Written Answers of 22 April 1988

WALES

  Gipsy Caravan Sites
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the location of any official gipsy caravan sites within an area of outstanding natural beauty in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  There are no official gipsy caravan sites within a designated area of outstanding natural beauty in Wales.

  Trunk Roads
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to publish an updated programme for trunk road improvements in Wales to replace the report "Roads in Wales 1985".

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I expect a new edition of "Roads in Wales" to be published later this year.

  East Dyfed Health Authority
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which regions of Wales come under the jurisdiction of the East Dyfed health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  East Dyfed health authority is responsible for the provision of health services in the districts of Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Dinefwr and Llanelli.

  Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The overseas travel costs of Ministers and Officials could be separated only at unjustifiable cost. The total expenditure on overseas travel by Ministers and Officials of my Department in the financial year 1987–88 was £47,551·10.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those primary schools in Dyfed which(a) have classes where Welsh is the sole or main medium of instruction of first or second language pupils, (b) have classes of first or second language pupils where some of the teaching is through the medium of Welsh and (c) teach no Welsh, or where there are classes where Welsh is taught as a second language but not used as a teaching medium.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: The information is as follows:

  Dyfed schools with some classes where Welsh is the sole or main medium of instruction
  570

  Bwlchygroes C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Sirol Tegryn

  Ysgol Gynradd Eglwyswrw

  Fishguard C.P. School

  Goodwick C.P. School

  Prendergast C.P. School

  Prendergast Infant & Nursery

  Brynconin C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Sirol Blaenffos

  Ysgol Gynradd Sirol Crymych

  Ysgol Gynradd Hermon

  Ysgol Llanychllwydog

  Ysgol Gynradd Maenclochog

  Narberth C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd St. Dogmaels

  Golden Manor C.P. Infant

  Grove Junior C.P. School

  Fishguard Infant & Nursery School

  Felinfach C.P. School

  Pennant C.P. School

  Yr Ysgol Gynradd Talgarreg

  Ysgol Gymraeg Alexandra

  Ysgol Brynherbert

  Ysgol Gynradd Llangwyryfon

  Ysgol Gynradd Penllwyn

  Ysgol Gynradd Rhydypennau

  Ysgol Gynradd Talybont

  Aberforth C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Beulah

  Cardigan Junior C.P. School

  Cardigan Infants C.P. Aberteifi

  Ysgol Gynradd Llechryd

  Ysgol Y Blaenau

  Ysgol Gynradd Cwrtnewydd

  Ffynnon Bedr C.P. School

  Llanwnnen C.P. School

  Ysgol Adpar

  Ysgol Gynradd Capel Cynon

  Ysgol Gynradd Coedybryn

  Ysgol Gynradd Glynarthen

  Llandysul C.P. School

  Ysglo Gynradd Penmorfa

  Ysgol Gynradd Pontsian

  Ysgol Gynradd Tregroes

  Trewen C.P. School

  Llangeitho C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Penuwch

  Ysgol Gynradd Tregaron

  Ysgol Gwenllian

  Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant

  Pontyberem C.P. School

  Llanddarog V.C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Cefneithin

  Ysgol Gynradd Drefach

  Llechyfedach C.P. School

  Mynyddcerrig C.P. School

  Cwmgwili C.P. School

  Tumble C.P. School

  Gorslas C.P. School

  Bancffosfelen C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Gwynfryn

  Ysgol Gynradd Ponthenri

  Ammanford C.P. Junior School

  Ammanford C.P. Infants School

  Glanamman C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Cefnbrynbrain

  Parcyrhun C.P. School

  Ystradowen C.P. School

  Ysgol Y Babanod Twyn Garnant

  Cwrt Henry C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Trap

  Ysgol Llansawel

  Ysgol Gynradd Ffarmers

  Caio County Primary School

  Llangadog County Primary

  Bethlehem C.P. School

  Llandovery C.P. School

  Llanwrda C.P. School

  Coedmor C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Rhydcymerau

  571

  Whitland County Primary

  Ysgol Gynradd Brynsaron

  New Inn C.P. School

  Pencader C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanpumsaint

  Ysgol Y Dderwen

  Felinfoel C.P. School

  Llangennech C.P. Infant School

  Llangennech Junior School

  Hendy C.P. Mixed School

  Trimsaran Infants School

  Ysgol Brynsierfel

  Llanarthne C.P. School

  Llangunmor C.P. School

  Trimsaran Junior Mixed School

  Parc Y Tywyn School

  Ysgol Gymraeg Rhydaman

  Ysgol Becca

  Llandybie C.P. School

  Hafodwenog C.P. School

  Ysgol Teilo Sant

  Llanybydder C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Cynwyl Elfed

  Penygroes County Primary

  Llandyfaelog V.C.P. School

  Capel Cynfab Primary School

  Llanfihangel-ar-Arth V.C.P.

  Llanllwni V.C.P. School

  Cilgerran V.C.P. School

  Tenby Infants V.C. School

  Trefilan V.C.P. School

  Penboyr V.A. School

  Llanwenog V.C.P. School

  Dyfed schools with teaching through the medium of Welsh as a first or second language

  Maesybont C.P. School

  Cross Hands C.P. School

  Llangain C.P. School

  Idole Primary School

  Ysgol Gynradd Peniel

  Llangyndeyrn Primary School

  Carway C.P. School

  Pontyates C.P. School

  St. Clears C.P. School

  Bancyfelin C.P. School

  Glasfryn County Primary

  Llangynin C.P. School

  Meidrim C.P. School

  Saron C.P. School

  Betws C.P. School

  Brynamman C.P. Infant School

  Blaenau C.P. School

  Garnant Primary School

  Nantygroes C.P. School

  Llanedi C.P. School

  Cwmifor C.P. School

  Ffairfach C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Talyllychau

  Ysgol Gynradd Brechfa

  Crugybar County Primary

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanycrwys

  Gwynfe County Primary School

  Llansadwrn C.P. School

  Llanddeusant C.P. School

  Henllan Amgoed C.P. School

  Llanboidy C.P. School

  Cwmbach C.P. School

  Ysgol Capel Iwan

  Gynradd Alltwalis School

  Ysgol Gynradd Mynyddygarreg

  Llansaint C.P. School

  Ysgol Y Babanod Felinfoel

  Five Roads C.P. School

  Morfa Infants Nursery School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llansteffan

  Llannon C.P. School

  Brynamman Junior Mixed School

  A bernant C.P. School

  Myrddin C.P. School

  Ysgol Y Castell

  572

  Ysgol Gynradd Nantgaredig

  Ysgol Gynradd Penffordd

  Dinas C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Sirol Hayscastle

  Ysgol Gynradd Glandwr

  Gynradd Sirol Mynachlogdou

  Ysgol Gynradd Moylegrove

  Newport C.P. School

  Ysgol Puncheston Casmael

  St. Davids C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Sirol Casblaidd

  Tenby Junior C.P. School

  Solva C.P. School

  Croesgoch C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Aberaeron

  Caerwedros C.P. School

  Cilcennin C.P. School

  Ciliau Parc C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Cribyn

  Cross Inn C.P. School

  Dihewyd C.P. School

  Gwenlli C.P.School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanarth

  Ysgol Llanllwchaiarn

  Ysgol Gynradd Llannon

  Mydroilyn C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llwyncelyn

  Capel Seion Primary School

  Comins Coch C.P. School

  Cwmpadarn C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanafan

  Ysgol Gynradd Llangynfelyn

  Llanfarian C.P. School

  Ysgol Llanfihangel-Y-Creuddyn

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanilar

  Mynach C.P. School

  Penparcau C.P. Junior School

  Ysgol Syr John Rhys

  Ysgol Gynradd Trefeurig

  Penparc C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Y Ferwig

  Brongest C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Capel Dewi

  Yr Ysgol Gynradd Pontgarreg

  Rhydlewis C.P. School

  Bronant C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Llanddewi

  Ysgol Lledrod

  Ysg Gynradd Pontrhydfendigaid

  Ysgol Gynradd Swyddffynnon

  Ysgol Ysbyty Ystwyth

  Ysgol Gynradd Blaenporth

  Borth C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Penrhyncoch

  Aberbanc C.P. School

  Ysgol Ydderi

  Cenarth C.P. School

  Abergwili V.C.P. School

  Ferryside V.C.P. School

  Newcastle Emlyn V.C.P. School

  Llanddowror V.C.P. School

  Llangynog Vaughans Charity

  Manordeifi Upper V.C.P.

  Manorowen V.C.P. School

  Mathry V.C.P. School

  Letterston V.C. School

  Barham V.C. School

  Ysgol Myfenydd

  Llanfynydd V.A.P. School

  Model V.A.P. School

  Dyfed schools with no teaching through the medium of Welsh

  Ysgol Gynradd Tycroes

  Ysgol Gynradd Penwaun

  Johnstown C.P. School

  Pentrepoeth Junior School

  Pentrepoeth Infant School

  Llanmiloe C.P. School

  Bryn C.P. School

  Bynea C.P. School

  Dafen C.P. School

  573

  Llwynhendy Junior School

  Furnace C.P. School

  Ysgol Yr Ynys

  Burry Port C.P. Infant School

  Copperworks Infant School

  Llanelli Copperworks C.P.

  Morfa C.P. Junior Mixed

  Old Road C.P. Primary School

  Lakefield County Primary

  Swiss Valley C.P. School

  Pembrey C.P. School

  Llandeilo C.P. School

  Halfway C.P. School

  Pwll C.P. Mixed School

  Penygaer C.P.

