To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Environment Agency on a possible extension of the salmon netting season in North-East England. [124985]

Following a debate in the House on 10 November 1999, I undertook to obtain advice from the Environment Agency on the implications of extending the salmon netting season by 20 days in North-East England. I emphasised that I would not wish to proceed with any measure that was not in the interests of salmon conservation. I also sought the Agency's advice on whether additional measures were needed to conserve large salmon in river fisheries in the autumn, particularly in the North-East.I have now received the Agency's advice, which I have accepted. I am placing a copy in the Library of the House. In summary, the Agency has advised that such an extension would substantially increase the level of exploitation of both multi-sea-winter salmon and grilse and would not be in the interests of salmon conservation. The Agency does not believe at present that there is an immediate need for further measures to restrict exploitation by either rods or nets in North-East England, and notes that half of the rod catch in North-East England in 1999 was released. Nevertheless, it will continue to keep the position under review.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much financial assistance has been given to the farming industry from European and UK sources in each year since 1990–91. [123988]

The figures are set out in the table. Most but not all will be transferred to the farming industry. The farming industry also benefits from higher food prices as a result of the CAP, which are paid for by consumers.

EU and UK expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies, 1990–91 to date
	£ million
Year (April/March)	Public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies
1990–91	1,910
1991–92	1,977
1992–93	2,028
1993–94	2,905
1994–95	2,512
1995–96	2,897
1996–97	4,318

EU and UK expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies, 1990–91 to date
	£ million
Year (April/March)	Public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies
1997–98	3,583
1998–99	3,482
1999–20001	3,172
1 Forecast

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of claims under the over-30-months slaughter scheme for the period between 29 April and 25 May 1996 remain unresolved. [123435]

In July 1999, the Agricultural Departments put in place arrangements for the Intervention Board Executive Agency to make ex gratia payments in respect of certain bovine animals, referred to as "Early Casualty Cases". These were casualty animals requiring emergency slaughter on welfare grounds, and which could not be presented onto the Over-30-months Slaughter Scheme between 29 April and 24 May (9 June in Scotland) 1996 solely due to the limited casualty processing facilities then available under the scheme.Applications for Early Casualty Case payment were invited during the period 23 July to 31 August 1999. The Intervention Board received claims for payment on 132 animals put down during the relevant period in 1996, and a written response has been provided to each of these. Therefore, no cases remain unresolved.Payment was made in respect of 115 animals. Eleven were found to be not payable, and six did not respond to requests for further information.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what payments were made under the over-30-months scheme in each month during the past two years. [123411]

The number of animals slaughtered under the OTMS and the amounts of compensation paid in each month over the period are set out in the table. It is not possible to relate directly the compensation paid to the number of animals slaughtered in any month mainly because payments are generally made up to five weeks after the date of slaughter. Apart from the compensation payments, expenditure totalling about £115 million in 1998–99 and £130 million in 1999–2000 was incurred for services such as slaughtering, rendering, incineration, storage and transport.

Year	Animals Slaughtered	Compensation paid (£000)
1998–99
April	63,154	17,058
May	66,980	18,593
June	46,422	17,469
July	53,341	15,030
August	59,063	13,705
September	84,996	21,280
October	100,665	23,282
November	110,831	26,500

Year	Animals slaughtered	Compensation paid (£000)
December	99,073	33,030
January	94,287	22,972
February	70,958	28,938
March	70,092	25,948
1999–20001
April	70,658	16,769
May	60,347	18,489
June	64,213	17,835
July	60,981	16,007
August	65,758	17,723
September	84,743	15,662
October	104,612	25,504
November	127,187	27,391
December	96,509	23,454
January	99,637	26,471
February	88,452	30,988
March	83,247	28,626
1 Provisional

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contact Ministers or officials have had during the last 12 months with the United States Department of Agriculture with the aim of lifting the ban on UK beef exports. [123136]

[holding answer 22 May 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Minister raised the issue of the lifting of the US import ban on UK beef during his visit to the USA in February. The Chief Veterinary Officer and officials from our Embassy in Washington DC have also lobbied for the lifting of the US ban. The USA currently bans the import of beef from all European Union countries.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to introduce the outgoer and ongoer elements of the pig industry restructuring scheme; and what projection has been made of the funds to be allocated to each element in each of the three years of the overall scheme. [122990]

[holding answer 22 May 2000]: Under state aid rules, the European Commission must approve the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (PIRS) before it can be introduced. To begin that process, the scheme was formally notified to the Commission on 30 March. The Commission has since carried out its initial study of the scheme and raised a number of questions; my officials have already answered these. The outgoers element of the scheme will be introduced as soon as possible following Commission approval. At present we are working towards introducing the ongoers element in early autumn. The outgoers scheme will operate using a sealed bid system, with the expectation that a good proportion of the £26 million plus the additional funds for which bids have been made will be available for the ongoers element.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement on GMOs and conventional crops of 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 473, whether any of the genetically-modified seeds contained the terminator gene. [123543]

[holding answer 24 May 2000]: The genetically modified oilseed rape variety in question (RT73) does not contain the terminator gene.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will reply to the letter dated 21 February from the hon. Member for Stafford concerning Alex Nixon. [123773]

I replied to the letter from my hon. Friend on 11 May 2000.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of small incinerators used on farms. [123653]

My Department has made no such estimate. I understand that the National Farmers' Union considers the number to be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000, but precise information is not available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies his Department is conducting into the relationship of cattle movements to the possible spread of bovine TB. [123909]

The risk factors which may increase the likelihood of TB infection in cattle herds, including any relationship between cattle movements and the spread of the disease, is being studied through the analysis of epidemiological data. These data are being collected by MAFF through a detailed survey of farms with TB outbreaks.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statistics relating to the responsibilities of his Department are collated by parliamentary constituency, indicating the dates covered in each case. [123841]

[holding answer 25 May 2000]: Statistics from the annual June Census of Agriculture and Horticulture have recently been collated by parliamentary constituency. Our intentions are to place the information in the House of Commons data library.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what conclusions he has reached about the future of the regional service centres and the Intervention Board Agency; and what are the resulting changes in location and employment. [123897]

No decisions have been made on the future of the Ministry's Regional Service Centres (RSCs) or the Intervention Board Executive Agency (IBEA) following the recent review of CAP scheme administration.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what monitoring the Food Standards Agency has undertaken of the number of people suffering an adverse reaction to aspartame; and how many cases have so far been reported of such a reaction, broken down by symptoms suffered. [124085]

