To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the cost is of farm-scale trials of GM herbicide tolerant crops; what is the contribution from public funds; and what is the Government's policy with respect to funding such trials. [116689]

The Farm-Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops are being organised by the Government, in conjunction with the industry body SCIMAC. SCIMAC are providing the required number of fields of GM crops and equivalent non-GM crops (the crops involved are forage maize, beet, spring and autumn sown oil seed rape). The Government are funding an independent research consortium to carry out ecological studies. The cost of the ecological studies is currently £4.4 million over the period March 1999 to December 2003.It is usually the responsibility of the organisation applying for consent to place GM crops on the market to provide evidence of environmental impact. This is likely to include the results of studies carried out to support that evidence. In the case of the GM herbicide tolerant crops involved in the Farm-Scale Evaluations programme, the Government and industry agreed that additional research on the environmental impact of growing and managing the crops was required before general cultivation could be contemplated. It was agreed that these studies would be jointly funded as described above. It is anticipated that, in future, applicants will include such evidence in their dossiers when making applications.The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment sub-group on Wider Biodiversity Issues, announced in February 1999, is working on guidance and criteria for carrying out such assessments in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has for new regulations relating to number plates. [117295]

The Department has recently concluded public consultation on proposals for new regulations relating to the display of vehicle number plates. Details of the Department's response in the light of the comments made will be placed in the Library of the House tomorrow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact on (a) historic hedges and (b) wildlife of the implementation of the two metre rule for subsidies. [115542]

I have been asked to reply.This Department has held discussions with all the principal farming organisations and statutory environmental bodies on the issues mentioned by the hon. Member as well as with the European Commission.Last week my right hon. Friend the Minister reached agreement with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, that the United Kingdom should, for this year, apply the same criteria as were used in 1999 and earlier years for determining the acceptability of hedges and other field margins included in claims based on whole Ordnance Survey field areas under the Integrated Administration and Control System. For 2001 and subsequent years, MAFF will work with the Commission in order to clarify what types of margins are acceptable for inclusion in aid claims and identify ways of safeguarding environmentally valuable hedges so that we can reach a permanent resolution of this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many tonnes of methyl tertiary butyl ether were imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [116246]

I have been asked to reply.Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) is not separately identified within the system for classifying products imported into the UK used by HM Customs and Excise. As such it is not possible to provide the information requested. However, we estimate that the average MTBE content in petrol in the UK is less than one per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost of his plans to pump foul sewage from Crossgar to Killyleagh; what percentage of the capacity of Killyleagh Sewage Works is available; what percentage of Killyleagh Sewage Works would still be available if the sewage were pumped from Crossgar into Killyleagh Sewage Works; what representations he has received concerning the plans to pump sewage from Crossgar to Killyleagh; what consultation there has been with the residents and elected representatives of Killyleagh; and if he will make a statement. [116088]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Water Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. Robert C. Martin. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if an application for a nursery unit at Kircubbin Integrated Primary School would be eligible for financial support from the childhood funds; and if he will make a statement. [116087]

No. The deadline for commitment of funds under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was 31 December 1999, and no new project could be approved at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at which locations nursery units have been provided with financial support from the childhood funds; how many of these units are associated with the Council of Catholic Maintained Schools; how many children of (a) Catholics and (b) Protestant background attend each of the units associated with the CCMS; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the EU package for peace and reconciliation on provision of cross-community nursery units. [116086]

Capital funds under the EU Childhood Fund were distributed on the basis of applications received and considered in the first place by the relevant Area Early Years Committee (AEYC), which made recommendations to the Department of Education. The Department considered and approved applications on the basis of whether the proposed provision: was sited where it would have maximum educational impact, in targeting area of greatest social/educational need; would create access for as many children as possible; and represented good value for money, taking account of viability considerations in particular.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place a copy of his letter concerning an early-day motion tabled by the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes) and others in the Library; and on how many occasions since May 1997 he or his predecessor has entered into correspondence about an EDM. [100175]

A copy of my letter of 9 March 2000 to my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes) has been placed in the Library. It is not appropriate to comment on correspondence between Ministers and hon. Friends.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which health authority (a) more than 10 per cent. and (b) less than one per cent. of patients have been waiting for in-patient treatment for more than one year. [116068]

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to implement the NHS Executive Working Party report entitled, "Making a Difference: Strengthening Volunteering in the NHS". [116443]

The National Health Service Executive has taken, and continues to take, action on the recom-mendations of the "Making a Difference: Strengthening Volunteering in the NHS" report. A response to the recommendations aimed specifically at the NHS Executive is summarised in Health Service Circular 1999–023, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review pay and grading of scientific staff in the NHS. [116441]

