To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what recent representations he has received regarding updating ecclesiastical law, with particular reference to the employment of clergy. [193768]

The Church Commissioners have received no such representations. The Archbishops' Council is, with representatives of other Christian bodies and faith communities, actively engaged in discussions with the DTI on this issue. The Church of England's review group, under the chairmanship of Professor David McClean, will bring its second report to the Archbishops' Council later this year and to the General Synod in February 2005. If Synod approves the group's proposals, the Church will begin to prepare the legislation necessary to implement them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answers to questions 189034 and 189035, what proportion of the total direct costs across the EU for implementing the REACH proposal will fall on (a) industry and (b) the public purse. [190689]

The Government have worked with industry and others to ensure that the benefits of the REACH proposals to human health and the environment are well focussed on achieving maximum practical benefit with a minimum of direct impact on industrial competitiveness. In particular our own proposals for "one substance, one registration" are intended to lower costs to industry as well as creating a level playing field across Europe and keeping animal testing to a minimum. We have presented proposals jointly with the Hungarian Government and received positive responses from other Governments to our proposals which will now be considered and discussed further within the EU. Estimates have to be based on proposals as they stand at any given stage and our suggestions are not yet part of the official proposals. Based on the Commission's proposals, the results from the UK partial Regulatory Impact Assessment referred to in the answers to questions 189034 and 189035 (i.e. an estimated direct cost of £515 million over the 11 year phase in period which is equivalent to total direct costs across the EU of approximately £2.4 billion) are estimates of the costs to be incurred by industry. This is in line with European Commission estimates published in October 2003 of a maximum overall cost of the revised proposal to be €7.5 billion. We are currently carrying out further impact assessment work to assess the indirect costs passed down the supply chain.

The European Commission estimates published in October 2003 indicate that, in addition to testing and registration costs, the chemicals industry is estimated to pay some €0.3 billion in fees to the new European chemicals agency. The costs of establishing and running the European chemicals agency under the REACH system were estimated at some €0.4 billion as a one-off cost over 11 years. This cost will be met from the fees paid by industry (€0.3 billion) and the remainder from the Community budget.

In the UK, the appointment of a Competent Authority or Authorities is a practical issue relating to the introduction of REACH and will be subject to a consultation exercise in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on nature conservation in urban areas. [192332]

holding answer 18 October 2004

Working with the grain of nature—a biodiversity strategy for England (Defra 2002) sets out the Government's vision for biodiversity in urban areas. The strategy recognises that a flourishing biodiversity makes a real contribution to the quality of life of urban residents and visitors alike. It aims to ensure that biodiversity conservation is integral to sustainable urban communities by enhancing biodiversity in green spaces and among developments in urban areas so that they are used by wildlife and valued by people. It aims to ensure that construction, planning, development and regeneration have minimal impacts on biodiversity and enhance it where possible. A workstream group has been established to develop and take forward a work programme to implement the goals.

The Department has been working closely with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the preparation of a draft planning policy statement which was published for consultation last month. The draft PPS9 sets out the Government's policy objectives on biodiversity and geological conservation in England. These policies are firmly rooted in working with the grain of nature, including the objectives for urban areas.

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

(1) what central records are kept on the incidence of mastitis in cattle; and if she will make a statement; [192732]

(2) what her Department's policy is on (a) monitoring and (b) addressing lameness in dairy cows; and if she will make a statement; [192733]

(3) how many dairy cows were culled due to lameness in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [192734]

There are no central records of the incidence of mastitis or lameness in dairy cattle. However, I am well aware of the seriousness of these welfare problems and their impact on the dairy industry.

That is why we continue to fund research in these areas. We are currently funding two research projects into the causes and control of cattle lameness at a cost of more than £800,000. Defra also has a contract with the Agricultural Development Advisory Service to run an advisory programme for farmers to encourage good welfare. A significant part of the contract is used for providing free advice to individual farmers, which often includes giving advice on ways they could help to alleviate mastitis and lameness levels in their herds. The most substantial part of the contract is used to fund awareness campaigns on topics of welfare concern. The campaigns aim to promote good practice, highlight the latest research and to discuss practical experiences. This year (and not for the first time) we are funding a series of meetings for farmers advising them on how to reduce the incidence of mastitis and promoting Defra's Mastitis Management Action Plan, which was developed in 1999. Lameness in dairy cattle has also been a major topic over the last few years. Last year, for example, we held a series of meetings on reducing injuries to dairy cows and produced an interactive CD-ROM aimed at helping farmers identify potential causes of injury to dairy cattle and provide guidance on minimising such risks.

The Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Cattle (which was revised last year) and its associated publications also provide advice on how to treat and prevent mastitis and lameness in dairy cows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) the management of her Department's burial site at RAF Pershore and (b) its plans for the future use of the site and the land adjacent to it owned by her Department. [193094]

The Department continues to take a sensitive and constructive approach at Pershore. The landscape on the leased area has been improved and plantings are maturing. The addition of a water course has benefited drainage. The site and its impact on the environment is subject to close professional supervision and scrutiny by the Environment Agency, the local authority and Defra. Both ground water and surface water quality are closely monitored and remain normal. In addition, surface water drains into a reed bed designed to purify the water before it discharges to the brook on the south side of the site. Close monitoring of the whole site will continue.

The two freehold cottages are currently on the open market for sale. The Department has not yet settled on its strategy for the disposal of the remaining freehold land, but has appointed professional consultants to give advice.