I have been asked to reply.The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment will be publishing shortly a review of adverse reactions to food and food ingredients, including food additives. Their report discusses the difficulties in establishing the true incidence and prevalence of these reactions and attributing an adverse reaction to a specific food or food ingredient. Additionally, the Food Standards Agency has recently commissioned a feasibility study of methods to monitor potential adverse reactions to novel foods and the outcome of this will help to establish whether, and if so in what form, a practical monitoring system might be established. A copy of the COT's report will be placed in the Library as soon as it becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish his Department's Estate Strategy. [124931]

"In Trust and On Trust", the Strategy for the Defence Estate, will be published tomorrow, meeting the commitment made by my Department following the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and it will also be placed on the worldwide web.The Ministry of Defence has consulted closely with voluntary sector organisations who have an interest in the defence estate and with the Government's statutory advisers. The Strategy will deliver a more efficient and effective estate and will serve to ensure that Ministry of Defence targets resources to the estate in the most effective way. This is a far-reaching document which will be of benefit to all those with an interest in Ministry of Defence's estate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his letter of 25 January, D/US of S/PK PQ0057K/00/M, what are the total life revenue and capital costs of the CHOTS project since conception, including upgrades one through eight; what further upgrades have been planned since March 1999; what are their estimated costs and completion dates; and if he will make a statement. [123647]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Communication Services Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions coalition aircraft patrolling the northern no-fly zone in Iraq released ordnance between 1 April 1991 and 16 December 1998 and (b) 20 December 1998 to date, stating in percentage terms (i) the nature of the threat, (ii) the category of the target attacked and (iii) the tonnage of ordnance released on each category of target in proportion to the overall tonnage released in those periods. [122846]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: I am withholding detailed information on the activities of other allies in accordance with Part II Section 1.c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The UK has never released ordnance over the northern no-fly zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions coalition aircraft patrolling (a) the northern and (b) the southern no-fly zone in Iraq hit targets other than the intended target between (i) 1 April 1991 and 16 December 1998 and (ii) 20 December 1998 to date, stating what percentage this formed of overall attacks during those periods. [122848]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: The coalition only ever targets, in self-defence, Iraqi military facilities that pose a threat to its forces carrying out legitimate patrols of the no-fly zones. The coalition goes to exceptional lengths to ensure that the right target is hit, including the employment of very strict target clearance procedures and precision guided munitions. We conduct painstaking battle damage assessment after every bomb is dropped. For these reasons we are confident that, in the vast majority of cases, released ordnance by coalition aircraft lands on, or very close to, its intended target.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total tonnage of ordnance released by coalition aircraft in operations to maintain (a) the southern and (b) the northern no-fly-zones in Iraq between (i) 1 August 1992 and 16 December 1998 and (ii) 20 December 1998 to date; and what is the monthly average in each of these periods. [122844]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: I am withholding detailed information on the activities of other allies in accordance with Part II Section 1.c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.Between 1 August 1992 and 16 December 1998, UK aircraft released 2.5 tons of ordnance over the southern no-fly zone at an average of 0.025 tons per month. We do not have sufficiently detailed records of coalition activity over this period to estimate what percentage of the coalition total this represents.Between 20 December 1998 and 17 May 2000, UK aircraft released 78 tons of ordnance over the southern no-fly zones, at an average of 5 tons per month. This figure represents approximately 20 per cent. of the coalition total for this period.The UK has never released ordnance over the northern no-fly zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of coalition aircraft responding to threats in (a) the northern and (b) the southern no-fly-zone in Iraq between (i) 1 April 1991 and 16 December 1998 and (ii) 20 December 1998 to date through (A) collateral damage, (B) attack on an unintended target and (C) malfunction of ordnance; and what percentage of attacks in the no-fly-zones resulted in civilian casualties in those periods. [122845]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: The coalition only ever targets, in self-defence, Iraqi military facilities that pose a threat to its forces carrying out legitimate patrols of the no-fly zones. The coalition goes to exceptional lengths to ensure civilian casualties are kept to the absolute minimum possible, including the employment of very carefully controlled targeting procedures and precision guided munitions.In practice, it is extremely difficult to give estimates of civilian casualties, despite the painstaking battle-damage assessment (BDA) that the coalition routinely carries out every time ordnance is released. However, we can demonstrate categorically that many of the Iraqi claims of civilian casualties are either exaggerated or wholly untrue. On a number of occasions the Iraqis have claimed that coalition aircraft have caused civilian casualties when allied aircraft have not released any munitions, or even been flying. The most recent example of this was on 17 May this year, when it seems very probable that the civilian casualties which the Iraqis claimed were caused by coalition activities, were in fact caused by an Iraqi air defence weapon. There have also been many instances when the Iraqis claimed civilians have been killed, where our BDA has clearly indicated that only military facilities were attacked.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions coalition aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly-zone in Iraq released ordnance between (a) 1 August 1992 and 16 December 1998 and (b) 20 December 1998 to date, stating in percentage terms (i) the nature of the threat, (ii) the category of the target attacked and (iii) the tonnage of ordnance released on each category of target in proportion to the overall tonnage released in those periods. [122847]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: I am withholding detailed information on the activities undertaken by allies under Part II Section 1.c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.Between 1 August 1992 and 16 December 1998, UK aircraft released ordnance over the southern no-fly zone on two occasions. The nature of the threat on both occasions was hostile electronic activity. In both cases, ordnance was directed against elements of Iraq's Ground Based Air Defence Systems, posing a direct threat to coalition forces.Between 20 December 1998 and 17 May 2000 coalition aircraft were directly threatened by the Iraqi air defence forces on over 320 occasions. Aircraft responded in self-defence on 74 occasions against Iraqi military facilities posing a direct threat to coalition forces. Details of these threats, broken down by percentage, are as follows:

	Percentage
Nature of threat
Aircraft violations of southern no-fly zone	51
Anti-aircraft artillery/surface to air missile firings	45
Hostile electronic activity	4
Category of target attacked
Ground based air defence system	95
Other military systems posing a direct threat to coalition forces	5
Tonnage of weapons released
Ground based air defence system	92
Other military systems posing a direct threat to coalition forces	8

