and their patterns of dispersion and impacts on bathing waters, in order to establish the need for further improvements to the sewerage infrastructure. Measurements have also been taken to develop a water quality model of the River Ribble and its estuary. I will arrange for the Environment Agency, North West Region to send my hon. Friend a copy of their report on these issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent measures the European Union authorities have requested to ensure compliance with mandatory EU bathing water standards along the Fylde coast. [106367]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The EC Commission has not requested any measures additional to those under way by the Environment Agency and North West Water.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the failure of North West Water's recent bathing water improvement schemes to raise the level of compliance with mandatory EU standards along the Fylde coast. [106364]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: Recently completed investment schemes have improved water quality in the Ribble Estuary, although these have not yet brought compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive along the Fylde coast. The Environment Agency considers that further improvements are required to treatment and storm water management at Wigan/Skelmersdale and to stormwater management at Southport and combined sewer overflows in Preston to ensure compliance at Southport and Lytham with the EC Bathing Water Directive. The Agency is currently investigating the possibility that compliance problems in the Blackpool area are caused by contaminated groundwater from beneath the town.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions have taken place with businesses in the North West about monitoring discharges into (a) the River Ribble and (b) the Irish sea. [106361]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Environment Agency has monitored each of the significant discharges in the area thought to impact on bathing water quality along the Fylde coast. The main focus of discussion has been on steps to reduce sewage discharges operated by North West Water but the Agency has been in contact with other dischargers where it appears that they may be implicated in the problems of compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assurances he has received from North West Water and the Environment Agency that the latest investment programme to improve bathing water quality along the Fylde coast will result in compliance with EU directive standards. [106368]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The completed improvement schemes and further planned improvements are considered necessary to ensure compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive along the Fylde coast. Whether these works will be sufficient to ensure compliance or whether additional measures will be required will be clearer as the results of current investigations into the causes of failure become available and are assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the possible contribution of animal and avian waste to bathing water quality along the Fylde coast. [106363]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Environment Agency's current assessment is that animal and avian waste is unlikely to make a significant contribution to the overall bacterial load, in terms of compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive. However, the Agency is undertaking further studies to refine this assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent measures have been required of North West Water to ensure compliance with mandatory EU bathing water standards along the Fylde coast. [106366]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: Recent measures required of North West Water and completed in 1999 were the provision of ultra-violet disinfection in Southport, Hesketh Bank, Preesall and Preston sewage treatment works; a substantial increase in the stormwater storage associated with the Fylde tunnel; improved stormwater arrangements at Fairhaven/Lytham, Hesketh Bank, Harrowside and Preston works; and closure of the works at Hambledon with transfer of flows to Fleetwood.Further works required as soon as possible include treatment enhancement and stormwater management at Southport and combined sewage overflows in Preston. All these measures are considered necessary to ensure bathing water compliance in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions his Department has had with the relevant EU authorities about water quality and beach pollution in the last 12 months. [106360]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: My Department has regular and frequent contact with the EC Commission to discuss bathing water quality including progress on improving compliance along the Fylde coast with the EC Bathing Water Directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment has been made of the possible impact on bathing water quality along the Fylde coast of (a) agricultural runoff and (b) discharges by businesses other than North West Water into the River Ribble. [106355]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Environment Agency estimate that the contamination load of agricultural runoff and other non-water company discharges into the River Ribble is small, in terms of compliance with the EC Bathing Water Directive, compared to discharges by North West Water. But to determine whether contamination from animals can be significant in some circumstances, studies are being undertaken to discover the geographical origin of animal faeces, including the forensic examination of washed-up material to determine the diet of the producer animal; and bacterial "fingerprinting" to determine whether there are any types characteristic of particular animal species.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures of bathing water quality have been taken at (a) Blackpool, (b) Fleetwood and (c) Thornton Cleveleys in (i) the last 12 months, (ii) the last 24 months and (iii) the last 36 months. [106358]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: All bathing waters are measured 20 times between May and September each year against the quality requirements of the EC Bathing Water Directive. Results for the bathing waters at Blackpool, Fleetwood and Cleveleys over the past three years are as follows:

Number of samples passing the mandatory coliform bacteria standards (19 or more is a pass)
	1997	1998	1999
Blackpool South	11	15	16
Blackpool Central	16	14	15
Blackpool North	18	18	16
Fleetwood	16	20	20
Cleveleys	18	20	19

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what initial assessment he has made of the impact on bathing water quality on the Fylde coast of the treatment plant at Fleetwood. [106359]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The plant at Fleetwood, which treats sewage which was previously discharged untreated at several points close to the Fylde coast, was a necessary first stage of the bathing water quality improvement programme. Water quality monitoring studies by the Environment Agency show that the treated discharges from Fleetwood into the Lune Deeps have a negligible adverse impact on Fylde coast bathing waters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions his Department has had with North West Water and the Environment Agency on enforcement of bathing water quality by the European Commission. [106356]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Department has regular and frequent contact with North West Water and the Environment Agency on measures to ensure bathing waters in the area achieve the required EU standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the results are of the QSR for the Irish sea. [106357]