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

(1) what plans she has for the future of rural transport partnerships after funding support transfers from the Countryside Agency to regional development agencies; [191098]

(2) what plans she has to allow rural transport partnerships to bid for community enterprise funds once funding from the Countryside Agency ceases; [191099]

(3) if she will make a statement on what funding sources she expects will be made available to help deliver the Countryside Agency's rural transport partnerships projects; [191100]

(4) how much money which was allocated in outline to rural transport plans by the Countryside Agency, but which was subsequently not spent, has been re-assimilated into her Department's budget; [191101]

(5) when her Department will be producing an evaluation of the effectiveness of rural transport partnerships; [191102]

(6) if she will make a statement on the withdrawal of the communities services grant from the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages programme; and what alternative sources of funding are available. [192683]

The Countryside Agency funds Rural Transport Partnerships through their Vital Villages programme. The Agency will continue to fund existing projects and commitments until the Vital Villages programme closes on 31 March 2006. From 1 April 2005 Defra will devolve decision making on the delivery of economic and social regeneration policies to the regional development agencies. The regional development agencies are charged with contributing to the delivery of DEFRA's Public Service Agreement target to improve the accessibility of services for people in rural England. In recognition of their larger role in the delivery of DEFRA's policies, we have given the regional development agencies an additional £21.3 million per annum for the years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08.

These new arrangements will mean considerable changes for how DEFRA achieves its rural objectives. regional development agencies, working with their partners, will be responsible for deciding how to spend their resources and grants may not be available for the types of projects that have been supported through the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages programme hitherto. But I am confident that by devolving these responsibilities to the regional development agencies and increasing their resources, rural delivery will become more responsive to local priorities and better focused on areas and people that need it most.

From now until the closure of the Vital Villages programme the Countryside Agency is working to mainstream the work of the Rural Transport Partnerships and share good practice.

£14 million has been invested in the Vital Villages programme this year. Although separate figures for rural transport plans are not available, the larger Vital Villages programme underspent by £80,000 in 2003–04. This underspend was not reallocated to DEFRA expenditure. In June the Agency published a "Guide to Finding Funding for Rural Transport Partnership Projects" (available in hard copy from the Agency and on their website, www.countryside.gov.uk) and some funding for small scale community transport schemes, such as mini-bus links, is available through DEFRA's Rural Enterprise Scheme.

The Agency published an evaluation of the Rural Transport Partnerships in June 2004 (also available in hard copy from the Agency and on their website) and is holding a national conference on 27 October to publicise the Partnerships' work and achievements.

To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will make representations to the Director of Catering Services to implement a strategy to minimise food miles. [193095]

I am sympathetic to the hon. Member's wish to reduce food miles by sourcing as much produce as possible locally. The Refreshment Department uses a great deal of British produce, selected on the basis of its quality and value for money. I have asked the Director of Catering Services to investigate the feasibility of implementing a strategy to minimise food miles as part of the Refreshment Department's food procurement objectives, so far as is consistent with the legal procurement framework within which all public purchasing operates, and the various regional promotions run by the Department.

To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will make representations to the Director of Catering Services to increase the percentage of food sourced organically. [193103]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 905–06W.

I have asked the Director of Catering Services to continue to be alert to opportunities to increase the percentage of food sourced organically, but I am aware that the Refreshment Department's ability to achieve this remains constrained by both supply chain limitations and by consumer price sensitivity.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many paintings and works of art are held in store by the House. [193522]

The House of Commons Commission is responsible only for matters affecting this House. However, I understand that there are 6,791 works of art in the permanent collections of the House of Commons and House of Lords, of which approximately 1,900 are currently held in store. This number includes 35 paintings and 26 sculptures, which are in store only temporarily until they are relocated within the Parliamentary Estate. The other items in store are predominantly small prints and photographs. If the hon. Member wishes to visit the store, I am sure that the Curator would be delighted to arrange it.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost of (a) consultants, (b) materials, (c) labour, (d) design and (e) supervision of work was for the changes to the Oriel Room; and where the high desks have been stored. [193105]

The recent works in the Oriel Room were undertaken as part of two major projects: the tenth phase of the PDVN programme which includes the installation of automatic fire detection systems; and the installation of blast resistant glazing to the Principal Floor. These are extensive projects having total values of some £4 million and £1 million respectively; the latter being spread over three years. Owing to the complexities of both projects it is not possible to apportion the costs for the Oriel Room separately.

While the Oriel Room was disrupted, the opportunity was taken to introduce a new furniture layout. This was partly in response to adverse comments about the lighting and layout of the Members' Library in the "House of Commons Survey of Services in 2003", to underpin the Library's Change Project and to improve the ergonomic conditions for Library staff. The plans were reviewed by the Information Committee before the summer recess.

During the closure of the Library the Oriel and Reference Room ceilings were cleaned and other minor works undertaken.

The new furniture was designed by the PWSD Furnishings team after discussions with Library staff; no consultants were used.

The original desks, which were installed in 1986, have now gone into off-site storage.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission

(1) what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the new visitor passes are retrieved from visitors when they leave the Parliamentary Estate; and if he will make a statement on their introduction; [193351]

(2) if the Commission will take steps to ensure that photographs on parliamentary passes are checked at all entry and exit points on the Parliamentary Estate; [193352]

(3) how many visitor passes have been issued to date; and how many have been returned. [193353]

It is not the practice of the House of Commons Commission to publish details of the operation of security arrangements on the Parliamentary Estate. I have asked the Serjeant at Arms to contact the hon. Member.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children died in accidents at home in the Greater London area in the last five years. [193156]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 26 October 2004

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children died in accidents in the home in the Greater London area in the last five years. (193156)

The latest available data are for 2003. Figures for children aged under 16 are given in the following table.

Deaths from accidents in the home London, 1999 to 2003 3^{(1) (2)}

⁽¹⁾ Selected using codes E849-E928 excluding E870-E879 from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision for 1999 and 2000 and codes W00-X59 from the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision for 2001 to 2003, where the place of accident was 'home'.

⁽²⁾ Residents of London Government Office Region.

