To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted on Merseyside that concern domestic violence which have been pursued by the police as primary complainant without the corroboration of the individual assaulted. [150145]

The Crown Prosecution Service does not routinely collect data that show the nature of the evidence on which a domestic violence case proceeds. CPS Policy Directorate is currently analysing the results of a national snapshot survey of cases finalised in December 2003. This will provide some information about the point raised by the hon. Member with regard to cases finalised in December 2003. Until CPS case-tracking systems are fully computerised, the detailed information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Solicitor-General what the overall conviction rate for cases pursued by the Serious Fraud Office was in 2003. [150062]

The Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) statistical information is recorded by financial year (5 April to 4 April). Since 5 April 2003, the SFO has convicted 19 out of 29 defendants, a conviction rate of 66 per cent. The conviction rate since the inception of the SFO in April 1988 is 70 per cent. (403 convictions from 575 defendants).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued to local authorities in respect of the width of cycle lanes; and if he will make a statement. [149535]

Advice on the recommended widths of cycle lanes is contained in "Cycle Friendly Infrastructure", published in 1996 by the then Department of Transport in conjunction with the Institution of Highways and Transportation and others.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 216W, on speed cameras, how much money was raised in fines by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership for each of the five years prior to 2001–02. [147572]

[holding answer 13 January 2004]: The amount raised in fines detected by speed cameras within the area covered by Essex Safety Camera Partnership between 1997 and 2001 was as follows:

Court proceedings and fixed penalties data for speeding offences detected by cameras1,2 in the Essex police force area, 1997–2001
	Court proceedings		Fixed penalties
	Number of fines	Total amount (£)	Average fine (£)3	Number of tickets4	Estimated revenue (£)5
1997	880	93,900	107	18,800	753,700
1998	1,700	227,400	134	8,700	346,600
1999	2,100	357,400	169	19,800	791,400
2000	2,800	317,800	115	46,300	2,007,200
2001	6,500	651,200	101	81,900	4.911,100
1 Automatic cameras until 1998. All camera types from 1999.
2 Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motorway Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways Regulations 1973).
3 Includes fines imposed by courts (cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court).
4 Paid i.e. no further action.
5 Estimate based on £40 fixed penalty charge to October 2000. From November 2000, the fixed penalty was raised to £60.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will meet the March deadline for awarding the full-production contract for the CVF. [147280]

The Future Carrier (CVF) programme is currently in Stage 3 of the Assessment Phase, which is due to continue until spring 2004. It is our intention that, at this point, Ministers will consider proposals on the overall CVF programme, and make a decision on when to proceed to the Demonstration and Manufacture Phases of the carriers. The target in-service dates for the carriers remain 2012 and 2015.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part of his Department's budget the equipment and services to be provided under the Airfield Support Service Project will come from; and what the cost will be. [149058]

The estimated cost of the Project is some £1.2 billion over 15 years. It will be funded from within the budgets of the stakeholders involved in the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sets of body armour have been issued by the Army since 1989; to which units they have been issued, and in what quantities; how many men served in each of those units; and if he will make a statement. [149655]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign aircraft, and of what makes and type, have been hired by his Department in each of the last five years. [150408]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the name of the company selected to undertake the assessment phase of the Future Rapid Effects System project; how much has been allocated to fund the assessment; and when FRES is due to enter service with the Army. [149564]

I hope to be in a position to make announcements on the way ahead for the FRES programme shortly. We are planning on early variants of the system being introduced into service around the end of the decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many man training days were available to reserve forces in each of the last five years. [R][149407]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: The number of man training days available to the volunteer reserves varies by Service, category of reserve, unit role, level of readiness, and individual trade or specialism. In each of the last five years all volunteer reservists have had enough man training days available to qualify for bounty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Royal Navy Sea King helicopters engaged in military action in the Gulf in March 2003 were supplied with (a) night vision equipment and (b) night flying aids. [150991]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: Night Vision Goggles (NVG) can be operated only in aircraft that have been specifically modified for this role. Naval helicopters are fitted to allow operation with NVG according to their tactical role in operations. Of the 20 Royal Navy Sea King helicopters deployed to the Gulf, the 10 amphibious assault helicopters were fitted with NVG, as their operational role required.Aircrews are fully trained to fly at night without NVG under normal operating procedures. Safety is provided by a variety of other aids and by individual action. These include: operating procedures such as, air traffic control, awareness of hazards through radar detection, communications, lighting and lookout.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the incidence of osteoporosis in British Service personnel and military medical auxiliaries who served in (a) the 1991 Gulf War and (b) the invasion of Iraq in Operation Telic in 2003. [149606]

The Ministry of Defence has no centralised system for monitoring and recording the health status of Service and ex-Service personnel. However, over 3,220 veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict have been seen at the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP) to date. At the time they were seen, none had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. There are currently no data relating to the incidence of osteoporosis in those who served in Operation Telic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what liaison takes place between English Nature and her Department in relation to the potential disease status of badgers targeted for removal and relocation. [150580]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer on 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 249W, and on 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1186W.The Department's Veterinary Endemic Diseases and Zoonoses Division (VEDZD) advise the badger licensing authorities in Defra's Rural Development Service and in English Nature, on potential bovine tuberculosis disease transmission risks associated with badger relocations. No licence is issued without first seeking advice from VEDZD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the status is of (a) the Independent Science Group and (b) the TB Forum in relation to the control of TB; what requirement there is for her to (i) abide by and (ii) consider the advice of these organisations; and whether these organisations can veto proposals made by her Department. [150543]