[holding answer 24 January 2000]: The Quality Status Report for the Celtic Seas (which covers the Irish Sea) is being prepared by the OSPAR Commission for the protection of the marine environment of the North East Atlantic. The Commission plans to publish it in June, along with the other four regional Quality Status Reports (on the Arctic, the North Sea and English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the deep Atlantic) and the holistic Quality Status Report on the North East Atlantic as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many deaths were recorded in the United Kingdom construction industry in the last 12 months. [107291]

The table shows the provisional figures for fatalities in the construction industry for 1998–99. Final figures, which should be available in May 2000, may be slightly higher because fatalities include deaths up to a year after the date of an accident.HSE is working with the construction industry, trade unions, clients and other stakeholders to reduce the toll of accidents and ill-health through a wide range of initiatives, in particular the "Working Well Together" Campaign.

Fatalities in construction as reported to HSE and Local Authorities, 1998–991
	Number
Employees2	48
Self-employed	18
Members of the public	4
Total	70
1 Provisional
2Including trainees

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of Government policies on the long-term performance and profitability of the construction industry since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [107847]

Steadier growth in the economy and the introduction of expenditure plans that cover a full three years will free the construction industry from the damaging stop-go cycle that has so constrained its performance in the past. It will also provide a more secure base for innovation and improved profitability in the future. The Government are also encouraging the industry to radically improve its performance through implementing the recommendations of the Construction Task Force as set out in "Rethinking Construction".It is too soon to assess what impact these initiatives are having on the long term performance and profitability of the industry. However, as a part of our drive to encourage radical change, we published last April the first set of standard, industry wide, key performance indicators (KPIs). If, as we intend, these are widely adopted by the industry they will provide an effective means of measuring progress in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what gross construction output as a proportion of gross domestic product was during 1998–99; and what the average was for European Union member states. [107849]

In England in 1996 (the latest year available for England), gross construction output was about 8 per cent. of gross domestic product. Comparable figures for the EU as a whole show that construction made up about 12 per cent. of gross domestic product in that year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the annual growth of the construction industry in each of the last 10 years. [107850]

Annual growth of the construction industry in England in each of the last 10 years has been as follows:

	Percentage
1988	21.5
1989	17.5
1990	5.0
1991	-8.6
1992	-9.3
1993	-2.1
1994	7.3
1995	6.1
1996	6.8
1997	6.4
1998	7.5

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his decision to refuse Gloucestershire County Council's bid for funding for a route to bypass the A40 through Cheltenham. [107563]

The Government Office for the South West wrote to Gloucestershire County Council on 16 December 1999 explaining why my Department was unable to accept the A463 Shipton Solers to Air Balloon scheme for support in the 2000–01 Local Transport Capital Settlement. The County Council has been advised to consider alternative solutions including looking at the feasibility of dealing with the safety issues by a combination of smaller scale schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the decision in the appeal by Alba Proteins against conditions imposed on their plans by Eden District Council. [107578]

The Department published on 13 January this year a revised version of the statutory guidance relating to air pollution control from animal rendering processes: Process Guidance Note PG6/1(00)— The Processing of Animal Remains and By-Products. The parties to the Alba Proteins appeal will shortly be invited to comment on how any changes in policy, outlined in this revised guidance note, may affect the appeal. Following consideration of their comments, the Secretary of State should then be in a position to announce a decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the credit rating of companies seeking to tender for services provided by his Department is checked before the contract is awarded. [107740]

Decisions on a bidding company's financial standing take account of latest available audited and interim accounts and any other relevant published information, which may include credit and debt rating. These checks are undertaken on contracts where the risk of early termination would place a financial and operational risk on my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how often the credit rating of companies supplying services to his Department is checked. [107751]

During the period of a contract my Department will generally carry out checks into a company's financial standing if it has reason to believe that any of its contractors may be in financial trouble.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if there are sufficient air controllers trained and ready to operate the new En Route Centre at Swanwick from the date of opening. [108029]

NATS has carried out detailed planning of its requirements for air traffic controllers and the transitional arrangements for training controllers on the new system. NATS is confident that it will have sufficient appropriately trained and validated controllers to operate the new centre from the date of its opening.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the exact date on which the National Air Traffic Services facility at Swanwick will open. [108024]

NATS continues to work towards the introduction into operational service of the New En-Route Centre in the winter of 2001–02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the National Air Traffic Services at Swanwick will be fully operational at the time of its opening. [108028]

Yes, the New En-Route Centre will be fully operational at the time of its opening.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many recommendations of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been implemented in the last 10 years. [108033]