  Sageston C.P. School

  Dale C.P. School

  Barn Street C.P. School

  Fenton C.P. Infants School

  Herbrandston C.P. School

  Orielton C.P. School

  Johnston C.P. School

  Lamphey C.P. School

  Hook C.P. School

  Waterston C.P. School

  Loveston C.P. School

  Hakin C.P. Junior Mixed School

  Hakin C.P. Infant School

  North Road C.P. School

  Neyland Junior C.P. School

  Albion Square C.P. Infant School

  Pennar Junior School

  St. Ishmaels C.P. School

  Pentlepoir C.P. School

  Saundersfoot C.P. School

  Stepaside C.P. School

  Templeton C.P. School

  Pennar C.P. Infant School

  The Meads C.P. Infant and Nursery School

  Tavernspite C.P. School

  Mount Airey Nursery and Infant School

  Monkton C.P. Infant School

  Broad Haven C.P. School

  Roch C.P. School

  Park Infants C.P. School

  The Mount C.P. Infants and Nurseries School

  Neyland C.P. Infants and Nurseries School

  Pembroke Dock C.P. Junior School

  Ysgol Gynradd Cei Newydd

  Ysgol Y Plant Bach

  Plascrug Primary School

  Priory Junior C.P. School

  Ysgol Gynradd Y Bigyn

  Stehonheath C.P. School

  Burryport C.P. School

  Tremoilet V.C. School

  Laugharne V.C.P. School

  Priory V.C.P. School

  Myddfai V.C.P. School

  Cilycwm V.C.P. School

  Angle V.C.P. School

  Burton V.C.P. School

  Cosheston V.C.P. School

  Jeffreyston (Creselly) V.C.P.

  Llanddewi Velfry V.C.P.

  Llangwm Voluntary School

  Manorbier V.C.P. School

  Penally V.C.P. School

  Rosemarket V.C.P. School

  Spittal V.C.P. School

  Stackpole V.C.P. School

  Haverfordwest Junior V.C. School

  St. Florence V.C. School

  Hubberston V.C. School

  St. Marys R.C. J.I.N. School

  St. Marys Primary School

  St. David V.A.P. School

  Holy Name V.R.C. School

  St. Mary's V.R.C. School

  Mary Immaculate V.R.C. School

  574

  St. Francis V.R.C. School

  St. Aidans V.A.P. School

  St. Padarns R.C.P.School

  St. Teils V.R.C. School

  St. Marks V.A.P. School

  Pentip V.A. Primary School

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecutors (Manual of Guidance)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library a copy of the manual of guidance issued to Crown prosecutors in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement as to the criteria upon which a decision to prosecute is based, as set out in the manual.

  The Attorney-General
  The criteria upon which such a decision is based are set out in the code for Crown prosecutors issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions pursuant to section 10 of the Prosecutions of Offences Act 1985. Copies of that code are available to the public. My predecessor caused a copy to be placed in the Library on 25 June 1986, as he announced in his answer of the same date to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth). Crown prosecutors are issued also with manuals of guidance. I am discussing with the Director of Public Prosecutions whether it would be proper to cause copies to be placed in the Library.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will state the total costs incurred by(a) his Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by (i) ministerial travel and (ii) travel abroad by civil servants.

  The Solicitor-General
  The total costs incurred by(a) the Law Officers' Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department on foreign travel by Ministers and civil servants during the financial year 1987–88 were as follows:

  £

  Law Officers' Department

  Ministerial travel

  4,211

  Travel by civil servants

  2,550

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  Ministerial travel

  21,707·45

  Travel by civil servants

  13,507·93

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Attorney-General at whose initiative the inquiry by the City of London police, arising from the recent appeal hearing of the men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings, was established; when was it set up; and what is its remit.

  The Solicitor-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions wrote to the commissioner for the City of London police on 30 March 1988 to ask for inquiries to be made, following information received from another police force. The inquiries are not yet concluded.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Angola
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list current development projects in Angola for which United Kingdom national, Commonwealth or European Community assistance is given; what is the value of that assistance; and if he will specify the means or agencies through which assistance is given.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  About half our bilateral programme to Angola is devoted to the provision of training in Britain. Within Angola we are currently supporting the following Government projects:

  Estimated expenditure 1988–89

  £'000

  English language teaching project

  61

  English language eduction and training programme

  109

  Development activities currently being financed by the European Community are as follows:

  Current commitment

  £million

  Sectoral import programme

  24·48

  Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) global loan

  2·80

  Technical assistance for BNA and government officials

  0·40

  Feasibility studies

  0·34

  Regional training

  0·09

  TOTAL

  28·11

  The United Kingdom share of these EC-financed development activities is approximately £4·64 million.

  There is no Commonwealth aid to Angola.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list United Kingdom contributions to Angola through national, Commonwealth and European Community action in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Gross bilateral aid and the estimated British share of European Community aid to Angola since 1983 have been as follows:

  £'000

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Gross bilateral aid

  71

  146

  164

  317

  Estimated UK share of EC aid

  390

  1,510

  1,290

  1,500

  Figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  There is no Commonwealth aid to Angola.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the curriculum development of social, political and moral subjects in the national curriculum; and how it will be structured.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Many of these themes will be covered by the attainment targets and programmes of study of the 576
  core and other foundation subjects; we can expect others to be included in the rest of what schools provide. Their place and development within the school curriculum as a whole, the purposes of which are set out in Clause 1 of the Bill, are matters on which the National Curriculum Council will be able to advise.

  Capital Allocations (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received a letter from the Nottinghamshire county council education chairman regarding the county capital allocation for education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has received a letter from the chief education officer of Nottinghamshire county council concerning the authority's capital expenditure allocation for 1988–89. A reply was sent on 12 April 1988.

  Medical Research Council
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what provision for research into major psychiatric disorders is contained in the Medical Research Council's proposals to develop a new national centre for research and postgraduate medical education;

  (2) what provision for research into diseases of the nervous system is contained in the Medical Research Council's proposals to develop a new national centre for research and postgraduate medical education;

  (3) what will be the (a) capital and (b) the annual running costs of the Medical Research Council's proposed new national centre for research and postgraduate medical education;

  (4) where the Medical Research Council's new national centre for research and postgraduate medical research will be located;

  (5) what provision for research into neurological disease is contained in the Medical Research Council's proposals to develop a new national centre for research and postgraduate medical education;

  (6) what provision for research into infectious disease and clinical genetics is contained in the Medical Research Council's proposals to develop a new national centre for research and postgraduate medical education.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council is in the process of developing proposals, following the Stoker report on the clinical research centre, for a new national centre for multispecialty postgraduate medical education and research based at Hammersmith. I understand that the M RC intends to submit detailed proposals on this to Government later this year.

  Teachers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide details of the percentage of black teachers and white teachers by local education authority; what are their percentages in respect of salary scales; what is the percentage who have head or deputy headships; and if he will make a statement on the number of black teachers who are in teacher training.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  This information is not available. However, as announced by my right hon. Friend on 28
  577
  October 1987 at column 261, a draft circular on the collection of this information has been issued for consultation. Additionally, the Department issued a consultative document on 8 March on the collection of ethnically based statistics for students in further and higher education, including those in teacher training.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The exact costs incurred by this Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 are not yet known but are expected to total some £143,000, as follows:

  £

  (a) Ministerial

  32,000

  (b) Civil Servants:

  Her Majesty's Inspectorate

  39,000

  Officials

  72,000

  Departmental Votes
  Mr. Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of any revised cash limits for his Department's Votes in respect of university funding in 1988–89.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on class XII, vote 3 is being revised to take account of an increase of £3·1 million in respect of pay for clinical academic staff. This increase takes account of the related increase for the hospital and community health service in respect of the recommendations of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body. It is based on the premise that academic staff will be reimbursed in appropriate circumstances through the National Health Service for two thirds of their defence body subscriptions. The effect of the change is as follows:

  Class

  Vote

  Description of expenditure

  Current cash limit £000

  Revised cash limit £000

  XII

  3

  Universities, etc.

  1,840,463

  1,843,563

  The increase will be charged to the Reserve, so will not add to the public expenditure planning total.

DEFENCE

  Air-sea Rescue
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is in a position to make a statement on the future disposition of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy air-sea rescue detachments in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  Some parts of our review of the most effective deployment of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy search and rescue helicopters have been completed and announced. Studies into the deployment of the remaining aircraft continue, and I shall tell the House the outcome as soon as possible.

  United States Naval Security Group
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the function of the additional operational facilities at the United States naval security group activity, Edzell, Scotland, for which funds of $4·2 million were provided in the United States fiscal year 1988 budget.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I understand that funds were requested by the United States navy to provide an extension to an existing building to provide more space for communications facilities, but that the project has been delayed pending complete funding.

  Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any plans to replace the Hunter and Canberra aircraft currently in service with the fleet requirements and air direction unit by civilian-registered aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are at present no plans to replace these aircraft with civilian-registered aircraft.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Falcon 20DC aircraft are provided to support military training under the terms of his Department's contract with Flight Refuelling Ltd. for the operation of the fleet requirements and air direction unit; and whether the contract gives his Department exclusive use of those aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are 16 Falcon 20 aircraft used to support military training. The Department has first call, but use is not exclusive.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Dassault Falcon 20DC aircraft are operated by the fleet requirements and air direction unit; when these aircraft entered service; and which type of military aircraft they replaced.

  Mr. Freeman
  The fleet requirements and air direction unit operates 16 Falcon 20 aircraft. They entered service between February 1985 and February 1987 and they replaced a number of the Hunter and Canberra aircraft used to support military training.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's current contract with Flight Refuelling Ltd. for the operation of the fleet requirements and air direction unit expires.

  Mr. Freeman
  There are three current contracts which expire in 1992.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what responsibility he has for the operation of the fleet requirements and air direction unit.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for the operation of the fleet requirements and air direction unit, which provides a service to national and NATO forces under the control of the flag officer naval air command. It is manned and operated under contract to the MOD by Flight Refuelling Ltd.

  Benbecula (Low Flying)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary action was taken against the
  579
  aircrew of the United States Air Force F111 aircraft involved in a low-flying incident over Benbecula on 12 September 1983.

  Mr. Freeman
  Disciplinary action following a breach of flying regulations is a matter for the operation nation. My Department has been informed by the United States authorities that appropriate action was taken with regard to this incident.

  RAF Benbecula
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defenc what changes have been made to the regulations governing military flying activity in the vicinity of RAF Benbecula since September 1983.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not possible without disproportionate effort to list all changes since September 1983 to the regulations governing military flying activity which might have affected flying in the vicinity of RAF Benbecula.

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United Kingdom aircraft engaged in low-flying military exercises in West Germany below 1,000 m in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not available.

  Army Vehicles (Lighting)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) of 8 February,Official Report, column 81, whether the regulations controlling the use of Army vehicles on public roads in the hours of darkness without lights also apply to vehicles belonging to United States military forces stationed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The cost of foreign air travel by MOD Ministers and their personal staffs during 1987–88 was approximately £69,000, excluding ministerial use of air transport provided by the RAF which is not separately identifiable.

