---

Challenger 2

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place an order for Challenger Tank 2 training rounds; what is the anticipated value of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [74759]

Mr. Spellar: An Invitation to Tender was issued in August 1998 for a new training round to replace the Discarding Sabot/Tracer round. As the order is currently the subject of a competition, its value is commercially confidential between the bidders and the Ministry of Defence. It is hoped to award a contract later in the year and I will make a statement at that time.

Army Trucks

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Land Rover TUL/TUM (HS), the Wolf, was brought into service with the Army; and how many are now in use. [75294]

Mr. Spellar: The current Trucks Utility Light, TUL, and Trucks Utility Medium (High Specification), TUM(HS), the Land Rover Wolf, were brought into service with the Army in April 1997. A total of 6,352 vehicles have been issued to units to date, including 152 ambulance variants. There are 1,323 vehicles awaiting issue, including 623 ambulance variants, making a total of 7,675 vehicles.

Ministry of Defence Guard Service

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if members of the Ministry of Defence Guard Service carry arms. [74796]

Mr. Doug Henderson: No.

Military Road Traffic Accidents

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many road traffic accidents were reported involving the Land Rover TUL/TUM (HS), the WOLF, between April 1997 and March 1998; what were the (i) fatalities, (ii) serious injuries and (iii) slight injuries; and what were the estimated repair costs. [75007]

Mr. Spellar: 311 road traffic accidents were reported involving the Land Rover TUL/TUM/(HS) the WOLF, between April 1997 and March 1998. These accidents resulted in one fatality and 52 injuries of all types. The estimated repair cost is £294k.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military road traffic accidents resulted in (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) slight injuries between April 1997 and March 1998. [75005]

Mr. Spellar: Between April 1997 and March 1998 there were a total of 9,075 road traffic accidents involving military personnel and MOD civilians. These resulted in 64 fatalities (17 on duty and 47 off duty), 63 serious injuries and 862 slight injuries.

8 Mar 1999 : Column: 46

WALES

Autism

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many autism specific places are provided in Wales within (a) residential provision, (b) mainstream services, (c) specialist autism spectrum disorder services, (d) pre school services and (e) higher education. [73749]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The information on services for the disabled, which is collected centrally, does not include information on the number of autism-specific places provided by local and health authorities for residential provision, mainstream services and specialist autism spectrum disorder services.

For pre-school services and higher education, information on autism-specific places is not collected centrally. However, the latest information available (at January 1998) shows that 475 pupils attending schools in Wales had statements of special educational needs specifying autism spectrum disorders. A breakdown by category of school is given.

Type of school	No. of pupils in Wales with statements specifying autism spectrum disorders
Maintained Nursery Schools	2
Maintained Primary Schools	168
Maintained Secondary Schools	41
Maintained Special Schools	252
Independent Schools (including independent special schools)	12
Total	475

Following the transfer of functions, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.

Schools (Repair and Maintenance)

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the amount of repair and maintenance work waiting to be done in Welsh schools; and if he will make a statement. [74902]

Mr. Hain [holding answer 5 March 1999]: The information requested is not held centrally.

I am fully aware of concerns expressed about the poor condition of many school buildings in Wales caused by under funding in previous years. We have moved quickly to assist local authorities by providing an additional £65 million over the lifetime of this Parliament for capital investment in schools; and we are maintaining, in cash terms, the normal capital allocations to local authorities for education for 1999-2000 at £43.939 million. Our plans provide nearly £200 million for capital expenditure in schools in Wales over the next three years.

Following the transfer of functions, this will become a matter for the National Assembly.

Social Services

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish a White Paper on Social Services in Wales similar to Modernising Social Services (Cm 4169), published in England in November 1998. [74792]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: We hope to do so shortly.

8 Mar 1999 : Column: 47

Food Strategy for Wales

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of the three industry-led food working groups which he has established under the Food Strategy for Wales. [75712]

Mr. Michael: The three industry-led Working Groups, set up by my Department and supported by the Welsh Development Agency, have completed their Action Plans for the Lamb and Beef, Dairy and Organic Food Sectors, which we are publishing today, 8 March. I welcome this important contribution by the industry to helping farmers secure the future of their industry and to developing the Food Strategy for Wales. I am grateful to the Chairmen and members of the Groups for their work in preparing the Plans. I have placed copies of the three Action Plans and the Executive Summary in the Libraries of the House.

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Minimum Pension Guarantee

15. Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in the Warrington, North constituency who will benefit from the minimum pension guarantee. [73052]

Mr. Timms: We estimate around 5,000 pensioners will benefit from the minimum income guarantee in the Warrington local authority district, when it is introduced in April.

Housing Benefit

16. Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to minimise fraud in the administration of housing benefit. [73053]

33. Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the progress being made to combat housing benefit fraud. [73070]

Mr. Timms: We are committed to making all benefits secure against fraud and error. We will do this by getting payments right from the outset and by keeping them right for as long as the benefit is payable. For those cases which do go wrong, we will put them right promptly.

We have made substantial progress in applying this approach to Housing Benefit. For example, we have made an extra £100 million available over the next three years for the Verification Framework. This will enable all councils to check Housing Benefit claims more thoroughly.

31. Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his future plans for housing benefit. [73068]

Angela Eagle: We are taking forward a wide-ranging review of housing benefit in consultation with local authorities and other interested parties. The aim of the review is to simplify and improve both the benefit itself and the way in which it is delivered. In the meantime, we have in place several measures to drive forward better delivery of housing benefit including the Benefit Fraud

8 Mar 1999 : Column: 48

Inspectorate's programme of visits to local authorities, improved communications between the Benefits Agency and local authorities through the use of IT, and extra funding and support for local authorities to operate the verification framework.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what conclusions he has reached from his consideration of the case of Stephen Gilhooly of Bathgate in relation to the withdrawal of housing benefit under new regulations relating to attendance on courses for over 25 year olds at technical institutions. [73150]

Angela Eagle: There are no new regulations withdrawing Housing Benefit from over 25 year olds at technical institutions. Most full-time students are excluded from entitlement to Housing Benefit, although certain students in vulnerable groups, such as lone parents, can continue to claim this benefit.

We are fully committed to helping unemployed people obtain the skills they need to improve their employability and, last June, introduced the New Deal for people aged over 25 to help the long-term unemployed undertake full-time education and training.

---