On 15 February 1999, the Department published proposals for modernising the National Health Service pay system in "Agenda for Change". Initial discussions with NHS trade unions on pay modernisation resulted in a Joint Framework of Principles and Agreed Statement on the Way Forward which was published on 8 October 1999. Negotiations continue, aiming for a pay system which pays fairly for work done, with career progression based on responsibility, competence and satisfactory performance.The National Advisory Group for Scientists and Technicians is collaborating with the professions to develop a human resource strategy that will underpin the career development of scientists in the NHS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many board members he appoints to each non- departmental public body. [116337]

Full lists of the non-departmental public bodies to which my right hon. Friend makes appointments are published in "Public Bodies 1999" (ISBN 0 11 430159 X) and in the "Department of Health Public Appointments Annual Report 1999", copies of which are available in the Library.

l: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the sale of Severalls Hospital, Colchester. [116469]

Severalls Hospital land adjoins part of a larger developable site owned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, Colchester Borough Council, Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust and North East Essex Mental Health National Health Service Trust.In partnership with the trusts, the National Health Service Executive and National Health Service Estates are working to review the disposal strategy to maximise the income from the land sale to help meet the current and future healthcare need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he has made concerning the establishment of the Food Standards Agency; and if he will make a statement. [117044]

The provisions establishing the Food Standards Agency under the Food Standards Act 1999 are due to come into force on 1 April. The Food Standards Agency will act as a non-ministerial Department, which will be accountable to Parliament through Health Ministers. As of 1 April, I will have day-to-day responsibility for parliamentary business relating to food safety and standards matters, including questions from Members. I will also be responsible for dealing with relevant correspondence from Members of this House. Details of the Food Standards Agency's role and organisation will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the report of the Scoping Study in relation to arson prevention in England and Wales. [117116]

I am pleased to announce today that the Government have accepted all of the main recommendations of the Scoping Study.We have pledged quite clearly our determination and commitment to providing safer communities. The police and fire services have a vital role to play in helping to maintain a safer society, not just by reducing crime and the fear of crime, but also by reducing the number of deliberate fires and associated deaths and casualties.The report of the Arson Scoping Study was published last May and set out a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the growing problem of deliberate fires. The report was welcomed as an enormous opportunity for the Government and the police and fire services to reduce the pain and suffering caused by deliberately set fires.When the report was published we made it clear that we wanted to hear the views of chief officers, local authorities, the insurers and all those involved in the administration of justice, all of whom have a crucial role to play in translating the recommendations into action. I am pleased to say that the response to the Scoping Study has provided a strong mandate to carry forward all of its key recommendations and for a refocusing of efforts to prevent arson.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what priorities will be set for placing juvenile offenders when the Detention and Training Order comes into operation. [117117]

The Detention and Training Order (DTO) will come into force on 1 April 2000. It will become the main custodial sentence for juvenile offenders aged 12 and under 18, replacing detention in a young offender institution for under-18s and the secure training order. Detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 will remain available for the minority of young offenders aged 10 and under 18 who commit grave crimes.Subject to parliamentary agreement to an Order laid on 27 March, for under-18s sentenced to custody under the DTO or section 53, and those remanded to Prison Service custody or direct to local authority secure accommodation, new, more co-ordinated arrangements for the juvenile secure estate will start operation in April. The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales will commission and purchase places from the Prison Service, the Secure Training Centre (STC) contractors and Local Authority Secure Units (LASUs). This will give it considerable influence over the management of custodial placements for under-18s, and enable more appropriate and cost-effective use of facilities. The Board has drawn up commissioning and placement strategies to support its proposed new role and a copy of these has been placed in the Library.Initially, there will be 13 Prison Service establishments holding under-18s, three STCs and 200 to 300 places the Youth Justice Board expects to purchase from LASUs, through current negotiations (LASUs have 480 places in total, but have to keep enough free for local authority placements for welfare purposes or for those placed in secure accommodation following a remand to ordinary local authority care). So altogether, there will initially be some 3,200 places for youth justice purposes.Of these places, 2,800 will be provided by the Prison Service. There is £51 million being invested in a substantial capital development programme throughout the juvenile estate, plus improvements in education, training and work designed to prevent re-offending and drawing on "what works" evidence-based research. This will, over time, make its establishments better equipped to deliver the acceptable and positive environment required to meet the needs of those held within them. However, the Government and the Youth Justice Board believe that further steps should none the less be taken to protect the most vulnerable under-18s. Within its total budget for secure placements in 2000–01, the Board will push this process as far as it can during the coming year, particularly in respect of the 100 girls under 18 serving custodial sentences.Beyond this, what the Youth Justice Board can do to move them elsewhere, and how quickly, depends on the numbers remanded and sentenced to custody by the courts and the physical and financial resources available to cater for them. If the numbers decline, the new powers will provide further opportunities to place more of these vulnerable young people in LASUs and STCs. In all placement decisions, the focus will be on matching the needs of individual young people to the available accommodation, based on the evidence of "what works", not least in reducing crime. The Board will monitor establishments' performance—within the Prison Service, LASUs and STCs—against service specifications to ensure regimes are of an appropriate standard and that the well-being of the young people is being properly addressed.As to future years, we have previously announced plans for two more STCs providing approximately 80 places. The Youth Justice Board will take over development work on these in April. We will be considering in this year's Spending Review what further provision should be made for new establishments to be commissioned by the Board.With the improvements to the quality of the Prison Service juvenile estate, the greater flexibility available to place DTO trainees and the consolidation of commissioning and purchasing responsibilities with the Youth Justice Board, the new arrangements represent a significant opportunity to drive up standards and place young people according to their relative needs in terms of welfare and action to prevent re-offending. I am confident that the Youth Justice Board, working with the various providers, will fully seize this opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 2000, Official Report, column 561W, on the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, if he will provide a breakdown by offence committed of the number of prisoners released listed under (a) other homicide and attempted homicide, (b) wounding, (c) assaults, (d) drugs, (e) other violence against the person and (f) other motoring offences. [116692]

