To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the survival rates for (a) breast cancer, (b) lung cancer and (c) heart disease for each year since 1997 for (i) England and (ii) each region of England. [122790]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the statistical reliability of the calculation of average wage levels using the (a) New Earnings survey and (b) Labour Force survey. [122518]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review (a) the procedures for transferring entitlement to child benefit to a surviving patient on the death of the parent with care and (b) the case of Mr. Roger Grey, a constituent. [121447]

Where a child benefit claimant dies and their partner wants to claim child benefit instead, he or she needs to make a new claim. They have up to three months to do this and not suffer a break in their right to payment. The Inland Revenue aims to do all it can, in such cases, to ensure claims are processed as quickly as possible and to maintain continuity of payment.I cannot comment on the specific case you mention but I can assure you that the Inland Revenue is continuing to look at how to improve the service provided to customers in this situation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision has been made by the Inland Revenue to deal with (a) changes in payments and (b) written and telephone queries in respect of child tax credit for term-time workers during the summer months. [122880]

A term-time worker who has responsibility for one or more children will be able to claim child tax credit, which is paid direct by the Inland Revenue. Child tax credit is not related to work status.Tax credit awards for 2003–04 are initially based on the family's current circumstances and their income for the 2001–02 tax year. They may be adjusted during the year for changes in income or circumstances. Final entitlement for the year will be based on circumstances during the year and the income for 2003–04, if that is lower than 2001–02 income or more than £,500 higher.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to make the first payments into child trust funds. [122132]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: As stated in the Budget, entitlement to the child trust fund will be backdated to include children born from September 2002. We expect child trust fund accounts to be available by 2005.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish further details of his proposed child trust funds. [122133]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: Full proposals for the child trust fund will be published later in the summer.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 22 May 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms J. Knowles. [122874]

The Inland Revenue replied on behalf of the Chancellor on 20 June 2003. The Tax Credit Office aims to reply to 80 per cent. of complaints within 15 working days and will measure their performance and report against that aim in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff (a) have been and (b) will be transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to the Treasury as a result of the introductions of the various tax credits. [121219]

There have been no transfers of staff from the DWP to the Treasury (or Inland Revenue) as a direct result of the introduction of the child and working tax credits and none are planned. The Inland Revenue's Annual Report to 31 March 2000 (CM 5029) shows—at page 33—that the equivalent of around 3,700 full time staff were transferred from the Benefits Agency to the Inland Revenue when WFTC/DPTC were introduced in October 1999.Responsibility for administering the child and working tax credits rests with Inland Revenue. The DWP will continue to deliver a one-stop system of support for working age customers, including transacting their tax credits business.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people (a) in the UK, (b) in the UK workforce and (c) of working age are classified as having a disability; and what percentage of the total this figure represents in each case. [122644]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has had discussions with the office of Lord Penrose since 8 March concerning his report into Equitable Life. [122361]

Lord Penrose's Inquiry was established by and is supported by the Treasury. Therefore, Treasury officials discuss a range of issues with Lord Penrose's office on an on-going basis. However, the conduct of the Inquiry is entirely a matter for Lord Penrose.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the rise in the tax burden necessary to offset inflationary pressures which would otherwise result in (a) a half per cent. rise in inflation, (b) a one per cent. rise inflation, (c) a one and a half per cent. rise in inflation and (d) a two per cent. rise in inflation, assuming that a decision to implement a discretionary fiscal policy was taken, as described in the Treasury document Fiscal stabilisation and EMU, and assuming a neutral monetary policy. [121556]

In the event that a discretionary fiscal policy response was needed within EMU, its likely size would depend on a number of factors, including the nature of the economic shock, the degree of wage and price flexibility within the UK, and which fiscal instrument was being used.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the proportion of those earning over £100,000 a year who are graduates. [121770]

[holding answer 26 June 2003]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the UK housing market of increased use of long-term fixed rate mortgages; and if he will make a statement. [123200]

These issues will be considered as part of the Miles Review announced in Budget 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with mortgage lenders regarding the market share of variable rate mortgages in the UK. [121551]

The Chancellor has asked David Miles, Professor of Finance at Imperial College, to undertake a review of the UK's fixed rate mortgage market to establish why the share of fixed-rate mortgages, particularly long-term fixed rates, is so low compared to the United States and many other EU countries.The Review process will involve consultation with key stakeholders to establish views and inform the analysis.Professor Miles will deliver an interim report by autumn and a comprehensive report and recommendations to the Chancellor by Budget 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost would be to the Exchequer if the 22 per cent. income tax rate bracket was increased to include individuals with yearly incomes of (a) £40,000, (b) £45,000, (c) £50,000, (d) £55,000 and (e) £60,000. [121662]

[holding answer 26 June 2003]: The full year cost or yield of extending the basic rate limits in 2003–04 is given in the following table.