The recommendations of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are in a variety of formats, including suggestions that reviews or research be carried out: for this reason there is no standard definition of whether a recommendation has been implemented or not. The Civil Aviation Authority has recorded its responses to those recommendations addressed to the Authority in terms of "fully accepted", "partially accepted" and "not accepted". Since 1 January 1990, 473 recommendations to the Authority have been fully or partially accepted and 66 not accepted.It is not possible to give comparable information in respect of those safety recommendations addressed over the last 10 years to other organisations, such as foreign aviation authorities, as they may respond in a variety of ways. The CAA has agreed that, in future, its annual Progress Report on safety recommendations addressed to the Authority should include such information as is available on actions taken by other bodies in response to safety recommendations, in order to provide the public with a more complete picture of progress on all AAIB safety recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many recommendations made by the Air Accident Investigation Branch relate to the Manchester 737 accident. [108034]

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch's report on the accident to the Boeing 737, G-BEJL, at Manchester Airport on 22 August 1985 was published as Aircraft Accident Report 8/88 on 13 March 1989; it contained 31 safety recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many 737 aircraft have been inspected by independent inspectors. [108027]

Civil Aviation Authority Surveyors inspect selected aircraft each year in accordance with a policy, and associated programme, published in Airworthiness Notice No. 30 (CAA Aircraft Survey Programme—All United Kingdom Registered Aircraft). This survey programme is independent of the operators' inspections carried out as part of the scheduled maintenance programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many aircraft, operating on behalf of United Kingdom airlines, flying for hire and reward and not on the United Kingdom register flew into and out of British airspace in 1999. [108079]

During 1999 UK airlines leased 48 foreign registered aircraft for planned periods, varying in length from less than one week up to 12 months. Of these, 43 were leased with crew. In the same year, foreign registered aircraft carried out 249 unplanned substitution flights on behalf of UK carriers whose own aircraft became temporarily unavailable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Safety Regulation Group of the CAA will publish guidelines on wiring and flight fire. [108025]

The Civil Aviation Authority and other accredited UK and international bodies have published requirements and guidelines concerning aircraft wiring and the prevention of in-flight fire and smoke for many years.The UK airworthiness codes already prescribe mandatory requirements for electrical wiring design and installation which are intended to prevent the aircraft as whole being put at risk in the event of wiring faults or serious malfunction of the electrical system or any connected equipment. In particular, there is a requirement that wiring must not be able to create a fire or smoke hazard under temporary or continuous fault conditions. Demonstration of compliance with these requirements is required for all aircraft. Also, British Standards Institute and European aeronautical cable specifications and standards define flammability and toxicity requirements for aircraft wiring, as well as defining standardised methods of testing aircraft wire.In addition to the mandatory requirements, CAA have also published guidelines on electrical wiring and electrical protection. For example, the CAA Civil Aircraft Airworthiness Information and Procedures (CAP562) contain instructions on inspection and testing of electrical circuits, installation and maintenance of electrical cables, protection against electrostatic discharge, care and maintenance of electrical power supplies, electrical cable failure and procedures for resetting thermal circuit breakers.These requirements and guidelines are well established and well known throughout the UK aviation industry. In addition, the CAA proposes to submit to the Joint Aviation Authorities by September 2000 a consolidated version of its established guidelines concerning aircraft wiring and the prevention of in-flight fire and smoke, for promulgation throughout the JAA member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many instances of pressure on commercial pilots to lower safety standards have been registered in the confidential reporting system in the last 12 months. [108031]

The UK Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) is run by the CHIRP Charitable Trust. The January 2000 edition of CHIRP's publication "Feedback" contains a "Key Word analysis" of reports received in 1999, which indicates that the key words 'commercial pressure' appeared in 7 per cent. of the 141 reports received that year in the flight deck category. The analysis notes that in view of the voluntary nature of the reporting process, the results have no statistical significance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to ensure that rudders of UK-registered 737 aircraft are fault free. [108026]

The United States' Federal Aviation Administration is the regulatory authority responsible for overseeing the safe design of Boeing aircraft and for issuing information necessary to maintain their continued airworthiness. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued Airworthiness Directives covering both inspections of the Boeing 737 rudder system as well as revisions to flight crew operating procedures. These directives are intended to reduce the likelihood of possible rudder system faults compromising the aircraft's safety.The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority requires that any Federal Aviation Administration directives applicable to Boeing 737 aircraft are complied with by UK operators and carries out regular surveys to monitor, and if necessary, enforce compliance. Although the Authority reserves the right to vary Federal Aviation Administration directives for the UK fleet, it has had no cause, to date, to impose additional requirements with respect to the Boeing 737 rudder system.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is a requirement for helicopter inspections to be carried out by operations inspectors who are trained helicopter pilots; how many operations inspectors are trained helicopter pilots; and if he will make a statement. [108032]

