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Public Service Agreements

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what

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reason district councils are not directly involved in local public service agreements; and what plans he has to extend them to district councils in the future. [53638]

Mr. Raynsford: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Dr. Whitehead), to the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole (Mrs. Brooke) on 29 April 2002, Official Report, column 557W.

Disabled Access

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many stations have been refurbished to ensure full disabled persons' access to railway platforms; and how many more are planned for completion by the end of 2002. [53258]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 29 April 2002]: The information is not held centrally. However, the Strategic Rail Authority has recently written to all train operating companies requiring them to review their disabled peoples protection policies (DPPPs). As part of the review, operators will be required to identify the work that needs to be done at their stations to meet the standards of the authority's Code of Practice "Train and Station Services for Disabled Passengers". Following the review a programme of works to improve facilities for disabled passengers will be developed, part funded by the authority.

Solar Panels

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what buildings owned by his Department have solar panels installed. [53494]

Dr. Whitehead: Temple Quay House (Bristol) has a solar panel, which is used to power an atrium display.

E-Government

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress made by local government in the field of e-government. [53423]

Dr. Whitehead: All local authorities in England except one have demonstrated their commitment to e-government by preparing and submitting Implementing Electronic Government statements. These statements show how the local authority expects to implement local e-government to achieve the 2005 target and the progress made to date.

An assessment by local authorities in July 2001 showed that, on average, 29 per cent. of services were available electronically at that time. This was expected to rise to 45 per cent. by March 2003, 73 per cent. by March 2004 and 100 per cent. by the end of 2005. New information on the electronic availability of local services will be available later this year.

Road Safety

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received on the implications for road safety of the sale on the open market of the speed trap detector device, Snooper S5; and if he will make a statement. [53457]

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Mr. Jamieson: The device in question is but one of a range of speed enforcement detection devices currently available in the UK. Successive Governments had believed such devices were banned under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, but a court ruling in 1998 found this was not the case. My Department have consulted on proposals to introduce secondary legislation to ban the use of these devices in motor vehicles, and is considering how to proceed.

Health and Safety (Computers)

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will take steps to amend the Health and Safety (Display Equipment) Regulations 1992 No. 2792 to ensure that the positioning of a computer monitor screen is at eye level when a user is sitting upright in front of it. [53302]

Dr. Whitehead: No. The minimum requirement for work stations, as set out in the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, already require that display screens should suit the needs of the operator or user.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which NDPBs in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland are accountable to the Government. [52509]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

All public bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are accountable, through their sponsoring Departments, to the relevant Minister, and therefore to Government. An index of public bodies is available in the Cabinet Office publication, 'Public Bodies 2001', a copy of which is held in the Library, and which is available on the internet.

Devolved public bodies and their public appointments are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales. The Northern Ireland Office retains responsibility for a number of public bodies post devolution.

SCOTLAND

Dungavel Detention Centre

5. Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Home Office concerning Dungavel detention centre. [51350]

Mr. Foulkes: I have regular discussions with Home Office Ministers on a range of issue. The operation of Dungavel detention centre was considered at a recent meeting.

Scottish Parliament

6. Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she will publish the results of her consultation on the size of the Scottish Parliament. [51351]

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Mrs. Liddell: The consultation period closed on 29 March. Over 230 responses were received from organisations and individuals from across Scotland. I will publish my conclusions in due course.

Asbestosis Victims

7. Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last met the insurance industry to review progress in paying compensation to asbestosis victims in Scotland. [51352]

18. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in securing the payment of compensation to asbestosis victims in Scotland. [51364]

Mrs. Liddell: I had a meeting on 24 April with the Association of British Insurers, the Chester Street scheme administrators, Iron Trades Management Services (ITMS), the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Thompsons and Eversheds. This was a further meeting to discuss the handling of claims against Chester Street Insurance Ltd.

This was a productive meeting. ITMS produced statistics showing the progress of claims since I chaired a previous meeting on Chester Street on 6 March. These figures showed that, at the end of February, 10.6 per cent. of settled claims against insolvent policyholders had been paid. By 19 April, 40.7 per cent. of these claims had been paid.

The meeting agreed that a service standard would be laid down covering claims against Chester Street where the original policyholder is insolvent. Under this service standard, acceptance documents will be sent to claimants' lawyers within 20 working days of a claim being agreed. Once claimants' lawyers return the acceptance documents, cheques will be released within five working days.

Payments totalling over £3 million have now been made by the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, who are the two bodies responsible for organising payments of claims where the policyholder is insolvent.

I am determined to ensure that agreed claims against Chester Street are paid as quickly as possible. I will continue to monitor progress very carefully.

Drug Dealers

8. Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the action being taken to seize the assets of major drug dealers in Scotland. [51353]

Mr. Foulkes: In the year from 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002, 32 confiscation orders relating to the proceeds of drugs were secured in Scottish courts. The value of these orders totalled over £530,000.

Regeneration

9. Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether she has recently visited Glasgow to examine economic regeneration. [51354]

Mrs. Liddell: I have visited a number of projects which contribute to the city's economic regeneration.

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Manufacturing

10. Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the performance of the manufacturing sector of the Scottish economy. [51355]

19. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on prospects for manufacturing industry in Scotland. [51365]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 30 April 2002, Official Report, column 791.

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