  Records are not maintained in a way which would provide separate information on other forms of travel by Ministers or overseas travel by civil servants. The MOD travel votes cover travel by service men as well as civilians and make no distinction between domestic and overseas travel.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Government Expenditure
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of Government spending is cash limited, and what are the main categories which are not.

  Mr. Major
  Some £63 billion—just over 40 per cent. of the 1988–89 public expenditure planning total of £156·8 billion—is covered by cash limits. In addition, a further £12 billion of expenditure, which mostly finances expenditure included in the planning total, is covered by cash limits. The main categories which are not subject to cash limits are demand-led services (such as supplementary benefits, where once policy and rates of payments have been determined expenditure depends on factors such as the number of claimants coming forward), local authority current expenditure (although most central Government grants to local authorities are covered by cash limits) and the financing of most public corporations (nationalised industries are subject to external financing limits). The coverage of cash limits is discussed more fully in chapter 3 of the "Supply Estimates 1988–89: Summary and Guide" (Cm 328).

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of Government spending is voted by Parliament; and what are the main categories of expenditure outside this.

  Mr. Major
  The 1988–89 main Supply Estimates seek parliamentary authority for some £83 billion—just over 50 per cent. of the 1988–89 public expenditure planning total of £156·8 billion. In addition a further £25 billion of expenditure in 1988–89 main Estimates will finance payments to bodies whose own expenditure is counted in the planning total. The main categories of expenditure not voted by Parliament are local authority expenditure (although central Government grants to local authorities are included in Supply Estimates), social security expenditure financed directly from the national insurance fund, some payments made direct from the Consolidated Fund, such as contributions to the European Community, and net borrowing by most public corporations. These relationships are set out more fully in the "Supply Estimates 1988–89: Summary and Guide" (Cm 328).

  Economic and Finance Council
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.

  Mr. Lawson
  The Ecofin Council met in Luxembourg on 18 April. I represented the United Kingdom.

  The chairman of the Community's economic policy committee presented a preliminary report on economic aspects of the Commission's proposals for abolishing fiscal frontiers. Finance Ministers gave some preliminary views on the report and agreed to discuss the issues further at their informal meeting in May.

  In discussion on implementation of the February European Council conclusions on budget discipline, the Council approved in principle a provisional text of a decision on controlling agricultural guarantee and other obligatory expenditure. The Council also agreed possible elements for a draft inter-institutional agreement between

  581
  the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on the development of non-obligatory expenditure over the period 1988 to 1992. Negotiations between representatives of the three institutions are due to take place on 22 April.

  The Council received reports by the chairmen of the monetary committee and Committee of Central Bank Governors on the Commission's proposals to liberalise capital movements in the Community. The Council identified a number of issues which Finance Ministers will discuss further.

  The Council agreed in substance a derogation for a reduced rate of excise duty for imports of DOM rum into mainland France.

  Financial Services
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in establishing the regulatory regime for the wholesale markets under section 3 of the Financial Services Act.

  Mr. Lilley
  [pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1987, c. 231–321]The Bank of England has now published a paper setting out in detail how it intends to supervise the wholesale markets in sterling, foreign exchange and bullion, together with a copy of the first list of exempted persons established for the purposes of section 43 of the Financial Services Act. Much of the regime, including the Bank's code of conduct defining best market practice, is now operative, although those aspects directly related to the Financial Services Act will come into effect with that Act on 29 April.

  In my written answer of 22 July 1987 to my hon. Friend set out the conditions that the Bank of England intended to impose for admission to its list, and the arrangements for admission to and removal from it, which had been approved by the Treasury. A small number of technical changes have been made to those conditions and arrangements. The revised version of the conditions and arrangements is set out in the Bank's paper; a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Enemy Assets
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Custodians of Enemy Property are to continue to preserve enemy assets.

  Mr. Butcher
  The Custodians of Enemy Property were asked three years ago to sell all valuable securities which were vested in them. Efforts have recently been made, with some success, to trace and pay the original owners of vested property and those to whom money was originally due, or their successors in title. The custodians have been from time to time directed to pay into the Exchequer money held in the name of former enemies who could not be traced and this process has now been completed.

  If a belated claim is now made, any person who proves himself to be an original owner or creditor, or the successor in title to an original owner or creditor, will be paid out of moneys voted by Parliament the amount paid into the Exchequer. This undertaking does not extend to cases where a foreign Government have agreed to meet claims of this kind by their nationals.

  North East Shipbuilders Ltd. (Danish Ferry Contract)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether, pursuant to his statement on shipbuilding on 18 April,Official Report, column 554, he has anything further to add on the position of the Danish ferry contract with North East Shipbuilders Ltd.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  There has been considerable difficulty with the Danish customer in recent months, arising mainly from the non-payment of instalments. Two weeks ago British Shipbuilders issued a formal demand that the outstanding payments be made by midnight on 20 April. That deadline passed with no payments having been made, and so BS has now cancelled contracts for five of the ferries. North East Shipbuilders will complete the vessels. The other contracts continue as normal.

  Voluntary Restraint Agreements
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guarantees have been given to British Aerospace regarding Her Majesty's Government's future policy towards voluntary restraint agreements with Japan on motor vehicles.

  Mr. Atkins
  None.

  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Her Majesty's Government have given any undertakings to British Aerospace about the Government's future attitude to the voluntary restraint arrangement covering cars and commercial vehicles from Japan.

  Mr. Atkins
  No.

ENERGY

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88, indentified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The estimated costs of foreign travel by my Department in 1978–88 are about £33,000 for Ministers and their immediate staff and £240,000 for other staff, of which £10,800 and £26,700 respectively will be refunded by the EC.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  European Cinema and Television Year
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to mark the European Community and Council of Europe's European Cinema and Television Year 1988, and particularly, European Cinema Day on 16 June.

  Mr. Butcher
  The Government are grateful for the energetic efforts of the national committee for European Cinema and Television Year, which I appointed last year, to arrange a small, high-profile series of events backed by our cinema and broadcasting industries to celebrate
  583
  European Cinema and Television Year in the United Kingdom. I have arranged for copies of the programme of events which they and many other cinema and television interests in the United Kingdom are arranging during 1988 to be placed in the Library of the House.

  The celebration of European Cinema Day on 16 June is a matter for individual cinema owners to decide. I understand however that the Odeon cinema chain is planning to celebrate European Cinema Day during the week of 16 June by opening the projection rooms at some of its cinemas to the public.

  Togo
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the current state of trade relations with Togo; and if he has plans to improve them.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The level of United Kingdom-Togolese trade is relatively low (in 1987 United Kingdom imports were £2·6 million; United Kingdom exports were £15·4 million), reflecting Togo's current economic difficulties. However, the country remains a useful market for British exporters and it is hoped that our trading links can be maintained and developed.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 indentified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Butcher
  The costs of travel and subsistence allowances incurred by the DTI on overseas visits during 1987–88 was:

  £000

  Ministers and staff in their private offices

  148

  Remainder of the Department

  3,611

  3,759

  Certain of the costs are recoverable from the European Community and £299,000 was recovered during 1987–88.

PRIME MINISTER

  Members' Correspondence
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister what is her normal practice for dealing with mail addressed to her by right hon. and hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I receive an enormous number of letters every week — currently some 5,000 — from Members of Parliament and others. It is not possible for me to deal with all these letters personally, and I must accordingly refer most of them to the Minister and the Department with the responsibility for the policy in question.

  Business Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister when she last travelled by British Rail on official business.

  The Prime Minister
  In February 1987.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Staff Statistics
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the number of staff employed on an agency basis by the House of Commons Commission.

  Mr. Beith
  Agency staff are employed on a regular basis in the Refreshment Department to replace permanent staff who are absent as a result of illness, and so on. In the main they cover the duties of porters, general assistants and waiters-waitresses. On average, some 21 such agency staff are employed per week during the period when the House is sitting.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will give the number of staff employed by the House of Commons Commission who have left in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Beith
  The number of staff employed by the Commission who have resigned, retired or died in the 12-month period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988 is 125.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the number of hours of overtime worked by staff employed by the House of Commons Commission in the last year.

  Mr. Beith
  The information is not available centrally in the form requested and, because overtime is paid at different rates, it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total charge for all overtime paid to House of Commons staff in 1987–88 was £215,503. This figure does not include various night, late duty and shift allowances paid to staff which together amounted to £449,791.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the average hourly rate paid to staff employed on an hourly basis by the House of Commons Commission; and what is the average hourly rate paid to staff employed on an agency basis by the Commission.

  Mr. Beith
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will state the total costs incurred by the Privy Council Office on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No costs were incurred by the Privy Council Office on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Sergei Zherdev
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has raised with the Soviet authorities the case of Sergei Zherdev; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We regularly make representations to the Soviet authorities on behalf of refuseniks such as Sergei Zherdev. My right hon. and learned Friend again raised the issue of Soviet citizens denied permission to emigrate in February during his talks with Mr. Shevardnadze in Moscow.

  Togo
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Togo including diplomatic representation; and if he has any plans to improve them.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Kingdom enjoys good relations with Togo. The British high commissioner in Accra is also Her Majesty's ambassador to Togo. There are no present plans to change this.

  Departmental Achievements
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the main achievements of his Department since 1979 with regard to the European Community.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Patnick) on 19 April.

  Chile
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations Her Majesty's ambassador to Chile has made regarding freedom of expression and association in Chile in the period before the elections, and the conditions in which the opposition operate;

  (2) what representations he has made to the Chilean Government on the presidential elections with regard to freedom of choice to Chilean citizens and the free conduct of any electoral campaign.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I made our views on these matters known directly to the Chilean Foreign Minister last October, as did my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, both privately and publicly, during his own visit to Chile in January. Our ambassador in Santiago also discusses them frequently with the Chilean Government. I refer the hon. Member, additionally, to the statement made by the 12 members of the European Community on 9 October 1987, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. We believe it would help considerably if the Chilean Government lifted the state of emergency in advance of the plebiscite to allow the democratic opposition greater freedom to campaign peacefully.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88, identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Eggar
  The forecast outturn for spending on ministerial travel by both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the financial year 1987–88 is estimated to be £0·8 million and for travel abroad by civil servants £12·2 million. These figures exclude transfer and leave journeys.