Full year cost of increasing the Basic Rate Limit to include individuals with annual gross income of:	£billion
(a) 40,000	2.5
(b) 45,000	4.5
(c) 50,000	6.0
(d) 55,000	7.2
(e) 60,000	8.3

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with Budget 2003. They exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the revenue impact would be of increasing the higher income tax rate to 50 per cent. and extending the 22 per cent. income rate bracket to include yearly earnings of up to (a) £40,000, (b) £45,000 and (c) £50,000. [121664]

[holding answer 26 June 2003]: The full year yield of extending the basic rate limits and increasing the higher income tax rate to 50 per cent. in 2003–04 is given in the following table.

Increasing the higher income tax rate to 50 per cent. and Basic Rate Limit to include individuals with annual gross income of:	Full year yield (£ billion)
(a) 40,000	8.2
(b) 45,000	5.2
(c) 50,000	2.8

The estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with Budget 2003.They exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of tax payers who would be required to pay a top rate of income tax set for this financial year at (a) £100,000 and above and (b) £150,000 and above of taxable income. [122362]

The information is given in the table.

Number of higher rate taxpayers in 2003–04 with taxable incomes of	Numbers in thousands
(a) £1,00,000 and above	327
(b)£1,50,000 and above	158

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the Budget 2003.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue that would be raised from income tax rates of (a) 1 per cent., (b) 5 per cent., (c) 9 per cent. and (d) 10 per cent. on gross incomes in excess of £1,000,000 a year. [122624]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: The full year revenue yield from making these changes in 2003–04 is set out in the table.

Full year yield of raising the higher rate of income tax in 2003–04 on gross incomes in excess of £1,000,000	£billion
(a) by 1 per cent.	0.1
(b) by 5 per cent.	0.3
(c) by 9 per cent.	0.6
(d) by 10 per cent.	0.7

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with Budget 2003. They exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees are aged (a) 16 and (b) 17. [122879]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the appointees to the (a) Private Finance Task Force, (b) Financial Services Authority, (c) Financial Services Tribunal, (d) Board of Banking Supervision, (e) VAT and Duties Tribunal and (f) National Savings; and which of the appointees to each body are from ethnic minorities. [122991]

The Financial Services Tribunal and the Board of Banking Supervision were disbanded following the enactment of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA) and the Private Finance Task Force no longer exists. Of the remaining three bodies the current appointees are listed below. As information about which appointees are from ethnic minorities is personal, it can be disclosed only with their individual approval, which would entail disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to alter the tax treatment of tax exempt saving products. [121575]

The Government keep the tax regime under constant review to ensure that it continues to deliver its key objectives. The Government have recently consulted on radical proposals to simplify the taxation of pension savings. We are now considering responses to the consultation from around 380 organisations and individuals. There are no other current plans to alter the tax treatment of tax exempt savings products.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will support a revision of the Sixth VAT Directive which will allow a lower flat rate of VAT for construction work; [122810](2) what plans he has to put forward proposals for changes to the Sixth VAT Directive. [122811]

The Government will carefully consider representations for a reduced rate on all building work in the context of the upcoming European Commission review of the reduced rates provisions. The Government intend to take a full and active part in this review as with all other discussions on changes to EC VAT Law.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the Inland Revenue policy on collection of receivables in arrears from small businesses upon implementation of the Enterprise Act 2002. [123343]

Inland Revenue policy will not change upon implementation of the Enterprise Act 2002. The Inland Revenue will continue to support viable businesses, which experience financial difficulties, with the aim of encouraging enterprise and promoting a 'rescue culture'.For a small business that goes into administration the Inland Revenue must act in accordance with insolvency law and will seek to recover no more and no less than it is legally entitled to, just as it would with any business.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers he has to alter the rate of stamp duty without parliamentary approval. [121443]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action his Department takes to ensure that tax codes for those (a) 65 and over and (b) 75 and over are altered in the year in which taxpayers reach (i) 65 and (ii) 75 years; and if he will make a statement. [122695]

For taxpayers reaching pension age who do not complete a tax return, the Inland Revenue will either have their date of birth in their records or find out from the Department of Work and Pensions that they are about to become entitled to their state pension. In these cases, they send the new pensioner a short form to obtain details of their income so that they can give them the full range of allowances to which they are entitled.Once the Revenue has received details of the person's date of birth, they will use this information to give the higher allowance once the person reaches 75.If for any reason the individual does not get the allowances they are entitled to, they should get in contact with their Revenue office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 536W, on tax credits, how many tax credit claimants are being paid by girocheque. [114411]

Inland Revenue makes arrangements to pay tax credits via giro cheque when suitable banking facilities are not available. When such facilities become available, and if direct payments are still due to be made, the arrangements are changed to make the payments direct into the recipients' accounts. Such changes are being made continually, and it is not possible to establish for which recipients we are currently expecting to pay their next payment via girocheque, except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has (a) received from and (b) made to the Scottish Executive concerning recent problems with tax credit payments, broken down by (i) subject, (ii) date and (iii) responsible Scottish minister. [122511]

None. Payments by the Scottish Executive are a devolved responsibility of the Executive.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual appeals against working tax credit assessments are outstanding. [115805]

