To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue guidance to waste disposal authorities to advise them not to enter into long-term waste disposal contracts prior to the conclusions of the review into waste policy being undertaken by the Performance and Innovation Unit. [23187]

[holding answer 17 December 2001]: This should not be necessary since such contracts should be designed so as to provide sufficient flexibility to be able to take account of and respond to changed circumstances during the lifetime of the contracts, including any future statutory performance standards or new opportunities for increasing recycling and composting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the average fine imposed on people who imported illegal meats into the country has been in each of the past 10 years; and if she will make a statement; [51771](2) how many people have

Central records are not available for a 10-year period.Last year, HM Customs and Excise arrested three people for offences under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) involving illegal meat imports. Of these, two were convicted as a CITES offence, both received prison sentence of four months. The third person was acquitted but convicted under a separate Animal Health charge resulting in a penalty of a conditional discharge for one year and costs of £100.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if radioactive waste material is used to produce (a) consumer goods and (b) other products within the UK; and which manufacturing sectors use radioactive waste in the production of their products. [51979]

Radioactively contaminated metal, such as that recovered from decommissioned nuclear plant, is sometimes sold on to the scrap metal market after it has been treated to reduce its radioactivity content. In order to allow the metal to be sold, its radioactivity level must be below the 0.4 Becquerel/gram regulatory exemption level set out in Schedule 1 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and the Substances of Low Activity (SOLA) Exemption Order. The material is then no longer considered to be radioactive. Once it has been sold on to the scrap metal market, it is not possible to identify the products or manufacturing sectors in which it is used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many net additional staff her Department has recruited in each month since June 2001 at (a) executive officer level and (b) administrative level. [52424]

The number of net additional staff recruited in DEFRA between June 2001 and March 2002 is shown in the table.

June to December 2001
	Executive officer level		Administrative level
Type of staff	Headcount	FTE	Headcount	FTE
June 2001
Permanent	0	0.07	-9	-7.29
Casual	111	108.95	131	129.57
Total	111	109.02	122	122.28
July 2001
Permanent	2	2.39	3	5.59
Casual	83	82.46	227	223.82
Total	85	84.85	230	229.41
August 2001
Permanent	-7	-7.00	-8	-5.61
Casual	27	26.92	22	23.03
Total	20	19.92	14	17.42
September 2001
Permanent	3	3.00	19	19.60
Casual	5	4.46	-24	-26.65
Total	8	7.46	-5	-7.05
October 2001
Permanent	5	4.95	1	0.97
Casual	99	99.00	66	65.25
Total	104	103.95	67	66.22
November 2001
Permanent	14	14.00	10	10.43
Casual	-99	-98.41	10	11.47
Total	-85	-84.41	20	21.90
December 2001
Permanent	13	13.00	-7	-5.94
Casual	-76	-75.46	-5	-4.22
Total	-63	-62.46	-12	-10.16

January to March 2002
	Executive officer level		Administrative level
Type of staff	Headcount	FTE	Headcount	FTE
January 2002
Permanent	8	8.59	-27	-26.97
Casual	-21	-21.00	-39	-39.24
Total	-13	-12.41	-66	-66.21

January to March 2002
	Executive officer level		Administrative level
Type of staff	Headcount	FTE	Headcount	FTE
February 2002
Permanent	12	12.05	23	23.46
Casual	-25	-24.20	6	6.20
Total	-13	-12.15	29	29.66
March 2002
Permanent	19	19.19	35	34.39
Casual	-43	-42.02	-10	-10.00
Total	-24	-22.83	25	24.39
Totals
Permanent	69	70.24	40	48.63
Casual	61	60.70	384	379.23
Total	130	130.94	424	427.86

The high increase in the number of casual appointments between June and October 2001 is due to the additional staff required to deal with the foot and mouth disease outbreak.The figures for June to December 2001 relate to the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food only. Information relating to the divisions of the former Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions that transferred to DEFRA could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish a dedicated veterinary laboratory for Scotland. [52953]

The State Veterinary Service in Scotland have access to a range of existing laboratory facilities throughout Great Britain in addition to those in Scotland and have no plans to establish a dedicated facility of their own.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the breakdown is of Government-financed horticultural research, by crop. [52914]

Total Government spend on horticultural R and D by commodity is as follows:

£ million
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Bulbs	0.3	0.3	0.4
Cross commodity	0.4	0.4	0.9
Field vegetables	3.3	4.0	4.2
Hardy nursery stock	1.2	1.2	1.3
Herbs	0.08	0.08	0.05
Hops	0.4	0.3	0.3
Mushrooms	1.0	1.0	10.7
Outdoor flowers	0.2	0.2	0.2
Potatoes	4.7	5.4	5.7
Protected crops	2.0	1.8	1.5
Soft fruit	2.7	2.3	2.2
Top fruit	1.9	1.7	11.6
1 Information from Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial support for horticultural research the Government have provided in each year since 1990. [52912]

Government funding for horticulture R and D, including potatoes, for the last 10 years is as follows:

Year	£ million
1992–93	7.0
1993–94	8.0
1994–95	118.1
1995–96	118.9
1996–97	119.3
1997–98	18.4
1998–99	17.4
1999–2000	17.1
2000–01	17.8
2001–02	118.1
1 Does not include funding from Department of Agricultural and Rural Development for Northern Ireland, for which information is unavailable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through which organisations Government support for horticultural research is provided. [52913]

Government support for Horticulture R and D is provided by DEFRA, SEERAD and DARDNI. Government-funded horticultural research is currently provided through a range of research institutes, universities and other research providers, as listed.

