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4 Feb 2005 : Column 1178W—continued

Trident

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Government's plans are for (a) renewing and (b) replacing the Trident weapons system; when these plans were last reviewed; how often these plans have been reviewed since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [214242]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 692W.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) missiles and (b) warheads are deployed on Trident submarines; what the approximate yield of the nuclear warheads deployed is; and if he will make a statement. [214376]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2004, Official Report, column 752W.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the role of the Trident programme in combating international terrorism; when this assessment was last (a) reviewed and (b) changed; and if he will make a statement. [214378]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 January 2004, Official Report, column 577W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the policy followed by his Department for the award of contracts of a value less than £100,000. [214230]


 
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Hilary Benn: All DFID contracts must be let by trained staff. Contracts of less than £100,000 in value are not formally required to follow the competition process set by the public procurement regulations. DFID does run competition for this business, particularly in overseas markets, where this represents value for money. Where competition would involve a disproportionate cost for lower-value contracts trained staff have authority to negotiate directly with suppliers. DFID also makes increasing use of competitively-tendered central purchasing arrangements and framework agreements for low-value contacts.

Development Science

Mr. McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in the establishment of an advisory development science research board; and what mechanisms it will use to solicit representation. [212259]

Hilary Benn: I am setting up a small working group as suggested by the Science and Technology Committee to assess what objectives an "advisory Development Sciences Research Board" might fulfil, what form it might take and what additional funds would be appropriate. Professor Gordon Conway, DFID Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Sir David King, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, and Professor Sir Keith O'Nions, Director General Research Councils, are meeting in the next few weeks to take this forward.

Eritrea

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action his Department is taking with multilateral institutions in Eritrea to combat religious persecution of Christians. [213697]

Hilary Benn: The UK raises the issue of religious freedom with the Eritrean Government regularly. Our chargé d'affaires in Asmara last raised the issue on 18 January and my hon. Friend the Minister for Africa (Mr. Mullin), raised it with President Isaias during his visit to Eritrea in January last year. DFID will continue to make clear our concern.

TREASURY

2001 Census

Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the last day for returning the 2001 census form was; how many such forms were issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS); how many were returned to the ONS; and if he will make a statement. [213192]

Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 4 February 2005:


 
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Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions were made for non-completion of the 2001 Census form, broken down by constituency. [213166]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 1 February 2005]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 4 February 2005:


2001 Census—England and Wales

Parliamentary constituencyNumber of prosecutions
England and Wales39
England37
North East
Blaydon
Gateshead East and Washington West
North West5
Blackpool South1
Cheadle1
Crosby1
Macclesfield1
Southport1
Yorkshire and the Humber2
Colne Valley1
Keighley1
East Midlands6
Ashfield1
High Peak2
Rutland and Melton1
South Holland and the Deepings2
West Midlands
Mid Worcestershire
East5
Mid Norfolk1
North East Bedfordshire1
North East Hertfordshire1
North Norfolk1
Saffron Walden1
London1
Croydon South1
South East4
Bracknell1
North Thanet1
Portsmouth South2
South West11
Exeter2
Gloucester1
North Wiltshire1
Plymouth Sutton1
Somerton and Frome1
South West Devon2
Totnes1
Wells1
Westbury1
Wales2
Bridgend1
Cardiff North1

 
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Departmental Policies (Burnley)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [214702]

Mr. Timms: The Government have put in place a broad programme of both macroeconomic and microeconomic reform since our election in 1997 designed to better the economic performance of all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented the economic performance of the Burnley constituency has improved considerably. For example, since May 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by 46 per cent. and both long-term unemployment and long-term youth unemployment have fallen by over three quarters.

The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at Parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.


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