Award notices cover child tax credit and working tax credit together, if appropriate. At the end of May 2003, when about 3.7 million claims were already in payment, about 4,600 written appeals against tax credit decisions had been received but not yet settled. These cover disagreements about award notices that have been reported in writing, but exclude those that are effectively reporting changes in circumstances. They include both specific disagreements about elements of the award and more general observations on the level of award or the calculation method.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of people who will (a) gain and (b) lose financially on the basis of their total income in the 2003–04 financial year as a result of the introduction of child tax credit. [119037]

I refer my hon. Friend to Chart 5.1 in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (Budget 2003). It illustrates that a small number of families with children in the top 10 per cent. of the income scale will receive a smaller award of child tax credit than of the tax credits it has replaced. However, it also shows that even these families are on average around £5 a week better off due to the extra support this Government have given to families with children since 1997.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 542W, on tax credits, how many (a) tax credit application forms have been sent out and (b) completed application forms have been received, in each month since February. [121276]

[holding answer 23 June 2003]:The cumulative monthly figures to the end of May 2003 are as follows.

Child tax credit and working tax credit: claim forms issued and claims received— cumulative monthly figures
Thousands
Month1	(a) Claim forms issued	(b) Claims received2
February 2003	5,500	3,200
March 2003	6,500	3,9003
April 2003	7,000	40004
May 2003	7,200	4,2505
1 Final Friday in month.
2 Including received on-line.
3 At 9 April 2003
4 At 28 April 2003
5 At 3 June 2003. Excludes claims assessed as being duplicates.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to (a) the tax credits figures in the third row of Table C8 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500, (b) the tax credits figures in the thirty-third row of Table C8 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500, (c) the social security benefits figures in the fifth row of Table C11 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500 and (d) the tax credits figures in the sixth row the Table C11 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500, if he will list of the types of tax credit, benefits payment and other components which comprise the quoted figures; for each type of tax credit, benefit payment and other component, whether, according to the accounting methods employed in the 2003 Budget, they are classified as negative tax revenues, Government spending or a combination of the two; and for each tax credit, benefit payment and other component, what amount the tax was refunded and Government spending was incurred in each year since 2001–02 to the latest year for which figures are projected. [121327]

The treatment of personal tax credits in Budget reports was explained in Box C2 on page 216 of Budget 2002 (HC592). The Government have adopted best international practice as set out in OECD guidelines for the purposes of calculating net taxes and social security contributions as included in Table C8 of Budget 2003. However there are some differences between the OECD guidelines and National Accounts basis used for calculation of other fiscal aggregates.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people who were receiving working families tax credit in March 2003 (a) received payments of child tax credit by the end of April 2003 and (b) had not received their child tax credit by the end of April 2003. [121970]

[holding answer 3 July 2003]: Not all recipients of working families tax credit (WFTC) in March 2003 qualify for a child tax credit (CTC) award. Their circumstances or incomes may have changed since the beginning of their WFTC awards.Of former WFTC recipients who by 31 March had submitted claims for CTC, were eligible for CTC, and for whom no further information was required to process the claim, the vast majority were in award by the end of April 2003.It is not yet known how many recipients of WFTC at March 2003 have made later claims for CTC, or made claims which have required further information to process.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how applications for tax credits received after the 5 July deadline will be treated; and if he will make a statement. [122226]

This year, the Inland Revenue will treat tax credits claims received before midnight on the first full working day after the deadline as qualifying for full backdating. This is to make sure that claims received by different routes are treated alike and recognises that the deadline falls at the weekend. So claims the Inland Revenue receive by midnight on Monday 7 July will be backdated to 6 April 2003, where appropriate.People can, of course, still claim tax credits for 2003–04 after that date. Claims received after 7 July can still be backdated for up to three months. (People should therefore make their claims as soon as possible.)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effects of administering the new tax credits on the processing by the Inland Revenue of income tax returns, with particular reference to the Inland Revenue at Bootle. [122691]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: The rate at which the Inland Revenue processes income tax returns varies throughout the year and from year to year. New tax credits work has had no material effect on the processing of income tax returns this year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional revenue would be generated if the top rate of tax were (a) 45 per cent., (b) 50 per cent. and (c) 60 per cent. for those with incomes over £100,000. [121995]

The full year yield of introducing an additional higher rate of tax in 2003–04 is given in table.

Income tax yield in 2003–04	£ billion
(a) 45 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	2.7
(b) 50 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	5.0
(c) 60 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	9.5

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue would be generated if the top rate of tax were (a) 45 per cent., (b) 50 per cent. and (c) 60 per cent. for those with incomes over £100,000 and the threshold for paying higher rates were raised to (i) £35,000 and (ii) £40,000. [121996]

The full year revenue yield or loss from making these changes in 2003–04 is set out in the table.