  UNITA
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has had any meetings with, made approaches to, or received approaches from Dr. Jonas Savimbi or representatives of UNITA since 1983;

  (2) what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards UNITA.

  Mrs. Chalker
  There has been occasional contact with UNITA representatives at official level for humanitarian reasons.

  Angola
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent diplomatic initiatives seeking an end to the civil war in Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We wish to see all foreign troops withdrawn from Angola, and support the United States-led negotiations as the most practical means of ending the civil war.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has ma de of the implications for stability in Southern Africa of South Africa's policy towards Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  South Africa's present policy towards Angola contributes to instability in Southern Africa. We have called repeatedly upon South Africa to withdraw its forces from Angola and to respect Angola's territorial integrity.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has recently made any approaches to, or received approaches from, the Soviet Union with regard to a peaceful settlement in Angola;

  (2) when he last discussed Angola with the Government of the Soviet Union.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner) on 2 March.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has recently made any approaches to, or received approaches from the South African Government with regard to a peaceful settlement in Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We regularly point out to the South African Government the need for a peaceful settlement and for the withdrawal of their troops from Angola.
  587
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for stability in southern Africa of the Soviet Union's policy towards Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Soviet Union is well aware of our view that the stability of the region would be significantly improved by a negotiated end to the war in Angola involving the withdrawal of all foreign troops.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Research and Development
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received the Barnes report on research and development in the agriculture industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Yes, but in other respects I cannot yet add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 1 March at column 546.

  Forestry Grant
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the area of land approved for foresty grant-aid in each of the six years to 31 March in each county in England.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information is not readily available by counties, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Bees
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer of 13 April,Official Report, column 156, in respect of how many of the 132 incidents of honey bee poisoning in England and Wales arising from the misuse of pesticides, offenders have been detected and prosecuted, and how many of the honey bee owners have sought compensation for the damage to their bees and produce.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: While our investigation arrangements are able to determine pathological effect and its causes, they do not directly establish whether a case arose through pesticide misuse or whether an offence has been committed under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. No prosecutions have taken place to date relating to the poisoning of honey bees.

  I am unable to say how many of the honey bees' owners have sought compensation for the damage to their bees and produce, since such action falls within the province of the civil law.

  Canary Seed, Buckwheat and Millet
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the purpose of the EEC proposal to levy a tax on imported canary seed, buckwheat and millet; what would be the amount of the proposed tax; and whether Her Majesty's Government treat this proposal as falling to be considered under the Single European Act by majority vote.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The Commission is proposing to align import levies on canary seed, buckwheat and millet with those on barley; it has
  588
  argued that the existing arrangements, under which separate import levies are fixed for each of these cereals, is difficult to monitor, given the limited quantities traded on the world market, and that its proposal would simplify the system. Current rates of levy are £66·83 per tonne for buckwheat, £95·61 per tonne for millet and £42·69 per tonne for canary seed; if the Commission's proposal was adopted all these cereals would be subject to the import levy for barley, which currently stands at £115·23 per tonne. The proposal is made under article 43 of the treaty of Rome, and as such may be adopted by a qualified majority.

EMPLOYMENT

  "Training for Employment"
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to paragraph 2·8 of the paper entitled "Training for Employment", if he will publish(a) the breakdown of the 700,000 vacancies by standard region and (b) the breakdown by standard region of the socio-economic, and industrial groups of the 7·5 million recruits; and if he will place a copy of the full report from IFF Research Ltd. in the Library.

  Mr. Fowler
  Results of the recent survey by IFF Research Limited were published in the April 1988 edition of Employment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library. This includes some analysis by region, and also by occupation, of the approximately 7·4 million vacancies filled during 1987. The nature of the survey limits the scope for more detailed analysis. The estimate of 700,000 vacancies in a typical month cannot be broken down reliably by region because of the seasonal nature of the data collected in January. A full report on the survey is not yet available.

  Small Inventory Top Tier Sites
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Health and Safety Executive's estimate of the number of CIMAH small inventory top tier sites, SITTS, which have been removed from liability under the control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations since 1986; how many of the remaining small inventory top tier sites have submitted emergency plans and issued information to the public; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware of any small inventory top tier sites which have been removed from liability under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations since 1986.

  The HSE is aware of 21 small inventory top tier sites where the occupiers have completed offsite emergency plans and 14 sites where information has been issued to the public.

  Age Discrimination
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on age discrimination by employers; and what steps have been taken by his Department to discourage such discrimination.
  589
  Mr. Lee
  The Government believe that employers should select applicants for jobs on the basis of suitability. Where employers impose age limits, staff in jobcentres and the Professional and Executive Recruitment offices may ask them to consider whether they are justified. However, age can in certain circumstances have a bearing on suitability and employers are normally in the best position to judge if this is so.

  Enterprise in Higher Education
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he anticipates announcing the first institution to be involved in the Manpower Services Commission-sponsored Enterprise in Higher Education projects.

  Mr. Cope
  It is anticipated that an announcement will be made in July.

  Companies (Blacklists)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to which companies are blacklisted by the Trades Union Congress.

  Mr. Nicholls
  None.

  YTS
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the qualifications obtained by those trainees on YTS scheme who have stayed into their second year.

  Mr. Cope
  A list of qualifications obtained by YTS trainees who stayed into their second year is given in the table.

  A national survey of trainees who stayed into their second year shows that 98 per cent. of all trainees had trained for a qualification during their first year on the scheme and 54 per cent. of all trainees had gained a qualification. The significant number of trainees gaining qualifications through YTS represents an important step towards the Government's target that all young people should enter the labour market with a qualification.

  Survey of YTS trainees entering their second year of training by September 1987

  Percentage of all trainees gaining a qualification by type of qualification gained1

  Percentage

  RSA Basic

  5

  RSA/Pitmans grade 1

  10

  RSA or Pitmans 2/3

  3

  City and Guilds foundation/general

  17

  City and Guilds grade 1 or above

  27

  BTeC general or first cert

  9

  BTeC national or TeC 2

  3

  SCOTVEC modules

  8

  CPVE

  1

  Academic (CSE/GCE etc)

  9

  Others

  28

  1 Some trainees obtained more than one qualification. (Mainly qualifications awarded by industry training boards.)

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of black participants get jobs on leaving the YTS.

  Mr. Cope
  The latest results from the Manpower Services Commission's follow-up survey of all YTS leavers 590
  show that 42 per cent. of black participants who left YTS schemes between April 1986 and October 1987 were in jobs at the time of the surveys.

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a breakdown of the occupations of those on the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Mr. Cope
  The table shows the breakdown of businesses run by entrants to the enterprise allowance scheme in the 1987–88 financial year.

  Business

  Percentage

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing

  2·28

  Manufacturing

  26·11

  Distribution

  24·06

  Hotels and Catering

  0·88

  Repair of Goods

  0·36

  Transport

  4·44

  Business Services

  8·49

  Other business services

  29·54

  Not elsewhere classified

  3·84

  Compact Initiative
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why the recent compact initiative was restricted to 12 areas and if he will consider extending it to any area which requests one.

  Mr. Cope
  We are offering support to 15 inner city compacts (including two in Scotland and one in Wales) in order to test the concept in areas of greatest need. If large numbers of viable proposals are put forward, we shall review the scale of future funding.

  Manpower Services Commission
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the headings of Manpower Services Commission expenditure from 1979 to date.

  Mr. Cope
  The headings of MSC expenditure from 1979 to date can be found in the Supply Estimates for those years, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all Manpower Services Commission run or funded courses from 1979 to the current date.

  Mr. Cope
  The Manpower Services Commission has run or funded a large variety of courses and programmes since 1979. A comprehensive list of all courses and programmes run since 1979 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy towards Manpower Services Commission involvement in industrial relations training.

  Mr. Cope
  The Manpower Services Commission is involved in industrial relations training as part of its work in management training and development. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State considers proposals from the Manpower Services Commission on these, and other areas, on their merits.
  591
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the relationship between the Manpower Services Commission and the industrial relations training resource centre;

  (2) what public funds are provided to the industrial relations training resource centre; and from what sources;

  (3) what relationship the Manpower Services Commission has with (a) the Oxford Centre for Management Studies, and (b) the Employee Relations Associates.

  Mr. Cope
  The Industrial Relations Training Resource Centre no longer exists, but its work is continued by the organisation known as Employment Relations Associates. The Oxford Centre for Management Studies has now been subsumed within Templeton college.

  The Commission has contracts with both bodies for management development projects. It is understood that Employment Relations Associates receives no other public funds.

  Investment Capital and Industry (North-West)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures and initiatives are being undertaken in the north-west to attract investment capital and industry; and if he will publish a table of capital investment in real terms showing the percentage increase this sum represents from May 1979 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Atkins
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department offers a range of incentives under its recently launched enterprise initiative which are designed to encourage industrial and commercial development in the north-west and elsewhere. The information sought by the hon. Member about capital investment is as follows. For the standard economic planning region of the northwest (which excludes Cumbria) the figures in the table imply the following percentage changes in manufacturing net capital expenditure from the 1979 base year figure of £971 million.

  £ million (1979 prices)

  Calendar year

  Expenditure

  Per cent. change since 1979

  1980

  864

  -11·0

  1981

  609

  -37·3

  1982

  566

  -41·7

  1983

  594

  -38·8

  1984

  664

  -31·6

  1985

  700

  -27·9

  1986

  606

  -37·6

HOME DEPARTMENT

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of recent research undertaken amongst drug addicts by the communicable disease surveillance unit in Glasgow, he will now introduce legislation to make the passing of HIV infection knowingly or deliberately a criminal offence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  As my hon. Friend is aware, we have considered most carefully whether to propose new offences 592
  of this kind. For the present, however, it is still our conclusion that new offences would not materially assist in preventing the transmission of the virus and could discourage potential carriers from coming forward for testing.

  Pensioners (Petition)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now issue his observations on the petition from pensioners from Nottingham, North constituency presented to the House on 28 March.

  Mr. Renton
  As we have made clear to the House on a number of occasions, we do not consider that there is a good case for providing free or concessionary television licences for all pensioners.

  Computer Information (Access)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what access(a) police officers, and (b) Government agencies have to copies or originals of (i) computerised logs of telephone calls kept at new digital exchanges, and (ii) computerised logs of calls kept at individual switchboards.