There are no international standards governing the qualifications of civil aviation authority inspectors, but the International Civil Aviation Organisation "Manual of Procedures for Operations Inspection, Certification and Continued Surveillance" recommends that to carry out a flight inspection of an aircraft, an inspector should be qualified in that type of aircraft.In the United Kingdom, all helicopter flight inspections, together with technical evaluations of the helicopter, equipment, and operation are undertaken by Civil Aviation Authority Flight Operations Inspectors who possess a current Airline Transport Pilots Licence (Helicopters), and have had considerable commercial operating experience often including management or training duties. Not only are proficiency checks undertaken, but regular line flying duties in a variety of roles are carried out by all helicopter Flight Operations Inspectors.The CAA has 13 specialist helicopter Flight Operations Inspectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the expenditure on (a) staff and (b) office accommodation of each of the regional development agencies. [107942]

The planned expenditure for 1999–2000 for each of the Regional Development Agencies on staff and on accommodation are as follows:

£
Regional Development Agency	Staff	Accommodation
North West Development Agency	4,400,000	500,000
One North East	4,388,000	649,000
Yorkshire Forward	5,629,000	929,000
Advantage West Midlands	2,979,000	813,000
East Midlands Development Agency	3,396,000	1,135,000
East of England Development Agency	2,975,000	285,000
South West of England Regional Development Agency	4,147,000	2,321,000
South of England Development Agency	2,846,000	1,269,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what budget is available to the regional development agencies for implementing their sustainable development programmes. [107944]

The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have not been given specific budgets to implement sustainable development policies. The RDAs have a statutory duty to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK, and it is integral to their Regional Strategies and action plans. The RDAs' contribution to sustainable development will be delivered through the implementation of these plans, and of their programmes and projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what timetable he has given the regional development agencies for their contributions to an integrated transport system in the regions. [107940]

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have a keen interest in integrated transport issues in their regions. They are providing an important input into the regional transport strategies which are being prepared as part of the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG). The timetable for the preparation of RPG varies by region.The regional planning bodies are also considering the transport implications of RDAs' regional strategies. Similarly, the regional transport strategies should inform and assist the RDAs in the implementation of their own Strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the regional development agencies deliver their plans for sustainable development on time. [107943]

The Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) were not required to develop specific sustainable development plans. The RDAs' contribution to sustainable development is integral to their regional strategies and action plans, and will be delivered through the implementation of these plans, and of their programmes and projects.The Government will shortly be issuing guidance on Regional Development Sustainable Development Frameworks which will be high level vision statements for sustainable development in the regions. The RDAs will play a key role in producing the frameworks but will not take the lead.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 145W, on local government, what meetings he and his ministerial colleagues have had with the New Local government Network on the Government's modernisation agenda. [108380]

Ministers have met the New Local Government Network on a number of occasions. A range of topics on the Government's modernisation agenda have been discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the awarding of section 169 grant for home improvement agencies. [108219]

Grant is payable to local authorities under section 169 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to support the running costs of home improvement agencies operating in their areas. My Department is currently considering authorities' applications for the renewal of grant in 2000–01, and will announce the allocations as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how long the Government Office of the South West took to decide whether or not to call in the planning application submitted by Bournemouth International Airport for a new passenger terminal; and if he will make a statement. [108340]

The planning application which Bournemouth International Airport submitted to Christchurch Borough Council on 28 November 1997 was referred to the Government Office for the South West on 21 July 1999. The application was called in for the Secretary of State's own determination, after careful consideration of all the issues, on 20 December 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the performance of the Government Office of the South West against the target of reaching 80 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications within three weeks and 100 per cent. of cases within seven weeks in the last 12 months. [108339]

During 1999 the Government Office for the South West issued 85 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in such applications within three weeks, and 88 per cent. within the secondary target of seven weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications were reached after more than seven weeks since May 1997. [108338]

The total number of decisions for 1998 and 1999 is 294. Prior to 1998, the information was not collated on computer and, as a result, the figure for 1997 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England. [108341]

On 15 December 1999 the Government published their latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England. This estimate showed that, as at June 1999, there were 1,633 people sleeping rough in England on any one night, of which 635 were in Greater London. Copies are available from the House Libraries. We will be publishing shortly updated figures for Central London, following recent single night street counts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the oath of allegiance. [108402]

I am not able to provide this information to my right hon. Friend as correspondence between Members and Departments is treated in confidence unless the originating Member chooses to make such issues public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will introduce a new target for PM10 emissions; and if he will make a statement. [108334]

I announced the publication of the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 19 January. When launching the Strategy, I explained that work is already in hand which will allow us to consider a new objective for particles towards the end of this year. This work includes consideration of particles' health effects: the costs and benefits of reducing levels of particles in air; and the effects of recent policy developments on particle levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the percentage of municipal waste that will be recycled by (a) 31 December 2001, (b) 31 December 2005 and (c) 31 December 2010. [108337]