The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB is an advisory NDPB. Its primary objective is to oversee the design and analysis of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. Its complete Terms of Reference can be accessed on the Defra website.The TB Forum aims to bring together experts and organisations with an interest in the Government's policy on bovine TB, to consider new measures which might be taken to control the disease in cattle.Ministers consider carefully the advice of these bodies in formulating policy. However, there is no requirement for Ministers or the Department to abide by their advice, nor do these bodies have any formal power to veto departmental proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 217W, how many closed herds where disease prevention measures have been judged by her officials to be adequate have suffered TB breakdowns in the last 10 years. [150551]

Defra does not keep a record of which herds are closed and definitions of a 'closed' herd vary. Defra keeps a record of cattle births and deaths, and their movements from known locations in England, Scotland and Wales. Were a 'closed' herd to be very strictly defined, it would be possible to identify closed herds from records of holdings that only register births and deaths, but have no animal movements on. However, this could be done only at disproportionate cost.A survey of TB breakdowns (known as 'TB99') is under way and is designed to assess potential risk factors that may predispose herds to TB outbreaks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 December, Official Report, columns 629–30W, on bovine TB, if she will take steps to compensate herd owners for uninsurable consequential losses arising from the TB infection, where there is clear evidence of no culpability. [150846]

There are no plans to compensate farmers for consequential losses after a TB breakdown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment

£ million
	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	Total
Additional money to be made available via grant schemes	9	11	11	31
Investment into research and new technology	1.8	1.8	1.8	5.4
Development and implementation of new agri-environment and rural development schemes, including IT development costs	27	54	151	232
Development and implementation of new Whole Farm Approach to reduce bureaucracy and burden on farmers	2.7	7	8	17.7
IT systems to support livestock identification and tracing	20	48	68	136
Investment to reduce the likelihood and impact of an animal disease outbreak	25	45	45	115
Total				537.1

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the future economic viability of the dairy industry in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [148697]

Low farmgate prices for milk have caused considerable problems over the last few years and the dairy sector faces considerable problems in adjusting to the new conditions that will be created by a reformed common agricultural policy. The Government recognise these difficulties, but believe that the UK dairy sector has a sustainable future and will work alongside the industry to facilitate and support its development in has been made of the relationship between the size of the bumble bee population and the size of the badger population in England. [150942]

Badgers are known to excavate and eat the nests of bumble bees and have the potential to exert an influence on the abundance of the bees locally.The Department has not commissioned any studies to assess the relationship between the abundance of badgers and bumble bees, nor are we aware of any research specifically examining this topic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department's budget for the implementation of the Commission on Food and Farming's recommendations is to be spent in each year of its duration. [148441]

The Government announced a sum of £500 million to implement the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food as part of the 2002 Spending Review, in addition to existing spending by Defra and other Government Departments which is already being used to deliver aspects of the strategy.This sum covers a number of major aspects of the strategy. These include the new Environmental Stewardship Scheme (Entry Level and Higher Level) and the IT system to underpin all the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) schemes; improvements in livestock traceability and other major animal health and welfare measures; and new food chain initiatives such as the Food Chain Centre and English Farming and Food Partnerships.The cost breakdown is shown in the table.line with its "Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food". The UK has a comparative advantage in terms of climate, farm efficiency and size over many of its competitors. If the dairy supply chain can work together to maximise this potential and address some of the difficulties it faces, then there is no reason why it should not succeed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of staff employed within her Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age. [145933]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1130W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the impact on imports of bananas from Commonwealth nations in islands around Jamaica arising from the decision of the Law Lords on the EU regulations relating to the shape of bananas. [147013]

The House of Lords judgment in the Asda case has no bearing on imports of bananas. It confirms the validity of UK enforcement powers and has no effect on the EU Marketing Standards, whether for bananas or other fruits and vegetables, which are directly applicable under EU law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what difference there is in mortality rates in round fish escaping through diamond mesh compared with square mesh. [149131]

Experiments to compare the mortality among fish escaping from diamond mesh codends, square mesh codends and diamond mesh codends fitted with square mesh panels have been inconclusive. This is because the techniques used were at an early stage in development. No significant difference in mortality for cod or any other gadoid was evident between the different gears.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated mortality is in immature cod entrained by commercial trawl nets which escape through the mesh. [149129]

Experiments conducted by the FRS Marine Laboratory at Aberdeen and other European institutes indicate that the survival of immature cod 25m or more in length escaping from trawl cod-ends is likely to be high (>90 per cent.).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the primary foods consumed by (a) haddock and (b) cod in the North Sea are; and what food they consume if their primary foods are not available or in short supply. [149132]

Cod feed opportunistically on many species of invertebrates (e.g. worms, molluscs, brittle stars, crabs, shrimps and prawns) and fish (e.g. whiting, cod, haddock, Norway pout, plaice, dab, sprat, herring, and sandeel). Haddock feed similarly on a wide range of invertebrates and a rather narrower range of fish. In young gadoids, invertebrates predominate, but as fish become older the amount of fish in their diet increases. Diets vary very considerably in detail from one place, season or year to another. Cod and haddock may concentrate on one or two individual prey species when these are very abundant, but when such prey become scarce, cod in particular can move and switch from one species to another.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cod by-catch from the industrial fishing fleet in the North sea was in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) percentage and (b) tonnage. [149138]

The by-catch of cod in industrial fisheries in the North sea comprises a part that is sent for reduction to fishmeal and oil, and a part that is sorted and landed for human consumption. As reported to ICES, these represent less than 1 per cent. of the total quantity of North sea cod landed.