A breakdown of the first five categories of original offences in question committed by prisoners released up to 14 March 2000 under the Home Detention Curfew scheme, and the number convicted of each type of offence, are given in the table. A breakdown of the 1,530 offences listed as "other motoring offences" is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include in his proposals to combat crime further provisions relating to corporate manslaughter; and if he will make a statement. [116503]

The Government set up an inter-departmental working group of officials to consider the recommendations made by the Law Commission in their report number 237 "Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter". One of those recommendations was that there should be a new offence of corporate killing.The conclusions of the inter-departmental working group were passed to Ministers in late December and we are continuing to consider how to take the matter forward. We expect to publish our conclusions for consultation shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter dated 22 February from the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West, regarding Samuel Adams. [115860]

I wrote to the hon. Member on 27 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to police officers on dealing with domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [115915]

National Police Training (NPT) deliver training on domestic disputes and domestic violence during the Probationer Training Programme undergone by all recruits to the police service. This training is designed to make students aware of the legal framework within which they will operate, the role of the police service and other agencies, and the powers open to them.The National Operations Faculty, part of NPT, offers a three-day course at Bramshill called "Quality of Service to Women Victims of Domestic Violence". The course is open to senior police officers of the rank of Inspector and above and covers a range of issues including:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirement his Department imposes concerning the availability of updated legal reference books to prison inmates in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [116333]

All prison establishments in England and Wales are required to make legal reference books available to prisoners. Prison Service Headquarters issue a mandatory list of publications to be held, which is currently being updated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on restrictions connected with demonstrations with placards within a one mile radius of the House of Commons. [116275]

There are no general restrictions connected with demonstrations with placards within a one mile radius of the House of Commons. section 52 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 may be enforced when demonstrations may result in obstruction or disorder which may impede the free passage of Peers and Members to and from the Houses of Parliament on any day on which Parliament is sitting. Additional bye-laws apply within the Royal Parks and the Mall.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what privileges are granted to (a) convicted and (b) unconvicted remand prisoners; and if he will make it his policy that all remand prisoners should be treated for this purpose as unsentenced prisoners. [116286]

Under the national policy framework for incentives and earned privileges, Prison Service establishments in England and Wales operate local schemes which allow all prisoners to earn a range of privileges through good behaviour and performance. They include enhanced access to private cash, visits, pay, in-cell television, association, and the right of prisoners to wear their own clothes.All unconvicted prisoners have certain minimum entitlements in view of their status. For example, they are permitted to have extra visits, letters and reading materials, to conduct business activities and to wear their own clothes. Incentive and privilege schemes for these prisoners must respect these minimum entitlements and provide further enhancements for good behaviour. We have no plans to extend unconvicted prisoners' privileges to convicted, but unsentenced, prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends taking to increase public confidence in, and awareness of, the Crimestoppers system of reporting suspected criminals; and if he will make a statement. [116465]

The Government fully recognise the valuable work that Crimestoppers does to help in the fight against crime. Ministers attend Crimestoppers Trust events to support its work as other commitments allow. At the recent London Board of Crimestoppers annual dinner, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary expressed his belief that all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships should be aware of the potential benefits of involving Crimestoppers in their work when drawing up strategies. I intend to host a small seminar to discuss the possibilities of voluntary sector organisations such as Crimestoppers and Neighbourhood Watch working more closely together at local level to identify ways of increasing a more co-operative approach.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested in each of the last five years as a result of information supplied to Crimestoppers; and if he will break down the categories of offence in respect of the most recent year for which figures are available. [116466]

According to information supplied by Crimestoppers Trust, the number of people arrested and charged for each of the last five years as a result of information supplied to Crimestoppers was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he has met representatives of Crimestoppers. [116467]

Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary attended the London Board of Crimestoppers' annual dinner on 14 March and attended a lunch to promote Crimestoppers to the Asian Community in October 1998. In addition, Ministerial colleagues attended the Crimestoppers' Tenth Anniversary Ball in December 1998 and intend to visit the Crimestoppers Trust Head Offices in Putney in the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was allocated by the Government to fund Crimestoppers in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [116468]

No funding has been allocated by the Government to Crimestoppers in the last five financial years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions in the last three months when powers under the Royal Prerogative were exercised on the advice of ministers. [113281]

[holding answer 7 March 2000]: I regret that this information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 23 March 2000, Official Report,column 672W, on asylum seekers, (a) for what reasons local authorities (i) claimed more than their gross expenditure and (ii) did not claim the full amount of their gross expenditure and (b) what estimate he has made of the cost to each local authority in the (1) 1999–2000 and (2) 2000–2001 financial years of providing support to asylum seekers which they are unable to claim from the Home Office under the grant rules and which has been or will be met from their own funds; and if he will make a statement. [116691]

[pursuant to her reply, 23 March 2000, c. 672W]: The gross expenditure figure for East Sussex should read £279,979.Data are available for the 1999–2000 financial year only in relation to the period 1 April 1999 to 5 December 1999. The data for 6 December 1999 to 31 March 2000 are not yet available in full, as not all claims have been received from local authorities. For the period 1 April 1999 to 5 December 1999, those local authorities who received more than their gross expenditure (as defined in the grant report rules) did so as a result of allowable commissioning costs. The grant rules covering this period entitle local authorities to claim the costs involved in commissioning premises to be used to accommodate asylum seekers. At the discretion of the Secretary of State, payment of up to £10 per week for each person supported in such premises was available. The provision was taken up only by a small number of authorities. In some cases, local authorities could not be reimbursed the full amount of their identified gross expenditure for a number of reasons—for example, because they incurred expenditure on items which were not covered by the grant rules or had exceeded the unit costs limits set by the grant report. No estimate has been made for the whole of 1999–2000 and 2000–01 of the cost to each local authority of providing support to asylum seekers for which they are unable to claim from the Home Office under the grant rules.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason, in his Department's monthly asylum statistics published on 24 March, the number of asylum applicants (a) granted asylum or exceptional leave to remain and (b) refused, was listed as not available; on what data the figure for decisions in total was based, and for what reasons this could not be broken down by category; if monthly asylum statistics have been published previously without such a breakdown; and if he will make a statement. [116693]

The figure for total asylum decisions in February was obtained from a manual count by caseworkers and is consistent with figures provided in previous months. A breakdown of decisions, by type, was not available in February due to the transition to a new computer system, the Asylum Cases Information Database (ACID). Although information on asylum decisions is satisfactorily recorded on this system for operational purposes, further quality checks are being carried out to ensure accurate statistical information is published.It is expected that a full breakdown of the decisions will be published in due course. A preliminary analysis has shown that the breakdown of decisions, for cases considered under normal procedures, in February was consistent with that seen in recent months with a high proportion of refusals of asylum. Monthly asylum statistics have not been published previously without such a breakdown.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 2000, Official Report, column 559W, on release of prisoners, if he will provide a breakdown by type of offence of the additional prisoners he estimates would be released earlier than now as a result of the electronic monitoring provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill. [116690]

It is not possible to give such a breakdown at this stage. The new powers will be carefully tested in pilot schemes before they are made available, and it would be premature to judge the possible outcomes of those pilots. However, there is no question of electronic monitoring being used to facilitate the early release of sex offenders or other high risk offenders. The availability of electronic monitoring for such offenders will not influence the Parole Board when making decisions or recommendations on release. The Secretary of State will be issuing Directions to the Parole Board to make this clear, using the powers available to him under section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.The measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Bill will not change any prisoner's eligibility for release, and any discretionary release decision will continue to be subject to careful risk assessment. These proposals should provide additional protection for the public. High risk offenders—when eventually released at the end of their term in custody—could be made subject to electronic monitoring as a means of reinforcing curfew or exclusion conditions in their licences.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the (a) average working families tax credit and (b) average child care tax credit payment per week for persons in (i) Inverclyde and (ii) Scotland in the past [115950](2) what was the annual expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on

It is estimated that 83,900 families in Scotland had been awarded the working families tax credit (WFTC) by the end of February 2000, of which 1,700 were in Inverclyde.About 8,900 of the awards in Scotland included a child care tax credit. There are too few cases in the 5 per cent. sample used for these analyses to provide a reliable estimate of the number of these in Inverclyde.The average value of WFTC awards made by the end of February 2000 in Scotland is estimated at £69.91 per week. For families with eligible child care costs, the average extra amount of WFTC arising from the child care tax credit is estimated at £28.63 per week. It is not possible to provide reliable corresponding estimates for Inverclyde.WFTC was introduced on 5 October 1999. It is estimated that expenditure in 1999–2000 on awards in Scotland will be about £80 million. Recalculating the awards excluding the child care tax credit would reduce this by about £5 million. It is not possible to provide corresponding estimates for Inverclyde.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the average (a) working families tax credit and (b) child care tax credit payment per week for people in Southwark in the last 12 months; [114836](2) what was the annual expenditure by Government on

