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Rate Collection Agency

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Rate Collection Agency in 2000-01. [124427]

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Mr. Ingram: For 2000-01, the following performance targets have been set for the RCA:

Output
To collect 97.55 per cent. (or the 1999-2000 outcome if higher) of the Gross Domestic Collectable Rate (excluding late assessments) by 31 March 2001.
To collect 98.80 per cent. (or the 1999-2000 outcome if higher) of the Gross Non-Domestic Collectable Rate (excluding late assessments) by 31 March 2001.
Efficiency
To achieve a forecast unit cost of £11.56 (representing a 2 per cent. improvement in the real value of the unit cost) for collecting rates per hereditament by 31 March 2001.
To achieve a forecast unit cost of £18.54 (representing a 2 per cent. improvement in the real value of the unit cost) for processing Housing Benefit cases by 31 March 2001.
Quality of Service
To process 98 per cent. of Housing Benefit claims free from error.
To achieve an average turnaround time of 28 working days for ¹ regular non-annual Housing Benefit applications.
To issue all ² eligible rate refunds within 14 days of approval.
To achieve by 31 March 2001 a satisfied rating for overall service from at least 75 per cent. of those customers responding to the annual survey.
Financial Management
To live within budget allocations for 2000-01.
¹ Where the Agency is not required to seek any additional information to determine the outcome of the application.
² Where the Agency has all the necessary relevant information to enable the refund to be processed.

SCOTLAND

New Deal

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will assess the success of the New Deal in creating opportunities for employment and training in Glasgow and across Scotland. [121472]

Dr. Reid: The success of the New Deal is making a significant contribution to increasing employment in Glasgow and across Scotland. Employment in Glasgow rose by 11,000 in the year to February 2000 and across Scotland by 26,000 in the year to March 2000, and is at around its highest level since 1966.

Shipbuilding (Clyde)

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what actions he has recently taken to help retain shipbuilding on the Clyde. [121807]

Dr. Reid: This Government are firmly committed to improving the competitive position of the shipbuilding industry not just on the Clyde but across the whole of the UK. I have had recent meetings with ministerial colleagues, trade unions and management of the Govan shipyard and continue to promote the strengths in shipbuilding that exist on the Clyde.

Penalty Clauses

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the contracts entered into with private sector companies for the provision of goods or

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services since May 1997 where penalty clauses were triggered for non-performance; and if he will make a statement. [122013]

Dr. Reid: The information requested is not held centrally and could be collated in respect of the period before 1 July 1999 only at disproportionate cost. Procurement by the Scottish Executive since 1 July 1999 is a matter for the Scottish Parliament. There have been no requirements to trigger penalty clauses in the Scotland Office since 1 July 1999.

Assisted Areas

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2000, Official Report, column 378W, how many responses received by his Department in respect of the revised assisted areas map (a) objected to and (b) supported the removal of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey from the proposed map. [122149]

Dr. Reid: The responses received are not readily capable of analysis in the form requested by my hon. Friend.

Copies of the consultation responses received by my Department will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Pearson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles operated by his Department were manufactured (i) in the UK, (ii) in the EU and (iii) elsewhere. [122255]

Dr. Reid [holding answer 17 May 2000]: My Department does not operate any cars or commercial vehicles. Details of vehicles operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, for the Government as a whole, were given in the reply from my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 17 May 2000, Official Report, column 141W.

Ferry Services

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the European Union over the future of the Highlands and Islands ferry services; and if he will make a statement. [123072]

Dr. Reid: My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scotland Office, recently met in Brussels with representatives of the European Commission to discuss a wide range of issues affecting transport in remote and peripheral regions in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe. Responsibility for ferry services operating within the Highlands and Islands is a matter for the Scottish Executive who have been kept fully informed of the Commission's views as they affect these services.

Skye Bridge

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the DTZ Pieda Economic Impact Assessment on the Skye Bridge will be published. [123283]

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Dr. Reid: The Scottish Office commissioned the Economic Impact Assessment of the Skye Bridge, by DTZ Pieda, which was carried out between May 1998 and June 1999. The publication of the results of this assessment are now a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Statistics

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics relating to the responsibilities of his Department are collated by parliamentary constituency, indicating the dates covered in each case. [123838]

Dr. Reid: Monthly statistics on unemployment and New Deal figures are allocated on a constituency basis.

DEFENCE

Serbia

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Government have made of the views recently expressed by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe concerning use of electronic methods against Serbia as an alternative to aerial assault. [122637]

Mr. Spellar: I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the comments made by the previous SACEUR, General Clark, at the Senate Committee on Armed Services on 21 October 1999. No formal assessment has been made by MOD of the views he expressed then. However, we agree that co-ordinated international pressure on all fronts, diplomatic, economic (trade and financial) as well as military, is an important factor during crises. Electronic methods on their own would be unlikely to have achieved the desired result against Serbia.

Kosovo

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia tanks and armoured personnel carriers destroyed during the war in Kosovo. [122636]

Mr. Spellar: NATO's assessment of the number of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia tanks and armoured personnel carriers destroyed during the Kosovo conflict was made public by the then Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Wesley Clark, on 16 September 1999. General Clark's analysis, based on access to a wide range of sources, concluded that 93 tanks/self-propelled artillery pieces were successfully struck (in other words destroyed or damaged), with physical evidence of 26 such vehicles having been destroyed (14 tanks and 12 self-propelled artillery pieces) remaining on the ground after NATO had entered Kosovo--the remainder of the assessment is underpinned by evidence from other sources. NATO assessed there to have been 153 successful strikes against Armoured Personnel Carriers, with the destruction of 12 such vehicles confirmed by evidence on the ground. The methodology used to put together the NATO assessment is explained in detail in the transcript of General Clark's presentation, available on the internet at the NATO website: www.nato.int/kosovo/press/p990916a.htm. Battle Damage Assessment is not an exact science, but these are the most comprehensive figures available.

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Royal Artillery Radar

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of procurement of the Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar for the Royal Artillery; what is the time scale for this programme and the total cost; and if he will make a statement. [122375]

Dr. Moonie: The MAMBA programme covers the procurement of radar systems to meet the Army's requirement for a lightweight and mobile weapon locating radar. It is currently in the concept stage of the procurement process and it is planned to commence the assessment phase in June 2000 when the procurement options and associated costs will be addressed in detail.

The current plan is for the radar systems to be in Service by 2008-09. However, in order to satisfy a capability gap identified by the Service Customer, it is planned to provide an initial operating capability by 2002-03 with the balance of deliveries by 2008-09.

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