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Sickness Absence

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90551]

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) earlier today.

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Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many working days have been lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90970]

Clare Short: My Department will announce the number of sick absences recorded in 2002 in due course.

The number of sick absences recorded in my Department from 1997 to 2001 is:

Year	Number of absences	Average number of days per staff year
1997	9,250	8.1
1998	8,643	7.3
1999	9,263	7.3
2000	8,426	6.2
2001	11,545	8.3

Staff numbers on which these are based have risen from 1,142 in 1997 to 1,391 in 2001.

Sudan

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote good governance and respect for human rights in Sudan. [91684]

Clare Short: The only long-term answer to improving human rights situation in Sudan is a peace settlement. We believe the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process offers the best chance to bring an end to the civil war through a negotiated settlement between the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A. In 2002, the talks produced breakthroughs on the key issues of state and religion and self-determination for the south and a Memorandum of Understanding on a cessation of hostilities and unimpeded humanitarian access and agreement on aspects of power and wealth-sharing, as well as human rights.

The war in Sudan has prevented many donors, including the UK, from carrying out a development programme in Sudan over the past decade. Over $500 million of development funding will become available from the international community when there is peace: this is an important incentive for the warring parties to reach a comprehensive agreement. We are co-ordinating closely with other donor countries on all matters, including assessing support for good governance. Until there is a peace agreement, we will continue to support life-saving humanitarian work and peacebuilding activities such as personnel to monitor the ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains, support for anti-slavery work and for the IGAD secretariat.

Zimbabwe

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met representatives of opposition parties in Zimbabwe. [91447]

Clare Short: I have not met representatives of Zimbabwe's opposition parties in recent months. My officials maintain dialogue on the humanitarian situation with a wide representation of civil society.

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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met representatives of the Government of South Africa to discuss the political situation in Zimbabwe. [91448]

Clare Short: I have had no such discussions. The British High Commission in Pretoria is in regular contact with the Government of South Africa on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the World Bank continues to fund government programmes in Zimbabwe. [91449]

Clare Short: The World bank has not disbursed funds in Zimbabwe since 2000, after the Government of Zimbabwe ceased making payments on previous loans. Zimbabwe's arrears to the World Bank totalled US$107.4 million as at 6 December 2002. The World bank cannot resume lending until the arrears are repaid in full.

PRIME MINISTER

Chancellor Schroeder

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the German Chancellor Schroeder. [92159]

The Prime Minister: My wife and I visited Hanover on 11 January for a dinner with Chancellor Schroeder and his wife. We discussed policy issues of mutual interest.

Civil Servants

Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants have been employed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92415]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.

Convention on the Future of Europe

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on UK policy towards the agreement reached between President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder for the Convention on the Future of Europe; and what measures he will take to enhance British influence in the EU. [92123]

The Prime Minister: I welcome the Franco-German contribution to the debate on Europe's future. Strong French and German engagement is essential to take the debate on the future of the EU forward towards a more democratic, accountable and effective European Union. The paper is good for the UK. It contains important proposals which the UK has advocated, such as a full-time Chair of the European Council. The UK will continue to engage with confidence in the debate on the future of Europe.

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E-mail

Mr. Watson: To ask the Prime Minister when his e-mail address will be established for members of the public to contact him online. [92987]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty) on 6 November 2002, Official Report, column 399W.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when he last discussed United States compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with the President of the United States. [91965]

The Prime Minister: I remain in close touch with President Bush about a range of international matters.

Referendums

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2002, Official Report, column 811W, on referendums if he will make a statement on the Government's criteria for determining on which subjects it is appropriate for referendums to be held. [92655]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my previous reply on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 306W, where I indicated that there are no criteria, set out in either the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act or elsewhere, for determining on which subjects it is appropriate for referendums to be held.

Dedicated primary legislation is required for any particular Referendum and the Government would of course, explain its reasons for deciding that the issue in

question was suitable for a referendum.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when the United Kingdom first provided UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency with intelligence material on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. [92306]

The Prime Minister: The United Kingdom has been providing information of various kinds to UN weapons inspectors since they first started inspections in Iraq in 1991.

TRANSPORT

A3

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for commencement of work on the A3 tunnel at Hindhead. [92042]

Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews to write to the right hon. Member.

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Letter from T. Matthews to Virginia Bottomley, dated 22 January 2003:

The Minister for Transport, John Spellar, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the timetable for commencement of work on the A3 tunnel at Hindhead.

The programme for the scheme remains as we previously advised your office in December. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, we aim to start construction in 2005 and take about 4 years to build the project, opening it to traffic in 2009. The next major stage will be the publication of draft Orders under the Highways Act together with an Environmental Statement. This remains on target for publication this Autumn.

Current work is centred on further ground investigation involving the sinking of additional boreholes at both Hindhead Common and Tyndalls Wood. This work is being carried out to

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build up a more detailed picture of the geology to inform the tunnel design.

If you require any information please contact Paul Arnold the Project Team Leader in Dorking office (01306 878475).

Departmental Staff

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) the Department and (b) each of the agencies it sponsors; and what the figures were for 1997. [90664]

Mr. Jamieson : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 697W.

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