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the Commander for British Forces in charge of (a) Operation Bolton, (b) Operation Warden and (c) preceding operations to maintain the no-fly zones in Iraq has requested authority from his Department to attack a target between (i) 1 April 1991 and 16 December 1998 and (ii) 20 December 1998 to date, stating in each case (A) the date of request, (B) the category of the target, (C) whether authority was given and (D) whether the target was attacked. [122849]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: Commanders of British Forces operating over the Iraqi no-fly zones receive a directive from CJO that gives them highly detailed levels of delegated authority for target clearance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what request his Department made to the US Government on the sale of training and logistics support to back up the lease of four Boeing C17 Transport Aircraft; what is the cost to his Department of this support and over what time it would run; and if he will make a statement. [124555]

Further to my statement of 16 May 2000 in which I announced that it is our intention to lease four C-17 Globemaster aircraft to meet the Royal Air Force short to medium term airlift requirement: following termination of the original Short Term Strategic Airlift competition on 5 August 1999, the Ministry of Defence explored a number of options. These included discussions with Boeing and the US Government on ways of reducing the cost of meeting the RAF's requirement with a possible C-17 lease package. These discussions focused on the most cost-effective means of providing training and logistic support. Following our decision to lease four C-17 aircraft, a UK/US Government agreement has now been signed to provide C-17 training and training support services for the programme at an approximate cost of £8 million. A similar agreement will be put in place to cover the logistic support for the aircraft, but the details, including final costs, have yet to be agreed. Both agreements are expected to run for the full term of the aircraft lease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what persons are to be disciplined as a result of the events surrounding the death of Army cadet Claire Louise Shore; [124356]

There has been a thorough investigation into this tragic incident by the Ministry of Defence Police, the Army's Training Accident Investigation Team and the Health and Safety Executive. The evidence from these investigations has been considered by the Crown Prosecution Service and by the Army chain of command and it has been found to be insufficient to support a prosecution under civil or military law, nor do they reveal any grounds for disciplinary action against any individual. They do, however, make criticisms of the organisation of the cadet camp and the training safety procedures. The Army accepts these criticisms and will accept the formal censure to be issued later this month. Action is in hand to improve these procedures.The Army's Board of Inquiry has not yet been completed. On completion, the Army will be happy to give a copy to Claire Shore's parents and to de-brief them in person.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military bases in the United Kingdom where foreign nationals are based, indicating in each case, the (a) nationality and (b) number of individuals involved. [123759]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: 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 Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have qualified for the bonus payments for overseas deployment under the recently introduced procedures; what delays in making these payments to service personnel there have been, and for what reason; how many claims are outstanding; and if he will make a statement. [124476]

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 Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to date of the work carried out to develop the Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle Platform; what was the total budget provision and completion date for development and trials; and if he will make a statement. [124540]

The total cost to the MOD of the Advanced Composite Armoured Vehicle Platform is expected to be £6 million, which is within the total budget provision when the programme started in 1993. The initial automotive trials have been successful and the development and trials process is expected to be complete in October 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 May 2000, Official Report, column 462W, concerning the Metropolitan Police investigation of Mr. Liam Clarke, what were the times and occasions when complaints were made by him to the Metropolitan Police Service concerning alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Acts following the publication of articles in The Sunday Times concerning interviews by Liam Clarke and Martin Ingram. [124678]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: At a meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service on 8 September 1999 my Department raised its concerns that a breach of the Official Secrets Act may have been committed by Martin Ingram. Subsequent investigations have been a matter for the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what price the site of the former wireless transmitter station at Stubbington was sold. [124682]

The price was £2.085 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Lord Chancellor's Department concerning the future of rural magistrates courts; and if he will make a statement. [124426]

I have had no such discussions with the Lord Chancellor.The Government consider that magistrates courts are best managed locally by magistrates courts committees under the provision of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997. Decisions concerning the future of magistrates courts in Wales, whether rural or urban, are for the relevant magistrates courts committee to determine, in consultation with the paying authority or authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her plans for provision of bilateral development assistance to Pakistan. [124773]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards restoring the bilateral aid programme to Pakistan. [124564]

I have agreed to provide technical assistance to assist the Administration to prepare some of the key reforms which would enable the UK and multilateral institutions to re-engage in Pakistan.

To ask the Prime Minister which (a) Departments and (b) Ministers will represent the Government at the forthcoming OSPAR convention in Copenhagen on 26 June. [124242]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The annual meeting of the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic will be held on 26 to 30 June. It is a meeting of officials from the Contracting Parties to the OSPAR Convention, which Ministers would not normally expect to attend.Although the exact composition of the UK delegation has yet to be finalised, I understand it is likely to comprise officials from DETR and DTI.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of Greek participation in the Schengen Agreement on the future level of illegal immigration to Western European states by Albanian nationals; and what recent representations he has made on this issue. [123629]

The evaluation of Greece's readiness to participate in Schengen arrangements was made by the existing Schengen stales, which did not include the United Kingdom. That evaluation covered the question of security of Greece's external frontiers. The Schengen arrangements, as incorporated within Treaty structures, provide for a continuing process of evaluation by participating states of adherence to the Schengen acquis, including the maintenance of the external frontiers of the Schengen area. The United Kingdom's participation in the Schengen agreement does not include external frontier arrangements and our participation in the evaluation process is limited to those areas in which we will ourselves participate. We shall continue to operate our own controls to tackle illegal immigration in the way that best suits our national circumstances. The Government have not, therefore, made any representations on this issue to European Union partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will compile a list of those (a) elements of acquis, (b) working documents and (c) reports, pertaining to Schengen, to which his Department has to date not had access. [123622]

We have had access to all the Schengen acquis as defined in Council Decision 1999/435/EC. Since the incorporation of the acquis into the Treaty on European Union, the United Kingdom as a member of the Council sees all Council working documents and reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from Kosovo came to the United Kingdom under the United Nations humanitarian and medical evacuation programmes; how many are still in the United Kingdom; how many have claimed political asylum; and if he will make a statement. [123791]

A total of 4,346 evacuees from Kosovo arrived in the United Kingdom under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Humanitarian Evacuation Programme from Macedonia between 25 April and 25 June 1999, including 19 medical evacuees and their families. A further 109 Kosovans (26 patients with their immediate family members) have, so far, arrived on subsequent medical evacuation flights from Kosovo.As of 1 June, 1,527 of the evacuees had returned permanently to Kosovo under the voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom which began on 26 July 1999.Since March 2000, 241 principal applicants have sought an extension of exceptional leave to enter, 79 have applied for asylum and 90 have applied for both exceptional leave and asylum. These applications are currently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for clearance to the United Kingdom there were in each of the last three years; and, of these, how many were (a) granted, (b) rejected on the grounds of Rule 320(18) of the UK Immigration Rules and (c) accepted despite the individual having relatively serious criminal convictions which would normally result in the application being rejected under Rule 320(18) of the UK Immigration Rules. [123584]

Information on total grants and refusals of entry clearance applications overseas is given in Table 1. I regret that the other entry clearance information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Only some nationalities and categories of person need to obtain entry clearance prior to arrival in the United Kingdom. Information is available on persons refused leave to enter at United Kingdom ports and removed where the principal reason for the decision was taken under paragraph 320(18) of the Immigration Rules, and is given in Table 2. Information is not available on cases where the discretion allowed under the Rule is exercised, either with regard to applications for entry clearance or leave to enter.