  Mr. Hurd
  I refer the hon. Member to the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

  EC (Passports)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans for the new EEC British passport to be issued from the Petty France office.

  Mr. Renton
  Our present plans are for the London passport office to be computerised, and to begin issuing the new version of the British passport, machine-readable, and in the EC common format, from December 1989.

  Police Cells (Doncaster)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the numbers of prisoners on remand transferred from London courts to Doncaster police cells; what types of offences they have been charged with; and how many are in each category.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On Wednesday 20 April, 24 prisoners remanded in custody by courts in the London area were held in police cells in Doncaster. Ten of these prisoners had been charged with theft, five with burglary, four with robbery and firearms offences, three with occasioning actual bodily harm and two with drug-related offences.

  Leeds Prison
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to reduce prison overcrowding in respect of Leeds prison; what information he has about the current level of overcrowding at that prison; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 19 April 1,354 prisoners were held at Her Majesty's prison Leeds compared with a certified normal accommodation of 642.

  Leeds prison, in common with other local prisons, is seriously overcrowded. We have sought to provide such

  593
  measures of relief as is possible under present circumstances by diverting some remand prisoners elsewhere and by a sustained effort to move convicted prisoners to training establishments as soon as places become available.

  In the longer term, Leeds prison will also benefit from the prison building programme. Five hundred and forty-two new places will be provided at the prison in early 1991. As well as providing some additional accommodation, this will enable a programme of refurbishment of the existing blocks to proceed. Redevelopment will be completed by late 1996.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley police as to whether the late Michael Ryan used firearms possessed by police officers of the Thames Valley police on any occasion.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The chief constable of Thames Valley has no information to that effect.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call on a report from the chief constable of Thames Valley police as to on how many occasions the Police Complaints Board had submitted requests for files and papers or information to the chief constable in the course of investigating complaints made into events(a) leading up to and (b) involving the shootings by the late Michael Ryan on 19 August 1987, and as to what response he has made, giving dates on which such material was submitted.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable that the investigation is being carried out under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority; there is frequent discussion between the investigation team and the authority about the course of the investigation and the evidence to be obtained.

  Concerts (Codification)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of distress caused to young people who attended Alice Cooper concerts, he will seek powers to require the codification of live performances so that the public and parents may be better informed when deciding whether to attend.

  Mr. John Patten
  District and London borough councils have power in licensing premises for public entertainment under the Local Government (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act 1982 and the London Government Act 1963, to impose conditions concerning the nature of entertainments permitted on those premises.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88, indentified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Hurd
  The expenditure in 1987–88 was aproximately(a) £36,000 by Ministers; and (b) £464,000 by officials.

  Immigration
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total numbers of persons who were on temporary admission to the United Kingdom in(a) 1985, (b) 1986, (c) 1987 and (d) since 1 January respectively.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: In 1987, a total of 7,517 persons were granted temporary admission to the United Kingdom: information for the first quarter of 1988 is not yet available. The figures for 1985 and 1986 were on a different basis which separately identified those granted temporary admission being further examination, from those granted temporary admission after being refused entry, with the result that those granted temporary admission under both circumstances were counted twice. The figures are as follows; comprehensive data are not available for the first three months of 1985.

  Number of passengers granted temporary admission

  Year

  Pending further exmination

  After being refused entry

  1985 April to December

  6,746

  6,595

  1986

  12,414

  10,757

  Visas
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visitors' visas, were refused in the United Kingdom posts in(a) Bombay, (b) New Dehli, (c) Dacca, (d) Islamabad and (e) Calcutta in (i) 1985, (ii) 1986, (iii) 1987 and (iv) since 1 January, respectively.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 18 April]The information requested for 1985–87 is given in the following table; the corresponding information for the first quarter of 1988 is not yet available. Since 15 October 1986, citizens of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan wishing to visit the United Kingdom have been required to obtain a visa before setting out. Before that date, the examination of a passenger's eligibility for entry normally took place on arrival at a United Kingdom port although it was open to a visitor to apply for an optional entry clearance at a post overseas. The increase in refusals of visit entry clearances at posts in the Indian sub-continent since October 1986 has therefore been accompanied by a fall of results at the ports. Congestion at the ports has been substantially reduced, as I explained in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Westminster, North (Mr. Wheeler) on 29 March, column 387.

  Persons refused a visit entry clearance

  Post

  1985

  1986

  1987

  January to September

  October to December

  Bombay

  50

  30

  100

  1,100

  New Dehli

  80

  90

  360

  3,620

  Calcutta

  1—

  10

  1—

  90

  Dhaka

  560

  350

  600

  1,670

  Islamabad

  40

  20

  440

  5,230

  1 Five or fewer

  Crime Prevention
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further action he proposes to take to(a) increase crime prevention measures and (b) reduce the incidence of offences of public order.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 19 April]: A wide range of crime prevention initiatives are successfully underway to both national and local level. The energy and enthusiasm of those concerned is evident and we are determined that this should be further encouraged and that where initiatives are successful in preventing crime and in reducing the fear of crime, experience and good practice is made known to all.

  At national level, the ministerial group on crime prevention and the standing conference on crime prevention have important roles in co-ordinating policies and exchanging ideas. The new national crime prevention publicity campaign, launched last month, will run for the next three years. The handbook, "Practical Ways to Crack Crime", launched as part of the campaign, is full of practical crime prevention measures for all members and sectors of the community.

  To support and encourage local crime prevention activity, including neighbourhood watch, we will shortly announce details of a new crime prevention organisation.

  Our safer cities programme, launched last month as part of the Government's action for cities initiative, will build on and take further a wide range of earlier work which has shown what can be done to prevent crime by concerted and determined local action. Twenty safer cities projects will be established over a three year period in high crime urban areas.

  The Public Order Act 1986 strengthened the law on public order in many respects. We have put before Parliament proposals to improve controls on the possession of firearms and shotguns, to prohibit the sale of specified offensive weapons, and to make it an offence to be in possession of a knife in a public place without good reason. We shall continue to strengthen the police to enable them to deal effectively with public order offences as well as other crimes.

  Police Raids (Media Notification)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to whether the London Evening Standard was advised in advance by the Metropolitan police of the raid on alleged Jamaica-based racketeers on the night of 13–14 April what procedures for prior notification of the media about police activity which may lead to arrests in the presence of representatives of broadcasting and newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the London Evening Standard was advised in advance that a police operation of this kind was to take place. Detailed information on the nature of the operation and the location was not provided to it until the raid occurred.

  Decisions of this kind are operational ones for the chief officer concerned. I understand that the Metropolitan Police practice is to give advance notification to the media
  596
  when, having balanced the need to inform the public against the interests of the individuals involved, this seems the most appropriate course of action.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Chiropody
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement on the future of the chiropody service;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the future of the chiropody profession.

  (3) if he will make a statement on the future of the chiropody profession.

  (4) when he intends to reply to the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East on the future of the chiropody services in January and February; and if he will give the reasons for the delay.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have been considering various issues concerning chiropody in the light of the comments sought from health authorities on the Cartwright report on the chiropody needs of the elderly, "More Trouble with Feet", published in September 1986. I regret that this has led to a delay in replying to my hon. Friend's earlier questions. I hope shortly to do so more fully, but I should make it clear that, in the absence of agreement within the profession itself, we have no plans for legislation on the issue of protection of title. We have indicated in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" that we see a place for chiropody within the primary care team in future.

  Mentally Handicapped and Mentally Ill Patients
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the levels of staff employed in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Health Authority Area working with(a) mentally handicapped and (b) mentally ill patients for each year from 1979 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information held centrally is as follows:

  Medical and Nursing Staff employed in Mental Illness and Mental Handicap, areas of work Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district health authority at 30 September of each year1

  whole-time equivalents2

  Year

  Mental illness

  Mental handicap

  1982

  200

  737

  1983

  221

  730

  1984

  224

  745

  1985

  219

  831

  1986

  230

  844

  Source: DHSS Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-Medical Manpower.

  1 Includes medical permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes locums. Excludes consultants and senior registrars whose contracts arc held by the Regional Health Authority. Excludes agency nursing and midwifery staff.

  2 All figures are individually rounded to the nearest (10) ten whole-time equivalents.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what warning his Department makes available to pregnant nurses about the risks of cytomegalovirus in the course of their caring for AIDS patients;
  597
  (2) what information he has on the number of nurses infected with cytomegalovirus in the course of their caring for AIDS patients.

  Mr. Newton
  The scientific advice which the Department has received is that cytomegalovirus does not present an occupational hazard to nurses or other female staff caring for patients with CMV infection, including patients with AIDS.

  Studies of hospital nurses working with patients known to be excreting cytomegalovirus have shown no increased risk of infection in these nurses compared with women of similar ages working in other occupations.

  The most effective means by which all women, including nurses, who are either pregnant or planning a pregnancy, can protect themselves from infection with cytomegalovirus is by careful attention to personal hygiene, for example, hand washing. This is basic to standard safe working practices for all nursing staff.

  National Health Service Buildings and Land
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the buildings and land in the ownership of the National Health Service for which he has given permission to be sold off in the last 10 years.

  Notifications of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 in Great Britain, by age, region of usual residence and category of premises

  Numbers and percentages

  1971, 1981, 1986

  Age group

  Category of premises

  under 16

  16–19

  20–34

  35 and over

  NHS

  per cent.

  non-NHS

  per cent.

