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Nuclear Bunker (Soar)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 9 February 2000, Official Report, column 176W, on Soar, how many open days will be allocated to inspect the former nuclear bunker at Soar, near Kingsbridge; when they will be; what is the cut-off date for receipt of sealed bids; and where bids must be sent. [111438]

28 Feb 2000 : Column: 129W

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Four days have been allocated; 24 February, 2 March, 14 March and 30 March. Further open days will be arranged if there is an exceptional level of interest in the site. The cut off date for receipt of sealed bids is Friday 14 April 2000. These bids must be sent to:

Building and Property Ltd.

Government Buildings

Burghill Road

Westbury on Trym

Bristol

BS10 6HH.

Fire Service Vehicles

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the average service life of operational Fire Service vehicles by fire service in England. [111516]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The table sets out the information by Brigade for the twelve months to 31 March 1999:

	Vehicles: actual replacement period in years
Brigade	Pumps (31)	Aerials (32)	Specials (33)
Avon	15	15	16
Bedfordshire and Luton	13	15	15
Buckinghamshire	12	15	15
Cambridgeshire	14	15	12
Cheshire	13	19	10-20
Cleveland	13	15	17
Cornwall	15	15	17
County Durham and Darlington	15	15	15
Cumbria	16	18	18
Derbyshire	12	10-15	15
Devon	7	15	20
Dorset	13	15	15-18
East Sussex	14-15	20	15
Essex	13	16	16
Gloucestershire	10	15	13
Greater Manchester	10	10	10
Hampshire	12	15	22
Hereford and Worcester	12	15	12
Hertfordshire	12	15	15
Humberside	15	19	19
Isle of Wight	20	20	20
Isles of Scilly	15	n/a	n/a
Kent	15	15	15
Lancashire	12	16	8-15
Leicestershire	16	17	17
Lincolnshire	15	20	15
London	13	17	n/a
Merseyside	10	16	16
Norfolk	15	20	20
North Yorkshire	16	23	12
Northamptonshire	13	17	13
Northumberland	18	n/a	n/a
Nottinghamshire	12	17	18
Oxfordshire	11	19	10
Royal Berkshire	13	19	12
Shropshire	12-15	20	12
Somerset	17	18	10-20
South Yorkshire	13	18	10 and 15
Staffordshire	14	20	8-20
Suffolk	15	20	20
Surrey	12	12	12
Tyne and Wear	12	15	19
Warwickshire	12-13	15-16	10-15
West Midlands	12	15	12
West Sussex	12	15	15
West Yorkshire	10	12-15	10-15
Wiltshire	16	15	15-20

(31) Pumps: what the public traditionally class as a fire engine

(32) Aerials: turntable or hydraulic platform

(33) Specials: vehicles providing special facilities, eg command and control, heavy rescue, water tankers, etc

28 Feb 2000 : Column: 130W

Ricky Reel Inquiry

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the reasons for his decision to release to the family of Ricky Reel the report of the Surrey Police investigation into the inquiries carried out by the Metropolitan Police into the death of Ricky Reel; [111385]

(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Metropolitan Police investigating officer's report into the death of Ricky Reel; [111389]

(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Surrey Police report into the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Ricky Reel. [111388]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Disclosure of the Metropolitan Police investigation report into the death of Ricky Reel and Surrey Police report on the Metropolitan Police investigation of the case are matters for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

The Commissioner agreed to disclose, exceptionally and in confidence, the report of the Surrey Police investigation into the inquiries made by the Metropolitan Police into the death of Ricky Reel to the Reel family and their solicitor. He did so in order to assist the investigation by helping to ensure that every avenue of inquiry had been pursued. The Commissioner informs me that he has no plans for the wider publication of either the Metropolitan or Surrey Police reports on the Ricky Reel investigation.

The Government have accepted recommendation 10 of the Macpherson Inquiry Report, that Investigating Officers' reports resulting from public complaints should be disclosed to complainants subject only to the 'substantial harm' test for withholding disclosure. Progress and action to be taken on implementation of recommendation 10 is detailed in the 'Home Secretary's Action: Plan First Annual Report on Progress', published on 23 February.

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Ricky Reel. [111386]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has advised me that the cost, to date, of the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Ricky Reel is approximately £2,000,000.

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the Surrey Police report into the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Ricky Reel. [111387]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Chief Constable of Surrey Police has informed me that the cost of the Surrey Police inquiry into the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Ricky Reel was approximately £420,000.

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the date of his meeting in 1998 with the family of Ricky Reel and their lawyers. [111384]

Mr. Charles Clarke: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary met the family of Ricky Reel and their legal advisers on Tuesday 17 November 1998.

28 Feb 2000 : Column: 131W

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Resource Accounts

32. Mr. Rendel: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission pursuant to his oral answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 524, on the Government Resources and Accounts Bill, how much of the extra £1.3 million approved for the National Audit Office in 2000-01 relates to organisations not previously audited by the NAO. [110629]

Mr. Alan Williams: The additional £1.3 million for 2000-01 provides for a number of factors, notably the audit of Resource Accounts and other new accounts produced by bodies that the National Audit Office already audits. There is also provision to maintain competitive salary rates and for building maintenance and information technology.

Some £250,000 of the additional £1.3 million relates to new audits not previously undertaken by the National Audit Office.

Fair Trading

Mr. Baker: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, pursuant to his oral statement of 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 1249, if he will list the oversights of regulatory bodies conducted by the NAO which have considered fair trading issues. [112052]

Mr. Alan Williams: The statement referred to was made by the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr. David Davis). I understand that he was referring to the following six reports presented to the House by the Comptroller and Auditor General, each of which deals with or touches on issues of fair trading:

The Water Industry in England and Wales: Regulating the Quality of Services to Customers (HC 388 Session 1997-98)

The Office of Telecommunications: Countering Anti-Competitive Behaviour in the Telecommunications Industry (HC 667 Session 1997-98)

The Office of Electricity Regulation: Improving Energy Efficiency Financed by a Charge on Customers (HC 1006 Session 1997-98)

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets: Giving Customers a Choice--the Introduction of Competition into the Domestic Gas Market (HC 403 Session 1998-99)

Insolvency Service Executive Agency: Company Director Disqualification--a Follow Up Report (HC 424 Session 1998-99)

The Office of Fair Trading: Protecting the Consumer from Unfair Trading Practices (HC 57 Session 1999-2000).

I should add that, like the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, I am sure that the NAO has the expertise and experience to examine fair trading issues in the context of the work of public authorities, and can do so in a non-political way.

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