Table 1. Decisions on entry clearance applications made worldwide
Thousand
Year	Applications granted	Applications refused initially
1997	1,284	81
1998	1,304	85
1999	1,515	100

Table 2. Passengers refused leave to enter because of a criminal conviction and removed
Year	Number of passengers
1997	16
1998	15
1999	27

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to assess the number of persons detained at ports under anti-terrorism powers for less than an hour and variations year by year in the frequency of stops that fall short of the minimum duration required for the purposes of the formal recording process; if the Independent Assessor has powers and resources available to advertise his address in the Irish community press to facilitate making contact with individuals who may have relevant experiences to relate; and what measures he will take to form an independent assessment of the effect and perceptions of emergency legislation among the travelling public and Irish community in particular. [123957]

The Independent Review of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 has access to and speaks to the National Co-ordinator of Ports Policing who oversees the exercise of police port powers including any variations in the number of people examined.Resources are available to the Reviewer to conduct his annual review in the manner he thinks best, which can include placing advertisements in the Irish community press. It will be for any future Reviewer of the counter-terrorist legislation to decide the most appropriate consultation process and whether to invite specifically the travelling public to make known their particular experiences at ports.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were serving sentences under section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 on 1 April for each year since 1997; and how many of them were serving their sentences in (a) local authority secure accommodation, and (b) Young Offenders Institutions. [123937]

The available information for offenders serving sentences under section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 in Prison Service accommodation is for the end of June each year. It is as follows:

Year
1997	759
1998	856
1999	862
2000	873

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made on the repatriation of Liam Grogan to the Republic of Ireland, to serve the remainder of his sentence there. [123913]

A decision regarding Mr. Grogan's application for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland will be made as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reform the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964. [124177]

The Government keep the obscenity laws under general review and are determined to ensure that they remain effective in protecting the rights and freedoms of different people to have access to, and to be protected from, certain types of material. The Obscene Publications Act 1959 continues to provide a flexible regulatory tool, applying equally now to material published on the internet as it does to other media. Data for 1998 show that the Act continues to be effective with 196 prosecutions under the Act, 176 of which led to convictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has (a) to review the effectiveness of the Video Recordings Act 1984 and (b) to ensure the public accountability of the British Board of Film Classification and the Video Appeals Committee. [124178]

The Video Recordings Act 1984 requires that all videos, apart from a small category of exempt works, must be submitted to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for classification. I am satisfied that, in general, the Act provides an effective means of regulating material released on video. I am concerned, however, about the implications of a recent High Court judgment for the small category of videos classified as suitable for sale only in licensed sex shops to those aged 18 and above (Restricted (18) videos).On 16 May, the High Court dismissed the BBFC's application for Judicial Review in respect of appeals against their decision not to classify seven sexually explicit videos in the Restricted 18 (R18) category. The Board had focused their application for Judicial Review on the possible harm which the videos might cause to potential viewers, particularly children. I am considering the implications of the Court's decision and intend to publish a Consultation Paper shortly to seek views on whether there are any additional steps that can be taken to protect children from exposure to sexually explicit material.Under the Video Recordings Act 1984, I am responsible for designating the authority responsible for classifying videos. I have so designated the President and the two Vice-Presidents of the BBFC. The designated authority is required to submit an annual report to me, which is then laid before both Houses of Parliament. I laid the report for 1999 on 24 May. Since his appointment as President of the BBFC, Andreas Whittam Smith has held two series of 'roadshows' in cities around the country as part of a dialogue with the public on classification policy. The Board is also conducting separate research surveys about its classification policy with members of the public.The Video Appeals Committee is responsible for considering appeals by distributors against the decisions of the BBFC. It contributes to the Board's Annual Report which contains a section on the appeals they have considered together with a list of all its members. Appeal hearings are also open to members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average c lass size in secondary schools in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames for each year since 1979. [123133]

The information requested is shown in the following table. The latest provisional estimates for January 2000 show that as few as 0.9 per cent. of pupils were in one teacher classes of over 35 pupils in maintained secondary schools in Kingston upon Thames local education authority area.Provisional national estimates of class sizes in maintained secondary schools in England were published in Statistical First Release "Class sizes in maintained schools in England: January 2000" on 14 April 2000. Information by local education authority area has been placed in the Library.The element within the Kingston upon Thames SSA which relates to secondary pupils of compulsory school age has risen from £19.44 million in 1997–98 to £22.70 million in 2000–01. Over the same period, funding per secondary pupil of compulsory school age in the local education authority has increased in real terms from £3,010 to £3,300. It is open to Kingston upon Thames to use some of these increased resources to employ extra teachers.In addition, schools in Kingston upon Thames received a total of £791,000 in direct grants in May 2000 as their share of the £290 million funding increase that was announced in the Budget of 21 March 2000.

Average class sizes taught by one teacher in maintained secondary schools in the local education authority area of Kingston upon Thames: 1979–2000 (provisional)
Position as at January
Year	Number of pupils	Number of classes	Average class size
2000	7,970	366	21.8
1999	7,551	359	21.0
1998	7,584	361	21.0
1997	7,695	381	20.2
1996	7,563	375	20.2
1995	7,238	362	20.0
1994	6,844	334	20.5
1993	6,947	352	19.7
1992	6,849	361	19.0
1991	6,424	346	18.6
1990	6,192	338	18.3
1989	6,440	356	18.1
1988	6,797	360	18.9
1987	6,846	346	19.8
1986	7,262	387	18.8
1985	7,864	396	19.9
1984	8,132	407	20.0
1983	8,479	407	20.8
1982	8,641	430	20.1
1981	8,728	425	20.5
1980	8,836	440	20.1
1979	8,685	432	20.1

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many further education college lecturers transferred from the furthered education sector to the maintained schools sector in 1999–2000. [124173]

Data on the movement of teachers from the further education sector to the maintained school sector are not available for 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list (a) the funding made available in each of the last five years through the Standards Fund to help LEAs with the costs of training teachers of children with special educational needs, including training leading to the mandatory qualifications and (b) the amount and the proportion of that funding spent on mandatory training for teachers of the deaf for each of the last five years; [124466](2) what guidance his Department gives to the Standards Fund to ensure adequate resources are available for mandatory training for teachers of the deaf; [124467](3) what mechanisms are

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: Expenditure supported under the Standards Fund relating to training teachers and others in special educational needs over the last five years has been as follows.

