To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (1) pursuant to his answer of 24 July 2002, Official Report, in what circumstances it is not appropriate to follow Cabinet Office guidance; and whether there have been written consultations carried out by his Department when it has not been appropriate to do so; [73933](2) pursuant to his answer of 24 July 2002,

[holding answer 15 October 2002]: As a general rule, the requirements of the Code of Practice on Written Consultation apply to all national consultations carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions.It should, however, be noted that the Code of Practice applies to those consultations that cover

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to extend joint claims for jobseeker's allowance to childless partners of unemployed people who are aged 45 or under. [76869]

From 28 October 2002 we shall extend the provision for Joint Claims for Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) to include couples without dependent children where at least one partner was born after 28 October 1957 and is also aged 18 or over. Couples meeting the new joint claims criteria will be required to make a joint claim and meet the JSA conditions for benefit entitlement, in the same way as current joint claimants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Cherwell District Council. [76871]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on Cherwell District Council was published on 19 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI finds that the council had implemented improvements since its Best Value Review and the BFI Best Value inspection in October 2001. The introduction of a customer service team has had a positive impact on claims processing speed as this team deals with all telephone enquiries from claimants, which allows processing of claims without interruption. The council had set challenging targets to answering telephone calls quickly and BFI found the service to be efficient.The report identifies a number of strengths and good practices. The council is commended for the high standard of verifying claims for benefit, recording the required evidence to support the claim and using efficient procedures to control and monitor claims.The council has effective mechanisms for the identification, classification and recovery of overpayments and is commended for its use of management information for monitoring performance. However, the report notes that a number of cases sampled had been incorrectly classified. The council is recommended to use its powers to recover debt in all appropriate cases to improve the rate of recovery.The council is also commended for its partnership approach to long-term strategies. The Community Plan has been produced with 15 public, private and voluntary sector organisations after extensive consultation with local people.The report recognises the council's commitment to fraud prevention, deterrence and detection. Fraud awareness among benefit staff is high and this is reflected in the number of high quality fraud referrals that benefit staff make to the council's fraud investigators.BFI expresses concern with the lack of management checks on IT security. The council has responded positively to this and has taken immediate steps to rectify the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of (a) North Ayrshire Council, (b) Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and (c) the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. [76870]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on North Ayrshire Council was published on 18 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The report finds that in the first instance, the council had been delivering an inadequate benefits service. The council needs to take some basic decisions on its operational strategy for delivering benefits, such as the structure, location and management arrangements for benefits administration and counter fraud.In terms of delivering the service, the report notes that the standards expected for verifying claims to benefit were not being met. Contributory factors included a poorly designed claim form that failed to guide the claimant to complete it accurately, the absence of quality checks to identify weaknesses, insufficient staff training, the lack of a visiting team to undertake targeted checks and a constant backlog of cases. A high percentage of private sector claims were not being referred to the Rent Officer and were thus avoiding the required controls on rent and benefit levels.The council operates decentralised benefit processing within its housing offices. At the time of the inspection, there were longstanding backlogs of work. The speed of processing was poor but varied across area and benefit type. Claimants were not receiving the same standard of service across the council's area.The BFI expresses major concerns over the safety and security of the council's IT systems to support the benefits service.Overpayments have been found to be a particularly weak area of the council's performance. The BFI considers that improvement is needed across all areas, including accuracy, identifying, recording and recovering overpayments. Improvements are also needed on the audit trail for decision making and management information.The council was not generating the management information needed to manage benefits effectively. For example, in the areas of workflow and capacity, appeals and overpayments.BFI commends the council for funding Professionalism in Security (PINS) training for its counter fraud staff. At the time of the inspection, fraud investigation was found to be inadequate but the signs were that this would improve. The council needs to develop its Prevention and Detection of Fraud and Corruption policy to include objectives, reporting arrangements, sanctions, review arrangements and how it will evaluate its effectiveness.The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) follow up inspection report on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council was published on 19 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI first inspected and published a report on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council in October 1999. The report made eight major recommendations to improve performance.This follow up report finds that while progress had been made in implementing these recommendations it had been too little and too slow.The first inspection made a number of recommendations to improve the council's internal security. Some of these have been implemented but IT access controls remains weak, division of duties is not always appropriate, there is inadequate management checking and insufficient internal audit coverage.The correct verification of claims was highlighted as an issue at the first inspection and remained inconsistent at the time of the follow up inspection.Significant improvements were needed to the council's procedures for backdating claims. While some of these had been implemented, the follow up inspection showed there was still a need for improvement, in particular record keeping of applications for backdating. Further improvements were also needed to the council's claim form to ensure that claimants provide sufficient information to allow assessment of the claim.There had been a noticeable improvement, including the appointment of a new fraud manager, in the council's counter fraud work although much of this improvement took place in the months leading up to the on-site phase of the follow up inspection.The council dealt speedily with the processing