North sea cod: industrial by-catch, in weight and as a percentage of the total international cod landings (ICES, 2003)
	Reduction		Human consumption
	Tonnes	Percentage	Tonnes	Percentage
1998	400	0.27	530	0.36
1999	100	0.10	230	0.24
2000	60	0.08	200	0.29
2001	100	0.20	125	0.25
2002	30	0.06	100	0.19

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the scientific expectancy is of fish stock improvement in the North sea following the 10 per cent. cut in the sandeel quota. [146681]

The provisions on North sea sandeels agreed at the December Council of Ministers include not only the reduced quota for 2004 but also new effort regulations to improve management of the stock. Sandeels are short-lived, and the state of the sandeel stock itself is very dependent upon this year's "recruitment" of young. Consequently we welcome both the quota and effort restrictions. We attach importance to the effective management of this fishery, and will continue to seek further improvements.However, the sandeel fishery does affect other fisheries. It does this through the by-catch of other commercial fish (such as haddock and whiting), and through the removal of fish which are prey to other larger fish. Some by-catch is allowed for in the agreed quotas, and ICES reports that the remaining by-catch is small. A reduction in the sandeel fishery was also found to have little effect on the availability of prey to other fish. To sum up, the evidence does not suggest that the sandeel restrictions will have a significant effect on our roundfish stocks, but what effect there is should be to their benefit. However, we do not think that this is the last word on the subject and are continuing to undertake research on the effect of sandeel fisheries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department's scientists have made of the effect on cod fisheries in the North sea of heavy exploitation of sandeels. [149136]

Exploiting sandeels could potentially affect cod through the food chain, or through the by-catch of cod in the sandeel fishery. Work is still in progress on these questions. On the food chain issue, large scale stomach sampling by ICES shows that cod feed on a wide range of prey species, and that for the North sea as a whole sandeels account for 5–15 per cent. of the diet of cod aged two years and older. At the North sea level, sandeel shortages tend to be short lived, and have not yet been shown to be critical for cod, but the question of more local effects needs further study. On the by-catch issue, small-meshed sandeel fishing occurs in some areas where early stages of cod may settle onto the sea bed, but sampling results officially reported to ICES indicate that the cod by-catch in sandeel landings is very low.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what types of fishing gear are used by the Scottish white fish fleet. [149116]

The main types of demersal fishing gear used by the Scottish whitefish fleet are single boat trawl, pair trawl, pair seine, twin trawl. There are few Scottish vessels operating Scottish seines, gillnets or lines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the fishing capacity of a vessel is measured in relation to the effect of different engine power between vessels of similar tonnage. [150900]

The capacity of fishing vessels is measured both in terms of their tonnage and in terms of their engine power. Engine power is recorded as kilowatts. The ceilings on the overall size of the fleets of each EU member state are defined as separate limits on tonnage and engine power.For the purpose of licence transfers in the UK the Vessel Capacity Unit is currently used. This is a measure of vessel capacity which is solely related to the physical dimensions of a vessel and its engine power:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money from the Common Agricultural Policy has gone into the Yorkshire and Humber region in each of the past five years. [143305]

The table shows the payments made by the Rural Payments Agency and its predecessors under the Common Agricultural Policy in the Yorkshire and Humber region in each of the past five European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund years—16 October to 15 October. The figures quoted for 1999 relate to the period from 1 March of that year when the Agency introduced its new accounting system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conditions have been imposed by the European Commission in respect of the submission of claims for expenditures incurred and payments made by her Department in relation to foot and mouth disease. [150850]

The European Commission has been very specific with regards to the timing for the submission of the UK claims, and the type of expenditure eligible for re-imbursement from the Community for eradication of FMD in 2001. Eligible expenditure is detailed in Council Decision 90/424/EC (Article 11) and includes compensation for slaughter of animals; the destruction of milk; the cleaning and disinfection of premises; and the transport and destruction of carcasses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what specific and general requirements are imposed or otherwise demanded by the European Commission in relation to establishing and proving an audit trail for expenditures incurred and payments made by Her Majesty's Government during the foot and mouth epidemic, in respect of sums repayable in whole or in part by the Commission. [150552]

The Commission auditors continue to carry out on the spot checks of the costs incurred during the 2001 FMD outbreak. These checks include the examination of invoices and supporting documentation in line with recognised auditing procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total value is of the claims made by Her Majesty's Government to the European Commission in respect of costs incurred in dealing with the foot and mouth disease epidemic of 2001; and what the total value is of the payments made by the Commission. [150553]

The total value of the claims made to the European Commission in respect of costs incurred in dealing with the foot and mouth disease epidemic of 2001 was £1,581 million. The maximum rate of reimbursement is 60 per cent. of these costs; so the potential reimbursement is £949 million.The Commission's auditors are still auditing the claim and have not indicated when they will complete their audit. To date the Commission has made payments to the United Kingdom of £238 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the cost to date is to her Department of (a) auditing and (b) legal fees in respect of (i) investigating claims relating to foot and mouth disease payments, (ii) pursuing and prosecuting alleged or suspected fraudulent claims, and (iii) conducting civil actions; [150556](2) what the total value is of work undertaken by contractors in respect of works commissioned by her Department and its predecessor, carried out in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001, that remain unpaid by her Department. [150559]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Brian Cotter) on 6 January 2004, Official Report, columns 259–62W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total payments made to date are to farmers in respect of compensation for animals slaughtered by her Department, and its predecessor, in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001. [150557]

The total payments to farmers to date in respect of compensation for animals slaughtered, by the Department and its predecessor, in relation to foot and mouth disease is £1,033 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total value is of the payments due to farmers in respect of compensation claimed for animals slaughtered by her Department in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001, that remain unpaid by her Department. [150558]

The total value of the payments due to farmers in respect of compensation claimed for animals slaughtered in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001 was £1,033 million. All the farmers have been paid the sums due to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the present subsidy regime is for maize production; and what the total amount spent on subsidising maize production was in the last three financial years. [149638]