• ADAS Consulting Ltd.
• British Potato Council
• Canterbury Christchurch College
• Central Science Laboratory
• Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, NI
• Dove Associates Ltd.
• Harper Adams Agricultural College
• Higgins (formerly Gordon and Innes)
• Horticulture Research International
• Institute of Arable Crops Research
• Institute of Food Research
• John Innes Centre
• Macauley Land Use Research Institute
• Moredun Research Institute
• Rowett Research Institute
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• Scottish Agricultural College
• Scottish Crops Research Institute
• Silsoe Research Institute
• Mylnefield Research Services Ltd.
• Nottingham Trent University
• University College of North Wales
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Brighton
• University of Bristol
• University of Durham
• University of Glasgow
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Lancaster
• University of Leeds
• University of London (Wye College)
• University of Newcastle
• University of Nottingham
• University of Reading
• University of Wales
• University of West of England
• Writtle College.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the research and development budget is for horticulture in the next three years; and if she will make a statement. [53085]

The DEFRA budget for horticulture R and D for 2002–03 is £9.854 million. The horticulture R and D budget for future years will be set in the light of inter alia the outcome of spending review 2002, the recent review of horticultural R and D and the forthcoming review of DEFRA's science strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of Government financed horticultural research is initiated by her Department. [52915]

In 2000–01 (the most recent year for which details are available), DEFRA funding amounted to approximately 65 per cent. of the total Government funding for horticulture R and D.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she is making in respect of EU plans to review active ingredients in agro-chemical products; and if she will make a statement on the impact that rapid phasing out active ingredients will have on small UK agro-chemical businesses. [52615]

The Department has played an active role in supporting the EU review programme for older pesticides. We believe that it is vital to ensure that all active ingredients used in pesticides meet modern standards of human and environmental safety.I recognise that a significant number of pesticide products will be withdrawn as a result of the review process and this will have an impact on some small agro-chemical companies. I believe that there will also be new opportunities particularly for companies developing environmentally friendly alternative methods of plant protection including certain microbial products. In developing the EU pesticides regime we will endeavour to ensure that the regulatory requirements for such products are proportionate to the risks they pose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will respond to the consultation on greater protection and better management of common land in England and Wales. [53022]

Due to the number and complexity of the issues raised, progress has been slower than hoped. We expect to announce our proposals for future action and to publish a detailed report on the responses to the consultation paper soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many cases in England and Wales common land grazing rights have been sold separately from the land they were previously associated with since 1972. [53021]

There is no requirement in the Commons Registration Act 1965, or other legislation, for the Commons Registration Authorities to be notified when grazing rights are separated from the land with which they were previously associated. Consequently no figures on the number of cases are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the House of Lords ruling in the case Bettison v Langton and others for the future management and protection of common land. [53020]

The Bettison v Langton judgment made it conclusive in law that rights of common of grazing, registered for a fixed number of animals as required by the Commons Registration Act 1965, could be severed from the common land to which they were originally attached. This judgment could have significant implications for the management of common land.We have already issued guidance to the Commons Registration Authorities on how to record severance on the register of common land if they are notified it has taken place. In the consultation document "Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land in England and Wales" we invited views on the idea of preventing severance. We expect to announce our conclusions soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ban imports of fruit treated with Carbaryl (Thinsec); and if she will make a statement. [52601]

[holding answer 26 April 2002]:: The Department has no plans to ban imports of fruit treated with carbaryl. Carbaryl has been withdrawn from use in the UK because it was not supported by any agrochemical companies, when the relevant approvals were reviewed. However, it remains approved in other countries including some in the EC.Residues of carbaryl in imported fruit are controlled through the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (as amended).Fruit which complies with the Maximum Residue Levels set in these Regulations may be imported into the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs, (1) pursuant to her answer of 10 April, Official Report, column 281W, on the New Forest, what criteria will inform her decision on whether to call a public inquiry regarding the establishment of a national park in the New Forest; [53253](2) pursuant to her answer of 10 April,

As set out in paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 1 to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, it is a statutory requirement to hold a local inquiry if an objection is duly made by a local authority and not withdrawn, Otherwise, if any representation or objection duly made, for example by a statutory body or a member of the public, is not withdrawn, the Secretary of State has the discretion either to cause a local inquiry to be held or to afford any person who has made a representation or objection the opportunity of being heard by a person appointed for the purpose. As well as whether or not to hold an inquiry, the Secretary of State has some discretion to determine its scope. An announcement will be made soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings officials from her Department had with representatives of the Cornish fishing industry in (a) March and (b) April. [53206]

The Department provides the Secretariat to the Objective I Fisheries Priorities Management Group in Cornwall which includes a wide representation of the Cornish fishing industry. It met on 18 March and on 22 April. Apart from that representatives of their industry, among others, participate from time to time in meetings with officials on various subjects.

	1999	2000	2001	2001
Total labour force	397,700	373,900	1368,300	2387,800
Total income from farming per annual work unit of farmers, partners and those with an entrepreneurial interest3 (£)	13,203	8,159	9,059	—
1 These results exclude the effect of the register improvement in England and are directly comparable with June 2000.
2 These results include the effect of the register improvement in England and are not directly comparable with June 2000.
3 An annual work unit (AWU) represents the equivalent of an average full-time person engaged in agriculture.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the French ban on British beef. [53033]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effects multilateral consultation will have on the legislative power of sea fisheries committees; and if she will make a statement; [53208](2) what assessment she has made of the financial implications for local government of future additional control responsibilities for sea fisheries committee resulting from the 2002 Common Fisheries Policy review; and if she will make a statement. [53207]

As I have previously said, the time to take stock of all the aspects of the role and activities of Sea Fisheries Committees will be once we know the outcome of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy. That means when we have not only the overdue proposals on the CFP from the Commission but also a conclusion in the negotiations that will follow in the Council of Ministers. It would be premature to draw any conclusions in relation to Sea Fisheries Committees in advance of that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) bankruptcies and (b) people employed there were in the farming industry in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 2001–2002; and what was the average income in the industry in each of these years. [51293]

[holding answer 29 April 2002]:(a) Data on bankruptcies are available for England and Wales combined, and are given in the table.