The Government have set a goal of at least 30 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2010. The Government are also committed to achieving 25 per cent. as soon as possible, and hope to do this by 2005.The latest municipal waste recycling and composting figure for England and Wales is 8 per cent. (based on 1997–98 data).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions have been made under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the illegal release of Schedule 9 plants. [108300]

Prosecutions under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are brought by the police, and it is not a requirement for them to notify this Department of any such prosecutions. The Department has no record of any section 14 prosecutions in respect of plants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many licences have been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for release of Schedule 9 plants. [108299]

In the last five years one licence has been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the release of Schedule 9 plants. This was for an experimental release of Japanese knotweed, "Fallopia japonica", at a single site in Cheshire to assess the plant's competitive abilities against native weed species.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his estimate is of the cost of controlling invasive plants which are (a) scheduled and (b) unscheduled under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [108301]

Information about the cost of controlling invasive plants, whether scheduled or not, is not co-ordinated centrally and therefore is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce changes to PPG23. [108336]

The waste planning elements of PPG23 have already been dealt with and published under PPG10—Planning and Waste Management (September 1999). We propose to revise the remainder of PPG23 in two stages: the first dealing with contaminated land, and the second dealing with the planning aspects of pollution control, including air quality and water quality. We aim to issue a draft for consultation on contaminated land and planning issues to coincide with the entry into force of regulations and guidance on the new regime for the management of contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, expected in April 2000. Preparation of a consultative draft on planning and pollution control will follow the implementation of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) under new Pollution, Prevention and Control Regulations, expected in May 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the proposed merger of United Newspapers and Carlton to the Competition Commission. [108182]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will decide whether or not to refer this case to the Competition Commission in the light of advice he has received from the Director General of Fair Trading. He will announce his decision as soon as is practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is his policy that the exemption which allows exclusive car distribution and dealership arrangements will end in October 2002. [108177]

The provision permitting car manufacturers to operate selective and exclusive distribution networks on certain conditions, commonly known as the cars block exemption, is a European Commission Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1475/95). The European Commission is currently reviewing its operation in order to draw up an evaluation report by the end of this year. This report will in turn provide a basis for discussions involving the Commission and the member states on what, if anything, should replace the block exemption when it expires on 30 September 2002. We wish to ensure that the review is undertaken in as thorough and transparent a way as possible.The UK Government's policy towards the block exemption will be informed by the findings of the Competition Commission about its effects upon the market for new cars in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received the 1999 report of the Government Chemist. [108814]

I have just received the third annual report of the Government Chemist and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has appointed advisers to support the implementation of the reforms described in the White Paper on Post Office Reform. [108811]

I have appointed Deloitte & Touche to provide support for the implementation of the financial provisions set out in the Post Office White Paper (CM 4340) and Herbert Smith to provide legal advice on any commercial issues arising from implementation of the reform package. Both appointments were made after competitive tenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish proposals for reform of the Telecommunications Act 1984; and if he will make a statement. [108815]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I propose to publish a White Paper later this year setting out the Government's proposals for reform of the framework of communications legislation. This will include proposals for changing both the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts as a basis for legislation when parliamentary time allows. The White Paper will accordingly be broad in its scope, covering both infrastructure and content issues. It will draw on responses to the options for reform of the broadcasting and telecommunications framework set out in the Government's June 1999 statement, "Regulating Communications: The Way Ahead" and will take full account of emerging conclusions from the current review of the European Union regulatory framework for communications. The work will be taken forward by a joint DTI/DCMS team to ensure a coherent and consistent approach to the regulation of the converging communications industries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce the 9^th Round of Landward oil and gas licensing. [108813]

I am inviting applications for Petroleum Exploration and Development licences over unlicensed areas in Great Britain in the 9^th Round of Landward Licensing.The closing date for applications has been set as 5 May. I hope to be able to make an announcement about licence awards as soon as possible after that once all applications have been thoroughly considered and assessed.While much smaller than its offshore counterpart, there is an active oil and gas industry searching for and exploiting Britain's onshore petroleum resources. The award of licences will enable companies to explore for and exploit the petroleum resources of Great Britain, which include conventional oil and gas, mine vent gas and coal bed methane trapped in coal seams.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences for the laying of cable routes through the boroughs of Maidstone and Swale he has granted since May 1997; and how many applications for licences are under consideration. [107605]

Since May 1997, 53 licences have been granted conferring statutory rights to lay cable routes in the public highway anywhere in the United Kingdom. Eight further national licence applications are under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) representative bodies since May 1997 relating to the laying of cable routes through (i) Kent and (ii) Maidstone and Swale Borough Council areas. [107606]

