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Landfill Tax

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to allow the proceeds from landfill tax to go to local authorities. [87491]

Mr. Meacher: Last month's pre-Budget report announced that the Government would consult on a revenue neutral proposal to increase the landfill tax escalator to #3 per tonne in 2005–06 and to increase the rate of tax by at least #3 per tonne in future years, towards a rate of #35 per tonne. The Government will consult with stakeholders on options for the package, including the recycling of revenue, before making its decisions.

Mr. Julian Heath

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to return the P45 certificate belonging to a constituent, Mr. Julian Heath. [87861]

Alun Michael: I can confirm that Mr. Julian Heath's P45 has been sent to his home address.

Recycling

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the amount of recycled plastic required to meet the target in EC WEEE Directive. [87330]

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Mr. Meacher: Figures from a report by the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) show that in 1998 there were about 915,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) arising, of which approximately 22 per cent. were plastics. These data are currently being updated.

The WEEE Directive requires that WEEE is recovered and recycled according to 10 categories, with recovery and recycling targets set at between 50 per cent. and 80 per cent. for each category. The plastics content varies considerably between the categories, however, a significant proportion of the plastics in WEEE will need to be recovered or recycled to meet the requirements of the WEEE Directive.

Rural Deprivation

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to allocate resources to pockets of rural deprivation in the delivery of services; and what resources she is making available. [87706]

Alun Michael: Deprivation in rural areas tends not to be as geographically concentrated as in urban areas and it is less meaningful to think in terms of Xpockets". DEFRA is currently working with the Countryside Agency and Office for National Statistics to explore a better way to identify rural deprivation. The Countryside Agency has a social exclusion programme worth almost #3 million for the three years 2002–03 to 2004–05 with which to promote demonstration projects and new research to identify and tackle social exclusion in rural areas.

DEFRA and the Countryside Agency are actively promoting the equitable allocation of services in rural areas by helping Government Departments to Xrural proof" their policies and programmes. Following the Rural White Paper we allocated over #47 million through the Vital Villages scheme, which in the first instance runs until 2003–04. This is aimed at tackling the problem of dwindling services at the root, by enabling local people to set up their own enterprises.

I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply given to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 25 November 2002, Official Report, columns 55–57W, which gives further information on DEFRA funded projects.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in and involvement of UK representatives in the case of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in Pakistan. [84647]

Mr. Rammell: Mr. Sheikh remains in detention. The Pakistani authorities are fully aware of our opposition to the death penalty, both generally and in Mr. Sheikh's case. We will make further representations if appropriate.

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Appointments

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which bodies his Department makes appointments; how many members there are (a) in total and (b) in each body; and how many of those appointed are (i) businessmen, (ii) businessmen in SMEs and (iii) businessmen in micro-businesses. [87390]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 16 December 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 607W.

Civil Servants

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants are employed by his Department; and how much money was spent by his Department in the last 12 months, in each local authority area. [87263]

Mr. Mike O'Brien : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 607W.

Convention on the Future of Europe

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to hold a referendum on the outcome of the Convention on the Future of Europe. [87931]

Mr. MacShane: No.

European Constitution

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with (a) the EU institutions and (b) European partners about the development of a European constitution. [87619]

Mr. MacShane: The Government works closely with members of the EU institutions and our European partners on a range of EU issues in the Convention on the Future of Europe.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government is in favour in principle of a written European constitution. [87620]

Mr. MacShane: The Government supports an EU constitutional treaty that makes clear that the EU is a union of Nation States, and clearly and concisely sets out what the EU does, and how it does it. This would help to deliver a better organised EU, more accessible to EU citizens and better able to deliver real and practical benefits.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other member states of the Commonwealth

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regarding the actions of the Zimbabwean Government towards the eviction of white farmers from their land. [83885]

Mr. Rammell: Foreign Office Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their Commonwealth counterparts about the economic, political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's unsustainable programme of land seizures forms part of these discussions.

My noble Friend Baroness Amos, FCO Minister for Africa, had the most recent contact, with the South African, Mozambican and Mauritian Foreign Ministers in Maputo on 7–8 November.

DEFENCE

Armoured Vehicles

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Challenger II tanks, (b) Warrior, (c) Sakern, (d) FV430, (e) Sabre, (f) Scimitar, (g) Striker, (h) Spartan, (i) Sultan, (j) Samson, (k) Samaritan armoured vehicles, (l) Challenger recovery vehicles, (m) Stormer, (n) Shielder, (o) Fuchs NBC vehicles, (p) AS90, (q) MLRS and (r) M578 were fully operational in each quarter of 2002; what percentage of fleet size this represents in each case; and if he will make a statement. [87922]

Mr. Ingram : I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

AS90

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the cost of completing the environmental enhancements to the AS90 will remain within the expected budget; when he expects the enhancements to be completed; and whether he has set a deadline for completion. [87042]

Mr. Ingram: The cost of completing environmental enhancements to the AS90 is expected to remain within the budget originally forecast. We expect that the necessary modifications will be completed in time for possible future operations but I am withholding specific details of this timescale under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. To provide such information risks jeopardising our contingency planning and harming operational security.

In addition to the AS90s that we are modifying for contingency operations, consideration is being given to modifying further AS90s as part of the normal planning round. A decision on this has yet to be taken.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many expressions of interest he has received from contractors for the environmental enhancements of the AS90; and whether decisions have been made on the award of the contract. [87043]

Mr. Ingram: The contract for the environmental enhancement of AS90 has been sought via a single source prime contract with RO Defence plc, the design

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authority for AS90. A number of sub-contracts, which are the responsibility of the prime contractor, may also be let. We expect to award the prime contract shortly.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems have been experienced with the environmental enhancements to the AS90; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement. [87044]

Mr. Ingram: No significant problems have been experienced with the environmental enhancements to the AS90, and good progress is being made.

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