of new and renewal claims, unfortunately, the BFI found that the number of errors entering the system at the time of inputting the information was increasing, with 11 mistakes found in a sample of 40 claims. The problem of a considerable backlog of new and renewal claims had been resolved.An improved working relationship with the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service (now joined as Jobcentre Plus) is noted in the report.The report makes recommendations to help the council address the remaining weaknesses and to further improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as counter fraud activities.The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames was published on 26 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The report finds that the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames had made many improvements during the 2 years before the BFI inspection and since bringing the benefits service back in house after a period of outsourcing. In some areas this improvement was significant.These improvements include reductions in the time taken to process new and repeat claims and notifications of changes in circumstances. However, the council needs to improve further in these areas if it is to achieve its Best Value targets.Other improvements made by the council include the implementation of the BFI national model claim form and Verification Framework, sustained improvements in key customer services and a reduced backlog of work which has led to reductions in customer complaints.The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames still needs to improve its verification of claims, the quality of its fraud investigations and become more effective at recovering overpayments. This is critical if the £30.6m of benefit paid to 6,000 claimants is to be brought under tighter control.The report finds that the council had a clear prosecution policy to deter fraudsters but identifies weaknesses in the quality of fraud investigations. The report acknowledges the successful prosecution of fraudsters in 2001–02.Overall the report concludes that the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has established a good platform from which it can make the necessary improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of (a) the London Borough of Enfield and (b) Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. [76865]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on the London Borough of Enfield was published on 18 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI reports that the council's management of the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit was poor with weaknesses in many areas.Access to the benefits system was not sound and the council did not ensure that claims were right from day one. Information was not routinely verified or cross checked and management was not monitoring performance. This significantly increased the risk of fraud and error at the outset of the claim.The council did not detect when payments went wrong and take prompt action to correct them with appropriate penalties to deter a recurrence. Delays in dealing with changes of circumstances have increased the number and level of preventable overpayments.Considerable delays occurred in the assessment and payment of benefit. Management was not monitoring the processes to ensure that bottlenecks and backlogs were quickly identified as they appeared. This caused hardships to claimants and by failing to make payments on account in appropriate cases the council increased this.Insufficient resources were devoted to recovering overpayments of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. As a result, the council was failing to control the level of outstanding debt.The BFI also found that the council's counter fraud performance was poor. Weaknesses were identified in the management of the investigation team and the quality of the investigative work.The council is commended for its commitment to its anti-poverty strategy and for promoting the take up of benefit. Its dedicated team has helped Enfield residents to receive more than £12 million in new and additional welfare benefits since 1996.The report concludes that the council needs to improve the management and effectiveness of its working practices within the benefit service in order to deliver its corporate vision.The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on Wakefield Metropolitan District Council was published on 9 October 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The report finds that in March 2001, the council completed a Best Value Review of the benefits function. The review identified a need to improve in key areas such as claims processing, management checking and overpayment administration. The report finds performance in these key areas is poor. However, BFI recognises the efforts being made by the council to improve performance.The council's practices for processing benefit claims differed across its 13 sites, and there was a 6 weeks backlog of work creating queries and complaints. The council was intending to centralise its benefit function as an answer to many of its problems, however insufficient plans for centralisation had been produced.Whilst the report finds examples of good practices, it found differing levels of performance and procedures across the council. The inconsistent verification of benefit claims and low levels of management checks were identified as key weaknesses, increasing the risk of fraud and error entering the benefit system.The council intends implementing the Verification Framework before March 2003 and it was improving its corporate performance measurement framework. These initiatives combined with centralisation should put the council in a position to provide a much improved benefits service.The report finds very poor performance in the council's administration of overpayments of benefit, with benefit debt increasing and errors being made. However, the council was enhancing its IT system to improve its performance in overpayment administration.The council had a sound approach to countering fraud and corruption, and had undertaken some good quality fraud prosecutions.The report concludes that there is a clear need for the council to improve its benefit performance as the inspection identified many cases of poor performance. However, BFI was encouraged that the council was aware of the challenges it was facing, and with the level of interest shown by elected Members, both in the inspection and the benefit service.In 1999–2000, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council administered approximately £65.2 million in housing benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of (a) Babergh and (b) Swale district councils. [76866]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) follow up inspection report on Babergh District Council was published on 10 October 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI first inspected and published a report on Babergh District Council in April 2000.This report finds that Babergh District Council had made significant improvements since the first inspection. Despite backlogs of work, the council had made progress in its housing benefits administration and counter fraud work. Throughout the inspection, BFI identified improvements and good practices that had been implemented since the first inspection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of (a) Erewash Borough Council, (b) East Dumbartonshire Council and (c) St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council. [76867]