⁽³⁾ Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been raised by the withdrawal of advance corporation tax credit on (a) pensions and (b) charities in each year since it was introduced. [193802]

The abolition of payable tax credits was an essential part of a wider package of Corporation Tax reforms, including cuts in CT rates, designed to encourage investment. The estimated impact of the abolition of payable tax credits for pension funds, charities and others is quoted in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, July 1997. A separate figure for charities is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT was paid by UK hospices in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [193364]

HM Customs and Excise data do not identify VAT registered hospices specifically and in any case would not identify any VAT incurred by hospices that could not be recovered. Therefore no figures for VAT paid by hospices are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent research he has (a) conducted or (b) commissioned into the cost effectiveness of the proposed identity card scheme. [193996]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my predecessor on 21 April 2004, Official Report, column 505W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate the handling of the tax credits award for Miss Julie McEvoy of Buckfastleigh for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 tax years; and if he will make a statement. [193953]

I understand that the Inland Revenue has made a thorough investigation of Miss McEvoy's case and wrote to the hon. Member on 25 October 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the national debt (a) is and (b) was in 1997. [193812]

Public sector net debt at the end of September 2004 stood at 33.6 per cent. of GDP, whereas at the end of September 1997 it stood at 43.5 per cent. of GDP.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) if he will ensure that adequate funds are made available to the Home Office to ensure that Northampton Police Authority receives the grant for the financial year 2005–06 that the national funding formula indicates it needs; [193760]

(2) if he will make an additional grant to all police authorities for the financial year 2005–06 similar to the additional grant given to all local authorities in December 2003. [193761]

The 2002 spending review provided for record growth in spending on crime, justice and communities, from £16.5 billion in 2002–03 to £20.5 billion in 2005–06. The 2004 spending review builds on this progress by embedding the Government's success in delivery and further increasing spending in these areas by £3.5 billion by 2007–08, compared to 2004–05. The Home Secretary is due to announce policing allocations for 2005–06 shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single parent households headed by (a) mothers and (b) fathers there are, broken down by ethnic group. [192638]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 26 October 2004

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many single parent households headed by(a) mothers and (b) fathers there are, broken down by ethnic group. 192638

Figures from the 2001 Census indicate that there were 2,297,153 lone parent households in England and Wales, of which 1,979,295 households were headed by a female Household Reference Person and 317,858 households were headed by a male Household Reference Person. Specially commissioned table C0344 has been run to provide the ethnic group of the Household Reference Person. This has been placed in the House of Commons Library and can also be accessed on the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/op15.asp

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer

(1) how much was paid to external commercial, legal and financial advisers in respect of the STEPS agreement; [178102]

(2) how much was paid by the Department to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Ltd. in each year to April (a) 2002 (b) 2003 and (c) 2004. [178131]

pursuant to my answers, 15 June 2004, Official Report, c. 835W

I very much regret that my earlier answers inadvertently contained information which has subsequently proved to be incorrect.

I am advised that costs in respect of external commercial, legal and financial advice were:

Payments made to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Ltd. were as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards had been stopped as at 30 September due to claimants' failure to supply income data by the 30 September deadline; and if he will make a statement. [191781]

None had been stopped as at 30 September.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tsars have been appointed with responsibilities which cover part of the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [191915]

None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of unemployment in the Greater London area is. [193796]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 26 October 2004

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in Greater London. (193796)

It is estimated that, for the three months ending in August 2004, the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over resident in the Greater London area was 6.9 per cent. This estimate is seasonally adjusted.

This estimate from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total amount of unpaid tax, broken down by each available category, in each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [192143]

The information requested is as follows:

Inland Revenue

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 4 March 2003, Official Report, column 912W, and 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1697W. The NAO report, "The Recovery of Debt by the Inland Revenue", was published in March 2004 and can be found online at: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao reports/03–04/0304363.pdf

HM Customs and Excise

I refer the hon. Member to the HM Customs and Excise Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03, which was published in December 2003, and is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people classed as disabled have claimed working tax credit in Coventry South. [192982]

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) on 19 October 2004, Official Report, column 589W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he has received from hon. Members in the last four months; and if he will make a statement. [192216]

26 letters were received from hon. Members from Wales from June to September 2004.

During that period the Wales Office also received 152 other letters and over 1,600 pieces of inter departmental correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [191398]

None. The Wales Office does not provide residential properties for the use of either Ministers or officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many tsars have been appointed with responsibilities which cover part of the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [191928]

None.

To ask the Leader of the House if he will carry out scrutiny of the number of offences (a) created and (b) repealed in the Government legislative programme in each session. [193521]

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had about the provision of information technology equipment and access for hon. Members. [193523]

My right hon. Friend has had discussions with both Members and officials of the House regarding the recommendations on information technology in the report of the Senior Salaries Review Body's review of parliamentary pay and allowances. He welcomes these recommendations and intends to propose to the House that IT equipment and support be increased as recommended.

To ask the Leader of the House what proposals he has submitted to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons on sending a new voters guide to every 18-year-old. [193524]

In its report on "Connecting Parliament with the Public", the Modernisation Committee, which my right hon. Friend chairs, recommended that the House devise a new voter's guide to be sent to all young people around the time of their 18th birthday. It envisaged that this might contain information on how to register to vote; the role and function of an MP, local councillor and other elected officials; how politics affects people's lives and a brief history of Parliament. This proposal is now under consideration by the House of Commons Commission.

To ask the Leader of the House what representations he has received regarding the September sitting of the House; and if he will make a statement. [193525]

A number of Members have expressed views on September sittings in evidence to the Modernisation Committee's inquiry on the sitting hours of the House, and in response to the letter which my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House sent to all Members on 29 June. The Modernisation Committee is considering these responses as part of its inquiry.