Maize is among the crops which are eligible for support under the EU support system for producers of certain arable crops, implemented through the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS). In the last three financial years (2001–02 to 2003–04), payments for maize to AAPS claimants in England after modulation are calculated to be £13.5 million.The EU Common Market organisation for cereals also provides for public intervention for maize and export refunds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the operation of the milk-dairy supply chain. [148693]

Last year the Milk Development Council commissioned a study by KPMG on "Prices and Profitability in the British Dairy Chain" which highlighted a number of areas where the operation of the dairy supply chain might contribute to low farmgate prices in the UK, including the structure of the UK industry, the low value of the product mix and the low level of product innovation within the UK compared with some member states. The Report also identified a number of areas where supply chain efficiency could be improved, through rationalisation or benchmarking.Many of these factors are for the industry itself to address. However, the Government can and has taken action to facilitate industry action in line with its Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food. In particular:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on fluctuations in the level of the farm gate price of milk in the last 20 years. [148694]

The fluctuations in the farmgate price of milk over the last 20 years are caused by a number of factors, including the level of supplies, demand on EU and world markets and exchange rates. However, none of these factors are sufficient to explain why UK farmgate prices have been constantly below the EU average with the exception of a few years after deregulation of the milk market in 1994. This question was examined by KPMG in its report on "Prices and Profitability in the GB Supply Chain", which was commissioned by the Milk Development Council and published last year. The Report concluded that low farmgate prices in the UK were largely the product the structure of the UK industry, the low value of the product mix and the low level of product innovation within the UK compared with some Member States. The Report also identified a number of areas where farmgate prices could be improved by increasing supply chain efficiency, through rationalisation or through benchmarking.Many of these factors are for the industry to address itself, the Government has taken action in line with its Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food to facilitate industry action. In particular:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many organic farms there were in England and Wales (a) in 2000 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [150055]

The figures are as follows:

	August 20001	March 20032
England	1,925	2,622
Wales	401	618
1 Source: Defra internal record
2 Source: Defra statistical notice—Stats Org UK1—issued on 28 July 2003

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the permitted methods are for killing (a) moles and (b) rabbits in their runs and burrows. [150574]

The information requested is as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Department provides to the Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides website. [151008]

Defra provides no support for the website of the Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions (a) she and (b) her officials have had with the Treasury regarding a tax on pesticides. [150031]

Providing that it is fully implemented, the industry-led voluntary initiative on pesticides should successfully deliver the reduction in adverse environmental impact of pesticide use to which the Government are committed However, Defra and Treasury officials are continuing to consider options for a tax or other economic instrument should the voluntary initiative fail to deliver agreed objectives within a reasonable timescale. Defra and Treasury Ministers have had no recent discussions on a possible pesticides tax.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of the pig welfare regulations in force in Poland; how they will change on accession to the EU; and in what respects they (a) differ now and (b) will differ upon accession from those in force in the UK. [150030]

We have made no evaluation of the existing pig welfare rules in Poland. Poland is committed to implementing the EU pig welfare rules in full, by 1 May 2004, into its national legislation. The European Commission is responsible for monitoring how each accession state is progressing in preparing to implement Community law (the 'acquis').After 1 May 2004, the Commission will continue to monitor Poland's application of the animal welfare acquis, in the same way as it does in existing member states, in order to ensure uniform application of EU legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department collates on the (a) quantity and (b) type of (i) therapeutic and (ii) non-therapeutic drugs given to chickens in the UK in the last year. [150218]

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), an executive agency of Defra, collates and publishes data on an annual basis on the UK sales of veterinary antimicrobials. These data are supplied by industry on a voluntary basis.In November 2003 the VMD published figures for sales of antimicrobial products used as veterinary medicines, for the year 2002. These indicate that there was a slight decrease in sales of therapeutic antimicrobials indicated for use only in poultry (from 20 tonnes of active ingredient in 2001 to 13 tonnes in 2002). In addition a proportion of the 313 tonnes of active ingredient sold in products authorised for use in more than one species may also have been used in poultry, although it is not possible at this time to quantify this proportion. The figures also show that 250 tonnes of active ingredient of coccidiostats and 27 tonnes of growth promoters were sold. Although these figures have not been broken down by species, the majority of these sales were products authorised only for use in poultry. Full details are available on the VMD's website (www.vmd.gov.uk).Defra does not collect on a regular basis data on use of other veterinary medicinal products in poultry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions her Department has initiated in the last 12 months; how many of them resulted in (a) a conviction and (b) an acquittal; and how many were dismissed by the Court on the grounds of an incompetent prosecution. [148920]

The Department has commenced 159 prosecutions in the last 12 months:

• 64 have resulted in convictions.
• 6 have resulted in acquittals.
• 89 prosecutions remain outstanding.
• None of the prosecutions have been dismissed by the Court on the grounds of "an incompetent prosecution".

