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    <title>Sitting of 16 April 2002</title>
    <dateCreated>Tue, 16 Apr 2002 00:00:00 +0000</dateCreated>
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    <outline id='3585240' text="&lt;i&gt;The House met at half-past Two o'clock&lt;/i&gt;" title='Preamble' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/preamble'></outline>
    <outline id='3585241' text='[MR. SPEAKER &lt;i&gt;in the Chair&lt;/i&gt;]' title='PRAYERS' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/prayers'></outline>
    <outline id='3585242' text='Oral Answers to Questions'>
      <outline id='3585243' text='&lt;i&gt;The Secretary of State was asked&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;' title='FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/foreign-and-commonwealth-affairs'></outline>
      <outline id='3585243' text='FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS'>
        <outline id='3585244' text='Mr. Andrew Dismore: What assessment he has made of the situation regarding cross-border terrorist incursions into India. [45516]&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gordon Prentice: What recent steps he has taken to encourage the UN to supervise both sides of the line of control in Kashmir. [45522]&lt;br/&gt;Simon Hughes: What initiatives Her Majesty&apos;s Government are undertaking to ensure peace in the Indian sub-continent. [45528]&lt;br/&gt;The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): In our view, only a political dialogue, not violence and terrorism, will bring a solution to Kashmir. Unfortunately, military mobilisations on both sides of the line of control remain high. On the communal violence in the Indian state of Gujarat, we are deeply concerned about the deaths and injuries on both sides of the religious divide. We have been in regular contact with the Government of India about that, and indeed about Kashmir. They have strongly condemned the violence in Gujarat, and have given assurances, which I welcome, that they will take action to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On Sri Lanka, the news is much happier, and I am glad to be able to report to the House that following the good offices of the Government of Norway, in which we have been participating, a ceasefire has now been declared between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorist organisation. We look forward to that developing into a full-scale peace process.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Dismore: Is my right hon. Friend aware that in January, after many terrorist attacks in India, the Indian Government requested the extradition from Pakistan of 20 suspected major terrorist leaders, including Azhal Masood, the prime suspect for the December attack on the Indian Parliament, Athar Ibrahim, the main suspect for the Indian airlines IC-814 hijacking, and Dawood Ibrahim, the underworld don behind a series of bomb attacks in&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;440&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Mumbai? Will my right hon. Friend join the USA in pressurising Pakistan to arrest those highly dangerous individuals and either put them on trial in Pakistan or extradite them to India for trial there?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: It is incumbent on all members of the United Nations, including the Governments of Pakistan and India, fully to implement the requirements of UN Security Council resolution 1373 on countering terrorism. Like the United States, we have been engaged in discussions with the Government of Pakistan about their meeting their obligations in respect of countering terrorism. We believe that they need either to bring those suspects to trial&amp;#x2014;or certainly those 15 who appear on the Interpol list&amp;#x2014;or hand them over to the Government of India.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Prentice: My right hon. Friend will know that the line of control extends for 450 miles, yet there are only 45 UN military observers&amp;#x2014;one for every 10 miles of territory. Why cannot we urge the UN to increase the number of military observers in that area, which could easily become a tinderbox leading to a third world war?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I do not think that there is any problem about urging the UN, but there is a difficulty in getting bilateral agreement to the role of observers on both sides of the line. My hon. Friend will know that observers are currently situated only on the Pakistani side of the line of control. As I have made clear, we consider that the Kashmir dispute is, in essence, a bilateral dispute, but the international community, including the United Kingdom Government, remains ready to assist in that. Looking to the future, there may well be a role for observers, under the auspices of the UN, better to enforce a proper peace.&lt;br/&gt;Simon Hughes: On Sri Lanka, following the Secretary of State&apos;s welcome recognition of the major breakthrough achieved, largely through Norway but also through the good offices of many other countries, will Her Majesty&apos;s Government urge not only the Prime Minister and Government but the President of Sri Lanka to take what must be the best opportunity for peace and an end to the terrible killing that the country has had for 20 years or more? Will the Government, in the context of the Commonwealth and the region, offer all assistance, both on the constitutional agenda, so that self-governance can be achieved within acceptable terms, and on the redevelopment agenda, which will clearly be vital if the northern half of Sri Lanka is to play its full part in the economy of that country and of the region?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: The short answer to the hon. Gentleman&apos;s question is yes. I place on record our appreciation of the work that he has undertaken over many years to try to bring the sides together and the attention that he has paid to the issue of Sri Lanka.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Since we are to discuss the middle east later this afternoon, I say to the House that it is a terrible commentary on what has happened in Sri Lanka that, by any analysis, more people&amp;#x2014;60,000&amp;#x2014;have been killed in terrorist outrages and in the ensuing military action in Sri Lanka than have been killed in the middle east. I applaud the work of the new Government of Sri Lanka and the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0234"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;441&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;statesmanship at last being shown by the LTTE. The Government and the Commonwealth stand ready to assist in every way we can.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Barry Gardiner: The Foreign Secretary will know that later this year in the state of Jammu and Kashmir there are to be local state elections. Will he take this opportunity to place on record our Government&apos;s support for the Indian Government&apos;s continuing desire to maintain the secular tradition of democracy in that country? Will he also put on notice those who, by sponsoring cross-border terrorism, would seek to destabilise the area in the run-up to those elections?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: As my hon. Friend knows, I have been unequivocal in condemning all forms of terrorism, not least cross-border terrorism across the line of control. As for the prospective elections on the Indian side of the line of control, in Jammu and Kashmir, we look forward to those elections being held, but it is crucial&amp;#x2014;I believe that the Indian Government understand this&amp;#x2014;that they are held in a climate of peace and security and with proper facilities for external monitors.' title='India' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/india'></outline>
        <outline id='3585245' text='Mr. Greg Pope: What recent discussions he has had with the US Administration about Iraq. [45517]&lt;br/&gt;Ms Meg Munn: What recent discussions he has had with the US administration about Iraq. [45523]&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jonathan Djanogly: What recent discussions he has had with the United Nations Security Council concerning weapons inspectors visiting Iraq. [45524]&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Chaytor: What recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the United States in respect of Iraq. [45527]&lt;br/&gt;The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): My ministerial colleagues and I regularly discuss Iraq with the United States and our other Security Council counterparts. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed Iraq with President Bush during his visit to Crawford, Texas slightly more than a week ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Iraq is in clear breach of nine separate UN Security Council resolutions, not least but not exclusively in respect of the threat posed by its weapons of mass destruction. The clear obligation on Iraq is to readmit UN weapons inspections without delay and without conditions.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Pope: Does my right hon. Friend agree that Iraq is a cause of not only regional instability but global instability; that it is right that UN weapons inspectors be allowed free and unfettered access to Saddam&apos;s weapons of mass destruction; and that if that access is denied and&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;442&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;that denial continues, we, the international community, have the right under existing UN resolutions to take action?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: My hon. Friend is correct to point out the extreme danger posed by Saddam Hussein&apos;s failure to meet the obligations of the UN Security Council resolutions, to abandon his development of weapons of mass destruction, and to ensure that there is proper inspection of what he has or has not done. My hon. Friend tempts me to comment on issues of international law, but I shall resist and say simply that, in our judgment, views about compliance with international law need to be taken in the circumstances at the time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend has raised questions about military action. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House last week, no decisions about military action have been made&amp;#x2014;nor, may I add, are such decisions, if they are to be made at all, likely to be made for some time.&lt;br/&gt;Ms Munn: Have there been any discussions with the US Administration of the Israel-Palestine situation, which is of great concern and which threatens the stability of the whole region?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: Indeed there have been continuous discussions between the United States and us. The middle east and the Arab-Israeli conflict formed the centrepiece of the discussions at Crawford. On Sunday I spoke at some length with US Secretary of State Colin Powell about precisely that situation and his work to secure a peace.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Djanogly: There has recently been press comment that the US Government asked the CIA to investigate the chief UN weapons inspector in relation to the last round of weapons investigations in Iraq. Does the Foreign Secretary care to comment on that and on the likelihood, if inspectors are allowed back into Iraq, of a new round of inspections being successful?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: The hon. Gentleman invites me to comment on a report about alleged action taken by a foreign Government, the US Government. My reply is, no thanks.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On the more significant issue&amp;#x2014;the possibility of Saddam Hussein readmitting weapons inspectors&amp;#x2014;we and the United Nations continue to press the Government of Iraq to readmit weapons inspectors. However, the outlook is bleak in respect of compliance by Saddam Hussein. That is best illustrated by the fact that the Government of Iraq began to engage in a process of dialogue under the auspices of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan; a further meeting was due to take place a few days ago, but the Government of Iraq decided unilaterally to pull out.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Our message to Saddam Hussein is clear: if he has nothing to hide, he has nothing to fear from weapons inspections. The view of the international community is also clear&amp;#x2014;he must readmit weapons inspectors, otherwise he will be seen by the whole world to be in the clearest possible breach of international obligations.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Chaytor: Does my right hon. Friend think that there is a relationship between the issue of weapons&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0235"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;443&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;inspections in Iraq and the issue of the Palestinian state? Does he think that recognising that relationship could be the way forward to resolve both problems?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: Of course I recognise the fact that there are political connections between the two issues. Nobody more than Saddam Hussein would like the question of his failure to comply with international obligations to be intertwined with the Arab-Israeli conflict; of course I am aware of that. However, there is no reason on account of the Arab-Israeli conflict in Israel and the occupied territories for Saddam Hussein to fail to comply with his obligations. It is also a matter of record that the victims, internally and externally, of Saddam Hussein&apos;s crimes and aggression have almost exclusively been fellow Muslims&amp;#x2014;fellow Muslims whom he gassed in the south of Iran during the Iraq-Iran war and fellow Muslims whom he gassed in the north of Iraq during the Kurdistan civil war.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Menzies Campbell: As neither the charter of the United Nations, nor indeed any other principle of international law, nor even the ceasefire resolutions which affect Iraq, authorise regime change, can the Foreign Secretary confirm that, unlike others, it is not the policy of Her Majesty&apos;s Government to seek to replace Saddam Hussein through the use of military action?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained our position when he said that in practice regime change has been a means to an end of securing a proper peace settlement, human rights and the enforcement of international obligations in countries such as Kosovo, Serbia, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. We regard Saddam Hussein as, first, quite detestable and despicable on the basis of his record; I do not think that that is an issue. Secondly, he is in the clearest possible breach of international obligations. Thirdly, by his development of weapons of mass destruction, he poses a severe threat to the rest of the world, which has been acknowledged by the international community so, fourthly&amp;#x2014;I emphasise that no decisions whatever have been taken&amp;#x2014;to secure his compliance with those international obligations it may be necessary to see an end to that regime, but always in the context of international law.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Peter Kilfoyle: Further to the question of the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Djanogly), if the Foreign Secretary will not confirm that Paul Wolfowitz directed the CIA to subvert the position of chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix, will he confirm that ironically the CIA found that Mr. Blix was guilty of nothing more than acting within the parameters set for him?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I am responsible for a great deal, but happily I am responsible neither for Mr. Wolfowitz nor the CIA.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Mitchell: But is it not obvious, as the Foreign Secretary said, that Iraq represents an enormous clear and present danger, not only to neighbouring countries in the middle east and the Muslim population to which he referred, but very much to this&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;444&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;country and western Europe? Will he, as far as he can, cause to be published detailed evidence of the development of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Is not this country right to be enormously grateful to the United States of America for being prepared to take the necessary action to defend our interests just as much as its own?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: So far as the evidence is concerned, almost all the evidence on Iraq&apos;s development of weapons of mass destruction is already available and published. I have, and am happy to make available to all right hon. and hon. Members, details of United Nations reports on weapons inspections, human rights abuses and the development of nuclear weapons. They are already available on the website.&lt;br/&gt;Andrew Mackinlay: Publish them then; print them.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: They have already been published. I am happy to ensure that they are further published in an easily accessible form&amp;#x2014;in other words on paper, not on a website&amp;#x2014;and to place them in the Library.&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Alice Mahon: Will the Secretary of State say whether he intends to publish the dossier that was in the news a few weeks ago containing the evidence of mass destruction? I understand that that is not the dossier that he has been waving about at the Dispatch Box.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: My hon. Friend is right to say that this document is not the dossier, but most of the dossier to which she referred is drawn from such documents and other sources. No one should be in the least doubt about Iraq&apos;s flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. We do not have to wait for the publication of a dossier, which is held up only by difficulties in determining whether intelligence should be made public. We do not have to wait for such a dossier to read documents such as this and hundreds of pages more of the clearest evidence of Iraq&apos;s violation of its international obligations, in respect both of weapons of mass destruction and of its violation of the human rights of its neighbours and its own citizens.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Elfyn Llwyd: Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in March 1999 a UN humanitarian panel of experts recommended a number of modifications to the sanctions on Iraq, which it thought might lead to incremental improvements in the internal humanitarian situation? One of those recommendations was to authorise foreign investment in Iraq&apos;s non-military export industries. Why is that recommendation absent from the Government&apos;s smart sanctions proposal, under which all exports from Iraq other than oil will be banned?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I am indeed aware of that recommendation. It is one that we, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, have been following up ever since. We want to see the so-called more focused smart sanctions in place. We have wanted to see them in place for well over a year and a half. Why have they been held up? The sanctions, which would apply only to defence materiel and weapons of mass destruction, rather than to&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0236"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;445&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the whole gamut of imports into Iraq, are held up because of Iraq, and because of its efforts&amp;#x2014;diplomatic efforts up to now&amp;#x2014;to persuade in particular one permanent member of the Security Council, Russia, not to vote in favour.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am pleased to say that, following our diplomatic efforts and those of the United States, Russia agreed to the principle of a goods review list at the end of November. The final process of negotiation is currently taking place, and I hope and believe that it will be possible to have the new regime of sanctions in place by the end of May, but it is the Government of Iraq who are opposing it, because they know that they will be denied a propaganda weapon, claiming&amp;#x2014;inaccurately&amp;#x2014;that all their imports are subject to and therefore controlled by sanctions. Also, they know that the more focused system of sanctions will be more effective at stopping defence materiel going into that country.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Malcolm Savidge: If we start a war with Iraq and if, in line with the speculations of the Defence Secretary on the Dimbleby programme on 24 March, we were subsequently to launch a pre-emptive nuclear first strike against the Iraqi people, with probable collateral damage in neighbouring countries, does my right hon. Friend believe that that would be a moral or sane way of seeking to bring peace to the middle east and the rest of the world?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: There were two big ifs in my hon. Friend&apos;s question. His remarks were a parody of what my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary said on that programme. There is no suggestion of the use of nuclear weapons in that theatre. My hon. Friend is right to say that there would be some collateral damage from a nuclear strike on Iraq, and that is not remotely on the agenda. I am aware of the speculation, but in all the military action in which this country has ever been involved under this Administration and, I believe, under previous Administrations, we have been careful, cautious and proportionate in the use of military action, as we should be, and it must be obvious to the entire House and the country that the current President of the United States has shown similar care and proportionality in the decisions that he has made about military action.' title='Iraq' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/iraq'></outline>
        <outline id='3585246' text='Mr. John Wilkinson: What recent discussions he has had with members of the Commonwealth on Zimbabwe. [45518]&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Denis MacShane): My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary discussed Zimbabwe with leaders of the Commonwealth, including John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, at meetings last week.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Wilkinson: Are not the continued lawlessness and brutal behaviour of the ZANU-PF thugs whom Robert Mugabe controls testimony to the dithering diplomacy of this Government and the utter failure of their so-called ethical foreign policy to bring about democratic change in Zimbabwe? Would not Her Majesty&apos;s Government be better using their time in supporting the interests of British&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;446&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;subjects in Zimbabwe and democratic forces there, instead of selling British subjects down the river with regard to Gibraltar?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: If the hon Gentleman can catch your eye, Mr. Speaker, he can ask a question about Gibraltar later&amp;#x2014;I thought that the main question was about Zimbabwe.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I might draw some comparisons with the constant support for the apartheid regime of South Africa given by the Conservative party when it was in government, and contrast that support with the international coalition encompassing the Commonwealth, the European Union and the United States, which has put a diplomatic ring around Zimbabwe in terms of sanctions, the travel ban and support for democratic forces there. This Government can be proud of the international coalition that they have put together to put effective pressure on Zimbabwe, in contrast with the Conservative party&apos;s love affair with the apartheid regime in South Africa.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Peter Pike: My hon. Friend will recognise that not only the political system but the economy in Zimbabwe is in a critical situation. What assessment has been made of the possible effect on the population of that poor country if sanctions are to apply in any rigid way? We certainly do not want it to be the people of that country who suffer as a result of their Government.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: My hon. Friend makes a very important point, which explains why the sanctions are carefully targeted at the elite of Zimbabwe and their interests overseas. Humanitarian and other aid still flows to Zimbabwe, but it is distributed not by the Government of the undemocratic Mugabe regime but by responsible non-governmental organisations.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Ruffley: Can the Minister list the specific sanctions that the Foreign Office wants imposed on Mugabe and his wretched Government?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: I have already mentioned the travel ban, other sanctions involving trade and commerce, the ban on any bilateral contacts with Zimbabwe and the financial sanctions imposed on the Zimbabwe elite. As I said, they encompass not only this country but the United States, other Commonwealth countries and the European Union. Yesterday, New Zealand imposed similar sanctions on Zimbabwe, and at the General Affairs Council meeting yesterday it was decided that there would be a moratorium on bilateral ministerial contacts with Zimbabwe. So the pressure is mounting steadily, but it is aimed at the elite, not at the suffering people of Zimbabwe.&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King: Does the Minister agree that the decision of the Commonwealth troika, including Presidents Obasanjo of Nigeria and Mbeki of South Africa, to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth following the appalling human rights abuses that went on there in the run-up to the general election shows that Africans are starting to put their house in order with regard to NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa&apos;s Development? Will he assure me that we will start to put our house in order by securing significant extra&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0237"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;447&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;funds at the forthcoming G8 meeting for Africa&amp;#x2014;a continent where 40 per cent. of children still have no access to education?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: As my hon. Friend says, one of the heartening aspects of the Zimbabwe crisis has been the leadership on offer from Africa. It is Africans who have made it clear to Mr. Mugabe that his regime is unacceptable. I am pleased that it is this Government who have increased overseas aid by 45 per cent., that it is my right hon. Friend the Chancellor who has put forward proposals for a &amp;#x0024;50 billion development fund and that it is our Prime Minister who is taking the lead internationally in arguing against the agricultural protectionism that does so much damage to the export hopes of the poor farmers and peasants of Africa.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Nicholas Winterton: Does the Minister agree that it is important that the growing crisis in Zimbabwe is not driven on to the back burner because of the crisis in the middle east and other problems in the world? Does he accept that the harassment, killing and other problems that arose during the election campaign have worsened since the election there? Will the Government ensure that the Commonwealth and the civilised world seek to bring stability to Zimbabwe, which remains a country with as great a potential as that of any in Africa? We want to help the people and to get rid of the Government.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: The hon. Gentleman&apos;s commitment and courage on this issue during the 1980s is well known to the House. If there is one overwhelming case for regime change in the world it is in Zimbabwe. The new focus on Africa, led by the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, will be discussed at the G8 summit in Canada, then at the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg later this summer, and Zimbabwe will be a key element in those discussions.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the continuing oppression of human rights. Speaking as a former journalist, I have to say that the arrest and detention of Geoff Nyrota, the very brave editor of the "Zimbabwe Daily News" is the latest in a long list of cases of unacceptable harassment of the media. It adds to the other crimes for which Mugabe and ZANU-PF are responsible.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Win Griffiths: Given the virtually universal condemnation of the completely unfair and non-democratic manner in which the elections were run, and the chaos that has followed, with 70 per cent. unemployment and 116 per cent. inflation, what steps are the Government taking to bolster the democratic process in other parts of Africa&amp;#x2014;such as Sierra Leone, where elections take place on 14 May&amp;#x2014;and what steps are being taken to help the benighted population of Zimbabwe who are suffering from Mugabe&apos;s misrule?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: We continue to support all the democratic forces in Zimbabwe. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy does excellent work in promoting democracy in other parts of Africa, as do the Department for International Development and the Foreign Office through its conflict prevention fund.&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;448&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The funds for human rights projects that I announced a couple of days ago will increase the Foreign Office&apos;s presence and spending in Africa in order to help all the continent&apos;s democratic institutions and parties.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Ancram: I start by congratulating the Minister on his diplomatic triumph in relation to Venezuela last week.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Is not it a matter of grave concern to the Government that despite all the brave words that we have heard from the Dispatch Box, since the election the situation in Zimbabwe has worsened and Mugabe has got stronger, not weaker? Is not it of particular concern that these acts are increasingly being targeted at members of the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change, and their families? There were 205 separate incidents of torture against them in the last week of March and their children are being violently and deliberately denied much-needed food aid. Does the Minister agree that the only acceptable way forward is to have a rerun of the presidential elections on a fair and scrutinised basis? What are the Government doing to bring that about?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: I am tempted to send the right hon. Gentleman to Harare to persuade Mr. Mugabe to have free and fair elections. Of course the entire international community wants proper, fair elections in Zimbabwe. The right hon. Gentleman will soon celebrate his first year in his present office, yet he has not put forward one concrete proposal for solving any of Zimbabwe&apos;s problems. The Government put together the international coalition, took the lead on sanctions and helped to persuade Commonwealth leaders to suspend Zimbabwe from the councils of the Commonwealth. Working multilaterally with our partners in the United States, the Commonwealth and Europe is the way forward. That, not hot air and waffle at the Dispatch Box, is the way to get democracy in Zimbabwe.' title='Zimbabwe' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/zimbabwe'></outline>
        <outline id='3585247' text='Ms Bridget Prentice: If he will make a statement on the state of the international coalition against terrorism. [45519]&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): The international coalition remains strong. Governments all over the world have taken steps in compliance with United Nations resolution 1373 to tackle terrorism. Afghanistan has been liberated from the Taliban and much of the al-Qaeda network has been destroyed. However, all Governments can and should do more to address terrorism and the conditions that cause it.&lt;br/&gt;Ms Prentice: During his visit to the middle east, is Secretary of State Powell not only holding discussions about the disaster between Israel and Palestine, but reminding our coalition partners of their responsibility to tackle international terrorism?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: Yes. That message is constantly conveyed, not only by the American Secretary of State but by my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Henry Bellingham: Does the Minister agree that although the IRA is officially on ceasefire, it continues to represent an international terrorist threat? One has only to consider what happened in Colombia and elsewhere. Will the hon. Gentleman speak to his counterpart in America to ensure that the IRA is fully proscribed there?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: The IRA remains a proscribed organisation under section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Since 11 September, we have received excellent co-operation from the United States authorities on the matter, and we expect that to continue.&lt;br/&gt;Jeremy Corbyn: What quantity of depleted-uranium weapons were used in the conflict in Afghanistan by British or American forces? What is the latest estimate of the number of civilians who died during the bombing campaign?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: I am not aware of any depleted uranium used by British forces in Afghanistan. I cannot speak on behalf of another country. My hon. Friend should treat with extreme caution the claims of civilian casualties made by the Taliban, whose unreliability was shown throughout the campaign. They tried to weave a tissue of lies in their press conferences in Pakistan.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Chidgey: Does the Minister agree that the horrific events that are unfolding in Jenin seriously threaten the continued existence of the coalition against terrorism? Does he further agree that one of the first actions of the International Criminal Court should be to launch a full investigation into possible war crimes in that territory and bring the perpetrators to justice?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: I am sorry to tell the hon. Gentleman that the International Criminal Court does not operate retrospectively and it will therefore not be able to take the action that he would like. However, I agree that recent action by the Israeli defence force in the occupied territories has been unhelpful in the global campaign against terrorism. We share the hon. Gentleman&apos;s anxiety about the worrying reports from Jenin and expect the Israeli Government to grant immediate access to all international non-governmental organisations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, so that a full investigation can take place. We shall have to wait and see about any action after that.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jim Cousins: May I remind my hon. Friend that, arising out of coalition action in Afghanistan, a handful of British citizens have been detained for many weeks in Camp X-ray in Cuba by one of our coalition partners? Their status has not been determined, no charges have been brought and there seems no prospect of a trial with any jurisdiction that we&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;450&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;would recognise. The first duty in the exercise of British power is to defend the lives and liberties of British citizens, no matter how misguided they may have been.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: I accept some of what my hon. Friend says, but he should not forget that the detainees could face extremely serious charges. He is wrong to suggest that the Americans have not defined their status; they have. On two visits to Guantanamo Bay by British officials, they were perfectly satisfied that the detainees were being treated in accordance with international human rights norms.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Alan Duncan: Following the answer that the Minister gave a moment ago, what is his latest assessment of the locations to which al-Qaeda terrorists might now have dispersed? In particular, given that Yemen is probably one of the easiest countries in which such people can hide, what discussions has he had with the United States about the co-operation being given to the international coalition by President Ali Abdullah Saleh?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Although we have had a great deal of success in destroying the al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan, we are still extremely worried about the networks that persist in parts of Afghanistan, across the border in Pakistan and in a number of other countries including Yemen and Somalia. We are satisfied with the co-operation that we have been receiving from the Yemeni Government. Indeed, many Governments around the world have got their act together in the wake of 11 September, and are doing extremely important work to counter the terrorism threat.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Clive Betts: Would my hon. Friend like to reflect on the likely reaction of our Arab friends in the international coalition when they see American Secretary of State Colin Powell delaying a meeting with Chairman Arafat because of one suicide bombing, which, regrettably, killed six people, while on the same day sharing a platform with Prime Minister Sharon at the same time as Israeli troops were in the refugee camps murdering hundreds of people? If we are going to hold this international coalition together, must we not be clear that we condemn Israeli state terrorism just as strongly as we condemn suicide bombing?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: I have to tell my hon. Friend that there is no such thing as state terrorism. [HON. MEMBERS: "Rubbish!"] In international law, there is no such thing. I have already told my hon. Friend that we are extremely concerned about reports of what went on in Jenin, but he is wrong to be critical of Colin Powell&apos;s mission. That mission should be welcomed on both sides of the House as a vital and timely contribution to a peace process in the middle east that we should all support.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Alex Salmond: I should say to the Minister that most Members of the House can recognise state terrorism when they see it or read about it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;So that we may estimate the strength, breadth and endurance of the international coalition against terrorism, will the Minister tell us which of its members&amp;#x2014;with the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0239"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;451&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;exception of the United States and Britain&amp;#x2014;would support military action against Iraq without a new specific motion of the Security Council of the United Nations?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: The whole international community, led by the United Nations, has made specific demands on Iraq for it to comply with its obligations under numerous UN resolutions, when it was in breach of the ceasefire agreement reached after the Gulf war. I am not going to speculate on which nations might be willing to take possible military&apos; action, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that they all feel as strongly as we do about the need for Iraq to comply.' title='International Coalition against Terrorism' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/international-coalition-against-terrorism'></outline>
        <outline id='3585248' text='Mr. Robert Walter: What recent discussions he has had with Spain on Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [45520]&lt;br/&gt;The Minister for Europe (Peter Hain): There have been regular discussions over recent months. A further ministerial meeting under the Brussels process will be held in the coming months.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Walter: The House and the people of Gibraltar would like to know what is the Government&apos;s bottom line in these discussions? What will be the future status of the citizens of Gibraltar? Will they be British subjects or Spanish nationals?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: Our bottom line is very clear, and has been repeated to the House on a number of occasions. The people of Gibraltar will remain British subjects if they choose to do so, and they will have our full support in doing so. We have absolutely no intention of handing Gibraltar over to Spain. That is a non-starter&amp;#x2014;another bottom line. In addition, we will retain our full control over the military base on the Rock, which is of key strategic importance to us. That is another bottom line.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Lindsay Hoyle: If the people of Gibraltar reject the treaty that has been put before them on joint sovereignty, can we ensure that the heads of agreement that will have been signed by the Spanish and British Governments will be withdrawn once and for all?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: There has been no agreement signed between our two Governments, and we are still seeking to explore whether we can reach agreement. If the people of Gibraltar in a referendum reject any proposal put to them&amp;#x2014;in other words, that agreement, because the whole package would have to be put to them&amp;#x2014;then that is the end of it. Let me just say to my hon. Friend something that applies to him and to the other critics of what we are trying to do&amp;#x2014;which, incidentally, despite all the moans and groans from the Opposition, is carrying on exactly what the Conservatives were doing in their 18 years of Government in seeking a resolution to the Gibraltar dispute. What has happened since my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister and I have sought to move matters forward is that a series of&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;452&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;advances have been made. One is that, since 22 March, a second channel has been opened on the border between Gibraltar and Spain.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Richard Spring: Ah!&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: The hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) says, "Ah!", but what that has done is reduce the border delays about which Gibraltarians have consistently complained. The average delay for each person crossing used to be of between 30 and 90 minutes, but that has been reduced to around 10 minutes. That is a result of our talking to the Government of Spain, making progress and seeking agreement to relieve the harassment and aggravation that the people of Gibraltar have suffered.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;This Government have talked and negotiated and achieved something, whereas the previous Conservative Government achieved nothing in 18 years. I say to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) that he ought at least to applaud that advance.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew MacKay: May I take the Minister back to the beginning of that very long answer? In reply to the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle), he said that, if the people of Gibraltar rejected any agreement, that would be the end of "it". What is "it"? Would that mean that the agreement would be torn up by the British Government and that there would be nothing left on the table? Anything else would just not do.&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: I do not know&amp;#x2014;[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] Wait for it. I do not know whether the Government of whom the right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. MacKay) and some of his colleagues were members used to tear up agreements that they had reached with foreign Governments, or pretend that those agreements did not exist. Of course, once agreements have been reached they cannot simply be airbrushed away, but this agreement cannot be implemented because the people of Gibraltar will have the final say in a referendum.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Moreover, if we come to the point of reaching agreement&amp;#x2014;and I do not know whether we will or not&amp;#x2014;it is our intention that this House will be the first to hear about it. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will seek to make a statement to the House, if and when we reach an agreement.&lt;br/&gt;Andrew Mackinlay: On the last day before the summer recess, I bet!&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: I enjoy the interventions from my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay), but he is wrong in this case. The House will be sitting. Over the past six to nine months, the Government have kept the House informed on this matter. We have had debates and answered questions, and we will continue to do so.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Mark Hendrick: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the pension arrangements in Gibraltar may be in contravention of EU law? What liabilities might the Government incur as a result?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: We are very concerned about this matter because, despite our warnings, the Government of&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0240"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;453&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Gibraltar have been indulging in what we think may be discriminatory pensions practices. I have had to write to the Chief Minister explaining that. The European Commission at present is investigating these potentially illegal practices.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is important&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; If Opposition Members will listen for a moment, the House will wish to know that a bill of &amp;#x00A3;77 million could fall on the taxpayers of Britain if, as a result of this scam, the Government of Gibraltar do not pick up responsibility and accept their obligations. So far, they have resisted&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Speaker: Order. I say to you, Mr. Mackay, that you must be quiet. You have asked a question, and the Minister is entitled to reply.&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: I do not think that the House will support British taxpayers picking up a bill for a pensions scam that is down to the Government of Gibraltar. That Government must pick it up, and we will ensure that they do so.&lt;br/&gt;Sir Patrick Cormack: Does the Minister realise that there is widespread unease throughout the House at the way in which he is conducting these negotiations? Can he not accept that most people believe that the negotiations should not have begun before the pressures applied by Spain had been removed? In addition, his answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Mr. MacKay) was both ambivalent and disturbing. Will he please give the House a categorical assurance that there will be no change to the status of Gibraltar or its citizens, unless and until the majority of those citizens wish there to be a change?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: Yes, Mr. Speaker.&lt;br/&gt;Andrew Mackinlay: I listened very carefully to what the Minister said about pensions and noticed that he used the word "scam". Does he really think it fair that a Government or people should be traduced in this House without any representation? Whatever our views on this, we are all acting on a surrogacy basis. Such people are not represented in this House although they are in other jurisdictions&amp;#x2014;in the United States, Spain, France and the Netherlands: they have no access to their Foreign Minister, their Prime Minister or those who traduce them in this place, and I think that that is very bad. I hope that the Minister will consider granting representation in this place to overseas territories. What does he say to that?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: My answer to that is no, Mr. Speaker. Can I say again to my hon. Friend&amp;#x2014;it is a point that I will repeat briefly&amp;#x2014;that the only way to solve a dispute like this is to talk about it and negotiate? That is what we are doing and what we are seeking to do, and the end will be decided by the people of Gibraltar.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Ancram: Further to the answer that the Minister gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Mr. MacKay), can I ask him a very precise question? Can he give an unequivocal guarantee to the House today that every element of any agreement arrived at with the Spanish Government on the future of Gibraltar,&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;454&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;including those of principle relating to sovereignty, will be put in its entirety to the people of Gibraltar in a referendum, and that any elements of any such agreement, including those relating to sovereignty, that are not endorsed by the people of Gibraltar would then be deemed null and void as if they had not been made?&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: We will put the agreement in full to the people of Gibraltar&amp;#x2014;the agreement in full. [HON. MEMBERS: "And then?"] Well, if the people of Gibraltar reject it, it cannot be implemented. I am not going to take lectures from the right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram). This is a group of Tories who, nearly 30 years ago, we now learn from &lt;i&gt;The Sunday Telegraph&lt;/i&gt;, tried to give Gibraltar away to Spain. The Tory Government were wrong then; the people of Gibraltar should not trust the Tories now any more than they should have trusted them then. The Tories were wrong then to try and give Gibraltar away; they are wrong now to try and stop us negotiating a deal which, for 18 years, they tried to negotiate when in government. Now that they are in opposition, they are indulging in shabby opportunism.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: We always know that the Minister is losing when he retreats into history, particularly when that history predates the time when his party was committed to withdrawal from the European Union.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The people of Gibraltar will not be fobbed off by the sort of weasel words that we have heard today, and nor will we. Let me make it clear that an incoming Conservative Government would not feel bound by any agreement that has not received a democratic and free endorsement from the people of Gibraltar. Let me say, too, in relation to what we heard from Barcelona, that just because the Government can apparently be bought by any political donor, that should not lead the Minister to believe that the people of Gibraltar can be bribed into selling their heritage, their history and their sovereignty. They cannot, they will not and they are right.&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain: This is jumped-up rhetoric, frankly, from a member of a party which tried for 18 years, as we have tried for the past nine months or so, to seek a resolution of this dispute&amp;#x2014;to give the people of Gibraltar a better future, to give the people of Gibraltar an end to the aggravation and harassment that they have had from Spain for decade after decade and to try and end this 300-year dispute. We will seek to do that, despite the cheap criticisms and attacks that the right hon. Gentleman makes on us, and the people of Gibraltar, in the end, will have a better deal as a result.' title='Gibraltar' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/gibraltar'></outline>
        <outline id='3585249' text='Hugh Bayley: What recent discussions he has had with African leaders about the New Partnership for Africa&apos;s Development. [45525]&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Denis MacShane): The New Partnership for Africa&apos;s Development is a subject of frequent discussion with Africa&apos;s leaders. It was discussed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary during his visit to Africa in January, by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and by&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0241"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;455&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Baroness Amos, the Minister for Africa, in her capacity as the Prime Minister&apos;s personal representative for the G8 Africa plan.&lt;br/&gt;Hugh Bayley: I congratulate the Government on supporting that initiative right from the start. Does my hon. Friend agree that unless we increase the volume of trade between Africa and the Quad countries&amp;#x2014;the United States, Canada, Japan and the EU&amp;#x2014;there is no prospect whatever of NEPAD delivering what is needed? Is he aware that the value of agricultural subsidies in the Quad countries is greater than the entire gross domestic product of sub-Saharan Africa? Unless we cut those subsidies, the region has no real prospect of exporting the one commodity it has to export&amp;#x2014;agricultural produce. Will my hon. Friend tell me what the Government are doing both in this country and in the EU Council of Ministers to cut agricultural subsidies in Europe?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: Not only is my hon. Friend right, but even before becoming a Member of this place he had one of the most distinguished records on this issue. Subsidies of &amp;#x0024;1 billion a day are paid to protect the northern markets, mainly of the European Union and the United States. The Prime Minister has taken a lead, criticising subsidies on both sides of the Atlantic. My hon. Friend is right: no amount of aid, however much we increase it, can remotely match the need for increased trade and commerce and more open borders, both in the EU, and in the US and the other leading northern countries that he mentioned.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Richard Spring: Given the lack of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, what role does the hon. Gentleman perceive for both NEPAD and countries such as ours in ensuring that, by contrast, the impending elections in two extremely fractured African countries&amp;#x2014;Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo&amp;#x2014;are indeed free and fair? What mechanisms will be put in place to help to ensure that?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: The hon. Gentleman raises important points, although I should be reluctant to ask NEPAD to shoulder all the problems of Africa. Its discussions are principally about economic development. We firmly believe that the more that trade and commerce are open, the richer countries will become and the more their political processes will be stable and democratic. We shall continue to insist on the tightest monitoring of the elections in the two countries to which the hon. Gentleman referred.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Tom Clarke: Is my hon. Friend aware that, last night, the meeting of the all-party great lakes region and genocide prevention group, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy), heard very disturbing evidence, especially from Church people, about genocide in the Congo? Will my hon. Friend assure us that the Government are watching that carefully and are using their influence to the full?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited the DRC and the great lakes region in January with his French counterpart. We are working closely, especially with the French, who have a greater&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;456&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;colonial heritage in that area than us, to put an end to the massacres&amp;#x2014;I think that is the correct word&amp;#x2014;that are causing such damage and anguish there. It is a constant preoccupation and we need active policy engagement with Africa&amp;#x2014;a political policy to try to secure the international rule of law as well as an aid policy.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Lammy: Does my hon. Friend agree that, given the events in Afghanistan, one of the reasons why the G8 should make a bigger engagement with Africa, with serious resource implications, is that two failed states&amp;#x2014;the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia&amp;#x2014;pose a big threat to the African continent?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: My hon. Friend is right. That is why, at the G8 meeting in Canada later this spring, the issue of Africa will be addressed. It has been very much put on the agenda owing to the active support of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. We want to improve the quality and the quantity of aid to Africa, but above all we want to allow Africa to trade and to become more attractive to direct foreign investment. It is through economic growth that the people of Africa can build a better future.' title="New Partnership for Africa's Development" type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/new-partnership-for-africas-development'></outline>
        <outline id='3585250' text="David Wright: If he will make a statement on UK-Japan bilateral relations. [45526]&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Denis MacShane): The bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Japan is strong. On the global level, Japan is a key ally in our efforts to ensure global prosperity and security and to promote democracy and the rule of law worldwide. On the economic level, over 1,000 Japanese companies operate in this country, creating over 80,000 manufacturing jobs and many thousands of jobs in the service sector.&lt;br/&gt;David Wright: My hon. Friend will be aware that Japanese investment in Telford has been significant in recent years. Indeed, the United Kingdom is a bridgehead for Japanese investment into Europe. Has my hon. Friend had any discussion with his counterparts in the Japanese Government about the Government's position on the euro?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane: Telford is such a popular area for Japanese inward investment that. I am advised, people can get sake on tap there. My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the euro issue, but Japanese inward investors continue to place their confidence in Britain. Some 46 per cent. of all investment in the European Union is in the United Kingdom and the sterling-euro exchange rate is only one of a number of factors, but if ever the Conservative party's total opposition to Europe and the euro were to be perceived as the British Government's position, that would have a disastrous impact on all inward investment into the United Kingdom." title='UK-Japan Bilateral Relations' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/uk-japan-bilateral-relations'></outline>
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    <outline id='3585251' text="3.31 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Howard: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you received any indication from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he intends to make a statement on the Wanless report, in view of the fact that his terms of reference require Mr. Wanless to report by April 2002?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;You will be aware, Mr. Speaker, that it has been widely trailed that the Chancellor's plans for health spending will be included in his Budget statement tomorrow. Would it not have been appropriate for the House to have sight of the final Wanless report well in advance of the Budget? Indeed, can we not conclude from the non-appearance or postponement of the Wanless report's publication that the Chancellor's idea of a debate on those issues is to start it in the morning and shut it down just a few hours later?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Speaker: I have not been notified of any such statement, but I inform the right hon. and learned Gentleman that written Question 5, which deals with that matter, will be answered this afternoon." title='Point of Order' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/point-of-order'></outline>
    <outline id='3585252' text='3.32 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Chaytor: I beg to move,&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;That leave be given to bring in a Bill to establish that a maximum of five per cent. of pupils can be selected, by aptitude or ability, for admission to any state secondary school; to specify the period of time in which, and the means by which, those schools currently exceeding this percentage will be required to reduce their selective intake to five per cent.; to specify the criteria for such selection and the means by which schools should conduct assessments; and for connected purposes.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;My Bill proposes a change&amp;#x2014;an improvement&amp;#x2014;to the current policy on selection that will have widespread support among the overwhelming majority of parents throughout the country. Of course, I do not make my recommendations lightly&amp;#x2014;I am seeking to improve policy. I call in my support what the head of the No. 10 policy unit said in a recent speech. I quote from the transcript:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"It was sometimes said that third-way politics meant that the difference between left and right had ceased to exist. This was absolutely not the case; yet nor was the third way exclusive of new and as yet unformulated strategies. Other ways&amp;#x2014;a fourth way, even a fifth way&amp;#x2014;could well be invented."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Therefore, my Bill offers the fourth way to deal with the contentious and divisive issue of selective admissions policies in secondary education.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;First, it is important to recognise that three current forms of permitted selection to state secondary schools are of most concern: selection by religious affiliation, selection by aptitude and selection by ability. As the question of religious affiliation in faith schools has been widely debated in recent weeks, my Bill deals purely with selection by aptitude and by ability.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In respect of ability, there are currently more than 160 selective schools in England, spread across more than 30 local authorities. Although those local authorities with wholly selective policies are largely, although not entirely, concentrated in the south-east of England, almost one quarter of all English local education authorities are still affected by selection to a greater or lesser degree. It is also important to remember that, in addition to the vast majority of English local education authorities, both Scotland and Wales have rejected selection. It is significant that the Northern Ireland Assembly is currently considering the recommendation of the Burns report to end selection in Northern Ireland.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In respect of selection by aptitude, under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, a school which considers itself to have a specialism is entitled to select pupils on the basis of aptitude up to a maximum of 10 per cent. of the intake for a given year. Subsequently, the programme of specialist schools has been significantly developed to the point at which the Government now propose that half of all schools should be designated as specialist schools. However, only a small minority of those schools have chosen to exercise the option to select.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The concerns about selection have been debated for many years and can be summarised as follows. In respect of selection by ability, for every one grammar school there must be, by definition, three secondary modern schools to take those pupils who have failed the 11-plus examination. It is no coincidence that those local&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0243"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;459&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;authorities with wholly selective admissions policies tend to have greater numbers of schools in serious difficulties and poorer overall levels of performance than equivalent local authorities with comprehensive systems. It is also significant that the most recent research on selective systems by both the university of York and the National Foundation for Educational Research indicates that the most able pupils performed at least as well, if not better, in comprehensive schools as in selective schools. In those local authorities with partially selective systems, the price of selection is paid by those schools that, although notionally comprehensive, are so heavily creamed by selection that they can never hope to be in a position to attract the critical mass of highly motivated pupils that is necessary to raise performance levels across the school or to compete on a level playing field with schools that have a genuinely comprehensive intake.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In addition, concerns about the impact of selection by ability focus on the very possibility of being able to identify ability accurately at the age of 11. In the House alone, there are many individuals of high ability who slipped through the 11-plus net and whose talent was only revealed many years later. Across the country, there are millions of such people. That represents a waste of talent on a massive scale that the nation can no longer afford.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In respect of selection by aptitude, similar concerns arise. How many parents, on looking back at their children&apos;s development, could have accurately predicted their aptitudes and interests at the age of 11? How many teachers can assess such aptitudes accurately? The main examining boards do not recognise any objective tests for aptitude. It has been said that the distinction between aptitude and ability is that aptitude is seen as a measure of potential, but the question must be asked: what is the nature of that potential? Is it potential ability or potential something else? The concern is that selection by aptitude could be exploited as a means of selection by ability by the back door. The fact that, to date, few schools have chosen to select by aptitude suggests that the majority are well aware of the difficulties of both definition and assessment.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The central issue for any Government committed to increasing equality of opportunity and reducing social exclusion should therefore be the impact of educational selection at 11 on these twin objectives: how we can best develop equality of status for all our schools while maintaining diversity of ethos and continuing to drive up standards and raise performance levels for all our children? This is where my Bill can assist. It proposes a maximum of 5 per cent. of pupils who can be selected and suggests a transitional period of three years in which the reduction to that figure can take place. However, the precise threshold for selection and the time scale of the transition are clearly matters of detail that are subject to negotiation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;While gradually reducing&amp;#x2014;but not abolishing&amp;#x2014;selection by ability and aptitude, the Bill will gradually reduce differentials of status between schools because all schools would become more comprehensive in their intake. As few specialist schools have chosen to select by aptitude, the gradual reduction from 10 to 5 per cent. should cause little difficulty. Some grammar schools claim that their examination performance indicates a superior level of education and the reduction would enable us to test that hypothesis.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;460&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The gradual redistribution of pupils would ensure that all schools start to acquire the critical mass of able and motivated pupils that is so necessary. The process would reduce the extent to which allocation to a school determines a child&apos;s progress and life chances. It would significantly enhance equality of educational opportunity and reduce levels of social exclusion as the educational apartheid of the English system is gradually dismantled.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The first way of dealing with selection was to have a grammar school in every town. The second was to try to abolish every grammar school in the country. The third way has been to introduce the concept of selection by aptitude and to establish a system of parental ballots, but that is unworkable. My Bill proposes the fourth way. It recognises that the remarkable success of British primary schools has been due entirely to comprehensive education; that the startling increase in the proportion of young people going to university has been largely the result of the extension of comprehensive education; that the significant improvements in GCSE results in recent years have been achieved largely by comprehensive schools; and that many parts of England retain a highly divisive system of secondary education that works against equality of opportunity, reinforces social exclusion and constrains levels of achievement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Bill proposes a gradual transition to a new 5 per cent. maximum on selection by ability or aptitude; it proposes a period of three years during which the transition should take place; it would ensure minimum disruption to pupils, staff and their schools; it would require greater transparency in the mechanisms of selection; and it would bring about the most radical extension of educational opportunity that this country has seen for a generation. I commend the Bill to the House.&lt;br/&gt;3.42 pm&lt;br/&gt;Chris Grayling: I oppose what I believe is an ill-thought-out and damaging proposal. I fear that it will do nothing to raise educational standards in this country, and I very much hope that the House will join me in opposing the motion to introduce a Bill that would reduce the threshold for selection in our schools.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Bill is not simply an attack on grammar schools; it is an attack on many state schools across the country. It is an attack on those state schools that select, for local reasons, a small proportion of their intake&amp;#x2014;currently, they are allowed to select up to 10 or 15 per cent. of that intake. The Bill is also an attack on state schools that are building up specialisations that can help them to achieve excellence in their chosen field, or it is an attack on schools that have already successfully built up such a specialisation. For example, city technology colleges have done much to improve technological skills in recent years.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Bill has been proposed by a Labour Member, but it flies in the face of the Education Bill and the principles that lie behind it that have taken up so much parliamentary time in the past few months. This Bill goes against the powers to innovate that are set out in the Education Bill and against the city academies that will be set up under it. How can those schools find the children whom they need to achieve excellence in their areas of specialism if they have no ability to select by aptitude? How can a technology college or an arts college achieve excellence if it cannot give places to the pupils with particular skills in technology or the arts?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0244"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;461&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I know that the hon. Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) is a long-standing and principled opponent of grammar schools. I understand that and accept his point of view, but I think that he is wrong. I suspect that, ultimately, opposition to grammar schools lies at the heart of the Bill. I admire his determination, but disagree fundamentally with his objective. He misses the point that opponents of grammar schools so often miss&amp;#x2014;selection still exists in every part of this country, but in too many places it is selection by estate agent, not by skill. In today&apos;s Britain the chances are that, if someone is born on the wrong side of town, they will end up in a school that is less good than if they had been born on the right side.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I went to a grammar school and I had friends from all walks of life. Grammar schools in many great towns in the north of England, such as Bury, were built as centres of educational excellence. They attracted pupils from all areas&amp;#x2014;the deprived as well as the good. They provided a way out of deprived areas for many of their pupils, and they took pupils regardless of background. In my view, it is tragic that some of those great schools&amp;#x2014;such as Manchester grammar school&amp;#x2014;are no longer a part of our state education system.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The difficulty with the grammar school issue was that we tried to tackle the problems that undoubtedly existed by dumbing down our best schools, rather than by creating excellence in other schools, as the Germans did. Even now, the reality is that a selective school system can make a major contribution. Many London boroughs have a selective system, but the non-selective schools still do better than their peers in nearby comprehensive boroughs.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;At the end of last year, the Office for Standards in Education highlighted the fact that, in its view, comprehensive schools do not know how to identify gifted and talented pupils, or to teach them properly. Recent research by the National Foundation for Educational Research, to which the hon. Member for Bury, North referred, reinforced the benefits that selective education can offer. It found that, for pupils of average and above average ability, grammar schools do a much better job than comprehensives. It rightly adds the caveat, which we need to bear in mind, that&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"selective LEAs need to find ways of supporting those children who narrowly fail to achieve grammar school places."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;We certainly need to discuss how to ensure that pupils do not miss out once and for all at the age of 11. However, dealing with that issue correctly does not mean that we have to throw the baby out with the bath water and get rid of grammar schools altogether.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The conclusion of the NFER&apos;s research is absolutely clear:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Comprehensive authorities may wish to consider whether it is somehow possible to replicate the &apos;grammar school effect&apos; in a&amp;#x2026;different context."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That wholehearted endorsement from an independent and highly respected research body shows that grammar schools offer something that the comprehensive system too often fails to deliver. We will not sort out the problems in our education system by chopping the legs off grammar schools, instead of investing in other schools to ensure that they can deliver the same educational benefits as grammar schools.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;462&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;If we are to deal with this country&apos;s education problems, the last thing we should do is once again tackle the issue of selection. It is the wrong issue at the wrong moment. It is true that big problems exist in our education system. Any head teacher will mention over-regulation and the endless initiatives and reforms that they face. Why on earth should we choose to impose on head teachers already overburdened with reform yet another change? They want less change, not more. They want a period of stability to get to grips with the task already in hand, not a new set of responsibilities.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As a result of Government changes associated with the introduction of the Learning and Skills Council, a school in my constituency has a &amp;#x00A3;50,000 funding shortfall for its sixth form. In the next few weeks, it faces the prospect of making a teacher redundant to meet that gap, unless the funds can be found by the LEA or the Government. That school selects 15 per cent. of its intake for local, strategic reasons. The last thing on earth that its head teacher needs is to be confronted with the task of reshaping her admissions processes and reorganising the way the school admits pupils, rather than getting to grips with the real problems on her doorstep.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On teacher shortages, many teachers are leaving the profession not because selection exists, but because&amp;#x2014;as one local head teacher said&amp;#x2014;they want to get out and get a life. A recent report, produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Government, shows that they are overburdened by a work load that causes many to work in excess of 50 hours a week. They are also leaving because the lack of discipline in our schools is getting out of hand, and they feel that the Government are not giving them the necessary support to deal with that issue.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Bill flies in the face of the recent Education Bill. It would engender reforms that are unwanted by head teachers, who already have to deal with too much change. It would undermine some of our best schools while doing nothing to raise standards. It does not deserve to be introduced and I call on the House to oppose it.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question put, pursuant to Standing Order No. 23 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of public business):&amp;#x2014;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;The House divided:&lt;/i&gt; Ayes 163, Noes 112.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Division No. 211]&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;b&gt;[3.50 pm&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;b&gt;AYES&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Abbott, Ms Diane&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Campbell, Rt Hon Menzies &lt;i&gt;(NE Fife)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Allan, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Allen, Graham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Challen, Colin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Atherton, Ms Candy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chaytor, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Austin, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chidgey, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bailey, Adrian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Clarke, Rt Hon Tom &lt;i&gt;(Coatbridge)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Barnes, Harry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Clarke, Tony &lt;i&gt;(Northampton S)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Barrett, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Clwyd, Ann&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Begg, Miss Anne&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Connarty, Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Beith. Rt Hon A J&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cook, Frank &lt;i&gt;(Stockton N)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bennett, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Corbyn, Jeremy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Best, Harold&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Corston, Jean&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Borrow, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cotter, Brian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Brennan, Kevin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cousins, Jim&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bruce, Malcolm&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cox, Tom&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burden, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Crausby, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burgon, Colin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cruddas, Jon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burnham, Andy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cryer, John &lt;i&gt;(Hornchurch)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cable, Dr Vincent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cummings, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0245"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;463&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cunningham, Tony &lt;i&gt;(Workington)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Marsden, Gordon &lt;i&gt;(Blackpool S)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Davey, Valerie &lt;i&gt;(Bristol W)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Marsden, Paul &lt;i&gt;(Shrewsbury)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;David, Wayne&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Marshall, Jim &lt;i&gt;(Leicester S)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Davidson, Ian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Marshall-Andrews, Robert&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dean, Mrs Janet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Martlew, Eric&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dhanda, Parmjit&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Meale, Alan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dismore, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mole, Chris&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Donohoe, Brian H&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Moore, Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Doughty, Sue&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mullin, Chris&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Drown, Ms Julia&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Munn, Ms Meg&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Oaten, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Edwards, Huw&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;O&apos;Hara, Edward&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Efford, Clive&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Owen, Albert&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Fisher, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pickthall, Colin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Flynn, Paul&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pike, Peter&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Follett, Barbara&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Plaskitt, James&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Foster, Don &lt;i&gt;(Bath)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pound, Stephen&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Galloway, George&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Prentice, Gordon &lt;i&gt;(Pendle)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gardiner, Barry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Price, Adam&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;George, Andrew &lt;i&gt;(St Ives)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pugh, Dr John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gibson, Dr Ian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Purchase, Ken&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Goggins, Paul&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rapson, Syd&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Griffiths, Win &lt;i&gt;(Bridgend)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Reid, Alan &lt;i&gt;(Argyll &amp;#x0026; Bute)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hamilton, David &lt;i&gt;(Midlothian)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ruane, Chris&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Harris, Dr Evan &lt;i&gt;(Oxford W)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ruddock, Joan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Harvey, Nick&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Russell, Bob &lt;i&gt;(Colchester)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Heath, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sanders, Adrian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hendrick, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sarwar, Mohammad&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Holmes, Paul&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Savidge, Malcolm&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hopkins, Kelvin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sawford, Phil&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Humble, Mrs Joan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sedgemore, Brian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Iddon, Dr Brian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Shaw, Jonathan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Illsley, Eric&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Simpson, Alan &lt;i&gt;(Nottingham S)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jackson, Helen &lt;i&gt;(Hillsborough)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Singh, Marsha&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jenkins, Brian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Skinner, Dennis&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jones, Helen &lt;i&gt;(Warrington N)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Smith, John &lt;i&gt;(Glamorgan)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jones, Jon Owen &lt;i&gt;(Cardiff C)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Starkey, Dr Phyllis&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jones, Martyn &lt;i&gt;(Clwyd S)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Strang, Rt Hon Dr Gavin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jones, Nigel &lt;i&gt;(Cheltenham)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Stunell, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Keen, Alan &lt;i&gt;(Feltham &amp;#x0026; Heston)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Taylor, Matthew &lt;i&gt;(Truro)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Keetch, Paul&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thomas, Simon &lt;i&gt;(Ceredigion)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kennedy, Rt Hon Charles &lt;i&gt;(Ross Skye &amp;#x0026; Inverness W)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thurso, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Trickett, Jon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Khabra, Piara S&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Turner, Dr Desmond &lt;i&gt;(Kemptown)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kidney, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tyler, Paul&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kilfoyle, Peter&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tynan, Bill&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;King, Ms Oona &lt;i&gt;(Bethnal Green)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Vis, Dr Rudi&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kirkwood, Archy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Walley, Ms Joan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Knight, Jim &lt;i&gt;(S Dorset)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Webb, Steve&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lamb, Norman&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;White, Brian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lepper, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Williams, Roger &lt;i&gt;(Brecon)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lewis, Terry &lt;i&gt;(Worsley)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Willis, Phil&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Linton, Martin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wood, Mike&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lloyd, Tony&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Woodward, Shaun&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Llwyd, Elfyn&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Worthington, Tony&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lucas, Ian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wright, David &lt;i&gt;(Telford)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;McCafferty, Chris&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Younger-Ross, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;McDonnell, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mackinlay, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tellers for the Ayes:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;McWalter, Tony&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lynne Jones and&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mahon, Mrs Alice&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Dr. Stephen Ladyman.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;b&gt;NOES&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ancram, Rt Hon Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Brady, Graham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Atkinson, David &lt;i&gt;(Bour&apos;mth E)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Brazier, Julian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Atkinson, Peter &lt;i&gt;(Hexham)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Browning, Mrs Angela&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bacon, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burns, Simon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Baron, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burnside, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bellingham, Henry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burt, Alistair&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bercow, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Butterfill, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Blunt, Crispin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cameron, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Boswell, Tim&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chapman, Sir Sydney &lt;i&gt;(Chipping Barnet)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bottomley, Peter &lt;i&gt;(Worthing W)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;464&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Clarke, Rt Hon Kenneth &lt;i&gt;(Rushcliffe)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;May, Mrs Theresa&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mercer, Patrick&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mitchell, Andrew &lt;i&gt;(Sutton Coldfield)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Collins, Tim&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Moss, Malcolm&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cormack, Sir Patrick&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Murrison, Dr Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Djanogly, Jonathan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norman, Archie&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Duncan, Alan &lt;i&gt;(Rutland &amp;#x0026; Melton)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;O&apos;Brien, Stephen &lt;i&gt;(Eddisbury)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Duncan Smith, Rt Hon Iain&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ottaway, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Field, Mark &lt;i&gt;(Cities of London)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Page, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Flight, Howard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Paterson, Owen&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Forth, Rt Hon Eric&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pickles, Eric&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Francois, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Prisk, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gale, Roger&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Randall, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gibb, Nick&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Redwood, Rt Hon John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gillan, Mrs Cheryl&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Robathan, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gray, James&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Robertson, Hugh &lt;i&gt;(Faversham)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Grayling, Chris&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Robertson, Laurence &lt;i&gt;(Tewk&apos;b&apos;ry)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Green, Damian &lt;i&gt;(Ashford)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Robinson, Peter &lt;i&gt;(Belfast E)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greenway, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Roe, Mrs Marion&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gummer, Rt Hon John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rosindell, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hague, Rt Hon William&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sayeed, Jonathan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hammond, Philip&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Selous, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hayes, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Shephard, Rt Hon Mrs Gillian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hendry, Charles&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Simmonds, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hermon, Lady&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Simpson, Keith &lt;i&gt;(Mid-Norfolk)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hoban, Mark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Spelman, Mrs Caroline&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Howard, Rt Hon Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Spink, Bob&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Howarth, Gerald &lt;i&gt;(Aldershot)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Spring, Richard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hunter, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Streeter, Gary&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jenkin, Bernard&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Swayne, Desmond&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Johnson, Boris &lt;i&gt;(Henley)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Syms, Robert&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Key, Robert&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tapsell, Sir Peter&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kirkbride, Miss Julie&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Taylor, John &lt;i&gt;(Solihull)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lait, Mrs Jacqui&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Trend, Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lansley, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Turner, Andrew &lt;i&gt;(Isle of Wight)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Letwin, Oliver&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tyrie, Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lewis, Dr Julian &lt;i&gt;(New Forest E)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Viggers, Peter&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Liddell-Grainger, Ian&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Walter, Robert&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lidington, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Waterson, Nigel&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Loughton, Tim&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Whittingdale, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Luff, Peter&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Widdecombe, Rt Hon Miss Ann&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;McIntosh, Miss Anne&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wiggin, Bill&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;MacKay, Rt Hon Andrew&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wilshire, David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Maclean, Rt Hon David&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Winterton, Nicholas &lt;i&gt;(Macclesfield)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;McLoughlin, Patrick&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Young, Rt Hon Sir George&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Malins, Humfrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Maples, John&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tellers for the Noes:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mates, Michael&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Michael Fabricant and&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Maude, Rt Hon Francis&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mr. George Osborne.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question accordingly agreed to.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. David Chaytor, Andrew Bennett, Valerie Davey, Mrs. Janet Dean, Mr. David Hinchliffe, Glenda Jackson, Lynne Jones, Dr. Stephen Ladyman, Mr. Tony Lloyd and Mr. Chris Mullin.' title='Selective Schools (Transitional Arrangements)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/selective-schools-transitional'></outline>
    <outline id='3585252' text='Selective Schools (Transitional Arrangements)'>
      <outline id='3585253' text='Mr. David Chaytor accordingly presented a Bill to establish that a maximum of five per cent of pupils can be selected, by aptitude or ability, for admission to any state secondary school; to specify the period of time in which, and the means by which, those schools currently exceeding this percentage will be required to reduce their selective intake to five per cent.; to specify the criteria for such selection and the means by which schools should conduct assessments; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 19 July, and to be printed [Bill 121].' title='SELECTIVE SCHOOLS (TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/selective-schools-transitional-1'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3585254' text='&lt;i&gt;Motion made, and Question proposed,&lt;/i&gt; That this House do now adjourn.&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Mr. Stringer.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Speaker: Before we begin the main business, to the many hon. Members who have approached the Chair to ask whether they will be called to speak in the debate I can say only that this is one of those days on which they will just have to wait and see.&lt;br/&gt;4.3 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): This is the first full-day debate on the middle east in Government time for some years, and it comes not a moment too soon. The conflict there is now more fragile and more dangerous than it has been for decades. Understandably, that conflict provokes great passion and partisanship, but through you, Mr. Speaker, I make one plea: that whatever our different perspectives, we use this occasion for a sober and serious examination of the issues, and above all apply ourselves to assisting both sides to move towards a peaceful solution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The prospect of peace in the middle east hangs by a thread. There are three fundamental truths about the situation. First, neither side has a monopoly of right or of wrong. Secondly, the peoples of the area have to live together. Thirdly, neither side can achieve lasting security through force, but can do so only by having the courage to compromise.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Since the intifada began, at least 1,300 Palestinians and more than 450 Israelis have been killed; thousands more on both sides have been injured. In recent weeks, we have seen a spiral of violence following a spate of suicide bombings and the Israeli incursions into the west bank, in which many more have lost their lives and many, many more have been injured. The situation on the ground is fluid and critical. The Israeli defence force, I understand, has withdrawn today from Qalqilya, but they remain in Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and a number of other towns. On the diplomatic front, US Secretary of State Colin Powell is currently meeting Israeli Prime Minister Sharon. The House will also wish to know that the military attach&amp;#x00E9; of Her Majesty&apos;s Government is now in Jenin making his own assessment; if I have a report before the winding-up speeches, I will ensure that it is drawn to the attention of the House.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Like everyone in the House, I have found the continuing reports of deaths and damage, caused in Israel by suicide bombings and other terrorism and in the occupied territories by Israeli military action, deeply disturbing. I am profoundly concerned about the scenes of widespread destruction of densely populated refugee camps. We are doing all that we can to obtain an authoritative account of the conduct of the Israeli operation&amp;#x2014;that is why the military attach&amp;#x00E9; is there at the moment&amp;#x2014;and its consequences. As a long-standing friend of Israel, I have to say that such scenes can only be harmful to Israel&apos;s reputation abroad.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There have been allegations of misconduct by the Israeli forces during the operation. Last week, on my instructions, our ambassador in Tel Aviv raised our concern with Prime Minister Sharon&apos;s office. I have twice spoken in the past few days to Israeli Foreign Minister&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;466&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Shimon Peres about that and demanded that Israel allow the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies immediate access to the affected areas, including Jenin. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), who was in Jenin last week with the United Nations. Many in the House will have heard her vivid account of the situation with great alarm.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We are in constant contact with our ambassador in Tel Aviv and the consul-general in Jerusalem. I want to pay tribute to their efforts. Our staff, often at considerable personal risk, have worked tirelessly to discharge their consular responsibilities to the British nationals living and working in the west bank in extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and have helped to ensure that we can fulfil our general humanitarian obligations to relieve the suffering there.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As some hon. Members will know, many of the locally engaged staff working for the British consul-general in Jerusalem are Palestinian. I have met and talked to those Palestinian staff, and have great admiration for them. In normal times, they suffer extraordinary inconvenience to get to and from work; each journey often takes them two or three hours, as they have to go through five or six different checkpoints, taking separate taxis between them. During the current Israeli defence force operations, many of our staff have been trapped in their own homes for weeks, while some have relations who have been killed or injured in the violence.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Throughout this period, Her Majesty&apos;s Government have called on the Israelis to pull their forces back, and to act in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the requirements of international humanitarian law. We have consistently called on the Palestinians to do everything in their power to halt the terrorist attacks. Both sides must now step back and start talking.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Simon Thomas: Will the Foreign Secretary explain why the Government did not support the resolution tabled yesterday in Geneva, in which the United Nations Commission on Human Rights called for a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the west bank?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I am happy to do so, and shall place the text of the resolution in the Library. The simple fact of the matter is that the resolution was completely unbalanced, which is why Germany and the United Kingdom decided to oppose it. Many European countries that voted for the resolution made oral statements of objection to part of its content. I happen to think that it was a cleaner approach simply to vote against it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Both sides must now step back and start talking. The conflict can no longer be managed; it must be resolved. So today I want to tell the House what we and the international community are doing and should do to help reduce the dreadful violence, and to bring both sides back to the negotiating table and towards a settlement. I want to use this opportunity to set out some of the elements that will have to form part of any framework for a peaceful future in the middle east.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The immediate causes of the present conflict go back to the collapse of the Camp David and Taba talks, and to the eruption of the intifada in September 2000, but of course the underlying causes of the conflict go very much&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0247"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;467&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;deeper. We in the United Kingdom bear some more contemporary responsibility for the current situation. It was a predecessor of mine as Foreign Secretary, A. J. Balfour, who in 1917 promised a national home in Palestine for the Jewish people.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The holocaust, which was commemorated in Israel last week, and which we commemorated in this country in January, acted to reinforce the determination of Jewish leaders to create their own state of Israel. Fifty-four years ago tomorrow that state was formally declared.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;For most of the five and a half decades since, Israel&apos;s very existence went unrecognised by all Arab states. Only in 1979, after three wars, did Egypt sign a peace treaty with Israel, recovering its territory occupied in 1967. In 1991, the Madrid conference launched an international effort to conclude a comprehensive settlement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Parallel diplomacy by Norway and the United States gave birth in 1993 to the Oslo process&amp;#x2014;an imaginative effort to bring about Israeli-Palestinian peace through a phased approach. The Palestinian Authority was established and helped to develop into an embryonic state administration, with substantial European Union and bilateral United Kingdom financial support. But crucial issues were left unresolved or ambiguous by the Oslo process, including the future of the settlements, borders, Palestinian statehood, Jerusalem and refugees. The murder of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 was a grievous blow to the peace process. Accelerated settlement building and extremist violence thereafter undermined confidence on both sides.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 2000 there was a further moment of hope when the Israeli and Palestinian leaders met at Camp David, and later when negotiators met at Taba in the new year 2001. By then, however, the intifada had broken out. Since then, the region has been gripped in a spiral of violence, not least through the terrifying horror of the suicide bomb. We all need to understand that it is almost impossible to imagine the agony of ordinary Israeli citizens as they sift through the wreckage of yet another supermarket, nightclub or bus, looking for the remains of their loved ones.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;No less hard for us to imagine is the fear of ordinary Palestinians as they cower in the ruins of their homes, not knowing the fate of their friends and family in the next village, and not knowing where the next shell may land. Victims of terror on one side; victims of occupation on the other.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There are 3.5 million Palestinians, many of them living in desperate circumstances in east Jerusalem, the west bank and the Gaza strip. There are 6.5 million Israelis, including 1 million Israeli Arabs. Their only future in the west bank, in Gaza and in Israel is living together.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spelled out in his statement six days ago, there can be no military victory for either side in this conflict. The international community cannot stand by and watch as the parties fight each other to a standstill. The world has to act before irreparable damage is done to the cause of peace and the hopes of future generations.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The first priority must he to stop the spiral of violence and reprisal, and to persuade both sides to accept a ceasefire. That is the focus of the current mission to the middle east by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The UN Secretary-General, the EU presidency and the Russian Federation gave Secretary Powell their full backing when&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;468&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;they met him in Madrid last week, as did all EU Foreign Ministers at our meeting in Luxembourg yesterday. Of course, Secretary Powell has our full backing and support. As a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations and a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom has been actively involved. As the House knows, the middle east dominated my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister&apos;s discussions with President Bush at Crawford just over a week ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Secretary of State Powell&apos;s task is an incredibly delicate one. It is vital that it should not be disrupted or undermined. However, our role is not only diplomatic. We are already major providers of aid to the Palestinian Authority and to those in the occupied territories. The amount of aid will double during this financial year compared with the amount provided two years ago. We have also made it clear that we stand ready to take part in monitoring the parties&apos; compliance with their obligations, starting with the ceasefire and continuing as the process develops.&lt;br/&gt;Helen Jackson: Will my right hon. Friend say something about the emergency aid that the Government can offer to help in the traumatic situation following the destruction of the refugee camp at Jenin and at other places?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: We stand ready to provide considerable emergency aid. We discussed the provision of aid bilaterally and multilaterally through the European Union at the EU Foreign Ministers General Affairs Council meeting yesterday. The problem at the moment is not finding the money to pay for humanitarian aid, but ensuring that the aid gets through. That is where we have been directing our efforts.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Alex Salmond: Last week, the Prime Minister was pretty dismissive when he was asked by the right hon. Member for Swansea, East (Donald Anderson) about the case for sanctions. Given the events and developments of the past week, is the Foreign Secretary prepared to reconsider the case for sanctions? Usually, when a country is in flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions, sanctions are one of the first measures to be considered to ensure enforcement and withdrawal.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I understand the hon. Gentleman&apos;s argument, but I do not believe that that would be an appropriate course for us to take at this time. I believe that the whole effort of the United Kingdom and the international community needs to be directed at securing a pathway to peace, as I shall explain.&lt;br/&gt;Jeremy Corbyn: I thank the Foreign Secretary for giving way. The House will have heard his reply to the question about sanctions. Will he at least give the House an assurance today that there will be no arms exports to Israel and that no new licences will be granted for parts for equipment that has already been exported? Will he urge the United States to do the same?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: We discussed that matter yesterday in the General Affairs Council. We did not decide on an arms embargo, but we concluded that the European code of&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0248"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;469&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;conduct&amp;#x2014;a common position followed by all European Union members&amp;#x2014;ought rigorously to be applied to those exports as to others.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gerald Kaufman: Will my right hon. Friend at any rate give the House an assurance that the Government will make it clear to the Israeli Government that military equipment supplied by Britain on condition that it would not be used for internal order purposes will not be used to suppress Palestinians?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I have already made that clear and have answered a number of questions about the matter. I deeply regret the fact that our very good military attach&amp;#x00E9; discovered a little while ago that armoured personnel carriers built in Israel, but on the chassis of tanks exported from the United Kingdom&amp;#x2014;it has to be said that they were exported 40 years ago&amp;#x2014;were being used in the occupied territories. We took up the matter immediately with the Government of Israel and I reported it to the House on the day on which I found out about it. We have followed it up and I gave the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) a detailed answer about it yesterday. We had received undertakings from the Government of Israel that such exports would not be used in the occupied territories, but, as I told the right hon. and learned Gentleman yesterday in my answer, as a result of what I regard as unsatisfactory answers from the Government of Israel to our inquiries, we can no longer make decisions about arms exports to Israel on the basis of those undertakings.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Menzies Campbell&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I shall give way to the right hon. and learned Gentleman because I mentioned him, but then I must get on.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: I am grateful to the Foreign Secretary for this passage of his speech and for the answers that he provided yesterday. Should we take those answers and what he has just said to mean that he is no longer prepared to rely on the assurances of the Israeli Government as regards the use to which any arms exports may be put?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I gave a detailed and carefully drafted answer to the right hon. and learned Gentleman. The words are clear, but it is extremely important that there should be the greatest certainty here. Under the consolidated European Union criteria, by which we abide carefully, we would not export anything that could be used for internal repression or for external aggression. That remains the basis of our policy. I am happy to ensure that copies of the consolidated criteria are drawn to the House&apos;s attention.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If I may, I shall now make progress. I know that many of my right hon. and hon. Friends wish to contribute.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Progress on peace, when it happens, will come slowly through small, reciprocal steps. However, the confidence to agree and to implement those first steps will not be found on either side unless they are seen to be in a clear political context. To generate any momentum, we have to maintain at every stage a political perspective alongside the necessary concerns over security.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;470&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;One of the terrible twists of the past few months is that each moment of hope&amp;#x2014;after Tenet; after the Bush and Powell speeches in November; after the Arafat speech on 16 December&amp;#x2014;has been followed by renewed outbreaks of violence, assassinations and suicide bombings, destroying, at least temporarily, the political climate for peace and playing into the hands of those on both sides whose preference is only to pursue their aims through military and terrorist means, not through compromise. The cruel irony of the situation in the middle east is that even as the parties have moved further apart, international opinion has moved further together towards a consensus about the framework of a lasting political solution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must all understand that there has to be more than a process: there has to be a destination. There is now a near-universal acceptance that that destination has to be the existence of two states&amp;#x2014;a state of Israel and a viable state of Palestine. That was the message of United Nations Security Council resolution 1397, which was passed unanimously last month. It is the basis of the peace plan put forward by Crown Prince Abdullah, which received backing from the Arab summit in Beirut last month.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Moreover, crucially, it is the policy of the United States. In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 10 November, President Bush went further than any of his predecessors in expressing his support for Palestinian statehood. He said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"We are working toward a day when two states, Israel and Palestine, live peacefully together within secure and recognised borders as called for by the Security Council resolutions."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;We have to keep that vision of peace firmly in view and to impress upon the parties that we expect them to work towards the same objective.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The "two-state solution" means what it says: two viable, secure, territorially sovereign and democratic states of Israel and Palestine, mutually recognised and committed to peaceful co-existence within agreed borders. Let us be clear that Palestine should have the usual characteristics of statehood: the necessary institutions and rights, including responsibility for its internal security; the freedom to conclude treaties; and freedom of internal movement of goods, services and people and of economic policy. We understand that precise borders would have to be negotiated, but Israel would have to withdraw in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As I said a few minutes ago, one problem with the Oslo process was that it left some key issues unresolved, especially in respect of Jerusalem, settlements and refugees. Those issues are, however, so central both to the conflict and to its solution that they have to be addressed. At Camp David and at Taba, discussion was on the basis that the capitals on both sides would be based in Jerusalem. I believe that the parties should proceed on that basis.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On settlements, we have repeatedly called for Israel to withdraw. The settlements are contrary to international law, and all settlement activity must immediately be frozen. Again, Camp David and Taba provided the framework for handling those in the long-term future.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On refugees, I welcome the recent statement by Arab leaders that, provided there is a just outcome on this issue, they are prepared to accommodate Israel&apos;s fundamental concerns.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Maples: The Foreign Secretary is outlining a solution that we would all,&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0249"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;471&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;of course, welcome. After Chairman Arafat&apos;s comprehensive rejection of Barak&apos;s offer at Camp David, and of the Clinton-Barak offer at Taba, however, does the right hon. Gentleman really think that Chairman Arafat would accept any such deal at all?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: My first concern is that the House and the Government should decide what we think is right. That is what I am setting out. There are many stories about exactly what happened at Camp David and Taba, and there is much to be said on both sides. When I made a similar point about what happened at Camp David to a Palestinian leader last week, he said, "Well, we only got 80 per cent. of what we wanted at Camp David. We got 95 per cent. at Taba, which proves to us that we were right to resist at Camp David. But, at Taba, it was too late." Those are points that the Palestinians make, but there is much to be said on both sides. My concern, however, is not to crawl over the entrails of Camp David, Taba or any other dismal sequence of failed peace approaches, but to build oil what positively has been achieved&amp;#x2014;little though that is&amp;#x2014;and to seek to set out not just a time scale for a settlement but some sense of a final destination.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ernie Ross&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Taylor&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross).&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ross: On refugees, I find it strange that we should rely on an accommodation between the Arab states in relation to Israel&apos;s concerns when, throughout most of my right hon. Friend&apos;s speech, he has referred to international law. International law is quite clear on this matter. Resolution 194 establishes the principle of the right of return and the right of individual Palestinians to decide on that. It is not for the Arab states to decide on that. It is not even up to President Arafat to decide on it. Can my right hon. Friend clarify this matter?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: Of course, we have to take full account of international resolutions, although resolution 1397&amp;#x2014;the most recent substantive one&amp;#x2014;recalls resolutions 242 and 338 in particular, rather than the one to which my hon. Friend referred. We also have to take account of where we are, and it is President Arafat of the Palestinian Authority who would he the key negotiator on the Palestinian side, for as long as he occupies that position. He has said that he accepts that there has to be some accommodation of the issue of refugees. If we are to seek a solution to this terrible conflict, that has to be the case.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Taylor&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I know that the hon. Gentleman has been desperate to intervene, so I shall give way.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Taylor: I am most grateful to the Foreign Secretary. I take him back to the passage in his speech about the creation of two states. I would like to ask him whether, in his mind, there is any danger of a tragic repetition of history. Was it not the discharge of the League of Nations&apos; British mandate that produced two&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;472&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;States&amp;#x2014;Israel and Transjordan, as it was then called? Why did that not work? Why might the next move work, if that one did not?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: There is a separate, and perhaps more academic, debate to be had about why the Balfour declaration did not work. Happily he was not a member of my party. [HON. MEMBERS: "It included Attlee."] It was not Attlee; this was in 1917. I am talking about the Balfour declaration, not the mandate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;One of the many problems is that of raised expectations on both sides, partly through the use of diplomacy for the moment&amp;#x2014;rather than diplomacy for the long term&amp;#x2014;which cannot be fulfilled. However, it is my judgment that only through a two-state solution will we ever achieve a resolution of this conflict. The hon. Member for Solihull (Mr. Taylor) must bear it in mind that these communities must live side by side, or not at all. People who go to the occupied territories see very densely populated settlements that share water and other facilities. There is no future for the territories, or for Israel, unless they can reach an accommodation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The attitude of other states in the region has to be a vital part of a lasting solution. Peace in the middle east will have to be comprehensive and include full treaties between Israel, Lebanon and Syria.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Arab states said at their Beirut summit that they were ready to extend the hand of peace to Israel, if Israel would end the occupation of Arab territories captured in 1967. It is vital that the Arab leaders make that commitment believable. As a peace process develops, they must make strong efforts to quell incitement, to support moderation and, above all, to cut off funds to the extremists. They must aim to isolate those extremists, not glorify them. That includes dealing with the radical organisations in their midst that oppose any sort of peace agreement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It must also be understood from the beginning that the aim has to be to achieve a genuine end to the conflict, settling all issues and ending all claims. Any such agreement would have to he underpinned by a UN Security Council resolution, and, if necessary, an international force to oversee the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops to the new border would need to be provided. Moreover, the international community has to stand ready to provide financial support for a settlement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;A state of Palestine would begin its life in very difficult circumstances. The violence of the past 18 months, and especially the current invasion of the west bank, have done immense damage to the Palestinian Authority&apos;s infrastructure. Many of the facilities provided by the EU and Arab countries have been wrecked.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We and our partners in the EU are now ready to help rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority and to help rebuild its infrastructure, but this must be on the explicit expectation that there are no further Israeli incursions. We cannot go on picking up the pieces.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;A trust fund, under the auspices of the World Bank or the UN Development Programme, could channel resources to where they were needed. However, to return to a point that I made a moment ago, the two states would have a common interest in each other&apos;s stability, security&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0250"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;473&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;and prosperity. There would have to be maximum openness in their economic relations, for their futures are inextricably linked.&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Jenny Tonge: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: I apologise to the hon. Lady, but I have taken many interventions, and many hon. Members wish to speak in the debate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is because of this mutual dependence that the more extreme solutions suggested recently&amp;#x2014;such as reoccupation, unilateral separation, and the forced transfer of Palestinian populations&amp;#x2014;could never deliver a sustainable peace. That can come only through negotiation and agreement. There is no sane alternative to a two-state solution and a broad vision of the sort that I have set out today.