Year	£ million
1996–97	20
1997–98	17
1998–99	18
1999–00	21
2000–01	26

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effect of the new financial arrangements on teacher recruitment in 2000–01; and if such arrangements will be available next year. [124510]

Since the announcement of the new financial arrangements for teacher training, there have been 4,004 applications for courses of postgraduate initial teacher training, 27 per cent. more than in the same period last year.Expenditure plans for 2001–02 and beyond are dependent on the outcome of the current Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many school pupils suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome have statements of special educational needs. [124625]

This information is not available. However, a medical diagnosis of Guillain Barré Syndrome would not necessarily imply that the child has special educational needs. For most children with this syndrome, education provision will be made in line with the Department's guidance on the education of sick children, through to recovery. Special Educational Needs provision would, of course, be made for any child with significant learning difficulties caused by relapsing Guillain Barré Syndrome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place in the Library audited accounts of education action zones to date. [124662]

The Comptroller and Auditor General has so far placed audited financial accounts for the 1998–99 financial year in both Libraries of Parliament for 15 of the first round zones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of the population lives (a) within one mile of and (b) over three miles from a primary school in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas. [124670]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: It is not possible to answer the question as there are no centrally held data available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what performance target levels will be set to ensure that the Employment Service achieves its aims and objectives in 2000–01. [124920]

The Aim of the Employment Service is to help people without jobs to find work and employers to fill their vacancies. The Service makes a major contribution to an efficient and flexible labour market and to the Government's objectives of high and stable employment and growth, equality of opportunity and social inclusion. Its chief priority is to help individuals facing particular difficulty in the labour market to move from welfare and economic inactivity into sustainable employment. During the coming year it will be taking forward an ambitious programme of technological change and business improvement and will be preparing for the merger with the Benefits Agency in 2001.I am today announcing the targets I have set the Employment Service for 2000–01, which relate to its four key objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress being made on the appointment of a Chair for the Learning and Skills Council. [124919]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has today appointed Bryan Sanderson as the Chairman (designate) of the Learning and Skills Council. Mr. Sanderson is currently Group Managing Director of BP Amoco plc and Chief Executive of BP Amoco Chemicals. Subject to the successful passage of the Learning and Skills Bill in Parliament, the appointment will be confirmed in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Industry Council held in Brussels on 18 May; and if he will make a statement. [123439]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe represented the UK at the EU Industry Council held on 18 May.The Council had a debate on competitiveness, focusing on the follow-up actions from the Lisbon European Council and broad consensus was reached on the challenges ahead. There was agreement that the new Multi-Annual Programme should concentrate resources where they could benefit SMEs generally and should be adopted by the end of this year. There was also widespread support from member states for adoption at the Feira European Council on 19–20 June of a European Charter for Small Firms with concrete targets and actions.Several delegations pointed out the need to benchmark Europe's performance against the best in the world to foster a new enterprise policy and the need for greater co-ordination of all the current EU benchmarking exercises.The Commission introduced the results of the second report on the situation in world shipbuilding, highlighting the continued problems faced with Korea, and progress made on the "Agreed Minutes" with Korea in an attempt to address this situation. It was agreed that discussion should continue with Korea as a matter of urgency on unfair trade practices and that continuation of operating aid beyond the end of this year in the EU would not resolve these problems. The Council asked the Commission to make a further report by the end of September.The Commission reported on follow up to the conclusions on integrating sustainable development into EU policy which were agreed at the Helsinki European Council last year and its recent communication on integrating sustainable development into the EU non-energy mining industry.The Commission gave progress reports on the modernisation of competition rules, the impact of electronic commerce on the automotive industry and the future of the European Observatory for Textile and Clothing. It also presented its: eighth survey of state aid; twenty ninth report on competition; monitoring report on restructuring aid to the steel sector.The Council adopted conclusions on: information and communication technologies and traditional sectors; the state of competitiveness of the steel industry in the EU; and concerted action with the member states in the field of enterprise policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to strengthen the arrangements in place to protect consumers from fraudulent claims made in advertisements, with particular reference to the penalties which can be brought to bear on those making such claims; and if he will make a statement. [124084]

I am satisfied that the 1988 Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations, together with the self-regulatory system operated by the Advertising Standards Authority for advertisements in the non-broadcast media, are effective in controlling misleading advertising in the United Kingdom.In respect of false or misleading claims more generally, the White Paper "Modern Markets: Confident Consumers" announced that the Government are considering strengthening the Trade Descriptions Act 1968—which applies to both advertisements and on-pack claims—by making misleading claims about services an offence of strict liability, as is already the case for goods, and by introducing new provisions to cover the future supply of services and false or misleading statements made by traders about a consumer's own property—for example the need for remedial work. The Trade Descriptions Act includes criminal penalties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy towards promoting gender balance in research, with particular reference to those areas funded by European Community moneys, following the ETAN report of the European Parliament. [123649]

The Government are very keen to increase the participation of women in research. The Promoting SET for Women Unit, within the DTI works with the Research Councils, the Higher Education Funding Councils, the Wellcome Trust and the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals to encourage more women to apply for research funds and for membership of the Framework programme expert and advisory bodies. The Unit Head is a member of a Commission working group to help achieve these aims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the OECD peer group review of the UK concerning the OECD convention on bribery. [123974]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The Phase 1 evaluation report of the UK under the OECD Convention on Combating the Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions will be made public, along with the reports of all other countries so far reviewed, at the OECD Ministerial meeting at the end of June, as agreed by OECD members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Ethnic Minority Business Forum will address the needs of the ethnic minority business community. [124384]

My Department is setting up an ethnic minority business forum so that we can find out at first hand the particular needs and concerns of ethnic minority entrepreneurs. With the benefit of the experience of members of the Forum, we hope we will be able to better tailor our policies and support to overcome these concerns and improve the competitiveness of this important sector of our economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to introduce legislation on late payment of accounts by companies. [124749]

