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Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when Mr. Smith of Ferndown will receive his Winter Fuel Payment; and when Mrs. Smith will receive her Winter Fuel Payment for 1998 and 1999. [151433]

Mr. Rooker: The administration of Winter Fuel Payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 26 February 2001:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when Mr Smith of Ferndown will receive his winter fuel payment; and when Mrs Smith will receive her winter fuel payment for 1998 and 1999.

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Mr Smith requested his claim on 16 January 2001. His application has now been Processed and is awaiting a decision on entitlement. Mr Smith will receive notification of his entitlement and any payment due by the end of February.

Mrs Smith's claim form was issued to her on 23 January 2001. Her application has been partially processed, however her date of birth has not been verified. Mrs Smith has been requested to submit her birth certificate so that her claim can be processed in full.

I hope this reply is helpful.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

The hon. Member for Leicester, East

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) discussed potential conflicts of interest with the Permanent Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he was the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department. [150664]

Mr. Lock: It is the normal practice of the Permanent Secretary to discuss with Ministers, when they are appointed, whether they have any potential conflicts of interest. Such discussions took place with my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) when he became Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department. Chapter 9 of the Ministerial Code sets out the circumstances in which Ministers should take the advice of their Permanent Secretary if they identify a potential conflict of interest. Such matters are confidential between the Permanent Secretary and the Minister concerned.

Tribunal Funding

Ms Coffey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans there are to extend public funding for proceedings before the VAT and Duties Tribunal, the General and Special Commissioners of Income Tax and the Protection of Children Act Tribunal. [151775]

Mr. Lock: The Lord Chancellor has today issued for consultation a direction which extends publicly funded representation to some tribunals: certain proceedings before the VAT and Duties Tribunal, certain proceedings before the General and Special Commissioners of Income Tax and all proceedings before the Protection of Children Act Tribunal.

The direction will authorise the Legal Services Commission to fund legal help and legal representation in these proceedings, subject to applications passing the statutory tests of an applicant's means and the merits of the case.

The Commission will be able to fund representation in proceedings before the VAT and Duties Tribunal and the General and Special Commissioners of Income Tax, in the minority of those proceedings which concerns the imposition of penalties which may be considered criminal in ECHR terms. This will ensure that the Government's commitments under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights are met in full.

Although the Protection of Children Act Tribunal does not impose financial penalties, we consider that the overwhelming importance of the proceedings to the

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individuals involved means that legal representation should be provided at public expense to those who cannot afford it.

The consultation period will last one month. We intend to bring in the new arrangements with effect from 2 April 2001. Copies of the direction have been placed in the Library of the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

1A Page Street, Westminster

Mr. Beith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of works carried out to the building at 1A Page street, Westminster, since his Department took occupation of it; and what proportion of these costs was met at public expense. [151463]

Mr. Morley: Works carried out by the Department at public expense since we took occupation total £615,883 (including fees for surveyors etc. and VAT). Of this, £228,376 will be recovered from the developer for remedial work which we have carried out on his behalf to minimise disturbance to staff in the building. The non-recoverable work was necessary to provide facilities for the workgroups in the building and to meet the changing needs.

The developer and his contractor continue to be responsible for all external areas of the building (including the glazing) and are responsible for correcting defects. We have no details of the cost of this remedial work, which is not at public expense.

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Beef Industry

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect on the British beef industry of the EU Commission proposals on beef to go before the Council of Ministers on 26 and 27 February; and if he will make a statement. [151122]

Ms Quin [holding answer 26 February 2001]: The Commission proposals are for a seven point plan to address the serious disruption of the beef and veal market resulting from the BSE crisis.

The Commission's stated aim is to limit production in order to reflect the fall in demand for beef in many EU member states. The impact on the UK beef industry of these proposals is currently being evaluated, taking into account its special characteristics and the importance of safeguarding our extensively reared, grass fed production.

Flood Prevention

Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the total expenditure by his Department on flood prevention was for (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02, (c) 2002-03 and (d) 2003-04; and if he will make a statement. [150419]

Mr. Morley: Following increases in both of the last two spending reviews and the announcements of an additional £51 million in November and a further £6.6 million in January, the current MAFF spending plans for flood defence and coast protection are as follows:

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£ million

	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Grant and supplementary credit approvals for capital improvements, catchment plans etc.	71	96	106	114
Emergency response and repair	5	7	--	--
Other (including storm tide forecasting service)	6	6	8	8
Total	82	109	114	122

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These increases provide evidence of the Government's commitment to sustaining flood and coastal defences.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Paul Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reimburse local authorities for their expenditure on supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. [151650]

Mr. Straw: I have today laid before the House a Special Grant Report which sets out the arrangements for reimbursing local authorities in England for the costs of supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children as a result of their duties under the Children Act 1989.

The Special Grant Report explains the areas of expenditure which will be eligible for the grant and the time scales for local authorities to make their claims.

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Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what reasons maternity grants for asylum seekers are issued in the form of vouchers; [150964]

(2) for what reasons maternity grants in the form of vouchers for asylum seekers are deemed to expire after one month. [150965]

Mrs. Roche [holding answer 26 February 2001]: The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 ends asylum seekers' entitlement to all social security benefits and is replaced by a system of support in kind, with small cash payments. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has on a phase basis assumed responsibility for supporting all new eligible asylum seekers and this support is provided mainly by way of vouchers. The maternity payment is provided in the same way.

The maternity payment vouchers have a four week expiry date because the maternity grant is provided to assist with the initial costs of provision for a new baby.

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Policy and Strategy Units

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his strategic policy team was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular (a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the unit on a full-time basis. [150369]

Mr. Straw: The Head of the Strategic Policy Team took up post in April 2000. The rest of the team was then recruited, the last member joining in October 2000.

The team is an integral part of the Home Department, producing research and advice for Ministers. Its first major piece of work has been co-ordinating the production of "Criminal Justice: The Way Ahead", which was laid before Parliament on 26 February.

The team comprises eight departmental members of staff, seven of whom are full time. It employs one full time agency secretary. Where it examines issues cutting across more than one Department, it may involve staff from other Departments or from outside Government on secondment for the length of the project in question. For example, in its current work on criminal justice, it has received secondments for short periods of two officials from the Lord Chancellor's Department and one from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Special advisers contribute to the team's work as necessary in the same way as to that of other parts of the Department, and consistent with the Model Contract for Special Advisers.

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