  Total

  Year 1986

  Great Britain

  4,547

  40,409

  114,296

  22,561

  76,882

  42·3

  104,953

  57·7

  181,835

  England and Wales

  4,240

  37,897

  108,542

  21,585

  67,529

  39·2

  104,757

  60·8

  172,286

  Scotland

  307

  2,512

  5,754

  976

  9,353

  97·9

  196

  2·1

  9,549

  Area of usual residence

  Wales

  179

  1,700

  3,943

  924

  4,083

  60·5

  2,663

  39·5

  6,746

  Regional Health Authority:

  Northern

  257

  1,600

  3,667

  739

  5,347

  85·4

  916

  14·6

  6,263

  Yorkshire

  296

  2,248

  4,924

  1,048

  3,252

  38·2

  5,265

  61·8

  8,517

  Trent

  417

  2,737

  6,244

  1,391

  6,251

  57·9

  4,540

  42·1

  10,791

  East Anglian

  176

  1,177

  2,633

  676

  3,750

  80·4

  912

  19·6

  4,662

  North West Thames

  185

  2,640

  11,100

  1,841

  5,721

  36·3

  10,049

  63·7

  15,770

  North East Thames

  277

  3,225

  11,704

  1,890

  7,870

  46·0

  9,233

  54·0

  17,103

  South East Thames

  254

  2,775

  9,356

  1,415

  5,592

  40·5

  8,210

  59·5

  13,802

  South West Thames

  197

  2,036

  6,597

  1,351

  3,546

  34·8

  6,637

  65·2

  10,183

  Wessex

  241

  1,858

  3,958

  886

  2,974

  42·8

  3,969

  57·2

  6,943

  Oxford

  190

  1,661

  4,094

  892

  3,550

  51·9

  3,288

  48·1

  6,838

  South Western

  227

  1,773

  3,909

  903

  5,154

  75·7

  1,658

  24·3

  6,812

  West Midlands

  534

  3,991

  9,278

  1,981

  2,923

  18·5

  12,862

  81·5

  15,785

  Mersey

  140

  1,728

  4,218

  739

  3,089

  45·3

  3,736

  54·7

  6,825

  North Western

  324

  2,670

  6,352

  1,231

  4,349

  41·1

  6,230

  58·9

  10,579

  District Health Authority:

  Doncaster

  35

  206

  464

  88

  578

  72·9

  215

  27·1

  793

  Year 1981

  Great Britain

  4,151

  39,102

  103,935

  23,631

  70,087

  40·9

  101,400

  59·I

  171,487

  England and Wales

  3,949

  36,623

  98,773

  22,467

  61,276

  37·7

  101,204

  62·3

  162,480

  Scotland

  202

  2,479

  5,162

  1,164

  8,811

  97·8

  196

  2·2

  9,007

  Area of usual residence

  Wales

  154

  1,621

  3,432

  1,121

  3,757

  59·2

  2,584

  40·8

  6,341

  Regional Health Authority:

  Northern

  200

  1,548

  3,037

  749

  4,913

  88·5

  641

  11·5

  5,554

  Yorkshire

  266

  1,985

  4,086

  1,104

  2,961

  39·6

  4,511

  60·4

  7,472

  598
  Mrs. Currie
  In the 10 years from 1977–78 to 1986–87 just over 8,000 acres have been sold and some £388 million has been realised. Proceeds for 1987–88 are expected to be in the region of £200 million. Regional health authorities have been directed to carry out the Secretary of State's functions in the acquisition and disposal of land and his permission to sell land is not required. Details of individual sales are not routinely collected centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate expense.

  Abortion
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were carried out in Great Britain in the years 1971, 1981 and 1987 in the following categories:(a) under 16 years, (b) 16 to 19 years, (c) 20 to 34 years and (d) 35 years and over; what proportion was carried out in (i) National Health Service hospitals or (ii) private hospitals or others; and if he will break down this information (x) nationally, (y) regionally and (z) for Don Valley constituency.

  Mr. Newton
  As data for 1987 are not yet available, the tables show figures for 1986. For reasons of maintaining confidentiality, statistics for constituency wards are riot released. The remaining information requested is given in the tables, together with readily available statistics for Doncaster health district and district health authority.
  599

  Age group

  Category of premises

  under 16

  16–19

  20–34

  35 and over

  NHS

  per cent.

  non-NHS

  per cent.

  Total

  Trent

  353

  2,607

  5,311

  1,535

  5,391

  54·8

  4,446

  45·2

  9,837

  East Anglian

  127

  960

  2,177

  632

  2,992

  76·5

  921

  23·5

  3,913

  North West Thames

  234

  2,798

  9,779

  1,911

  5,967

  40·3

  8,830

  59·7

  14,797

  North East Thames

  271

  3,021

  9,187

  1,745

  7,204

  50·4

  7,092

  49·6

  14,296

  South East Thames

  310

  2,658

  6,793

  1,470

  5,517

  48·8

  5,782

  51·2

  11,299

  South West Thames

  174

  1,955

  5,301

  1,263

  3,364

  38·5

  5,364

  61·5

  8,728

  Wessex

  206

  1,505

  3,065

  863

  2,918

  51·6

  2,738

  48·4

  5,656

  Oxford

  160

  1,435

  3,121

  903

  2,913

  51·6

  2,732

  48·4

  5,645

  South Western

  212

  1,583

  3,383

  889

  4,676

  76·5

  1,433

  23·5

  6,109

  West Midlands

  482

  3,809

  7,811

  2,040

  3,011

  21·2

  11,197

  78·8

  14,208

  Mersey

  111

  1,521

  3,141

  726

  1,683

  30·5

  3,837

  69·5

  5,520

  North Western

  271

  2,387

  5,282

  1,245

  3,836

  41·7

  5,370

  58·3

  9,206

  Health District:

  Doncaster

  36

  231

  383

  97

  629

  84·0

  120

  16·0

  749

  Year 1971

  Great Britain

  2,837

  23,966

  81,040

  22,990

  59,955

  45·0

  73,155

  55·0

  133,110

  England and Wales

  2,618

  22,872

  77,481

  21,529

  53,706

  42·4

  73,071

  57·6

  126,777

  Scotland

  219

  1,094

  3,559

  1,461

  6,249

  98·7

  84

  1·3

  6,333

  Area of usual residence

  Wales

  119

  899

  2,764

  998

  3,781

  78·8

  1,017

  21·2

  4,798

  Hospital regions:

  Newcastle

  140

  943

  2,779

  1,119

  4,661

  92·2

  396

  7·8

  5,057

  Leeds

  133

  911

  2,369

  908

  2,384

  54·3

  2,009

  45·7

  4,393

  Sheffield

  242

  1,398

  3,805

  1,410

  4,038

  58·0

  2,924

  42·0

  6,962

  East Anglian

  105

  623

  1,867

  646

  2,424

  74·0

  853

  26·0

  3,277

  North West Metropolitan

  207

  2,264

  9,464

  2,027

  6,740

  47·0

  7,603

  53·0

  14,343

  North East Metropolitan

  129

  1,245

  4,008

  1,159

  3,715

  54·8

  3,067

  45·2

  6,782

  South East Metropolitan

  196

  1,503

  4,646

  1,229

  5,328

  69·1

  2,387

  30·9

  7,715

  South West Metropolitan

  170

  1,645

  6,475

  1,172

  3,831

  39·6

  5,852

  60·4

  9,683

  Wessex

  113

  636

  1,715

  564

  1,824

  59·0

  1,265

  41·0

  3,089

  Oxford

  114

  732

  1,846

  597

  2,026

  60·7

  1,309

  39·3

  3,335

  South Western

  175

  1,168

  2,761

  936

  3,569

  69·4

  1,577

  30·6

  5,146

  Birmingham

  238

  2,179

  5,578

  1,645

  2,331

  23·9

  7,436

  76·1

  9,767

  Manchester

  167

  1,409

  4,071

  1,336

  5,027

  70·9

  2,068

  29·1

  7,095

  Liverpool

  48

  621

  1,812

  597

  1,776

  56·8

  1,352

  43·2

  3,128

  Teaching Hospitals
  Mr. Tom Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Government will ensure, in its review of the National Health Service, that resources to meet the costs of teaching hospitals which relate to their university functions are separated from the main allocations of resources to the district health authorities concerned.

  Mr. Moore
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 15 April at column 263. I cannot anticipate the outcome of the Government's review.

  Ambulances (Emergency Calls)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, for metropolitan and county ambulance authorities, the percentage of emergency calls not meeting response time standards.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information about the percentage of emergency calls where ambulance authorities meet the response time standards is contained in the package of Health Service indicators produced by the Department. The latest information, for 1986–87, is now in the Library.

  RAWP Levels
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the effect on the 600
  Nottingham health authority of revising the RAWP allocation formula so that its resources are either frozen or not increased to the 100 per cent. funding level.

  Mr. Newton
  None.

  Project 2000
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can now make a statement on his response to Project 2000 report on the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting; and if he will make a further statement on the Government's new countrywide campaign to encourage former nurses to return to work and to recruit and retain new nurses.

  Mr. Newton
  The Government are considering proposals from the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for the reform of nurse education and training. We hope to be in a position to respond in the near future.

  The national nurse publicity campaign and the careers literature, videos an exhibition materials produced by the Department are being revised and will be extended to support local activity in regions and districts including campaigns to attract back those nurses who have left the service. I also recently launched the joint DHSS-Nursing Times "Recruit and Retain" campaign which is to run through 1988 with the aim of increasing awareness and

  601
  understanding of the recruitment and retention challenge and to spread good practice in recruitment and manpower planning among Health Service managers.

  Nurses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give figures by regional health authorities of the number of people over 60 years needing nursing care at the end of 1987; what the projected figures are for 1995 and 2000; and if he will make a statement on how he intends to ensure that there are enough nurses of the right quality to care for the elderly in the future.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested about the number of people over 60 years requiring nursing care at the end of 1987 and projected figures for 1995 and 2000, is not available. On the question of ensuring that there are enough nurses of the right quality to care for the elderly in the future, I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 18 March 1988 at column 706.

  Social Work Training
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department is giving to proposals for changes in social work training; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We have been considering, in conjunction with other relevant Departments, proposals put forward by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work. I hope shortly to write to the council's chairman with our views on the most appropriate way to make progress in the improvement of social work training.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of exempting all pensioners from the proposed charges for eye tests, over and above those already exempt.

  Mr. Newton
  We estimate that the additional cost (England) of retaining free NHS sight tests for people of pensionable age who are not otherwise eligible would be approximately £22 million a year.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants in the Sunderland area covered by(a) Dunn house and (b) Phoenix house, have been denied invalidity benefit and required to sign as available for light work in the periods (i) January to April, (ii) May to August and (iii) September to December for the years 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would write to me.

  Retirement Pension
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the value in real terms of the basic 602
  retirement pension with effect from 11 April, taking November 1978 as the base and calculated according to the rise in average earnings between then and the latest month for which information is available.