The working families tax credit (WFTC) was introduced in October 1999. It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the average award, or expenditure, for Southwark. However, for the United Kingdom as a whole, the average value of WFTC awards made up to the end of February 2000 was £71.48 per week, and for London the average was £73.92 per week. For the United Kingdom as a whole, for those with eligible child care costs, the average extra amount of WFTC arising from the child care tax credit was £31.04 per week.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many claims for working families tax credit have been received in each region; [110544](2) what has been the average gain to working families from the working families tax credit in each region. [110545]

The estimated number of awards of the working families tax credit made by the end of February 2000 by region are given in the table. Estimates of the average weekly gain for families in receipt of WFTC compared with Family Credit in a full year were given to my hon. Friend on 14 July 1999, Official Report,column 245W. Full year figures made on actual awards are not yet available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the impact of the working families tax credit on the income of a couple, both earning the minimum wage, and with two children under 11 years, where one parent works full-time and the other (a) full-time and (b) 16 hours per week; [106100](2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the working families tax credit on the income of a couple, both earning the minimum wage, with two children under 11 years, where one parent works full-time and the other works

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the HIPC II process at the G8 Summit in Okinawa. [116545]

The Chancellor of the Exchequer discusses progress on the HIPC initiative with G7 colleagues on a regular basis, and will do so at the G7 meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on 15 April, and in the run-up to the Okinawa Summit.Heads of Government will, at the G8 Summit in Okinawa, discuss progress on implementing the enhanced HIPC initiative agreed at last year's Cologne Summit.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the World bank and IMF concerning the heavily-indebted poor countries due to qualify for debt cancellation by the end of 2000. [116546]

The amounts of working families tax credit for 1999–2000 payable to those earning the minimum wage and with two children under 11 are given in the table.

The Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the Managing Director of the IMF and the Chairman of the World bank in January. In addition, the Chancellor will be holding discussions with the World bank and IMF during the course of the Spring Meetings next month, in his capacity as chairman of International Monetary and Finance Committee. The Secretary of State for International Development, as a member of the Development Committee, will also be discussing the issue of HIPC and progress on Poverty Reduction Strategies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target he has set the National Insurance Contributions Office for the prompt payment to the contracted-out money purchase pension schemes of the age-related element of NIC rebates; what proportion of payments met that target in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 to date; and if he will make a statement. [115983]

[holding answer 23 March 2000]:There is no target for the payment of age related rebates to contracted-out money purchase schemes. Rebate payments depend on the successful processing of employers' end of year returns.The targets set for processing of employers' End of Year Returns are as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the tax burden of disincorporation; and if he will make a statement. [115240]

[holding answer 17 March 2000]:The Government have no plans to change the tax rules applying to disincorporation. Given the likely complexity, and length, of legislation needed to change the tax law affecting disincorporation there would need to be a strong case for making a change. Officials have consulted with representative bodies and other interested parties, but no strong case for change has so far emerged.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the reduction in tax paid per year in cash terms, and as a percentage of total gross annual income, for each income decile group, resulting from a 1p reduction in the basic rate of income tax. [114179]

[holding answer 14 March 2000]:This Government have introduced a range of measures designed to make work pay and to increase support for families with children, including the 10p starting rate of tax, the national minimum wage and the working families tax credit. The cut in the basic rate is another of those measures.For taxpayers in 2000–01, the estimates for the reduction in tax paid and reduction as a percentage of total gross annual income for each income decile group resulting from a 1p reduction in the basic rate of income tax are given in the table.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would have been raised by one penny on the basic rate of income tax in (i) May 1997, (ii) May 1998 and (iii) May 1999; and if he will estimate the amount for May 2000. [112746]

In the March 1999 Budget material the tax ready reckoner was published on a pre-Budget regime basis. This showed a figure for changing the basic rate by 1p in 1999–2000 of £1.85 billion compared with the estimate based on the current regime of £2.5 billion.In the 1997 edition of Inland Revenue Statistics a figure of £1.8 billion was published for the full-year effect of a change in the basic rate of 1p in 1998–99.In the 1996 edition of Inland Revenue Statistics a receipts figure of £1.3 billion was published for the in-year effect for changing the basic rate by 1p in 1997–98. We would expect this to be much lower than the current full-year figure of £1.65 billion, because only around 88 per cent. of the full year would be received in year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the latest edition of the Tax Benefit Reference Manual. [113578]