The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 was introduced on 1 November 1998 and provides businesses with a statutory right to claim interest on late payment of commercial debt. The legislation is phased and for the first two years—1 November 1998 to 31 October 2000—small businesses can claim interest from large businesses and the public sector.The Government propose to extend the right to claim interest from 1 November 2000 to 31 October 2002, so that small businesses will also be able to claim interest from other small businesses on debts incurred under contracts agreed after that date. From 1 November 2002 it is proposed that all businesses and the public sector will be able to claim interest from all businesses and the public sector on debts incurred under contracts agreed after that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988; and if he will make a statement. [124674]

My Department is undertaking research to evaluate whether the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 have been successful in reducing the number of lives lost and serious injuries suffered as a result of furniture fires.I plan to publish this research at the end of June 2000 and copies will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the second stage tests to be available in the North East of England for chronic bronchitis and emphysema under the miners compensation schemes. [123760]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The two spirometry centres based in Newcastle and Durham have been converted to carry out in full the Medical Assessment Process and the first MAP appointments have now been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to increase funding for research leading to innovation in public bodies and private companies. [124494]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The Government's first Comprehensive Spending Review resulted in an additional £1.0 billion support over three years for the public science and engineering base. A unique partnership with the Wellcome Trust increased this to £1.4 billion, of which £0.75 billion has been used to renew university research infrastructure through the Joint Infrastructure Fund. In addition the DTI's Innovation Budget is being increased by some 20 per cent. over three years to fund a number of programmes designed to drive forward a fundamental change in innovation performance in the UK. This includes for example the Smart scheme which supports R&D activities in private small and medium-sized companies and is being expanded and extended over the period 1999–2002, and the technology transfer scheme known as TCS, for which DTI is doubling its expenditure.These and other relevant schemes are being considered in the current Spending Review. The Government are also working toward publishing a Science and Innovation White Paper later this year, which will set out our policies in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is in respect of the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. [124232]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The Government's policy on spent fuel management is set out in United Kingdom Civil Nuclear Policy Including Plutonium, which was presented to the House in January 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set the Employment Tribunals Service for 2000–01. [125066]

I have set the following targets for the Employment Tribunals Service for 2000–01:

to bring to a first hearing at least 85 per cent. of single employment tribunal cases within 26 weeks of receipt;

in relation to the above target, all employment tribunal offices to achieve at least 75 per cent.;

to issue at least 85 per cent. of decisions within four weeks of the final hearing;

to reduce administrative unit costs in the employment tribunals by 5 per cent. in real terms;

at least 85 per cent. of employment tribunal users to express satisfaction, in surveys, with the service offered by ETS;

at least 90 per cent. of appeals registered by the Employment Appeal Tribunal for preliminary hearing to be ready for listing within six weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce the membership of the Postal Services Commission. [125067]

Mr. Robin Aaronson, Mr. Tony Cooper, Ms Julia Kaufmann OBE, Ms Janet Lewis-Jones, and Mr. Ken Olisa are b sing appointed as members of the Postal Services Commission. They start work immediately. It is anticipated that they will be appointed as members of the statutory body of the same name that is expected to be created following the passing of the Postal Services Bill currently before Parliament. The appointment of the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Graham Corbett CBE, was announced on 16 March and that of the Chief Executive, Mr. Martin Stanley, on 15 January. This completes the membership of the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what use he has made of the report entitled "Cleaning, Up? Stimulating Innovation in Environmental Technology", produced by POST in respect of his Department's support for the Joint Environmental Market Unit's work on promoting British clean technology commerce; and if he will circulate the report to British Embassies. [122816]

As the report has only just been published, my officials will consider with other Departments its implications for the promotion of UK exports of environmental technology. More generally, I am keen to make full use of our Missions overseas in promoting such exports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the single currency games shown in InfEuro Number 14, the Commission newsletter, were created with the assistance of the European Community; and if he will make a statement. [123619]

The single currency games referred to by the hon. Member were the result of the work of the children and teachers of the "Nos Enfants" school in Brussels, as well as the "Informer et Enseigner L'Europe et la Democratie", the "Orrizonti" company and the Economic and Social Committee. The project received funding from the Commission, Generale de Banque, Instituto Bancario San Paolo die Iorino and Mouvement E Leclerc, as well as the support of the European Parliament, Credit Mutuel, and the Fondation du Credit Mutuel pour la Lecture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he made during discussions on the agreement of the Lomé Peace Accord on Sierra Leone, with respect to the (a) freeing of, (b) participation in politics of and (c) rescinding the death penalty passed on Foday Sankoh; [123608](2) if he will make a statement on his role in the establishment of the Lomé Peace Accord on Sierra Leone. [123606]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 23 May 2000, Official Report, column 413W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which three member states, referred to in the document, "Treaty of Amsterdam: What has Changed in Europe", have indicated a preference for extension of QMV before enlargement. [123616]

"Treaty of Amsterdam: What Has Changed In Europe" was published by the Education and Culture Unit of the Commission. Therefore, I refer the hon. Member to the office of the Commission in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer of 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 30W, on EU working groups, if he will make it his policy to ensure the maximum transparency for (a) draft documents without negotiating position commentary and (b) issues under discussion at European Union working group level. [123631]

We will ensure that all documents being prepared in European Union working groups for decision by the Council will be submitted to Parliament in accordance with the established procedures for Parliamentary scrutiny.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European Community documents were examined by EU working groups in the last 12 months; and, of these, how many were advanced as draft legislation. [123610]

There is no comprehensive record of European Community documents examined in 1999. However, there were 43 pieces of legislation enacted by the Council and European Parliament in 1999. In addition, 284 legislative instruments were adopted by the Council, and 1,413 by the Commission. Draft versions of all of these will have been discussed either by Council working groups or Comitology committees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on democratic accountability within European Community working groups. [123609]

Working groups are attended by national civil servants, who work within policies established by Government Ministers, who are themselves directly and democratically accountable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to endorse the funding from European Community funds of organisations which exist to lobby the European Community; and if he will make a statement with particular reference to budget line A-3021. [123607]

The funding supported by this budget line is financed from the Commission's administrative budget. This funding is long established and is supported by the European Parliament and individual member states where the organisations are located. The UK, however, seeks to keep such expenditure as low as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 48W, if he will define Management of European Integration, with reference to the inclusion or otherwise of political education on the future shape of the EU. [123630]