Number of bankruptcies1 in the agricultural and horticultural sector: England and Wales 1999–2001
	1999	2000	12001
Bankruptcies of self-employed individuals	183	173	136
Company2 insolvencies	75	67	67
Total	258	240	203
1 First three quarters only
2 Including partnerships

[holding answer 30 April 2002]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made it clear that we expect France to lift its ban as soon as possible. It is for the Commission to take action to enforce EU law and it has asked France for an explanation of its failure to comply with the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). This is the first stage in a process which may lead to a further ECJ case against France and the imposition of penalties for failure to comply with the Court's Judgment in December 2001 that the French ban on imports of UK beef exported under the Date-based Export Scheme is illegal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to monitor the illegal dumping of waste by shipping in the Bristol channel. [53421]

I have been asked to reply.Waters around the UK are regularly patrolled by surveillance aircraft equipped to detect pollution. The data held for 2001–02 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) indicate that more than 150 such flights were made under arrangements put in place by the MCA and that more than 20 per cent. of these flights covered the west or south-west of the UK and would therefore have covered part of the Bristol channel. In addition, civil and military pilots are encouraged to report sightings of pollution. Every incident spotted, or reported, is investigated and, whenever possible, those parties responsible for committing pollution offences are prosecuted.The UK also has legislation in place to ensure a properly planned system of waste reception facilities in ports, in order to leave no excuse for ships to resort to the unacceptable practice of discharging their waste at sea. The MCA has approved 36 waste management plans for ports or parts of ports around the Bristol channel, an area of coastline stretching from Milford Haven to Newquay. In 2000, the European Community adopted a directive to establish a port waste reception facilities system across the Community; like other member states, the UK is working on the implementation of this directive, which will come into force in December of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for implementing the range of rural proofing measures set out in the Rural White Paper and referred to on page 26 of the Countryside Agency's report, "Rural Proofing in 2001–02". [53312]

Implementing rural proofing is an on-going process across Government. Individual Departments and the Countryside Agency are working together to develop rural proofing strategies and to rural proof individual policies. DEFR A officials are also involved. As the agency's first annual report recommends, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Renewal will review progress in the autumn, and take a close and continuing interest in the subject generally. The Countryside Agency will report again next year on progress with rural-proofing, so there is a regular external monitoring and evaluation process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what have been the total salary costs of each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in each of the last five years. [50295]

The salary costs for each of the FCO's NDPBs have been as follows:

British Council (UK appointed staff only, excluding national insurance contributions. Salary costs for locally appointed staff cannot be collated in the time available)

• 1999–2000—£27,890,986
• 2000–01—£28,753,593
• 2001–02—£29,400,401

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in the last three years consular staff in (a) London and (b) Zagreb have offered help to the family of Private Simon Jeans. [51739]

Since the tragic death of Private Simon Jeans, our consular staff in London and Zagreb have offered full consular assistance to his family. It is difficult to be precise on the exact numbers of contacts and representations made with them, but there have been many. We approached the Croatian courts on numerous occasions for information about the case, and attended all court hearings with Private Jeans' family. Our consular division in London last spoke with Simon Jeans' father, Terry, in May 2001, and our pro-consul in Split last met with Mr. Jeans in August 2001, when he visited Croatia.The hon. Member will be aware that Private Jeans was a serving member of the British Army at the time of his death. As such, the Ministry of Defence was and continue to be the lead Department in this case. Private Jeans' family are aware there is very little our consular staff can do with regards to the case in Croatia, as it is now a legal matter. Under international law we are unable to get involved in the judicial process of other countries. Nevertheless, Mr. Jeans and the MOD have been in regular touch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken since 1 January to assist Catherine Meyer regain custody of her sons through the German courts. [51503]

Catherine Meyer is currently pursuing legal proceedings before the German constitutional court to be reunited with her sons. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided consular support and assistance to Catherine Meyer with her case in the past. As with any child abduction case, we continue to provide consular assistance whenever we can.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many net additional staff his Department has recruited in each month since June 2001 at (a) executive officer level and (b) administrative level. [52435]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recruited the following net additional permanent staff since June 2001.

Month	Executive officer level	Administrative level
June 2001	-2	19
July 2001	-3	20
August 2001	0	15
September 2001	0	25
October 2001	11	28
November 2001	6	17
December 2001	-4	-1
January 2002	6	22
February 2002	-1	21
March 2002	5	22
April 2002	1	23
Total	19	211

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of (a) the Diplomatic Service and (b) British ambassadors and high commissioners attended (i) Oxford or Cambridge universities and (ii) independent schools. [53234]

[holding answer 29 April 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. Davidson) on 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 611W and 15 April 2002, Official Report, columns 725–26W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is on the European Commission's phase-in proposals for the receipt by newly admitted member states of the European Union of (a) funds due under the Common Agricultural Policy and (b) structural funds. [51623]

(a) The Government consider that agricultural spending should support restructuring in the candidate countries to modernise their agricultural economies. The Government therefore welcome the emphasis on rural development in the Commission's proposals as this is the most effective way to help new member states restructure agriculture sectors. As regards the proposal to phase in direct payments, the Government note the arguments provided in the Commission's issues paper about the damaging effects of high direct payments in the new member states. The Government consider it important to evaluate fully all relevant aspects, including whether other options may better help restructuring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the Benes decrees in the Czech Republic are compatible with the acquis communautaire. [51625]

The European Commission has made it clear that the Benes decrees are part of history and that those decrees relating to citizenship and property are no longer of legal consequence, and are therefore not an issue for EU accession negotiations. The Commission and Czech Republic are reviewing the other decrees to clarify their legal status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will remove the visa requirements imposed on Slovak nationals for travel to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [51932]

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 3 April 2002,

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many chartered engineers there are in her Department; and what grades they are. [52471]

There are no chartered engineers currently employed within my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the future of ITV Digital. [53218]