  Mr. Scott
  If the basic retirement pension had been increased in line with the overall increase in earnings between November 1978 and September 1987, the end of the period measured for the April 1988 uprating, the level of pension in April 1988 would be £47·10.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the additional cost of abolishing the contribution conditions for the basic retirement pension for those aged 65 years or over.

  Mr. Scott
  The gross additional cost of abolishing the contribution conditions for basic retirement pension for those over state pension age would be about £2,500 million in 1988–89. Figures for those aged 65 or over are not available.

  Social Security Act 1986
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will outline in detail what proposals he has for monitoring the implementation and impact of the Social Security Act 1986, which will be carried out directly by his Department or by other research bodies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The objectives for the reforms enacted by the Social Security Act 1986 were set out in the Government's Green and White Papers, "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. numbers 9517 and 9691). Achievement of these objectives is being monitored using information derived from the Department's statistical and management returns, from expenditure data, from local authority returns and from the family expenditure and general household surveys.

  A research project into maternity rights and benefits carried out by the Policy Studies Institute under the joint sponsorship of DHSS, Department of Employment and the Equal Opportunities Commission will start later this year. We also intend to commission independent research to start in spring 1989 into the extent to which the social fund is meeting its objectives and are considering a number of further research projects in other benefit areas.

  Severe Disablement Allowance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the increase in the number of persons receiving severe disablement allowance and in its annual cost if the disablement conditions were those prevailing before the inroduction of the 80 per cent. disability test.

  Mr. Scott
  Up to April 1987 (the latest date for which statistics are available) some 16,000 claims to severe disablement allowance (SDA) had been disallowed because they did not satisfy the 80 per cent. disablement condition. It is not possible to say how many of these people would have satisfied the conditions for the noncontributory invalidity pension which was replaced by SDA in November 1984. The gross annual cost of paying 16,000 claims to SDA would be some £21 million.

  Cancelled Operations
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total numbers of cancelled operations for the first day of each month for the last six months; and if he will give the reasons for those cancellations.

  Mr. Newton
  Such information has not been collected centrally in the past. Data on the number of scheduled theatre sessions cancelled are being collected from 1987–88 and figures for that year will be available in September.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest figures for the total number of operations cancelled on 14 March and 15 March, and if he will break that total down into(a) operations cancelled due to the industrial action and (b) operations cancelled for reasons other than the industrial action.

  Mr. Newton
  I have nothing to add to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr. Watts) on 17 March at column 681. Information on cancellation of operations generally is not held centrally.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Moore
  The information is not available in precisely the form requested. The total cost incurred by my Department on Foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 was £733,864·53, of which £28,901·34 related to travel by Ministers and staff of the private offices.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations were carried out with health authorities with regard to the availability of extra hospital beds to cater for patients that need nursing care but who are not now able to enter or be discharged from nursing homes because they own or have not disposed of their own house.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The possession of property does not prevent someone from being admitted on a permanent basis to a nursing home, or remaining in a nursing home, but ownership of property valued over £6,000 net will mean there is no entitlement to income support.

SCOTLAND

  Environmental Health Departments
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are employed in the environmental health department of each district council.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not held centrally.

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what child care provision his Department 604
  provides for pre-school age children of the Department's employees; what child care provision, for school holiday and/or after-school care, is provided for employees' children aged five and over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My Department does not provide child care facilities and has at present no plans to provide any. It has, however, publicised such facilities provided by others as have come to notice.

  Holidays
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any figures for the numbers of Scottish people holidaying abroad.

  Mr. Lang
  The British Tourist Authority collects information on a United Kingdom basis but separate figures are not available for Scotland.

  Tourism
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual budget of the Scottish tourist board for the years 1979 to 1988.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is as follows:

  Financial year

  Outturn £ million

  1979–80

  4·2

  1980–81

  5·2

  1981–82

  6·1

  1982–83

  7·1

  1983–84

  8·1

  1984–85

  10·0

  1985–86

  8·7

  1986–87

  9·1

  1987–88

  9·0

  1988–89

  19·9

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is estimate of the number of tourists who have visited Scotland in the years 1979 to 1988.

  Mr. Lang
  Estimates from the Scottish tourist board and the the international passenger survey on visitor trips to Scotland since 1979 are as follows:

  million

  Overseas

  United Kingdom visitors

  Total

  1979

  1·0

  11·5

  12·5

  1980

  1·0

  11·7

  12·7

  1981

  0·9

  12·1

  13·0

  1982

  1·0

  12·4

  13·4

  1983

  1·0

  13·1

  14·1

  1984

  1·1

  13·1

  14·2

  1985

  1·1

  12·5

  13·6

  1986

  1·3

  11·9

  13·2

  Figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any figures giving a breakdown by nationality of tourists visiting Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Estimates for visitors to Scotland from overseas in 1986 by country of origin are as follows:
  605

  Thousands

  Percentage

  United States

  336

  28·9

  Canada

  111

  9·5

  Total North America

  447

  38·4

  France

  100

  8·6

  West Germany

  141

  12·1

  Italy

  37

  3·2

  Belgium-Luxembourg

  16

  1·4

  Netherlands

  35

  3·0

  Denmark

  6

  0·6

  Greece

  5

  0·4

  Spain

  17

  1·5

  Portugal

  6

  0·5

  Total EC (excluding Irish Republic)

  363

  31·3

  Iceland

  7

  0·6

  Austria

  15

  1·3

  Norway

  28

  2·4

  Sweden

  27

  2·3

  Switzerland

  15

  1·3

  Other Western Europe

  7

  0·6

  Total Non EC Western Europe

  99

  8·5

  New Zealand

  19

  1·6

  Japan

  12

  1·0

  Saudi Arabia

  13

  1·1

  South Africa

  15

  1·3

  Australia

  96

  8·3

  Other Rest of World (all less than 10,000)

  99

  8·5

  Total Rest of World

  254

  21·8

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what efforts are being made by the Government to progress Scottish tourism.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 24 February at column 233.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the contribution to the Scottish economy by the tourist industry.

  Mr. Lang
  It is estimated by the Scottish tourist board that visitor spending in Scotland in 1986 was about £1,600 million. On this basis, tourism is estimated to contribute 5 per cent. to Scottish GDP.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the levels of wages and salary being paid in the Scottish tourist industry.

  Mr. Lang
  Tourism is a diverse industry covering a wide range of occupations. The only information on wages and salaries available to me is that contained in the new earnings survey 1987. Copies of the survey are available in the Library.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a regional breakdown within Scotland of the number of tourists coming to Scotland for holidays.

  Mr. Lang
  The regional breakdown of visitor trips taken in Scotland in 1986 was as follows:606

  1Overseas trips thousands

  1 United Kingdom domestic trips thousands

  Highlands and Islands

  295

  2,100

  Grampian

  125

  1,700

  Tayside

  105

  1,200

  Strathclyde

  430

  3,800

  Central

  50

  700

  Fife

  60

  800

  Lothian

  600

  2,300

  Dumfries and Galloway

  50

  650

  Borders

  30

  450

  Unspecified

  20

  —

  1 Figures include multiple trips to regions within Scotland taken as part of one trip to Scotland.

  Timber
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 31 March,Official Report, column 361, if he will state the number of persons employed in (a) sawmilling, planing and so on of wood, (b) manufacture of semi-finished wood products and further treatment and processing of wood and (c) pulp, paper and board, in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is in the table.

  Employment

  Scotland

  England

  Wales

  Sawmilling, planing etc of wood

  4,400

  18,200

  1—

  Manufacture of semi-finished wood products and further processing and treatment of wood

  500

  3,900

  1—

  Pulp, paper and board

  5,700

  24,300

  1—

  1 Figures cannot be given without disclosing information relation to individual firms.

  Source: Annual Census of Production, 1985.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 31 March,Official Report, column 361 to what factors he attributes the difference between the figure quoted of 10,600 people employed in Scotland in the pulp, paper and timber industries in 1985, and that of 2,600 employed in the wood processing industries in Scotland, quoted by the Forestry Commission in its publication "Forestry Facts and Figures 1985–86".

  Mr. Lang
  The figure of 10,600 is drawn from survey information obtained in the annual census of production and includes all employees in plants classified to the pulp, paper and timber industries in Scotland in 1985. The figure of 2,600, quoted by the Forestry Commission, is an estimate of those employees engaged in plants reliant on Scottish grown wood. Thus, for example, if paper mills in Scotland used imported raw materials or recycled waste paper in 1985, their employment is excluded from the Commission's figure, as is employment in plants which may have used a mix of home-grown and imported raw materials.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total costs incurred by his

  607
  Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88 identified (a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Rifkin
  In 1987–88 foreign travel expenditure in my Department amounted to :

  £

  Ministers

  19,759

  Civil Servants

  160,090

  Total

  179,849

TRANSPORT

  Motorways (Repair and Maintenance)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions his Department gives to deter those working on the repair or maintenance of the United Kingdom motorway system from running across the motorway lanes in front of oncoming traffic; whether he is satisfied that those instructions are adequately enforced; and whether he has received any representations on this subject.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 the health, safety and welfare at work of employees and their supervision is the responsibility of each employer. In addition, it is the duty of every employee while at work to take care for the safety of himself and others.

  Enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive.

  Advice on this subject in relation to trunk roads and motorways is given in a departmental advice note TA 2/79 and in a joint report published in 1985 by the Department and the County Surveyors' Society. A copy of each has been placed in the Library.

  We have also received a letter on this subject.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the(a) projected and (b) recorded numbers of road fatalities and casualties in the United Kingdom for 1987; and what equivalent information he has about other EEC countries.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No projections are made of casualties in road accidents. Final data for 1987 are expected to be available by July. The number of people killed in road accidents in the United Kingdom in 1987 is provisionally estimated to be 5,300, with total casualties at 318,000.

