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Regional Airports (Security)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Civil Aviation Authority and (b) international counterparts concerning security at regonal airports in the UK; [151012]

(2) how regularly security arrangements at regional airports are reviewed. [151013]

Mr. McNulty: The Department of Transport has policy responsibility for civil aviation security in the UK. We set practical security measures for the aviation industry to implement at all airports, based on UK security service threat information, and monitor compliance with those requirements. These measures are reviewed constantly with the industry. However, neither the UK CAA or our international counterparts have any responsibility or expertise in these areas and we do not therefore consult with them, although the department keeps in regular touch with them on a range of issues.

Rural Transport

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much grant his Department has given to Somerset county council for rural transport in each year since 1997. [150624]

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Mr. McNulty: All local authorities in England (outside London) receive capital funding for local transport through the Local Transport Plan system. The Government also provides revenue support for all local authority spending programmes through the Formula Spending Share system. It is a decision for each authority as to how much of that funding is allocated to rural transport. Somerset CC also received Rural Bus Challenge and Rural Bus Subsidy funding throughout most of the period in question:

Rural Bus Challenge Funding

Year ofaward	Name of project	Amount awarded (£)
1998	The Mendips flexible bus project	130,000
1998	Exmoor community transport radio	1,004
1999	West Somerset Social Car Scheme	90,823
1999	Wells to Priddy Postbus	25,582
1999	Continuation of Mendip Flexibus Funding	225,195
2000	South Somerset	182,344
2001	Community Transport in Mendip 'Special Rural Component'	89,000
2001	South Somerset Links, Langport and Chard	197,000
2001	Rural Surrounds of Wiveliscombe	100,000
2002	Somerset Inclusion Bus Buddy	94,500

The total awarded to Somerset county council under the Rural Bus Challenge since its inception in 1998 is £1,135,448. Payments are made over a number of years, usually over three years.

Rural bus subsidy grant

	£
1998–99	1,017,790
1999–2000	974,750
2000–01	980,300
2001–02	1,285,610
2002–03	1,472,445
2003–04	1,518,856

Figures shown give actual grant paid since its inception in 1998, deducting any grant carried forward from the previous year. The figure for 2003–04 shows the full allocation for this financial year.

Traffic Management Bill

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the likely costs per (a) water, (b) gas, (c) electricity and (d) telecommunications customer arising from the introduction of permit schemes as set out in the Traffic Management Bill. [150205]

Mr. Jamieson: While the Traffic Management Bill provides the broad powers to set up permit schemes, the detail of how they would work will be set out in secondary legislation and a further more detailed Regulatory Impact Assessment will be produced as part of preparing regulations.

Transport (Wales)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the volume of freight passing through Welsh ports, (b) the volume of passengers passing through Welsh ports and (c) the number of ships and the average tonnage of ships operating out of Welsh ports for each year since 1997. [151754]

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Mr. Jamieson: The available information is included in the table.

Welsh ports traffic 1997–2002

	(a) Total freight (million tonnes)	(b) Total passengers (million)	(c) Number of ship arrivals (thousand)	(c) Average tonnage of ships arriving (thousand gt)
1997	62.3	4.0	10.9	n/a
1998	56.2	4.3	10.3	n/a
1999	56.6	4.0	9.9	14.0
2000	57.9	3.9	11.1	13.3
2001	54.7	3.6	10.5	15.4
2002	52.0	3.6	10.4	16.5

HEALTH

Assistive Technology

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the 3rd Audit Commission report, "Keeping People Independent with Assistive Technology". [151947]

Dr. Ladyman: This report has not yet been published and an assessment is not, therefore, possible.

Babies (Sleeping Habits)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he issues to parents regarding risks associated with babies sleeping in the same bed as their parents at night; and if he will make a statement. [150755]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department have issued guidance on avoiding co-sleeping with babies in circumstances associated with cot death. The leaflet, 'Reduce the Risk of Cot Death', has been made widely available in hard copy and on the Department's web-site at www. doh.gov.uk/cotdeath/. The Department also supports the Child Accident Prevention Trust, whose leaflet, 'Keep Your Baby Safe', includes advice to parents against co-sleeping with a baby in their bed, and a warning against falling asleep on a sofa while holding the baby, in case of accidental injury.

Cancer

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the changes in cancer incidence between 1995 and 2000. [150233]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 26 January 2004]: The number of cancers in England, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, increased by 6.9 per cent. between 1995 and 2000. This is mostly accounted for by increases in breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, bowel cancer, melanoma, mesothelioma and lymphomas. However, this should be balanced against significant decreases in the numbers of lung, stomach and cervical cancers.

There are many reasons for the changes in incidence of these cancers.

The increased incidence of breast cancer can be attributed not only to the success of the national breast screening programme in identifying new cases, but also

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changes in factors that affect a woman's hormonal environment, such as obesity, use of hormone replacement therapy and differing patterns of child birth. The increase in reporting of prostate cancer is primarily due to the greater use of prostate specific antigen testing. Increased incidence of melanoma is due to greater over-exposure to sunlight. The increased number of bowel cancer cases is partly due to diet and lack of physical activity. For mesothelioma, the increase is due to the increased numbers of people exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s who, because of the long latency period of the disease, are only now developing this condition. The reasons for increased cases of testicular cancer and lymphomas are unclear.

The decrease in lung cancer incidence is due to reduced rates of smoking in men over the last two decades. The reduction in stomach cancer is primarily thought to be due to changes in diet. The reduction in the number of cases of cervical cancer is almost certainly due to the national screening programme identifying abnormalities which, left untreated, would later become cancerous.

Cannabis

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the results of recent research into the association between cannabis use and psychosis. [150747]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We recognise that a causative link between early cannabis use and later development of schizophrenia is not conclusively proven. However, the recent epidemiological research on the issue of earlier use of cannabis and risk of later development of schizophrenia, 'schizophrenic symptoms' and 'schizophreniform disorder' has shown a stronger association than was previously evident from published studies. The British Medical Journal editorial accompanying the publication of the key research papers concluded that:

"whether the use of cannabis triggers the onset of schizophrenia or depression in otherwise vulnerable people or whether it actually causes these conditions in non- predisposed people is not yet resolved."

The Department continues to monitor research in this area and has a range of expert advisors to continue to inform policy.

Care Home Beds (Worthing)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that there are adequate care home beds available (a) now and (b) in the future in Worthing; and what mechanisms he will employ to ensure that the care homes receive sufficient fees to care for their residents. [151293]

Dr. Ladyman: The Government have made available substantial increases in the level of funding provided for social services in recent years. Between 1996–97 and 2002–03, the overall level of funding has increased by 20 per cent., an average real terms annual increase of around three per cent. We intend to further increase resources to social services for personal social services by an annual average of six per cent, in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06.

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Local councils should use these extra resources to determine a range of care options, including residential care places that are needed locally. This information should then inform their commissioning strategies and decisions. It is for each council to decide what should be the level of fees paid for care services, in the light of local needs and circumstances.

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