	New basic rate limit (£ billion)
The full year yield or loss (±) of increasing the basic rate limit and introducing an additional higher rate of tax in 2003–04	(i)£35,000	(ii)£40,000
(a) 45 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	0.3	-1.7
(b) 50 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	2.6	0.6
(c) 60 per cent. on gross incomes over £100,000	7.2	5.2

These estimates are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with Budget 2003. They exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the tax rises he has introduced since 1997. [123554]

All changes to taxation since 1997 are set out in the relevant Financial Statement and Budget Reports, which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the accruals adjustment on taxes for each year since 1996–97 or the earliest year for which data are available, whichever is the later, with reference to the accruals adjustments on taxes figures in Table C8 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500; [121324](2) if he will list the reasons for the projected rise in accruals adjustments on taxes between 2002–03 and 2003–04, with reference to the accruals adjustments on taxes figures in Table C8 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500; and if he will make a statement; [121325](3) with reference to the accruals adjustments on taxes figures in Table C8 of the 2003 Budget, HC 500, if he will list for each tax for which the accrued receipts

The following table summarises the accruals adjustments on taxes and national insurance contributions from 1996–97, consistent with the figures given in Table C8 of Budget 2003 (HC 500).

Accruals adjustments on taxes and national insurance contributions
£billion
Year	Customs and Excise	Income Tax	Social security contributions	Other taxes	Total
1996–97	-0.1	0.6	0.3	0.5	1.3
1997–98	-0.4	0.3	0.6	0.3	0.9
1998–99	0.1	0.6	0.0	0.6	1.3
1999–2000	2.8	1.1	0.8	-0.1	4.7
2000–01	0.6	0.9	1.7	0.5	3.6
2001–02	0.9	-0.1	0.0	-0.1	0.6
2002–03	0.3	0.2	-0.7	-0.1	-0.3
2003–04	0.6	1.3	1.8	-0.1	3.6

These accruals adjustments are defined as the difference between taxes accruing for the year and actual cash receipts in that year. They can vary considerably from year to year and from tax to tax reflecting changes to the timing of cash payments, changes to the tax system, behavioural changes by taxpayers and the rate of growth of the tax base. A combination of these factors explains the increase between 2002–03 and 2003–04. As explained in paragraph C85 of Budget 2003, this is partly because of the effect of the national insurance contributions measures announced in Budget 2002.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) tied financial advisers operate in the United Kingdom and (b) tied financial advisers had confirmed that they have obtained professional indemnity insurance cover by 30 May. [122902]

I am advised by the Financial Services Authority that figures are not available for the number of tied advisers in the UK.Tied advisers, that is to say advisers who can only advise on the products of marketing group associates of large banking or insurance firms, tend to be either appointed representatives of or employed by such firms. Typically those firms, which have substantial capital resources to meet the claims of consumers, do not have a requirement to carry professional indemnity insurance.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Parliamentary Commission for Admissions' observations in Equality Under the Law, Command Paper HC122, paragraph 23, on the Inland Revenue's policy towards widowers who have sought the widow's bereavement allowance. [122380]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraph 65 of the Court of Appeal judgment in The Queen on the application of Adrian John Wilkinson and The Commissioners of Inland Revenue [2003] EWCA Civ 814, 18 June 2003, which can be found on the Court Service website at: www.courtservice.gov.uk

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage the take-up of working tax credit. [121823]

I refer the hon. Lady to my answer to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 10 February 2003, Official Report, column 604W, regarding child tax credit. Since that date further publicity has included television, press, radio and on-line advertising as well as direct mail.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to check that information lines for related benefits listed in working tax credit award notices are operational; and what systems he has in place to correct inaccuracies. [121992]

Working tax credit award notices do not contain the details of information lines for related benefits attached to the new tax credits.However, the Inland Revenue has published a leaflet, "WT6? Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit? Other types of help you may be able to get" which explains how the tax credits can help families receive other benefits. The leaflet is available from Inland Revenue Offices and Enquiry Centres and on-line at the Inland Revenue website. The details in the leaflet are regularly reviewed.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department's vote in the Council of Ministers against a legislative proposal (a) was sufficient and (b) was not sufficient to achieve with other member states a blocking minority. [117216]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office has not voted in the Council of Ministers against a legislative proposal since May 1997. The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, as the Department does not have the policy lead on any issues debated there.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting. [117234]

The Department has not abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal passed by qualified majority voting since May 1997. The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, as the Department does not have the policy lead on any issues debated there.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers; and if he will list the legislation by year. [117252]

The Department has not been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers since May 1997. The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, as the Department does not have the policy lead on any issues debated there.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department indicated dissent from a proposal in the Council of Ministers but did not register a vote or abstention. [117263]

The Department has not indicated dissent without registering a vote or abstention from a proposal in the Council of Ministers since May 1997. The Minister for the Cabinet Office does not attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, as the Department does not have the policy lead on any issues debated there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department's vote in the Council of Ministers against a legislative proposal (a) was sufficient and (b) was not sufficient to achieve with other member states a blocking minority. [117210]

Since March 1999, (a) none, and (b) on one occasion. Information for the earlier years is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting. [117228]

Since March 1999, twice. Information for the earlier years is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers; and if he will list the legislation by year. [117244]

Since March 1999, on three occasions. These were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department indicated dissent from a proposal in the Council of Ministers but did not register a vote or abstention. [117258]

Since March 1999, none. Information for the earlier years is only available at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cyclists died on the road in (a) the UK and (b) Sefton in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2002. [122276]

