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Coroners Courts

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement regarding his review of the workings of coroners' courts. [120217]

Mr. Straw: The current Home Office review of death certification procedures includes consideration of a role for coroners in monitoring the proper procedures after death. The work of the review is to be made available later this year to Lord Laming's Inquiry into the issues arising from the trial of Dr. Shipman. There may consequently be a need in due course to review coroner arrangements more widely.

Asylum Seekers (Torbay)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what extra provision he plans to make for accommodating asylum seekers in the Torbay Unitary Authority; how many asylum seekers he estimates will be placed in that area in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [120342]

Mr. Straw: Since 3 April 2000, any local authority that signs a contract with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) to provide accommodation for asylum seekers will submit an invoice for payment. The local authority will be reimbursed by the Home Office in accordance with the terms of the contract.

Although Torbay is considered a potential cluster area to accommodate destitute asylum seekers and their families, there are no immediate plans to disperse asylum seekers to Torbay. The National Asylum Support Service is unable to consider dispersal to a particular area until there is suitable accommodation available.

City Status

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the timescale of the award of city status in the UK. [120225]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Thirty-nine applications have been received for the Millennium grant of city status from towns in the United Kingdom. Each application is being considered on its individual merits and in the light of all information submitted in its support. No date has yet been set for the announcement of the new city.

WALES

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the use his Department, its agencies and public bodies will

2 May 2000 : Column: 81W

make of the powers relating to the authorised obtaining of communications data in Part I, Chapter II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill once the Bill is enacted. [119520]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 19 April 2000, Official Report, column 509W.

Knowledge-based Economy (Deeside)

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the development of the knowledge- based economy in Deeside. [118186]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular meetings with the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including the knowledge economy.

The Government and the National Assembly for Wales recognise the importance of putting to productive commercial use more of the knowledge and technologies that lie within our universities and colleges. For example, Wales leads the rest of the UK in introducing the Colleges and Businesses in Partnership scheme, under which businesses undertake strategically important developments with the benefit of access to relevant academic expertise from the further education sector.

Artefacts

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to seek the return to Wales of historical Welsh artefacts that are located elsewhere. [120294]

Mr. Hanson: I have no plans at present to seek the return of historical Welsh artefacts that are located elsewhere. However I am pleased that the people of Wales will have the opportunity over the next few months to see the Pennal letter which is on loan to the Owain Glyndwr Exhibition at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Drought (Kenya and Ethiopia)

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of people affected by drought in (a) Kenya and (b) Ethiopia. [118818]

Clare Short: The World Food Programme estimate that 1.6 million people in Kenya and eight million in Ethiopia may require emergency food assistance owing to drought.

Ethiopia

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in European Union member states regarding the provision of food and other aid to Ethiopia; and if she will make a statement. [120216]

Clare Short: The EU is the largest single donor of food aid to Ethiopia--more than 400,000 metric tonnes (MT) has been pledged for this year; almost 47,000 MT has already been delivered to Djibouti. Britain contributes 17 per cent. of the cost of this food. My officials are in

2 May 2000 : Column: 82W

close contact with EU officials to monitor the delivery and distribution of EU food and non-food assistance in the current crisis.

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on how the food aid she is providing to Ethiopia will be distributed. [120213]

Clare Short: Our food aid is targeted at those populations most affected by recurrent rain failures, food insecurity, conflict and environmental degradation. This year we have provided over 22,000 metric tonnes of food aid bilaterally for vulnerable people in both the north and south of the country. This has been channelled through international non-governmental organisations who often work in partnership with the regional offices of the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission.

Birth Certificates

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what purposes her Department requires a birth certificate to be furnished by (a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment and contracts and (d) other persons. [120316]

Clare Short: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 6 May 1999, Official Report, column 463W.

CABINET OFFICE

Websites

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which companies have placed advertisements on websites funded by her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies; how much revenue has been generated in each financial year since 1997 from such advertisements; and to what use the revenue raised has been put. [118844]

Mr. Stringer: No revenue has been received for advertising or sponsorship on the Cabinet Office website or that of its current agency--Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA); or on that of the Central Office of Information (COI). The Cabinet Office has no executive NDPBs and the figures for its NDPBs are included in the Department's return. The Cabinet Office does not take advertising on its departmental website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk) and currently has no plans to do so.

Birth Certificates

Mr. Caton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what purposes her Department requires a birth certificate to be furnished by (a) employees, (b) contractors, (c) those applying for employment and contracts and (d) other persons. [120323]

Mr. Stringer: A birth certificate or similar documentary evidence may be required to be furnished by any of the above for one or more of the following reasons:

proof of identity;

proof of eligibility under the Civil Service nationality rules;

proof of age.

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Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what meetings she has had with ministerial colleagues to discuss the increase in the overall running costs of Government Departments. [119955]

Marjorie Mowlam: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 April 2000, Official Report, column 638W.

Anti-drugs Strategy

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress the Government are making on their targets for reducing drug abuse by young people. [119975]

Mr. Ian McCartney: Young people are the main focus of the Government's anti-drug strategy. One of our key objectives is to reduce the incidence of drug misuse among the under-25s in order that they can achieve their full potential in society. The Cabinet Office, through the UK Anti Drugs Co-ordination Unit, is working with the relevant Government Departments to ensure that young people receive the help and advice they need to resist drug misuse.

For example, £7.5 million from the Standards Fund is spent each year on drugs education in primary and secondary schools and new DfEE guidance on effective drugs education was published in November 1998. Almost nine out of 10 secondary schools now have anti-drugs policies in place. In April 1999 the Drugs Prevention Advisory Service was created to provide expert advice and support to Drug Action teams and in November 1999 the Drugs Prevention Board was established to help co-ordinate prevention work at a national level. In March a new joint initiative between UKADCU, Sport England and the Youth Justice Board was announced, using money seized from convicted drug dealers and traffickers to fund projects which aim to prevent vulnerable young people from becoming involved in drugs and crime.

Progress against the targets will be measured through the British Crime Survey (16 to 24-year-olds) and the Office for National Statistics schools survey.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made by the Government in establishing a baseline figure from which progress in meeting its targets on reducing drug abuse among young people can be measured. [119958]

Mr. Ian McCartney: Baseline figures for the number of young people using drugs will be taken from the British Crime Survey and the new national survey of drug use among young teenagers, which started in September 1999. Baseline figures will be published in the UK Anti-Drug Co-ordinator's annual report in the summer.

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