To ask the Leader of the House what proposals he has made to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons on providing child care in the House of Commons. [193526]

My right hon. Friend has made no proposals to the Modernisation Committee on child care in the House of Commons, but he has taken a close interest in discussions in the House of Commons Commission on this subject. He welcomes the increase in value in the child care vouchers paid to House staff, and their extension to Members' staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the level of basic state pension received by women pensioners in Scotland. [192848]

My right hon. Friend and I are in regular touch with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues. The hon. Member will appreciate that pensions matters in general, and the particular position of women pensioners, are matters of great concern to the Government at the moment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on Army recruitment to the Scottish regiments in Scotland. [192849]

Although this is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, Scottish soldiers have an important continuing role in the United Kingdom's defence plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last discussed recruitment to the Scottish regiments with the Secretary of State for Defence. [192851]

I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend and discuss a wide range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will be making recommendations on rural broadband in Scotland during the telecommunications review. [192850]

The Scotland Office works closely with the Ofcom team in Scotland on a range of broadcasting and telecommunications issues. I am aware of the detailed consultation response from the Scottish Executive which places emphasis on the importance of getting rural aspects right.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the Scottish economy. [192852]

I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor on a range of matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Scotland Office has taken since 1 October to highlight the new obligations on service providers following the introduction of part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [192853]

It has been Government policy to highlight new obligations on service providers as early as possible prior to the implementation date of 1 October. The Department for Work and Pensions has undertaken a major publicity campaign throughout the country to increase awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act and particularly the duties for employers and service providers, including a direct mailing to around one million small businesses.

In addition, in Scotland, the DRC worked closely with Scottish business organisations and my hon. Friend, the Advocate-General, addressed an awareness raising reception with guests representing disabled people, businesses and public sector organisations a few days prior to the implementation date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet BT authorities in Scotland to discuss call boxes in rural areas. [192855]

My right hon. Friend and I are aware of the issues but have no current plans to meet BT authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the future structure of the Army in Scotland. [192856]

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the Scottish infantry regiments. [192857]

I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend and we discuss a wide range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss closures of Jobcentres in Lanarkshire. [192854]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my right hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Chryston (Mr. Clarke).

To ask the Solicitor-General when she will issue the strategic plan and guidance for the Crown Prosecution Service's resources as a result of successful confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. [191933]

The 2004 Spending Review provided for a new scheme to incentivise criminal justice agencies to recover asset from criminals. The Crown Prosecution Service is working with colleagues from the Serious Fraud Office, the Customs and Excise Prosecution Office, the Home Office, and the Department of Constitutional Affairs to develop a scheme for agreement with the Treasury. Operational details of the new scheme have not yet been agreed, but it is proposed that it will become operative during 2006–07. At that stage guidance will be issued to the CPS and other agencies.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many United Kingdom cases are awaiting hearing before the European Court of Human Rights. [191958]

There are 351 cases against the United Kingdom pending before the European Court of Human Rights that have been declared admissible or partly admissible by the Court. There has been an oral hearing in five of these cases, but the Court has not yet delivered its judgment on the merits. None of the remaining cases is at present scheduled for an oral hearing; owing to the enormous backlog of cases before the Court, oral hearings are now the exception rather than the rule.

To ask the Solicitor-General

(1) on what date the Attorney-General (a) gave his advice to the Prime Minister about the legality of the war with Iraq and (b) officially examined Iraq's declaration of December 2002; what he considered to be material breaches in the declaration; on what date he made his opinion on these specific breaches known; whether he first expressed the opinion that there was material breach before he examined Iraq's declaration; and if she will make a statement; [190233]

(2) on what date the Attorney-General (a) gave his advice to the Prime Minister about the legality of the war with Iraq and (b) officially examined Iraq's declaration of December 2002; what he assessed as material breaches in the declaration; on what date he made his opinion on these specific aspects known; and if she will make a statement; [191011]

(3) if the Attorney-General will make a further assessment of whether Iraq was in major breach of United Nations resolutions to justify war based on the findings of the Iraq Survey Group report; and if she will make a statement. [190985]

I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 366–387 of the report of the Butler Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction (HC898) which describe the role of intelligence in assessing the legality of the use of force against Iraq. This section of the report sets out the legal process, including when advice was given by the Attorney-General.

The Butler Report also makes it clear that the advice concerned the legal interpretation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and not WMD-related intelligence. In paragraph 1 of UNSCR 1441, the Security Council itself decided that Iraq was, and remained, in material breach of its obligations under relevant resolutions. In paragraph 4 of resolution 1441, the Security Council also decided that false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted by Iraq pursuant to the resolution and failure by Iraq at any time to comply with, and co-operate fully in the implementation of the resolution would constitute a further material breach of Iraq's obligations. It is a question of fact whether there were any such false statements or omissions in Iraq's declarations and whether Iraq did comply with and cooperate fully in the implementation of the resolution. As appears from paragraph 383 of the Butler Report, it was not for the Law Officers themselves to ascertain what those facts were. As stated in paragraph 385, the Prime Minister formed the view, based on information from a wide range of sources, including UNMOVIC reports, that there were false statements and omissions in the Iraqi declarations and also that Iraq had failed to comply with and cooperate fully in the implementation of resolution 1441.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the planned dates for analogue switch-off are broken down by ITV region. [193677]

Much progress has been made in the discussions between the Government, Ofcom, and Public Service Broadcasters and other stakeholders on the detailed plans for switchover. However, decisions have yet to be made on the timetable for Switchover across the UK by ITV regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the planned dates are for analogue switch-off for the transmitters at (a) Durris, (b) Rosemarkie, (c) Knock More and (d) Rumster Forest. [193678]

Discussions are taking place between the Government, Ofcom, and Public Service Broadcasters and other stakeholders on the detailed plans for switchover. However, no specific dates have been set for the conversion of individual transmitters (with the exception of the Technical Trial transmitter in Ferryside which will be converted in March 2005).

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to public funds of the Central Local Government Partnership conference held at Leeds Castle on 14 and 15 October was; and how many Government Ministers attended. [193360]

The event held at Leeds Castle was a meeting of the Central Local Partnership (CLP)—a forum for leading members from local government to hold discussions with Ministers. The CLP meets three times a year, two meetings are held at the offices of the Local Government Association (LGA) or at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's offices in London, and the October meeting is an Away Day.