The table below shows the numbers of fatalities suffered by cyclists on the road in the UK and Sefton in 2001 and in 2002:

Year	UK	Sefton
2001	140	0
2002	133	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of changes in the (a) rate and (b) severity of cyclist casualties in areas where cycling with helmets is legally required. [122277]

The Department commissioned an independent review of the effectiveness of cycle helmets which was published in 2002. This report included an assessment of the evidence of the impact of bicycle helmet legislation on helmet wearing rates, injuries and levels of bicycling. The report concludes that bicycle helmet legislation has been associated with head injury reductions. A case study of Victoria in Australia found evidence that post legislation there was a marked decrease in casualty rates per head of population. Reductions in levels of cycling arid other road safety activities were recorded which may account for some of the casualty reductions.Results of this review are available on the Department for Transport website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by his Department over each of the last five years. [120757]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 30 June 2003, Official Report, columns 64–65 W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason traffic commissioners are referring to public inquiry those freight companies who contract their transport manager function to Trans Consult Ltd. [122292]

Traffic Commissioners are independent of the Secretary of State and decisions to refer cases to public inquiry are for them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the statutory undertakers about graffiti on their street furniture or other property; and if he will make a statement. [118088]

My Department has not held any discussions with statutory undertakers about graffiti on their street furniture or other property. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Home Department (Ms Blears) on 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 248W—49W].

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the promotion of (a) bioethanol, (b) liquefied petroleum gas and (c) hydrogen as automotive fuels. [122337]

The Government supports the development and use of transport fuels which offer proven environmental benefits. We do this primarily by means of fuel duty incentives, and, as appropriate, grants to offset the additional cost of alternatively fuelled vehicles. Many alternatively fuelled vehicles also qualify for reduced rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax.The Chancellor of the Exchequer takes decisions on fuel duty levels and other transport tax issues on a Budget by Budget basis. In doing so, he takes account of a range of environmental, economic and social considerations, building on the principles set out in the HM Treasury publication "Tax and the environment: using economic instruments" (November 2002).Budget 2003 announced that a duty incentive of 20 pence per litre for bioethanol would be introduced from 1 January 2005. It also said that the Government was considering how best to give further support to bioethanol produced from ligno-cellulosic feedstocks, and would welcome views on how any such support might be structured.Budget 2003 also announced that the Government would consult on how best to ensure that future support for road fuel gases (including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) continued to reflect environmental and other policy objectives. This consultation was launched on 18 June 2003, and copies of the consultation document have been placed in the House Library. In the light of this, decisions on future duty rates and other forms of support for LPG are due to be announced in the 2003 Pre-Budget Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the levels of freight carried by rail since 1997; what plans he has to increase it; and if he will make a statement. [123052]

The amount of freight moved by rail has grown by 24 per cent. since 1997. The Strategic Rail Authority published in May 2003 its first "Freight Progress Report", explaining the achievements to date in increasing rail's share of freight traffic and the Authority's plans for achieving the growth envisaged by the Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport. Copies of the SRA report are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to ensure that foreign operators in the road haulage industry in the UK are abiding by the relevant rules and regulations. [122885]

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) check foreign road haulage operators, using UK roads, in the same manner as they do domestic hauliers to ensure compliance with traffic and roadworthiness regulations. VOSA use intelligence data to target those operators, whether foreign or domestic, who consistently breach regulations. They also carry out occasional random checks. Those operators and drivers who are caught offending are treated to the same sanctions, whatever their country of origin.VOSA report all offences, committed by foreign operators and drivers, to the licensing authorities in the countries of origin of the offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last 20 years on trunk roads in the East of England, broken down by (a) year and (b) county; and how many miles of trunk road have existed in the East of England in each of the last 20 years. [121797]

The information cannot be provided as requested, as detailed records are not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, I am able to provide information regarding the length of trunk road in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). Records for the period 1983–1997 and for the year 2001 are shown in the attached table; there are no detailed recorded statistics available for 1998–2000. Statistics for 2002 have not yet been published.

Year	Kilometres
1983	1,195.3
1984	1,188.5
1985	1,190.0
1986	1,167.9
1987	1,187.7
1988	1,195.4
1989	1,194.6
1990	1,237.9
1991	1,245.0
1992	1,245.3
1993	1,246.2
1994	1,246.2
1995	1,242.3
1996	1—
1997	1,272.6
1998	1—
1999	1—
2000	1—
2001	1,139.0

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate how long it takes on average to (a) complete and (b) process the application form for the Vehicle Excise Duty Exemption Certificate; and whether his Department has a target for the number of applications to be processed. [121576]

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Veterans Agency (VA) are responsible for issuing certificates of exemption from VED for disabled people. There are no figures available on the length of time it takes an individual to complete the application form for an exemption certificate. There are no targets for the issuing of exemption certificates by DWP while VA's target is two working days from the date of receipt of a valid application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to determine the application made by (a) Baljit Kaur (S1025374/3) and (b) Jaspal Singh (S1160262) for indefinite leave. [122997]