In my statement on ITV Digital on 26 April 2002, Official Report, column 594, I promised that I would continue to keep the House updated in coming weeks. Since then, the administrator has surrendered the three multiplex service licences held by ITV Digital, and the pay services are no longer available.As I suggested would happen in my statement last week, the Independent Television Commission is now beginning a re-tendering process, on an accelerated time scale with a view to awarding licences at the end of a six-week period. I understand that, during this period, the ITC will liaise with the administrator and broadcasters providing the digital terrestrial free-to-air services with a view to ensuring that ITV Digital subscribers will continue to be able to receive these channels, including the five main terrestrial channels, through their set top box. We expect that companies interested may wish to use the ITV Digital assets, and that they will liaise with the administrator to do so. There is a real opportunity to benefit from the expertise and technical experience now existing, enabling a successful business to emerge, and ensuring we maintain our world leadership in digital television.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of financial support Granada and Carlton have received from her Department for introducing digital services. [53603]

My Department gives no financial support to Granada and Carlton. To promote the availability of digital free-to-air television services, the Government have set the percentage of qualifying multiplex revenue payable by digital terrestrial licensees at nil for the duration of their licences. This means that the ITV companies do not make payments to the Treasury on the proportion of their advertising revenue attributed to viewing in homes that have digital television.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many copies of "Pride of Place" have been (a) sent to end recipients and (b) sold. [52987]

"Pride of Place" was released towards the end of March and the Arts Council is still sending out the 3,500 complimentary copies to projects who received awards over the past six years. No copies have as yet been sold.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the effect on tourism in the north-west of proposed closures of the west coast main line; and if she will make a statement. [53120]

[holding answer 29 April 2002]: Any disruption of tourism will be unwelcome, but weekend closures, while disruptive to tourism, are unavoidable if essential work is to take place. Any closures are considered by Railtrack, train operating companies, the relevant rail passenger committees and the Strategic Rail Authority. I am advised the weekend closures are preferable to closures during the week which would cause wider disruption for business as well as leisure travellers. The closures have been planned to avoid the Commonwealth games. The tourism industry, like other business sectors, will be looking forward to benefiting from the main line upgrade. Improved rail services are essential to ensure the long-term health of the tourism industry in the north-west.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what buildings owned by her Department have solar panels installed. [53498]

All DCMS buildings are leased rather than owned freehold and none presently has solar panels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action the Government are taking to increase female participation in sport. [53422]

The Government are determined to ensure that there is equal opportunity for all. Our policy is aimed at encouraging everyone, including women and girls, into sport. Sport England provides over £6 million of exchequer funding to sports governing bodies and all are required to ensure that they have proposals for the development of women as a condition of funding. Sport England also fund the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) which is the only organisation in the UK that is solely committed to improving and promoting opportunities for women and girls in sport at every level. More women than ever are finding that regular physical exercise can lead to improvements in health, self-confidence and well-being. Women's team sports such as football and rugby are among the fastest-growing sports in the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library copies of each version of the internal guidance which have been drawn up by his Department since 1 January 1999 to assist staff in his Department to answer subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998. [53387]

A copy of the following documents will be placed in the Library:

• Acceptable Use of E-mail and Internet Policy
• Data Protection Guidance for Personnel
• Guidance Note on Public Appointments and Subject Access
• Principles of Data Protection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many married quarters there are at RAF Benson; and how many of them are (a) under repair and (b) waiting repair; [50818](2) if he will make a statement on married quarters at RAF Benson; [50820](3) what representations he has received about relations between the Defence Housing Executive and RAF Benson. [50819]

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: There are 599 family quarters at RAF Benson. Of the few that are vacant, two cannot be occupied until repairs are completed. One of the two will be converted for a special needs family.Approximately 42 per cent. of the properties managed by the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) have repairs raised against them at any one time. These can embrace a wide range of jobs, from major refurbishment such as re-roofing, down to the replacement of a tap washer.I have received no specific representations about the DHE from RAF Benson, but the DHE is aware of the need continuously to improve the service it provides to all service families. In the area in question, the DHE has changed the firm contracted to provide works service management.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of arms sales to individual countries in Africa in each year since 1997. [51578]

The data requested are set out in the table.

	£ million				Total country
	1997	1998	1999	2000
Egypt	0.94	0.49	2.21	7.48	11.12
Morocco	0.31	0.05	0.30	0.94	1.60
Tunisia	0.01	0.03	0.03	—	0.07
Libya	—	—	0.01	—	0.01
Botswana	2.96	1.65	1.71	0.74	7.06
Ghana	0.14	3.39	0.01	0.19	3.73
Kenya	0.02	2.15	0.48	0.54	3.19
Malawi	0.02	—	—	—	0.02
Mauritius	0.01	0.01	0.04	—	0.06
South Africa	0.11	1.27	1.89	1.40	4.67
Zambia	0.02	0.13	0.02	—	0.17
Zimbabwe	0.22	0.05	0.06	0.04	0.37
Cameroon	—	0.02	—	—	0.02
Central African Republic	—	0.01	—	—	0.01
Gambia	—	—	0.27	—	0.27
Nigeria	—	0.17	0.26	1.55	1.98
Swaziland	—	0.01	—	—	0.01
Tanzania	—	1.51	—	—	1.51
Sierra Leone	—	—	0.37	1.06	1.43
Total	4.76	10.94	7.66	13.94	37.30

These figures are derived from table 1.13 of the Ministry of Defence publication "UK Defence Statistics 2001". The information is also published in Part III of the Government's annual report on "Strategic Export Controls". Copies of both documents are available from the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many training jumps from (a) balloons and (b) aircraft recruits to the Parachute Regiment are required to make as part of their training; [52592](2) what aircraft are used by the Royal Air Force to provide parachute training for recruits to the parachute regiment; and if he will make a statement on the adequacy of capacity to provide this basic training. [52593]