The cost of the event was approximately £23,000, shared equally between central Government and the LGA. Over the two days 14 Ministers attended from Departments that work closely with local authorities. The councillors attending were drawn from all parties represented in local government including the chairman of the LGA, Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Conservative leader of Kent county council. Following is a list of the Ministers and councillors who attended the event:

Ministers

Right hon. John Prescott MP, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Right hon. Nick Raynsford MP, Minister of State for Local and Regional Government, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Right hon. Lord Rooker, Minister of State for Housing, Planning and Regeneration, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Right hon. Keith Hill MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

The hon. Phil Hope MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Right hon. Paul Boateng MP, Chief Secretary to HM Treasury, Her Majesty's Treasury

Right hon. Alun Michael MP, Minister of State for Rural Affairs, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The hon. Charlotte Atkins MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport

The hon. Hazel Blears MP, Minister of State, Home Office

The hon. Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State, Department of Health

Right hon. Charles Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Department for Education and Skills

The Noble Lord Geoffrey Filkin, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Children and Families, Department for Education and Skills

The Noble Lord Andrew Macintosh MP, Minister for Media and Heritage, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The hon. Chris Pond MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions

Local Government Association Councillors

Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Chairman of LGA, Kent County Council, Conservative Party

Peter Chalke CBE, Vice-Chairman of LGA, Wiltshire County Council, Conservative Party

Simon Milton, Chairman of Improvement Board, Westminster City Council, Conservative Party

Margaret Eaton OBE, Deputy Chair of LGA, City of Bradford, Conservative Party

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice-Chairman of LGA, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council, Labour Party

Aiden Rave, Deputy Chairman of LGA Labour Group, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Labour Party

Dame Sally Powell, Chair of Safety Communities Board, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Labour Party

David Sparks OBE, Chairman of Environment Board, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Labour Party

Chris Clarke OBE, Leader of LGA Liberal Democrat Group and Deputy Chairman of LGA, Somerset County Council, Liberal Democrat Party

Richard Kemp, Deputy Leader of LGA Liberal Democrat Group, Liverpool City Council, Liberal Democrat Party

Chloe Lambert, Leader of LGA Independent Group and Deputy Chairman of LGA, Aylesbury Vale District Council, Independent Party

Baroness Ruth Henig, Chair of association of Policy Authorities, Chair of Lancashire Policy authority, Lancashire County Council, Labour Party

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of the (a) City of York council, (b) Ryedale district council, (c) North Yorkshire county council and (d) Scarborough borough council budget was met from council tax receipts in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 2004–05. [193905]

The proportion of each council's revenue expenditure met from council tax in 1997–98 and 2004–05 for the four authorities are tabled as follows:

Percentage

The data are as reported by the local authority and use outturn data for 1997–98 and budget data for 2004–05.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the cost of meeting the decent homes standard in each local authority area. [193242]

Stock-owning local authorities report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister the cost of meeting the decent homes standard in the council stock. This covers the cost to bring existing non-decent dwellings up to the decent homes standard, but does not cover work to prevent currently decent dwellings from falling into non-decency. This information has been made available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost of abolishing the means test on parents of disabled children for the disabilities facilities grant. [192893]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, jointly with the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Disabled Facilities Grant programme. This will include a consideration of a number of changes to the means test including a full analysis of costs. The Review Group will report to Ministers in May 2005.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister

(1) what steps he is taking to promote the use of disability housing registers; [193570]

(2) how many local authorities in England operate disability housing registers; and if he will make a statement. [193573]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises that it is extremely important that people with disabilities and access needs are housed appropriately and that they have the right level of priority for housing under an allocation scheme. Furthermore, the Government want to see housing authorities, and other social landlords, make the best use of our housing stock, and this includes stock which is accessible or has been adapted.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister considers that local authorities would find it useful to operate a disability housing register and should be encouraged to do so, but ultimately it should be up to the authority itself to decide whether it makes sense to do so.

(1) The statutory Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation (paragraph 6.11) recommends that housing authorities maintain lists of properties that are suitable for people with disabilities and other special needs groups and that these could be made available to relevant applicants of social housing, free of charge. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consult with the Disability Rights Commission and other interested parties on how to strengthen the Code of Guidance to ensure that disabled people are housed appropriately and to make better use of properties which have been designed or adapted for disabled people. A revised Code of Guidance will be issued next year.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is developing a national standard for measuring accessibility through the National Register of Social Housing (NROSH) which should be available by September 2005. NROSH will be a central record of social housing and will collect information on the attributes of each dwelling including size, type and rent. These attributes include three measures of accessibility; first, whether the dwelling meets one of the recognised standards (Lifetime Homes, Housing Corporation Design Standards or Building Regulations—Part M); secondly, counts of the number of steps outside and within the dwelling or block; and finally a record of adaptations which have been carried out. By establishing a national standard for recording accessibility NROSH will assist local authorities in the setting up of local registers. The surveying of properties to collect accessibility information and provision of this to NROSH will be at the discretion of local authorities.

(2) The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not collect this information.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local plans the Government Office for the West Midlands has objected to on the grounds of their Gypsy policies. [193107]

The Government Office has made a small number of objections to draft development plans prepared under provisions in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to policies for Gypsy sites. The objections related to issues of compliance with current guidance contained in the Department's Circular 1/94, "Gypsy Sites and Planning". It asks local planning authorities to assess the need for Gypsy accommodation in their areas and, wherever possible, to identify in their plans locations suitable for Gypsy sites, whether local authority or private sites. Where this is not possible authorities are asked to set out clear, realistic criteria for suitable locations as a basis for site provision policies. No objections have been made to policies for Gypsy sites in draft local plans prepared by Wychavon district council in the hon. Member's constituency. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has announced a review of Circular 1/94.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of how many surveyors will be required as a result of the seller's packs provisions included in the Housing Bill; how many are available at the present time; and what estimate he has made of how long it will take to train sufficient surveyors. [193781R]

