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Blackpool Tower Project

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total costs of the Blackpool Tower project were in the first three months of this year. [119271]

Ms Blears: On the basis of information provided by the Lancashire Constabulary, total costs of the Blackpool area Basic Command Unit Tower project for the first three months of this year include multi-agency funding of £99,333.25, of which the Home Office Police Standards Unit contributed £19,241.00.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Tower project in Blackpool and Burnley. [119272]

Ms Blears: The Blackpool Tower scheme is a multi-agency project targeting persistent offenders. Its aims are to reduce crime combining police disruption and targeting tactics with the provision of drug treatment.

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Huddersfield University conducted an evaluation of the project, the final report of which is due shortly. Ministers will consider this evaluation and how its content should be shared.

CABINET OFFICE

Asbestos

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what actions the Cabinet Office, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are taking to comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002; whether he has made an estimate of the cost of compliance; and if he will make a statement. [118851]

Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has undertaken Asbestos surveys for the London and Basingstoke Estate, the GCDA's buildings, HMSO Norwich, the Emergency Planning College and the Centre for Management and Policy Studies Residential Training Centre at Sunningdale.

The following action and costs were identified:

London Estate—some asbestos has been identified. The advice of our specialist contractors is that there is no risk and no need to take any actions unless areas are disturbed due to building works. Costs of required measures will be identified and incorporated into any project costs at the time of the works.

Basingstoke Estate—the control of Asbestos is the responsibility of the building's Landlord. Some low risk asbestos was found and removed. No costs are anticipated.

GCDA—the survey concluded that there was no asbestos on the site, or in any consumable/vehicle workshop products. The results of the survey are being reviewed but no costs are anticipated.

HMSO Norwich—the control of Asbestos is the responsibility of the Landlord of the premises. No risk has been identified and no costs are anticipated

Emergency Planning College—the survey identified some risk 1 asbestos, which has now all been removed. All other traces of asbestos which were recommended for removal or treatment will be dealt with by September 2003. In addition some asbestos has been identified in buildings due for demolition as part of the College's major accommodation upgrade and will be dealt with as part of the demolition process in September 2004. The cost of all these works will be some £48,000.

Centre for Management and Policy Studies Residential Training Centre at Sunningdale—some asbestos has been detected and is registered. The PPP partner within the site development works is handling its removal, under appropriate guidance and control. The risk is borne by them at no further cost to the College.

Correspondence

Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Paymaster General will reply to the letter

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from the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell of 29 April on behalf of Mrs. P. Cooper of Ewell, forwarded to his Department by the Treasury on 6 June. [119862]

Mr. Alexander: A reply was sent to the hon. Member today.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Disabled Women

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Minister for Women what recent consultations she has had with the Minister for Disability about access to work for disabled women. [118481]

Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), the former Deputy Minister for Women and I have regularly met with our Department of Work and Pensions ministerial colleagues on a range of employment questions, including in relation to gender and disability.

Most recently, I attended a breakfast meeting at 11 Downing Street with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to discuss with senior business leaders increasing employment opportunities for disabled people.

Temporary Agency Workers

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what the implications will be for (a) women employed as temporary agency workers in Government Departments and (b) for the Government as their employees of the European Agency Workers Directive. [118409]

Ms Hewitt: The Directive is currently under discussion at the European level, and until a final version is agreed, its implications will remain unclear. There is a risk that additional costs arising as a result of the Directive may reduce employment opportunities for temporary agency workers, including for women in the public sector. The Government are working to ensure that the Directive protects temporary agency workers without putting their jobs at risk.

We believe that the impact of the Directive, as it is currently drafted, on the hourly pay of female temporary agency workers in the public sector would be insignificant and will not have any significant impact on public sector costs.

An assessment of the overall impact of the Directive as drafted is detailed in the regulatory impact assessment, of which the House Library has a copy.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Adults with Incapacity

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to introduce a Bill on adults with incapacity. [119251]

Mr. Lammy: My Department is currently preparing a Draft Mental Incapacity Bill for publication, based on our Policy Statement, 'Making Decisions'. We will introduce legislation when parliamentary time allows.

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Immigration Adjudicators

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many adjudicators are in post; and how many are (a) full-time and (b) part-time. [119529]

Mr. Lammy: As at 13 June 2003, there were 587 adjudicators in post with the Immigration Appellate Authority. These include the Chief Adjudicator, the Deputy Chief Adjudicator, nine Regional Adjudicators and six Deputy Regional Adjudicators. In total, there are 168 permanent adjudicators and 419 fee paid adjudicators.

Immigration Appeal Tribunal

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Lord Chancellor has to abolish the Immigration Appeal Tribunal. [119527]

Mr. Lammy: On 22 May 2003, the Government announced their intention to draw up further legislative proposals to build on the measures in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. One such proposal involves the creation of a single tier of appeal. The policy is currently being developed in greater detail and an announcement will be made in due course.

Legal Aid

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many users of legal aid have over the past five years had bills settled (a) in excess of £1 million, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £250,000 and £500,000, (d) between £100,000 and £250,000, (e) between £50,000 and £100,000 and (f) under £50,000. [117850]

Mr. Lammy: The information needed to answer the question is not readily available, and the answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Additives

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure food products contain (a) the name and (b) the number of additives in the list of ingredients. [116888]

Miss Melanie Johnson: European rules implemented here by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 already require additives to be identified in the list of ingredients by their function, for example, 'preservative', 'colour' and either their specific name or serial number except where specific exemptions apply. There are no plans to require the name and the serial number to be given, although there is nothing to prevent this from being done voluntarily.

Alcohol Dependency

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to provide a multi-agency

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approach to treatment for those with alcohol dependency who also have mental health and other drug problems. [119906]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health issued guidance last year on the management and delivery of effective treatment for adults with severe mental illness and co-existing drug or alcohol misuse problems. The guidance highlights the responsibilities of drug action teams and local implementation teams to work together locally in order to implement the guidance in accordance with local needs.

The National Treatment Agency for substance misuse has also issued guidance in the last year for commissioners, 'Models of Care'. The framework of this guidance applies to alcohol and drug treatment services and strongly supports the development of multi-agency approaches to treatment based on comprehensive assessment of needs, including for those with dual diagnoses. In addition, the National Institute for Mental Health in England is also working to identify how access to effective treatment can be improved and waiting times reduced. Many of the services affected by this work are joint drug and alcohol services.

The Department of Health is preparing a new strategy on alcohol harm reduction which will set out a coherent and practical framework for a responsible approach which reinforces the message about sensible drinking and seeks to tackle alcohol misuse in all its forms. The NHS Plan said that we will be implementing the strategy by 2004, and we are on course to achieve that target. The Cabinet Office strategy unit is to undertake a project on alcohol misuse. Conclusions from the project will form the basis of the Government's alcohol strategy.

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