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the United States since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cancún about the likely impact of the United States' Farm Bill on the (a) economies of and (b) living standards in, developing countries. [149119]

There is on-going contact between UK and US officials about all aspects of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Round, including on the US Farm Bill. During these discussions we have made clear our opinion that the Bill runs counter to our shared goal, as laid down at Doha, of reducing trade-distorting subsidies in the WTO. While it is difficult to make an accurate economic assessment of the impact that the US Farm Bill might have on the economies and living standards of developing countries, World Bank studies estimate that the comprehensive reform of all aspects of agricultural policies in developed countries could raise the incomes of developing countries by up to $100 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will contribute funding to the telephone helpline run by Action on Elder Abuse. [145628]

I have been asked to reply.The abuse of vulnerable adults is of great concern to the Government. Since the launch of Action on Elder Abuse in 1993, the Department of Health has used grants to fund both the core functions of the organisation and a variety of specific projects including the telephone helpline. Action on Elder Abuse received just under £160,000 over the three years from 1997–98 to 1999–2000 to help establish and successfully operate the national helpline.Bids for section 64 funding are currently being considered and will be announced on the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure on information campaigns and advertising was for his Department for each year since 2001–02. [145696]

The total amount spent on public information campaigns by the Home Office was:

	£ million
2001–02	25.1
2002–03	18.3

This amount includes the cost of Home Office publications and literature, campaign research, creative development and production, as well as the amount spent on advertising media.The proportion of these totals spent on advertising media was:

	£ million
2001–02	14.4
2002–03	9.9

During 2002–03 our campaigns included the award winning police recruitment campaign an essential part in the successful recruitment of record numbers of police officers. Other campaigns contributed to a reduction in vehicle crime, the national firearms amnesty and advising parents and children on safe use of the internet.In 2001–02 our campaigns again focused on police recruitment, vehicle crime and child protection on the internet. We also ran campaigns to support a reduction in drug misuse, and the introduction of postal voting.Total expenditure for 2003–04 has yet to be finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women who had entered the United Kingdom from Somalia and who were refused the right to remain were removed from the United Kingdom during 2003. [148069]

Information on the total number of people who are removed from the United Kingdom is not available by nationality and gender, except by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest outstanding asylum case still awaiting a final decision is; and if he will make a statement. [148954]

Information on individual decisions, up to and including the outcome of all potential appeals, is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files. This would incur disproportionate cost.29,100 cases were awaiting an initial decision at the end of September 2003, the lowest level for more than a decade; of these 8,500 cases were work in progress i.e. the application had been outstanding for six months or less.Provisional data show that 81 per cent. of applications received in the period April to June 2003 had initial decisions reached and served within two months and that 74 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sought (a) political and (b) religious asylum in the United Kingdom in 2003; how many were granted the right to remain; and how many failed in their applications and were removed. [148955]

The number of people applying for asylum in the United Kingdom during 2003 is not currently available. Provisional data for the number of asylum applications made in 2003 will be published as part of the quarterly asylum statistics on 24 February, on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration1.htmlInformation on the outcomes of asylum applications made in 2003 will be published in the annual Home Office Statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. It is planned that the annual publication for 2003 data will be published at the end of August 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people making asylum applications over the next three years. [149338]

We have already reduced the number of asylum applications by half since October 2002, meeting the ambitious target set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister. Current policy initiatives, such as juxtaposed controls in France and the deployment of detection technology at continental ports, are designed to prevent those who seek to circumvent our controls at specific ports of entry from doing so. Measures in the Asylum and Immigration Bill currently before Parliament—for example, measures aimed at those who deliberately destroy their documents to obstruct the processing of their case—will help deter unfounded claims. Together, these measures will reduce overall numbers still further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those seeking asylum he expects to be housed in accommodation centres pending their applications being determined. [149339]

Accommodation centres will be introduced on a trial basis with a total capacity of up to 3,000 places during the trial period. We cannot predict what proportion this would constitute of the total number of asylum seekers: this will depend on the average length of stay at an accommodation centre, as well as the number of people claiming asylum and the average period it takes to determine their applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is in place for asylum seekers delayed from leaving the United Kingdom through no fault of their own, under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. [150336]

The current legislation requires that, with the exception of families including children under the age of 18, support for asylum seekers whose claims are unsuccessful must end once a final decision is made on the asylum claim. Families continue to receive support until they leave or fail to comply with directions for their removal. Unsuccessful asylum seekers are expected to leave the country but, where this is not possible due to circumstances entirely beyond the person's control, they may be provided with accommodation under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Generally speaking accommodation will be full board since there is no provision for payment of financial support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure that child asylum seekers are only detained for very short periods prior to removal. [150337]

Unaccompanied minors are not detained other than in one very limited circumstance: where, exceptionally, it is necessary to detain a child while alternative care arrangements are made and, then, normally just overnight.Families with children may be detained in the following circumstances: initially, while their identities and basis of claim are established; where there are reasonable grounds for believing that they will fail to comply with the conditions of temporary admission or release; or to effect removal. In addition, families whose asylum claims appear to be capable of being decided quickly may be detained as part of a fast-track process.The detention of families with children is subject to rigorous and frequent review by a central unit within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Where detention is for the purpose of effecting the removal of the family concerned its continuation will be authorised only where it is clear that there is a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable period of time and that satisfactory progress is being made towards removal. If these criteria are not met, further detention is unlikely to be authorised. In the majority of such cases, detention will last for just a few days immediately prior to removal. For those cases where, exceptionally, detention for a longer period is necessary we have introduced a system whereby the detention of any family with children beyond 28 days is subject to Ministerial authority and review. In addition, a senior IND official has been appointed to oversee all detained family cases to ensure that there are no administrative barriers to speedy case progression.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in ensuring consistent standards in removal centres. [150339]

It is clearly important for standards across the immigration removal estate to be more consistent and we are working to ensure that this is the case.All removal centres are already required to operate under the Detention Centre Rules 2001, which regulate the operation and management of removal centres and the treatment of detained persons.In addition, a comprehensive set of Operating Standards are in the process of being developed and issued to all removal centre operators. These Operating Standards set out the minimum requirements expected of operators. It is, of course, open to individual operators to exceed these minimum requirements or, where no single approach is stipulated, to select the most appropriate means of meeting a particular standard in the centre concerned. The individual standards are subject to extensive consultation. To date, Operating Standards have been issued on the following subjects: activities (adults and children); catering; complaints and requests procedures; female detainees; health care; race relations; religion; suicide and self-harm; temporary confinement; and use of force.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is made of the needs of children before they go to detention centres. [149823]