[holding answer 8 March 2000]:The latest edition of the Tax Benefit Reference Manual, for 1999–2000, was placed in the Library in July 1999.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women are single parents in the UK. [115917]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the aggregate cost to the Inland Revenue of issuing notices of pay-as-you-earn coding prior to 6 April 2000 for the tax year 2000–01 for those aged 65 years and over which will have to be re-issued after 5 April 2000, in order to include an uplift in personal allowances as set out in section 257C TA1988. [115710]

There is no requirement to issue revised notices of PAYE codings solely to reflect any rise in the levels of personal income tax allowances announced in the Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the interest on the revenue collected early from pensioners by the Exchequer through the temporary over-deduction of income tax caused by the Inland Revenue issuing pay-as-you-earn codings prior to 6 April 2000 for the tax year 2000–01 for those aged 65 years and over without taking account of section 257C TA1988. [115707]

Notices of coding issued to pensioners take full account of the requirements of sections 203 and 257C of the Income and Corporation Taxes Acts 1988.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, to prevent confusion, he will ensure that the only notice of pay-as-you-earn coding for the tax year 2000–01 pensioners receive before 6 April 2000 is based on the anticipated level of personal allowances for that year for those aged 65 years and over, increased as required by section 257C TA1988. [115708]

No. We believe that this would itself lead to confusion and, in some circumstances, could mean that people underpaid tax which had to be recovered.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published; and if he will make explanatory notes on the Bill's clauses available to hon. Members. [117043]

The Finance Bill will be published on Friday 7 April. Explanatory Notes on the Bill's clauses will be placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses that day. Members of the public will be able to obtain copies of the Explanatory Notes from the Treasury; these will also be available on the Treasury's Internet site (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of (a) men and (b) women living and working in the Greater London area who earn less than £4 per hour. [116321]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the amount of tax relief for approved pension schemes by each category of scheme. [116322]

Available information on the breakdown of the costs of tax reliefs for approved pension schemes was published in table 7.7 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1999", a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to provide software to (a) self-employed persons and (b) small and medium sized businesses, to enable them to calculate money owed to Her Majesty's Government as a result of taxes (i) due from them and (ii) collected by them from their employees; and if he will make a statement. [116362]

The Budget contained a number of substantial new measures to help small firms comply with their payroll obligations. They will be able to claim 100 per cent. Capital Allowances for investment in Information and Communications Technology equipment, and will be eligible for discounts for internet filing and the use of Internet payroll services. A £60 million package of measures will help them get on-line and use on-line services. And the Inland Revenue Payroll Software Standard will further encourage small employers to use software packages, Internet payroll services and payroll bureaux to calculate their payroll.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what incentives the Government will propose to encourage wider use of banking services among benefit claimants. [116366]

The Government wish to encourage banks to develop basic bank accounts suitable for those who are financially excluded. From 2003 to 2005 the DSS will move progressively to the use of automated credit transfers to make benefit payments into bank or building society accounts. People who wish to continue to collect their cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so, before and after the change in 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many adults purchased no banking services (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) within Scotland in each of the last three years. [116367]

Various surveys indicate that the percentage of adults in the United Kingdom who have neither a current account nor a savings account is in the range 2.5 to 3.5 million. Figures supplied by the Association for Payment Clearing Services in respect of Great Britain and Scotland, for adults aged 18 and over without a bank, building society or National Savings account are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees the Arts Council of England (a) has currently, (b) had on 1 May 1997 and (c) had on 1 May 1999. [116540]

[holding answer 28 March 2000): The number of full-time equivalent employees of the Arts Council of England was: 240.52 in May 1997; 278.3 in May 1998; 212.7 in May 1999; and 204.5 in March 2000. The Arts Council's staff numbers rose between May 1997 and May 1998, largely because of the operation of the Lottery Arts4Everyone programme, a major lottery revenue programme run centrally by the Arts Council of England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the number of employees (a) currently, (b) in May 1997 and (c) in May 1999 of each of the regional arts boards.[116539]

[holding answer 28 March 2000]: I have asked the Arts Council of England, as the body responsible for the regional arts boards, to provide this information. When it is available, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the report of the Quigley Committee. [117208]

I established a committee under the chairmanship of Sir George Quigley in December 1998, as required by section 25(4) of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998, to review fee support for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the fourth year of first degree courses at Scottish institutions. The report is laid today before Parliament and placed in the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament.I welcome the report and congratulate Sir George and the other members of the committee on their thorough examination of all the relevant issues. The Government accept the recommendations addressed to it set out in the report. The Scottish Executive has accepted that it should meet the net costs of the tuition fees of students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland in their fourth year in Scottish universities.The Government will discuss with the Executive the precise mechanism for paying those fees and the impact on student support. I expect this to come into effect for students who enter the first year of their courses in September 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many board members he appoints to each non-departmental public body. [116339]

