---

Learning and Skills Bill

16. Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly on the impact of the Learning and Skills Bill [Lords] on skill levels in Wales. [122192]

Mr. Hanson: I regularly meet Tom Middlehurst, Assembly Secretary responsible, to discuss a range of issues including the impact of the Learning and Skills Bill, which will establish a new Council for Education and Training for Wales. The CETW will focus education and training more purposefully and effectively to enable young people and adults in Wales to develop the skills they need in the labour market.

Health Funding

17. Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary about health funding in Wales. [122193]

Mr. Hanson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I meet regularly to discuss health funding issues with the First Secretary and the Assembly Health Secretary. We have both been interested to hear how the Assembly plans to allocate the additional funding for Wales that was announced in the March budget.

24. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary about health funding in Wales. [122200]

Mr. Hanson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I regularly meet the First Secretary and the Assembly Health Secretary to discuss health issues in Wales. Health funding, of course, forms part of our agenda but it is for the Assembly to decide how health funding is allocated in Wales.

Airbus (A3XX Project)

18. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary with regard to the employment implications of the A3XX project coming to Airbus UK in Broughton. [122194]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet the First Secretary weekly, and we frequently discuss Broughton. I was pleased to hear that the first orders have been received for the A3XX, and welcome the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence that the United Kingdom will be placing an order for 25 A400M aircraft.

Sterling

20. Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the present level of the pound against the euro on the Welsh economy; and what discussions he has had with the First Secretary. [122196]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I am in regular contact with the First Secretary and we frequently discuss the key issues facing the Welsh economy. The Government understand the concerns of businesses about the weakness of the euro, but is determined to take a long-term view.

24 May 2000 : Column: 550W

Short-term fixes would be the biggest threat of all to industry, with the illusion of temporary relief followed by the treat of long-term damage.

23. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the value of sterling on Welsh manufacturing employment. [122199]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The Government understand the concerns of businesses, and particularly manufacturers trading within Europe, about the weakness of the euro. Nevertheless, recent manufacturing export volumes have been robust across the UK as a whole, growing by 9 per cent. overall and by 6 per cent. to European markets.

Strategic Trunk Roads

21. Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on discussions he has had with the First Secretary about strategic trunk roads. [122197]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Management of the Welsh trunk road network, including improvements to cross-border links with England, are matters which have been devolved to the National Assembly and are for the First Secretary to consider.

I have, however, discussed with the First Secretary the A483 at Pant and Llanymynech, particularly the concerns of the hon. Member about road safety.

New Deal for Young People

22. Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on the implementation of the new deal for young people in Wales. [122198]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet the First Secretary to discuss Welsh employment issues, and my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales holds quarterly liaison meetings with the Assembly Secretary for Post-16 Education and Training. The New Deal is a Central Government initiative with programmes delivered mainly through the Employment Service, so my hon. Friend and I are also in regular contact with ministerial colleagues on the subject. I am pleased to note that 27,131 young people in Wales have joined the New Deal programme since it was launched in the West Wales Pathfinder in January 1998, and that there has been a corresponding 61 per cent. fall in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months or more.

Rail Services

25. Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with companies providing rail services in Wales. [122201]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I shall be meeting representatives from the rail industry today to discuss services in Wales. In addition, I discuss rail transport with the First Secretary as part of our weekly meetings, as does my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, in his quarterly liaison meetings with the Assembly Secretary responsible for transport.

24 May 2000 : Column: 551W

26. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the rail industry in Wales. [122202]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I shall be meeting representatives from the rail industry to discuss services in Wales. In addition, I discuss rail transport with the First Secretary as part of our weekly meetings, as does my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, in his quarterly liaison meetings with the Assembly Secretary responsible for transport.

European Structural Funds

27. Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales concerning provision in the comprehensive spending review of additional funds to match spending under European Structure Fund programmes; and if he will make a statement. [122203]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet the Chancellor regularly and discuss a range of issues.

The importance of the assistance that objective 1 status will deliver to Wales is a key issue which I have discussed with Treasury colleagues. They understand the significance of what this will mean for Wales. That is why the implications for the Welsh Block arising from objective 1 funding are an important feature of the Government's spending review, which is now under way.

Penalty Clauses

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the contracts entered into with private sector companies for the provision of goods or services since May 1997 where penalty clauses were triggered for non-performance; and if he will make a statement. [122014]

Mr. Paul Murphy: There is no record of any penalty clause having been triggered for non-performance in either the Wales Office, since 1 July 1999, or the Welsh Office prior to that date.

Soft Drugs

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary and the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator about the prevalence of soft drugs in Wales. [122176]

Mr. Hanson: I meet the Assembly Secretaries on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues including the misuse of drugs in Wales.

The Assembly Secretary for Health and Social Services will be launching the refocused Welsh substance misuse strategy on 25 May 2000. This refocused strategy has been developed in the light of the UK Anti-Drugs strategy launched in April 1998.

Police Funding

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with chief constables about funding of police forces in Wales. [122175]

24 May 2000 : Column: 552W

Mr. Paul Murphy: I met Welsh chief constables on 17 March. We discussed a wide range of issues including developments in modern policing, and manning and funding levels.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Seed Purity

Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he plans to introduce to deal with third-party contamination of GM-free seed. [123388]

Mr. Nick Brown: As I made clear to the House in my statement of 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 473-80, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have advised the Government that the possibility that some conventional rapeseed stocks sold to farmers for sowing in 1999 and 2000 may have contained low levels of genetically modified rapeseed presents no risk to human health or the environment. I am placing the advice from ACRE and the FSA in the Library of the House. The Government have also sought the advice of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) and that advice will also be made public when it is received.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and I have received, and are now considering, legal advice on the complex legal issues raised by this incident including whether any offence has been committed.

My officials are in discussion with the National Farmers Union on the practical and legal implications of the incident for farmers whose crops may have been affected.

My officials have been in contact with the Canadian authorities to obtain more detailed information about the circumstances surrounding this incident. One of my officials is travelling to Canada to follow this up and will report back to me and to the EU Standing Committee on Seeds on 30 May.

I and my officials have been in contact with the Commission and other EU member states affected with a view to taking a common approach to the issues raised by this incident. I have agreed with the French Minister of Agriculture that we should explore urgently the possibility of joint discussions between ourselves, the other member states concerned and the seed company Advanta. I will be following this up when I meet my colleagues at the informal meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers on 29-30 May.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State announced on 17 May 2000, Official Report, column 173W the new measures the Government are taking to ensure seed purity.

---