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I last visited Israel and the occupied territories two months ago. I have two abiding memories of that visit. One is of meeting a young Israeli volunteer at the main ambulance station in west Jerusalem. He was killed two weeks later by a sniper bullet while he was patrolling a checkpoint as a reserve soldier.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The other memory is of the faces of four young girls in Ramallah whom I saw as I drove in for a meeting with a representative of the Palestinian Authority. The girls were peering from a doorway. They were being held back for safety by their mother, but they were seeking a response from me to their waves.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;When we talk about a secure Israel, we mean an end to wasted young lives, such as the life of the young Israeli volunteer. When we talk about a viable Palestinian state, we are talking about a future for those girls in which they do not have to live with the horrors that we have all seen on our television screens.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Smith&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Straw: Those children and young people&amp;#x2014;everybody in Israel and the occupied territories&amp;#x2014;need peace. The world wants peace. Mr. Sharon and Mr. Arafat have a responsibility to deliver it. The passions and hatreds that are aroused by the Arab-Israeli conflict are so strong and so visceral that many on either side cannot bring themselves even to acknowledge that there is another side to the issue. Yet it is only through such an acknowledgement, only through negotiation and compromise that either side can achieve what it wants.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Only compromise can deliver a secure state of Israel, alongside a viable state of Palestine, whose citizens enjoy the same safety and freedom of movement and of life as those of any other state. Only through compromise and mutual recognition of needs and aspirations can the people of the region break out of the cycle of violence and reprisal and ensure that the future is not sacrificed to the grievances of the past.&lt;br/&gt;4.35 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Ancram: Over these past few weeks we have watched a tragedy of enormous proportions unfolding in the middle east. Not only has it brutalised the peoples of that region but it now threatens a wider conflagration that could end up burning us all.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;474&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Five weeks ago, at the start of this latest escalation, I was in the middle east with my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan). As we drove through that beautiful landscape down from Jerusalem to the River Jordan on our way to Amman, the body of a Palestinian was being carried, amid militant chants, to its burial. Not far away, the body of an Israeli soldier was being taken with military honours to its burial place. These were only the first of the funerals that day&amp;#x2014;each a victim of the other. Today, there are many, many more.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is easy to claim that violence in the middle east is nothing new. That does not make the despair any less deep, the dangers any less grave or the need to find an answer any less urgent. That is why I welcome today&apos;s debate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have in the past, in this context, drawn on the experiences in Northern Ireland. We must be careful&amp;#x2014;the two situations are materially and geopolitically very different. The nature of the terrorist threat and the response required are also different. I do not believe that we serve either process by drawing the analogy too closely. However, some general lessons can be learned, particularly on breaking an apparent impasse.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;One of the first things that I learned in Northern Ireland is that there is nothing less helpful than third parties hurling accusations from the sidelines, giving moralistic lectures or veiled threats from a safe distance, or seeking to intervene in areas where they have no locus. Such actions entrench intransigence rather than resolving it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We all share the horror at the current violence, but indulging in accusation and counter-accusation will not end it. We can bathe in outrage and become bogged down in it or we can learn the lessons of the situation and move forward. We need to know the truth. For that reason, I welcome the fact that the International Red Cross will investigate what happened, particularly in Jenin, and also the news given us by the Foreign Secretary that our military attach&amp;#x00E9; is also in Jenin and that he will report to us in due course.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I also welcome Secretary of State Colin Powell&apos;s current courageous efforts to involve all the regional powers in a resumption of dialogue and a search for a genuine settlement. He is looking for them to identify those areas upon which the search for a settlement can positively proceed. I hope that everybody in this House will wish him well. He knows, however, as we do, that a lasting settlement cannot be achieved without genuine agreement by the parties themselves, and that genuine agreement cannot be secured under duress. One of the facts of history is that too many of today&apos;s burning territorial disputes, possibly including this one, were born out of imposed settlements, and I believe that that must be avoided on this occasion.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I learned also that it is unhelpful to be partisan. We have to break free of the political zero-sum game in which we are either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli but cannot be both. I am an unashamed friend of Israel but, equally, I have long been a supporter of Palestinian rights. I recognise the fears, aspirations and emotions that inspire both sides. Funnily enough, those fears and aspirations often mirror each other.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have to be even-handed; we must be unequivocally clear in our condemnation of acts of terrorism and about the need to eradicate them at their roots. Equally,&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0251"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;475&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;however, we must never dilute our criticism of military actions by Israel that overstep the mark, of the violation of human rights or of the humiliation and harassment of innocent citizens. Where those practices are established we must denounce them, too, without equivocation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The strongest lesson that t learned was never to give up hope. I learned that, however dark the horizon, there can always be steps back from the abyss to the negotiating table. Those steps are neither quick nor easy but they carry hope, and hope is at a premium in the middle east at the moment.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The first step is to maintain dialogue. As the Foreign Secretary said, there can be no final military solution to the problem on either side. However hostile the political climate and however fierce the fighting, each side must keep talking. That talk may be at an extremely basic level; it can be about the most rudimentary issues, but it must maintain contact. The current proposal for a regional conference at ministerial level could offer an opportunity. It does not matter how unpromising it appears initially&amp;#x2014;it could be the thin strand from which the substantial rope of real negotiation can eventually be woven.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;When I visited Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres in February, low-level contacts were being maintained, despite growing violence. I was very sorry that those contacts were broken; they need to be resumed&amp;#x2014;even before a ceasefire, or indeed before an Israeli withdrawal takes place.&lt;br/&gt;Mike Gapes: The right hon. Gentleman referred to low-level contacts. Will he draw attention to the fact that people in the religious communities, on both sides, have been trying for many months quietly to build dialogue? The same thing is happening in this country between Jews, Christians and Muslims who are working hard to maintain dialogue to reduce the tensions that might arise in our own society.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: I pay tribute to those who try to maintain dialogue. I have always believed that dialogue is the way out of an impasse of this kind and I certainly hope that dialogue will continue. However, there must be direct dialogue between the parties to the conflict, and that can take place at an extremely low and insignificant level without losing its value.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The second step is the gradual building of confidence. Generations of hatred and mistrust will make that a long haul. It needs the backdrop of United Nations resolution 1397 and of the generally accepted concept of two states west of the River Jordan: the state of Israel and an independent, viable Palestinian state, both recognising the reality and legitimacy of the other and both secure in their respective boundaries. Within that, the building of confidence can begin.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It must start with the most basic problem&amp;#x2014;fear. There is fear of violence and destruction in the short term, followed by the longer-term fear of domination and dispossession. The answer to both lies in security. In the short term, Israel must cease its present incursions into the territory of the Palestinian Authority and must withdraw. As a democracy, it should respond fully and publicly to the serious accusations being laid against it about the conduct of those incursions.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;476&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Equally, it is vital that the terrorist suicide bombings and the carnage of innocent Israelis that results must also be ended. Israel has a right to demand that, if she cannot pursue and apprehend those who instigate, equip and train the terrorist suicide bombers, they will be restrained by other means. When I talked to Yasser Arafat in February he seemed to be firmly in denial as to his responsibility for Palestinian violence, either in Israel or on the west bank, so if he is not prepared to restrain the bombers, other means must be found.&lt;br/&gt;Michael Fabricant: Has my right hon. Friend read the report produced by the BBC monitoring station at Caversham, which shows clearly that during the past year Chairman Arafat has encouraged both a jihad against the state of Israel and suicide bombings?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: I have seen several reports to that effect and I have also seen the evidence of arms shipments earlier in the conflict from Iran to the Palestinian Authority.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The important point is that Israel should receive the guarantee of security that she has a right to expect, and if Yasser Arafat cannot deliver it, another means must be found. It must, therefore, be valid to ask what action can be taken by other Arab states to constrain the terrorism and to guarantee Israel the security for her citizens that she has a duty to provide. Will the Foreign Secretary or the Minister who responds to the debate give us information about any discussions that may have been held in that regard?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Peter Kilfoyle: Of course everyone deplores suicide bombings, but can the right hon. Gentleman explain how Yasser Arafat is currently expected to exercise any form of control when he is under siege in Ramallah, when the Palestinian Authority&apos;s communications have been destroyed and when his own security forces have been killed, taken prisoner or dispersed? What can he do positively, given the current circumstances?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: Perhaps the hon. Gentleman does not understand what I have been saying. I was saying that, if Yasser Arafat cannot exercise such control because he does not want to or because he is unable to, another means to do so has to be found. Without mutual security, the confidence to make progress is unlikely to occur. That lesson has been learned in other conflicts, and we have to learn it here.&lt;br/&gt;Several hon. Members&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: I shall give way once more on that point and then move on.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Tony Clarke: On 28 March, Chairman Arafat clearly said in Arabic:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"On this occasion, I would like once again to reiterate our condemnation of yesterday&apos;s operation in Netanya, in which a number of innocent Israeli civilians were killed and wounded. This operation constitutes a deviation from our policy and a violation of our national human values."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why Chairman Arafat said that?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: I read what Chairman Arafat has said, but I come back to the same point: both sides to the conflict&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0252"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;477&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;need in the end to believe that they are secure if talks are to proceed. Such mutual security measures providing both sides with freedom from present violence would be a crucial step forward. It would, for a start, reinstate the Tenet proposals and Mitchell recommendations, leading to a ceasefire and resumed negotiations. If that path is to re-emerge, there are further steps to be considered, because confidence in the long-term stability and security of the two states must be established.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Salmond: A few moments ago, the right hon. Gentleman rightly bemoaned the evidence of Iranian arms shipments to Palestinians. A few minutes before, the Foreign Secretary said that he had no confidence in the Israeli Government&apos;s explanation of the use to which United Kingdom arms are being put. In that light, and in view of the right hon. Gentleman&apos;s even-handed approach, would he now like to call for the cessation of United Kingdom arms exports to the state of Israel?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ancram: I have not had the opportunity to read the exact words that the Foreign Secretary used in his answer, but from what he told the House&amp;#x2014;obviously, I shall study his words carefully&amp;#x2014;I would say that we would adhere to that position as well.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In establishing confidence, Israel would need to reaffirm that it accepts an independent, viable Palestinian state west of the Jordan; and the international community would need to underwrite it. At the same time, the Arab states would need formally to accept the right of the state of Israel to exist and their willingness to normalise relations with it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Saudi proposals in the name of Prince Abdullah, to which the Foreign Secretary referred, provide a gateway to that end, but if they are to work, they would have to recruit to their standard those who currently are Israel&apos;s most implacable foes: Syria, with its sponsorship of Hamas; Iran, with its sponsorship of Hezbollah, its vocal incitement of suicide bombers and its inflammatory talk of uprooting Israel from the region; and Iraq, with its weapons of mass destruction and its total hostility to Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We need to be realistic. So long as those countries and regimes remain committed to the destruction of the state of Israel and have the ability to deliver that result, the confidence in her own security required by Israel to reach a settlement will be impossible to achieve. In the case of Iraq, I welcome the Prime Minister&apos;s commitment again today to supporting United States initiatives to remove Saddam Hussein&apos;s weapons of mass destruction, and to backing measures including the re-involvement of United Nations inspectors, but ruling out no course of action at this stage in our determination to ensure that those weapons are dealt with. The Government&apos;s recent announcement on smallpox vaccines underlines the chilling threat that those weapons could pose.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In pursuit of all this, it would help to show that de-escalating violence produces a peace dividend. Commitments by the international community that there will be investment, trade and jobs so long as peace is&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;478&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;maintained can positively encourage the Israelis and Palestinians to come to terms. Again, I have welcomed the Foreign Secretary&apos;s remarks today in that regard.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There must then be formal negotiations towards a fair and lasting settlement. We need to understand that, in the end, the only parties that can negotiate that settlement and make it stick are the Israelis and the Palestinians. Although outside encouragement may be valuable, outside interference could be fatal. Internationally tabled blueprints, as the European Union&apos;s Javier Solana seemed to accept yesterday, can promote rather than reduce intransigence. The way forward is therefore to identify common motivation: on the Israeli side, the sustaining of a secure democratic state within pre-1967 boundaries that will not be eroded by demographic leakage or unrestricted Palestinian return: on the Palestinian side, the realisation of a self-governing and viable Palestinian state to which Palestinians can feel genuine and sovereign allegiance. Those are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, as I ascertained when I was in the middle east recently, there are people in high office on both sides of this conflict who subscribe to those concepts, which must provide hope.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Although blueprints can be counterproductive, what I call negotiating road maps or frameworks can be valuable. They do not need to provide the only answers; they need to show that the detailed elements that require resolution and negotiation are technically capable of a resolution. They are the essential first step around which political agreement can be negotiated.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Before Camp David in 2000 and Taba in 2001, I doubted whether technical solutions to the key issues of territory, Jerusalem, the settlements and the right of return were available. However, as the Foreign Secretary said, it is now clear, from formal and informal records of both Camp David and Taba, that they were, and, I hope, still are available. On territory, with a little give and take, the 1967 lines could, in accordance with UN resolution 242, form the basis for the borders between Israel and the state of Palestine. On settlements in the west bank, some land swapping and border modifications recognising, in the words of the report on Taba, both Israel&apos;s and Palestinian needs and interests, and a safe passage between Gaza and the west bank, could point the way to an acceptable outcome. On the previously seemingly intractable problem of Jerusalem, divided sovereignty, with capital status for both sides within an open city, and with respective control over each side&apos;s holy sites and vertical responsibility over parts of the Temple Mount&amp;#x2014;these could provide an answer. A demographically acceptable quota on the delicate and sensitive question of the right of return could recognise the legitimacy of the claim while balancing it against the need to preserve the Jewish state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Those are the raw elements of a road map that can point to a way through. None is without difficulty and all require concession on each side. Every one of them requires a compromise on cherished positions. One of the sadder truths about the middle east today is that those who at this crucial moment in history find themselves in the leadership of their respective peoples are not natural deal makers or compromisers. They look to their places in history as the leaders who remained unyielding in their adherence to their principles. They regard compromise as&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0253"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;479&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;a weakness and a betrayal, and they are bolstered by apparently massive domestic support for their contrasting actions. On the face of it, they will never come to terms, but we must believe today that the pressures of history will make them think again, and underline again the historic role that they could play at this crucial moment.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It may seem unreal to be talking in terms of the way forward while blood is still being spilled in the middle east, and while the threat of a wider conflagration still remains, but we have no option but to do that. I remember that, in the dark days in Northern Ireland in 1993, I was told time and again that there was no answer and that we were wasting our time looking for one. I also remember, however, the never-extinguished hope of ordinary people which drove us to identify a road map of solutions that could provide a way through. That is what is now needed in the middle east.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;That is why this is the time to return to the basics of informal dialogue, of elementary confidence-building measures and of even-handedness. We should not seek to dictate or to prescribe, to bully or to condemn. Our job is to be friends, with all the frankness that friendship involves. We should be ready to help, but always on the understanding that, in the end, Israel and the Palestinian people must make their own peace, their own "shalom", their own "salaam". We must give them all the support that we can in so doing.&lt;br/&gt;Several hon. Members&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Michael Lord): Order. Before I call the next speaker, may I remind the House that Mr. Speaker has placed a 10-minute limit on Back-Bench speeches. That applies from now on.&lt;br/&gt;4.55 pm&lt;br/&gt;Donald Anderson: One conclusion is clear from the speeches made by those on the two Front Benches: there is a substantial degree of consensus in the two spokesmen&apos;s analysis of the situation and, indeed, of the road map. It is an escalating crisis and perhaps events have moved on so fast that only the most fundamental questions are relevant here. The end point has largely been agreed, but how do we get from here to there given the fact that hopes have been frequently dashed in the past, as at Camp David and in many other attempts to find a settlement? Equally, a key question is whether the key participants are capable of moving towards that goal on their own or do they need robust external intervention that uses the leverage that is available to the international community? Perhaps we have reached the point where international and robust intervention needs now to be exercised.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I commend to the House a recent report of the International Conflict Group. It argues persuasively that, because of the failures of the past, the incremental approach is no longer relevant. The Mitchell and Tenet proposals are landmarks of the past, detached from the current realities on the ground. Events have moved on and we now need a radical new approach as we search for a solution. If the international community can put a fair and final political settlement plan on the table, it would demonstrate that community&apos;s determination and give both sides something tangible to reach for. Obviously, for maximum legitimacy, the European Union and the United&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;480&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;States should take a leading role, but they should be backed by Russia and the Arab states.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Clearly there is considerable scepticism about the proposal for a regional conference put forward by Prime Minister Sharon this week. It smacks of a tactical concession. He has said that Arafat should be excluded from it, so perhaps it is not a serious suggestion.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;However, the outlines of the overall settlement are clear. The two states should be based on pre-1967 borders. The settlement should include land swaps in areas such as Gilo, a resolution to the issue of the capitals of both states, an international force to provide stability to both states and a fair and realistic settlement to the refugee issue. The politics of fantasy that have fed the idea that there can be a substantial return of refugees must be put aside, but a fair and just solution must certainly involve some movement and a considerable effort on the part of the international community to provide financial compensation and a choice of resettlement in other areas. Despite all the faults involved in such a settlement, does any other serious alternative have a chance of being accepted?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must address the problem of the extremist groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Part of the package must also involve the rebuilding of the Palestinian Authority area. The carrot is the counterpart of the stick, and the Authority must be prepared to pay the price in meeting suitable conditions if finance is to be provided.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;International involvement is just one part of the equation. Success depends on both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, so what leverage is available to the international community? Clearly the Israeli Government depend substantially on financial support from outside. For example, in the last financial year, the United States gave more than &amp;#x00A3;2 billion in aid to Israel. We know about the extent of military supplies from the United States, but Israel&apos;s response over the past few weeks has done substantial damage to its cause. It has lost friends all round. It must withdraw, stop the incursions and adopt a more mature attitude to Chairman Arafat. It will have to deal with him. As the debate in the United States appears to have concluded, Israel cannot simply marginalise him and write him off. With all his problems and faults, he is there and he must be seen as part of the solution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;So far as the Palestinian Authority are concerned, it is clear that public denouncements of terrorism must be made, along with a serious commitment to preventing it. They must stop the creation of a climate in which suicide bombers are thought of as heroes, and take pre-emptive action to stop terrorist attacks. In that context, the evidence of Karine A is not encouraging. The Palestinian Authority are also heavily dependent on outside financial and other help, particularly from the European Union&amp;#x2014;a further external lever that can be used. At the moment, the two key participants&amp;#x2014;made for each other, alas, in a rather tragic way&amp;#x2014;seem incapable of reaching a solution themselves.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Neighbouring countries must also be heavily involved, because no amount of peace initiatives will work if they continue to play an unconstructive role. I welcome the Arab League declaration, but further vital steps are&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0254"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;481&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;necessary: the cessation of all support for extremist Palestinian groups engaged in terrorism, and the public condemnation of terrorism. Without that guarantee, it would be unrealistic to expect Israel to trust any settlement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I should like to make one or two final reflections on Iraq, on which we have yet to touch. A clear nexus exists between the escalating crisis concerning Palestine, and the war on terrorism. That makes the task of building and maintaining a coalition the more difficult, as do bellicose statements by the United States on a possible military incursion to bring about a change of regime in Iraq. In respect of Palestine and Iraq, the war for the ear of the President appears in some cases to have been won, not by Secretary Powell, but by more extreme elements.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have one or two questions on Iraq for the Secretary of State. Does he claim that a clear basis exists in international law for any military incursion? Does the Foreign Office accept that the post-1991 and post-11 September resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations are sufficient for any military incursion into Iraq? Does it also reject Richard Haas&apos;s new and dangerous doctrine of the "right of pre-emptive self-defence", which suggests that the American Administration have no serious confidence in the legitimacy provided by current Security Council resolutions? Does it disagree with those who suggest that the real agenda in respect of Iraq is regime change, and that the return or otherwise of weapons inspectors is wholly irrelevant?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Those are serious concerns. At the same time, we cannot duck the question of Saddam Hussein and the major threat that he poses to his region and to world peace. Many obstacles to peace in the region remain, and in terms of the peace process a desperate situation demands desperate measures. That is part of the tragedy of the individuals whom the Foreign Secretary described. Ultimately, a solution can be reached only through compromise, negotiation and a political process. We must be ready to do all that we can to assist in that process.&lt;br/&gt;5.4 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Menzies Campbell: I thought long and hard about my contribution to this debate, and I concluded early on that it would be easy to adopt a position of equidistance. I concluded that it would be easy to argue for some moral equivalence between Israel&apos;s army and the suicide bombers; and that it would be wrong to take refuge in such moral equivalence. I reached that conclusion not because some lives are worth more than others; not because I have an emotional attachment to the Arab cause or an in-built prejudice against Israel; and not because I believe that Arafat can be excused from not having done more, from not having been sufficiently robust in his condemnation of terrorist actions or from sometimes having been less than effective in the clampdown on terrorism which was his obligation and responsibility. The reason why I believe that moral condemnation cannot be neatly divided in light of the events of the past few days&amp;#x2014;I do not say these things lightly&amp;#x2014;is that one side has self-evidently been the aggressor; one side is self-evidently the more powerful; one side is self-evidently the more determined to breach international law; and one side is self-evidently more&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;482&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;willing to ignore the legitimate protests of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Our Prime Minister sought last week to draw a limited parallel with Northern Ireland. He rightly asserted the need to have an identifiable and acceptable political process marching robustly in tandem with any military response to terrorism. But one parallel is patently lacking. When the most terrible atrocities were committed at Omagh and Enniskillen, the British Government did not put attack helicopters over the Bogside and we most certainly did not invade terrorist-supporting enclaves in the south.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not pretend that it is always possible to act according to some international Queensberry rules in dealing with acts of terrorism. I do not pretend that Arafat has always fulfilled his responsibilities or kept his promises. I certainly do not pretend that when ordinary citizens celebrating the most important time in their religious year are brutally killed by acts of terrorism, the provocation is not intolerable. I do argue, however, that it is not just Israel&apos;s good name and its credentials as a democracy that are damaged by continuing unfettered and defiant military action, but the prospects of a settlement that is sustainable in the long term.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;President Bush asked what it was that made an 18-year-old Palestinian woman strap explosives to her chest, go to a discotheque and murder&amp;#x2014;yes, murder&amp;#x2014;among others her 17-year-old Jewish equivalent. We should ask ourselves that question, and perhaps the answer is a sense of hopelessness, a lack of self-worth, or a terrible vengeance for the indignities and humiliations past and present. We should then ask ourselves this: after the military operations of the past week, how many more will feel the same? How many more will feel moved to sacrifice themselves unless measurable progress is made?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have all seen the images of refugee camps, with mothers standing in the wreckage of their homes, fearful for their children. We have seen the most holy place in Christianity under seige, and scenes of desolation and devastation, as if a terrible earthquake had visited the area. We have heard the claims of unburied bodies, of massacre and of indiscriminate violence. Israel says, "Do not judge us harshly. We are a democracy. We are fighting for our existence", but it is precisely because Israel is a democracy that we impose higher standards than if it were not. We expect democracies to implement the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations. We expect democracies to allow the Red Cross access when it requests it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There have been claims and counter-claims, all of which need investigation, as the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), has said and as the Foreign Secretary acknowledged this afternoon. There should be an investigation, and it should take place as soon as possible.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Tom Clarke: In light of the right hon. and learned Gentleman&apos;s courageous comments, does he share my disappointment at the review that was published this morning by the Glasgow Media Group and reported in &lt;i&gt;The Guardian?&lt;/i&gt; In spite of what he is telling the House, it indicated, on the basis of lengthy&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0255"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;483&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;monitoring, that most news channels are overwhelmingly pro-Israeli. Does he agree that that is not the basis for a proper national discussion?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: I fancy that if the right hon. Gentleman addressed that question to the Israeli ambassador here in London, he might get a rather different response. We should not be concerned about the bias, perceived bias or lack of bias of these channels but about our own judgments and saying what we think is right and what ought to be done.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is obviously right is the twin-pronged approach whereby Israel is entitled to live in peace within secure borders and free from attack or the threat of attack, and the Palestinians are entitled to justice, land and a viable homeland. Those are not new concepts. They are to be found in Security Council resolution 242, passed in 1967 after the war of that year. They are concepts that survived through the Madrid conference, the Oslo agreement and Camp David. They are the same underlying principles that now form the foundation of the Saudi Arabian proposal. Let us be clear&amp;#x2014;as the right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) made clear by implication, if not expressly&amp;#x2014;that these proposals do not themselves form a solution. But they offer a legitimate basis for discussion, and they come, on this occasion, with the unique endorsement of the Arab countries&apos; meeting just 10 days ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;However, to ensure the peace within secure borders and freedom from attack or threat of attack, I believe that the justice, the land and the viable homeland must come first. The difficulty of achieving that is shown by the fact that the settlement programme proceeds unhindered, even as we talk about these matters. How can there be confidence that a viable homeland can he created when that settlement programme is still in progress? How viable would a homeland for the Palestinians be if so much land were still put permanently aside for settlers?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Foreign Secretary, in an interesting historical analysis of these events, reminded us of the historic agreement reached between Egypt and Israel&amp;#x2014;between Sadat, who some believe gave his life for the agreement, and Begin. We should remember that, to return the Sinai to the sovereignty of Egypt, Mr. Begin was willing to take the most severe steps to disrupt the settlements and to exclude the settlers from that land. The point is that one can do that if one has the political will to do it, and one will have the political will to do it if the reward for doing it is sufficiently attractive. If, for Israel, the reward was security within its own borders and freedom from attack or threat of attack, surely in those circumstances we would be entitled to say, "Show the necessary political will."&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Maples: Is not that almost exactly what Israel did at Camp David and then at Taba? According to the Foreign Secretary, the Palestinians say that Israel offered them 95 per cent. of what they want. I am sure that we, as lawyers, would advise our clients to settle for 95 per cent. Yet the Palestinians persisted in starting the intifada during those negotiations. Why should Israel think that any subsequent offer would be accepted by President Arafat?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: There is considerable dispute about what happened at both of those places; the hon. Gentleman may be right, but that was some time ago. If we are to move forward, relying on what happened then&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;484&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;may prove ineffective. &lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; If the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) has a comment to make, let him get to his feet and make it.&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Julian Lewis: I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for giving way even though I had not intervened. His was a feeble response to my hon. Friend&apos;s point, which was clear. If, within recent history, the Arabs were offered very much what they could reasonably have expected, in line with the formula that everybody agrees with, and they rejected that, what reason is there to think that they would accept something now? If the right hon. and learned Gentleman thinks that there is no moral equivalence between the two sides, he might find some agreement on one point: there is no moral equivalence between a side that initiates an exchange and a side that responds to it. Does he really believe that the Israelis would be in the occupied Arab territories now if the suicide bombings had not begun first?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: If the hon. Gentleman is concerned about history, he ought to have recourse to the history of the settlements and the extent to which they have been promoted. As for the remainder of his comments, jury trial has not yet been abolished and I rest my case on the response of the jury of the whole House.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Kaufman: The hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) referred to the side that initiated events. Is it not a fact that the second intifada was triggered by the wanton, deliberately provocative visit by Sharon to Temple Mount&amp;#x2014;he knowing what he was going to do?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: I am most grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. That is clear beyond question&amp;#x2014;clear even, I hope, to the hon. Member for New Forest, East, who might also bear in mind the provocation of Har Homa and the extent to which that was a source of great aggravation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My next point is essentially domestic. I do not know whether all hon. Members have seen the leaflets that I have seen, but circulating throughout the United Kingdom, particularly in some UK universities, are hateful and hate-filled leaflets that demonstrate the most blatant and unpleasant anti-Semitism. They are an affront to decency, they disfigure democratic society and they disgrace our democracy. They are the product of twisted and evil minds. Whatever criticism any of us may make of the Israeli Government, we should all be united in the view that there is no justification for such conduct or for the circulation of material of that kind.&lt;br/&gt;Sir Patrick Cormack: I agree wholeheartedly with the right hon. and learned Gentleman, but does he accept that such leaflets do not come only from one side? As one who is without doubt a friend of Israel but who has recently expressed sentiments not entirely different from his own, I have received some pretty nasty epistles.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: For us, they go with the rations and with the territory. We are in public life, and we have to accept that, if we make speeches about such issues, we will receive unpleasant letters. I am far more concerned about the fact that such offensive leaflets are circulating on the campuses of universities here in the United Kingdom.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0256"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;485&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Looking at these issues as I try to do, it is clear to me that there have been several opportunities for hope&amp;#x2014;albeit hope that has proved to be unjustified&amp;#x2014;and a number of false starts. Great courage has been shown along the way, for example, by Mr. Begin and Anwar Sadat, whom I mentioned, and by King Hussein. Yitzhak Rabin paid with his life: he was assassinated not by a suicide bomber, but by a fellow Israeli who was determined to prevent the progress towards peace that Yitzhak Rabin represented. Ehud Barak, who was mentioned in connection with the last meeting at Camp David, paid for his efforts with his political career.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Foreign Secretary referred to the role of the European Union. A great deal of damage has been done to Gaza airport, Gaza seaport, the Palestinian central bureau of statistics, a forestry project in Gaza, schools and clinics in the west bank, a sewerage and pumping station in the west bank, and an irrigation scheme near Jericho in the west bank. What they have in common is that all were funded at least in part by the European Union. They will have to be restored&amp;#x2014;paid for again&amp;#x2014;but I would regard that as a worthwhile price to pay if it were part of a settlement package of the sort outlined by the Foreign Secretary.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The EU has donated about 3 billion euros to the Palestinian Authority since 1994. No one in the Israeli Government could be surprised if the EU began to consider what its response should be if that Government continue upon their present course. The EU is Israel&apos;s greatest trading partner. We know that 27 per cent. of Israel&apos;s exports come to the EU, and that 43 per cent. of its imports come from the EU. We have a trade agreement that has been entered into by the EU and Israel. Article 2 states that respect for&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"human rights and democratic principles constitute an essential element"&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;of the agreement. If Israel continues on its present path, there will be those who will argue, with some justification, that that condition would most certainly justify suspension, or even revocation, of the agreement.&lt;br/&gt;David Winnick: The right hon. and learned Gentleman mentioned some distinguished Israelis who oppose the policies that are being pursued. Will he also mention those in Israel&amp;#x2014;in the minority though they may be&amp;#x2014;who totally oppose what Israel is doing, believe that such policies bring discredit on the country and have the bravery to demonstrate in every way possible against the occupation and the crimes that have been committed in the past fortnight?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Campbell: The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point. No doubt he had in mind also those members of the armed forces who have been called upon to serve in the occupied territories and have declined to do so, doubtless at risk of prosecution or something of the sort.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The proposals that the Foreign Secretary advanced are, in substance, the same as the proposals of the shadow Foreign Secretary. They have the unequivocal support of the House because they represent a staged journey and a route map. They contain all the necessary ingredients for a settlement, especially the need for it to be buttressed by UN resolution and acknowledgement that substantial&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;486&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;financial assistance will be required, perhaps not only for the Palestinian Authority, or a viable Palestinian homeland, but for Israel&amp;#x2014;the costs to Israel of these activities must be enormous.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is right also to refer to the obligations of other Arab states. There is no point in going to a summit of Arab nations and endorsing the Saudi Arabian proposal if one is not willing and prepared to implement the responsibilities that will fall to one&apos;s country if the proposal is implemented.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There was reference also to the principle of mutual dependence, which can be achieved only by negotiation and agreement. It is relatively straightforward in the relative calm of the Chamber to argue for these things; it is much more difficult to see them carried through. The unique quartet of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia is probably the best bet for ensuring that the things that we believe are right, and which in my judgment are most certainly in the interests of both the people of Israel and the Palestinians, are finally implemented.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I wish that I could pretend that the road towards that settlement was an easy one, but it is most certainly one that must be followed.&lt;br/&gt;5.24 pm&lt;br/&gt;Ann Clwyd: First, I apologise for my voice. I had dust in my lungs once before from when I went down a coal mine; this time it is dust from Israeli tanks in Jenin. That is no exaggeration. I am grateful to the BBC and "Today" for giving me the opportunity to go there. We do not often thank "Today", but I do so most warmly on this occasion. It was kind of those concerned to enable me to go.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Along with the head of the UN relief programme, I went to Jenin on Friday, where I was able to see at first hand some of the things that were going on. We had tremendous difficulty getting into the town to begin with; there seemed to be many tank commanders every step of the way. It took us a total of six hours to deliver relief supplies to some of the 1,000 women and children who had been taken out of the refugee camp a few days before. Those women and children could describe what they saw; they were not particularly interested in the United Nations presence, although we were the only ones in town. There was a complete curfew. At one point, we saw a sea of men going down the road, but within half an hour they came back. The Israeli army had called out every man over 16 to a central point. I found it chilling just to watch that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We tried to get to some of the hospitals, as we had medical supplies and doctors and nurses in the UN convoy, which was clearly marked with UN flags and "UN" on the side of the vehicles. However, we had great difficulty getting to the hospitals, and it took us six hours to deliver important medical supplies. Most of the hospitals had had their electricity cut; only one small private hospital had its own generator. People were therefore working in difficult conditions. The UN people with us who spoke Arabic took down in detail the statements of the women to whom we spoke. They said that when the Israeli army came into the camp, it called people out of their houses, particularly men. They had seen men come out of houses with their hands above their heads who were then shot. They saw people wounded on&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0257"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;487&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the ground; other people could not go to help them. Those who were watching were obviously reluctant to come out of their houses.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Our presence in the town was not popular with the Israeli military and at one point we were surrounded by six tanks. I did not know that tanks were quite as big as some of those that I saw. I was pleased to talk to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on a mobile telephone and describe what was going on. I was glad that he took immediate action and put out a press release later in the day. He called in the Israeli ambassador in London and asked people at the embassy to go to Mr. Sharon&apos;s office in Tel Aviv. The UN representatives were impressed by the fact that the Foreign Secretary was on the telephone, particularly when they saw the press release later in the day. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for taking that action.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have no idea what happened at the camp, apart from what we heard in those eye-witness accounts. However, one of the men who came back down the road in our direction was the mayor of Jenin, and he talked about a catastrophe. He claimed that up to 1,000 people had been killed. I have no idea whether or not that is true, but that is what he said. He said that what happened would be counted among world tragedies, like Sabra and Chatila, for which Mr. Sharon had some responsibility in the past.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Today, I checked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the organisation with which I went into Jenin. It waited for eight hours yesterday with two trucks of food and water and a medical team. It was then allowed in, but was not given a liaison officer, nor was it allowed to offload its supplies. It managed to throw food to 30 people on its way out. Today, UNRWA has been allowed into the camp, but only into one area. It has set up a distribution point. A curfew is still operating, but the Israeli defence force has promised not to fire on people collecting food and water.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Yesterday, Richard Cook, head of UNRWA, was denied access not only to the camp but to Jenin itself. With him was the director of relief and social services and the new co-ordinator of relief projects in Jenin, who had flown in from Jordan, as well as representatives of the Swiss, Danish and Dutch Governments.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I spoke to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Two small hospitals are near the entrance to the refugee camp. A man from the International Red Cross had been standing by there for four days when I met him. He said that he could see people in the windows of some of the houses in the refugee camps&amp;#x2014;that is, the houses that are still standing.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Palestine Red Crescent reports that from 6 am to 2.10 pm today, its teams awaited permission to enter the camp and resume rescue operations. At 2.51 pm, teams were allowed into the camp, but with an Israeli army escort. At 3 pm, the army escort left the teams&amp;#x2014;11 paramedics, three doctors, 10 IRC personnel and two ambulances. The teams distributed water and provided care for the sick. No search and rescue teams were operating in the camp.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Yesterday, the teams worked in one area that covers about 10 per cent. of the camp. Seven bodies were recovered and seven others could not be recovered. The teams are asking for equipment that is used after earthquakes, when houses are demolished on such a scale. They believe that after all this time people are still alive&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;488&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;under the rubble. If that is the case, that equipment must be brought into the area. I saw a UN ambulance with a bullet hole in its side. We learned that the driver had been arrested with the keys and the ambulance could not be moved.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I cannot tell the House about the women and children&amp;#x2014;they were so traumatised and upset. They were not interested in the UN food and clothing, and instead kept calling for news of their husbands and sons, from whom they had not heard for several days and still have not heard today.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;No political or security objective can justify targeting and punishing civilians in this way. It is not enough for the European countries simply to bleat condemnation. They need to withdraw European ambassadors from Israel, they need to impose an arms embargo, as Germany has already done, and they should consider what economic sanctions can be imposed. After all, British taxpayers&apos; money is being spent on infrastructure in the west bank, and that is being ground to dust by the Israeli army.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;This is the moment when the European Union should show its mettle and implement its own plan, regardless of the objections or intransigence of the United States or any other country. At present the Palestinian leadership are so beleaguered that they are not in a position to negotiate anything. The Israelis&apos; present policy is not working, and the sooner they realise it, the better.&lt;br/&gt;5.32 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Gummer: The subject is difficult to consider with any degree of clarity, not least for the reasons given by the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell). Those of us who have been targeted by the National Front because of our refusal to take other than a non-racist position know just how beastly, unpleasant and utterly immoral is the racist understanding of any situation, not least the one under discussion.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;To try to talk about Israel in these circumstances is often to invite the use of one&apos;s words as in some way racist, rather than political. I much honour Members of the House and even more those people in Israel who have raised their voices with the same degree of honest and objective criticism in respect of what has happened in the middle east as they have on other issues, and who have been consistent in upholding human rights, even when it pains them to speak in such a way of the Government of Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope that I am one of those who does not have to start off by saying that he has always been, in the general sense rather than in any particular sense, a friend of Israel, who is committed to the maintenance of the state of Israel, and who believes that we have a responsibility for that, because it was our forefathers who to a large extent both made it possible and recognised its rightness.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In that context, however, there is a fundamental distinction between the Israeli action and that of the Arabs: Israel is a state that has the trappings of a state and claims the legitimacy of a state. The more it rightly claims that legitimacy, the more it must be judged by the standards of a state and of democracy. That is where the distinction lies. It is not that one excuses for one moment the actions of individuals such as Chairman Arafat or Saddam Hussein; it is simply that one cannot treat as acceptable the decision of a democratically elected Prime&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0258"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;489&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Minister and Government to invade their neighbours and threaten civilians who, by their nature, must include some who are innocent of any the crimes that have been committed. One simply has to say that the actions of Israel are unacceptable because they would be unacceptable in any other state&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Louise Ellman: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gummer: If I may, I shall continue, as I have but a short time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If Israel is to be treated and defended as a state, as most if not all of us in the House wish her to be, the converse must also be true: in circumstances such as these, she must also take the responsibilities of a state.&lt;br/&gt;Michael Fabricant: Will my right hon. Friend give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gummer: I shall not do so, as there is only a short time available.&lt;br/&gt;Michael Fabricant: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Will you clarify&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker: To save time&amp;#x2014;I know precisely what the hon. Gentleman is going to say&amp;#x2014;let me explain that extra time is allowed for interventions, but not for responses to them, so it is entirely a matter for the hon. Member who has the Floor to decide how much time he loses.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gummer: It is therefore important to recognise that it is not in any way to criticise the Israeli state for its hugely understandable reaction to the awfulness of the suicide bombers to say that the result of that reaction is unacceptable. The reason why one has to make that remark as a friend of Israel is that that reaction makes it incredibly difficult to see how one should move forward. A different reaction of the sort that might have been made by some of the great Israeli leaders of the past might have given a glimpse or glimmer of hope. That is why one speaks in sadness.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The right hon. Member for Swansea, East (Donald Anderson) spoke about the need for maturity, which leads me to the second issue that I want to raise. There is a huge need for maturity in these discussions, not only in terms of the Israeli Government, who are under such huge provocation, but in Washington and the United States. I cannot believe that it is helpful in the current circumstances for the voices of intolerance to be raised to the degree that they have been not only in the speeches of Mr. Netanyahu, but in the American Government&apos;s approach to the problems of Iraq. I yield to no one in my hatred of the Iraqi regime and my non-acceptance of its refusal to allow the visits of United Nations observers or weapons investigations that any sensible and proper state should allow. Neither do I yield to anyone in my belief that Saddam Hussein would be very much better off the scene. However, we have to deal with the world in which we live and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I cannot believe in building an approach that says that we&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;490&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;judge what is in our self-interest and self-defence and can thereby do anything we like, irrespective of the international law of the United Nations or the evidence that is before us.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am still banned from having my questions on the bombing of the Sudanese aspirin factory answered in the House because the Prime Minister tells me that it is a matter of national security. Nevertheless, I remind hon. Members that that was done because of the CIA&apos;s absolute certainty that the factory was producing biological or other weapons. It was wrong. It had not shown the degree of accuracy in foretelling the future that we might have expected of it, especially in the light of 11 September. I must say to my right hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) and to the Foreign Secretary that if the Prime Minister and President Bush should wish to take action, I shall need much more than their assurances that they have the evidence but cannot share it with me.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;This is an issue not for those who have historically been members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, but for those of us who have given the strongest and toughest support to cruise missiles and so on. We must have the evidence, because it is too dangerous to use this, the cockpit of the world, as a means of carrying out internal political agendas and gaining votes for internal political purposes.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have to talk so seriously about these matters because it is hard to find the truth. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Devizes says, the truth is not all on one side. If it is unequal today, it may be different tomorrow. That is part of the awfulness of the whole issue. The word of which we must remind ourselves is maturity. If we are to be mature, we must call on the Israelis to shoulder the burdens of being a state and on the United States to shoulder the burdens of being so powerful that it has to get it right.&lt;br/&gt;5.43 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gerald Kaufman: I became a friend of Israel when I was eight days old, and I have the scar to prove it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The confrontation between Ariel Sharon&apos;s Government and the Palestinian terrorists has become an international crisis, which, unless handled decisively, could create a dangerous wider conflict and disrupt the economies of the developed world. The suicide bombings organised by Palestinian terrorist groups are atrocities with which no civilised community can cope. Earlier this month, an Israeli friend visited me here and told me that his trip was an escape from hell. He went back to hell. Last week, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the bus stop outside his kibbutz, where I have stayed many times, killing eight innocent people.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The deaths of hundreds of innocent Israelis are horrifying and have created an unsustainable atmosphere in Israel. The suicide bombers are mass murderers whose aim is to kill the maximum number of victims. Yet we need to ask ourselves why young Palestinians, men and women with their lives before them, decide to turn themselves into human bombs. We need to ask how we would feel if we had been occupied for 35 years by a foreign power that denied us the most elementary human rights and decent living conditions. We need to ask what the Jews did in comparable circumstances. In 1946, the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0259"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;491&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Irgun, controlled by Menachem Begin, who later became Israeli Prime Minister, blew up the King David hotel in Jerusalem, slaughtering 91 innocent people, 17 of them fellow Jews.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Ariel Sharon responds to the suicide bombers by using the full force of the Israeli army. He is having absolutely no effect in ending the terrorist acts. The suicide bombings and the slaughter of Jewish innocents continue and, as Colin Powell said while in Israel, will go on&amp;#x2014;not only regardless of what Ariel Sharon&apos;s army does, but impelled by what it does. We have now witnessed&amp;#x2014;my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) described her experiences&amp;#x2014;the full impact of the Israeli assault on the Palestinians. We have seen what happened in Jenin.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1948, the Palestinians denounced what they described as a massacre in the village of Deir Yassin. It was denied that there was such a massacre, but it was later officially established by the incoming Israeli Government that 254 Palestinians had been murdered wantonly by Begin&apos;s Irgun and the Stern gang, led by Yitzhak Shamir&amp;#x2014;later, like Begin and Sharon, a Likud Prime Minister.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is undeniable that something dreadful happened in Jenin. Despite an Israeli attempt at a cover-up, the press have now managed to get into Jenin. The Telegraph newspapers, which are pro-Sharon in their editorial line, deserve credit for reporting objectively what happened in Jenin last week. &lt;i&gt;The Sunday Telegraph&lt;/i&gt; said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Without doubt something very terrible had happened to the Palestinian refugees there".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Yesterday&apos;s edition of &lt;i&gt;The Daily Telegraph&lt;/i&gt; described how Israeli soldiers beat Muntaha Seraya with their fists and guns after bursting into her home. Four months pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage half an hour after the soldiers left. Today&apos;s &lt;i&gt;Daily Telegraph&lt;/i&gt; accepts the Palestinian estimate of hundreds killed. &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; today describes the "stench of death" in Jenin, and The &lt;i&gt;Independent&lt;/i&gt; calls what happened there a "war crime".&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The difference between the Deir Yassin massacre and what happened in Jenin is that Deir Yassin was the work of terrorist groups denounced by mainstream Jewish organisations, whereas the horrors in Jenin were carried out by the official Israeli army. In 1901, Henry Campbell-Bannerman asked, "When is a war not a war?" Talking about the British Government and the Boer war, his answer was, "When it is carried on by methods of barbarism." Sharon has ordered his troops to use methods of barbarism against the Palestinians. Two thousand years ago, Tacitus said, "Solitudinem faciunt pacem appellant",&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"They made a desert and called it peace."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That is a precise description of Sharon&apos;s actions.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is time to remind Sharon that the star of David belongs to all Jews, not to his repulsive Government. His actions are staining the star of David with blood. The Jewish people, whose gifts to civilised discourse include Einstein and Epstein, Mendelssohn and Mahler, Sergei Eisenstein and Billy Wilder, are now symbolised throughout the world by the blustering bully Ariel Sharon, a war criminal implicated in the murder of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila camps and now involved in killing Palestinians once again.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Sharon is not simply a war criminal; he is a fool. He says that Jerusalem must never again be divided, yet it is divided in a way that it has not been for 35 years. I used&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;492&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;to walk, shop and dine in east Jerusalem. No westerner or Israeli would dare to do that now. The state of Israel was founded so that Jews would no longer be penned up in ghettos. Now the state of Israel is a ghetto: an international pariah.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Sharon has reduced Israel&apos;s economy to its worst state for nearly half a century. As a consequence of his policies, more innocent Israelis have been killed by terrorists than for decades. More Israeli soldiers are being killed than at any time since Sharon tricked Begin into invading Lebanon 20 years ago. Sharon has rehabilitated Yasser Arafat, who had become sidelined and discredited and is now a Palestinian icon. The United States Secretary of State waited on Arafat in Ramallah like a petitioner. If Sharon succeeds in exiling him, Arafat will be welcomed throughout the world as a spokesman for the oppressed Palestinian people.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Sharon&apos;s most dangerous enemy is Iraq. Although I ardently wish for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, I have my doubts about taking action against him now because the confusion in American policy makes success extremely unlikely. The current fighting in Afghanistan involving the Royal Marines six months after we first went in shows how much more difficult a campaign would be in Iraq, with its huge, well equipped armed forces. In any case, Sharon has made it impossible for the Americans to take action against Iraq. If they did, the whole Muslim world would be united against the United States, the coalition against terrorism would disintegrate, and western economies could suffer a disaster comparable to the oil shock of 1973.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is time for the United States to take action. Sharon must make a full withdrawal from Palestinian territories. If he does not, economic sanctions and an arms ban must be imposed. In 1956, President Eisenhower ordered the Israelis to withdraw from Sinai, which was occupied during the Suez war, and the Israelis, under a sensible Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, complied.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1991, when the Israeli Prime Minister, former terrorist and assassin Yitzhak Shamir refused to participate in peace talks in Madrid, President Bush senior imposed economic sanctions by withholding &amp;#x0024;10 billion in loan guarantees from the Israeli Government, and Shamir turned up in Madrid. President George W. Bush told the Israelis to withdraw from the Palestinian territories. Instead, Sharon has stepped up his aggression. Jenin has happened since Bush&apos;s call for withdrawal. The international credibility of the United States presidency is at stake. If Bush continues to be defied by Sharon, the United States presidency will be proved ineffectual with ominous consequences for the entire free world.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Our Prime Minister is an internationally respected statesman. He must use his influence with the United States&amp;#x2014;the special relationship&amp;#x2014;so that Bush speedily compels Sharon to return Israel to the international community. No alternative is acceptable. If it does not happen, the outlook for us all is bleak.&lt;br/&gt;5.52 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Gillian Shephard: It is a privilege to follow the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), who has again demonstrated his passion and knowledge of this subject. Whenever middle east matters are debated, one cannot fail to be struck by the depth of feeling, experience and knowledge that is&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0260"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;493&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;consistently displayed. That has been borne out so far today. There was a remarkable consensus between members of both Front Benches, and we are privileged to debate in relative calm, which is currently foreign to those who live in Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We are debating a genuine crisis. As the Prime Minister said last week:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"There are many situations, both at home and abroad, which are called a crisis when, in truth, they are not. In this case, however, it is hard to overstate the dangers or the potential for this conflict to impact far beyond the region."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton has shown that. The Prime Minister continued:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"It is, indeed, a genuine crisis, and one on which all of us, in whatever way we can, small or large, have a duty to act."&amp;#x2014;[&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, 10 April 2002; Vol. 383, c. 22.]&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Despite the variety of views that are likely to be expressed, I agree with that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Although I speak as chairman of Conservative Friends of Israel, I shall try to argue as even-handedly as I can. It must be obvious to all that, whatever our views, if we call on the Israelis to withdraw from the occupied territories and on the Palestinian Authority to tackle the terrorism of the suicide bombers, we also must try to understand the viewpoints of both sides. It helps no one for us to replicate here arguments, the results of which we condemn in the middle east, without at least attempting to understand others&apos; points of view. This time, the messages are not mixed. Both sides must exercise restraint and put an end to violence.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As chairman of Conservative Friends of Israel for the past four years, I have visited Israel several times. I have had the opportunity to meet members of the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority, our ambassadors and consuls in Israel and Israeli ambassadors in Britain. It would be safe to say that my views do not differ from those of my counterpart, the chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy), who is in his place and from whom we may hear later. I have frequently hosted meetings with him for the Jewish community and others when Israeli politicians have visited the House.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Others have described circumstances in the Palestinian areas, notably the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), whose memories are so fresh and raw. I should like briefly to describe the state of mind as I perceive it&amp;#x2014;perhaps from the outside&amp;#x2014;of people living in Israel, not only now but since the state of Israel was established.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We do not remind ourselves frequently enough that Israel is a tiny country, one third the size of the state of Florida. It has been said several times that it is a democratic state, where politics are fiercely argued and as vehemently valued. It is surrounded by much larger nations, some of which make no secret of their violent opposition to its very existence. Its only international airport is in easy rocket range of potential aggressors, as are its major cities and its main highway. It has been invaded by its neighbours three times in living memory: in 1948, 1967 and 1973. During the Gulf war, it was a target for Scud missiles. It is no place for the paranoid.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The escalation of terrorist suicide bomb attacks in the past few weeks has created fear and dread for people who are trying to live their lives. In the wake of the events of&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;494&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;11 September, the Israeli Government believe that they are justified in claiming that their military action is intended to root out terrorism. They also claim that documents recovered from Palestinian camps prove links between terrorist attacks, those sustaining the terrorists and Chairman Arafat.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;David Horovitz wrote in &lt;i&gt;The Independent&lt;/i&gt; on 11 April:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Israelis are deeply troubled about the impact on Palestinian civilians of the current military offensive&amp;#x2014;natural empathy combined with the realization that the bitterness this assault is causing will rebound to their detriment. But they feel strongly that at the root of the intifada is not &apos;the occupation&apos; which Mr. Barak tried to end but an Arafat-engineered suicide-bomber-backed effort to destroy all of Israel."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Furthermore, Israelis feel overwhelmingly strongly that although Israel as a democratic state can deliver a ceasefire, Chairman Arafat cannot deliver an end to the suicide bombings as a quid pro quo. That is a major blockage to a peaceful solution. However, I believe that Chairman Arafat&apos;s recent condemnation of suicide bombings is welcome. The importance of guarantees cannot be overstated.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Israel, in its current preoccupation with its security and the rightness of its cause, must take note of international opinion. As the Foreign Secretary said, 450 Israelis have died in the current conflict, but 1,300 Palestinians have died and 1 million Palestinians have been living under curfew. The world has seen the terrible destruction of Jenin.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In this country, we have suffered the terrible insecurity caused by terrorist attacks and bombings. We know what they can do for national confidence. However, there must now be movement on both sides. Israel must withdraw from Palestinian Authority territory and terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians must cease. Arab states must recognise publicly the right of the state of Israel to exist, and there must be a reciprocal agreement on the way forward for Palestinians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In one sense, tragically, things have gone backwards since the Camp David agreement when, under the leadership of Prime Minister Barak, a deal was on the table. For whatever reason&amp;#x2014;one has been adduced this afternoon&amp;#x2014;Chairman Arafat could not accept that deal. The non-acceptance of the deal has, understandably, increased cynicism in Israel as to whether Mr. Arafat can deliver any agreement. The fact that Crown Prince Abdullah&apos;s initiative is consonant with UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 1397 represents some indication of a possible political way forward.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It must be clear to everyone, however, that military or terrorist solutions are not the way forward. Nor can those acquainted with the situation endorse the view that Mr. Sharon and Mr. Arafat can, as a result of international pressure, somehow just shake hands and move straight on to high diplomacy. With passions running as high as they are, and with wounds so deep, it is not possible to think that they could, at this time, discuss the future of the settlements, the partition of Jerusalem, or the status of refugees. Those questions will have to be tackled, but only when there has been some sort of return to order and normality, when both Israelis and Palestinians can focus on the bigger picture.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;For the moment, Prime Minister Sharon must give the world an end date for his incursions into the west bank, and the world must be given the facts about what has gone&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0261"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;495&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;on in Jenin. Chairman Arafat must continue to make it clear that he condemns terrorist suicide bombings, that he endorses a ceasefire and that he will return to dialogue.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The question of guarantees for Israel is, of course, the nub of the problem for the Israeli Government, and it is one of the reasons why the Israeli military action seems to be set on defying world opinion. First must come an end to the violence. The international community cannot reiterate too often that, no matter how long the conflict goes on and no matter how many innocent lives are lost, the state of Israel will still be there, and so will the Palestinians. The players on the ground, however, are the democratically elected Israeli Government and Chairman Arafat. They must move.&lt;br/&gt;6.2 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Marsha Singh: I welcome this debate. There have been calls from other speakers that we should be calm, and I respect that injunction. This Chamber can also be a place in which to express anger, however, especially when we see the injustice that we are witnessing now. There is anger on the streets in my constituency about what is going on. My Muslim constituents cannot understand why there are threats from America, backed by our Prime Minister, to attack Iraq while we are doing nothing about the massacre of Palestinians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;After supporting the Palestinians&apos; calls for a homeland for so long, I have to ask whether there will ever be an end to the despair of the Palestinian people. In 1947, they were dispossessed of their homes, their land and their heritage. Seventy per cent. of their land had been taken by 1949, and the remainder was illegally occupied in 1967. Even in that remainder, settlements grow apace; there have been 34 more settlements since Sharon came to power.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Oslo peace accord, signed in 1993, gave a glimmer of hope, as did Camp David. The reality, however, is that those on the right in Israel never accepted those agreements. They never wanted them. While Rabin was alive, and while Barak was in power, there was a road to peace. That was partially destroyed by the assassination of Rabin and the fall from power of Barak.&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Ellman: Will my hon. Friend give way? Mr. Singh: I am sorry, I shall not have time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The peace process has unravelled not because of Palestinian terrorism but because of the continued expansion of settlements in the west bank, and because those who succeeded Rabin never wanted that peace process. Sharon was elected on a ticket of peace and security, but he is presiding over a massive escalation of violence and killings. He is not interested in peace. He is interested only in destroying the Palestinian people and continuing the illegal occupation of the west bank and Gaza that has gone on since 1967. If anybody doubts what makes Sharon tick, they need only think back to the massacres at the refugee camps at Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon in the early 1980s. He is continuing that policy, as we are now seeing in Jenin.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Sharon calls this present invasion Operation Defensive Shield. He says that it is intended to destroy the infrastructure of terror. It is neither of those things. A suicide bomber does not need an infrastructure of terror.&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;496&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The truth is that this operation represents Israel&apos;s&amp;#x2014;Sharon&apos;s&amp;#x2014;reign of terror against the Palestinian people. Nobody wants to see the death of anyone on any side, but in the last 18 months, hundreds of Israelis and thousands of Palestinians have died, not counting the deaths in recent weeks.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Nobody supports suicide bombers, but we must ask what motivates a young girl to carry out such an act. What is the frustration and despair that makes her give her life? This is not an even battle. It is hard to be even-handed when the sides are not even. One side is an occupier; the other is an occupied people fighting against helicopter gunships, jet fighters and tanks. Against that, the Palestinians have only their lives to give. That is what creates the suicide bomber.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is happening in the west bank is an atrocity. Why have journalists, aid organisations and human rights organisations been banned from Jenin? The answer is simple. It is because Sharon does not want us to know what has been going on there. The truth is emerging, however. It is a horrible truth involving civilians under siege and being murdered, their houses being reduced to rubble, assassinations, executions, gunship attacks, tank attacks and rocket attacks. The Palestinian people have not even been allowed to bury their dead.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The United States of America could have stopped this. I am sure of that. I wish that Bush junior had followed some of the examples set by Bush senior in trying to resolve this issue. It is clear, however, that the silence&amp;#x2014;until very recently&amp;#x2014;of the American Administration and the American President was a green light for Sharon. I am convinced that that green light existed, and I am convinced that that is why Sharon has not withdrawn now. He knows that, intrinsically, the American Administration support him.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Do not the United States Administration understand the danger to the region, or the danger to their own policies on the coalition against terror? Do they not also understand that, if Saddam Hussein is this great tyrant who needs to be removed&amp;#x2014;I do not support the latter proposal&amp;#x2014;there is a danger that that will never happen in the present circumstances? So much of the damage being inflicted now is going to take a long time to repair. The USA and the international community should hang their heads in shame for allowing this situation to develop for the Palestinian people over the last 35 years or so. Yes, Israel should be entitled to its security, but that question has moved on. The question now is: when will the Palestinian people be entitled to security? When will they be entitled to peace, a homeland and dignity?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The United States calls on Arafat to rein in the suicide bombers. Arafat is in a room somewhere without electricity, surrounded by tanks and machine guns. I do not know about him, but most people in that position would not he able to control their bowels, let alone suicide bombers. Bush&apos;s call on Arafat to control the suicide bombers is ridiculous. The infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority has been destroyed; security forces have been arrested and killed. In no way is Arafat in a position to do anything of that nature at present.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If Sharon&apos;s name were Milosevic, we would be acting now. If Sharon&apos;s name was Milosevic, we would be talking about war crimes and war criminals. It is time that the international community acted. It is time to give the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0262"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;497&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Palestinian people a homeland and a home. It is time, now, for sanctions&amp;#x2014;economic and military&amp;#x2014;against Israel. It is time, for once, that we helped the Palestinian people.&lt;br/&gt;6.11 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Francis Maude: I have only a few points to make.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On occasions of this sort and in debates of this nature, it is easy for us to spend time beating our breasts and saying how terrible it all is, and then to engage in individual expressions of long-held views consisting mostly of a denunciation of the opposite view to the one we tend to favour. With respect to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh), I must say that that is what we have just heard: a very one-sided view. Things&amp;#x2014;I was going to say "sadly", but as it is not sad I shall say "hopefully"&amp;#x2014;are, in fact, much more complicated.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It may seem absurd, when we are considering the terrible events of recent months, to sound a note of optimism. We should not forget, however, that what has happened over the last 20 months or so&amp;#x2014;since Camp David and the start, or renewal, of the intifada&amp;#x2014;has not returned us to the situation that existed before the Oslo accords. Minds have moved, and have moved decisively. I believe that that applies not just to a few moderates on both sides, but more widely.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;When I was in Jerusalem in January last year, while the negotiations in Taba were still going on, I had the privilege of meeting Faisal Husseini, now sadly departed. He said something that I will never forget: "If we had been having this conversation 10 years ago, I could not physically have got the word Israel past my lips: I could not have said it. Now the negotiators at Taba are negotiating on whether the Palestinian state is to have 92 per cent. or 96 per cent. of the west bank."&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The commitment of both sides to entitlement to the entirety of the land west of the Jordan has gone&amp;#x2014;for ever, we hope. So let us not lose sight of the fact that minds have moved in the last 10 years. We must hope that things do not slide back, and that we do not return to the extreme views that tended to be held before.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What has changed in that period of 20 months? We know that the process of the moving of minds, and the achievement of an intellectual consensus in favour of commitment to the new agreement, involve a huge amount of confidence and a huge amount of trust. During those 20 months, the trust has evaporated. It is not entirely pointless to ask why that has happened, and where the blame lies&amp;#x2014;not for the sake of settling scores and playing the blame game, but because it is important to understand and accept what went wrong if we are to remedy it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Let us be blunt: there is blame on both sides. I agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), who said that Israel should expect to be judged by a higher standard. Israel is a democracy; it is a fully established state. It is, in fact, a very argumentative democracy&amp;#x2014;and that is healthy, but it must nevertheless expect to be judged according to a higher standard.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I could wish that the Israeli Government had been much more restrained in their reaction to the intifada. At the time of the Gulf war, the then Israeli Government&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;498&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;exercised what seemed to be almost superhuman restraint in not responding to Iraq&apos;s direct attacks on populated civilian areas in Israel. That superb restraint won them the high moral ground. I could wish that today&apos;s Israeli Government would exercise the same restraint. That, however, is easy for us to say in this well protected House of Commons, here in the United Kingdom. We are not the ones who face the daily threat of having our families&amp;#x2014;our children&amp;#x2014;blown up by suicide bombers.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is obvious that Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority have been lamentably to blame in failing to control the terror, and indeed, in many instances, in positively encouraging it. It is easy for us to hope for restraint; but we should recognise that Ariel Sharon belongs to a strand of Israeli thought that has held for decades that Palestinians will only acquiesce in Israel&apos;s existence at the point of a gun.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If we are thinking about blame, we should also accept that the Israeli Government&apos;s decision to go on creating settlements on the west bank in the aftermath of the Oslo accords was highly provocative, and appeared to constitute a determination to ensure that the peace process did not reach a satisfactory conclusion. It looked like&amp;#x2014;again&amp;#x2014;an attempt to change the facts on the ground, so that residual matters not disposed of in Oslo could be disposed of only in a way that would be more favourable to Israel. It was contrary to the spirit of the Oslo accords.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It would be hugely helpful to getting the process back on track if the Israeli Government accepted that this is the case, and that mistakes were made. A statement to that effect would constitute an earnest of their serious intention to resurrect a peace process capable of resolution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What about blame on the Palestinian side? I spoke of the Palestinian Authority&apos;s lamentable failure to curb the terror. My right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal said that Israel had the trappings of a state and the status of statehood. That is true, but one of the obligations that goes with statehood is the obligation to protect citizens.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not know what I would want to do if terror was emanating from a neighbouring territory and the established authority in that territory refused, or was unable, to take steps to enforce the law and ensure that those behind the terror were brought to justice, other than going in there and enforcing order myself. That is not to say that everything Israel has done has been proper or proportionate. As is increasingly clear, we shall have to wait to find out exactly what happened at Jenin. It seems fairly clear, however, that what happened was well beyond the scope of any appropriate intervention in a neighbouring territory.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I think that we are right to expect Mr. Arafat to be unequivocal in his condemnation of suicide bombers. A Labour Member quoted something he had said, which included the comment, "This conduct is a deviation from the established policy of the Palestinian Authority". I do not think that that is quite the unequivocal condemnation for which we are looking.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We are all too used to Mr. Arafat&apos;s issuing some form of condemnation in English to appease his western allies&amp;#x2014;generally of a qualified nature&amp;#x2014;while at the same time, speaking in Arabic on the Arabic broadcasting channels, not only failing to condemn but positively&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0263"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;499&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;encouraging such action. We should accept that that happens. If it carries on happening, it will perpetuate the nightmare.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We should also expect Palestine&apos;s Arab neighbours, and those states that support Palestine, to change their ways. The Saudi peace plan is encouraging, but it would be more credible if the Saudi Government did not at the same time positively tolerate the promotion of terror by Palestinians. Saudi Arabia is an autocracy, and one of the benefits of that is that the Saudi Government ought to be able to control terrorist activity, but they are not so able. It is very important that action be taken to condemn such activity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the end, there must be compromise, and negotiation; otherwise, nothing like a satisfactory conclusion will be reached. However, both sides must acknowledge that there have been serious mistakes along the way.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Neither Ariel Sharon nor Yasser Arafat would be anyone&apos;s choice of dining companion, let alone of negotiating partner, but they are the ones who are in place. They may be bloody fools, as someone once said, but they are their own bloody fools, and we cannot choose to change them. We&amp;#x2014;the west in general, although Britain has a particular influence in the area&amp;#x2014;must use our influence to persuade Sharon and Arafat that, in the circumstances that obtain in the middle east, true leaders must accept that some mistakes have been made, and move forward.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;6.21 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Peter Mandelson: This debate has been characterised by some excellent speeches, and some passionate ones as well. I do not want to talk about Iraq other than to pick up a comment made by the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer). Referring to Saddam Hussein, the right hon. Gentleman said that we should deal with the world as it is and that, having dealt with the world as it is, we should decide to do nothing. I do not think that that is an option. The possibility that weapons of mass destruction might pass from Iraqi hands into the hands of international terrorists means that, in the end, we will have to do something.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) offered an important and sobering&amp;#x2014;chilling, even&amp;#x2014;account of recent events. It was all the more important for coming so early in the debate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have no hesitation in agreeing with my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh), who said that at the heart of the conflict lies the gross, offensive, unacceptable and intolerable denial of human rights for the Palestinian people. It may be true that those people are led poorly and weakly, that the Palestinian Authority&amp;#x2014;which, by all accounts, is riddled with corruption&amp;#x2014;presides over them in an inadequate manner, and that too many Palestinians have absorbed the mindset and methods of the terrorist organisations that hold sway. However, although that complicates and clouds matters, it does not alter the basic, salient fact that the conflict will not end until the Palestinian people have a free, independent and viable state of their own. Everyone&apos;s efforts must be directed towards achieving that outcome.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;500&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;One key point that I wish to make is that the creation of a state for the Palestinian people is as important for the Israelis as for the Palestinians themselves. Of course, Israel must take all reasonable measures to protect its citizens. Only the most partisan and one-sided advocates of the Palestinian cause would expect anything different. When people cannot take buses, sit in cafes or go to family weddings without there being a possibility that they will be blown up, they must of course act to defend themselves. However, we must also understand that long-term security for Israel can be achieved only if the Palestinian people form a state, and move on from what they are at present&amp;#x2014;a rag-bag of refugee camps, isolated and deteriorating towns, and terrorist cells.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Palestinian state, once formed, would become part of the international community and system. It would have to play by the rules. It would be deterred from wrongdoing, in the same way that every other state in the international community is deterred. It would have to invest in peace and neighbourly relations, like any other state, because that is what economics and trade would dictate. The Palestinian state would also have to build up the security apparatus required by any normal state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I believe passionately that Israel must work towards establishing that Palestinian state. At present, Palestinian policemen and gunmen operate hand in hand. That would no longer be possible in a state that was internationally and legally constituted.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I shall not engage in the blame game. That would be sterile, as we all know what has happened in the years since Oslo. Oslo was about building peace, but Israel built peace with one hand and settlements in the occupied territories with the other. Similarly, the Palestinian leaders built peace on good days, but hate on other days, and they have armed and trained terror units.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We now have two very angry old men who are unsuited to creating peace on behalf of the people whom they represent. They are going at each other with weapons of war, destroying any semblance of trust that ever existed, and deepening the hatred between their peoples.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not believe that the Israelis embrace Ariel Sharon as their natural leader. I think that they support Sharon and his policies because they feel that they have no option. Everyone involved&amp;#x2014;and all the Arab nations, as well&amp;#x2014;must work on creating an alternative option for the Israeli people to embrace.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Israeli state was founded on principles of social justice, democracy and respect for other people. That is why Israel has always been able to draw on a well of sympathy and support in the British Labour party. That sympathy still exists, because the founding values of the state of Israel still exist, however much they might be obscured by current events.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In their apparently contradictory attitudes, the opinions of Israeli people continue to reflect those founding values. The mass of Israelis support a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. However, although 76 per cent. of Israelis favour the creation of a Palestinian state, a similar proportion&amp;#x2014;74 per cent.&amp;#x2014;support the current security policy. That is what happens when decent, civilised people are terrorised to within an inch of their wits&apos; end.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must accept that many people in Britain would react in the same way if bombs&amp;#x2014;twice the size of the ones at Birmingham, Warrington, Omagh, or Enniskillen&amp;#x2014;were to explode twice a week in our country. Yet however&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0264"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;501&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;desperate we might have felt, we would have known that the answer did not lie in our Army seeking not only gunmen but what appear to be reprisals against innocent citizenry, as seems to be the case in Jenin.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My last point is about the Americans. Any success in creating a peace process will require strong external pressure. The only source for that pressure will need to come from the Americans, who need to be engaged, full scale and full-time, and win the trust of both sides. That means putting aside their supporter&apos;s scarf if they are to go between the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Arabs. We will not persuade the Americans to take on that role by bleating and complaining about them or cutting across what they are doing. Our job is to persuade the Americans to stop wavering, acquire resolve and resume their international responsibilities to play the role that only America can play in these terrible conditions.&lt;br/&gt;6.31 pm&lt;br/&gt;Sir Patrick Cormack: I hope that tomorrow the Foreign Secretary will invite the Israeli ambassador to come to his office&amp;#x2014;I do not say summon him&amp;#x2014;and give him a copy of &lt;i&gt;Hansard.&lt;/i&gt; There is a message running through this debate. Parliamentarians who are deeply attached to Israel&amp;#x2014;some have an attachment going back many, many years&amp;#x2014;are deeply distressed by what is going on at the moment.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I cannot claim to have been a friend of Israel for as long as the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), who made a most moving speech. However, within weeks of entering the House of Commons in 1970, I got together with Lord Janner, as he now is, and others, and we formed the Campaign for the Release of Soviet Jewry. We worked hard to get people visas from the then Soviet Union to go to a land which, if not exactly flowing with milk and honey all the time, was a land of freedom, a true democracy, a country of which we could all be proud to be friends.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;One of the first countries that I had the privilege of visiting as a Member of Parliament was the state of Israel. I went with a group of colleagues; the House must remember that it was just three years after 1967. We stood on the Golan heights, visited the other historic parts of Israel, and went to the holy places. We all came back conscious of the pioneering spirit of the Israeli people, conscious of their vulnerability and conscious that almost all their neighbours wished to push them into the sea or crush them one way or another.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Over the years, one has watched Israel develop and one has been extremely glad that a degree of normality began to come to the middle east. The way in which Begin and Sadat came together was deeply impressive; the part played in that by President Jimmy Carter was also extremely impressive. Now, of course, the situation is very different. Israel has, over the past two months or more, forfeited its right to claim the moral high ground. I find that distressing.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) spoke most movingly of her recent experiences. She brought home to us, in a way that nobody else has done, what is going on at the moment. However, we have only to watch our television screens and read our newspapers to realise that crimes are being perpetrated&amp;#x2014;I use my words carefully and deliberately&amp;#x2014;by a civilised state that are bound to forfeit the respect of the world for that state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;502&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Sharon has one great accomplishment: he has virtually united the world in condemnation of the enormity of his actions. He has created a situation in which many who were sceptical about whether there should be a state of Palestine now accept it and promote it as official policy. I am glad about that; I think that there should be a state of Palestine, side by side with the state of Israel&amp;#x2014;both within secure guaranteed borders, enjoying international recognition and a degree of international protection. Mr. Sharon has indeed taken the agenda forward, but he has behaved, as the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) said, as a Milosevic&amp;#x2014;a war criminal. He has used the apparatus of a mighty army and a civilised democratic state to crush.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Nobody in this House cannot but condemn the suicide bombing, but what drives a 16 or 17-year-old girl to go into a restaurant or to a bus stop and blow other people and herself up? I say to Members of this House that if they had been born where she had been born, if they had been taught what she had been taught and if they had been deprived of hope as she had been deprived of hope, they might have done the same. The true poor of the 21st century are those who have no hope. In Palestine, they do not have hope, and we must recognise that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I yield to no one in my defence of the state of Israel, its right to exist, and to no one in my condemnation of any terrorist barbarism, but I say to the Prime Minister of Israel and his Government that they have brought many of these atrocities upon their own people by the way in which they have over-reacted and over-retaliated. They have forfeited the respect of their friends; they have made a great country into a pariah nation. They have behaved in a way that puts them beyond the pale of decency and civilised values.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is not easy to say these things so strongly, but I say them because I believe them to be true. I hope that tomorrow the Israeli ambassador will convey to his Government just how many of his friends in this Parliament, on both sides of the House, feel about their actions. He should see, in particular, a copy of the speech by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, himself a Jewish Member, with an impeccable record in this regard. I am sorry that he is not in the Chamber&amp;#x2014;I hope that he is not blushing outside.&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Julian Lewis: Not much chance.&lt;br/&gt;Sir Patrick Cormack: That is wisely said. However, the right hon. Gentleman is, above all else, a friend of Israel. Let the Israeli Government realise what they are doing to civilised opinion in this Parliament at Westminster.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) said, in a powerful speech, if the Americans do not take a firm grip, the whole substance of the fight against terrorism is undermined. Saddam Hussein is a brutal and terrible dictator who has done the most despicable things to his own people. I have great sympathy with everything that the Prime Minister has said about him, but I know that if action is taken against him while Sharon is in power and behaving in the way that he is, the middle east will go up like a tinderbox. All those who are inclined to join the coalition or who are uneasy members will desert it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;When I visited the United States with the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs shortly before Christmas, I was impressed by much of what we were told. Nobody&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0265"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;503&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;could stand at ground zero and fail to be deeply moved, but I was disturbed by the fact that many of the people we met did not seem to realise that unless the Palestine-Israel conflict is brought to an end, on sensible and civilised terms that allow the existence of both states, the breeding ground for terror will remain.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope, therefore, that the message will go out from the House today that there is no one who is not committed to an independent, democratic state of Israel: but also that there is no one who is not deeply disturbed by the way in which its Government are behaving at present.&lt;br/&gt;6.41 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jim Murphy: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak about the heartbreaking situation in the middle east. I do so on the eve of yom ha&apos;Atzma&apos;ut, the Israeli independence celebration, for which, this evening, my constituents will be gathering in a determined but solemn manner.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I speak as chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, as an avowed supporter of land for peace and&amp;#x2014;as everyone who knows me well is aware&amp;#x2014;as a passionate believer in a democratic Palestinian state existing alongside a safe and secure Israeli state, as a neighbour rather than as an enemy. I fully endorse the Prime Minister&apos;s statement that there is no exclusively military solution to this complex political problem.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I support the Tenet proposals, the Mitchell plan, the Camp David proposals and the most recent Saudi proposals. I endorse the idea that they could form the basis of a new UN resolution that would garner broad international support.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In advocating anything that would bring the two sides closer together in a just settlement, I believe that the majority of Israelis and Palestinians want a peaceful resolution of the problems. Both communities have hurt, bled and died for far too long. Both communities accept the painful need to make difficult concessions.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;From my background as an avid supporter and chair of Labour Friends of Israel, I am happy to associate myself with all the proposals that advocate the creation of a democratic Palestinian state. I was in Israel when the secrecy about the Oslo talks was broken and the accord became public. I joined tens of thousands of Israelis from all political backgrounds in an almost spontaneous Peace Now demonstration in the enormous public square in Tel Aviv. That square has now been named after the late Yitzhak Rabin as, tragically, he was assassinated there. I admit to breaking a small council byelaw when I was there by joining many hundreds bathing in the public fountains, such was my joy in the belief that a new opportunity was on the horizon. Sadly, we are where we are now.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is easy to apportion blame, but in my short comments I want to try to put my perspective in context. It is clear that a generous offer was made at Camp David. Our Prime Minister made that point, as did President Clinton. The deal was not ideal for either side. It involved painful concessions, but I believe that they would have been built on if peace had been maintained. It was a continuing process rather than a permanent settlement.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must all be honest about what a minority of terrorists hope to achieve. There has been a lack of perspective about that. Some hon. Members have said&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;504&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;that the peace process was destroyed by the tragic assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, but in fact when Shimon Peres was the caretaker Prime Minister and the Labour Government were trying to negotiate a peace settlement, there were regular terrorist bus bombings. When Ehud Barak was trying to negotiate during the build-up to Camp David, bus bombings and suicide attacks were a regular occurrence. While the peace process was going on and hope was at its highest, terrorists continued to bomb innocent civilians in an attempt to undermine the process.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Neither of the last two Labour Governments of Israel were brought down by differences between the left and the right over the economy or other factors of that nature. Those Administrations were supported by the people of Israel in the hope that they could deliver peace and security, but history will judge that, unfortunately, that was not the case.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;For people in Hamas and Islamic Jihad and for some of those in Al Aqsa&amp;#x2014;the so-called martyrs brigade&amp;#x2014;no concession would be good enough. We all know that drastic action is needed on Israeli settlements, but even if not one settler remained, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and some in Al Aqsa would continue to bomb innocent Israelis. Even if there were the most expansive Palestinian state, those people would continue to bomb innocent Israeli civilians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Many Israeli civilians do not believe, or are unconvinced, that there is a partnership for peace. Israel, under a Labour Government, rightly withdrew from Lebanon. Although that took far too long, it was in full compliance with UN resolution 425, yet Hezbollah continues to mount terrorist attacks and launch rockets across the border. We have to accept that there is a hardcore coalition of organisations, and, yes, states, that does not believe in Israel&apos;s right to exist. It includes Syria, Lebanon and elements in Iran, Iraq and, sadly, in the Palestinian Authority. Arms shipments from Iran are delivered to the Palestinian Authority. There are strong allegations&amp;#x2014;although an independent assessment has yet to be made&amp;#x2014;that the Authority is providing funds for the families of suicide bombers. Elements in the Palestinian Authority glorify the suicide bombers while describing their activities as outwith its agreed policy or strategy.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The difficulty for all of us who want to see the two states living alongside one another is that while the majority of Palestinians and Israelis accept a peace settlement&amp;#x2014;albeit with painful concessions&amp;#x2014;a hardcore minority will never accept one. Who will guarantee the ceasefire for the people of Israel? Who will protect them against Hamas or Islamic Jihad? Will Chairman Arafat&amp;#x2014;or, in a Palestinian state, President Arafat&amp;#x2014;give that guarantee? It cannot just be willed in English or in Arabic, on television or radio; it must be given through action, not merely in words of equivocal condemnation or criticism. Until that guarantee can be delivered, I have substantial fears that Israel will be unable to make the essential and difficult concessions that are necessary.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The coalition of terror, which involves states and individual benefactors throughout the region, has killed 126 innocent Israeli civilians in the past month alone&amp;#x2014;Jews and Israeli Arabs alike. In this debate and on other occasions, hon. Members have drawn parallels with Northern Ireland. During the horrific dark days of the troubles there was disgraceful bloodshed and mass&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0266"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;505&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;slaughter in Northern Ireland, to the eternal shame of those in the IRA and other organisations who carried out those deeds.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On average, every year, 31 innocent civilians were brutally murdered by the IRA and their friends, yet in only one month, 126 innocent civilians were killed by suicide bombers in Israel. In one month alone, Palestinian terrorists killed more civilians than the IRA managed to kill in four years of the troubles at their darkest. That tragic loss of life has led the majority of Israelis, who are peace loving and wish to reach an accommodation with their neighbour, to turn to alternative means.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is pain and suffering on both sides&amp;#x2014;we all know about the deaths of Palestinian children, mothers and grandmothers&amp;#x2014;but I shall cite just one terrible example: the recent slaughter in which a suicide bomber killed 28 innocent Jewish civilians as they celebrated Passover, including Frieda Britvich, 86 years of age; Anna Yakobovitch, 78 years of age; and Eva Weiss, 75 years of age. All three were survivors of the holocaust, and all three lost their lives to a suicide bomber on the eve of Passover.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have to ask ourselves honestly how we would react as a democracy that wishes to reach an accommodation and accepts the need for painful concessions. How would we choose to react? I say that not as a friend of Ariel Sharon in any sense, as everyone knows. In conclusion&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman has spoken for 10 minutes.&lt;br/&gt;6.51 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew MacKay: Like most hon. Members who have spoken in this debate, the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) rightly concentrated on the dreadful events that are unfolding in Israel and Palestine even as we speak. At this stage of the debate, it might be helpful if I pick up the various more casual remarks that have been made about Iraq because this will be one of the few opportunities that we have to question a Foreign Office Minister and express some concerns about British and American policy, which could lead to military action against Iraq in the near future. I hope that it goes without saying that I do so as one who abhors everything that Saddam Hussein has done and who, as Tom King&apos;s Parliamentary Private Secretary during the Gulf war, saw at something fairly close to first hand the effects of Iraq&apos;s invasion of its neighbour, Kuwait.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The first set of questions that I should like to pose to the Minister who will respond to the debate deals with the implications of any such military intervention, and the implications for Iraq itself. Most hon. Members have been impressed that America and the international coalition have identified people who could lead Afghanistan in the future. In fact, if anything, almost too many people have been identified and delicate negotiations and diplomacy will be needed to ensure that good people run Afghanistan. But there is no such opposition in Iraq that could take over from Saddam Hussein.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is no point whatever in military action to remove Saddam Hussein and replace him with someone just as bad. The further implication would be the almost certain break-up of Iraq as a nation state, which is not necessarily&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;506&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;desirable for the stability of the middle east. When I was Tom King&apos;s PPS, I visited northern Iraq and saw the excellent work that our soldiers were doing to protect Kurdish Iraqis from attacks by Saddam Hussein. There is no doubt that the Kurdish people in the north would wish to have an independent state. The possibility of a greater Kurdistan would lead to instability and have a huge effect on our NATO ally, Turkey.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Equally inevitably and, I suspect, rightly, the Shi&apos;ites in the south would wish to have independence. They would probably form a statelet very dependent on Iran. That would lead to greater instability because it would give even more power and influence to Iran, which is far from a force for good. There are grave implications for Iraq itself and for its neighbours, and the fragile international coalition against terrorism could well break up, as other hon. Members have said.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I noted, as other hon. Members must have done, the Arab League summit in Beirut earlier this month, when even Kuwait rejected military intervention in Iraq. Our many moderate friends throughout the middle east would be at least embarrassed and, at worst, heavily destabilised by any such military action. I need hardly say that the harm that it would do to the present awful crisis in the middle east&amp;#x2014;the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians&amp;#x2014;does not bear thinking of, so, on that count alone, I urge caution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The second set of questions that we should ask deals with what exactly is new. Saddam Hussein is a very bad man&amp;#x2014;he has been for a very long time. He has inflicted gross cruelty on his own people and, some 10 years ago, he invaded his neighbour, Kuwait. But what has happened in the past two, three, six or nine months that requires military intervention to be considered that had not happened before? We are not told what weapons of mass destruction he has now that he did not have then.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If we were to take military action against every rogue state and every disagreeable dictator who has dangerous and serious weapons, we would have to consider many other candidates. There is Libya, which used its weapons of mass destruction in neighbouring Chad. There are Iran, North Korea and even China, but there is rightly no suggestion of military action against those countries. Instead, there is a sensible policy of containment and deterrence.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have repeated time and again the self-evident truth that Saddam Hussein is a very bad man indeed, but he is not mad. I believe that he understands a deterrent and there has been no further incursion into neighbouring countries because, by and large, the no-fly zone over Kurdish northern Iraq has been maintained by us and our allies and because, after the Gulf war, he knows just what would happen if he were in any way implicated in any terrorist activity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is therefore no justification whatever for our American allies, supported by our own Government, to take military action against Iraq in the foreseeable future. In the long term, such action would be highly dangerous and destabilise not just the region, but world peace and the world economy. Many hon. Members on both sides of the House would take a huge amount of convincing before our armed forces joined the Americans in any such military adventure.&lt;br/&gt;6.59 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Fabian Hamilton: It is significant that, as my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) said, we are having this debate on the eve of the 54th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I last visited Israel in 1999 with a delegation from Labour Friends of Israel. One of the things that those delegations always do is speak to Palestinian representatives, as many of my hon. Friends and colleagues who have taken part in those visits will know. Indeed, on my first visit as a Member of Parliament we met Marwan Barghouti, who has just been arrested. We had an hour or so with him, as my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) will remember. In 1999, we had lunch at the American Colony hotel in east Jerusalem with Palestinian representatives, one of whom was the Palestinian mayor of Jerusalem, Ziad Abu Ziad, whom we have seen on television from time to time. He said something very significant, which has stuck in my mind: "If you are truly Labour Friends of Israel, you must also be Labour Friends of Palestine. That means that you must support a Palestinian state, a true state that lives not back to back but face to face with Israel in peace." Those words have always struck me as very important and very wise. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) said, it is significant that more than three quarters of Israelis would support a Palestinian state if it brought them the security that they are so desperate to achieve. It is, of course, also significant that so many Israelis support the current leadership of Ariel Sharon, who is causing so much violence, death, destruction and mayhem among innocent Palestinians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I support the recent moves by the Arab League for a peace settlement&amp;#x2014;land for peace. That is supported by most of my colleagues in Labour Friends of Israel and, I am sure, by the vast majority of Members of Parliament. However, it is not good enough simply to say we will get rid of the Bantustans of area A, area B and area C, and the towns that are isolated from each other in the Palestinian territories; we must do much more than that. There must be investment in infrastructure, the creation of a civil society and the creation of an economic infrastructure, so that the economic development that is so sadly lacking in Palestinian areas can be used to develop the wealth and standard of living of ordinary Palestinians, which fall so far behind those of ordinary Israelis.