The industry estimates that around 7,500 home inspectors (some working full time some working part time) will be needed to compile home condition reports for home information packs in England and Wales. As this new qualification is dependent on the passage of the Housing Bill, there are no qualified home inspectors yet. However, independent research by Asset Skills, the relevant sector skills council, shows that between 10,000 and 18,000 people working in property services or related industries are expected to convert to work as home inspectors. This indicates that there will be sufficient qualified inspectors available to provide the required number of home condition reports when the reforms are implemented in January 2007. All home inspectors will have to belong to a certification scheme and will have to obtain the required home inspection qualification before they can become members. The length of training will depend on the candidate's level of existing knowledge and experience. This could range between a matter of months for a RICS surveyor already doing similar work, to the equivalent of a full time two year course followed by a period of "on the job" training for someone with no previous experience.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what implementation date the Government plan for the provisions of the Housing Bill relating to seller's packs; and what assessment he has made of whether sufficient professional indemnity insurance will be available in the market by that date. [193782R]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister anticipates that the home information pack reforms will be implemented in January 2007. But we will not introduce compulsory home condition reports until we are satisfied that all the necessary elements are in place, including satisfactory indemnity insurance for home inspectors. This continues to be the subject of extensive research and discussion and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has established programme management arrangements involving consumer representatives and key industry stakeholders to provide help and guidance on this. Assisted by the Association of British Insurers and our industry working group, discussions with commercial insurers are taking place aimed at identifying options based on a commercial approach. The possible basis for an insurance regime will be published when this work is complete. Discussions with leading commercial insurers indicate that they are broadly comfortable with the proposals and that there is an appetite to insure home inspectors.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government intend to establish a national database of the information contained in the seller's pack provided for in the Housing Bill; and whether the packs will have to be available in electronic form to purchasers. [193807]

There will not be a national database of the information contained in home information packs. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is proposing to make provision in the Housing Bill for a register of home condition reports. Our intention is that the register will comprise an electronic databank of all home condition reports prepared by registered home inspectors. In order to respect privacy, and data-protection legislation, access to information obtained from the register would be strictly controlled. Home information packs may be in an electronic format but potential buyers will be entitled to ask for a paper copy of the pack (or part of the pack) if they prefer.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what compensation packages are offered to home owners whose homes are to be demolished in each of the nine Pathfinder areas of England; and if he will make a statement. [193232]

Compensation and relocation packages are determined by the individual market renewal pathfinders and participating authorities. In the case of properties acquired by a Compulsory Purchase Order, the local authority is obliged to pay the open market value for the property. In addition, they are also obliged to cover all reasonable disturbance costs incurred by the individual who has to move house. A home loss payment to an owner-occupier is also made which is set at 10 per cent. of the value of the house purchased, subject to a minimum of £3,400 and a maximum of £34,000. Tenants can claim a flat-rate home loss payment of £3,400 in addition to any disturbance costs payable.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many press officers are employed by each of the Housing Renewal Pathfinders in England. [193233]

Staffing matters are for each individual pathfinder to decide to best meet their needs. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that all but two of the pathfinders currently employ one Communications Officer each, for whom dealing with the press is part of their duties. Local authorities provide media support for the two pathfinders not employing press officers directly (Manchester Salford and Hull and East Riding).

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made towards working with other Government Departments to raise the levels of (a) social inclusion, (b) neighbourhood renewal and (c) regional prosperity. [191264]

The Government strongly believe that the issues of social inclusion, neighbourhood renewal, and local and regional prosperity are tightly interlinked. A partnership approach—not only across Government Departments but also more widely with local and regional service providers and policy makers—are essential to tackle the difficult issues underlying deprivation and social exclusion. Both the Social Exclusion Unit and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit work closely with all Government Departments, and this work has already produced tangible results:

on crime, where the average burglary rate in the 88 most deprived local authority areas has seen significant falls;

on education, where the average pass rate gap (for five good GCSEs—grade A-C) between the 88 local authority areas and the English average continues to narrow at a faster rate;

on worklessness, where the rise in employment rates has climbed faster in the 88 areas than it has nationally; and

through investing in children to break the cycle of disadvantage, with the Government increasing financial support for children by £10 billion since 1997.

The Government have also successfully strengthened the regional tier in order to draw together the policies, strategies and funding streams of many departments. The Government Offices for the Regions carry out work on behalf of 10 Government Departments, influence regional investment of around £9 billion and are involved in the delivery of 39 national Public Service Agreements. They play a key role in delivering the Government's policies for neighbourhood renewal, social inclusion and regional economic performance, using their programmes and influence to enable regions and localities to become better, more sustainable communities in which to live and work.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice his Department has given to local authorities pursuing outstanding debts of (a) less than £3,000 and (b) more than £3,000. [193328]

No general guidance has been issued to local authorities by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the pursuit of outstanding debts. Authorities are required by section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 to make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs, and policies and procedures for pursuing debts would properly form part of those arrangements.

The Non-Domestic Rating Contributions (England) Regulations require authorities to have made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in relation to the collection of non-domestic rates if they are to be permitted to make deductions for bad or doubtful debts from the payments they make into the national pool. Advice on this requirement was issued to local authority chief finance officers on 5 May 1993. This advice is in general terms, and makes no distinction between amounts under and over £3,000.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the combined local authority debt (a) is and (b) was in 1997; and what the average rate of interest paid on that debt is. [193810]

The information is as follows:

31 March 2004 the total outstanding debt of local authorities in England was £37,659 million.(a) At

31 March 1997 the total outstanding debt of local authorities in England was £37,934 million.(b) At

The average rate of interest paid on total outstanding debt is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Source:

ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns, Public Works Loan Board.

Long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure was regulated through the issue of credit approvals up until 31 March 2004 and, as from 1 April 2004, is subject to the Prudential System.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the funding of local government in Coventry South. [193313]

I will make a statement on the formula grant allocations for 2005–06 in due course.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the total cost of holding the referendum on an elected regional assembly in the North East. [193755]

The cost for the North East will be approximately £2.9 million—an average cost of £1.50 per elector. This covers the cost incurred by counting officers such as printing the ballot papers and conducting the count. The maximum amounts payable to a counting officer for a Regional Referendum were set out in The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums (Counting Officers' Charges) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004 No. 2105), which was approved by Parliament on 22 July 2004.

