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Youth Service

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the Youth Service. [83296]

Mr. Mudie: We are currently considering a range of proposals supporting the requirements of young people, including the role of the youth service. The nature and timing of our planned consultation on the future of the youth service will need to be determined once the youth service's part in the wider agenda has been firmly established. An announcement will be made in due course.

Acting Heads and Deputy Heads

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority how many acting heads and acting deputy heads there were in January 1999 and in each of the last three years in maintained schools in England and Wales, listing separately (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. [80676]

Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 23 April 1999]: The information requested is not held centrally.

An Office for Manpower Economics sample survey of vacancies and recruitment in schools in the maintained sector in England and Wales at September 1998 estimated that the proportion of acting heads was about 3 per cent. and the proportion of acting deputy heads was about 6 per cent.

Teachers may take on a job in an acting capacity when another post is vacant or the incumbent is absent because of sick, compassionate, study or training leave.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Appellants (Payments)

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many independent tribunal decisions to allow payments to appellants there were in the last year; and how many of these were paid to the claimant (a) within one month, (b) between one and two months and (c) after more than two months after the decision. [83067]

Angela Eagle: The latest available statistics indicate that for the period 1 December 1997 to 30 November 1998, a total of 261,255 appeals were heard and decided. Of these, 87,986 [33.7 per cent.] were in the appellant's favour. Information is not kept about what proportion of these resulted in payments to appellants or how soon after the Independent Tribunals' decisions such payments were made.

Giro Cheques

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to ensure that giro cheques cashed in shops offering to cash cheques on the spot are being legitimately encashed by claimants. [82632]

5 May 1999 : Column: 383

Mr. Timms: The administration of benefits is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Peter Mathison. I have asked him to reply to my right hon. Friend.

Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Frank Field dated 4 May 1999:



    Current banking law allows cheque shops to exchange giros for cash and clear them through their own bank account.


    The Benefits Agency is aware of the risks this poses to its girocheques and is taking steps within the legislation to minimise the problems. For instance, the Benefits Agency has worked closely with the British Cheque Cashers Association (BCCA) and is establishing a formal memorandum of understanding with them to improve cooperation between our organisations. The BCCA is a trade association for cheques shops with over six hundred members which promotes a code of practice setting out various security measures to be observed. At local level there are examples of good liaison between individual cheque shops and BA fraud investigation teams.


    In addition the Benefits Agency is currently reviewing the end-to-end payment process to identify the areas of risk in order to plan further security improvements.


    I hope you find this reply helpful.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will increase the time allocated by Health and Safety Executive inspectors to the inspection of genetically modified trial crop sites. [74867]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 5 March 1999]: The time allocated for Health and Safety Executive inspection of genetically modified trial crop sites has been increased in 1999-2000 by about 15 per cent. compared with the previous year.

Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to use research data from other countries on the ecological impact of genetically engineered of crops in order to avoid the need to plant such crops in this country for research purposes. [79488]

Mr. Meacher: All available research data are used, including data from other countries, when making assessments. However, the UK ecosystem is unique and therefore information from other countries is not always relevant. Some research trials are statutory, for example trials in respect of the UK National List of Seeds, and these must be grown and assessed in the UK.

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve the mechanisms for informing local communities of genetically modified crops being grown in their area. [82259]

5 May 1999 : Column: 384

Mr. Meacher: Information on the location of trials of genetically modified (GM) crops is currently available on the public register held in my Department. Outside of London, details of local releases are available at the regional offices of the Environment Agency and in Scotland at both the offices of the Scottish Office and the Health and Safety Executive, Edinburgh. The information is also available on my Department's website. Copies of register entries for particular releases are available by post on request. In addition, anyone applying for a release consent must publish a notice in a newspaper circulating in the areas likely to be affected by the proposed release. We continue to examine ways of improving the availability of information to local communities of GM crop trials but have no plans at present to change existing mechanisms.

Genetically Modified Engineering

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each (a) biotechnology and (b) other company which has asked the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment to keep confidential papers or information which it has provided to the committee on genetically modified engineering. [77942]

Mr. Meacher: The legislation requires the Secretary of State to keep certain information confidential if requested to do so by the company concerned. Such information is limited to the protection of intellectual property rights for which a patent application is being made. The information is placed on the public register once the patent has been granted. Otherwise all the information in the application for consent to release or market a GMO is available on request. All the information submitted with an application is available to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment.

The following companies have asked the Secretary of State to treat elements of their applications as commercially confidential under the terms outlined above:



5 May 1999 : Column: 385

A1/M1 Link Road

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many vehicles used the A1/M1 Yorkshire link road in its first full month of operation; what was the total sum paid to Yorkshire Link under the design, build, finance and operate contract; and if he will make a statement. [81898]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 23 April 1999]: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Phil Willis, dated 5 May 1999:



    As you know, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question. You asked "how many vehicles used the M1-A1 Yorkshire Link road in its first full month of operation; what was the total sum paid to Yorkshire Link Ltd. under the design, build, finance and operate contract".


    Traffic volumes vary along the length of the new link road. In its first full month, the average vehicle usage was 1.5 million vehicles. Approximately 20% of these were heavy goods vehicles.


    The estimated cost to public funds is measured by the Expected Net Present Value of the shadow toll payments by the Highways Agency over the 30-year life of the contract. The exact payment will depend on traffic flows. The expected range is between £186m-£281m over the 30-year period. It is not possible to provide more detailed information, since this is commercially sensitive and protected by confidentiality clauses in the contract which pre-date the Open Government initiative on disclosure of information.


    Additional information on this contract can be found in the National Audit Office Report "The Private Finance Initiative. The first four Design, Build, Finance and Operate Roads Contracts", which was published on 28 January 1998.


    I trust the above information meets your requirements.

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