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On my last visit, I went to east Jerusalem. The poverty there is palpably a factor that gives rise to the militancy of many Palestinians. When one considers that there is a 20-fold difference between the gross domestic product per capita or the annual income of a Palestinian compared with that of an Israeli, one begins to understand why there is so much bitterness. It is not good enough simply to have a Palestinian state; there must also be massive investment so that the standard of living can be increased&amp;#x2014;perhaps not to that of the Israelis, but so that a democratic, peaceful, civil society can be created in a state of Palestine and that we can have a truly and properly established state and bring justice to those Palestinians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I want to say a few words about what is happening in Israel. We have heard many stories and many tales of ordinary Israelis and the way in which they have lost their lives, the lives of their children, and the innocent people whose lives have been destroyed by the suicide bombers. I was in Cyprus on 27 March on a Foreign Affairs&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;508&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Committee visit when I turned on the television and saw, on CNN, the news of the bomb in the hotel in Netanya. My good friends&amp;#x2014;and my constituents&amp;#x2014;Debbie and Michael Ziff were in Netanya at the time. They were not going to that hotel, but they knew it well. This was on Seder night, the night before the Passover begins, so it was going to be very crowded. Twenty-seven people died, and many more were injured. I shed many tears, along with many others who saw that news.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What was the response of Ariel Sharon&apos;s democratically elected Government? The Israeli leadership says that it was to root out the terrorist infrastructure&amp;#x2014;there is an infrastructure even for suicide bombs. Brigadier-General Eyal Shlein said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"We went out on a mission with the intent of destroying the terrorist infrastructure to thwart terrorist attacks, and to remove the threat of terrorism inside Israel. This is one of the most justified wars, and I am very much at peace with it."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Is that a justified response to the horror and carnage of suicide bombing? I recently received an e-mail from my cousin who lives in Ramat Aviv. She is now too frightened to go shopping. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman) said in his excellent speech, the fact is that Israel is becoming a ghetto&amp;#x2014;that is what the Jews tried to escape from when they set up the state of Israel. It is not good enough for ordinary Israelis to be too frightened to go out of their own homes. It is not good enough for my cousin who lives in Tel Aviv to send me an e-mail saying that he did not know, for six hours, whether his son, who is doing military service in Gaza, was alive or dead, when three soldiers were killed a few weeks ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is the solution? I have been as horrified as all hon. Members by the reports that we have read&amp;#x2014;the kind of reports that were published recently in &lt;i&gt;The Sunday Telegraph&lt;/i&gt;&amp;#x2014;of murder, mayhem and carnage in some of the Palestinian cities as well as the camps. A significant piece appeared in &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; on 12 April. It was written by Stephen Farrell in Ramallah. Obviously, the Israeli army did not want him to be in Ramallah, and one of the soldiers of the Israeli defence force said to him:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"You f&lt;sup&gt;******&lt;/sup&gt; Europeans, you have got it all wrong."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;So began the familiar outburst before it headed in an entirely unexpected direction:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Should I he here? No. Should any Israeli tanks be here? No. I have more sympathy with these people than any of those f&lt;sup&gt;******&lt;/sup&gt; settlers we are supposed to be looking after&amp;#x2026;You&apos;re going to write about massacres, aren&apos;t you, say we are killing them all in Jenin, all over the West Bank. We&apos;re not. But you won&apos;t write that."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Of course, the journalist did so, but those comments were very significant.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am in an unenviable position as a constituency Member of Parliament who represents about 10,000 Jews and about 10,000 Muslims&amp;#x2014;I cannot win, whatever I say. I did do something that I felt was right, however&amp;#x2014;I signed the advertisement in the &lt;i&gt;Jewish Chronicle&lt;/i&gt; on 29 March. I shall not read it all out, but part of it states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"We condemn the use of terror by extremist Palestinian groups. Nevertheless, this terror should not blind us to the deeper issues posed by Israel&apos;s occupation of and current behaviour in the Palestinian territories. It is in recognition of these issues that voices are being raised in Israel to point out that the moral foundation of the Jewish state is being destroyed by the occupation."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Three hundred Jewish people signed that; I was the only Member of Parliament to do so&amp;#x2014;and, believe me, I have had a bit of flak from my constituents for so doing. I do not apologise, however, because, in the end, how many people have to die before there is a solution?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0268"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;509&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;We know that violence breeds further violence; that is absolutely clear. I agree with Naomi Chassan, the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, when she says, "Withdraw the troops now." The moral high ground has been lost through such action. All I can say is this: we know that there will be a solution&amp;#x2014;eventually, one day, all the parties will have to negotiate peace in the middle east. The only question that remains is: how many innocent Palestinians and innocent Israelis must die in the meantime?&lt;br/&gt;7.8 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Maples: The last two speakers from the Government Benches have done something to redress the balance of this debate. I concur with much of what they said. Indeed, I am surprised at how overwhelmingly the balance of the debate has been tipped the other way.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Since I have been involved in politics, my sympathies have been largely with the Palestinians&amp;#x2014;60:40 or 70:30. As many of us have done, I have tried to balance the right of Israel to exist as a state against the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians and the indignity of having their land occupied, and the continued building of settlements, for which the current Israeli Prime Minister is largely responsible.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My attitude to that changed about 18 months ago when negotiations started at Camp David and culminated at Taba, in which President Clinton invested an enormous amount of time and the prestige of his office, and in which Prime Minister Barak of Israel went to extraordinary lengths to reach a settlement with the Palestinians. As the Foreign Secretary said, Barak offered them, in the words of a Palestinian negotiator, 95 per cent. of what they wanted. That was not just turned down flat; it was not even used by Arafat as a basis for continuing negotiations. In the middle of those negotiations, Arafat restarted the intifada for some trumped-up reason. Perhaps it was because Sharon went to the Temple Mount. &lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; At that time Sharon was not even a member of the Knesset, let alone a member of the Israeli Government. If the leader of the Palestinians is not more mature, there is not an awful lot of hope.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is not surprising that Israel and, perhaps more important, the United States have given up on Chairman Arafat as a negotiator for peace. We want a compromise, and that fact has been laid out by both Front-Bench spokesmen and by many speakers in the debate. A great many people in Israel want a compromise, but a good deal of Arab and Palestinian opinion does not want one. It wants the destruction of the state of Israel, and that might explain why Arafat cannot or will not reach a deal.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It seems from the events of the past few months that Arafat is really a terrorist at heart. The Al Aqsa brigade is not a child of Hamas; it is a child of Fatah. We have to ask what kind of regime encourages teenage schoolgirls to become suicide bombers. What kind of sick mentality or sick thinking encourages people to do that? It may be understandable that the occasional adult decides to become a suicide bomber, but it is obscene for a regime that claims to be a Government to encourage children to carry out such acts.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hold no brief for Sharon. He has made the situation much more difficult, and the chances of reaching a peace with him are very limited indeed. The reaction of Israel&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;510&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;may have been brutal, but it cannot have been unexpected. I wonder whether the aim of the Palestinian Government was to provoke an overreaction from Israel so that they could gain world sympathy. Arafat has created a Sharon Government. He had much better options than that. He could have reached a peace deal with Barak, and he could probably have reached one with Rabin and Peres. He created the Netanyahu Government and he created the Sharon Government, and we are all reaping the results of that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am afraid that I am a pessimist&amp;#x2014;perhaps that is why I am a Conservative. I do not believe in the perfectibility of human nature or that it is as good as people like to pretend it is. I think that things will get worse in the Arab-Israeli conflict before they get better. I suspect that we will need new leaders on both sides before a peace deal is struck.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On 11 September, four sets of suicide bombers in the United States of America killed 5,000 Americans. The reaction of the western world was united, and we carried a good deal of the rest of the world with us. We started the war against terrorism and we saw the attacks&amp;#x2014;rightly in my opinion&amp;#x2014;as a fundamental assault on our interests and as something to which we had to respond.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Since September 2000, just after the Camp David talks, there have been 67 suicide bombings in Israel and 29 of them have taken place since 11 September. However, when Israel reacts to eliminate that threat, we call for their withdrawal and United Nations resolutions are passed to condemn them. This debate has demonstrated the one-sided nature of the arguments.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Israeli reaction has been brutal, but it remains to be seen whether what happened in the refugee camp in Jenin was a war crime. However, the reaction has been over the top and we must acknowledge that, if there were no suicide bombers, there would be no Israeli defence force incursions on the scale that there have been. The suicide bombings came first.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is the difference between the Israeli reaction to the Palestinian suicide bombings and our reaction to the suicide bombers in the United States? Terrorism is terrorism. I do not see a moral distinction. There is a practical distinction and that is what the issue comes down to. Our Government and the American Government are driven by the fact that we are engaged in a war against terrorism in which our Arab allies are an important ingredient. The United States is thinking about and perhaps even planning an attack on Iraq to replace the regime there, but my right hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Mr. MacKay) will forgive me if I do not pursue that point. However, it will be difficult to replace that regime if the situation in the middle east has been inflamed by the Arab-Israeli conflict re-emerging in the way that it has done. That is why there is a difference and that is why it is in our interests to cool the situation down. However, we should be very careful about pretending that there is a moral difference between one kind of terrorism and another.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If Israel withdraws, which United Nations resolutions and many speakers in the debate have called for, what guarantee is there that the suicide bombings will stop? They will almost certainly continue. No one has answered the question and I do not pretend to have an answer myself, but reasonable Israelis are entitled to an answer.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0269"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;511&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The middle east is the source of most of the world&apos;s instability, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not the only cause of that. The threats are not just regional and nor do they affect only our oil supplies. Terrorism and weapons of mass destruction are a serious threat to the west and to our fundamental interests.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the attacks on 11 September, 14 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. The leader of the hijackers was an Egyptian. Mullahs in Saudi Arabia have developed and exported their peculiarly toxic brand of Islamic fundamentalism, which is a perversion of a great worldwide religion that almost all of us&amp;#x2014;perhaps all of us&amp;#x2014;thoroughly respect. It certainly deserves our respect, but what has emerged in al-Qaeda and its associated organisations is a toxic and poisonous brand of that religion that seeks to justify murder on a mass scale. The mullahs have succeeded in exporting that toxic brand of their religion to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Chechnya, the Philippines and even to the United Kingdom.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The problem is not created just by the mullahs; it is financed by Saudi money in one form or another. A recent article in a Saudi newspaper accused Jews of drinking the blood of Christians and Muslims in religious ceremonies. Saudi Arabia has a Government-controlled press. As someone said earlier, one of the advantages of an autocracy is that one can at least get what one wants in the newspapers. We have all met extremely well-educated and urbane Saudis, Egyptians and other Arabs, and can any of them seriously believe that that accusation is true? The Egyptian newspapers constantly carry diatribes against America and they fuel anti-western feeling. When combined with a fundamentalist brand of Islam, it creates many of the problems that we face.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Saudi ambassador to Britain has recently taken to writing light-hearted and amusing letters to &lt;i&gt;The Spectator.&lt;/i&gt; Last week he put pen to paper and wrote a poem that was published in a Saudi newspaper. It lauded one of the Palestinian teenage suicide bombers. It praised her and said that the gates of heaven were open to her. We are dealing with a serious problem in Saudi Arabia. It is our ally and we rescued it from a potential Iraqi invasion during the Gulf war. The stationing of American troops in Saudi Arabia, who are there to protect it from Iraq, is Osama bin Laden&apos;s casus belli. He constantly says that his actions are designed to get American troops out of Saudi Arabia, but the country refused to allow our Prime Minister to land there and to talk to its Government in the aftermath of the events of 11 September.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must face the fact that we have some not terribly attractive allies in the war against terrorism. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are at the heart of opinion in the Arab world. One has most of the money and the oil; the other has the intellectual influence. However, both of them are running failed economies. Egypt is a failed state and Saudi Arabia&apos;s GDP is half what it was 10 years ago. Saudi Arabia will find it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to provide jobs for young, relatively well-educated Arabs. There are no political outlets for dissent, which is focused in the mosque. That is stoking up the problem. I hope that our foreign policy in handling the war against terrorism will address the issues affecting some of our allies.&lt;br/&gt;7.18 pm&lt;br/&gt;David Winnick: I believe that everyone will agree with the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) when he attacked&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;512&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;anti-Semitism. Any form of racism is totally unacceptable. He referred to the disgraceful article in a Saudi Arabian journal and the blood-libel allegations against Jews. The columnist has since been sacked, but only after pressure from the United States.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am highly critical, and have been for some time, of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians and I shall turn to that issue in a moment. However, I want to make it clear that I am totally opposed to suicide bombing. Such atrocities cannot be justified in any way. In the main, they are targeted at civilians in Israel and they cause death and destruction to people who are not involved with Israeli policy in the occupied territories.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is also important to recognise that suicide bombings play into the hands of those in Israel on the right wing and the ultra-nationalist right wing who use them as a justification for what is happening now. We should bear it in mind that the suicide bombers and those who organise them have one thing in common with the right wing in Israel: both are totally opposed to a negotiated settlement leading to a viable Palestinian state, co-existing with an Israel without its post-1967 occupied lands.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have heard from some of my hon. Friends about the atrocities that have undoubtedly occurred in the past two weeks as a result of the Israeli action. The essence of the tragedy is the Israeli occupation since 1967 of the west bank and Gaza. Understandably, Palestinians see Israel as a colonial power that rules a people against their wishes. Even if the current Israeli policy were somewhat different, the situation would not change. We must try to understand that Palestinians feel humiliated and deprived of respect and statehood, living in wretched refugee camps for years on end, often jobless and denied adequate basic facilities&amp;#x2014;even such as sufficient water supply. To believe, as Israeli propaganda would occasionally have us believe, that Palestinians live like that deliberately to gain world sympathy is simply a refusal to face up to the facts. If a breeding ground for terrorism exists, it is what is happening&amp;#x2014;and has been happening for the past 35 years&amp;#x2014;in the refugee camps.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have always argued&amp;#x2014;indeed, it has been my position since 1948&amp;#x2014;that Israel has a right to exist. I am not usually reluctant to state my views, and if I were a Zionist, I would say so, but I am not. Like most people&amp;#x2014;Jews and non-Jews alike, and certainly people in European countries, the United States and many other countries outside the Arab world&amp;#x2014;I believe that, as a result of what happened to the Jews, not only the holocaust but the 2,000 years of acute anti-Semitism that led to what occurred between 1939 and 1945, there is justification for a Jewish state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1967, I was one of those Members of the House of Commons who argued that Israel had a right to defend itself, and I have not changed my views about that in any way, but I am totally opposed to Israeli occupation of the west bank and Gaza. If it is argued that, because of the events of 1967, Israel had no alternative, I would argue&amp;#x2014;indeed, I did so when that war ended&amp;#x2014;that Israel should use that land as a negotiating point in bringing about a settlement with the Palestinians. Instead, of course, the Israelis have adopted the very opposite approach. It is all very well talking about the Oslo agreement, which I support, and further negotiations, but what has Israel actually done in the occupied territories in the past 35 years? We know the answer: it has built its settlements&amp;#x2014;in defiance of international law. Tens of&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0270"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;513&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;thousands of Israeli settlers are living on land that belongs to the Palestinians, yet we ask ourselves why the Palestinians feel such resentment and bitterness. Would not we feel that way if we were them? Would not the Israelis feel the same if they were in that position? Why should we be surprised?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It must be recognised that Sharon does not want a Palestinian state. Virtually everyone who has contributed to today&apos;s debate, however much they may disagree, has argued in favour of a viable Palestinian state. That is the policy of the British Government, and even President Bush has used such words. However, does anyone believe for one moment that Sharon, the party that he represents and, as I said, those even on the right of Sharon&amp;#x2014;if such a thing is possible&amp;#x2014;want a viable Palestinian state? We must realise that the whole of Sharon&apos;s political career has been concerned with building a settlement, holding on to the occupied territories and denying the Palestinian people a state. We are dealing not with an Israeli Prime Minister who wants a proper negotiated settlement, leading to the type of solution that we want, but with a very different type of politician.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We are right to refer back to what happened in Lebanon. Is current Israeli policy and the crimes&amp;#x2014;indeed, the atrocities&amp;#x2014;that have been committed in the past fortnight very different from what happened 20 years ago in Lebanon? As hon. Members have pointed out, was not Sharon himself instrumental in Israel&apos;s going into Lebanon? What a fiasco that was. How many innocent lives were lost? When Sharon was elected last year, I said to the Prime Minister that we should remember those refugees who were butchered in Lebanon in 1982. Should we not do so? It is perfectly true that Israel was not responsible for the killings as such, but Sharon was indirectly responsible. As minister for defence, he was brought before a court of inquiry in Israel. It found that he was not the sort of person who should hold such a position, and rightly so, but now he is Prime Minister.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;This issue cannot be resolved until Israel withdraws totally from the occupied territories. As I have said, Israel&apos;s right to exist is not in question. Arab states may not like that&amp;#x2014;understandably, they wish that the events of 1948 had not occurred&amp;#x2014;but an increasing number accept the reality of the situation. The way to resolve the issue is to bring about not a "statelet", but a viable Palestinian state that is no less sovereign and independent than Israel itself. That state should be responsible for matters such as security, and for combating terrorism.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am glad that this debate has taken place. The United States is the one country that can put pressure on Israel, and I hope that it recognises that responsibility. It is all very well its considering Iraq, and so on, but its immediate responsibility is to put economic and financial pressure on Sharon, so that, at long last, there can be justice for the Palestinians. They deserve it, and they should get it.&lt;br/&gt;7.27 pm&lt;br/&gt;Angus Robertson: I am pleased to participate in this important debate on behalf of the Scottish National party and Plaid Cymru. As hon. Members will recognise, both parties are committed to democratic constitutional change and self-determination for our countries. Therefore, recognising the right and aspiration of&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;514&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;both Israeli and Palestinian people to national self-determination and security comes easy to us. Like many who have spoken, we want to put on the record our condemnation of acts of violence in the region&amp;#x2014;whether acts of state violence by the Israeli Government, or terrorist attacks by Palestinian factions and suicide bombers. We associate ourselves with the calls for an immediate cessation of all acts of violence.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We also support moves to codify the Saudi Arabian initiative: a resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations that would require the withdrawal of Israeli troops to pre-1967 boundaries, the Arab world&apos;s acceptance of the legitimacy of the Israeli state, and the establishment of a viable, self-governing and independent Palestinian state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have heard moving speeches throughout the debate. I was particularly struck by the testimony of the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) concerning conditions in Jenin and elsewhere. If they have not already done so, I urge all Members to read an article in London&apos;s &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; today, by Janine di Giovanni, who writes from the Jenin refugee camp. She writes:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The refugees I had interviewed in recent days while trying to enter the camp were not lying. If anything, they underestimated the carnage and the horror. Rarely, in more than a decade of war reporting from Bosnia, Chechnya, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, have I seen such deliberate destruction, such disrespect for human life."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;In a previous career, I worked as a journalist. For one of my assignments I spent a great deal of time in the former Yugoslavia reporting on Croatia, in particular, and on the cause of the civil war there. I saw a great deal of destruction. I have not been to the west bank or the Gaza strip, but like other hon. Members I have seen many of the pictures and much of the television coverage. Rarely have I seen so much destruction caused in such a short time. Although there was also terrible destruction in eastern Croatia and Bosnia, it was wrought over many years.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Israeli Government justify the actions of their defence forces&amp;#x2014;so-called&amp;#x2014;as dismantling the infrastructure of terrorism. It is clear to everyone, however, that their aim is broader than justifiably dealing with the terrible suicide bomb attacks. It is instead an attempt to dismantle the infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In preparing for the debate, I tried to find out what neutral observers on the ground have been saying. Other hon. Members have given various facts and figures. Today&apos;s update by the Palestinian Red Crescent confirms that it was denied access to the refugee camp in Jenin for 10 days. It was not allowed to remove the injured or the dead, and of course it is terrible for Muslims if they cannot bury their dead within 24 hours. Red Crescent was allowed in once but its movements were restricted to less than 10 per cent. of the camp area. In Bethlehem, Israeli forces continue to prevent ambulances and medical teams from gaining access to the Nativity church area, Manger square and the old city. In Jenin, Israeli forces continue to surround the town&apos;s hospital.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Oxfam writes today that it is concerned about the&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"gross violation of international humanitarian law",&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;including violence against civilians and humanitarian workers and the denial of access to meet immediate need. It fears that there will be a serious health crisis due to people drinking contaminated water. Oxfam is also aware that Israeli soldiers have failed to honour agreements made by&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0271"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;515&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;senior officers to allow repair of water pipes. That and all the other points raised by hon. Members on both sides of the House&amp;#x2014;I agree in particular with what was said by the right hon. Member for Swansea, East (Donald Anderson)&amp;#x2014;challenge us all to call for and bring into effect a step change in the international community&apos;s reaction so that it uses its leverage. I also agree with the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman) that the time has come to think about the use of sanctions to effect that.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Simon Thomas: On sanctions, we have heard much about even-handedness and it is true that we have to take a mature approach to both sides. However, is it not supremely ironic that we are considering the use of force, even warfare, to deal with one country&amp;#x2014;Iraq&amp;#x2014;that has consistently broken UN resolutions, yet we are not prepared to consider imposing even limited arms sanctions against another country that has also consistently broken UN resolutions since 1967? Does my hon. Friend agree that unless the Israeli Government are prepared to trade land for peace, we will not see a resolution of the conflict in the land of Israel?&lt;br/&gt;Angus Robertson: I agree with my hon. Friend and will deal with Iraq in a moment. On sanctions, however, it is important that we do not avoid mentioning developments at a European level, which have not been discussed so far. I note with interest that Members of the European Parliament representing the European Socialists, the Liberals and the Greens/European Free Alliance, of which our parties are members, recently voted overwhelmingly to suspend the EU&apos;s association agreement with Israel. I note with sadness that that was not endorsed by the British Government or many others at the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers yesterday.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is also sad that the UK Government did not support the initiative that my party colleague and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Joschka Fischer, presented to the Council meeting. Ironically, the plan embodied points made by hon. Members on both sides of the House. It called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, international peacekeepers patrolling a buffer zone, a declaration of a Palestinian state, an end to Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas and negotiations on Israel&apos;s borders and the status of Jerusalem. I agree with the Prime Minister when he says that inaction is not an option in the face of breaches of UN resolutions. For that reason, I very much hope that the UK Government will pursue those matters in the UN and with our EU colleagues and support a robust response.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I dislike Saddam Hussein&apos;s regime as much as anyone else in the Chamber, but we still wait for the famed dossier on the weapons of mass destruction programme of Iraq. Dossiers and intelligence on al-Qaeda were shared and briefings were done on Privy Council terms in the run-up to the situation in Afghanistan. Why is the same not true of the Iraqi information that we have been promised? We still also wait for a specific UN mandate should military options be undertaken on Iraq. What we are not having to wait for, however, are clear breaches of UN resolutions when considering the situation in Israel. Like the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), my comments are aimed at Israel in particular because it is a democratic, independent state and should be judged by a higher standard. However, like&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;516&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude), I think that the extraordinary provocation and senseless killings by suicide bombers are a massive challenge to the Israeli authorities to protect their citizens.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Nevertheless, on balance, the time has come for the countries that can influence Israel to act decisively. We have a responsibility to use the political and economic leverage that we possess to influence change. Although I welcome the recent change in tack by the United States and the mission of Secretary of State Powell, it is time for the US Administration genuinely to press Israel to withdraw from Jenin and the other occupied areas. It is also high time for the EU and the people in Europe to lead by example.&lt;br/&gt;7.37 pm&lt;br/&gt;Joan Ruddock: I have visited Jerusalem only once, in 1965, when I was a very young woman. It was an incredibly interesting visit and I was struck everywhere I went by the ability of the young people whom I met to speak English. I was amazed by their wonderful grasp of our language. I remember what an enormous impression it made on me at the time, when I was still ill-informed about the history of that region, when they got out their ID cards and said, "I am a Palestinian."&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have thought many times in the past few weeks about those young people and a young woman in particular to whom I spoke. Now, of course, they are probably grandparents if they are still alive. They, their children and their grandchildren have lived through a terrible time in which they have suffered goodness knows what deprivations or humiliations. They have all lived out that history in a way we can only imagine.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There have been many courageous people in those generations who have struggled for self-determination and many who have done despicable acts, but it is extraordinary that the struggle has taken so long and has come to this. If I am shocked by what has happened and find it utterly unbelievable, then how much the more so those people of the middle east?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have no special expertise or associations in the context of the debate, but I want to join all those who have spoken in expressing my wish to see an independent state for Palestine and a state of Israel that can live in peace and security.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I join with all who condemn the suicide bombings. There can be nothing more terrifying for people than going about their work and ordinary daily events not knowing whether they may stand or sit next to a person who is about to blow himself or herself, and them, to destruction. Undoubtedly, we would all find it impossible to live with such a threat and not feel the need for revenge. Nothing can justify the suicide bombing, but equally no military action can eradicate it. What is so shocking about the current events is that we can, as many people have done in this debate, almost track them back to a time when lasting peace was within our grasp.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There has been a debate among Opposition Members about what happened at Taba. I have had sight, as others may have done, of the paper that is called, in EU-speak, a non-paper and is the account of the EU special&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0272"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;517&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;representative to the middle east, who wrote at the time that although there were serious gaps and differences between the two sides,&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"it also shows that both sides have travelled a long way to accommodate the views of the other sides and that solutions are possible".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Furthermore, in that contemporary account, the EU representative records that both sides had agreed to the 4 June 1967 lines in accordance with UN resolution 242, as a basis for borders. Both sides had agreed in principle on land swaps, on refugees, on Jerusalem and on the involvement of an international force. Both sides had reservations and, tragically, neither side was prepared to commit at that time, when the intifada had already started, Israeli elections were pending and there was uncertainty over the future of Ehud Barak. We will never know whether, given the time and opportunity, that peace process could have concluded successfully.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What we do know, however&amp;#x2014;this is why I cannot be even-handed in this matter&amp;#x2014;is that the election of Ariel Sharon, on 6 February 2001, ended all hope of that settlement. He said that he would insist on a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty, that there had to be Israeli control over security areas on the west bank, and that there could be no right of return for Palestinian refugees. It is that attitude that has denied justice, peace and, perhaps even more importantly, any hope to the Palestinians who have carried out the madness of suicide bombing.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;When we unreservedly condemn the suicide bombers, we must equally condemn the 70-odd political assassinations carried out by Israel. Of course Israel has an absolute right to take steps to protect its citizens, and it must, but the actions that have been taken in the past few weeks go far beyond that aim; as somebody said today, Ariel Sharon is a fool to believe that they could have any meaningful result for those young people.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Professor Paul Rogers of the Bradford school of peace studies has said that the military operations have a different purpose, which has become clear as the effects of the war have become apparent. He says:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"They are, in short, aimed at destroying the capacity of a putative Palestinian state to operate."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Those sentiments were echoed by my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (David Winnick). The international community cannot allow those sentiments to prevail. It cannot allow this impasse to continue.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said, the Mitchell and Tenet proposals and the Saudi peace initiative provide an international consensus on the best way forward for securing an end to the cycle of violence and a return to negotiations. As others have said, we can no longer wait for those two old men to cease their quarrel and come to the table. We, the international community, have to bring that about. I am not sure, as others have said, that a ceasefire has to be a prerequisite. We have seen previously how a demand for seven days&apos; continuous cessation of violence prevented negotiation. There is the difficulty that Chairman Arafat undoubtedly faces of policing any ceasefire, if indeed he agrees to one.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is for the leaders, under the influence of the international community, to start talking now even while the violence continues. We cannot go down the&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;518&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;confidence-building road proposed by Mitchell which will take so long. This is so urgent that it has to happen now. I say to my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Front Bench that I have no time, and others may not have time, to go through the dossier and the briefings sent by Amnesty International and Oxfam to Members of Parliament today, but the Government must read those documents to see just how horrific the conditions have been. Clearly, the aid agencies have seen those conditions at first hand, as my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) so movingly demonstrated.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In conclusion, we must do more than we have already done. I applaud the attitude of our Government, but we must put an absolute ban on any export of arms to Israel at this time. We could do more, perhaps within the European Union, to consider other sanctions. We must continue constantly to put the maximum pressure on the United States of America because as others have said, it is the one nation that holds the key to the solution of the crisis. It must accept its responsibility; we must ask that of the USA. It must get the two sides in the dispute to rise to their responsibilities as well.&lt;br/&gt;7.47 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Atkinson: Bournemouth is twinned with that very similar coastal resort in Israel, Netanya. The hon. Members for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) and for Leeds, North-East (Mr. Hamilton) have reminded us that last month a suicide bomber destroyed 27 lives and injured more than 100 of Netanya&apos;s citizens, most of them elderly, as they sat down for a Passover supper. The mayor of Bournemouth sent his counterpart in Netanya a message of condolence on behalf of us all. It has been his fourth such message during his year in office. Israel has used that atrocity to justify its current offensive in the occupied territories.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is, of course, no justification for such acts of terrorism. In the total absence of any curtailing influence over those who perpetrate them, we should have sympathy with Israel in seeking to defend itself from them. However, as many hon. Members have said in this debate, until Israel offers the Palestinians a credible prospect of a homeland of their own, such atrocities will continue. Only the people of Israel, as citizens of the only responsible civilised democracy in the region, can insist on their political leaders seeking a settlement by negotiation which will enable them to live in peace and security for the first time in their history.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Of course we should support initiatives such as the one undertaken by Colin Powell. The role of the international community is to encourage a climate in which negotiations can recommence and succeed. Thus we should welcome Crown Prince Abdullah&apos;s plan, which, although neither new nor his, calls in the clearest terms yet for the universal Arab recognition of Israel. We should consider Mr. Sharon&apos;s plan for a regional conference, as well as the concept of an organisation for security and co-operation in the middle east&amp;#x2014;an OSCME&amp;#x2014;to emulate the success of the Helsinki process in consolidating peace in Europe, as proposed by the Council of Europe.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The devastation of the Palestine refugee camp in Jenin, graphically described by the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), should concentrate our minds on how to resolve the greatest humanitarian challenge in the middle east: the existence of densely populated refugee&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0273"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;519&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;camps. There are 59 refugee camps in four host countries and the occupied territories, housing 1.5 million refugees. A further 2 million refugees are registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides them with support and services, as it has done for more than 50 years with the continuing generous financial support of the international community.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As the hon. Member for Walsall, North (David Winnick) rightly says, most of those refugees are effectively homeless and stateless. They are the prime sources of terrorism against Israel and the international community and of support for the current intifada, but as long as their situation remains hopeless, there will be no settlement in the middle east. We all have an interest in resolving their position.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1998, in its resolution 1156, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe endorsed proposals that would provide a permanent settlement and a secure future for all those refugees, and enable those camps to be closed. The proposals accept the reality&amp;#x2014;as do a growing number of Palestinians and Arab states today&amp;#x2014;that there can be no right of return to Israel, although Israel has agreed to accept some of the refugees to reunify families. I believe that the rest would accept one of the current options: citizenship in their host country; acceptance of offers of resettlement to other countries; or real citizenship in a viable state of Palestine.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The message I want to convey in today&apos;s debate is that the international community, especially the European Union, should give clear and firm support to those proposals and consider how they might be funded. A new United Nations "Palestine refugee and displaced persons final status" fund has been proposed. We should wait no longer for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to resume on that and all the other final status issues. We should have an international plan ready for all to see as soon as possible.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will find details of the proposals in his Department. They were the subject both of a conference at Warwick university in March 1998 that was addressed by his predecessor, the late Derek Fatchett, and of my Adjournment debate on 28 April 1998. It is relevant to recall them now as a way to resolve one of the obstacles standing in the way of peace in the middle east.&lt;br/&gt;7.53 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ernie Ross: I hope that the House will not mind if I do not follow the path laid down by the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson). I had the misfortune to follow in one of his paths during an investigation into the future of Palestinian refugees undertaken in September 2000 by the Joint Parliamentary Middle East Councils. One of my abiding memories is of sitting in a refugee camp listening to refugees tell us that they were&amp;#x2014;I shall not use their language; hon. Members can read the report for themselves&amp;#x2014;fed up to the teeth of people from various organisations coming to the middle east, asking them how they felt about their situation, getting the information, then returning home and producing their version of what they had been told. We had to spend a lot of time assuring people who had been refugees since 1948 that we did not intend to do what the hon. Gentleman had done when he visited the area in another capacity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;520&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;While listening to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, I recalled that my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) and I have spent most of our adult lives working on these issues. Had we been asked back in the 1970s what we most wanted for the Palestinians, we would have said that we wanted them to have a home and to be able to sit down at a table with the Israelis and talk about how they could live together. However, we recognised that support from the Americans would be required to make that happen.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the midst of the events taking place in the middle east, it is difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has recently returned from his talks with George Bush, and it is important to remember that those of us who have been involved in these issues have striven for many years to make the Americans understand their responsibility. Only with the active engagement of an American Administration will we achieve an end to the problem.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I shall not spend time going over the comments already made by speakers in the debate. Everyone has their own opinion. Instead, I shall speak specifically about the issue that I believe will derail our efforts again and cause us even more heartache in future: the notion that we can resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict without recognising that the refugees are at its core. Unless we deal with that problem, as set out in resolution 194 passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1949, there is little or no chance of ever achieving peace in the region.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Like many other middle eastern peoples, the Palestinians have a direct and profound attachment to their land that is apparent as soon as one talks with them. I am sorry that my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (David Winnick) is no longer present. Under the 1947 UN resolution 181, British mandate Palestine was partitioned into separate Jewish and Arab states. Under that plan, 86 per cent. of the land owned or inhabited by Palestinians was taken away from them and given to someone else.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not excuse what happened afterwards, but most of those who have been involved in these matters would agree that the people who have most let down the Palestinian Arabs are the Arabs themselves. The 1948 war that followed the end of the British mandate led to the flight or expulsion of two thirds of the Palestinian Arab population, and to the Israeli conquest of 25 per cent. of the territory that had been allotted to the proposed Arab state, in addition to the land set aside for the Jewish state&amp;#x2014;of which, as I said, 86 per cent. had been Palestinian owned or occupied.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1967, Israel occupied the remainder of Palestine&amp;#x2014;the west bank, the Gaza strip and the rest of Jerusalem. That caused a second exodus of about 500,000 Palestinians. The refugees from 1948 and 1967 now live in the west bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, the Gulf, Europe and the Americas.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Of the 3.8 million refugees registered with UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency, which was set up specifically to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian refugees, 33 per cent. live inside one of UNRWA&apos;s 59 refugee camps. That is the background against which it is said that the Arab states must decide what will happen to the refugees. It is not up to those states. If anyone believes that it is, a major mistake is being made, and one that will come back to haunt us. The outcome will be catastrophic.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0274"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;521&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;If I were living in Israel, I would not want to talk about the refugees. We cannot get Israelis to talk about them. If there are refugees, we must ask from where they came. Who made them refugees? To where do they return? All refugees have that right. Of course, if they all returned, Israelis would say that that would be suicide. That word is used again. Yet again the Palestinians are referred to in the context of suicide for someone else. When they exercise their rights, somehow that becomes a threat to someone else.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;No one has asked them what they feel, what they believe and what they understand. Not even the Palestinians have done that. We did. The JPMEC went to the area in September 2000, and we took 40 hours of evidence from Palestinian refugees. That has been reported, and a document has been sent to every Member of this place. The report is entitled "Right of Return". It is not a frightening document. Evidence was given for 40 hours and tapes are available for anyone to hear. Tomorrow, the Arabic version of the report will be published. There will be a verbatim account of what the Palestinian refugees are saying.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Not one Palestinian wants to kick Israel into the sea. The Palestinians accept the reality that there is a state of Israel. They accept that if they accept the right to return, they will have to live in Israel. They want that right so that they can decide for themselves. Yasser Arafat cannot negotiate that right away on their behalf. One of the reasons why the Oslo process failed is that the multi-track approach did not include the views of the Palestinians. The refugees were not spoken to. That is not possible.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I ask right hon. and hon. Members to take some time to read the report. The Palestinians recognise that they do not want to visit on others what has happened to them. They know that times have moved on. They know that they cannot return exactly to what the situation was. They understand that there will have to he accommodations. However, they have rights. If we do not recognise those rights, we will lose, and quite heavily. There will be more problems. The issue will not be resolved unless that is recognised.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We need to consult the Palestinian refugees, but there is no mechanism whereby those who are not within the Palestinian Authority in the west bank of Gaza can even communicate with the Palestinian leadership. It is significant that all the Palestinians accepted that the PLO was their representative body. That still did not give the PLO the right to negotiate away on their behalf their right of return.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We could use&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker (Sylvia Heal): Order.&lt;br/&gt;8.4 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Nick Gibb: Today is yom ha&apos;Zikaron, the Israeli day for remembering the fallen soldiers who died fighting for Israel. They were fighting for a Jewish homeland. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, three years after the end of the second world war. That was a war during which 6 million Jews were systematically and brutally murdered in a plan to wipe out Jewry everywhere.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;522&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I am not Jewish, nor do I have a large Jewish community in my constituency. However, I am a strong supporter of Israel. That is because in the period ending only 15 years before I was born, across the channel just a few hundred miles south-east of my constituency, Jewish men, women and children were being gassed. The Jewish people need a homeland.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In discussing the middle east, and especially the situation in Israel, we have become accustomed to using phrases such as the cycle of violence, intransigence on both sides and the failure of negotiation. They are phrases that seem to imply that each side is as bad as the other; that each is equally worthy of our support or, more usually, our condemnation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There are however, important different differences between Israel and its opponents. Israel is a democratic country that upholds the rights of its citizens and uses military force only for self-defence. It is surrounded by countries that are, to a greater or lesser extent, hostile to its very existence. Every day, Israel faces fierce and even deadly opposition to its very survival from enemies who seek their ends through force and terror rather than through democracy.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As UN Security Council resolution 242 declared 34 years ago, it has&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"the right to live at peace within secure and recognised boundaries free from threats or acts of force."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That right is still not recognised in full by many of Israel&apos;s neighbours.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Palestinian Authority is a haven for terrorism. It glorifies suicide bombers through its media and tells them that they are martyrs. It has authorised the Tanzim militia, an organ of Yasser Arafat&apos;s Fatah PLO faction, to fire upon Israeli civilians and soldiers. It tries to import arms and ammunition from terrorist allies such as Iran. It tells its people and educates its children to believe that every ill is the fault of Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The unfashionable truth is that the greatest obstacle to peace in the middle east is not a breakdown in diplomacy. The biggest obstacle is terrorism on the citizens of Israel. That is terrorism which Yasser Arafat, as President of the Palestinian Authority, has done nothing to end. At Oslo, in 1993, and elsewhere Arafat has renounced terror and agreed to control it, but terror continues unabated. If Arafat can call an end to the terror, why has he not done so? If he cannot, what possible claim does he have to a place at the negotiating table?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It has come to be accepted that the cause of the current crisis in Israel was the visit by Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in September 2000. Like many things that come to be accepted about Israel that is wrong. The roots of the present crisis can be found two months earlier at the summit at Camp David. Palestinian spokesmen have said so themselves. Communications Minister Imad Al-Falouji, for example, was reported in the semi-official Palestinian daily newspaper &lt;i&gt;Al-Ayyam&lt;/i&gt; on 6 December 2000 to have said that&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"the Palestinian authority had begun preparations for the outbreak of the current intifada from the moment the Camp David talks concluded, this in accordance with instructions given by Chairman Arafat himself."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;It added that this was a&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"culminating stage to the immutable Palestinian stance in the negotiations, and was not meant merely as a protest of Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon&apos;s visit to the Temple Mount."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0275"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;523&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The Camp David summit illustrates in microcosm the story of Israel&apos;s relations with Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. This was a summit at which hopes were high for real progress. The world called for flexibility on both sides and Israel responded. Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered unprecedented compromises&amp;#x2014;real sacrifices&amp;#x2014;to achieve a workable and enduring peace. He offered 94 per cent. of the remaining land of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. He offered Arab and Christian east Jerusalem, and he offered an additional parcel of the Negev to make up for the additional 6 per cent. He could not meet every Palestinian demand but he offered genuine concessions. What was the Palestinian response? The proposal was rejected out of hand and then we had the current intifada. That is how we find ourselves now.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Israeli civilians are subjected every day to violence and mayhem. People in Jerusalem, Haifa and every town in Israel are afraid to leave their homes and Israeli leaders and soldiers struggle every day to protect and defend them. An accusation often levelled at Israel is that it is not really interested in peace. It is alleged that it prefers to remain in military conflict rather than negotiate with the Palestinians. This accusation is unjust. After generations of conflict, the people of Israel yearn for peace. Their leaders are willing to achieve it through negotiation, hence the offer made by Mr. Barak.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Malcolm Savidge: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gibb: No. The change of Government in Israel has not destroyed that willingness at all. Prime Minister Sharon&amp;#x2014;I am no great defender of him&amp;#x2014;expressed his readiness to return to the table to make painful concessions for a true peace. He has stated his acceptance of the Mitchell plan. But Israel understands that peace cannot exist in the shadow of terrorism. We should respect its leaders&apos; firm resolve not to negotiate under fire and their determination to take action, which the Palestinian Authority should have taken, to destroy terrorist capability.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In recent days, attention has focused on the Jenin refugee camp. The pictures emerging of the aftermath of the battle are ugly and brutal. But it is easy to overlook the facts: between September 2000 and the beginning of Israel&apos;s action there, Jenin was the source of no fewer than 23 terrorist attacks on Israel, including suicide attacks on Afula and Hadera. The Palestinian Authority knew Jenin was a centre of terrorism, but did nothing to prevent the attacks or to apprehend the perpetrators. There were pitched battles in Jenin; 13 soldiers were ambushed and killed, and 23 soldiers were killed in total. We have yet to see what did happen in Jenin, but Israel has been careful to minimise civilian casualties, which is why the mission has taken so long, and why Israeli forces have suffered. The Israelis could have done what we did in Afghanistan: they could have conducted aerial bombing of the area, which would have resulted in far higher casualties overall, but fewer Israeli casualties&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Gibb: It is said that the military action against terrorists will simply encourage more fanatics to join the militant brigades to wage war on Israel; there is some&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;524&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;truth in that. But those people, like the young woman who blew herself up in Jerusalem on Friday killing six Israelis, cannot supply their own explosives, plan their campaigns, finance their operations or import their own arms. Israel is therefore taking action against the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure&amp;#x2014;a task that Arafat should have undertaken himself.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Our Prime Minister said last week that the only way to resolve the conflict is not to take sides. With respect to the Prime Minister, who is undoubtedly committed to do everything in his power to help bring about peace in the middle east and whose support for President Bush in the fight against terrorism has been inspiring, he has got it precisely the wrong way round on Israel. First, terrorism has to stop, and we must side with those who oppose terrorism and oppose those who support terror. We must not equate the perpetrators of terrorism with its victims.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Some people say that the situation in Israel can be compared with that in Northern Ireland; the parallel to be drawn is that if only the two sides will negotiate, peace can be achieved. But like the right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble), I believe the lesson is quite different: progress towards peace can be made only when terrorists decide that they will not succeed through violence. President Arafat has done nothing to suggest that he has yet made that decision.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Many people argue that the situation in Israel is not quite as simple as I have described. In some ways that is true; there are many questions, not least about land, that go back many generations and myriad grievances will need to be addressed if a lasting settlement is to be achieved. Those things are a matter for negotiation, to the success of which Israel is committed. One does not have to be a committed Zionist to understand Israel&apos;s stance against terrorism; one merely has to favour democracy over terror.&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;8.14 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Tony Clarke: With the obvious exception of the last contributor, hon. Members have been reluctant to apportion blame for the current conflict. However, it is possible to do so. It is not just Israel and Palestine that are responsible; others should shoulder blame for what is happening in the middle east, including nation states such as our own, other European democracies and the United States of America. They have long remained inactive, allowing Ariel Sharon to take his war to the occupied territories over an extended period.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In his recent statement to the House on the middle east, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, developed the message of his address at the George Bush Senior Presidential library in Texas on 7 April and said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Doing nothing is not an option."&amp;#x2014;[&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, 10 April 2002; Vol. 383, c. 23.]&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;He was, of course, referring to our response to the worsening situation in Iraq. I accept that there are different views about what should or should not be done about that, but most hon. Members believe that the Prime Minister and the President of the United States would have been wiser to call for action against the genocide and bloodletting in Israel and Palestine which, as we know, has led to the deaths of 1,500 Palestinians and more than 400 Israelis. That death toll has risen substantially over the past few days.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0276"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;525&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;In addition, we have seen on our television screens not just pictures of the refugee camp in Jenin but disturbing reports suggesting that the conflict could extend beyond Israel&apos;s borders to other Arab nations. When we see scuffles and military action in and around other Arab states, we must take a step back and see what we can do to try to prevent the crisis from worsening and spreading.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;President Bush&apos;s "axis of evil" speech was rightly criticised; it was not well received in this country or across western Europe. President Bush did himself and the office of President a great disservice by lumping together countries such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq as an evil threat to western democracy. He must have had criteria for judging those countries&amp;#x2014;a way of determining their ranking in the league table of evil. He would have had to include the following in his list: whether nation states aggressively occupied others&apos; territory; whether they were in breach of United Nations resolutions; whether they were willing to defy international law and opinion; and whether he thought them capable of using military force against a civilian population.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If President Bush used those criteria, he would have to include Israel in his statement about countries that form an axis of evil. Those double standards have led to much unrest and disagreement, both in the United Kingdom and across the world, about what action should be taken in the middle east, not just in Israel and Palestine but in Iraq. Such double-speak has led to people like me arguing that without renewed UN authority, and while the situation in Israel and Palestine remains unresolved, UK military action in Iraq would be at best immoral and at worst illegal.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I said that we should shoulder some of the blame and guilt. There have been many warnings in the House and elsewhere about Ariel Sharon&apos;s endgame since he came to office. I tabled an early-day motion on 30 October 2001, which received 102 signatories. Like many other Members who tabled early-day motions on the same subject, I was trying to highlight for the Prime Minister and the Government our concerns about what would happen unless action was taken. My motion welcomed the Prime Minister&apos;s statement calling for a viable Palestinian state and asked the Government to hold Ariel Sharon to account. It talked about his incursions and his continued occupation of the west bank and Gaza in defiance of American calls for Israel to withdraw. What hope is there of Israel listening to President Bush now, if way back in October 2001 when the USA and President Bush were calling on him to withdraw from the Palestinian territories, Ariel Sharon took not one jot of notice? The early-day motion warned that unless the peace process is restarted, the Palestinian Authority will be undermined and the region further destabilised.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Since then, the situation has deteriorated. I had the pleasure, and the displeasure, of being in Israel and Palestine at the start of the intifada. I believe that the hon. Members for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) and for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) do the House a disservice when they suggest that Ariel Sharon&apos;s walkabout, as it was described at the time&amp;#x2014;Ariel Sharon&apos;s setting foot in the grounds of the Haram al-Sharif, the Temple Mount&amp;#x2014;was not the cause of the latest unrest and the intifada.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;526&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;As someone who was on the streets of the west bank at the time, I can tell the House that there was only one reason for the unrest. There was only one reason why Palestinian youth took to the streets and started to engage Israeli troops, and the reason was Ariel Sharon&apos;s actions that weekend. Let history show that to be the case, and let apologists not suggest that there were other reasons for the start of the intifada at that time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;During my visit to Palestine, I visited villages in the west bank&amp;#x2014;Batir, Husan and Wadi Fuquin&amp;#x2014;where I saw some of the forerunners of the present conflict. We were shot at while visiting charity projects for World Vision. Israeli forces entered villages, answered stone-throwing youths with live bullets and dumdum bullets, which are illegal under international law. I then visited Bethlehem and Rachel&apos;s tomb and witnessed the shooting of a young man within 20 yards of where I stood. I felt that I as a westerner was clearly picked out and allowed to walk within gun-sight of Israeli defence force soldiers without being shot. They were clearly targeting individuals for assassination and have continued to do so ever since.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I went to Gaza city and visited the Shiffa hospital. I walked around the intensive care ward. It must have been clear to all the consultants and surgeons that none of those occupying the 14 beds would survive their injuries. I spoke to the parents and relatives of those lying there. Anybody who wants to know why there are martyrs and why people become so desperate that they will give up their own lives should speak to the relatives of those who have been butchered and assassinated by Ariel Sharon and the Israeli defence force over many years. One can then start to understand the pain that they feel and why they feel so hopeless that they resort to such terrible acts of terrorism.&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Ellman: Will my hon. Friend give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Clarke: I do not have time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Time prevents me from saying all that I had intended, but in the remaining time I shall mention two matters. When we discuss international aid in the Adjournment debate tomorrow, we must turn our attention to the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Palestine and the occupied territories of the west bank and Gaza, particularly in Jenin. Oxfam and World Vision speak today of gross violations of international humanitarian law, military targeting of medical personnel, denial of medical care and violence against International Red Cross and Red Crescent workers, and they give examples of such terrible atrocities, including the systematic&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;8.24 pm&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Jenny Tonge: I apologise for being rather creaky. I sometimes wonder whom I would sue if I had a deep vein thrombosis in the Chamber after a long-haul debate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Even before the recent Israeli offensive on the west bank, the humanitarian situation was very grave indeed. Life was hard for Palestinians. Some may ask why it should be, when they are surrounded by friendly Arab states, some of which are extremely wealthy. Nevertheless, I repeat that life is very hard. Child malnutrition in Gaza has doubled in the past year. I repeat: doubled. Unemployment in Gaza is&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0277"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;527&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;85 per cent., the result of border closures. Thirty-seven per cent. of people in Gaza and 15 per cent. on the west bank are living in poverty&amp;#x2014;that is, on less than &amp;#x0024;2 a day. That has happened over the past year or so&amp;#x2014;a breeding ground for terrorism, if ever there was one.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Recent events in Jenin have horrified the international community, however many terrorists were hidden there. That was eloquently and vividly described by the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd).&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Over the years, the European Union has provided a large amount of aid to try to combat the problems of the Palestinians, but much has been destroyed by Israeli action. The list provided by the Department for International Development in response to my parliamentary question on 26 March is in the Library. I have a copy. Twenty-two European Union projects have been destroyed or badly damaged. Some were mentioned by name by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell).&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The airport at Gaza is totally destroyed. The list includes schools, hospitals, the sea port, forestry projects, landfill sites and water installations. I heard from Oxfam today that the engineers are not allowed to go in and repair them. The lack of clean water is a huge problem for the Palestinians. The list goes on and on. Almost 20 million euros worth of aid has been blown up in the past two weeks.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I well understand that the Palestinians are not entirely without blame. It has been said tonight that they hide terrorists among civilians so that the civilians suffer too. I have seen reports, and been given reports by constituents, of Red Crescent ambulances being used to transport explosives and terrorists. There is blame to be laid there, but we must remember that terrorism is desperation and it is a very dirty business.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the eyes of the world, Israel must take responsibility. It is seen as exerting disproportionate force. The right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) put it eloquently when he said that we expect more of a state like Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Will the Minister say who will refund the European Union? There are many calls on those funds from all over the world. Will Israel be forced to pay reparations for the damage? If not, how can those essential services be restored?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I had a useful meeting with members of the Jewish community in my constituency on Sunday evening. They are eminent and highly regarded members of my community, one a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. I love and respect them all. They asked me to make three main points in the debate tonight. First, Mr. Sharon is not admired by them, nor are his methods, but they are firmly committed to a free and secure Israel and will always support the Israeli people. Many have relatives there and visit them often.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Secondly, my constituents want to support the Palestinians&apos; right to their own free and secure state in Palestine, and wish to see withdrawal from the occupied territories to facilitate that. The settlements must indeed go. Thirdly, and above all, they wish me to say that they welcome the Saudi peace plan and the recognition by the Arab League of the legitimacy of the state of Israel. They felt that that was a huge movement forward and that the international community must not lose the opportunity to build on that gesture. They want negotiations based on the plan.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;528&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;My constituents showed me an interesting piece written by Amos Oz, a well-known left-wing Israeli. I confess that I did not know of it, but some in the House may do so. I should like to quote what Amos Oz said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Israel is fighting two wars. Only one of them is just. One is the Palestinian nation&apos;s war for its freedom from occupation and for its right to independent statehood. Any decent person ought to support this cause. The second war is waged by fanatical Islam, from Iran to Gaza and from Lebanon to Ramallah, to destroy Israel and drive the Jews out of their land. Any decent person ought to abhor this cause. Yasser Arafat and his men are running both wars simultaneously, pretending they are one."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Of course, we must support the just war, but we should abhor the unjust war against Jews worldwide that is waged by Islamic fundamentalists. I contend that the unjust war is one of the reasons&amp;#x2014;if not the main reason&amp;#x2014;for the suicide bombings, on the basis of a combination of desperation and hopelessness, laced also with a huge dose of religious fundamentalism.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is already much evidence of anti-Semitic campaigns being waged in universities, as my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife pointed out. I have brought evidence with me of what is happening in universities in this country in terms of action against synagogues and individuals throughout Europe. Just as we urged people to support the ordinary Muslim after 11 September and not to blame them for the acts of fanatics, we must support our Jewish friends throughout Europe who do not like the methods that are being used by the Israeli Government. I hope that the Minister will assure us that action will be taken against anyone who is found to be inciting racial hatred.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The situation in the middle east is dangerous and terrifying for all of us and I urge the Government to seek to use all means&amp;#x2014;I support wholeheartedly many of the suggestions made in the House&amp;#x2014;to bring the two sides together yet again.&lt;br/&gt;8.32 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Louise Ellman: We are witnessing the tragedy of the conflicting rights of self-determination of two peoples and the consequences of the derailment of the peace process that should have led to the creation of a new, independent and viable Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel. That derailment happened when Yasser Arafat decided to walk out of negotiations 17 months ago and resort to terrorism&amp;#x2014;a decision that was criticised by the PLO&apos;s major negotiator in Jerusalem, Sari Nusseibeh, who said that it was a major missed opportunity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;That major missed opportunity has been a tragedy for all in the region. In Israel, we see the carnage caused by the work of suicide bombers who deliberately target civilians in cafes, at 12-year-olds&apos; birthday parties and discos, and families and elderly people in particular as they sit down to religious festivals. We have seen targeted carnage in places such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya, Hadera, Beersheba and Afula. On the west bank, we see the tragedy of destruction and loss of life as the Israelis make their incursions into the Palestinian west bank in an attempt to prevent suicide bombers from planning and executing new outrages.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I deplore the loss of civilian life, and the loss of the lives of innocent people. Where there is evidence, outrages must be punished, but surely it is absurd to suggest that any Government can ignore the continuous&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0278"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;529&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;targeted killing of its citizens by people who believe that their country should not exist. Let us consider what happened in just one week this month. The casualties in Israel caused by the deliberate targeting of civilians for no other purpose than the creation of terror are the equivalent of 400 people killed in this country, with 2,500 injured. That would be the United Kingdom equivalent of what happened in Israel in one week in April&amp;#x2014;and that is not an isolated week.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As many hon. Members have said, attention must be concentrated on how we move forward, but before that can be achieved a number of unpalatable and extremely difficult facts must be faced. First, terrorist suicide bombings by Palestinians are directed against the existence of the state of Israel. We have heard much today about the desperation that may drive some people to commit these atrocities and massacres against Israeli civilians, but let it never be forgotten that suicide bombings began on Israeli civilians when the peace process was under way. They began when Rabin and Peres began their peace initiative; indeed, they brought down Shimon Peres&apos; Government and ushered in the Government of Netanyahu, who was not committed to the peace process or to peace. History then repeated itself, and it was the suicide bombers who brought down Barak&apos;s Government as he fought so hard to achieve a genuine peace. The result of the suicide bombings carried out while Barak fought hard to bring peace was the ushering in of the Sharon Government; again, we saw coming into power a Government led by someone who was not dedicated to peace.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is important to remember that the continuing outrages committed by Palestinian bombers and by people shooting indiscriminately have occurred to a great extent within the green line, or within Israel&apos;s 1967 borders, so I fear that it is promoting a misleading fallacy to pretend that suicide bombers are the result of occupation of the west bank and Gaza, much as I deplore that occupation and want it to end. I believe that the evidence shows that those suicide bombings are about the attempted extermination of the whole of Israel and what is seen as the occupation of Palestine.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The second unpalatable and difficult fact that has to be recognised is the reality that Yasser Arafat is part of the terrorist network. There is abundant evidence that he broke the promises that he made at Oslo while that peace process was ongoing, where he said that he would deal with conflicts and difficulties in a peaceful manner and without resorting to violence. At the end of 2000, he ordered his security services to release many Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists, many of whom had been convicted for terrorism under the Oslo provisions.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Savidge: Will my hon. Friend give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Ellman: I am sorry; I have no time.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Perhaps even worse, information has now been revealed on the Israeli incursions in the west bank, and specifically on its incursions into Yasser Arafat&apos;s compound in Ramallah, giving direct evidence that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority have been the paymasters of the terrorists, including the very recent ones who are still wreaking havoc.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;530&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Invoices have been found in Yasser Arafat&apos;s compound in Ramallah from the Al Aqsa martyrs brigade, which is directly connected to Yasser Arafat, asking for reimbursement from the Palestinian Authority for explosives for bombings in Israeli cities. Those requests were directed to Fouad Shoubaki, the Palestinian Authority&apos;s chief financial officer for military operations. Some, dated 16 September 2001, ask for money for bombs and to finance posters promoting suicide bombers. Indeed, since that date 12 suicide bombings have been carried out in Israel by that very group.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Israelis have found and made available a handwritten note from Yasser Arafat dated 19 September 2001 authorising payments to three militia leaders, including the Fatah commander Ziad Muhammed Daas, who masterminded the suicide attacks at the Hadera bat mitzvah massacre on 7 January 2001. That massacre, which took place at what is in effect a birthday party for 12-year-old Jewish girls, killed at least six people and injured 35, many severely.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;That is recent evidence, unearthed by the Israeli incursions into Ramallah, of Yasser Arafat&apos;s continuing direct complicity in the direction of terror, which is being perpetrated to ensure that there can never be peace.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is important for everyone who seeks peace to remember that the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians will not be resolved without recognising the impact of international terrorism. Iraq is deeply involved through its funding of the families of suicide bombers. Recently, Iraq decided to increase its payments to the families of suicide bombers, who now receive &amp;#x0024;25,000 every time a suicide bomber goes out on a mission.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is awareness of the involvement of Iran, especially in the case of the Karine A, which was carrying a shipment of arms to the west bank. Fortunately, it was intercepted by Israel. Those arms were intended for the purpose of firing on Israeli cities, in direct contravention of the Oslo agreement. Syria is involved in direct funding of Hezbollah and Hamas.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Hon. Members referred to the increasing number of anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in this country and other countries&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;8.42 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Lansley: It is a privilege to have the opportunity to speak in the debate, because there have been many fine speeches, which I cannot hope to emulate. They introduced passion, commitment and a great deal of understanding of the situation in Israel and Palestine.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs. Ellman), like my hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb), assisted the debate by ensuring that we balance an understanding of the issues as appreciated by those who live in Israel, and have suffered at the hands of terror for so long and to such a dreadful extent, with an understanding of the perspective of Palestinians who have suffered so much injustice.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;At times I felt that some hon. Members strayed into representing views, or even repeating propaganda, more than aiding genuine understanding. Nevertheless, it is to&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0279"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;531&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the credit of the House that anyone who cares to read the whole debate, as my hon. Friend the Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack) suggested, will at least, even if they do not think that an appropriate balance was struck overall, appreciate that we understand many of the views of those involved and trust and respect one another in doing so.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) said, that sense of trust is precisely what is missing in the middle east process. My right hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) and the Foreign Secretary explained how past negotiations and discussions brought the parties close to the point where they could see an end, but did not reach it. Although we can argue about who was to blame&amp;#x2014;Ariel Sharon at Temple Mount or Yasser Arafat promoting the intifada&amp;#x2014;agreement was not reached and trust between the parties broke down. There is now such an absence of trust that it is difficult to see how they can be brought together.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As we move towards the conclusion of this debate, I do not envy my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) or the Minister their task of trying to sum it up. We have to think not only of what has happened and who is to blame but of where we are now and where we should go. There has been insufficient emphasis in the debate on the American Government&apos;s desire to play an active part in seeking a way forward, with which we can assist, and too much cavilling about what may or may not have been a lack of commitment on the part of President Bush after what was clearly an immense effort by President Clinton to secure agreements.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is hardly surprising that President Bush thought that he would not devote so much political capital and energy to securing an agreement in the middle east in the immediate wake of his election. He knows that he has to do it now. That is not simply because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the genesis of so much terror and crisis across the world, as my hon. Friend the Member for South Staffordshire said; more particularly, it is because the Americans know that only they have the ability to bring the necessary influence to bear on the Israelis. It is no good believing that anyone else can do that. It is even worse for us to make suggestions about sanctions against Israel, as that would simply convince the Israelis that they had no option but to defend themselves entirely according to their own justification and judgment, rather than according to the judgment of the international community. The Israelis must understand that the international community understands and supports them, their right to self-defence and their right to exist.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;President Bush said in his speech in the rose garden:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"This can be a time for hope, but it calls for leadership".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Of course, that leadership must come not least from the Americans. We should applaud the fact that Secretary Powell is in the middle east meeting some of the participants in this conflict. We should particularly applaud the fact that he is meeting Chairman Arafat. We in this country do not necessarily understand how that will be received in America, or how difficult it is for the American Secretary of State to meet Yasser Arafat, for example, or members of the Syrian Government. It is difficult, but he is doing it.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We need to determine how to escape from this position of mutual mistrust and incomprehension. On the face of it, that will not happen with Ariel Sharon at the helm&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;532&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;in Israel and Yasser Arafat at the helm on behalf of the Palestinians, but how do we move from that position? We cannot govern who is democratically elected as Prime Minister of Israel, or Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. We have, however, reached the point at which we must tell Prime Minister Sharon that he cannot determine who speaks for the Palestinians in these negotiations. So, it will be either Prime Minister Sharon and Chairman Arafat, or neither of them. Secretary of State Powell&apos;s meeting with Chairman Arafat could be interpreted as important in that respect, because he accepts that Chairman Arafat has that authority for the time being. Prime Minister Sharon should also accept that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I entirely support what my right hon. Friends the Members for Horsham and for Devizes said earlier about the nature of the problem, and about where we need to go from here. As the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) said, we must understand that there is a Palestinian cause, but it is not one that justifies terror. We must understand that the Israelis have the right&amp;#x2014;and, if necessary, we must offer them responsible support in exercising their right&amp;#x2014;of self-defence and striking back against those who would use terror against them.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must understand that even in the context of further negotiations that may lead to a settlement, which is plausible, we will not eliminate terror levelled against Israel, whatever its source&amp;#x2014;whether it comes from Hezbollah, from some of the fundamentalist Islamic groups supported in Iran, or from anywhere else. We must be prepared to support Israel in the process of distinguishing between legitimate Palestinian causes and the pursuit of terror.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must do something else as well. If we expect a high standard from Israel in respect of how it exercises its right to self-defence according to the rule of law, we should also expect the Palestinian Authority, if it aspires to statehood, to meet the standards of statehood. That means ensuring that it exercises the monopoly of coercive power within its state, that it does not allow terror to be used from that state with its consent or even through negligence on its part, and that it uses the rule of law to bring those responsible for terror to justice.&lt;br/&gt;8.51 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. George Galloway: In the years during which I was on the campaign trail with my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), I used to describe him as the best Foreign Secretary that Labour never had. I think that he proved that again this evening.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The real Foreign Secretary, on the other hand, sought at the outset to inject a tranquilliser into the debate. He proceeded on that basis to paint a picture that I thought bore little relation to the reality of what is happening on the ground. He and his opposite number seemed to be building sandcastles in the air, talking of a peace process that no longer exists and of all the things that Ariel Sharon will have to do&amp;#x2014;which, as is manifestly and abundantly clear, he has no intention whatsoever of doing: he will tell anyone who is listening, and indeed those who are not, that he has no intention of doing them, not now, not ever. They made demands of Arafat that he do this and that in his cell in Ramallah. He was being asked to control&amp;#x2014;from a cell full of holes, without water, without a toilet, without a telephone, without electric light, without policemen,&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0280"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;533&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;without an army, without transport and without the ability to leave Ramallah&amp;#x2014;the destiny of millions of his compatriots.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the Foreign Secretary&apos;s discourse and in that of his opposite number, I smelt no whiff of the cordite of the ordnance that, as we speak, is shattering the edifice of the basilica of Bethlehem. In their, if I may say so, rather complacent Front-Bench consensus I did not smell&amp;#x2014;as I did so vividly when my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) was speaking&amp;#x2014;the death camp of Jenin. I did not picture the children drinking sewage. I gained no grasp of the immediate, desperate tragedy of all this.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Instead, we heard a long recitation of what we all know already&amp;#x2014;of what the final solution of the conflict will have to be, namely two states living side by side. We do not need to debate that; what we need to debate is how we get there. Nothing that the Front Benchers had to say led me to believe that they had any manifesto or programme for bringing that about. We should compare what they said with the radical set of proposals presented by my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton. He actually had a plan for how we and the United States could, and should, force Sharon to the negotiating table, and for the concessions that he must be forced to make. We should compare that with our own Government&apos;s performance. As the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) pointed out, in the United Nations conference yesterday we could not even bring ourselves to vote to condemn the massacres. The Foreign Secretary said that the resolution was unbalanced, but it was not so unbalanced that most of our European partners could not vote for it. Why was that impossible for us?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What is Britain doing to rise to the occasion? We are selling guns to Ariel Sharon. In fact, the Government are selling more weapons to General Sharon than we sold to Ehud Barak, the so-called dove who preceded him. The Minister answered my earlier question, so the Government know that Israel is brazenly breaking former assurances that it would not use those military weapons in the occupied territories. The Minister said that he would demand an assurance on that, but we have had none. The Foreign Secretary said today that he could no longer rely on Israeli assurances. Given those facts, what is stopping us announcing now that we will sell no more arms to General Sharon?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Time will not permit me to develop more than a few extra points, so I shall deal with two dramatic events that have occurred over the past couple of days. They are pregnant with further disaster, and I direct my remarks to those friends of Israel who have been eloquent in the past few minutes.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;First, the capture and proposed trial of Marwan Barghouti; is a very dangerous development. Marwan Barghouti; is the second most important man in Palestine, and he may well be the president of the Palestinian state one day. He is not an Islamic fundamentalist or extremist, but a leader of the progressive nationalist wing of the Palestinian resistance. The friends of Israel must accept that when Sharon marginalises, imprisons and murders the leaders of the nationalist wing of the Palestinian resistance, he ensures that the torch of nationalist leadership will pass to the irrational and irreconcilable&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;534&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Islamist fundamentalist forces. They are the main beneficiaries of Sharon&apos;s rampage through the Palestinian territories.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I ask this of the friends of Israel: please do not harm, humiliate or, after a kangaroo court trial, imprison Marwan Barghouti. With Yasser Arafat, he represents the last hope of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) said earlier, from the Opposition Front Bench, that Arafat was not flexible. My God, Arafat is so flexible he could be made of india rubber. If the right hon. Gentleman thinks that another Palestinian would be more flexible than Yasser Arafat, his learning curve has some way to go.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Barghouti and Arafat are the last hopes of a two-state solution. If we lose them, we are in for prolonged war between Islamic fundamentalism and Israel. How any friend of the Jewish people could think that that would be a step forward beats me.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My second, and final, point, concerns the proposal from General Powell in the past 24 hours for a regional peace conference that did not involve the Palestinian leadership. Someone in London will have to tell our special friends in Washington that the Palestine Liberation Organisation became the sole legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people more than 25 years ago. No Arab leader, however much of a puppet he may be, would ever turn up to speak for the Palestinians at a conference from which the Palestinian President was forbidden, and certainly not at a time when that President is besieged and imprisoned in a cell in Ramallah. We have to shoot down that moth-eaten kite now, because it seems to be emerging as the only concrete product from General Powell&apos;s ill-fated and ill-starred visit to the region.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In conclusion, I implore the Government to be bolder and more imaginative. We have a special responsibility here: in this building was authored this tragedy when one people promised a second people the land of a third people, without consulting any of the three peoples concerned. Balfour did not speak for the British; the Zionist movement to which he promised the land at that time was not only not hegemonic among world Jewry but represented only a small fragment of opinion in world Jewry. The Palestinian people, whom even Balfour said had inalienable rights that must not be prejudiced, were the last and least to be consulted about that historic declaration.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have a special responsibility to try harder than other people, to go the extra mile to get justice for the Palestinian people when we played such a seminal part in the tragedy that has befallen them. The great Albert Camus said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"All civilised people have a duty; not to be on the side of the executioners"&amp;#x2014;&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.&lt;br/&gt;9.1 pm&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Julian Lewis: Even if the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) has little time or patience with the Foreign Secretary, there are plenty of voices on the official Opposition Benches who appreciate what the Government are trying to do and applaud the measured tone and balanced approach that the Foreign Secretary took this afternoon.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0281"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;535&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I believe that the Palestinians played into the Israeli rejectionists&apos; hands by refusing a generous deal with Ehud Barak at Camp David less than two years ago. I believe, too, that the Israelis have now played into the Palestinian rejectionists&apos; hands by responding to terrorist bombings with a military offensive. Terrorism should be met by proportionate and effective measures, and that is not happening.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope that the House will not play into the hands of the rejectionists of both sides by adopting double standards. If ever there were a case of extremists feeding off each other, it is this one. It has reduced the prospect of rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinians to the present dire straits.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have been sad to see that double standards have explicitly been applied in the course of this debate. The right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell), the foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said that because Israel is a democracy, we expect a higher standard from it. My right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) similarly said that because Israel is a state, we expect a higher standard from it. The hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson), who belongs to the Scottish National party, said that Israel is a democratic state and should be judged by a higher standard. What is this if not moral relativism? If we wish to condemn one side or another in a terrible conflict such as this, we must apply similar standards of morality to each side. We must not say that because one side in the conflict is a state or a democracy, it is unacceptable for it to overreact to terrorism, but because the other side is not a state or a democracy it is less morally reprehensible for it to embark on terrorism in the first place.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My view is that Arabs have consistently tried, over many years, to destroy Israel and, since 1967 at least, Israelis have consistently tried to colonise occupied Arab territory. After 1967, the Israelis were in a position&amp;#x2014;had they wished to he magnanimous&amp;#x2014;to conclude peace settlements with their erstwhile enemies. They were not magnanimous and when Sadat successfully launched the Yom Kippur war in 1973, it was an opportunity for the Arab nations to regain some self-respect and to negotiate realistically with the Israelis to bring about peace. Sadat and Begin seized the opportunity after 1973 and, as was said earlier, Sadat&amp;#x2014;whom I regard as one of the heroes of the history of the middle east conflict&amp;#x2014;paid with his life for his foresight, generosity and courage.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) claimed that nobody supports the suicide bombers. Tell that to the people who organise telethons in Saudi Arabia to raise vast sums for the relatives of those bombers. It is a fact&amp;#x2014;alluded to previously in the debate and not, as far as I know, denied&amp;#x2014;that many of the suicide bomb attacks have been carried out by the Al Aqsa martyrs brigade. That body is directly linked to Fatah, and there is little doubt that it would not continue those terrible activities if Yasser Arafat were not willing for it to do so.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is an example of the support for the suicide bombers in an article published as recently as 1 April in the Saudi press&amp;#x2014;in a Government-controlled daily called &lt;i&gt;Al-Jazirah.&lt;/i&gt; It says of the Passover bomber:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"May Allah have mercy upon you&amp;#x2026;mujaheed and martyr, the quiet hero who infiltrated so elegantly and spoke so gaily. You defended your religion, your homeland, and your people. You attached no importance to any Arab summit; you did not wait for&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;536&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;international agreements; you did not follow television interviews; you did not pause because of dead Arab and international reactions that neither help nor hinder."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The article uses similar words to describe the supermarket bomber, a young teenage girl. It states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"May Allah have mercy on you&amp;#x2026;You left your home for the path of martyrdom and Paradise. Your family knew not where you were headed, and knew not that you had chosen the way of martyrdom. There was nothing to stop you&amp;#x2026;You proceeded with a determination, will, and strength rarely found, even impossible to find, in a 16-year-old girl."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The article concludes by asking that Allah and the angels welcome both of them as religious martyrs and beseeches Allah to give them&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"the highest level of Paradise".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Is it only Sharon who is the cause of the present situation? Many people have chosen to load him with all the guilt and to say that he is why the present situation is so disastrous. Only yesterday, however, &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; published an article written by Ehud Barak himself. He said of the missed opportunity at Camp David that the Arab states and Yasser Arafat had been offered&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"a contiguous and independent Palestinian state, over more than 90 per cent. of the West Bank."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;This is Barak speaking&amp;#x2014;not Sharon the extremist. He said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Mr. Arafat refused even to take it as a basis for negotiations and turned deliberately to terror. To reward this is like feeding a crocodile&amp;#x2014;it only increases its appetite."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Barak&apos;s view of Mr. Arafat is as follows:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Mr. Arafat does not envision a Palestinian state alongside Israel but a Palestinian state instead of Israel, and now he tries to dictate it by dispatching brainwashed human missiles to commit suicide and murder civilians."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That is the moderate voice of Israel speaking, not the extremist.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Several right hon. and hon. Members asked what drives a teenage girl to blow herself up and murder innocent civilians. The suggestion was that it is a form of desperation, caused by the Palestinians&apos; plight. Yet, no one said anything like that about the suicide hijackers of 11 September&amp;#x2014;when the reasons were truly given: hatred, brainwashing and religious-based fanaticism. If the House applies one standard to Palestinian terrorism and another to the terrorists of 11 September, it will forfeit the right to be taken seriously on this life and death issue.&lt;br/&gt;9.10 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Mohammad Sarwar: I am grateful to the House for the chance to contribute to this very timely debate. This is a grave period for people in the middle east. Colin Powell&apos;s intervention is welcome, but he has much to do before he is seen as even-handed. Ariel Sharon suggested an international peace conference, excluding Yasser Arafat, when he met Powell on Sunday. The US Secretary of State now states that Yasser Arafat would not need to attend such an event, which serves only to undermine his leadership among the Palestinians.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;According to a statement by the Israel-Palestine Centre for Research and Information, Palestinians now identify more strongly than ever with President Arafat. Mr. Powell told reporters that President Arafat&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"has the ability to empower people in the Palestinian movement who represent him."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0282"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;537&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;He added:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The conference does not necessarily require his personal presence to get started."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;It is difficult to imagine a key leader being excluded from genuine peace talks anywhere else in the world. It is even more difficult to picture the fair-minded Secretary Powell agreeing with such an unreasonable demand.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;New Israeli calls for peace talks will be empty rhetoric if President Arafat cannot leave his front door in Ramallah. Prime Minister Sharon has also omitted the European Union from prospective delegations to such a conference. Discussions will be extremely short if the Israeli leader wishes to talk only with those who agree with him.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I welcome Mr. Powell&apos;s recent engagement with other Arab leaders to avert the conflict widening throughout the middle east. The Lebanese Government have said that they will attempt to restrict attacks to the disputed Shebaa farms. President Lahoud also called on Mr. Powell to view the middle east situation with "objectivity and realism" and not to be influenced by Israel&apos;s presentation of events. We must all heed that warning.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In particular, we must exercise extreme caution over yesterday&apos;s arrest of Marwan Barghouti, the west bank Fatah leader, a view I share with my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway). Mr. Barghouti denies charges of stoking violence and encouraging the suicide bombers. He must not simply be a scapegoat for Israeli retribution against acts of terrorism. The evidence must be openly presented against him. In the same way, the evidence of the horrendous conditions in Jenin must be presented to the world.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;According to &lt;i&gt;The Independent&lt;/i&gt; today, a monstrous war crime that Israel has tried to cover up for a fortnight has finally been exposed in Jenin refugee camp. The International Committee of the Red Cross has finally been allowed into the west bank refugee camp after the Israeli onslaught. The ICRC has found destruction and a terrible smell in the camp. Israeli tanks and bulldozers have reduced much of it to dust. Workers from the Red Crescent and the Red Cross have begun to treat the injured before bringing out the remaining dead. Their task is enormous. The Palestinians say that hundreds died in Jenin, but Israel denies that. Our Government must join with others to uncover the truth.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The indiscriminate force currently being used by the Israeli army in the west bank against a civilian population is a form of collective punishment. According to Oxfam, there has been systematic targeting of medical personnel, denial of medical care to the injured, and threatened violence against clearly identified ICRC staff, Palestine Red Crescent Society staff and UN staff. Damage to water lines and pumps has left approximately 400,000 people in Ramallah, Nablus, Qalqilya, Bethlehem and Tulkarm without access to running water. Almost all hospitals in the west bank are now surrounded by Israeli tanks, which compromise the free and safe movement of staff, patients and emergency vehicles. Hospital generators, electricity and telephone lines and water supplies have been deliberately damaged by Israeli soldiers. United Nations organisations including the UN Development Programme, the UN Fund for Population Activities, the World Health&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;538&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Organisation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Relief and Works Agency issued the following joint statement on 10 April:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"This is a humanitarian crisis without precedent in its destructive impact on the Palestinian people and its institutions".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The UN resolution accusing Israel of "gross violations" of international law must be acted on. Our partners in the European Union have a pivotal role. I am disappointed, however, that European Foreign Ministers have rejected calls for trade sanctions against Israel. However, I understand the reluctance to act while Colin Powell is in the middle east pushing for peace, for fear of undermining him.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I welcome Germany&apos;s decision to suspend its supply of military equipment to Israel and urge our Government to consider a similar gesture. The EU, not America, is Israel&apos;s largest trading partner. Under a special agreement between the EU and Israel, the latter enjoys preferential trading under an association treaty. The European Parliament has already voted to suspend this agreement. If there is no sign of real progress following Mr. Powell&apos;s intervention, will the Minister assure me that the British Government will consider again the issue of trade with Israel?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Ariel Sharon must recognise that there has to be a political solution, which cannot be imposed by force or by killing innocent men, women and children. Israel has been ignoring or breaking UN resolutions for the last five decades, and still enjoys blind support from the United States of America. The USA must adopt an even-handed approach to deal with the UN resolutions if President Bush wants to bring peace and stability to the region.&lt;br/&gt;9.17 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Smith: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at this late stage in what has been an extremely interesting debate; in fact, it has been one of the best debates that I have heard in the House. The House has been shown at its best.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;With your indulgence, Madam Deputy Speaker, I should like to move away from the general discussion that has taken place and focus on a single tragedy arising from the situation in the middle east. Before I do so, I should like to make a personal observation: as far as I am concerned, there is no justification for the use of human bombs to kill innocent civilians in the streets of Israel, just as there is no justification for the suicide attacks on the United States of America. Attempts to seek such justifications are unwarranted and wholly wrong. I must also say that there is no justification for the actions of Israeli soldiers in the last 12 days&amp;#x2014;I speak as an ex-service man. Their actions bring disgrace and dishonour to the uniforms that they wear. They have no right to call themselves soldiers if they carry out such heinous crimes.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the short time available to me, I want to draw the attention of the House and the country to the desperate plight of four young Welsh children who have been caught up in the terrible horrors that have been taking place in the middle east. The four children of my constituent, Mrs. Eileen Sutton of Barry, have been trapped in a house in Nablus for the past 12 days. They are unable to move, and the house has been occupied by 21 heavily armed Israeli soldiers. The occupants of the house&amp;#x2014;not just the four children and their immediate&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0283"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;539&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;family but other children and adults&amp;#x2014;have been pushed into one room. These young children&amp;#x2014;constituents of mine&amp;#x2014;have been warned not to go near the windows because they might be shot dead if they do. There is no justification or excuse for treating children like that in any war or any situation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;These Welsh children are British citizens and British passport holders. Not only that: they are British wards of court. In other words, the legal guardians of the trapped children are the British Government. Everything humanly possible should be done to move the children immediately and to place them in the safe custody of the British consulate general in Jerusalem.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have been in touch with my colleagues on the Front Bench, the Foreign Office and the British consul in Jerusalem. We have had regular contact. I also wish to place on record my gratitude to my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd). She raised the plight of the children when she was in Israel last week. I thank her for her efforts to get them released into safe custody.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;These children were born and brought up in the little town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. Just a few months ago, they went to local schools, clubs, after-school clubs and discos. They enjoyed the life that our children and grandchildren take for granted. However, in just a short space of time, they have found themselves in the most horrendous and despicable situation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am aware that such cases involve desperately difficult diplomatic and political considerations. In fact, it has been put to me that moving the children right now might create a spark that could result in an escalation in the violence in Nablus. If that is the thinking, we have got it all wrong. There should be one consideration only: the children are in grave danger and should be moved to safety immediately.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope that the fact that I have been able to refer to this desperate case in the debate will mean that my right hon. and hon. Friends will do all in their power to return the children to the safety of their mother at home in Barry, in south Wales. I hope that they will not delay any further. The children are the only British subjects in such a position anywhere in the occupied territories or where the Israelis have moved in and attacked and threatened innocent civilians. These four young innocents do not deserve to find themselves in such a situation. For God&apos;s sake and in the name of humanity, get them out of there&amp;#x2014;and get them out now.&lt;br/&gt;9.24 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Connarty: Although I sympathise greatly with my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith) and I want to see his constituents returned, I should point out that the last time I saw children in Palestine, they were being put into graves.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The important point is that the Israeli state is waging a war on people who, in the main, are innocent. Although some may be taking up arms on the Palestinian side, or committing acts that some have described as atrocities, the reality is that we are facing the butcher of Beirut, who has also become the butcher of Bethlehem. There is a madness to current events there. The Christian bell-ringer at the church in Manger square was shot dead by Israeli troops, and an Armenian monk was shot in the back by Israeli troops and left to die. The bodies of Palestinians&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;540&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;remained unburied because their burial in Manger square would probably have turned a shrine to the Christian birth into a shrine to Palestinian martyrs.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As I have only a few minutes, I shall skip many of the points that I wanted to make, some of which have already been made. In my view, the flaw lies in the original Oslo agreement, which was supposed to provide land for peace. It is no wonder that some on the Palestinian side left the negotiations. It became clear that what was on offer was not a Palestinian state and an Israeli state, but land criss-crossed by Israeli roads leading to settlements. Such an arrangement would have fragmented the west bank in such a way that a Palestinian state could never have proved viable.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Most people do not know that the majority of the land in Gaza is still under the control of the Israelis; in fact, Israelis go on holiday there. I have visited Gaza several times and walked on its beach. It is beautiful, but nearby Beach Camp is infested and rat-ridden. Along the coast, however, there are protected zones where the people of the cities of Israel can spend a nice summer holiday, protected by Israeli troops.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In terms of peace, when I was in Beirut, the people looked to Hezbollah to provide spokespeople for the Palestinian diaspora. When my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) and I visited Gaza last year, it became clear that people were turning not to the Palestinian Authority, but to Hamas, and that those who had supported the Palestinian Authority were looking to other, more violent methods of extracting a settlement from the Israeli Government.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We must ask where the solution lies. Does it lie in Sharon, who clearly came to office on the back of a promise of peace and security? Jewish friends whom I used to visit in Tel Aviv have left Israel altogether, because they do not believe that Sharon can deliver peace and security. He is displaying not statesmanship but the worst form of militarism. His record&amp;#x2014;from events in Beirut to his election as Prime Minister&amp;#x2014;made clear what kind of Prime Minister he would be. He thinks that he can defeat the Palestinian people, and that they will have to accept whatever solution he offers, but that will not happen. He is creating bitterness and feeding future generations with the desire for retribution. I am amazed to hear that he enjoys 67 per cent. of the popular vote in Israel. That is a disaster for Israel, among other nations.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On the question of whether the solution lies with Yasser Arafat, my view is perhaps controversial. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) that Yasser Arafat represents the non-militant, non-Islamic view. However, as a European Union observer at the elections, I share the view of many who wanted the Palestinian Authority to come into being that they are failed and devalued. Arafat is accused of approving of Fatah members who participate in violence, but what other option did he have? It was clear that Hamas, Hezbollah and other fragmented groups that support Islamic jihad were getting popular support. The Palestinian Authority were being valued less and less.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What could Arafat do, given that Israel was killing children? I have not seen martyrs dying with bombs strapped to their chests, but on many occasions I have seen snipers or members of the official Israeli defence force shoot children who were throwing stones at, or shouting at Israeli soldiers when they were killing their&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0284"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;541&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;brothers and their mothers, and even the nurses and drivers of ambulances who went to try to help those who could be rescued. Have we forgotten the sight of the man perched behind a bollard with his son behind him while the Israeli defence forces shot until they killed that child? Although Arafat has had to take a more militant stand, such events lead me to believe that he is either the rock upon which peace will be settled or the rock upon which the future peace of Israel will be dashed. It would be insane to encourage anything that would allow him to be taken out.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not believe that the solution lies with the United States of America. I was in Washington on 11 September. On 10 September when we met State Department officials they had no perspective on Israel and Palestine. It had no middle east policy and did not understand the demographic, geographic or economic factors of the region. Since 11 September, it has had to make up policy on the hoof. I do not believe that they can do that without our help. Do the Government really believe that they can influence the USA so that it takes seriously the one solution on the table&amp;#x2014;the proposal by the Arab nations which is almost the same as UN resolution 242&amp;#x2014;because that is the only way forward?&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am disappointed that I do not have more time to speak. This is the first time that I have tried to speak in the Chamber since 13 September and I am disappointed to get the fag end of the debate.&lt;br/&gt;9.31 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Alan Duncan: If the hon. Gentleman is at the fag end of debate, I do not know where that puts me.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The debate has been a high point for this Parliament. In the 10 years in which I have been a Member, I have not heard a better one. The six hours of discussion have brought credit to all the participants, of whom there were many&amp;#x2014;I counted the contributions and I am the 32nd to speak. There were respectable differences, passionately and genuinely put, and division and argument that did not follow traditional party lines. Every contribution was infected by a sense of moral judgment&amp;#x2014;not to say outrage at times&amp;#x2014;and by a genuine search for peace, decency and civility in this highly complex issue.