Mrs. Baljit Kaur and Mr. Jaspal Singh were both granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the letter of 6 May 2003 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan, regarding Mr. R. Edgar of Peterhead, a constituent. [119584]

[holding answer 17 June 2003]: I will be replying to the hon. Member shortly. I apologise for the delay.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston will respond to the letter of 25 March 2003 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding a constituent, reference number: PO 6649/3. [119585]

[holding answer 17 June 2003]: The letter from the hon. Member dated 25 March 2003 was received in the Home Office on 1 April 2003 and the reply was sent to his office at the House of Commons on 25 June 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation was held with members of the judiciary before, amendments were tabled to the Criminal Justice Bill in relation to sentencing for murder. [121965]

The Home Office has taken care to ensure that consultation with the judiciary has been an important part of the development of the proposals in relation to sentencing for murder, although the Government's final conclusions differed from views expressed by the judiciary. Prior to the tabling of amendments this consultation included:

A seminar with senior judicary and the Lord Chief Justice on 20 January 2003 providing an opportunity to comment on the developing proposals for sentencing in murder cases.

An informal meeting between the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Falconer on 13 March.

The development of the proposals for setting minimum terms for murder was also discussed during a meeting between the Lord Chief Justice and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 13 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) (a) how many and (b) what percentage of registered bodies did not have their registration with the Criminal Records Bureau completed within the previous three week service standard in 2002–03; and how long an average it took to process applications from organisations which took longer than three weeks; [122480](2) how many potential registered bodies are having their applications processed by the Criminal Records Bureau; and how many of these organisations have been waiting longer than three weeks. [122481]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: There are 4,742 registered bodies that did not have their registration with the Criminal Records Bureau completed within the previous three-week service standard in 2002–03, the percentage being 90.72 per cent.The average length of time to process applications from organisations which took longer than three weeks was 13 weeks. This includes time often required to seek further information from applicant organisations and for them to respond to such requests.There are 315 potential registered bodies having their applications processed by the Criminal Records Bureau and 191 have been waiting longer than three weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Chechens have been deported in the past six months; to which destinations they were sent; what arrangements were made to ensure their safe passage through Russia to Chechnya; and if he will make a statement. [122358]

Information on the number of people of Chechen origin removed from the UK and on the destinations to which they were removed, is not available except by examination of individual case files which would incur disproportionate cost.There are no arrangements in place to ensure the safe passage to Chechnya of Chechens who are removed from the UK to the Russian Federation. Whether or not such an individual chooses to return to Chechnya following his removal to the Russian Federation is the decision of that individual.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of people who have completed a Drug Treatment and Testing Order are no longer taking drugs (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months after completion. [122122]

This information is not held centrally for the period since national roll-out of the order in October 2000. An evaluation of three pilot projects found that the average amount spent on drugs by offenders subject to Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) fell from £400 per week in the four weeks before arrest to £25 per week in the first four to six weeks of the Order. These reductions were largely maintained over time, with 87 per cent. of those who had completed the Order by the end of the pilot phase reporting that, except for their use of cannabis, they were drug free.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on those sections of the draft EU constitution relating to (a) internal border controls and (b) people-trafficking. [122709]

Reference to an area without internal borders is made in the existing Treaty establishing the European Community and the draft EU Constitutional Treaty. The existing Treaty is subject to the UK and Ireland's "frontiers' protocol" which gives the UK the right under the Treaties to exercise at its frontiers with other member states such controls on persons seeking to enter the United Kingdom as it considers necessary. The Protocols will remain an integral part of the new Treaty. The Government's position on this issue has not changed: we will maintain controls at the UK's frontiers.As a consequence of this position on frontiers, the United Kingdom has not participated in certain measures relating to external borders. However, the UK has co-operated with European Union partners in tackling illegal immigration and people trafficking. These are international problems that require international solutions. The new Constitutional Treaty will continue to provide a legal base for the Union to take appropriate action in these areas.For further information about the Government's position on the articles in the draft Constitutional Treaty dealing with the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, as presented to the Convention by the Praesidium on 14 March, I refer the hon. Member to the Explanatory Memorandum deposited by my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (Denis MacShane) on 2 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the costs of the introduction of identity cards to (a) the Government and (b) the individual holder of the card. [122360]

The consultation paper on entitlement cards and identity fraud provided a section on indicative cost assumptions. During the consultation period we have benefited from observations and comments received which have been helpful in contributing to further assessments of costs and the overall response to the consultation exercise.There are a number of different ways in which a scheme could be devised. Further, more detailed, work is needed on contractual delivery arrangements as well as the level of benefits for different services and the charges needed to cover the costs.The precise type of scheme would ultimately be a matter for Parliament to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau in Croydon; how many applications where the applicant clearly falls under the immigration rules have been delayed beyond the expected minimum over the last year; and if he will make a statement. [121844]