As stated in my previous reply, the EIPA supports the practical management of European integration through the provision of training, applied research and consultancy at a European level. The EIPA provides training, research and consultancy services for national and local governments to assist them in the implementation of EU legislation and guidance. Courses are either issue-specific (covering such issues as implementing better procurement practices or internal market legislation) or generic (for example, examining the European legislative process). Courses are practical and do not include political education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those opinion formers who received free copies of Cm 4595; if they were sent copies without requesting them; what (a) deputations and (b) correspondence he received from opinion formers following receipt of Cm 4595; and if he will make a statement. [123612]

Copies of Cm 4595 have been sent to numerous opinion formers in the UK. Posts overseas have also distributed copies as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer of 11 May 2000, Official Report, columns 452–53W, on Friends of Europe, if the Friends of Europe event charged for admission; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the subsidising of fund raising events by such bodies. [123633]

Admission to the Friends of Europe event referred to was free. This was not a fund-raising event but a joint event aimed at widening discussion on contemporary European policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit copies of European Commission DG newsletters in the Library in a readily accessible format. [123627]

Those Commission newsletters intended for outside distribution are already readily accessible on the Commission's website (www.europa.eu.int).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) activities and (b) public funding arrangements of Informer et Enseigner l'Europe et la Democratie, with particular reference to its role in the UK. [123620]

We have no involvement with this organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EU funding is awarded to the European Federation of Retired and Elderly Persons. [123651]

The Commission's funding of such grants is published annually in its "Report on Beneficiaries of Part A Commission Grants". This report is freely available on the Commission's website www.europa.eu.int.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on India's gaining a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council; for what reasons this policy has changed; and if he will make a statement. [123727]

We are committed to early enlargement of both the permanent and the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, including the creation of a new permanent seat for the Asian regional group. We continue to maintain that it would be for the Asian group to decide who would occupy any permanent seat allocated to them. India would clearly be a strong contender. Our policy on this is unchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 111W, on the Intergovernmental Conference, how many copies of Cm 4595 have been distributed free; and how many were available for sale. [123908]

My Department has distributed numerous free copies to opinion formers. The Stationery Office Ltd., who publish Command Papers under a contract administered by HMSO, are responsible for fixing the total print run. Initially, they printed 800 copies for sale but have since reprinted a further 200 copies to meet demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for visit visas made in (a) India and (b) Pakistan were refused from 1 January to 30 April; and how many of the refused applications gave the reason for seeking entry as (i) attending a family funeral, (ii) attending a family wedding and (iii) visiting a seriously ill relative. [124462]

The number of visit visa applications refused between 1 January and 30 April 2000 were as follows:

	Number
India
Bombay	1,820
Calcutta	32
Madras	449
New Delhi	3,251
Pakistan
Islamabad	2,224
Karachi	1,392

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last held discussions with representatives of the Governments of (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea about the war between these two countries; and if he will make a statement. [124499]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: As I told the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 25 May 2000, Official Report, column 577W, I last spoke to the Ethiopian Ambassador on 23 May about the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, when I strongly criticised Ethiopia's resumption of fighting with Eritrea.I will discuss the conflict with the recently arrived Eritrean Ambassador when he makes his introductory call on me on 8 June. I will reiterate our strong belief that only a negotiated settlement will bring a lasting peace to the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his arms policy towards (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea. [124501]

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Mr. Roy) on 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 223W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about environmental degradation of the mangrove swamp in the central area of Grand Cayman. [123000]

I have received a copy of a recent report from the Cayman Islands National Trust to the Governor of the Cayman Islands. This expresses concern that the Environmental Protection Fees have not been used to purchase areas of the central mangrove wetlands. It also raises the issue of an area of mangrove recently removed as part of a hotel development project. I have asked the Governor to send me a report on both issues and will write to my hon. Friend when that report is received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the key buildings for which his Department (a) submitted and (b) did not submit green transport plans by March. [122609]

[holding answer 18 May 2000]: Key buildings are those with more than 50 staff where the Department is the main occupier. My Department has no buildings in this category and has not submitted green transport plans. We shall however be considering transport arrangements for the building s we occupy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what reports he has received about the United States Government's proposals to ban the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether as a petrol additive within three years; and if he will make a statement; [123446](2) what recent discussions his Department has held with counterparts in the United States on methyl tertiary butyl ether; and if he will make a statement. [123447]

No reports have been received from the United States Government. However, officials are in regular contact with their US counterparts and discuss issues such as MTBE. We are aware of the issues surrounding its use in the United States.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the EU's policy is on the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether. [123441]

There is no overall EU policy on MTBE use other than to restrict quantities of oxygenates that may be added to petrol. In particular EU directive 98/70/EU sets a limit of 15 per cent. on ethers containing five or more carbon atoms per molecule—which includes MTBE. Finland are carrying out a full life cycle risk assessment of MTBE under the European Communities Existing Substances Regulation (793/93/EEC) in order to decide whether any further measures are necessary to protect human health and/or the environment. The draft risk assessment is due to be discussed in depth for the first time by the EU technical experts in June this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with the Greater London Authority regarding the future of the Dagenham Ford plant. [123513]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who has lead responsibility within Government concerning the Dagenham plant, announced on 12 May a 10-point plan for regeneration, based on high quality training, support for setting up small businesses, developing modern manufacturing and attracting inward investment. The Employment Service is working closely with Ford to support Dagenham workers and to ensure that the effects on the local economy are minimised.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had earlier met the Mayor of London on 8 May. They agreed to work closely together to secure the best possible outcome for the workforce at Dagenham and for the wider community.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with building contractors about the future construction of incinerators in the United Kingdom. [123485]

[holding answer 23 May 2000]: The Government have not held discussions with building contractors about the future construction of incinerators. The development and construction of energy from waste and incineration plant is a matter for local authorities and the waste management industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on displaying registration numbers on plates marked with the European Union sign and GB; and if he will make a statement. [123726]

Following two consultation papers, the Government announced on 30 March that motorists could, if they wished, display the insignia of the European Union together with the letters GB on their number plates, in

Investment in social housing in Colchester
£ million
	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–013
Allocations to Colchester Borough Council
Total	3.921	3.559	2.604	3.107	3.250	4.449
Housing annual capital guideline	2.839	2.575	1.377	1.087	1.176	4.189
Private sector renewal grants1	1.082	0.984	0.558	0.516	0.508	—
Disabled facilities grants1			0.252	0.238	0.235	0.260
Capital receipts initiative	—	—	0.417	1.266	1.331	—
Allocations to registered special landlords
Approved development programme2	2.634	2.743	1.150	1.731	1.257	1.398
1 Support for private sector renewal and disabled facilities grants was provided through a combined single allocation in 1995–96 and 1996–97.
2 The figures up to 1999–00 are for grants paid; the 2000–01 figures is for schemes approved.
3 Allocations for the Capital Receipts Initiative and support for private sector renewal grants are included within the housing Annual Capital Guideline allocation for 2000–01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make representations to other EU member states on recording seizures of CITES-listed animals and their products by weight and number; and if he will make a statement. [124049]