A full list of the non-departmental bodies to which the Secretary of State makes appointments can be found in the document "Public Bodies 1999" (ISBN 0-ll-430159-X), copies of which are available in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to include school librarians in the Computers for Teachers scheme; and if he will make a statement. [115591]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to classify school librarians as teachers for the purposes of the Computers for Teachers initiative. [115810]

[holding answer 22 March 2000]: The scheme, as currently constituted, is focused upon serving teachers in state maintained schools. Schools have a legal obligation to teach Information Technology, both as a curriculum subject in its own right and across all other subjects. The burden of this teaching role falls largely upon the classroom teacher.In order to provide teachers with the skills to discharge this responsibility, the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT Training programme was developed specifically for teachers in schools, and it aims to give serving teachers the opportunity to raise their pedagogical capability to that now required of newly qualified teachers. The purpose of the Computers for Teachers initiative is to complement that training by raising teacher competence and confidence in their personal use of ICT. Given the access which school librarians generally have to ICT within the school library, the Government have decided to give priority for the funding available under this initiative to teachers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provisions are made available to (i) departmental staff and (ii) employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department, for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contract, (l) child care allowances, (m) careers' leave and (n) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [108843]

The following provisions are made available to departmental staff and employees of executive agencies (the Employment Service) under the control of the Secretary of State for Education and Employment:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on planned United Kingdom participation in Robert Schuman Week. [115546]

I have been asked to reply.In the week commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Robert Schuman Declaration, the UK will be participating in "my EUROPE week", organised by the European Schoolnet, a joint initiative of 20 European Ministries of Education.UK participation is being organised by DfEE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money to date has been allocated to each higher education institution from the Joint Infrastructure Fund for capital projects; and how much remains unallocated. [116488]

I have been asked to reply.The Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) awarded just over £150 million to 22 universities in Round 1 and £320 million to 27 universities in Round 2.Headline details for Round 3 will be announced on 4 April 2000. Bids to Round 4 will be considered in November 2000 and bids to Round 5 will be considered in March 2001.The amounts awarded to each institution in Round 1 are listed in the table. The awards for Round 2 are still subject to negotiation to ensure best price and value for money for the funds approved. Final figures for Round 2 and Round 3 will be available as soon as those negotiations have been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the Government taskforces selecting to Wales and their members in (a) 1992, (b) 1993, (c) 1994, (d) 1995, (e) 1996, (f) 1997, (g) 1998, (h) 1999 and (i) 2000. [116325]

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cost for the current financial year of running the office of the Secretary of State for Wales. [116328]

The running costs budget for the Wales Office is £2,030,000 for 1999–2000, including Lord Lieutenants' expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the prospects for the steel industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [116232]

I am extremely optimistic about the future of the Welsh steel industry, particularly in light of the substantial restructuring the UK steel industry has undergone making it among the most efficient and cleanest in the world.Naturally the Government keenly maintain an on-going dialogue with the steel industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will bring forward legislation to empower the National Assembly for Wales to amend those Acts which have effect in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [115954]

A general power for the Assembly to amend Acts of the UK Parliament having effect in Wales would be unconstrained and inconsistent with the devolution settlement for Wales.There are, and will continue to be, occasions when it is appropriate to give the National Assembly a power to amend Acts of Parliament for particular purposes. Powers of this kind are included in the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Health Act 1999 and also in the Care Standards Bill, the Local Government Bill and the Transport Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what figures he can require from local authorities about the composition of their workforces in terms of (a) standard age groups, (b) ethnic origins and (c) gender. [104014]

I do not have executive functions which would require me to seek this kind of information from local authorities. My statutory powers to obtain information from local authorities were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 No. 672. Among these powers is section 141(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 which allows the Assembly to require any information held by or available to a principal council in consequence of the exercise of any of the council's statutory powers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on what arrangements have been made to operate the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield from 1 April. [117045]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 1223, that we were reviewing the AWE contract to operate Aldermaston and Burghfield to ensure the pre-eminence of public health and safety. The Government have always made it clear that we would not allow the AWE Management Ltd. consortium to take over the operation of AWE unless we were convinced that safety would not be compromised.As part of this review each nominee for a director's post at AWE was checked for suitability and to confirm they were not connected with any of the incidents that have caused concern at Lockheed Martin's US facilities or to problems at BNFL Sellafield. The Chief of Defence Procurement also carried out a detailed scrutiny of the terms and conditions of the contract placed with AWE ML. He has confirmed that safety was treated as the highest priority.The Chief Executive of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has also confirmed that he is satisfied with the ability of AWE ML to operate the sites safely and effectively. He has therefore issued new nuclear site licences. The Environment Agency (EA) has already granted new site discharge authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act to take effect from 1 April. As a condition of this the EA require AWE ML to submit a report by 30 April 2000 of any proposed changes to the existing management systems and resources and not to implement any changes without the prior consent of the EA. The NII and EA will of course continue to monitor rigorously the safety performance of the new company. Both have also agreed separately to carry out in-depth reviews of all aspects of safety at AWE and to issue public reports after three and 12 months.Hugh Collum, the new Chairman of BNFL, is currently preparing a report for the Department of Trade and Industry on management and organisation at Sellafield and he has assured us that there will be nothing in his review that could reasonably be read as detrimental to the safe operation of AWE. The NII has also assured the MOD that the problems experienced at Sellafield will have no application to BNFL's proposed role as a shareholder in the AWE ML consortium.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the benefits to the United Kingdom of the German Army joining the L15A4 projectile programme; and if he will make a statement. [113899]