The lead Yes/No campaign organisations—appointed by the Electoral Commission—have each received a grant of £100,000 from the Commission. They will also be entitled to a free mailing and free TV broadcast(s). The delivery costs of the mailing are drawn from the Consolidated Fund. The total cost of the mailing will not be known until the Royal Mail has submitted its accounts.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost has been of (a) visits made and (b) meetings hosted by Ministers in his Department relating to elected regional assemblies since May 2002. [193756]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister laid out the estimated costs of the launch of the information campaign in the answers to the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) on 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 150W and 23 April 2004, Official Report, column 694W; and in the answers to the hon. Member on 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 1687W; 21 May 2004, Official Report, column 1285W and 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 212W.

The current estimate of costs for all visits and meetings since November 2003 is £184,143.

Before the 'Your Say' campaign was launched in November 2003, costs for activities carried out were not recorded centrally.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of producing and publishing (a) the White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice", Cm 5511 and (b) the Draft Regional Assemblies Bill, Cm 6285. [193780]

The cost of producing and publishing the White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice, Revitalising the English Regions", May 2002 (Cm. 5511) was approximately £64,000.

The cost to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of producing and publishing the Regional Assemblies Draft Bill, July 2004 (Cm 6285) was approximately £20,500. This figure does not include the costs of production to TSO (The Stationery Office) Ltd., which are commercial in confidence.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he had at his recent meeting with the Thai Prime Minister on the death of Ms Vanessa Arscott of Ashburton. [193844]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister raised the murders of Vanessa Arscott and her partner Adam Lloyd when he met Prime Minister Thaksin on 8 October, and thanked the Thai authorities for their work in arresting the suspect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what exemptions he will be introducing to the mandatory installation of Mode S transponders in aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [193032]

Legislation to require the carriage of Mode S transponders in aircraft will be introduced in two phases. The first of these will take effect from 31 March 2005 and will apply only to aircraft with a take off mass of more than 5,700kgs and a maximum cruising true airspeed of more than 250 knots that fly under Instrument Flight Rules. This does not include the majority of General Aviation aircraft. Exemptions to the carriage requirements are permitted for certain technical reasons and for those aircraft that infrequently operate under Instrument Flight Rules. The full details of the exemption criteria are available on the Eurocontrol website www.eurocontrol.int/mode s.

The second phase of Mode S introduction is expected to take effect on 31 March 2008. The details of the widened mandate and the associated exemption policy have not yet been decided. The Civil Aviation Authority will conduct a wide-ranging consultation on these issues commencing next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what plans he has to charge aircraft flying under visual flight rules for aircraft navigation services; and if he will make a statement; [193031]

(2) what plans he has to provide non-commercial air traffic with air navigation services without charge; and if he will make a statement; [193033]

(3) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on aircraft with maximum take off weight below 2,000 kilograms; and if he will make a statement; [193035]

(4) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on (a) gliders, (b) microlight aircraft, (c) hangliders, (d) paragliders and (e) balloons; and if he will make a statement; [193036]

(5) what plans he has to charge for air navigation services in airspace classified as (a) E, (b) F and (c) G; and if he will make a statement. [193037]

The Single European Sky (SES) Regulations, which came into force on the 20 April 2004, require the development of a transparent common charging scheme for the recovery of the costs of air navigation services provided by the member states. One of the underlying principles of the charging scheme is that air navigation service costs should be recovered according to the 'user pays' principle, that is airspace users should pay for the services they use.

The current draft of the European Commission's Implementing Rules on charging provides for member states to exempt certain categories of airspace users from the charges scheme. The costs for such an exemption would have to met by the state. The text has not been finalised so it impossible to make any decision on whether or not to grant exemptions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ensure air flights carrying only freight reflect to a greater degree in their costs the environmental impact of such flights, with particular reference to climate change. [193082]

"The Future of Air Transport" White Paper recognises the importance of ensuring that, over time, aviation meets its external costs, including its environmental costs. Specific proposals to address the climate change impacts of aviation are set out in the White Paper (paras 3.35–3.43).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proposals for compensation to near neighbours of the suggested second runway at Birmingham International Airport; what the (a) noise and (b) physical distance parameters will be; what the personal circumstances of qualifying claimants will be; and if he will bring forward a compensation scheme funded by central Government. [193694]

holding answer 25 October 2004

Air travel is essential to the UK economy and we have set out in "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper (Cm 6046, December 2003) a balanced strategy that will deliver sustainable development of air transport. The Government's approach to the control and mitigation of aircraft noise impacts, which includes compensation, is set out in chapters 3 and 12. This makes it clear that it is for airport operators to develop schemes to tackle generalised blight. Birmingham International Airport (BIA) has developed a voluntary generalised blight scheme and is presently consulting on its terms. The consultation closes on 30 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he responded to the communication from the Chief Executive of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association UK, dated 22 September; and if he will make a statement. [193029]

Martin Robinson wrote to a Department for Transport official on 22 September 2004. Department for Transport officials met with him on 5 October to discuss the issues raised by his letter and responded to the communication on 13 October 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what progress against national targets has been made by local authorities on increasing cycling; [191866]

(2) whether he has evaluated the work of the English Regions Cycling Development Team; and if he will make a statement; [191874]

(3) how his Department will (a) assist and (b) assess progress after May 2005 of local authorities in (i) developing cycling, (ii) setting local targets for cycling and (iii) preparing the cycling element of local transport plans. [191877]

The number of cycling trips per person per year has remained broadly similar at a national level since 1996.

The Department for Transport is currently engaged in a review of the effectiveness of the National Cycling Strategy. This includes the work of the English Regions Cycling Development Team, which has been provided by AEA Technology under a contract that expires in May 2005. The Team carried out an important assessment of local highway authorities provision for cycling which has considerably improved our knowledge base. Its advice has also improved local and national practice. The Department is now looking for a more flexible resource than a single team to support the development of cycling and the contract will not therefore be renewed or extended.