The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) inspection report on the Erewash Borough Council was published on 26 September 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The report finds Erewash Borough Council failing to deliver an adequate and secure benefit service. There were significant weaknesses in the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and counter fraud work. There were also significant backlogs of work.At the time of BFI's inspection, the council had been in a state of constant change for over 4 years, and no senior manager was in post with specific responsibility, or expertise in, housing benefits or counter fraud work. This lack of expertise and key personnel had resulted in a complete lack of strategic direction. Council Members were aware of these problems but the council had made slow progress to resolve the issues. The report finds earlier plans had proved to be of limited use and much rested on the appointment of new chief officers.Despite the serious lack of managerial involvement at a high level, the efforts of benefits staff must not be ignored as they devised procedures, which were a positive measure. They attempted to improve standards by implementing the Verification Framework, expanding customer services and organising occasional landlord forums. Although fragmented, these efforts were a positive step.There was a serious lack of control of benefits work. There were no quality or management checks, no formal procedures and little training. Staff resources were inadequate.The introduction of a new IT system was poorly planned and managed, and the system was not used to its full potential. Management information from the housing benefits IT system was unreliable and there were serious flaws in the security of the system.The report finds errors in all stages of the overpayment process, with little control or monitoring, and no one appointed with specific responsibility for overpayment work.The council had poor counter fraud performance in all aspects of its operation. Fraud investigations lacked depth and substance and this impaired its ability to prosecute fraudsters.Erewash Borough Council only fully implemented 9 of 30 recommendations, made by the District Auditor 3 years before the BFI inspection, to improve its counter fraud arrangements.The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) follow up inspection report on East Dunbartonshire Council was published on 7 October 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI first inspected and published a report on East Dunbartonshire Council in March 1999. The report found that the council was a poor-performing authority that needed to design and develop a more secure and accurate benefits administration system and improve the quality of its benefits service.This report finds that the council had responded positively to the findings in the first report and had introduced some improvements in its administration of housing benefits. However, some key recommendations from the first inspection had not been properly addressed and minimal progress had been made in counter fraud work.The introduction of the Verification Framework in April 2001 had improved the evidence gathering process. However, the use of the same sub-standard claim form that was in place at the first inspection and poor staff training meant that the majority of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit awards were based on poor or inadequate evidence.There had been minimal improvement in counter fraud operations, which continued to be poor. Despite the introduction of a prosecution policy, no cases had been prosecuted and no other forms of sanctions had been considered. Weaknesses surrounding the council's post opening and cheque dispatch procedures continued to exist.However, the report finds that the council had significantly improved in the recovery of benefit overpayments from claimants and landlords who were still receiving benefit. The council was less effective at recovering overpayments from debtors who were no longer receiving benefit.The report concludes that while some progress has been made across benefits administration, it has in the main been slow. There is much to do to address the weaknesses identified at the follow up inspection and for those that remain outstanding from the first inspection. The council agreed to review the range of corporate duties allocated to the Benefits Manager to enable more management time to be given to improving its benefits serviceIn 2000–01, East Dunbartonshire Council administered approximately £12.7 million in housing benefits.The report makes recommendations to help the council address the remaining weaknesses and to further improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as counter fraud activities.The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) follow up inspection report on St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council was published on 8 October 2002 and copies of the report were placed in the Library.The BFI first inspected and published a report on St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in April 2000. The report found that the council needed to develop a more secure and accurate benefits administration system and improve the overall quality of its benefits service.This report finds that the council had responded positively and delivered all 16 major recommendations from the earlier BFI inspection. The report finds that the council had made significant progress and had delivered a major programme of change that had significantly raised the standards of its administration of housing benefits.Since the first inspection, the council had undertaken a Best Value Review of its benefits service and had introduced the Verification Framework. It had also increased management and staffing levels, reorganised the way it delivers benefits, and enhanced its IT systems.The council had also introduced a new claim form, and had introduced management quality checking to test the quality and accuracy of benefit awards. The council was also actively reducing the backlogs of work that had been affecting processing times and causing overpayments.The report finds that the verification process had improved significantly with 66 per cent. of cases examined containing proper evidence. Only 30 per cent. of cases were properly verified at the first inspection. The council plans to provide staff training to raise standards further.The council had introduced a benefits prosecution policy and had significantly improved its counter fraud operations, with the quality of its fraud investigations improving considerably since the first inspection. However, despite these improvements, outstanding overpaid benefit debt had increased and the council had brought few prosecutions against offenders and had made no use of other sanctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will lay regulations on the control of asbestos in the workplace. [76868]

Draft copies of the regulations and a Code of Practice are available for hon. Members in the Vote Office. This issue is the subject of a debate on a Government motion on 24 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average administrative cost was of delivering housing benefit for each London borough in each of the last three years; how many outstanding applications there are; and how many complaints were recorded. [76328]

The available information has been placed in the Library. Information on the number of complaints made to local authorities about their Housing Benefit administration are not collected centrally.However, in his Annual Report for 2001–02, the Local Government Ombudsman reported that complaints to him about Housing Benefit administration in England fell by a quarter on the

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 557W, regarding creche facilities provided by his Department, how much money previous year. Particular mention was made of the London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington and Lambeth which had accounted for 65 per cent. of complaints in the previous year. Complaints against those authorities dropped dramatically in 2001–02. Those against Hackney and Islington Councils fell by around a half, whilst those against Lambeth Council fell by nearly a quarter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made by his Department of the performance of contractors in delivering housing benefit; and if he will publish it. [76329]