None. We are currently in the process of procuring the L15A3 155 mm high explosive artillery shell as part of a five year large calibre training ammunition contract which was placed with Royal Ordnance in December 1998. An assessment of possible options for a new generation of high explosive shell to replace existing L15A2 and A3 shells has not yet been undertaken. We do not therefore have an approved L15A4 projectile programme, but any future procurement of a replacement for our existing L15 shells would examine all options, including collaboration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has carried out into the movement of anti-personnel landmines in flood waters. [114370]

None. My Department is keeping the possible requirement for such studies under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people left (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998 and (iv) 1999. [116326]

The total number of people leaving the UK Regular Forces in 1996–99 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the average amount of money that has been expected to have been paid back by service personnel in the last 10 years in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF who have received university education through cadetships and have subsequently left before completion of service; how this sum of money is calculated; and if he will make a statement; [116511](2) how many

I will write to the hon. Member and copies of my letters will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British forces are involved in the proposed joint military exercise with South Korea in June 2000. [116666]

There are no plans for British forces to conduct a joint military exercise with South Korea in June 2000. However, we will be conducting a short maritime exercise with the South Koreans in late August/early September as part of the Naval Task Group Deployment to the Far East (NTG 2000).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice he has issued to the Territorial Army on compliance with the Working Time Directive. [102901]

[holding answer 20 December 1999]:I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 March 2000, Official Report, column 28W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department issued instructions that Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force cadets must not travel in 4-tonne trucks or other military vehicles without seatbelts; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this ruling on (a) cadet training and (b) cadet financing. [107642]

[holding answer 1 February 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 March 2000, Official Report, columns 25-26W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on developments over the last three years in Incapacity Benefit, including (a) the total number of claimants by quarter, (b) the number of appeals and (c) changes in the qualification criteria. [116487]

Information on numbers of claims and appeals is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the tables. There have been no changes to the qualification criteria for Incapacity Benefit in the last three years.We are committed to removing barriers to work. We have introduced the New Deal for Disabled People, funded by £195 million from the Windfall Tax, which is helping disabled people to move into, or remain in, work. From October 1998 we introduced a new rule allowing people who leave incapacity benefits for work to return to their old rate of benefit if they have to stop working and make a reclaim within a year, and we removed the 16 hours a week restriction on voluntary work. In April 1999 we raised the limit on earnings for those doing therapeutic work from £48.00 to £58.00 a week. We are also currently piloting a range of measures to help sick and disabled people to return to work and from next month those on incapacity benefits will be able to take part in Work Trials or Work Placements without losing their benefit entitlement.From 3 April the All Work Test for incapacity benefits will be replaced by the Personal Capability Assessment, which will focus not just on what people cannot do but also on what they are able to do despite their illness or disability; this will help Personal Advisers give people the assistance they need to return to work where that is what they want to do. In the coming year we will also be mailing initiatives to ensure regular contact with people on incapacity benefits to check their circumstances, give benefits advice and offer assistance with a return to work.From April 2001, we will introduce further changes. The contribution conditions for Incapacity Benefit will be modernised to ensure a closer link between benefit entitlement and recent work; some account will be taken of occupational and personal pensions, to reduce duplicate provision between the State and employers or individuals; and people disabled in youth, who have never had the opportunity to work, will be able to qualify for Incapacity Benefit without having made National Insurance contributions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have claimed disability living allowance in each quarter of the last three years. [116554]

The information is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the success rate of applications for Disability Living Allowance has been for (a) schizophrenia sufferers, (b) all categories of people suffering from mental illness and (c) all applicants for each of the most recent five years for which figures are available. [116514]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to improve the time it takes to calculate the state retirement pension for those in their final year of work. [116363]

There are no plans to improve the time it takes to calculate the state retirement pension for those in their final year of work. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 168W, relating to the time scales for processing claims to retirement pension.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) former service personnel and medical auxiliaries and (b) members of their families, have made appeals to the Pensions Appeals Tribunal for compensation due to exposure to radiation from British nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific since 1970; how many have been awarded compensation; how many are awaiting adjudication; and if he will make a statement. [116014]

The administration of War Pensions is a matter for Gordon Hextall, Chief Executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many mothers he estimates will benefit from the Sure Start maternity grant in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster. [116079]

The administration of the Social Fund is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.