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;For some, the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is just a local skirmish on which they can turn their back, but they are wrong. They are very wrong on mere grounds of justice and humanitarian decency, but they are doubly wrong because the continuing conflict in the middle east has the potential to spark global conflagration on a massive scale. We, as politicians with opinions and influence, have a duty to grapple with the issue in all its complexity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I want to echo the good sense spoken by the Foreign Secretary. He gave us three guiding principles that he and I hope all of us believe should govern our approach to the issue. First, there is no monopoly of right and wrong. Secondly, Israelis and Palestinians are going to have to live side by side. Thirdly, no solution can be reached by force. In all those three, the Foreign Secretary was absolutely right and we share them in every respect.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In fact, on this issue perhaps more than any other, it is easy to champion one side. Anyone can easily take up the cudgels for one side against the other, but they soon find&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;542&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;that for every argument there is a counter-argument and for every claim there is a counter-claim. They simply get into a tit-for-tat debating battle. We need understanding rather than grandstanding and to appreciate that there is a limited purpose to any antiphony of blame. There is no point being simplistically partisan. We all have to struggle to be even-handed and to bring the sides together. We need to take steps that allow us to see an end to the polarisation that has bedevilled the argument for decades.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;It is not necessary to be anti-Israel to be pro-Arab; nor is it necessary to be anti-Arab to be pro-Israel. It is not nonsensical to be pro-both. Indeed, I would contend that if one is to be pro-peace, one has to be pro-both. In the 20 years in which I have travelled the Gulf, and in which I think I have been to every country in the wider middle east, I have been pro-both, and I would do anything to steer the two sides down the path towards peace.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have to understand history to understand the intensity of opinion which governs this debate, and it is so easy to be selective about history. Perhaps "understand" is not quite the right word. I saw on a wall in Jerusalem the telling sentence, which explains to the beginner in the middle east debate the simple truth:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"If you&apos;re not confused, you don&apos;t understand."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That confusion arises from the complexity of the issue, because it is complex in its history, in its geography and in the interaction of political powers. There is also the unfathomable complexity of some of the personalities involved.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Looking at the history, and perhaps at the risk of being slightly selective myself, I point out that the Foreign Secretary skirted slightly over the events of 1948, and so much stems from the war of Palestine between April and September that year. &lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; I am grateful to the Foreign Secretary for admitting that&amp;#x2014;I am obviously not being over-selective.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Of course, one can go back to the Balfour declaration, as the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) did. In 1948, however, in the aftermath of a war in which Jews had been heinously herded and hounded towards intentional annihilation, their right to a homeland was widely recognised in principle, but the first steps to its inception also caused its subsequent problems. In 1948, the minority population of 600,000 Jews displaced about 1.4 million Palestinians. Perhaps above all it is that expulsion that has festered for over half a century. So now we have two sides, and we have heard the shades of debate today, as we have heard them in many comments on television and elsewhere.&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Ellman: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that although undoubtedly there were expulsions, it has also been accepted on both sides that many Palestinians fled, believing that they would return as successful invading forces?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Duncan: That question perfectly illustrates the complexities that we have to unravel. I have to give credit to the Israeli Government, as a democracy, for releasing documents that add to a better understanding of history as academics try to look back to the events that unfolded 50 years ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have two classic, distinctive polar points of view. The Arabs feel that they are second-class citizens; they feel dispossessed and permanently humiliated. They feel&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0285"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;543&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;that 4 million Palestinian refugees are condemned to a life in camps. They feel&amp;#x2014;this is simple but true&amp;#x2014;that America is Satan. They feel that much of their land is occupied and that the world looks to them with double standards. At the same time, across the divide, the Israelis feel threatened too. They feel insecure, and they think that people want to drive them to the sea. They feel compelled to protect themselves because nobody else will, and they feel that some Arabs do not believe that they have the right to exist as a state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have seen all shades of that opinion in today&apos;s debate. I want to pay particular tribute to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), so I am sorry that she is not here. All of us, while munching our cornflakes, have listened to her broadcasts on Radio 4 from Jenin. I think that they have been remarkable and I look upon what she has done over the past few days with supreme admiration. It takes a lot of courage to tread the rubble of a refugee camp such as Jenin in the middle of a conflict such as the one that we have seen, and it takes courage to look down the barrel of a tank. Perhaps in her absence, I can pay proper tribute by saying that she knocks the spots off Kate Adie.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have had many contributions, and it is invidious to mention any of them, but I will mention some. My right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) said that Israel must behave like a legitimate state. My right hon. Friend the Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard), speaking as the president of the Conservative Friends of Israel, said that Israel should withdraw, but urged us to remember the Israeli state of mind, which governs so many of its actions. I also draw attention to a remarkable speech by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman). I cannot mention all the contributions, but what emerged from them is an acknowledgement of the need for a two-state solution in which there is mutual recognition and mutual security for both Israel and a Palestinian state.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;What could have emerged more strongly is that there are in this vicious debate ingredients that give glimmers of hope. The essential ingredients of a deal and a settlement are present. In a way, the boundaries between the two states are almost the easiest bit, and recognition that the two states have to live side by side is growing. By and large, there remain only three main elements of a potential settlement: the large, concrete settlements in the west bank, the right of return demanded by the Arabs, and the vexed question of Jerusalem in whatever form is chosen. None the less, the ingredients are present, in a scattered jigsaw that needs to be assembled. The initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah is admirable&amp;#x2014;the first top-level collective Arab endeavour working towards peace and prepared to establish normal relations with Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin asks the right question: how do we get there? Although one or two voices have been heard today dissenting from this view, much points to the Americans as the people who have to take the initiative if steps towards a ceasefire and further negotiations are to be taken. The USA is the key: it must keep up and prosecute its pressure on Ariel Sharon to withdraw from the west bank. It is American pressure and influence evenly applied on both sides that matters most.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;544&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;In the minutes remaining to me, I shall focus on a further dimension to this intense debate. From the burning of one small match, an enormous fire can result, and the danger we now face is of a huge conflagration flowing from the Israel-Palestine conflict. The conflict has the capacity to inflame the wider Arab world, and far more besides. It is for understandable reasons that that has only been touched on in today&apos;s debate.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Already&amp;#x2014;without the regional turmoil that an invasion of Iraq might provoke&amp;#x2014;the entire region is a tinderbox. With 70 per cent. of its population restless Palestinians, Jordan is living on a knife edge. The Hashemite hold on the country is far from firm, and Jordan depends wholly on Iraq for its annual economic bloodstream of &amp;#x00A3;850 million worth of oil. Saudi Arabia is a sort of Faustian pact between the al-Sauds and the clerics. Well in excess of half its population is under 30 and it faces a perilous period of unrest which is barely contained below the surface. Iran is in a state of transition, and critics provoke and offend it into enmity instead of choosing to draw it into bonds of friendship. Egypt&amp;#x2014;barely a democracy&amp;#x2014;is finding itself increasingly incapable of controlling the street. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain&amp;#x2014;for all its recent reforms&amp;#x2014;and Qatar are far from safe. Even Oman&amp;#x2014;perhaps the most stable and progressive of all the Gulf states&amp;#x2014;is wary of the growing mood of resentment.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;If the regimes in those countries fall, an explosion of popular fury will push them rapidly into the hands of maniacal clerics whose intolerance and aggression will make the current activities of PLO militarists seem as nothing. It is not an exaggeration to say that the world would be pushed towards massive conflict if that were to happen. A series of regimes in the Gulf thrust into different hands would be far more perilous for the state of Israel. Currently, those regimes feel impotent, and their populations are on the edge of revolt.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The question of Israel and Palestine is crucial to the management of all that danger. For their sake and for the sake of the wider world we must now do all we can to walk down the path to peace.&lt;br/&gt;9.44 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): I congratulate the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) on an excellent speech. I agree wholeheartedly that this has been an excellent, well-attended debate&amp;#x2014;the most thoughtful that I have heard since coming to this place nearly five years ago. I thank all those who have contributed. I express sympathy to those who did not even become the fag end of the debate&amp;#x2014;I refer to those who were not called, having waited six and a half hours.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The debate has rightly been dominated by the grave situation in the Palestinian territories and Israel. However, I shall refer first to Iraq, on which the Government have made their position absolutely clear. Military action is not imminent or inevitable. Both my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister have made it clear that, if that were to be the case, there would be ample future opportunity for debate in this place. All Britain&apos;s efforts at the moment are in the direction of trying to get Iraqi compliance with United Nations resolutions and the return of weapons inspectors.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0286"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;545&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I believe that the House is agreed that the situation in the Holy Land is extremely grave. The spiral of violence is intolerable, and it has the potential to set back the cause of peace by years. The recent policy adopted by the Israeli Government in defiance of world opinion has been wrong, counter-productive and futile. The failure of the Palestinian leadership to curb violence and stop the suicide bombings has made the job of those in Israel who argue for a better policy much more difficult.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;A number of right hon. and hon. Members made powerful speeches, giving their analyses of the current situation. They included my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack), the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) and the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell). Most of those Members, if not all, described themselves as traditional friends of Israel. However, they all expressed extremely strong concern that while Israel must have its right to security, it has done itself immense damage by its recent behaviour, which has been unacceptable and counter-productive.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Many Members listened in silence to the testimony of my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), who sadly is no longer in her place. It has been supported by a growing number of United Kingdom press reports. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made it clear this afternoon that if we had our own official reports by now, we would give them to the House. I am pleased to tell the House that our defence attach&amp;#x00E9; in Tel Aviv made a trip to Jenin today with two colleagues and has returned safely. His report states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"all the available evidence is that the"&amp;#x2014;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Israeli defence force&amp;#x2014;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"used disproportionate and excessive force. What we cannot say is how many people in the camp were killed, who they were and how they died. This may take some time to be established."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;I hope that I speak for the House in calling this evening on the Israeli Government to allow full and unrestricted access to international charities to the Jenin camp. I wish to reassure my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith) that we are doing everything that we can to get the children to whom he referred out of Nablus. At present, we have been given no permission by the IDF to go there. However, we have received assurances from the Israelis that the children will not come to any harm.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We have rightly heard from a number of right hon. and hon. Members, including my hon. Friends the Members for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs. Ellman) and for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) and the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard), about the current psychological state of the Israeli people. It was right and proper that we heard from those Members. If we are to solve the situation, we must understand the Israelis&apos; sense of vulnerability. I was pleased that the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk said that she agreed that Israel should take note of international opinion and comply immediately with UN resolution 1402. It was right of all the right hon. and hon. Members to whom I have referred to remind the House of the devastating psychological impact of the campaign of suicide bombings and their counter-productive effect on the hopes for peace.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;546&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I noted what my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood said about the disappointment in Israel about the Camp David failure. I do not want to spend too much time dwelling on the past or going into claims or counter-claims about who was to blame for the failure of Camp David. For the remainder of my speech, I wish to try to point out a way forward.&lt;br/&gt;Richard Burden: Briefly, as chair of the all-party Britain-Palestine group, I had hoped to contribute to the debate but sadly could not. We have heard an alternative view from Israel in the House today, on which I would appreciate my hon. Friend&apos;s comments. Uri Avnery, the noted peace campaigner, was here and made it clear that we do the peace camp in Israel no favours at all if we ease up on our criticism of its abrogation of human rights. I am sure that he would welcome my hon. Friend&apos;s speech. It is important to recognise that there is an alternative view in Israel, which we should support.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw: I recognise that.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In his extremely constructive contribution, the shadow Foreign Secretary asked whether there were parallels with Northern Ireland. I agree that there are some parallels, but not others. One parallel that he accepted was the need for political dialogue; there is no simple security solution to the problem of Israel and the Palestinian territories. In the absence of politics, extremists fill the vacuum. There are responsibilities on both sides, which have been clearly spelt out by many hon. Members on both sides of the House, and in countless United Nations resolutions, most recently in the unanimous resolution 1402 adopted 10 days ago.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There are also responsibilities on the Arab states. The whole House welcomed the unanimous declaration of the recent Beirut summit in support of the initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and our Prime Minister&apos;s recommendation that it should be embraced in a UN resolution.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) asked specifically whether we had taken measures or had had recent conversations to try to dissuade some Governments in the region from supporting rejectionist groups. The answer is yes, we do so regularly. The Foreign Secretary has recently had conversations with his Iranian counterparts, encouraging them to play a more positive role. Colin Powell was no doubt in Syria and Lebanon to deliver similar requests.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Many hon. Members stressed the importance of third-party involvement and, above all, the importance of the engagement of the United States of America. My right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton, my hon. Friends the Members for Walsall, North (David Winnick) and for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) and the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) all stressed the unique ability of the United States to make a difference in the region and its responsibility to engage there. We should all welcome the statement of President Bush last Thursday week on the eve of his weekend summit with the Prime Minister in Crawford. My right hon. Friend the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0287"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;547&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) added sound advice on how best to sustain American engagement and persuade the Americans to fulfil their responsibilities in the region.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We heard an important contribution from my right hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, East (Donald Anderson), who expressed his growing feeling that the incremental approach of the past had not worked: the old models of Madrid and Oslo were not the way forward. The Government have some sympathy with that, which is why the Foreign Secretary spelt out in his opening speech more clearly than any other recent British Foreign Secretary what a final settlement would look like. He went into considerable detail, which I do not intend to reiterate, about what an Israel secure in its borders, with normal relations with the Arab world would look like, and what a Palestinian state, viable, recognised and respected by Israel, would look like.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;That will not be easy, and it will require a number of myths to be debunked. Several of my hon. Friends and Opposition Members have been doing a good job of that in the past few hours. One of those myths is that the right of return will mean in practice the return of all Palestinian refugees to green line Israel. That will not happen. On the Israeli side, such myths include the idea that there can be a viable Palestinian state without east Jerusalem as its capital, and the idea that there can be a peace settlement while the existing Israeli settlements remain in their present number in the occupied territories. The settlements are against international law and they will have to go.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Right hon. and hon. Members made a number of other suggestions for measures and actions. Let me say at the outset that it would be foolish for any politician to rule anything out for ever. What we do not want to do is detract or divert attention from the current important diplomatic efforts, particularly the mission of Secretary of State Powell.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On arms, contrary to what was suggested, the Germans have not implemented an arms embargo. There is no EU consensus for such an embargo. I understand that the answer which the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife thought that he had received from the Foreign Secretary did not arrive in time, so I wish to put it on record that our current policy is that we will no longer take into account the Israeli assurances given to us in November 2000 that they would not use UK-originated equipment in the occupied territories. Those assurances have proved to be unsound. Nothing that could be used for internal repression or external aggression will get an export licence. In the current circumstances, those criteria will apply widely to military equipment destined for Israel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On sanctions, I do not believe that that is a sensible idea at this stage. It would simply push Israeli public opinion further into the bunker in which it already is, as we heard from hon. Members. We do not want to do anything, as my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Sarwar) said, to undermine Colin Powell&apos;s mission.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley suggested that we cut off diplomatic relations. I do not&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;548&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;think that that would be sensible at this stage. It has not been done by Arab states that have diplomatic relations with Israel. It is vital that we keep those avenues of dialogue open. We may well feel better by suggesting such gestures, but the Government are interested in action that will make a difference on the ground and increase the likelihood of a settlement with justice.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I have endeavoured to respond to the points and questions raised by right hon. and hon. Members during the debate. If hon. Members feel that I have failed to do so, will they please speak to me afterwards? I shall happily write to them.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is overwhelming agreement in the House that the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories is desperate, but I should like to leave the House with a ray of hope. A number of the ingredients that are essential for a peace settlement are in place in a way that they never have been before. That point was made by the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) when he rightly said that minds have moved in the past 10 years.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;There is unprecedented international agreement about what peace with justice in Israel and Palestine would look like. Despite the current situation, that is still supported by the majority of Israelis and the majority of Palestinians. It is a vision that unites the Arab world, the United States, Europe, Russia and the United Nations. It is enshrined in the recent United Nations resolutions and in the unanimous declaration of the Arab summit in Beirut. Following President Bush&apos;s statement, America is more engaged than it has been before, and Colin Powell&apos;s mission is continuing. The signs give us cause for cautious optimism.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The parties in the region&amp;#x2014;the Israelis and Palestinians and their neighbours&amp;#x2014;must grasp this opportunity. They must show the courage and the leadership to achieve peace with justice, rather than condemn generations of Palestinians and Israelis to more death, violence and hatred. Britain, as always, stands ready to help.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;It being Ten o&apos;clock, the motion for the Adjournment of the House lapsed without Question put.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;LYNNE JONES, &lt;i&gt;who acted as a Teller in Division No. 211, came to the Table.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Lynne Jones: I have to inform the House that in the Division for leave to bring in a ten-minute Bill this afternoon, we reported that the votes for the Ayes were 163. They were in fact 154.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Speaker: The House will have heard that correction, and I shall see that the record is corrected.' title='The Middle East' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/the-middle-east'></outline>
    <outline id='3585254' text='The Middle East'>
      <outline id='3585255' text='&lt;i&gt;Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),&lt;/i&gt;' title='DELEGATED LEGISLATION' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/delegated-legislation'></outline>
      <outline id='3585255' text='DELEGATED LEGISLATION'>
        <outline id='3585256' text='That the Mental Health Act 1983 (Remedial) Order 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 3712), dated 18th November 2001, a copy of which was laid before this House on 19th November, be approved.&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Mr. Heppell.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question agreed to.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),&lt;/i&gt;' title='MENTAL HEALTH' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/mental-health'></outline>
        <outline id='3585257' text='That the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2002 (S.I., 2002, No. 682), dated 14th March 2002, a copy of which was laid before this House on 14th March, be approved.&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Mr. Heppell.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question agreed to.&lt;/i&gt;' title='FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/financial-services-and-markets'></outline>
      </outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3585258' text='PETITION'>
      <outline id='3585259' text="10.1 pm&lt;br/&gt;Tony Baldry: This is the petition of the residents of the villages of Arncott and Piddington in my constituency, supported by people in neighbouring villages and the town of Bicester. The petitioners object to the proposal by the Home Office to build an accommodation centre for asylum seekers on land vacated by the Ministry of Defence. They are concerned that the proposal to locate an asylum seekers' accommodation centre in Bicester is not in the interests of the asylum seekers themselves and they are alarmed that the centre will overwhelm local communities. The petition has been signed by almost every single resident of the villages of Arncott, Piddington and Blackthorn and is supported by people in neighbouring Bicester. The petition states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;The Petition therefore requests that the House of Commons urges the Home Secretary to look for more suitable sites for asylum accommodation centres from the perspective of both asylum seekers and local residents.&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;To lie upon the Table.&lt;/i&gt;" title='Asylum Accommodation Centre (Bicester)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/asylum-accommodation-centre-bicester'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3585260' text='&lt;i&gt;Motion made, and Question proposed,&lt;/i&gt; That this House do now adjourn.&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Mr. Heppell.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;10.2 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Patrick Hall: I am grateful to have secured this short debate on a matter that is of considerable importance to many of my constituents in Bedford and Kempstown and to other residents of the borough of Bedford, some of whom are represented by the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), whom I am pleased to see in his place.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The matters that I wish to bring to the attention of the House arise from events that took place within Bedford borough council during and after the counting of the votes at the district council elections in May 2000. I do not wish to dwell on the detail, but it is necessary to outline the context before I come to the substantive issues.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Bedford borough council is a hung council&amp;#x2014;no party has had overall control for 15 years or so. For the past two years, councillors have failed to elect a leader of the council, which has inevitably led to a situation in which responsibility for decisions is not transparent, there is no clear accountability and little openness, the chief executive has developed a very powerful influence among councillors, and personalities rather than politics have become predominant.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;After the declaration of the result for the Brickhill ward in Bedford at the May 2000 elections&amp;#x2014;a result that delivered a narrow victory for the Conservative candidate over the sitting Liberal Democrat councillor&amp;#x2014;it was discovered that 86 postal votes had not been opened and had therefore not been counted. The ballot papers were subsequently opened&amp;#x2014;the following day, I believe&amp;#x2014;by an officer of the council acting on the prior advice of the council&apos;s solicitor. Candidates and agents were not present, but were later told that the informally counted postal votes did not alter the result.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Ten days or so later, a Liberal Democrat councillor suggested to the chief executive and the council&apos;s solicitor that the council should, under rule 47 of the local election principal areas rules, ask the county court to order a recount of the ballot papers. The officers agreed to do that. The hearing took place on 23 and 24 May 2000. On both occasions, it was adjourned. At some point later the council discontinued its action.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Immediately after the hearings, the local Conservative party agent issued a news release, claiming maladministration by the borough council for pursuing a misconceived application under rule 47. That procedure is designed for election agents who represent candidates, not returning officers. The content of the news release contributed to the coverage of the Brickhill election count in a local weekly free newspaper called &lt;i&gt;Bedfordshire on Sunday.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Three senior council officers&amp;#x2014;the chief executive, the council&apos;s solicitor and the council&apos;s employed lawyer&amp;#x2014;sued the Conservative agent and local Sunday newspapers for defamation. The complaints were about the Conservative party news release and two articles published by &lt;i&gt;Bedfordshire on Sunday.&lt;/i&gt; The case was heard in the High Court in February before a leading libel judge, Mr. Justice Gray.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0289"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;551&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The council&apos;s solicitor and lawyer lost all their claims. The chief executive lost on two counts and won on two, and was awarded &amp;#x00A3;27,000 damages because the judge ruled that the news release had wrongly alleged political bias on the chief executive&apos;s part. The claimants were ordered to pay 80 per cent. of the costs to the defendants. The amount is likely to be &amp;#x00A3;400,000 to &amp;#x00A3;450,000.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The important point is that the complaints were private actions that Bedford borough council supported and maintained from the start. The council&apos;s executive committee met on 7 June 2000 and, in private session, received a report from officers advising the committee that the council had to support and maintain the private libel actions under its duty of care to its employees. Councillors apparently considered legal advice to the effect that because the three officers were criticised for actions undertaken in the course of their duties, the council could face legal claims for dereliction of its duty of care if it did not agree to support them.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The all-party committee duly agreed to support the libel actions. It agreed that the costs of the intended claims should be financed from the contingency reserve. Furthermore, on 14 February 2001, the executive committee agreed to take out insurance of &amp;#x00A3;50,000 to cover up to &amp;#x00A3;250,000 costs should the private libel actions prove unsuccessful. Again, the public were excluded from the meeting. In the event, the council did not purchase the policy, and decided to self-insure out of the contingency reserve. The bill, as I said, will exceed &amp;#x00A3;400,000.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;On 6 March this year, the executive committee agreed to support and maintain the council&apos;s solicitor and lawyer if they were successful in seeking leave to appeal against the judgment. Full council has yet to endorse that position, but if an appeal is made, and if it is unsuccessful, the costs to the public purse in Bedford borough will naturally be substantially higher.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Bedford borough council has agreed to use public money to maintain private libel actions. It has also committed staff time and resources in support for many months. It has justified that under its duty of care to employees.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am deeply disturbed by the situation, which has serious and wide-ranging implications. The obligations and responsibilities associated with the duty of care do not include maintaining private libel actions initiated by employees. Duty of care, as I understand it, covers matters such as safeguarding health and safety, dealing promptly with grievances, taking reasonable care, and acting in good faith.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I do not believe that any case law suggests that duty of care extends to funding private libel action. I do not believe that an employment tribunal in the land would consider any failure to sponsor such action to be a fundamental breach of the contract of employment. Councils can and do fund prosecutions when employees have been assaulted in the course of their duties, but there appears to be no duty of care to fund libel actions. However, given the contrary position adopted by Bedford borough council, I ask my hon. Friend the Minister to consider for the avoidance of doubt whether the Government&apos;s advice to local authorities on such matters should be reviewed.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I turn now to the maintenance by a local authority of libel actions. I strongly oppose that, because the use of public money to suppress public criticism would&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;552&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;fundamentally undermine freedom of expression and, therefore, democracy itself. If a Government or a local council disagree with comments made, they have suitable avenues open to them to obtain a remedy without recourse to litigation. The normal and healthy response is to investigate the complaint, debate the issues openly and issue a rebuttal in the media.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Public criticism of an officer or councillor may sometimes be harsh and unfair, but that is an occupational hazard. The more senior the individual in an organisation, the better one would expect that to be understood. If a council considers a particular instance worthy of an investigation and a reasonable response, it has the means to pursue such a course of action; supporting and maintaining a defamation action is clearly beyond reasonable. That being the case, it is perhaps unsurprising that English local authorities have only twice sued for damages, in 1891 and 1972.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In 1993, in the case of Derbyshire county council &lt;i&gt;v.&lt;/i&gt; Times Newspapers Ltd., the Law Lords held that:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"A local authority did not have the right to maintain an action for damages for defamation, as it would be contrary to the public interest for the organs of Government, whether central or local, to have that right. Not only was there no public interest favouring the right of Government organs to sue for libel but it was of the highest public importance that a governmental body should be open to uninhibited public criticism, and a right to sue for defamation would place an undesirable fetter on freedom of speech."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Lord Keith of Kinkel, expressing his opinion en route to the ruling, made the following observation:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"I regard it as right for this House to lay down that not only is there no public interest favouring the right of organs of Government, whether central or local, to sue for libel, but that it is contrary to the public interest that they should have it,"&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;He also approved of the following statement made in a much earlier South African case:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"I have no doubt that it would involve a serious interference with the free expression of opinion hitherto enjoyed in this country if the wealth of the state, derived from the state&apos;s subjects, could be used to launch against those subjects actions for defamation because they have, falsely and unfairly it may be, criticised or condemned the management of the country."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Not maintaining an action for damages surely means not doing so either directly on the local authority&apos;s own account, or indirectly, or by proxy by funding its employees to do so. Naturally, individuals enjoy the right to sue for damages, and that includes individual councillors and officers. It is the maintenance of such actions through public funds that is wrong. Bedford borough council has done just that. I believe it is wrong, and many of my constituents believe it to be wrong. They know that there are dozens of better ways of spending their money than through the irresponsible commitment of hundreds of thousands of pounds on legal costs. They know that this whole business represents a diversion of time and energy from the real tasks that should concern the council&amp;#x2014;those of promoting the borough and running effective services. I could not agree with them more, and I think that the people of the borough are owed an apology by the council. Whatever my constituents may think, however, events have unfolded in the way that they have. Despite the rather strong evidence that the council&apos;s actions ought to he ultra vires, there is a need to clarify the situation once and for all.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Minister knows that I have already tabled a parliamentary written question on these matters, and I see from his reply that the Government are thinking&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0290"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;553&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;about local authorities having the power to provide indemnities to councillors and staff. I understand that the Government will want to go through the process properly. I must ask my hon. Friend, however, to give an indication of where he stands, given my immediate concerns and those of my constituents, given that Bedford borough council may, in the next few weeks, confirm its willingness to endorse its executive committee&apos;s recommendation that public funds be made available to maintain appeals by two council officials, and given also the wider public interest considerations that I have raised.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope that my hon. Friend will agree with me that local authorities should not maintain and support libel actions directly or indirectly. I hope that he will also agree that such actions cannot be in the public interest, that they would undermine freedom of speech in our country, that they form no part of duty of care, and that they must therefore be stopped once and for all.&lt;br/&gt;10.14 pm&lt;br/&gt;Alistair Burt: I am grateful to both the hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Hall) and the Minister for allowing me a couple of minutes.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I am glad that the hon. Member for Bedford has raised a matter that is of great concern to his constituents and to mine, and I associate myself with what he has said. The whole thing appears to be a classic example of circumstances in which personality is allowed to cloud judgment, notwithstanding the seriousness of the allegations that are made. Words spoken or written in, or shortly after, the heat of an election battle are perhaps not always the wisest. My constituents are appalled that the matter has gone as far as it has, and appalled at the cost.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Bedford borough council is running out of time in which to re-establish credibility with its electorate, as was shown in a recent vote on the possibility of electing a mayor. It is time for the council to put aside the variety of personality issues that have beset it in recent years and damaged its effectiveness. It is time for serious thought about the council&apos;s good name, and its ability to serve properly residents who deserve rather better service than they have had in recent years from a council that has been hung and unable to perform its duties effectively. Perhaps this debate will fire a final warning shot over the bows. I look forward to hearing the Minister&apos;s response.&lt;br/&gt;10.16 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Dr. Alan Whitehead): I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Hall) for giving us an opportunity to discuss this subject. The debate is timely: the issue is one that we in Government have been actively considering, albeit, as I shall explain, in a slightly different guise.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I must make it clear that I do not intend to comment on the case itself. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, it is currently before the courts, and I consider it inappropriate to comment in such circumstances. I am, however, happy to comment on the general principle of circumstances in which local authorities can and should indemnify their members and officers, using public funds, for any personal liability arising from actions or decisions made by them in the course of their official duties.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;554&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;In the past, local authorities have relied on various statutory provisions to provide indemnities&amp;#x2014;provisions dating back even to the Public Health Act 1875&amp;#x2014;but doubts have been raised from time to time about the extent to which authorities can rely on those powers. Given the importance that the Government attach to modernising local government and to local authorities working in partnership with other bodies, it is important for those doubts to be removed. That is why, in section 101 of the Local Government Act 2000, the Government took order-making powers to allow the Secretary of State to enable authorities to indemnify their members and officers in respect of personal liabilities. The scope of that provision is deliberately wide. and permits the order made under section 101 to remove any doubts about the circumstances in which authorities can provide indemnities.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The next step is for central Government to consult on how we might give effect to such an order. I will now outline the ideas that we are minded to present in a consultation paper that we intend to issue this summer. We are minded to permit the indemnification of members and officers within certain bounds, but I want to make it clear that we are still considering those issues, within Government and with stakeholders, and that we will not make final decisions until we have received responses to the final consultation paper.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In the making of an order under section 101, the following questions need to be addressed. Which relevant authorities are to be allowed to provide indemnities? Who should authorities be able to indemnify? In what circumstances should indemnities apply? Should any restrictions be placed on authorities&apos; ability to provide indemnities? I will say something about each of those questions.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;First, there is the question of which authorities should be able to provide indemnities. Section 101 allows the Secretary of State to enable all relevant authorities in England, and police authorities in Wales, to provide them. Although the range of functions undertaken by the various authorities varies considerably, the Government see no reason to withhold the right to give indemnities from any relevant authority. Parish and town councils are as likely as other authorities to appoint members to serve on outside bodies such as charitable trusts. In such circumstances they need to be able, if they so wish, to indemnify those individuals against personal liabilities in the same way as other authorities.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Secondly, who should authorities be able to indemnify? The 2000 Act allows the Secretary of State to provide that authorities should be able to provide indemnities to some or all of their members and officers.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Government believe that it should be for authorities themselves to determine which members and officers should be granted indemnities. Accordingly, our consultation will propose that the power should be widely drafted and not limit the class of member or officer to whom indemnities can be given. Instead, the power will permit authorities to grant indemnities to specific individuals, at the discretion of the authority. However, we also believe that the power to grant indemnities out of public funds should be limited to circumstances in which the member or officer acts in an official capacity.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0291"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;555&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Thirdly, what liabilities should authorities be able to indemnify? The Government believe that authorities should be permitted to indemnify individuals against any personal financial liability that they incur in the service of the authority.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Accordingly, authorities&apos; powers should be wide enough to remove any doubts about their ability to indemnify individuals, including where an individual becomes personally responsible for the debts of a body to which they have been appointed by the authority; or where an individual incurs costs defending himself against legal proceedings brought by a third party&amp;#x2014;including any in which the member is co-joined with the authority.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Fourthly, should any restrictions be placed on authorities&apos; power to provide indemnities? This is the crux of the concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford, and of the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt).&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Again, the House will understand that I cannot comment on the detail of the Bedford case. However, I can say something about the Government&apos;s views on the principles of the use of public funds to meet costs of legal action for libel.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;The Government believe that indemnity at public cost should not he used to allow individuals to avoid all personal responsibility for their actions. Accordingly, we intend to propose that members and officers should be able to rely on indemnities only if the action giving rise to the liability was taken in good faith, and was not unlawful or reckless.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;We are therefore minded to propose to prohibit authorities from indemnifying members or officers for the cost of taking legal action for slander or libel. We are content that authorities should be able to provide indemnities to individuals against the costs of defending such actions, but we do not believe that individuals should be funded at public expense to bring proceedings against a third party. That would risk, among other things, an increase in litigation, and it could stifle legitimate public debate. My hon. Friend the Member for Bedford mentioned the comments of judges on that issue.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Of course, I must stress that none of that would prevent someone pursuing legal action for libel in a personal capacity. However, we are also minded to prohibit authorities from indemnifying members or officers in two further situations&amp;#x2014;when they provide guarantees or&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;556&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;letters of comfort to third parties on behalf of the authority, and when they incur costs answering allegations that they have breached codes of conduct.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;As a matter of principle, the Government do not believe that public money should be spent by members as part of the process of establishing whether or not they have behaved improperly. Moreover, the procedures to be adopted by the new standards board and adjudication panel should preclude the member from having to be legally represented by affording him or her a full opportunity to make their case without having to undertake the cost of additional legal representation.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;Proposals on which the Government will shortly be consulting will give authorities a role to play in the investigation and determination of allegations of misconduct. In such circumstances, if authorities were also faced with having to meet members&apos; legal costs, there would be a potential conflict of interest. Authorities would have a legitimate interest in minimising the potential cost to the authority, and in ensuring that allegations were properly investigated and dealt with. It is possible that, on occasion, those interests might conflict.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;These are the ideas that we are likely to put forward in our forthcoming consultation paper. Before going out to consultation, we will discuss the issues further within Government and with the Local Government Association. We will also prepare a draft order so that consultees can see how we intend to give legal effect to our proposals.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;In closing, I emphasise again that nothing is set in stone. We will consider carefully the responses that we receive from authorities and other interested stakeholders to our consultation paper, which we expect to issue in the summer. I shall ensure that my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford and the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire are sent a copy.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;After we have considered the responses, we will consider the need for further changes. We will then lay the order before the House for debate under affirmative resolution procedures. I hope that the order, once laid, will provide the clarity concerning indemnities that does not exist at present.&lt;lb/&gt;&#x000A;I hope that this information is of some help to my hon. Friend, and thank him again for providing an important opportunity to discuss the issue.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question put and agreed to.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Adjourned accordingly at twenty-five minutes past Ten o&apos;clock.&lt;/i&gt;' title='Local Authorities (Libel Actions)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/2002/apr/16/local-authorities-libel-actions'></outline>
    <outline id='3585295' text='SIR MICHAEL LORD[&lt;member&gt;SIR MICHAEL LORD&lt;/member&gt; &lt;i&gt;in the Chair]&lt;/i&gt;' title='Preamble' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/preamble'></outline>
    <outline id='3585296' text='&lt;i&gt;Motion made, and Question proposed,&lt;/i&gt; That the sitting be now adjourned.&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Mr. Pearson.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;9.30 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Wayne David: It gives me great pleasure to begin this morning&apos;s debate on one of the great issues of our time&amp;#x2014;the proposed enlargement of the European Union.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The enlargement of the EU is not new. It was enlarged in 1973, when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined what was then the European Economic Community. Greece joined the European Union in 1981, Spain and Portugal joined in 1986 and Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. Significantly, the enlargement anticipated in 2004 will be bigger and more ambitious than any we have seen before: it is hoped that eight countries from central Europe&amp;#x2014;Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia&amp;#x2014;plus the islands of Malta and Cyprus will join the EU.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The other three candidate countries are Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Negotiations with Turkey have not yet begun because it does not meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria, and Romania and Bulgaria are some way behind the other applicant countries. Although Romania and Bulgaria will not be joining the EU in 2004, we should not forget about them because progress is being made in both states. Equally, we should not link them because differentiation is vital. Bulgaria is way ahead of Romania in its negotiations and the number of chapters that it has closed in anticipation of entry.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;You may wonder, Mr. Deputy Speaker, why I have elected to debate enlargement. Some may think that it is an esoteric subject, and others may think that it betrays the obsessions of the European anorak brigade. However, the enlargement of the EU is of tremendous importance to both this country and the present EU, and its importance cannot be exaggerated.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am passionately in favour of enlargement for three reasons, the first of which is economic. Enlargement will create a huge single market, the size and significance of which will dwarf the United States and Japan put together. It will have more than 500 million consumers. There will be huge economic benefits for us. It has been estimated, for instance, that the gross domestic product of the United Kingdom alone will increase by &amp;#x00A3;1.75 billion as a result of enlargement. It has also been estimated that, through enlargement, 300,000 new jobs will be created in the present European Union, the economic worth of which cannot be legitimately doubted.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Secondly, I strongly support enlargement because it will give us an opportunity to develop broader policies for co-operation and co-ordination on a pan-Europe basis in a way that has never before been possible. As we&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;102WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;often say, pollution knows no national boundaries, because what happens in one country inevitably affects other countries. Crime is increasingly developing on an international basis, and if we are serious about creating safer communities we must take a pan-Europe approach to tackling it. In a more positive sense, there is tremendous scope for developing cultural and educational opportunities across eastern, central and western Europe. For those reasons, I am strongly in favour of enlargement of the EU.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My third and final reason for believing that the process is so important relates to the need for peace and stability throughout the European continent. It is opportune to end the artificial division between western and eastern Europe. The appalling events of recent years in the former Yugoslavia emphasise the need to work consistently and diligently for peace and stability in our continent. Enlargement alone will not achieve that, but it will make a huge contribution.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement is in the mutual best interests of the citizens of the European Union and applicant countries. We may discuss the process of enlargement and how we anticipate and hope that it will happen in 2004, but the reality is that the process of bringing people closer together is already happening. Yesterday, I was in Poland where I addressed a conference in Sopot just outside Gdanz. The conference examined how links can be developed between local authorities and other local organisations in Poland and Britain. I learned that 36 twinning projects between local authorities here and in Poland already exist, and the number will increase with enlargement. Nottingham is linked with Poznan, Southend is linked with Sopot, where the conference was held, and in Wales links are being established between the National Assembly for Wales and Silesia, two areas with much in common, not least their previous reliance on heavy industry. The British Government are actively pursuing various links and some senior civil servants are regularly seconded to help Poland and other countries prepare for enlargement.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Although I am a fervent advocate of enlargement of the European Union, I recognise that others have reservations. Some fear "floods" of people coming to the EU from the east, but the reality is that most people in central Europe want to stay in the countries where they were born and brought up, and have no great desire to migrate. When enlargement takes place, transitional phases will ensure that the free movement of people is introduced gradually.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Some people fear that footloose capital from the EU will move eastwards and we must acknowledge that some firms have relocated from Britain to central and eastern European countries. South Wales has experienced that. However, that process is the result not of anticipated enlargement but of globalisation. We must seize the nettle and ensure that our industries are truly competitive and our work force have the skills and adaptability to ensure that we retain capital investment and attract more inward investment. We must face that challenge whether or not enlargement takes place.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Some people have expressed concern that present recipients of structural funds in the European Union and particularly in this country will lose out as those funds are reallocated to central and eastern European countries. However, after 2006 there will be an opportunity to renegotiate the financial perspective and&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0510"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;103WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the structural funds, and I am sure that tough negotiation from the United Kingdom will ensure that adequate transitional arrangements are made for recipient areas, particularly of objective 1 funds. With sensible decisions, I am sure that we can reach a financial agreement that will benefit central Europe as well as existing members of the EU.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Those are some of the reservations that have been expressed about enlargement. However, the obstructionists who have seized on the issue and attempted to raise obstacles to enlargement have raised two issues in particular. The first is the ratification of the Nice treaty. I believe that that is a sensible treaty for taking Europe forward. It contains a realistic extension of qualified majority voting and a re-weighting of the votes in the Council of Ministers that benefits the United Kingdom. It takes reasonable and moderate steps to ensure that smaller states cannot outvote larger ones. Those measures are necessary for the enlargement process to take place and be successful. I hope that the Irish people will endorse the Nice treaty in their forthcoming referendum.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As well as opposition to the Nice treaty, there has been an attempt to suggest that the common agricultural policy must be reformed before enlargement takes place. I am sure that none of us questions for one moment the need to reform the CAP. Changes have been made, but more radical ones are required. However, we cannot make CAP reform a precondition for enlargement&amp;#x2014;if we do, enlargement will not take place for a generation. That is the clear fact of the matter. That would be tremendously detrimental to this country&apos;s national interest and to the interest of the whole European continent.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Kelvin Hopkins: My hon. Friend suggests that we should not reform the CAP before enlargement. Can he say whether the CAP will apply to new member states, or whether they will be insulated and kept out of its arrangements?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David: There will certainly be transitional arrangements. Some negotiations on the most difficult chapters have begun, agriculture being one of those. The European Commission has proposed modest subsidies for farmers in eastern Europe, which are contentious in terms of Poland, which has the greatest concentration of farmers. However, transitional arrangements are being negotiated and, at the same time, a marker is being put down, not least by our Government, about the need radically to change the CAP in the future.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There is also an acknowledgment in all central European countries, not least Poland, that the CAP must be reformed. That is because of pressure from not only the European Union but the World Trade Organisation. The old agricultural regime simply cannot continue in the modern world, as most people now recognise. A momentum for change is undeniably building up, and it will ensure that the CAP is fundamentally changed once and for all.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Connarty: On agricultural policy, is my hon. Friend not concerned that the chapter on access that has been closed with the&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;104WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Polish Government allows direct payments to Poland, although it was quite clear that that would lock new countries coming in under enlargement into a system that was being phased out, and had to be phased out, in the interests of agriculture throughout Europe?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David: Tough negotiations on the agricultural chapter are quite rightly taking place. However, if enlargement is to proceed according to the timetable set out, we must recognise the need to accept the acquis communautaire and the rules that currently apply, including agricultural regulations. Equally, as part of the negotiation process, an earnest debate is taking place on how those regulations can be reformed. We must move away from a common agricultural policy based on subsidy and encouraging overproduction to one more akin to a rural policy, which will bring about the transition of rural economies, making them more efficient and more realistic about the demands of the modern world.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I commend members of our Government who went to Poland and engaged in that debate, while those negotiations were taking place. The current twin-track approach is a realistic way forward to secure enlargement and bring about meaningful change at the same time.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Progress is being made on that and on other contentious areas. The negotiation chart that was drawn up at the end of last month shows that, of the 10 countries that are actively engaged in negotiations, eight have closed some 23 of the 29 chapters that have been opened. That is very significant. I take great comfort from the fact that Poland, which is the largest of the applicant countries, has successfully completed one of its most difficult chapters, which dealt with land ownership and the free movement of capital. Colleagues who were in Poland only a few weeks ago were involved in some of the detailed negotiations. We know full well the sensitivities at issue, so the agreement that has been reached with European Union negotiators on that extremely contentious matter is a huge success that bodes well for the future.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Informal as well as formal negotiations are taking place. Applicant countries must adapt their social and civil infrastructure to ensure that they are able to implement EU policies, and there has been a great deal of success with that as well. However, although it is right and proper for the EU to negotiate a whole raft of policies and, inevitably, for us to take into account our own national interests, we should also bear in mind that the applicant countries, as well as securing a deal with us through negotiation, must sell the package to their electorates in referendums.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Generally, recent Euro barometer opinion surveys show that support for EU membership among applicant countries is holding firm. However, there is cause for concern in some countries. For instance, only 33 per cent. of the Latvian electorate are in favour of joining the EU. Much will depend on the terms that their Government are ultimately able to negotiate with the EU. If we are genuinely committed to the enlargement process, we must keep in mind not simply our own needs and negotiating positions but the need to secure the support of the applicant countries&apos; citizens.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0511"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;105WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I am optimistic about the enlargement process. There is a very strong chance that it will take place in the near future, probably in 2004. All of the applicant countries already engaged in the process of developing links with EU countries are also contributing to the debate about the future of Europe, which focuses on the work of the convention. A little while ago, our Prime Minister made a statement with the Prime Minister of Poland, which was published on &lt;i&gt;The Guardian&lt;/i&gt; website, if not in the newspaper itself. It set out several areas of common ground between Poland and Britain. For example, both Prime Ministers emphatically said that they did not want a European superstate, that intergovernmental co-operation was very important and that the role of national Parliaments was absolutely central to Europe&apos;s development.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Leading politicians in Poland are contributing to the debate about the future of our continent. One of the most significant speeches about the future of Europe that I have read for a long time was made last month in the Royal Palace in Warsaw where, in 1791, the first European constitution was officially launched and published. The President of Poland said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The most important decisions cannot be taken by politicians alone, or panels of experts in the seclusion of their offices. The unification of Europe must not be solely a matter for the political, elites or groups of technocrats: it should be the concern of all citizens"&amp;#x2014;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;of Europe. Those words are important, and as politicians we should always remember that enlargement is not about what we want, but about what the people of Europe want.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In echoing those fine words, I believe that the enlargement process offers us a monumental challenge and a huge opportunity. It gives us the chance to create a European continent built on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights and good governance. It also gives us a chance to create a peaceful and prosperous Europe. Let us ensure that we grasp that opportunity.&lt;br/&gt;9.50 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Redwood: I praise the spirit in which the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) moved his address. He recognised the number of problems relating to the successful integration of applicant countries into the European Union. Part of my case is that if the EU moves too quickly with its agenda of more centralised power and an ambition to cover an ever-wider number of policy areas in greater detail, the task of applicant countries will become more difficult.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;During the EU&apos;s development there has always been tension over whether it should open its doors more widely to countries that are properly part of the continent of Europe, or whether a limited number of countries should rapidly press on with centralisation to create a type of grand federal Germany at EU level. That tension is seen today: on one hand we have a convention under way that is trying to create a constitution for the European fifteen; on the other, there are the detailed and difficult negotiations of several applicant countries, which have been sketched by the hon. Member for Caerphilly. Those would dearly love stronger links with our democracies and our prosperous&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;106WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;trading system in the west, but they are finding the hurdles of the current 15 difficult to leap, let alone the hurdles that integrationists are keen to put in their way.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I remember being moved at the end of the 1980s and in the early 1990s when the Berlin wall came down and many brave people led peaceful, but decisive revolutions for freedom, enterprise and democracy in eastern European countries. At the time, I was privileged to be a Minister of the Crown, and went on several journeys to welcome peoples and their interim Governments into the community of European democracies. The first thing that touched me then was that, on more than one occasion when I was travelling in an ambassadorial car that was flying the United Kingdom flag, people saluted or even kissed the flag because they were so impressed that this country had stood against Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s, and against communism in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. They loathed those systems, as I do, because they both eclipse freedom, damage prosperity and make the lives of people who wish to have independence of thought and movement a misery.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I was impressed by the first impulses of those countries as they began to grasp the heady atmosphere of freedom. They wanted two things before anything else: the restoration of their national flags because for so long they had not liked being under the Soviet colours; and, however small the countries, the restoration of their old national currency, because that was seen as a symbol of more control over one&apos;s destiny. Small countries decided that the rouble monetary union was not a good idea for them, and that they would rather have control over their own independent monetary system as an expression of their national sovereignty. I urge Her Majesty&apos;s Government to understand those feelings. I am keen that we should extend the European family and community ever more widely.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Hopkins: Is the right hon. Gentleman suggesting that when other member states join the European Union, they will be less willing to join the single currency because they would want to retain their own currencies as a symbol of their modern freedoms?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Redwood: If one consulted their people, many would remember the very deep and strong feelings that they had some 10 years ago when they grasped their freedom from the Soviet empire. I am suggesting that our Government&amp;#x2014;above all others in the current 15&amp;#x2014;should be sympathetic to that and understand that the single currency is becoming a barrier to the successful conclusion of a wider union rather than an open invitation. After all, the Government welcome the single currency in principle, and believe that it is a good idea.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have suffered under, or enjoyed, this Government for five years and they are still unable to pop the question to the British people because they understand how unpopular the idea of the single currency is in Britain. Many people deeply understand that controlling the currency is not just a symbol&amp;#x2014;it is not just about keeping the monarch or Head of State on the coin of the realm&amp;#x2014;but something very real concerning democratic political power. It gives current and future Ministers the opportunity to control interest rates and have an influence on borrowing or the exchange rate, and therefore to influence imports and exports. That control and influence would be lost if our currency were taken away.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0512"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;107WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;If the hon. Member for Luton, North (Mr. Hopkins) will forgive me, I do not wish to get diverted into a debate on the euro. The debate is about European enlargement, and the euro is one of many hurdles that the European Union is placing in the way of the applicant countries. The hon. Member for Caerphilly said, quite rightly, that there were questions to be resolved concerning agricultural policy, and possible movement of capital and people. I share his vision of agricultural policy getting away from subsidy and over-provision that causes considerable expense to the taxpayer. Indeed, if I can believe the Government&apos;s policy statements, it is one that they share. Unfortunately, the Government are unable to deliver it given the current configuration of the European Union.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Caerphilly should understand that we cannot leave the common agricultural policy on one side. The CAP is the biggest, most important and most expensive EU policy. That leads one to question how many more of those centralised policies we want, given the infernal mess that the EU has made in recent years of many parts of the agricultural industry in Britain and on the continent. The CAP is expensive to the taxpayer and to the consumer. That is a remarkable contribution of bad luck&amp;#x2014;we pay twice. People pay more in the shops and as taxpayers, and the policy is not very good for British farmers either.&lt;br/&gt;Joyce Quin: I am not an advocate of the common agricultural policy in its present form. However, does the right hon. Gentleman at least recognise that changes are taking place in the European Union? For example, a year ago there was a change of agriculture ministry in Germany, which made a significant difference in pushing the reform debate forward. Does the right hon. Gentleman welcome the fact that the rural development part of the CAP is growing? We must ensure that it grows at the expense of the traditional part. Rather than being defeatist about the matter&amp;#x2014;not to say that the right hon. Gentleman is&amp;#x2014;and saying that we cannot secure change, we should be part of the great momentum for change that exists.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Redwood: I am suggesting that we should be more forceful and persuasive because change is much needed. I welcome any changes on the continent that move in the right direction, but as the right hon. Lady conceded in her intervention, it is relatively easy to set up another subsidy scheme on top of the scheme we already have, which is not working. It is far more difficult to tackle the underlying problem: a subsidy scheme for farming based on wrong propositions, which conspires to be bad for taxpayers, consumers and farmers in a relatively advanced agricultural society like the United Kingdom, whatever its impact might be elsewhere.&lt;br/&gt;Bob Spink: Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the CAP were fundamentally reformed to make it less intrusive on the taxpayer and on countries in Europe, that would open the door for even further enlargement and put a light at the end of the tunnel for countries like Turkey? That would add to the great benefit of Europe about which the hon. Member for&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;108WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Caerphilly (Mr. David) spoke&amp;#x2014;that is, to spread security and stability across Europe, which is what it should all be about.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Redwood: I agree that the lower we can make the barriers, by reducing the cost and complexity of common policies at federal level, the easier it is to bring other countries in. My ideal would be a European Union of independent national democracies co-operating together. That is a good alternative model, which the UK should advance at the constitutional convention. It is wrong for us to give credence to the idea that tame proposals are likely to emerge from that convention; that the aim is not the creation of a superstate. We all know that the agenda is to create an EU-type state, modelled along German constitutional lines. The lines might be perfectly democratic, but it will be a superstate. We should say that Europe is not ready for that&amp;#x2014;it is not suitable for all its different peoples, nations and traditions&amp;#x2014; and that we shall get on better together if each country has room for its own national aspirations and forms of democratic expression.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;It is crazy that the people of the countries that we seek to invite into our midst risked and gave so much to recreate their old nations some 10 years ago, yet we now expect them to take on an enormous amount of central power in Brussels, designed by countries at different levels of development and with different attitudes. The tension that occurs in enlargement negotiations is always resolved in the EU by going for more centralisation. The centralisers, or federalists, always say that if more participating countries are brought in, that will slow the thing down. Therefore, they say, we must at the same time take more central powers to avoid such slowing down. Indeed, they often aspire to speed it up.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;What are they trying to accelerate? What are they trying to prevent from slowing? They are trying to stop the deceleration of the great legislative machine&amp;#x2014;the centralising machine that trundles on day by day. I have sympathy with those who wish to slow down or stop that machine. There must come a point where there is enough European law. My constituents do not wake up in the morning and write to me saying, "We feel that we need more European laws. Please prod the Government into getting more," whereas I often receive letters from people who say, "We do not want a European law on this or that. We want to trade with our partners in Europe and to be friends with them; we want to see whether we can reach agreement on mighty matters relating to foreign policy or the environment, but the last thing that we want is a legislative machine churning out hundreds of directives and regulations."&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The centralisers always say that we need more laws in order to complete the social or environmental area or the single market, to have a common foreign policy or to prepare for a single army. They fear that the admission of different countries such as Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic would get in the way of the pursuit of their agenda of more laws and more central control, with more trappings and more power going to the superstate in the making. I should like the British Government to say that this enlargement should be different. We should say that we joined a common market&amp;#x2014;the British people voted for that and British Governments past and present have been supporters of&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0513"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;109WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the minimum level of law needed to create a common commercial and trading area to spread prosperity through trade, but I do not see why the British Government should sign up to extending European government power into so many more corners. If we were a strong and clear voice for a genuine Europe of nations, in which we did together those things that everyone agreed needed doing without constantly pressurising countries and peoples into accepting laws that they did not want and which they had voted against, we would stand for something good and true, which could advance, rather than set back, the cause of European integration.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;That brings me naturally to the curious case of the treaty of Nice. The British Government have consistently argued, often in a partisan spirit, that the treaty of Nice contains the minimum that is necessary to complete the arrangements for the applicant countries, but anyone of independent mind who reads the treaty can see that it is mainly concerned with giving more central power to European institutions. It is about removing vetos that we currently enjoy and replacing them with qualified majority voting. It is about creating a series of new common policies, some of which are set out in the recent Government document, "Realising Europe&apos;s potential: Economic Reform in Europe", and there are parallel measures for the common foreign policy and the common military policy that is being evolved.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The treaty of Nice is more about centralising than about enlargement. Of course, some items in the treaty are necessary for enlargement. It is necessary to rebalance votes and determine the numbers of Commissioners&amp;#x2014;I do not disagree with that; it is a necessary part of enlargement&amp;#x2014;but because the treaty goes so much wider and includes chunks of centralising agenda, it hit the buffers when it was put to a vote in Ireland. Who would have thought that Ireland would object to such a treaty when Ireland has been a great beneficiary of subsidies and trade with the European Union, which one would have thought would overwhelm any demerits that Irish people might see in the scheme? However, the Nice treaty was so centralising and claustrophobic that the Irish decided that they could not live with it. I hope that member states will learn from that lesson and understand that free peoples and democracies are likely to respond "No" to such a centralising treaty. The British Government would not dare to put the treaty of Nice before the British people because they know that we would run a rattling good campaign against it&amp;#x2014;making the points that I have made, that the treaty is about not only enlargement but centralising and grabbing power&amp;#x2014;and that we would win.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Mark Hendrick: Given what the right hon. Gentleman says about this Government, why was the Maastricht treaty never put to the British people?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Redwood: I would have liked it to be. As the hon. Gentleman may remember, I resigned from the then Government over several issues, including the handling of the single currency and the Maastricht treaty, which I wanted to be put before the British people. However, I was very pleased that we obtained an opt-out from the main point of the Maastricht treaty&amp;#x2014;joining the single&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;110WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;currency&amp;#x2014;an opt-out which I am delighted this Government are still using and, I suspect, will continue to use for the rest of their life. That abated the problem, but there is no opt-out from the Nice treaty, so the Government do not have the excuse that the Conservative Government had in the case of Maastricht.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government should understand that the people of western Europe&amp;#x2014;and. I suspect, the peoples of eastern Europe&amp;#x2014;now desperately need a voice in the powerful councils that meet behind closed doors in Brussels and other leading centres to say that they do not want more centralised power, but want their national democracies to be respected. We think that we can get on better with each other if we are allowed a little freedom and some looseness, rather than having everything controlled centrally.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Minister may like to comment on how he sees the negotiations on agriculture going, because he must concede that, far from settling all the important issues that must be resolved before enlargement, the Nice treaty leaves out the most important issues: the handling of agriculture and of the budget. We need to know how much enlargement will cost existing members. What are we prepared to pay for it? We all want to enlarge the Union, but we need to know whether the own resources ceiling will be increased and whether there will be big tax increases for people in Britain, France and Germany. If there is not a big tax increase to pay for enlargement, we need to know which elements of the budget will be cut. As soon as we bring new and poorer members into the Community, they will naturally&amp;#x2014;on the basis of proportionality and population&amp;#x2014;receive more than their fair share of money for agriculture, transport and infrastructure projects from the social fund. That will mean less money for the western countries. While that may be perfectly fair, I would like to see the numbers.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I would far rather achieve enlargement by amending the budget than by a big tax increase. I do not think that a big tax increase for the western European peoples would be a good idea at the moment. There may be more to be said about that tomorrow, once the tax-raising Chancellor has disclosed his domestic requirements. If, on top of domestic requirements, we are to face a big requirement for enlargement, we should at least know the numbers and have an opportunity to debate such an important matter.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Will the Minister use the opportunity for renegotiation that enlargement offers to sort out fishing? There are some sensible words on fishing in the Government&apos;s latest document. However, the British fishing industry is being destroyed. The common fisheries policy is another example of a centralised common policy that does not work for Britain. Now that everything has to be renegotiated because we are considering proper enlargement, can we please dig in and get some common sense and a better deal for our fishermen?&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Minister may also like to comment on the Government&apos;s recent statement that one of the European Union&apos;s main aims at the moment is to&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"reach an agreement on the tax package as a whole as soon as possible and no later than by the end of 2002."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0514"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;111WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Will the Minister tell us what that package is likely to comprise? We are now well advanced into 2002. Are the negotiations well advanced? How many more new taxes will emanate from the European Union and how much control of our tax policy is envisaged under the new tax proposals? Those matters will make it even more difficult for the applicant countries, because they will now learn that they are joining a club that has not only very centralised agriculture, fishing and social policies but substantial ambitions to transfer some of the powers of taxation from national democratic assemblies to the centre, the federal core, which may or may not become more democratic.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Will the British Government on this occasion speak the truth and speak out for a Europe of nations where we respect each other&apos;s differences? Will they speak out for a Community in which we do things together where we wish to do so and are able to reach voluntary agreement? Will they speak out against a more centralised Community? Will they speak out against a Community that wishes to tax us more and involve us less? Will they speak out against a Community that thinks that the treaty of Nice is the answer to enlargement, when the real answer is sorting out difficulties such as the budget and the common agricultural policy?&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Will the Government speak out for a Community that believes that democracy, freedom and enterprise can best be spread by making more decisions locally than centrally and by encouraging the brave, democratic forces in the eastern European countries, rather than trying to take powers away from them and give them to bureaucrats at the centre? Above all, will they take on board the message of the Irish referendum and be prepared to face the British people on the issue by putting the resulting package to a sensible referendum test?&lt;br/&gt;Several hon. Members&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt; &amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Frank Cook): Order. I remind right hon. and hon. Members that it is the custom in Westminster Hall to start the three final speeches 30 minutes before the end of the debate. As you will see, there are 17 minutes left and four Members seeking to catch my eye, so I hope that hon. Members will bear in mind the lack of time in terms of their own delivery and when considering whether to accept interventions.&lt;br/&gt;10.13 am&lt;br/&gt;Joyce Quin: I take note of your advice, Mr. Deputy Speaker.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) on securing this debate. I also congratulate him on choosing this subject and on the way in which he introduced it, with which I strongly agreed.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) mentioned the tremendous exhilaration and hope that we all felt when the Berlin wall fell at the end of the 1980s and wonderful, undreamed-of changes took place across our continent. We have moved on&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;112WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;from those days, of course, and in many respects we now face problems rather than opportunities. That is particularly true now that we are in the most difficult phase of the enlargement negotiations, but the hope and optimism that we all experienced at the end of the 1980s should give us a sense of purpose as we approach the issue.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I could not quite tell from the contribution by the right hon. Member for Wokingham whether he was in favour of enlargement; he certainly emphasised all the problems. Although it is right to be realistic about them, we must maintain a sense of purpose and a commitment to enlargement, which practically everyone across our continent is in favour of.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Although enlargement is a complex issue, good progress is being made. The European Commission is making good progress through its structured approach of breaking down the policy issues into different chapters. Several applicant countries have also made good progress, despite the huge legislative programmes and administrative burdens that they have had to adopt to meet the enlargement criteria. We should congratulate them and recognise the progress that they have made, but we should also ensure that they properly tackle issues on which further progress is needed. There have been welcome changes in their approaches to nationality and minority issues, although their records are not perfect, and one or two countries still need to make progress. None the less, the overall balance sheet is increasingly positive.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly rightly referred to issues that are likely to influence public debate in applicant countries and EU member states. If enlargement is to be successfully completed, there must be a positive outcome in member states and applicant countries, which are trying to show their populations that EU membership is a positive move. That is particularly true of countries that hold referendums.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly raised some tricky issues. On immigration, he was right to stress that people on the whole want to live and work in their countries of origin. We should recognise that previous enlargements have successfully ensured that that has happened. When Spain, Portugal and Greece joined the EU, many people used emotive language to express their fears about waves of immigration into existing EU member states. In fact, the opposite has happened, and it has been good to see those countries make economic progress and become increasingly able to provide satisfying living and working conditions for their people and to welcome people from other member states and elsewhere.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend was right and honest to say that there are worries about structural funds, particularly among present recipients. In negotiations on the issue in 1999 in Berlin, however, the Government achieved a good settlement for Europe and the United Kingdom. That resulted in good transitional arrangements and good settlements for objectives 1 and 2. People in Ireland have had difficulty with that, but we must be realistic about the fact that entitlement to funds cannot remain exactly the same as countries rise up the prosperity league&amp;#x2014;that is the honest approach. However, I would not be happy if enlargement meant that no structural funds remained for existing member states. Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for regional policy, said that&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0515"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;113WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the EU&apos;s regional policy is an important sign of solidarity with many regions in existing member states with structural problems. It is extremely beneficial for the European Union and its member states to have an active regional policy and help in that process. I have seen the benefits of that in my own part of the United Kingdom, the north-east of England.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Agriculture has been mentioned, but, given your strictures, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I shall not discuss it in great detail. I merely express the hope that my right hon. Friend the Minister will work with other Governments to ensure that the rural development funds available for applicant countries are used more effectively than they have been up to now. Rural development is the way forward for the common agricultural policy, and it is important that we make better use of those funds, here and now.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I refer to a remark made by the right hon. Member for Wokingham. He seems to regard the convention on the future of Europe as a centralising plot, whereas it is much more complex than that. Rightly, it includes representatives from all the Governments, from national Parliaments, the European Parliament and from the kaleidoscope of political parties that make up the European Union. &lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; I am being reminded that some members of the convention take a critical view of the existence of the European Union itself. I see no reason why the convention should not consider areas that are over-regulated in the European Union.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The agricultural policy is one area in which greater flexibility is needed for countries and for regions within countries, and in which there has been too much centralising. However, it is unjustified to approach the convention with the fear and dread implicit in the right hon. Gentleman&apos;s remarks. I am glad that the candidate countries are associated with that convention process, as they will be able to play their part in the reform process.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Finally, I cannot believe that the applicant countries are interested in creating a European superstate. They value their newly-won freedom and independence too much for that, and they know that they are entering an association in which they can play their full part, so they would not want to be subjugated by some superstate based in Brussels.&lt;br/&gt;Several hon. Members&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt; &amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. I appeal once again for brief contributions, otherwise some hon. Members will not be able to speak.&lt;br/&gt;10.23 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Randall: I shall be as brief as possible. I congratulate the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) on securing the debate.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I welcome the enlargement of the European Union. When I was a student at the London University School of Slavonic and East European Studies, it would have seemed incredible that some of the countries now applying could be in such a position. Some of them were not even independent countries. The advances made in democracy in those countries amaze me, and anything that we can do to help preserve those democracies will be welcome.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;114WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I am not an expert on agricultural policy, but I take the view that the inexorable move to industrialisation of agriculture, caused in part by the common agricultural policy, has resulted in the deterioration of the environment in many countries. That has happened in the United Kingdom, western Europe and Hungary, which I often visit, and it may well be happening in Poland, too. We must be careful of that as we progress towards enlargement.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) said, the danger of enlargement is that if we are not careful we shall fall between two stools: either it will become too easy to join the EU, in which case it will become a meaningless organisation; or the EU will become too restrictive and centralised, in which case it will become an exclusive club. The peoples of those countries and their Governments see membership as a positive move not only for economic reasons but to preserve and strengthen their relatively recently found democracy.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;It will become important for small states&amp;#x2014;some of which are already applicant countries and others of which, such as Macedonia, will hopefully apply much further down the line&amp;#x2014;to be members of the EU if they are to exist as states. I also hope that Yugoslavia&amp;#x2014;it may well be the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro&amp;#x2014;will apply in a relatively short time. I hope that the Minister will tell me that the Government will support Yugoslavia&apos;s application to join the Council of Europe. I have studied Yugoslavia and have spent much time there. One of the problems in Yugoslavia, which was after all a federation, was that it was too centralised. Old rivalries and hatreds ran very deep, and it might be necessary for that region to be encompassed in the EU to solve some of those difficult problems.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Those countries must not regard EU membership as a panacea, otherwise people will be disappointed when some of their dreams do not become reality, and disappointment will become resentment. As my right hon. Friend said, we must recognise that there is a strong feeling of nationhood and independence in those countries. We must work together to make sure that we preserve that feeling of independence.&lt;br/&gt;10.27 am&lt;br/&gt;Ms Joan Walley: Three minutes is insufficient time in which to do this subject justice. I have some interests to declare: my father-in-law, who was a member of the Polish air force, flew with the Royal Air Force during the second world war. I strongly believe that this country owes a huge debt of honour to him and his fellow veterans. I also want to tell hon. Members that his uncle was President of the Polish Government-in-exile.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I do not declare those interests lightly, and I speak as a member of the all-party Polish group, of which my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) is also a member. Along with my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead. East and Washington, West (Joyce Quin), we visited Poland in January. The changes that I saw in Poland compared with my previous visit 10 years ago with an Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation showed how determined that country is that EU enlargement will go ahead. We have heard a great deal this morning about historical background, such as the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0516"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;115WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Berlin wall and people&apos;s experiences when Stalin annexed part of Poland. I want to remind hon. Members of the words of Winston Churchill, who on 1 October 1939 said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The soul of Poland is indestructible and she will rise again like a rock, which may for a spell be submerged in a tidal wave, but which remains a rock."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On EU enlargement, we must do what we can to address the outstanding concerns on the chapters that have not yet been completed, particularly in relation to Poland&apos;s accession. I was impressed by the progress that has been made in respect of the chapters that have been closed.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have heard a great deal about agriculture, and I urge my right hon. Friend the Minister to take into account the wealth of information, not least that supplied by my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West, who was formerly a Minister with responsibility for agriculture. We need to use all information, expertise and specialisation&amp;#x2014;especially environmental specialization&amp;#x2014;to make sure that a twin-track approach is taken in reforming the CAP while ensuring that it will be relevant to Poland.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I was heartened to see that great progress has been made in respect of the chapter on the judicial system. Poland has increased capacity, so those concerns no longer exist. I hope that we can secure a resolution on that matter, so that Poland can take part in the European elections in 2004. If all goes to plan, Poland will be a fully fledged member of the European Union and will take its place alongside other Governments. I think that Poland will be a particular friend of the United Kingdom. We must work closely with fellow EU members, via all the twinning arrangements, to take account of Polish interests and ensure that our vision of European enlargement makes practical sense in terms of delivery in the United Kingdom and Poland.&lt;br/&gt;10.30 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Michael Moore: This has been a very important debate, and I congratulate the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) on securing it. As others have remarked, he made a genuinely upbeat presentation of the benefits and importance of enlargement, which I endorse.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have heard the usual wide-ranging set of opinions about the meaning of enlargement. We all seem to agree that it is a good thing, even if our analyses of what it means for the European Union vary significantly. The Liberal Democrats have been strong supporters of the process of enlargement for a long time. We recognise the historic role of the European Union in advancing security, democracy and prosperity throughout a part of the world that has characterised most of its modern existence by fighting bloody wars. It has lived through many forms of government, with too many parts of it living under regimes that are other than democratic for a long time. As the cold war fades from memory, it is important not to lose sight of the progress that has been made.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Members for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) and for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) highlighted the Polish example. I cannot claim such close connections to&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;116WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;that country. However, 20 years ago while I was still at school and Poland was under military rule, I recall campaigning on behalf of the Solidarity trade union, wondering whether Lech Walesa would ever be in a position to challenge General Jaruzelski. It is incredible that in a relatively short time, Poland has become a democracy. It no longer poses a security threat in its wider association with the Warsaw Pact countries, and its economy is much improved. I believe that European Union membership will strengthen and enhance those trends not just for Poland, but for many other applicant countries.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement is important for longstanding members of the European Union, such as this country. The negotiations cannot be taken for granted. As with everything in Europe, the process of the negotiations has been slow and, at times, painful. Undoubtedly, more pain will be experienced. In recent weeks, the Minister has been responding to parliamentary questions, explaining how the different chapters of the negotiations have been successfully concluded. However, we appreciate that the timetable is pretty unforgiving, and many issues have yet to be resolved. Before we get to that point, there is the small matter of the ratification of the treaty of Nice. The conclusion of that process is fundamental to the success of enlargement, but we cannot ignore the fact that last June&apos;s Irish referendum result represents a major stumbling block to the process. European Union leaders confidently stated after the referendum result that the enlargement process was irreversible, but it is important that we hear from the Minister today how he anticipates the Irish can be persuaded to reverse that decision. There is an election campaign in the Republic, and he may pray that in aid for not meddling in another country&apos;s affairs, although we know that he is a brave Minister who often pushes matters further than some of his colleagues want. Perhaps I can tempt him this morning to comment on that issue.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Redwood: Does the hon. Gentleman believe that it is a good democratic principle that if people vote no in a referendum, they must vote again, but if they vote yes the result is accepted? Does he recognise that as being democratic?&amp;#x2014;&lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Moore: As the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) said, it is for the Irish to decide how they want to proceed, but I suspect that that helps his argument for independence in Scotland, so I shall not push it too far.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;If the Irish reject the treaty a second, third, fourth or fifth time, there will be a serious problem. We know that it is technically possible to get around enlargement, but what will happen if ratification is not forthcoming? The difficult issues in the Nice treaty will be academic for applicant countries if negotiations are not concluded. A number of issues affect individual countries and the whole European Union generally. Three broad categories of eligibility criteria cover politics, the economy and administration.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;With the exception of Turkey, candidate countries have passed the political test, but they have demonstrated mixed success with their economies and administration of judicial capability. Political eligibility is sometimes taken for granted, but we must not&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0517"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;117WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;overlook issues that are causing concern to the enlargement debate. It would be helpful to the House to understand the Government&apos;s current view on the situation in Cyprus, the prospects for resolution of the long-standing and difficult dispute between the Turks and the main island of Cyprus, whether there is any prospect of a resolution and, if not, what procedures will follow for Cyprus. Likewise, in the Czech Republic the Benes decrees have caused concern to surrounding countries. There has been an inconsistency in the enlargement Commissioner&apos;s view of whether that is crucial to its entry, and it would be helpful to understand the Government&apos;s position on that.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The economic position in each country varies, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the economic opportunities are at the heart of the appeal of EU membership. I shall touch on a couple of issues that have been raised in this debate.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Agriculture was the focus of earlier contributions and there is no doubt that the common agricultural policy is a key focus for all negotiations. We are in the early stage of those negotiations and the gloss may be wearing off for some applicant countries. Great concern has been expressed in recent months about the way in which they might be integrated into the CAP, the nature and time scale of entitlement to subsidies and the period preceding their eligibility for full membership. My view is that an unreformed CAP is damaging and unsustainable for existing member states and those who seek to join. A mid-term review of the CAP is under way, neatly seeking to dodge the French, if not the German, elections this year, which will be fundamental to the conclusion of negotiations with candidate countries. Again, it would be useful to understand the Government&apos;s attitude to that. They have not earned a great deal of credibility among Britain&apos;s farmers in recent years for their commitment to agriculture and for what they seek to do about it. It is important that we understand their attitude to the agricultural policy.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Will the countries concerned be second-class citizens in the CAP? Does the Minister see any danger that the nature of the negotiations might delay those countries&apos; anticipated involvement in them?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Hopkins: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Moore: No, because I can speak for only one more minute, or I will be in trouble.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On regional funds, I echo the point made by the right hon. Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Joyce Quin). Unless we look seriously at how British regions will be affected after enlargement, there will be much difficulty in selling that proposal to the UK.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I hope that the Minister can give us some positive signs of progress on the important issue of EU enlargement.&lt;br/&gt;10.40 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Richard Spring: I warmly congratulate the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) on initiating the debate. He has a very considerable knowledge of, and interest in, European Union enlargement.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;118WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement is not only about economic benefits or politics; it is a moral obligation. For years, the European nations east of Stettin and Trieste were excluded from the freedom and prosperity of the west. Thanks to the west&apos;s victory in the cold war, through the firm leadership of such people as my noble Friend Baroness Thatcher and the American Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and through the bravery of such people as Lech Walesa and Vdclav Havel, eastern Europe is now free.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Conservative party feels its obligation towards accession with particular strength because of its experience in government at that time. I echo the sentiments of my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on that. I pay tribute to previous Ministers and Foreign Secretaries who did everything possible to ensure that the peoples of Europe knew that Britain was their friend in those difficult times. That has greatly redounded to Britain&apos;s credit. I freely acknowledge that this Government have carried on that process, but I have been personally touched by the gratitude expressed to me by so many diplomats, politicians and others from the accession countries who have acknowledged the special role that we played. They know of our continuing, passionate but practical commitment to the enlargement process.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We can all be well satisfied that in this country, unlike in some member states, there is virtually no opposition to enlargement. Of course, we can expect enlargement to impact on the British economy. Because of the lower wages typical of many candidate countries, there can be little doubt that some sectors of the British economy will face stiffer competition after enlargement. We are all interested to hear from the Minister what steps the Government are taking to ensure that British business and the British public are prepared for the impact of enlargement, despite the transitional arrangements in place. I do not believe that the British public are as well informed about enlargement as they should be. I look forward to hearing how the Government will help prepare the country for that development.&lt;br/&gt;Angus Robertson: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spring: I hope that the hon. Gentleman will understand and forgive me if I do not take any interventions.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Let me turn to some of the obstacles to enlargement. Does the Minister agree that it is essential that the broad outlines of common agricultural policy reform be agreed before 2004? We cannot afford for that failed, costly system to carry on as it is, never quite at the top of the EU&apos;s priorities. Unreformed, we know that the CAP will be an unsustainable burden on our budgets as European enlargement unfolds.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;No one wants the accession of the candidate countries to be hindered by the mess that current member states have made of the CAP. None the less, the problem must be resolved, and soon, if the great task of enlargement is to succeed. To that end, can the Minister explicitly assure us that reform will be under way by 2004? Does he agree that the Commission&apos;s phase-in proposals can be no more than a holding line? I appreciate that CAP reform should not become a central negotiating issue for enlargement, but the Government must recognise the dangers inherent in lack of reform in the longer term.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0518"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;119WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Several hon. Members have discussed structural funds. Here, too, the Commission is proposing only a temporary solution for dealing with the problems that enlargement throws up for EU subsidies. Without reform, expenditure on structural operations will increase from about 32,000 billion euros to more than 68,000 billion euros by 2010 because of enlargement. I hope that the Minister agrees that we cannot afford such growth in expenditure. What are the Government doing about that particular aspect of enlargement? We look forward to the Minister&apos;s comments. He expressed his interest in the matter last month in European Standing Committee B, but we have heard little about it from the Government.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We expect a third report from the European Commission early next year. What do the Government desire to see in the report? We need a reformed system of structural funding that is fair to existing member states and to those in the accession process. There must be no second-class members of the European Union.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Minister will reiterate the charge that, by opposing the Nice treaty, the Conservative party is against enlargement. We warned when the treaty was made that hastening integration rather than preparing the EU for enlargement was not helpful to the candidate countries, and I believe that we have been proved entirely right. The Irish may ratify the treaty, but there is no guarantee that they will. Given the importance of enlargement, what will happen if the Irish again reject it? It would be intolerable if enlargement were held up yet further because of a lack of a plan B. I assure the Minister of our unqualified support for provisions that are genuinely necessary for enlargement, such as the redistribution of votes in the Council of Ministers.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The imminence of enlargement brings our attention to what may lie beyond. What are the European Union&apos;s potential limits? Do we foresee a day when Belarus and the Ukraine, or countries such as Russia and Georgia, have closer links to the EU? When the matter was brought up in European Standing Committee B last month, the Minister declined to discuss it, but the issue is becoming more and more important. Clearly, there will have to be closer engagements with neighbouring countries as the EU expands eastwards. We should take as an example the positive and constructive discussions on 9 April at Weimar between Germany and Russia about Kaliningrad.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I wish to mention the issue of the accession application of Cyprus. It is one of the best prepared of the candidate countries, but there is an unhealed split between the island&apos;s two communities. We hope that discussions between the leaders of those communities will bear fruit. The split should not be a barrier to the country&apos;s entry into the European Union. We welcome Turkey&apos;s intentions to become a member of the EU and call on it to use its influence to help construct a process that will solve the problem of Cyprus divided. An end to the tragic conflict would be another most welcome by-product of the enlargement process and must be a priority for Britain because of our historical and present links with the island, because it is a fellow member of the Commonwealth, and because of the importance of the Greek and Turkish communities in the United&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;120WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Kingdom. We also very much welcome the accession of Malta, another valued Commonwealth member, to the EU.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The process of embracing the countries of central and eastern Europe into the European family of democratic nations has been long and difficult, but I hope and believe that we are almost there. The architecture of an enlarged European Union is hugely important, but that is an argument for another day.&lt;br/&gt;10.49 am&lt;br/&gt;The Minister for Europe (Peter Hain): I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) made a very good speech. I agreed with most of it, but he will not be surprised to hear that I did not agree with his comments on the Nice treaty.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;This year, 2002, is the year of enlargement, and I welcome the initiative of my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. David) in holding this debate. As he said, it is one of the great issues of our time. He was the distinguished leader of the European parliamentary Labour party when he was an MEP, and he has done much work with Bulgaria, which is a candidate nation. I agree that it is ahead of Romania on its track to European Union membership&amp;#x2014;it has already closed 14 chapters. We hope that such progress will be encouraged.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I welcome the contribution of my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley). I had the privilege to meet her father-in-law, who was a distinguished wartime pilot in the battle against the Nazis. She spoke eloquently about Poland&apos;s application, which we strongly support. Under the new Polish Government, the country has made much progress and has closed 22 chapters. We hope that that will accelerate.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On the question about Ireland from the hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Moore), I remind him that at last month&apos;s Barcelona summit the Irish asked for a statement during the Seville summit in June that would address the concerns that were raised by many at the Irish referendum, specifically confirming that the Nice treaty does not affect Irish neutrality. I am confident that such assurances can be given and that an opportunity will be paved for a fresh referendum should the Irish Government choose to call one. I hope that they do, because Ireland must ratify the Nice treaty for it to come into force.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I acknowledge the work that my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Joyce Quin) has done with Belgium. She has done valuable liaison work with the Belgian Government and the Belgian political system. I also acknowledge the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) who does similarly valuable work with Romania and Slovakia, two accession countries that we want in the European Union.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We want the European Union to conclude accession negotiations with as many countries as are ready by the end of this year, which is in eight months. That will be the culmination of many years of hard work by this Government, and&amp;#x2014;above all&amp;#x2014;by candidate countries that have transformed their economies and societies in the aftermath of the collapse of the Berlin wall. They&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0519"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;121WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;have been waiting in the queue to join the EU for more than a decade; now the EU must act decisively to bring them in. To do otherwise would imperil the credibility of Europe in the eyes of the candidates and the world.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I agree with the hon. Member for West Suffolk on the question of CAP reform. Its quick reform is imperative, and it will not bear the weight of enlargement without it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government have been a champion of enlargement and I acknowledge that the Conservatives in government were far more constructive than they have been in opposition&amp;#x2014;I freely acknowledge that they moved enlargement forward. However, negotiations with the first candidates began under our Government during the British presidency in 1998. To remain on target, candidates must keep up with their reforms, not only by introducing new laws and systems required for membership, but by making them work on the ground. We need to know that our citizens&apos; rights will be protected by the police forces, and upheld by the judiciaries, of new member states. The food circulating in the wider single market&amp;#x2014;the largest single market in the world&amp;#x2014;must be safe for our citizens, and border controls must be effective. Candidates have made huge strides in those areas.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have bilateral action plans with each candidate country that will finance projects designed to support the accession process. Under the EU&apos;s twinning programme, British experts have been involved with more than 100 projects, and many of them have been seconded to work alongside their counterparts in candidate countries to help implement European legislation and standards for border management, the environment and tackling corruption and crime.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement is good for Britain and for Europe. We are doing a favour not just for the candidate countries but for ourselves. As my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly argued so eloquently, enlargement builds peace and stability in our continent. In preparation for European membership, candidate countries have had to build good neighbourly relations and respect for their minorities, from Russian minorities in the Baltic states to Roma minorities in central Europe. Their performance in such areas is monitored closely. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West said, there is considerable progress as a result of the succession momentum.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Last week, I saw for myself in Cyprus how the prospect of enlargement is encouraging both sides to try to mend historic divisions. The hon. Members for West Suffolk and for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale asked about progress. There is progress. I said to Mr. Denktash that he must get more closely involved in the detail of the negotiations, rather than just in the meetings&amp;#x2014;at which we welcome his presence&amp;#x2014;because that is his best opportunity to get a deal for the Turkish minority on the island that protects their security and their interests. Equally, when I met President Clerides and Foreign Minister Kasoulides, I said that it is important for the Government of Cyprus to continue to make progress on the negotiations and to come up with constructive ideas. They are doing so. We want a united Cyprus to come into the European Union. It would be damaging for all concerned if that were not the case.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;122WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The prospect of enlargement has helped to resolve causes of tension and conflict. It has created stable, democratic partners for the future. It costs European citizens far less financially, politically and socially to help a neighbour country to make the transition to democracy in a market economy than it does to rebuild it after conflict. One need only consider the contrast between a candidate country such as Slovenia and Milosevic&apos;s Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, both parts of the former Yugoslavia, to recognise that truth.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) invited me to comment on the prospects of Serbia and Montenegro for EU membership. We see them as potential candidates. I hope that that will accelerate modernisation and democratisation in that part of the world.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement will enhance prosperity. Every enlargement has given a boost to EU economies, including Britain&apos;s. This one will boost our economy by about &amp;#x00A3;1.75 billion, or some &amp;#x00A3;100 for each British household. That is a great opportunity for us. British exports to central Europe increased by 19 per cent. between 1999 and 2000 in anticipation of enlargement, and by as much as 25 per cent. to the Czech Republic and Hungary. It is estimated that enlargement will create 300,000 jobs across the EU, including thousands in Britain, as companies take advantage of trade opportunities.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Enlargement will enhance co-operation, helping us to tackle problems that do not recognise borders, such as pollution, drug smuggling and people trafficking. My right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West was right. The same fears were expressed about the accession of Spain and Portugal. In fact, the reverse was the case. People went back to Spain and Portugal as those countries gained prosperity through membership of Europe.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Industry in the candidate countries is starting to implement EU environmental standards, improving the air that we breathe and the water in Europe&apos;s rivers and seas. The beaches in Cyprus, which attracted some 1.5 million UK tourists last year, will have to meet EU standards for cleanliness and safety.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The candidates are not just our partners of tomorrow. They are already our partners today. We co-operate with many of them on the European convention, in respect of which I represent the Government, to shape the European Union of tomorrow. Having found their own sovereignty, they are in no rush to lose it. Like us, they want to keep decision making at national level wherever it is best to do so.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I welcome the contribution of the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood). He is an under-used talent on the Conservative Benches. However, it is important that we dismiss his idea that enlargement will create a grand federal Germany. It will not be anything like that. We are building a European Union of freely co-operating, independent nation states. That is the Government&apos;s vision and the vision of all the candidate countries that have recently gained their national independence, free from the Soviet yoke of oppression. They are in no rush to give up that independence, and we share their vision.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0520"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;123WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;We look forward to all the candidate countries joining us in a Europe of full employment and social justice, a Europe that can master the threats to our environment, a Europe of stability and prosperity, peace and security, that guarantees food safety and consumer protection, a Europe of human rights and independent nation states, not a federal superstate, a Europe of the people, for the people, by the people, in which every candidate can take its place proudly as an equal among equals.' title='EU Enlargement' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/eu-enlargement'></outline>