The Department has commissioned a review of the impact and effects of outsourcing on the efficiency of Housing and Council Tax Benefit administration and delivery.We expect the findings to be published in the summer of 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs under the remit of his Department in (a) the core department, (b) arms of the armed forces and their support staff, (c) non-departmental public bodies, (d) executive agencies and (e) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by his Department and other such organisations, are located in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, excluding Greater London, (iii) Greater London, (iv) Wales, (v) Northern Ireland and (vi) overseas, broken down by (A) whole time equivalent jobs and (B) the percentage per individual department, body or organisation. [72742]

[holding answer 24 July 2002]: The available information is given in the table below:was contributed in

The information regarding the Ministry of Defence's contribution towards the costs of childcare schemes is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. I regret I am therefore unable to provide a substantive answer under the terms of Exemption 9 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.The Ministry of Defence has allocated some £900,000 of its Civil Service Modernisation Fund diversity grant to childcare related projects: £150,000 in 2000–2001 and £750,000 in 2001–2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects HMS Nottingham to return to its port of destination in the UK: if it will be repaired in the Naval facilities in Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement. [75446]

On current plans, the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Nottingham is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom on, or about, 12 December 2002. While a decision on the ship's future has yet to be made, there is no reason at this time to suppose that repairing her will not be worthwhile. We have therefore invited those UK shiprepair companies with the necessary in-depth knowledge and experience of maintaining and repairing Type 42 Destroyers and their systems to visit the ship to make their own assessments of the damage and tender for any repair work. This invitation has been issued without any commitment from the Ministry of Defence to proceed with the repairs should it not be cost effective to do so. One of the companies invited to visit Nottingham on this basis is Fleet Support Limited, the commercial operators of the Naval facilities at Portsmouth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) to ask the Secretary of State what has been the cost of salvaging HMS Nottingham since she ran aground, excluding costs of repairs to the ship once in dry dock in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [75447](2) what the cost was of berthing HMS Nottingham in Newcastle; and if he will make a statement; [75441](3) what the cost was of towing HMS Nottingham from Lord Howe Island to Newcastle; and if he will make a statement; [75440](4) what the cost was of bringing HMS Nottingham back to Britain on the heavy lift Swan; and if he will make a statement. [75438]

The estimated cost of salvaging HMS Nottingham since she ran aground, excluding the costs of any repairs to the ship once in dry dock in the UK, has been some £9 million. This includes approximately £1.4 million to tow Nottingham from Lord Howe Island to Newcastle and berthing-related costs in Newcastle of some £0.4 million. In addition, it is estimated that the cost of returning Nottingham to the UK on the heavy lift ship will be about £3 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of flying home the crew from HMS Nottingham; and if he will make a statement. [75442]

The total estimated cost of flying HMS Nottingham's crew home from Australia on commercial airlines is expected to be in the region of £200,000. Available RAF aircraft were also used to transport personnel back to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the accommodation for the crew of HMS Nottingham in Australia; and if he will make a statement. [75439]

Since the grounding incident, HMS Nottingham's crew have been accommodated in service accommodation belonging to the Royal Australian Air Force. The bill for this accommodation has not yet been received, but costs are expected to be modest. From 19 October until the ship leaves Australia, essential members of the ship's crew will be accommodated in hotels in Sydney at an estimated cost of around £30,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much plutonium owned by his Department has been (a) considered for export and (b) exported to the Valduc facility in France as part of a joint project with the United States Department of Energy and the Commissariat.…L'Energie Atomique and Cogema in France, for test assemblies for plutonium MOX fuel rods, since 31 January 2000. [75459]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's contingency plans for the decontamination of British weapons systems covered by (a) Sarin, (b) Soman, (c) Ebola, (d) VX and (e) other similar long-lasting substances. [76179]

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: In the first instance we seek to deter the use of chemical or biological warfare agents against our forces, or those of our Allies. We have made it plain that the United Kingdom would take an extremely serious view of this step and that it would invite a proportionately serious response.In the event of a release of chemical or biological agents we would seek to avoid direct exposure, and hence contamination, by using equipment and procedures that detect chemical or biological threats, warn of hazards and protect personnel. If exposure is unavoidable, individuals are equipped to decontaminate themselves and their personal equipment, and units to carry out decontamination to allow them to continue operating. Additional processes would be followed at the end of an operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected cost is of the assessment phase of the British Army's Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System Rocket; and if he will make a statement. [76000]

I can confirm that the Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System Rocket programme recently received initial gate approval to enter the Assessment Phase. The Defence Procurement Agency is currently in negotiations with the preferred bidder, which is a consortium led by INSYS. As negotiations are still underway, I am withholding the information requested under Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the F35 aircraft to reach the end of its service life. [75955]

On current plans, the United Kingdom's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft is expected to remain in service until the 2040s.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what aspects of the design, development, equipment, manufacture and maintenance of the F35 aircraft are included in his estimates of the through-life costs of acquiring and operating these aircraft; and what costs of their deployment and operation are not included in his estimates; [75953](2) what aspects of the design, development, manufacture, equipment and maintenance of the F35 aircraft were included in the intention to acquire up to 150 aircraft at a cost of up to £10 billion announced by his Department on 30 September; [75952]

