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Food Supplements Directive
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many specialist health food (a) retailers and (b) manufacturers there are in England and Wales; what figures she has collated on turnover of these sectors in the last year for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the impact upon the profitability of these businesses of the forthcoming EU food supplements directive; and if she will make a statement. [21689]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
I am advised that there are no separate figures for retailers or manufacturers of specialist health food products as these estimates, although collected by the Office for National Statistics as part of the annual business inquiry, are combined with other specialist retailers and manufacturers.
The Food Standards Agency, which is responsible for negotiating this directive on the Government's behalf, has consulted widely on its likely impact. There would be labelling costs falling on manufacturers of all food supplements, but these would be substantially offset by a
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two year transitional period. For the specialist food supplement sector and consumers of these products any additional impact would depend on future developments on lists of permitted nutrients and maximum limits.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Environmental Conservation
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources are being put towards teaching school children about environmental conservation; and if she will make a statement. [31614]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
Pupils' statutory entitlement to sustainable development education is supported, as are other areas of the National Curriculum, through the Government's local funding for schools. Overall, the Education Standard Spending Assessments for 2002–03 have been increased by £1.3 billion for 2002–03; the standards fund grant has been increased by almost £160 million; and the direct grant for schools by 2.75 per cent.
The revised National Curriculum, which we introduced in September 2000, provides the framework for sustainable development education in schools. Sustainable development is specifically included in Geography and Science, together with Citizenship, which will be introduced in September this year. Pupils learn about the connections between environmental, social and economic issues and about the consequences of the choices they make for the environment and other people. We have also sponsored the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to provide online resources for teachers (available at http://www.nc.uk.net/esd/). The Environmental Action Fund (£4.2 million) is this year funding 21 projects out of 115 to advance education for sustainable development for young people, while next year education will be one of only two priorities for the fund. The Growing Schools initiative (£0.5 million), which launched in September, will promote farming and growing as an education resource.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Press Officers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers there were in her Department in each of the last four years; and what was the annual cost of their remuneration over that period. [27470]
Dr. Howells: Numbers of press officers over the past four years in my Department (at 1 April in each year), and their remuneration are as follows:
| Date | Number | Remuneration (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | (7)9 | 207,619 |
| 1999 | 8 | 236,150 |
| 2000 | 9 | 245,039 |
| 2001 | 8 | 265,631 |
(7) Includes two staff working part-time.
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Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list her Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98. [32786]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.
Golden Jubilee
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Queen's Golden Jubilee Medals will be struck; to whom they will be distributed; what the total cost of this exercise will be; and if she will make a statement. [34050]
Tessa Jowell: The estimated requirement is for 370,000 medals. Around 185,000 will be issued to serving members of the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary with a minimum of five years' reckonable service on 6 February 2002. Around 185,000 will be issued under the same criteria to members of the emergency services accessed by dialling 999.
The total cost to Government are estimated at £7.8 million (including the cost of the ribbon, delivery and an element for administration).
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of (1) recent legislation and regulations on the organising of street parties and other celebrations for the Queens' Golden Jubilee; [34153]
- (2) the Human Rights Act 1998 on the organising of street parties and other celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. [34152]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 7 February 2002]: I can see no reason for the Human Rights Act 1998 to obstruct the organisation of street parties and other celebrations. Apart from the proposed regulatory reform order to extend licensing hours on the night of 3 June, no legislation is being enacted specifically to apply to the Golden Jubilee celebrations. I would expect those organising parties and other Jubilee events, including local authorities where street parties are being held, to consider the impact of all relevant legislation which will apply during the Jubilee celebrations as at any other time.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the Government plans to mark the occasion of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. [34049]
Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the announcements made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 November 2000 and 22 June 2001. Also relevant is the joint Home Office and Ministry of Defence press notice of 15 February 2001, in which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the Golden Jubilee commemorative medal.
After taking on responsibility for the Golden Jubilee celebrations, I announced on 3 August 2001 details of the extended bank holiday 'Jubilee Weekend' over the period 1 to 4 June 2002. On 4 December 2001, I announced that the distribution of the Golden Jubilee medal had been
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widened beyond the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary to include the emergency services. Copies of both press notices are in the Library of the House.
DEFENCE
NATO Budget
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the NATO Secretary General regarding NATO member contributions to the 2002 NATO budgets for (a) civil, (b) military and (c) security and investments; and if he will make a statement. [33191]
Mr. Hoon: I talk regularly to the NATO Secretary General on a range of issues, including the NATO budgets. I have received no specific representations from the NATO Secretary General regarding national contributions to the two NATO budgets that are a matter for the Ministry of Defence, namely the Military Budget and NATO's Security Investment Programme. Issues concerning NATO's Civil Budget are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
RAF Aircraft Maintenance and Spares
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of RAF aircraft maintenance and spares on a fleet-wide basis in the last year for which figures are available. [32444]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 1 February 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Service Personnel (Scotland)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircrew in the United Kingdom forces were born in Scotland; how many are pilots of (a) combat aircraft, (b) transport aircraft and (c) helicopters by arm of the service; and how many are other aircrew, by (i) arm of service and (ii) function. [32440]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 1 February 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Homelessness
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has commissioned into the incidence and causes of homelessness among ex-service personnel; and what recent changes he has made to policy and practice to assist ex-service personnel. [32666]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 6 February 2002]: The Ministry of Defence does not itself monitor homelessness among ex-service personnel. The Social Exclusion Unit report, published in 1998, identified that between one quarter and one fifth of rough sleepers had been in the armed forces at some stage, predominantly as national servicemen. The MOD has, therefore, been working in partnership with the Rough Sleeper's Unit (RSU) and the charitable sector to reduce some of the most acute cases of homelessness, those sleeping rough on the streets. In
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particular, preventative mechanisms have been put in place at pre-discharge, point of discharge and post- discharge to help the more vulnerable make a smoother transition to civilian life. Measures taken by RSU and its partners to date have reduced levels of rough sleeping by at least two-thirds in line with the Prime Minister's target and DTLR have confirmed that interim analysis of rough sleeping data collected in November 2001 shows that the percentage of rough sleepers with an armed forces background has decreased markedly since the 1998 SEU report. We welcome this as evidence of what is being achieved through closer co-operation within Government and with the voluntary sector.
We recognise that there is further work to be done in this area and, in particular, as part of the Veterans' Initiative, are looking at how we can improve resettlement arrangements for the most vulnerable service leavers. This would include addressing the risk of homelessness.
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