Recruits to the parachute regiment are required to complete a minimum of eight jumps from aircraft in order to qualify as a military parachutist. The use of balloons ceased in 1995. Basic parachute training is carried out from RAF Brize Norton and the aircraft used are a Skyvan, for an initial familiarisation jump, and a C130 Hercules, for the remaining qualifying jumps. During the last financial year, four basic parachute courses were cancelled due to Hercules aircraft unavailability, caused by operational commitments. Although this has had no effect on the ability of the regiment to carry out its assigned duties we are currently looking at how greater use of the Skyvan could reduce the Hercules requirement to support the basic parachute course to the essential minimum number of jumps that must be done from the operational platform.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) titles and (b) classmarks are of documents placed in the Public Record Office by his Department since 1972 regarding an official inquiry in 1970 into allegations that the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment Porton Down had experimented on old people for germ warfare purposes; and if he will make a statement. [53349]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April 2001 Official Report, column 96W. These documents are still in the process of being transferred to the Public Record Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates between 1 January 1997 and 1 January 1999 the Independent Ethics Committee overseeing human experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down discussed the question of the possible long-term effects of nerve gas on humans during its meetings. [53385]

The Independent Ethics Committee overseeing the conduct of the Service Volunteer Programme at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Porton Down has not discussed the possible long-term effects of exposure to nerve agents during any of its meetings between 1 January 1997 and 1 January 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down in 1987 entitled 'A Quantitative Investigation into the Effects of Pupil Diameter and Defocus on Contrast Sensitivity for an Extended Range of Spatial Frequencies in Natural and Homatropinized Eyes'. [53364]

No report with that title has been produced by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Porton Down or its predecessors. I believe the hon. Member is referring to a report published in the journal Ophthalmic Physiology Optics by a research group from the university of Glasgow (Ophthal. Physiol. Opt. Volume 7, numbers 1, 21–30, 1987).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down in 1985 entitled 'Evaluation of Pyrodostigmine Bromide as a Pretreatment for Nerve Agent Poisoning in Man'. [53363]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn up by the Chemical Defence Establishment for the experiment which was recorded in 1973 in the report entitled "A Comparative Study of Central Visual Field Changes Induced by GB Vapour and Physostigmine Salicylate Eyedrops". [53345]

In the early 1970s formal protocols did not exist in the form which is recognised today. The details of the proposals would be recorded within the minutes of the committees overseeing the research undertaken within the Service Volunteer programme.I am withholding these minutes in accordance with Exemption 2b of the Code of Practice to Access to Government Information, relating to internal advice and discussion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 March 2002, Official Report, column 316W, regarding Porton Down, if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol drawn up by the Chemical Defence Establishment for the experiment which was recorded in 1973 in the report entitled "The Effects of a Chemical Agent on the Eyes of Aircrew"; on what dates the Ethics Committee overseeing the human experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down scrutinised this experiment; and if he will place in the Library copies of the papers of the Committee which relate to the discussion of this experiment. [53412]

In the early 1970s formal protocols did not exist in the form which is recognised today. The details of the proposals would be recorded within the minutes of the committees overseeing the research undertaken within the Service Volunteer programme.The research study referred to is detailed in the minutes of the 78th meeting on 31 January 1972 of the Committee on Safety of Human Experiments. I am withholding these minutes in accordance with Exemption 2b of the Code of Practice to Access to Government Information, relating to internal advice and discussion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates since 1 January 1999 the Independent Ethics Committee overseeing human experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down has discussed the question of the possible long-term effects of (a) mustard gas and (b) pepper gas on humans during its meetings. [53384]

The Independent Ethics Committee overseeing the conduct of the Service Volunteer Programme at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Porton Down has not discussed the possible long-term effects of exposure to either mustard gas or pepper gas during any of its meetings between 1 January 1997 and 1 January 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the documents held by his Department relating to a meeting on 5 February of representatives from his Department and the Medical Research Council Liaison Group regarding the epidemiological study into the health of service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down. [53348]

Requests for the release of papers relating to the meetings of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Liaison Group should be addressed to the MRC. The Ministry of Defence has not produced any documents relating to this meeting and holds no papers, except the invitation and meeting agenda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 72W, regarding Porton Down, which agencies conducted the searches of his Department's archives; what the locations were of the archives which were searched; and if he will make a statement. [53414]

Searches of the Department's archives at the Public Record Office, the Imperial War Museum, the Ministry of Defence main archive at Hayes, and documents held by MOD in London and at Porton Down, have been conducted by staff at MOD and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Porton Down.In addition, two signals have been sent requesting service units to search their own archives for relevant documents. The first, in February 2001, was sent to all service units world wide. The second, in April 2002, was sent to all RAF units in the United Kingdom. Both signals were sent in collaboration with the Wiltshire police as part of Operation Antler, their investigation of the Porton Down Service Volunteer programme.The Wiltshire police have also conducted independent searches of the Department's archives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with the introduction of the primary casualty receiving ship. [53515]

Work is progressing to plan. The Ministry of Defence is considering options for meeting the requirement as part of initial assessment work. The primary casualty receiving ship capability remains on target to enter service later this decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 April 2002, Official Report, column 194W, on nuclear weapons, upon what evidence he relies for his statement on the wide agreement regarding the transparency of the UK with regard to its holdings of nuclear weapons. [53467]

[holding answer 30 April 2002]: Moves in the Strategic Defence Review to increase transparency on nuclear weapons issues were widely welcomed. For an instance of support for the example set by the UK in this area, I refer the hon. Member to remarks quoted by the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs in their Eighth Report of Session 1999–2000 (HC 407) at paragraph 122. Commendation of the UK's transparency was also offered by some of those giving written evidence to that inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in developing a test for depleted uranium for Gulf and Balkans veterans; and if he will make a statement. [54185]

Contracts have been placed with five laboratories to carry out a pilot study to determine a test that will identify the presence of depleted uranium in urine. The pilot exercise will examine a number of different methods and establish whether a suitably accurate, precise and sensitive test is available. Following assessment of the results of the pilot exercise, arrangements for the main voluntary testing programme will be put in place. If a suitable test is identified, the voluntary test is likely to be available in October 2002.It is extremely important that the method of testing be credible to all parties. This pilot exercise is a vital step in ensuring that the correct test is chosen so that both veterans and the Ministry of Defence can have confidence in the results of the voluntary testing programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been issued to United Kingdom armed forces undertaking (a) Operation Jacana and (b) Operation Fingal with regard to the status of prisoners taken as part of these operations; and if he will make a statement. [52111]