We currently estimate that the whole life cost of the United Kingdom's planned force of Joint Strike Fighters will be up to £28 billion in full resource terms, through to 2042. This includes acquisition costs of up to £10 billion dependent on aircraft numbers and how they are to be supported through life.Development costs include the United Kingdom's contribution to the JSF Prime Contractor (Lockheed Martin) as covered by the System Development and Demonstration MOU, which we signed with the US in January 2001. They also include funding for the integration of certain United Kingdom weapons systems to be selected in due course, securing JSF's compatibility with United Kingdom Command and Control arrangements and ensuring compliance with our safety and environmental requirements.Acquisition costs include the manufacture of complete aircraft including their engines and also certain related activities such as the provision of flight simulators. The production of weapons for operational use is not included within the whole life cost of JSF.Maintenance and other in-service support costs are not included in the £10Bn but are in the £28 billion. The in-service support costs include the provision of spares, fuel, training, storage, aircrew, ground-crew and station personnel, and flying station service costs including utilities, and the maintenance of runways and hangars.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what payments he expects to make in each financial year from 2003–04 to 2011–12 in respect of the design, development, manufacture and purchase of the F35 aircraft; [75951]

We anticipate that the whole life cost of the United Kingdom's planned force of Joint Strike Fighters will be up to £28 billion in full resource terms. This includes up to £10 billion for the development and manufacture of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft to meet our Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) requirement, dependent on the number of aircraft acquired and how they are to be supported through life. Of this figure, we forecast that some £2 billion will be spent on development activity.I am withholding the information regarding the annual profile of this expenditure under Exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussion he has had with the Indonesian military forces during the past year; and if he will make a statement. [76334]

Defence contacts with Indonesia over the past year have been focused on taking forward a reform programme within the Indonesian armed forces under the aegis of the inter-Departmental Global Conflict Prevention Fund. This has the objective of promoting the emergence of democratically accountable and professional security forces. Contacts have included visits to the United Kingdom by Indonesian politicians, civilian government officials, police and military officers to discuss issues such as defence management, promoting greater transparency and accountability of military expenditure, rules of engagement and the role of the military in support of the civil authorities. United Kingdom visitors to Indonesia have covered similar issues. In addition, two Indonesian officers and one civilian attended a United Kingdom-sponsored "Managing Defence in a Democracy" course in September 2002 in Singapore and two Indonesian officers attended a United Kingdom-sponsored regional peacekeeping course in Bangkok in August 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many private finance initiative schemes are agreed and operating; for what projects within his Department private finance initiatives have been agreed; what the value of each project is; what the start date of each of the projects is; what the life of the contract is; and if he will make a statement. [76496]

The Ministry of Defence has signed 45 PFI deals with a total capital value of £2.3 billion. The deals are listed below.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparatory work has been carried out within his Department to facilitate the deployment of the UK armed forces in the event of a war with Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [75717]

No decision regarding the commitment of United Kingdom Armed Forces to any potential military operations in Iraq has been taken. Military action is neither imminent nor inevitable. The Government of Iraq is being given every chance to comply with its obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the equipment and systems procured for Watchkeeper will conform to the proposed NATO STANAG 4586. [75844]

The United Kingdom is contributing to the development of NATO STANAG 4586 that relates to the definition of Standard Interfaces of Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Control Systems for NATO UAV interoperability. Whilst this has yet to go through the ratification process it is intended that the equipment and systems procured for Watchkeeper will conform to the principles of interoperability defined therein.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the successful bidders for the assessment phase of Watchkeeper will be announced. [75843]

The bids for the Assessment phase of Watchkeeper are currently being assessed and it is hoped to announce the result shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the UK/US Tracer Programme user trials will cost; how long these trials will be; when the results are expected to be published; and if he will make a statement. [75997]

Technology demonstrations for the TRACER programme took place during June and July 2002. The cost of these trials was included in the overall Assessment Phase contracts valued at some £90 million. Final reports have now been delivered and technology maturity data that they contain will inform decisions within the Department about how individual technologies might be applied to future equipment programmes. The results contain commercially sensitive proprietary information and there are no plans to publish them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) the Royal Air Force were aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 19, (iii) 20 to 24, (iv) 25 to 29, (v) 30 to 34, (vi) 35 to 39, (vii) 40 to 44, (viii) 45 to 49 and (ix) 50 years and over on 1 April each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [76166]

The percentage of the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) the Royal Air Force by age categories are listed in the following tables:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the average pay rise for civil servants in his Department over each of the last five years; and what pay rises have been approved for each of the years (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05 and (d) 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [75716]