Since May 1997, the Department has received a total of 13 representations about telecoms cabling in Kent: 11 from individuals and two from representative bodies, one of which referred to cable laying in Swale.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to the departmental expenditure limit and running costs limit for his Department and the Office of Fair Trading in the current financial year. [108982]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Department of Trade and Industry will be increased by £61,879,000 from £3,181,682,000 to £3,243,561,000. The net provision of Class IX Vote 1 will be increased by £43,696,000, which results from:

(i) an increase of £59,700,000 in the net provision for Coal Health liabilities, which has arisen exclusively from a forecast shortfall in Coal Pension Fund Surpluses which are appropriated in aid;

(ii) a reduction of £5,970,000 in the provision for the Coal Authority grant in aid;

(iii) an increase of £14,000,000 in the gross expenditure provision for the Aerospace budget in order to facilitate the repayment to Rolls Royce plc of certain amounts that have been overpaid by that company, which is offset by an increase of £14,000,000 in the appropriations in aid provision;

(iv) the transfer of £10,000,000 from the Local Competitiveness budget to the Inland Revenue (Class XVI Vote 4) for providing payroll support for new employers;

(v) the transfer of £34,000 from the Coal Health Liabilities budget to the Department of Social Security (Class XII Vote 3) to facilitate access to miners' medical records held by the Benefits Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the sale of fireworks. [108373]

The Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 introduced comprehensive controls on the types and sizes of fireworks which can be sold to the public. I have no plans to introduce further controls on fireworks or to review the existing Regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive on the impact of the Seattle round of negotiations of the World Trade Organisation on Scotland; and what consultation he has undertaken with bodies in Scotland in relation to the WTO. [107466]

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: There was no agreement in Seattle among WTO member governments on the terms for the launch of a new Round of trade negotiations. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State stated that the Government's position following the Seattle Conferences in the debate in the House on 9 December 1999, Official Report, columns 1022–94. As the Government remain committed to the launch of a new comprehensive Round of trade negotiations, the existing consultation processes it has in place remains valid. This includes a consultation exercise launched last year covering all of the UK. We will continue to hold meetings with people from across the UK including business, NGOs and trade unions at both official and ministerial level. While we have received no formal representations from the Scottish Executive in relation to Seattle, we will be keeping in touch with the First Minister and DTI officials will continue to have contacts with Scottish Executive officials on the range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the impact of WTO rules on the workings of the Lomé Convention. [107468]

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: The Government are aware that the tariff preferences available under the Lomé Convention are incompatible with the rules of the WTO in so far as they discriminate between developing countries and thus require a waiver from GATT Article I. The current waiver expires in February 2000 along with the Convention itself and will have to be renewed by agreement with other WTO member governments for the preferences to continue. We strongly support the WTO, which is why we argued for a new, WTO-compatible approach to EU trade relations with Lomé countries after the current Convention expires.Both the EU and our Lomé partners have agreed in principle with this approach, which will enter into force after a transitional period of eight years, during which time the current trade arrangements will be rolled over, and a new WTO waiver sought for this rollover period. The Government believe that this approach will give Lomé countries the best chance of integrating more fully into the multilateral trading system, thereby promoting their sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the volume of imports of (a) beef and beef products and (b) lamb and lamb products in each year since 1995. [107134]

I have been asked to reply.Official Overseas Trade Statistics show that the volume of imports of

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was imported from Mozambique in the past three years; what the transport arrangements are for coal supplied by Mozambique; and if he will make a statement. [107920]

Figures for 1999 as a whole are not yet available, but in the first three quarters of 1999 it is estimated that 19,000 tonnes of coal were imported into the United Kingdom from Mozambique. Prior to 1999, this information was not disclosed because the data were commercially sensitive. Customs and Excise has a duty not to disclose details relating specifically to an individual trader's activity. Information is not collected on the mode of transport used for imported coal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 208W, if he will list the reasons for the timing of his written answer informing the House of the outcome of the Hollis Inquiry. [108392]

It was a written question which I replied to as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those companies which are under investigation by officials into allegations of misuse of Government grants which were subsidiaries of (a) TransTec plc and (b) Hollis Industries. [108390]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to her on 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 206W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if inspectors investigating TransTec plc will issue an interim report. [108388]

These are independent inspectors. They can issue an interim report if they wish.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will revise the guidance he has given to inspectors investigating TransTec plc to include allegations of misuse of his Department's grants awarded to TransTec and its subsidiary companies. [108386]

There is no need to do to so as they already have such a power.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the procedures being followed by his officials investigating allegations of misuse of Government grants awarded to TransTec plc and its subsidiaries. [108389]

The Department's inquiries are aimed at establishing the nature and extent of the allegations and the further action that should be taken in relation to those allegations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 205W, what action he plans to take as a result of departmental interviews with Mr. Ayriss and Mr. Dickinson. [108394]

The Department's inquiries are still in progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will revise the guidance he has given to inspectors investigating TransTec plc to include the reorganisation of the company in 1991. [108387]