  Road accident casualty data for other European Community countries for 1987 are not yet available. The relevant data for 1986 are shown in the table:

  European Community comparisons of road casualties: 1986

  1Killed

  2Injured

  Total

  United Kingdom

  5,618

  325,275

  330,893

  Belgium

  1,951

  79,861

  81,812

  Denmark3

  771

  13,809

  14,580

  Federal Republic of Germany

  8,948

  443,217

  452,165

  France

  11,947

  258,029

  269,976

  Greece

  1,625

  27,328

  28,953

  Irish Republic

  389

  8,327

  8,716

  608

  1Killed

  2Injured

  Total

  Italy3

  7,629

  217,603

  225,232

  Luxembourg

  79

  1,904

  1,983

  Netherlands

  1,529

  50,081

  51,610

  Portugal3

  2,460

  38,888

  41,348

  Spain

  7,045

  135,519

  142,564

  1 In accordance with the commonly agreed international definition, most countries define a fatality as being due to a road accident if death occurs within 30 days of the accident. The official road accident statistics of some countries, however, limit the fatalities to those occurring within shorter periods after the accident. Deaths in the above table have been adjusted according to the factors used by the Economic Commission for Europe and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, to represent standardised 30-day deaths. Those countries with adjusted fatality data are: Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal.

  2 Because of differences in the definition and the quality of collection in different countries, injury statistics are not as reliable an indicator of road safety trends as death statistics.

  3 1985 data.

  Motorway Accidents
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents were reported on British motorways during(a) 1985, (b) 1986 and (c) 1987 which were caused by loose items, debris or loads shed from goods vehicles.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Stats 19 road accident reporting system does not collect data on the causes of road accidents. While accidents are recorded that involved a dislodged vehicle load, the system does not identify the type of vehicle from which the load was dislodged, or whether it was, itself, involved in the accident.

  Data for 1987 are not yet available. However, the number of accidents on motorways in Great Britain which involved a dislodged vehicle load in the carriageway, are given in the table.

  1985

  1986

  Fatal

  2

  1

  Serious

  8

  4

  Slight

  25

  30

  Total

  35

  35

  Aircraft (Deicing)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of blocks of ice falling from aircraft were reported in each year from 1983 to 1987.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that the number of reported incidents in the United Kingdom was as follows:

  Number

  1983

  15

  1984

  27

  1985

  15

  1986

  22

  1987

  18

  A47(T)
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the latest traffic flow figures on the A47(T) road in Cambridgeshire(a) in total, and (b) or different

  609
  categories of vehicle, as available; and at what level of traffic flow the provision of a dual carriageway would be considered by his Department.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In 1987 the average annual daily flow ranged from 8,000 to 38,000 vehicles. A detailed analysis by vehicle type for the whole route is not available. The proportion of HGV's ranged from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. Departmental standards require that dual carriageways should be considered as one of the options for a road scheme when traffic flows are forecast to exceed 11,000 vehicles per day 15 years after the road is expected to open. The standard finally selected will also have regard to economic justification and environmental impact.

  Vehicle Flows
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the trunk roads and motorways completed in the last 10 years where average daily vehicle flows are respectively below and above his Department's forecasts made at the time of authorisation.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department has systematically monitored the accuracy of forecasts for trunk road (including trunk motorway) schemes for which orders were published in 1981 or later. Of 47 road schemes which

  LATCC1

  ScOATCC2

  1988–1987

  1987–1986

  1988–1987

  31987–1986

  Hardware failures

  2

  1

  2

  —

  Software failures

  5

  4

  21

  —

  Power supply failures

  0

  4

  —

  —

  Total4 5

  7

  9

  23

  —

  1 London Air Traffic Control Centre.

  2 Scottish and Oceanic Air Traffic Control Centre.

  3 Scottish computer system became operational April 1987.

  4 Failures which resulted in ATC Flight Plan Processing Systems reverting to manual operation.

  5 LATCC total represents 0·16 per cent. of the time for 1988–87 and 0·17 per cent. for 1987–86. ScOATCC total represents 1·73 per cent. of the time for 1988–87.

  A21 (Pembury Bypass)
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the contractual opening date and expected actual opening date for the A21 Pembury bypass.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The contractual completion date is 23 May. The contractor expects the bypass to be ready for use on 6 May.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88, identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The latest estimate of expenditure by the Department on foreign travel during 1987–88 is:

  £

  (a) Ministers

  50,700

  (b) Civil Servants

  1,236,556

  610
  have been open to traffic for more than 12 months, and for which counts of actual traffic have been compared with the forecast for that year, more than half were within 20 per cent. of the forecast. Errors below that level are statistically not significant because of the errors inherent in translating a count of one day's traffic into an annual figure. Only 5 per cent. of schemes had differences greater than 40 per cent. between the forecast and actual traffic counts. In all these cases traffic had been substantially overestimated on assumption about events wh]ch subsequently took a different course. The smaller errors were in both directions and there is no evidence of any systematic error in the forecasting methods used.

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of breakdowns in air traffic control computers over the last 12 months; and what were the numbers in the previous 12 months.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The CAA is wholly responsible for all aspects of aviation safety regulation and (with the Ministry of Defence) for the provision and operation of air traffic services in the United Kingdom. The authority says that the number of failures in its two main air traffic control computer systems in the last 12 months and the previous 12 months were as follows:

  The figures include the cost of subsistence which is not recorded separately.

ENVIRONMENT

  Michael Forsyth Associates
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all contacts by(a) Ministers in his Department and (b) civil servants in his Department with representatives of Michael Forsyth Associates, Michael Forsyth Ltd. and subsidiaries thereof, in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am not aware of any official contracts with these firms in the last five years. I am however, grateful to two Ministers in my Department for having addressed conferences organised by Political Relations, a subsidiary of Michael Forsyth Associates.

  Joint Boards
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each joint board their precepts for 1987–88 and 1988–89 and the percentage change between the two years.

  Mr. Chope
  The table gives the available information for each joint board:

  Joint board precepts 1987–88 to 1988–89

  Precept 1987–88(p)

  Precept 1988–89(p)

  Percentage change

  Greater Manchester PA

  15·65

  15·38

  -1·7

  Merseyside PA

  22·64

  19·30

  -14·8

  South Yorkshire PA

  16·00

  15·59

  -2·6

  Northumbria PA

  14·20

  14·40

  1·4

  West Midlands PA

  12·32

  14·11

  14·5

  West Yorkshire PA

  18·20

  1572

  -13·6

  London Fire Authority

  8·07

  8·07

  0·0

  Greater Manchester Fire

  9·75

  10·45

  7·2

  Merseyside Fire

  6·80

  8·39

  23·4

  South Yorkshire Fire

  10·26

  11·21

  9·3

  Tyne and Wear Fire

  10·54

  11·04

  4·7

  West Midlands Fire

  6·62

  7·48

  13·0

  West Yorkshire Fire

  11·59

  13·41

  15·7

  Greater Manchester PTA

  12·96

  15·58

  20·2

  Merseyside PTA

  28·48

  26·50

  -7·0

  South Yorkshire PTA

  34·28

  30·35

  -11·5

  Tyne and Wear PTA

  14·51

  9·58

  -34·0

  West Midlands PTA

  7·81

  10·31

  32·0

  West Yorkshire PTA

  23·78

  24·82

  4·4

  Housing Co-operatives (Islington)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the reasons for his refusal of the application made by Islington borough council 1986 under the Housing and Planning Act 1986, for financial assistance for the appointment of two housing cooperative development officers to assist the establishment of housing co-operatives in the borough.

  Mrs. Roe
  The guidelines issued by my Department for housing management grant under section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 indicate that grant will not normally be available towards expenditure which could be funded by local authority main programmes. As the application from Islington borough council was in support of two development officers in its own co-ops section, approval was not given. Our priority is to support non-statutory organisations offering advice to tenants groups.

  Football League Chairmen
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last attended a meeting of the 92 Football League club chairmen; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have not attended a meeting of the 92 Football League chairmen. I hold regular meetings with the president of the league and other football authorities at which measures to combat hooliganism are reviewed.

  Local Authority Charging
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now proposes to give effect to his intention, announced in his statement of 24 July 1987,Official Report, column 275, to permit the introduction of new local authority charging.

  Mr. Chope
  It has become clear that it will not be possible to add the necessary provisions to the Local Government Finance Bill, now before Parliament. It remains our intention to introduce such a power at the next appropriate legislative opportunity.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name the first housing action trusts to be set up; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Litherland) on 16 March 1988 at column 598.

  Foreign Travel
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the total costs incurred by his Department on foreign travel during the financial year 1987–88, identified by(a) ministerial travel and (b) travel abroad by civil servants.

  Mr. Ridley
  Total costs incurred by my Department on foreign travel are no longer monitored separately from United Kingdom travel.

  London Residuary Body (House Sales)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the price received by the London residuary body for the seaside and country houses sold to North British Housing Association.

  Mr. Chope
  £20·2 million.

  No. 10 Downing Street
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 14 April,Official Report, column 232, if he will give a breakdown of the expenditure on (a) furnishings and (b) decoration at No. 10 Downing street in 1987–88, for all items of over £500.

  Mr. Chope
  Up to 31 March 1988 expenditure in 1987–88 on furnishings and decorations at No. 10 Downing street for all items over £500 was as follows :

  £

  (a) Furnishings

  Glass-fronted bookcase

  500·16

  Re-upholstery

  727·85

  Re-covering settee

  731·99

  Berber carpet

  560·44

  (b) Decorations

  Internal decorations

  2,300

  Internal decorations

  4,133·07

  Oval Cricket Ground
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed the future of the Oval with representatives of Surrey county cricket club.
  613
  Mr. Moynihan
  I had a number of discussions with representatives of the club before Christmas, about the question of financing the redevelopment of the Oval. I told them that I thought that it should be possible to increase the offer of private sponsorship which they had previously received and that I would give any help that I could in this respect. I subsequently contacted a number of potential private sponsors, and related to these discussions, a substantially larger offer of sponsorship was made to the club. I understand that the club may now be on the point of agreeing an arrangement with the company concerned along the lines I discussed with the company. I am glad that I was able to help in these discussions and I am grateful for the helpful role which my hon. Friend himself played. I wish the club and the sponsors well.

  Housing Subsidy (London)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing subsidy paid to each 614
  London borough metropolitan district and non-metropolitan district in each of the years from 1978–79 to 1988–89 (estimated), expressed in constant 1988–89 prices.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: I am placing in the Library the information requested for the years 1981–82 to 1988–89 inclusive. Information for the years before 1981–82, when the present housing subsidy system came into operation. cannot be provided except at undue cost.

  Homelessness
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now publish the research and conclusions of the work on homelessness commissioned by his Department from the University of Birmingham's centre for urban and regional studies.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 21 April 1988]: The project is not yet completed. I will keep the hon. Member in touch with developments.