Local authorities' provision for cycling will remain a key part of the second Local Transport Plans, which will be submitted to my Department in July 2005. Officials will be involved in the development of all aspects of those Plans and the advice of the English Regions Cycling Development Team will be sought on the elements related to cycling, including targets. Progress under the Plans will be measured through the established system of annual progress reporting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) how much has been invested in East Coast Main Line infrastructure in each year since 1990; [192414]

(2) how much has been invested in railway infrastructure in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1990. [192415]

These are operational matters for Network Rail. The company will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers GNER has carried in each year since its franchise began. [192412]

The number of annual passenger journeys is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains per weekday on average GNER has run out of York in each year since its franchise began. [192413]

The information is not readily available in the form requested. However, in the summer 1996 timetable there were 29 northbound services and 28 southbound services out of York on weekdays. In the current timetable there are 32 northbound and 32 southbound services out of York on weekdays.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision on the construction of the Hastings and Bexhill link road. [193189]

holding answer 25 October 2004

East Sussex county council have submitted a bid for this major local transport scheme. We expect to announce our decision for this and other major scheme bids as part of the annual local transport capital settlement later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent to date on the Integrated Kent Franchise. [192195]

Expenditure of approximately £2.2 million has been incurred to date on the tendering of the IKF and the total cost is expected to be £3.85 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many mobile phones were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1997; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; and what their cost was. [191437]

The Department was created in May 2002. Since that date the number of mobile phones used by Ministers and special advisers was as follows:

There is no central record of mobile phones and information about their usage by Officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement regarding improvements to the rail network since Network Rail assumed responsibility. [192666]

Network Rail has made significant progress in putting right the failings of its predecessor, Railtrack, since taking over the rail infrastructure in October 2002.

Achievements include:

one million fewer delay minutes in 2003–04 and over half a million further reduction in first half of 2004–05;

the public performance measure of total industry performance (moving annual average) has improved from 78.7 per cent. (September 2002) to 81.8 per cent. (September 2004);

2,672 miles of new rail installed since October 2002—replacing 13.5 per cent. of the entire network;

broken rails at all time low of 334 in 2003–04 compared with 444 in previous year—25 per cent. reduction;

train protection and warning system installed throughout Great Britain, on time and budget;

Stage 1 of West Coast upgrade completed—125 mph railway to Manchester; integrated control centres operational at three locations;

16,000 maintenance workers seamlessly taken in-house as a unified national rail maintenance operation is created.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been to the Strategic Rail Authority of transferring the South Eastern Trains franchise from Connex. [192227]

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) engaged external advisers on the transfer at a total cost of £2.757 million. All but approximately £150,000 of this cost was recovered from Connex as part of the negotiations of the termination. The costs of internal SRA staff effort on the transfer are not separately identifiable but were contained within the SRA's then existing total staff complement and budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether all functions of the Strategic Rail Authority are due to transfer to the Department of Transport under the proposals outlined in "The Future of Rail" White Paper. [192600]

The Rail White Paper, "The Future of Rail", proposes the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority. The strategic and financial responsibilities of the SRA will pass to the Department for Transport. Implementing this will require primary legislation and we will introduce a Bill as soon as parliamentary time permits. Activities related to the operation of the railway will pass to Network Rail and consumer protection licensing conditions will pass to the Office of Rail Regulation. Further, additional responsibilities, for rail will be devolved to the Scottish Executive and the Welsh National Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997. [191421]

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Green) on 15 September 2004, Official Report, column 1570W, which covered the Central Department and Agencies.

There were no frauds reported in the NDPBs for 2002–03. In 2003–04, only one NDPB reported fraud. This involved two involving fraudulent use of a stolen credit card. The value of these cases amounted to £14,270 and £3,865 respectively. Both were reported in the Treasury Fraud return for 2003–04.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average spending on communication equipment for each Minister was in the Department in the last year for which figures are available. [193315]

The average spend on communications equipment for each Minister and their Private Office in the Department during 2003–04 was £5,700.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Department spent on outside information technology and communication specialists, consultants and engineers in the 2003–04 financial year. [192758]

The Cabinet Office spent £13.9 million on outside information technology and communication specialists, consultants and engineers in the 2003–04 financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of antisocial behaviour have been reported to the police in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [192866]

There are currently no data on the number of incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) due to the subjective nature of ASB itself. The latest data collected on ASB relate to the public perception of ASB in England and Wales and are measured by the British Crime Survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions for antisocial behaviour there have been in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) Tyne and Wear and (iv) England and Wales in each year since 1997. [192882]

The information requested is not available.

Information on arrests collected centrally is based on persons arrested for "notifiable" offences by main offence group and police force area only and therefore does not identify individual offences.

Information on convictions is available by offence, of which some may have involved antisocial behaviour. Such circumstances are not identified by the Home Office Court Proceedings database.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been taken out in each constituency in (a) England and Wales, (b) South Tyneside and (c) Tyne and Wear since the scheme's inception. [192880]

Information on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at constituency level is not collected centrally. The table (which has been placed in the Library) shows the number of ASBOs issued, as notified to the Home Office by all courts, and where restrictions have been imposed for a specific local authority area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the latest figure is for the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued. [193989]

The number of antisocial behaviour orders issued, as notified to the Home Office by all courts, up to 31 March 2004 (latest available) is 2,455.

To ask the Secretary of State for The Home Department

(1) how many breath tests were carried out by police officers in each year since 1997 (a) in total and (b) broken down by police authority; and what proportion were found to be positive in each case; [192181]

(2) how many breath tests were conducted on male drivers aged between (a) 17 and 20 years and (b) 20 and 29 years in each year since 1999; how many of these tested positive; and how many were convicted of driving when under the influence of alcohol. [192182]

The table shows the number of screening breath tests and the proportion that tested positive or were refused by police force area from 1997 to 2002 (latest available). 2003 data will be available in early 2005.

Data are not collected centrally on the number of screening breath tests by sex or age of the driver.

Screening breath tests and proportion positive or refused by police force area, 1997–2002 -- Number and percentage