As I have already stated on 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 208W, if the independent inspectors conclude that there are matters earlier in the company's history which merit investigation then they have the power to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 206W, if he will list the minuted meetings held by his Department and representatives of TransTec plc in (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997, (d) 1998 and (e) 1999. [108393]

The Company Law and Investigations Directorate has had no minuted meetings with representatives of TransTec.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Government Press releases his Department issued in each year from 1995 to 1999. [106561]

The number of Press releases issued by the DTI were:

• 1995: 908
• 1996: 973
• 1997: 877
• 1998: 1,064
• 1999: 1,063

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the Construction Industry Scheme arrangements and their impact on the construction plant hire industry to the Director General of Fair Trading. [104891]

I have been asked to reply.The Inland Revenue is aware of the concerns of the construction plant hire industry about the Construction Industry Scheme. The Office of Fair Trading has brought

	£
Take up of end of year flexibility in respect of an underspend against EC attributed aid	105,878,000
Increase in respect of humanitarian assistance to Kosovo	58,000,000
Increase in respect of humanitarian assistance to East Timor	3,250,000
Increase in respect of payments under the Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund	13,100,000
Increase in respect of contributions to the IMF trust fund for HIPC countries	33,300,000

The increase will be a charge on the Departmental Expenditure Limit reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Prime Minister what derogations Her Majesty's Government have applied for in respect of the United Kingdom's membership of the Council of Europe and its hosting of appeal courts empowered to uphold the death penalty in other countries; and if he will make a statement. [107625]

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: The United Kingdom has no derogations in respect of its membership of the Council of Europe. In cases where the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council acts as an appeal court for an independent state, including states which impose the death penalty, it does so as an integral part of the judicial structure of that state rather than of the United Kingdom. It is for these states to decide whether they wish to continue to use the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as their final court of appeal. Her Majesty's Government cannot interfere in the judicial processes of another state. But this in no way implies that the United Kingdom condones the death penalty: the United Kingdom regularly raises these issues, bilaterally and with European Union partners, with such states pressing their Governments to abolish the death penalty.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes will be made to the departmental expenditure limit running costs limit for her Department in 1999–2000. [108706]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, for Class VIII, Vote 1: Department for International Development, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999–2000 will be increased by £213,528,000 from £2,297,090,000 to £2,510,618,000. This increase is the net effect of:

To ask the Solicitor-General what proposals there are to amend the Attorney-General's Department's Departmental Expenditure Limit and Running Costs Limit for 1999–2000. [108702]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates for Class V, Vote 4 (The Crown Prosecution Service) and Class V, Vote 6 (HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor), the Attorney-General's Department's Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999–2000 will be increased by £6,596,000 from £335,295,000 to £341,891,000.The Crown Prosecution Service's Running Costs Limit will be increased by £496,000 from £227,625,000 to £228,121,000. This increase is required to fund preparatory work to modernise the Crown Prosecution Service information technology infrastructure.HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor's Running Costs Limit will be increased by £5,600,000 from £4,735,000 to £10,335,000. Appropriations in aid will also be reduced by £3,400,000. This will fund expenditure arising from the closure of the Government Property Lawyers Agency on 30 September 1999, which was announced to the House by answer to a Parliamentary Question on 11 November 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the items in the National Assets Register sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies since 11 February 1999, stating in each case the amount of money realised; if he will estimate the total amount raised from such sales to date; and if he will make a statement. [104483]

This information is currently not held in the format to link assets as shown in the National Asset Register with those assets subsequently declared as surplus to requirements and sold by the Disposal Sales Agency (DSA), and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Information on surplus sales of equipment and stores is contained in the DSA's 1998–99 Annual Report and Accounts held in the Library of the House. The 1999–2000 Annual Report and Accounts will be made available to the Library of the House before the summer Recess this year.Information on the sale of Defence Estates Buildings and Lands is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the ultra-wide band synthetic aperture radar programme; what has been the cost of the system to date; and if he will make a statement. [106158]

I assume that the question refers to the Remote Minefield Detection System (REMIDS) Technology Demonstrator Programme, which is investigating the development of a sensor to detect minefields and mined areas for military purposes. It is using Ultra-Wide Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (UWB SAR) as a preferred technology.Tests carried out in 1998 at short range from a ground vehicle proved the potential effectiveness of a UWB SAR in the detection role, and successfully detected plastic and metal targets representative of mine-like anti-tank ordnance. The equipment is currently in an early prototype stage and the tests did not represent a realistic environment. However, sufficient information has been generated to proceed with confidence with work on a more powerful airborne system.Approximately £390,000 has been spent to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to deploy the Gurkha Regiment to East Timor; and if he will make a statement. [107851]