The general needs of children are considered when a decision to detain a family is made and when the family is taken into detention. Once detained, rule 11(3) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 requires removal centre operators to provide everything reasonably necessary for detained persons' protection, safety and well-being and for the maintenance and care of infants and children.Families with children are currently detained at either Dungavel or Tinsley House Removal Centres or Oakington Reception Centre. In all cases they are accommodated in dedicated family rooms within the centre so as to ensure that family members are not separated and, so far as practicable within the constraints of detention, are able to maintain family life. These centres are well equipped and the staff that work there are well qualified to recognise children's needs and where necessary ensure special provision is made.At Dungavel, where there is a well-established education provision for school-age children, all children are assessed when they arrive to establish their learning needs. We have recently announced our intention to enhance these assessments and introduce contingency curriculum arrangements for children in longer term detention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is made for children to be educated in detention centres. [149825]

Removal centres that may hold families with children for anything more than a few days are required to have arrangements in place to provide educational classes to the children concerned. At present, this relates only to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and Oakington Reception Centre. The education provision at Dungavel is well established. Classes run every day throughout the week for all school age children. A range of subjects is covered including English, maths, science, food technology and history. Music and art are also provided. The position at Oakington is different in that the need for educational provision has arisen only comparatively recently and is in the process of being developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central dated (a) 19 August 2003 re Mr. N. reference 0/985393 and (b) 28 August 2003 re: Mr. AA, reference PO 13028/3. [148510]

[holding answer 19 January 2004]: The information is as follows:

(a) A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 16 January 2004.

(b) I wrote to my hon. Friend on 26 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter dated 8 December 2003 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding asylum seekers in Scotland. [149777]

I wrote to the hon. Member on 23 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter dated 31 October 2003 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent, Mr. G Christie of Fordyce. [149779]

I wrote to the hon. Member on the 22 January 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the membership of the local Criminal Justice Board in Gloucestershire and indicate the bodies represented. [144017]

The members of the Gloucestershire Local Criminal Justice Board are:

Member	Body represented
Tim Brain	Chief Constable (Chair)
John Carter	Chief Officer, National Probation Service, Gloucestershire
Withiel Cole	Chief Crown Prosecutor
Alan Davies	Justices' Chief Executive, Magistrates Courts
David Gentry	Group Manager, the Court Service
Enid Castle	Representing Gloucestershire Police Authority
Phil Kendrick	Gloucestershire County Council Youth Services
David Chalmers	Her Majesty's Prison Service

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of drug-related crime in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and what the cost of drug-related crime was in each area in each of the last three years. [149966]

Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.The NEW-ADAM research programme of interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police sheds some light on the links between drugs and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to Lancashire and the North West region. Data from eight locations (1999–2000) indicated that more than three-fifths (by value) of acquisitive crime was committed by users of both heroin and cocaine/crack.The total number of acquisitive crimes recorded by the police in Lancashire and the North West region in 2002–03 are set out in Table 1 as follows (data are not available for Chorley). Acquisitive crimes are burglary, theft, handling stolen goods and robbery.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against refusal of entry clearance from Pakistan by (a) spouses, (b) fiancees, (c) dependent children and (d) dependent elderly relatives are being processed by his Department; what the average time taken in the last 12 months was between receipt of papers from UK Visas and papers being sent to the Independent Appellate Authority; and if he will make a statement. [145402]

I regret that the information on the number of appeals against refusal of entry clearance by nationality is not currently available in the form requested. Appeals against refusal of entry clearance are not sent to UK Visas but go directly to the Appeals Processing Centre (APC) and then to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA). Data on the average time taken between receipt of papers by the APC and being sent to the IAA are not currently available.Statistics on the total numbers of refusals of entry clearance are published annually. The latest publication, Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002, is available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the numbers of members of the Roma community who will migrate into the UK from Eastern Europe after enlargement of the EU on 1 May. [150821]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: Research conducted by University College London for the Home Office, published in June last year ("The impact of EU enlargement on migration flows", Home Office On-Line Report 25/03), estimates that the numbers of people expected to migrate to the UK from the new member states in the years following enlargement will not be significant. The research corroborates a number of other independent studies, which have been summarised in reports by the European Commission in 2000 and the former Department for Education and Employment in 1999. It is based in part on experience of previous EU enlargements, where the large increases in migration flows predicted before enlargement did not materialise.None of this research has been able to predict exact numbers expected from specific countries or ethnic groups to the UK. However, Roma would have been included in the overall numbers.Citizens of the new member states who come to the UK will work, contribute to the economy, and pay taxes. The Habitual Residence Test will ensure that no one can simply come here and claim benefits. Powers to deport are available where non-British EU citizens commit offences.Enlargement should also improve the quality of life for all citizens in the new member states as their governments must enforce human rights and minority rights, including protection against racial discrimination, to EU standards before accession and subsequently. EU accession should also improve economic prospects in the new member states so reducing the incentive for economic migration.If, contrary to the available evidence, there is a large influx of workers posing a real threat to UK jobs, we will be able to re-introduce restrictions. We will of course be monitoring the situation closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for non-collection of fines. [150355]

I have been asked to reply.There are a number of reasons why, in the past, the collection of fines has not been as effective as it should have been. They include: imposing fines that do not reflect the ability to pay due to lack of information on offenders' income/expenditure; lack of information on offenders' current whereabouts; and a lack of an alternative for those who genuinely cannot pay.This is being addressed through the seven point action plan I announced in June last year, the Courts Act 2003 measures, and the overall enforcement programme being taken forward by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. These are specifically designed to tackle the root causes of non-collection and secure sustained improvement in fine enforcement performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many presenting officers were in post on 1 October in each of the last four years. [143357]