The performance of the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau (INEB) has improved significantly in recent months. It is now answering between 24,000 and 25,000 calls a week compared to 17,000 a week at the beginning of this year. Callers now regularly get through to the Bureau in one or two attempts and average time in a queue has reduced from six minutes to two minutes. In a recent customer survey over 85 per cent. of those questioned described their experience of INEB as satisfactory or better.We normally aim to screen all postal applications within three weeks and decide at least 70 per cent. at that point. Because of the high number of applications in the latter part of 2002, it was taking up to 10 weeks on average at the end of last year and the earlier part of this one to take decisions on these cases. As a result of measures to improve this situation, the processing time for straightforward applications has reduced to four weeks on average and continued progress is being made towards our three-week target. At present where further inquiries are required, most cases are being decided within six months but because of the very high intake a small minority have taken up to 12 months to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 June 2003, Official Report, column 1053W, on memorials, if he will take advice from the National Association of Funeral Directors on the matters being considered by the working group on guidance to local authorities on memorial safety. [123444]

The National Association of Funeral Directors has recently accepted membership of the Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group. As a member, the Association is welcome to comment on any of the work being undertaken by the Advisory Group, including that of the memorial safety sub-group.

To Ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in support of the wish of Mr. Rezart Elmarzi, a constituent, to remain in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [122138]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]:I wrote to the hon. Member on 1 July 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serious incidents there have been in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months involving (a) riots, (b) peaceful protests, including sit-down protests, (c) assaults and (d) other disturbances. [118791]

The information requested is detailed in the table. The Prison Service's incident reporting system records the number of acts of concerted indiscipline rather than "riots". Similarly, acts of passive concerted indiscipline are recorded rather than the number of protests or sit down protests. In the course of the 12 months from June 2002 to May 2003, the number of assaults recorded was 11,462. The figures in the table are of those assaults which resulted in an injury to either staff or prisoners. The Prison Service does not have a category for "disturbances".

	Number of acts of concerted indiscipline	Number of acts of passive indiscipline	Number of assaults
June 2002	5	2	47
July 2002	6	9	59
August 2002	10	16	61
September 2002	1	6	67
October 2002	10	11	58
November 2002	3	3	56
December 2002	6	5	44
January 2003	6	5	50
February 2003	5	5	44
March 2003	6	4	66
April 2003	2	9	60
May 2003	2	10	90
Total	62	85	702

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment in England and Wales were transferred under (a) the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners and (b) the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders in each year since 1997; [121952](2) if he will set out the process by which a prisoner can apply for transfer under

The following table records how many prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment in England and Wales who were transferred under (a) the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners and (b) on the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders in each year since 1997.

	Council of Europe Convention	Commonwealth Scheme
1997	17	—
1998	42	—
1999	22	—
2000	35	—
2001	39	—
2002	50	—

The process by which a prisoner can apply for transfer under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders is the same. An application for transfer can only be made by either the sentencing state or the receiving state. The prisoner can initiate the process by a written indication to either state of his/her wish to transfer. In the case of a prisoner in England and Wales, this is made by completing a request/complaint form, which is freely available within prisons.Both the sentencing state and the receiving state will consider the request. If both states approve the transfer then the prisoner will be asked to give his formal consent. Once all three parties have given their consent, arrangements will be made for the transfer of the prisoner.The United Kingdom has bilateral prisoner transfer agreements with the following countries:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the position of retired police officers who have their pension reduced to pay for an increased widows pension, where their wives pre-deceased them before or after retirement; and if he will make a statement. [115067]

In the period since 8 June 2001, hon. and right hon. Members have tabled one Early Day Motion, asked six questions and written 14 letters to Ministers on the general issue of widows' pensions. Five of these 14 letters were specifically concerned with officers whose pension has been reduced to pay for an increased widows' pension.We have sympathy for those who elected to have their pension reduced to pay for an increased widow's pension but whose wives pre-deceased them. However, such an election was an alternative option to paying increased pensions contributions while still serving. It would run counter to the principle of a contributory occupational pension scheme, in which benefits are guaranteed only in specified circumstances, to return contributions in any case where those circumstances did not apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which UK-based companies are involved in the development of genetically modified crops. [121749]

The Department does not have details of every UK-based company involved in the development of genetically modified crops. However, the following companies are members of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, the industry body for companies involved in the development of agricultural biotechnology in the UK, including GM crops: Bayer CropScience, BASF, Dow Agrosciences, Dupont, Monsanto UK, and Syngenta.Further details of those companies granted consent to release GM crops for trial or research purposes under Part B of EC Directive 2001/18 are available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/exper.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent in each year since 1995 (a) as a Department and (b) through grants to external bodies on (i) the promotion of and (ii) research into biotechnology. [121653]

[holding answer 25 June 2003]: In the years since 1995 my department has spent the following on biotechnology research:

Financial year1	2 Total R&D spend on Biotechnology (£ million)
1995–96	20.5
1996–97	23.2
1997–98	25.6
1998–99	29.3
1999–2000	25.3
2000–01	29.4
2001–02	29.7
2002–03	33.2
2003–04	26.23
1 Defra was created during the 2001–02 FY. Figures for previous years cover old MAFF and DETR biotechnology research programmes
2 Defined as research into the application of biological organisms, systems and processes to manufacturing and service industries. This covers genetic modification research, but goes much wider to include, among other techniques, fused cell techniques, protein engineering, fermentation and cell culture techniques, the production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
3 Figures for the current year are provisional. A number of contracts may be in the process of being let and not yet included in year total.