The percentage pay rise for industrial and non-industrial civil servants in the Ministry of Defence is set out in the table below. The figures exclude trading fund and other agencies which have responsibility for their own pay bargaining. They show the increases to the Ministry of Defence paybill over each of the last five years and the increases recently agreed for the years (a) 2002–2003, (b) 2003–2004, (c) 2004–2005 and (d) 2005–2006. Up to 2001, there were separate pay systems for the two groups of staff, but these have been harmonised from 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the website links associated with his Department, including sites now dormant or closed, and indicating whether they are live, dormant or closed; what the start up costs were for each site listed; what the operating costs were in each year since start up for each site; which company hosted each site; what assessment takes place for each site; which company does the assessment; if he will place the assessment reports in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [75576]

My Department has a number of web sites in addition to the Department for Transport web site (www.dft.gov.uk). It is not possible to state the start up costs as the site has been created out of the former DTLR (and before that, DETR) web site. The annual cost of running the web site is currently £85,000 (excluding staff costs). The web hosting company is EduServ, who are based in Bath. There has been no assessment of the DfT web site, as it has only existed since the creation of the Department earlier this year.Because not all sites are managed centrally, information about every web site could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, the following are primary sites listed on our main web site and are live unless specified:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by (a) the Health and Safety Commission, (b) the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Council and (c) the Rail Passengers Council; what the annual budget of each has been for each year since 1997–98 and its projected budget for the next financial year; and if he will make a statement on the role and terms of reference of each. [75609]

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) are statutory advisers to the Department for Transport on the transport and mobility needs of disabled people. The Committee was set up under S.125 of the Transport Act 1985 and it is also recognised in a number of other Acts including the Railways Act 1993 and the Transport Act 2000.DPTAC does not employ staff direct. The Department for Transport supports the Secretariat and administrative functions of the Committee and staff from the Department are appointed to those posts. Until the 2000–01 Financial Year the Committee's costs were not separately identified, but the cost to the Department since then has been: £215K (00–01) and £265K (01–02). The budget for this year is £289K and this is likely to remain the same for the following Financial Year.The Rail Passengers Council (RPC) was set up in its current form by the Railways Act 1993, with its powers and name amended by the Transport Act 2000. The Council along with the Rail Passengers Committees—whose work it co-ordinates—is the statutory watchdog protecting and promoting the interests of rail passengers. Its statutory duties are set out in sections 76 and 77 of the Railways Act 1993, as amended by the Transport Act 2000.The Council is finalising a new mission statement and long-term goals, on which it will be consulting later in the year.The Council's mission statement and aims are set out in its annual report. Copies of which are available in the House Libraries.At present the Council employs 21 permanent and fixed term staff. It is currently sponsored by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and the details of the overall annual budgets for the Council and Committees are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been conducted and is planned by and for his Department into the (a) environmental and (b) economic benefits of the use of water-diesel emulsion fuels in public transport vehicles; and if he will place copies in the Library. [75848]

Following discussions with a producer of water-diesel emulsion fuel, some limited testing of their fuel was carried out as part of a much wider particulate research programme commissioned by this Department in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Oil Companies European Organisation for Environmental Health and Safety (CONCAWE). The results of those tests are included in an Annex to the report on the Particulate Research Programme 1998–2001 which was published in May 2001. I am arranging for copies of the Summary Report, including the full report on CD, and the relevant Annex from the full report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations have been received from, and what discussions have been had with, (a) the bus industry, (b) local authorities, (c) Transport for London, (d) passenger transport executives and (e) the Treasury on the role of water-diesel emulsion fuels in public transport vehicles. [75608]

The Department has had discussions with Transport for London and has received enquiries from other bus operators about the use of water-diesel emulsion fuels in public transport vehicles. The Department is aware that diesel emulsions can deliver some environmental benefits, in particular through reduced NOx and emissions of particulate mass but there is evidence of increased hydrocarbons and ultra-fine particle emissions. There is an emerging view among medical experts that, potentially, ultra-fine particles may have a significant effect on human health. Therefore, until the health effects are clearer, the Department has some reservations about the wider use of these fuels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority of the likely effects of the forthcoming Enterprise Bill upon the railway industry; and what plans there are to respond to them. [75616]

I am not aware of any likely effects unique to the railway industry. The particular circumstances of the industry were taken into account in the preparation of the legislation. Both the Department and the Strategic Rail Authority have been consulted during the passage of the Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department projects the level of rail passenger (a) journeys, (b) kilometres and (c) passengers in the United Kingdom will be by 2004–05; and how these figures were calculated. [75602]

The targets for national rail set out in the Ten Year Plan include increasing rail use (measured in passenger kilometres) from 2000 levels by 50 per cent. by 2010. The latest official forecasts for rail passenger kilometres growth to 2010 were set out in the Ten Year Plan, with detail on the method of their calculation in "Transport 2010— The Background Analysis", copies of which are in the Library. There are no official forecasts to 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the performance of the (a) Rail Passengers Council and (b) the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Council; and what reports are published on their performance. [76523]