We decided to participate in the operation in East Timor in support of the decisions of the international community and our long standing ally and friend Australia. The decision to deploy the Gurkhas to East Timor was taken principally because they were based in Brunei and therefore already acclimatised and able to deploy quickly. Moreover, some Gurkhas also speak Malay, which is closely related to the Indonesian language and was of considerable use during the operation. The deployment of Brunei based Gurkhas also minimised potential overstretch implications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which fees his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies collect; how much has been raised and will be raised from each of these fees from 1989–90 to 2004–05; and which of these fees count as negative expenditure. [107979]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle), gave him on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 63W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the value of walk-on equipment. [108054]

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: I assume that the question relates to walk-on equipment which may be carried on the Chinook Mk2, such as binoculars, cameras and computers. The presence of such equipment would depend on the purpose of a particular flight and no general statement of value would be meaningful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations in the Chinook Mk2 test were made on the use of in-flight UHF transmitters and walk-on equipment; and if they were written into the CIA release. [108053]

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: It was recommended that, because of the vulnerability of the automatic flight system to the Ultra High Frequency band, particular care should be taken when introducing UHF on-board transmitters to the Chinook as Special Trial Fits or walk-on equipment. The Controller Aircraft Release for the Chinook Mk2 in January 1994 stipulated that no canyon-board equipment was cleared for use. No electronic equipment had been introduced to the aircraft by Special Trial Fit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has undertaken with the AWS and WRVS regarding the line management accountability of WRVS employees; what advice he has received; what decisions have been taken; and if he will make a statement. [107840]

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: The Ministry of Defence is currently engaged with the Womens' Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) in negotiating the renewal of their contractual relationship. The WRVS, like the Service Sound and Vision Corporation, the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (Forces Help), is a charitable-based organisation working in partnership with the Services. WRVS employees, working with the Army are line managed and appraised annually by their National Director and the Commanding Officer of the Unit to which they are assigned. The WRVS maintains a regular dialogue with the Directorate of Personal Services (Army). This process ensures that the WRVS is apprised of developments in Welfare Policy and practices in the Army.Welfare is a function of the Chain of Command within the Army. The Army Welfare Service (AWS) fulfils only one part, albeit an important part, of the overall delivery of welfare support within the Army. They are an in-house organisation providing specialist support and advice to Army individuals, their dependent families and the Chain of Command. Their activity is focused on the LAND Command component of the Army, although they can provide a point of contact for the Army based elsewhere. Where the AWS operate alongside the WRVS, they do so in partnership, each bringing particular and complementary skills to the overall welfare delivery. There is no direct line management relationship between the AWS and the WRVS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes will be made to his Department's budget, departmental expenditure and Operating Cost limits for 1999–2000. [108701]

The Government have decided that, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class VI Vote 1 Defence for 1999–2000, the following changes should apply:

(a) The overall limit will increase by £584.282 million from £22,283.085 million to £22,867.367 million.

(b) The Ministry of Defence Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £582.9 million from £22,280.341 million to £22,863.241 million.

(c) The Ministry of Defence Operating Cost Limit will be increased by £778.972 million from £15,918.341 million to £16,697.313 million.

This will cover the additional expenditure incurred by UK forces on operations in Kosovo and Bosnia during the current financial year which are estimated at just under £400 million and £112 million respectively. The figure also includes full take-up of the Ministry of Defence's entitlement to End Year Flexibility of £74 million.The Supplementary Estimates will also provide for changes in the general pattern of expenditure, including adjustments between the Defence Procurement Agency's equipment programme and the operating costs programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the oath of allegiance. [108409]

The information requested cannot be provided as correspondence between MPs and the Department is treated in confidence unless the originating MP chooses to make such issues public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of recruits to the (a) Royal Navy and (b) armed forces passed the initial physical fitness tests in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [107965]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much spending on health has increased since 1 May 1997; and by what proportion of GDP health spending will increase by 2002. [106882]

Since we took office the Government have increased spending on the NHS by 10.4 per cent. in real terms. We estimate that by 2002 health spending will be around 7 per cent. of GDP.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the prospects for convergence between United Kingdom and European interest rates in the medium term. [106898]

Our policy is as set out in the Chancellor's October 1997 statement, including five economic tests which will have to be met before any decision to join can be taken.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he has taken of the impact of the level of interest rates on the economy of the north east of England in deciding the level of public expenditure in the region. [106912]

The north east of England, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to create a platform of economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates he will raise from his proposed tax on the use of pesticides. [106899]

On 1 February, the Government welcomed the voluntary proposals on reducing the environmental impacts of pesticide use brought forward by the British Agrochemical Association and announced that, subject to further detailed discussions on these proposals, the Chancellor will not proceed with the introduction of a pesticides tax in the Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who will pay extra stamp duty in 2000–01 as a result of the 1999 Budget. [106900]

About 95,000 transactions will be affected as a result of the 1999 Budget measures on stamp duty on land and property.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the rate of VAT levied on building, renovation and maintenance work. [106901]

Treasury Ministers have received a number of letters about the rate of VAT on building, renovation and maintenance work.