This money has all been spent through contracts with external bodies. No money has been spent by my department on the direct promotion of biotechnology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure the EU Emissions Trading Directive is implemented in such a way as to encourage energy efficiency downstream. [122218]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: The purpose of the EU Emissions Trading Directive is to encourage reductions in direct emissions of carbon dioxide from certain industrial sectors. The Government have introduced other policy measures to encourage energy efficiency downstream, such as the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC), which requires electricity and gas suppliers to achieve targets for the promotion of improvements in domestic energy efficiency.Also, direct participants in the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme, and participants in Climate Change Agreements, have emissions reduction targets, that include indirect emissions of carbon dioxide from reducing electricity use on site.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to ensure that the UK's international policies protect endangered species. [121904]

The UK Government have pressed for action to help protect endangered species in a number of international fora. For example, at last November's Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Chile, I was able to persuade the delegates to list the basking shark on Appendix II. This will mean that the international trade in the fins and other parts of this vulnerable species will be more strictly regulated in future.Similar protection was also afforded to whale sharks, seahorses and big-leaf mahogany. The current high level of protection afforded to minke and bryde's whales was also maintained, despite efforts by Japan to downlist the species. Other successes included measures to conserve Asian big cats such as tigers and snow leopards and the development of strict measures for controlling any future trade in ivory stockpiles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 88W, on fly-tipping, what has been the outcome of her consideration of possible changes to legislation; and if she will make a statement. [122776]

Proposals to help local authorities and the Environment Agency tackle the problem of fly tipping have been included in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, currently before Parliament.The Bill includes measures that if successful will mean that local authorities will have powers to stop, search and seize vehicles suspected of being used for fly tipping. They will be able to investigate incidents to help them track down and prosecute those responsible for dumping the waste. The Bill will also create statutory directions that will formalise the current fly tipping protocol which has been agreed between the Local Government Association and the Environment Agency.The Government are also considering a wide range of other measures, details of which will be published later in 2003 and brought forward at the next legislative opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hits have been recorded by the GM debate website: www.gmnation.org.uk [122211]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: In the first 18 days of June 2003, 1,487,024 hits were recorded by the GM Nation website. The hon. Member may wish to note that this does not represent the number of people that have visited the website, as each individual is likely to be responsible for multiple hits as they move around the website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many letters on the Government's policy on genetically modified food from (a) hon. Members, (b) private individuals and (c) organisations are waiting to be answered by the Department; how many have been waiting for more than 28 days; and if she will make a statement. [109540]

The Food Standards Agency is responsible for policy on genetically modified food. However, on GM issues for which this Department is responsible, the information is set out in the table as at 2 July 2003:

	Total awaiting reply	Number awaiting reply for more than 28 days
Member	57	0
Private individuals and organisations	145	4

A large number of letters from organisations and private individuals have been inspired by the recent announcement of the GM Public Debate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent in each year since 1995 on the promotion of (a) genetically-modified and (b) organic produce. [121654]

[holding answer 25 June 2003]: No money has been spent by my Department on the promotion of genetically modified produce or on the promotion of organic produce. However, aid has been made available to farmers converting to organic farming (and from 5 June 2003 aid has been made available to existing organic farmers also). The Department also funds a programme of R&D on organic production. And advice for farmers considering organic farming is provided by the Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS) which is funded by Defra. Spending on these since financial year 1994–95 is detailed in the following table but data for spending on OCIS before financial year 1999–2000 are not readily available.

Financial year	Aid to organic farmers (£)	R&D (£)	OCIS (£)
1994–95	27,000	1,058,000	1—
1995–95	261,000	931,000	1—
1996–97	374,000	1,116,000	1—
1997–98	571,000	908,000	1—
1998–99	1,026,000	1,491,000	1—
1999–2000	12,469,000	2,035,000	788,000
2000–01	11,397,000	2,207,000	601,000
2001–02	10,910,000	2,193,000	327,000
2002–03	12,567,000	1,791,000	301,000
1 Not readily available

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable there is for producing voluntary agreements on household hazardous waste after June 2004. [121983]

Taking into account the composition of the waste stream, and in particular the low recycling rate and the toxicity of the waste product., we will be looking over the next 12 months at the scope for a voluntary producer responsibility agreement to increase the recycling of waste consumer batteries. We will also review the household waste stream to see what the most hazardous elements are with a view to identifying other possible candidates for a voluntary producer responsibility agreement with industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department takes to ensure that gas emissions from landfill and hazardous waste sites do not pose any risk to public health. [122729]

[holding answer 30 June 2003]: The Environment Agency regulates gaseous emissions from landfill and hazardous waste sites to minimise the damage to the environment and risk to human health. In particular, the Agency requires that appropriate measures are taken to control the accumulation and migration of landfill gas. Typically this will involve the active collection, treatment and combustion of landfill gas to minimise the potential impacts.