The number of presenting officers in post and available to present appeals at adjudicator hearings is shown in the following table:

	Number of officers in post
13 November 2000	202
1 October 2001	192
1 October 2002	233
1 October 2003	279

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been in the last five years for the offence of theft of (a) controlled drugs and (b) time-expired pharmaceuticals from sites disposing of NHS waste. [150440]

The information collected centrally on court proceedings does not allow the theft of drugs to be distinguished from other thefts, nor are details of the location of thefts collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an individual can receive penalty points in respect of more than one driving offence committed on the same day. [148949]

Where more than one offence involving obligatory endorsement is committed on the same occasion, the total number of penalty points to be attributed is the number that the most serious offence would attract. Two or more offences committed on the same day but not on the same occasion would attract points separately. It would be for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and courts to decide whether the different offences amounted to separate incidents or whether they were part of the same continuing incident.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether amendments made by the Association of Chief Police Officers to their media and disciplinary guidelines are publicly available; [143464](2) what amendments have been made, following agreement with the Association of Chief Police Officers, to the media and disciplinary guidelines issued to police forces. [143480](3) whether anonymity will be granted to those accused of sexual offences if they have learning difficulties. [143481]

This matter was debated during the passage of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.The Government believe that informed and strengthened guidance to the police and the media is preferable to legislation.Following discussions between the Association of Chief Police Officers and officials the updated Media Advisory Group Guidance Notes have given greater prominence to this issue. They underline that suspects should not be named before charge and go on to highlight the possible dangers of doing so. The Guidance Notes are available to the public and can be viewed on the website www.acpo.police.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ensure that the Immigration Service (a) monitors the sentences of foreign national prisoners, with particular reference to those liable to deportation and (b) takes action to ensure repatriation or deportation takes place as soon as a prisoner's sentence has expired. [151082]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: HM prisons are instructed to notify the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of all foreign nationals sentenced to a term of imprisonment, together with their release dates once calculated.IND then considers whether a person should be deported or removed and it is our aim, wherever possible, to remove such persons in line with their release from custody.There are, however, reasons why this may not happen in a particular case. These may include such factors as the need to consider an appeal or application for leave to remain, the non-availability of travel document, difficulties with travel arrangements or other matters which have to be considered or addressed before the deportation or removal can be effected.IND and the Prison Service work closely together and with individual inmates to keep any delays in effecting removal to a minimum.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the standardised multi-agency racist incident reporting form. [150875]

[holding answer 26 January 2004]: The minimum data content for the standardised multi agency racist incidents reporting form is in the Code of Practice on reporting and recording racist incidents. This is currently in stock in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department deems it unnecessary to be required to report to Parliament the numbers of risk of sexual harm orders that are issued on an annual basis. [150126]

The Home Office will monitor the use of risk of sexual harm orders (RSHOs) but, as was stated in the response to the Home Affairs Committee's report on the Sexual Offences Act 2003, we do not feel that there is any need for the number of such orders to be reported annually to Parliament. In common with the other civil preventative orders in Part 2 of the Act, statistics will be collected on the number of RSHOs taken out each year and this information will be available if requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which recommendations of the National Radiological Protection Board report on health and safety issues of terrestrial trunked radio have been implemented. [149177]

[holding answer 22 January 2004]: The Home Office took expert advice from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) on the health aspects of TETRA technology. The AGNIR experts concluded that on the basis of current evidence, it was unlikely that TETRA posed a hazard to health. They also made a number of recommendations for further research on remaining areas of uncertainty. No research on masts was suggested. The AGNIR recommendations have been taken forward by the Mobile Telecommunications Research Programme and by the Home Office. Regularly updated information is available at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/tetra.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 15 January 2004, Official Report, column 894W, on the Terrorism Act, if he will break down, by region, the stops and searches carried out since 2001 under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000; what reasons were given for using these powers; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increases. [150329]

A breakdown of stop and searches by Police Force area under section 44(1) and section 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 for the financial years 2001–02 and 2002–03 is provided in the table. This is taken from information published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin.Stop and Searches under Section 44(1) or (2) may only be exercised for the purposes of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism. The decision to authorise use of the powers is made against the background of the current threat level and the assessment of the risk to any designated or whole force area.The increase in stops and searches can be attributed to an increase in general security throughout the year following September 11 (2001).

	Stop and Searches of vehicles and occupants under 44(1)		Stop and Searches of pedestrians under 44(2)
Police force area	2001–02	2002–03	2001–02	2002–03
Avon and Somerset	—	—	—	—
Bedfordshire	8	31	—	—
Cambridgeshire	—	—	—	—
Cheshire	385	302	2	18
Cleveland	—	—	—	—
Cumbria	—	—	—	—
Derbyshire	20	—	—	—
Devon and Cornwall	129	—	—	—
Dorset	—	—	—	—
Durham	235	—	3	—
Essex	—	2	—	5
Gloucestershire	36	898	—	—
Greater Manchester	36	210	—	299
Hampshire	10	256	2	38
Hertfordshire	4	—	—	—
Humberside	—	—	—	—
Kent	255	67	2	74
Lancashire	—	155	—	—
Leicestershire1	68	45	68
Lincolnshire	—	—	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings have been held since 25 June of the pilot group tasked with taking forward the recommendation adopted at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on 28 and 29 November 2002 in relation to terrorist profiling; and what was discussed at those meetings. [143380]

