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5 Mar 2003 : Column 1013W—continued

Pollution (Fines)

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been levied in fines by local authorities against (a) companies, (b) local authorities and (c) individuals, with regard to incidences of pollution, broken down by type of pollution incidence (i) in total, (ii) in each region and (iii) per fine in each year since 1995. [99256]

Alun Michael: Local authorities' main pollution control responsibilities are under Parts I, III and IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (industrial air pollution control, statutory nuisance, and litter respectively) and the Clean Air Act 1993.

With regard to Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question 190 on the order page of 21 February 2003,

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The Department holds no data on Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Total fines in England and Wales with respect to Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were as follows. The Department is unable to break down this data by region and is only available from 1997 onwards:

Date	Total (£)
1997–98	727
1998–99	4,778
1999–2000	2,970
2000–01	2,310

The Department holds no data on the Clean Air Act 1993.

Local authorities have been informed of the recently-issued toolkit—"Costing the Earth, Guidance for Sentencers"—which my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment launched on 20 November 2002, is available on the Magistrates Association website www. magistrates-association.org.uk/news/whats new.htm

Public Servant of the Year

Mr. Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the winners were of the Public Servant of the Year Award 2002; what the cost was of this initiative; and if he will make a statement. [99890]

Mr. Alexander: I have been asked to reply.

The Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce are non financial sponsors of the Public Servant of the Year Awards. Any costs of the scheme are borne by CIPFA.

The event is financed from the commercial sponsorship of the award ceremony by a number of leading companies. There is no cost to the public purse.

CIPFA and Public Finance magazine are the organisers of the award and undertake all of the administrative arrangements. A small team in the Cabinet Office maintain regular contact with the organisers.

The list of winners in 2002 are noted as follows:

The Award for Innovation—sponsored by Zurich Municipal

Ms Jan Nicholson, Senior Occupational Therapist, S. Derbyshire Acute Hospital NHS Trust

The Award for Leadership—sponsored by Anon

Ms Danielle Cotton, Firefighter, London Fire Brigade

The Front-line Worker Award—sponsored by Eagle Star

Mr. Bill Marney, Social Worker, Lincolnshire Social Services

The Turn-round Manager Award—sponsored by Courtenay

Mr. Richard Vince, Prison Service, has since been promoted

The Social Inclusion Award—sponsored by UNISON

Mrs. Ragbir Virdee, Project Worker, Nottingham City Social Services

The Award for Managerial Excellence—sponsored by Reed Accountancy Personnel

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Mrs. Terry Owen, Volunteer Manager, Aintree Hospitals Volunteer Scheme

The Award for Progress through Partnership—sponsored by RSM Robson Rhodes

Mr. Noel Rice, Energy Conservation Manager, Northern Ireland Housing Executive

The Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Non-Executive—sponsored by Task (Software) Ltd.

Mr. Cyril Baily, Chair of Governors, Ormskirk School

Central Government—sponsored by IFF Ltd.

Ms Wendy Gilroy, Customer Services Officer, Benefits Agency

Local Government—sponsored by Vantagepoint

Ms Clare Wichbold, Regeneration Officer, Herefordshire Partnership

Education—sponsored by Eagle Star

Mr. Andrew Parsons, Headteacher, Plymstock School

Health—sponsored by PPS Ltd.

Mr. Jeremy Handley, Non Executive Director, Northgate & Prudhoe NHS Trust

Housing—sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Housing

Mr. Tom Manion, Chief Executive, Irwell Valley Housing Association

Uniformed Services—Anite Public Sector

Mr. Howard Wright, Community Constable, West Midlands Police

Voluntary Sector—sponsored by Community Care Magazine

Mrs. Jenni Thomas, Chief Executive, The Child Bereavement Trust

Outstanding Public Servant of the Year—sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Amey

Danielle Cotton, Firefighter, London Fire Brigade

Public Works Loans Commissioners

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the payments to be made by the public works loans commissioners for overhanging debt in each of the next five years. [99398]

Mr. McNulty: There is no estimate covering this period. Resources required by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to meet commitments for overhanging debt in each of the next five years will depend on future applications from the local authorities seeking to transfer their housing in any particular year.

Travellers

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce further legislation to assist parish councils and other landowners whose land is illegally occupied by travellers. [99780]

Mr. McNulty: There are no current plans to introduce further legislation to assist parish councils and other landowners whose land is illegally occupied by travellers.

Parish councils and other landowners are able to go through the civil courts for the recovery of their land under Orders 24 and 113. Parish councils can also liaise with their county council regarding the possibility of serving a Section 77 Direction under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

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Housing Industry (Unfair Contract Terms)

Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he and his predecessors have taken to encourage the housing industry to comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and the originating European directive. [100334]

Mr. McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Ms Prentice) on 12 February 2003, Official Report, column 841W.

Women's National Commission

Mr. Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the remit is of the Women's National Commission; how many staff it has; what its total costs were in each year from 1996–97 to 2003–04 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [99899]

Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.

The remit of the Women's National Commission is to make known to Government, by all possible means, the informed opinion of women. It is able to comment freely on government policy and inform government departments of the views of women, women's organisations and NGOs.

Currently, the WNC has a total of 10 staff. These include three permanent members of staff, one on secondment until June 2004; five temporary members of staff, all of whom will leave during the year, plus one unpaid internship.

The budgets for the financial years specified were:

Year	£
1996–97	243,342
1997–98	233,300
1998–99	299,895
1999–2000	250,025
2000–01	250,025
2001–02	303,000
2002–03	253,243

For the financial year 2003–04, the budget figures are yet to be confirmed by DTI.

PRIME MINISTER

Security and Intelligence Agencies

Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what total spending on security and intelligence agencies was in each year from 1998–99 to 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [99893]

The Prime Minister: The Security and Intelligence Agencies' combined outturns and projected budgets for each year from 1998–99 to 2003–04 can be found in the tables on page 96 of the Cabinet Office's Departmental Report (Cm 5429).

The Department Report which will be published this spring will update this information and cover the period 1998–99 to 2005–06.

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Engagements

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his diary engagements for 26 February 2003 from 1.30 pm to 7.00 pm. [100698]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 4 March 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Milton Keynes (Dr. Starkey) in the House on 26 February 2003, Official Report, column 250.

Iraq

Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the replies he gave between 1997 and 2001 to letters from Iraqi exiles requesting the use of armed force by the United Kingdom to overthrow Saddam Hussein. [99492]

The Prime Minister: Following my speech to the Labour Party spring conference on 15 February and my monthly press conference in Downing Street on 18 February, I made available copies of letters and an e-mail that I have received from Iraqi exiles. I have placed copies in the Libraries of the House.

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