    <outline id='3585297' text='11 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Richard Bacon: I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this debate, especially as I made three or four applications before I was successful. My reason for initiating it relates specifically to a constituent, Mr. Christopher Read, who teaches at the Hewett high school in Norwich, the largest school in Norfolk, which has 1,800 pupils and about 115 full-time equivalent teaching staff. It was not until I had been successful in my application for a debate and started to talk to colleagues about the subject that I became aware of how widespread the problem faced by my constituent is. I shall start with the particulars of his case, and then move on to discuss the more general themes that it illustrates.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Christopher Read, who lives in my constituency and works in the city of Norwich, is a qualified electronic design engineer. He worked for some 30 years for a local engineering firm, and has an impressive curriculum vitae. For example, he designed electronic control systems for Trident nuclear submarines. He also designed the electronic vane control systems for the Heysham and Torness nuclear power stations, as well as working on projects for clients such as the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Air Force, British Aerospace, British Steel, British Coal, BP, ICI and the former Government Department, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Read was made redundant from his engineering firm some time ago and decided that before the end of his career, he would like finally to do what he had always wanted to do at some point&amp;#x2014;go into teaching. We have all seen the advertisements that the Government have sprayed liberally over every medium known to man, including newspapers and cinema, asking people to go into the teaching profession. He responded to that call and, having a background in physics, he was particularly suited to help meet the shortage of teachers in maths and science subjects. The only problem was that because he had an HND, not a degree, he could not be taken on as a fully qualified teacher, but would have to work within the school environment towards fully qualified teacher status.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;An additional problem was that because Mr. Read took his HND in 1968, it is not regarded by the Open university, with which he would need to study to gain the required number of points to obtain full teacher status, as attracting the same number of points as a more recent HND. Apparently, that is because before 1971 the HND was not modular&amp;#x2014;one had to learn everything and sit the exam at the end of the course&amp;#x2014;so it is said that there is no sensible way of comparing the old and the new HND. I may not be alone in thinking that that may be a point in favour of the old HND, and that it required more intellectual accomplishment than the new modular HND.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Indeed, in a widely quoted book, "Class War: The State of British Education", Chris Woodhead mentions the subject of modularity on pages 14 and 15. He says:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The move to &apos;modularity&apos; is a second, highly significant development. Nowadays many, if not most, GCE and A-level syllabuses are divided up into modules, or units, of work. The candidate is tested on each module once it has been completed.&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0521"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;125WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Headteachers worry about the impact this has on teaching and learning and extra-curricular activities. Most feel that the introduction of the AS examination has reduced the sixth form to a treadmill that allows no time for anything other than preparation for the next wretched assessment. Many worry that a student who is unhappy with the grade he has achieved in a particular module can take the assessment again in the hope of achieving a better mark. Mr. Timms needs to tell us whether he thinks this new facility has made public examinations more or less intellectually challenging".&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Department told me last Thursday that Mr. Timms, the Minister for School Standards, would reply to this debate, but as he cannot be with us, I hope that the Minister for Young People and Learning, who is here in his stead, will answer my question. I am sure that young people are delighted that he represents them. &lt;i&gt;[Interruption.]&lt;/i&gt; Indeed, do they know that he does? Can he tell us whether the introduction of modularity is an advance in creating an intellectual challenge?&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My constituent is being discriminated against for the simple reason that he took a course and completed an HND before the introduction of modularity. In his case that has a particular effect, as he is 55 now&amp;#x2014;he was 54 when he began teaching. As a result of his HND not being valued as it should be and as a more recent HND would be, it will take him three to four years, rather than the 12 to 18 months that it would otherwise take him, to gain an honours degree equivalent and then the additional qualified teacher status&amp;#x2014;which would take him only two or three months, because of his extra experience. Mr. Read will be 58 or 59 by the time he achieves qualified teacher status. In the interim, not only will he be paid less than a fully qualified teacher&amp;#x2014;although I imagine that his greater experience allows him to impart more to physics students than some younger teachers can&amp;#x2014;but his job will not be secure because his "instructor" status means that he does not have a permanent contract.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The statutory instrument that deals with the matter is the Education (Teachers&apos; Qualifications and Health Standards) (England) Regulations 1999. Paragraph 3 is about&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Instructors with special qualifications or experience".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;I should have thought that being trusted by the nation to design electronic components and control systems for Trident nuclear submarines qualified Mr. Read under that heading. The paragraph says:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"This paragraph shall apply in the case of an unqualified teacher appointed, or proposed to be appointed, to give instruction in any art or skill or in any subject or group of subjects&amp;#x2026;the teaching of which requires special qualifications or experience if, at the time of his appointment&amp;#x2026;the local education authority&amp;#x2026;are satisfied as to his qualifications or, as the case may be, experience; and&amp;#x2026;no suitable qualified teacher, graduate teacher or registered teacher is available for appointment&amp;#x2026;Such a teacher may be employed at a school to give such instruction as aforesaid, subject to paragraph (3), for such period as no suitable qualified teacher, graduate teacher or registered teacher is available for appointment or to give the instruction."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The effect of that is that the school is not empowered to give him a permanent full-time contract as a teacher, and was recently obliged to advertise his post. Mr. Read had to apply for his own job, despite being trusted by the school and the head teacher and providing a valuable service to the students. Five people applied for the job in addition to Mr. Read, one of whom was interviewed. Mr. Read was also interviewed and, I am pleased to say, was successful in being awarded his own job.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;126WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Hon. Members may find that laughable, and it is rather extraordinary. The Government have a stated commitment to encourage more people to go into the teaching profession. Indeed, when one opens the broadsheet newspapers or goes to the cinema one cannot fail to see their advertisements, which show glowing pictures of people saying how much they owe to their teachers, and ask whether those in the audience have ever thought of going into teaching. In the light of all that, we should consider the ludicrous situation in which Mr. Read and others find themselves.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Read&apos;s head teacher at the Hewett school, Mr. Christopher Wade, says that there is much hype about the graduate teacher programme, through which a graduate without a teaching qualification can train on the job. He says, however, that in fact it is hype about nothing, because it is virtually impossible to obtain the required funding, unless it is for English or maths, and also in an education action zone. There are only 235 fully funded places across the country. He goes on to say:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"You can do it if the school funds it itself &apos;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;and that his school is doing that with two of its teachers&amp;#x2014;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"But if there were teachers out there we wouldn&apos;t be doing it. We are not primarily a training establishment."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;None the less, many schools have been turned into training establishments, paying out of their own budgets to train the teachers they need.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As a result of securing this debate and talking to colleagues about it, I became aware that the problem was not confined to my constituency. A colleague mentioned a case to me&amp;#x2014;I have not had an opportunity to speak to the individual involved, so I will not identify him. The case concerned a 49-year-old retired police officer who wanted to be a teacher, preferably in a junior school.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The local education authority concerned sent a letter to all parents asking for help from people wishing to enter the profession. The man duly contacted them in the hope that he would be able to join the registered training scheme for those who do not have a degree but have attained a good educational standard. He was informed that the RTS exists in name only&amp;#x2014;no school in the LEA concerned has taken on a teacher under the scheme because it is too expensive.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government have the system in place to solve the teaching shortage, at least in part, but they are unwilling to finance it. They must either pay up or shut up. As an aside, the individual concerned said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"From what I&apos;ve seen the possession of a degree doesn&apos;t necessarily make a good teacher&amp;#x2014;some experience of life would be more useful to those that have only gone from school to university and then back to school again."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;One cannot help thinking that a 49-year-old police officer would have a lot to contribute to a classroom, especially as the first requirement in any classroom is the maintenance of discipline, without which there is no possibility of learning.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Another hon. Member mentioned to me another constituent, to whom I have spoken. This lady does not wish to be identified in case it should hinder her future prospects of employment. She is a qualified teacher with 17 years of classroom experience. It is my understanding, based on what she said at Education&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0522"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;127WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Question Time, that the Secretary of State, too, had 17 years&apos; teaching experience when she took her career break to go into politics.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The lady whom I have mentioned took a career break to have a family, then, in answer to the nation&apos;s call for more teachers, applied and was told that she had to have recent classroom experience. She pointed out that she was a fully qualified teacher with many years of experience but, as she says:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"I seem to be in an impossible situation. I am disqualified from even applying for the work that I would like to do, because my qualifications and experience are unacceptable, yet I cannot fulfil their requirements for registration without having worked."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There are many other examples. I shall quote that of Mr. Stuart Ballantyne, the head teacher of Diss high school, in my constituency. Diss high school is one of the best comprehensive schools in the country. It has been named twice by the chief inspector of schools in his annual report as one of the top 60 schools in the country. Mr. Ballantyne received an expression of interest from a police officer with years of experience and a master&apos;s degree in biology. I am pleased to say that that person is teaching at the school. However, he had to be given an enormous amount of reassurance by the headteacher because of the temporary nature of the contract under which Mr. Ballantyne was forced to employ him.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Ballantyne nearly lost the services of this individual on a number of occasions because he was so fed up with the runaround that he was getting from the Teacher Training Agency. According to Mr. Ballantyne, the forms that he has to fill in for teachers seeking qualified status are 26 pages long, and even after he has gone to the trouble of completing them, officials from the Teacher Training Agency telephone him and ask for information that has already been provided. He says that the service is neither impressive nor slick, and is not what one would expect.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Mr. Wade, at the Hewett school in Norwich, told me that coping with teacher job applications more or less required the attention of a full-time senior member of staff&amp;#x2014;someone who should, of course, be preparing and teaching classes. Mr. Ballantyne told me about a female modern languages graduate who had been working at a school in a clerical capacity for seven years. She had thought for some time about becoming a teacher because of her gift with modern languages and her degree. With the school&apos;s encouragement, she applied for the requisite programme, but the Teacher Training Agency turned her down flat, with no adequate explanation, despite the fact that the school had come to know her well over several years and wanted to take her on.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government talk about autonomy and about trusting schools and professionals. Paragraph 1.6 of the White Paper "Schools&amp;#x2014;achieving success" lists the secondary education reforms that the Government are dedicated to achieving. They include:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Giving successful schools the freedom they need to excel and innovate."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Paragraph 5.17 makes a similar point:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Where schools are successful, well-led and have a record of school improvement, we want to free them from those conditions and regulatory requirements which they tell us stand in the way of yet higher standards and further innovation."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;128WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The Secretary of State makes the point again in a pamphlet published by the Social Market Foundation called "Professionalism and Trust&amp;#x2014;the future of teachers and teaching". When I first came across the Social Market Foundation, it was run by a friend of mine, who was a good Conservative, but things have moved on, and it now publishes pamphlets by Labour Cabinet Ministers. In the foreword, the Secretary of State says that the pamphlet&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"signals a new era of trust in our professionals on the part of Government."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;She goes on to say:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Recruitment and most especially retention remain a real concern."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I was prompted to take an interest in this issue partly by a front-page article in &lt;i&gt;The Guardian&lt;/i&gt; on 28 August 2001, which appeared under the headline "Teacher shortage worst ever". I then read the chief inspector&apos;s report when it was published on 5 February 2002, and it alluded to serious problems in the recruitment and retention of teachers. The single biggest problem is not recruitment but retention. Many people want to go into teaching.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have read the recent study published by the Centre for Education and Employment Research, and I am grateful to the National Union of Teachers for supplying it. This study, entitled, "Teachers Leaving", whose authors are Smithers and Robinson, says that teachers go into the profession overwhelmingly because of the prospect of "intrinsic satisfactions". It states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The most important reason, accounting for about a third of all responses, was &apos;working with children/young people&apos;. This was particularly the case for primary teachers who gave this as a reason. About half the secondary teachers did so. Some teachers expanded the point as &apos;the pleasure of seeing children learn&apos;, &apos;wanting to do something useful&apos;, or &apos;wanting to make a difference&apos;."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In other words, people enter the profession with a strong sense of vocation. Love of the subject&amp;#x2014;the desire to convey knowledge and the excitement and pleasure of teaching the subject to young people&amp;#x2014;came second.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Yet people do not stay. The study noted:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"About 12 per cent. of those admitted to PGCE courses, or reaching the final year of BEd courses, do not successfully complete. But this pales beside an inexplicable post-training wastage of over 30 per cent. Of every 100 final year students, 40 do not make it to the classroom. With the initial teacher training budget currently standing at &amp;#x00A3;245 million this represents an annual loss of &amp;#x00A3;100 million."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;I have spoken to the National Audit Office about that shockingly huge figure. Like me, my hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) is a member of the Public Accounts Committee, and I am sure that he will be as interested as I am in understanding how the Government can spend so much money on training teachers who do not stay in the profession.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;That raises the question of why teachers are not staying in the profession once they have entered it. The Smithers and Robinson study identifies that among secondary teachers the most frequently given reasons for leaving were work load, 57.8 per cent., pupil behaviour, 45.1 per cent. and Government initiatives, 37.2 per cent. It is interesting that salary is not mentioned in the first three. It is included in the survey&amp;#x2014;it is fourth, with 24 per cent.&amp;#x2014;but it is clear that money&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0523"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;129WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;is not the main motivating issue. Issues such as work load, pupil behaviour and Government initiatives are far more important.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am again grateful to the NUT, which supplied with me a copy of a study by the Warwick institute of education, which quotes a teacher who said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"I have the right to work without being abused&amp;#x2014;in industry it wouldn&apos;t be accepted, yet day after day it&apos;s now just &apos;part of the job&apos;".&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I was recently sent a poster by the Norfolk Mental Healthcare NHS trust. It is running a campaign called "NHS zero tolerance", saying:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Staff working in the NHS do so to care for others. They do not go to work to be victims of violence or threatening behaviour."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Where are the Government schemes for the education system, highlighting the fact that teachers go to work to teach, not to be the victims of violent or threatening behaviour?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Randall: My hon. Friend may be interested to know that when I tried to ascertain the figures for teachers who have been assaulted either inside or outside the classroom, I was told that those figures are not collected. What does he think about that?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bacon: It shocks me. It seems to me that there is no possibility of doing something about a problem unless one measures its scale. On the other hand, if I were speaking for the Government, which fortunately I am not, I would probably say that the numbers are so scary that it is best not to collect them, because they might frighten the horses, and even fewer people would be encouraged to go into the teaching.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The recruitment and retention of teachers is a serious problem, and I have identified pupil behaviour as the single biggest problem. The current state of discipline in schools is a direct result of the policy, which the Government promoted for several years, of having targets for exclusions. It meant that fewer difficult children were excluded from schools, and as a result discipline problems increased. I am pleased to say that the Government have recognised that that policy was flawed and have reversed it. Until they take the question of discipline in schools seriously and make it clear to teachers that they are backing them, rather than pupils who are violent or disruptive, there is no serious hope of improvement. That is a sine qua non for an improved situation.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Secondly, the amount of bureaucracy, paperwork and Government initiatives must be reduced. The Government say that such paperwork is necessary. At a recent Education Question Time, I think I heard the Secretary of State say that less paper was not the answer. That shocked me, and I have also heard my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Green) quote a similar line from her in a recent speech. I am sure that my ears were not deceiving me. If the Government do not believe that the answer must include reducing the amount of paper and trusting teachers more, they have a long way to go before they have any chance of restoring the education system. If there were ever a time to be creative in appointing teachers, it is now. From what I have seen, and according to the teachers to whom I have talked, the Government do not seem to take that problem seriously enough.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;130WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;There is one further issue that I feel that I must mention: spending. Yesterday I was flicking through last Friday&apos;s &lt;i&gt;Hansard&lt;/i&gt;, and more or less by chance came across a question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about whether she would&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"list the (a) title, (b) subject and (c) associated funding of each (i) project, (ii) scheme, (iii) initiative and (iv) policy announced by the Department for Education and Employment since 1997".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The Minister for Young People and Learning, who is here today, took it upon himself to answer the question for the Secretary of State. His answer was:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Information is not held in the format requested"&amp;#x2014;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;that will not surprise my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall)&amp;#x2014;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"and generating it would incur disproportionate cost."&amp;#x2014;[&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, 10 April 2002; Vol. 383, c. 160W.]&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;It did not seem to me to be that odd to ask about the costs of each project, scheme, initiative and policy run by the Government. Without an accurate record of what is being spent and what it is being spent on, it does not seem very likely that education can be successfully managed.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have been flicking through the appropriations accounts for the Department for 1999&amp;#x2013;2000, the most recent figures available, and some of the detail will assist my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford a little, although perhaps not quite as much as he would like. On page 8, under the headings "Class 1, Vote 1" and "Central government&apos;s own expenditure", an item is given as:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Ensuring that all young people reach 16 with the skills, attitudes and personal qualities that will give them a secure foundation for lifelong learning, work and citizenship in a rapidly changing world".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;The cost of that is given as &amp;#x00A3;83.625 million. However, from the second column, one can see that the Government actually spent only &amp;#x00A3;64.336 million on it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On the next page, the item of expenditure given involves:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Developing in everyone a commitment to lifelong learning, so as to enhance their lives, improve their employability in a changing labour market and create the skills that our economy and employers need".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That was to have cost &amp;#x00A3;340 million, but the Government spent only &amp;#x00A3;312.967 million. And so it goes on. Mr. Syms, my hon. Friend the Member for Poole, asked about the total underspend in the Department for Education and Skills. Those figures might be one reason why the total underspend in education spending overall, both capital and current, for the most recent available year, 2000&amp;#x2013;01, was &amp;#x00A3;1,454 billion.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There is degenerating discipline in schools and pupil behaviour is cited as one of the single most important reasons for teachers leaving the profession, because of the Government&apos;s flawed policy on exclusions. The Government continue to bombard teachers with paperwork, despite huge evidence that they want to be left to get on with the job and be trusted to do so&amp;#x2014;one only has to go round one&apos;s constituency and talk to teachers, as I have, to find that out. Experienced people coming in from the outside&amp;#x2014;such as people who have designed electronic control systems for nuclear submarines or who have worked for 20 years as police officers, dealing with more dangerous behaviour than&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0524"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;131WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;one would ever hope to find in a classroom&amp;#x2014;are stymied at every turn before they are allowed to get on with the business.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Phil Willis: I apologise for not intervening on the hon. Gentleman earlier when he was talking about Mr. Read and the Hewett school in Norfolk, but as he has returned to that subject again in winding up his speech, will he say what the Conservative party&apos;s policy is for solving the problem that he has rightly identified? It is a very real problem, but what is the solution? Is it to allow anyone to join the teaching profession simply because they have good skills and abilities? Would that qualify David Beckham, for example, to become a PE teacher?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bacon: I certainly hope that someone who is probably one of the most valuable footballers in the world would be qualified to be a PE teacher&amp;#x2014;subject to his foot being healed, for which we are all, of course, praying. I would have thought that any school where he were a PE teacher, in either the maintained or the independent sector, would have substantially higher applications as a result.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;To answer the hon. Gentleman&apos;s more serious and general point, plainly one does not want to take simply anyone off the street&amp;#x2014;but the danger is that we have almost been in that position. Another facet of the issue is that so many higher education institutions are now keen to get Government funding that they are offering education degrees in the hope of attracting students who might not have made it on to any other degree course.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In a recent conversation that I had with a head teacher in my constituency, I asked where he was getting his teacher applications from. He said that he was lucky if he got a decent number to select from, and that when candidates come through the door, he, like other heads in a similar position, is more or less obliged to insist on watching them teach a lesson. That is because it is no longer possible to establish on the basis of the recommendation and reference that comes from the institution attended&amp;#x2014;in many cases, an institution of which one has not heard&amp;#x2014;that someone has undertaken a reputable teacher training programme and can be relied on, either as a teaching practice candidate or as a full-time employee.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The situation has got much worse. The hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) is right to say that it requires much thought. Taking people from industry and other backgrounds, such as the police service, is not the only answer. However, that is almost certainly part of the answer. People with much experience of life have a lot to impart. My personal view is that people should not seek to become teachers, even if they have a vocation for it, until they are in their late 20s. I worked as a teacher for seven months, which I did not do until I was 29. I worked in East Berlin, teaching East German factory workers just after the Berlin wall came down. I am sure that I was better at doing that in my late 20s than I would have been at 21, just out of university.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Part of the answer is finding people from other backgrounds, but we should also ensure that people who have a vocation for teaching and obtain a teacher&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;132WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;training qualification actually then choose to go into teaching, because they see it as an attractive profession rather than one from which they are scared off because they are likely to be attacked, abused or have low professional status.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Teaching is one of the most important professions in this country. It should be one of the first careers that bright graduates from the best universities should consider. That is not the case at the moment. The Government&apos;s present policies mean that it is not likely to be the case, either, and it is about time they woke up to the seriousness of the situation and started to do something about it.&lt;br/&gt;Several hon. Members&lt;i&gt;rose&lt;/i&gt; &amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Frank Cook): Order. It might be helpful if I offer hon. Members two small pieces of advice. First, it is a common convention in the House to refer to fellow Members by their constituency rather than by their first or family name, unless a Member is occupying a Chair. Secondly, we shall commence the three winding-up speeches 30 minutes before the end of the debate, so we have 28 minutes left for speeches from the Floor. I ask hon. Members to bear that in mind both when making their own contributions and when seeking to intervene.&lt;br/&gt;11.32 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Tony Lloyd: The hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon) made several valid points. However, he party-politicised his arguments too much, which took away some of their force. It is ridiculous to argue that the problem of classroom discipline can be resolved simply by recognising its scale. We know that there are problems of classroom discipline, and they need to be dealt with institution by institution, not by some longitudinal study of this country. Nevertheless, the hon. Gentleman made several important points, which I hope that the Minister will take on board.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There are problems in teacher training and recruitment, and I would like to illustrate how they relate to inner-city areas such as my own, which is sometimes described as a challenging area, in which it is difficult to teach. It would not be adequate for us to recruit people with no aptitude for the vocation of teaching, however skilled they may be in other areas. That is not a good basis for the imparting of education to young people. I grew up in a generation when, because of shortages, many people had come into teaching, particularly in specialist subjects, with no formal teaching qualification whatever. They may have been excellent physicists, engineers or whatever, but they were useless as teachers. We need to say that loudly and clearly. We want teachers who are competent, as well as those with the requisite skills.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Schools in my area have queried the nature of the current training process. I ask my hon. Friends to take on board the fact that there is still a strong feeling that teachers coming out of the training process are not properly trained to go into the classroom environment. It is a common observation that the present training process leaves them without practical preparation to take on the role even of probationary teacher. They do&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0525"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;133WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;not have proper experience of the classroom environment, particularly in inner-city areas where there are difficulties with classroom discipline and behaviour.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have been told that those people do not have an adequate background in the Government&apos;s strategies&amp;#x2014;for example, they do not have proper knowledge of the literacy and numeracy strategies. In some subjects that are sometimes thought of as the ephemera of education, but are not&amp;#x2014;such as gymnastics, PE and dance&amp;#x2014;new teachers have sometimes not had proper access to how those subjects fit in in schools. If such problems arise for those with BEd degrees, they arise even more for those who take the PGCE route because the length of their training is so much shorter. Newly qualified teachers face problems when they come into the classroom.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Everyone agrees that intensive mentoring is necessary for newly qualified teachers, but that is resource-intensive. Mentoring requires the resources of other trained and skilled staff. Probationary teachers already incur resource costs because they normally have non-contact time of half a day a week, so schools must consider carefully the prospect of employing newly qualified teachers.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;However, most of the teachers and school managers to whom I have spoken say that newly qualified teachers have many advantages, particularly in inner-city areas. A newly qualified teacher who is properly mentored becomes a better teacher in such schools than teachers who come in from different kinds of schools with different expertise, and receive mentoring at a later stage of their career. The point that is made consistently is that mentoring must be provided by people with experience of a difficult school environment. There is no point in mentoring being "academic", or based on different experience. It must be relevant to inner-city schools.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My next point concerns newly qualified teachers who do not continue to teach, but disappear from schools after a couple of years. Retention of staff is a problem in inner-city areas and perhaps elsewhere. Teachers who find job satisfaction in inner-city schools can also find job satisfaction in schools in leafy lanes. The head teacher of a very good inner-city school told me that a quarter of the staff in her school were planning to leave and were looking for something more compatible with their lifestyle in the suburbs.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There is an overall problem of teacher shortage in inner cities. Jobs in such areas are more challenging, and the behaviour in schools there makes them much more difficult, so it is more difficult to recruit and retain teachers. Such schools are generally grateful for initiatives such as the school achievement awards, which are a signal to all those working there that their efforts are improving the quality of education.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Education is improving in inner cities. Opposition Members have failed to accept the fact that there was no golden era under Conservative Governments. The quality of education in inner-city areas has risen significantly because of some of the Government&apos;s policies. The school achievement awards are welcomed because they recognise the contribution of different people to the raising of standards. However, we should also consider retention allowances or city allowances for&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;134WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;schools in hard-pressed areas. There used to be a social priority allowance, which allowed schools in social priority areas to retain teachers by providing incentives for them to stay on.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bill Wiggin: One point that the hon. Gentleman has made is wrong: not only inner-city schools but rural schools have a retention problem. My constituency, which is deeply rural, also has problems with teacher retention. They are not comparable with those of the inner city, but they are none the less real. When the hon. Gentleman refers to his constituency, he should bear in mind the fact that retaining teachers in rural areas, too, is a serious problem, although of a different nature.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Lloyd: I am not saying that there are no retention problems elsewhere. We would be very stupid to pit teacher shortages in one area against those in another. We must recognise where the problems exist. As an inner-city MP, I have a responsibility to the schools and young people that I represent to point out the retention problems that relate to certain well defined features&amp;#x2014;but that is not to deny that problems exist elsewhere.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for South Norfolk referred to a group of people whom we should encourage back into education&amp;#x2014;those who have experience of different walks of life. They should feel that they have something to offer, and enter teacher training.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I hope that the Minister will also consider another problem that crops up among my constituents: the benefits system deems people to have taken student loans. For somebody with a family, and a partner who is already working, loans have an impact on how they can use the benefit system. I know of families whose whole finances are derailed because it is deemed that they have access to, or take advantage of, the student loan system. We should not pile on extra disadvantages by adding a financial disincentive for those who want to re-enter the world of work and contribute to teaching where their experience will be relevant. I hope that the Minister will take on board those issues, both in the city of Manchester and elsewhere.&lt;br/&gt;11.42 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. George Osborne: I begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon) on securing the debate. We serve together on the Public Accounts Committee and see many examples of Government waste. Later, I shall move on to the waste in the Department for Education and Skills budget and the way in which the Department tries to recruit and retain teachers.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend began with the example of his constituent&amp;#x2014;the man who worked on the electronic control systems for Trident nuclear submarines&amp;#x2014;who was trusted with our nation&apos;s defences, but not with teaching our nation&apos;s children. That is a powerful, if anecdotal, illustration of the problems that many public servants find on re-entering public service. I know of a nurse who had a similar experience. She worked for several years and then took time off to have a family. When she tried to rejoin the nursing profession in my county, which is short of nurses, she found that she would be forced to requalify and go through a year&apos;s training.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0526"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;135WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;As my hon. Friend said, that experience suggests at least one explanation for the chronic shortage of teachers and nurses; another is the despair felt by many in the teaching profession. Politicians talk about teacher morale, but when one visits schools in one&apos;s constituency, one finds a sense of despair. National Union of Teachers press releases and comments from the Conservative Opposition do not create that. Teachers are deluged by red tape, Whitehall directives and Government initiatives, which are substitutes for substantive Government policy. Within minutes of walking through any school&apos;s door, one is told about the latest Government initiative, piece of red tape or forms that teachers are required to fill out. The performance-related pay scam is a classic example: anyone who jumped all the hurdles and filled out the paperwork got the pay. Head teachers spent days completing various Government forms. The only performance being measured was whether they could fill all the forms in, which is, I suppose, what teachers need to do these days.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) touched on the problems with classroom discipline. They have not emerged in the past couple of years, but are of long standing. It is definitely the case that teachers feel that they are being second-guessed and that their authority is being undermined. The problem has been made worse by unnecessary exclusion targets, which have encouraged certain behaviour in schools. I recollect a recent newspaper story about a head teacher who expelled two children for drug dealing. The local authority put them back in the school. We all know how a classroom works and how children can sense whether teachers have authority. I imagine that there is a serious discipline problem in that school, to which pupils were returned after being expelled.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Public servants in all public services are alternately bullied then praised by Ministers, including the Prime Minister. The crisis in teacher morale is unprecedented, and the problems of education are spelled out in the extraordinary book by Chris Woodhead, which was referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk and which I have had the pleasure of reading.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;To the Department for Education and Skills and, perhaps, some teachers, Chris Woodhead is now public enemy No. 1, but one should not forget that a few years ago, in 1997, he was a great hero of the incoming Labour Government. They reappointed him, he sat next to the Prime Minister and he was held up by new Labour as a totem of how serious it was about improving school standards. Now he has come back to bite the Government with his extraordinary book, which is subtitled, "The Book Every Parent Should Read". Certainly, every Minister in the Department for Education and Skills should read it. Perhaps the Minister will tell us his thoughts.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The current state of affairs developed under a Government who said that "education, education, education" was their priority. I know that the Government&apos;s priorities change every year&amp;#x2014;it was transport, now it is health&amp;#x2014;but they began by saying that education was the priority. The Minister will tell us that more money is going into education to recruit more teachers and refer to the various targets that the Government have set, but I expect that the Department&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;136WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;will not do as well as some others in tomorrow&apos;s Budget, partly because of its extraordinary underspend, although we must wait and see. My hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk touched on that point towards the end of his remarks, and I hope that the Minister discusses it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Yesterday, Andrew Dilnot of the Institute for Fiscal Studies treated Conservative Members to an excellent presentation on the Budget. Labour Members have the same opportunity today, I believe. According to Andrew Dilnot, the total Government underspend in 2000&amp;#x2013;01 was &amp;#x00A3;6.2 billion. As my hon. Friend said, that is the last year for which we have figures. In other words, the Government did not spend &amp;#x00A3;6.2 billion that was allocated to them. The Department for Education and Skills underspend was &amp;#x00A3;1.4 billion, which is a quarter of the total and the largest sum for any Department.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Labour Members cheered when the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced all the extra money in the Budget a couple of years ago, but they did not realise that the Department was not going to spend it. I believe that the underspend amounts to about 7.6 per cent. of the departmental budget. That is what Andrew Dilnot said, and he is generally right about such matters. According to "The IFS Green Budget 2002":&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Underspends in these areas of education, transport and health will make it more difficult for the government to succeed in delivering significant improvements in these services".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;One reason suggested by the IFS for the underspend&amp;#x2014;a reason that certainly makes sense to me&amp;#x2014;is that the Government are finding it almost impossible to recruit the teachers for whom money is available. It is not the money that is lacking; it is Government education policy.&lt;br/&gt;11.49 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. David Drew: Given the earlier remarks from the Chair, I shall obviously take careful note of the time. The debate has enabled a useful airing of issues and I congratulate the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon) on the first part of his important speech. It introduced many issues and failure to address them would represent a lost opportunity.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I must comment on the latter part of the hon. Gentleman&apos;s speech and on that of the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne). I taught for 10 years and then spent 10 years in teacher training, facing year after year of cuts in teaching staff and resources, so I do not enjoy being lectured about the problems involved with having more money to spend. Was morale better then? I visit my schools regularly, and I do not think so. The morale of the teaching force is affected by many issues, some of which have been mentioned, and the fact that my area is at or near full employment&amp;#x2014;people can easily move in and out of the teaching profession&amp;#x2014;makes a dramatic difference to recruitment and retention.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I entered teaching on the basis that I would be a 40-year time-server. I hope that that is not a derogatory term. For many who entered teaching with me, that was the nature of the job. One entered it as a vocation; it was for life. That is not the case any more, and we must reflect on that when considering how to recruit and retain staff. We must take account of the fact that people move in and out of teaching much more frequently.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0527"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;137WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I take little notice of the bouquets being thrown to the former Office for Standards in Education chief inspector. Some Labour Members were more than unhappy when he was reappointed and tried to persuade our colleagues that the sooner he went the better. He was not an outstanding success in the classroom. There is a view that one should appoint those who have seen the other side of a job, because their insight will inform their decision making, but, with the benefit of hindsight, I do not think that his tenure was the great period that some, let alone he like to pretend it was.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I want to touch on issues unearthed by the debate, which we need to examine in more detail. Changes in our society have, understandably, affected teaching as they have affected all other aspects of life. The most important is that the majority of people now enter teaching as mature students. The balance between younger and older entrants changed in the 1980s and it has continued to shift dramatically towards mature people for some time. We must recognise that people enter with experience&amp;#x2014;that is a good thing, as previous speakers have acknowledged&amp;#x2014;and consider carefully how to help those people to enter the profession and how to retain them.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am pleased that we have considered retention, because we must recognise that we have to make the job worth while. People must be rewarded and, whether we like performance-related pay or not, more money is going into teachers&apos; pay packets. However, we must also make the job one in which people see a career path. We are recruiting many more teacher assistants, and a jolly good thing too. I hope that some of them become the teachers of tomorrow.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We must ensure that assistants can make the transition from entering the classroom to do one job to using their skills to advance to another, if people realise that they would make good teachers. That will involve a period outside the classroom, and I am sure that we can think about that carefully. I denounce the derogatory comments about people who are now entering classrooms. They are not a "mums&apos; army" or people who are taken in off the streets. They are dedicated people who can bring an awful lot to the job that they do now, and to the jobs that they may go on to do.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I want to discuss recruitment and how to deal with a diversified intake. I am pleased to see the Minister in his place because, among other things, he has responsibility for the 14-to-19 curriculum. Although we are bringing the age of vocationism forward, we should realise that not everybody wants to pursue a purely academic curriculum. That obviously backwashes into who should be recruited into teaching. As someone involved in teacher training and who specialised in business education, I know that some teachers were very undervalued, perhaps because they had worked in an office or as typists. They took all their experience into teaching, but were never paid appropriately for the job that they did.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As we start to allow different ways to enter teaching, and other jobs, we should ensure that everyone is properly rewarded. We do not want to dilute standards, but we should consider the structures to ensure that such people have access points. My experience is that some of the best entrants to secondary education came through the old two-year BA course, which was sometimes still referred to as a two-year BEd course. They came with a&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;138WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;rich diversity of experience, and they had the necessary teaching qualifications. It may have been hard for them to make the transition, but they brought richness to the classroom. We must encourage that and build on it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The fact that teaching is an ageing profession brings its own pressures. Some classrooms are heavily skewed and the retirement of a number of staff at the same time may cause difficulties, so we should always try to achieve a balance of ages. I have always warned of the dangers of early retirement&amp;#x2014;not that I begrudge it, as friends and, indeed, relatives have taken early retirement. Nevertheless, the ongoing cost has an impact and we must grapple with that problem at some stage, just as we are trying to grapple with the problems of the police pension scheme.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On the next issue&amp;#x2014;maths and English requirements&amp;#x2014;I do not say that we should wash them away, but some who wish to teach have not acquired either English or maths. I know that equivalence is involved, but I ask the Government to look at that question again&amp;#x2014;not to get rid of it, but to consider whether it bars some people who would otherwise make good teachers. We must consider other ways of letting them enter the profession and ensuring that English and maths skills are brought up to an appropriate level.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Subject relevance is important, and my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) made it clear that those who come with the best academic records are not necessarily the best teachers. Although people can choose from a diversity of degrees, they may have to narrow their subject and even specialise. That will not make them any worse as teachers. They must prove capable in their subjects, but for heaven&apos;s sake let us realise that the world has moved on. The quality of teaching is paramount, but that does not mean that we should dilute the subject content for secondary school teachers. For primary schools, first and foremost is the ability to teach, and subject knowledge comes second. That may be slightly different for secondary schools.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have something to be proud of in our schools. The Government have raised teacher numbers&amp;#x2014;not quickly enough perhaps, although that is partly due to economic success in other areas&amp;#x2014;but there is no substitute for quality and we must continue to build it in, especially in training. There is a bias towards on-the-job training. Although I do not deny that that is the sensible way forward, good teaching is not only about doing the job.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;That is recognised not only in teacher training, but in the ongoing training that takes teachers out of the classroom and allows them to build their subject knowledge and other skills, which in turn enable them to handle some of the difficult issues that have been alluded to. As one who did the job for a long time, I do not deny that such problems exist, but I do not think that they have got worse. They sometimes appear to have done so, however, and they must be grappled with, which means that the Government must get it right and members of the teaching profession must support each other.&lt;br/&gt;11.59 am&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Phil Willis: This has been an interesting debate, and I hope that when the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) spoke about time-serving, he was not referring to my 34 years in the profession. I can assure him that people get less for murder.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0528"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;139WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) spoke, as ever, with enormous common sense. The problems that face us in our classrooms did not arrive overnight and it will take a lot of time to address and work through them. He mentioned an aspect of Government policy towards teacher recruitment and retention that causes me great sadness&amp;#x2014;we are failing to get our inspirational teachers to the areas where they are most needed. None of the parties has a solution to that problem, but we must find one if children are not to be denied access.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) should buy another book besides Chris Woodhead&apos;s diatribe against his former employers and the world in general. I have no doubt that he could found his own organisation if he wanted to. If the hon. Gentleman talked sensibly to the teachers in schools in his constituency, he would find out that Chris Woodhead, with his regime, did more to undermine morale, turn teachers from our schools and send them packing than any other individual in the history of education&amp;#x2014;except John Patten.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The introduction to the debate provided by the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon), particularly on people without regular qualifications gaining access to the teaching profession, is an important contribution. He deserves credit for raising it on behalf of not only his constituents, but a significant number of other Members&apos; constituents. However, he spoilt his speech by attacking the trainee teachers emerging from our training establishments.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My experience in meeting newly qualified teachers all over the country is that they are the most dedicated, highly qualified and motivated group of entrants that I have ever seen. In the 1980s, and during the 20 years that I was a head, I would have died for the opportunity to recruit some of the people who are entering the profession now. There are not as many as we would like&amp;#x2014;I accept that point&amp;#x2014;but please do not denigrate our training establishments and training schools, because superb work is being done.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Like most Conservative Members, those present suffer from selective memory syndrome and fail to recognise that all those problems existed, but none was tackled, in the 18 years under the Tories. The greatest disservice that the Tory Administration did to education was having no policy for teacher recruitment and retention. Their main policy was to put the economy in recession, which they did very successfully between 1991 and 1994. That was the only period in which the number of people applying for teacher placements increased significantly, which is rather sad.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The previous Administration&apos;s second policy, which the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard) introduced in 1996, was to stop early retirements. The hon. Member for Stroud might not have got his&amp;#x2014;he looks far too young for that scheme&amp;#x2014;but I was eligible in 1996&amp;#x2013;97. If I had not been downgraded and come to the House of Commons, I would probably have taken advantage of the scheme before the right hon. Lady could stop me.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Every year from 1979 to 1997, when the Conservatives left office, with the exception of the three years from 1991 to 1994, the training targets were&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;140WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;missed. In key subjects such as mathematics, even in the years after the recession in the early 1990s, the number of people entering teaching fell by 33.4 per cent. I am grateful that the hon. Member for South Norfolk now reads some of the National Union of Teachers&apos; excellent literature.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Those problems were disguised in that period, during which there was a massive increase in the number of students, particularly in secondary schools. Numbers rose from 7.5 million to 7.9 million in one year before the Conservatives left office, and teacher shortages were disguised by a massive increase in class sizes. We should not return to that situation, and I compliment the Government on recognising the problem and at least trying to make progress.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. George Osborne: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Willis: I prefer not to, as I want to use my remaining time to complete my remarks.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We knew about the problem, because in 1996 Sir Malcolm Thornton, the Chairman of the Education Committee, wrote a good report on teacher shortages and retention. The Minister for Lifelong Learning, as the Chairman of the Select Committee in 1997 when new Labour came to power, published a back-to-back report on the subject. Both reports pointed to the fact that we needed solutions desperately. Sadly, Labour&apos;s record in office is absolutely lamentable in that respect.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Minister will no doubt say that the number of teachers has risen dramatically during that period in office&amp;#x2014;to 457,890 in January 2001&amp;#x2014;and that it will rise again this year. He would be right to do so, but I hope that, as he is a very honest young man, which is appropriate for his brief, he will admit that the number of full-time teachers has barely changed. In secondary schools, the number of teachers has risen by little more than 2,000 during Labour&apos;s time in office, despite an increase in pupil numbers of more than 190,000. To accommodate that number of students in secondary schools, using the Government&apos;s ratio of 1:17, requires another 11,188 teachers. That statistic shows the discrepancy between what has been achieved and what is needed.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government are fiddling around the edges. The idea that one can simply introduce classroom assistants to supervise classes and the belief that that is a recognised policy for dealing with the situation are ludicrous. The hon. Member for Stroud is right to say that classroom assistants do an invaluable job&amp;#x2014;indeed, I compliment the Minister and his Government on targeting an extra 20,000 places in our schools&amp;#x2014;but they are not substitute teachers. Recently completed research from Europe, the Social Market Foundation and the Institute for Public Policy Research states that most classroom assistants do not want to be teachers. They do not want to face full classes of youngsters, so we should knock that idea on its head.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government have given us a plethora of silly little initiatives, such as fast track. An enormous amount of money&amp;#x2014;&amp;#x00A3;4.3 million&amp;#x2014;was invested in that project in its first year, but it recruited only 111 people to training. Eleven of those have gone and of the 100 who remain, at a cost of &amp;#x00A3;43,000 per entrant, at least 10 are not going&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0529"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;141WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;into teaching at all. Some are taking up jobs in the private sector. Before the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) intervenes, I should say that they are entitled to do so, but fast track has been a huge flop. Recruiting a person costs &amp;#x00A3;17.68 through the graduate teacher registry scheme, but &amp;#x00A3;43,000 through the Government&apos;s fast-track scheme. That is nonsense, but it happens over and over again.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Work load, initiative overload and Government directives are central to teacher retention. Unless the Government carry out research to find out how many teachers are required over the next 10 years, we shall continue to fail. We have constantly asked them to conclude the curriculum and staffing survey, but they refused to do so in 2000 and have refused to do so since. We asked Baroness Ashton in another place why that is, and she told us that there are not enough bureaucrats. I rest my case.&lt;br/&gt;12.10 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Graham Brady: I begin by congratulating not my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon), but the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis), who kept perfectly to time. That is probably a first, and we are all grateful to him. I should also congratulate my hon. Friend on securing an excellent and important debate, during which we have heard good and useful contributions.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) spoke about the problems of the inner cities, and we fully accept his point. To start on a note of harmony, my party must get to grips with those problems and have a convincing policy to tackle them. Indeed, all parties must recognise them.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) spoke about Tory cuts, but if he is fair, he will accept that there were no education cuts under Conservative Governments. In the same way, I am prepared to accept that more money has been available under the current Government. However, my hon. Friends the Members for South Norfolk and for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) alluded to the genuine problem of failure to spend the education budget, which is largely due to the failure to recruit.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;One issue that has not been dealt with, perhaps because of time pressure, is the consequence for other countries of the Government&apos;s panic response to the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. The attempt to fill teacher vacancies from countries such as South Africa, New Zealand and Jamaica has been referred to as plundering the world&apos;s schools.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough said that, in his experience, the newly qualified teachers appearing in our schools today are the most dedicated entrants to teaching he has ever seen. That begs the question, what is going wrong when a cohort of dedicated, committed and predominantly young people going into schools translates to record numbers leaving the profession for a variety of reasons?&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk sought the debate not least to air his concerns about his constituent, Mr. Christopher Read. Mr. Read is obviously an impressive man with a strong CV, and we should be delighted that he wants go into teaching, as I am sure the Minister will confirm.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;142WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend threw down an important challenge to the Department in terms of dealing with this problem. Mr. Read is not alone, and the hon. Member for Stroud referred to examples that we all come across&amp;#x2014;people who want to teach history or drama, but who are precluded from doing so by the lack of a maths O-level or GCSE. He asked the Minister to consider the way forward, and I concur that the Government have an important challenge to meet. People with an enormous amount to contribute in our schools cannot do so.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;If we try to get an impression of the scale of the problems in our schools, we find that the number of teachers without qualified teacher status has grown steadily. A response to a written question that I tabled last October confirms that the number of teachers who do not have such status has risen from 2,940 in 1997 to 5,620 this year, although the Department was unable to say how that figure is constituted. Nor could it say how many people are on the graduate teacher programme, how many are on the registered teacher programme, how many are licensed teachers or how many trained overseas. If it does not know how that body of people in our schools is constituted, it is difficult to see how it will find solutions to the problems identified this morning.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have a serious crisis. There is an exodus of teachers from the profession as well as a flight of qualified teachers from our schools and from normal, contracted, permanent full-time status to supply teaching. Some supply teachers provide an excellent standard of education but some, of course, do not. There is an accelerating trend of teachers teaching outside their subject, and a vast number of qualified teachers are choosing not to teach. Last year&apos;s figures for supply teachers in one local education authority area, Luton, show that more than 20 per cent. of full-time teachers were supply teachers. As Ofsted reported this year:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Nevertheless, the percentage of unsatisfactory or poor lessons taught by temporary supply teachers is significantly higher than the figure for qualified teachers with more than one year&apos;s teaching experience. The figure is twice as high for primary schools and four times as high for secondary schools."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;So, real problems result from the situation that the Government have allowed to develop. I am sure that we all accept, intuitively, that that is also a problem for children, who all too often encounter a succession of different teachers, one day after another, or one week after another, and are unable to develop a relationship with their own class teacher.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There is a crisis in teacher recruitment. The Ofsted report says:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"There are real problems in recruiting teachers and in retaining them, and these problems have got worse over the past two years."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Recruitment and retention of primary school staff is&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"no longer just an inner city issue, but is beginning to affect schools in all regions and all kinds of locations&amp;#x2026;More teachers are being asked to teach outside their specialism."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;We see the number of vacancies rising, as well as the number of teachers who are not teaching.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I return to the question of why teachers leave. My hon. Friend the Member for Tatton referred to disciplinary problems. A recent National Union of Teachers report found that 45.1 per cent. of teachers leaving the profession cited pupil behaviour as the reason&amp;#x2014;a worrying statistic that underlines the&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0530"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;143WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;problem of discipline in the classroom. My hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall) referred to the Department&apos;s failure to get a grip on what is happening in schools. That is underlined by the response&amp;#x2014;perhaps failure to respond is more accurate&amp;#x2014;to a written question that I recently put to the Minister for School Standards, asking how many teachers in maintained schools have been victims of serious assaults by pupils or parents in the past five years. The Minister replied:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"My Department does not collect this information"&amp;#x2014;[&lt;i&gt;Official Report,&lt;/i&gt; 10 April 2002; Vol. 383, c. 195W.]&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;For the Department not to know how many assaults have been carried out, when 45 per cent. of teachers leaving the profession cite classroom behaviour as the reason, is a matter of huge concern.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Of course, many teachers leave through ordinary retirement or early retirement on health or other grounds. The number of those taking early retirement has fallen dramatically as the natural result of the changes to the early retirement rules, but the number leaving for other reasons has risen steadily in each of the past four years from 18,000 to 23, 000 to 24,000 to more than 26,000 in the last year for which I have figures.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government face huge challenges if they are to tackle those problems in our schools. They must stem the exodus of teachers from the profession and tackle the disciplinary problems in our classrooms. They must back up the supposed conversion on the road to Damascus that Ministers experienced when they recently reviewed the failed policy to reduce exclusions.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government must get to grips with the problem of the huge non-teaching work load&amp;#x2014;the weight of bureaucracy and paperwork&amp;#x2014;being piled on teachers. They are storing up new problems for themselves in the need, which they recognise, to train more teachers in vocational specialisms and for more language teachers. They know that they have those problems to deal with but, according to recent replies that I have received from Ministers, have no idea how to tackle them.&lt;br/&gt;12.20 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Ivan Lewis): There is a consensus on both sides of the House that the quality and number of teachers is central to any common objective of achieving the highest possible standards of education in this country. This debate is central to that objective, and we must pay tribute, as always in such debates, to the work of teachers at the chalk face throughout the country who are making a real difference to our young people&apos;s life chances and opportunities. It is important to start from that perspective.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There have been several interesting contributions. I congratulate the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon) on securing the debate. He raised important issues, and in particular the case of his constituent. We can understand that gentleman&apos;s frustration and feeling that the situation is not working as it should. On the other hand, I thought that the hon. Gentleman&apos;s contribution was completely spoiled by his politicisation of the debate, and by an almost complete&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;144WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;absence of memory concerning the history of why we have got to this stage with teacher recruitment and retention.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;It is interesting that the Conservative party always scoffs at the title "Minister for Young People"; I can assure Conservative Members that young people do not do so. They see it as an important representation of the fact that the Government are determined to re-engage with young people in a whole variety of policy areas. Those of us who care about the future of democracy should welcome that re-engagement between politicians, or the political process, and young people.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In the context of the debate, it is right to achieve an appropriate balance between a minimum threshold framework and the need to recruit the maximum number of teachers. As my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) said, this must be about quality as well as quantity. It is not good enough simply to rush to recruit as many teachers as possible and sacrifice quality in the process. The analogy that the hon. Member for South Norfolk made was interesting. He suggested that because a retired police officer sought to become a teacher, he would inevitably be good at maintaining classroom discipline. I was going to use the David Beckham example as an analogy&amp;#x2014;although as a Manchester City fan, that would have made life difficult for me&amp;#x2014;but I have found a better one. It is a bit like saying that the underperformance of boys would be corrected if we had Britney Spears or Kylie Minogue teaching in our classrooms.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Some of our former political colleagues, whom we can all remember, have CVs that show that they were extremely distinguished&amp;#x2014;but would we want them to teach our children, just because they had a distinguished record in public life? No, we would not. That is not a reflection on the gentleman on whose behalf the hon. Member for South Norfolk raised the issue. I can see, not only from his CV but because he is already actively filling the role of a teaching instructor&amp;#x2014;a role in which he is valued and to which he has been reappointed&amp;#x2014;that he is making a contribution to the education system, and I pay tribute to that. However, there must be parameters&amp;#x2014;a framework in which to determine quality.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for South Norfolk said that schools were increasingly becoming training institutions. I must say to him that all good schools are constantly training, and that we want them to train not only new teachers but experienced teachers, classroom assistants and learning mentors, too, to ensure that our young people have access to the best possible quality education. I would also say to the hon. Gentleman&amp;#x2014;he did not refer to this in his contribution&amp;#x2014;that his own local education authority received more than &amp;#x00A3;0.5 million from the recruitment and retention fund in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and is due to receive more than &amp;#x00A3;1 million over the next twelve months.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bacon: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Lewis: Much as I would like to give way to the hon. Gentleman, I do not have the time. My hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) raised several important issues concerning inner cities, such as low aspirations, the lack of opportunities for young&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0531"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;145WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;people in those communities, and the behaviour and discipline problems with which teachers have to deal. He talked about the special nature of teaching in the inner cities, and the special challenges there. I am sure that he would agree that the additional support through education action zones, excellence in cities, and the influx of learning mentors&amp;#x2014;all warmly welcomed&amp;#x2014;is making a significant difference to the quality of education in those inner-city schools. We have done a lot, but I acknowledge that there is a tremendous amount left to do.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) paid great tribute to the former chief inspector of schools. Even if one thinks, as I do, that that person was a necessary evil rather than simply evil, as some hon. Members think, one cannot say that he did much for teacher morale. I have never met a teacher who has had anything positive to say about the rhetoric that he used about education and teaching&amp;#x2014;and it was not always the policies introduced or the work of Ofsted itself that they criticised. The general flavour of the chief inspector&apos;s comments about the state of the teaching profession in this country did a tremendous amount to undermine teaching morale, even if he was a necessary evil.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bacon: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Lewis: No, I am sorry.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend the Member for Stroud raised several important points. He welcomed the Government&apos;s commitment to restructure the teaching profession. While ensuring that there are more adults, such as classroom assistants, learning mentors, Connexions personal advisers and teachers, in the classroom, in the interests of young people we must also ensure that the balance of contribution is right from each of those professionals&amp;#x2014;and, indeed, that they are all professionals. My hon. Friend raised some important points about our determination to raise the status and esteem of vocational education. No Government have been able to crack that nut in the past, and it is an important challenge that we must face up to on a consensual basis.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;146WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;I did not agree with all of what the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) said, particularly the bit about the Government. However, I did agree with him on one point, which is linked with what the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) said. The reason for the current difficulties is, to a large extent, the fact that there has been no long-term planning in our education system for personnel and staffing needs. Since we came to power we have introduced a whole range of powers to tackle that problem. One may disagree with the measures, but from day one we have acknowledged the need to encourage more people to get into the teaching profession, and to do something about teaching retention.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In a whole range of public service areas, the crime of the party that was in government before was that there was no long-term planning, no investment, and no strategic approach whatever. It is not just in teaching that there is a serious shortage of skills or workers. There are shortages across the public services, because this country has not planned on a long-term basis, and during those years we did not invest in public services.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;All the evidence suggests that we must address serious issues: for example, behaviour and discipline in secondary schools. That is one of the reasons why the Government have prioritised tackling the performance of secondary schools in this term of office, and in direct relation to that, discipline and behaviour matters, such as learning support units, pupil referral units and Connexions personal advisers. The idea that discipline and behaviour is a problem in our schools because of the Government&apos;s policy on exclusion is nonsense. It is due to complex social, community and family problems that have scarred children&apos;s performance for years.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;During the 18 years of Tory Government there was a greater division in our society than ever before and social problems increased, which is one reason for some of the behaviour and discipline problems in schools today. We are determined to support teachers because we are not prepared to accept unacceptable behaviour, and we believe that parents should have greater responsibility in supporting teachers in that context. However, we are not prepared to take the blame for the fact that young people who grew up during the Thatcher years are now behaving badly.' title='Teacher Recruitment' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/teacher-recruitment'></outline>
    <outline id='3585298' text='12.30 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. John Grogan: My task today is to outline my view of the future of the Selby coalfield. To do so sensibly, I must examine the context of both British Government and European policy.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The coal industry in general and Selby in particular have had a real friend in this Labour Government. Time and again since 1997, when questions have been asked about the future of the Selby coalfield and the industry in general, the Government have responded with policy initiatives. The coal lobby has always had to argue its case hard with Ministers, who have never been slow to challenge our assumptions robustly, but that is as it should be. The demand has always been for fairness, not favours.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The argument that British coal has a significant role in the energy mix, not least so that the nation does not become completely dependent on imported gas, has won the day. It was this Government who gave the industry a vital breathing space by imposing a temporary moratorium on new gas-fired power stations while the electricity trading market, which was rigged against coal-fired power stations, was reformed. It was this Government who introduced a scheme of coal operating aid, which expires in July this year and has paid out more than &amp;#x00A3;140 million to the coal industry&amp;#x2014;I understand that the figure will be &amp;#x00A3;170 million when the scheme expires&amp;#x2014;and more than &amp;#x00A3;40 million to Selby. There can be little doubt that without that aid Selby would now be closed. It was also this Government who steadily addressed the legacy of issues of basic justice in the coalfields, notably by introducing the largest ever industrial compensation scheme in the world to provide assistance to miners affected by vibration white finger and chest disease.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Selby project is the largest deep coal mining project ever undertaken in the world. It covers about 110 square miles in the Vale of York and when it was developed in the 1980s productivity was five times that of the national average for United Kingdom mines. It took 20 years to plan and bring the complex into production. The project included the sinking of 10 shafts and driving some 124 miles of underground roadways at a cost of about &amp;#x00A3;1.3 billion. The shaft sinking and access drifts had to pass through heavily watered ground, involving major ground treatment at different horizons and in different conditions. The mining engineers involved produced innovative solutions to those problems&amp;#x2014;solutions that had never been seen before but have since been copied all over the world.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Selby mining complex is an example of a highly technological, flexible, modern industry. It is an example of which new Labour should be proud, and I urge my hon. Friend the Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to visit it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;All the coal produced at the original five mines&amp;#x2014;Wistow, Riccall, Stillingfleet, Whitemoor and North Selby&amp;#x2014;is brought to the surface at one point, Gascoigne Wood, from where it is prepared and dispatched to Drax, Eggborough and other major power stations in the region. Its direct work force, supplemented by contractors, totals more than 2,500, making a major contribution to the local economy in&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;148WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;rates, wages and the provision of goods and services. Last year, wages, salaries and related costs were more than &amp;#x00A3;100 million.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Wistow was the first of the five mines to begin production in 1983. At its peak in 1993&amp;#x2013;94, the Selby complex produced 12 million tonnes of coal a year and was the jewel in the crown of the coal industry. Output and productivity records were set as the complex harvested coal from the single Barnsley seam that it was authorised to work. As &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; commented only last month,&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"unlike so many big British industrial and infrastructure projects in the second half of the last century, including the Vale of Belvoir coalfield, Selby fulfilled its promise and became one of the world&apos;s most productive coal mines".&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;However, in the face of increasing geological disturbances, some reserves had to be discounted and production began to tail off in the mid-1990s. Whitemoor and North Selby mines merged with their close neighbours Stillingfleet and Riccall to concentrate mining activities in areas with more favourable geology and fewer uncertainties.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;By the millennium year, annual output, which five years earlier had been 11.4 million tonnes, was down to 4.4 million tonnes. That was also the output for 2001, by which time the Selby complex had produced 110 million tonnes of coal since production first began. Reducing output and falling coal prices have turned the once-profitable Selby mine into a heavy loss-maker. If UK Coal received the same value for its coal as the previous owners, British Coal, it would receive more than &amp;#x00A3;40 per tonne, which would be about half the cost of mining 1 tonne of coal in Germany. However, UK coal prices are now less than &amp;#x00A3;30 per tonne. As a result, the Selby complex lost more than &amp;#x00A3;35 million last year, bringing losses in the past three years to &amp;#x00A3;93 million.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;On Thursday 7 March, I met the chief executive of UK Coal, Gordon McPhie, at the House of Commons. I received much the same briefing as union officials in Selby had received from UK Coal management some days earlier. UK Coal does not see the Selby complex being economically viable beyond 2005 at the latest. At about that time, Wistow mine will be exhausted. It would be possible to access some new reserves from Riccall and Stillingfleet, but the huge costs of maintaining Gascoigne Wood, which was designed for five mines rather than two, would mean increasing losses. Wistow coal is essential to the composition of the overall mixture offered to Drax, and Gordon McPhie could not rule out closure taking place much earlier than 2005.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Over the following weekend I pondered what to do. There are still millions of tonnes of coal left to mine at Selby, but with high standing charges and increasing geological risks, unit costs increase as output diminishes. More than 2,500 miners and contractors and their families are currently living with desperate uncertainty, and they expect the worst. Many of them told me that they fear a closure announcement within weeks, with a closure date of autumn 2003. That would mean that the industry&apos;s relatively generous redundancy terms would no longer apply, as UK Coal has guaranteed them only until March 2003.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Men who have rejected redundancy offers, in some cases on three or four occasions, in order to keep working in the industry, would lose their jobs with only&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0533"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;149WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the minimum state redundancy terms to fall back on. An early closure announcement would bring chaos to the Selby coalfield. Electricians and engineers, whose skills are crucial to managing the complex, would bail out and secure alternative employment as soon as they could, and the complex would shut itself. The legacy would be one of bitterness and hardship, and Selby&apos;s economy would have to brace itself for an abrupt and devastating blow to its very foundations.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I had further telephone conversations with UK Coal in which I stressed that it was imperative that the coalfield stays open until at least 2005. It agreed to submit a further application for a subsidy to the Government to enable that to happen. On Monday 18 March, Gordon McPhie wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry asking for a meeting to discuss a package of closure aid for the Selby coalfield. He said that the company needed to come to a decision on how it proposed to operate the Selby coalfield in the next three months; the first of those three months is nearly up.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have agreed to back the principle of closure aid, although I want the Coal Authority to undertake an independent analysis of whether 2005 is the economically viable limit for the Selby coalfield. Closure aid is an important weapon in the French, German and Spanish Governments&apos; armouries to provide assistance to coalfield communities. It is allowed under the existing coal and steel treaty, which expires in July, and will be an important part of any new coal aid regime. We should embrace it and not shun it, not least because of its flexibility and practicality.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Devastated former mining communities do not exist in the rest of the European Union as they do in Wales, Scotland, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, which is largely because of closure aid. As &lt;i&gt;The Times&lt;/i&gt; business leader recently put it:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"it is more civilised to run operations down in an orderly way over the next three years so that miners and other workers can be retrained and new employment can be attracted into the area. By smoothing the process and avoiding the disruptive shocks that have so damaged many mining towns and villages what is gentler might also prove cheaper in the long run for taxpayers".&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Or, as the &lt;i&gt;Yorkshire Post&lt;/i&gt; put it:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The Government could sit on its hands and do nothing to avert the unfolding economic and human calamity. But Tony Blair whose maiden speech eloquently chronicled the devastation that pit closures can have on tightly knit communities knows that it is the role of Government to help to manage the decline of traditional industries in a way that minimises suffering and gives workers the chance to respond to new opportunities. It is for this reason that he should listen to those who are now asking him to provide so called &apos;closure assistance&apos; to the miners of Selby. Such assistance which other Europeans make regular use of&amp;#x2026;would be used to allow Selby the time it needs to adjust to life after coal."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As far as I am aware, UK Coal has not yet had a reply from the Secretary of State. Indeed, a brief perusal of the press seems to indicate that she needs to be convinced of the case for further state aid to the coal industry, perhaps more than other Ministers do. It is time that serious discussions started between Department of Trade and Industry officials and UK. Coal in preparation for such a meeting. Mr. McPhie&apos;s letter makes no mention of the precise cost of any closure aid scheme. The costs and benefits need to be fully explored, and the Government, whom I support, owe it to the miners and the community of Selby to start the discussions.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;150WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;In the rest of the European Union, redundancy payments are an essential element of closure aid. The miners in Selby who have worked in the industry from pre-privatisation days are still entitled to a relatively generous redundancy scheme, worth &amp;#x00A3;900 for each year worked, with a cap of &amp;#x00A3;27,000. The scheme was inherited by RJB Mining, now UK Coal, and was subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 until 1998. The company has guaranteed to honour the redundancy package but only until March 2003. It would cost the Government just short of &amp;#x00A3;40 million in closure aid to guarantee the redundancy payments.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The average age of a Selby miner is 44. Many have refused redundancy on several occasions to keep working in the coalfield. After a lifetime of undertaking what is still a physically demanding, back-breaking job, some are of an age that they are unlikely to work again once the mine is closed. However, for younger miners, resources will be needed for a closure aid package to fund the most ambitious retraining scheme ever seen after closure of a British coalfield.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We need time to make such a project effective. The Selby bypass is due to be completed by Christmas 2003. It will open up a huge amount of development land at the edge of Selby town with the potential for creation of a large number of jobs. On behalf of Selby district, I plead with my Government to give us time to bring those jobs on stream before the coalfield closes. If we had until at least 2005, perhaps we could avoid the despair, family breakdowns, hardship and suicides that have been a feature of other pit closures. Every miner must be offered a personal interview to examine the options for the future and then be assisted to seize that future. Every expert I have consulted tells me that it will take two or three years for such a project to be effective. If Selby mine closes abruptly, we will be left with a sticking plaster of regeneration and retraining money that cannot cover the gaping wound in the local economy.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As part of a comprehensive closure aid package, the Government should be prepared to consider further subsidies to UK Coal itself. As the complex moves towards closure, it may be that the current losses will diminish as development costs decline. Moreover, if a closure aid package is agreed, it is likely that morale will improve and productivity will increase. Clearly, the Department should carefully scrutinise UK Coal&apos;s projections, but it must get around a table to do so.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry forcefully asks why the Government should pick up the tab for closure aid. What is different about the coal industry or Selby? Just because it is good enough for Jospin and for Schroder, why should new Labour get involved? Such robust questions deserve robust answers. There is a joke&amp;#x2014;sort of&amp;#x2014;going around the pits in Selby. I overheard it in a local pub recently and felt a deep sadness. "What is the difference between Mrs. Thatcher and Patricia Hewitt? At least when Mrs. Thatcher closed the pits she made sure the men got their redundancy money." At that point, I stoutly defended the Secretary of State&apos;s honour, saying that that was a premature judgment, but the joke may be a salutary warning to us. How the Labour Government respond to UK Coal&apos;s request for closure aid for Selby will have a resonance across Labour&apos;s Yorkshire heartlands. I am&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0534"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;151WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;grateful to my Yorkshire colleagues for being here to support me on the day of a one-line Whip. If our values mean anything, we cannot pass by on the other side of the road. We must close Britain&apos;s largest remaining coalfield in a way that gives our movement pride&amp;#x2014;in a better way than occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Why should Selby be the first British coalfield to receive closure aid? None has ever asked before. For me, it is a credit to the local community that it is prepared to face up to its future. It has always been apparent that when Selby closed, because of its size, Government help would be needed to honour the redundancy payments.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Moreover, we have noticed in Selby that the Secretary of State is quite prepared to finance generous redundancy payments for postmasters and postmistresses. If we say no as a Government, and say that it is all the company&apos;s fault, what good will all the regeneration in the world be to a 55-year-old miner whom I know, who has worked most days of his working life down the pit, and tells me that there has never been a day when he has not dreaded it, despite the camaraderie of good mates? What shall I tell him when I say that he cannot have the redundancy of &amp;#x00A3;27,000 that he has counted on and that, unlike his manager, he will have to wait until he is 60 to claim a pension? The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry needs to provide me with a better answer than that he should apply for a computer training course and write a letter of complaint to UK Coal.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Government must ensure that ordinary miners get a full pension at 50, if made redundant, as the pit deputies and the management currently do. At the time of privatisation, in order to try and keep the management on board, the Tories ensured that the British Coal staff and supervisors&apos; pension scheme was more generous than the miners&apos; pension scheme. It is simply unjust that if the Selby complex or the Prince of Wales colliery shuts, management get a full pension at 50, but the miners who labour at the coal face do not.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;If a Selby miner can leave the industry with guaranteed redundancy terms and a full pension at 50, it will be with dignity. He will continue to be able to spend in local shops and the local economy and consider his options for the future. If he is thrown out of work next year with no additional redundancy or pension rights, many families will suffer badly. It will not just be mining families who feel the pinch, as turnover in local shops and pubs declines sharply and with little warning. The cost to the pension fund of making this change has been estimated by the actuary to be &amp;#x00A3;99 million. The Government incidentally are currently receiving about &amp;#x00A3;200 million each year in surplus from the miners&apos; pension scheme&amp;#x2014;enough by itself to fund a closure aid package and to give a full pension at 50 if made redundant.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have spoken today largely about closure aid, but as secretary of the all-party group on coalfield communities I am equally passionate about the need for investment aid. I hope that the Minister will be able to confirm that the Government are arguing in Europe that for the first time it should be possible to provide finance to help open up new seams and faces rather than simply to cover losses. Such investment aid would provide jobs at other mines for some men from Selby.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;152WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;It is worth noting that, according to the European draft regulations, all Governments must say by October 2002 which mines will be given what type of aid between now and 2010. All closure aid must expire by 2007. The Government&apos;s stance that they will consider whether to give further aid to the industry at the appropriate time will not carry credibility much longer. They need to get involved and engage with the issues pit by pit. That is why I have written to both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer seeking meetings with coalfield MPs. That is why the all-party group will be organising a seminar in May in the Commons on the future of coal, and why a delegation of Selby miners and the wider Selby community will be coming to the House of Commons.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Our first challenge as a coal mining group was to persuade our own communities to face up to the future: to campaign for both investment aid where possible, and closure aid where necessary, in order to achieve a sustainable industry. Our next challenge is to persuade the Government to change their policy. Dylan Thomas famously wrote:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"Do not go gentle into that good night.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Rage, rage against the dying of the light."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;In Selby, I hope that there is enough rage and righteous anger to persuade the Government to change their mind. Before the current children of miners in Selby&apos;s primary schools are fully grown, mining will have ceased. The proud memory of the craft and toil that went into making this huge project a success will long linger. The memories of the strike will linger, too, as will the many contributions of miners and their families to our community and our civic life. The current leader, chairman and vice-chairman of Selby district council work in the mines, or did so in the past. I hope that a final memory that will linger will be the way in which it all ended&amp;#x2014;not in chaos, despair and hardship but with dignity, planning, courage and foresight.&lt;br/&gt;12.48 pm&lt;br/&gt;Jon Trickett: I associate myself totally with the comments of my hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan), who speaks with passion and knowledge about the industry and is a distinguished advocate for his constituency. There is anger in communities that were devastated by Thatcher and the Tories, and have still not recovered. I represent villages that have never recovered from the pit closures, and that the present Government have barely touched yet in terms of regeneration. Those villages now face further job losses. My constituency still encompasses many miners who work in the Selby complex, and I estimate that about &amp;#x00A3;75 million a year in wages is paid into the Yorkshire coalfield from Selby alone. The prospect that the Government would tolerate early closure and the sterilisation of resources is too horrendous to contemplate, yet rumours come from the Secretary of State&apos;s office that she intends to allow it to happen.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am angry, as are the communities that I represent, that a Labour Government should betray the party&apos;s historic mission to regenerate those communities and to protect coal reserves. It will cause devastating political damage. I warn the Minister as gently as I can that the anger will spill over not only into the Chamber&amp;#x2014;I shall express my anger on every available opportunity should&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0535"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;153WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the Government proceed down that course&amp;#x2014;but into the streets. Demonstrations will take place the like of which we thought we had seen the last of when we saw the end of the Tories. I shall join those demonstrations&amp;#x2014;I believe that other hon. Members will, too&amp;#x2014;and damage will be done to the Government in the heartlands. I do not wish to see such damage, but it would be self-inflicted if the Government proceed as rumour suggests.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I associate myself entirely with my hon. Friend&apos;s comments on pensions for manual workers and miners. It is a question not only of coal closures but of justice. It is not right that white-collar workers who have never worked down a pit should be able to retire at 50 on a full pension, but that manual workers who have worked for 30-odd years should not be similarly entitled. I ask the Minister, in all justice, to consider that issue.&lt;br/&gt;12.51 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Minister for Industry and Energy (Mr. Brian Wilson): I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) on securing this debate. It has been an interesting one, although it was slightly curious in adopting a somewhat different tone from that which I had expected. I point out to the wider audience that it is somewhat unusual in that my hon. Friends the Members for Selby and for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) have already taken 21 minutes, which leaves me only nine minutes to reply. However, I shall do my best within those limitations.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;As my hon. Friend the Member for Selby was good enough to acknowledge, no one can seriously question the Government&apos;s commitment to the coal industry. We introduced reforms to the electricity market that were designed to correct some of the distortions that were, among other things, penalising coal. To help the United Kingdom coal industry over particular short-term structural and market problems, we introduced the coal operating aid scheme. As has been said, approximately &amp;#x00A3;140 million has been paid out under that scheme so far. Selby has been a major beneficiary, with &amp;#x00A3;23 million in the first tranche of aid and another &amp;#x00A3;20 million in the second.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;When UK Coal applied for subsidy under the scheme, it appeared that Selby had a viable future without aid beyond July 2002. On that basis, it satisfied the scheme criteria to comply with European rules on coal state aid. In the light of expert mining advice, Selby was judged to have a realistic prospect of a viable future without aid.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The chief executive of UK Coal wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 18 March requesting a meeting to discuss, among other things, the possibility of the Government supporting a closure aid package. We have replied agreeing to such a meeting. As has already been suggested, however, it is fair to say we shall have a lot more to discuss at that meeting than closure aid. That letter was the only formal approach made to us by UK Coal&amp;#x2014;we were given a few days&apos; warning that the letter was coming, but it is the only indication that we have had that the company is carrying out a review, which is expected to be completed within three months.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;That, formally, is the position as far as the Government are concerned. We have put in &amp;#x00A3;43 million of aid under the scheme, and we have now been told in&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;154WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;a letter of 18 March that UK Coal is reviewing the future of Selby, and a meeting will be held. The Secretary of State and I will be happy to participate, and we shall presumably hear more then about the thinking of Selby&apos;s owners.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The case for operating aid under the scheme that is now drawing to a close was that it would create a future for pits such as Selby, which had clear longer-term prospects of profitability and viability. My hon. Friends have referred to closure aid, but that raises very different issues. It is claimed that it could soften the blow for the Selby area by allowing a phased reduction in jobs. As my hon. Friend the Member for Selby said, it would be the first time that such an approach had been taken, and we would obviously have to ask many major questions before going down that road.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Would closure aid really be the most cost-effective way of dealing with the issue, if and when it arises? We should note that the benefits would go primarily to the company, not to those who suffer the redundancies. There must also be a read-across from Selby to other pits where the same questions will arise for geological reasons that are beyond the control of any of us. There is also the valid point that closure aid gives companies a direct incentive to shut down mines, so the very subsidy that is designed to help the industry and those who work in it could bring about its demise earlier than might otherwise have been the case, and we must take account of that when considering the arguments for such aid. None the less, I understand my hon. Friends&apos; attachment to closure aid at this juncture, and I shall be happy to hold further discussions to hear the case for it&amp;#x2014;assuming that the context set out in the letter of 18 March remains the same when UK Coal comes back to us.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There has been widespread support for the idea of investment aid, and I can confirm that we are continuing to negotiate in Brussels to put in place a framework for possible national subsidy schemes after July 2002. Our aim is to secure an outcome that gives us the flexibility to put in place arrangements if they become necessary in specific cases. It is not certain that we will succeed in the EU in securing provisions for the payment of investment aid. Just as some countries are very much attached to different kinds of subsidy schemes, others are very much opposed to investment aid. However, we are pursuing the ability to pay investment aid when the current scheme expires. If we are successful, we can expect it to be limited to a proportion&amp;#x2014;perhaps 20 per cent.&amp;#x2014;of the investment costs associated with a project. Even if we are able to pay such aid, further work will need to be undertaken to ascertain the circumstances in which it might be applicable.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There are many issues on which I would like to comment, but let me briefly say something about cleaner coal technology. As my hon. Friends will be well aware, the Government believe that the future of coal is very much tied up with the movement towards cleaner coal. A review that ran parallel to the energy review considered the issue and concluded that the case for building a demonstration plant was weak, but that funding and support for specific technologies that are retrofittable to existing plant may be appropriate. It will be for those interested in demonstrating such technologies to make their case to the cleaner coal technology programme. We are also investigating&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0536"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;155WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;several important geological, engineering, economic and legal issues around carbon dioxide capture and storage to ensure that it is a feasible option.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;To summarise, as matters stand, we have had one letter from UK Coal. We gave the firm &amp;#x00A3;43 million in subsidy under the present scheme in the belief that that would give it a viable long-term future. If the situation has changed, UK Coal will doubtless inform us, and we shall take discussions from there. Frankly, however, some of my hon. Friends&apos; statements about the Government&apos;s attitude to the coal industry and some of the direr warnings that I have heard are utterly incompatible with the Government&apos;s record. I hope that in the future we may be able to proceed on a more measured basis to achieve what we presumably all want&amp;#x2014;the best possible future for coalfield communities.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;For reasons that have nothing to do with the Government, and in spite of the aid that they have given to the deep coal mining industry, other difficulties may arise as the context changes. Let us proceed on the basis of what is best for the industry and the communities, bearing it in mind, as my hon. Friend the Member for Selby said, that few of the pits would still be there if it were not for the scheme introduced by the Government. If&amp;#x2014;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Edward O&apos;Hara): Order. Time is up.' title='Selby Coalfield' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/selby-coalfield'></outline>