Any prisoners taken by Operation Jacana forces during offensive operations will be treated as prisoners of war. Operational Fingal forces, who are part of the International Security Assistance Force providing security assistance to the Interim Administration in Kabul, are not expected to be involved in operations that may involve the taking of prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect that Post Office redundancies will have on the communities in Lancashire; and what the Government will do to help those people who will lose their jobs. [48603]

The Consignia board decided that the company's costs needed to be reduced to stem its losses and improve its performance. At the moment it is not immediately clear what the effect in Lancashire will be. It is understood that up to 140 jobs will eventually be affected, although it is not known at this stage how many of these will actually be job losses. The company will offer as many of those affected as possible the option of continued employment with a different part of the business or a voluntary redundancy package.The Government will do everything we can through the Jobcentre Plus and other agencies to provide support, assistance and new opportunities to those people losing their jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the effect that Post Office redundancies will have on the communities in Wales; and what the Government will do to help those people who will lose their jobs. [48604]

The Consignia board decided that the company's costs needed to be reduced to stem its losses and improve its performance. At the moment it is not immediately clear what the effect in Wales will be. It is understood that up to 125 jobs will eventually be affected, although it is not known at this stage how many of these will actually be job losses. The company will offer as many of those affected as possible the option of continued employment with a different part of the business or a voluntary redundancy package.The Government will do everything we can through the Jobcentre Plus and other agencies to provide support, assistance and new opportunities to those people losing their jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices are facing closure in Northern Ireland. [51947]

[holding answer 23 April 2002]: Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. The programme of urban restructuring has not yet begun.The Government are committed to the maintenance of a nationwide network of post offices. We are also committed to providing transitional assistance to rural post offices and are developing proposals in the light of advice from Postcomm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department has had talks with the Dutch postal company TPG in the past year. [49945]

The Department has met representatives of the Dutch postal company, TPG, on a limited number of occasions to examine specific aspects of a possible merger of Consignia's postal activities with them. No satisfactory agreement was reached between the companies on a merger and Ministers therefore agreed with the company that discussions should cease.Since the Government have given Consignia commercial freedom, within the public sector, it is entirely appropriate that Consignia has been considering its commercial strategy, including the possibility of relationships or joint ventures with other operators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she was notified by the management of Consignia of negotiations which have taken place within the last 12 months regarding a potential sale of an equity share in the business. [51244]

In the last 12 months, Consignia notified the Department about its intention to explore the possibility of a merger of its postal activities with the Dutch Post Office (TPG) in June last year. Talks commenced in July but have ceased as no satisfactory agreement was reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what negotiations have taken place with Postcomm on the sale of postal services. [51380]

Postcomm's document "Proposals for effective competition in UK postal services" issued on 31 January has been a public consultation and the Government have consistently encouraged stakeholders to make their views known to Postcomm.We believe it is important now for stakeholders to engage in an effective dialogue and to reach a common understanding. This is the nature of a consultation process and we would expect Postcomm to take due account of all the views expressed and to consider their implications. We will obviously be following these discussions closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes the Budget of 17 April will make to business in Herefordshire. [51653]

I am pleased to support the Budget measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17 April. I expect the Budget changes to help businesses in Herefordshire become more competitive and productive. Herefordshire has an above-average number of small businesses, which will benefit from a reduction in the starting rate of corporation tax from 10 per cent. to zero and a 10 per cent. cut in the small companies' rate; a reduction in the red tape and compliance costs imposed by the VAT and payroll administration systems; and a new £30 million training fund to bring small businesses up to the Investors in People industry standard. Further details of these measures, and of other measures to benefit businesses of all sizes, can be found on www.budget.treasury.gov.uk. The Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce and Business Link (on 0800 104010) can also provide advice on the impact of the Budget on business activity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been done since 1997 in the West Midlands to promote business in schools. [51482]

[holding answer 24 April 2002]: Key programmes in schools include: Enterprise Insight and the Enterprising Schools initiative.Since 1997, activities have included getting children of primary school age to experience the world of work, and the funding of local Education Business Partnerships so that pupils could undertake work placements.The Excellence in Cities initiative has provided learning mentors from the world of business who act as role models when they visit schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when the Office of Fair Trading will publish its response to the consultation on the review of the Newspaper Supply Code of Practice; [53007](2) how many responses the Office of Fair Trading received from

The Director General of Fair Trading has not yet concluded his work on the review. The numbers of responses will be included when the review is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what training is available to new entrants to the sub-post office network (a) prior to them taking on a business, and (b) following the acquisition and start of that business with respect to funding by her Department. [52328]

[holding answer 26 April 2002]: Training sub-postmasters is a management matter for Post Office Ltd. The small business service and business links are open to the business community including sub-postmasters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters. [52327]

[holding answer 26 April 2002]: I met Colin Baker, the General Secretary of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on 24 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been received by the Office of Fair Trading concerning the motor accident repair market since January 2001. [52243]

The OFT compiles figures on the number of consumer complaints received by trading standards departments in the UK.19,588 complaints were received between 1 January and 30 September 2001. Later figures are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will make a statement on how each of the points in the OFT's letter of remedy on supermarket/supplier relations is met in the code of practice issued in October 2001; [52931](2) when the code of practice on supermarket relations with suppliers was issued; and on what dates between the publication of the Competition Commission's report on

the subject and the issuing of codes her Ministers and officials met

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 18 December 2001 that, following an adverse report by the Competition Commission under the Fair Trading Act 1973, she had accepted undertakings from the four main supermarket chains that they would abide by a Code of Practice concerning their relations with their suppliers.Normally undertakings are negotiated by the Director General of Fair Trading with the parties who will be asked to sign them; there is no third party involvement. Exceptionally, at the recommendation of the Competition Commission, supplier organisations were in this case given the opportunity to comment on a draft.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry received around 35 representations on the Code before it was issued on 18 December, and around five afterwards.The Code came into force on 17 March 2002. The Director General of Fair Trading will monitor the operation of the Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many insurance company-owned motor body shop repairers there are in England and Wales. [53065]

