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Transformation Fund

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what the annual £125 million Transformation Fund announced in the pre-Budget report will be allocated from 2006. [209774]

Margaret Hodge: The 10-year child-care strategy, published in December 2004, set out the Government's vision for every child to have the best start in life and for parents to have more choice about how to balance work and family life. Our long term aim is for affordable, flexible, high quality child care to be available for all families with children under 14. We are making substantial additional investment in early years and child care over the next three years: the Sure Start budget will more than double from this year to 2007–08. This includes a new Transformation Fund of £125 million a year from 2006–07.

The aim of the Transformation Fund is to ensure a more sustainable approach to investment in child care. The fund will be distributed to local authorities from April 2006. The fund will complement the child care
 
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funding already available and support investment by local authorities in high quality, affordable, flexible and sustainable child care provision.

Options for making best possible use of this additional revenue are currently under discussion. We are reviewing the domestic and international experience of investing to support the quality and sustainability of child care, and the lessons learned will be used to inform decisions on how the Transformation Fund should be spent. An announcement will be made in due course.

World Darts Championship

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much her Department spent advertising at the World Professional Darts Championships. [207886]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My Department did not spend any money on advertising at the World Darts Championship. However, £6,167 was spent on the provision of promotional materials to encourage darts fans to phone the National Learning Advice Line and find out about courses to improve their maths and English skills. The materials were part of the Department's ongoing campaign to promote adult literacy, language and numeracy skills.

PRIME MINISTER

Bahrain

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the King of Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [210727]

The Prime Minister: I last met the King of Bahrain on 1 January 2005. We discussed a wide range of issues including UK/Bahrain relations and regional issues.

Baronetcies

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will re-consider his decision on continuance of the practice of recommendations to the Queen on the creation of hereditary baronetcies. [210677]

The Prime Minister: No.

Congressional Medal of Honour

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to collect his Congressional Medal of Honour. [210598]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 18 May 2004, Official Report, column 878W.

Engagements

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he met Lord Irvine on 12 June 2003; and what was discussed. [209696]

The Prime Minister: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed.
 
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EU Presidency

Mr. Moore: To ask the Prime Minister what the Government's priorities for the European Council will be during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [209558]

The Prime Minister: The overall Council agenda for 2005 is set out in the UK/Luxembourg Annual Operating Programme, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. It is too early to determine which particular issues from the this overall agenda will be discussed at the European Council.

European Commissioner for External Trade

Mr. Drew: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has held with the European Commissioner for External Trade on additional roles he has been asked to perform for the European Commission outside his portfolio responsibilities. [208926]

The Prime Minister: I have regular discussions with the European Commissioner for External Trade on all aspects of European business.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his office in the last three years. [207815]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Constitutional Affairs today.

India

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to visit India during the term of the UK's presidency of the G8. [210422]

The Prime Minister: I plan to visit India during the UK's presidency of the EU.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers were informed about the United States military planning document on the Iraq war which contained references to P-day, A-day and G-day; and on what dates. [210734]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1771W.

Middle East

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister how he plans to take forward the G8 initiative on the Arab world which began at Atlanta, Georgia. [210728]

The Prime Minister: As part of our efforts to encourage political, social and economic reform in the Middle East, we will work with our G8 and regional
 
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partners during our G8 presidency to ensure implementation of the Broader Middle East and North Africa Plan of Support agreed last year.

Serbia and Montenegro

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what the main conclusions were of his meeting with the President of Serbia and Montenegro on Monday 17 January. [210231]

The Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range of issues with the President of Serbia and Montenegro at our meeting on 17 January, including the need for full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and for Belgrade to engage constructively with UNMIK (UN Mission in Kosovo) and the PISG (Provisional Institutions of Self Government) for both immediate and long-term stability. We also discussed how best to support further contacts between UK and Serbia and Montenegro companies to facilitate further trade and investment.

Official Residences

Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister which official residences may be occupied by Ministers; and which residences have been occupied by (a) Ministers, staff and their families and (b) others in each year since 2000. [210421]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) of 20 January 2005, Official Report, column 1037W.
 
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Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the special advisers who accompanied him on each of his visits abroad between (a) 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 and (b) 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [210569]

The Prime Minister: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying me on overseas visits is included in the list. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Management Code.

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