    <outline id='3585299' text='1 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. James Clappison: I am very pleased to have this opportunity to raise the subject of Borehamwood Care Village, the future of which has been a source of great concern for my constituents. The Minister is already aware to some extent of that concern through correspondence with me, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to meet her with a group of representatives from the home, including residents and family members. By coincidence, that meeting will take place later this afternoon, so what I say now is something of a preview.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Borehamwood Care Village is an important care setting for almost 100 elderly people in my constituency. It offers 40 residential places and 39 nursing bed places, as well as places for 16 close care tenants. It is a modern facility that was opened only 10 years ago, as I know, having opened part of it when I became the Member of Parliament for Hertsmere. It was opened as a modern facility offering continuity of care for people who, as they got older, were looking for stability more than anything else.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I should make it clear that the residents and the family members have no complaints about the fabric of the care village, nor about the quality of the care that they receive from staff. Indeed, I pay tribute, on their behalf, to the care and dedication of the staff, who have been as concerned as anyone about its prospects.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Just before Christmas last year, the residents and staff received the startling news that the home&apos;s proprietor, Assured Care Centres, was planning to close it. The company intended to sell the site to developers Bryant Homes for residential property development. That caused the gravest concern to the residents, their families and the wider community in Borehamwood and Hertfordshire, who all joined in a campaign to save the home.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In many ways, the name of the campaign tells us what we need to bear in mind. It is called STOP: Save the Old People&amp;#x2014;the action group working to save Borehamwood Care Village. The campaign has been vigorous, imaginative and well justified. It began with a packed public meeting in the Hertsmere civic offices, which was attended by a wide variety of people, including family members, councillors from both the borough and the county councils, representatives of the local churches and civic dignitaries, including the mayor of Borehamwood. The meeting was very well supported, reflecting the amount of interest in the matter in Borehamwood.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The campaign later held a march through Borehamwood, which was also very well supported and drew tremendous support from the people of the town. It was moving to see shoppers and shop workers coming out to give their support to the march. The people threw their full weight behind the campaign to save the facility.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There followed a widely publicised visit to Downing street by a delegation of residents and family members, who took with them a petition containing thousands of names of Hertfordshire residents. That delegation included Miss Rose Cottle, who is 102 and a remarkable old lady, and who is present for the debate, along with&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0537"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;157WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;other representatives from the STOP campaign. Following the impact of that visit, both ACC, the proprietors of the home, and Bryant Homes, the would-be purchasers, showed a desire to draw back from their proposals and made public statements to that effect.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Before turning to those statements, I pay tribute to all those who have played a part in the STOP campaign, including Mr. Bryan Mayson, its chairman, who is also present today, Councillor Martin Heyward, the mayor of Borehamwood, Rose Cottle and the other elderly residents of the Borehamwood Care Village, all of whom contributed remarkably to the campaign.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I should like to report that this story has a happy ending in that the home&apos;s future has become assured, but we are not quite at that point. Several issues need to be resolved, which I shall highlight through the debate. On 26 March, Bryant Homes wrote to Mr. Bryan Mayson, the chairman of STOP, stating:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"We have asked Assured Care Centres to release Bryant from the contractual agreement relating to the site of Borehamwood Care Village, and are currently in negotiation with them."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;Bryant says that it cannot withdraw the planning application because of contractual arrangements that require the firm to consult the planning department of Hertsmere borough council.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Assured Care Centres, the proprietor, says that it accepts Bryant&apos;s offer to withdraw, but must observe legal requirements. The company says that it is discussing the sale of the care village with other parties who would retain it for its present use, which is what we all want to happen. We want Borehamwood Care Village to continue in its present state and to provide much-needed residential and nursing care.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I have no wish to pry into the legal arrangements of Bryant Homes and ACC, although I note that they are both expressing the same intention&amp;#x2014;one saying that it wants to be released from having to sell the property and the other saying that it wants to withdraw from buying it. It would be helpful if they could both make it clear that they have no plans at all for the sale of the site or any part of it for residential development and want to withdraw altogether from their original proposals. It would be helpful, too, if the issue of the planning application could be resolved as soon as possible, because, notwithstanding what they have said, the application remains extant and is still with Hertsmere borough council. It is clearly in the interests of the residents of the home, when they are being reassured about their future, that that planning application should be withdrawn and that ACC should go on to discuss the future of the home with other would-be purchasers who want to continue its present use, providing residential and nursing care.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;What is happening in Borehamwood is part of a wider picture of what is happening in Hertfordshire and the rest of the country, in relation to nursing and residential care. The Minister may be familiar with the survey by Laing and Buisson, which reported that there had been a substantial loss of long-term care places since 1996. The loss of some 50,000 residential care places stands in contrast to the needs of an increasingly ageing population. Nursing home bed losses have been particularly serious, with 22,000 nursing care beds lost since 1998.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;158WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Hertfordshire represents no exception to that worrying picture. Nursing home beds have been lost, and the losses are continuing. The most recent market analysis by Hertfordshire county council states that 103 nursing home beds were lost in Hertfordshire between April and November 2001 alone&amp;#x2014;November being when the most recent survey was concluded. Hertfordshire could ill afford the further, substantial, loss of 39 beds in Borehamwood.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The corollary of nursing home bed losses is the problem of delayed discharges from hospitals and the difficulties that flow from that. The Minister may be familiar with the surveys and statistics relating to delayed discharges. Her own Department suggested towards the end of last year that, at any one time, 6,000 beds in NHS hospitals are occupied by people whose discharge has been delayed. Whatever the figures, it is clearly a serious problem, and leads to other problems, such as cancelled operations and longer waiting lists.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Those problems have been evident locally, as I witnessed on NHS day in February, when I visited Potters Bar community hospital, a facility valued for its care. I was told that 12 out of the 45 beds were occupied by patients who would not have needed a hospital bed if one in an appropriate care setting had been available. That is confirmed by Hertfordshire county council, which said:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The high occupancy rates within Hertfordshire homes mean that it is increasingly difficult to find affordable care home vacancies for elderly people whether those people are awaiting discharge from hospital or the community."&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Earlier this year, the Government announced &amp;#x00A3;200 million of additional spending to deal with the problem of bed blocking, about &amp;#x00A3;3 million of which will come to Hertfordshire. However, spending money will not solve the problem if nursing home beds continue to be lost. On the steps of Downing street, Rose Cottle drew attention to the connection between the loss of nursing home places and the wider problems in the health service. As she put it:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"What&apos;s the point of clogging up hospitals with people like me?"&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;On this, as on so many other things, Rose and the residents of Borehamwood Care Village are the voice of common sense. We can ill afford the loss of such nursing and residential care places. Such a loss would be a tragedy for the very elderly people there&amp;#x2014;people who have entered that care facility on the basis that it will give them stability and reassurance in the later stages of their lives&amp;#x2014;and for their families. It would also have a serious effect on the wider community and on the health service, bringing problems of which we are only too well aware today.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We owe it to Rose Cottle and the wonderful elderly people like her to keep open homes such as Borehamwood Care Village. That is my plea to the Minister. We need to keep such nursing home and residential care places available. We need to safeguard the future of the Borehamwood Care Village, and to have the proposals and planning application for residential development there withdrawn. It must be transferred into hands that will keep it open as a much-needed residential and nursing care facility, offering high-quality care to people who deserve no less.&lt;br/&gt;1.13 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Minister of State, Department of Health (Jacqui Smith): I congratulate the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on having secured a debate on a subject that is important and significant to his constituents. I, like many others, have been impressed by the vigorous campaign run by STOP, and moved by the eloquence and dignity displayed by Miss Cottle throughout a period of undoubted distress for both her and her fellow residents of Borehamwood Care Village, and I am looking forward to our meeting this afternoon, when we shall be able to consider the background to the issue in more detail.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Nothwithstanding the hon. Gentleman&apos;s concerns, I am pleased that the residents&apos; position now seems to be much more secure and there seems to be more certainty that they will be able to remain in their present care home. It seems that, in this case, good sense has prevailed. I understand that several organisations are willing to purchase the home as a going concern, which will provide some important certainty and continuity for those living there. He made some important points about issues that must be resolved elsewhere, regarding the position of ACC and Bryant, as well as the planning applications. I am sure that those points will have been heard and hope that they will be acted on.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We appreciate that the independent care home sector is facing a number of challenges at present. The Government are very aware that the closure of any care home causes considerable anxiety and disruption to its residents. I want to touch on the wider context and the particular actions being taken to ensure that, in Hertfordshire, it is possible to provide the range of provision and capacity necessary for older people to have security, stability and independence.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Many care homes are private businesses, and as such, each must take its own decision about how to conduct itself, including whether to close. However, when it comes to the standard of care provided in a care home, the Government have an important role. The new regulatory system introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 provides stronger powers to monitor the financial viability of homes and contains requirements for residents to have contracts that specify their rights. I am concerned that any decision to close a home should be handled as sensitively and appropriately as possible. Councils and care home owners must work together to ensure that closures take place in a planned way, with maximum notice being given. Although it seems unlikely to happen in this case, in the event of a home being forced to close, the council should reassess the needs of those residents for which it has responsibility and arrange an alternative placement or service promptly and with as little distress to the residents and their families as possible. Even where people are funding themselves, councils should be able to offer advice on arranging alternative accommodation.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Clappison: Does the Minister agree that, however good the regulatory provisions are, and whatever other arrangements are made, it is desirable to keep very elderly people in the same home whenever possible, and to avoid moving them at that stage of their lives?&lt;br/&gt;Jacqui Smith: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, which is why I hope that, in this case, there will be the&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;160WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;continuity that he outlined. I was just trying to point out that when homes have to close, it is crucial that the process is handled sensitively and appropriately.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Both today and on other occasions, attention has been drawn to the issue of funding and the ability of local authorities to meet the fees that are necessary to maintain capacity. There have been substantial increases in the level of funding provided for local authority social services departments in recent years. Since 1996&amp;#x2013;97, the overall level of funding for social services increased by just over 20.4 per cent. in real terms. That equates to an average real-terms increase of 3.1 per cent. per annum. However, we recognise that more is needed, and we are considering the future funding needs of social services as part of the current spending review, the results of which will be announced later this year. Hertfordshire county council has received above-average increases in its personal social services standard spending assessment allocation in each of the past two years. In 2002&amp;#x2013;03, its allocation increased by 5.7 per cent., compared with a national average increase of 4.9 per cent. That was on top of an increase of 7.6 per cent for 2001&amp;#x2013;02, compared with a national average increase of 4.7 per cent.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Last autumn, the Government further recognised the need to maintain and develop capacity in the care sector and to ensure that delayed discharges from hospital were reduced&amp;#x2014;a problem that the hon. Gentleman highlighted&amp;#x2014;by allocating not, as he suggested, &amp;#x00A3;200 million, but an additional &amp;#x00A3;300 million to local authorities. Hertfordshire county council is one of the authorities targeted for extra money from that &amp;#x00A3;300 million. It received &amp;#x00A3;1.7 million for the last financial year and will receive an additional &amp;#x00A3;3.6 million this year.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health recognise that it is crucial that local authorities, in their commissioning of services, maintain the fee levels necessary to ensure continuity in the capacity necessary to provide our older people with the care that they need. We accept that local authorities need the resources. I welcome the fact that Hertfordshire has been able to use some of the additional &amp;#x00A3;5.3 million to increase residential and nursing home fees above the inflation rate for 2002&amp;#x2013;03, and has undertaken to review the pricing structure in 2003&amp;#x2013;04.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that that extra investment has produced an important result: Hertfordshire has met its target for reducing delayed discharges&amp;#x2014;a planned reduction of 25 per cent.&amp;#x2014;since last September. I recognise his concern that the whole system&amp;#x2014;the health service and the care system&amp;#x2014;should work together. The fact is that the extra investment and the reforms and new capacity have brought important results.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I take issue with the hon. Gentleman&apos;s repetition of the Laing and Buisson figure of 50,000 care beds being lost. That survey showed a net loss of about 19,000 care beds since 1996&amp;#x2013;97: the 50,000 figure takes no account of those that have opened or been extended. The most recent figures suggest that there are now more residential and nursing care places in Hertfordshire than there were in 1997. I realise, however, that it is an important matter. The demand for placements in the county has been rising over the same period, so I am&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0539"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;161WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;pleased that the county council is actively working with its partners in care commissioning and provision&amp;#x2014;the district councils, primary care trusts and the independent sector&amp;#x2014;and using the extra resources made available by the Government to maintain and stimulate the market across the whole spectrum of care.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;A number of projects are under way to develop additional community services such as intermediate care and extra care. I shall give two examples. I understand that a 40-place extra care housing scheme is being developed in Borehamwood in partnership with a housing association and the district council. I was recently able to announce an additional &amp;#x00A3;46 million investment into intermediate care over the next two years, including support for a 60-place intermediate care facility to be developed in partnership with South East Hertfordshire primary care trust and the independent sector.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Intermediate care, although clearly not fulfilling the same function as residential care, can provide a crucial bridge between hospital and home. It can ensure that older people are able to regain independence. Since the base line of 1999&amp;#x2013;2000, there has been provision for an additional 1,188 people to receive intermediate care services in the Hertfordshire health authority area. Hertfordshire also has in place plans to increase the number of intensive home care packages that can be offered to support people in their own homes.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;It is the Government&apos;s policy to promote independence for older people wherever we can and to enable them to remain in their own homes whenever possible. The number of people receiving intensive domiciliary care is increasing&amp;#x2014;about 76,400 households benefited in England in 2001, an increase of 6 per cent. on the previous year&amp;#x2014;and we want to encourage that trend where it meets people&apos;s needs.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Clearly, some people are too frail or vulnerable even to be supported by an intensive domiciliary care package, and they will need residential accommodation. However, we must not get bogged down in judging the success of policy simply by the number of people in residential care and nursing homes. The policy of community care, which I know that the Conservative party supports and implemented when it was in government, is designed to ensure that people can live in their own homes with intensive support. We must also provide effective, high-quality residential accommodation where necessary&amp;#x2014;it is a matter of getting the balance right for each local community.&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Clappison: Since the Minister is quoting a mass of statistics, may I draw to her attention Hertfordshire county council&apos;s claim that since 2000 the number of nursing home beds has gone down from 1,272 to 1,045?&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;162WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Does she agree that it makes no sense to lose modern, purpose-built facilities such as Borehamwood Care Village when the population is getting older and frailer?&lt;br/&gt;Jacqui Smith: I accept, and have already said, that it is important to maintain the necessary capacity to provide stability for older people.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The care home sector can be assured that its services are very important and will continue to be needed in the future. Authorities need to do some long-term, sustainable planning. Short-termism is difficult for providers in the care home sector. It is important for commissioners and local authorities to have a strategy in place in order to provide care services for local people for years to come. That is why we established the strategic commissioning group, which I chair and which aims to give much greater direction to the commissioning of care services for adults&amp;#x2014;in particular, for older people.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We recently published an agreement between all the parties involved in the planning and delivery of care services in a document entitled "Building Capacity and Partnership in Care". That details the responsibilities and expectations of central and local government, providers and the NHS. It stresses the need for long-term contracts to ensure that there is planning in the system and that we do not end up with precipitate closures, such as that threatened for Borehamwood Care Village, which can have a very damaging effect on residents.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The document also seeks to push those involved to be a little more imaginative and to think of new ways of providing care that can help people to maximise their independence. I would like to underline the importance of that. It is time to move the policy on and to stop squabbling about how many nursing homes have or have not closed. All our efforts, and the extra resources made available by the Government, need to be concentrated on planning to deliver the services that older people want&amp;#x2014;not just the services traditionally provided&amp;#x2014;in the right amounts and at the right time.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I give the hon. Gentleman my commitment that the Government recognise the need to develop new capacity so that older people are able to maintain the independence that many of them have told us they need. I have given examples of how the additional investment in Hertfordshire is enabling that to happen. At the same time, we must recognise that what is crucial to the provision of services, whether it is from local authorities or the private and independent sectors, is the stability and certainty felt by older people. In conclusion, I join the hon. Gentleman in commending the campaign to safeguard the important provision of Borehamwood Care Village. I hope that a common-sense way can be found to ensure that residents receive the stability and continuity that we would all want for them.' title='Borehamwood Care Village' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/borehamwood-care-village'></outline>
    <outline id='3585300' text='1.30 pm&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Mark Lazarowicz: I am pleased to have secured this Adjournment debate on consumers&apos; rights and the housebuilding industry. My request for a debate was stimulated by two examples that arose in my constituency, but that, after close examination, raised wider issues that deserved an airing in Parliament, and action from Government. I shall focus on issues for which the Westminster Parliament has responsibility. In Scotland, some issues raised by local concerns are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament, so I shall try not to overlap those two elements. No doubt, the Minister will pass on to our Scottish colleagues matters that fall outside our remit.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I shall provide details of the specific problems that have arisen in my constituency, and that have led me to table this debate. Both examples relate to new housing developments in my constituency. The first case is in the Granton mill development, which has been built by Wimpey Homes in Scotland, or a company associated with Wimpey Homes. The residents spoke for themselves when they wrote to me saying:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"The problem that the majority of us are experiencing is the lack of any drainage system on the estate. Our gardens, front and back are totally water-logged&amp;#x2026;We have everything from gardens sinking, paving that has sunk, people unable to go into their back gardens because of the water that has gathered at their back doors, water lying against people&apos;s houses and stagnant water lying for weeks on end all over the gardens."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;They have further complaints about the development that relate to driveways, roads that are too narrow, unfinished boundaries and various other external issues, which I do not have the time to go into.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The second local example arose from a complaint from a resident of the Sovereign court development. That development was constructed by Barratt, East Scotland, or a company associated with Barratt. A constituent complained about a defect that the builder would not put right because the building company said that it was not a construction defect. However, the property management company, which had been contracted by the builders to provide the maintenance, said that it would not repair it either, because it was a building defect&amp;#x2014;a clear Catch-22 situation in which wherever the purchaser turned she was told that the problem was no one&apos;s responsibility. Over the past few weeks, that instance has now been satisfactorily resolved. Nevertheless, it raises the issue of the relationship between the home buyer of new housing and the management company appointed by the developer, and between the home buyer and the developer. The issues may be different, but they have a similarity in that they deal with the position of the individual purchaser of new build housing in relation to the developer that has built it.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The purchaser of such housing is in a different position from someone who buys an existing property from its owner. In the latter case, there are two parties with roughly equal bargaining power, and the purchaser can see the house that he or she is buying. In the case of new build, the situation is different. The purchaser is an individual, but the vendor is normally a large organisation with financial resources many times greater than those of the individual purchaser, and with&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;164WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the ability to call on legal and other professional advice that the individual purchaser does not have. After occupying the new house, the individual is hardly in a position to move out should it turn out that they do not have the property for which they had bargained. It is a classic case of unequal bargaining power. As that is a case in which the consumer is in a much weaker bargaining position than the supplier, it is a prime candidate for the position of the consumer to be strengthened by legal intervention and/or voluntary codes of practice by the industry. In the limited time available, I want to suggest a number of ways in which the position of the consumer can be strengthened in what is for most people the most important purchase that they will ever make.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The industry&apos;s current voluntary schemes, which are designed to protect the rights of purchasers, need to be available to the consumer at a much earlier stage. In both the cases that I have described, the National House Building Council guarantee scheme, which is generally very good, was of no benefit to the consumers concerned, even in cases that at first sight would fall within it. In the first of my two examples, Granton mill, the developer did not dispute liability on many of the defects. Instead, it simply did not get round to dealing with many of the complaints. The current scheme ought to be strengthened to ensure that developers deal with complaints speedily, and if that does not happen that very delay should be a ground for compensation to the purchaser.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;In the second case, Sovereign court, the delay in having the complaint dealt with led to another problem, which I want to highlight. Because of the delay in getting any action from either the builders of the property or the management company, the purchaser concerned eventually carried out the repairs herself. As she did not wait long enough to have the matter dealt with by the builders, however, it could no longer be dealt with under the NHBC scheme, even though she had made repeated complaints over a lengthy period. If that is correct, the NHBC scheme clearly has other shortcomings that need to be attended to. If the scheme cannot be changed as I have suggested, the Government need to consider other ways in which such changes can be made.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;There needs to be a mechanism to give house purchasers an opportunity to obtain satisfaction when there are problems in areas that are not covered by the existing industry scheme provided by the National House Building Council. That issue was particularly important in the case of Granton mill. Most complaints in that development relate either to external works to properties that have, in the view of residents, been carried out incorrectly or not at all, or to work that needs to be carried out or completed in the public areas of a development, such as roads and other common areas. Neither of those types of problem seems to be covered by the current voluntary arrangements provided by the industry, but they should be. There needs to be a mechanism whereby complaints about such issues can be made to an independent body, and when they are not satisfactorily resolved, steps can be taken to ensure that they are dealt with or that compensation is paid to the purchasers affected.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Something needs to be done to redress the imbalance between the bargaining positions of the purchaser of a new house and the developer that sells it. The first of my&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0541"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;165WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;two cases is a very good example of that problem. The purchasers saw a show house, as the actual houses had not been built, which is a very common situation with new developments. When the purchasers moved into their houses, some of them discovered something unsatisfactory. In such circumstances, sometimes the only remedy for the purchaser is to refuse to proceed with the purchase. In many cases, such a remedy is of little use to potential purchasers because they have probably sold their old house, bought furniture and made all the arrangements to move in, in which case not proceeding with the purchase is not a real option. It might be said that the purchaser should deal with such problems by making detailed provisions in the contract to ensure that nothing is left unclear, but the nature of the bargain is that it is for a house that is unbuilt, and developers do not normally enter into negotiations over terms, which means that that is also not an option for the purchaser.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I know that that is a complex matter, especially in the Scottish context. Although consumer rights and sale of goods and services law is reserved to Westminster, property law is devolved to the Scottish Parliament. There is a real problem here that must be addressed. The purchasers of new houses need to have stronger rights when they buy property, and I ask the Minister to consider how that can be done.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The relationship between the purchaser of a new house and the property management company appointed by the developer must be investigated and clarified. I have described my concerns arising from the example of Sovereign court in my constituency, and add that those are not just my concerns. I note that the Scottish Executive&apos;s recent report "Issues in Improving Quality in Private Housing" states:&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;"In some cases, owners may consider that the professional manager concerned has been imposed on them by the developer&amp;#x2026;In these cases, there may be questions about whether the management agent is sufficiently independent or accountable to the owners&amp;#x2026;Owners may also be concerned about the quality and cost of the management services provided."&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;That excerpt from paragraph 100 of the report says it better, perhaps, than I can.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I call today for investigation, and if necessary action, by the competition authorities, which come within the responsibility of Westminster, to ensure that such arrangements are fair to purchasers and do not tend to favour the interests of developers and the management companies that they appoint. A management company might have several contracts with the developer and therefore have an interest in maintaining good relationships with it beyond the interest of a particular instance in which a purchaser has complained.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;To clarify the relationship between property management companies and new purchasers on one hand and builders on the other, I suggest that, first, such management companies should, after the initial period, be selected by the purchasers collectively and be fully accountable to them. Secondly, there must be complete transparency to the owners of a property about the charges levied and the expenses incurred by such management companies. Finally, there should be a system that allows property owners to raise complaints about such management companies and that also provides for ensuring compliance and awarding&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;166WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;compensation when mediation fails. That scheme should, perhaps, be similar to the NHBC scheme, which, in my view, is very good as far as it goes.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I am aware that such policy areas are complex, and involve competition policy, a reserved matter, and property law, a devolved matter. However, they need to be tackled by the Government at Westminster and in the Scottish Parliament. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to raise this matter today. I ask the Minister to examine what I have said and consider what further action can be taken. Most immediately, will she take up with the industry bodies the matters that require changes and improvements to the relevant voluntary codes, and pass on to and discuss with her Scottish colleagues any matters arising from this particular case that she considers would be better dealt with by the Scottish Executive and Parliament?&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I emphasise that the issues that I have raised are not just local issues, of concern to a few residents in my constituency, or of Scottish concern alone. There are numerous new developments in my constituency, as in many other parts of Edinburgh, in which similar issues have already arisen or will arise in the future. As I have said, the purchase of a new house is often the single biggest financial transaction undertaken by a consumer. First purchasers must have rights, and an ability to take advantage of those rights that reflects the importance of that transaction to them and their families. That is why I am glad to have had the opportunity to raise the matter here today, and why I hope that the Minister can give an idea of what action she can take in response to my concerns.&lt;br/&gt;1.44 pm&lt;br/&gt;The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Ms Sally Keeble): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz) on securing the debate and on choosing a subject of real concern: consumer rights in the housebuilding industry. He focused in particular on the problems for people buying new houses.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend may be aware that in February 2002 the Housing Forum published its second national customer satisfaction survey, which highlights the standards of consumer care in the housing industry. It backs up some of the wider messages about customer care that the industry needs to take seriously and to which he referred.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;To put my hon. Friend&apos;s concerns in a national context, the survey shows that new home buyers remain generally satisfied with the design, amenities and value for money of their homes, but that those positive aspects are countered by a much less favourable view of build quality and after-sales service, about which he was concerned. Figures show that nearly half of those who buy new homes are neutral or critical of the builder, one third are not satisfied with the after-sales service, and only 54 per cent. want another new home or one from the same developer. That is a measure of the concern that he drew from his constituency experience.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend raised local issues, but the survey shows that there is a nationwide need for better quality and after-sales service in the new homes sector.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0542"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;167WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;If he is prepared to write to me with more details of the cases that he cited, I shall ensure that they are taken up with the National House Building Council to discover whether lessons can be learned.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;I want to examine some of the wider issues that my hon. Friend raised concerning new homes and consumer rights. The key to more consistent quality in the building of new homes lies with builders&apos; quality management systems. The work of the Housing Forum is contributing and grew out of the "Rethinking Construction" initiative, which has been under the aegis of my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy since June last year. The forum is showing the way in which to improve quality in housebuilding through the dissemination of best practice. Warranty schemes such as the NHBC&apos;s Buildmark scheme also have an important role to play in helping builders to achieve better build quality. Those schemes should first and foremost help to prevent defects, but they should also help owners to reach a quick solution when defects come to light after handover.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Ministers in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions keep in close touch with the chairman and senior management of the NHBC. We encourage them in their objective of continuous improvement in the terms and operation of the Buildmark scheme. The NHBC has made useful changes in the coverage of its scheme over the past three years or so, including contaminated land cover and 10-year cover for double glazing failure.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend said that the NHBC scheme does not cover various external features. He also referred to management issues, and I shall deal with those later. In fact, the scheme standards include a section on drives, paths and landscaping, and the definition of "home" in the Buildmark agreement includes common parts for which an owner shares legal responsibility with other owners. The definition also includes shared paths, drives, garden areas and paved areas. That means that in some circumstances defects in such areas can be the subject of claims against the builder under the Buildmark scheme.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend also raised concerns about defects that come to light some time after the occupants move into their new house. Changes have been made to the rules of the NHBC scheme relating to disputes between owners and builders when defects come to light within two years of completion. Those changes provide for the NHBC to intervene at an earlier stage to undertake remedial work in place of the builder if the builder is slow to carry out repairs that have been recommended by the claims investigator.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend referred to delay by builders in carrying out remedial work. The current NHBC procedures should mean that delays will not arise if the repair work has been recommended by the NHBC following a dispute resolution process.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My Department has no specific locus in cases arising in Scotland, but I will ensure that the NHBC examines the specific cases to which my hon. Friend referred.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend called for Government intervention in problems of defects in new homes. I very much appreciate that buyers of new homes may experience&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;168WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;distress and inconvenience if defects arise after handover. However, from my perspective at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, I prefer to give the industry an opportunity to take voluntary action. Its efforts, aided by the work of the Housing Forum and by schemes such as the NHBC&apos;s Buildmark, should lead to better consistency in build quality, better after-sales service and higher customer satisfaction levels. Obviously, we will look for evidence of that in future customer satisfaction surveys and in other ways.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend raised issues about the management of common parts and about some of the management schemes for external areas on housing estates. As he said, the law on property management is different in Scotland. However, in England and Wales, several remedies are available under existing legislation to people who buy properties under leasehold and who pay for the upkeep of common parts through service charges, including the right to ask a leasehold valuation tribunal for a determination of reasonableness of service charges, and the right to seek the appointment of a new manager if they feel that the existing one is providing a poor service. Service charges are payable only to the extent that they are legitimate and reasonable. That should provide assistance for some property owners in dealing with such issues.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;An LVT will be able to consider whether the costs in question were reasonably incurred and whether the relevant services or works were of a reasonable standard. It will then determine what amount should be paid by the leaseholder. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which applies to England and Wales, introduces several changes in respect of service charges, including widening the definition of service charges and simplifying and strengthening leaseholders&apos; rights to be consulted on major works and long-term contracts.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The Bill also makes a significant change to the rights of leaseholders who are subject to an estate management scheme. Since estate management schemes were first permitted under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, Parliament has legislated to provide protection for tenants in respect of service charge payments. Leaseholders who pay service charges have rights and protections against unreasonable charges. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will improve and extend the rights, and introduce comparable ones for administration charges made under a lease.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;However, there are no similar provisions in respect of charges made under estate management schemes. At present, anyone who enfranchises and is subject to a scheme will move from having protection against unreasonable charges under their lease to having no protection against unreasonable charges under the scheme. The Bill will provide that charges under estate management schemes should only be payable to the extent that they are reasonable and that an LVT will have the power to determine the extent to which such charges are reasonable.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;It is worth mentioning that some protection already exists for buyers with respect to property misdescriptions. Hon. Members may be aware that it is an offence for a property developer to misdescribe any of 33 matters relating to the sale of property that are listed in an order made under the Property&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0543"&gt;&lt;/image&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;169WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Misdescriptions Act 1991. As my hon. Friend may know, the Act also applies in Scotland. The matters include aspect, view, outlook or environment. If the surroundings of a new property are misdescribed in a brochure or on plans, for example, the property developer may be subject to prosecution under the 1991 Act by the local authority.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend discussed at some length the position of people who buy new properties. In some instances, properties may be bought off plan: in effect, unbuilt homes are sold. He gave examples of the problems that can occur in such cases. Buying off plan is a popular method of buying and selling new homes. It can have a number of advantages for the developer and the home buyer. It might help if I mention some of them. For the developer, the main advantage is that a buyer is lined up at an early stage, which helps to ensure that the transaction can be completed quickly on completion of the building work.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;For the buyer, buying off plan can provide more choice&amp;#x2014;for example, over plot location, fittings and fixtures, and appliances where the house is being sold with a fitted kitchen. Buying off plan provides buyers with early certainty that the home will be sold to them, and not to someone else, when it is completed. As my hon. Friend may know, in England and Wales, there are problems of gazumping&amp;#x2014;the law in Scotland is different in that regard&amp;#x2014;and buying off plan allows breathing space for buyers to sell their present home.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Often there are problems of uncertainty for off plan home buyers. Such uncertainties will decrease as construction progresses, but in the early stages they can involve issues that are particularly important for a prospective buyer. For example, the developer may not be prepared to give a firm completion date, either because of the vagaries of the weather or because of reliance on the availability of construction materials and skilled craftsmen to get the work completed on schedule. Whether or not that is acceptable to a prospective buyer will depend on the extent of uncertain matters and the priorities of individual buyers. It is a question of trade-off between the advantage of early certainty that the home is theirs when built and the possibility that in the interim there may be changes to the development that could impact on their enjoyment of their new home.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Uncertainty can also feed into price. House values can change markedly between the time a home is reserved off plan and the time it is completed. Therefore, particularly during early stages of construction, the developer may be prepared to give only an indicative price to a buyer seeking to reserve a home, in exchange for a small, non-&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;170WH&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;returnable deposit. Professional advice is particularly important in identifying potential obligations and liabilities that will pass to the buyer. Such obligations are not always apparent from the initial sales material.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;One of the issues that will help in ensuring that property buyers have more rights will be our manifesto commitment to introduce a seller&apos;s pack, which will help in England and Wales. We will introduce the necessary legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;My hon. Friend raised the issue of managing agents and expressed his concerns about how some of them operate. He might want to know that on 8 April my Department issued a consultation paper on improving the standard of residential leasehold management. Although the scope of the consultation is limited to England and Wales, he may well have some views on the matters contained in that document, which considers various options on how best to improve standards, including voluntary controls regulation. I would welcome the input of all hon. Members, and especially my hon. Friend.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;We have no current plans to legislate specifically in England and Wales on the position for buyers of new homes, although there is the seller&apos;s pack that I mentioned. Most of the relevant legal framework in Scotland is different, and is a matter for the Scottish Parliament and Executive. I can assure my hon. Friend that my Department liaises closely with the Scottish Executive. We are open to the possible lessons that we can learn from each other in this area. We share a common objective, which is a better deal for buyers of new homes. I will ensure that his views and concerns are passed on to colleagues there.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;The efforts of the industry, aided by the work of the Housing Forum and by schemes such as that of the National House Building Council, should lead to better consistency in building quality. We will be looking for this in future repeats of the Housing Forum customer satisfaction survey.&lt;lb&gt;&lt;/lb&gt;&#x000A;Once again, I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate and raising this important issue, which has been raised previously in Westminster Hall. I believe that raising the profile and repeating the concerns is one of the measures that ensures that the industry is aware of the concerns of MPs and the public, and it is one of the ways in which MPs can realistically increase pressure and ensure that standards are improved for the benefit of their constituents.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Question put and agreed to.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;i&gt;Adjourned accordingly at one minute to Two o&apos;clock.&lt;/i&gt;' title='Housebuilding Industry' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/westminster_hall/2002/apr/16/housebuilding-industry'></outline>
    <outline id='3586064' text='TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS'>
      <outline id='3586065' text='Mr. Laurence Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09856"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to relieve people of paying council tax when in hospital; and if he will make a statement. [50492]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09857"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Net business rate yield for 2002&amp;#x2013;02&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; (&amp;#x00A3; million)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Net business rate yield for 2002&amp;#x2013;03&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; (&amp;#x00A3; million)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Change in net business rate yield between 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and 2002&amp;#x2013;03&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;(&amp;#x00A3; million)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Change in net business rate yield between 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and 2002&amp;#x2013;03 (Percentage)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Inner London&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;City of London&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;471.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;531.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Camden&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;190.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;211.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greenwich&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-2.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-5.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hackney&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hammersmith and Fulham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;84.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;96.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Islington&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;99.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;107.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kensington and Chelsea&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;130.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;140.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lambeth&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64,0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lewisham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-3.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Southwark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;90.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;90.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-0.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-0.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tower Hamlets&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;119.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;138.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wandsworth&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Westminster&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;788.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;875.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;86.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total for Inner London&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,230.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,448.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;218.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Outer London&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Barking and Dagenham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-4.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Barnet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;73.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;74.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bexley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Brent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;66.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bromley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Croydon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;86.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;89.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ealing&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;85.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;89.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Enfield&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Haringey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Harrow&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-0.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Havering&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hillingdon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;231.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;246.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hounslow&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;102.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;108.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kingston-upon-Thames&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merton&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Newham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Redbridge&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-0.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-2.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Richmond-upon-Thames&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sutton&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-0.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-2.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Waltham Forest&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37.8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1.6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-4.2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total for Outer London&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,322.0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,355.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;33.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Net of transitional, mandatory and discretionary rate reliefs.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;The business rate multiplier increased from 43.0p in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 to 43.7p in 2002&amp;#x2013;03. This increase was in line with changes in Retail Price Index, as required by legislation.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;794W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09858"&gt;A person is required to pay council tax on their sole or main residence. When a person enters hospital for treatment on a short term basis, their sole or main residence remains the property where they resided prior to entering hospital. Where a person enters hospital on a long-term basis and there is no intention of their returning to their original residence, the hospital becomes in effect their main residence and their home is exempt from the council tax. We have no plans to change this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Harry Cohen&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09859"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the change this year in the level of business rates in each London borough. [48869]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09860"&gt;The table shows the amount of business rates that each London borough (and the City) estimates that it will collect in 2002&amp;#x2013;03 compared with estimates made at the corresponding time last year for 2001&amp;#x2013;02.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0993"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;795W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Steinberg&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09861"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years the SSA settlements for all local authorities and the percentage change from the previous year, showing those authorities with the highest percentage increase year on year and those with the lowest increases. [49739]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09862"&gt;Tables showing the SSA settlements for all local authorities, together with the percentage changes against the SSA figures for the previous year, adjusted for changes in the functions and funding of authorities, where appropriate, for 1998&amp;#x2013;99, 1999&amp;#x2013;2000, 2000&amp;#x2013;01, 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and 2002&amp;#x2013;03 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Local Government Finance' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/local-government-finance'></outline>
      <outline id='3586066' text='Mr. Brady&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09863"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what contingency plans have been made for the conduct of all-postal ballots in the 2002 local elections in the event of industrial action disrupting the postal service. [48749]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09864"&gt;Councils have been in close contact with their local postal service representatives about the postal voting arrangements for the local elections. It is understood that no official industrial action is planned for the period of the elections. In the event of disruption to the postal service, Consignia is prepared to give priority to the delivery of voting material. Councils also have a range of contingency measures in place. These can include the use of commercial postal delivery firms and hand delivery arrangements. They can also set up ballot paper collection points and allow collection and delivery at council offices.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Postal Ballots' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/postal-ballots'></outline>
      <outline id='3586067' text='John Cryer&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09865"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the final version of the Planning Policy Guidance Note 17. [49942]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09866"&gt;I hope to be able to publish this shortly. As I indicated to last year&apos;s Transport, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee, this will not be before the publication of report of the Urban Green Spaces Task Force.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Planning' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/planning'></outline>
      <outline id='3586068' text='Mr. Kidney&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09867"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what priority he intends to give to reducing the number of empty homes in his guidance to local authorities under the Homelessness Act 2002. [48729]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09868"&gt;As I said on 12 July 2001 at the first sitting of the Homelessness Bill in the Commons, the statutory guidance on the homelessness provisions in the Homelessness Act 2002 will urge local housing authorities to include a review of empty properties within their district as part of the homelessness review that will inform their homelessness strategy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;796W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09869"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment was made of congestion levels in each region when determining house-building targets; and what influence this had on the final targets: [50518]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09870"&gt;(2) what the estimated environmental cost is to each local authority arising from meeting the house-building targets. [50519]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09871"&gt;This Government do not set house building targets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09872"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what new money has been made available to help combat homelessness following the publication of the report &apos;More than a roof&apos;. [50527]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09873"&gt;The DTLR has allocated &amp;#x00A3;125 million to the Homelessness Directorate for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 to tackle homelessness. This is made up of the Rough Sleepers Unit existing baseline of &amp;#x00A3;30 million, the remainder being found from DTLR&apos;s End Year Flexibility and savings on other existing budgets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09874"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 667W, what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the change in the numbers of successful cash incentive scheme grant applications by local authority tenants between 1997&amp;#x2013;98 and 2000&amp;#x2013;01. [48714]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09875"&gt;We have not conducted a detailed assessment of the change in the number of successful applications. However, there was a significant reduction when separate ring-fenced funding was phased out in 1999&amp;#x2013;2000 (even though total housing capital funding was increased substantially). At that stage a number of authorities cut back or discontinued the scheme.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09876"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; establishing a cash incentive scheme and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the types and size of local authority property that should be prioritised for release under the cash incentive scheme. [48710]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09877"&gt;Guidance on the operation of cash incentive schemes is issued by the Department from time to time, most recently in February 2000. Decisions about targeting the scheme on particular types and sizes of properties are for authorities to take, in the light of local circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09878"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the maximum grants available are for housing association tenants of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; bedsits, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; one-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; two-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; three-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; four-bedroom properties and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; properties with five or more bedrooms under the Tenants Incentive scheme; [48718]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0994"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;797W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09879"&gt;(2) what factors determine the relationship between the rate of maximum discount available to housing association tenants under the Right to Acquire scheme and the rate of maximum grant available under the Tenants Incentive scheme; [48719]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09880"&gt;(3) what the maximum discounts available are for housing association tenants of &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; bedsits, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; one-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; two-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; three-bedroom properties, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; four-bedroom properties and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; properties with five or more bedrooms under the Right to Acquire scheme. [48717]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09881"&gt;The Right to Acquire scheme gives eligible tenants of registered social landlords the right to purchase their rented home with the help of a discount. The discount generally varies from &amp;#x00A3;9,000 up to a maximum of &amp;#x00A3;16,000, irrespective of the size of the property, and depends on the local authority area in which the dwelling is situated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09882"&gt;The Tenants Incentive Scheme was discontinued on 31 March 1998. It provided a cash payment, equivalent to the right to acquire discount, funded by the Housing Corporation to help existing tenants vacate their housing association property and purchase their own home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09883"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. pursuant to the answer of 26 March,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 978W, on housing, if he will place in the Library copies of the research programmes that have been carried out into the cash incentive scheme. [48712]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09884"&gt;Copies of the three research reports, are available from the Libraries of the House. (Cash Incentive Report 1989&amp;#x2013;1990, 1991&amp;#x2013;1994, 1994&amp;#x2013;1997).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09885"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 668W, on right to buy, if he will make an assessment of the impact of increasing the maximum cash incentive scheme grant available in London to a level &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; equal to the maximum right to buy discount available in London and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 25 per cent. higher than the maximum right to buy discount in London. [48713]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09886"&gt;We have no plans to carry out any further research/analysis on the impact of the cash incentive scheme in the immediate future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Lynne Jones&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09887"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 357W, if he will publish his assessment of Birmingham city council&apos;s application for a place on the housing transfer programme. [49823]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09888"&gt;The assessment of Birmingham city council&apos;s application for a place on the housing transfer programme is internal advice to the Secretary of State and as such it would be inappropriate to make it publicly available.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Rammell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09889"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average weekly rent level is for&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; housing association and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; local housing company tenants in those local authority areas where housing has been transferred from the council under large-scale voluntary transfer. [48874]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;798W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09890"&gt;In answer to part&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt;, the average weekly rent levels for housing association tenants in local authorities where all housing had been transferred from the council as at 31 March 2001 were as shown in the following table:&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2" align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;#x00A3;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Local authority&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;i&gt;Average weekly rent&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Allerdale&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.64&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Basingstoke and Deane&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63.09&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bath and North East Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45.38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bedford&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.07&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bexley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63.58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Blackburn with Darwen&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Boston&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Breckland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.66&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Broadland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53.72&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bromley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.76&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Burnley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44.51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Calderdale&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38.97&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41.49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chichester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55.25&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chiltern&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.73&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Christchurch&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58.47&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Congleton&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.45&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cotswold&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61.29&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Coventry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42.97&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Cambridgeshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.71&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54.23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Hampshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62.18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Lindsey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.56&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Northamptonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Staffordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.78&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Eastleigh&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63.16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Eden&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53.57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Elmbridge&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60.04&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Epsom and Ewell&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58.71&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Fylde&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.70&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hambleton&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42.17&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hart&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60.48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hastings&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55.37&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Havant&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.85&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hertsmere&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56.26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Horsham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63.15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Huntingdonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51.97&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Isle of Wight&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62.56&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kennet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56.22&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kerrier&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48.96&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lichfield&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.59&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Maldon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61.93&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Malvern Hills&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53.60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mendip&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mid Sussex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;70.30&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Newcastle-under-Lyme&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36.57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Devon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.87&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58.15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55.97&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Penwith&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52.52&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Restormel&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.62&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Richmond upon Thames&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64.44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rother&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62.79&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rushmoor&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60.93&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ryedale&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sevenoaks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61.88&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Bucks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63.58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Hams&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55.41&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Oxfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60.79&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Ribble&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.74&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Shropshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51.45&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.62&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Staffordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46.03&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Spelthorne&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67.84&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Staffordshire Moorlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42.24&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Stratford-on-Avon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0995"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;799W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09891"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2" align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;#x00A3;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Local authority&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Average weekly rent&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Suffolk Coastal&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sunderland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45.58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Surrey Heath&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57.35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Swale&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.20&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tameside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46.36&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Telford and Wrekin&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48.16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Test Valley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52.07&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tewkesbury&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50.91&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tonbridge and Mailing&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58.79&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Torbay&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51.90&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tunbridge Wells&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65.48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tynedale&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42.33&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Vale of White Horse&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52.19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Berkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Devon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.22&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53.69&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Lindsey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41.60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Oxfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52.11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58.46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54.99&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Weymouth and Portland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48.65&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Windsor and Maidenhead&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68.03&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Worthing&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54.60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wychavon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.03&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wyre&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.03&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wyre Forest&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43.74&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09892"&gt;In addition, average weekly rents paid by housing association tenants in local authorities where only some housing had been transferred from the council as at 31 March 2001 were as follows:&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2" align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;#x00A3;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Local authority&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Average weekly rent&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cherwell&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55.96&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Enfield&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64.06&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Manchester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47.89&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Mid Bedfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52.27&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thanet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57.50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tower Hamlets&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60.54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Walsall&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49.19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09893"&gt;It should further be noted that since 31 March 2001, full transfer of council stock to housing associations has taken place in Erewash, Reigate and Banstead, East Hertfordshire, Chelmsford, Derbyshire Dales, Shrewsbury and Atcham and the rest of Mid-Bedfordshire.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09894"&gt;In response to part &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt;, the term "local housing company tenants" has been interpreted as meaning the new "arms-length management companies". These have only recently been established and information on rent levels is not yet available.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09895"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information his Department has collated on those local authorities in London who add an additional premium to the cash incentive scheme grant to those tenants who purchase a property on the open market within the same borough. [48711]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09896"&gt;Information on this matter is not collated centrally.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;800W&lt;/col&gt;' title='Housing' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/housing'></outline>
      <outline id='3586069' text='Mr. Olner&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09897"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the terms of reference are for the review of planning regulations relating to satellite dish installations referred to in the Government&apos;s Broadband Strategy; when the review began; and when it will report; [49963]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09898"&gt;(2) what assessment has been made of the impact of the inconsistency between planning regulations for satellite dishes and planning regulations for terrestrial television aerials on the availability of digital satellite television and broadband satellite services in &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the United Kingdom and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; areas where digital terrestrial television services are unavailable; [49965]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09899"&gt;(3) what input the review of planning regulations relating to satellite dish installations will seek from &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; devolved institutions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; regional development agencies. [49964]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Keeble&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09900"&gt;The Government gave a commitment in the UK Online Annual report 2001 to review the planning regulations for satellite terminals to determine how current rules restricting a residential property to a single antenna could be relaxed, while continuing to minimise the environmental/visual impact of residential satellite terminals. The Digital Television Action Plan endorsed by Government and by the digital television stakeholders also promises a review of the impact of planning regulations on the deployment of aerials and dishes, with an initial report due by June 2002. My officials are currently discussing the issues with those of other Government Departments prior to discussions with relevant external stakeholders and then a wider public consultation on possible changes to the planning regulations that apply to England. Planning arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations but we shall keep them in touch with discussions in England.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Television Services' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/television-services'></outline>
      <outline id='3586070' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09901"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 84W, regarding equipment leasing arrangements, what the total cost has been of equipment leasing arrangements entered into by his Department in the last four years. [50328]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09902"&gt;This answer can only be given at a disproportionate cost, as it is not held centrally by the Department.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Equipment Leasing' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/equipment-leasing'></outline>
      <outline id='3586071' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09903"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is on overtime payments for staff in his Department. [49129]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Whitehead&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09904"&gt;Overtime payments are allowable only when there is exceptional pressure of work and alternative members of staff cannot be utilised for the tasks or where business needs dictate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0996"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;801W&lt;/col&gt;' title='Overtime Payments' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/overtime-payments'></outline>
      <outline id='3586072' text='Mr. Wray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09905"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on plans to integrate the Air Traffic Control systems of EU countries. [49688]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09906"&gt;Negotiations on the European Commission&apos;s Single Sky proposals are under way. This project is designed to enhance Europe&apos;s airspace capacity, improve safety and achieve a greater degree of interoperability between the various suppliers of air traffic services in EU states. It does not require the integration of service providers, but focuses on more collective management of the European air traffic management system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09907"&gt;In the long-term, closer integration between Europe&apos;s air traffic service providers seems likely, particularly given the need to enhance efficiency so that future air traffic levels can be accommodated safely.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Air Traffic Control' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/air-traffic-control'></outline>
      <outline id='3586073' text='Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09908"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the financial impact of state funding and subsidies for European ports on the competitive position of UK ports and port operators. [49836]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09909"&gt;We have not made specific estimates, but the European Commission included a report on public financing and charging in European ports in its Communication on Ports, published in February 2001. In discussions on its proposed Directive on Market Access to Port Services, we have urged the Commission to take a further look at these issues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09910"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the proposals for European port services. [49819]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09911"&gt;The UK supports the broad principles of liberalisation and competition in port services underpinning the proposed Directive on Market Access to Port Services but we are very keen that it should be realistic and proportionate. It must recognise the diversity of the industry and the competition that already exists. A Transport Council working group is considering the Commission&apos;s proposed Directive. We are engaging fully in these negotiations in a constructive manner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09912"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 March,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 946W, on European Union ports, what response he has had from the Commission to these representations. [49835]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09913"&gt;We are awaiting a response from the Commission.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Port' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/port'></outline>
      <outline id='3586074' text='Vernon Coaker&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09914"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the new Humber pilotage service. [50670]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;802W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09915"&gt;A new pilotage service was introduced on the Humber on 12 December 2001 when the former pilots went on strike. My Department has closely monitored the new arrangements and I am placing in the Library a copy of a detailed report of that work. A copy will also be placed as soon as practicable on the Department&apos;s website.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Humber Pilotage Service' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/humber-pilotage-service'></outline>
      <outline id='3586075' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09916"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the cost of publicity and educational material published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 2000&amp;#x2013;01 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 2001&amp;#x2013;02. [49068]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09917"&gt;The cost of publicity and educational material published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 2000&amp;#x2013;01 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 2001&amp;#x2013;02 is:&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Year&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;#x00A3;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2000&amp;#x2013;01&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;621,293.03&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2001&amp;#x2013;02&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000,006.15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;These figures include the cost of exhibition stands and publicity trailers as well as publications and promotional items.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Maritime and Coastguard Agency' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/maritime-and-coastguard-agency'></outline>
      <outline id='3586076' text='Mr. Greg Knight&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09918"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will carry out an evaluation of the respective effectiveness and net cost of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; road humps and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; speed cameras as a means of reducing traffic speed levels. [49261]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09919"&gt;A review of traffic calming schemes in 20 mph zones undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory in 1996 (TRL Report 215, "Review of Traffic Calming Schemes in 20 mph zones") showed an average vehicle speed reduction of 9.3 mph in the zones. A cost benefit analysis of speed and traffic light cameras, also published in 1996, showed that speeds were reduced by an average of 4.2 mph at camera sites.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09920"&gt;Monitoring of the first year of a trial of the netting off funding system for safety cameras has shown average speeds at camera sites reducing by 5.6 mph. In the case of road humps they are usually incorporated with other measures in traffic calming schemes, so their net costs have not been separately evaluated. However, the value of the benefits exceed the costs by a factor of five to one in the case of speed safety cameras.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Greg Knight&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09921"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of levels of pollution and difference in noise levels as a result of road humps and traffic-calming measures which involve narrowing of the highway and the construction of an uneven road surface. [49260]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09922"&gt;A number of assessments have carried out examining changes in noise resulting from traffic calming measures, particularly resulting from different types of road hump. Results from these were published in Traffic Advisory Leaflets 6/96 "Traffic Calming: Traffic and Vehicle Noise" and 10/00 "Road humps: discomfort, noise and ground-borne vibration". Changes in vehicle&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0997"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;803W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;emissions and air quality relating to traffic calming measures have also been the subject of departmental research (see Traffic Advisory Leaflet 4/96 "Traffic Management and Emissions"), some of which is still on-going.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Traffic Calming' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/traffic-calming'></outline>
      <outline id='3586077' text='Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09923"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the estimated number of lorries on the roads was in each of the last five years. [49700]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09924"&gt;The latest available figures for 1996 to 2000, based on DVLA records of the number of heavy goods vehicles registered, are:&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1996&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;430,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1997&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;426,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1998&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;427,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1999&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;424,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;422,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Lorries' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/lorries'></outline>
      <outline id='3586078' text='Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09925"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment of the Government&apos;s energy policies has been made with regards to assessing the environmental impact of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the 10-year plan and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the SRA plan; [49719]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09926"&gt;(2) what assessment has been made as to the environmental costs resulting from &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; noise emissions, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; vibration impacts and &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; aesthetic impacts caused by (i) road projects as outlined in the 10-year transport plan and (ii) rail projects as given in (1) the SRA plan and (2) the 10-year transport plan; [49450]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09927"&gt;(3) what assessment has been made as to the environmental impact of &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the 10-year plan and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the SRA plan. [49718]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09928"&gt;An overall environmental assessment of the 10-year plan is set out in "Transport 2010: The Background Analysis", Chapter 4 and Annexes D and E. This is in the Libraries of the House. Individual projects, including those in the SRA Strategic Plan, are subject to environmental assessment, where appropriate, on an on-going basis as part of project development.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09929"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental benefits of switching road haulage to rail on the West Coast Main Line. [49702]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09930"&gt;The Strategic Rail Authority assesses the environmental benefit of the transfer of freight from road to rail using a calculation based on the net number of road lorry miles reduced. This has been applied in informing the current review of the allocation of capacity for passenger and freight trains on the West Coast Main Line.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09931"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment has been made as to the environmental costs of the increased processing required to produce ultra low sulphur petrol. [49699]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;804W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09932"&gt;Statutory instrument 1999 No. 3107 incorporated the EU Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels into UK law. The regulatory impact assessment that assessed the impacts of the actions required to incorporate the directive included art environmental assessment. Copies of the directive, the statutory instrument and the regulatory impact assessment can be found in the Libraries of the House.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Environmental Assessments' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/environmental-assessments'></outline>
      <outline id='3586079' text='Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09933"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport. Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will place in the Library details of the calculation on which the fuel duty rebate levels on&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Cngas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Lpgas, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; biodiesels. &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; LNG,&lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; E10 bioethanol blends and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; E85 bioethanol blends is based; [49453]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09934"&gt;(2) what level of fuel duty rebate has been granted to the road fuels &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Cngas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Lpgas, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; biodiesels, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; LNG, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; E10 bioethanol blends and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; E85 bioethanol blends. [49451]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09935"&gt;My Department provides grant to the operators of local bus services in the form of fuel duty rebate. Decisions on the rate of grant paid for use of specific types of fuel are taken in the light of the duty levied on the fuel and wider policy considerations. An information pack explaining the fuel duty rebate scheme has been placed in the Library.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09936"&gt;Operators of eligible services whose vehicles are gas powered (CNG, LPG, or LNG) receive rebate of all the excise duty, which is currently levied at 9 pence per kilogram.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09937"&gt;No operator has so far claimed rebate for use of biodiesel and a rebate rate has not been set in advance of a claim.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09938"&gt;E10 and E85 bioethanol blends are used as an additive to, or substitute for, petrol and are classed by the Customs and Excise as fuel substitutes with duty levied at the rate appropriate to the fuel with which they are mixed or substitute for. Any bus operator using petrol which included these blends would therefore receive rebate at the appropriate petrol rate, currently 34.30 per litre.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09939"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what Government incentives, in addition to public money, have been introduced to promote the use of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Cngas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Lpgas, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; biodiesels, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; LNG, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; E10 bioethanol blends and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; E85 bioethanol blends; [49698]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09940"&gt;(2) what the level of public funding is for the Powershift programme; [49695]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09941"&gt;(3) what public money has been made available to encourage the use of &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Cngas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Lpgas, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; biodiesels, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; LNG, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; E10 bioethanol blends and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; E85 bioethanol blends in road transport. [49455]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09942"&gt;(4) what advertising campaigns have been carried out as part of the Powershift programme; and what level of funding has been associated with them. [49696]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09943"&gt;(5) what share of the funding for the Powershift programme is spent on promoting &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Cngas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Lpgas, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; biodiesels, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; LNG, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; E10 bioethanol blends and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; E85 bioethanol blends for transport. [49697]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0998"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;805W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09944"&gt;The Government has introduced a range of fiscal and other measures to promote the use of cleaner fuels, such as road fuel gases and biofuels, which offer environmental benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09945"&gt;The Powershift programme promotes and provides grants towards the cost of purchasing cleaner fuel vehicles running on LPG, natural gas and electricity. No E 10 or E85 blends are currently on sale in the UK. The Powershift budget for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 is &amp;#x00A3;10 million, provided by my Department. This has recently been strengthened by an additional allocation of &amp;#x00A3;1 million from the DTI. aimed at further raising awareness of LPG and increase the availability of good quality LPG vehicle conversions. particularly in rural areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09946"&gt;The Government&apos;s CleanUp programme, complements Powershift, promotes and provides grants towards the conversion of existing vehicles to run on cleaner fuels including LPG and natural gas, and the fitting of emission abatement equipment. Its budget for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 is &amp;#x00A3;10 million, of which around &amp;#x00A3;8.5 million is likely to relate to clean fuel conversions. Additionally, the CleanUp programme will manage a further &amp;#x00A3;7.5 million in 2002&amp;#x2013;03, as part of the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund announced by the Chancellor in the 2001 Budget and of which around &amp;#x00A3;5.8 million will be for grants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09947"&gt;As announced in Budget 2001, the rate of fuel duty for road fuel gasses (natural gas and LPG) is at the low rate of 9 pence per kilogramme, and the Government indicated that there were would be no real terms duty increases until 2004 at the earliest. It was also announced that a new&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09948"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Years&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1997&amp;#x2013;98&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1998&amp;#x2013;99&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1999&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000&amp;#x2013;01&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;2001&amp;#x2013;02&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Total&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Number of grants&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;69&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;127&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;392&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1172&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1177&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2937&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Number of vehicles supported&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;378&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;748&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,262&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,545&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,940&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14,110&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Amount of grant paid&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;.1.043m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;1.461m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;3.352m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;6.040m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;5.595m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x00A3;17.491m&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09949"&gt;The latest figures from the LP Gas Association confirm that there are currently 1,106 LPG refuelling points in the UK, at the end of March 2001 there were 700 and at the end of March 2000 there were 365.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09950"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of road transport fuel is gas based. [49454]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09951"&gt;5,778 tonnes of road fuels gases were sold in 2001. For comparison approximately 37 million tonnes of petrol and diesel were sold in the UK in 2000.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Alternative Fuels' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/alternative-fuels'></outline>
      <outline id='3586080' text='Mr. Chope&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09952"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is on supporting a bid for Railtrack plc in administration which has not been subject to due diligence. [47993]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09953"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2001]:&lt;/i&gt; The extent of due diligence undertaken by any bidder for Railtrack plc is a matter for them. It is for the Administrator to determine the appropriate arrangements&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;806W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;duty rate would be applied to biodiesel from Budget 2002, subject to European Union approval, 20 pence per litre below the rate for ultra low sulphur diesel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09954"&gt;The Government&apos;s Green Fuels Challenge is designed to stimulate the development of further alternative fuels. Proposals covering hydrogen, methanol and bio-gas will enjoy a period of zero fuel duty., subject to EU state aids clearance.. A second round of pilot project will be announced shortly after Budget 2002 inviting bids for a wider range of fuels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09955"&gt;The Powershift programme has a comprehensive marketing strategy to raise awareness of LPG and other alternative fuels. This includes advertising campaigns, regional workshops and articles run in environmental magazines. Over the last financial year the programme has run two advertising campaigns, the first targeted corporate fleet operators of vehicles under 3.5 tonnes and the second targeted at public sector fleets. The expenditure for these campaigns was &amp;#x00A3;55,000.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Norman Lamb&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09956"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many grants have been awarded under the Powershift Programme in each year since it was introduced; [49042]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09957"&gt;(2) how much has been paid out in grants under the Powershift Programme in each year since it was introduced; [49303]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09958"&gt;(3) how many LPG refuelling points there are in the UK; and how many sites there were in &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; April 2001 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; April 2000. [49302]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09959"&gt;The table shows the total amount paid and the number of grants made together with the number of vehicles supported under the Powershift programme since it started.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09960"&gt;for access to the company. Network Rail, and any other potential bidders would need to address the issues set out in the guidelines issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 31 October 2001.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Chope&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09961"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the bid from Network Rail for Railtrack Plc was received by the administrator. [47988]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09962"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; This is a matter for the Administrator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09963"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answers of 26 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 956W, refs. 45677 and 45678, on Railtrack, if the 10-year plan budget assumes a 2 per cent. annual reduction in real terms of Railtrack&apos;s overall income, including track access charges and network grants, for Control Period 2. [49838]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09964"&gt;No. The &amp;#x00A3;33.5 billion of public sector funding for rail in the 10-year plan takes account of Railtrack&apos;s regulated income in Control Period 2 as&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I0999"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;807W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;outlined in the Regulator&apos;s October 2000 periodic review and the April 2001 agreement between Government and Railtrack.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09965"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the dates on which he or officials from his Department have met representatives of Railtrack shareholders since 8 October 2001. [49790]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09966"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 15 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; It is not the normal practice of the Government to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Railtrack' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/railtrack'></outline>
      <outline id='3586081' text='Mr. Wray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09967"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with his French counterparts regarding the security of the channel tunnel rail link. [49686]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09968"&gt;Both Ministers and the Department are in regular contact with the French Government about security issues at the channel tunnel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Miss McIntosh&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09969"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he has taken since November 2001 with regard to&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; his French ministerial counterpart and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the European Commissioner for Transport on (i) the disruption to rail freight facilities through the channel tunnel and (ii) the suspension of rail freight services through the channel tunnel. [R] [49034]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09970"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on Tuesday 26 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 957W.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Channel Tunne' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/channel-tunne'></outline>
      <outline id='3586082' text='Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09971"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average journey length made by road hauliers to collect freight from the rail system to transfer it to its destination in the last 12 months. [49715]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09972"&gt;The average journey length made by road hauliers to collect freight from the rail system during 2000 was 53 kilometres. This is the latest figure available.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09973"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average journey length made by road hauliers to take freight to transfer onto the railway system in the last 12 months. [49714]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09974"&gt;The average journey length made by road hauliers to transfer freight onto the railway system in 2000 was 74 kilometres. This is the latest figure available.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Freight' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/freight'></outline>
      <outline id='3586083' text='Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09975"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on European discussions about liberalisation of public transport, as discussed at the Barcelona Summit. [49816]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;808W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09976"&gt;The Barcelona European Council conclusions called for the adoption by December 2002 of the Regulation on public service contracts. This proposal is intended to stimulate more efficient and attractive public transport through the use of regulated competition and other measures and to promote legal certainty for authorities and operators. Several Council working groups have already taken place, and further meetings are scheduled. The Commission gave a progress report on the proposal to the Transport Council on 26 March 2002. Ministers have also discussed the draft Regulation during, a number of bilaterals with their European counterparts. The European Parliament has yet to schedule a date for further debate on the proposal.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09977"&gt;The European Council in Barcelona also called on the Council to pursue work on the second railways package. The Commission&apos;s second railways package, published on 23 January, includes a proposal to complete liberalisation of the rail freight market by extending it to all domestic traffic including cabotage. The package also envisages further liberalisation of the passenger market, on which the Commission expects to bring forward specific proposals as part of its programme for the next five years. There was an initial Ministerial discussion of the package at the March Transport Council, but so far no further discussions have been scheduled.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Public Transport' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/public-transport'></outline>
      <outline id='3586084' text='Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09978"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy on the Trans European Networks. [49820]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09979"&gt;The Government supports the development of the European transport network. On 3 October 2001, the European Commission adopted proposals to amend the guidelines which govern the development of the network. An Explanatory Memorandum (12597) on the proposals was submitted to Parliament on 2 November 2001. Following a formal public consultation exercise, the Government remains very concerned about the Commission&apos;s proposal to add six new priority transport projects to the list at Annex III to the guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09980"&gt;On 3 January 2002 the Commission adopted a proposal to amend the Regulation which lays down general rules for Community financing of the trans-European networks. An Explanatory Memorandum (15111) on that proposal was submitted to Parliament on 31 January. The Memorandum makes clear that the Government does not support the Commission&apos;s proposal to increase the maximum level of EU support for certain transport projects from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of total investment costs.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Trans European Networks' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/trans-european-networks'></outline>
      <outline id='3586085' text='Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09981"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 26 March,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 961W, ref 45348, on which of these projects &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the high-level feasibility stage has been completed and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the detailed development work has begun. [49822]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09982"&gt;Significant elements of all of the schemes listed as commitments on page 49 of the SRA&apos;s Strategic Plan are currently being implemented or are at a detailed stage of development. Of the schemes listed as priorities by 2010 the table sets out their status.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1000"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;809W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09983"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Project&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Status&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Committed outputs from the Chiltern, South Central and South West replacements&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Chiltern&amp;#x2014;being implemented&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Central&amp;#x2014;High level feasibility stage&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South West&amp;#x2014;Detailed development stage&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thameslink 2000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Detailed development stage&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Coast Main Line upgrade, including improvements at Kings Cross&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;High level feasibility stage&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Freight Strategy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Various projects at different stages of development. Details&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;are in the SRA strategic plan&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Midland Mainline franchise extension&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Implemented&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;TransPennine refranchising&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Subject of a commercial competition&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;New trains and platform extensions to reduce overcrowding in South-east England&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Several projects at different stages of development.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East London Line extension&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Detailed development stage. Implementation of northern&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;extension has started&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London&amp;#x2014;West Anglia modernisation&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;High level feasibility stage&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;RPP schemes&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Comprises several projects at different stages of development&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09984"&gt;The schemes listed for further development are all at the pre-feasibility or initial study stage.&lt;/p&gt;' title='10-year Plan' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/10-year-plan'></outline>
      <outline id='3586086' text='Miss McIntosh&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09985"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information on the division of investment in rail projects between train operators, rolling stock leasing companies and infrastructure investment under the 10-year transport plan will be given to private investors. [R] [49028]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09986"&gt;Information on estimated private sector investment in rail, in total and by type, has been set out in the 10-year Plan and the SRA Strategic Plan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09987"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many former regional railways franchises have received funding from the SRA in addition to their original franchise deals; and if he will make a statement on the nature and extent of this funding. [49725]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09988"&gt;Details are, or will be, provided in the relevant annual reports of the Strategic Rail Authority and the franchising director. Copies of reports already published have been placed in the Libraries of the House.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09989"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rights Network Rail has to draw upon the proposed &amp;#x00A3;9 billion bridging loan from the SRA. [49870]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09990"&gt;The Network Rail proposal, if successful, would involve a subordinated standby credit facility from the SRA to enable Network Rail to raise up to &amp;#x00A3;9 billion bridging finance from private sector lenders to release Railtrack from administration as soon as possible. This would be refinanced through the capital markets on a longer term, securitised basis later in the year. The SRA credit facility would only be called upon (as a loan) to enable Network Rail to repay the bridging loans in the extremely unlikely event of Network Rail being unable to access the capital markets for these longer term loans.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Howard&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09991"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the underwriting of the debt of&lt;col&gt;810W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Network Rail by means of potential emergency loans from the Strategic Rail Authority and his estimate of the maximum potential liability to the taxpayer. [47957]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09992"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The Network Rail proposal, if successful, would involve a subordinated standby credit facility from the SRA to enable Network Rail to raise bridging finance-to release Railtrack from administration as soon as possible&amp;#x2014;and to provide a longer term backstop loan facility, which would only be used by the company in specified circumstances as a last resort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09993"&gt;The size of the credit facility is subject to negotiation, but would be expected to reduce over time as knowledge of the asset condition and cost causation improves. Once negotiations are completed, details of any credit facility that created a contingent liability would be notified formally to Parliament in accordance with established procedures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Chris Grayling&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09994"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guarantees the Government provide for debt raised by Network Rail. [47514]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09995"&gt;The Network Rail proposal, if successful, would involve a subordinated standby credit facility from the SRA to enable Network Rail to raise bridging finance&amp;#x2014;to release Railtrack from administration as soon as possible&amp;#x2014;and to provide a longer term back stop loan facility, which would only be used by the company in specified circumstances as a last resort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09996"&gt;The size of the credit facility is subject to negotiation, but would be expected to reduce over time as knowledge of the asset condition and cost causation improves. Once negotiations are completed, details of any credit facility that created a contingent liability would be notified formally to Parliament in accordance with established procedures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09997"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of the rail network is electrified. [49707]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Byers&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09998"&gt; I understand that just over one third of the rail network is currently equipped with electrification.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Wray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-09999"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans there are to increase integration of rail networks on a European level; and if he will make a statement. [49687]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1001"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;811W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Spellar&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10000"&gt;The Commission published its second railway package on 23 January. This includes formal proposals to complete liberalisation of the European rail freight market, on safety, interoperability, the creation of a European Rail Agency and Community accession to the COTIF convention (the convention concerning international carriage by rail).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10001"&gt;The Government share the Commission&apos;s objective of enhancing the role of railways in our transport system through greater efficiency and higher quality services and therefore welcomes publication of the package. We will be consulting widely on the package before reaching a formal position on the proposals and in particular will be concerned to ensure they do not impose unreasonable costs.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Railways' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/railways'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586087' text='DEFENCE'>
      <outline id='3586088' text='Helen Jones&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10002"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether reservists will continue to be called out for operations in the Balkans and the region of Iraq. [50671]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10003"&gt;Two call-out orders have been made to enable reservists to continue to be called out into service to support operations in those regions. The first, made under section 54 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996, authorised the call out of members of the reserve forces to support operations in the region of Iraq. Its purpose is to continue the practice started in 1992 of calling out reservists, primarily specialists, to support the no-fly zone operations over north and south Iraq. At present 10 reservists are serving in the region. The second order was made under section 56 of the Act to allow reservists to be called into service to support operations in former Yugoslavia. Since 1995, when NATO operations commenced in former Yugoslavia, the reserve forces have provided some 10 per cent. of the total UK manpower in theatre. NATO&apos;s on-going study to find efficiencies for troop contributing nations will not be agreed or implemented in time to mitigate the present need. Both orders are effective until 31 March 2003.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Reservists' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/reservists'></outline>
      <outline id='3586089' text='Ms Buck&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10004"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Pay and Personnel Agency for the financial year 2002&amp;#x2013;03. [50672]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10005"&gt;The chief executive of the Pay and Personnel Agency is responsible for providing civilian pay, pensions and personnel information services for the Ministry of Defence as defined in the agency framework document. The agency will be set the following key performance targets for 2002&amp;#x2013;03:&lt;quote&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key Target 1&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;By March 2003 increase from 70 per cent. to 100 per cent. the proportion of PPA services available through the Customer Service Centre; increase from 8 to 15 the number of most important customer forms available on-line; and enable an effective single portal for civilian staff matters.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key Target 2&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Implement the new pensions project by October 2002.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;812W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key Target 3&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Improve customer satisfaction from 76 per cent. to 85 per cent. in 2002&amp;#x2013;03 and 90 per cent. in 2004&amp;#x2013;05.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key Target 4&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Increase from 55 per cent. to 85 per cent. by March 2003 and 100 per cent. by March 2004 the proportion of the agency covered by a single ISO certificate.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key Target 5&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Reduce the cost of Service Level Agreement tasks compared to 1997&amp;#x2013;98 by 25 per cent.&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Performance Targets' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/performance-targets'></outline>
      <outline id='3586090' text='Mr. Levitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10006"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Quinquennial Review of the Meteorological Office will take place. [50673]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10007"&gt;The Quinquennial Review of the Met Office will begin this month. The aim of the review is to examine how the Met Office has performed since its launch as a Trading Fund within the Ministry of Defence and to recommend whether, and if so what, measures should be taken in order to reinforce the office&apos;s delivery of cost-effective services to its customers and to ensure that full use is made of its scientific and human assets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10008"&gt;The review will proceed in two phases, in the first of which a number of "framework" issues will be examined, including whether the Met Office is best placed as a Trading Fund within the MOD to exploit its full potential and whether existing governance arrangements require adjustment. The report of this first phase of the review is expected in July.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10009"&gt;In the second phase, the review will address, in the light of the answers to the "framework" issues examined in the first phase, a number of questions concerned with the operating efficiency of the Met Office, including the development of a more appropriate relationship between the office and its public sector customers, the scope for developing more commercial business opportunities, the potential for greater national and international co-operation in both meteorology and environmental services generally, and the scope for further streamlining of business processes both within the Met Office and between the office and its customers. The report of this second phase of the review is expected in October.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10010"&gt;The review will be carried out by a small team, which will consult closely with the Met Office management and other stakeholders, including the office&apos;s customers. The MOD is interested also to hear the views of other organisations or individuals who would like to make a contribution to the review. Those wishing to do so should send their contributions to:&#x000A;&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Met Office QQR Team&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Met Office&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;London Road&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Bracknell&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Berkshire&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;RG12 2SZ.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Meteorological Office' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/meteorological-office'></outline>
      <outline id='3586091' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10011"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 34W, to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1002"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;813W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;(Mr. Gray), on which dates the Type 23s and Type 22s will be refitted with the 114mm Mark VIII Mod 1 gun. [49750]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10012"&gt;The 4.5 inch (114mm) Mark VIII Mod 1 gun has already been fitted to the Type 22 Batch 3 Frigate, HMS Cumberland and to the Type 23 Frigates, HMS Norfolk and HMS Iron Duke. HMS Marlborough and HMS Monmouth, both Type 23 Frigates, will be fitted with the updated gun during their current upkeep periods. It is currently planned that the remaining Type 22 Batch 3 and Type 23 Frigates will be fitted with the gun at a rate of two to three per year, during programmed maintenance and repair periods.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Frigates' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/frigates'></outline>