This information is not collected by the Department. However, according to data collected by the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF), there are 21 insurance company owned motor body shop repairers in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many independent motor body repairers there were in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [53064]

The information required is as follows:

Year	Number
1997	12,700
1998	11,300
1999	10,000
2000	8,000
2001	6,500
2002	5,800

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of employees who will not receive payment for the forthcoming Queen's Golden Jubilee bank holiday. [53339]

The autumn 2001 Labour Force Survey indicates that 17 per cent. of workers are not paid for bank holidays generally. There are no specific estimates covering the Queen's Golden Jubilee bank holiday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans there are to revise the WTO TRIPs agreement to allow staple food crops to be patented; [53354](2) if she will make a statement on the patenting of staple food crops. [53353]

The TRIPs agreement allows the Governments of WTO member states to decide for themselves whether to allow the patenting of plants in their own countries. However, the agreement does require WTO member states to protect plant varieties by other legal means if patents are not available. The UK supports this flexibility in the agreement and there are no plans to remove it.The TRIPs agreement also confirms the internationally established principle that it is not possible to be granted a valid patent for something which is already known. According to this principle, neither traditional varieties of staple food crops nor related traditional knowledge can be patentable in themselves, even in countries where the patenting of plants is allowed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the United Kingdom's (a) visible and (b) invisible imports come from the European Union; and what their value was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [51621]

According to information published by the Office for National Statistics on 27 March 2002, in 2001 the EU accounted for 52 per cent. of UK imports of goods and 53 per cent. of UK imports of services. UK imports of goods from the EU were worth £115.5 billion while UK imports of services from the EU were worth £34.5 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportions of the United Kingdom's (a) visible and (b) invisible exports go to the European Union; and what their value was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [51620]

According to information published by the Office for National Statistics on 27 March 2002, in 2001 the EU accounted for 58 per cent. of UK exports of goods and 40 per cent. of UK exports of services. UK exports of goods to the EU were worth £110.8 billion while UK exports of services to the EU were worth £31.0 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals the Government are putting to the European Commission on structural funds in the European Union for its third report on structural funds. [51624]

The Government have not yet put any formal proposals to the European Commission for its Third Report on Economic and Social Cohesion, which is not due to he published until late 2003 or early 2004. However, from my statement at the Namur Informal Council on Regional Policy in July 2001, the Commission will be aware of the Government's view that the next reform of the Structural Funds must ensure that they contribute better to the Lisbon agenda of improving Europe's competitiveness and modernising its economies. Improvements are needed in both the effectiveness of the funds and the means to evaluate their impact and added value. Also, greater efforts must be made to simplify the funds and remove unnecessary bureaucracy, while maintaining proper financial control.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to inform (a) business and (b) the public about the implications of EU enlargement for the United Kingdom. [51622]

EU enlargement is vital to the future peace, prosperity and strength of Europe and will directly benefit the British public and business. My Department has published papers on EU enlargement for British business, such as "EU Enlargement and the Single Market: Opportunities for Business" published in September 2000, which focused both on the enlargement process and the commercial opportunities. I have placed a copy in the Libraries of the House. As well as regular contacts between my officials and business players, we are planning, in conjunction with the FCO, an expanded programme of activities for 2002, including speaking events, newsletters and a new enlargement section on DTI's website.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office lead on the wider public diplomacy strategy, aimed at informing the British public about EU enlargement. They provide general information on enlargement through publications like "Britain: A Champion of EU Enlargement", their website and by providing speakers for and organising events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many A-level) pass certificates were awarded to students in (a) sixth forms in mainstream schools and (b) colleges of further education in England in each year from 1995 to 2001; [52585](2) how many students completed A-level courses at

The information requested for England is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what corrections have been made to the Statistics of Education in England (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001 editions; if she will list the tables that needed correcting with amendments after each of the volumes were published; and what steps were taken to notify those who received the volumes of such corrections. [44400]

[holding answer 19 March 2002]: No errata were issued in 1999, 2000 or 2001 for the following volumes:

• Local Labour Force Survey
• Public Examinations GCSE/GNVQ and GCE/AGNVQ in England
• Student Support England and Wales
• Higher Education Statistics in the UK
• National Curriculum Assessments of 7, 11 and 14-year-olds by local education authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of girls excluded from full-time education were pregnant, broken down by regions in each of the last 10 years. [51532]

Information on the number of pregnant girls excluded from school is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) for what reason she rejected Surrey county council's PPP application; [52513]

The application from Surrey local education authority (LEA) for PFI credits in 2003–04 was not supported as it did not meet the criteria, as set out in the guidance issued to LEAs on 31 July 2001, to the same extent as those applications from other authorities which were supported. Officials from the Department are arranging to meet with officers from Surrey LEA to provide detailed feedback and to explore how the application might be strengthened for future years.Details of those authorities that were prioritised for provisional PFI credit support were announced in a Press Notice on 26 March, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.53 bids were received in the recent PFI capital round, with a total value of over £3 billion and an average value of over £56 million. In exercises of this nature, there are inevitably some worthwhile potential projects which do not receive funding. However, officials from the Department are responding to requests for advice on how these applications can be strengthened for the future. It would incur disproportionate costs to provide details of every LEA which applied for funding, successful or otherwise, and the full purposes of their applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what cost of living allowances will be paid, over and above basic salaries, to teachers in (a) Surrey and (b) London in this financial year. [52523]

Teachers working in inner London, outer London and the London fringe areas are paid mandatory London allowances at the following values:

• Inner London: £3,105
• Outer London: £2,043
• Fringe: £792.

