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Galileo

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the US Government regarding the proposed Galileo satellite navigation system. [70698]

The Prime Minister: I have received no representations from the US Government regarding the proposed Galileo satellite navigation system.

Refrigerants

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Prime Minister whether the proposed refurbishment of numbers 10 and 11 Downing street will include the (a) extension and (b) alteration of air-conditioning facilities; and if he will make a statement on compliance with the Government's policy on the use of HFC refrigerants. [71355]

The Prime Minister: There is no planned work on the air-conditioning system.

Senior Civil Servants

Mr. Trend: To ask the Prime Minister what action he takes in ensuring that senior civil servants maintain proper standards of conduct while carrying out their duties. [71495]

The Prime Minister: The standards of conduct required by civil servants are set out in the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Catherine Meyer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has made to the German Chancellor concerning the case of Catherine Meyer. [71588]

The Prime Minister: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is in regular contact with Lady Meyer. Her case has been actively pursued by both FCO Ministers and officials with their German counterparts. The FCO continues to offer Lady Meyer whatever consular support and assistance it properly can.

Government's Annual Report

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Prime Minister if he will resume publication of the Government's Annual report. [71719]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 12 July 2001, Official Report, column 638W.

GP Practices

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 3 July 2002, Official Report, column 219, what evidence he has evaluated that a move away from single-handed general practitioner practices improves the quality of care that people receive. [71888]

The Prime Minister: There is research suggesting a positive association between practice size on the one hand, and effective clinical governance and chronic

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disease management on the other. However, it is also the case that many single-handed practices provide high quality care.

Downing Street (Expenditure)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the methods by which expenditure on the fabric of (a) 10 Downing street and (b) 11 Downing street is (i) formally agreed and (ii) made publicly available. [71794]

The Prime Minister: Expenditure incurred in respect of No. 10 Downing street offices plus the flat at 11 Downing street is included within the overall Cabinet Office budget. Annual budgets, within the departmental limits approved by Parliament, are agreed by the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary as the Accounting Officer. Actual expenditure against these budgets is recorded in the Cabinet Office resource accounts.

Expenditure incurred in respect of No. 11 Downing street offices plus the flat at 10 Downing street is included within the overall HM Treasury budget. Actual expenditure against these budgets is recorded in HM Treasury's resource accounts.

Accounts for both Departments are published annually and presented to Parliament in accordance with the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000.

Johannesburg Summit

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the total amount of carbon emissions that will be accounted for by the attendance of the British Government delegation at the earth summit in Johannesburg. [71775]

The Prime Minister: No decision has yet been taken on the size and composition of the final UK Government delegation for the World summit on sustainable development. The official delegation will include Ministers, MPs, businessmen, representatives from non-governmental organisations and officials. The Government, of course, want to offset the carbon emissions from the delegations's attendance.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the UK Government's priorities for his attendance at the World sustainability summit in Johannesburg in September; and if he will make a statement. [71776]

The Prime Minister: The World summit on sustainable development is important both for the planet and people's future prosperity. We strongly support the priority areas of poverty eradication and the sectoral themes of water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity identified by the UN Secretary-General. The developed world must also take concrete steps towards sustainable development by actions to improve our own use of resources. We are also committed to sustainable development in developing countries as witnessed by the increasing proportion of the UK's gross national income devoted to international aid which will rise to 0.4 per cent. by 2005–06, and through taking forward the important commitments of trade and development made at Doha.

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Departmental Press Office

Dr. Cable: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) full time equivalents were employed by his press office and (b) secondees were placed in his press office in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [70545]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 469W and the hon. Member for Chelmsford, West (Mr. Burns) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11W.

In October 2001, my Press Office introduced a short-term secondment programme for press officers from other Government Departments to widen their experience. Eight press officers have taken part in the programme.

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Prime Minister if he will instruct the Secretary of State for Health to reply to the letter to him dated 25 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Irene Boyd. [72136]

The Prime Minister: I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health has replied to my right hon. Friend's letter.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Claimants

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what format the information provided to benefits claimants regarding their choice of means to access their entitlement will be given; and if he will make a statement. [70530]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Brian Cotter) on 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 874w.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it will cost a benefits claimant to collect their entitlement in cash from a post office using (a) a Post Office card account, (b) a basic or no frills bank account and (c) an ordinary bank or building society account; and if he will make a statement. [70529]

Malcolm Wicks: People using univeral banking services—access to the banks' basic bank accounts at post office branches and the card account at the Post Office—will be able to access their money free of charge from the Post Office.

The Post Office also has network banking arrangements with a number of banks which allow customers to access current accounts at post office branches. The banks involved do not normally charge their customers for making withdrawals from their accounts.

Customers who have current accounts with banks outside the network banking arrangements can cash a cheque at the Post Office, but will be charged for doing so.

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Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research has been compiled on the cost savings relating to the changeover of benefit payments from payment book to ACT; and if he will make a statement on the results. [70191]

Malcolm Wicks: The move to payment directly into bank and building society accounts assures a safe, convenient, more modern and efficient way of paying benefits and pensions and will bring very substantial savings. Against this, we will incur some additional costs, including those to Post Office Ltd. for the provision of the new card account at the Post Office. The precise costs will depend on the number of card accounts.

Our costings in this area have been based on a number of sources, including the administrative costs of current methods of payment and losses from instrument of payment fraud.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has made for emergency benefit payments if the system for providing benefit claims collapses; and if he will make a statement. [70531]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has contingency arrangements in place to maintain continuity of benefit payment in the event of benefit system failure. The specific contingency response would be determined by the type and extent of the failure presented.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when and what information will be given to benefit claimants regarding their choice of means to gain access to their entitlement; and whether the information given will be impartial. [70605]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is currently planning an information campaign to give customers the information they need about the move to paying directly into bank/building society accounts. The campaign will aim to present information on the changes in a straightforward way that helps our customers make the best choices for their circumstances. This will build on the research we have already undertaken to get a first hand understanding of customer needs. Customers will be contacted directly when it is their turn to change.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he plans to place an explanatory leaflet in post offices before the introduction of the universal bank, explaining to customers the different options that will be open to them for claiming their benefits once the universal bank is established. [71787]

Malcolm Wicks: the Department is currently planning a campaign to give customers the factual information they need to make an informed choice. We are working closely with the Post Office and others to ensure that this information can be provided in a consistent way across a range of sources. One possible option is to provide material at post offices but no final decision has yet been taken.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for enabling the temporary collection of benefit payments by persons other than the benefit recipient; and if he will make a statement. [70532]

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Malcolm Wicks: Already payments for over 40 per cent. of customers are paid directly into bank and building society accounts. They have a number of options for when they are unable to get to the bank or the post office, and these will continue.

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