      <outline id='3586092' text='Mr. Keetch&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10013"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have received compensation from the Ministry of Defence for injuries inflicted by unexploded ordnance; and how much that compensation has totalled in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 1997, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 1998, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; 1999, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; 2000, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; 2001 and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; 2002; and if he will make a statement. [49993]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10014"&gt;The Ministry of Defence does not record separately those cases brought against the Department for injuries inflicted by unexploded ordnance. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keetch&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10015"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; how many people are expected to receive compensation from the Ministry of Defence for injuries inflicted by unexploded ordnance in Kenya and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; how much that compensation will total; and if he will make a statement. [49992]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10016"&gt;The Ministry of Defence has received 173 claims for compensation from tribespeople allegedly injured as a result of unexploded ordnance in Kenya. The solicitor acting for the tribespeople has intimated that about 100 further claims would be submitted. These claims will be considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. It would be prejudicial at this stage of the&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10017"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Key performance indicator&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Description&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1. Quality&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;To equal baseline performance against a financial year 2000&amp;#x2013;01 benchmark (based on fault reports)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2. Return on capital employed&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;To achieve a 6 per cent. return on capital employed (ROCE)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;3. Reduction in unit production price&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;To achieve a 2 per cent. reduction in unit production price&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;4. Increase in order intake&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;To achieve a 100 per cent. increase in order intake from financial year 2000&amp;#x2013;01 baseline&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;5. Increase in commercial revenue&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;To achieve a 15 per cent. increase in commercial revenue from financial year 2000&amp;#x2013;01 baseline&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10018"&gt;At the last ministerial advisory board, the assessment presented to me indicated that most of the targets for 2001&amp;#x2013;02 were likely to be met or exceeded. It is too soon, however, to be able to provide accurate details or figures until later this year, once the end of year results are collated. The targets set for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 are now in the process of being agreed with DARA.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Unexploded Ordnance' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/unexploded-ordnance'></outline>
      <outline id='3586093' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10019"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (1) estimate he has made of the total savings to&lt;col&gt;814W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;legal proceedings to announce the Ministry of Defence&apos;s estimate of the number of claimants expected to receive compensation and the total level of such awards.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Private Finance Initiative' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/private-finance-initiative'></outline>
      <outline id='3586094' text='Matthew Taylor&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10020"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims have been received by the War Pensions Agency from service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down for compensation arising out of these experiments since 19 February 2001. [43442]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10021"&gt;Between 19 February 2001 and 31 March 2002, 41 claims for war pensions have been received from Porton Down service volunteers.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Porton Down' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/porton-down'></outline>
      <outline id='3586095' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10022"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems have been experienced with the modified version of the SA80. [46864]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10023"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The modified SA80 is attracting excellent reports from units. Minor issues, common to any modification programme, have been identified and dealt with.&lt;/p&gt;' title='SA80' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sa80'></outline>
      <outline id='3586096' text='Mr. John Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10024"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he plans to take if the Defence Aviation Repair Agency fails to meet its targets in the financial year 2001&amp;#x2013;02. [47882]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10025"&gt;In preparation for the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) achieving trading fund status on 1 April 2001, the agency&apos;s business plans and financial targets were subject to rigorous scrutiny by Ministry of Defence and Treasury officials.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10026"&gt;The targets set for DARA in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 have been based on the business requirements of the agency&apos;s MOD customers and also on its abilities in winning new business from external commercial markets. I continuously assess and review DARA&apos;s performance against a number of key performance indicators (KPIs). These key targets were established following consultation with both the Treasury and National Audit Office.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10027"&gt;The targets cover:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10028"&gt;public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49566]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10029"&gt;(2) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Hazardous Stores Information Project for the Ministry of Defence by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49666]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1003"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;815W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10030"&gt;(3) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for RAF Lossiemouth (FQ), by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49574]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10031"&gt;(4) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency Fire Training, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49558]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10032"&gt;(5) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Tidworth Water and Sewerage for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49570]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10033"&gt;(6) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the German White Fleet for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49562]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10034"&gt;(7) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49568]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10035"&gt;(8) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Central Scotland FQ for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49560]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10036"&gt;(9) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Yeovilton (Family Quarters) for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49572]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10037"&gt;(10) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Attack Helicopter Training, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49556]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10038"&gt;(11) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Hawk Simulator, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49564]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10039"&gt;(12) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Medium Support Helicopter Air Crew Training Facility, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49567]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10040"&gt;(13) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Training Administration and Financial Management Information System for the Ministry of Defence by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49667]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;816W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10041"&gt;(14) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Joint Services Command and Staff College, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49575]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10042"&gt;(15) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Flying Training for University Air Squadrons and Air Experience Flights, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49559]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10043"&gt;(16) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for RAF Fylingdales (Power), by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49571]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10044"&gt;(17) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for RAF Cosford/Shawbury, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49555]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10045"&gt;(18) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Helicopter Flying School, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49563]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10046"&gt;(19) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for RAF Lyneham Sewerage for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49569]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10047"&gt;(20) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the RAF White Fleet for the Ministry of Defence, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49561]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10048"&gt;(21) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for RAF Mail, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49573]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10049"&gt;(22) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Tornado SR4 Simulator, by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49557]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10050"&gt;(23) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Army Mail (IT), by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49565]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10051"&gt;I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Defence Aviation Repair Agency' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/defence-aviation-repair-agency'></outline>
      <outline id='3586097' text='Harry Cohen&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10052"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of European Union law on the right of soldiers to join a trades union; and if he will make a statement. [49730]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10053"&gt;Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides for a right to peaceful assembly and association, including the right to form a trade union. The Article does allow for the imposition of lawful restrictions on the exercise of those rights by&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1004"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;817W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;members of the armed forces. No restrictions are placed upon Service personnel attending meetings of civilian trade unions, professional associations, or courses of instruction run by the same that are intended to enhance trade skills and professional knowledge. However, as the armed forces must be seen to maintain a position of political neutrality, personnel may not participate in any form of political activity organised by a civilian trade union or organisation to which they belong.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Soldiers (Trade Unions)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/soldiers-trade-unions'></outline>
      <outline id='3586098' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10054"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 73W, for what reasons the refits of &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; HMS Manchester and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; HMS Liverpool are taking longer than the average periods given; and what enhancements are being provided to each of the five ships presently in refit. [49748]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10055"&gt;The average refit period given in my reply to the hon. Member was indicative for the frigate and destroyer Class. The refit periods for ships within a Class will vary depending on individual requirements. HMS Manchester exceeded the average period principally due to work required on her gearbox. In HMS Liverpool&apos;s case, an extensive electronics package required an extended trials period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10056"&gt;The five frigates and destroyers currently in refit will receive a number of enhancements at various levels, details of the major ones are given as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10057"&gt;&lt;i&gt;HMS Manchester (Type 42 Destroyer)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10058"&gt;Water displaced fuel tanks; an electronic package; environmental garbage disposal machines; removal of red lead paint.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10059"&gt;&lt;i&gt;HMS Liverpool (Type 42 Destroyer)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10060"&gt;Water displaced fuel tanks; an extensive electronic package; environmental garbage disposal machines; removal of red lead paint.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10061"&gt;&lt;i&gt;HMS Gloucester (Type 42 Destroyer)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10062"&gt;Water displaced fuel tanks; environmental garbage disposal machines; biological sewage treatment plants; Total command support system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10063"&gt;&lt;i&gt;HMS Iron Duke (Type 23 Frigate)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10064"&gt;Aviation facilities to allow operation of Merlin helicopter, command support and communications systems upgrade; installation of equipment to purify water discharged from ship to meet marine pollution regulations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10065"&gt;&lt;i&gt;HMS Monmouth (Type 23 Frigate)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10066"&gt;Enhancements as per HMS Iron Duke.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10067"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Cemeteries&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Australian&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Canadian&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;New Zealand&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;South African&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;United Kingdom&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Total&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bouchoir New British&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;214&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;542&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;763&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Damery Communal&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Folies Communal&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Fouquescourt British&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;138&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;187&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;376&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Marcourt French National&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Meharicourt Communal&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Warvillers Churchyard Extension&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Refits' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/refits'></outline>
      <outline id='3586099' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10068"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Argentine aircraft were destroyed by British forces in 1982 by&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Sea Dart, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; Sea Wolf, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; Sea Cat, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; Sea Slug, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; Bofors, &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; Oerlikon, &lt;i&gt;(h)&lt;/i&gt; small arms fire, &lt;i&gt;(i)&lt;/i&gt; Blowpipe, &lt;i&gt;(j)&lt;/i&gt; Rapier, &lt;i&gt;(k)&lt;/i&gt; Harrier, (1) bombing and ground operations, &lt;i&gt;(m)&lt;/i&gt; naval gunfire and &lt;i&gt;(n)&lt;/i&gt; Stinger. [49757]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10069"&gt;The causes of loss in the categories requested are shown in the following table.&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2" align="center"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Falklands 1982&amp;#x2014;Argentine aircraft losses&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Category&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sea Dart&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sea Wolf&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sea Cat&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sea Slug&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bofors&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Oerlikon&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Small Arms Fire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Blowpipe&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rapier&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Harrier&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bombing and Ground Operations&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Naval Gunfire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Stinger&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Other&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39.5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Destroyed Argentine Aircraft' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/destroyed-argentine-aircraft'></outline>
      <outline id='3586100' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10070"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has made to the French authorities about the effect of a third Paris airport on Commonwealth war graves; and if he will make a statement. [49742]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10071"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 5 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 166W.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10072"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of how many British and Commonwealth war graves would have to be relocated if the French authorities proceeded with a new airport at Chaulnes; and which military cemeteries are affected. [49741]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10073"&gt;The French Government have a good record for handling civil engineering projects on the battlefields of the Western Front with sensitivity. We have no reason to believe that they will handle this current proposal any differently. In the case of the proposed airport at Chaulnes, no firm plans have been agreed and the perimeter of the site is still to be discussed. However, based on the latest proposals which have been published in the French press, the cemeteries that could be affected are as follows, together with the number of British and Commonwealth graves that may be disturbed as a result.&lt;/p&gt;' title='War Graves (France)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/war-graves-france'></outline>
      <outline id='3586101' text='Mr. Dismore&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10074"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent visit to the Sovereign Base Areas Cyprus by Lieutenant General Reith. [R] [48739]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10075"&gt;Lieutenant General Reith, Chief of Joint Operations, made a routine visit to Cyprus during the period 25&amp;#x2013;28 February. The trip was part of a series of visits to the three Overseas Commands (British Forces Gibraltar, Falkland Islands and Cyprus), of which he has operational command.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sovereign Base Areas Cyprus' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sovereign-base-areas-cyprus'></outline>
      <outline id='3586102' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10076"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army are serving on operations; and in which locations their numbers exceed 50. [49770]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10077"&gt;As at 12 April there were 415 members of the Territorial Army serving on operations. The locations where the numbers exceeded 50 were Bosnia, where 174 were serving, and Kosovo, where 155 were serving.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10078"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of the Territorial Army. [49769]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10079"&gt;As at 1 March 2002, the strength of the Territorial Army stood at 39,617 personnel of whom 392 are currently mobilised in support of operations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10080"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to disband Territorial Army field hospital units. [49745]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10081"&gt;There are currently no plans to disband Territorial Army field hospital units.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Territorial Army' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/territorial-army'></outline>
      <outline id='3586103' text='Miss McIntosh&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10082"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the exclusion of retired officers from eligibility for the Queen&apos;s Golden Jubilee Medal; and if he will make a statement. [50019]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10083"&gt;A number of hon. Members have written on behalf of constituents who are former members of the armed forces but who have been re-employed as civil servants in a Retired Officer grade. In addition, the Ministry of Defence has received letters from individual Retired Officers and the Retired Officers Association has made representations on behalf of their members. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 February 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 568W, to the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell).&lt;/p&gt;' title='Golden Jubilee' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/golden-jubilee'></outline>
      <outline id='3586104' text='Mr. Webb&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10084"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons Mrs. M. K. Tushingham, a constituent whose details have been supplied, has been told that she may no longer receive her RAF widows pension via an order book at a post office. [48989]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10085"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 15 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Pensions under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme are normally paid monthly in arrears. Some 6,700 pensioners (2 per cent. of the total number of Armed Forces pensioners) in receipt of pensions prior to 1981 have retained rights to payment of&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;820W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;pensions weekly in advance, historically via a "Payable Order Book" (POB) cashable at post offices. Revised arrangements were introduced from April 2002 to provide the pensioner with a more secure means of payment than the POB system; it is also more cost-effective to the Ministry of Defence and easier to administer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Webb&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10086"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which RAF widows can receive their war pensions other than into a bank account; [48987]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10087"&gt;(2) what arrangements are available for war widows who &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; are unable to obtain a bank account and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; do not wish to open a bank account to receive their pensions. [48988]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10088"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 15 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; War Widows pensions, administered by the Veterans Agency, can be paid into either a bank account or building society, or by cash at the post office.&lt;/p&gt;' title="War Widows' Pensions" type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/war-widows-pensions'></outline>
      <outline id='3586105' text='Mr. Lazarowicz&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10089"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training and education the Joint Services Staff College at Shrivenham provides in peacekeeping and conflict resolution. [44746]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10090"&gt;The Joint Services Staff College at Shrivenham provides a number of courses that cover peacekeeping and conflict resolution. The courses are:&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Higher Command and Staff course, which trains 30 students per year.&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Advanced Command and Staff course, which trains 420 students per year.&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Royal Navy Junior Division, which trains 200 students per year.&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Army Junior Division, which trains 420 students per year.&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Royal Air Force Junior Division, which trains 440 students per year.&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Reserve courses.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10091"&gt;Students on all staff courses are issued a range of service and other publications on the subject, and specifically: JWP 3&amp;#x2013;50 "Peace Support Operations".&lt;/p&gt;' title='Staff College, Shrivenham' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/staff-college-shrivenham'></outline>
      <outline id='3586106' text='Mr. Hancock&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10092"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) who conducts the&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; customer attitude survey, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; continuous attitude survey and &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; Independent Housing Survey; what questions on housing there were in each of the surveys; if he will place a copy of the most recent of each in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [48665]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10093"&gt;(2) what percentage of respondents were content with the standard of accommodation allocated to them in the &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; customer attitude survey, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; continuous attitude survey and &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; Independent Housing Survey; and if he will make a statement. [48666]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10094"&gt;The Customer Attitude Survey conducted by QinetiQ for the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) is a comprehensive survey of attitudes relating to Service Family Accommodation. It is wide-ranging and covers many aspects of housing; copies have been placed in the Library of the House. It records 67 per cent. of&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1006"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;821W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;service families as "content" with the standard of family accommodation. There is no separate "independent housing survey" questionnaire.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10095"&gt;Each of the Services undertakes continuous attitude surveys. These are not specifically related to family housing but are intended to measure morale and to understand the concerns and motivations of their personnel across a spectrum of issues, including conditions of service, training and development and accommodation of all kinds. There are no plans to release them into the public domain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10096"&gt;For the RN, the continuous attitude survey responses of August 2001 indicated that some 58 per cent. were either very satisfied or satisfied, and 22 per cent neutral, with the standard of family accommodation provided. For the RAF, the survey for May and August 2001 indicated that 53 per cent. regarded their accommodation as satisfactory or very satisfactory and 31 per cent. as adequate. The corresponding question in the Army&apos;s August 2001 survey did not distinguish between family and single accommodation but showed 42 per cent. satisfied or very satisfied.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Accommodation' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/accommodation'></outline>
      <outline id='3586107' text='Mr. Burnett&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10097"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement as to the policy for Return to Mainstream service for personnel in the Special Air Service&apos;s and Special Boat Service; and whether he plans to recruit for SAS and SBS other than from serving members of the regular armed forces. [49467]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10098"&gt;Non-commissioned personnel who successfully complete United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) selection, and continue to maintain appropriate standards, will nonnally serve the balance of their careers with UKSF. The careers of regular serving officers will be managed in a way which balances service within and outside the UKSF group, to the mutual benefit of the individual, UKSF and the parent service.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10099"&gt;Members of UKSF may be returned to their parent corps at any time should they be found unsuitable for further service or should they wish to do so at their own request.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10100"&gt;Volunteers for the SBS and SAS, who must have completed two years adult military service, may apply from any part of the regular armed forces, as may reservists serving with one of the UKSF reserve units. Applicants from overseas are also eligible in certain circumstances. There are no plans to expand the recruiting base.&lt;/p&gt;' title='SAS and SBS' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sas-and-sbs'></outline>
      <outline id='3586108' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10101"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings will be made from the withdrawal of the Sea Harrier force from service. [49760]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10102"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, columns 1451&amp;#x2013;52W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer). The withdrawal of the Sea Harrier force from service is one part of the new investment strategy for Joint Force harrier. The upgrade of the Harrier GR force will see the enhancement of our expeditionary offensive air capability, in particular from the Royal&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;822W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Navy&apos;s aircraft carriers. This is a capability driven initiative and provides for a smooth transition to the Future Joint Combat Aircraft. Savings will occur in not having to provide for modifications to address obsolescence, in streamlined training and basing and personnel efficiencies. Full advantage of this has been taken in construction of the forward programme.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sea Harriers' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sea-harriers'></outline>
      <outline id='3586109' text='Mr. Keetch&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10103"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which nations have contributed forces to&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Operation Enduring Freedom and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; ISAF; how many troops each of these nations has contributed; and if he will make a statement. [50000]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Hoon&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10104"&gt;Operation Enduring Freedom is being co-ordinated by the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida. The latest figures available are from 27 February, when, in addition to the US, there were 68 nations supporting the global war on terrorism, 17 of which had deployed more than 17,000 troops to the US Central Command&apos;s area of responsibility.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10105"&gt;The list of nations contributing to International Security Assistance Force, with their individual contributions as at 15 April, is in the table.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10106"&gt;The long list of nations involved in these offensive and security assistance activities illustrates the breadth of support for the international coalition against terrorism. It is vital that all these nations continue their support to deal with the significant threat which remains from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and to help the Afghans as they begin the rebuilding of their country.&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Nation&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Total&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Austria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;74&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bulgaria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;32&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Czech Republic&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Denmark&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Finland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;34&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;France&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;452&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Germany&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,013&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greece&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;123&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Italy&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;357&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Netherlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;220&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norway&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;22&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;New Zealand&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Poland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Romania&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Spain&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;350&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sweden&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Turkey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;264&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;United Kingdom&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,327&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;United States&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,452&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keetch&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10107"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what heavy lift aircraft&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; have been used in the deployment of British troops for ISAF and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; are being used to deploy 45 Commando to Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [49999]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Hoon&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10108"&gt;C-17, Tristar and C-130 aircraft have been used to deploy United Kingdom personnel and equipment to Afghanistan. Chartered An-124s have also been used for deploying equipment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1007"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;823W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keetch&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10109"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops involved in ISAF will be reallocated to Operation Enduring Freedom; and if he will make a statement. [50001]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Hoon&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10110"&gt;None. We have drawn a distinction between those troops involved in security assistance activities in Kabul and those troops who are currently deploying for offensive operations to play their part in the task of rooting out al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Afghanistan' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/afghanistan'></outline>
      <outline id='3586110' text='Hugh Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10111"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are deployed abroad on operations; and where. [46305]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10112"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 26 March 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The numbers and locations of armed forces personnel deployed on military tasks overseas, including operations, are shown in the table. The figures do not include personnel preparing for, or recovering from, operations.&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Location&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Royal Navy&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Army&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;RAF&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gibraltar&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;104&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cyprus&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,385&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,184&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Balkans&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,823&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;233&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Rest of Europe&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;252&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Falkland Islands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;141&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;402&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;704&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Middle East and Gulf&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,182&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,895&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Asia and Far East&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;241&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,724&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Africa&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;258&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;368&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Caribbean&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;336&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North America&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Other&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;573&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,747&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,858&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,409&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10113"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Notes:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10114"&gt;1. The Royal Navy figures are as at 26 March 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10115"&gt;2. The Army figures are as at 21 March 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10116"&gt;3. The RAF figures are as at 1 March 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10117"&gt;In addition, some 1,145 Royal Marines personnel were deployed on military tasks at various overseas locations, including Afghanistan and the Gulf.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Deployments' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/deployments'></outline>
      <outline id='3586111' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10118"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the disposal of HMS Intrepid. [49766]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10119"&gt;HMS Intrepid will be disposed of by sale either to the commercial market or to another acceptable Government if one can be found.&lt;/p&gt;' title='HMS Intrepid' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/hms-intrepid'></outline>
      <outline id='3586112' text='Mr. Jenkin&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10120"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; establishment and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; strength of pilots is for (i) Tornado F3, (ii) Tornado GR1/4, (iii) Harrier GR7 and (iv) Jaguar. [49771]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Ingram&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10121"&gt;The position at 1 April 2002 is set out in the table.&lt;col&gt;824W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Force&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Established flying posts&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Strength&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tornado F3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;116&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;108&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Tornado GR1/4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;134&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;122&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Harrier GR7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Jaguar&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Comprises wing commander, squadron leader and junior officer posts on front line squadrons, operational conversion units, operational evaluation units and wing appointments. In addition to the established flying posts on the specified aircraft type, fast jet pilots are required for instructional duties within the RAF&apos;s flying training system, overseas exchange posts, the RAF Acrobatic Team and a number of ground duties shared by all General Duties Branches.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Pilots' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/pilots'></outline>
      <outline id='3586113' text='Mr. Gray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10122"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Essex, of 25 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 562W, if he will list the 19 industry respondees to the DERA PPP consultation process; how many of them were supportive of the PPP and how many opposed; and how many of them were proposing an alternative structure to the PPP. [49997]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Moonie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10123"&gt;The consultation document published in spring 2000 resulted from wide ranging discussions with stakeholders and an initial public consultation exercise. As identified in the previous answer referred to by the hon. Member, 19 industry responses were received from the following companies, trade associations and professional bodies:&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;GKN&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;WS Atkins&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;BAE Systems&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Thesauras&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Rolls Royce&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;HVR Consulting Services&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Alvis&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Raytheon&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Society of British Aerospace Companies&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;UK Industrial Space Committee&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Federation of the Electronics Industry&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Defence Issues Working Group&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Defence Manufacturers Association&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Association of Independent Research and Technology Organisations&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;British Naval Equipment Association&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;CSSA Defence Group&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Foresight Defence&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Aerospace and Systems Panel&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;CBI (two responses).&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10124"&gt;It is not appropriate to publish details of the individual responses, as they were not provided on the basis that they would be placed in the public domain. The main points have been summarised and are generally supportive, although most requested further information on the process. Consequently the Ministry of Defence has had continuous discussions with industry throughout implementation, including regular meetings with the National Defence Industries Council.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Defence Evaluation and Research Agency' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/defence-evaluation-and-research-agency'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586114' text='FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS'>
      <outline id='3586115' text='Tim Loughton&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10125"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on discussions held with EU member states over Gibraltar at the Barcelona summit. [45529]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10126"&gt;Barcelona welcomed the relaunch of the Brussels Process, underlined the support for the efforts of the British and Spanish Governments to conclude a comprehensive agreement before the summer; and invited the European Commission to explore ways in which the EU could underpin any agreement reached.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Gibraltar' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/gibraltar'></outline>
      <outline id='3586116' text='Joyce&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10127"&gt;15. Mr. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration about Iraq. [45530]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10128"&gt;The most recent discussions on Iraq took place between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Bush in Crawford, Texas. We are putting all our diplomatic energy into securing Iraqi compliance with UN resolutions&amp;#x2014;but are considering all options to ensure Iraq cannot threaten its people or neighbours. We will proceed patiently and prudently, in consultation with our allies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Crausby&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10129"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had with his partners in the international coalition against terrorism about Iraq. [45542]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10130"&gt;My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses our concerns about Iraq&apos;s support for international terrorism with his partners in the international coalition against terrorism.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Cable&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10131"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Iraq. [45554]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10132"&gt;We continue to have serious concerns about Iraq&apos;s development of weapons of mass destruction. The international community&apos;s most pressing demand is that Iraq allow weapons inspectors to return and finish their work. We intend to consider the way forward in a calm, measured, sensible, but firm way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Lembit &amp;#x00D6;pik&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10133"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Iraq&apos;s military intentions; and if he will make a statement. [49826]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10134"&gt;As UN weapons inspectors have not been allowed access to Iraq for three years, we do not have detailed knowledge of the Iraqi Government&apos;s military intentions. But we do know that Saddam is continuing his chemical and biological weapons programme and is developing the long-range missiles to deliver them. It is important that we remain vigilant about the threat he poses to the region and the wider world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Lembit &amp;#x00D6;pik&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10135"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Iraq&apos;s involvement in international terrorism; and if he will make a statement. [49825]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;826W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10136"&gt;Iraq has a long-standing record of support for terrorism; this includes support for Palestinian terrorist groups and the activities against Iran of the Iranian terrorist group, the Mujaheddin-e-Khalq (MeK), as well as the assassination of political opponents.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Iraq' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/iraq'></outline>
      <outline id='3586117' text='Ms Oona King&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10137"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the elections in Zimbabwe and the implications for the new partnership for African development. [45531]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10138"&gt;My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 14 March that Zimbabweans had plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed. NEPAD can only work on the basis of co-operation between democratic Governments with full international legitimacy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacDougall&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10139"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further discussions he has had with Commonwealth members about the restoration of democracy in Zimbabwe. [45536]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10140"&gt;I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;John Barrett&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10141"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards Zimbabwe remaining within the Commonwealth. [45544]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10142"&gt;On 19 March Zimbabwe was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth for one year. We welcome this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10143"&gt;We shall be discussing Zimbabwe&apos;s future status with Commonwealth partners during the coming 12 months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Bob Russell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10144"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Zimbabwe. [45548]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10145"&gt;What has happened in Zimbabwe is a tragedy, imposed on that once prosperous land by Robert Mugabe. Respect for the rule of law and a return to democratic principles and sensible economic policies are the only way back for Zimbabwe.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;David Taylor&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10146"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on bilateral relations with Zimbabwe of the recent elections in that country; and if he will make a statement. [45535]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10147"&gt;My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 14 March that Zimbabweans had plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10148"&gt;This leaves UK relations with Zimbabwe&apos;s Government at their lowest ebb since that country&apos;s independence. But we remain committed to stand by the people of Zimbabwe and will continue our programme of humanitarian assistance.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Zimbabwe' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/zimbabwe'></outline>
      <outline id='3586118' text='Ian Lucas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10149"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1009"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;827W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;take to instruct the UK mission to the United Nations to work for full compliance by member states with their obligation to file a report on terrorist financing and providing safe havens for terrorists. [45532]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10150"&gt;Under the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 States are obliged to submit such reports to the UN&apos;s Counter-Terrorism Committee. As of 9 April, 139 of the 189 UN Member States had fulfilled this obligation. As Chair of the Committee, the British Permanent Representative has written twice urging States that have not yet submitted a report to do so.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Drown&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10151"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US on measures to prevent international terrorism. [45534]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10152"&gt;We have frequent and regular discussions with the US on many aspects of the international campaign against terrorism. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the campaign with President Bush in Crawford on 7 April.&lt;/p&gt;' title='International Terrorism' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/international-terrorism'></outline>
      <outline id='3586119' text='Ms Dari Taylor&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10153"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the Delhi declaration. [45533]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10154"&gt;The New Delhi Declaration, signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Indian Prime Minister on 6 January 2002, represents a new high-water mark in the strong and vibrant relationship between the UK and India. It identifies many areas of common interest and sets out a road-map for future co-operation, both bilaterally and on the world stage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10155"&gt;The Declaration is already having an impact. Elements of it were discussed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and myself in our meetings with our Indian counterparts in the last two months.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Delhi Declaration' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/delhi-declaration'></outline>
      <outline id='3586120' text='Mr. Hendrick&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10156"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the contribution of the UK to ensuring political stability in Afghanistan. [45537]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10157"&gt;Political stability is crucial to long term stability in Afghanistan. The Government fully support the UN-led political process, as set out in the Bonn Agreement. Its aim is to establish a broadly based, representative and democratic government in Afghanistan. The convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga in June is the next step towards this. The UK has given &amp;#x00A3;500,000 to support the Loya Jirga Commission, who are responsible for arranging the Emergency Loya Jirga.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10158"&gt;We pledged &amp;#x00A3;200 million of reconstruction assistance in January at the Tokyo Donors Conference on Reconstruction. The UK is currently Lead Nation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is playing an important role supporting the Interim Administration to maintain security in and around Kabul.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Tom Brake&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10159"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the war in Afghanistan. [45540]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;828W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10160"&gt;The campaign in Afghanistan is focused on ridding the country of the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which still pose a significant threat. At the request of the United States we have deployed 45 Commando to assist with this operation. We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can no longer offer a haven to terrorists and will remain engaged until we have finished the task.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jim Cunningham&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10161"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the international fight against the drug trade in Afghanistan. [45546]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10162"&gt;The UK has taken the lead in coordinating international efforts to implement sustainable drug control in Afghanistan through the creation of alternative legal livelihoods, the reconstruction of infrastructure and the establishment of effective law enforcement and good governance. We have also been working with the Afghan Interim Administration to implement the decree banning opium production issued by Chairman Karzai on 3 April. We have been encouraging other members of the international community to provide similar support.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Afghanistan' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/afghanistan-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586121' text='Mr. Robathan&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10163"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Sudan. [45538]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10164"&gt;We remain deeply concerned about the situation in Sudan but believe that 2002 offers a real window of opportunity for peace and that the UK has a major role to play in ensuring that this opportunity is seized. There has been some recent progress, for example in the Nuba mountains where a ceasefire appears to be holding.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sudan' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sudan'></outline>
      <outline id='3586122' text='Sir Sydney Chapman&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10165"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report progress on peace initiatives in the middle east. [45539]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jim Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10166"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to bring Israelis and Palestinians together to promote a peaceful settlement. [45543]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Helen Jones&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10167"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Administration about influencing the progress towards peace in the middle east. [45547]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Betts&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10168"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. [45549]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Iddon&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10169"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process. [45550]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1010"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;829W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10170"&gt;We are gravely concerned by the consequences of the escalation in the middle east in recent weeks. The situation could get even worse unless both sides step back, and start talking. This requires real engagement and intervention by the international community.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10171"&gt;The priority is implementation of UNSCRs 1402 and 1403, a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities and full co-operation by the parties with General Zinni to implement the Tenet security work-plan and the Mitchell Committee recommendations with the aim of resuming negotiations on a political settlement. US Secretary of State Powell is in the region now on a mission to achieve this. It is crucial that both sides work constructively with Colin Powell. As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on 10 April, "Both sides must realise that violence is not, and never will be the answer. The solution to this crisis will never be reached if it is seen purely as a security or military question. There must be a political process."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10172"&gt;The UK has played a full part in international efforts to bring the violence to an end and resume negotiations. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in the middle east with President Bush in Crawford, Texas. He has also had talks with European Heads of Government and President Mubarak. The Foreign Secretary has been in constant contact with his European counterparts and the US Secretary of State. He also spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Peres on 11 April. Despite the difficulties we have also maintained close contact with the Palestinian Authority primarily through our Consulate-General in Jerusalem. I spoke to the Palestinian Minister for International Planning and Co-operation, Nabil Sha&apos;ath, on 3 April.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10173"&gt;We shall be seeking a UN Security Council Resolution, based on Crown Prince Abdullah&apos;s plan, to promote a political process, following US Secretary of State Powell&apos;s visit to the region. We stand ready to help with monitoring, of a cease-fire and confidence building measures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10174"&gt;We have grave concerns about the denial of medical and humanitarian assistance to those in need in the Occupied Territories and about the lack of food, electricity and water. I raised our concerns with the Israeli ambassador on 4 April. We have also been disturbed by the reports of the deaths of innocents in the Jenin refugee camp and the conduct of the IDF. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Israeli Foreign Minister on 11 April. We have urged the Government of Israel to ensure respect for international law by its armed forces and investigate thoroughly all allegations of IDF misconduct.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10175"&gt;The Government will continue to do all it can to help the parties end the violence and resume talks based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397, and the principle of land for peace. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians will only come through a political process which delivers security for Israel within recognised borders, brings an end to occupation, and allows the emergence of a secure and viable, democratic and peaceful Palestinian state committed to co-existence with Israel, and recognised and respected by Israel.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Middle East' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/middle-east'></outline>
      <outline id='3586123' text='Mr. Wray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10176"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation of the British Taliban and al-Qaeda suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. [45541]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10177"&gt;We remain in close touch with the US Government about the British detainees in Guantanamo Bay, their status, the legal procedure to which they might be subject and their welfare.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10178"&gt;In response to our approaches, the US Government have given us the assurance that they would treat all UK detainees humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Convention.&lt;/p&gt;' title='British Detainees (Cuba)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/british-detainees-cuba'></outline>
      <outline id='3586124' text='David Cairns&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10179"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being provided by the UK to the candidate counties for EU membership. [45545]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10180"&gt;Over the last decade we have contributed &amp;#x00A3;350 million through the "Know How Fund" to provide technical assistance to the central European candidate countries. We now have "Action Plans" with all 13 candidates with a total budget of &amp;#x00A3;1.8 million in the last financial year. The plans bring together the UK&apos;s practical assistance to the candidates across a range of activities involving other Whitehall Departments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10181"&gt;Since 1998, the UK has won involvement in over 100 Twinning projects, whereby experts are seconded as long-term Pre-Accession Advisers to candidate countries&apos; ministries. This is the third highest number of any member state. The UK was the first member state to win involvement in projects in all 12 negotiating countries.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Rosindell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10182"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the enlargement of the European Union. [45551]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10183"&gt;Enlargement negotiations are progressing steadily and are on course to meet the timetable agreed at Gothenburg and confirmed at Laeken&amp;#x2014;to end negotiations in 2002 with the best-prepared countries, so that they can take part in the European Parliament elections in 2004.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10184"&gt;Currently 10 of the 12 countries in negotiations have opened 29 chapters. Slovenia has closed 26 chapters, Cyprus, Hungary, Estonia, Czech Republic and Lithuania have all closed 24, Slovakia and Latvia have both closed 23. Poland has closed 22 and Malta has closed 21. Bulgaria has opened 27 chapters and closed 14 while Romania has opened 22 and closed nine.&lt;/p&gt;' title='EU Enlargement' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/eu-enlargement'></outline>
      <outline id='3586125' text='Sir Teddy Taylor&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10185"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had with his EU colleagues on the ratification of the Nice treaty. [45552]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10186"&gt;The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs meets his European counterparts regularly. These meetings discuss a range of subjects including the ratification of the treaty of Nice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1011"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;831W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10187"&gt;The Bill to enable the UK to ratify the treaty of Nice received Royal Assent on 26 February, and the Government will lodge the instrument of ratification in Rome in the coming months.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Nice Treaty' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/nice-treaty'></outline>
      <outline id='3586126' text='Mr. Carmichael&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10188"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of China in relation to their record on human rights. [45553]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10189"&gt;We regularly raise concerns about the human rights situation in China, including through the six-monthly UK-China Human Rights Dialogue. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised human rights concerns with the Chinese Foreign Minister during his visit to the UK on 16&amp;#x2013;19 January.&lt;/p&gt;' title='China (Human Rights)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/china-human-rights'></outline>
      <outline id='3586127' text='Paul Flynn&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10190"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the situation in Myanmar. [45555]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10191"&gt;In recent weeks there has been an EU Troika delegation visit to Burma and EU action over forced labour in Burma at the International Labour Organisation. The EU is preparing a resolution on Burma for adoption at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the UN Secretary-General&apos;s Special Envoy to Burma will visit Burma 22&amp;#x2013;24 April.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10192"&gt;I remain gravely concerned about the overall situation in Burma. Although there has been some very modest political progress there in the past 16 months, we need to see early evidence of substantive change if confidence in the political process in Burma is to be maintained.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Myanmar' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/myanmar'></outline>
      <outline id='3586128' text='Mr. Lyons&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10193"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States Administration about Iran. [45521]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10194"&gt;Iran was among the wide range of issues discussed during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary&apos;s visit to Washington on 31 January and 1 February. He also discussed Iran in a telephone conversation with the US Secretary of State in March.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Iran' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/iran'></outline>
      <outline id='3586129' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10195"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; capital and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; revenue underspend in his Department is expected to be in the financial year 2001&amp;#x2013;02. [47799]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10196"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimated out-turn figures for 2001&amp;#x2013;02 will be published in the Budget Report on 17 April 2002.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Departmental Underspend' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/departmental-underspend'></outline>
      <outline id='3586130' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10197"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on overtime payments for staff in his Department. [49127]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;832W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10198"&gt;All staff below the Senior Management Structure (equivalent to Senior Civil Service Staff) qualify for overtime or time off in lieu if they are required to work more than their conditioned hours at times of exceptional pressure. We do not encourage staff to work long hours but aim to reward them fairly when they do. All overtime must be approved in advance. Diplomatic Service staff serving overseas are not paid overtime but may be given time off in lieu when they work excessive hours, at management discretion.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Overtime' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/overtime'></outline>
      <outline id='3586131' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10199"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the 2002 Departmental report will be published. [49583]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10200"&gt;The FCO&apos;s 2002 Departmental Report is due to be published in spring 2002. The date will be announced shortly.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Departmental Report' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/departmental-report'></outline>
      <outline id='3586132' text='Mr. Damian Green&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10201"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he is taking to improve the conditions of religious minorities in Laos; and if he will make a statement. [48849]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10202"&gt;Contacts between British Ministers and officials and their Lao counterparts are limited. But we raise concerns about human rights in Laos, including the conditions of religious minorities, when such meetings take place. When the Lao Deputy Foreign Minister visited the UK in June 2001 the FCO&apos;s Asia-Pacific Director told him that the treatment of Lao Christians was a matter of particular concern in the UK. There is no DFID country programme for Laos. But DIFD and the FCO provide some funding aimed at improving the overall quality of life of the Lao people, including religious minorities.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Laos' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/laos'></outline>
      <outline id='3586133' text='Llew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10203"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Japan&apos;s capability for building nuclear weapons. [49265]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bradshaw&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10204"&gt;Japan is a designated member of the IAEA Board of Governors and is thus recognised as being one of the nations most advanced in civil nuclear technology and applications. Japan is a member of the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as a non-nuclear weapon state, and it is thus treaty-bound. not to pursue nuclear weapons programmes. Japan&apos;s constitution prohibits the development and use of nuclear weapons. It is active in the fields of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Japan' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/japan'></outline>
      <outline id='3586134' text='Llew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10205"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms he uses for providing advanced notice to hon. Members of agenda items for COREPER meetings. [49491]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Peter Hain&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10206"&gt;Provisional agendas for COREPER meetings are posted on the Council of the European Union website http://register.consilium.eu.int.&lt;/p&gt;' title='COREPER' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/coreper'></outline>
      <outline id='3586135' text='Mr. Laurence Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10207"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in his Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions he has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within his Department. [50479]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. MacShane&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10208"&gt;Smart card technology is not in use within the FCO at home or overseas. This is a technology being tracked for potential business benefit within the FCO, and informal discussions have been held with a number of technology companies.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Smart Card Technology' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/smart-card-technology'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586136' text='CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT'>
      <outline id='3586137' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10209"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Bills introduced by her Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans she has for the future use of such clauses. [49624]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10210"&gt;The Department has introduced five bills in the last five years (National Heritage Act 1997, National Lottery Act 1998, Royal Parks (Trading) Act 2000, Television Licences (Disclosure of Information) Act 2000 and the Culture and Recreation Bill introduced in 2001). None of these contained any sunset clauses. Decisions on the future use of such clauses will be made on a case-by-case basis and will be communicated to the House in the usual way.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sunset Clauses' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sunset-clauses'></outline>
      <outline id='3586138' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10211"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the 2002 departmental report will be published. [49579]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10212"&gt;The departmental report for 2002 will be published by the end of May.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Departmental Report' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/departmental-report-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586139' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10213"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the new deal for young people in each of the last four years have subsequently&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; returned to jobseekers allowance or other benefits. [49605]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10214"&gt;This information is not held by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.&lt;/p&gt;' title='New Deal' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/new-deal'></outline>
      <outline id='3586140' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10215"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on overtime payments for staff in her Department. [49115]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10216"&gt;Overtime in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport can be authorised for staff working in excess of their conditioned hours. This is in line with the&lt;col&gt;834W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Civil Service Management Code. Conditions and rates are published internally and depend on grade and the hours worked.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Overtime Payments' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/overtime-payments-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586141' text='Mr. Dismore&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10217"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to include the Yeoman Warders, extraordinary bodyguard of the Sovereign, in the group eligible for award of the Queen&apos;s Golden Jubilee medal; and if she will make a statement. [48759]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Tessa Jowell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10218"&gt;The services receiving the commemorative medal are the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the "999" emergency services. Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London do not fall within these categories and are therefore ineligible for the medal.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Yeoman Warders' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/yeoman-warders'></outline>
      <outline id='3586142' text='Miss McIntosh&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10219"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received concerning the funding at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. [48736]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10220"&gt;My Department has recently received representations about funding for an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester to showcase the objects used in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games in July. I am pleased that my Department has been able to provide financial support to enable this exhibition to take place.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Museum of Science and Industry' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/museum-of-science-and-industry'></outline>
      <outline id='3586143' text='Mr. Rosindell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10221"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to assist the domestic tourism market to become more competitive. [49693]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10222"&gt;The Government are committed to improving the competitiveness of the domestic tourism market through an agenda of modernisation and long term strategic reform. The Government are working closely with key industry partners to achieve more consistent high standards and better value for money across the tourism industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10223"&gt;Modernisation and reform will focus on raising the quality of the domestic product; improving skills and training; increasing the quality and quantity of tourism data and research; promoting the development of e-tourism; and providing stronger co-ordination of the promotion and marketing of England&apos;s tourist assets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10224"&gt;Baseline funding for English tourism will rise from &amp;#x00A3;10 million in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 to &amp;#x00A3;12 million this year and campaigns such as "Your Countryside, You&apos;re Welcome" will also support our tourism industry during 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Rosindell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10225"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to assist the tourism industry in Essex. [49691]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10226"&gt;The Government are committed to the modernisation and reform of the tourism industry and this will have a beneficial effect on tourism across the country, including Essex.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1013"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;835W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10227"&gt;The East of England Tourist Board (EETB) received funding of &amp;#x00A3;550,400 in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 to support tourism in the region. The figure for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 has yet to be agreed. During 2001&amp;#x00A3;02 the EETB also received additional funding of &amp;#x00A3;425,000 from the East of England Development Agency and &amp;#x00A3;180,000 from the English Tourism Council in response to the foot and mouth outbreak.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10228"&gt;Furthermore, Essex county council will be spending &amp;#x00A3;100,000 this year promoting Essex as a tourism destination and has recently collaborated with both the Countryside Agency, and Tastes of Anglia, to provide support for a spring campaign this year. The tourism industry in Essex also benefits from national tourism strategies, such as the "Your Countryside, You&apos;re Welcome" campaign, aimed at attracting visitors back to the English countryside.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Rosindell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10229"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of United Kingdom jobs are dependent on the tourism industry. [49692]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10230"&gt;The latest figure available for tourism-related industries is 2.1 million (September 2001). This equates to 7 per cent. of all employment in Great Britain. We do not have estimates for UK employment because Northern Ireland do their employment surveys separately.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Tourism' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/tourism'></outline>
      <outline id='3586144' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10231"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what have been the total salary costs of each of the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible in each of the last five years. [50307]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10232"&gt;This information can be found in each non-departmental public body&apos;s annual accounts. Copies of which are available from the Library of the House.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Non-departmental Public Bodies' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/non-departmental-public-bodies'></outline>
      <outline id='3586145' text='Kevin Brennan&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10233"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will announce Britain&apos;s choice for European City of Culture 2008; and if she will make a statement. [49998]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dr. Howells&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10234"&gt;It is hoped that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will, in consultation with colleagues and the devolved administrations, make her recommendation to the Prime Minister towards the end of Spring 2003 having considered a report by an independent advisory panel. The Prime Minister will then make a nomination to the European Union. The European Union will ratify the United Kingdom&apos;s nomination during 2004.&lt;/p&gt;' title='European City of Culture 2008' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/european-city-of-culture-2008'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586146' text='NORTHERN IRELAND'>
      <outline id='3586147' text='Lady Hermon&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10235"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason members of the PSNI are deployed in Kosovo; and when it is planned to return them to police duties in Northern Ireland. [34859]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jane Kennedy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10236"&gt;The Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), through the NIO, sought, as part of a UK wide contribution, a commitment by the RUC to the UN Mission in Kosovo. PSNI officers are deployed in Kosovo&lt;col&gt;836W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;to assist in the restoration of normality, and law and order, by maintaining civil laws and orders, advising and assisting the Kosovo force in maintenance of public security and order and protecting and promoting human rights.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10237"&gt;The current deployment of PSNI officers are due to complete their attachment in either May or November 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10238"&gt;There are no plans at present to discontinue PSNI deployments to UN peacekeeping missions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. McNamara&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10239"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of employees of the PSNI were off sick on average on each day in the last month for which figures are available; and how many and what proportion of those were&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; absent on self-certification or without authorisation, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; on sick leave of less than a week, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; on sick leave of more than one week and less than one month, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; on sick leave of more than one month and &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; on leave as a result of injuries sustained while on duty. [41237]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jane Kennedy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10240"&gt;The following table details the average sickness figures for the month of February 2002 for police officers and civilian support staff of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;February 2002&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Police officers&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Support staff&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average total staff&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,445&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,439&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average of total number on sick absence&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,032&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;258&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average total percentage on sick absence&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10.93&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7.51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average number 1&amp;#x2013;6 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;145&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;42&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average percentage sick 1&amp;#x2013;6 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14.05&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16.28&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average number 7&amp;#x2013;27 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;184&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average percentage 7&amp;#x2013;27 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17.83&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;24.42&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average number sick greater than 27 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;703&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;153&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average percentage sick greater than 27 days&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68.12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59.30&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average number sick per injury on duty&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;318&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Average percentage sick per injury on duty&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;30.81&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Includes 85 self certified&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Includes 31 self certified&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Police Service of Northern Ireland' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/police-service-of-northern-ireland'></outline>
      <outline id='3586148' text='Mrs. Iris Robinson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10241"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many calls were received at Carryduff police station from members of the public in the last three years; and how many responses there were to them over the same period. [37107]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jane Kennedy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10242"&gt;The Chief Constable has advised me that it is not possible to answer the aspect of how many calls were received as there is a central telephone switchboard in the Greater Belfast area to which members of the public would seek assistance in the first instance, i.e. 02890 650222.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10243"&gt;Similarly, emergency telephone calls to the 999 system again go to a central control room. While Carryduff police station does have a number of its own, statistics are not collated as to how many calls are made to it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10244"&gt;The number of incidents receiving a response from Carryduff police station are as follows.&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1014"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;837W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1999&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,298&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,506&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2001&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,494&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Carryduff Police Station' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/carryduff-police-station'></outline>
      <outline id='3586149' text='Ms Shipley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10245"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border policing, with particular reference to child abusers. [43691]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jane Kennedy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10246"&gt;The operational CARE units within the PSNI liaise closely with their counterparts in the Sexual Offences Unit in Dublin and with the various Garda Commanders along the border. The risks posed by sex offenders, when being assessed by the Multi-Agency Sex Offender Risk Management Groups in Northern Ireland, take cognisance of those who have moved from the Republic of Ireland into the NI jurisdiction and indeed invite representation both from the Probation in NI and the Garda. The Intelligence Bureau, PSNI, is working on protocols for information sharing on a variety of subjects including child sex offenders and child abusers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10247"&gt;Last year the PSNI organised a conference in Belfast on the subject of cross-border information and intelligence sharing about sex offenders and child abusers. The conference was attended by representatives of the Department of Justice in the ROI, the Scottish Prison Service, the NI Prison Service, PSNI, and the NIO. The conference provided an opportunity for networking that has continued post conference.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Child Abuse (Cross-Border Policing)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/child-abuse-cross-border-policing'></outline>
      <outline id='3586150' text='Mr. McNamara&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10248"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what circumstances 999 emergency calls may be diverted to police stations in England, Wales and Scotland: what assessment he has made of the PSNI&apos;s response to emergency calls originating in North Belfast on 24 December 2001; and what steps have been taken to ensure year-round response readiness. [41235]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jane Kennedy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10249"&gt;All 999 calls to the police made by the public are initially answered at BT or Cable and Wireless emergency call centres in Great Britain. Those 999 calls for PSNI are passed to Belfast Regional Control or rural control rooms. The PSNI do not pass calls to police stations on the mainland.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10250"&gt;With regard to 24 December 2001, which was a normal working day for PSNI, normal policing levels were maintained within North Belfast District Command Unit throughout the whole day. The list of 999 calls received at Belfast Regional Control has been examined and the police response on each occasion was found to be timely and accurate.&lt;/p&gt;' title='999 Emergency Calls' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/999-emergency-calls'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586151' text='HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION'>
      <outline id='3586152' text='Sandra Gidley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10251"&gt;To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff there were in&lt;col&gt;838W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the House of Commons broken down by &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; salary grade, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; ethnic background and &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; sex in each of the last five years. [47986]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Kirkwood&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10252"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The Commission currently employs 1,717 individual members of staff (including part timers). Of these, 1,446 over 84 per cent.&amp;#x2014;have completed monitoring forms. The tables show the figures for each category of staff, broken down by pay band, ethnic background and sex. The figures are for individual staff in post as at 31 March in each year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10253"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ethnic monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2002&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;White&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Asian/Other&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Black&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not stated&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;76&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;161&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;251&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;239&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;32&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;265&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;99&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;173&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;25&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;70&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;5&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10254"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Gender monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2002&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Male&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Female&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;93&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;88&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;159&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;142&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;129&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;163&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;198&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;195&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;185&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;136&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;69&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ethnic monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;White&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Asian/Other&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Black&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not stated&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;78&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;165&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;259&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;247&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;261&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;180&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;74&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Gender monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2002&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Male&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Female&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;91&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;82&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;158&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;135&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;136&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;157&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;172&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;169&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;187&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;138&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;70&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ethnic monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;White&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Asian/Other&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Black&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not stated&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;78&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;169&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;257&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;244&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;252&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;141&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1015"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;839W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10255"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Gender monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Male&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Female&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;96&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;82&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;153&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;126&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;153&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;160&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;169&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;153&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;124&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;73&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ethnic monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 1999&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;White&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Asian/Other&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Black&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not stated&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;169&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;259&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;243&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;221&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;144&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;72&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Gender monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 1999&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Male&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Female&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;69&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;91&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;85&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;152&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;120&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;161&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;147&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;157&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;159&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;131&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;79&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Ethnic monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 1998&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;White&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Asian/Other&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Black&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not stated&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;167&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;249&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;238&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;204&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;144&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;52&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;73&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3" align="center"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Gender monitoring by pay band as at 31 March 1998&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Pay band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Male&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Female&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Senior Commons Service&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;71&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;89&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;84&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;B&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;152&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;128&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;122&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;152&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;D&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;132&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;71&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Refreshment Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;155&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;129&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Works Pay Group&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;88&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Indicates numbers of fewer than five in a particular category; in such cases, detailed figures are not given to prevent individuals being readily identified.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Staff Numbers' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/staff-numbers'></outline>
      <outline id='3586153' text='Mr. Sheerman&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10256"&gt;To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the House of Commons becomes a model employer in providing skills training and retraining for staff; [47636]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10257"&gt;(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that all members of staff&apos;s skills and skill needs are professionally assessed on an annual basis. [47637]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;840W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Kirkwood&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10258"&gt;Until recently, the House had a departmental approach to training, with limited House-wide provision. Following the Braithwaite Report on Management and Services (HC745 of Session 1998&amp;#x2013;99), and in the context of the plans for House-wide accreditation as an Investor in People, there is now a more structured and planned approach to House-wide staff development. This links training and development priorities to the aims of the House administration and supports managers in their responsibilities for the continuous development and training of their staff.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10259"&gt;Departmental training officers meet regularly to discuss priorities and to help develop and maintain the right mix of House-wide training and development. Individual, team and broader training needs for all staff are assessed as part of the annual performance appraisal process, and through House-wide awareness-raising initiatives (for example on equal opportunities). Personal development plans are reviewed and updated regularly.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Staff Development' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/staff-development'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586154' text='DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER'>
      <outline id='3586155' text='Norman Lamb&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10260"&gt;To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many vehicles are owned by the Government; [49300]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10261"&gt;(2) what proportion of Government-owned vehicles use &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; liquid petroleum gas, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; electricity, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; compressed natural gas, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; diesel, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; unleaded petrol and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; leaded petrol. [49301]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Leslie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10262"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 26 March 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 824W.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Government Vehicles' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/government-vehicles'></outline>
      <outline id='3586156' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10263"&gt;To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he plans to review the operation of regulatory impact; assessments. [49066]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Leslie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10264"&gt;The Public Accounts Committee published a report on 12 April 2002 &apos;Better Regulation: Making Good Use of Regulatory Impact Assessments&apos; on the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General reviewing the regulatory impact assessment process. The Government welcome the Committee of Public Accounts report. It makes some helpful recommendations that echo many of the National Audit Office&apos;s findings and the Government will give full consideration to them.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Regulatory Impact Assessments' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/regulatory-impact-assessments'></outline>
      <outline id='3586157' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10265"&gt;To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the remit of the Panel for Regulatory Accountability is; who serves on it; and at what intervals it meets. [49065]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Leslie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10266"&gt;The remit of the Ministerial Panel on Regulatory Accountability is to take a strategic overview of the regulatory system; to tackle instances where progress on regulatory reform is blocked; and to call&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1016"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;841W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;Ministers to account for new regulation and their performance in addressing the burden of existing regulation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10267"&gt;Ministers serving on the committee are the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (chair), the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office. Mr. David Arculus, the chairman of the Better Regulation Task Force, and Mr. William Sargent, chairman of the Small Business Council are also invited to attend. The membership and terms of reference are available in the Library of the House. Details are also published on the Cabinet Office website.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10268"&gt;Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committee business is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Panel for Regulatory Accountability' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/panel-for-regulatory-accountability'></outline>
      <outline id='3586158' text='Mr. Andrew Turner&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10269"&gt;To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action the Government&apos;s e-envoy is taking to ensure that all Government on-line services are accessible through simple touch-screen terminals in strategic locations. [49796]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Leslie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10270"&gt;The concept of delivering public services on multiple platforms is a key part of the Government&apos;s strategy. The Office of the e-Envoy is working to spread best practice on the delivery of electronic services through a wide range of channels including the web, digital television, mobile communications, kiosks and touch screen terminals. Best practice guidance on these is being worked up by the Channels Policy Working Group into a channels framework, which will be promulgated throughout the public sector.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10271"&gt;The Office of the e-Envoy and the DTI are also working closely with the Post Office in the definition of a potential service whereby UK online content can be provided through kiosks located in post offices, making appropriate services available electronically to those members of the public who prefer to use a convenient terminal.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Government Services' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/government-services'></outline>
      <outline id='3586159' text='Mr. Yeo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10272"&gt;To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; number and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; total cost of television licences paid for by his Department. [48364]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Leslie&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10273"&gt;The Cabinet Office holds a multiple form licence covering its core central London buildings and a concessionary licence covering a large number of televisions located, at the Centre for Management and Policy Studies&apos; Residential Training Centre in Sunningdale (Berkshire). The cost of these two television licences amounted to &amp;#x00A3;6,867 in 2001&amp;#x2013;02.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10274"&gt;In addition 16 individual television licences are held by other parts of the Cabinet Office at a cost in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 of &amp;#x00A3;1,717.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Television Licences' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/television-licences'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586160' text='WALES'>
      <outline id='3586161' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10275"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the job advertisements placed by his Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case. [39063]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10276"&gt;None.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Job Advertisements' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/job-advertisements'></outline>
      <outline id='3586162' text='Mr. Laurence Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10277"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in his Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions he has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within his Department. [50485]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10278"&gt;My Department delivers no services direct to the public and has a staff of less than 50 people. There is thus only limited potential for benefiting from smart card technology.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Smart Card Technology' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/smart-card-technology-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586163' text='Mr. Evans&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10279"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years. [48605]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10280"&gt;The external costs of the former Welsh Office were &amp;#x00A3;568,000 in 1998&amp;#x2013;99 and &amp;#x00A3;55,000 in the first quarter of 1999&amp;#x2013;2000.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10281"&gt;Since it came into existence in July 1999, the Wales Office has not separately distinguished legal costs.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Legal Costs' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/legal-costs'></outline>
      <outline id='3586164' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10282"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses. [49620]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10283"&gt;None.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sunset Clauses' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sunset-clauses-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586165' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10284"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost was of rebranding his Department following its name change after devolution. [31959]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10285"&gt;The Wales Office spent &amp;#x00A3;2,728 on the design for a logo and associated artwork after its creation as a new Department after devolution.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Departmental Name Change' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/departmental-name-change'></outline>
      <outline id='3586166' text='Mr. Llwyd&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10286"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide a breakdown by industry of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; jobs created and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; job losses in Wales in each of the past five years. [32232]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10287"&gt;There is no authoritative record of job losses and gains. Labour Force Survey information about changes in overall employment in Wales, by industry over the past five years, is given in the table as follows.&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1017"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;843W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;All industries&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Mining and quarrying, electricity, gas and water supply&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Manufacturing&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Construction&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Service industries&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Other industries&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="8"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Change on previous year&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-3,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-25,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1999&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-3,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1998&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-23,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;24,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1997&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-11,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1996&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-5,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;-2,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;31,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10288"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Source:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10289"&gt;Labour Force Survey, four quarter averages. Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Jobs' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/jobs'></outline>
      <outline id='3586167' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10290"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the 2002 Departmental report will be published. [49589]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10291"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 April 2002, by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Andrew Smith).&lt;/p&gt;' title='Departmental Report' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/departmental-report-2'></outline>
      <outline id='3586168' text='Adam Price&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10292"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received from other Ministers requests for advice in connection with the attempted acquisition of Sidex by the LNM Group. [37936]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10293"&gt;Consistent with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information exemption on internal discussion and advice, which aims to preserve the unbiased nature of civil service advice and, where appropriate, to ensure commercial confidentiality, it would not be appropriate to disclose the information requested.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Sidex' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/sidex'></outline>
      <outline id='3586169' text='Mr. Llwyd&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10294"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings he has had with hon. Members in each of the last 12 months. [49325]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10295"&gt;As a member of the House of Commons and as a member of the Government, on a typical working day I meet many hon. Members in both formal and informal settings. Due to the large numbers of these meetings and their routine nature, no separate record of them is kept.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Meetings' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/meetings'></outline>
      <outline id='3586170' text='Mr. Andrew Turner&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10296"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were employed in a press or public relations function in his Department on 1 January in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 1997, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 1998, &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; 1999, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; 2000, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; 2001 and &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; 2002. [39932]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10297"&gt;Since the establishment of the Wales Office in July 1999. There has been one press secretary, one senior press officer and one assistant information officer employed within my Department.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Press and Public Relations' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/press-and-public-relations'></outline>
      <outline id='3586171' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10298"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years. [35019]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;844W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Paul Murphy&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10299"&gt;Since its creation in July 1999 my Department has spent some &amp;#x00A3;47,000 on external consultants. It has also made use of property management consultants under a contract held by the National Assembly for Wales.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Consultants' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/consultants'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586172' text='TRADE AND INDUSTRY'>
      <outline id='3586173' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10300"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for shipping services for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49554]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10301"&gt;(2) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the RA Strategic Partnership for the Radiocommunications Agency by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49548]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10302"&gt;(3) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the National Physical Laboratory for the Department of Trade and Industry by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49552]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10303"&gt;(4) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Electronic Government through Administrative Re-engineering (ELSAR) for the Department of Trade and Industry by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49551]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10304"&gt;(5) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the mining reports and surface drainage system for the Coal Authority by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49549]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10305"&gt;(6) what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Computer Services for Academic Research (CSAR) for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49553]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10306"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 20 July 2001,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, columns 607&amp;#x2013;08W.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Private Finance Initiative' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/private-finance-initiative-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586174' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10307"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 26 February 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 117W, regarding the cost of rail travel by Department staff, how many staff undertook the first class rail journeys in 2001. [50326]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10308"&gt;The DTI has devolved to local management the authorisation of travel claims for its staff, subject to checking procedures. It does not record detail of the number of staff undertaking first class rail journeys separately from other data recorded when paying travel expenses paid for staff engaged on departmental business. To provide the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Rail Journeys (Staff)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/rail-journeys-staff'></outline>
      <outline id='3586175' text='Mr. Laurence Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10309"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in her Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions she has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within her Department. [50474]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10310"&gt;My Department uses smart cards to protect the facilities providing remote access to our corporate computer systems. Some 800 staff currently use smart cards in this way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10311"&gt;My officials discuss options for the use of smart card technology within the Department periodically with relevant companies, especially those providing us with ICT support.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Smart Card Technology' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/smart-card-technology-2'></outline>
      <outline id='3586176' text='Mr. Whittingdale&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10312"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will answer the Questions tabled on 11 March by the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford, refs 43210. 43211 and 43212. [50053]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10313"&gt;I understand that these questions were answered by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office yesterday.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Parliamentary Questions' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/parliamentary-questions'></outline>