Teachers working at schools in inner London, and the outer London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Ealing, Haringey, Merton, and Newham receive the inner London allowance. Teachers working in all other outer London boroughs receive the outer London allowance. Teachers in all areas of Surrey outside the metropolitan area receive the fringe allowance.In addition, schools nay pay recruitment and retention allowances to individual teachers of up to £5,262 per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage entry into the teaching profession in areas where the cost of living is high. [52574]

The Government have introduced a number of measures, including training bursaries and "golden hellos", to boost teacher recruitment nationally. These are already having an effect, and there are nearly 10.000 more teachers in post now compared to January 2001—the largest increase in a single year since the 1970s.We have also reformed the teachers' pay system to ensure that those teachers who perform well are well rewarded. The introduction of the threshold for experienced teachers, leading to the upper pay scale, has provided a career structure which will allow our best classroom teachers, in time, to earn over £32,000 at today's rates, excluding additional allowances. And we have implemented cost of living pay rises at above inflation rates for all teachers in each of the last four years.All teachers working in the London area are paid mandatory London allowances on top of their basic salary. These allowances were increased last year by 30 per cent. and are currently inner—£3,105; outer—£2,043; and fringe—£792. In addition, schools are able to pay recruitment and retention allowances to individual teachers of up to £5,262 per annum. Schools can decide to pay this as a lump sum covering up to three years.It is open to local authorities to help teachers with housing, relocation and travel costs through the Recruitment and Retention Fund established by my Department. We have made £77 million available to 2003 for this purpose. And we have made £250 million available to 2004 to help key public sector workers, particularly nurses, teachers and police, to buy homes in or near the communities they serve through our starter home initiative scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer of 11 April 2002, Official Report, column 519W, what conditions have been attached to the sponsorship by Sir Peter Vardy of the proposed South Middlesbrough Academy. [53401]

We understand that the sponsors have agreed with Middlesbrough LEA that the City Academy should have a Christian ethos and serve pupils aged 11–18. The proposals that the partnership have developed reflect those preferences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Sir John Cass's Foundation Redcoat School, London borough of Tower Hamlets local education authority, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not yet achieved. [53454]

Sir John Cass's Foundation Redcoat School has been operating as a language college since September 2000. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the targets agreed by Millais School, West Sussex local education authority, at the time of its acquisition of specialist status, identifying those not yet achieved. [53455]

Millais School has been operating as a language college since September 1996. The information requested is being collated. I will therefore write to the hon. Member as soon as possible giving a full reply to the question raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the (a) new requirements placed on and (b) requirements removed from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in the last year for which information is available. [53456]

New requirements placed on HM Chief Inspector of Schools during the financial year which ended on 31 March 2002 were as follows:

to inspect and report at specified intervals on educational provision for students up to age 19 in further education colleges, education or training for 16 to 19-year-olds provided outside the further education sector which is wholly or partly funded by the Learning and Skills Council for England, the Connexions service, and training of teachers or lecturers of further education funded by the Learning and Skills Council for England or Higher Education Funding Council for England;

to conduct area-wide inspections of education and training for 16 to 19-year-olds and report on them, taking account where appropriate of the views of the Chief Inspector for Adult Learning; with the Adult Learning Inspectorate, to agree and publish a Common Inspection Framework; to conduct inspections jointly with the Adult Learning Inspectorate where the education or training to be inspected falls within both inspectorates' remits;

to keep the Secretary of State informed about quality, standards and management in the education and training brought within his remit by section 60 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and, on request by the Secretary of State, to provide advice about that education and training or inspect and report on any education or training within his extended remit:

to state whether he agrees with a registered inspector's judgment that a school has an inadequate sixth form;

to regulate child minding and day care provision under the Children Act 1989, including registration of providers and securing the inspection of registered child minders and day care providers at specified intervals;

to keep the Secretary of State informed about quality and standards of child minding and day care provision and provide advice about that provision as requested by the Secretary of State; and

to include an account of the exercise of those functions transferred to him under the Care Standards Act 2000 in his annual report.

During that period, HM Chief Inspector's responsibilities in respect of adult and community education provided by local education authorities were transferred to the Adult Learning Inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that delays in the establishment of sector skills councils do not result in the loss of key staff of national training organisations to the training sector; [53523](2) when

The ending of Government recognition of national training organisations (NTOs) and the licensing of sector skills councils are separate issues. Organisations formerly with NTO status are independent bodies led by employers, often with responsibilities wider than those which were required for NTO recognition. The continued funding and operation of these organisations is therefore a decision for the board of each body. New contracts have been awarded by my Department to 62 former NTOs from April 2002 for the delivery of specific essential work in support of occupational development. These contracts will conclude on 31 August 2002. The new Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), working with other public agencies, will make arrangements for the delivery of essential work to support occupational development from September 2002.Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) represent a new deal with employers across the UK to improve skills and productivity performance in significant industry and business sectors. SSCs provide the opportunity for collective action by employers, in partnership and with the support of Government, to identify sector skills priorities and lead action to meet them. There is no timetable for introducing the new network as the decision to form a SSC rests with employers. Where employers want to form a SSC, and can meet the published SSC standard for the award of a licence, my Department will supplement employers' investment by contributing up to £1 million each year to support the Council's core work.Employers in the construction, engineering and hospitality sectors have yet to make a formal expression of interest to the SSDA about forming a SSC for their sectors. Informal discussions have been taking place and formal expressions of interest from these sectors are expected in the next few weeks when invited by the SSDA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what resources have been allocated to implement the conclusions for education made by the Barcelona European Council in March; and what timetable has been set for the implementation of the Council's proposals for (a) ensuring transparency of diplomas and qualifications, (b) the teaching of at least two foreign languages from a very early age, (c) the establishment of internet twinning with partner schools in Europe and (d) the promotion of the European dimension in education. [53525]

Work is already underway to take forward the Barcelona conclusions on education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her Department's publication of figures relating to teacher vacancies, how many vacancies there are at Key Stages (a) one and two and (b) three and four. [53665]