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Civil Contingencies

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from (a) the St John's Ambulance and (b) the Red Cross concerning contingency civil defence (i) planning and (ii) readiness in the event of an NBC terrorist attack in (A) London, (B) the South East, (C) England and (D) the United Kingdom. [96252]

Mr. Blunkett: I have received no representations from the St John's Ambulance or the Red Cross concerning any aspect of civil contingency planning or preparedness.

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My hon friend the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, (Mr Alexander) has provided further details of how voluntary organisations have been involved in civil defence preparedness, Official Report, column 495W.

I am aware that my rt hon friend the Secretary of State for Health met Sir Nicholas Young, the British Red Cross Chief Executive, on 7 January this year to discuss ways of strengthening and deepening strategic partnerships between the Department of Health and the Red Cross. There are a number of key common interests including emergency response. Work on these common interests continues. The Department of Health is also closely involved in the work of the National Aid Societies' Emergency Committee (NVASEC) which comprises the Red Cross and St John Ambulance. NVASEC has responsibility for planning such requirements as may be agreed with the Government for the provision of support to the medical services of the Armed Forces, the Health Service of Local Authorities in all encompassing peace time and wartime support role.

Traffic Accidents (Havering)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the rate of road traffic accidents in the London Borough of Havering; [99744]

(2) what recent communication he has had with the police in the London Borough of Havering regarding road traffic accidents. [99743]

Mr. Denham: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that there were 957 reported road traffic accidents in Havering in 2001 and 801 in the period from January to November 2002, the latest for which figures are available. This shows an encouraging downwards trend. Havering Borough continues to demonstrate its commitment to road safety by the deployment of two dedicated road safety officers. The National Policing Plan provides that all police forces and local authorities should include in their local policing plans targeted and intelligence-led strategies for reducing deaths and injuries on the road and achieving a safe environment for all road users.

Young Prisoners

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new instructions have been issued to prison and social service staff as a result of the judicial review brought by the Howard League for Penal Reform on the Children's Act. [100282]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 3 March 2003]: Following the High Court judgment in the judicial review brought by the Howard League on the application of the Children Act 1989 to children in young offender institutions (YOIs), guidance has been issued to all Area Managers, Governors and Directors, with responsibilities for children in custody. The guidance states that the Act does apply to children in YOIs and the duties imposed on local authorities do not cease to arise merely because a child is in a YOI.

The possible need for further guidance for other audiences is being considered as part of the Government's response to Recommendation 2.8 of the

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Joint Chief Inspectors' report 'Safeguarding Children', which recommends that the Home Office and the Youth Justice Board should issue revised guidance to the Prison Service and the area child protection committee member organisations on the requirements and arrangements to safeguard children in prisons and YOI.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many young people in prison are on the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme (a) in each prison and (b) in total; and if he will make a statement; [99786]

(2) how many young people in prison have achieved a Duke of Edinburgh award (a) in each prison and (b) in total in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [99785]

Hilary Benn: Full awards under the Duke of Edinburgh scheme in Prison Service establishments holding juveniles and young offenders over the period August 2001—February 2003 inclusive are set out in the table. Information on awards obtained before August 2001 is not available. Information on the number of individual prisoners undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme is not recorded centrally.

Establishments	Bronze Award	Silver Award
Aylesbury	4
Bullwood Hall	8
Castington	2
Deerbolt	10
Doncaster	4
Feltham	10
Moorland	11
Onley	9
Swinfen Hall	10
Thorn Cross	4
Wetherby	8	1

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Small Businesses

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government is doing to maintain the number of small manufacturers; what efforts are being made to improve resources and funding for the small business service; and if she will make a statement. [100298]

Nigel Griffiths: The Government's manufacturing strategy highlights the importance of increasing the uptake of best practice and improving skills, capital investment and innovation as key to the long-term survival of UK manufacturers. The Small Business Service (SBS) works closely with DTI colleagues responsible for the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). In all regions the MAS is being delivered in close association with Business Links Operators. In addition SBS runs a number of national programmes which include the provision of specific assistance to manufacturing companies, including the Inside UK Enterprise programme of best practice visits, and the Benchmark Index, which includes a report focused on SME manufacturing, aimed at making it easier for individual manufacturing companies to compare their

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performance with that of their competitors, and to learn from each other. In "Small Business and Government—The Way Forward", published in December 2002, the Government set out its policy framework towards small business, including the key role of the SBS as a centre of expertise on small business issues in Government. The resources for the SBS in 2003–04 are being considered in the context of the development of its Business Plan for that year, which will be published on www.sbs.gov.uk.

Auditing/Accounting

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish minutes of her meetings with the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. [100522]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In line with the common practice of this and previous governments, we do not publish such minutes under Exemption 2—Internal Advice and Discussion—of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will propose legislation under which plcs would be required to publish their accounts within 90 days of the year end. [100534]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government's plans for a revised reporting regime for all companies were contained in the White Paper "Modernising Company Law" (Cm 5553), published in July 2002. This included the proposal that public companies should be required to file their annual reporting documents with Companies House within six months of the year end as opposed to seven months at present. In addition, quoted public companies would normally publish these documents on the internet within four months of the year end.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will introduce legislation under which accountants would be forbidden from acting as reporting accountants for a bank and then becoming liquidators and receivers on behalf of the same. [100538]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We do not intend to introduce such legislation. Under existing guidelines for liquidators, where there has been a prior material professional relationship no principal or employee of the firm acting as reporting accountants should accept appointment as liquidator of an insolvent company. If the company is solvent, the insolvency practitioner should nevertheless give careful consideration to all the implications of his accepting appointment as liquidator.

Under existing guidelines for receivers, any insolvency practitioner proposed to be appointed administrative receiver of a company after acting as reporting accountant should take steps to satisfy himself either that the company does not object to his acceptance of the appointment or that the circumstances are such that, in accepting the appointment, he will be able to act, and be seen to act, independently and effectively.

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Under the Enterprise Act 2002 the circumstances in which the holder of a floating charge will be able to appoint an administrative receiver will be significantly reduced.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish her Department's correspondence with the Accounting Standards Board over the implementation and compliance with FRS17. [100762]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has had no correspondence with the Accounting Standards Board over the implementation and compliance with FRS17.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when officials of her Department had meetings with partners in Arthur Andersen to discuss the firm's role in (a) Enron and (b) WorldCom. [100525]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Officials in the Department had no meetings with partners in Arthur Andersen to discuss the firm's role in Enron and WorldCom.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regulatory action was taken by her Department against the auditors of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. [100521]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Supervisory Bodies of the accountancy profession are currently responsible for taking action against individual auditors. In the case of the Bank of Credit & Commerce International, action was taken against the auditors/firms by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), through the Joint Disciplinary Scheme (JDS). The results were published by the press.

Arrangements for monitoring and disciplining audit firms are to change as a result of the recent Review of the Regulatory Regime of the Accountancy Profession. Copies of the Review Report have been placed in the Libraries of House.

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