The informal pilot group held its second workshop on terrorist profiling at the headquarters of Europol on 24 November 2003, with United Kingdom representation. This meeting was essentially a stock take, as the research needed to inform this long-term and complex project is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a visa requirement for all non-EEA nationals entering the UK in the course of business, where the prime purpose of that entry is to engage in anti-trade union activities. [149578]

We have no plans to introduce a specific visa requirement for those seeking entry to engage in anti- trade union activities. However, the Immigration Rules contain provision for the refusal of entry to a person where it is judged that their presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good. This would allow for the refusal of a person where their character, conduct or associations made their entry undesirable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the findings of Mr. Stephen Shaw's investigation into the management of Yarl's Wood Removal Centre will be published; and how they will be made available. [150190]

The timing of the completion of the inquiry into the allegations of racist behaviour and attitudes among staff at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre is a matter for Stephen Shaw. However, we understand that Stephen Shaw would hope to complete his inquiry and report his findings as soon as possible. The report will be published although the details of exactly how this will done have yet to be determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when consolidating legislation to create consistent definitions and terminology within the youth justice system will come into effect. [145173]

We have no plans to make consolidating legislation on youth justice.We published on 8 September a consultative document "Youth Justice—The Next Steps" as a companion document to the main Green Paper "Every Child Matters". In "Youth Justice—The Next Steps" we set out a number of proposals, including clarification of the purpose of sentencing a juvenile, and simplification of sentencing. The consultation period ended on 1 December and we are currently analysing the responses. Some of our proposals, if taken forward, will require legislation. This would be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on which dates terrorist incidents ascribed to the IRA have taken place in Scotland since 1973. [142753]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, on 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 618W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with (a) the Royal Bank of Scotland, (b) Halifax Bank of Scotland and (c) Clydesdale Bank concerning the provision of banking services in the Post Office; and if he will make a statement. [150396]

I plan to meet representatives from the Royal Bank of Scotland in the next month to discuss a range of issue affecting the banking sector.The three banks mentioned currently allow access to basic bank accounts through the Post Office branch network, but have not agreed to extend this access to other accounts. While the Government would urge all banks to provide their customers with access to their accounts through Post Offices, decisions to do so are commercial ones for individual institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact on the Scottish rural post office network of three of the major Scottish banks not offering full bank services at the Post Office; and if he will make a statement. [150397]

I have made no such assessment. Decisions on whether to extend access to full banking services at Post Offices are commercial ones for individual institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last made a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland. [149630]

My right hon. Friend has made no such assessment. The details of the funding arrangements were set out in the "Statement of Funding Policy", published by the Treasury in July 2002. The Government have no plans to change the Barnett formula.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to conduct a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland; and whether he anticipates that such an assessment would conclude that current levels are (a) higher, (b) lower or (c) the same as current needs. [149631]

My right hon. Friend has no plans to conduct an assessment. The details of the funding arrangements were set out in the "Statement of Funding Policy", published by the Treasury in July 2002. The Government have no plans to change the Barnett formula.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since 26 June 2003 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and legislation he has sponsored. [148749]

As part of its responsibility for Scotland's devolution settlement, the Scotland Office is involved as necessary in discussions between Government Departments and the Scottish Executive on the application of the Sewel Convention, providing advice in line with Devolution Guidance Note 10. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has not sponsored any legislation that has been the subject of a Sewel motion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums have been paid to the Solectron plant in Dunfermline; and whether funds will be offered to Solectron Dunfermline to assist the relocation of work being carried out by Solectron Carrickfergus. [151004]

Issues relating to financial assistance to industry were devolved under the Scotland Act and now fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been received concerning banking supervision in each of the last three years. [151063]

The Financial Services Authority is responsible for banking supervision. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 required an arrangement for the investigation of complaints against the FSA to be established. Accordingly, the FSA's Complaints Scheme was introduced with effect from 3 September 2001.The following table sets out the number of complaints received under the Financial Services Authority's complaints scheme concerning an alleged failure to supervise deposit taking institutions.

	Complaints received
3 September to 31 December 2001	0
Calendar year 2002	1
Calendar year 2003	2

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in benefit fraud in each of the last six years; and what the amounts involved were in each of these categories listed. [151461]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the paper, "Economic Survey-United Kingdom 2004", published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. [150884]

The OECD's assessment of the UK economy was published on 20 January 2004. The Government welcome the report and notes the positive assessment of the performance of the economy over the past few years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 8I6W, on the Financial Services Authority, for which firms the Financial Services Authority has reduced fees; by how much; which fees these were; and when. [151090]

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) reduces fees for all firms in those areas of business where fines have been levied. It received £100,000 in financial penalties in the financial year 2001–02. This was applied to the benefit of fee-payers in fee block A.7 (fund managers), reducing the fees for all firms in this fee block paid in 2002–03 by 0.5 per cent. of those fees.The FSA received £9,169,000 in financial penalties in the financial year 2002–03. It applied this amount to the benefit of fee-payers in six fee blocks. In fee block A.1 (deposit-acceptors) there was a reduction of 1.5 per cent. of the 2003–04 fee, in fee block A.4 (firms conducting insurance activities subject to both prudential and conduct of business regulation) a reduction of 3.1 per cent., in fee block A.7 (fund managers) a reduction of 1.7 per cent., in fee block A.12 (advisory arrangers dealers or brokers (holding or controlling client money and/or assets)) a reduction of 29.0 per cent., in fee block A.13 (advisory arrangers, dealers or brokers (not holding or controlling client money and/or assets)) a reduction of 3.1 per cent., and in fee block A.16 (Pensions Review levy firms) a reduction of 11.6 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action the UK is planning to address the Government deficit mentioned in COM (2004) 29. [151490]