      <outline id='3586177' text='Harry Cohen&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10314"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent the UK is supporting the European Union&apos;s Galileo satellite programme broken down by Departments&apos; budgets and purpose of funding; what representations about the programme were made from the US and how they were responded to; and if she will make a statement. [48886]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Jamieson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10315"&gt;I have been asked to reply.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10316"&gt;The UK is supporting the Galileo satellite navigation programme through contributions to the European Space Agency (ESA), which is jointly funding and carrying out the programme with the European Union. For the definition phase (1999&amp;#x2013;2000) and some early development work (2001) the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has contributed &amp;#x00A3;7.91 million while my Department has contributed &amp;#x00A3;2.45 million. For the development and validation phase (2002&amp;#x2013;05) which was approved in March by the EU Transport Council, negotiations within ESA over&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;846W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;member states&apos; contributions are still progressing. Funds for the programme are also being provided from the budget of the European Communities to which the UK contributes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10317"&gt;The US has expressed concerns about the security implications of Galileo and, in particular, the problems of signal interference and incompatibility, which could arise with its own Global Positioning System (GPS). As we shared these concerns, in our negotiations within the EU we ensured that these were taken into account. The Transport Council decision emphasises the need for Galileo to be interoperable with GPS and that a co-operation agreement between the EU and the US should be negotiated as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Galileo Programme' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/galileo-programme'></outline>
      <outline id='3586178' text='Mr. Burns&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10318"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many special advisers there were in her Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [46951]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10319"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; There are three special advisers in my Department. For information about salaries I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 April 2002, &lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 11W.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Burns&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10320"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was. [47147]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10321"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001 no special advisers in my Department accompanied Ministers on overseas trips. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2000 is already in the public domain. Details of Government Special Adviser travel for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Special Advisers' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/special-advisers'></outline>
      <outline id='3586179' text='Mr. Burns&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10322"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times Ministers in her Department have travelled abroad at taxpayers&apos; expense since March 2001; what countries they visited; and what the total cost of each visit was. [47109]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10323"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Since 1999 this Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Minister costing &amp;#x00A3;500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers&apos; visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. The 1999 list contained information on all such visits undertaken from 2 May 1997 to 31 April 1999. Details for travel undertaken in the period I April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10324"&gt;All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Ministerial Travel' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/ministerial-travel'></outline>
      <outline id='3586180' text='Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10325"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds have been allocated to regional development agencies; and how those funds will be used. [49857]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Alan Johnson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10326"&gt;The regional development agencies&apos; budgets for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 are as follows:&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Regional development agencies&apos; budgets&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2" align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;#x00A3;000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Total&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;One North East&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;184,738&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North-west DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;273,927&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Yorkshire Forward&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;185,920&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East Midlands DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;100,947&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Advantage West Midlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;191,519&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;East of England DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;76,057&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South-east of England DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;100,130&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South-west of England DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;93,540&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London DA&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;285,396&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,492,174&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="2"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Net of receipts&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10327"&gt;This funding will be used to support activities in relation to the implementation of the RDAs&apos; regional economic strategies and their statutory purposes which are within their regions to: further economic development and the regeneration of the region; promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness; promote employment; enhance the development and application of skills; and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom. From 1 April 2002 the RDA&apos;s have a single budget giving them maximum flexibility to meet their regional priorities, within the fiscal framework for public money, removing unnecessary ring fences and unrealistic programme silos which inhibit true integration and innovative cross cutting approaches.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Regional Development Agencies' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/regional-development-agencies'></outline>
      <outline id='3586181' text='Mr. Key&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10328"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding the Government have provided for the Beagle 2 spacecraft; and if she will make a statement on the mission. [48931]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Hewitt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10329"&gt;Beagle 2 is the British-led lander that it is planned to deploy from the European Space Agency&apos;s Mars Express orbiting spacecraft onto the surface of Mars at new year 2004.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10330"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;UK statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the ONS 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Statistical inquiry&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Frequency&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number of forms in 2001 compliance year&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Earnings and employment&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wages and Salaries&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;99,600&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;New Earnings&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;234,700&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Labour Disputes&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;C&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;287&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;The Quarterly Inquiry into the number of employees in local government (local authority survey)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,800&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Vacancy Rate Inquiry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62,952&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Overseas and financial&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;328&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Unit Trusts Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;82&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Property Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Property Unit Trusts Annual Assets and Liabilities&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;848W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10331"&gt;The overall cost of Beagle 2, not including the ground segment and instruments, is approximately &amp;#x00A3;40 million, with non UK-Government contributions coming from ESA, private sponsorship and investment by a consortium of UK firms and universities. The contribution of the Government are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10332"&gt;Mars Express: &amp;#x00A3;18 million over the period 1998 to 2005 (Department of Trade and Industry and Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, PPARC).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10333"&gt;Beagle 2: The Department of Trade and Industry (including the Office of Science and Technology) has committed up to &amp;#x00A3;18.3 million over the period 2000 to 2003 but this sum may be defrayed by contributions from other partners and investments from the private sector. PPARC has additionally contributed &amp;#x00A3;2.7 million over the period 1998 to 2003 to British universities for the provision of instruments and is currently considering a further contribution of &amp;#x00A3;2.6 million for the ground segment.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Beagle 2' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/beagle-2'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586182' text='TREASURY'>
      <outline id='3586183' text='Mr. Whittingdale&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10334"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the questionnaire forms sent out to UK businesses by the Office for National Statistics in 2001; [48927]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10335"&gt;(2) what estimate he has made of the amount of time taken by business to compile and return information requested by the Office for National Statistics in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [48925]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10336"&gt;Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10337"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Whittingdale, dated 16 April 2002:&lt;/i&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;As national Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions concerning statistical questionnaires sent to businesses by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). (48925, 48927)&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;The time taken by business in 2001 to compile and return the information requested by ONS is estimated to be around 617 thousand hours. There were 1.57 million business inquiry forms despatched during this period. I attach below a table showing the periodicity and annual number of forms for each business inquiry conducted by ONS.&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;Your third question (48926) asks for the split between (a) UK companies, (b) manufacturing companies and (c) distribution and services companies. To provide this will take a special analysis and a reply will follow.&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1020"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;849W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10338"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;UK statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the ONS 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Statistical inquiry&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Frequency&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number of forms in 2001 compliance year&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Investment Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;172&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Investment Trusts Annual Return of Liabilities and Assets and Overseas Income and Interest Paid&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Monthly Inquiry to Credit Grantors&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;290&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Security Dealers Quarterly Return of Liabilities and Assets of Transactions in Securities&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;241&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Security Dealers Quarterly Return of Income and Expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;241&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Assets Financing Quarterly Return of Assets and Liabilities of Transactions&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;532&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Asset Financing Annual Income and Expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term funds, Income and Expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;382&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Funds, Income and Expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;140&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Transactions in Financial Assets&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;382&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual Inquiry into Insurance Companies: Long Term Funds Balance Sheet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;140&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into Pension Funds: Income and Expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,324&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into Pension Funds: Transactions in Financial Assets&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,324&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual Inquiry into Pension Funds: Balance Sheet&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;331&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly foreign direct investment&amp;#x2014;Outward: oil&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,497&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly foreign direct investment&amp;#x2014;Outward: other&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly foreign direct investment&amp;#x2014;Inward: oil&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,922&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly foreign direct investment&amp;#x2014;Inward: other&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual foreign direct investment: Outward&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;786&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual foreign direct investment: Inward&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,797&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Acquisitions and Mergers&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;C/Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Domestic acquisitions and mergers&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;C/Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,570&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into Companies GB Operating Profits&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,510&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Survey of Financial Assets and Liabilities&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,730&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly Inquiry into International Trade and Services&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,800&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual Inquiry into International Trade in Services&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,180&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merchants Inquiry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;213&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Annual Inquiry into International Transactions: Films and Television&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;650&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Survey of Business Enterprise Research and Development Carried out in the UK&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dividends Inquiry including Pilot&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,824&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;ODI Proving&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;AH&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;738&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;E-Commerce Transaction of UK Businesses&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Monthly Inquiry of Internet Service Providers&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,200&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Ship managers&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Distribution and service sector&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;GB cinema exhibitors&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Distribution and service sector&amp;#x2014;Monthly&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;957,337&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Distribution and service sector&amp;#x2014;Quarterly (GAPS)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;27,390&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Monthly retail trades inc. monthly self financed credit and monthly retail commodity inquiries&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58,089&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Retail trades quarterly commodity&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;280&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Product prices and sales sector&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Producer prices indices&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;94,830&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;PPI Rotation&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,110&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Export price indices&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44,727&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Import price indices (inc. import of capital goods)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;22,848&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Corporate service sector price indices (inc. CSPI turnover inquiry)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18,375&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;PRODCOM Quarterly&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13,786&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;PRODCOM Annual&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23,072&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;SERVCOM&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,017&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Production sector&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Monthly production&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;107,968&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Motor vehicles production&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;381&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Engines production&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;96&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly&amp;#x2014;production capital expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;96&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly&amp;#x2014;non-production capital expenditure&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;127,498&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Monthly production stocks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;828&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly production stocks (17)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;29,416&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly construction stocks (16)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13,178&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly retailers&apos; stocks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17,678&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly wholesalers&apos; and dealers&apos; stocks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;16,050&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Quarterly motor traders&apos; stocks&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,637&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Business spending on Capital Goods Survey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;Q&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,499&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Capital Stocks Survey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;935&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Register and proving&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Register Inquiry&amp;#x2014;Annual&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;30,900&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Register Inquiry&amp;#x2014;Other&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17,000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;850W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1021"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;851W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10339"&gt;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3" align="center"&gt;&lt;i&gt;UK statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the ONS 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Statistical inquiry&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Frequency&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number of forms in 2001 compliance year&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Retail prices&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Retail Prices Index&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;M&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,478&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Annual business inquiry&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Employment&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;75,604&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Financial (including purchases)&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;A&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Total&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,570,063&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;AH = ad hoc; A = annual; Q = quarterly: M = monthly; C = continuous; W = weekly; 0 = other.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;The inquiry was not run in 2001. It will resume in 2002.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Includes the collection of quarterly employment figures from existing inquiries.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="3"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;This covers only businesses that complete ONS forms and excludes forms filled in by local prices collectors employed by ONS.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10340"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Notes:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10341"&gt;1. STSD&amp;#x2014;Short Term and Structural Inquiries Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10342"&gt;EED&amp;#x2014;Earnings and Employment Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10343"&gt;SED&amp;#x2014;Socio Economic Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10344"&gt;NEI&amp;#x2014;National Expenditure and Income Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10345"&gt;OFD&amp;#x2014;Overseas and Financial Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10346"&gt;CPGID&amp;#x2014;Consumer Price General Inflators Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10347"&gt;BDD&amp;#x2014;Business Data Division&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10348"&gt;STOID&amp;#x2014;Short Term Outputs and Indicators Division&lt;/p&gt;' title='Office for National Statistics' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/office-for-national-statistics'></outline>
      <outline id='3586184' text='Mr. Laws&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10349"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the yield from capital gains tax in each of the years&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 1996&amp;#x2013;97, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 1997&amp;#x2013;98, (c) 1998&amp;#x2013;99, &lt;i&gt;(d)&lt;/i&gt; 1999&amp;#x2013;2000, &lt;i&gt;(e)&lt;/i&gt; 2000&amp;#x2013;01, &lt;i&gt;(f)&lt;/i&gt; 2001&amp;#x2013;02, &lt;i&gt;(g)&lt;/i&gt; 2002&amp;#x2013;03 (estimated) and &lt;i&gt;(h)&lt;/i&gt; 2003&amp;#x2013;04 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [48804]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10350"&gt;I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 6 December 2001,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 520W. An estimate for 2003&amp;#x2013;04 has not been published.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Capital Gains Tax' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/capital-gains-tax'></outline>
      <outline id='3586185' text='Mr. Laurence Robertson&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10351"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in his Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions he has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within his Department. [50477]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ruth Kelly&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10352"&gt;Smart card technology will be used in the new Treasury building as part of the access control mechanisms, and for "cashless" purchase of catering and vending services. The technology is being provided by Exchequer Partnership as part of the PFI contract for the new building. There have been no direct discussions between the Treasury and the technology supplier.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10353"&gt;More widely, in March 2002, the Treasury implemented two European directives on electronic money, which bring it within the scope of Financial Services Authority regulation. The directives aim to encourage the development of electronic money, in part through increasing business and consumer confidence in it as a new and developing means of payment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10354"&gt;The Treasury is also represented on a working group looking at Government policy towards smart card technology, chaired by the Office of the e-Envoy.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Smart Card Technology' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/smart-card-technology-3'></outline>
      <outline id='3586186' text='Mr. Wray&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10355"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much public sector pay has increased since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [49679]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10356"&gt;Public sector pay has increased by 17.7 per cent. between 1997 and 2001.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Public Sector Pay' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/public-sector-pay'></outline>
      <outline id='3586187' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10357"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Stockport IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49498]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10358"&gt;The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Stockport IR Office Private Finance Initiative is &amp;#x00A3;0.2 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10359"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the National Insurance Recording Systems for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49502]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10360"&gt;The potential savings identified, at the business case stage, of a PFI approach over a traditional procurement for NIRS2, were estimated at &amp;#x00A3;101.7 million. The calculations were based on the traditional procurement approach in place in the Department of Social Security at the time the contract was awarded in April 1995.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10361"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Edinburgh IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49501]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1022"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;853W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10362"&gt;The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Edinburgh IR Office Private Finance Initiative is &amp;#x00A3;0.5 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10363"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Bootle St. John&apos;s House (IR) for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49497]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10364"&gt;The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Bootle IR Office Private Finance Initiative is &amp;#x00A3;1.7 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10365"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the CCTA Metropolitan Telecoms Service by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49665]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10366"&gt;The MTS PFI contract was awarded in November 1996 for a 10-year period. At the time of contract award, a detailed comparison of the PFI bid was carried out against a public sector delivery option. That comparison suggested little difference in the overall cost of the two approaches, but the PFI option was chosen as providing greater flexibility and better risk management. This has been borne out in practice as the range of services and number of users has increased over the life of the contract to date.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10367"&gt;Since 1996 the unit costs of service provision through the contract, as with all telecommunications costs, have fallen in comparison with those modelled in the Public Sector Comparator. However the costs in the PSC have not themselves been updated so that a meaningful comparison is not possible.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10368"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Glasgow IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49500]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10369"&gt;The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Glasgow IR Office Private Finance Initiative is &amp;#x00A3;1.3 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10370"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Newcastle Estate Development Scheme for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49496]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10371"&gt;No public sector comparator was undertaken for this project. Assurance that the Department was achieving value for money was obtained through a competitive tender process. The decision not to undertake a full Public Sector Comparator was consistent with Treasury guidance at that time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10372"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative&lt;col&gt;854W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;contract for Manchester IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49499]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Dawn Primarolo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10373"&gt;The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Manchester IR Office Private Finance Initiative is &amp;#x00A3;0.7 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Private Finance Initiative' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/private-finance-initiative-2'></outline>
      <outline id='3586188' text='Harry Cohen&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10374"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; legislation and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; other measures he is considering in respect of those countries which fail to meet the OECD&apos;s deadline for reform in order to comply with anti-money laundering requirements; and if he will make a statement. [48887]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ruth Kelly&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10375"&gt;The Financial Action Task Force has issued a list of countries that have been found not to be compliant with international anti-money laundering standards. In common with other FATF members, the UK has issued an advisory to all UK financial institutions warning them to pay particular attention to all transactions involving natural or legal persons resident or domiciled in listed jurisdictions. The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group, an industry body issuing good practice advice on money laundering, has issued advice that has been agreed with HM Treasury as appendix D to its guidance notes to the financial sector. This advice is available on the internet at www.jmIsg.org.uk. Where FATF has agreed that further countermeasures should be applied because insufficient progress has been made, the Government have issued further advice to the financial sector and more generally. To date, only Nauru has been subject to such additional countermeasures. The measures agreed by FATF are:&lt;quote&gt;(a) stringent requirements for identifying clients are enhancement of advisories, including jurisdiction-specific financial advisories, to financial institutions for identification of the beneficial owners before business relationships are established with individuals or companies from these countries;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;(b) enhanced relevant reporting mechanisms or systematic reporting of financial transactions on the basis that financial transactions with such countries are more likely to be suspicious;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;(C) in considering requests for approving the establishment in FATF member countries of subsidiaries or branches or representative offices of banks, taking into account the fact that the relevant bank is from an NCCT;&lt;/quote&gt;&#x000A;&lt;quote&gt;(d) warning non-financial sector businesses that transactions with entities within the NCCTs might run the risk of money laundering.&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10376"&gt;A copy of the further advice on Nauru is also available from the JMLSG and Treasury websites.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Money Laundering' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/money-laundering'></outline>
      <outline id='3586189' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10377"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions. [49147]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Boateng&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10378"&gt;A large number of staff in the Departments and agencies responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer will have contributed to the drafting of answers to the 10,625 parliamentary questions answered&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1023"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;855W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;by Treasury Ministers between April 1999 and March 2002. It is not possible to estimate the number of people involved.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Parliamentary Questions' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/parliamentary-questions-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586190' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10379"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the financial contribution made to the United Kingdom economy by members of the Baltic Exchange. [49473]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ruth Kelly&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10380"&gt;The Government value the contribution made to the UK economy by the Baltic Exchange and the supporting maritime services that are located in the UK. International Financial Services London (IFSL) have estimated that the Baltic Exchange and its associated ship brokers contributed &amp;#x00A3;327 million to the UK&apos;s overseas earnings in 2000.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Baltic Exchange' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/baltic-exchange'></outline>
      <outline id='3586191' text='Miss McIntosh&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10381"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the quarry industry and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; brick-makers concerning the introduction of the aggregates levy; and if he will make a statement. [50020]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Boateng&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10382"&gt;A number of discussions have recently been held at both ministerial and official level with representatives of the aggregates and associated industries throughout the UK about the implementation of the aggregates levy.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Aggregates Levy' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/aggregates-levy'></outline>
      <outline id='3586192' text='Mr. Howard&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10383"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he received the final Wanless report. [50642]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10384"&gt;Derek Wanless formally submitted his final report to the Chancellor on 15 April.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Barbara Follett&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10385"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish Derek Wanless&apos;s final report on long-term health trends. [51014]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Andrew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10386"&gt;The report will be published at 9.30 am on 17 April. Copies will be available in the Vote Office.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Wanless Report' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/wanless-report'></outline>
      <outline id='3586193' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10387"&gt;To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 2002&amp;#x2013;03. [43273]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ruth Kelly&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10388"&gt;Figures for 2001&amp;#x2013;02 and 2002&amp;#x2013;03 are not yet available. There are currently five special advisers appointed under special adviser terms and conditions and in line with the ministerial code.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10389"&gt;These figures do not include the Council of Economic Advisers.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Secial Advisers' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/secial-advisers'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586194' text='SOLICITOR-GENERAL'>
      <outline id='3586195' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10390"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General how many people have been employed by her Department in each of&lt;col&gt;856W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;the last three years under &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; the new deal for young people, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the new deal for the over-50s and (c) the new deal for lone parents; and at what cost, listed by category. to public funds. [44912]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10391"&gt;The Solicitor-General &lt;i&gt;(holding answer 25 March 2002):&lt;/i&gt; My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, has not employed any persons under the new deal schemes during the last three years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10392"&gt;In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10393"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10394"&gt;In each of the last three years, the CPS has employed two people under the new deal scheme. The recruitment exercises were for the new deal scheme in general and were not specific to any of the categories identified. Both officers were offered a one-year fixed term contract (unsubsidised) as a Level A2 (Administrative Officer), and placed on the band minimum for that level. The posts were advertised through local job centres and, therefore, there were no costs to the Department.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10395"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10396"&gt;The Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department has not employed any persons under the given new deal categories during the last three years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10397"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Serious Fraud Office&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10398"&gt;The Serious Fraud Office has not employed any persons under the given new deal categories during the last three years.&lt;/p&gt;' title='New Deal' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/new-deal-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586196' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10399"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; legal fees to defend cases and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; compensation payments. [45062]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Solicitor-General&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10400"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 25 March 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; In relation to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, no cases have been brought against the Department under the Human Rights Act 1998.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10401"&gt;In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10402"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10403"&gt;The Crown Prosecution Service does not monitor centrally those cases that include a claim under the Human Rights Act, or collect information centrally in relation to the cost of these cases in terms of legal fees to defend the cases or compensation payments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10404"&gt;In general, claimants bring actions against the Crown Prosecution Service in two ways: by claiming malicious prosecution and/or negligence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10405"&gt;Some of these claims refer to the Human Rights Act 1998.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10406"&gt;No records of cases against the Crown Prosecution Service are kept and the Department does not collect separate information centrally about the cost of legal fees and compensation payments in these cases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1024"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;857W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10407"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10408"&gt;The Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department conducts litigation on behalf of many Government Departments but does not hold central records identifying all cases in which the Human Rights Act is relied upon. In relation to those cases where the Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department is a party to litigation, the position is the same. Human rights are now integrated into the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a legal challenge. In relation to those cases brought against the Department, two have been identified which included human rights points.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10409"&gt;The Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department does not collect separate information centrally about the cost of legal fees or compensation payments in cases which include human rights issues. In most cases it will be difficult to single out associated costs relating to the human rights element of a case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10410"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Serious Fraud Office&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10411"&gt;The Serious Fraud Office knows of no cases where the actions of its members or the use of its statutory powers have been challenged under the Human Rights Act. However, the Act permits Convention points to be raised, either by themselves or together with domestic law, in support of legal argument in criminal proceedings, or in judicial review applications. Obviously, since the implementation of the Act, Convention points have been raised frequently in litigation in SFO cases, principally in support of complaints of unreasonable delay. It is impossible to separate the cost of defending Human Rights Act arguments from prosecution costs generally but neither do we consider that there would be any justifiable case for doing so.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Human Rights Act' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/human-rights-act'></outline>
      <outline id='3586197' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10412"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General what the target time will be in 2002&amp;#x2013;03 for&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; Ministers to reply to letters from hon. Members and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; officials in her Department to reply to letters received directly from members of the public. [44957]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Solicitor-General&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10413"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 25 March 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, the target for replies to letters from hon. Members is 15 working days from the date of receipt and 20 working days from the date of receipt to reply to letters from members of the public.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10414"&gt;In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10415"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10416"&gt;In 2002&amp;#x2013;03 the target for ministerial replies to letters from hon. Members will be 15 working days from the date of receipt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10417"&gt;The Crown Prosecution Service has a target for responses to complaints from members of the public. The target for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 is to increase to 94 per cent. the proportion of replies to complaints which are made within 10 days.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10418"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10419"&gt;The Treasury Solicitor, as Chief Executive of the Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department Agency, replies to letters from hon. Members concerning the business of the Agency. She will in 2002&amp;#x2013;03 continue to aim to do so substantively within 15 working days of receipt of such letters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;858W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10420"&gt;Only the Bona Vacantia Division of the agency receives appreciable quantities of letters direct from members of the public. It has targets for 2002&amp;#x2013;03 of acknowledging letters within five working days of the date of receipt and dispatching, in 80 per cent. of cases, substantive replies within 20 working days of that date.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10421"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Serious Fraud Office&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10422"&gt;Under the Citizen&apos;s Charter, the SFO has accepted targets for dealing with correspondence and agreed to monitor achievement. These targets are that all correspondence from members of the public should be disposed of within four weeks of receipt and that correspondence from hon. Members should be disposed of within three weeks of receipt. The SFO exceeds these targets in virtually all instances. Most correspondents receive a reply within a single working week.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Correspondence' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/correspondence'></outline>
      <outline id='3586198' text='Mr. Blunt&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10423"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department since 23 January in connection with the Saville Inquiry. [46145]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Solicitor-General&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10424"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 26 March 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department carries out legal work for other Departments, such as the Ministry of Defence, on a full cost recovery basis. While substantial work has been done by the Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department in relation to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, in so far as that work is directly connected with the Inquiry, the cost will be recovered, or has been recovered, from the client Department or Departments represented.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10425"&gt;The Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department has provided representation before the Inquiry for two ex-members of staff. No costs have been incurred in respect of this representation since 23 January 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10426"&gt;The Attorney General and staff at the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers have been involved in one matter relating to the Bloody sunday Inquiry since 23 January 2002 which concerned the scope of the undertaking given to witnesses appearing before the Inquiry. Such advice forms part of the usual work of the Department and the cost cannot be separately assessed.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Saville Inquiry' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/saville-inquiry'></outline>
      <outline id='3586199' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10427"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General what recent assessment she has made of whether the PSA target for the Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department to achieve a reduction in average unit costs per chargeable hour in Litigation Division in real terms will be met by March. [47888]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Solicitor-General&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10428"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 9 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department&apos;s 2002 departmental report.&lt;/p&gt;' title='PSAs' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/psas'></outline>
      <outline id='3586200' text='Mr. Burns&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10429"&gt;To ask the Solicitor-General how many press officers there were in her Department on&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 1 May 1997 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; the latest available date. [46887]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Solicitor-General&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10430"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, and the Treasury Solicitor&apos;s Department, share a single press officer who also acts as Private Secretary to the Attorney General. In relation to those two Departments the answer is &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; one; and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; one.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1025"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;859W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10431"&gt;On 1 May 1997 there were 5.5 press officers in the Crown Prosecution Service press office. A Head of Communications post was created later that year. In April 2002 there were four press officers and a Head of Communications.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10432"&gt;On 1 May 1997 the Serious Fraud Office had two press officers. It now has three.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Press Officers' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/press-officers'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586201' text="LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT">
      <outline id='3586202' text='Mr. George Howarth&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10433"&gt;To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor&apos;s Department how many complaints she has received from&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; hon. Members and&#x000A;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Hon. Members&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Table A&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1998&amp;#x2013;99&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1999&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000&amp;#x2013;01&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Trust Office&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;144&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Guardianship Office&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;93&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Land Registry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Record Office&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;0&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;The Public Trust Office ceased to exist on 31 March 2001.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Not available.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;The Public Guardianship Office was created on 1 April 2001.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;table type="span"&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Members of the public&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Table B&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1998&amp;#x2013;99&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1999&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000&amp;#x2013;01&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lord Chancellor&apos;s Department HQ&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Trust Office&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;344&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Guardianship Office&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;492&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Land Registry&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;554&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;799&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;749&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;575&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Public Record Office&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;128&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;76&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Not available.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;The Public Trust Office ceased to exist on 31 March 2001.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;The Public Guardianship Office was created on 1 April 2001.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Complaints' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/complaints'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586203' text='PRIME MINISTER'>
      <outline id='3586204' text='Mr. Yeo&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10434"&gt;To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; number and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; total cost of television licences paid for by his Department. [48366]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Prime Minister&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10435"&gt;I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office today.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Television Licences' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/television-licences-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586205' text='Llew Smith&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10436"&gt;To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the reasons why he did not publish the dossier on the status of Iraq&apos;s weapons programmes. [49843]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Prime Minister&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10437"&gt;We have already placed some evidence concerning Iraq&apos;s programmes in the Library of the House. When the time is right, we shall release further material, including the threat posed by the development of weapons of mass destruction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10438"&gt;The Government believe it important that we should divulge as much information to the public as we&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;860W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10439"&gt;&lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; members of the public about the service from her Department for each of the last 36 months; and if she will make a statement. [30850]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Ms Rosie Winterton&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10440"&gt;The records kept centrally by the Lord Chancellor&apos;s Department of correspondence received from hon. Members in each of the last 36 months do not distinguish those which are complaints. This information which is available is set out in Table A. More detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10441"&gt;The statistics available for complaints by members of the public for each of the last three calendar years, and from 1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001, are set out in Table B. Statistics for the courts as a whole are not held centrally and again could be provided only at disproportionate cost.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10442"&gt;can without prejudicing sensitive sources, including intelligence reporting. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Iraq' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/iraq-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586206' text='Mr. Collins&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10443"&gt;To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he discussed&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; human rights in Egypt, &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; progress towards democracy in Egypt and &lt;i&gt;(c)&lt;/i&gt; the state of social inequality in Egypt with President Mubarak in December 2001; [48779]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10444"&gt;(2) when his meeting with the President of Egypt in December 2001 was arranged; [48772]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10445"&gt;(3) if he discussed &lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; UK and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; EU overseas aid programmes to Egypt during his meeting with President Mubarak in December 2001. [48780]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Prime Minister&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10446"&gt; I discussed a range of issues with President Mubarak at an informal occasion arranged during the course of my family holiday to Egypt.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Egypt' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/egypt'></outline>
    </outline>
    <outline id='3586207' text='HOME DEPARTMENT'>
      <outline id='3586208' text='Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10447"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Criminal Cases Review Commission reaches its projections for improved performance. [45572]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10448"&gt;The commission&apos;s projections are based on performance over a rolling 12-month period, projected forward over the coming 12 months. The table shows the annual case completions since 31 March 1997, when the commission started case working. The commission began by working almost exclusively on the Home Office and Northern Ireland Office transfers. Stage 1 eligibility review was developed during 1997&amp;#x2013;98, and the Stage 2 Screen process was introduced in May 1999, following development as a pilot process between August 1998 and April 1999. The Stage 2 Screen has allowed the commission to complete about 1,000 cases in 1999&amp;#x2013;2000, 1,100, in 2000&amp;#x2013;01 and 1,200 in 2001&amp;#x2013;02. The number of cases waiting in trays has been reduced from a maximum of 1,208 cases in May 1999 to about 330 by 31 March 2002.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10449"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5" align="center"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Case review statistics for 1997&amp;#x2013;2002&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Completions&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Completions&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Under review&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;In trays&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1997&amp;#x2013;98&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;310&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;310&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;217&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;855&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1998&amp;#x2013;99&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;492&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;802&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;440&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,177&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;1999&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,015&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,817&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;465&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;914&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2000&amp;#x2013;01&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,109&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,926&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;487&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;582&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;2001&amp;#x2013;02&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;1,197&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;4,123&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;369&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;330&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Cumulative&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Estimated&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10450"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Criminal Cases Review Commission has taken to enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system; and how it measures its progress. [45570]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10451"&gt;The commission publishes an annual report that provides an account of its activities. Since 31 March 2002 will mark completion of the commission&apos;s first five years of casework, the 2001&amp;#x2013;02 report will summarise the progress made over this period, and highlight some of the most significant case referrals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10452"&gt;In July 1997, the commission organised a meeting at which a number of stakeholders expressed their views on miscarriages and how to conduct effective case reviews. Another such meeting is being planned for 2003. In addition the chairman and chief executive will be appearing before the Home Affairs Committee on 30 April 2003.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10453"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Criminal Cases Review Commission has taken to promote the public&apos;s understanding of its role; and how it measures its progress. [45569]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;862W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10454"&gt;The commission has taken a number of measures to promote the public&apos;s understanding of its role. These include: the revision of its Information Pack in the light of its growing experience; the expansion and monitoring of its website; and the publication of its annual report, which summarises progress and highlights the most significant referrals. It also held a meeting at which a number of stakeholders expressed their views on miscarriages of justice and how to conduct effective case reviews. Another such meeting is planned for next year. The commission has no reliable index of progress to improve public understanding of its role.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10455"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Criminal Cases Review Commission defines a substantial issue for review. [45576]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10456"&gt;Substantial issues are those that require more than five Case Review Manager days of effort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10457"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the stakeholders are of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. [45568]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10458"&gt;Stakeholders include:&lt;quote&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;potential applicants and their representatives;&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;courts of appeal (as recipients of referrals);&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Court of Appeal (as a referring body);&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) (in relation to Her Majesty&apos;s Prerogative of Mercy);&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;the Criminal Justice System and its agencies; and&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;the Government represented by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Home Department (Mr. Blunkett) and Northern Ireland (Dr. Reid).&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10459"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the precise process modifications made by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to achieve its goals. [45571]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10460"&gt;About 30 per cent. of the applications to the Commission are found to be ineligible at Stage 1. During 2001&amp;#x2013;02, the Process Improvement Project (PIP) 1 recommended several actions to reduce this proportion, particularly improved communications, and further encouragement to prospective applicants to seek legal advice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10461"&gt;The time to review cases at Stage 1, Stage 2 Screen and Stages 2&amp;#x2013;3 depends on such factors as the availability of files and other materials, timeliness of responses from applicants and their advisers, and delays in obtaining expert reports. PIP 2 has been concerned with minimising these delays. In that regard, the Government announced&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1027"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;863W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;on 5 March 2001 that a &amp;#x00A3;350,000 joint proposal from the commission and the Court of Appeal (to the Invest to Save scheme) for the electronic transfer of files had been successful. Work is still in progress on this project.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10462"&gt;A goal for 2001&amp;#x2013;02 was to minimise the case accumulation at Stage 2 Screen. This will be achieved by 31 March 2002, or soon afterwards, and will be followed by reorganisation of Stage 2 Screen for steady-state operation. In future, some Stage 2 Screen cases will be distributed to case review managers outside the Stage 2 Screen group, to optimise their case portfolios.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10463"&gt;During 2000&amp;#x2013;01, the commission implemented a computerised case management information (Vectus) and completed the necessary data migration. Since 1 April 2001, the benefits (of improved case management, with greatly reduced labour in tracking the progress of individual cases and in presenting casework statistics) have begun to flow.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Criminal Cases Review Commission' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/criminal-cases-review-commission'></outline>
      <outline id='3586209' text='Mrs. Curtis-Thomas&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10464"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statistical and performance indicators for casework produced by the Vectus information system in 2001&amp;#x2013;02. [45581]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10465"&gt;Currently the Commission uses Vectus to provide monthly statistics on:&lt;quote&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Case Intake&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Case Completions at all Stages&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Cases under review.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/quote&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Vectus' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/vectus'></outline>
      <outline id='3586210' text='Mr. Gerrard&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10466"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Walthamstow will receive a response to his letters regarding Mr. V. Poci (DEV/7050/929), sent on 25 October 2000 and 14 November 2001. [43773]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Angela Eagle&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10467"&gt;I wrote to my hon. Friend on 15 April 2002. I am sorry for the delay in replying.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Kaufman&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10468"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 30 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Jamila Malik. [47767]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Blunkett&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10469"&gt;I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 12 April 2002.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Correspondence' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/correspondence-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586211' text='Mrs. May&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10470"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals aged between&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; 10 and 11 and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; 12 and 17 years were (i) cautioned and (ii) sentenced for indictable offences in each year since 1997 in each police force area in England and Wales. [45588]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10471"&gt;The information requested, from the Home Office Court Proceedings and Cautions Database, is shown in the table.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10472"&gt;Information on cautions and court proceedings for 2001 will be available in the autumn.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;864W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10473"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Juveniles cautioned&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and sentenced for indictable offences, by police force area, 1997&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Cautioned&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sentenced&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Police force&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1997&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Avon and Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,092&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;728&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bedfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;67&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;911&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;366&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cambridgeshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;708&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;495&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cheshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,006&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;805&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cleveland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;166&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,447&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.026&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;77&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;689&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;572&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Derbyshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;935&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;620&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Devon and Cornwall&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;33&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,478&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;640&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;443&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;237&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Durham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;658&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;877&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Essex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;102&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,909&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.195&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gloucestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;852&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;363&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greater Manchester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;318&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,512&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;27&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,198&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hampshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;131&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,559&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,313&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hertfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;940&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;415&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Humberside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;123&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1.265&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;838&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;143&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,090&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,424&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lancashire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;145&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,711&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,573&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Leicestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;33&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;846&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;892&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lincolnshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;51&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;855&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;466&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London, City of&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;83&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merseyside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;85&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,944&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,578&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Metropolitan police&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;327&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9,864&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,874&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norfolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;122&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,418&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;486&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northamptonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;250&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;404&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;501&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,923&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,245&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;20&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;548&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;484&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Nottinghamshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;174&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,753&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,285&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;91&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;970&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,407&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Staffordshire&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;219&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,606&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;850&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Suffolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;823&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;441&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Surrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;900&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;380&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sussex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,696&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;747&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thames Valley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,221&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,091&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Warwickshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;31&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;691&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;304&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Mercia&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,330&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;687&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Midlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;359&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,030&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,573&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;242&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,618&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,524&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;834&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;367&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dyfed Powys&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;794&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;404&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gwent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;101&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,201&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;679&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;680&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;463&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,054&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,677&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;England and Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,575&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;69,137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;304&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45,997&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1998&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Avon and Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;66&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,106&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;620&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bedfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;767&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;386&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cambridgeshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;753&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;524&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cheshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,325&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;881&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cleveland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;155&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,134&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;18&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;988&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;77&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;703&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;590&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Derbyshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;823&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;650&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Devon and Cornwall&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,266&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;642&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;27&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;664&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;332&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Durham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;69&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;581&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;846&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Essex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;94&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,816&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;17&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,178&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gloucestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;973&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;299&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greater Manchester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;436&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,476&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,194&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hampshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;181&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,224&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;24&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,826&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hertfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;791&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;401&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Humberside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;125&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,492&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;922&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;197&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,256&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,631&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lancashire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;126&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,817&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,589&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Leicestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;957&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;870&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lincolnshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;809&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;549&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London, City of&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;57&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merseyside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;116&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,138&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,641&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Metropolitan police&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;680&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12,727&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;23&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,260&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norfolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,050&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;547&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northamptonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;331&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;601&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;437&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,443&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,819&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;755&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;486&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Nottinghamshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;197&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,764&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,300&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;87&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,137&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,336&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Staffordshire&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;206&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,431&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;927&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1028"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;865W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10474"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Juveniles cautioned&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and sentenced for indictable offences, by police force area, 1997&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Cautioned&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sentenced&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Police force&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Suffolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;62&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;870&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;401&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Surrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;962&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;367&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sussex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,379&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;789&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thames Valley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,176&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,102&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Warwickshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;668&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;305&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Mercia&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;75&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,379&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;755&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Midlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;337&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,592&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,869&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;237&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,705&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;41&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,833&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;816&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;511&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dyfed Powys&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;857&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;441&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gwent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;100&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,292&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;661&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;77&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;801&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;502&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;119&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,001&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,764&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;England and Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5,121&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;72,064&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;421&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49,136&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;1999&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Avon and Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,245&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;662&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bedfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;54&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;762&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;373&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cambridgeshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;626&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;655&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cheshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,085&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;779&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cleveland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;104&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;937&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;974&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;61&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;810&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;620&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Derbyshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;43&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;761&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;671&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Devon and Cornwall&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,335&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;671&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;637&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;387&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Durham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;557&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,014&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Essex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;98&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,434&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,107&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gloucestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;793&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;318&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greater Manchester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;379&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,381&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,419&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hampshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;215&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,513&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;42&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,100&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hertfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;846&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;435&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Humberside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;98&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,139&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;981&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;146&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,078&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,480&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lancashire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;113&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,629&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,570&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Leicestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;884&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;812&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lincolnshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;28&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;629&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;525&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London, City of&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merseyside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;116&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,933&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,436&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Metropolitan police&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;543&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10,894&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,380&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norfolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;746&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;13&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;578&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northamptonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;337&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;645&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;358&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,905&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,763&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;39&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;806&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;649&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Nottinghamshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;148&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,492&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,350&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;125&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,371&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;25&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,451&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Staffordshire&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;107&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,104&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;792&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Suffolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;667&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;451&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Surrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;961&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;362&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sussex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,597&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;705&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thames Valley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;86&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,585&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,052&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Warwickshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;26&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;558&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;368&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Mercia&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,200&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;15&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;822&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Midlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;376&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,984&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,821&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;264&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,598&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;50&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,921&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;841&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;421&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dyfed Powys&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;72&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;906&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;399&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gwent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;98&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,032&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;660&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;77&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;834&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;574&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;135&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,661&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;22&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,793&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;England and Wales woo&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,664&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65,152&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;602&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49,947&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Avon and Somerset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;58&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,171&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;761&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Bedfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;34&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;582&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;349&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cambridgeshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;654&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;550&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cheshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;37&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;860&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;772&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cleveland&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;79&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;769&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;862&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;533&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;551&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Derbyshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;64&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;732&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;674&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Devon and Cornwall&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;135&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,598&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;784&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dorset&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;36&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;696&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;341&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Durham&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;47&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;579&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;915&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Essex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;99&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,292&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,009&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gloucestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;56&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;840&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;359&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Greater Manchester&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;275&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,193&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,841&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hampshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;204&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,146&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,965&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;col&gt;866W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10475"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="5"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Juveniles cautioned&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; &lt;i&gt;and sentenced for indictable offences, by police force area, 1997&amp;#x2013;2000&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Cautioned&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="center" colspan="2"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sentenced&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Police force&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 10&amp;#x2013;11&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Age 12&amp;#x2013;17&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Hertfordshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,101&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;547&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Humberside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;95&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,026&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;912&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Kent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;148&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,069&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,289&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lancashire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;109&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,696&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,637&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Leicestershire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;703&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;10&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;798&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Lincolnshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;38&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;495&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;452&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;London, City of&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;65&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Merseyside&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;63&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,182&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;12&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,508&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Metropolitan police&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;438&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8,978&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;45&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6,447&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Norfolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,016&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;432&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northamptonshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;55&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;736&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;501&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Northumbria&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;353&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,702&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;49&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,262&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;35&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;644&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;6&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;563&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Nottinghamshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;134&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,395&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;21&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,372&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;77&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,099&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;25&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,429&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Staffordshire&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;104&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,234&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&amp;#x2014;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Suffolk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;80&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;940&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;427&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Surrey&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;19&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;559&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;5&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;415&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Sussex&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;83&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,588&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;7&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;756&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Thames Valley&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;131&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,334&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;9&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,221&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Warwickshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;30&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;481&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;300&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Mercia&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;120&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,275&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;774&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Midlands&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;264&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3,581&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;53&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,076&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;West Yorkshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;284&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,662&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;71&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2,460&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Wiltshire&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;74&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;930&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;3&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;444&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Dyfed Powys&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;75&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;850&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;2&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;317&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Gwent&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;76&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;814&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;8&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;643&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;North Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;68&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;666&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;11&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;582&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;South Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;81&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,478&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;14&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;1,640&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;England and Wales&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;4,392&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;59,944&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;599&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;48,661&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Includes reprimands and final warnings which replaced cautions for juveniles from 1 June 2000, having been piloted in seven police force areas from September 1998.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td colspan="5"&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been included in the total only.&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Young Offenders' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/young-offenders'></outline>
      <outline id='3586212' text='Mr. Crausby&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10476"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the requirement to take Polaroid photographs during fingerprint retrieval at the scene of a crime was introduced. [30706]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Denham&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10477"&gt;There is no actual requirement to take Polaroid photographs during finerprint retrieval the scene of a crime, although it is considered good practice to take a Polaroid or some other photograph as a means of recording the location of any fingerprints found at the scene. Their location can be recorded in the form of a sketch or some other manuscript description. Unfortunately, the information I gave in my answer of 29 November 2001,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 1123W, supplied by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in good faith, was inaccurate and I apologise for this error.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Fingerprinting' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/fingerprinting'></outline>
      <outline id='3586213' text='Mr. Evans&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10478"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum capacity is for each prison in Wales; and how many prisoners are held in each prison. [45795]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Beverley Hughes&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10479"&gt;On 22 March 2002, the operational capacity and number of prisoners held for each prison in Wales were as shown in the table.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1029"/&gt;&lt;col&gt;867W&lt;/col&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10480"&gt;&lt;table&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;&lt;i&gt;Prison&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Operational capacity&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Number of prisoners&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Cardiff&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;669&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;667&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Pare&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;968&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;968&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Prescoed&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;128&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;116&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Swansea&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;366&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;344&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td&gt;Usk&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;220&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;td align="right"&gt;215&lt;/td&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/tr&gt;&#x000A;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title='Prisons (Wales)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/prisons-wales'></outline>
      <outline id='3586214' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10481"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest assessment is of progress on the PSA target to improve literacy and numeracy skills of prisoners discharged from their sentence. [47216]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Beverley Hughes&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10482"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Our most recent data suggest that there will be a shortfall on meeting our Service Delivery Agreement target to achieve 18,000 basic skills qualifications in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 by around 10 per cent. Nevertheless, this is still a major increase over the 12,500 basic skills qualifications achieved by prisoners in the previous year, and all of the qualifications achieved in 2001&amp;#x2013;02 will be at Level 2.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Prisoners (Literacy and Numeracy)' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/prisoners-literacy-and-numeracy'></outline>
      <outline id='3586215' text='Mrs. Brooke&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10483"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his answer of 27 February 2002,&lt;i&gt;Official Report&lt;/i&gt;, column 1393W, on female imprisonment, when statistics for 2001 on the number of women appearing before the courts and their subsequent sentences will be made available. [46607]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Beverley Hughes&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10484"&gt;Statistics on court proceedings and sentencing in 2001 will be published by December 2002 in "Criminal statistics, England and Wales 2001".&lt;/p&gt;' title='Female Imprisonment' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/female-imprisonment'></outline>
      <outline id='3586216' text='Bob Russell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10485"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the team preparing the report on the Victims&apos; Charter Consultation; what its terms of reference are; when its work is expected to commence; and when the report will be published. [46479]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10486"&gt;A summary of responses to the consultation process on the Review of the Victims&apos; Charter was placed in the Library and published on the Home Office website in July 2001.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10487"&gt;The Victims&apos; Charter Review Implementation Group first met on 2 October 2001. Its terms of reference are:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10488"&gt;To complete the third stage of the Review of the Victims&apos; Charter by October 2002; including making recommendations on the introduction of rights for victims, a Victims&apos; Ombudsman/Commissioner, the feasibility of a victims&apos; fund and other related policy matters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10489"&gt;The Victims&apos; Charter Review Implementation Group is made up of representatives of the following Government Departments, organisations and victims&apos; groups:&#x000A;&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office Justice and Victims Unit&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office National Probation Directorate&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office Research and Statistics Unit Association of Chief Police Officers&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Her Majesty&apos;s Inspectorate of Probation&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;868W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Prison Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Court Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Criminal Cases Review Commission&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Lord Chancellor&apos;s Department&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Justices&apos; Clerk&apos;s Society&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Magistrates&apos; Association&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Victim Support&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Judiciary.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10490"&gt;The Group&apos;s work, and that of its subsidiary Groups working on the Victims&apos; Ombudsman/Commissioner and the inclusion of victims of road traffic incidents within the scope of the Victims&apos; Charter, is well under way. It will be reporting its conclusions later this year, and I expect to make an announcement in the autumn.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Bob Russell&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10491"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Victims&apos; Charter Implementation Group, and the departments, organisations and victim groups which they represent. [46491]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10492"&gt;The Victims&apos; Charter Review Implementation Group meets quarterly and its membership is comprised of representatives from the following departments, organisations and victims groups:&lt;ul&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office Justice and Victims Unit&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office National Probation Directorate&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Home Office Research and Statistics Unit&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Association of Chief Police Officers&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Her Majesty&apos;s Inspectorate of Probation&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Prison Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;The Court Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Criminal Cases Review Commission&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Crown Prosecution Service&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Lord Chancellor&apos;s Department&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Justices&apos; Clerk&apos;s Society&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Magistrates&apos; Association&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Victim Support&lt;/li&gt;&#x000A;&lt;li&gt;Judiciary.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;' title="Victims' Charter" type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/victims-charter'></outline>
      <outline id='3586217' text='Harry Cohen&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10493"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence the SFO provided in answer to Nigerian and Swiss requests for assistance in the case of alleged money laundering using UK financial institutions by the late General Abacha; and if he will make a statement. [39004]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Blunkett&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10494"&gt;Ordinarily it is practice not to comment on international requests for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters as they concern on-going criminal proceedings. However, the fact of these requests have been acknowledged publicly by the Federal Government of Nigeria and in proceedings before the High Court.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10495"&gt;Four requests for assistance were received from the Swiss authorities relating to criminal investigation of, inter alia, fraud and money laundering allegedly committed in violation of Swiss law. In execution of three&#x000A;&lt;image src="S6CV0383P0I1030"/&gt;&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;869W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;of the requests, evidential material was transmitted by the Home Office to the Swiss authorities on 18 October 2001. The remaining request is being processed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10496"&gt;The request from the Federal Government of Nigeria, which concerns criminal investigations and proceedings relating to allegations of corruption and theft of public funds in Nigeria, is being processed. Prior to a decision of the Divisional Court, handed down on 18 October 2001, a High Court injunction prohibited my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr. Blunkett) dealing with the request. The Federal Government of Nigeria has indicated through its solicitors that it is pleased with the way in which its request is being dealt with by the Government.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Money Laundering' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/money-laundering-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586218' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10497"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of whether the target percentage improvements in the satisfaction of&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; victims and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; witnesses with their treatment in the criminal justice system will be met by March. [47409]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10498"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The 2002 British Crime Survey and the 2002 Witness Satisfaction Survey will determine whether the targets for improvements of victim and witness satisfaction levels have been met. These surveys will be carried out shortly and the results will be available later in the year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10499"&gt;As an interim indicator, the 2001 British Crime Survey showed that the satisfaction level of victims had remained similar, at 58 per cent., to the result from the 2000 Survey.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10500"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the PSA target to increase public confidence in the fairness of the criminal justice system will be measured; and if he expects the target to be met by March. [47229]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10501"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; The Public Service Agreement (PSA) target is to promote confidence in the criminal justice system. It will be measured through questions to the public in the British Crime Survey. The target is due to be specified in terms of a percentage increase later this year. The target date is 2004.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Criminal Justice' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/criminal-justice'></outline>
      <outline id='3586219' text='Mr. Andrew Turner&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10502"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which criminal cases it is possible for the prosecution to appeal against&lt;i&gt;(a)&lt;/i&gt; conviction and &lt;i&gt;(b)&lt;/i&gt; sentence; and what proposals he has to extend the list of such cases. [47122]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10503"&gt;There are no powers for the prosecution to appeal against conviction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10504"&gt;At present, under the provisions of Sections 35 and 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 the Attorney-General has power to refer to the Court of Appeal cases where the sentence imposed appears to be unduly lenient. The power applies to sentences passed in the Crown court in relation to all indictable offences and to certain triable either way offences specified in orders made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr. Blunkett) under section 35(4) of the 1988 Act. The latter applies to offences of indecent&#x000A;&lt;col&gt;870W&lt;/col&gt;&#x000A;assault, threats to kill, cruelty to children and serious fraud sentenced in the Crown court, including those committed for sentence after conviction in magistrates courts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10505"&gt;An order extending the Attorney-General&apos;s powers in relation to unduly lenient sentences came into effect on 21 August 2000, and applies to sentences passed after that date. This enables the Attorney-General to refer to the Crown court, sentences imposed for offences of illegal trafficking in drugs and pornographic material involving children and offences specifically against children (unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16, inciting a girl under 16 to have incestuous intercourse and indecent conduct towards a young child). The Government will keep under review whether further extensions should be made in future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10506"&gt;The Government are also committed to reforming the double jeopardy rule for murder cases, which would enable the prosecution to reopen proceedings following an acquittal, in certain circumstances. We are considering the nature and extent of this reform in light of the Law Commission&apos;s report, and Sir Robin Auld&apos;s review of the criminal courts.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Criminal Appeals' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/criminal-appeals'></outline>
      <outline id='3586220' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10507"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the measurable criteria are for the PSA target to ensure just processes and just and effective outcomes; and if he expects the target to be met by March. [47230]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mr. Keith Bradley&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10508"&gt; &lt;i&gt;[holding answer 10 April 2002]:&lt;/i&gt; Ensuring just processes and just and effective outcomes is one of the key objectives in the 2001&amp;#x2013;02 Criminal Justice Business Plan. It will be measured using the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the rate of re-conviction of all offenders punished by imprisonment or by community supervision by 5 per cent. by 2004 compared to the predicted rate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10509"&gt;Reducing the rate of re-conviction is one of this Government&apos;s key delivery priorities with a delivery plan in place. The delivery strands which will contribute towards the target have been selected on the principles of &apos;What Works&apos; based on research evidence of effectiveness. The delivery strands are being monitored regularly to assess progress towards achieving this target, which is not due to be met until March 2004.&lt;/p&gt;' title='Performance Targets' type='link' url='http://hansard.millbanksystems.comhttp://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/2002/apr/16/performance-targets-1'></outline>
      <outline id='3586221' text='Mr. Bercow&lt;p id="S6CV0383P0-10510"&gt;To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target to increase by one third the amount of assets identified from drug traffickers and secured will