Following the CITES Adjournment debate on 21 March 2000 in Westminster Hall, when I was asked to examine whether ivory seizures should be recorded by weight as well as number, I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela Smith) to let her know that the Government would ensure that future seizures were so recorded. I also informed her that Her Majesty's Customs and Excise had already taken steps, in response to other requests, to ensure that seizures of other high profile endangered species goods such as coral or caviar are also recorded by weight.Although the CITES Convention is implemented within the European Community by way of EU Regulation, the specific method employed to record CITES seizures is a matter for Member States to determine individually. However, since it certainly makes sense for the European Union to employ uniform, or at least similar, reporting regimes, we will raise this issue at the next meeting of the EU's CITES Enforcement Working Group in September. which case vehicles would no longer have to display the "GB sticker" when travelling in Europe. Regulations to bring this into effect from 1 March 2001 will be laid shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been invested in social housing in the Colchester constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how much will be provided for the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [123656]

Details of the capital allocations for housing investment in Colchester Borough Council area in the current and previous five years are set out in the table. The allocations are additional to any housing investment financed from the authorities own resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what safety standards are in p1ace to regulate the use of hydrocarbon gases in refrigeration systems; when they were introduced; and what the safety record has been since their introduction. [122858]

[holding answer 25 May 2000]: There is no safety legislation that applies exclusively to the safety of hydrocarbon gases in refrigeration systems. Employers using such a system would have duties under general legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 to ensure the health and safety of anyone who may be affected by their undertaking. In addition, employers and others may have duties specifically in respect of risks from equipment or dangerous substances in other legislation including:

the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992

the Pressure Equipment Regulations 1999

the Pressure Systems (Safety) Regulations 2000

the Highly Flammable Liquids and Liquefied Petroleum Gases Regulations 1972

the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999

the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the sites at which toxic ash from Byker Heat and Transfer Station, Newcastle, was spread in contravention of the operating licence; when this contravention was first reported to the Environmental Agency and when action was taken to correct it; and if the remedial action has been completed at all locations; [123748]

Byker CHP plant ash deposit sites (tonnes)
	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	Total
Bridleways
Big Waters	—	—	10	20	—	—	30
Blaney Row	—	—	—	30	10	—	40
Coach Lane, Throckley	—	20	—	—	—	—	20
Coronation Road	—	—	40	—	—	—	40
Dinnington Recreation Ground	—	—	40	—	—	—	40
Feversham	—	—	80	—	—	—	80
NE Mason Farm	—	—	80	—	—	—	80
Newburn Riverside	—	—	—	—	—	40	40
Reith Burn, Throckley	—	—	—	—	40	—	40
Stamfordham Road	—	—	40	—	—	—	40
Three Hills	—	100	—	40	—	—	140
UFAMS, Newburn	—	—	80	10	—	—	90
Walbottle Dene	—	—	—	10	—	—	10
Allotments
Blaney Row	—	—	—	10	30	10	50
Blutcher	—	10	10	—	—	—	20
Braxton B	20	—	—	—	—	10	30
Irish Brickfields	—	—	—	—	—	20	20
Brunswick	—	—	—	—	—	20	20
Christen Road	—	—	—	100	—	—	100
Coxlodge	40	—	—	—	—	—	40
Denton Bank	20	—	—	30	—	—	50
Denton Dene	30	30	30	10	—	10	110
Fenham Model	30	60	40	10	—	10	150
Hulne Terrace	—	—	—	—	10	—	10
Jesmond Premier/Vale	20	10	—	—	—	—	30
Keebledale Pigeons	—	—	—	—	10	—	10
Little Moor	—	20	—	10	20	—	50
Ridgewood Crescent	—	—	—	40	—	—	40
Salter Lane	20	—	—	—	—	—	20
St. Anthony's	—	—	—	—	—	10	10

[holding answer 25 May 2000]: The Byker Reclamation Plant is the subject of two Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) authorisations issued by the Environment Agency under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. While the IPC authorisation for the Heat Station provides that landfill is the preferred waste disposal option for ash from the plant, disposal by another means is not in contravention of the authorisation. This is because the disposal of waste is subject to the duty of care and the waste management licensing provisions of Part II of the 1990 Act, and section 28 of the Act provides that no condition shall be attached to an IPC authorisation to regulate the final disposal of waste.The possibility that ash from the plant might have been used for the construction of footpaths and other purposes was first raised by a local resident during discussions with the Environment Agency on another mater in August 1999. At a public meeting organised by Newcastle City Council on 19 January 2000, it was confirmed by the City Council that sampling would be undertaken to establish the composition of the ash. The Environment Agency then wrote to the City Council's direct works contractor, "Cityworks", on 2 February to request details of the dates, locations and quantities of ash used for the construction of footpaths etc. The sites which have identified as receiving ash from the Heat Plant, and the estimated tonnages, are as follows:

Byker CHP plant deposit sites (tonnes)
	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	Total
St. Michaels A	40	—	—	—	—	—	40
St. Michaels B		—	—	—	—	—
Union Hall Road	20	—	—	—	—	—	20
Walkergate Hospital	—	—	10	—	—	—	10
Walkergate 3A	—	20	20	20	—	10	70
Walkergate 3B	10	—	70	10	—	10	100
Westmacott Street	30	30	20	20	—	—	100
Whinneytield Road	—	—	—	10	—	—	10
Moorside	—	—	—	40	—	10	50
Nun's Moor	20	—	—	—	20	—	40
Other sites
Leightwood Avenue	—	40	—	—	—	—	40
Murton Riding School	—	—	—	—	40	—	40
Annfield Plain	1—	1—	1—	1—	1—	1—	30
1 Not known

Newcastle City Council has undertaken the removal of the ash from these sites and its disposal is being supervised by the Environment Agency. I have been informed that the removal of the ash from all of these sites has now been completed but that further investigations will be carried out by the City Council to ascertain whether any further remedial action is required.The Environment Agency is conducting an investigation to establish whether the waste management controls of Part II of the 1990 Act have been contravened and, if there is evidence of contravention, action will be taken in line with the Agency's published Enforcement Policy.To date, no investigations have been carried out by the Environment Agency into possible contamination at Byker City Farm.