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Medicines Control Agency

Ms Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the annual report and accounts of the Medicines Control Agency. [132235]

Yvette Cooper: We have received the report and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of sections 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

Medical Devices Agency

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the 1999-2000 annual report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency. [132233]

Yvette Cooper: We have received the Report and Accounts of the Medical Devices Agency and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of sections 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

Medicines Commission

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will receive the annual report of the Medicines Commission for 1999; and if he will publish it. [132234]

Yvette Cooper: We have received the report, and copies have been laid before both Houses of Parliament today in accordance with the requirements of section 5(2) of the Medicines Act 1968. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

Bound volumes have been placed in the Library containing the 1999 reports of the Medicines Commission, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Advisory Board on the Registration of Homoeopathic Products, the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and the Veterinary Products Committee.

We are glad to acknowledge the valuable work done by the distinguished members of the Medicines Act Advisory Bodies and thank them for the time and effort dedicated in the public interest to this important work.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Drumcree

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the Parades Commission to discuss the Drumcree marches. [125472]

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Mr. Mandelson: The Parades Commission is an independent body responsible for making binding determinations on contentious parades like Drumcree. I have not met them to discuss how they carry out their function.

Departmental Payments

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by his Department in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i) goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130045]

Mr. Mandelson: The information is as follows:



Departmental Initiatives

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each departmental initiative requiring bids for funding together with the total resources available, the number of successful bids and the proportion this represents of total bids received; and what data he collects on the average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative. [131087]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 2000, Official Report, column 93W.

Ulster Freedom Fighters

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons participated in protest actions in Portadown on 2 July wearing T-shirts soliciting support for the Ulster Freedom Fighters; how many persons carried the banner with the inscription Shankill Road UFF 2 Battalion C Company; how many photographs were taken of this parade by the police; how many participants have

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now been identified; what actions against these persons are being taken by the police; how many have been charged with criminal offences; and if police have identified the organisers of the event. [130464]

Mr. Ingram: The investigations into this incident on 3 July are still at an early stage. However, the Royal Ulster Constabulary have advised that approximately 50 persons were dressed wearing the T-shirts referred to. Two persons carried the flag. Video tape has not yet been fully processed and the number of still photographs from it has yet to be quantified. There is an investigatory process relating to the use of video evidence and at 14 July no controlled viewings have taken place because of the demand on resources. When evidence has been fully collated and analysed, and offences and offenders identified, files will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directions. As a result of this no persons have yet been charged to date and no formal identifications yet made.

SCOTLAND

Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) of 10 February 2000, Official Report, column 279W, on secondments, if he will give the names, grades and job titles of the staff seconded into his Department from each organisation mentioned, stating in each case the name of the section they were seconded to and a summary of the work that they were involved with. [128245]

Dr. Reid [holding answer 29 June 2000]: Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

Further information on the inward secondments to the Scotland Office referred to in my previous answer is provided as follows:

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CompanyResponsibilities within the Department
Balfour and MansonSolicitor's Office--Motorway Development
Balfour and MansonSolicitor's Office--Motorway Development
Bank of ScotlandHealth Department--Private Finance
BPPersonnel Division--Devolution Planning
Fife Careers Ltd.Education Department--Skills and Life Long Learning
Project Management International plcParliament Building Division
Shepherd and WedderburnSolicitor's Office--Reciprocal Trainee Scheme

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New Deal

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage this represents of total staff. [129092]

Dr. Reid: My Department has one member of staff from the New Deal and this represents 1 per cent. of total staff.

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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered citing disproportionate cost, stating that the information is (a) not available, (b) not held centrally, (c) not held in the form requested and (d) citing commercial or other confidentiality; [131235]

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Dr. Reid: The information requested is set out in the table:

Where answer states that the information is:In respect of part of the information requestedIn respect of all information requested
(a) Not available11
(b) Not held centrally42
(c) Not held in the form requested00
(d) Citing commercial or other confidentiality02


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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the net present cost is of each project undertaken in his Department under the private finance initiative; what the value is of their public sector comparators in (a) pre-risk and (b) risk-adjusted terms; what risks have been identified as having been transferred; and if he will place information on other relevant costs for each private finance initiative project in the Library. [130251]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 13 July 2000]: Net present costs of the Department's PFI projects are as follows:

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£ million

PFI contract
ESCOMIT PartnershipHR Partnership
Net present cost of contract5.5289.030.4
Net present cost--public sector comparator (pre risk)24.6353.038.4
Net present cost--public sector comparator (risk adjusted)(1)--392.041.4

(1) Not calculated


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