Sponsorship and external assessment of the work of the Rail Passengers Council are matters for the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). The Council is finalising a new mission statement and long-term goals, on which it will be consulting later in the year.The Council's mission statement and aims are set out in its annual report. Copies of which are available in the House Libraries.The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee produces an annual report covering the work they do and copies of those reports are placed in the Library. In addition, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance on reviewing non-departmental public bodies, a formal review of the DPTAC is being carried out this autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by (a) the Rail Passengers' committees and (b) the Traffic Commissioners; what their role and terms of reference are; what their annual budgets were for each year since 1997–98; and what their projected budgets are for 2003–04. [76201]

(a) The Rail Passengers Committees have 45 permanent and fixed term staff. The work of Rail Passengers Committees are co-ordinated by the Rail Passengers Council. The Council and Committees are the statutory watchdog protecting and promoting the interests of rail passengers. Their statutory duties are set out in sections 76 and 77 of the Railways Act 1993, as amended by the Transport Act 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking as a result of the increase in 2001 in the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads in Herefordshire. [75145]

There was a 2 per cent. reduction in the number of road deaths and serious injuries across Britain as a whole between 2000 and 2001. The number has now been cut by 15 per cent. from the baseline for the 40 per cent. target reduction that we want to achieve by 2010.The Government remains firmly committed to that target and to delivering the national measures necessary to achieve it. However, local highway authorities are best placed to explain the likely reasons for any year to year changes in their area and to supply details of local measures that are being taken to reduce road accidents and casualties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate this impact on the forecast for total United Kingdom air passengers in 2030 if the assumption in his consultation paper of a 1.5 per cent. annual fall in the cost of air travel were replaced by an assumed increase in the cost of 1 per cent. a year. [75035]

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: The estimate of forecast total UK demand for air travel in 2030 is based on a 1 per cent. per annum reduction in air fares in real terms over the forecasting period, as noted in paragraph 5.9 of the consultation document "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East."

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the total United Kingdom air passenger demand in 2030 if a tax, equivalent to the current level of duty on unleaded petrol, were imposed on aviation fuel in 2015 and a sales tax of 17.5 per cent. were imposed on airline tickets for United Kingdom flight departures at the same date. [75034]

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: The Government is committed to ensuring that the aviation industry meets its environmental costs. Since civil aviation is a international industry, the Government's approach is to support multilateral action through ICAO to end the exemption from tax for international aviation fuel. Unilateral action would create market distortions, such as "tankering" of extra fuel from aboard to avoid tax, and would have limited environmental benefits. The Government has given an undertaking not to remove zero rating for VAT purposes of international air (and sea) transport. In the consultation document, The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East, it is estimated that policies to meet the contribution of aircraft emissions towards climate change would reduce demand by around 10 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the national guidelines on the phasing of traffic lights. [76126]

[holding answer 21 October 2002]: My Department issues guidance to highway authorities on the general principles of control by traffic lights, including where pedestrian facilities are provided. Guidance is contained in Technical Advice Notes TA/15/81 and TA/16/81, which are part of the Highways Agency's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Copies of these Technical Advice Notes have been placed in the Libraries of the House.It is for individual highway authority to decide on the phasing of traffic lights on their roads, depending on the circumstances at each site where they are used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) Transport for London, (b) the Mayor of London and (c) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on transport infrastructure to support the regeneration of the London Riverside Thames Gateway Zone of Change. [76138]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has discussions from time to time with ministerial colleagues and with the Mayor of London, who is chairman of Transport for London, on a wide range of issues of common interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the potential of (a) amending existing regulations and (b) introducing new regulations to (i) reduce the cost of provision and (ii) increase the availability of school transport vehicles, including yellow school buses. [76189]

Regulations for buses provide minimum safety and accessibility standards for all passengers and in some circumstances dedicated transport for children requires additional features such as seat belts.The current regime allows education authorities the flexibility to use the most appropriate means of transport for schoolchildren, whether on dedicated vehicles or by using existing services.My Department has recently commissioned independent consultants to evaluate the American-style yellow school bus pilots which First is running. The objectives of the evaluation include comparing the daily cost per capita to local authorities of running a First pilot vehicle to that of running a traditional school contract vehicle. The study is expected to report in August 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) amendments to regulations and (b) new regulations (i) have been introduced and (ii) are planned relating to vehicle standards for school transport vehicles, including yellow school buses. [76477]

There is no specific category of School bus in regulations. Amendments to the Road Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations in 1996 require minibuses or coaches used for the transport of groups of more than three children on organised trips to be fitted with seat belts. In many cases this would include vehicles used for trips to and from schools. Further changes to these regulations require all new buses and coaches which are not certified to carry standing passengers to be fitted with seat belts from October 2001.The Department has recently consulted on the reform of national regulations and approval schemes for the construction and use of minibuses, buses and coaches. The main purpose of these changes is to simplify the current regulatory structure and align our requirements with those common in the rest of Europe. Whilst these proposals do not differentiate between the uses to which buses and coaches are put they will effect all such vehicles including those used for school transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment has been made of the impact of changes in the density of road signs on the road network upon (a) road traffic speed, (b) congestion and (c) pollution; and if he will place copies of related correspondence in the Library. [76480]

I am not aware of any such assessment, or of any work suggesting that density of signing might affect traffic speeds, congestion or pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes are planned to the regulatory framework of the operating, licensing and compliance systems under the Transport Area Network; what consultation has taken place and is planned in relation to changes; and what discussions have taken place in relation to changes which (a) have taken place and (b) are planned. [76204]

The regulatory framework for operators of goods and passenger service vehicles is contained in the Goods Vehicle (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 and the Public Passenger Vehicle Act 1981. In January 2001 Regulations were made to allow illegally operated heavy goods vehicles to be impounded. Following consultation, we are in the process of making regulations to increase fees relating to the licensing of operators and the registration of bus services. We are currently consulting on regulatory changes to facilitate the registration of flexibly routed bus services. We are planning to clarify and extend the categories of exemptions to goods O-licensing as soon as consultation has been completed. We continue to keep the systems under review with a view to improvement and the easing of the regulatory burden on industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what changes have been made to the timetable for the development and introduction of the Transport Area Network; what the reasons have been for these changes; and what costs were incurred as a result; [76210](2) if he will make a statement on the new systems which

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 October 2002, Official Report, c. 21W. The Traffic Area Network computer system (TAN21) contains a financial module, which was delivered in February 2002, 3 months later than originally planned. It is for internal business use and does not provide any access for the transport industry. The delays have been caused by procurement, infrastructure, software issues and extensive testing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Transport Area Network is due to end its status as a part of the Department; and when he plans to make a decision on its future status. [76203]

The Traffic Area Network is not due to end its status as part of the Department for Transport. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Blizzard) on 23 July 2002, Official Report, columns 964–65W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research (a) has been conducted and (b) is planned by and for his Department on the progress of the Transport Area Network; and if he will place copies of completed research in the Library. [76208]

There has been no research and none is planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place with the railway industry on the directives on (a) European Rail Agency Interoperability and Safety and (b) the Development of Community Railways being discussed within the European Parliament; and if he will place related documentation in the Library. [76191]

Many railway industry parties responded to my Department's consultation exercise on the 2nd railway package, which ran from May to 23 August 2002. Copies of the consultation document and the replies (excluding those from respondents who have requested confidentiality) are being placed in the libraries of the House. In addition, my officials have participated in a number of seminars on these proposals organised by the industry and have held discussions with individual parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what submissions have been made by his Department to the (a) European Commission and (b) European Parliament on the Directive on the Development of Community Railways being discussed within the European Parliament; and if he will place copies in the Library. [76192]

No written submissions have been made to the European Commission. However, Ministers and officials from my Department participate on a regular basis in Council meetings convened by the Presidency to discuss these elements of the Commission's proposed Second Rail Package. The European Commission is represented at those meetingsMy officials provided written briefing to UK Members of the European Parliament on these proposals in April, July and September 2002. I will arrange for these sets of briefing to be placed in the libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to implement the DVO Blueprint Strategy and Work Programme; and what assessment has been made of its implementation. [76488]

We have begun a programme of work to take forward the DVO Blueprint Strategy. This programme includes around 40 IT projects which will help to meet the government's e-business targets for 2005 by providing drivers and operators with new electronic services such as, for example, the opportunity to re-license their vehicles using the phone or the internet. Progress on this programme of work is monitored and reported regularly. We will also be conducting extensive research with our customers to ensure that these new services continue to meet their requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to disseminate findings from market research to support Transport Direct. [76487]

The current programme of market research to support Transport Direct is being completed. The results of these will be published by the within 2 months and will be available on the department's website. (http://www.dft.gov.uk/itwp/transdirect/index.htm)A further research project is planned which will look at usability aspects. The usability of a website can be judged by looking at whether the content is useful to the website user; and whether it is easy to use the website, in terms of how the content is presented and how the information is structured

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the research projects which have been, are being, and are planned to be conducted by and for his Department related to Transport Direct. [75612]

There are two main themes to the research being carried out by Transport Direct, those that directly support the Transport Direct programme, and others where we provide a supporting role to other organisations, which will help provide the ambitions of Transport Direct.We are currently undertaking a programme of market research to support Transport Direct. This will inform us on what features and specific characteristics the service should possess from the point of view of the public. The results of these will be published within the next 2 months and will be available on the department's website. A further research project is planned which will look at usability aspects. The usability of a website can be judged by looking at whether the content is useful to the website user; and whether it is easy to use the website, in terms of how the content is presented and how the information is structuredThe results of previous research can be found on the Department's website http://www.dft.gov.uk/itwp/ transdirect/index.htm. These include a review of existing traveller information system and a project looking at how cycling can be incorporated into journey planners.The work on providing a business case for bus real-time is continuing, the business case will quantify the benefit of such systems. Recommendations for the business case are due for completion within the next 2 months.Transport Direct also has research work to support traveline and Journey Solutions. Work done by these organisations will contribute towards the goals of Transport Direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work has been undertaken on the Transport Direct business plan. [76198]